Like most people who shop regularly at a comic store I have a pull list that I submit when a new Previews magazine comes out.  Items are picked two months in advance and occasionally you forget what’s coming.  Last week I found Thor: For Asgard waiting for me.  Here’s the publisher’s blurb:

Beginning an epic adventure showcasing the God of Thunder as you’ve never seen him before! The vassals of Asgard are in armed revolt…Odin is missing…Balder is dead…and the entire continent is battered by a years-long winter. How can Thor …

I wholeheartedly enjoy the Spirit: it’s a classic character in a crime-ridden city with a colourful supporting cast, mixing action, drama and comedy in equal measure.  DC Comics has recently launched their second iteration of a Spirit ongoing series and collected the first two story arcs in The Spirit: Angel Smerti.  Here’s the publisher’s blurb:

In this first collection of the new SPIRIT series, an international crime syndicate wants to help Central City’s villain, The Octopus, consolidate control over the underworld. They’ve offered The Octopus the services of one of their …

I’m going to provide some insight on Elektra Lives Again from Epic Comics and Graphitti Designs.

This was a huge book for 1990: Frank Miller had collaborated with Janson and Mazzuchelli to produce epic runs on Daredevil and Batman, but his solo work with his wife Lynn Varley on Ronin didn’t get the commercial success the rest did.  Now Miller was returning to his creation Elektra doing the writing, penciling and inking with Varley painting.  Elektra Lives Again received a huge amount of press at the time: I remember drooling over …

This is a book that has flown very low on the radar of North American readers; I became aware of it via the excellent Forbidden Planet UK blog, a great spot for European works in English.  The Hound Of The Baskervilles is a graphic novel adaptation of the Conan Doyle work by Ian Edginton and I.N.J. Culbard.  Here’s the publisher’s blurb:

Ian Edginton and I.N.J. Culbard have teamed up again to create a visually compelling graphic novel adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle’s masterpiece. And the superb writing and beautiful art takes …

This is the story of an accidental purchase of a signed and numbered book from the 1980s.  I was rummaging among the discount trade paperback section of my local comic shop when I came across Mechanics: A Love & Rockets Graphic Novel by Jaime Hernandez.  I had seen his art around for years but never go into it so this seemed like a good time to do it based on a cheap purchase.

This is the second Love & Rockets book but it’s published in 1988 by Titan Books in out …

Nothing about this book from the outside interested me in the least.  When this collection was published site after comics site sang it’s praises so I decided to pick up Daytripper from Vertigo.  Here’s the publisher’s blurb:

What are the most important days of your life? Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá answer that question in the critical and commercial hit series that took the industry by storm, winning praise from such comics veterans as Terry Moore, Craig Thompson and Jeff Smith. Follow aspiring writer Brás de Oliva Domingos as each chapter …

Fantagraphics keeps the hits rolling throughout 2011 and The Arctic Marauder is the latest in their Jacques Tardi translations line.  Here’s the publisher’s blurb:

In our ongoing quest to showcase the wide range of Jacques Tardi’s bibliography, Fantagraphics reaches all the way back to one of his earliest, and most distinctive graphic novels: A satirical, Jules Verne-esque “retro-sci-fi” yarn executed on scratchboard in a stunningly detailed faux-woodcut style perfectly chosen to render the Edwardian-era mechanical marvels on display. Created in 1972, The Arctic Marauder is a downright prescient example of proto-“steampunk” science fiction — …

Anything by Travis Charest goes right onto my “must have” list; he’s an amazing artist that seems to keep getting better.  Unfortunately he also seems to be getting slower with new work sorely lacking.  I anxiously awaited Weapons Of The Metabaron from Humanoids: here’s the publisher’s blurb.

The trio of Jodorowsky, Charest, and Janjetov show how the Metabaron assembled the galaxy’s most powerful and destructive weapons in an effort to become an invincible warrior. Travis Charest’s (Artist of WILDCATS, WILDC.A.T.S/X-MEN: THE GOLDEN AGE, and STAR WARS comics Cover Artist) long awaited interpretation of the …

In 2008 The Umbrella Academy took the comic world by storm, winning an Eisner for best limited series and cementing the creative team of Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba as up and comers.  It was followed up by a second mini series and Dark Horse released both in deluxe oversized limited edition slipcased hardcovers.
For a relatively new product Dark Horse really went all out: 12.8×8.4″, hardcover, slipcase, limited print run.  Full stories plus extensive added material including creator afterwords, character designs: extra upon extra.  The oversized pages make the art …

This one caught me by surprise.  As I read more and more collected editions my library of Fantagraphics books grows with new releases and older material “discovered” online and at my local comic shop.  I was perusing their 2011 catalogue when I came across volume 2: it looked interesting but I needed to getKing Of The Flies Volume 1 Hallorave first.  Here’s the publisher’s blurb:

