The Marvelous Land of Oz & Ozma of Oz by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young

I tend to veer away from children’s comics (and children in general) unless there’s something in it for me. I really enjoyed Thor: The Mighty Avenger because of Roger Langridge and Chris Samnee, and because it was well written for people of all ages, and beautifully illustrated. Same goes for Shanower and Young’s adaptations of L. Frank Baum’s Oz series. There aren’t a lot of collections out there that I consider perfect, but 2009’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is just that. Whimsical, clever, scary, adorable and perfect. So Santa, if you’re listening, I’ll take the next two in hardcover please!

Batman: The Black Mirror by Scott Snyder, Jock and Francesco Francavilla

Way back in November of 2010, Scott Snyder and Jock kicked off their highly praised 10-issue run on Detective comics. Every month a new issue would come out and every month I’d think to myself “I should be buying this book.” Well, woulda-coulda-shoulda but ultimately didn’t. Fast forward to now where I’ve got this ridiculous man-crush on Snyder thanks to his current Batman run and now I want to read every Batman book he’s ever written. Luckily DC has released a very nice hardcover compilation of Snyder’s run called Batman: The Black Mirror and it’s at the very top of my Christmas list. In fact, I’d say I want it even more than Nuv wants that Baywatch Mitch Buchannon 12″ David Hasselhoff doll.

Richard Stark’s Parker: The Martini Edition by Darwyn Cooke

If you love Darwyn Cooke so much, why don’t you marry him? Well maybe I would have if Marsha hadn’t beaten me to the punch all those years ago! REGARDLESS, I have the first two Parker books on my bookshelf already (The Hunter and The Outfit) but that doesn’t stop me from wanting the oversized slipcover collection sittin’ up proud on my shelf beside my oversized slipcover of DC: The New Frontier. I’ve been good all year, fat man!

Beasts of Burden by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson

Sure Dorkin used to get a stocking full of coal every year for his half-assed attempts at porn comics and his perpetually shit-talkin’ Milk and Cheese comics, but lately I’ll bet he’s been getting some nice schwag. Why? Because he teamed up with Jill Thompson and they created the cutest series ever! Brave puppies who investigate paranormal phenomenon! Could you just die?! I first read a Beasts of Burden story when they teamed up with Hellboy in a Dark Horse one-shot last year. Now I want to read all of their awesome adventures!

Supermarket by Brian Wood and Kristian Donaldson

I’ve never read this book by Wood and Donaldson, but I’ve loved everything else they’ve ever done together, so why not this? Also, I’m over-the-moon with the announcement of their newest collaboration The Massive, so I really want to play catch-up and check out Supermarket before the first of The Massive prequels hit in Dark Horse Presents #8.  Brian Wood, you’re the greatest and may the executives at DC / Vertigo receive a great big box of JACK SQUAT for Christmas for cancelling Northlanders and showing you the door. We’ll show ‘em Bri.  We’ll show ‘em.

League of Extraordinary Gentlemen by Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill

I’m pretty much in the same boat as anyone who thinks Alan Moore has lost it completely. I mean Jesus the Birthday Boy, what a grumpy old curmudgeon. But that doesn’t mean he didn’t write some great comic books back in the day. I’ve read the first two League of Extraordinary Gentlemen graphic novels half a dozen times and despite the fact that they’re a couple of my favourite books of all time, I’ve still never owned my own copies. That needs to be rectified! This Christmas! Anyone?!

Anyhoo, that’s my list! Until next time friends!

– Ian

Santa Claus image courtesy of the ridiculously talented Robb Mommaerts

(Nuv, find those old-school MS Works firework effects for my name or I quit. – Ian)

Aw man, if you guys only knew! I wrote the first part of this article months ago and since then Nuv put my ass on the same probation that DC has Kevin Smith on. Namely, if I didn’t give him the second part up front, he’d make sure the first part was shot and buried behind the barn. Well I had to get the second part done because I think we all know how awesome that first part was. Amirite? Anyway, I wrote the last one all goofed on CIL Dulux semi-gloss so it may have lacked some of the literary integrity you’ve come to expect from this fine site. But if perchance you liked the last part, happy day, more of the same!

