It’s that time again. We spec, we drek and we buy books we think are going to be great reads. Some books we pick up for just the artwork. Either way, for those that read this, we can all count on our wallets getting a little lighter come Wednesday.
It’s a lighter week for this week. Last week was filled with some great reads despite not a whole lot of heat but that can all change in due time. We did see Riptide heat up but that was likely due to limited availability as even my local shops didn’t have any copies, at least none on the shelves at doors open.
DC/Vertigo Pick
Not a whole lot going on this week for DC books except that it’s Middleton’s week.
We don’t just get one Middleton cover this week, we get two of them. It was a tossup but I have to say I liked the Aquaman Cover Killer B over the Batgirl cover. Of course the Batgirl cover looks almost lifelike, I found the pose rather odd and off, almost sort of creepy. I also knocked off a few pick points due to Batgirl’s head cover looking as if it’s almost spray painted on. For a lifelike rendition, it just needed more depth.
So the pick goes to Aquaman #39 with Mera on the cover. Just a great looking cover. Already sold out at most online retailers.
Marvel Pick
I mentioned this in my Likes and Dislikes. This weeks Marvel pick goes to Star Wars Beckett #1 and particularly Cover A, which is a John Tyler Christopher cover that is not an action figure cover.
I’m hoping this series is a great read. Not so much of a spec pick since he made his movie debut before any comics. Edit: This is a one-shot and not a mini-series.
I must say though, out of the 3 covers for this book, one would hope the Terry Dodson cover would be the cover to pick but is it me or does Beckett look really strange on the cover? Talk about an artwork flub. I hate saying this but the Dodson cover is a complete and utter failure if he was trying to render Beckett to look like Harrelson from the movie.
Indie Pick
It has a $5.99 price tag.
It’s from a really small publisher.
It’s a one shot.
It’s my Indie pick of the week. I don’t expect most shops will even have this book but it’s on my radar to check out. That’s if I even find a copy.
Might not catch any heat but if it does, it will be brief. If you find copies, limit yourself if you plan to flip but first check if there’s any movement on the secondary. Or just buy a copy to read yourself.
From the description:
Billy is hounded, bullied and abused. He wants nothing more than a loving family, but it doesn’t seem to be in the cards for him. That hate. That dejection. It calls out in Billy’s voice and, this time, something answered. The Rejected, led by Mr. Teeth, offer Billy otherworldly protection and a place in the family. They give him the strength to take his revenge on anyone that maligned him. The Rejected can make your dreams come true, but at what price?
Small Publisher Pick
My small publisher pick this week goes to Volition #1, out from After Shock Comics.
In a not-too-distant future, artificial intelligence has spawned a race of robots that serve all of humanity. Robots are considered second class citizens, but a few in the A.I. community are fighting back in a constant struggle for equal rights. When a debilitating virus called ‘Rust’ threatens all artificial life, salvation lies in the most unlikely of robotic heroes-not a warrior or an solider, but in an obsolete construction worker and a dedicated caregiver. Together, HALE-19 and AMBER-7T embark on a perilous journey in search of a cure that could potentially change the balance of power on Earth forever.
I love me some sci-fi AI stories. Nothing ground breaking here but it won’t stop me from at least checking it out.
Now on with the dreaded “avoid” pick, every writer and artist worst nightmare when it comes to selling their hard work.
Crowded #1 from Image. So why is this my drek and avoid pick this week? Well, if you recall a month or so back, this got optioned with a media deal before the final order cutoff. You know what that means right? Shops had time to put in more orders.
Now not all shops likely ordered more but I’m willing to bet there will be plenty of these to go around. So with that in mind, pick up a copy to read or check out but I wouldn’t go heavy on this. I might be wrong but I don’t see this gaining much heat or spec since the media option has already been announced and unless it hits our screens, even then I don’t see any potential heat lasting long.
Just take a look at Analog, it got a deal and it’s heat never really took off. We also saw Skyward get a media deal and it was very brief those books sold well in the secondary market, those are now back down to cover price or less.
Beckett is a one-shot, rather than a series.
Is it? Ughh, I must of read it wrong. I was hoping for a mini-series. Thanks for the corrected info.
Added that info to the article so there’s no confusion.
If something gets optioned before it comes out or within a year of coming out I stay away from it.
Picked up a copy of The Rejected. Really good read.