Set in a suburb that is both nowhere and everywhere, King of the Flies is a glorious bastard, combining the intricacy and subtlety of the best European graphic …

A new artist on an entire story arc of Spider-Man, in one hardcover package. Spider-Man: Big Time Premiere hardcover collects Amazing Spider-Man 648-651 by Dan Slott and Humberto Ramos.  Here’s the publisher’s blurb:

Big changes are happening for the Amazing Spider-Man: Bigger threats, bigger guest-stars, and a big opportunity that could turn Peter Parker’s life around! Which cast members are staying and who’s saying goodbye. Find out as we’re introduced to new characters and reintroduced to a number of Spidey villains as they make the triumphant return to the book! Plus: New developments …

Over Christmas I had a chance to read Superman: Secret Origin The Deluxe Edition hardcover.  I’ve been a long-term Gary Frank fan so I knew what to expect with the art, and Geoff Johns is a major powerhouse at DC so this couldn’t end up a disaster.  Here’s the publisher’s blurb:

Writer Geoff Johns and artist Gary Frank bring you a startling new look at the beginnings of Lex Luthor, The Legion of Super-Heroes, Lois Lane, Metallo, Jimmy Olsen, The Parasite and more of your favorite characters from the Superman family …

Like most comic enthusiasts  I saw the online campaign for Nemesis, a creator owned series by Mark Millar and Steve McNiven.  It’s four issues have finally been collected in a hardcover Premiere edition.  I generally like both creators so I was anxious to pick it up.  Here’s the publisher’s blurb:

CIVIL WAR? Nothing. KICK-ASS? A warmup. What if the smartest, toughest costumed bad ass in the world was totally evil? Meet Nemesis.
He’s systematically been destroying the lives of every police chief in Asia, and he’s now set his sights on Washington, …

As loyal Comic Book Daily readers can attest I greatly looked forward to Usagi Yojimbo: The Special Edition two volume slip cased set.  It had two things going for it: a long running series by it’s creator, gathering the first twelve hundred pages of stories in two deluxe oversized 7.25″ x 10.5″ hardcovers.  Here’s the publisher’s blurb:
For the first ten years of his career, the battling bunny was published by Fantagraphics Books. In honor of his 25th anniversary, Fantagraphics is releasing a deluxe slipcase set collecting the seven first Usagi …

1996 was the tenth anniversary of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.  It’s hard to believe twenty-five years have passed since Miller brought his dark future to comics; I haven’t heard of DC doing anything to celebrate this year but in ’96 they had big plans.

There was a bunch of material offered but the highlight was a slipcase containing a new signed and numbered hardcover collecting Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, two mini prints of Dark Knight posters and three 48 page prestige format …

This is my second book from the newly relaunched Humanoids English division, and Madwoman Of The Sacred Heart is not your average comic book.  Here’s the publisher’s blurb:

Professor Alan Mangel’s journey of madness begins when he impregnates Elisabeth, a student, with what she believes is John the Baptist reincarnated. They meet and conspire with people convinced in bringing forth the Second Coming of Christ. Are they delusional? By the creators of THE INCAL, Moebius and Jodorowsky.
Let me give a brief overview.  Alan …

After finishing I moved quickly into Fantastic Four By Jonathan Hickman Volume 2.  Here’s the publisher’s blurb:

Jonathan Hickman and Dale Eaglesham’s critically acclaimed run continues in the Prime Elements, a story that kicks off the new world-spanning adventures of the Fantastic Four. Featuring the return of the Mole Man, the architecture …

Based on the title I get the distinct feeling I should know who Jonathan Hickman is, but I still don’t.  I’ve always been a Fantastic Four fan but I haven’t been reading it for a few years so Fantastic Four By Jonathan Hickman Volume 1 seemed like a good point to jump in.  For some background depth check out this interview.  Here’s the publisher’s blurb:

Solve everything! Inside a room kept secret from even his closest friends and family, Reed Richards had scrawled upon the walls …

It was the first hardcover collected edition I purchased: The Rocketeer from Eclipse Books, fresh off the press in 1986.  A solid 8.5×11.5″ seventy page book for $20; pricey even for that few pages.  Sadly my copy shows the wear and tear of banging around a teenagers room but later on I was able to pick up the Graphitti Designs edition.  Let’s take a step back and look at the history.

Dave Stevens was approached by Pacific Comics around 1982 to provide something for them: …

Most people think of the Disney live action film when they hear Rocketeer but for comic fans Dave Steven’s beautifully illustrated character cheerfully fills our thoughts. December 2009 IDW published the collected Rocketeer works in a regular hardcover and in The Rocketeer: The Complete Adventures Deluxe Edition.  It quickly sold out but IDW has recently released a new printing for this holiday season.  Here’s the publisher’s blurb:

The Deluxe Edition will feature everything in the regular hardcover edition but will be printed in a larger format (8 …