Mr. Chair's comic book pick of the week!

New feature in the lounge!
This week is easy. Whenever a new Stray Bullets comes out, you have to read it last. That or just don't buy any other comic books and read David Lapham's latest multiple times. The new Stray Bullets doesn't disappoint, even after the long wait. That's the difference between someone like Lapham, and say Brian Michael Bendis. When the former writer comes out with a new release, it's an event. You want to put his comics on a shelf. Bendis, Marvel's all-star writer of a thousand titles, has one or two new comic books every week. I always read them first, because I know that they're entertaining, quick reads, and largely forgettable. Sort of like an appetizer for each Wednesday's new shipment.

Not so with Stray Bullets this week or any other. Lapham's black and white art demands extensive examination. His storytelling pulls you along steadily, carefully. You know something big is going to happen. It could be a nasty violent panel, or it could happen in the gutter, between frames. This week the story continues to follow our heroine in highschool, as she provides Lapham a pair of eyes to witness the horrible things that we all know happen in the teenage years. Well-intentioned Tony doesn't stand a chance.

Footnote: Last week's belated pick shall be Iron Man, by Warren Ellis. A decaying superhero book, which I adore from childhood, gets an update by the greatest scifi comic book writer out there. Ellis is at the top of his game, and everything he touches lately turns to gold.