Everyone knows that Wednesday is new comic book day. While picking up your new issues consider looking at some of the trade paperbacks and hard covers of past issues and story lines. But which ones should you choose?

That’s why every Tuesday, The Flickcast will recommend a collection of comics that are just as good, if not better, than the issues you are currently buying. Books that deserve to be read, and bought the next time you walk into your local comic book store.

The trade paperback you should check out this week is Locke & Key: Welcome to Lovecraft by IDW Comics. Locke & Key is one part horror, one part mystery, and ten parts of intrigue. It is a book that immediately after you finish reading it, your first thought will be, “Why haven’t I read this before?”

Locke & Key is the story of the three young Locke children, and what happens to them after their father is murdered. Their uncle invites the kids and their mother to move to Lovecraft, Massachusetts, where the home of the Locke family mansion also known as the Key house resides.

Everything seems to be settling back to normal for the kids until the youngest Locke boy finds a key with a skull on it, and when he inserts it into a certain door, he becomes a ghost. That one single turn of the key leads the three Locke children into a bigger mystery about the true nature of the house, its multiple special keys and doors, and the secret of what exactly is in the well out back.

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If you can’t wait until the new season of True Blood starts again on HBO, at least there’s a little something to keep you occupied until then. What is this amazing thing that can entertain you and satisfy your thirst for new True Blood and the exploits of your favorite resident on Bon Temps, LA.

Why it’s a new True Blood comic book series from the folks at IDW. The followup to the already successful first round of True Blood comics, these new books spin a new tale. In them Jessica is exposed to contaminated bottles of Tru Blood, causing the lovely vampire to go berserk.

It’s up to Sookie, Bill and the others to figure out who (or what) is behind the bad Blood. In addition to Jessica, several other Bon Temp residents are making their comic book debut including Hoyt, Terry, Arlene and Steve Newlin.

Click through for the full press release and some art. Look for the new True Blood comic series to debut on February 23rd.

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Have no fear fans of HBO’s vampire drama True Blood, the network won’t make you wait for a new season of the show without giving you something to occupy your time. In fact, HBO and our friends at IDW are going to be releasing a True Blood graphic novel to do just that.

The graphic novel, called True Blood, Vol.1: All Together Now, is a hard cover compilation of all six issues from the first comic book series. The graphic novel will feature a new cover and bonus content including sketches and a cover gallery.

In case you’re not familiar with the current comic, it debuted in July and was an instant hit, selling out the first two issues and going into multiple printings. With four issues released (and two more to go)…it has become the best selling title for IDW Publishing in their history. Nice.

The book will be released on February 8, 2011 and retail for $24.99. Be sure to check it out as its a great way to experience the comic without having to try and follow individual issues.

This weekly round-up has become somewhat of an ongoing series, because, well frankly because Marvel keeps releasing so many great free comics, I can barely read them all. So if free is a cost you can endure, and if you have an iPhone or iPad, let’s take a look at what’s free in the Marvel store this week, shall we?

Deadpool #1 (2008): “ONE OF US,” Part 1.

The Merc with a Mouth is back, even deadlier and more deranged than before! The planet has been invaded by Skrulls, everything’s gone topsy-turvy, but in Deadpool’s world, that just means it’s Monday! Crazy times call for crazy men, but c’mon, this guy’s insane. Like it or not, Deadpool may be the only person on the planet who can save us, but who’s to say he wants to? Be here for the explosive debut of the new ongoing series by writer, Daniel Way (Wolverine: Origins, Ghost Rider, Bullseye: Greatest Hits) and fan-favorite artist Paco Medina (New Warriors, New X-Men). Deadpool: His madness is his method! You won’t want to miss it.

The Invincible Iron Man #83 (1996).

Iron Man faces off against one of his most lethal enemies, the armored evil-doer known as The Titanium Man!
Written by: John J. Miller
Penciled by: Jorge Lucas
Inked by: Jorge Lucas
Cover by: Adi Granov

Ultimate Spider-Man #14 (2007): “DOUBLE TROUBLE,” Part 1.

He’s been in a coma for months thanks to the accident that gave birth to the Green Goblin. BUt now, possessing monstrous mechanical arms and plenty of attitude, Dr. Otto Octavius lives! You saw a sketch of him in Wizard, now get ready for the real deal! Plus: The first appearance of another major character! Written by Brian Michael Bendis, penciled by Mark Bagley, inked by Art Thibert and the cover by Mark Bagley.

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Unfortunately, due to a scheduling snafu, I didn’t get my comics this week until late Wednesday night. As a result, I wasn’t able to get through them all in one sitting so there won’t be a Pull of the Week this week. But that won’t stop me from getting you two full days of comic reviews from the books I did get a chance to read this week.

