Spike Spiegel
Member
Hey gang, welcome back for another month of the at-times awesome union of words and pictures. Let's check out some of the notable offerings being served up for March:
+Moon Knight #1 by Warren Ellis and Declan Shalvey (Mar 5). New York's most unstable detective vigilante is back in an all-new series, protecting the streets in style! With the mysterious Khonshu driving his actions, Marc Spector and his various personalities will protect the innocent from every depraved and vicious scumbag the city's underworld has to offer. But who will protect the city from Marc?
+Avengers Undercover #1 by Dennis Hopeless and Kev Walker (Mar 12). Traumatized by the events of 'Avengers Arena', five teenage superheroes with an axe to grind decide it's time for a little payback. And to get it, they'll infiltrate the enemy ranks by joining the Masters of Evil! But the more time they spend on the other side of the fence, the more the lines between good and evil will blur...
+Secret Avengers #1 by Ales Kot and Michael Walsh (Mar 12). They are the world's unseen protectors, working behind the scenes to stop global threats before the public finds out. They are spies, assassins, agents, heroes... and a MODOK? Can this team of skilled operatives (and one giant floating head) defuse threats on three fronts without killing each other first? "Run the mission, don't get seen, save the world!"
+All-New Ghost Rider #1 by Felipe Smith and Tradd Moore (Mar 19). The Spirit of Vengeance comes roaring back in an all-new series -- and this time, he's riding on FOUR wheels! An underground street race will lead young Robbie Reyes to his supernatural destiny, and the gangs and drug dealers of East Los Angeles will learn to fear the flaming muscle car of justice!
+Daredevil #1 by Mark Waid and Chris Samnee (Mar 19). The award-winning duo behind the first series returns, ushering in a new era for the Man Without Fear! Matt Murdock has left the Big Apple behind to embark on another chapter in his life and career, in the city of San Francisco. Justice in the Golden State has a new defender, both in an out of the courtroom, and Matt's world is about to get even crazier!
+Silver Surfer #1 by Dan Slott and Michael Allred (Mar 26). Soaring through space with Marvel's shiniest new hero! The Silver Surfer, former herald to Galactus, has set his mind on exploring the frontiers of the Marvel Universe -- and he won't be doing it alone! Who is this Earth girl who joins him on his mission, and will she survive their journeys to worlds unknown? Trust him... he's the Surfer!
+Forever Evil #6 by Geoff Johns and David Finch (Mar 5). As the mysterious force that chased the Crime Syndicate across the Multiverse descends on our world, an unlikely alliance of hero and villain seeks to topple their regime at any cost! And as the identity of the hooded prisoner the Syndicate brought with them is finally revealed, so too will the final fate of Dick Grayson aka Nightwing!
+Green Arrow #29 by Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino (Mar 5). As "The Outsiders War" continues, a desperate Oliver Queen finds the odds stacked greatly against him. Determined to survive, Ollie will attempt to turn the tables one last time, by taking the offensive and bringing the fight to his enemies. Will his daring plan succeed, or end in deadly disaster?
+American Vampire: Second Cycle #1 by Scott Snyder and Rafael Albuquerque (Mar 19). The Eisner-Award winning series is back, and it's bringing its vampire cast to the swinging 60s! Pearl Jones and her maker Skinner Sweet are set to cross paths with a new threat that's more dangerous and bloodthirsty than any seen before. Who is the mysterious "Grey Trader," and what is his interest in this pair of American vampires?
+Batman and Aquaman #29 by Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason (Mar 19). Ra's Al Ghul has stolen the body of Batman's deceased son, Damian! To recover it Batman will travel to the ends of the Earth, and let no man or woman -- be they friend or foe -- stand in his way. The search begins at Damian's island birthplace, but Batman's path is blocked by none other than fellow Justice League member Aquaman!
+Wonder Woman #29 by Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang (Mar 19). She has denied it for as long as possible, but some things are simply unavoidable. With her back against the wall, and the First Born's victory looming, Diana makes a choice: to accept the role thrust upon her, and become the Greek goddess of war. Every war god needs an army, however, and luckily for Diana a while island of them awaits...
+The Sandman Overture #2 by Neil Gaiman and J.H. Williams III (Mar 26). (Fingers crossed...) The prequel to one of the most critically acclaimed comic series of all time continues with its second installment! As Daniel enters Mad Hettie's dream for the first time, Morpheus learns the reason for his summoning, and what he is being asked to do. Will the Dream King comply with this unusual request?
+Starlight #1 by Mark Millar and Goran Parlov (Mar 5). The Millarworld Universe starts HERE! Duke McQueen is the Earthman who saved a galaxy and became the savior of another world. But that was a lifetime ago; now Duke is an old man, a widower whose kids have grown up and moved on leaving him to die alone with his memories. That is, until the day Duke gets a call from that other world, where one last adventure awaits.
