September comic books / cómics de setiembre

I was really looking forward to Alan Moore’s Fashion Beast # 1. I really enjoyed it and it sure deserves a review of its own (so more on that later). One of the best books of September was The Unwritten # 41, Tom Taylor has finally hit rock bottom and Mike Carey creates an intense sense of despair in this great issue. The Boys # 70 continues to surprise me. Only two issues until the end. When I wrote my “100 reasons to love comic books” in 2011, one of them was jumping in the middle of any given title without worrying about previous issues and still enjoy the hell out of it. That’s how I felt when I read Wolverine and the X-Men # 8. Finally I know why everyone was talking about the great work Jason Aaron is doing in this series. The first issue of Avengers Vs. X-Men was quite entertaining and much better than what I had anticipated. And now, without further ado, here you have September comics as per solicitations.

AVENGERS VS X-MEN #1 (OF 12)
Fans worldwide cannot miss the essential opener to the biggest pop culture comic event of the year. It's time to learn the crucial roles of the Scarlet Witch and Hope Summers before their allegiances come into question. With all eyes on Wanda and the Mutant Messiah, the Marvel Universe has become a powder keg on the verge of exploding! 

BOYS #70 (MR) 
On his own and out of options, Hughie resorts to extreme measures to keep himself in the game. Meanwhile, as vengeful forces close in from all around, Bradley considers a drastic step of her own- but will Stillwell allow her to get away with it? Butcher asks the big questions and Hughie finds out one last secret of his own, as The Bloody Doors Off races towards its fateful conclusion.  2 issues till the end!!! 

FASHION BEAST #1 
(W) Alan Moore (A/CA) Facundo Percio Alan Moore's unearthed screenplay comes to life as an incredible comic book series almost three decades later! The mid-80's were a stunning period of brilliance for Alan Moore, seeing him create true masterpieces including Miracleman, Watchmen - and Fashion Beast! Working with Malcolm McLaren (Sex Pistols), Alan Moore turned his attention to a classic re-telling of a fable through his unyielding and imaginative vision. The two developed a story that redefined Beauty and the Beast in a dystopian future city dominated by a fashion house, which Moore then fully-scripted into a huge screenplay. Never previously published, this epic work is now adapted for comics by long-time Moore collaborator, Antony Johnston (Courtyard) preserving every scrap of Moore's original dialogue. All ten issues have been lovingly illustrated by Facundo Percio (Anna Mercury) and finally a true historical and visionary masterpiece is finally released to the World! Available with a Regular or Wraparound Cover by series artist Facundo Percio or Haute Couture Incentive (by Percio) or the very rare Tarot (by Paul Duffield) Incentive cover

LOBSTER JOHNSON THE BURNING HAND #2 (OF 5) 
With a city swamped in dead gangsters with claws branded into their foreheads, mob boss Arnie Wald seeks the assistance of a deadly mystic and her strange partner to take down the vigilante known as Lobster Johnson!

THE UNWRITTEN #41 
(W) Mike Carey (A) Peter Gross (CA) Yuko Shimizu. 'What Fell Between.' Let's take a step back here and find out exactly how Tom and Richie - not to mention the world - got into the mess they're in right now. The tumultuous events of the missing year, complete with ghosts, vampires and a surprise visit from Madame Rausch, are finally revealed... 

THIEF OF THIEVES #5 
(W) Robert Kirkman, Nick Spencer (A/CA) Shawn Martinbrough story ROBERT KIRKMAN & NICK SPENCER art / cover SHAWN MARTINBROUGH & FELIX SERRANO Conrad Paulson - AKA Redmond - is making final moves for his pending heist, and the FBI may have enough on his past to be one step ahead.

THE WALKING DEAD #102 
story ROBERT KIRKMAN art & cover CHARLIE ADLARD & CLIFF RATHBURN  'SOMETHING TO FEAR' concludes! The survivors attempt to pick up the pieces after what they've just lived through.  

