Well kinda.

There is this thing made in this country called Comic Books. I know, most of you thought they didn’t exist anymore. But they do, unfortunately the mediums low visibility is a problem.

It’s gotten better since Hollywood and Television has started pillaging comics for salable franchise ideas to market to an increasingly sporadic movie going audience.

So while the big comicbook companies can license out their characters and generate revenue on everything from lunch boxes to ipod commercials to toys to film, the little comic book companies and one man creator owned comics, the guys who are doing the truly great and interesting and adult work in comics…

Well nobody hears about them. And their book, which is better than the formulaic pap that the big boys puts out, dies… quietly.

Enter UNDER THE RADAR.

A PDF guide I started to help get attention for books on the horizon that might otherwise go unnoticed, and to let retailers and fans know, in plenty of time to preorder these books. (In the comics world, books don’t just show up on the shelves, they need to be pre-ordered… particularly the small publisher’s books.

So UNDER THE RADAR is back, to continue that mandate.

However, there is no way I can do the nifty 14-20page, graphics filled pdf I was doing before.

So we’re going to do it right here, a quick short painless listing of comics you should order from your local comic store, reliable mail-order store, or this website.

Deadline to order these books is 3 March 2008, and they ship in April. Without further ado… let’s get to it!!

Biggest issues with comics are:

-Too many, and obtrusive placement of ads. Particularly noticeable by the two biggest companies
-annoying product placement in comics. Again, the big two, MARVEL and DC Comics
-Price. Many comics are between $3 and $4 per 22-40 page magazine. That’s a really high price point for fans, much less the newbie just trying to get his feet wet. So my picks take that into account and try to steer you toward books that sound smart, original, and worth your time and money.

I’ll break my recommendations down by publisher. Now buckle up and let’s go!!!

MARVEL:

MARVEL COMICS (ICON)

$3.50 CRIMINAL Vol2 #3- Ed Brubaker’s best book. With co-creator Sean Phillips providing the oh-so-right visuals. Film Noir, and the Heist Flick… distilled. Out of 100 or so titles Marvel puts out, this is the only one I’m picking up.

DC COMICS

$2.99 HELLBLAZER #243
Written by Andy Diggle Art by Giuseppe Camuncoli Cover by Lee Bermejo Part 1 of the 2-part “The Mortification of the Flesh.” There is a room at the heart of the Vatican known as The Confessional, where any act may be committed without fear of guilt or sin. Here, the temptations of the flesh are drawn out and expunged through indulgence. But when something goes horribly wrong, a priest with a terrible secret is forced to turn to an outsider for help … an outsider named John Constantine. On sale April 16 * 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US * MATURE READERS- Andy Diggle is a great writer and this sounds like a perfect jumping on point

Okay, that’s all for the big two! Now let’s get to real comics. .

IMAGE COMICS

$2.99 MADMAN ATOMIC COMICS #10

art & cover MICHAEL ALLRED & LAURA ALLRED “KNOWLEDGE COMES WITH DEATH’S RELEASE” To be or not to be in The Atomics? That is the question. Recent changes in the team lineup is shaking up Frank “Madman” Einstein and cosmic repercussions are at stake. Plus what happened to the guy from the cable company?! Why is he so late?! Shouldn’t he have shown up by now? APRIL 23 * 32 PAGES * FC * $2.99

$2.99 WALKING DEAD #50

story ROBERT KIRKMAN art & cover CHARLIE ADLARD & CLIFF RATHBURN variant cover ERIK LARSEN & RYAN OTTLEY All alone now. For this landmark 50th issue we present a special stand-alone tale that will both warm your heart and chill you to the bone. APRIL 23 * 32 PAGES * BW * $3.50 WARNING: MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR ALL AGES- Everyone knows,that while I loved the first two years of this serious, I gave up on it when it became too sadistic for my tastes. I think this is a good issue, to pop my head in and see where it stands.

