I want that picture

One of my guilty online pleasures is that once a month Marvel and DC comics release their previews section. Basically, if you're a store owner this gives you a chance to see what's coming out in two months time and adjust your orders for comic books appropriately. Captain America coming back from the grave? Maybe you bump the numbers up on that one. Notice that a series has just wrapped up its big multi-part, universe shattering crossover? Maybe you cut back on how many issues your order.

However, we living a spoiler culture. It's not enough that the show/movie/comic is coming out in a few days or weeks or months. We want to know everything there is about it now. We are not a patient society, it must be said. I think the beginning part of the 21st century may be known as "The Time of Great Impatience".

Anyway, I digress.

Fans love pouring through these advanced listings, not just of DC and Marvel comics, but also of the literally thousands of other things that come during these Preview catalogues and posts. And I'm as guilty as the next collector geek of doing this. I like seeing what's coming up, even if 99.9 per cent of it I'll never buy. However, when the listings came out earlier this week I found something I wanted. It was this.



Now this is the cover of a series called Wolverine: First Class, which is the, I kid you not, "children friendly" comic series featuring Wolverine and another of the X-Men, Kitty Pryde. I normally have little time for Wolverine comics and there is a ridiculous number of comics he either stars or co-stars in (by my rough count, at least eight) on a monthly basis. However, this issue has two things going for it. One, it's being written by Peter David, an author I like quite a bit. And secondly, I love that cover.

A good cover should catch your attention, give you an idea of what the issue is about and, ideally, make you want to buy the comic. I love this cover. It's the most fun cover of any comic I've seen this year. I want to buy the original art for this cover. Which isn't going to happen because it likely costs thousands of dollars which makes this exactly the kind of thing you don't buy when unemployment is looming at you.

But damn it, I love this thing. It makes me smile every time I look at it and I couldn't even begin to explain to you why. For the record, it's illustrated by Skottie Young, who is quickly becoming one of my favourites. Young is currently illustrating, of all things, an adaptation of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz for Marvel Comics (with Eric Shanower writing). If you've been looking at buying a comic book for your kid, I really recommend this. I've only been reading the previews online until the collection comes out, which will probably be early fall. The art is absolutely stunning. A couple of pages to give you an idea. Click on them for a more detailed view.







The first two pages are from issue #3 of the series. The last one is the cover to the last issue - #8 - which is coming out next month. So yeah, on my list of "kid friendly comic books" I'll put this one pretty near the top of the list.

Anyway, this has been a token comic book post. I do buy an awful lot of these things and occasionally I see something that gets me more excited than bashing whatever bit of silliness Premier Williams is engaged in. You'll just have to deal.

Last Five
1. Girl inform me - The Shins
2. Wild honey - U2
3. Last night on earth - U2
4. Joyful girl (live) - Ani DiFranco
5. Frankfurt, I'm sorry (live) - Spirit of the West*