EDITOR’S NOTE: I’m reviving a feature I occasionally wrote for the old BC Refugees blog - - PRE-ORDER PICKS. In the past, I would page through the monthly Previews catalog and then offer a long list of books that I felt were worthy of your attention but might not be something your local comic shop was ordering for their shelves. In most cases, I was judging these books by their potential, taking a chance that they would be as good as I anticipated. I’m going to take a different approach for the new articles. I’m only going to recommend books that I know are really good, because I’ve read an advance review copy of a single issue - - or I’ve read all the individual issues that comprise a new trade paperback or hardcover being offered. With all of these PRE-ORDER PICKS keep in mind - - if you are interested, don’t take a chance on the store having a copy. Make sure by pre-ordering. Your local comic shop will thank you. Guaranteed sales help make them profitable. Please place your order before Wednesday, March 27 - - which is the cut-off date.
My original plan was to post a review of everything that I'm recommended for pre-order. I simply ran out of time. Rather than not mention the other books, I'm going to list them for you here. In the case of all five of these picks I read the original story arc in monthly issues. In case you missed any of these (especially the short notice and hard-to-find Die Die Die) they are now being offered in trade paperback. I hope to review these titles here in the coming month. Recognizing that you may not want to order all five, I've listed these in my order of preference. So, if you can only buy one or two - - then I suggest UNITED STATES VS MURDER INC and then DIE DIE DIE, etc.
UPDATE TO PREVIOUS PICKS: I just learned from CAPTAIN BLUE HEN COMICS in Newark, Delaware that they have ordered two copies of THE WRONG EARTH for the store new release shelf. I wouldn't expect those to be around very long.If you want this book, better contact the store and pre-order it before tomorrow's deadline. If Newark DE is too far from you, call your local comic shop. I'm sure stores like THE COMIC BOOK SHOP in Wilmington DE and THE MAROON HORNET in Oxford PA would be glad to order a copy for you.
) Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming return to their former Marvel/Icon title with a vengeance. This is so much better than the first version. Gritty, dark and shocking. Oeming has really upped his game here. A pissed-off cartel of crime families take on the United States administration in bloody fashion.
DIE DIE DIE VOLUME 1 (Image) Robert Kirkman's latest is a hoot. Four assassin brothers, named after the four Beatles, make a lucrative living working for covert government agencies. There's violent competition and jockeying for power going on, and the brothers are seemingly innocent victims of it. Lots of blood, double crosses, and stolen identities.
BITTER ROOT VOLUME 1(Image)David Walker's take on voodoo practitioners versus zombie-fied monstrosities. The Sangerye family has roots in the Louisiana bayou and the Deep South but bring their monster-fighting magic and skills to an earlier 20th century version of Harlem.
HAWKMAN VOLUME 1: AWAKENING (DC) Writer Robert Vendetti with an assist by artist Bryan Hitch attempt to bring consistency by tying together all the various versions of Hawkman/Carter Hall (whew, that's a big job). Hawkman is determined to explore his many roots and discover the why and wherefore of his various rebirths. The story is a good one, but it's a slow burn. This is just the first part of it.
MAN OF STEEL VOLUME 1 (DC) I've never been a big fan of Superman. I don't dislike the character. I just think he's too powerful and hard to defeat to really bring any conflict or danger to his stories. Bendis tries his best to put a little spin on the legend without disrupting any of the standard Superman tropes -- and it's interesting but not that exciting. This one is on my pre-order pick for Superman and/or Bendis fans only.
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