VENOM #13
PART ONE OF A SIX PART EVENT! • Hell is spreading across the Earth from out of Las Vegas. • Ghost Rider is responsible but what price is she willing to pay to save mankind?! • X-23, Venom & Hulk must defeat their worst enemies, buying Ghost Rider time to stop hell's march across the globe! • As a clone, X-23 has often wondered if she has a soul. This is where she gets her answer! • Who is Ichor and why has he targeted Venom for Death?! 40 PGS./Rated T+ 

WOLVERINE AND X-MEN #8 
• Sabretooth Vs. Beast In The Most Vicious Fight Set To Paper! • Angel Goes On A Mission To Repair A Broken Wolverine.
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Estuve esperando con impaciencia el Fashion Beast # 1 de Alan Moore. Realmente lo disfruté y sin duda merece una reseña aparte (ya será para después). The Unwritten # 41 fue uno de los mejores cómics de setiembre, Tom Taylor está en las últimas y Mike Carey crea un intenso sentido de desesperación en este gran número. The Boys # 70 continúa sorprendiéndome. En dos números finaliza la colección. Cuando escribí mis “100 razones para amar los cómics” el 2011, una de ellas fue caer en medio de cualquier título sin preocuparse por números previos y aún así disfrutar de lo lindo. Así es como me sentí cuando leí Wolverine and the X-Men # 8. Finalmente sé por qué todos estaban hablando sobre el grandioso trabajo que está haciendo Jason Aaron en esta serie. El primer número de Avengers Vs. X-Men fue bastante entretenido y mucho mejor de lo que había anticipado. Y ahora, sin mayores preámbulos, aquí están los cómics de setiembre.

my drawing / mi dibujo

AVENGERS VS X-MEN #1 (OF 12)
Nadie puede perderse este primer capítulo de más grande evento del año. Es el momento de descubrir los cruciales roles que desempeñarán la Bruja Escarlata y Hope antes que sus lealtades sean puestas en duda. Con todos los ojos sobre Wanda y el mesías mutante, el polvorín está por explotar.

BOYS #70 (MR)
Por cuenta propia y sin opciones, HUGHIE recurre a medidas extremas para mantenerse dentro del juego. Mientras tanto, fuerzas vengativas lo rodean. Y es el momento de descubrir un último secreto.

FASHION BEAST #1
Este es el imaginativo recuento de una historia de hadas. La Bella y la Bestia se redefinen en una ciudad futura dominada por las casas de moda.

THE UNWRITTEN #41 
Detengámonos un momento para averiguar cómo Tommy -y el mundo- se metió en este lío. Los tumultuosos eventos del año faltante, completos con fantasmas, vampiros y una visita sorpresa.

THIEF OF THIEVES #5
Redmond se prepara para su último golpe. Pero el FBI lo sigue.

THE WALKING DEAD #102
‘Algo que temer’ concluye. ¿Los sobrevivientes se recuperarán?

VENOM #13
El infierno empieza a extenderse por la Tierra. GHOST RIDER es responsable, pero ¿cuál es el precio que debe pagar para salvar a la humanidad? Mientras, VENOM, HULK y X-23 deberán luchar contra sus mayores enemigos y detener el avance del infierno.

WOLVERINE AND X-MEN #8
SABRETOOTH versus BEAST en la pelea más salvaje de todas.

March comic books / Cómics de marzo

“All good things must come to an end”, goes an old saying. And damn right it is. March has been a month of endings, of last issues. We have the dramatic and action-packed finale of Kick-Ass volume 2, we also have the tragic conclusion of Luther Strode, the evocative final chapter of War of the Words in Unwritten and, above all, the last issue of Avengers the Children’s Crusade. I loved Allan Heinberg’s initial run on Young Avengers, and I waited four years for this sequel (I even asked Joe Quesada about it in Newsarama in 2007 or 2008). It took exactly four years and one month for Children’s Crusade to begin, and after almost two years, this fantastic miniseries came to an end. Seriously, I consider this the best limited series from Marvel in 2010, 2011 and the first quarter of 2012. Reading the final pages and learning the fate of Wiccan and Hulkling made me shed tears of joy. And I’m not kidding. Such a wonderful closing moment. Several titles have finished, but luckily new ones have just arrived. And I’ll definitely be talking at length about some of these new series. Meanwhile, I leave you with my March comics (as per solicitations).

