Welcome to another edition of Comics Guide! This week we have a treat for you, and all you have to do is get through my blitherings about the week's notable books. Let's get to work!
THE CAPTAIN'S COMMENTS
It seems every week brings a couple of "All-New Marvel NOW!" reboots, and this week is no exception. However, while many of these reboots have the same creative team, both of this week's ANMN offerings are a departure from their predecessors.
For example, Marvel has launched a bajillion Moon Knight series, all of which have failed. So this week's Moon Knight #1 isn't a relaunch of a successful series, but another attempt at a failed one.
Further, there's a new premise for the character, imagined by one of the best writers in comics. This iteration of Marc Spector is written by the (almost) legendary Warren Ellis, who will send his protagonist on the trail of "weird crime."
The Lunar Lawman returns to NYC for this series (his last was set in L.A.), and Ellis promises to poke into the darkest and weirdest corners of the Marvel Universe. That actually sounds pretty interesting, because nobody does dark and weird quite like Ellis.
Marvel is also re-launching Wolverine & The X-Men, but without Jason Aaron, the writer who is largely credited for making the first W&tX successful. Instead, we have Jason Latour, who is both a writer and an artist.
The only place I recall seeing Latour's name was on the comic-book version of Django Unchained, where he and four other artists rendered Reginald Hudlin's adaptation of the movie's screenplay. What I guess was Latour's art was pretty good, although he was outshined by flashier artists like Denys Cowan and Daniel Zezelj on Django.
All of which means squat in this discussion, as Latour will be the writer, not the artist, on Wolverine & The X-Men. Still, it's worth a look, if for no other reason than Aaron left the title in good shape, with both a strong premise and well-defined relationships between the principal players.
Also, Marvel is launching an actual new title this week: Magneto. According to the description, the Master of Magnetism will be tracking down threats to mutantkind in this ongoing title, and eliminating them with extreme prejudice. The description says Mr. Lehnsherr will "bloody his hands" and be "judge, jury and executioner."
This pleases me no end! I never could buy into the "reformed" Magneto, and further, I couldn't buy into the idea that anybody in the Marvel Universe would, either. Teaming up with Cyclops? Romancing Rogue? Playing professor at the X-school? Ugh! Guys, you do realize he's a mass murderer, right? Right? Multiple times.
It feels odd to cheer for a character to become murderous, but honestly, that's who Magneto has always been to me, and always will be. Yes, I like that in his mind he's the hero, and that he's three-dimensional and believable in his motivations. But that doesn't make him a good guy. Hitler thought he was a hero, too! Magneto may do terrible things for all the right reasons, but they are still terrible things. And every hero on the planet should want to bring him to justice -- not team up with him.
And besides, whenever Magneto's on a team the writers always power him down. He's much more effective on his own. I'm ready to see him cut loose a bit.
All three books can be found in the Marvel section, complete with previews.
Also also, Marvel has two more books out this month that deserve some love -- primarily because they're not at all like Marvel's usual fare. The Muppets Omnibus and Oz: The Emerald City of Oz HC are both excellent books for all ages, with pretty stellar creative teams. If you have kids -- or can pretend you do -- you might want to check 'em out.
And there's plenty of cool stuff that's not from Marvel this week, but I need to wrap this up. So very quickly:
* Archer & Armstrong #18 launches a four-issue crossover with Bloodshot and H.A.R.D. Corps. I can't think of two books less likely to have a crossover, so I'm guessing it'll be fun.
* Quantum and Woody #0 reveals the origin of Vincent Van Goat. Again, fun.
* Mark Millar launches his "Millarverse" -- a proposed line of inter-related books all created and mostly written by Millar -- with Starlight. The book stars a Flash Gordon type of character in retirement, who is called up one last time to save the universe, or Mongo, or something. I don't know how good this will be, but I thought it deserved mention for Millar's ambitiousness.
* Speaking of ambitious, Tales of Honor is a science-fiction property that is launching on all sorts of platforms, from games to TV to books to a movie (in 2017). Now it's hitting comics, and again, I don't know if it'll be any good, but it is certainly not lacking in ambition.
