A Modern Comics Master. If you love East Of West, Saga, Revival, and Walking Dead.. then you need to read these books!
It's kind of odd to say this, because it's become pretty much the norm to have a ton of exciting and diverse genres being well-represented in the world of comics, but 15 years ago... this was not so much the case.
There were only a handful of creators who were really doing truly innovative things outside of Marvel and DC, and Darick Robertson was one of the trailblazers.
We're going to talk about his legendary works, as well as a couple of ones you may not be aware of, and tell you why you gotta make sure you make this rare East Coast appearance by a modern legend.
First off, let's start with THE BOYS:
The BOYS is one of the best takes on superheroes gone bad that we've ever seen, and with it being written by one of our favorites, GARTH ENNIS, we had to take this chance to turn you guys onto such an awesome series.
Set in a real-world setting of what superheroes could end up like, the Boys showcases a class of capes and tights fellows who hire themselves out as private defense courtesy of the Vought Corporation, and are extremely terrible individuals.
While some are more awful than others, and some aren't really that bad, the general jist is that the lifestyle of being a god or goddess among normal people has twisted these individuals into careless, and sometimes depraved individuals.
Enter The Boys, a secret CIA squad, composed of individuals who've had their lives destroyed in the crossfire of superhero battles. They have a personal stake in their work, and their work is to keep a leash on the capes and tights so they don't become too big for the CIA to control.
Of course, the members of the Boys are revealed to have flaws themselves, and as we witness their bloody crusade against the Capes, we're shown a fascinating look at how a world with superheroes could really turn out.
Not for the faint of heart, the Boys is by far the most graphic, and violent thing that Garth Ennis has written since his work on PREACHER, but just like PREACHER, there's a very strong story and compelling cast of characters underneath the shock, that make this book a must-read.
We'll have plenty of copies of the series in stock this Saturday for you to snag and get signed by series artist, DARICK ROBERTSON.
Darick Robertson's most recent hit was the IMAGE mini-series HAPPY! with all-star writer GRANT MORRISON (BATMAN INCORPORATED, THE INVISIBLES, WE3).
In HAPPY!, Robertson delivers some of his sharpest work since the Boys, as he and Morrison tell the tale of NICK SAX -- a corrupt, intoxicated ex-cop turned hit-man, adrift in a stinking twilight world of casual murder, soulless sex, eczema and betrayal.
With a hit gone wrong, a bullet in his side, the cops and the mob on his tail, and a monstrous child killer in a Santa suit on the loose, Nick and his world will be changed forever... how? By a tiny blue horse called Happy.
Again, this one packs in the ultra-violence, and delivers a sharply humorous, yet strangely sweet take on the world of organized crime and invisible friends that happen to be magic horses.
We've got plenty of the single issues as well as the trade paperback in stock for you to check out this weekend's signing!
One of the best PUNISHER runs we've ever read was Garth Ennis's PUNISHER MAX series, which spanned over 10 trades, as well as a couple of incredible spin-offs.
However, our favorite part of PUNISHER MAX, may be it's stand-alone prequel story, BORN, which takes us back into the earliest years of Frank Castle.
Before his family was murdered. Before his life was destroyed. In the jungles of Viet Nam, we see that Castle had a demon in him that saw justice and brutal bloodshed as one in the same.
With mounting casualties and a rising anti-war sentiment, America's time in Vietnam is coming to a close. Yet in the isolated Valley Forge Firebase on the Cambodian border, Captain Frank Castle is one of the few soldiers still committed to the fight against the enemy.
With dwindling reserves, Castle must stand against an impending Viet Cong attack that threatens to wipe out the entire American platoon.
To survive the battle, what grim decision must he make that will forever alter the course of his life?
From the writer of THE BOYS and PREACHER, Garth Ennis, and our guest, DARICK ROBERTSON, we're shown the horrors that made the Punisher who he is.
If you're even just a little bit of a Punisher fan, pick up a copy of this guy on Saturday, and have Darick sign it for ya!
One of the most influential, and legendary comics of the modern age, TRANSMETROPOLITAN is one of my all-time top five, and Darick's work on this series really defined what a good sci-fi comic looked like in the '90s and '00s.
Written by WARREN ELLIS (Planetary, Authority, etc.), and illustrated by Robertson, Transmet takes a Hunter S. Thompson analogue, rips him straight out of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and drops him straight into the 23rd century.
Transmet combines black humor, life-threatening situations, and moral ambiguity to look into the gonzo mind of an outlaw journalist and hte world he seeks to destroy.
After years of self-imposed exile from a civilization rife with degradation and indecency, cynical journalist Spider Jerusalem is forced to return to a job he hates and a city he loathes.
Working as an investigative reporter for the newspaper the Word, Spider attacks the injustices of his surreal 23rd Century surroundings.
Spider ventures into the dangerous Angels 8 district, home of the Transients -- humans who have decided to become Martians through cosmetic surgery.
But Spider's interview with the Transients' leader gets him a scoop he didn't bargain for, and sets him on a path to the next Presidential Election.
Folks: this series was incredible, available in trade paperback, and 9 volumes deep, TRANSMET is one of the all-time greats, and we really cannot recommend it enough.
If you're a fan of just plain great comics; pick up a copy of volume 1 at our signing this Saturday.
Click here to RSVP on FACEBOOK.
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