Hello, and welcome to this, my very last week in-house at Gosh. Fear not, though, for I’ll still be posting in editions of this fine column from a remote location in the near future. But now for the business of the day!

The Big Name release of the week is yet another Gosh exclusive – our signed, numbered, bookplated edition of the first volume of Scalped! Both writer Jason Aaron and illustrator R.M. Guéra have taken time out of their busy schedules to re-write their names 200 times all over our bookplates, and Guéra even went the extra mile of supplying brand new original artwork for it! Not only are they two of the most talented comic creators of the moment, they’re nice guys to boot! But seriously, folks, Scalped is one of the flat-out best comics on the stands, and it’s never too late to catch up. The first volume, bookplate and all, is only £6.50, so what have you got to lose? £6.50, that’s what! But regardless – buy this book! It’s an essential for any fan of Criminal, 100 Bullets, Loveless, Fables, Watchmen or The Sandman. Or Batman.

In other book news, we’ve also got early copies of From Hell artist Eddie Campbell’s latest book from First Second, entitled The Amazing Remarkable Monsieur Leotard. And guess what: they’re all signed too! How utterly ridiculous. We’re spoiling you. The book itself is packed full of lavishly painted artwork and turn-of-the-century big-top showmanship, and is a must for any Campbell fan, so grab them while stocks last!

Next up is another graphic novel, Popgun Vol 2. Those of you who grabbed the first volume will know the score by now – it’s another whopping doorstop of an anthology showcasing the latest and hottest in up-and-coming creators in a Flight vein. Pick of this volume is a man named Derek Yu. In comics terms he’s only ever done spot illustrations and gag comics for magazines in the past, so why do I care? Because he designs really cool video games containing stuff like this:
There’s another graphic novel oddity in this week, in the shape of Scary-Go-Round Book 6: Ahoy Hoy! You’ll have heard me gushing about John Allison’s work in the past (at length in our most recent Gosh Recommends blog post), and my enthusiasm still fails to wane. To summarise: Scary-Go-Round is one of about four good webcomics in the world, and provides a more charming, consistent and enjoyable British comics experience than any magazine or newspaper has to offer. This volume also introduces Desmond, a fish-man who you’ll certainly grow to love perhaps more than is advisable.

It’s a barnstormer of a week from Marvel, kicking off with Black Panther #39! Yep, you heard me! If you haven’t guessed already, it’s because this current run, tying into Secret Invasion, is written by none other than Jason Aaron! The pitch is all-out turf war between the Skrull hordes and the warriors of Wakanda, drawn by Punisher Max: Little Black Book artist Jefte Palo! Aaron is currently the king of making me read comics starring heroes I have no particular interest in, and I don’t expect this run will be any different.

Marvel masterpiece number two is Thor #10, continuing J Michael Straczynski and Olivier Coipel’s reinvigorating run on the title. Hanging onto the godly court drama of previous iterations of the character, while throwing some small-town Oklahoma soap opera elements in as well, this run has become one of the most endearing, entertaining and thrilling comics in recent Marvel memory. For those of you who’ve yet to try it out, this week also brings us Thor By J Michael Straczynski Volume 1 in paperback, collecting the first six issues for only £9.99. It’s Norseome!

Also up is the second issue of Greg Pak and Ron Garney’s Skaar: Son of Hulk. Plenty of people dropped this title on finding it in their standing order boxes, but to my mind this is a terrible mistake! If you like either Hulk or Conan comics, this is the perfect middle ground! It’s also that rarest of things – an ongoing title for a brand new character! As he showed in Planet Hulk, Greg Pak has a real knack for space fantasy, and Skaar should be an automatic purchase for anybody who enjoyed that epic chapter in the life of the not-so-jolly green giant. Ron Garney’s rocking a shot-from-the-pencils look that really does a lot for the title, and it’s lovely to behold in general. I for one am very interested to see where Skaar’s journey takes him!

DC Wildstorm brings us the first issue of the re-re-relaunched WildCATS, and this time it looks like they’re onto a winner! Christos Gage has proved he can deliver the goods when motivated to, and artist Neil Googe has been coming along in leaps and bounds, most noticeably in his work on Welcome to Tranquility. This new series spins out of the end of the world as seen in the excellent recent series Number of the Beast, and Armageddon seems like an awfully cool place to be in the Wildstorm universe!

