Stuff you should buy...7/24/13

Hey! It's another week of new comics!! July is a 5 Wednesday month, and you can tell, because this week is a little light on releases. BUT, there's still good stuff to buy. Let's take a look....

Rocketeer/Spirit #1: A dream come true for fans of crossover comics. IDW & DC Comics team up to bring you this guaranteed awesome mini series! And, it's written by Mark Waid!!!

 Green Hornet #4: Speaking of Mark Waid, also out this week from Dynamite Entertainment is the next issue in this terrific series. If you haven't been reading it, it's not too late to catch up, and I suggest you do it!

Justice League Dark #22: Trinity War continues! I have to admit, but I've really been enjoying Trinity War, it's good, super hero fun!

Ghostbusters #6: I'm tired of telling you to buy this book. It's funny, entertaining, and the art is awesome. And who doesn't like The Ghostbusters? BUY IT!!!

The Flash #22: I am HOOKED on this Reverse Flash story line. It's great & I highly recommend it.

Danger Girl Trinity #4: The epic conclusion to this ridiculously fun mini series. I'm VERY glad that IDW is keeping new Danger Girl stories coming!!! Trinity has been my favorite of the recent ones so far, and I can't wait to see how it's resolved.

Aquaman #22: Death of a King rolls on!!! I've been loving this story too. Geoff Johns and art by Paul Pelietier!!! What's not to love??
-As always, I'll be at Challengers Comics + Conversation, which is now THE 2013 EISNER SPIRIT OF RETAIL AWARD WINNER!!!!! If you're in or near Chicago, come by and visit the BEST STORE IN THE WORLD!!!!!!!!

Comic-Con Day Zero-Dynamite Wins

Well, Comic-Con is underway and the clear winner yesterday was Dynamite Entertainment!! While there were some announcements by other companies, but with all the new properties, titles and creators that DE revealed yesterday, they were hands down the winner. Here's a recap:
Heroes: Based on the hit TV series, writer Cullen Bunn will pen this series, which he calls "Heroes Season 5". The series will focus on Claire, Hiro and Sylar.
The Twilight Zone: Long time TV and comic writer, J. Micheal Straczynski will write this series featuring stories based in science fiction and the supernatural, just like the popular television series.
Bob's Burgers: While no creative team has been announced yet, Dynamite says they're working closely with the creative team of the show to bring the style of the show to comics.
The Shadow: Midnight in Moscow: HOWARD CHAYKIN returns to The Shadow!!!!!!! This mini focuses on The Shadow's disappearance in 1949.
Untitled Projects: DE recruited some GREAT creators for original series, James Robinson, Peter Milligan & Duane Swierczynski all have titles lined up Dyanmite..
Legends of Red Sonja: After the GREAT numbers for Gail Simone's Red Sonja title, Dynamite will launch an anthology series with some fantastic writers like Kelly Sue DeConnick, Marjorie Liu, Lea Moore and others.
Ash & The Army of Darkness: Dynamite is relaunching their Evil Dead inspired series with writer Steve Niles and artist Dennis Calero. This series will pick up after the ending of the 1992 film Army of Darkness and take the franchise down a different and darker path.
Voltron/Robotech: Tommy Yune is behind this crossover mini series. The best part?? After the crossover Dynamite will be publishing a solo Robotech series!!!

-.Congratulations to Dynamite on all of the great announcements yesterday and congratulations to US, because it looks like we're getting some great new kick-ass comics from Dynamite!! These, plus the fact that DE is ALL READY knocking things out of the park with it's current comic line-up, is going to make this once small company HUGE!!! 

What you should buy-04/10/13

While there's plenty to buy this week, I'm a little under the weather and grumpy so, you're getting the short short version. Here it is!

 Age of Ultron #5-Things get heavy!

 Batman #19: Who's Batman shooting?

 Wolverine #2: More awesomeness!!

