Friday, September 14, 2007

POTTER’S FIELD #1

I’m mixing things up a bit with the Weekend Blog Extra, bringing you two new reviews, and on Friday to boot! Let’s tackle number one, shall we? From Boom Studios:

POTTER’S FIELD #1 is written by Mark Waid and Drawn by Paul Azaceta. This book has achieved near-legendary status before ever shipping, giving it a lot to live up to. Originally announced as JOHN DOE, it was supposed to be in stores over a year ago. Ads for the book kept running in the back of other Boom products, but the JOHN DOE remained an unknown. However, with Waid’s arrival as EIC of Boom, the perfect time has arrived to get the comic on stands.

FIELD follows the exploits of a man known only as John Doe, and Doe’s mission in life is a fascinating one: he investigates the identities of those buried anonymously in New York’s Potter’s Field, ultimately working to give the dead a name and a story, and hopefully allowing the living to mourn their losses. He is aided by a network of operatives throughout the city, using their connections and talents to supplement his own intuitive gifts. Issue one puts its primary focus on a young girl who seemingly committed suicide. But there was much more to it than that, which allows Waid to take a poke at one (disgustingly) popular member of today’s media, and Doe must dig through a case cold enough to be frozen solid in order to put the girl at rest. But what surprises is what occurs when he displays his own sense of justice in resolving the issue.

The book looks terrific; Paul Azaceta gets better and better with every book he draws. Waid’s poke at the aforementioned media member is the book’s biggest weak spot, as it’s an awfully easy target. But it works better in its setup, as the concept is very solid. In fact, it’d make for a perfect TV procedural drama, and considering Boom’s efforts in development, I’d be shocked if that weren’t where it was headed.

/Mason
Closing it out... Henry Chamberlain wraps up ALICE IN NEW YORK and does a solid job of it.

It's been a huge week around here, and it's only going to get bigger next week as we add ANOTHER new columnist!

/Mason

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Heading for the weekend... Wes Molebash's excellent YOU'LL HAVE THAT gets the one-shot floppy treatment. So spend a little to get a big smile!

Trust me.

/Mason

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

This bit of PR from me just went out:

THE COMICS WAITING ROOM PROUDLY WELCOMES MATT MAXWELL TO THE SITE!

Longtime Comics Columnist and Graphic Novel Writer Brings His Column to a New Home!


TEMPE, AZ, Wednesday, September 12, 2007-

The Comics Waiting Room (www.comicswaitingroom.com) is proud to announce the addition of graphic novel writer Matt Maxwell to the site. Maxwell, whose STRANGEWAYS: MURDER MOON will hit shelves this winter, will be resurrecting his column “FULL BLEED” for the site, and using it to discuss his thoughts about the comics industry, the process of creating and publishing his own graphic novels, and other topics of note.

“FULL BLEED” will appear on Wednesdays on a weekly to bi-weekly schedule, and the column will be archived at www.comicswaitingroom.com/fullbleed.html so that anyone who has missed an installment can easily catch up.

Comics Waiting Room owner and Editor-in-Chief Marc Mason had this to say about the addition of Maxwell to the site: “I’m ecstatic to have Matt on board. He’s one of the smartest and most insightful guys out there, and I’m thrilled to be giving him some of my cyberspace. This second year for the Waiting Room is all about adding more content to the site, and Matt’s arrival is just the first of some exciting announcements I’ll be making in the next few weeks!”

About Matt Maxwell:
Matt’s blog and the trailer for STRANGEWAYS: MURDER MOON can be found at www.highway-62.com.

About The Comics Waiting Room:
Established by Marc Mason in July 2006, after working for a number of other comics-related websites, The Comics Waiting Room has consistently added new content five to six days a week. The site offers reviews of comics, graphic novels, and media, as well as occasional media and entertainment features. After producing 99.9% of the content himself in the first year, the second year will see the addition of three new columnists to the site.

What are you waiting for???? Go read it already!!!!

/Mason

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

It's Tuesday, and I'm kinda excited. It isn't just because a review of STORM SHADOW #2 was just posted and because that book has been surprisingly good. Nope, it's because tomorrow is the biggest day for the site in many a moon.

Go read the new review and then make sure you come back tomorrow for the first of THREE huge additions to the site!

/Mason

Monday, September 10, 2007

Manga Monday! Kia Asamiya's JUNK begins to show some steady improvement! PLUS: a brand new AISLE SEAT review! TORCHWOOD sets the world on fire right out of the gate!

What are you waiting for? Go read!

/Mason

Sunday, September 09, 2007

CWR WEEKEND BLOG EXTRA

Here I am, back again with another Blog Extra. And even though I tend to spread out the publishers I cover here, I’m talking about another book from Arcana Comics. Why? Because it’s so damned odd… but kinda good.

The book in question? HELEN KILLER #1, written by Andrew Kreisberg and drawn by JLD Rice. That title isn’t meant to just be a clever pun; the lead character is indeed Helen Keller! Taking a cue from Keller’s youthful assertion of an identity of “Phantom”, the creators have whipped up a scenario about a Helen later in her life. Aided by her real life famous friends like Alexander Graham Bell (again, great use of historical research by the creative team), she is given implements that allow her to use her natural gifts to become a great warrior in her own right. And that prowess draws the attention of the U.S. Government, desperate for help in protecting the President from anarchists.

Presenting Keller as a warrior might sound like a dumb idea, but the story takes it so seriously that it actually elevates it up to “quirky” and fun. And honestly, the story itself isn’t solely responsible. At the end of the comic, Kreisberg offers up an essay on the origins of the book and Keller’s life, and they illuminate his intentions and point of view, and help you take the book a bit more seriously on its own merits.

HELEN KILLER is a book that probably shouldn’t have worked, and that could have come off as offensive. But neither of those turns out to be the case. Who’d have ever guessed?

See you here throughout the week for site updates, or you can friend me on MySpace. And please return next weekend for an all-new Blog Extra!

/Mason