As I've stated before, I haven't really read comics in a LOOONG time.  Aside from a couple of story arcs that I got in big and bulky paperback form, the last comics I read involved Wolverine losing his adamantium.  Yeah, I fell off the horse pretty hard, folks.  Luckily, I was sent a new lease on the world of comics...literally (and thank you for your graciousness indeed, ma'am). 
 
So, Mouse Guard...WOW!  After going through the first two issues of Winter 1152, I was psyched to check out the rest of the story.  Unfortunately, the local comic shop didn't have the hardcover collection or all of the individual issues for it, but Books-A-Million came through.  Gotta say...DAYUM!  That book is excellent storytelling, excellent artwork, excellent character development.  I mean, it's amazing what David Petersen can fit into 192 pages.  That almost sounds weird to say - "only 192 pages".  However, Petersen doesn't have to use 1,000 words a page to get the character development out to the user.  A few panels and some well-written dialogue later, I get the point loud and clear.  That's an incredibly difficult thing to do, and I can see why this is such a treasured book in the Archaia lineup.  I've got Fall 1152 on order, should be here around the first of the month.  Can't wait, and given the ending of Winter 1152, I'm waiting with baited breath for Black Axe next year! 
 
I also got to partake in a handful of single issues from the Archaia lineup, and I dig what they do.  Very nifty stuff, and I'm going to be picking up a handful more of their hardcovers...particularly The Killer Volume One and the Okko hardcovers.  I'll be getting down on that Artesia Besieged issue and the Gunnerkripp Court volume sometime tomorrow.
 
Since I picked up Mouse Guard at the evil corporate monster, I decided to stop by the local comic store (Bankston's) and check it out.  It's been quite a long time since I stepped foot in that store, with the last time being a purchase for a Magic The Gathering Ice Age starter deck.  I felt SOOOOO overwhelmed!  There's just so much to take in.  With all the back issues from yesteryear, current issues lining every shelf, new stickers everywhere and last week stickers just as often, I was so lost!  The guys at the counter felt bad for me!!!  I had to giggle, and I was sweating pretty badly (which I was worried about them kicking me out for that alone...I wouldn't want a sweaty dood's hand touching some comics for sale).  I decided that this would be where I could get into the meaty stuff:  Civil War and Blackest Night.  I asked which one took less back-reading to get into.  Very quickly, both said "Civil War".  Therefore, I picked up the hardcover for Civil War.  Now, I know what you're saying:  "Dood, you paid $40 for the hardcover when you could've paid $25 for the trade?!".  This is the point where I have to let everyone one that I'm a fiend for special features, which is why I prefer getting things in hardcover collections.  Well, that and I just don't have a whole lot of room to put a bunch of bag-n-board boxes...and the hardcovers look really bad ass on the bookshelf.  = D 
 
I haven't read a ton of Millar's work (although I continued to eyeball Superman: Red Son and the Kick-Ass individuals for quite a while), but if Civil War is any indication of his abilities, then BAWLIN'!  That stuff was heavy to take on (again, given that I haven't read comics in a while), and there was definitely a good amount that went over my head.  Luckily, I've got plenty of time to research the events around it, read the comics that go into those details, and the time to really try to wrap my head around all of this.  Any suggestions about where to go for that stuff would be greatly appreciated from y'all. 
 
While I was at Bankston's, I also happened to order a copy of Marvel's hardcover for Wonderful Wizard of Oz.  This collection has worried me, as I'm an avid fan of Oz (I've read Baum's 13 books, as well as a good number of Plumley's work on the franchise...not much past the 27th book or so, though).  They had an issue from the collection, so I read through that.  After seeing G-Man's review (and him responding that Dorothy's slippers ARE silver in it and that they didn't screw the Tin Man's origins up)...as well as reading that one issue...I'm so psyched for it to come in.  The artwork was gorgeous, very much in the vein of what Baum would've had illustrated in his books.  The story in that one issue was very faithful to the original source material, which made me happy.  I'm just taken aback that someone would do such a respectful job, and I can't wait to read the rest of it. 
 
So, with that in mind, sorry for reviewing a bunch of old stuff that y'all have probably read and forgotten about already!  lol  Hopefully, I'll be caught up to some new stuff soon enough.  Next week, I'll be picking up the Green Lantern: Rebirth trade and try to get into this Blackest Night stuff.  = D 
 
Until next time, PIECE!!!