Archer & Armstrong and Quantum and Woody can be found in the Valiant section, while Starlight and Tales of Honor can be found in the Image section. All four come with previews.
BLASTS FROM THE BARON!
I promised a treat, and here it is. The Baron has once again chosen to share his insights on comics of Asian origin. That's a rare treat, so I separated manga -- the ones from "Other Publishers," anyway -- into its own section this week, so as to keep them Captain-free. It's all the Baron, whose comments are in brown. And as a bonus, there's one book that isn't manga -- and I bet you can all guess which one it is. Take it away, Baron!
07 GHOST VOL 9 (GN)
Publisher: VIZ LLC
Writer/Art/Cover: YUKI AMEMIYA
$9.99
Entangled by the Kraut House's corruption, Teito finds himself imprisoned in an icy tomb with a strange girl who he swears he's met before. Learning the dark secrets of Labrador's past is key to surviving the subzero "garden" but the trail leading to the gentle Seven Ghost's sad last days is anything but a primrose path.
"Kraut House" sounds like the name of a German restaurant.
BLACK BIRD VOL 18 (GN)
Publisher: VIZ LLC
Writer/Art/Cover: KANOKO SAKURAKOJI
$9.99
Misao's due date is rapidly approaching, and while she knows giving birth to her child means her death, she isn't ready to give up on life. But can she and Kyo discover a way to avert tragedy when countless Senka Maidens before her have suffered the same fate?!
It's the heartrending conclusion of this supernatural love story!
Japanese fiction seems to be full of stories of girls (and occasionally boys) who are the heirs to some ancient power or other that is fated to destroy them, but which often enough does not, for some reason or other.
BLUE EXORCIST VOL 11 (GN)
Publisher: VIZ LLC
Writer/Art/Cover: KAZUE KATO
$9.99
Rin and his friends continue to investigate the Seven School Mysteries. Yukio watches as the Exwires take on the Academy's ghosts, troubled by lingering doubts about his own feelings. Rin seems to be learning to control his power more, but is tapping his inner demonic fire going to be his salvation or his doom?
Schools having "Seven Mysteries" is another common theme in a number of stories I've seen. Not sure why it's inevitably seven. Some numerological significance, I assume.
D GRAY MAN 3-IN-1 VOL 3 (TPB)
Publisher: VIZ LLC
Writer/Art/Cover: KATSURA HOSHINO
$14.99
Allen has had his heart pierced and his Innocence pulverized by an assassin from the Clan of Noah. Allen is taken to the Asian branch of the Black Order to heal. He is keen to rejoin the battle, but he will not be able to fight again until he learns how to activate his Innocence and turn it into a weapon.
"... he will not be able to fight again until he learns how to activate his Innocence and turn it into a weapon." Love to know how that's supposed to work. How would one weaponize "innocence"?
DRAGONBALL 3-IN-1 VOL 4 (TPB)
Publisher: VIZ LLC
Writer/Art/Cover: Akira Toriyama
$14.99
Turtle vs. Crane
The next Tenkaichi Budokai martial art tournament is just around the corner, and an eager Son Goku can't wait to face even tougher fighters for the "Strongest Under the Heavens" title! Among the contestants include pipsqueak Chaozu and three-eyed Tenshinhan, deadly disciples of Tsuru-Sennin, the Crane Hermit!
As it turns out, Tsuru-Sennin is an old rival of Goku's teacher Kame-sennin (also known as the Turtle hemit). What's worse, Tsuru-Sennin orders Chaozu and Tenshinhan to kill the Kame Sennin disciples! Will crane-style kung fu beat out turtle style? As these two martial arts schools duke it out in the tournament ring, things just might turn fatal!
FROM THE NEW WORLD VOL 3 (GN)
Publisher: RANDOM HOUSE
Writer/Art/Cover: YUUSUKE KISHI
$10.95
A grand tale of the fate of mankind upon obtaining God's gift -- telekenisis! Yet beneath this thrilling adventure lie deep themes about the driving forces in life. Humanity, with the new found "power of the gods" is on the brink. A new species of beast, with the intelligence of man, and another race monsters begin to clash in this unpredictable story told through the adventues of a group of six youth whose telekenetic abilities have such been revealed. Complex and engaging, From the New World is a truly unique reading experience well worthy of praise.
