Before I get started on this very late Previews post, I gotta tell you about the experience at my comic shop while I was picking up my books on Friday. Along with me and Becky there were four girls running around the shop. I don’t remember all of their (of course loud) conversations, but I do remember that every single one of the conversations was stupid. I’m surprised they didn’t weren’t speaking in fake British accents. For example, there was some debate about whether the graphic novel Capote in Kansas inspired or was inspired by “the movie”.

One of them picked up the Showcase Presents: Booster Gold volume and squeed it over to her colleague. She explained who Booster Gold was and how he wasn’t very popular but she loved him. Her friend asked, “Can you get it cheaper online?” (YES! OUT LOUD IN THE STORE!) and the girl said she doubted it because Booster Gold is really unpopular and she can’t imagine they printed too many of these collections.

Also one was wearing an anime kitty hat and one was wearing…wait for it…a silver cape.

As we left Becky said, “Here’s the thing about wanting so much attention. What do you do with it once you get it?”

Okay, that out of the way, let’s dive into the equally stupid world of Previews.

It’s a long slog until you get to the first thing I actually want. One the way you pass by Gantz volume 6, which I’m going to pass on. I’ve now read the first three volumes and while it’s okay, I’m getting a vibe on this that there really isn’t a mystery being set up here so much as an excuse to show violence and large breasts. Don’t get me wrong, I got nothing against either of those, but I don’t particularly need to pay thirteen bucks a pop for either.

On page 50 we have Dragonero. I think you know how to say that out loud.

It says, “Dragonero is a brand-new stand-alone graphic novel in the spirit of Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia.” so no, they’re not overselling this at all.

This is interesting: Playboy’s Trump: The Complete Collection (p. 53). There are a lot of groundbreaking folks involved in this old Mad magazine knock-off. My dad has a copy of the first issue in with his Mad collection that he foolishly let me read, devour, and practically destroy when I was a kid. But keep in mind, it is “complete” in that it contains both issues of the magazine; there were only two. It’s still interesting stuff that hasn’t been reprinted elsewhere as far as I know, but I’m pretty sure the magazine wasn’t 72 pages long. Where do the 144 pages in this collection come from?

The unpopular Booster Gold is solicited on page 78.

Oh, he’s also got a trade paperback on page 89.

Finally! Something I’m going to buy, and it’s the PICK OF THE MONTH!

Seaguy: The Slaves of Mickey Eye (p. 119): The first Seaguy story was a jam packed fun marathon that everybody hated because Grant Morrison wrote it and it made no sense and why can’t he just write regular stories about punching? It was the exact same style as Jack Kirby, where ideas come at you fast and furious and you just hang on and enjoy the ride, but instead of being “imaginative” as it would be if Kirby actually had written it it was “weird for weird’s sake” since Morrison wrote it. (See also: Final Crisis.) But apparently Morrison’s handling of DC’s giganto comics event involved a Faustian side-deal involving a second Seaguy series and while I passed on the epic superheroics, I am totally down for this!

Viking #1 (p. 140): Looks like Vikings are the new Pirates.

Jack Staff #20 is resolicited on page 166, so it looks like…Ha! I’m kidding! There’s no Jack Staff comic solicited in this Previews, just like the two before it!

Ignition City #1 (p. 213): Fine, Warren Ellis, I’ll take the bait.

I’m sorry you didn’t get pick of the month, Atomic Robo and the Shadow Beyond Time #1 (p. 296) but that doesn’t mean I don’t love you and won’t be buying and looking forward to you!

Man, I’m torn on League of Extraordinary Gentlemen vol III: Century #1 “1910″ (p.304) (That’s a GREAT title, by the way. Rolls right off the tongue.) I love LOEG vols 1 and 2. But the last one was just beyond tedious. Do I get this or not? Wait for a trade?

Woo! TWO new volumes of Hikaru No Go! (p. 312).

The Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull movie was a smashing success, and I think Indy’s son, Mutt Williams is probably THE fan-favorite new character of 2008, so this is certainly the optimum time to release an $80 quarter-scale action figure of this beloved character.

And hey, remember the Balrog Wall Mount? It’s back, both in its original $140 version and a new 4′ long version that’ll only set you back two grand!

And last but not least, a must for the bookshelf of every serious-minded individual out there. Plato. Kant. Hume. Bumblebee.