Let’s continue!

IMMORTAL IRON FIST #1-16 • Writers: Ed Brubaker / Matt Fraction (but mostly Fraction) • Artist: David Aja

The history of Iron Fist comics is one of mass humiliation. And for the foreseeable future, it seems as though Marvel is set on reverting Danny Rand to his past embarrassments. Have you seen his new white and gold uniform? It’s like, oh my god. But let me hip you kids to something you might NOT have known! Back in ’06 Marvel handed the character over to a young pup named Matt Fraction, slapped Ed Brubaker’s name on the front cover so people would actually buy the thing, and lo and behold! One of the best runs OF ALL TIME was born. I frigging love this book and when I first thought of writing this article, it was the first set of comics I added to the list.

MARVEL 1602 #1-8 • Writer: Neal Gaiman • Artist: Andy Kubert

If sci-fi / fantasy was the Wu-Tang Clan, Neal Gaiman would be Ol’ Dirty Bastard and by that I mean THE BEST OF THEM ALL. If you haven’t read American Gods or Neverwhere, you just don’t know what time it is. By that token, you should probably pick up a copy of Marvel 1602 which is written by Gaiman and is therefore unrivalled in its greatness! Basically in this story the mutants didn’t manifest their powers in the ‘60s or whatever bullshit. No, they manifested them during the Elizabethan-era Inquisition. AWKWARD! Anyway, what follows is probably the best superhero story involving basically every superhero that matters in the Marvel Universe. Get it!

MARVEL MYTHOS #1-6 • Writer: Paul Jenkins (not to be confused with this guy) • Artist: Paolo Rivera

I’m a sucker for origin comics, but only origin comics that have something new and fresh to say. Sure, this series was originally designed to “bridge the gap” between comics and the movies for new kids on the block, but Jenkins and Rivera didn’t let that stop them from making six extraordinary one-shots that tell you everything you need to know. Each issue deals with one character, so by owning the whole set (like I do, because I rule) you get to learn about the only history that matters: The Hulk, Ghost Rider, Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, X-Men and Captain America.

NEW AVENGERS #1-7 • Writer: Brian Michael Bendis • Artist: Stuart Immonen

Man, I do a lot of kidding around that Bendis has lost his goddamn mind and who knows, maybe he has? How else do you explain the Ultimate comics? But when the man gets it right, he gets it right. Case in point: The second volume of New Avengers that started way back in 2010. Simply put, it’s the greatest. A perfect mix of dialogue and action, character development, funny parts and sad parts too. Christ, even Squirrel Girl rules. And the art? Let’s just say that if Stuart Immonen ran for Prime Minister in the next election, I’d vote for his Canadian ass based on drawing merit alone. AMAZING!

NORTHLANDERS #1-8, 20 • Writer: Brian Wood • Artist: Davide Gianfelice

Nuv always makes fun of me for liking Davide Gianfelice, but you know what? The man’s pencils are so fluent and the evolution of his style is so fun to watch I even followed him through the tedium of Greek Street. (BTW, fool me twice Milligan…can’t get fooled again.) Brian Wood has really rocked my world with Northlanders as a whole, but the first arc Sven the Returned is so astoundingly good it probably ranks as my favourite set of comics of all time. I’m that serious about Nuv being that wrong!

ROCKETEER ADVENTURES #2 • Writer/Artist: Darwyn Cooke

The rest of this list is gonna feature more than a couple of Darwyn Cooke comics, but this issue of Rocketeer that came out last month was everything I expected it to be. I was already a huge fan of the whole aesthetic of The Rocketeer, so when I heard Cooke was going to be doing a story I basically lost my mind. And man did he ever deliver! He put Betty in the goddamn suit! Do you know what that means to me you guys?! Everything!

