This is a classic example of the tendency of Golden Age gag strips to spoil the entire joke in the name of the strip.

So, Green Arrow, a supposedly heroic character, commits an act of premeditated murder. And he’s sent to Belle Reve, right?
No?
Oan Sciencell? Takron-Galtos? Phantom Zone?
Well, he’s at least kicked out of the Justice League, right?
Not even that, huh?
So the DC universe is a place where even the good guys can get away with cold-blooded murder in the name of “edginess?”

Or an embarrassingly adolescent approach to “mature” story-telling.
Whichever.

Bad Therapy, 1996, Matthew Jones
A good Doctor story, and a fairly compelling sci-fi story as well. You’ve got stand-in for the Krays, swinging 50s London, and a fairly good examination of relationships and psychology in fantasy metaphors. On top of all that, Peri gets an improved send-off, and it manages to not be fan-wanky.

On another note, Doctor Who is back on the air in four weeks…and we only have four more books to go. Did that timing work out well or what?

Brandon Dawley is raising money for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, an organization that helps kids with cancer.
You can donate to the effort here, as well as find out how to get your own Brandon Dawley sketch.

Soon, you will be able to own your own little plastic Jake Gyllenhaal.

Truly, these are the greatest days.

This is the cover of a professionally published comic book.

No joke, I just find it useful sometimes to remind people of what I mean when I say “we get the comics industry we deserve.”

It feels like it’s too easy to make fun of yet more “Coheed and Cambria” comics…
Still, I’d rather see “Tarkus” comics on the shelf.

Dynamite is releasing a new edition of Howard Chaykin’s Black Kiss, curiously not soliciting it in the Adult supplement. It’s not exactly “gay,” but it’s certainly GLBT, which is all I can say without spoiling a plot point. It’s…certainly Chaykin at his Chaykinest.
I liked it.

Yen Press is releasing a Twilight graphic novel, in a manhwa art style.

Because apparently what the property needed was more wispiness.

Nah, too easy.

This is a plush Nazi.

Oh, Japan…

Gayest Thing in Previews this month has to be this three-piece set of Warriors Three busts.

Oh, please, like those aren’t the biggest queens in Asgard. A bear, a twink and a leather daddy. They’re practically archetypal.

The adventures of Horatio Caine when he was a boy!
Coming soon!

So Vile A Sin, 1997, Ben Aaronovitch and Kate Orman
Frankly, this book is more interesting for it’s complicated publishing history than its content. Ben Aaronovitch lost the book in a computer crash, so the deadline was missed, Orman was brought in to finish it based on what was available, and it eventually came out after Virgin had lost the rights to publish Doctor Who novels, hence the lack of a logo.
The story itself has one good thing about it, a very memorable and thematically appropriate death for a companion. Too bad that moment comes at the end of the terrible “Psi Powers” story-line and a lot of really horrible, even by New Adventures line standards, mush about alternate time-lines, evil clones of the Doctor and ancient Gallifreyean weapons.

In case you noticed a drop in posting frequency here, it’s largely due to the launch of the new website, The Bureau Chiefs, a supplement to the Fake AP Stylebook Twitter feed. I’ve been helping out there, as well as writing a number of short news pieces for them.

The site is also the new home for my trailer reviews, and the latest edition is up right now, with a fancier name than just “trailer reviews.” I’m now tag-teaming the reviews with real-life film-critic Ken Lowery as well, so now you get two loud-mouthed opinions for the price of one.