Let’s take a quick look to see what’s arrived in the mail here at the Geek Compound.
The Stuff of Legend Book 1: The Dark Written by Mike Raicht & Brian Smith Art by Charles Paul Wilson III
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The year is 1944. As Allied forces fight the enemy on Europe’s war-torn beaches, another battle begins in a child’s bedroom in Brooklyn. When the nightmarish Boogeyman snatches a boy and takes him to the realm of the Dark, the child’s playthings, led by the toy soldier known as the Colonel, band together to stage a daring rescue. On their perilous mission they will confront the boy’s bitter and forgotten toys, as well as betrayal in their own ranks. Can they save the boy from the forces of evil, or will they all perish in the process? The Stuff of Legend is a haunting and ultimately redemptive tale of loyalty, camaraderie, and perseverance.
This edition includes a brand-new story featuring the Colonel’s war journal, maps, sketches, and other original material!
I wrote in Nexus Graphica:
| Quote: |
| After the Boogeyman kidnaps a young boy, his toys mobilize to save their beloved master. The metallic Colonel leads Maxwell the teddy bear, Percy the piggy bank, the wooden duck Quackers, the Native American Princess, Jester from the jack-in-box, the angel Harmony, and the real puppy Scout into the feared closet. Upon entering the Boogeyman’s domain, toys shake their artificiality and become the things they represent (Maxwell an actual bear, Quackers a real duck, Princess a flesh and blood Indian, etc.) In an amazing cross-pollination of Toy Story and Wizard of Oz, Raicht, Smith, and Wilson introduce a fascinating land inhabited by forgotten toys and fueled by the forces of evil. Newcomer Wilson’s lush work ideally supports this imaginative triumph. |
The Essential Wonder Woman Encyclopedia by Phil Jimenez and John Wells
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WONDER NO MORE—GET ALL THE FACTS ON DC COMICS’ FOREMOST SUPER HEROINE!
She’s as beautiful as Aphrodite and as wise as Athena, stronger then Hercules and swifter than Hermes. Blessed at birth by the gods themselves, Princess Diana left an idyllic island paradise ruled by wise and brave women to bring the peace, love, and nobility of the Amazons to the tumultuous world of humankind. In January 1942, Wonder Woman took the world of comics—and its pantheon of superpowered males—by storm. Wielding her impervious silver bracelets and golden Lasso of Truth, she’s battled forces of evil from the Axis powers to a slew of super-villains worldwide, teamed up with the likes of Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, and the Flash, and become a high-flying feminist icon and pop-culture superstar. Now, for the first time in more than thirty years, here’s a definitive A-to-Z volume that draws together all the knowledge about the star-spangled, action-packed history of Wonder Woman. In more than 400 fact-packed pages you’ll find
• the complete story of Wonder Woman’s origins, as imagined and reinterpreted by generations of comics writers—including her groundbreaking creator, William Moulton Marston
• biographies of every major character in Wonder Woman’s universe, including her mother, Hippolyta; sister, Donna Troy; and mortal ally Steve Trevor—as well as such classic foes as Ares, Cheetah, Hades, and the members of Villainy Inc.
• classic black-and-white comic book artwork throughout
• two sixteen-page full-color artwork inserts—plus a dazzling original cover illustration by fan-favorite artist Adam Hughes
Written by veteran Wonder Woman artist and writer Phil Jimenez and comics historian John Wells, The Essential Wonder Woman Encyclopedia is the ultimate archive, proving that die-hard devotees of the gorgeous go-to goddess don’t have to visit Paradise Island for a taste of heaven on earth.
From the Ashes by Bob Fingerman
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Bob Fingerman’s speculative memoir (starring Bob and his wife Michele) set in a post-apocalyptic and nuclear ravaged New York City is a surprisingly perky take on Armageddon. A hip satirical romp though Manhattan’s ruins, From the Ashes is a new spin on the old autobiographical comics genre.
Batman & Robin: Batman Reborn Written by Grant Morrison Art by Frank Quitely and Philip Tan
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"Batman Reborn" begins here with the reunited team of Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely (ALL-STAR SUPERMAN, WE3,New X-Men). The new Dynamic Duo hit the streets with a bang in their new flying Batmobile as they face off against an assemblage of villains called the Circus of Strange. They also tackle their first mission investigating a child who’s been abducted by the mysterious Domino Killer. But will everything go smoothly? And who exactly are the new Batman and Robin? The newest era of The Dark Knight begins here!
From Nexus Graphica:
The dynamic duo of Morrison and Quitely, fresh from their extraordinary run on All Star Superman, tackle another iconic character, albeit in a slightly different manner. After the death of Bruce Wayne, orchestrated by Morrison, Wayne’s ward and former partner Dick Grayson, aka Nightwing née Robin, dons his mentor’s cap and cowl. Joining the fledgling Batman on his mission, Wayne’s recently revealed 13-year-old son Damian acquires the Robin mantle. Raised by his morally-challenged mother among the League of Assassins, Damian struggles with the concepts of right and wrong. Still under the domineering shadow of his dead partner, Grayson must deal with his own feeling of inadequacies as he attempts to carve out his own Bat identity. Fueled by Morrison’s off-kilter vision and Quitely’s and later Tan’s exquisite art, the duo challenge the perverse Pyg and the villainous Red Hood in a series of thrilling adventures.