GI Joe: The Cobra Files #1: REALLY REALLY good!
-Again, there's tons of more great comics to buy. If you're in Chicago, come stop by Challengers Comics + Conversation!!

What I thought of.....GI Joe #1!!!!!!

This week, IDW Publishing launches a brand-new GI Joe title! Written by Fred Van Lente with art by Steve Kurth, this is a VERY different take on the GI Joe franchise, and I gotta tell you, it's pretty damn awesome!! Let's get to it!
THE GOOD: Um, just about EVERYTHING!! In the first page, we're introduced to the Joe's new commanding officer, someone that both us and the GI Joe team know pretty well, and the man that holds a soft spot in everyone's heart. One of the things that I loved about this book is that it's just 6 members of the GI Joe team responding to a Cobra threat, not 15 or 20 of them. And they're all classic Joes that we now and love. Another thing that impressed me is the changes that Van Lente made to the book. This is NOT the 1980/s GI Joe. Not by a long shot. It's really TODAYS GI Joe, and in that, Van Lente gives me something that I never knew I wanted, a GI Joe operating and living in the present. Yes, the previous series did take place in the present as well, but this is the team taking advantage of today's technology and resources. And Van Lente has taken away one of GI Joes weaknesses-their "secret identities". Everything is out in the open and we get to see how the general public responds and interacts with them. Another thing that Van Lente drops into the book is actual PATRIOTISM! That's right! No one is ashamed to be an American, which is really unique given today's political climate. Well played!!!
-This is also, a HUGE love letter to the GI Joe franchise. There's tons of in-jokes and references to a lot of other incarnations of GI Joe. Mr. Van Lente totally did his homework before writing this issue. On the art side, artist Steve Kurth is barely recognizable from his days drawing Devil's Due's GI Joe title. His talent has grown by leaps and bounds. He's got a great style for this book, he's hyper detailed, but it never looks messy or gets in the way of his storytelling. It's just great and totally fits the book.
THE BAD: Oh man, this is tough. I'm trying to really be objective, but I love this book so much. I guess my one complaint is that they didn't use my favorite Joes for this issue, hopefully Barbecue & Trip Wire will turn up pretty soon.
THE VERDICT: Are you kidding me? BUY THIS COMIC RIGHT NOW!!!! It's a real breathe of fresh air in the GI Joe universe. It's got literally everything you want in a GI Joe comic and more. MUCH MUCH more. I'm looking very forward to this brand new era of America's daring, highly trained special missions force.

Comics You Should Buy-2/6/13

A decent sized week this week. Not as big as the previous weeks, but there's still some REALLY good stuff out. Let's take a look:

GI Joe: A Real American Hero #187: I can't begin to tell you how much I love this book. 25 years after this story "ended", it's continuing and is as fun, action packed and relevant today as it was back then. Plus-NINJAS!!

Fearless Defenders #1: This series gets off to a slow-ish start, but there's some really great dialouge and some FANTASTIC art by Will Sliney. This book is only going to get better!

Earth 2 #9: Just a great, fun super hero book.

All New X-Men #7: A lot of people are less than thrilled with the art change, but, the story is still incredibly good.

Superior Spider-Man #3: Another great issue. This is the most interesting Spider-Man has been in years.

Snake Eyes & Storm Shadow #21: The end of an era for GI Joe. This wraps up the Dixon/Atkins era of GI Joe. Don't be upset, next month-a brand new fresh start!!

Green Arrow #17: BOOK OF THE WEEK!!! Brand new creative team,writer JEFF LEMIRE and artist ANDREA SORRENTINO take over this title and spin it in a brand new direction!!! If you haven't read Green Arrow before, this is the PERFECT place to jump on!!

Well, there you go. There's PLENTY of other comics out this week, but these are just a few that I think you'll really enjoy. As always, if you're in Chicago, come visit Challengers Comics and see me! Seriously, I mean it!!

