Picked up a few good TPBs ... recommended reading.

[Jakew]

Just want to recommend a few good tradepaperbacks I picked up the other day: Jonah Hex - Face full of violence; Fables - Wolves; and Apache Skies.

Apache Skies by John Ostrander is a "Magnificent Seven" style western featuring Ostrander's versions of all the Marvel western heroes, like Kid Colt, Two-Gun Kid, Gunhawk, The Phantom Rider, etc. Great stuff, although I wish it has been longer than a 4 issue miniseries. I'm going to have to track down the sequel.

Fables - Wolves is a return to form for the whole Fables series. After March of The Wooden Soldiers, I've felt this series was cruising a bit on its premise and Willingham didn't really seem to doing anything overly wonderful with his brilliant series concept. Wolves, however, is totally on point ... getting out of Fabletown and following two of Bigby's 'Tourists' (covert agents), Mowgli and Cinderella. Ok, Bigby is eventually able to penetrate The Adversary's defences way too easily and is suprisingly charitable to him ... but it all looks very cool, with the best Mark Buckingham art in the series I've yet seen.

Jonah Hex - Face Full of Violence is the best comic I've read in ages. Great art, tight writing, and a really fascinating tough-guy character. I've heard this is a 12-issue series, so I'll be looking forward to picking up the susequent tpb.

[The Enigma]

Have to chime in on Wolves. Things have been a bit average since Bigby left the series, but his return is flashy and wonderful. More excellent stuff from Willingham.

[Agent]

Jonah Hex - Face Full of Violence is the best comic I've read in ages. Great art, tight writing, and a really fascinating tough-guy character. I've heard this is a 12-issue series, so I'll be looking forward to picking up the susequent tpb.

Seconded.  Although I'd like to point out that Jonah Hex is an ongoing series.  In fact issue #16 is due out this week.   :thumbup:

[Jakew]

It's ongoing? Excellent!

Do you know if any of the characters from the current series (for example, the girl Hex knows in the town run by the criminal nun) are from the original series? Or are they totally new characters?

Also is the budget reprint Jonah Hex TPB (DC Classics or something similar) any good?

[Dartman X]

Yes, I'm looking forward to reading Fables myself (although a recent article in Wizard revealed who the Adversary was...Damn them!)

Also, the second 'DMZ' TPB by Brian Wood should be out this week - I really liked the first (being from NY, it hits home a bit more)

[Agent]

It's ongoing? Excellent!

Do you know if any of the characters from the current series (for example, the girl Hex knows in the town run by the criminal nun) are from the original series? Or are they totally new characters?

As far as I know most of the characters (except for established Western heroes like El Diablo and Batlash) were created for the series.

Also is the budget reprint Jonah Hex TPB (DC Classics or something similar) any good?

You mean Showcase Presents Jonah Hex?  If you like the current series I think you'll like it, too.  I still haven't finished reading the whole thing (it's over 500 pages) but I'm enjoying it so far.  It really shows how Palmiotti and Gray are working to stay true to the original series.