Each and every week “Heel Heat!” MK2Fac3 and “Babyface Pop!” Henchman21 read a lot of comics. Seriously you guys, a lot of comics. Maybe too many comics. I mean, it is possible”¦ theoretically. They look forward to some more than others, I mean, who doesn’t? So, let’s take a look into the depths of their pull lists, grab some comics, and we’ll let YOU know what the top books to look forward to are for the week of July 11, 2012. Single issues and trades, they’re all here.

Ladies and gentlemen, you have come here for one reason, well maybe more than reason, but one main reason. For comics. That’s why we’re all here. We’re here to learn, we’re here to share, we’re here to talk about all the good things and the bad things that make them. Let’s talk about comics, let’s talk about comics. There’s a lot of stuff coming out this week, which you should already know. I mean, there’s load of great new comics, there’s loads of great collections coming out, and did you forget? It’s freaking San Diego Comic Con this week. Ladies? Gentlemen? Are you not entertained? ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED? This is The GoD List. You know what to do.

MK2Fac3

Well, since it looks like THE HENCH is going all bonkers with spending a lot of money on collections (he’s also going to SDCC – What’s up with THAT, Hurricane Helms?), so I’m going to take this moment to discuss single issues! Well, I’ll tell you about some collections too, but I’ll tell you about ones that I’ve recently read, or that have previously come out. Well, anyway, let’s get to it with…

ISSUES:Punk Rock Jesus #1 (Vertigo Comics – $2.99): Guys, I really don’t care what this comic is about. I haven’t read a single preview or solicitation, but I’m pretty sure it will be in the top running for one of my favorite comics of all time. How do I know? Well guys, firstly, its name is PUNK ROCK JESUS. I can’t stress that enough, THE NAME OF THIS COMIC IS PUNK ROCK JESUS. If there’s one way that Jesus could be better, it’s if He was in a punk band. Wait a second, it just got weird in here, let’s start over… THE NAME OF THE COMIC I’M TALKING ABOUT IS PUNK ROCK JESUS!! Okay, so now that the name’s had enough time to sink in with you (coolest name, y’all), you should also know that this is being written and drawn by one of the most amazing artists out there in Sean Murphy. Dude’s got his stuff together, for real, my man and lady. Every time I see his art, I’m completely blown away by just the level of creative that is layered into his work. Sure, sure, his line work is breathtaking and his backgrounds are breath-taking, but when it comes down to it, I love this guy because he’s straight up creative. You see loads of great artists out there, but so many of them lend a lot of their quality to those that came before them, which isn’t the case with Murphy. While I’m not saying that no one out there has a style like Murphy’s, when you see his work, you don’t automatically say “this guy fits into this school of art,” or “man Sean Murphy’s art looks a lot like this dude from the ’90s.” No, what Murphy does is create new worlds with a unique eye. He brings things to life in a bizarre and interesting way. So do I think as writer that he’ll bring the magic? Well, based on the way he creates, in general, I’m sure I will love the writing. If you’re feeling clever and want to give something outside the norm, I don’t think you could go wrong with Punk Rock Jesus. I mean, just look at that name!

Revival #1 (Image Comics – $2.99): Look guys, I know it’s the middle of a heat wave-tastic summer and the cover of Revival #1 has a lady in a sweater with a thing in the snow and you can see her breath and junk, and I know it’s not Halloween yet, so you might not want to be scared by a comic you read, but why not? Dude, I’m getting the Halloween itch already. I mean, I’m listening to Creepshow, Nekromantix, The Misfits and a whole bunch of other things because I’m ready for fright season. I’m sick of the summer, I’m sick of the heat, I just want things to get spooky, and when I see a comic written by one of the gods of comic book horror teamed up with one of the most dynamic artists of our generation, I know that we’re in for a treat, and I will not be disappointed. Guys and gals, Revival is going to be dark, creepy and great. I seriously cannot wait to get my hands on it.

FEED! ME! MORE! FEED! ME! MORE!