SHAZAM: THE MONSTER SOCIETY OF EVIL #1-4 • Writer/Artist: Jeff Smith

I generally don’t like “kids comics” because I generally don’t like “kids”. And I didn’t really like Jeff Smith’s magnum opus Bone because it was “waaaaay too long”, “a chore to read” and “boring” (I’m quoting myself here). But Shazam is the bees knees for a lot of reasons! It’s basically the opposite of Bone. Fun and engaging, great art, and a great story for kids that doesn’t pander. SHAZAM!

THE SPIRIT #1-14 • Writer: Darwyn Cooke • Artists: Darwyn Cooke / J. Bone

You know you’re doing something special when you take DC’s more boring property and make it something worth reading AND collecting. Seriously, the whole premise of Denny Colt and his dumb resurrection is so hopelessly Will Eisner I can hardly stand it. And I know it’s a crime to rip on Will Eisner but his stories were so boring and miserable (and kinda racist) when you read them you just want to throw yourself down a well. Anyway, this isn’t about Will Eisner, it’s about Darwyn Cooke and how he made fourteen of the best comic books I own.

THOR: THE MIGHTY AVENGER #1-8 • Writer: Roger Langridge • Artist: Chris Samnee

Nobody read this comic because nobody knew if it was a kids comic or not. Then it got cancelled and everyone got into an uproar about how DC doesn’t care about anything but the bottom line (and, of course, their well publicized inter-office orgies). That’s how it goes I guess. I’m just stoked there were eight full issues worked on by two dudes who clearly cared a lot about what they were doing. The result was that each stand alone story was a real treat.

WOLVERINE AND DOOP #1-2 • Writer: Peter Milligan • Artist: Darwyn Cooke

A super cute two-part mystery involving a weirdo alien and a grumpy X-Man. Well they’re solving some case involving a pink lady and blah, blah, blah, I guess Peter Milligan used to know how to write comics even if he’s long since forgotten how. And Darwyn is Darwyn.

Anyway, that’s it! Sure if my apartment ever caught fire I’d probably go down in flames trying to stuff them all into that one short-box, but at least I’d have a pretty good idea of what I was packing. Peace out everybody!

– Ian

The new Avengers title is coming out this week and you know what? I realized the other day that even though I’d read the first six issues I couldn’t for the life of me remember what was happening in the story. So I re-read the first arc and found I was right about two things. Brian Michael Bendis (ONE!) is killing it on the story, and John Romita Jr. should have his ass (and the stuff in his desk) thrown into the Marvel dumpster. Seriously, how many brilliant, groundbreaking artists are currently working on lesser books OR NOT WORKING AT ALL while Junior continues to hack it up on this amazing title? Imagine someone like Kenneth Rocafort or Skottie Young on this book and try not to punch your fist through a wall. It’s infuriating!

Anyhoo! There’s a brand new Hellboy title out this week called the Double Feature of Evil! It’s drawn by the great Richard Corben and anyone who read Makoma or The Crooked Man knows that this is going to be money in the bank. I’m a die-hard Mignola man when it comes to Hellboy interiors, but I gotta admit that Duncan Fegredo and Richard Corben are holding down the fort ADMIRABLY during Mignola’s doodle hiatus.

What else? Magdalena #4 is on the docket, but if you hate fun stories and you despise awesome art, this book is NOT FOR YOU. Patience is the new Magdalena (the Catholic Church equivalent of Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and she’s been tasked with killing a creepy little kid who’s most likely the Anti-Christ. Nice one Ron Marz! Also, nice one Nelson Blake THE SECOND. See Johnny? You can live in the shadow of your father without sucking ass on the pencils! And Ryan Sook’s covers OH MY CATHOLIC GOD! You could buy this book, rip the cover off and recycle the rest and you’d still feel like you’d made good use of your four bucks. It’ll probably be delayed though. We ARE talking about Top Cow here.

What’s up Flash #6?! It’s the last issue of the spectacular first arc The Dastardly Death of the Rogues and I couldn’t be more stoked about how it’s been going. I’ve been a Francis Manapul booster for quite a while now, so I don’t need to say anything except READ THIS IF IT’S THE LAST THING YOU DO. Apparently Manapul is taking a two issue break after this one, but he’ll be back for Issue #9. So don’t even think about dropping this title or you’ll have a two-issue hole right in the middle of your run.