DARK HORSE COMICS

$49.95 CREEPY ARCHIVES HC

Various (W/A) On sale June 18 b&w, 232 pages $49.95 HC, 8 3/8″ x 10 7/8″ Gather up your wooden stakes, your blood-covered hatchets, and all the skeletons in the darkest depths of your closet, and prepare for a horrifying adventure into the darkest corners of comics history. Dark Horse Comics further corners the market on high quality horror storytelling with one of the most anticipated releases of the decade, a hardcover archive collection of legendary Creepy Magazine. This groundbreaking material turned the world of graphic storytelling on its head in the early 1960s, as phenomenal young artists like Bernie Wrightson and Neal Adams reached new artistic heights with their fascinating explorations of classic and modern horror stories. * Brilliant, classic Creepy stories from 1964-1966 raised from the dead after twenty-five years. * Featuring work by such comics luminaries as Joe Orlando, Al Williamson, Alex Toth, and Frank Frazetta. * Archive editions of Creepy will be the cornerstone of any comic-book library. * Volume One reprints the first five terrifying issues of the magazine’s original run, reprinted in the original magazine size!- I’m a huge fan of Creepy and Eerie Magazines, and I think a collection is long overdue. But $50 for five issues!! I understand the original issues are scarce, but that’s no reason to jack up the price on a reprint! For $25 this is a no brainer, at $50 it’s too rich for my blood.

$2.99 USAGI YOJIMBO #111

Stan Sakai (W/A) On sale Apr 23 b&w, 24 pages $2.99 Ongoing Rabbit ronin Usagi and the bounty hunter Gen rescue a young girl without realizing it, only to find themselves the target of her captors, in this first part of a new story! Traveling through the countryside together, Usagi and Gen cross paths with another intriguing wanderer: a female gambler nicknamed “The Whip,” who journeys across the land with a unique and mysterious mission. When The Whip meets a young girl at a gambling den who was sold into slavery by her destitute father, she determines to set the girl free. Unable to buy the girl from her owner, The Whip kidnaps her. The next morning, Usagi and Gen awake to a surprise - the girl has been left in their care, and they’re surrounded by irate gamblers thirsty for blood!

AARDVARK VANAHEIM

$3.00 GLAMOURPUSS #1 COMICS ED

by Dave Sim Master graphic novelist Dave Sim - the creator of Cerebus - returns! Glamourpuss is three comic books in one: a parody of fashion magazines, a history of photorealism in comics (starting with Alex Raymond’s Rip Kirby in 1946), and the strangest super-heroine comic book of all time! Featuring the first appearance of Glamourpuss, her evil twin sister Skanko, and the heroine’s long-time therapist Dr. Norm. Available with two covers - a “Comics Edition” with a classic EC-style cover, and a “Fashion Edition” that parodies fashion magazines. COMICS EDITION - 24pgs, B&W SRP: $3.00 FASHION EDITION - 24pgs, B&W SRP: $3.00- Along with CRIMINAL, probably the book I’m most jazzed about.

$30.00 DAVE SIM COLLECTED LETTERS VOL 1

by Dave Sim “After you’ve finished writing the longest sustained narrative in human history, it’s time to answer the mail.” Beginning on January 23, 2004, Dave Sim did just that, getting caught up on a three-year backlog of reader mail and then answering the letters that came in after Cerebus #300. Volume One covers January through May 2004, and Volume Two covers the months of June and July. VOLUME 1 (FEB052434) - SC, 580pgs, B&W SRP: $30.00 VOLUME 2 (MAR073054) - SC, 6×9, 580pgs, B&W SRP: $22.00- I still have to make time to read all of Cerebus, but as I do would probably be nice to have this book at my side.

ABSTRACT STUDIOS

$3.50 TERRY MOORES ECHO #2

by Terry Moore When Julie Martin becomes exposed to the fallout of a new, hi-tech weapon she seeks help, but instead finds she’s become the target of a military contractor who wants her dead. The people she once depended upon either cannot or will not help, so Julie runs. Now her only allies are a park ranger she’s never met and a woman who is dead. Don’t miss this second chapter of the exciting new series from SiP creator Terry Moore! 7×10, 24pgs, B&W SRP: $3.50- I find it very daunting to get into Strangers in Paradise, so I’m getting in on this series by Terry Moore instead.