Big dollops of unsettlingly creamy news fell all over the West Coast of America this week in the wake of the San Diego Comic Con! Excitingly, there’s a deliciously different Black Panther animated series heading to the prime time slot on BET in the states, based on the Reginald Hudlin/John Romita Jr. run that kicked off the current series. The series has an odd paper doll animation style to it, and looks far more interesting than the majority of Marvel’s animated output.

There were also plenty of little odds and ends revealed throughout the expo: a) Eric Powell’s The Goon snagged him Best Humour Writer and Best Multimedia Artist at the Eisners.
b) The Watchmen movie’s shaping up nicely.
c) Bryan Lee O’Malley’s next book will be entitled Scott Pilgrim Vs The Universe and will release next February, and
d) Neil Gaiman’s return to comics was revealed in the form of Whatever Happened To The Caped Crusader?, the post-mortem story to Batman RIP, releasing in January. The story will be spread over two issues – one in Batman, one in Detective Comics. Speculation is rife over what the story will contain, but all we know is that the title’s reference to Alan Moore’s Whatever Happened To The Man Of Tomorrow? is intentional, and it will be drawn by Andy Kubert.

But better than any of that is our great big What If? Back Issue Sale, which we’re calling What If Gosh Had A Back Issue Sale. We’ve got dozens of the classic Marvel What If issues, including What If Venom Had Possessed The Punisher? and the seminal What If Ghost Rider Had Taken Up A Crystal Meth Habit To Deal With The Trauma Of His Father’s Death Instead Of Selling His Soul To The Devil? Each issue is just 40p, so head downstairs for a trip down memory lane. Do it!

This week, to celebrate the release of golden age revival comic Project Superpowers #5, we’re being very generous indeed, and giving away four copies of The Complete Mac Raboy’s Green Lama Volume 1 in hardcover! This is classic pulp adventurer fare with a Buddhist bent, but don’t get too excited! Before you’re allowed one, you have to tell us…


Who is this? And what is their connection to the Green Lama?

If you think you know the answer, just comment on this post on our blog. First four correct answers win a copy of the book. If you can’t sign in to a personal account, you can comment anonymously – but don’t forget to leave your name along with your answer in the comment itself! Please note that the judge’s decision is final and that it is the responsibility of prize-winners to arrange collection of the prize within a period of 14 days, after which any non-collected prizes will be offered to the runner-up.

That’s all for now – see you in the funny pages!
- Tom

Hello, Internet-land! We can’t get enough of charity here at Gosh Comics, so we’re pleased to spotlight a book that’s both a noble effort and one of the most exciting releases of the week: Liberty Comics: A CBLDF Benefit Book.

Co-published with Image comics, this 32-page wonder showcases the Comic Book Legal Defence Fund’s most stalwart supporters in order to free you of your hard-earned cash. Included in their number are such stars as Darwyn Cooke, John Paul Leon and Sergio Aragones providing all-new material in support of the Fund. There are also exclusive instalments of The Boys and Criminal from the series’ original creators, Garth Ennis, Darick Robertson, Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. Should be a one-shot worth the having! A fine wedge of comics fun and a kick up censorship’s backside, all for less than three English pounds!

Image also brings us the brand new, landmark, one-of-a-kind Invincible #51, kicking off a new era (and a new costume) for the flagship character. The end of issue #50 left a sense of change beyond repair and of unforseen consequences soon to come for the series, as I for one am thrilled to see where it all goes from here. Writer Robert Kirkman also contributes to Image Monster Pile-Up #1, a collection of all-new stories featuring Image’s roster of up-and-coming freaks. And that’s ‘freaks’ in the most complimentary way possible. Showcased within are The Astounding Wolf-Man, Firebreather, The Perhapanauts and Proof, meaning brand new material from Todd & Craig, Andy Kuhn and Phil Hester to boot. It’s a big week for Kirkman for another, very significant reason, but that can wait until the news updates at the end of the column…

DC brings us two great entries in their recent drive to rediscover a truer, bluer era of adventure comics with a sibilant combination of comics. The first is Superman #678, the second in James Robinson’s run, drawn once again by Renato Guedes. The first issue (still in stock) was promising, and certainly confirmed Robinson’s dedication to bringing Krypto the Superdog back into the fold. With this run and Geoff Johns and Gary Frank on Action, it’s an exciting time to be a Super-fan.