What ho! The newest Northlanders story is wrapping up this week and once again Brian Wood (TWO!) has knocked it out of the park. Maybe it’s because every arc houses its own unique story with original characters, settings, artists and themes, but this book is always so fresh and entertaining to read. The question is whether or not Wood will let his murderous protagonists off the hook this time. So far he’s been pretty consistent in getting his babies out of trouble (most notably the Shield Maidens from issues #18 and #19 and the Plague Widow from #21-28) although it’s not looking good for Erik and Ingrid, the Norse equivalent of Mickey and Mallory…

And finally, there’s a little golden nugget that a lot of people may have missed in last week’s Batgirl #15. Now, I’m just speculating here, but my guess is that Brian Q. Miller (THREE!) sat down to write this issue in the wake of the Return of Bruce Wayne and realized that a lot of his readers were going to be completely lost when it comes to the current state of the Bat-family. So what does he do? He grabs his pal Dustin Nguyen and together they cover the last seventy years IN JUST THREE PAGES. I swear, if I ran a comic shop I’d have these pages (reprinted below) blown up to poster-size and hung over the racks. That way any new customers that roll in over the next year won’t be completely hooped.

Anyway, I’m crashing out and so I’m off to find a suitable replacement for sugar (the man says chocolate doesn’t count and “fruit” sure as frick doesn’t either) so until next week I bid you adieu!

– Ian

[Gallery Design & Composition by Nuv]

Nuv: Alright, (low-lives) friends. If you have any images to share (or want to call absolute horse-crap on any of Ian’s picks) hit up the Comments section. Maybe (probably not) your pick will make the next installment of The Big Two’s State-Of-The Art Gallery. Oh, and if you read the excerpt for this article on the home page (underneath the title): I lied. Look down…

Yo, Ian E – tell these motherf@¢%ers how to say peace.

Put two in the air…

– The Big Two

NEXT ISSUE: PACK YOUR BAGS FOR BRAZIL, SUNDAY DRIVERS.
TUNE IN: SAME IAN-TIME, SAME IAN-CHANNEL…

duss005.com • maleev.com • yildiraycinar.net • heyoscarwilde.com • skottieyoung.com • billsienkiewiczart.com
thegoon.com • justsayah.com • francescofrancavilla.com • mayaeko.deviantart.com • chriswahlart.blogspot.com
libertymeadows.com • chodrawings.blogspot.com • evanshaner.com • minkiaturtle.blogspot.com
kahnehteh.blogspot.com • terrydodsonart.com • artofcrom.blogspot.com • atomictoy.org
qwantz.com • francismanapul.com • joeshusterawards.com

Anyway, I’ve never been the hugest fan of vamp-related funnybooks. I guess you could say I have a history with fang-related disappointment. I read 30 Days of Night and despite all the hype, found it to be super Snoresville. Even my beloved Buffy the Vampire Slayer came back for a new season in comic book form and, let’s be honest here because we’re all good friends (except for me and Nuv, we’re BITTER ENEMIES), Buffy: Season Eight is a dud. Clocking in at thirty-five boring-ass issues, it’s official!

But hold on a sec. Just as I’m about to write off Nuv and vampire comics altogether, along come Scott Snyder, Stephen King and Rafael Albuquerque. Collaboratively, the three of them give the entire genre the shot of life that it so badly needed. Stephen King is set to remain on board for the first five issues, and he provides the back story of ruthless outlaw Skinner Sweet. Presumably the first of a new breed of American vampires whose powers are enhanced by the sun, Sweet is a rootin’-tootin’ badass cowboy and a character so fun that I was immediately reminded of why I loved Stephen King as a young reader. Hey, not everyone is like Nuv, all smitten with the Twilight franchise. Know what I mean? Well this story is for those of us who like their vampires cooler than cool and dangerous as hell.

