I'm caught up on Vertigo now.  It may not be as good as in its heyday, but they have a few books that are pretty good.


American Carnage 1-2 - A former FBI agent who is half black, but can pass for white is brought back to go undercover in a group with white supremacy ties.  This series is off to a very nice start.


American Way Those Above and Those Below 1-6 - I liked the first American Way series, but was surprised to see the sequel since it had been about a decade.  This series didn't disappoint and I liked it a lot.  Time has passed here as well and more people are getting superpowers. Some of the survivors from the first series find themselves in opposing camps.


Everafter 11-12 - This series was good, though I much preferred The Wolf Among Us and the original Fables series to this spinoff.  I'd like to see more Fables related series at some point.


Goddess Mode 1 - I'll have to see a few more issues to make up my mind.  It has some potential, but we'll see where it goes.


Hex Wives 1-3 - A coven of witches and the families who oppose them keep doing battle through the centuries with the witches being reincarnated and fighting/killing the next generation.  A different approach is attempted in modern days that is proving more effective.  So far I'm enjoying this series.


Astro City 46-52 - I've loved this series since it began.  It is too bad that the single issues are done, but hopefully the original graphic novel approach is successful.


Border Town 1-4 - I liked this series which takes place on the Mexican border in Arizona with a group of mixed minority kids dealing with creatures of myth.  Too bad the writer seems to be abusive and the book got canned.


Imaginary Fiends 1-6 - Melba has been in an institution since trying to kill her friend Brinke as a child.  She is now 18 and is recruited by a special FBI agent because she is one of the rare people who can see and interact with imaginary creatures, like Polly Peachpit, her childhood 'imaginary' friend.  This first series was very good and there are plans for at least two sequels.  I hope they get published.


Sandman Universe 1 - This issue sets up a new line of Sandman related books.  It was a decent introduction.


Books of Magic 1-3 - This book features Tim Hunter and has gone back to before his powers have activated.  I have enjoyed the series so far, though not as much as the original Books of Magic series.


Dreaming 1-4 - Dream has apparently abandoned his post with no signs that he will return.  Lucien is trying to keep things going, but there are cracks in the dreamscape and lots of problems are appearing.  This series has been decent.


House of Whispers 1-4 - This has a bit more of a voodoo background with ties to the dreamscape.  A young woman ends up in a coma and when she awakes thinks that she is dead and lacking in feeling.  She also is able to make others the same way.  I have liked parts of this series, but overall would rate it as so-so.


Lucifer 1-3 - I'm not really getting into this series at all.  I never collected the original series and this one just doesn't interest me much.


Overall I would say the new Sandman line is a bit of a disappointment, but there is some potential in three of the series.

My reaction exactly!

Hey, remember a couple of years back when they did THIS 12-issue limited Jumbo Comics digest series?



And does anybody also remember that the "anniversary celebration" turned out to be nothing but a reprinting of all the stories from the Best of Archie Comics trade paperbacks (4 volumes at the time, plus one starring B&V), spread out and mixed up over the course of twelve 192-page digest issues? Yup, that's exactly what it was, nothing more, nothing less. Dum-dum that I was then, I trusted ACP and pre-subscribed to the digest series, only to discover it would contain NO reprints I hadn't already read before in the Best of Archie Comics series.

And NOW they've got a NEW 12-issue limited digest series.


Archie Milestones Jumbo Comics Digest. It's 192 pages for $6.99, and is described by ACP as "Archie Comics has been around for over 75 years, and we’ve had our finger on the pulse of pop culture the entire time! This new digest series’ first issue will highlight some of the biggest trends in each decade of Archie—including fun parodies, classic stories and even some cute ‘n’ cuddly pals!"  Call me suspicious, but the phrases "pop culture", "biggest trends in each decade" and "fun parodies" seem to evoke memories of the stories collected in the ARCHIE AMERICANA series of trade paperbacks -- already presented before in THREE different formats: the original standard-sized TPs, of which there were two volumes each from the 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s; a later hardcover reprinting from IDW that collected the individual volumes from the 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s into four hardcover collections, and yet another TP series (this time in the same size trade trim as The Best of Archie Comics) which collected both the 40s & 50s into a single Golden Age volume, both the 60s & 70s into a single Silver Age volume, and both the 80s & 90s into a single Bronze Age volume. I'll bet dollars to donuts that's exactly what this new series of digests is -- yet another recycling of those stories again (probably mixed up so that you don't get all the stories from the same decades in the same issues).

Let the buyer beware!

United States of Murder Inc. 1-4 - This is another holdover from Icon and is about the first female assassin in a particular mob family.  I like the book more than Scarlet, though not as much as the other two series.  It has potential.


The move to DC seems to have done good things for Bendis and deadlines on his indie books so far.

I liked the first US of Murder Inc series, way back when, but missed the new one when it came out (probably will get the trade collection at some point, though). But where is POWERS? That's the only one I really wanted to see. Or is it over for good, after a few different hiatuses and publishers?

My mistake on Mystik U.  I read it a while ago and thought that Constantine was in the first issue, but it was Sebastian Faust.  Still a good book.




I read the Jinxworld books today and liked them.


Cover 1-4 - I'm not really a fan of David Mack's art, but it worked pretty well in this series about a comic book artist who gets recruited by the CIA to be a part time asset while using trips to comic conventions as cover.  I'm enjoying it a lot so far.


Pearl 1-5 - I think this series is even better than Cover.  The art is excellent and the story deals with an albino tattoo artist with mob ties.  She is intervenes in a gang fight to protect a guy that she just met and likes only to find that this could lead to a big gang war is she doesn't take care of the hit list given to her.


Scarlet 1-5 - This story continues from the previous books.  For once, it actually came out on time.  I enjoyed it, though not as much as the other two Jinxworld books mentioned above and not as much as the earlier Scarlet books.


United States of Murder Inc. 1-4 - This is another holdover from Icon and is about the first female assassin in a particular mob family.  I like the book more than Scarlet, though not as much as the other two series.  It has potential.


The move to DC seems to have done good things for Bendis and deadlines on his indie books so far.