I have spoken here before about how it has taken me a goodly while to reach the point where I could actually count myself as a fan of Wolverine. I have also mentioned that I am quite the fan of Jason Aaron in posts here before. But if you're new to my diatribes then let me eduficate you a touch. I've long been a fan of not only the writings of Mr. Jason Aaron but also of his incredible beard. I have also long counted myself among the dwindling few who thought that Wolverine was a bit overexposed considering that he wasn't really that cool a character. But as I mentioned in my last article X-Men: Schism was totally amazing and at it's conclusion we got what the book promised. And as a reader who has been around long enough to remember the first time there was a "Blue Team/Gold Team" split I can tell you that this one is far more interesting and not just because Wolverine is on one team and Cyclops is on the other team, but because it's actually a divide.

Jason Aaron has the helm of the new book on the block. Wolverine & The X-Men is a really and truly great book. Honestly. It's amazing. It's everything that I think a new reader fresh off having read ... Well ... Pretty much anything is going to want. The best part is that the book is welcoming the characters in as much as it is welcoming the readers. For people who have been looking for an in-road into the world of the X-Men or mutantkind as a whole you have bever had a better opportunity.

I'm deadly serious.

This might be Marvel's best #1 of the year.

And the art is downright amazing. Chris Bachalo has long been one of my very favorite artists. Mostly from his work on Generation X and later on Steampunk. For many people his work has often proved to be too chaotic for consumption and while that is, in many ways, one of the things I love most about his work he seems to be showing the kind of restraint that is characteristic of his work as of late. Click This Image ... Seriously ... NowPerhaps it is that he has adapted as an artist, perhaps it is that he is coloring his own work lately, perhaps it is that the inking team that he works with has become more familiar with his style and has better adapted to inking his work ... I don't know. All I can say is that people who may not have been fans in the past would do themselves a favor by checking out what he is doing currently as it is not only thrilling to fans of his as it is detractors.

In short. This is a seriously good book. 

Get on it.

Hello All, It's been a while since I last spoke with you. I hope that your holidays were delightful and that this last bout of terrible weather didn't crush your spirits too completely. I had the joy of doing my civic duty last week as I was summoned for jury selection and had to do a whole lot of sitting around and waiting while the gears of justice turned. While I was doing all of my waiting and whatnot I did some reading (if you're ever summoned for jury duty then you really, really need to bring reading material, I cannot emphasize this enough). Knowing that I would be doing a whole lot of waiting and whatnot I brought plenty to read but what I wound up spending most of my time with was a book that I've started reading a few times but never managed to finish thanks to surrounding circumstances, Carla Speed McNeil's Finder. I don't know that I've ever read a series in which the world was so fully formed on the very first page. The book takes place in a far flung future where the world is quite different. The first book (the Anniversary Hardcover is featured at the right) follows a terribly unique character named Jaeger. Jaeger is what is known in this future as a Finder, something of an aboriginal detective, not attached to any police service nor really a private detective in the sense that most people think of in this day in age. Think of him more as the kind of guy that you'd want to know when your life goes to hell, or you desperately need to find something you've lost. The world in which he lives seems an awful lot like what our world might become should we continue on the path we're headed down. By which I mean cities that are covered in domes in order to keep them livable ... so ... yeah.

McNeil has been lauded for her work on this series and from every vantagepoint I really must agree with those who have spoken so highly of her work, and nominated her for several awards. Her art is simple and gorgeous, and at times reminds me of the simple line work of another of my favorite creators, Strangers In Paradise creator Terry Moore. The story is also brilliantly crafted and at the same time an anthropological wonder. The seamlessness of the world she has created is truly something to behold. 

Having only ever self-published the series it's something that you could probably be forgiven for having missed out on. However anyone and everyone should be adding it to their list of books to look out for in the next few months as a new collection of material that appeared primarily on Carla's website (LightSpeedPress.com) and then a new publication of a "Library Edition" of the first 21 issues both brought to print by Dark Horse Comics. It's an exciting time to be a fan of intricately produced science fiction. And if you're one of the people who haven't hear of Finder before and think that the world sounds interesting then you should keep your eyes open and possibly let your retailer know that you want to make sure to get copies of what might be one of the more exciting releases by one of the more oft overlooked creators in the industry this year.

The first release will be this upcoming week's Voice and it's only $19.99 for what is likely to be an incredibly entertaining and thought provoking 208 page book:

What you find isn't nearly as important as what finds you . . . 

Since 1996, Finder has set the bar for science-fiction storytelling, with a lush, intricate world and compelling characters. Now, Carla Speed McNeil's Eisner Award-winning series comes to Dark Horse with the original graphic novel Voice. 

In a society defined by its intricate network of clans, Rachel Grosvenor has grown up an outcast, straddling worlds. Now, her quest for admission to a highly exclusive clan sends Rachel spiraling into the dark underbelly of Anvard and a paradox that holds the key to her future: How do you find a Finder?

And then scheduled for March release is Finder Library Volume 1 which only hits the wallet for $24.99 and weighs in at 616 pages. Definitely something worth checking out:

Since 1996, Finder has set the bar for science-fiction storytelling, with a lush, intricate world and compelling characters. Now, Dark Horse is proud to present the first four story arcs of Carla Speed McNeil's groundbreaking series in a single, affordably priced volume!

Follow enigmatic hero Jaeger through a "glorious, catholic pileup of high-tech SF, fannish fantasy, and street-level culture clash" (Village Voice), and discover the lush world and compelling characters that have carved Finder a permanent place in the pantheon of independent comics.

This first of two Finder Library volumes collects the multiple Eisner Award-nominated story arcs Sin Eater, King of Cats, and fan-favorite Talisman.