Holidays, holidays. Whoop-dee-do. This week is my birthday, and last week was Thanksgiving. Speaking of which, here’s what I’m not thankful for…comics are delayed this week. New-comic Thursday always seems wrong. It messes up the rhythm of your local shop, and it’s bad for business. You hear that, turkeys? Next year, Thanksgiving better fall on a different day. I don’t care what’s “possible”…make it so. Those last three words were me doing my Captain Picard impression. It works better in person.

Anyhoo, it’s comics we’re about around here, so let’s get to it. This is my list, minus a bunch of Batman books I wish I could get (I copped the first Grant Morrison trade, Batman and Son, and it was tight…just a few more trades until I catch up with the whole Batman R.I.P. thing–is Batman dead?!? Is Bruce Wayne?!?).

Criminal #7: I’ve been reading a lot of pulp and crime fiction lately…this book fits right in. I really like it, even though the world it inhabits is relentlessly dark. Things never go well for the cast of Criminal. Maybe that’s justice.

New Avengers #47: I have no idea where this story stands right now, since Bendis has been using his Avengers titles to flash all over the Secret invasion timeline. With SI wrapping up this week, who knows what NA will bring? But I’ll read the former first, just in case.

Secret Invasion #8: Well, this is the end of the line. This book better make it all worth it. Not that it wasn’t, but I like my events to end with a bang, not a whimper. I bet someone dies. I’m just saying.

Astonishing X-Men Volume 2 (Hardcover): This big, shiny collection houses the second half of Joss Whedon and John Cassaday’s run on Astonishing. Never failing to live up to its title, this storyline contains some of my favorite X-characterizations ever. I look forward to adding this to my shelf, right next to Volume 1.

Well, that’s most of ‘em. Sure, there’s some other random stuff. X-Men Noir starts this week, which, given my inclination toward that sort of thing, I might leaf through…but it’s a gimmick, and it could end badly. Or, what’s worse, it could begin badly. As a final note, I recently read Road to Perdition; and though I haven’t seen the film with Tom Hanks, the graphic novel it’s based on is well worth tracking down. Again, if you like crime fiction. Which, I think it’s clear, I do.

OK, then. Be seeing you next week, when I’ll be a whole year older. Such is life. Until then…

Keep it bagged and boarded,

Grip

Posted by Grip Grand on Monday, December 1st, 2008 at 9:28 pm.