ACTION COMICS #2
Written by GRANT MORRISON Art by RAGS MORALES and RICK BRYANT Cover by RAGS MORALES On sale OCTOBER 5 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T In his weakest moment, Superman is taken down - but by whom? And if the world wasn't ready for a man with super powers, they're utterly unprepared for the rage of a Superman cornered! The cornerstone character of the new DCU continues his debut adventure!

AVENGERS CHILDRENS CRUSADE #9
The big climax that sets the stage big time for what is to come in 2012! • Deaths and departures! • The funeral of an Avenger. • The final fate of the Scarlet Witch. • A new lineup and a new direction for the Young Avengers.

DOMINIQUE LAVEAU VOODOO CHILD #1 (MR)
DOMINIQUE LAVEAU: VOODOO CHILD is the story of a half-breed, outcast and heir to the Voodoo Queenship of New Orleans, if she can live long enough to claim her birthright. New Orleans is the most haunted city in America: a town of centuries-old ghosts and newly drowned spirits; where vampires, voodoo spirits and loups-garous make their home. Ruling over this all are the powerful Voodoo Queens, whose influence stretches into politics, business and crime as they maintain a delicate balance between the mortal and supernatural worlds. But in the aftermath of Katrina, all that has changed, for someone or something has murdered the Voodoo Queen and most of her court. The number one suspect is Dominique Laveau, a grad student at Tulane who is about to discover that her entire life has been a lie. Now Dominique must forge alliances with those out to kill her while seeking to uncover the truth behind the royal murders, as she is ultimately forced to deal with a destiny she could never have imagined. Voodoo Child is a new monthly series written by Selwyn Seyfu Hinds, former editor-in-chief of The Source magazine, award-winning author, journalist and TV producer, with art by Milestone Media co-founder Denys Cowan (THE QUESTION) and covers by Rafael Grampá.

FAIREST #1 (MR)
New York Times best-selling, award-winning creator Bill Willingham presents a new series starring the female FABLES. Balancing horror, humor and adventure, FAIREST explores the secret histories of Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, Cinderella, The Snow Queen, Thumbelina, Snow White, Rose Red and others. The first 6 issue arc follows the misadventures of Briar Rose after she is stolen away by the goblin army in FABLES #107. Fan-favorite artist Phil Jimenez (WONDER WOMAN, THE INVISIBLES) returns to Vertigo to pencil the opening storyline. Award-winning cover artist Adam Hughes (WONDER WOMAN, BATGIRL) provides covers, starting with a wraparound cover on issue #1. Future arcs will be written by 2011 Arthur C. Clarke winner Lauren Beukes with art by Inaki Miranda, and iZOMBIE scribe Chris Roberson with art by Shawn McManus! And remember: They may be beautiful, but there will be blood.

KICK-ASS 2 #7 (OF 7) (MR)
The brutal extra-sized finale of the best comic ever! • Kick-Ass and Hit-Girl square off against the Motherf*cker and Mother Russia! • Can they put a stop to the rampaging Toxic Mega C*nts? 48 PGS./MATURE

MORNING GLORIES #17 (MR)
story NICK SPENCER art JOE EISMA cover RODIN ESQUEJO  'P.E.,' Part Five

NEW DEADWARDIANS #1 (OF 8) (MR)
Another vampire/zombie comic? Really, Vertigo® Trust us. This is different. In post-Victorian England, nearly everyone of the upper classes has voluntarily become a vampire to escape the lower classes who are all zombies. Into this simmering cauldron is thrust Chief Inspector George Suttle, a lonely detective who's got the slowest beat in London: investigating murders in a world where everyone is already dead! But when the body of a young aristocrat washes up on the banks of the Thames, Suttle's quest for the truth will take him from the darkest sewers to the gleaming halls of power, and reveal the rotten heart at the center of this strange world. THE NEW DEADWARDIANS is brought to vivid life by fan-favorite writer Dan Abnett (RESURRECTION MAN, LEGION LOST) with art by newcomer I. N. J. Culbard (At The Mountains of Madness).