Mad love for Stephen King aside, it’s Scott Snyder’s tale that really reels us in. His half of the book centers on Pearl, a 1920s flapper-turned-aspiring-actress attempting to make her name in Hollywood. Without giving away too much of the story, our girl Pearl has a nasty run-in with some old-school vampires and when left for dead, is ‘resuscitated’ by the one and only Skinner Sweet. What she does with her newfound undead status is so fun and so entertaining that I’m about ready to bust waiting for the third issue, which finally drops today (May 19th). Scott Snyder is a great storyteller and it makes perfect sense that Stephen King would find himself on the same project. Despite the literary affinity that the two men obviously have for one another, both have a similar knack for build-up and back-story, as well as a clever imagination.

But wait, there’s more! Did I mention the art? Because if you’ve never had an eyeful of Rafael Albuquerque’s work – like Nuv left alone in a room with a butter knife and an electrical socket – you’re only hurting yourself. Simply put, it’s fantastic, gorgeous, inventive and amazing. The 1880’s and 1920’s period costumes and settings are perfect, and wonderfully brought to life with big bold black lines. Even the angles the artist chose to draw sweep up from below and drop down from above, something that I personally appreciate because it makes the whole book not only beautiful, but fluid in movement. Combine great art with Dave McCaig’s amazing colour palette and you’ve got a real piece of eye-candy.

Simply put, from the cover art to the back page, absolutely nothing is static in this comic and it’s a real treat to read. Truth be told, I haven’t been so excited about a new series since Northlanders got off the ground in 2007. Vertigo Comics (an imprint of DC Comics) is hands-down my favourite publisher and with titles like DMZ, Northlanders, Scalped, and yes, of course, American Vampire, it doesn’t look like that’s going to change anytime soon.

And yes, Nuv, it DOES look infected.

Put one in the air…

– Ian

NEXT ISSUE: RATINGS SUCCEED WHERE SPOCK COULDN’T! HEROES WILL DIE…
TUNE IN: SAME IAN-TIME, SAME NUV-CHANNEL…

Well, on the covers I suppose! From its December 2007 debut to the present, Northlanders has been gorgeously decorated by Italian artist Massimo Carnevale (with Adam Kubert in tow). It’s wonderful stuff and rather than drastically differing from – or outright overshadowing – the art inside, Carnevale’s work compliments the interior while at the same time showcasing the artist’s unique bold style.

How Brian Wood even found the man is unclear, but one thing is for sure: Davide Gianfelice can draw like nobody’s business. Each panel, from start to finish, is filled with detail but never appears overcrowded or messy. But what is a comic book without a good layout? Well, Gianfelice has that covered too. More important than all of these things, though, is the fact that Gianfelice’s characters are compelling to look at. Each face is unique and clearly distinguishable from the next, and the emotional range he captures makes the book better than the sum of all its parts.

It should also be pointed out that while flipping through the issues I was once again struck by the vibrancy of the colours chosen by the artist. Dave McCaig’s colour palette is so perfect that, by virtue of this series alone, he officially replaces Dave Stewart as my favourite colourist of all time (sorry Stew!)

So that leaves Brian Wood, mastermind of the entire project. “Pitch me a monthly series, my editor Will Dennis told me. But something different, break out of your box.” Well goddamn! Did he ever! Now, keep in mind that I’m not one of those die-hard Brian Wood worshippers. I’m currently bored to death with his long-running title DMZ, but Northlanders remains the highlight of my pull-list every month. The writing is solid and the story is compelling from the get-go.

When the story begins, Sven returns from military service in Constantinople to find that his jerky-faced uncle has murdered his father and taken his birthright as Lord of Orkney. What follows is a wrath so severe, it has to be seen to be believed. Also, Brian Wood is a cat that does his homework: everything about this story, from subject matter to artistic rendering feels authentic.

In summation, that’s why these nine-issues comprise as perfect an arc as I can possibly imagine, and for that reason the Sven the Returned/Immortal story arc from Northlanders #1-8 and #20 is my pick for “Book of the Decade.”

Stay tuned for Nuv, who’s pick (SPOILER ALERT!) is Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane.

