Comic Book Love

No new single issues for me this week. Birds of Prey and Wonder Woman, both #6, had cover art that appealed to me, but I couldn't find any back issues at the store. Guess this means I have to wait for the trades. I also kept an eye out for Adventure Time #1, based on the Cartoon Network television show, but I heard through the grapevine that it sold out quickly, so I wasn't surprised that my local comic book store didn't have any in stock.

Just an aside, but is there an abbreviation for local comic book store? LYS stands for local yarn store; it seems like there should be an equivalent for your friendly neighborhood comic book store. 

I have been reading amazing trade paperbacks. Sweet Tooth #2, Chew #2, Tiny Titans: Welcome to the Treehouse, and Criminal: The Last of the Innocent. 

God, all of these books were so good.  

Jeff Lemire's Sweet Tooth: In Captivity gives us a better understanding of its post-apocalyptic landscape through flashbacks from Jepperd. We also find out his motivation for betraying Sweet Tooth in exchange for a mysterious knapsack. In between flashbacks, Dr. Singh hypnotizes Sweet Tooth and makes an alarming discovery about ST's father. Did the man orchestrate the apocalypse? Was Sweet Tooth born, or created? 

I know I mentioned this before, but I just want to emphasize the point: Lemire writes and illustrates this comic. He does everything. Amazing! 

I love Chew: International Flavor, by John Layman and Rob Guillory. Tony Chiu just gets more endearing. This time his investigations takes him to a remote pacific island, where Tony stumbles into murder, civil war, a fruit that tastes exactly like chicken, and possibly the woman of his dreams! This comic is a perfect blend of violence, comedy, and gross-out food moments. I can't recommend it enough. 

Aw yeah Tiny Titans! Tiny Titans: Welcome to the Treehouse is a delightful all-ages series. I love the way superhero culture is subtly made fun of, like a series of panels involving Robin and his panicked decision to rename himself Nightwing.

Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips' Criminal: The Last of the Innocent is my first foray into the noir universe of the Criminal editions. The artwork in this volume is stunning, with the protagonist's childhood memories drawn in a bubbly, Archie style. It's an unsettling, stunning read. 

Not a bad book in the bunch. I call that a great comic book week.