Weekly Treats! Comedian, Lost Dogs, Angel & Faith

"I'm a funny guy..."

 What; The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Century 2009 isn't enough for you this week (see previous post)? You want more?! Who would have thought that in the same month we'd see LOEG and Before Watchmen? Or maybe it's a beautiful example of synchronicity at play. Anyway, this week Brian Azzarello & J.G. Jones bring us Before Watchmen: Comedian #1, of 6 (DC). EntertainmentWeekly got the skinny: 

Act two begins in Avengers vs. X-Men #6 (Marvel) as Olivier Coipel takes over the art reigns and Jonathan Hickman steps in to write.

I've got a feeling that LOEG Century 2009 may generate a bit of press once people latch on to which fictional character is the target of Mr. Moore's displeasure. Another title which may pop up in the local rag is X-Factor #51 (Marvel) featuring - shock, gasp - a gay wedding! Raise a glass for Northstar and Kyle Jinadu; I'm sure it'll be a quiet wedding with no last minute hitches or villains...

Saga #4 (Image) by Brian K Vaughan and Fiona Staples, continues it's epic march placing the action on Sextillion (tee-hee). And Adventure Time #5 (KaBoom) is the hipsters choice - plus the third printing of #1 is in stock.

Jeff Lemire is becoming known more as a genre writer (Sweet Tooth, The Nobody) but it was his delicate character work as writer and illustrator of The Essex County Tales that first caught my attention in a major way.  Lost Dogs compiles Lemire's first professional work mixing the two forms of writing - a character-driven tale of man at odds with his appearance who suffers at the hands of violent men. The art has a raw energy to it which manages not to diminish Lemire's gift for pathos and sensitive storytelling.

For more Jeff Lemire, Frankenstein Agent of S.H.A.D.E vol. 1 (DC) is another example of his genre writing cooking up a sweet broth of monsters, aliens and big weapons across different dimensions.  there's really nice illustration work from Alberto Ponticelli.

The Dark Horse Buffy line welcomed Angel back into the fold last year and this sees the release of Angel & Faith vol. 1 Live Through This (Dark Horse).  The mini-series, by Christos Gage and Rebekah Isaacs was very well received by Buffy fans (including my wife).

And finally I couldn't sign off without mentioning the compilation of Jacques Tardi's grim and sometimes violent New York stories New York Mon Amour (Fantagraphics).  Tardi is quite simply one of the great storytellers of the medium.

And that's a wrap. Full list of releases found under the option at the top of the page.