Episode 35 - Review of New #1s and a Discussion of the Eisner Award Nominees

This week Andy and Derek review three new #1 comics: the Vertigo anthology Time Warp, Brian K. Vaughn and Marcos Martin’s The Private Eye (Panel Syndicate), and Jonathan Hickman and Nick Dragotta’s East of West (Image Comics). They have their hands full with Time Warp, given the variety of quality creators and engaging narratives contained in this plus-sized issue, but they still find the time to look at two recent examples at genre bending. Vaughn and Martin’s The Private Eye is a futuristic detective/noir tale established on the premise that technology and social media have gone wrong. The Two Guys with PhDs note that this narrative has much in common with Y: The Last Man, another series based on a faulty cultural contingency. East of West, on the other hand, is a genre free-for-all, mashing up elements of sci-fi,westerns, alternative history, and apocalyptic narratives, and topped with a generous dollop of violent gore. It’s not a title for those with a queasy constitution. Andy and Derek then turn their attention to the recently announced nominees for the 2013 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards. They point out this year’s dearth of nominations for superhero-related titles and the sheer dominance of independent creators and smaller publishers on the list. In other words, the 2013 Eisner nominees are just up The Comics Alternative‘s alley, leading the Two Guys with PhDs to wonder if this year’s awards committee has been listening to and heeding the suggestions emanating from their weekly podcasts. Even if they haven’t, it’s clear that Andy and Derek have their fingers on some kind of pulse, and that The Comics Alternative is particularly poised to discuss the significance of this year’s Eisner’s nominations. There’s a lot of good, creamy comics stuff packed into this oversized episode — over two hours long! — and it’s sure to sit nicely on your shelf next to your collection of 1970s DC “giant” comics!