What I thought of....Fearless Defenders #1

This is a hard one to review. There's a lot of things that I liked, and a lot of things that I didn't like. So, I hope by the time I finish this review I'll be able to come to a conclusion on whether or not I can recommend it.
THE BAD: This whole book just kinda seems....unnecessary. I'll be honest, I haven't read much of Cullen Bunn's work before, but here the storytelling just seems a little weak. This Defenders team seems too thrown together, and, even by comic book standards very far-fetched on why these ladies would team up in the first place. There's a character twist that's thrown in that's meant to shock us, and it would shock us......if it was 1999.
THE GOOD: While I didn't really dig the story as a whole, I have to give credit where credit is due. Cullen Bunn sure knows how to write some AWESOME dialogue!!! I'd have to say, his characterization of Misty Knight is probably my favorite portrayal of her-EVER!!! Besides her, he does a great job writing the character of Valkyrie, keeping her true to her roots, and lets a great deal of humor come out of the character.
THE ART: Will Sliney saved this book for me. It's no secret, I've been a big fan of his for awhile. And him working on MacGyver didn't hurt, either. His art in this book is some of the best I've seen him do. Bunn does give him some great action scenes to draw and he provides a HUGE variety of things for Sliney to drawn. Everything from modern day tech to ancient skeleton viking warriors. And, it doesn't hurt that Sliney knows how to draw some pretty great looking ladies.

The Verdict: I'm gonna go with my gut on this one. I'm saying-BUY IT. While this first issue didn't blow me away, I have a feeling that it's going to get pretty entertaining in the issues to come. While the story was weak, the dialogue was strong and the art was fantastic.

I believe the children are our future

This past week, my friends, Patrick Brower and W. Dal Bush opened Chicago's first comic store for young readers. This was a labor of love and a long time coming. Let's face it, your "typical" comic store has a clientele of ALL ages, and it's time that someone focused on the younger crowd. A former employer of mine once told me "It doesn't matter what you put on the children's rack, kids will buy anything!!! They don't care!!" Boy, is THAT wrong. I've come to notice from all my years in comic retailing that kids DO care about what they buy. And now they have a place all there own. Ladies & gentlemen, boys & girls, children of all ages-SIDEKICKS IS HERE!!



A lot of love and careful planning went into this store, which is located INSIDE Challengers Comics +  Conversation located at 1845 N Western Avenue in Chicago's Bucktown neighborhood. The space was originally The Rogues Gallery, but has now been converted into a fantastic place where kids can come and know that they have their OWN comic book store. There's tiny little chairs where they can sit, read and check out what comics that they'd like to buy, and for any parents that are concerned, this-just like Challengers-is NOT your typical comic store. It's well lit, clean, organized and features a very friendly staff that is ready to answer any questions that might come up.
-For people that will miss The Rogues Gallery, fear not, while the month long art exhibits won't be going on anymore, Challengers will STILL HAVE ART SHOWS. They'll be one night only shows, but they have some great stuff planned for the future, so sign up for their newsletter to keep yourself in the know.
-I've said this a million times, and it's always dismissed, but I can't stress enough on how proud I am of my two "brothers" for what they've accomplished since opening Challengers. They've won countless awards, are MULTIPLE Eisner nominees and just plain all around great guys. This year they celebrate 5 years of being in business, with all signs pointing to them being awesome and providing Chicago with the BEST comic store experience for countless years to come. And hey, they were smart enough to bring on yours truly last year, so you KNOW they're doing something right!! ;)
-So, grab your kids, nieces and nephews, and anyone else and get over to Sidekicks and let them have some fun. They'll love it and they'll love you for bringing them there.

-I thought some of you might enjoy some "before & after" pictures of Sidekicks. These never before seen pics show the transformation from The Rogues Gallery to Sidekicks.
                                                                         BEFORE:

                                                                   After:

THE LIST-for December 26th......