[Ian’s Runner Ups: The Bendis and Maleev run on Daredevil, while close to my heart, was simply too obvious a choice. I love it, sure, but so does everyone else. Likewise Darwyn Cooke’s masterpiece DC: The New Frontier. To date, it’s the only slipcase boxed set I own and I love it more than a man should love an inanimate object.]

Nuv: Keep your sex life to yourself Ian. My pick is ALL STAR SUPERMAN.

Doomed planet. Desperate Scientists. Last Son. Kindly couple.

With those eight words, writer Grant Morrison accomplishes what takes everybody else who tackles Superman 4 issues to do (or in the case of the movies, the first third of the film) and effectively distills everything we need to know going in down to one page. Then artist Frank Quitely makes his presence known by throwing us feet-first into the action with an epic double-page spread of Superman in the process of trying to rescue the first manned expedition into the sun(!), which of course is right where archenemy Lex Luthor wants him.

That’s only the first few pages, and the pace never lets up. By the end of this issue, Superman gains new powers, learns he is dying, and realizes he has eleven more issues to right all the wrongs he can.

Morrison explores every corner of the Superman universe, and ultimately delivers this generation’s Twelve Tasks of Hercules. Wide-eyed without being naive, trippy without being grimy; a heady science fiction fable with a heart so big you can feel it beating through every page.

All of that would fall apart quickly if the art were not up to the same standards. Luckily, much as Krypton gave us Supes, Scotland rockets us their very own Frank Quitely. He sits alone above all other artists when it comes to story-telling and staging a scene. The way he shows Superman’s transformation to Clark, you believe that it would fool everyone around him. The De Niro of superheroes, he uses physicality and wardrobe to pull the wool. It’s not just the glasses. He slouches his shoulders, wears his clothes over-sized and frumpy, sucks in his chin and pushes out his gut to appear pudgier. Also, pay close attention whenever Frank has Clark doing his bumbling, clumsy oaf routine. It’s all a smokescreen. When you piece together what Clark is actually doing…well, you can thank Quitely for that too.

I’m rambling like that d-wad Ian, but I can’t help it. This belongs on every comic fan’s bookshelf, right in between Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns; a ray of light poking out of the darkness.

All-Star Superman. Will the greatest Superman story ever told also be the last? My lips are sealed, but your wallets aren’t. Go directly to the comic shop, top speed, and buy the book of the decade. You, too, will believe a man can fly.

[Mo’ Betta Superman - Kingdom Come, Red Son, Whatever Happened To The Man of Tomorrow? Deluxe Edition, Superman and The Legion of Superheroes, Brainiac, Secret Origin, The Death and Return of Superman, Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, Action Comics #775.
More Morrison/Quitely - New X-Men: E Is For Extinction; JLA: Earth 2, We3, Batman & Robin #1-3.]

Put two in the air…

– The Big Two

9. Wednesday Comics: Kamandi #1-12 (Dave Gibbons, Ryan Sook)
Gibbons and Sook understood the theme of the Wednesday Comics project better than any of the other creators who worked on the book and crafted a great tale that really did feel like the old comic strips (see Prince Valiant). The art was gorgeous and dynamic, and in my opinion the story was more fun than any other. This was, by far, the one I looked forward to the most every week of the run.

8. Jonah Hex #50 (Justin Grey, Jimmy Palmiotti, Darwyn Cooke)
Nuv and I already reviewed this shit, sons! Take your ass here.

7. Detective Comics #854 (Greg Rucka, J.H. Williams III)
Holy sweet jumping Jesus Christ! Just when you think you’ve seen everything art-wise and layout-wise possible in a comic book, along comes J.H. Williams III who produces a work of art so beautiful that it almost makes every other artist look like CLOWN SHOES. Greg Rucka’s writing is so good that he should be given full credit for the character Batwoman, REGARDLESS of who actually created her. I’m going to bawl my eyes out when the book gets handed back to Batman.

