Indie Watch 12/14/2011

Sorry for missing last week; I moved and was without the internet for a few days, but now we’re back on track!

Looking for a great indie read this week? We’ve got you covered every Monday with Indie Watch! In this column you’ll find quick hit previews of select indie titles due out each week. Stuff that’s worth a buy- or at least a look- when you visit your local comic book store for your weekly fix. From graphic novels to single issues, we’ve got our eye on indie!

Everlast HC
Archaia Entertainment dominates indie releases this week, pumping out a plethora of HC’s, many of them spotlighted here in this column. Everlast is a pre-apocalyptic tale, following Derek Everlast, a man whose destiny in life is guiding others to a place of rebirth for mankind called ‘Haven’. Following an instinct called the Nudge, bestowed upon him by a higher power, Derek is guided to the next chosen human destined to survive, a little girl named Melissa, who he must deliver safely to Haven before the End of Days. Created and written by actor Chad Michael Murray of One Tree Hill fame. This book is written by Chad Michael Murray, and features various artists, one of them being a personal favorite of mine, J.K. Woodward of Fallen Angel fame.

 

 

A Tale of Sand HC
This book should be purchased by any fans of Jim Henson. It’s one of his long lost screen plays, recently discovered and adapted into comic book form. What’s unique about this particular piece is that it’s an almost psychedelic journey, but without any puppets or muppets. The story “follows scruffy everyman, Mac, who wakes up in an unfamiliar town, and is chased across the desert of the American Southwest by all manners of man and beast of unimaginable proportions.” Click here to listen to a podcast interview with A Tale of Sand artist, Ramon Perez, and to see some preview pages from the book. Published by Archaia Entertainment.

 

 

Nightly News Anniversary Edition HC
If you don’t know who Jonathan Hickman is by now, than you aren’t reading awesome comics. Hickman’s debut on the comics scene was this book, Nightly News, back in 2006. Since then he has gone on to make a name for himself not only in indie comics (Pax Romana), but also with Marvel with his steampunk-esque book depicting the origins of the Marvel Universe,  S.H.I.E.L.D. and his epic run on Fantastic Four and FF. Now fans can own Nightly News in a sleek over-sized HC edition, which not only contains the entire story but a bunch of extras, too. This story is one for conspiracy theorists and anti-media hounds. Overly sensitive people should stay far, far away. Written and drawn by Jonathan Hickman, published by Image.

 

 

Jim Henson’s The Storyteller HC
An anthology book published by Archaia, and featuring various artists and writers, is another must read for all Henson enthusiasts. “The much-loved, live-action/puppet combination TV show is now a graphic novel series! Archaia and The Jim Henson Company are proud to present ALL-NEW tales of fantastic wonder and extraordinary myth, as told from the tongue of The Storyteller and his loyal canine companion! Witness worded wonderment from a cavalcade of crafty creators, including Roger Langridge, Marjorie Liu, Ron Marz, Jeff Parker, Francesco Francavilla, J.L. Meyer, Janet Lee and many more! Plus: A never-before-seen story adapted from a screenplay by The Storyteller’s original author, Academy Award Winner Anthony Minghella!” Click here to read a review.

 

Fables vol. 16: Super Team TPB
The latest collected installment of Bill Willingham’s most excellent fantasy series is finally released this week! In my humble opinion, this was the best arc since (SPOILER ALERT!) the fables outed The Adversary from The Homelands. This chapter picks up where #100 left off as Mr. Dark makes his last attempt to annihilate the Fables. Knowing an attack is imminent, Pinocchio uses his comic book knowledge to assemble a team of Fabled superheroes! Art by Mark Buckingham, published by Vertigo, although this book does include a one-shot story dawn by indie favorite, Terry Moore!

 

 

 

Clive Barker Omnibus
“Master story-teller Clive Barker is no stranger to graphic novel adaptations to his work, and this massive omnibus collects three of his IDW projects! This volume starts off with The Thief of Always, illustrated by Gabriel Hernandez, moves on to the epic twelve-part The Great and Secret Show, and ends with Seduth, both illustrated by Eisner-nominated artist Gabriel Rodriguez. With no shortage of sprawling high-concept, spine-chilling thrills, and inspired art, the Clive Barker Omnibus is a great launching point into his dark universe.” Published by IDW.

 

 

 

Killing Pickman HC
Yet another cool looking release from Archaia this week, this time of the horror/crime fiction variety! “Homicide Detective William Zhu has just made the arrest of his career. With the apprehension of Richard Pickman he has solved over 100 missing child cases, some of which date back over 30 years. Frustrated with his role of clean-up man to the detritus of the world, Zhu makes what may be a fatal mistake: He decides to kill Pickman. Fatal, for Richard Pickman is no ordinary psychopath – a demon has granted Pickman near immortality. Killing Pickman is going to be a lot tougher than Zhu could have imagined.” Written by Jason Becker, art by Jon Rea. Click here to read a review.

 

 

Red Wing TPB
So you’re already picking up Jonathan Hickman’s Nightly News Deluxe HC, so why not also check out his latest indie series, Red Wing, in TPB form? Red Wing is what Hickman does best- straight up science fiction. It stars futuristic dog fighter pilots who use time travel in order to elude and get the drop on their opponents! Of course, there’s more to it than that, but I don’t want to give anything away here. Art by Nick Pitarra, published by Image.

 

 

 

 

Chuck Jones: The Dream That Never Was HC
“Celebrating the 2012 centennial of Chuck Jones’s birth, IDW’s Library of American Comics unveils Chuck Jones: The Dream That Never Was. The Academy Award-winning director of ‘Duck Amuck,’ ‘What’s Opera, Doc,’ ‘How The Grinch Stole Christmas’ and other timeless classics, created dozens of cartoon characters throughout his decades-long career: Pepé Le Pew, Marvin the Martian, Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote… and Crawford, an accident prone, nine-year-old boy whose daily routine includes surviving his own boyhood. Chuck Jones: The Dream That Never Was follows the twenty-seven year journey it took Jones to bring ‘Crawford’ to the public, from conception to storyboard to newspaper strip. This incredible volume is loaded with never before seen sketches, drawings, storyboards and production notes, and the six-month run of the Crawford newspaper comic strip from 1978.”

Super Dinosaur Coloring Book
If any of you know of a young male comic book fan, this coloring book is the perfect stocking stuffer! It’s based off of the Image Comics series by Robert Kirkman, featuring dinosaurs and robots beating up bad guys! Awesome!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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