OK, after a couple of HUGE weeks, we get a tiny, tiny week. But, the good news is, 90% of the books are pretty awesome. Here's what I recommend that you pick up:

Amazing Spider-Man #700-Yes, you might have read spoilers online about what happens, but DO NOT let that disway you from getting this book. It's intense!! This final issue of Amazing Spider-Man is SO GOOD!!! It's got ALL the classic Spidey elements in it, and a shock ending that you're not gonna believe.

Aquaman #15-The Throne of Atlantis officially begins!!!! And, I've always loved new-to-Aquaman artist Paul Pelletier. And now he's drawing one of my favorite books!!! WIN WIN!!

Justice League #15-The Throne of Atlantic continues!!!! AWESOME!!!

-So, there you have it, a measly 3 books, but they're all GREAT!!!! This is the week that I say-TRY SOMETHING YOU HAVEN'T READ BEFORE!!!! Pick up that book you've wanted to check out and never had the extra money for. As your retailer to recommend something! There's a LOT of good stuff out there, that unfortunately goes under most people's radar. If your in Chicago, I'll see you Wednesday at Challengers!!

The Watchmen Project

So, I'm a terrible comic book guy and I've never read Watchmen. Always meant to, but was always either too busy or felt like I had other important things to read(I mean, hey, Marvel released all those Spider-Man:Clone Sage trades!). So, yeah, just never got around to it. Then, on February 1st, DC Comics announced Before Watchmen, a series of prequel mini series, that had fans calling for DC executives heads. Obviously, have never read the original series, I really didn't have much of an opinion, and it was basically non-news to me. Didn't care one way or the other............
 Then I got to thinking. WHAT IF I read the Before Watchmen books and THEN read Watchmen? I mean, let's face it, how many times in your life do you get to do something like this? The opportunity doesn't come along very often, if ever. I had heard of Star Wars fans doing something like this with their kids. Not having them watch the original trilogy and taking them to see Episode 1, then 2, then 3, then showing them the original Star Wars trilogy. While I thought that THAT was a horrible idea, I couldn't help but wonder what that would be like. A lot of the big reveals in Empire and Jedi would be totally useless. Still, having NO feelings or ties to Watchmen, I thought that this might be something fun to try.
 When I told friends, customers, and everyone else about my intent, it was met with VERY strong opinions. Everything from "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" to "Look, just read the original, don't even bother with Before Watchmen." SO, me being me, of course I'm going to do what everyone told me NOT to do. Every week. I'll post my thoughts on whatever Watchmen title comes out, then, when they're finished, I'll read Watchmen and see what I think. After that, I'll be heading up to Madison to watch the movie on a big screen thanks to my friends Josh & John. All right, here goes nothing..........

Before Watchmen: Minuteman #1 I enjoyed this very much. It felt like I was reading a one of those DC comics that told a charming story of past age of heroes. And that's because it pretty much is. One thing kept bothering me, it reminded me of something, I just couldn't remember what. Halfway through the book I realized that it was thinking of. It reminded me of the 1991 Justice Society of America comic by Len Strezewski & Rick Burchett. Only with a little more bite. All right, a LOT more bite. I thought this was a really charming comic. Like almost everyone else, I LOVE Darwyn Cooke's art and they couldn't have picked a better artist for this book, in my opinion. I thought the narrative, which was nothing groundbreaking, was a nice change of pace, and Cooke moved the story along at a good pace. I guess if I have to put my finger on something that I didn't care for was that there were SO many characters introduced, I'm definitely going to have to go back and give this a second read right before the next issue comes out. Other than that, I found it very enjoyable. It wasn't anything at all on the heavy side, and I am genuinely looking forward to see where the story goes and what happens to these characters.

NEXT WEEK: SILK SPECTRE!!!!



PS: Yes, I realize that Alan Moore hates me.

That's "Your Honor" to you!!