The second is The Spirit #19. After Darwyn Cooke left the title, I was concerned where the title was heading, and what relevance it would have without the drive he lent to the series. However, after a slightly shaky start, the line-up of Sergio Aragonés, Mark Evanier and Paul Smith have really got a hold of how to write a successful Spirit title. The last issue, in particular, was a romp and a half, pitting our hero against legions of Egyptian mummies, dangerous femme fatales and a particularly frustrated Commissioner Dolan. It’s genuinely enjoyable stuff, and definitely worth picking up if you enjoyed Eisner’s original material or Cooke’s stunning interpretation.

It’s a comparatively quiet week from Marvel, but there is one glaring exception – Marvel Adventures Super Heroes #1. The Marvel Adventures line has been a real success under its mandate to provide standalone, accessible superhero action for all ages, and Marvel’s dedication to expanding it shows a great sense of integrity, as well as good business sense. This new series runs in four-issue arcs, swapping out its cast as well as its creators between arcs! First up are Iron Man, the Hulk and Spider-Man, brought to you by Roger Cruz and Alvin Lee, in a tale of superhuman puppy-sitting. Should be fun!

It’s a blockbuster week for graphic novels of an off-the-wall bent, no more evident than from the release of Comic Book Tattoo, Image’s huge collection of comic stories inspired by the music of Tori Amos! Ms. Amos clearly has a great number of fans in the industry, as the book runs to 480 pages and features the work of Mark Buckingham, Pia Guerra, David Mack, Eric Canete, Hope Larson and many, many more! Image also brings us the first volume of their long-awaited American Flagg Definitive Edition hardcovers.

In a similar vein, there’s also Magic Trixie Volume 1, the first collection of Jill Thompson’s latest series for kids, dealing with the trials and tribulations of a young girl and her jealousy of her magically gifted baby sister. And that’s not all! Jeff Smith: Bone and Beyond is a hardcover collecting large-scale reproductions of the work being featured in the Wexner Center for the Arts’ current exhibition of the same name. The book contains scores of Smith’s artwork, as well as some from the cartoonists who influenced him from an early age, such as George Herriman, Charles Schultz and Walt Kelly. I’ll be picking one up, but then I’d buy an acid jazz LP if it had a Jeff Smith drawing on it. All of which is to say nothing of the £20 wonder paperback collecting the entirety of Rob Schrab’s SCUD!

Biggest news item of the week is that soon the humble organisation known as Gosh will soon be playing host once again to superstar British comic creators Ian Edginton and D’Israeli! The famed creative team behind the Scarlet Traces series’ are “bringin’ Stickleback”, and the launch party is right here, with a big signing comprising their complete published history including the brand new collection of the aforementioned hit 2000 AD story. It all goes down on Saturday 16th August from 4pm to 6pm, and if you can’t make it on the day, send us an email and we’ll reserve you a signed copy of the new book.

And now for the hinted-at Kirkman news – the Invincible and Walking Dead creator has just been named as a partner in Image Comics, making him as important to the company as the original founders. Kirkman now has editorial influence at the company, so we can expect Invincible, Walking Dead and Astounding Wolf-Man to run until the trumpets signal the advent of the apocalypse, which is of course a profoundly wonderful thing.

And now for our competition spot! It’s a good ‘un this week, celebrating the release of the latest collection of Jeff Smith’s art, Bone & Beyond. In commemoration of this latest opus, we’re giving away two copies of the previous tribute to his expertly smooth line, The Art of Bone! It’s a lovely big book, in hardcover and all, so get ready to tell us…

If you think you know the answer, just comment on this post on our blog. First two correct answers win a copy of the book. If you can’t sign in to a personal account, you can comment anonymously – but don’t forget to leave your name along with your answer in the comment itself! Please note that the judge’s decision is final and that it is the responsibility of prize winners to arrange collection of the prize within a period of 14 days, after which any non-collected prizes will be offered to the runner-up.

That’s all for the week – happy summer!
- Tom