Happy Endings

A year ago I loved this series so much that I wrote:

"It's what Disney and Warner Brothers comics would be like if they had any balls and didn't just publish stories aimed at little kids to generate supplementary sales for their big budget summer garbage."

Which I still stand by. Any hero published by the big too comes off as a pussy in comparison.

Unfortunately after seven monthly issues, this one had a ten month delay. On the up side, it's very good and I'm kind of glad that it ended since it can't keep up a schedule. Six years ago, Godland was my absolute favorite book and I wore my Basil Cronus t-shirt (on a side note, the only person who ever recognized it was Patton Oswalt) out faster than any shirt I have ever owned. Now it comes out twice a year and I still love it, but a lot of the excitement's gone.

Anyway if you missed this, there's a hardcover coming out soon. And Godland only had one issue left (although 36 just came out earlier this month, so probably not until next year) so that should be collected sometime. There both great.

Recommended Reading

Severed
This just came out last Wednesday, and I was totally floored. It's the first part of a seven-issue miniseries by Scott Snyder, Scott Tuft, and Atilla Futaki. I know it's still early for a statement like this, but if the quality holds in subsequent issues, this could be Snyder's best work yet. Now you know I don't like talking about plot too much, so I'll say it's a dark atmospheric American Gothic horror story involving hobos. What more do you need?

Also, there have been a few other series that started up in recent months I've been meaning to mention, but just never got around to it. But you're going to want to pick these up too:

Butcher Baker, The Righteous Maker
This is without a doubt the BEST comicbook on the shelves right now. In fact, that's an understatement. It's Joe Casey's and Mike Huddleston's ongoing superhero book that's a cross between Captain America and Smokey and the Bandit. It's what Disney and Warner Brothers comics would be like if they had any balls and didn't just publish stories aimed at little kids to generate supplementary sales for their big budget summer garbage. It's kind of reminiscent of Automatic Kafka (which I thought I was the only person who knew of its existence; although in a recent discussion at a comic shop, I leaned it now has a kind of legendary cult status). Anyway, issue five recently came out, so there's probably a trade on the way soon. But definitely, one way or another, catch up.

Sergio Aragines Funnies
The title says it all. An anthology of color and B&W shorts. Some are funnies. Some are autobiographical. This series a no-brainer. Not sure why it took so long for its inception.

Dark Horse Presents
The new volume may surpass the original. 80 full-color pages filled with new stories by Howard Chaykin, Richard Corben, Neal Adams, and many others. The price may be a little steep, but add up any other comics and see how much 80 pages cost you, even with DC "holding the line." The best anthology on the shelves.