6. Hellboy: The Wild Hunt #6 (Mike Mignola, Duncan Fegredo)
In a story arc that’s been getting heavier and heavier, Hellboy ends up standing in front of Excalibur (yes, that one) after being told that his destiny is to wear the crown. Will it be the fiery crown of the destroyer Anung Un Rama or the man-made crown of King Arthur? Only Mignola could make this story NOT stupid. Artist Duncan Fegredo is the best (and really only) substitute for Mike Mignola himself. Great stuff!

5. Daredevil #500 (Ed Brubaker, Michael Lark, Stefano Gaudiano, Klaus Janson, Chris Samnee, Paul Azaceta)
Daredevil (Volume 2) is my favourite book of all-time and I was super anxious to see how Brubaker was going to end his 40-issue run. Would he throw the next guy under the bus, like Bendis did to him three and a half years ago? You bet he does! In this final issue, Matt Murdock says his goodbyes to everyone, kicks some asses all the way to the top, screws The Kingpin over roy-ALE, and leaves his former life to lead his sworn enemies The Hand. You can’t beat that for a sayonara! Bru, ya done good!

4. Northlanders #18-19 (Brian Wood, Danijel Zezelj)
‘The Shield Maidens’ is a two-issue arc wherein three women (whose husbands have been murdered) have fled from their pursuers and find themselves under siege in a busted-ass stronghold. The only thing keeping the gang of soldiers from easily taking them is the fact that the tide is in. Once it goes out, you know the women are going to die because Wood has never shied away from the violence and harsh conditions of Viking life. So what makes this issue so great? Well I’ll tell you! Wood lets all three of them escape their predicament, completely unmolested. How in the hell?! You’ll have to get a copy of the back-issue or buy it in trade when it comes out!

3. Fables #81 (Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham)
This is a story full of “lasts” and it’s a real heartbreaker. Fabletown is completely destroyed, an evil motherfucker takes up residence in the rubble (making it uninhabitable) and murdered heroes are turned into walking dead slaves. A major character dies and another loses their mind. Oh, and this issue was the last issue featuring James Jean’s art on the covers. And what a great send-off cover it is! Read in the context of the rest of the series, you could make a strong case for this being the most emotionally charged book of the year.

2. Scalped #29 (Jason Aaron, R.M. Guera)
Nobody, I would argue, creates a narrative storm like Jason Aaron. What do I mean by that? Well, anyone who has been following Scalped from its beginning knows that things start off bad for FBI undercover agent Dashiell Bad Horse and get gradually worse and worse until something terrible happens. And in issue #29, the final story in the High Lonesome arc, something TERRIBLE happens. The quick version goes as follows: Dash gets jacked on heroin (unwise), and gets forced to rob the casino where he’s undercover (really bad) by a hustler who knows Dash is an FBI agent (god damn!). Now, I don’t want to give anything away, so I’ll just say the end scene is harrowing like you can’t believe. Writing like this is why Scalped has remained on my pull-list for so long.

1. Northlanders #20 (Brian Wood, Davide Gianfelice)
Brian Wood and his old pal Davide head back to the story of Sven the Returned, his central character from the first 8-issue arc of the series. Several years after the original story, a band of young arseholes head up north to murder Sven the Immortal, but find that the old man is still worthy of his legend. The art, as always, is as perfect as a comic book can possibly be. Whenever I get asked about my top-five artists, Davide Gianfelice almost always comes to mind first. Furthermore, Brian Wood is as great as he has ever been in this one-shot. Perfect!

NEXT UP: NUV’S STUPID LIST. IT’S PROBABLY FULL OF FAMILY CIRCUS COLLECTIONS AND TENTACLE PORN. AVAILABLE NOW HERE.

1. Who is your favourite superhero?

Ian: Daredevil, hands down. The costume, power and sense of community. And the guilt! Maybe it’s the Catholicism, but nobody except for Batman, I would argue, has a rougher time with it. None of Matt Murdock’s girls have survived, with the exception of Elektra (who came back from the dead) and Milla (currently in a mental institution).
Nuv: Superman. Who do you think taught me to wear my undies on the outside?