SAGA #1 (MR)
Y: THE LAST MAN writer BRIAN K. VAUGHAN returns to comics with red-hot artist FIONA STAPLES for an all-new ONGOING SERIES! Star Wars-style action collides with Game of Thrones-esque drama in this original sci-fi/fantasy epic for mature readers, as new parents Marko and Alana risk everything to raise their child amidst a never-ending galactic war. The adventure begins in a spectacular DOUBLE-SIZED FIRST ISSUE, with forty-four pages of story with no ads for the regular price of just $2.99!

SAUCER COUNTRY #1 (MR)
Arcadia Alvarado, the leading Democratic candidate for President of the United States, says she was 'abducted by aliens.' As the Mexican-American Governor of New Mexico, she's dealing with immigration, budget cuts and an alcoholic ex. She's about to toss her hat into the ring as a candidate for President in the most volatile political climate ever. But then?a lonely road and a nightmarish encounter have left her with terrible, half-glimpsed memories. And now she has to become President. To expose the truth - and maybe, to save the world. Arcadia's quest is at the heart of this new monthly series from writer Paul Cornell (DEMON KNIGHTS, ACTION COMICS, Doctor Who) and artist Ryan Kelly (NEW YORK FIVE, NORTHLANDERS). With the help of her quirky staff, Arcadia will pursue the truth of her abduction into danger, mystery and awe. SAUCER COUNTRY is a dark thriller that blends UFO lore and alien abduction with political intrigue, all set in the hauntingly beautiful Southwest.

STRANGE TALENT OF LUTHER STRODE #6 (OF 6) (MR)
MINISERIES CONCLUSION It ends here. Luther has lost nearly everything, but can he stop the Librarian from taking away the rest? Blood will flow, guts will fly and lives will change as the hit mini series concludes.

SUPERCROOKS #1 (MR)
When The Market Is Flooded With Competition And The Authorities Are Always On Your Tail, What's An All-American Supervillain To Do? Go To Spain, Of Course! From The Writer Who Brought You Kick-Ass And The Artist Of Secret Invasion Comes A New Series About A Team Of Superpowered Ne'er-Do-Wells Looking To Pull Off One Last Heist In The Land Of Bullfighting And Delicious Churros. 32 Pgs./Mature ?$3.99

THIEF OF THIEVES #2
Conrad Paulson has turned his back to his life as Redmond, international master criminal, in order to regain some semblance of the life he left behind.  Will it be enough to reconcile with his wife? Save his son from the life? Or will it end up getting them all killed?

UNWRITTEN #35 (MR)
The epic, extra-sized finale of "Tommy Taylor and the War of Words!" The trap within the trap is finally sprung. The War of Words ends in a no-holds-barred battle between Tom Taylor and his deadliest enemy, with horrendous consequences for every living human – and for the stories on which our lives depend. Nobody is walking away from this one unscathed, and someone very close to Tommy pays the ultimate price