Look at that handsome face!!! Out today in comic shops everywhere is Ghostbusters #9 where I make a cameo appearance as the Mayor of Detroit!!! And look, I'm even shaking hands with Peter Venkman!!!! Can life BE anymore awesome?!?!?! Special thanks to the men who made this possible, and who make the book AWESOME every month-Erik Burnham, Dan Schoening and Tristan Jones.  You guys are awesome people, so here you go. You.......you've earned it.

Take me home! For just $4!!!!

So, The Most Electrifying Man in Comic Retail is on a limited edition copy of Ghostbusters #1!!! If you live in Chicago, swing by Challengers Comics and grab one. If you DON'T, you can get your right here, but they're on sale starting TODAY!!!! And just to get you in the mood:

BIONIC MAN #2 REVIEW!!!!

To put it bluntly, this issue left me feeling a little disappointed. But, ONLY in the fact that this comic is based on a screenplay that WILL NEVER be made. Folks, if this movie would've gotten made, it would have been THE most balls-out, over-the-top, thrill-ride action movie of ANY summer. We're talking like Jurassic Park in 1993 big. But, enough about movies. Thankfully Dynamite saw fit to turn this into a comic series and we are SO lucky that they did. First, if you haven't checked out my review of issue #1, you can do so here.

-Simply put, this issue is better than the last. First issues are always all set up, so now that we know who everyone is and what they do, we can get into the real meat of the story. Like I stated in my last review, it's been awhile since I've read Kevin Smith's screenplay that this is based on, so I can't remember exactly what's been added and taken out, but WOW this issue is PACKED with story, mystery, and action. Just like EVERY comic book should be. Phil Hester does a fantastic job at pacing the story, and Jonathan Lau's art is out of control awesome. There's lots of action heavy pages in this issue. And I mean HEAVY! Yet, with Lau's art you never get the "things are happening to fast that I can't really tell what's going on" feeling that you get with some artists. Hats off to the creative team for an outstanding job.

-Most impressive about this issue, though, is the shocks and surprises that are thrown at you. You don't normally find that in licensed comics today, and TRUST ME, I'd know. Let's face it, even if you have never seen the TV show, you know what's going to happen to Steve Austin. I mean, c'mon, the book is call The Bionic Man, not The Dead Astronaut. But there are shocks, surprises and twists on almost every other page. Questions answered you didn't even know where asked, mysteries uncovered that you wouldn't see coming a mile away. This is, simply put, a fantastic comic. And the best part? We're just getting started. This issues are only going to get better. Better. Stronger. Faster.

*Footnote-As an added bonus that has absolutely NOTHING to do with The Bionic Man, this issue features a GORGEOUS double page ad for Dynamite's upcoming Flash Gordon: Zeitgeist series. First issues out in November, it's 32 pages and it's only $1.00. PRE-ORDER. IT. NOW. It looks AMAZING!!!!!!!

Comic Review-GI Joe: A Real American Hero #170

WOW! LOTS going on this issue. But then, you have to remember your're reading a comic with almost 30 years of continuity and a limitless cast of characters and villains. The thing I love about this book is that Larry Hama can still pull GI Joe mythology outta thin air. And, I guess, if anyone is allowed to, he is. But, the best thing about this title is that it's the Joes as we know and love them. In all these years, their personalities haven't changed, and neither have Cobras. There's actually a couple of laugh out loud moments from Cobra Commander here that are pretty great. I guess if I had one problem with this comic, it's that we only get about two pages at a time with each character or team and when you're dealing with this many people, it's not nearly enough. But, at least you get to see everyone you want to at least for a little bit.

-Artist S L Gallant does a great job. I don't know if it's him on his own, or from Larry Hama's scripts, but there's some great sight gags in this issue like back in the original series. Another home run issue for this book!

