I love collecting single issues, floppies if you will, (I’ve even heard them called flaccids, HA!) but there is also something really nice to having a nice bound collected edition to curl up with on the couch (preferably when it’s dark and stormy outside, but I digress). So here’s something new to hit the stands that I highly recommend:

7 Psychopaths – Fabian Vehlmann (writer) & Sean Phillips (artist)

What is the quickest way to end the war?  Kill Hitler, of course!  Translated in English and released a number of months back as a 3-issue mini-series, this really is suited for the tightly packaged trade format here.  I really enjoyed this book and while it does have features reminiscent of both Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds and Valkyrie, it is unique on it’s own for many of it’s cool and odd story points.  I initially picked this up without question because of Sean Phillips’ art as I’m a huge fan of his Criminal, Incognito, and Marvel Zombies series.  He has a real distinct style and it suits this book so well, his panels (even when as tiny as they are here) are absolutely beautiful.  Phillips really is a master of the comic craft with his ability to tell a story with a sequence of pictures.  Vehlmann’s writing is also well done (though I wonder how well it was translated to English as opposed to his native French language).  Even though this trade consists of three single issues plus some extras, this easily feels like a much longer series due to how densely packed the story is in the pages which, in my opinion, is a nice change of pace from the usual decompressed splash-page-filled comics we normally see on the stands nowadays.  I am really fascinated with WWII stories and the WWII setting in film, comics, etc. and while this story is completely fictional, it is a really fun read.  So if you’re looking for a great independent WWII-inspired story with amazing art, check this book out, perfectly priced at $9.99 for a full-sized trade paperback.