Sky Doll #1
I wanna start with this one, both because I enjoyed it so much, and because it's so, so unusual.

I tend to think of the guys at Marvel as being much like the guys that hang-out too much at my local comic shop - under-sexed, over-stimulated cretins. Marvel makes so damned many cash-grabs per month that's it's difficult to believe that they occasionally artists.

How did it come to pass that Marvel is publishing a bunch of French comics? And comics with nudity and mature thought at that?

I may never know the answer, but for the moment I'm grateful.

As it's creators note in the helpful comments near the back of this 54-page, almost adless monster, the art is a combo of manga, European, and American comics. Let's put it this way: The faces are manga, the pizzazz is American, and the colors are European. But let me tell you - the grace is all French. As is the fact that this cute, cartoony book, full of bouncing boobs and bare bottoms is actually trying to get to deep philosophical territory by talking about religion, of all things.

This first issue is a hefty 44 pages of solid story, but it's a page-turner. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting the characters, figuring out the dilemmas the series is meant to explore, and I'm happy to report that the sky doll herself is a likeable figure capable of well-earned joy but providing glimpses of real loneliness and frustration as well.

We know Marvel couldn't possibly be doing this for the money, but it can't hurt if this book turns out to be a minor hit. So, support the cause and pick-up your copy today.

You know about these dudes, right?

Yeah, that track ain't the bomb, but they agreed, so it's not on their album.

Try Clap Clap instead.

Secret Invasion #1, 2

The best thing about Secret Invasion so far is that Mockingbird is in it. I have the entire run of West Coast Avengers and she's totally great. Hawkeye totally went downhill after she died.

In #2. See Captain America call Iron Man "shellhead" was great too. It immediately lets you know what era these folks are supposed to be from. There's a missed opportunity here, though. On that big double splash-page, Cap says "damn." The Captain America of the time he's supposed to represent wouldn't have said damn in a comic. So, Bendis, one step forward, two steps back.

Anyway, this plot gets more dark and twisty with every passing moment. I hope it actually makes sense in the end, and that Bendis manages to avoid a Civil War-style anti-climax.

It's also interesting to see how the Avengers books have basically become Secret Invasion extensions. No Avengers appeard in this week's. Heck, I couldn't even tell you which book it was.

My feelings for Image Comics are very similar to my feelings for Kevin Smith movies. I generally don't like them, but I do like what they represent - championing the independent spirit of artists everywhere. I remember being extraordinarily excited in 1992 about what Image Comics could do for the world. Turns out, not a whole hell of a lot. But still, it was a defining moment in my adolescence, and I look back on it fondly.

So big BIG props go out to the folks at Atomic Comics for organizing an event (publicity stunt?) that, for me, ranks right up there with a Beatles reunion. The founding members of Image Comics gathered together again, signing autographs for fans young and old during Free Comic Book Day. Remember that issue of Wizard where Todd McFarlane went on record as saying "Rob Liefeld is dead to me"? Holy smokes. But here we have photographic evidence of McFarlane and Liefeld not only sitting next to each other in the autograph line, but actually breaking bread at the same dinner table.

Full details are at Comic Book Resources. Thanks for the great coverage, CBR.

Coming from Jeff Lemire and Vertigo.

And yes, I will gladly shill for Jeff Lemire.

Blueprint is a hometown hero here in Bustown, and he's a genuine talent behind the boards and on the mic, and anytime he releases new music, it's an event.

So, imagine my excitement when I received this email yesterday afternoon.

We are starting the preorders for the Blueprint vs Funkadelic CD. There are only 500 copies of the actual CD version of this release. The CD is $7.99 and will come with a 11x17 poster of the artwork and all the instrumentals. Pre-orders will be shipped out Thursday night (or first thing Friday depending on the order volume) and should arrive 2-3 days later depending on how far from Ohio you are.

For those of you wondering how you will get a copy of this release with when there's only 500 copies of it don't worry, starting next week on the release date there will be select websites that will make this album FREE to download on Tuesday, April 29th (specific sites to be announced later). The downloadable version will not include the instrumentals.

Exactly 8 minutes later I received an email receipt from CCNow. So, there are definitely not more than 499 copies left. Better act fast.

To order, CLICK HERE.

(There's even a YouTube preview right here.)

I got this today. If you're not reading these, I assume it's because you already have the whole series. I finished the first collection what seems like years ago and I've been salivating uncontrollably ever since.

It's maybe the best looking collection of it's kind of ever seen. And the comics are the bomb. Yes, I think that's the perfect word for them - the bomb.

Their last album displayed amazing musicianship, but was kinda weak on the song-writing front. Black Thought sounded like he was sleeping through some of the sessions.

This sounds much better.

It's an interesting moment for me in my comic reading-ness. I've got this little list of the titles I'm enjoying a heck of a lot, and it seems that most of that list is made up of titles that weren't around 3 months ago. How'd this suddenly happen? Did I luck out? Is it a publishing co-incidence. I had been pretty unhappy with my pull-list for the few months before this, and I kept weeding things out of it. Suddenly though, I'm more excited about going to the comic shop again. What are the titles that are pulling me back it? Read on.

Fantastic Four (Millar & Hitch version)
I was really into FF until the end of the Civil War. In fact, I thought they had some of the best issues of that whole darned Civil War thing, but then Dwayne McDuffie took over and they totally lost me. (Not to mention those horrible covers by Michael Turner. Lord!)

However, now FF is near the top of my must-read list again. It feels like a real comic book to me. It doesn't feel written for the trade. You get a nice taste of what everyone's doing each issue, and it's fun. And a storyline that features a second Earth really is appropriately sized for this group. I'm not sure I agree with Millar's assesment that Reed is the coolest guy on Earth, it's great to see him acting like a hero and a scientist.

Anyway.

It's fun every month, that's why I'm into it.

Fact: Measuring approximately 13.25" across, the entire collection of Cerebus phonebooks will fit perfectly within one of the shelf spaces in an IKEA Expedit bookcase.

Coincidence? Or a sinister Swedish-Canadian conspiracy to foist Abrahamic monotheism and misogynist philosophy upon consumers of inexpensive minimalist home furnishings?