+Velvet #4 by Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting (Mar 5). A double-agent has framed Velvet Templeton for treason and murder! To uncover the conspiracy and clear her name, she'll have to expose the real traitor at a masquerade ball, while avoiding capture by her former colleagues and enemies both old and new. Does Velvet still have what it takes to get the job done, or has she been out of the game too long?
+Stray Bullets: Killers #1 by David Lapham (Mar 12). The acclaimed crime thriller returns at Image! A father-and-son night out goes horribly awry, when Gary and Andy Goldsmith get into a deadly hit-and-run accident. Yet as bad as that sounds, things get even worse when it's discovered their crime was witnessed by an unusual stranger. Also this month: Stray Bullets #41, concluding the original series!
+Sovereign #1 by Chris Roberson and Paul Maybury (Mar 19). From the writer of iZombie comes a new fantasy series full of magic and intrigue. In a distant kingdom, a group of unusual undertakers battle the undead back into their graves with increasing frequency. Little do they realize that darker forces are at work than the ones they've become accustomed to; the old gods and demons who once ruled the land are returning...
+Zero #6 by Ales Kot, Vanessa Del Rey and Jordie Bellaire (Mar 19). Edward Zero continues the mission, burdened now by knowledge of his true purpose at the Agency. His latest mission will take him to Switzerland and the Large Hadron Collider, where a mysterious man is hatching a scheme to destroy the universe so that a new, better one can be born in its place.
+Real Heroes #1 by Bryan Hitch (Mar 26). From the artist of Marvel's 'The Ultimates' and Image's 'America's Got Powers' comes a new series about superhero celebrities! Six actors have achieved super-stardom thanks to their roles as The Olympians, the biggest superhero franchise in movie history. But when the real world faces actual danger, who in their right mind would as these phony heroes to become real ones?
+Veil #1 by Greg Rucka and Toni Fejzula (Mar 5). From the writer of Lazarus, Stumptown and Queen & Country comes a new thriller at Dark Horse! A young girl wakes up naked in a subway station, with no memory of who she is or where she came from. When some men try to take advantage of her... something happens, and they end up dead. There's more to this girl than meets the eye...
+The Star Wars #6 by Jonathan Rinzler and Mike Mayhew (Mar 12). The adaptation of George Lucas' original draft for the sci-fi classic continues! Having escaped their Imperial pursuers through an asteroid belt, Luke Skywalker and his crew are forced to set down on Yavin, home of the Wookiees. But when Leia is captured by slavers, Jedi warrior Starkiller must go to great lengths to get her back!
+Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 10 #1 by Christos Gage and Rebekah Isaacs (Mar 19). The new season of Buffy premieres now, and with it comes an all-new set of rules for our heroine. The slayers exist first and foremost to exterminate the vampire menace, and for Buffy that means getting back to basics. But can things ever really be the same again, when this vampire slayer's been dabbling in magic with increasing frequency?
+The Witcher #1 by Paul Tobin and Joe Querio (Mar 19). Based on the hit video game series! Monster hunter extraordinaire Geralt's travels take him to the edge of the Black Forest, where he encounters a widowed fisherman, whose deceased wife has taken up residence in the nearby "House of Glass" and is leading curious strangers to their doom. Sound like something worth investigating, yes?
+Blackout #1 by Frank Berbiere, Randy Stradley, Colin Lorimer, and Doug Wheatley (Mar 26). In a world of rampant privacy invasion, Scott Travers is the untouchable man thanks to a suit that lets him tap into parallel dimensions and move unseen through our own. Yet when dangerous men start coming after him, Scott finds himself asking questions he never thought to before, like where the suit came from and who created it.
+Empowered Special: Internal Medicine by Adam Warren and Brandon Graham (Mar 26). Less than lucky, but always plucky! Hapless heroine Empowered and her ninja gal-pal Ninjette have been recruited for a special mission by Dr. Big McLarge Huge at the Purple Paladin Hospital. Together, they'll try to save the parasite-riddled infant of a five-mile wide sentient alien mothership!
+Monster and Madman #1 by Steve Niles and Damien Worm (Mar 12). From the creator of '30 Days of Night' and 'Criminal Macabre' comes a new vision of terror! At the end of Mary Shelley's famous novel, Frankenstein's Monster vows to immolate himself at the world's end... but what really happened next? What if, instead of suicide by fire, the Monster found his way to England... and encountered Jack the Ripper?
+Transformers Regeneration One #100 by Simon Furman, Andrew Wildman and Guido Guidi (Mar 12). The original comic series starring "Robots in Disguise" celebrates its 100-issue milestone, with a stunning conclusion that promises guest stars and surprises galore! The final battle for Cybertron's fate is underway, and to avoid defeat the Transformers will be forced to give their all or lose everything!