FUSHIGI YUGI GENBU KAIDEN VOL 12 (GN)
Publisher: VIZ LLC
(W/A/CA) YUU WATASE
$9.99
The time has come for Takiko to assume the powers of the priestess and summon Genbu. As war and disaster break out around her, she must choose the three wishes that will save the Universe of the Four Gods. But according to prophecy, to summon a god the priestess must die ...
"The time has come for Takiko to assume the powers of the priestess and summon Genbu." Somehow I have an image of a shrine maiden serving a demon with a subpoena.
HENRY SPEAKS FOR HIMSELF (TPB)
Publisher: FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS
Writer/Art/Cover: JOHN LINEY
$24.99
The classic comic strip character Henry was not your average-looking youngster, with knobby knees, a pencil neck, and a bulbous, bald head. Written and drawn by John Liney, these comic book stories were done in a Tintin-esque style that made them attractive to the younger set, but with writing clever for adults to chuckle while reading to their children. These stories have never before been reprinted, and this collection provides a long-overdue look at a forgotten "kid's comic" masterpiece.
Could there possibly be a living human being even remotely interested in a collection of Henry comics? I didn't find that strip funny when I was eight. I can't imagine sitting and reading through a book of them now.
MIDNIGHT SECRETARY VOL 4 (GN)
Publisher: VIZ LLC
Writer/Art/Cover: TOMU OHMI
$9.99
Kyohei has left the family firm to start his own business, and Kaya is at his side as his indispensible secretary ... but only at night. By day she's still the executive secretary for Erde, a subsidiary of the company Kyohei just quit. The increased workload isn't a problem, but when the president of Erde discovers that Kaya is seeing an ex-Tohma Corp. executive, he starts to question her professional ethics! Will being vampire's secretary put an end to her career?!
What does a vampire need a secretary for, anyhow?
NIJIGAHARA HOLOGRAPH (HC)
Publisher: FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS
Writer/Art/Cover: INIO ASANO
$29.99
Eisner award nominee Inio Asano (Solanin) enters Lynch-ian territory with this small-town horror story involving murder, subterranean creatures and, perhaps, the end of the world. Rendered in the traditional Manga style, Asano's crisp and detailed panels are a welcome addition to Fantagraphic's expanding literary Manga line.
This actually sounds interesting, but maybe not "30 bucks worth of interesting."
NISEKOI FALSE LOVE VOL 2 (GN)
Publisher: VIZ LLC
Writer/Art/Cover: NAOSHI KOMI
$9.99
Raku and Chitoge's false love is off to a rocky start, but they have everyone fooled! Meanwhile, Raku's still hung up on his childhood sweetheart and wears a pendant around his neck as a memento. However, one big problem prevents him from finding the girl whom he promised to marry -- he can't remember her name or face! To further complicate matters, Onodera, Raku's current crush who also harbors secret feelings for him, accidentally overhears Raku and Chitoge arguing over their false relationship!
"Raku and Chitoge's false love is off to a rocky start ..." Hmm. Let me guess -- they end up falling for each other for real?
ONE PIECE VOL 70 (GN)
Publisher: VIZ LLC
Writer/Art/Cover: EIICHIRO ODA
$9.99
As Luffy and his crew attempt to leave the laboratory, Caesar Clown undergoes a dramatic transformation. Can Luffy actually stop his dreadful ambitions?! And when Doflamingo finally makes his appearance, the situation takes a dramatic turn.
"As Luffy and his crew attempt to leave the laboratory, Caesar Clown undergoes a dramatic transformation." This comic cannot possibly live up to that sentence.
ORESAMA TEACHER VOL 16 (GN)
Publisher: VIZ LLC
Writer/Art/Cover: IZUMI TSUBAKI
$9.99
After returning from the school trip, Mafuyu and the rest of the Public Morals Club learn all about Akki' s adventure with Komari. The story makes Mafuyu realize that all the attacks from the Student Council so far have been solo affairs. Why haven't they teamed up to take down the Public Morals Club? Determined to get to the bottom of this mystery, Mafuyu sneaks into Hanabusa's lair...the Student Council Room!
