Buy This! - May 9th, 2012

Another week, more comics. Hopefully everyone hit their local shops this past Saturday for Free Comic Book Day. I was amazed and delighted by the offerings at Bill's Books here in Canton. I scored a free t-shirt, bought a couple hardcovers at 50% off and, obviously, left with loads of free books. I was especially impressed with Archaia's hardcover sampler. Props to those publishers who took the time and effort to actually create new content for FCBD (Dark Horse, DC) and shame on those who didn't bother... *cough* Marvel *cough*

Big thanks to all the retailers out there who throw their hard-earned dime behind funding FCBD as well. I hope it pays off. Judging by the size of the crowd at my local shop I'm guessing for some it will. 

Atomic Robo: Ghost of Station X

Atomic Robo stands apart as that rare comic gem. It's able to hold together a continuity that is full of plot and characters while managing to always be accessible to new readers. This newest story arc takes place in space and is sure to deliver more of the hilarious quips and situational humor that sets this book apart, as well as dynamic scenes of a robot punching things till they explode. I'll be purchasing this in digital form because, as I've said on the podcast and in this very column, Atomic Robo sets the standard in terms of pricing and format that all other digital comics should follow. Brian Clevinger and Scott Wegener deserve some sort of award simply for the brilliance they've shown in marketing and selling this book. 


Batman #9

I'm going to say it, right up front I think the first eight issues of Scott Snyder's Batman are some of the best Bat books ever written. Issue nine's placement here has as much to do with the fact that it should serve to escalate an already tense story even further as it does my need to praise a book that I feel like I haven't vocally expressed my support of enough. Not that it needs another yahoo screaming it's praises. I'm looking forward to this particular issue because it's winding up the opening arc of Snyder's run and I'm excited to see how it ends. I'm also excited to see what comes next. And I'm excited to see what Greg Capullo does to compliment Snyder's fantastic characterization and plot development. This book just keeps getting better. 


X-Men: Mutant Genesis 2.0

Before he was placed as one of the men in charge of DC comics, and before he split from Marvel along with his closest buds to start their own comics publishing behemoth Jim Lee helped launch the adjectiveless X-Men title in the early 90's. You might remember it because it featured multiple variant covers and everyone ran out and picked up at least three. You might have even done so yourself. I remember this book fondly as one of the first comic books I ever read. My older sister had got into collecting at the height of the speculator boom hoping to make a buck. She'd then become enamored with the X-Men as characters and started buying anything and everything that featured Wolverine or Gambit. My brother and I reaped the benefits of her obsession, reading stacks of comics on the back porch of our parent's house during hot summer days. I particularly remember loving anything Lee drew and this book has always stuck out as the pinnacle of what I liked about comic art as a kid. 

This hardcover is recolored (bye bye neon) and, unfortunately, just as wordy now as it was when it first came out thanks to the man who helped reinvent the X-Men,(and noted egotist) Chris Claremont. I haven't read this story in ages and frankly, I can't wait to pick this up. I might even find time this summer to sit on my parent's porch and give it a flip through. You know, for old times sake...