+G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #200 by Larry Hama and S.L. Gallant (Mar 19). Join IDW in celebrating 200 issues of ARH penned by one man: the legendary Larry Hama! As the Joe team returns to its former base of operations "The Pit," team leaders Hawk and Duke must prepare to combat a new brand of terrorism as Cobra regroups and adopts a new strategy in their ultimate goal of complete world domination.
+Samurai Jack #6 by Jim Zub and Brittney Williams (Mar 19). Because YOU demanded it! On his mission to recover the lost Threads of Time, return and thwart the demon Aku, Jack once again crosses paths with... the SCOTSMAN! Now Jack and Scotsman must work together to battle an ancient mystic curse that threatens to end both their journeys prematurely. Can these polar opposites get along long enough to save the day?
+Star Slammers Remastered #1 by Walt Simonson (Mar 26). Before his legendary run on The Mighty Thor, before an incredible career spanning decades, a young college student named Walter Simonson created a sci-fi adventure series about a team of intergalactic mercenaries known as... the Star Slammers! Now that original series returns at IDW, reproduced and remastered from the original artwork.
+Transformers: Dark Cybertron Finale by John Barber, James Roberts, Phil Jimenez and Brendan Cahill (Mar 26). The twelve-part "Dark Cybertron" epic races toward its senses-shattering conclusion, and things are coming down to the wire for both Autobot and Decepticon. It's more than just the planet Cybertron that's at stake here; the fate of the entire universe hinges on the outcome of this epic struggle!
+The Auteur #1 by Rick Spears and James Callahan (Oni, Mar 5). The most deranged comic of 2014 has arrived! After one box office bomb too many, producer Nathan T. Rex finds his career circling the drain, and the studio's latest bloated franchise installment is doing nothing to save it. What better time to embark on a journey of self-discovery fueled by mind-altering drugs and random acts of depravity?
+Evil Empire #1 by Max Bemis and Ransom Getty (Boom!, Mar 5). At what point does a society become evil? When does government rule cross the line and become absolute? And, how close are WE to that future? In this bold new cautionary tale, the rise of an evil empire on a world eerily similar to our own will be told, as witnessed through the eyes of an underground rapper named Reese.
+Quantum and Woody: The GOAT #0 by James Asmus and Tom Fowler (Valiant, Mar 5). Heroes aren't born... they're bred. Creator Tom Fowler returns to bring you a special story that must be told: the startling origin of Vincent Van Goat! His is a tale of triumph and tragedy, of excitement and heroism, and one that will have major repercussions for heroes Quantum and Woody. Believe it!
+Magnus Robot Fighter #1 by Fred Van Lente and Cory Smith (Dynamite, Mar 12). The Gold Key revival celebrates the return of its most memorable hero! In an instant, martial artist Magnus's life is thrown in to disarray when his wife, his father, and the only world he's ever known are taken from him. Now, trapped in a future where man and robot toil under oppressive rule, Magnus will take a stand and fight for the good of all!
+Red Sonja #8 by Gail Simone and Walter Geovanni (Dynamite, Mar 26). Bound by honor to fulfill her oath, Sonja finds herself on a strange quest to capture the world's greatest artisans for a most unusual king. Her latest target? A man believed to be the greatest animal trainer the world has ever seen. The catch? The animals in his menagerie have all been trained for one thing: WAR.
+Uber Special #1 by Kieron Gillen and Gabriel Andrade (Avatar, Mar 26). For the first time ever, the origin of Sieglinde and the Battleships will be told in this special issue! The Ubers are living weapons, decimating all who oppose the will of the Fuhrer. But before they were merciless Nazi killing machines, they were men and women, and this is the story of how they became something more than human... and, at the same time, less.
1ST PLACE WINNER:
Deadly Class #2; written by Rick Remender; pencils by Wes Craig ; colors by Lee Loughridge; published by Image Comics (21 pts)
2ND PLACE FINISHER:
Hawkeye #15; written by Matt Fraction; pencils by David Aja; colors by Matt Hollingsworth; published by Marvel Comics (17 pts)
3RD PLACE FINISHER:
Ms. Marvel #1; written by G. Willow Wilson; pencils by Adrian Alphona; colors by Ian Herring; published by Marvel Comics (16 pts)
Here's How It Works
In the last week of the month (or earlier, if you're confident about your choices), any GAF member can send me a private message with their personal picks for the three best single issues released that month, from any publisher. These picks should be arranged in order of rank -- first, second, and third place -- and each ranking will be worth a specific point value. A first place ranking for a comic is worth 5 points; a second place is worth 3 points; a third place, 2 points. Then before next month's COMICS! OT goes live, I'll tally the results and point values from each ballot, and post the top three overall winners in the next OP as last month's, GAF-approved, best of the best. Then, maybe at the end of the year, we'll have a showdown between the year's top finishers or something similar.