2. Favourite supervillain?

Ian: Magneto. It seems like such a minor power – control over metal. But what he does with that power is absolutely devastating. And the fact that he’s such a morally ambiguous character really appeals to me. Sometimes he’s a monster, but sometimes he has a real point. He’s sort of the Malcolm X to Xavier’s Martin Luther King, as far as mutant civil rights go. I would challenge anyone to find a super villain who so fully utilizes his powers.
Nuv: Joker. That motherfucker’s crazy!

3. Favourite superhero costume?

Ian: Lady Blackhawk’s. The hat, jacket and skirt = sweet!
Nuv: Batman. If you can tell who it is in silhouette, it’s a great design. Like how Ian’s head looks like a peen, even in blackest night.

4. If you could kill one character off for good, who and why?

Ian: I’d kill off Lex Luthor. I’ve never been a Superman-reader and I think the main reason is I’ve always felt Superman lets his rogue’s gallery get away with too much. Lex Luthor should have been thrown into the sun, or frozen and shattered like glass a thousand times over.
Nuv: Aquaman. He’s fucking useless. His superpower is talking to fish. So, I guess my niece is Justice League material too then, eh? Oh. I forgot to mention: he rides a giant retard seahorse into battle. Menacing.

5. What was your favourite comic book from your youth?

Ian: Amazing Spider-Man #328 where Spidey, juiced on cosmic powers, punches the Hulk into outer space. That issue was so goddamned stupid that I still own it.
Nuv: Good choice. Mine also lisps and dresses well: Action Comics #317. ‘The Rainbow Faces of Superman.’ Just look at the cover. Je. Sus. The grade 3 me had to know what could cause this debacle. Why was our hero embarrassed about having a threesome? What could make the Man of Steel envious? Motherfucker could fly and kill dudes with his eyes! My sack of a friend Jeff beat me to the punch and bought it first. I didn’t find out what was behind this one-man pride parade until credit cards and ebay came into my life. Cause I’m a grown up, mofos.

6. Name a comic run you wish you owned but don’t.

Ian: New Avengers. I knew I should have got in on the ground level of that!
Nuv: Action Comics: The kick-ass grandpa to everything we both love about comics. 884 issues and counting…

7. What do you think is the best series running right now?

Ian: Brian Wood’s Northlanders.
Nuv: Superman: Secret Origin.

8. Name a series that you can’t stand, but that everyone else seems to love.

Ian: Frank Miller’s back-in-the-day Daredevil run.
Nuv: Hellboy. Amazing art and a great character do battle with fucking dull stories. I guess that makes the movies very faithful adaptations.

9. Art-wise, what would you get commissioned, and by who?

Ian: My dream is to have Darwyn Cooke draw Joe Strummer from The Clash.
Nuv: Jim Lee drawing me. Because I’m vain. A close second would be a tight, claustrophobic shot of Superman fighting his way out of a mob of all of his enemies, as depicted by Joe Madureira.

10. If you could choose 3 superpowers, what and why?

Ian: #1 Invisibility! There’s nothing you couldn’t accomplish if you had the ability to be invisible.  #2 Mind Control (for super obvious reasons) and #3 some crazy-harsh martial art just in case things went south.
Nuv: Funny – I wish you were invisible too. #1 Healing factor. It’s a more bad-ass, gritty version of invulnerability. Either way, you survive anything. For #2 most people would choose flight. I’d choose teleportation and cut the travel time all-together. #3 Batman’s superpower – the ability to win, no matter what.

11. Do you ever see yourself quitting comics?

Ian: No.
Nuv: Nope. Not even if Mom sells my collection again.

Put two in the air…

– The BIg Two

[Ed.Note - Do you have any questions for our dastardly duo? Leave 'em in the Comments.]

NEXT ISSUE:  TIME TRAVEL! TREACHERY! TEEN WOLF! (JUST KIDDING) ONLY 9 WILL SURVIVE!! (UH..ACTUALLY IT’S 18. ‘CAUSE THERE’S 2 OF YOU) …SHUT UP.
TUNE IN: SAME IAN-TIME, SAME NUV CHANNEL…