Comic Review:COBRA #4

OK, this Cobra Civil War story is REALLY getting good. This issue is primarily a Major Bludd story, and he's one of my favorites, so I was bound to like this from the start. I love how writer Mike Costa has turned EVERY single Cobra member into a credible threat for the Joes-and also for the other members of Cobra as well. There's some BIG things that happen in this issue, so I'll try and dance around the spoilers as much as I can.

-We get PLENTY of action, not just talking in this issue. We also get to see the slightest glimpse of Bludd's personal life and just how incredible different that is. Costa does a great issue continually showing just how dangerous Bludd is, who he's in league with and who he controls. At this point in the game, I really have no clue just who will end up being Cobra Commander when the war is over and the dust is settled.

-The art chores in this issue is split between series artist Antonio Fuso & Chee. I'll admit, I've never seen Chee's artwork before, but it's really nice. Totally fits the book. Overall, this issue really picks up the pace of the whole CCW story and really gets you excited for what's coming next. BUY IT!!

GHOSTBUSTERS #1 REVIEW!!

Even though it's not out for about 3 weeks yet, I was lucky enought to read a copy of IDW Publishing's Ghostbusters #1 this evening. Written by Erik Burnham, who doesn't write enough comics(seriously, check out A-Team War Stories), with a back-up story by Tristan Jones, and edited by Tom Waltz (If you haven't read his new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles book yet, do it NOW!) the thing that will have EVERY "Ghosthead" cheering is that artist Dan Schoening is drawing this book. Schoening was every fans dream choice for penciler on this series, and IDW made the right choice.

-Now, I'm not about to give spoilers away in this review, so just wipe that thought outta your head. What I WILL tell you, is that we get to see the Ghostbusters do EVERYTHING that you want to see them doing. Hanging out in the firehouse exchanging snappy dialogue, investigating the paranormal, and yes, even busting some ghosts. It's got it all. We all know that Ghostbusters is one of the most quotable movies in history and quite often, with licensed comics, writers rely on movie dialogue as a crutch by going out of their way to put the characters in a position just so they can deliver that "classic" line from the movie that everyone loved. Thankfully, Burnham does NOT fall into that trap here. There's no "Nice shootin' Tex", "He slimed me" or "cats and dogs living together". What Burnham DOES capture is the spirit of the characters, dead on. As you read the comic, you can actually hear Bill Murray saying the Venkman dialogue. The story acknowledges the movies, but doesn't depend on them. There's nice nods to both Ghostbusters movies, and a couple of Easter eggs that hardcore fans will go nuts over. And the last page? EPIC.

-As far as the art goes, the word PERFECT comes to mind. Schoening is THE best Ghostbuster artist out there today. Or any other day, for that matter. You know how Carmine Infantino was born to draw The Flash? Or Mark Bagley was born to draw Spider-Man? Yeah, that's what we're talking about here, people. It's THAT good.

-It's hard to talk about the back-up story without giving up a big spoiler, so I'll just say this-it'll have you APPLAUDING when you read it. Hat's off to Tristan Jones, who is a heck of a talented guy.

-The thing that impressed me the most about this book was the "bonus" pages in the back. You can see just HOW MUCH work went into the comic and how deep the love is that the creators have for this property. And, it shows. In a big way. Whether your a HUGE Ghostbusters fan, or have just a passing interest after seeing the movie a couple of times on TV, you will LOVE this book. Hat's off to everyone involved for making THE. BEST. GHOSTBUSTERS. COMIC. EVER.

Oh my God! Quasar!!!

Stumbled on a tweet last night from the good folks at Cosmic Book News. Seems Amazon is listing a Classic Quasar trade paperback for sale on March 7th, 2012. It collects Quasar 1-9, as well as material from Avengers Annual 18 & Marvel Comic Presents(1988)#29. I LOVED LOVED LOVED this book when I was a kid.

