Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Hoopla! - Episode 47: February, you are too kind...

Hello and welcome to Hoopla!

Holy Hannah! There are a TON of super-deluxe cool looking comics coming out in February and March of 2008... so many, in fact, that this will be part one of a ultra-deluxe special two-part Hoopla! extravaganza in which I attempt to highlight all of the upcoming projects that have got my pulse racing...

FANTASTIC FOUR #554


Written by MARK MILLAR Pencils & Cover by BRYAN HITCH MARK MILLAR! BRYAN HITCH! Need we say more? All right, we will! Who is Mrs. Fantastic? And how will her return into Reed's life rock comicdom's First Family? Also, get ready to meet the Invisible Woman's brand NEW super-team! This issue kicks off a year-long storyline that will make FANTASTIC FOUR "The World's ULTIMATEST Comic Magazine!" Promise! 32 PGS./Rated A…$2.99

I have to agree with them... Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch on Fantastic Four... nothing more really needs to be said.

NEW AVENGERS #38


Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS Penciled by MICHAEL GAYDOS Cover by MARKO DJURDJEVIC The break up! CONSPIRACY, PARANOIA, BETRAYAL may have taken their toll on the Avengers newlyweds Jessica Jones and Luke Cage. After the shocking turn of events at the end of last month's NEW AVENGERS ANNUAL, has Jessica Jones turned her back on THE AVENGERS? Who better to help tell this story than Alias artist Michael Gaydos returning to Marvel for this special issue. Guest-Starring the Mighty Avengers. WHO DO YOU TRUST? 32 PGS./Rated A…$2.99


I stopped buying New Avengers a while ago... I can't stand the art and the whole thing with The Hood beating and humiliating Tigra just really turned me off...


That said, a Jessica Jones story by Bendis and Gaydos...? It's like a brand new issue of Alias!!! Methinks this will be mighty good stuff indeed...

RASL #1


New title by Jeff Smith, creator of Bone.


You can read more at this link, but seriously, do you even need to...?

SPIDER-MAN FAMILY #7



Written by TODD DEZAGO & MARK WAID Art & Cover by KARL KESEL

The Looter! This guy found a meteorite that gave him enhanced speed and strength, and the misconception that he's a genius (he's actually dumber than dirt). So WHY is he such a pain to Spidey and the FF??? Well, obviously it…oh, wait. I can't tell you why. Read and find out! This special issue is brought to you by Mr. Kesel, DeZago and Waid, who take you on an adventure that spans their buddy Mike Wieringo's favorite places in the Marvel U! We miss ya, Mike! Also featuring classic tales and Spider-Man J! 104 PGS./$4.99

This issue is a special tribute issue to Mike Wieringo, who recently passed away. There's an interview about it here, but the key point, as far as this being a comic worth buying, is this...
----------------------------------------
Newsarama: So, guys, it's been more than three months since the passing of your dear friend and collaborator Mike Wieringo. While the three of you had had your thoughts posted about Mike days after his death, what brought about this special tribute project in February's Spider-Man Family #7?

Todd Dezago: From my understanding of it, it was Nate (Cosby, Editor Extraordinaire and Keeper of Spider-Man Family). Having worked with Mike several times himself, Nate felt that Spider-Man Family would be the perfect place for a tribute type of story that, rather than a sad and mournful tale, would, like Mike himself, be more fun and upbeat; a light-hearted kinda yarn. Not knowing me (at the time... we've met since then), Nate sicced these two monkeys on me.

NRAMA: Will it contain stories that you guys and Mike had talked about, pitched to Marvel before, what? After all, Mark and Mike had earlier pitched an Aquaman project which was turned down by DC, right?

TD: Well, sadly Aquaman will not be in it. But it will be crammed with guest stars and cameos from all over the Marvel Universe! This story actually is something that Mike and I had hoped to do, at some point, as a miniseries, when we would reminisce about our days on Sensational Spider-Man. Both of us were fairly nostalgic jerks and Mike longed to draw all of those colorful characters again. When the idea for this project came up, Karl, Mark and I thought that it would be a great way to revisit the characters that Mike loved to draw in Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four in a wild romp led by one of Mike's favorite characters--The Looter!

-----------------------------------------
See? That sounds like fun...

TINY TITANS #1


Written by Art Baltazar & Franco Art and cover by Baltazar & Franco Awwww yeah, Titans! Join us for the exciting first issue of Tiny Titans written and drawn by the amazing Art Baltazar and Franco! See what life is like at Sidekick Elementary and meet the new staff! Follow the madness that ensues when Beast Boy gets a puppy friend! Witness what happens when the girls meet a pink stranger with a melted ice cream cone! Find out what makes Cassie such a trendsetter! All your favorite Titans, in their cutest possible form, are here and waiting for you! On sale February 13 o 32 pg, FC, $2.25 US

I've already mentioned this comics several times... I think it's going to be a kick-butt comic for the little kids in your life that you're trying to convert to the wonderful world of comics...

One additional point... for those of you who get your comics from mailordercomics.com, as I do, this first issue is being sold for 56 cents. You can get up to two copies at that price, and I highly recommend that you do so... as noted above, it'll be a good one for the kiddies, so this way you can buy one copy for them to look at (and inevitably tear to shreds) and one for you to keep.

Neat, huh?

MARVEL ADVENTURES HULK #8


Written by PAUL BENJAMIN Penciled by DAVID NAKAYAMA Cover by JUAN ROMAN CANO SANTACRUZ

Hulk! Dr. Strange! Silver Surfer! The Sub-Mariner! For the first time ever in Marvel Adventures, the Defenders assemble! But can they stop arguing with each other long enough to save the world? If the monstrous Nameless One gets his way, the Defenders first mission together could be their last!! 32 PGS./All Ages…$2.99

As noted in an earlier column, I really enjoyed the Hulk meets Dr. Strange issue last month, so you can just imagine how totally psyched I am for Hulk meets the Defenders, via Marvel Adventures.

The answer is... a lot. I am a lot totally psyched.

TEEN TITANS: YEAR ONE #2



Written by Amy Wolfram Art by Karl Kerschl & Serge Lapointe Cover by Kerschl

The origin story of the Teen Titans continues as the focus falls on Aqualad, who must overcome his many phobias and get help above the waves when Aquaman goes rogue! Things aren't any better on land, as both Kid Flash and Speedy must confront the madness of the Flash and Green Arrow. On sale February 6 o 2 of 6 o 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

So very, very pretty...

JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #13



Loving this storyline... loving that cover.


And that's a whole lot of love, no...?


Anyhow, that's all we've got time for today, but I'll be back soon (all things being relative) to tell you all about the extra-special goodies that are being solicited for March of 2008...


In the meantime, just hang in there, Kitten... vacation time is nearly here!!!


- Paul

No comments: