meltblog

Tomorrow, May 7th, we’ll be having SoCal writer/artist Omaha Perez in from 11-2 to sign copies of his new Graphic Novel HOLMES , published by AiT/Planet Lar.  Perez’s revamping of the classic character has led to rave reviews, like from Ain’t It Cool News: "Though Purists may scoff at a Sherlock Holmes more like Iggy Pop than than the classic sleuth.  I found myself laughing out loud at the mentally skewed adventures depicted in HOLMES."

Here’s a synopsis of the book:

"Omaha Perez’ vicious skewering of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic
literary creations is finally collected! This version of the Sherlock
Holmes mythos expands on Dr. Watson’s revelation that Holmes was a
narcotics addict. The World’s Greatest Detective is a maniac completely
out of his head on drugs at all times and Dr. Watson, his own personal
"Dr. Feelgood," isn’t much better off. Appearance meets reality as the duo
must cope with their handicaps while recovering composer Joseph Haydn’s
missing skull."

Come down and support a local creator!

All the Tokidoki Cactus Friends are back in stock!

Bastardino, shown here, is just one of the little cactus-suited dudes you can find at Meltdown now.  Guaranteed adorable.

I’ve always loved the concept of Ghost Rider, but never actually been able to get into the comics, which usually read like listless superhero horror. But Jason Aaron (Scalped) is three issues into his run now, and has nailed it. He gets that this book is about visceral supernatural grindhouse, and has been packing each issue with more entertainment than I ever even knew they were missing, and Roland Boschi’s artwork is like the kinetic offspring of Eduardo Risso and John Romita, Jr.. Gun-toting motorcycle nurses, a ghost-cannibal stretch of highway, decapitations, hellfire and brimstone, a spirit stallion and rebel angels…all at murderously high velocities. This book is exactly what a Ghost Rider comic should be.

Hurry before they’re all gone.

Over 50 of the greatest horror comics and graphic short stories ever produced.
Steve Niles
Pete Von Sholly
Michael Kaluta
Mike Ploog
Rudy Palais
Rand Holmes
ZVincent Locke
Frank Brunner
and many more

Just Arrived!

After two years of design work, Archer Prewitt’s Giant Sof’Boy has been released by Press Pop Gallery.The 24″ tall vinyl figure will be limited to a run of at least 70 pieces (they say it depends on how long the mold lasts…maybe up to 90). At over 2 feet in height, the Giant Sof’Boy will be huge. It looks like the love child of the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man and the Pillsbury Doughboy.

Purchase Here

“You fix old wounds with new ones.”

When a character says that to Matty Roth, the journalist who is our eyes & ears thru the 2nd U.S. Civil War that’s the backdrop for DMZ, I immediately thought of the cover-up surrounding the death of Pat Tillman–the cover-ups, the lies…which was in turn followed by the Abu Ghraib scandal–another shock, public “outrage”, but in the end, does anything change?

Brian Wood & Riccardo Burchielli (with a series of guest artists) tackle these questions in a story arc that turns a previously solid series into a potential classic: in an age where “objective” journalism means “don’t say anything bad about my side”, Matty steps back from passing snap judgements, attempting to figure out not only why a massacre took place, but what it means–and what do our reactions say about us?

I’ve loved Casanova since the first jam-packed issue and I’m loving this second arc even more than the first. This book fits more crazy ideas, fight scenes and character moments into 16 pages than most books fit into the standard 22 or 24. Fizz! Pow! >—< (you’ll have to read this issue to get that last one)! And the back matter is also a treat. I wasn’t as big a fan of the back matter during the first arc, but the ones in this second series have really grown on me and this month’s is an extremely entertaining look at writing comics and becoming a dad. If you like comics that are pushing and pulling at the shape and conventions of the traditional comic book, then this is the book for you. If you just like an old-fashioned butt-kicking adventure/spy/time-travel yarn with an interesting cast, this book is also for you. Go. Read. Thank me.

In the midst of a huge week for comics, let’s not forget that Jeff Smith, the creator of Bone, has a new ongoing series, “RASL”, debuting today. It’s a mature-readers tale (don’t share this one with your Bone-loving toddler) about a thief who hops thru dimensions to snatch priceless artifacts, and the toll it takes on both him & the space-time continuum. The mostly wordless first issue snaps along at a brisk pace while still feeling epic; Smith is clearly building on a large scale, and the bizarre creature that chases the title character looks like something out of Paul Pope’s nightmares.

RASL #1 is in stock now, with issue #2 scheduled for a May release.

Frank Miller makes a great point in his Intro to the second collection of Ed Brubaker & Sean Phillips’ noir comic, “Criminal”:

“Not many people understand what makes a crime story tick…they dress it up dark, even murky, but the essential inner darkness that a good crime yarn exposes, relishes in, and releases never occurs to them.”

The genius of Criminal is in that inner darkness–instead of focusing on the mechanics of the Big Score, Brubaker & Phillips focus on the flawed men & women in the game, battling internal demons as much as other hustlers. If you’ve enjoyed any of Brubakers’ recent work on Captain America, Daredevil (both series have excellent new issues out today), Iron Fist, X-Men, etc, you need to give Criminal a try–you’ll love it.

Frank Miller & Jim Lee’s “All-Star Batman & Robin” had been enjoying rolling around in the murkiness a bit too much over the first 8 issues: even a die-hard Miller disciple like myself was turned off by the wanton violence and mean-spirited depictions of classic DC characters…but in today’s new issue, The Dynamic Duo come to grips with the consequences of their actions, and finally take the hard steps towards actually becoming heroes. Pages in this series thus far have made me laugh (at, not with the book) and scratch my head in disbelief–but the haunting finale to the arc made me reconsider what’s come before, and for the first time in the run, made me care about these two lonely orphans.

This week I’ve got to go with Kick-Ass. There are certainly other books of note, but I chose this one for a number of reasons. First, Millar and Romita are obviously having fun creating this comic…and that experience translates to the reader. Unfortunately it’s rare to be able to discern how much a creator is enjoying a comic, not from what they say in interviews or at panels, but from the work itself. Kick-Ass is a blast of a concept, the creative team’s having a blast making it and I’m having a blast reading it. Second, this is a first issue and I’d feel remiss as your retailer if I didn’t at least try to help you get on at the ground floor before the sell-outs start hitting, which they will. And third, this book has the highest order numbers of any book yet from Marvel’s Icon imprint and I think it’s important to support these books with our dollars so we can see even more passionate creator-owned titles such as this and Criminal.

Speaking of Criminal, I have to mention it as my runner-up this week. This book is fantastic and it’s a real shame if you’ve somehow missed it. But this month is an over-sized stand-alone story and the perfect chance to jump on the series for only $3.50 and discover what you’ve been missing.