Here's the product description from Amazon:

Product Description

The saga of one of Marvel's premier cosmic crusaders begins here! Long before joining the ranks of the Annihilators, Quasar participated in many of this world's adventures--both earthbound and beyond. Relive these early star-spangled tales, in cluding Quasar's role during the Acts of Vengeance and his initiation into the Avengers!

COLLECTING: QUASAR 1-9; MATERIAL FROM AVENGERS ANNUAL 18, MARVEL COMICS PRESENTS (1988) 29

Here's the product description from me:

THIS IS FREAKIN' AWESOME STUFF!!!! YOU SHOULD TOTALLY BUY IT!!!!

-Seriously, though. Mark Gruenwald, Paul Ryan-CLASSIC MARVEL AWESOMENESS!!! And there's rumors floating around that he'd going to be in the Avengers movie. I don't know if I buy that, but, it'll be cool for him to at least cameo as Wendell Vaughn.

GI Joe A Real American Hero #169 review

This is TRULY the most under appreciated of the GI Joe titles being published right now. Around 2004 Devil's Due got Larry Hama to write a 4 issue GI Joe Frontline arc set after the events of original Marvel Comic GI Joe #155. The results were........not that great.

-But, in May of last year, IDW let Larry Hama do what he should've done 16 years earlier-keep writing the same comic. The results this time around-REALLY AWESOME.

-While the current GI Joe IDW continuity is a fun, action packed, breath of fresh air, it's nice that you CAN go home again. This issue-and title-features exactly what the classic GI Joe series had. GI Joe against COBRA, the enemy. Fighting to save the day. There's TONS of continuity with the classic series, but don't worry, IDW had been kind enough to reprint those all in trade(their maybe 1 or 2 more volumes coming before the complete run is collected). Who thought that anyone could put NEW twists and turns into an almost 30 year old comic? This issue is FULL of them. Old characters return, new mysteries are set up, and while it features a good number of Joes(& COBRAS), there's never too many that it gets confusing. One of the advantages is that they're all instantly recognizable because they're drawn in their classic fatigues/action figure uniforms. Most of which, surprisingly, still work. Their is one exception, though. Sorry, Crystal Ball.

No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to read.....

Let's face it, nobody really pays attention to Canada. Hell, even Canadians don't pay that much attention to Canada. BUT, over the weekend at Fan Expo in Toronto, Marvel Comics held a "Next Big Thing" panel and announced several things, but only 1 was downright AWESOME. The return of former Crossgen comic Kiss Kiss Bang Bang!!!

-As a huge fan of that series, that ended on one of the BEST cliffhangers ever, I was needless to say, ecstatic! Then, I read the article on CBR with writer Peter Milligan....and became even MORE excited!!! The basic premise is sort-of the same. Up and coming spy gets chosen to replace veteran spy in his role as the "Ultimate Spy". BUT, while the first series took place in the 1960's/Sean Connery/James Bond era this one takes place in modern day and puts some twists into the formula. What it looks like it DOES deliver is something that's sorely lacking in the comic market right now-A. SPY. COMIC. How does one of THE most popular genres in pop culture not have an on-going monthly comic? Talk about built in audience!!! And not just for the every-Wednesday guys. Dads bringing their kids into the comic store would snatch this up in a heartbeat!!! Wanna buy a comic for a non-comic reading friend? BOOM!!!! Anyone who likes action movies, thrillers, ect would totally dig a well written spy comic. OK, enough about that. Back to KKBB. I'll be honest, I haven't read much Peter Milligan, but what I have read, I've liked a lot(Human Target, X-Statix, Batman). And from reading his interview, I couldn't be more excited about his plans for this comic. As for the art, I barely remember Roman Rosanas' work on Spider-Man:1602, but the pages shown in the article look FANTASTIC!!!! This guy knows how to lay out a page. Intense action that's NOT super hero battles can be tricky sometimes, but this guy pulls it off in the preview pages.....and he draws some nice ass cleavage. Can't wait til December!!! Merry Christmas Jimmy Hayes!!