I have no idea whether there is such a thing as a "Public Morals Club," but if it exists anywhere on Earth, it's probably Japan.
PHANTOM THIEF JEANNE VOL 1 (GN)
Publisher: VIZ LLC
Writer/Art/Cover: ARINA TANEMURA
$10.99
High school student Maron Kusakabe has a secret: she's Phantom Thief Jeanne. She sneaks into private art collections to steal paintings in which demons reside. Jeanne's task is to seal the demons before they can devour human hearts. So far she's been able to evade the police on her midnight outings, but now another thief has come onto the scene -- Phantom Sinbad -- and he's trying to take the paintings before she does!
The lead character in this is the reincarnation of Joan of Arc. La Pucelle seems to hold a certain fascination for the Japanese, she's turned up in a couple of manga I've heard of.
POKEMON ADV BLACK & WHITE VOL 3 (GN)
Publisher: VIZ LLC
Writer: HIDENORI KUSAKI
Art/Cover: SATOSHI YAMAMOTO
$9.99
A precious fossil is stolen from the Nacrene Museum! Can Black track it down ... following its tracks? And now mysterious Team Plasma is one step closer to bringing back a legendary Pokémon, What are they up to? Probably no good! Plus, will Gigi and Tep's relationship survive ... a major change?!
POKEMON ADVENTURES VOL 21 RUBY SAPPHIRE (GN)
Publisher: VIZ LLC
Writer: HIDENORI KUSAKI
Art/Cover: SATOSHI YAMAMOTO
$9.99
While battling formidable opponents Legendary Pokemon Kyogre and Groudon, Ruby and Sapphire recall childhood experiences that shaped their dreams - and pushed them away from other dreams. What is the mysterious connection between their two memories?
And what is the clue to awakening three Pokemon who just might be able to save the day ...?
POKEMON BLACK & WHITE VOL 14 (GN)
Publisher: VIZ LLC
Writer: HIDENORI KUSAKI
Art/Cover: SATOSHI YAMAMOTO
$4.99
Black is training hard with Gym Leader Brycen so he can help rescue the other Gym Leaders from the clutches of Team Plasma ... But what are his new mentors planning to ask of him? And is it something he is willing -- or able -- to do? Then-Oh No! Is it too late for Black to qualify for the Pokémon League?!
PSYREN VOL 15 (GN)
Publisher: VIZ LLC
Writer/Art/Cover: TOSHIAKI IWASHIRO
$9.99
Ageha and his friends launch an attack on Astral Nava, to rescue their kidnapped friends and confront Miroku Amagi once and for all. The Star Commanders are formidable opponents, but Ageha's team gets a boost from some surprise reinforcements. As the ferocious battles rage, Miroku begins to set his ultimate plan in motion: the creation of an entirely new species to replace the human race!
RIN-NE VOL 14 (GN)
Publisher: VIZ LLC
Writer/Art/Cover: RUMIKO TAKAHASHI
$9.99
Renge Shima, a hot transfer student, is Rinne's new classmate. But whose spirit is that hovering over her shoulder?! As if that weren't enough, Rinne also has to deal with a Black Cat elder, a Nine-Tailed Fox and a visit from a demon of Hell!!
SKIP BEAT 3-IN-1 VOL 7(TPB)
Publisher: VIZ LLC
Writer/Art/Cover: YOSHIKI NAKAMURA
$14.99
Kyoko and Ren have an embarrassment of mentors as Koo and Lory keep meddling in their lives and careers. The two veterans of show business just want what's best for their protégés, but their methods are a bit unconventional. Will their well-meant assistance propel Ren and Kyoko to the next level, or will it make everything come tumbling down?!
SOULLESS MANGA VOL 2 (NEW PTG GN)
Publisher: HATCHETTE GROUP
No information available.
$13.00
STROBE EDGE VOL 9 (GN)
Publisher: VIZ LLC
Writer/Art/Cover: IO SAKISAKA
$9.99
Ren decides to tell Ninako his feelings for her after the Sports Festival, but he's afraid she may have already moved on! Meanwhile, Ando and his ex, Mao, keep crossing paths. ... How will Ando react when he hears her shocking revelation?