Exiles #6 – Marvel – $3.99

Score: 4.0

And finally, Exiles comes to a bittersweet end. And it’s not bittersweet because we will miss our heroic team as they are shown off in classic fashion. It’s bittersweet because the book that was so lacking in story and character development after dragging the name of one of our favorite series through the mud has finally ended and we don’t need to see it dip even further away from the quality it once was. After only four issues, it was revealed that Exiles‘ second volume, which somehow trumped New Exiles for being the worst use of the Exiles team, would be coming to a quick end. So to “celebrate” the series finale, they decided to make it a “mega-sized” final issue to help tie up all those loose ends that originally should have been spread out over an ungodly number of painfully written issues.

Much like the rest of the series, Exiles #6 just isn’t good. After finding out their first mission was not a success, the Exiles return to the world to break up the alliance that was keeping mutant kind united and would ultimately lead to the end of the world by driving the wedge of Scott Summers’ infidelity between Jean Grey and Emma Frost. When this happens, a series of events plays out that explains the “true” origins of the Exiles teams and how the Timebroker, the bugs and the old couple weren’t ever really behind their formation.

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To take a look at yesterday’s Pull List Reviews, click here.

Captain Britain and MI13 #14 – Marvel – $2.99
Score: 8.5

This is one of the times where the vocal minority needs to help save a book. If Spider-Girl could be saved, this book most certainly deserves it. Unless something happens in the final issue #15 that prevents the characters from being able to appear in future issues like the entire nation of England being nuked off the map, there is no reason the series shouldn’t continue.

At the New York Comic Con this past February, Paul Cornell was praised for his work on the series. Now months later, it is being brought to an end far too soon. The past few months, the book has fallen just short of the top 100 comics in terms of sales which may be why Marvel is giving it the axe despite being the best Captain Britain series in recent memory, especially after the dismal storytelling of New Excalibur.

By the end of the previous issue, the war between Dracula and his vampire army and the nation of Britain had taken a huge toll. Captain Britain had been expelled from his country as Spitfire had turned on her own team, resulting in the deaths of Pete Wisdom, the Black Knight and Fauza. Blade also turned his back on the battle and walked away. The hardest part of this issue is to describe the events that happen within because of the sheer volume of spoilers it would contain. Most of the enjoyment of the issue comes from the surprises that come up that would only be ruined if I tried to describe the plot in detail here.

Usually comics lend themselves to the “holy crap” moments with a stunning final panel setting up for the next issue. This issue bucks that trend in its first few pages. What follows is a great example of Leonard Kirk’s fantastic pencils of action scenes combined with the dry British dialogue that Paul Cornell has mastered so well, probably since he hails from Britain it gives him an unfair advantage writing it. Kirk also does a great job with the way he draws blood in the issue. Often times, gory battles can come across as gratuitous.

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Pull of the Week:

Beta Ray Bill: Godhunter #1 – Marvel – $3.99

Score: 8.0

Every now and then it’s a good practice to pick up something off the rack you have little knowledge of or something that hasn’t been covered extensively by the internet hype machine. A lot of those times it can pay off with something really interesting and enjoyable. A good example of that is this week’s Beta Ray Bill: Godhunter. With Bill being more of a background player, this three issue miniseries gives him a great spotlight as it sets him up to go toe to toe with some of Marvel’s biggest players.

Godhunter begins with Beta Ray Bill teaming up with Thor and his ship, Skuttlebutt, to stop a tidal wave caused by an ocean quake from destroying a seaside town. After their success, Bill asks Thor for his aid in going after the god that destroyed his home planet and the rest of his race, the devourer Galactus. Thor, thinking Bill’s idea to be suicide, passes and tries unsuccessfully to convince Bill not to go.

The issue provides a cameo for S.W.O.R.D. and Agent Brand as they are rebuilding their facility after the Skrull attack when Brand meets with Bill. In exchange for a location of Galactus, Brand asks a small favor of Bill to deal with a lesser known villain by the name of Voidian. After dealing with Voidian, Bill heads off to a distant planet where he encounters the Herald of Galactus Stardust and unveils his plan for how he will be the one to finally stop Galactus. Also included in the issue is a reprinting of The Mighty Thor #337, the first appearance of Beta Ray Bill.

One of the things I like best about this issue is that it is doing something that Marvel has done a great job as of late, letting talented creative teams take the lesser known heroes and allowing them to take bigger roles. What this does is make their appearances in the larger titles mean more to the reader because we have been given the chance to become more emotionally invested in the character and their story. A great example of this is Drax.

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For last week’s Pull of the Week and more, click here and here!

Pull of the Week:

Captain America #50 – Marvel – $3.99
Score: 7.5

Talk about promotional timing. This month, Captain America gets it’s 50th issue. Next month, Marvel lets the series go back to its original numbering and gives Cap his 600th issue. So what does writer Ed Brubaker bring to the 50th issue of Marvel’s Sentinel of Liberty? A birthday issue. The pages open with a dramatic action sequence from Penciler Luke Ross with Bucky being chased down the street by three heavily armed high-tech equipped villains. Bucky talks about how this birthday for him is just any other as he is doing what he has seemingly done on every birthday he can remember… fight.

