I tell you all my secrets, but I lie about my past...

Say, that's funny. I often used to check in on Hannibal Tatu's "The Buy Pile" comics review site, back when I had my old computer. I didn't often have too much in common with his taste, but there was a succinctness to his writing and a clarity to his enjoyment of (or distaste for) comics that I really groove on, much like the good folks at The Savage Critic(s).

But when I got my new computer for Christmas, I didn't transfer my bookmarks over or anything like that, and I somehow totally forgot about poor aul Hannibal. But here he is, popping right back up in my life by moving his column to CBR!

Welcome back, Hannibal. I missed ya.

*****

THE LITTLEST KILLER

Providence, 1921: While playing in the backyard, John B., 3, wrapped one end of a cord around the neck of a 3-year old girl and the other around a grindstone handle. He then turned the handle until the little girl was throttled to death. He later explained his actions to the police in a childish lisp: "I don't like her anymore."

SHUT UP, MA

Holstein, Iowa 1930: 14-year old Lester Mohr had spent a pleasant afternoon drinking illicit beer. But he'd barely set foot in the house when his mother wrecked his buzz by getting on his case about some work he was supposed to do around the place. Lester responded to this abuse by clobbering her with a few bricks. He then dragged her into the house and shot her with a rifle and, for good measure, a shotgun. He later claimed it must have been robbers; he'd been working at a neighbor's spread all afternoon. He was convicted and sentenced to 50 years in prison.

Thanks to John Marr for putting out Murder Can Be Fun, a zine of sorts I picked up at APE last year and just finally dug out and started reading this morning. The above excerpts are from issue #17, "Naughty Children".

*****

Hey, more good news!

Blair points out this week that Tom Beland is bringing True Story Swear To God to Image Comics in August. According to Beland, the plan is to try and go monthly on the book now that he can concentrate on just writing and drawing the damn thing rather than sweating over production and printing and distribution and all that other godawful crap self-publishers have to deal with.

I'm a big fan of this series, though I've been following it in trades (and reviewed the second volume here). Is this time to jump on the serial bandwagon? I hope to hear more news from Beland over the coming weeks to convince me one way or the other.

*****

Lots of cool books coming out this week. I seem to be having a good run of it lately; let's hope it keeps up.

DMZ #5 launches a new story arc on the heels of what I think was the best issue of the book yet, so I'm hopeful for this one. EDIT: A note from Brian Wood in the comments section today reminds me that, in fact, "the new DMZ arc begins with issue #6. #5 coming out this week is a stand-alone story that also sets up a few things for the future."

The Atheist #3 is the long-awaited return of Phil Hester's Ellisesque supernatural detective story, and as huge a fan as I am of Hester's writing I'm probably most excited about this one this week, despite such reliably heavy hitters as:

Walking Dead #26, which is the second part of this "Everything Changes" arc Kirkman's been teasing us all with.

Annihilation Prologue is a big one, prefacing four six-issue miniseries (each focusing on one of four key players) that will lead into a Big Honkin' six-issue miniseries that will change the landscape of the galactic Marvel universe forever. Yeah, I'm skeptical, but I'm still kinda hopeful and excited. Fingers crossed...

Conan #26 winds down the final issues of Kurt Busiek's run, just as Conan: Book Of Thoth #1 winds it back up (at five bucks an issue, though? I missed or forgot that somehow)...

Then there are a few trades I'm waffling on. I remember reading in a couple issues of Bipolar the short installments that will make up Alternative Comics' Pizzeria Kamikaze TP and enjoying them, but I'll have to give things a second look before I commit. I also remember the creators of the Tales Of Colossus GN hand-selling some copies of the book to the Isotope prior to the announcement that they'd signed with Image and were getting Diamond distribution. James picked up some copies and they looked pretty damn good... wonder if those self-published editions are worth some extra cash now. Anyway, that'll be worth a second look, certainly.

And it'll probably depend on my response to Giffen's work on the Annihilation Prologue whether or not I pick up his Drax The Destroyer: Earth Fall TP, as the two are surely related, if only by a little bit.