Waiting for Wednesday, Issue 32

Today is a very exciting, Alex-Goes-On-a-Job-Interview Edition of Waiting for. In another state. About three hours (without traffic) away. Pretty early in the morning.

So, yeah, today's issue was actually written yesterday (which is really today for me, oh blog reader of the future...sorry...they've been showing the Back to the Future movies a lot on cable lately, and, well, I have plenty of time on my hands these days...)

AnyDeLorean, this week is a--oh, hang on. I've just realized that I completely forgot to check the Diamond list for what's shipping this week. I'll be right back.

[A lot of clicking and diligent note-taking ensues...]

Aaaannnd...I'm back. Sorry about that. It was always a Tuesday morning Rite of Passage at work for me to check the Diamond list at around 11:00 in the morning, as a way of taking a quick break from whatever nonsense I was tasked with sifting through.

Sad? Yes. Definitely.

But, when one's day is monotony personified (is that even possible?), any little bit helps. Since the layoff, I've been forgetting to do all those things I did like clockwork when I was employed. You know, like update the iPhone, or receive a steady paycheck. Things like that.

Let's just hope this interview goes well, because I am starting to go a little crazy not having anything...of substance, let's say...to do besides troll the Internet, haunting the job posting sites all week.

Speaking of haunting, today (tomorrow for Past Alex) sees the highly-anticipated release of Haunt, from Image Comics. (Ooh, that was an awesome transition.)

See, I told you it was "highly-anticipated."

Now, I'm mentioning this book for a couple of reasons. First off, I have become a huge fan of Robert Kirkman's Walking Dead series. It's the best horror comic on the planet, and it's one of the best comics on the planet, period.

Kirkman's writing is fast-paced, dialogue-driven, and (somehow) both old school and post modern at the same time. And if you want me to try explaining that last sentence, well, you'll just have to pretend it wasn't as non-sensical as it sounded.

'Kay? 'Kay.

Right, so. Haunt. This is one of those books that was announced a couple of years ago, and because Walking Dead was pretty much the hottest book in comics at the time, it was big news. Add to that the fact that Todd McFarlane is the co-creator of the title and he will be doing covers and interior inks for the book, and you have a big time seller.

Now, everyone familiar with comics knows McFarlane, and everyone familiar with comics has an opinion of McFarlane. Personally, I like the guy and what he's done in the past. Now, by that I don't mean I like all of his work. Or even most of it. I never liked Spawn, though I do dig the superhero/horror concept of the book. That said, I absolutely have respect for a creator that left Marvel at the height of his popularity to go make his own books.

That's pretty awesome, and the current comics landscape (for better or worse) is still a reflection of the Image exodus of the 1990s.

Still, I wasn't a comics fan in the 90s, and although I've gone back and checked out some of those prototypical Image books (full- and double-page splashes, focus on the art rather than the writing) that were all the rage back then, I just couldn't get into them. Lots of style, very little substance. For the most part. Don't get me wrong--there were some quality books coming out from Image, and certainly today Image prints some of my favorite series, Walking Dead highest up on that list.

But whenever McFarlane does something--be it in comics, or toys, or when he goes and buys record-breaking baseballs--he dominates the news. He's just that type of personality. And I think there will be a ton of hype with this book. And, because of past titles not shipping on time from Image, many retailers (and fans for that matter) might stay away from this book initially.

And that means these first copies are going to be tough to find in a few weeks. Now, of course, you all know I hate buying comics for the sake of collecting. And I hate it when the first printing of a massively under ordered title sells out and the only way to read said title is to scour eBay looking for any copy available that's under $50.

So, being that it's Kirkman, I think I'm going to give this new book a shot. I have faith that he will deliver another solid, creepy, engaging tale, and I want to be onboard from the start.

Here's the blurb from Image:

story ROBERT KIRKMAN, art GREG CAPULLO, RYAN OTTLEY & TODD McFARLANE, covers TODD MCFARLANE, RYAN OTTLEY, GREG CAPULLO

32 PAGES, FC, $2.99

McFARLANE & KIRKMAN’S HAUNT HAS ARRIVED!
Daniel Kilgore is dragged into his estranged brother Kurt's secret life of murder and espionage...by his ghost. With no training whatsoever, guided by the spirit of his secret-agent brother, Daniel must now solve his brother's murder and save the world – or die trying! It all starts here, people: Witness the birth of HAUNT!

I think it's an intriguing premise, and I love Greg Capullo's pencils. Plus, it's October, and I'm in the market for a new horror title.

Wow, that was long-winded. Sorry about that...

Let's do one more, shall we? Next up we have Absolution, issue 2, from Avatar Press. Now, this book is what one might call...um...violent and mature. Here's the (milder of the two) covers for this issue.

Like I said, violent and mature. For those unaware, Avatar Press offers a unique environment for (mostly) mainstream creators, like Warren Ellis, Garth Ennis, and Christos Gage, who is the creator of Absolution.

Avatar lets their creators run free, and allows them to work without any restrictions when it comes to their books. So, oftentimes you get ultra-violent, over-the-top fare (especially from Ennis!). But with Absolution, so far at least, while the book has been violent, I would liken it more to Wildstorm's The Authority, or Mark Millar's Kick Ass.

Instead of me trying to sum up the book's premise, I'll let Avatar handle that, by way of an (incredibly detailed) product description:

You've seen Christos Gage's work for Marvel, WildStorm, IDW and others, but you've never seen his imagination unleashed with absolutely no restrictions...until now. ABSOLUTION introduces John Dusk, a superhero in a world where they're a sanctioned arm of law enforcement.

But this veteran hero has been scarred by his exposure to man's infinite capacity for evil, and he's seen one too many perpetrators escape justice. One day he crosses the line...lets a murderer die...and discovers it feels good. In this brutal second issue, John Dusk's campaign of exterminating criminals intensifies...as his girlfriend Karen reaches the conclusion that only an "enhancile" could have committed the murders she's investigating.

We'll see that not all superhumans in John's world are on the side of the law, and meet some of the renegades, including the enigmatic Happy Kitty. And before the issue's over, someone will discover John's secret...He wants to be forgiven...but he doesn't want to stop.

I like this series a lot, and I'm interested in where it might be going.

Speaking of where one might be going...I need to be leaving. So, that's all I've got for today. What are you Waiting for?