TEGAMI BACHI VOL 16 (GN)
Publisher: VIZ LLC
Writer/Art/Cover: HIROYUKI ASADA
$9.99
A New York Times best-selling fantasy series with heart!
THERMAE ROMAE VOL 3 (HC)
Publisher: HACHETTE BOOK GROUP USA
Writer/Art/Cover: MARI YAMAZAKI
$40.00
This surprise bestseller in the Japanese market has been an incredible success story and has spawned a major motion picture! Though he has been trapped in the 21st-century for several weeks, Lucius is still amazed at the wondrous innovations of the flat-faces people, and meeting Satsuki has given him an even greater understanding of the things he has seen, not to mention an undeniable flutter in his heart. But despite his curiosity for this land, Lucius worries at the amount of time that has passed since he left Rome. The political atmosphere was already tense after the death of the emperor's heir, and Lucius fears what may befall Rome and the ailing Hadrian in his absence!
This apparently is about an ancient Roman who finds a time tunnel to modern Japan. "Flat-faces" refers to the Japanese. Manga-ka tend to draw Westerners with huge noses, to the point where they sometimes look the way Nazi cartoonists used to draw Jews. So, I'm guessing they must imagine that they look "flat-faced" to us.
THIS WEEK'S COMICS
Thanks, Baron! Now let's move on to the solicitations and previews. Remember that the list of this week's comics, which is lifted from the Diamond Comic Distributors Inc. website, is subject to change. Click on the thumbnail images for a larger image. And my comments are in blue this week, because I'm in that sort of mood.
ARCHIE COMICS
AFTERLIFE WITH ARCHIE #4
Script: ROBERTO AGUIRRE-SACASA
Art/Cover: FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA
Jughead’s Beanie Variant: TIM SEELEY
On Sale at Comic Specialty Shops: 2/12
32-page, full color comic, $2.99 US
Escape from Riverdale, Part 4 [of 5]: With two more members of our beloved gang infected by the dreadful zombie-virus, Riverdale's one sanctuary -- Lodge Mansion -- has been compromised. The kids are left to make a significant decision -- do they stay and fight or flee the only town they've ever known? Meanwhile, Archie makes a horrific discovery in his own home, one that may cost him his life! It's red-headed teen versus gruesomely undead canine in the latest chapter of this ground-breaking TEEN + series! Definitely NOT for all ages!
This book has been delayed a couple of months -- and, once again, a long delayed book has the name "Francesco Francavilla" in the credits. I love the man's work, but I think he's over-extended. (And the previous issue's use of Chilling Tales of Sorcery reprints in the back suddenly looks suspicious.) Regardless, I'm glad to see this book finally arrive, although I won't be reading the review copy -- I don't want to spoil anything for the TPB I've already ordered, but won't arrive for months yet. Ooh, the suspense!
ARCHIE DOUBLE DIGEST #249
Script: MIKE PELLOWSKI
Art: FERNANDO RUIZ, RUDY LAPICK, BILL YOSHIDA, BARRY GROSSMAN
Cover: FERNANDO RUIZ, BOB SMITH, ROSARIO "TITO" PENA
160-page, full color comic, $3.99 U.S.
There’s something strange about Archie’s Uncle Albert! What is it about him that’s bugging both Archie and his dad? It could be that he’s a little bit crooked. … See what we mean in “On the Level,” the wacky lead story to this fun-filled double digest!
MEGA MAN #34
Writer: IAN FLYNN
Art: TYSON HESSE, PATRICK SPAZIANTE, GARY MARTIN, JOHN WORKMAN, MATT HERMS
Cover: PATRICK "SPAZ" SPAZIANTE
"Mega Man X" Variant: BEN BATES
32-page, full color comic, $2.99 US.
This is it! The issue every Mega-fan has been demanding! The debut of MEGA MAN X! But first, in "Shadow of the Moon" Part One: Mega Man joins a research team seeking the truth behind Dr. Wily and Ra Moon. But how far will they get when Shadow Man goes on the attack?! Then, in “The X Factor” Part One – jump 100 years into the future as Dr. Cain discovers Dr. Light's final, greatest creation – Mega Man X! Featuring pencils by the returning Mega Man art legend PATRICK "SPAZ" SPAZIANTE! The road to the next big mega-crossover starts here, featuring an exclusive MEGA MAN X variant cover by superstar artist Ben Bates!