A Sample Ballot
This is an example of how a sample ballot submitted by you might look. You don't have to use this formatting but I do ask that, however you send it to me, you are CLEAR on which comics you are voting for and in what order they are ranked.
Average GAF Member said:
The Voting Rules
1. Only single issues released that month are to be considered for voting; no trade collections, and no "just caught up" considerations for issues released one/two/however many months ago. Sorry if this excludes you from the voting process, trade-only readers and mail-order folk. I didn't see any other way.
2. Each GAF member is allowed one ballot, and once that ballot has been cast you are done for the month. If an issue comes out and you think it's the best comic you've ever read or will ever read, but you already cast your vote the week before, that's too bad. In other words, there are no take-backs so VOTE THOUGHTFULLY.
3. Three comics per ballot, and no more. You could send me a list of the ten best comics that month, with full paragraph summaries on why you ranked them in what order; but in the end, I'm only going to tally points for the top three and ignore the rest. You CAN pick just one book as the best that month... but that one vote is still worth only 5 points.
4. No ties on the ballots, please. You have to pick three comics as the best that month, and you have to rank them "1st, 2nd, 3rd" so that I can assign points to each. If you're torn between two issues of two different series as the best that month, and you can't decide which one you loved more than the other, TRY.
5. To make things a bit easier on me when it comes to making the OP, I'm establishing a deadline for casting ballots of 6pm Eastern Standard Time on the last day of the month. You can cast your ballot at any time during the month that you wish; however once that deadline has passed, any ballots sent to me will be ignored.
6. Again, to make things easier I would prefer that your votes be cast via private message sent to me, rather than through an open post in the OT. In addition to keeping the voting process a secret, using the PM method means I won't have to search through thread pages for someone's vote posted as an afterthought to an unrelated discussion.
Failure to comply with any of the above rules MAY result in your ballot getting thrown out.
Other rules and stipulations may follow, but for now we'll roll with these for the first round and see how it goes. Have fun voting!
Spoilers. In the age of digital comics, they are increasingly becoming an issue in these threads, as the drive to be first to discuss the week's releases overrides common sense and good posting etiquette. So over the coming weeks and months, the members of Comic GAF will be collaborating on and will eventually be implementing a system of general rules for avoiding spoilers on new comics in the Comics OT thread. But for now, please abide by the temporary guidelines outlined below. And remember, you are being watched and judged by your peers.
1. Discussion of newly released comics that involves specific plot details shall be accompanied at all times by the appropriate use of the
tag function.
2. Direct posting of full-page images from newly released comics using the tags is strictly prohibited, and outgoing links to such should be accompanied by the appropriate spoiler warnings.
3. Direct posting of images or spoilers from comics that have yet to be released is strictly prohibited, and outgoing links to such should be accompanied by the appropriate spoiler warnings.
4. Covers, solicitation copy, and/or promotional materials shall not be considered spoilers and are allowed, unless their content involves specific plot details; in those cases, outgoing links with spoiler warnings should be used.
5. The unmarked posting of spoilers related to comics will be allowed after a period of one week (Wednesday to Wednesday) from that comic's release.[/b] ([u]NOTE:[/u] Longer? -Spike)
[b]6. Members of Comic GAF are expected at all times to exercise common sense and polite discretion as a matter of courtesy to fellow posters. I know, tough one.
7. If you are unsure of whether or not posting something would constitute a spoiler, err on the side of caution and use the [SPOILER] tags.[/b]
In short, don't be Stephanie Brown. Don't be... The Spoiler. For one thing, [b]you're[/b] not that loveable. >:|
Happy reading!
2. Direct posting of full-page images from newly released comics using the tags is strictly prohibited, and outgoing links to such should be accompanied by the appropriate spoiler warnings.
3. Direct posting of images or spoilers from comics that have yet to be released is strictly prohibited, and outgoing links to such should be accompanied by the appropriate spoiler warnings.
4. Covers, solicitation copy, and/or promotional materials shall not be considered spoilers and are allowed, unless their content involves specific plot details; in those cases, outgoing links with spoiler warnings should be used.
5. The unmarked posting of spoilers related to comics will be allowed after a period of one week (Wednesday to Wednesday) from that comic's release.[/b] ([u]NOTE:[/u] Longer? -Spike)
[b]6. Members of Comic GAF are expected at all times to exercise common sense and polite discretion as a matter of courtesy to fellow posters. I know, tough one.
7. If you are unsure of whether or not posting something would constitute a spoiler, err on the side of caution and use the [SPOILER] tags.[/b]
In short, don't be Stephanie Brown. Don't be... The Spoiler. For one thing, [b]you're[/b] not that loveable. >:|
Happy reading!