I’m running out of time, so sppeed round… pics of recommended picks with Diamond Distributors order code beside it

INDEPENDENTS:

APR073291

$2.99 GEORGE R R MARTINS WILD CARDS #1 (OF 6) HARD CALL

by Martin, Abraham & Battle In 1946, an alien virus was unleashed that changed the world forever, and people who were affected made their draw. Most drew the Black Queen and died horribly. Almost everyone who survived drew the Joker, and became deformed, broken, hated and feared. But a handful drew the Ace, and gained super powers that allowed them to achieve almost anything the mind can conceive - both in dreams and in nightmares. Sixty years later, an ace named Croyd Crenson, better known as “The Sleeper,” is framed for the murder of a young nurse in Jokertown. And as it turns out, the killer is another ace, with the ability to walk through walls! Meanwhile a group of teenagers in Colorado accidentally activate the dormant Wild Card Virus, causing the entire town of Whiteoak to experience the effects of the virus. Most draw the Black Queen, but emergency crews will find themselves faced with two people who have drawn the ace! Set in the world of the long-running series of popular Wild Card novels edited by George R. R. Martin, Wild Cards: The Hard Call is written by Daniel Abraham with art by Eric Battle. Featuring beloved characters from the original stories, this six-issue limited series also introduces us to an entirely new generation of aces and jokers sure to change the Wild Card universe forever! 32pgs, FC (1 of 6) SRP: $2.99

$5.99 NEGATIVE BURN #20

by Various The Eagle, Eisner, and Harvey Award nominated anthology returns this month with yet another issue packed with today’s top creators and tomorrow’s brightest talents. MATURE THEMES 64pgs, B&W SRP: $5.99

$16.95 ABRAXAS AND THE EARTHMAN TP

by Rick Veitch Rick Veitch’s unforgettable 8-part Epic Magazine series is finally one mind-bending full-color graphic novel! Abducted from Earth by space whalers, cetologist John Isaac endures physical and spiritual mutation by order of the ship’s cruel master, Rotwang. Pressed into the mad captain’s hunt for Abraxas, Isaac finds his own destiny in the belly of this monstrous red-horned whale. (JUL06327 MATURE THEMES SC, 88pgs, FC SRP: $16.95

$16.95 SHINY BEASTS GN

by Veitch, Bissette, & Moore Another spell-binding showcase of Rick Veitch’s innovative Epic Magazine stories that seared the minds of a generation of Marvelites. These nine fully-painted fantasy shorts create unimagined worlds that entertain, enlighten, shock, and horrify. Completely remastered from the original art, this deluxe companion volume to Abraxas and The Earthman also includes: “Love Doesn’t Last Forever” (written by Alan Moore) and “Monkey See” (with S.R. Bissette). (FEB073614) MATURE THEMES SC, 10×8, 84pgs, FC SRP: $16.95

$3.95 TALES FROM THE CRYPT #6

by Various More modern-day madness in the EC tradition! Thomas Donalley, the hapless soul from Tales From The Crypt #1, who made the mistake of acquiring the wrong fully-poseable, micro-articulated action figure, returns in an all-new terror-tale. Slowly recovering from his many wounds, Donalley works a menial job at an old folks home, where he hatches his latest insane scheme - stealing a vast fortune from a sick, elderly resident. Will Donalley’s luck finally change? The answer’s in “Graveyard Shift in the Twilight Gardens.” But that’s not all! In “Jumping the Shark,” a reality TV producer, fond of dreaming up horrible ways to torture the show’s contestants, doesn’t stop pitching shows, even after he dies! And of course, it wouldn’t be Tales From The Crypt without the Crypt-Keeper, the Old Witch, and the Vault-Keeper acting as macabre masters of ceremony! (C: 0-1-2) 48pgs, FC SRP: $3.95

$17.99 SOLLITARIA GN

by Various It’s the month for graphic novels at Praxis Comics - a great occasion to re-live all the fantastic stories brought to you by Sollitaria! If you missed any issues of the series so far, this is the first collection of the stories and characters that inhabit this fantastical city. Containing 7 full stories, featuring favorites like Lost Station, Panopticon, As Time Goes By, and more. Sollitaria the Graphic Novel is truly an amazing work of twisted imagination! The scenarios created by the writers and artists will amaze, entertain and intrigue readers with its underlying messages and macabre twists throughout. A must-read for fans of all things dark, fantastic and incredible! MATURE THEMES SC, FC SRP: $17.99

All books can be ordered from your local comicbook shop, or from this site. Order inquiries can be sent to heroictimes at care2 dot com. All orders need to be in by 3 Mar 08.