The Johnny Bacardi Show

So far, it's been kind of a slow day here at the Snooz. I've already checked my usual internet stops at least three times each already. Those of you who mourn the lack of significant music content here at the Show lately will be happy to know that I'm two albums in on a brand new Mondo Vinyl-O...but I'm not at home and I don't have a list of albums I've listened to lately handy, so I gotta wait till I'm at home to write it! I want to write something, just to pass the time...so I think I'll look at DC's recently solicited upcoming comics list for July, like so many of my comics blogosphereiversal brethren have lately. For the full list, you can go here; I don't intend to comment on all of them, just the ones which have caught me fancy.

CATWOMAN: NINE LIVES OF A FELINE FATALE TP: This looks like it might be a fun read, despite the fact that I've only been interested in this character once, during the recent Brubaker/Cooke/Stewart run. I'd like to re-read some of the 60s and 70s that will be reprinted, but I don't care to pay 15 bucks for the privilege. C'est la vie.

GOTHAM CENTRAL #21: I see here where Michael Lark has grown himself an inker, with whom I'm totally unfamiliar. Probably no big deal, but Lark's art is a big reason why I'm buying. Update Ed Brubaker himself just emailed me to remind me that Stefan Gaudiano has been inking Lark since issue 13. To quote that noted pundit, Homer Simpson, "D'oh". Of course, this means that if I correct my error, then I won't have anything to say about GC 21...except that you should be buying this book. It's good.

BLOODHOUND #1 Good to see Robin Riggs getting inking work, but I've been extremely underwhelmed by everything Dan Jolley's attached his name to since day one. Maybe it's the hangover effect from buying Lazurus Five faithfully, don't know. This doesn't look all that interesting, but it could have a PG-13 kind of 100 Bullets vibe...but maybe that's just the Dave Johnson cover talking.

CHALLENGERS OF THE UNKNOWN #2: Despite the fact that it's been at least ten years (anybody remember Power & Glory from Malibu/Bravura?) since Chaykin's done anything I've wanted to read, I'm gonna pick this one up. Call it a hunch. Mighty Love looked like P&G redux, plus it was another overpriced hardcover, so I wasn't gonna get that one. American Century piqued my interest, but it, along with some of the stuff Howie's attached his name to since he went to Hollywood on us, just came across to me like his involvement amounted to nothing more than a plot outlined scrawled on a napkin on the way to one script conference or another, and David Tischman did all the work. The absence of Tischman's name on this umpteenth revival of the Challs gives me a little hope. Just a little.

DC COMICS PRESENTS: BATMAN #1: For what it's worth, I used to own a copy of the comic that Adam Hughes satires on the cover. It was one from the height of TV-show inspired Bat-mania. One of four seperate comics done as a tribute to Julius Schwartz, it seems like a nice idea with some interesting creators but I think I'll pass. Maybe if I see them in the quarter box in a couple of years.

DC: THE NEW FRONTIER #5: Wishy washy as ever, I see both sides of the great Cooke-Millar debate that's been going on lately, so I haven't chosen to opine. That being said, there's no way in hell I'm not gonna pick this up.

GREEN LANTERN/GREEN ARROW VOL. 2 TP: You know, at $12.95, you could do worse than to pick this and Vol.1 up. I remember reading these back in the day, had several issues back in my original collection, and these were some groundbreaking (at the time) stories, wonderfully drawn by Neal Adams before legions of imitators dulled the impact of his hyper-realistic style. Yeah, they're dated, but that doesn't make 'em any less interesting.

H-E-R-O #18: Whee! Just like I hoped, the Robby Reed subplot seems to have taken some interesting turns. Plus, the cover's by the underrated Jason Pearson.

JUSTICE LEAGUE ELITE #1: Despite the fact that the title makes it sound like too many horrible 90s team comics from DC, Image and Marvel, I'm actually looking forward to this very much. I thought Joe Kelly's run on JLA was often brilliant, when it wasn't incoherent, and I still think the art team of Doug Mahnke and Tom Nguyen are the best mainstream superhero artists out there today. So, yeah, I'm buyin'.

THE LEGION #35, THE LEGION #36: Good thing I just dropped this book, as it is one of several that are coming out bi-weekly in July. The story doesn't sound like much, and I can think of at least three hundred artists I'd rather see draw the LSH than Dan Jurgens.

SLEEPER SEASON TWO #2: Sweet cover.

BITE CLUB #4: Since I haven't read #1 yet, I can't really comment on this book, but I do know this: that ain't no Frank Quitely cover. Looks like interior artist David Hahn to me.

THE COMPLEAT MOONSHADOW TP: I read and enjoyed the first series when it was published back in the 80s, under the auspices of the Epic imprint. Thought it was imaginative, whimsical, often touching and wonderfully illustrated by John Jay Muth. However, when I sold my original collection back in 1987, I let it go. Didn't pick it up when Vertigo re-released it, nor did I get the sequel. Both have been collected here, and I'd love to get it, but $40? No. Hell no.

100 BULLETS #51: Looks like we're getting a story arc set in New Orleans this time- sounds good to me. I especially look forward to seeing Risso depicting the Big Easy.

THE LOSERS #14 : Glad to see there's gonna be 14 issues, but I'm a wee bit concerned to see the name of Nick Dragotta (does that sound like a gangster name or what) in the art credits. I want nothing to dilute my Losers experience.

SEBASTIAN O TP: I'll bet you a million bucks that the re-release of this completely unremarkable and poorly drawn mini series from, what- 1992? was part of Grant Morrison's deal for leaving Marvel. Otherwise, I have no explanation why this was exhumed from the quarter boxes. If you pay more than 1 buck for this, you're being ripped off.

THE WITCHING #2: I love those McPherson covers, but I wanna see the interiors before I commit. The days of buying comics 'cause I like the covers are, like my days of drinking hard liquor all night long and not being excruciatingly hung over, long in the past.

Well, that was good enough to kill about 30 minutes! Problem is, I still have 3 hours to go. I know, I know, be careful what you wish for...