WALKING DEAD #95 (MR)
'A LARGER WORLD' CONTINUES Rick and his group are welcomed into a new community, lead by a new charismatic leader.  Rick has experienced this before.  Is this the beginning of a new era of peace for Rick and the others... or is this man every bit as dangerous as The Governor?
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“Todas las cosas buenas deben terminar”, afirma un viejo refrán. Y vaya que es condenadamente cierto. Marzo ha sido un mes de finales, de últimos números. Tenemos la conclusión dramática y llena de acción de Kick-Ass volumen 2, también tenemos el trágico final de Luther Strode, el evocativo capítulo final de “La guerra de las palabras” en Unwritten y, por encima de todo, el último ejemplar de Avengers the Children’s Crusade. Me encantó la etapa inicial de Allan Heinberg en Young Avengers, y esperé la continuación por cuatro años (incluso le pregunté a Joe Quesada por ella en Newsarama en el 2007 o el 2008). El comienzo de Children’s Crusade tomó exactamente cuatro años y un mes, y luego de casi dos años, esta fantástica miniserie llega a su fin. En serio, considero que es la mejor serie limitada de Marvel del 2010, 2011 y el primer trimestre del 2012. He leído las páginas finales y averiguado el destino de Wiccan y Hulkling con lágrimas de alegría. Y no estoy bromeando. Un maravilloso momento de cierre. Varias colecciones han terminado, pero afortunadamente ya han llegado nuevas. Y definitivamente hablaré bastante sobre algunas de estas nuevas series. Mientras tanto, los dejo con mis cómics de marzo.

ACTION COMICS #2
Ahora que está debilitado, Superman cae prisionero. Si el mundo no estaba listo para un hombre con poderes tampoco lo está para su ira.

AVENGERS CHILDRENS CRUSADE #9
Muertes y partidas. El funeral de un vengador. El destino final de la Bruja Escarlata. Y una nueva alineación para los Jóvenes Vengadores.

DOMINIQUE LAVEAU VOODOO CHILD #1
Una heredera del vudú en New Orleans, la ciudad con más fantasmas. Un lugar con casas de hace más de un siglo y espíritus recientemente ahogados. Allí están… las reinas del vudú.

FAIREST #1
Explorando las historias secretas de la Bella Durmiente, Cenicienta, Blanca Nieves, Caperucita Roja y, sobre todo, de Rose. 

KICK-ASS 2 #7
KICK-ASS y HIT GIRL luchan contra sus enemigos y contra Madre Rusia. ¿Podrán contener a sus salvajes oponentes?

MORNING GLORIES #17 (MR)
Educación física, quinta parte.

Avengers the Children’s Crusade # 9

NEW DEADWARDIANS #1 (OF 8)
En la Inglaterra post Victoriana, las clases altas se han convertido voluntariamente en vampiros para escapar a las clases bajas que son zombis. Así, el inspector de policía deberá investigar un asesinato en un mundo donde todos están muertos. Cuando el cuerpo de un joven aristócrata aparece en la ribera del Támesis, todo cambiará para este inspector.

SAGA #1
En medio de una guerra intergaláctica, una pareja intentará criar a su hijo. Empieza una nueva fantasía épica de ciencia ficción.

SAUCER COUNTRY #1
Arcadia Alvarado, la candidata puntera de los demócratas para la presidencia de los Estados Unidos dice que ha sido abducida por extraterrestres. Como gobernadora de México lidió con la inmigración, los recortes de presupuesto y el alcoholismo de su ex, ¿podrá ser presidente?

STRANGE TALENT OF LUTHER STRODE #6
Luther lo ha perdido casi todo, pero ¿podrá impedir que el Bibliotecario se lleve lo demás? Es el sangriento final de esta miniserie.

SUPERCROOKS #1 (MR)
Cuando el mercado está lleno de competencia y las autoridades te siguen el rastro, ¿qué puede hacer un villano norteamericano? ¡Irse a España!

THIEF OF THIEVES #2
Él le da la espalda a su vida como mente maestra del crimen, para recuperar al menos algo que se asemeje a la vida que abandonó antes. ¿Será esto suficiente para reconciliarse con su esposa o salvar a su hijo?

my final version / mi versión final

UNWRITTEN #35 (MR)
La trampa dentro de la trampa se revela. La Guerra de las Palabras termina con una batalla entre Tom Taylor y su más mortal enemigo. Con consecuencias horrendas para todos los humanos… y sus historias.

WALKING DEAD #95 (MR)
Rick y los suyos son bien recibidos en una comunidad más grande, dirigida por un carismático líder. Rick ha experimentado algo así antes. ¿Será esto el inicio de una nueva era de paz o volverán los peligros?