Image Previews Picks: April 2013
Issue #36 of “Prophet” comes out this month. While it wasn’t one of my “ten best” of last year, it was a title that would’ve been on there had the list gone to twenty. The first volume was just too bizarre, weird and unique to not be worthy of some notice. However, come this month we’ll be ten issues since that first volume came out with no sign of the second in sight. If they’re holding out on the second to boost the title’s low, cultish sales then more power to them. The only real way to get me to pick something up in single issue form is to NOT reprint it. That said, were I a betting man, I’d expect volume two to make an appearance before Comic-Con.
Jupiter’s Legacy #1: Speaking of bets, start placing them now on how many issues of this we’ll see in the next twelve months. In the period from April 2013 to March 2013, I’m guessing that we’ll only see four in spite of the creators’ statement that this will be a bi-monthly title. Anyone think we’ll see more?
Mice Templar IV: Legend #1: I picked up the first volume a while back and came away with the sense that while it wasn’t anything special, there was the potential for it to get better. Now that they’re moving into the title’s final arc, I guess it’s time to check up on the subsequent volumes to see if that happened.
Invincible Universe #1: They’re relaunching “Guarding the Globe” already? Apparently the impetus for this comes from events in “Invincible #100” which necessitate the use of the phrase “end times” in the solicitation text. Sales for the previous title have been cratering with the first couple issues so I can understand the need for this kind of approach. That being said, Robert Kirkman has mocked it himself in the pages of “Invincible.” I wonder what he has to say about this now? Regardless, the first volume wasn’t all that great which means that there may be limited potential for this idea, regardless of the involvement of Phil Hester and Todd Nauck.
Morning Glories #26: Speaking of relaunches, though this is described as “Season Two” the title is keeping its original numbering and enticing tradewaiters to jump onboard with a special issue priced at one dollar. Should be a great success amongst those who are less stubborn than me.
Mighty Skullkickers #1: Damn. Didn’t get it right. Oh well, there’s always the chance they’ll use one of those adjectives next month.
Happy!: Grant Morrison and Darick Robertson’s story about a scum-of-the-earth hitman facing a crisis of conscience that involves a tiny blue horse named Happy. It didn’t blow everyone away like the writer’s past work has done, but I didn’t hear that it was a complete misfire either. This will be a strange experience, reading a Christmas-themed story in April, but I’m sure that would amuse Morrison. Still, looking forward to seeing how good this actually is once it arrives on my doorstep.
Invincible #102: Nolan vs. Thragg — ON THE MOON! (I just really liked typing that.) I’m also rooting for the guy without shoes. (Liked typing that too.)
The Manhattan Projects #13: From the solicitation text, “After a decade of working together to overcome everything that stood against them, fractures begin to form between the scientists of the Manhattan Projects.” Considering that I thought we had reached that point already in the first volume — you know, when the Albert Einstein from a parallel dimension realized he had to kill Richard Feynman, to give one example — it should be AWESOME to see what things look like when they get really bad!