ADVANCE SCOUT: They Are Among Us (6/12/13)

WHAT IS ADVANCE SCOUT?

Each week, the Capeless Crew picks out those books that we think are most worthy of your dollars and attention. These books are chosen based on a variety of qualities, including relevance to real-world issues of the day, their sheer excellence as examples of the medium and often with an eye towards the importance of a given book within the context of the comics industry.

SITUATION:

It’s a slim week if you’re not interested in picking up super-hero titles mid-stream. That said, there IS one “cape” title on this week’s list. Beyond that, it’s anchored by small-publisher books by terrific creators. In that vein, the books we’ve selected lean rather strongly in the direction of both horror and character pieces.

THIS WEEK’S SELECTIONS:

1. “Manhattan Projects #12″

You’re not really surprised this book is on here, are you?

Every month we remind you, right here in this column, about one of the best books on the shelves.  In this latest issue, Hickman explores a character who, even in reality, was more than a bit strange.

The mystery of Enrico Fermi isn’t so much of a mystery (I mean, just look at that cover), but the idea of establishing the character as third-party observer of humanity is truly remarkable in the way it plays out.

By itself, this would be an interesting tale of an alien on Earth. Taken in context, it provides a fascinating filter on the events of the book until now.

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2. “Breath of Bones: A Tale of the Golem #1″

Steve Niles is one of the widely acknowledged modern masters of horror comics. Beyond that, this series features a figure from Kaballah that has fascinated me since I first encountered it in an excellent work of fiction called “Snow in August”.
The golem is a powerful figure in Jewish mysticism, and one that very few people are familiar with (at least as a part of that mythology). Given the period in which this is set (World War II), this series should be very interesting.
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3. “A1 #1″

From Capeless’s Jeff Hayes:

“A1 has some mojo working for it. I hope that a rotation will begin if the series gets some legs past the three initial stories that will  roll for I will assume the first six issues. The goal of A1 is in my opinion more about escape with things that are familiar (e.g. stories from childhood, comic properties/style that are recognizable for an international market), and that is not a bad goal to have. I am optimistic, as with the start of most things in life, that A1 will continue to look for improvement and hopefully play a bit more to demonstrate how short from comics can be worth a look.”

For a complete ADVANCE REVIEW, click HERE.
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4. “Thumbprint #1″

From Capeless’s Jeff Hayes:

“Whether one wishes to admit it or not, the odds suggest that within a lifetime ones larger culture has come into contact with a mass military conflict of some kind. For the twenty-first century, it has been the ongoing middle east conflict. What conflicts such as those in the middle east provide for regular citizens, in my opinion, are questions pertaining to not only the motivations for such conflict, but also the effects that such conflicts has on those that experience them. Writer Jason Ciaramelia adapts for comics Joe Hill’s story of the latter by examining an individual home from war in ‘Thumbprint #1′…”

Read the complete Advance Review HERE

5. “Superman Unchained #1″

Despite our recent moratorium on DC News, this title still merits attention.

Released as a part of DC’s effort to promote Man of Steel, the title features the combined talents of Scott Snyder and Jim Lee.

It is designed to be a new-reader-friendly introduction to the New 52 Superman and, as such, is an excellent title to recommend to any of your friends or family who express an interest in reacquainting themselves with the character.

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ANALYSIS

It’s the week of beginnings, for the most part. We endeavored to provide you with a list of comics that are new-reader friendly, but each of them feature a character who is in some way alien to the world around them. The different ways in which these creative teams explore the concept of alienation is one that should provide a great deal of food for thought as you plow your way through your weekly pull list. Enjoy!

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Thanks for checking out ADVANCE SCOUT! Be sure to check back next week for more recommendations, and don’t forget to share the link below!