In lieu of a third, I’m just going to shout a bunch of different comics at you that may or not make it to shelves this week. You should be reading every single one of them. Let’s kick it off with Swamp Thing #11 (more horror! MORE HORROR!), Chew: Secret Agent Poyo #1 (It’s Chew and it’s a one shot about the frickin’ chicken detective!), The Shade #10 (continues to be one of the best comics out, Robinson’s back babay!!), Batman #11 (I think this is the end of Court of Owls?), Avenging Spider-Man #9 (Hey look! The new Captain Marvel!), Saucer Country #5 (it’s as amazing as I thought it would be!) and The Massive #2 (Post-apocalyptic environmental liberalism! YAY!)!!

Now for some COLLECTION SUGGESTIONS:

Black Metal: I got it, you can get it.

That’s it! Next up, Henchman21 and COLLECTION FEST 2012!!!

Henchman21

It’s another one of those big trade weeks and that’s all we’re going with this time. I’ve got four trades to talk about, one of which the fine Mr. Fac3 may have mentioned. This is a week that’s going to hurt your pocketbooks, ladies and gentlemen. Fortunately, no one carries around pocketbooks anymore, so we should all be okay. Let’s get to this.

COLLECTIONS:Hellboy Library Edition Hardcover, Volume 5 (Dark Horse Comics – $49.99): We’ll get the most expensive one out of the way first. If you’ve seen any of the other Hellboy Library Editions, you’ll know that Dark Horse pulls out all the stops wit these editions. They are big, immaculately printed, feature tons of extras, and are worth every penny. This is volume collects the Darkness Calls and The Wild Hunt mini-series, which I haven’t read before, and that’s got me excited for them. Mike Mignola had stepped away from art duties at this point in the series but his replacement, Duncan Fegredo, was more than able to step into his shoes and produce the same dark and moody art this series is known for. I love having these volumes on my shelves, and these library editions are books that I am going to be able to hold on to for a very long time, which is good because I am going to want to read these stories again and again.

Locke and Key, Volume 5: Clockworks (IDW Publishing – $24.99): Locke and Key, Locke and Key. Sorry, you have to imagine me singing and doing a little dance as I say this to get the full effect of that sentence. Everyone loves Locke and Key, because it is one of the most engrossing family dramas to ever be put down on paper. It’s also one of the best teen relationship dramas to ever be put down on paper. And it even has the temerity to be one of the best horror comics ever put down on paper. It’s kind of a jerk that way, in that it outshines almost anything else on the stands. What Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez have done with this series is unreal. They have created a cast of characters that everyone can identify with, and have crafted a mystery that leaves the reader constantly waiting for the next installment. Now, you may say that’s what every piece of entertainment should be doing, but it is rare that we see a book of Locke and Key‘s quality. The skill is effortless on this book. Seriously, you are missing out on one of the great works of our time if you’re not reading Locke and Key.

Richard Stark’s Parker: The Score (IDW Publishing -$24.99): Geez IDW, it’s like you have a massive convention to go to this week and you want to have tons of good books to sell to people. This is the third of Darwyn Cooke’s adaptation of Richard Stark’s Parker series of crime novels, and if you’ve read the first two, you’ll know what a treat you are in for when you pick this up. Cooke was born to create this series with its mix of ’60s esthetic, action, and deep character work. Cooke brings the reader into this world and takes them for a ride like no one else can. His work is mysterious and moody and looks like nothing else out there and I love every page of it. This is going to be a special book, just like the first two were.

Casanova, Volume 3: Avarita (Marvel/Icon – $14.99): Here we have the latest volume of Matt Fraction’s Casanova, and this may be the strangest volume of an already strange series. In this volume, series lead Casanova Quinn deals with a dying father as he tries to erase his nemesis from the multiverse. Casanova is a heady mix of very personal drama combined with a lot of crazy spy action. Casanova has never been an easy read, with Fraction throwing a lot of information at the reader with not always a ton of follow up, but it is this depth of ideas that make it an enjoyable read for me. Casanova is also helped by a good deal of humor and a host of characters that we have come to know over the course of the series. The other stand out for me is the art by Gabriel Ba. Ba’s work is completely his own. He is able to translate the insanity that is going on and perfectly communicate what is going on through the art. Casanova is one of the few series that I have bought multiple times, and I can’t wait to go back through this one.