As Bucky continues his confrontation, he takes the reader back to his memories of various birthdays like the bar-room brawl he encountered at sixteen, fighting alongside the Invaders at eighteen and interrogating a Nazi with Steve Rogers, his idol and partner, on his twentieth birthday. He even fades back to a few brief memories as his time as the Winter Soldier where he didn’t even experience his birthdays anymore.

As Bucky remembers his past while dealing with his present danger, he must contend with something that will forever haunt him, something he cannot argue. Bucky knows he is not the real Captain America. No matter how much good he does for the world or how many people he helps to make up for his past, he will never be Steve Rogers.

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This is part two of this week’s Pull List, check out yesterday’s reviews here.

Dark Reign: Young Avengers #1 – Marvel – $3.99
Score: 8.0
Under the cover headline “They’re exactly what you think”  stands a team of unknowns in the same pose as the Young Avengers on their first cover. In the opening pages the reader is introduced to this new cast of characters who introduce themselves to a group of liquor store robbers as the “Young Avengers”. The rag-tag group is made up of Coat of Arms (sword wielding artist who had brought the team together), Enchantress (not the classic Thor villain, but with similar powers), Egghead (a robot), Big Zero (a size changer with a bad attitude), Executioner (a weapons expert) and Melter (the team leader whose name is fairly self explanatory for his powers).

Originally announced as Norman Osborn’s own team of Young Avengers, this issue shows that the team actually has no affiliation with the former Green Goblin but instead came together in an effort to be heroes similar to the way the original Young Avengers had done. Their methods however quickly come into question as their “success” isn’t gained in the way any hero would have done.  This brings about what looks to be the theme of the issue, and hopefully the rest of the series, of “what makes a hero a hero?” Seen in actions of the characters, flashbacks and conversation between Melter and Coat of Arms, this seemingly simple question is one that is actually very hard to answer.  Even Melter, the one who is so in tuned with what his idea of what makes a hero and his desire to be one must question his own place on the team as the issue plays out.

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This is the second part of the Pull List reviews for this week’s comics. Read part one here.

Dark Reign: The Cabal – Marvel – $3.99
Overall Score: 5.5

Since Dark Reign: The Cabal is actually five smaller stories produced by completely different writing/art teams, there will be a short review for each piece, as opposed to trying to explain it as a whole.

“Doctor Doom:… And I’ll Get The Land”
Written by Jonathan Hickman and beautifully painted by Adi Granov, this vignette helps give insight into Doctor Doom’s thoughts of the Cabal and its future. While these thoughts and actions won’t be much surprise to someone who has followed the good Doctor, they are a great jumping on point for those not familiar with the character and his feelings of the current state of the Marvel U.

“Emma Frost: How I Survived Apocalyptic Fire”
Expert X-Scribe, Matt Fraction, teams with Daniel Acuna to present another recanting of what could be considered Emma Frost’s origin. Fraction doesn’t just show the reader what happened, he explains the effect of it on Emma and how that ties in to her current place in the Cabal.

“The Hood: Family Trust”
Now Marvel exclusive writer Rick Remender brings the reader to a private funeral with the Hood and the union of villains working under him. The story shows the Hood from two very different perspectives, the devout boyfriend and protective father who knows that his family is his top priority and the inspiring leader who gives a speech to keep his gang ready for what may come. One of the best aspects of the Hood is how relatively new the character is. Unlike classic villains like the Kingpin or Magneto that have been doing the same things for years, the Hood is still a wild card in the Marvel world. The short story does a tremendous job of helping build interest for his upcoming miniseries, Dark Reign: The Hood.

“Namor – The Sub-Mariner: The Judgment of Namor”
Playing off the story of the wise King Solomon, Namor sits in front of an Atlantean Court to hear a custody dispute between a militaristic father and pacifist mother over their mutant child. Though he has played the role of hero and villain in the past, Namor’s actions reflect he is neither, just a King and servant to his subjects. Of all the stories in Dark Reign: The Cabal, this is the only one where the art distracts from the story with Carmine Di Giandomenico’s somewhat loose and overly relaxed style. While providing insight in to a member of the Cabal, it gives only a brief connection to Namor’s involvement in the group.

“Loki: Dinner with Doom”
Writer Peter Milligan uses the mutual involvement of Loki and Doom in the Cabal as a tool for the two to communicate with each other about matters not concerning Osborn. Loki’s underhanded dealings with Doom do more to promote future issues of Thor than anything else.

Overall, Dark Reign: The Cabal provides small character building pieces of the members of the Cabal in short, easy to digest pieces. Unfortunately, they come across as more of a meager snack than a full meal due to their short length.  The stories read so fast but offer little in the way of satisfaction, they leave the reader wanting more than what the format of the issue could offer.

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