BAG IT AND BOARD IT

DAYS MISSING
Written by Phil Hester, David Hine, Ian Edginton & Matz
Art by Frazer Irving, Chris Burnham, Lee Moder & Hugo Petrus
Colors by Imaginary Friends Studios, Caravan Studios & Lizzy John
Letters by Troy Peteri
Created by Trevor Roth
Character Designs by Dale Keown

THE ENGINEER: KONSTRUKT
Written by Brian Churilla and Jeremy Shepherd
Illustrated by Brian Churilla
Colored by Jeremy Shepherd
Color Assistant Lisa Tran
Lettered by Sean Glumace and Jeff Powell

HYBRID BASTARDS
Written by Tom Pinchuk
Art by Kate Glasheen
Letters by Shawn DePasquale

OKKO: THE CYCLE OF WATER
Written and Illustrated by Hub
Colors by Hub and Stephan Pecayo
Translated by Edward Gauvin

THE SANDMAN VOLUME FOUR: SEASON OF MISTS
Writer: Neil Gaiman
Artists: Kelley Jones, Mike Dringenberg, Malcolm Jones III, Matt Wagner, Dick Giordano, George Pratt, Craig Russell
Letterer: Todd Klein
Colorists: Steve Oliff, Daniel Vozzo
Covers: Dave McKean


Another glimpse at what I've been reading in recent months, while here on the blog I was racing towards the finish line of "60 Weeks with the Justice League." (And yes, I know, one of the above is not like the others....) Seriously, folks, if you haven't dug into the Archaia catalog yet, you're doing yourself a grave disservice. Also, Sandman continues to blow my mind, although I must confess my journey through those books has stalled after this fourth volume--there's just too much to read! Not that I'm complaining, mind you. It's a nice problem to have.

BAG IT AND BOARD IT

MOUSE GUARD: FALL 1152
David Petersen

THE SANDMAN VOLUME ONE: PRELUDES & NOCTURNES
Neil Gaiman, writer
Sam Kieth, Mike Dringenberg, Malcolm Jones III, artists
Todd Klein, letterer
Robbie Busch, colorist
Selected recoloring by Daniel Vozzo
Dave McKean, covers

THE SANDMAN VOLUME TWO: THE DOLL'S HOUSE
Written by Neil Gaiman
Illustrated by Mike Dringenberg & Malcolm Jones III
With Chris Bachalo, Michael Zulli & Steve Parkhouse
Colored by Robbie Busch
Lettered by Todd Klein and John Costanza
Covers and design by Dave McKean

THE SANDMAN VOLUME THREE: DREAM COUNTRY
Written by Neil Gaiman
Illustrated by Kelley Jones, Malcolm Jones III, Charles Vess & Colleen Doran
Colorist: Robbie Busch & Steve Oliff
Letterer: Todd Klein
Covers by Dave McKean

SYNDROME: A Graphic Novel
Created by Blake Leibel
Written by Daniel Quantz & R.J. Ryan
Illustrated by David Marquez
Colored by Bill Farmer
Lettered by Dave Lanphear
Cover by Michal Dahan for Studio Dahan


I do indeed recognize that I should have, before now, begun my journey through Neil Gaiman's Sandman, but as often happens with the classics, I set them aside knowing they'd always be there. And while it does indeed appear they aren't going anywhere--DC just released yet another softcover edition of a number of the volumes--I do feel the fool for having not picked them up sooner. They're every bit as brilliant as people say. Sam Kieth, Mike Dringenberg, Malcolm Jones III et al. bring Gaiman's scripts to life with artwork that seems to be energized by Dream itself, and they consistently come up with stunningly original layouts that always enhance the story being told without distraction.

Meanwhile, I've continued devouring Archaia's catalog, at last reading the first Mouse Guard volume and also taking home the recently released Syndrome. Both of these books are highly recommended, and they serve as great examples of just how diverse this company's output is--the oversized (roughly 7.75"x11.5") Syndrome explores the darker facets of our human nature with a story about a no-holds-barred pursuit for a "cure" against evil, while the square-format (approximately 8.25"x8.25") Mouse Guard presents an all-ages (in the best sense of the term--it can be appreciate by anyone of any age) adventure story pitting Medieval mice against the entirety of the world around them, and against some of their own, as well. Mouse Guard is also richly illustrated by its creator and writer, David Petersen, and Syndrome introduces the extremely talented David Marquez to the Archaia fold; he's currently working on the company's second Days Missing miniseries.