Finding out about monthly issues

On this here blog we usually talk about trades – those books that collect between 4 and 8 issues of a monthly comic.  We do this because we believe it is an easier way in for readers, but as big changes are afoot at DC comics I think it’s about time to talk about the monthly issues and where to find them.  We have briefly talked about the different publishing houses here, so this post shall serve as a bit of a reminder.

Characters of Colour in non superhero Comics

Just to take a break from the superhero aspect of all these posts, today we will focus on the non superpowered denizens of the comics medium.


You can read our other posts in the series as follows:
women (part one), women (part two), men (part one),  men (part two), men (part three), the X (wo)men, men (part four), men part five and finally women (part three) and a Spider-man.

Astonishing X-Men: Gifted

written by Joss Whedon
art by John Cassaday
colours by Laura Martin 

What's It About? 

Marvel created the Astonishing imprint as a showcase for big name creators. The idea was to give these high-profile creators free reign to work magic on their own favourite characters, to tell the stories they really wanted to tell. Astonishing X-Men was the first title in the imprint and paired Joss Whedon of Buffy and Firefly fame with the art team of Wildstorm's flagship title Planetary.

As a team of super-powered mutants the X-Men are ostracised from mainstream humanity. As such, they have always been a vehicle for allegorical stories about prejudice, be it racial, religious, sexual and so on. Whedon opens his series with the announcement that scientists have discovered a way to “cure” mutants, to safely remove their powers and render them “normal”. But where did this cure come from? What secrets are the Benetech corporation hiding? And what will this cure mean to the mutant community?

Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot

You may have heard that Buffy the Vampire Slayer is getting rebooted, without the involvement of anyone from the original film or TV show.  With this in mind, I'd like to remind any fans of the TV show that you can still get your Joss Whedon influenced Buffy kicks, through the medium of comics!

We here at New readers.. have featured two Buffy spin offs, Tales of the Vampires and Tales of the Slayers.  Both come fully Joss Whedon authorised and approved and are of the quality you would expect from the TV show.  If that's not enough Slayer for you, you could also buy season 8, produced as an ongoing comics series, starting with Long Way Home.  The reading order for season 8 is as follows:
Long Way Home
No Future For You
Wolves at the Gate
Time of Your Life
Predators and Prey
Retreat

Tales of the Vampires

Writers: Joss Whedon, Jane Espenson, Brett Matthews, Sam Loeb, Drew Goddard, Ben Edlund
Artists: Scott Morse, Jeff Parker, Vatchie Mavlian, Cameron Stewart, Tim Sale, Paul Lee, Sean Philips, Ben Stenbeck, Cliff Richards
Pencils: Alex Sanchez, J. Alexander, Ben Edlund
Colours: Michelle Madsen, Chip Zdarsky, David Nestelle
Inks: Derek Fridolfs
Letters: Annie Parkhouse, Richard Starkings, Comicraft
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics

Note: Credits are shown as listed in the book.  Some people describe themselves as artists, some describe themselves as pencillers, hence the variety of titles.
This book is made up of ten different stories.  Each story has one writer and an art team, i.e., there are not three different writers for one story and three different pencillers, although some artists and writers worked on more than one story.

What's it about?
Vampires, and vampires are scary. They are more powerful than us, more violent than us and more singleminded than us.  They can kill us slowly and painfully or quickly and stealthily.  Vampires are scary.  These ones are no different.

Serenity - Better Days

Script: Joss Whedon and Brett Matthews
Art: Will Conrad
Colours: Michelle Madsen
Pencils: Michael Heisler
Publisher: Dark Horse

It's chasing us.

Is something ever not?

What's it about?
From the introductory blurb:

"After the earth was used up we found a new solar system, and hundreds of new earths were terra-formed and colonized.  The central planets formed the alliance and decided all the planets had to join in their rule.  There was some disagreement on that point.  After the War, many of the Independents who had fought and lost drifted to the edge of the system, far from Alliance control.  Out here, people struggled to get by with the most basic technologies; a ship would bring you work, a gun would help you keep it.  A Captain's goal was simple: find a crew, find a job, keep flying."

Serenity: Those Left Behind

Story: Joss Whedon and Brett Matthews
Script: Brett Matthews
Art (pencils and inks): Will Conrad
Colours: Laura Martin
Letters: Michael Heisler
Publisher: Dark Horse

What's it about?
In 2002 a Joss Whedon created show named Firefly was first aired in America.  The episodes were shown out of order and after a paltry 11 episodes the Fox network cancelled the series.  Post DVD release, Firefly developed a large and vocal fanbase and in 2005 a film, Serenity, was released.  This comic bridges the gap between TV show and film and shows us what happened to the characters and the story to take us to the opening sequence of the film.

As to the subject, it's a Western in Space.  From the introductory blurb:

Tales of the Slayers

Writer: Various but includes Joss Whedon, Amber Benson, David Fury and Jane Espenson
Pencils: Various but includes Tim Sale and Karl Moline
Colours: Various but includes Dave Stewart
Inks: Various but includes Andy Owens
Letters: Various but includes Michelle Madsen
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics

What's it about?
Based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer television series. This book features eight short stories of other Slayers who have lived throughout the ages, all written by people involved in the Buffy TV show.

We meet the first Slayer and learn how other humans view her, there's a Slayer from the middle ages with narration told in rhyme, a slayer living in Nazi Germany, Nikki - the Slayer Spike stole his infamous black leather coat from, and four others.  Each story centres on a pivotal moment in the Slayer's life and gives us a glimpse into the history of a well loved and well respected lineage.