8.12.15 [#PicksOfTheWeek]

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It’s easy to select the #BookOfTheWeek when Starve #3 (Image) is out from Brian Wood, Danijel Zezelj, and Dave Stewart. In some ways it’s the pinnacle of the Brian Wood creative ethos and instantly became one of the most unique books on the stands in recent memory, certainly a contender for the Best of 2015 lists that critics are already starting to consider. I mean, look at that fucking cover! There's Gavin Cruikshank like Prospero weaving his magic wand on that little island, bathed in syrupy ink as he slathers the head of a swine with some concoction of rosemary, thyme, and balsamic with the studio lights popping in the background! Where else are you gonna' find something like that!? 

There’s also Rebels #5 (Dark Horse) by Brian Wood, Andrea Mutti, and Jordie Bellaire, which is another example of something the writer does so well, crafting rich historical fiction that stays true to the times without being didactic, is engaging without being sensational white-washed nostalgia, and still plays relevant to modern social concerns. Each individual aspect of that last sentence is difficult to pull off, so wrapping all of them up in one package with the rich detail of an artist like Andrea Mutti and his gritty uneven line work is truly a thing to behold. I personally like the quirk of Starve, but you could certainly make the case for Rebels as one of the Best of 2015 as well. Wood is having a helluva year, and there’s still more to come.

It’s a great week with a lot of diverse material being offered, so I’m also going to check out the following titles;

Stumptown Vol. 3 #7 (Oni Press)

Letter 44 #19 (Oni Press)

Death Sentence: London #3 (Titan)

Star Wars: Lando #2 (Marvel)

Arcadia #4 (Boom! Studios)

Lantern City #4 (Archaia)

Descender #6 (Image)

Drifter #7 (Image)

Injection #4 (Image)

The Beauty #1 (Image)

Phonogram: The Immaterial Girl #1 (Image)