SONIC/MEGA MAN: WORLDS COLLIDE 2 (TPB)
Script: IAN FLYNN
Art: TRACY YARDLEY, TERRY AUSTIN, THOMAS MASON, JACK MORELLI, DUSTIN EVANS
Cover: PATRICK "SPAZ" SPAZIANTE
$11.99/$13.99 CAN
6 5/8 x 10 3/16” Trade Paperback, 112 pp
The year’s most talked-about comic crossover is HERE, continued in graphic novel form! SONIC/MEGA MAN: WORLDS COLLIDE BOOK 2 "Into the Warzone" collects the historic meeting of two of the biggest video game icons in the world! Dr. Eggman and Dr. Wily have crafted a twisted pocket dimension--the Skull Egg Zone! Sonic, Mega Man,Tails, Proto Man and Rush have found their way into the zone, but how will they find the Doctors in this nightmare world? To make matters worse, Sonic's friends have been turned into the eight menacing Roboticized Masters! Can Sonic and Mega Man overcome these fearsome robot warriors? Can Sonic's friends be saved? And what new weapons can Mega Man gain from this fusion of Eggman and Wily technology? Featuring all the action, fun and adventure of the next four chapters of the 12-part miniseries, plus exclusive bonus features you can only see in this graphic novel collection!
SONIC SUPER-SIZED SUPER DIGEST #6
Script/art: Various
Cover: RAFA KNIGHT
224-page, full color comic, $6.99 US.
It's a special super-sized edition of the Sonic Super digest! Sonic the Hedgehog's adventures are now available in the popular digest format – but that's just not enough Sonic for all you hungry Sonic fans out there! By popular demand, get ready for a SUPER-SIZED issue filled with even more Sonic the Hedgehog goodness, stretching back to the beginning of the comics' 20 year history! Blast through to your local comic store at SONIC SPEED to find out the origins of everyone's favorite blue hedgehog! Can Sonic and the heroic Freedom Fighters save the world from the evils of Dr. Robtnik? Discover all the thrills, chills and spills for yourself with classic Sonic comics as only Sonic Super Digest can provide! Featuring a special FOIL CARDSTOCK cover with all-new CGI cover art from Rafa Knight inspired by Patrick "SPAZ" Spaziante!
WORLD OF ARCHIE DOUBLE DIGEST #37
Script: GEORGE GLADIR
Art: FERNANDO RUIZ, RUDY LAPICK, BILL YOSHIDA, BARRY GROSSMAN
Cover: JEFF SHULTZ, BOB SMITH, ROSARIO "TITO" PENA
160-page, full color comic, $3.99
It’s time for the student-faculty bowling night! It's teachers vs. students and, while the teachers may be older and have plenty of years of bowling experience on their side, some changes to the game might lean in the kids' favor! Find out who gets the most strikes in “For Whom the Bowl Tolls”!
DARK HORSE
AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER -- THE RIFT PART 1 (TPB)
Writers: GENE LUEN YANG, MICHAEL DANTE DIMARTINO, BRYAN KONIETZKO
Art/Cover: GURIHIRU
FC, 80 pages, $10.99
TP, 6” x 9”
AN ALL-NEW STORY IN THE NEW YORK TIMES BEST-SELLING SERIES!
Avatar Aang asks his friends to help him honor Yangchen’s Festival -- one of the highest Air Nomad holidays, which hasn’t been celebrated in over one hundred years.
But cryptic visits from the spirit of Avatar Yangchen herself lead Aang to discover a jointly owned Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom refinery -- operating on land sacred to the Airbenders! Is this the cause of the pollution Aang finds there, or is a more mysterious menace afoot?
• The official continuation of Airbender from the original series creators!
• Continues to top the sales charts!
• The perfect companion to The Legend of Korra!
“One of the best new pop culture mythologies to debut in the last decade.” -- Kotaku
“A fantastic glimpse into the post-series universe.” -- Bleeding Cool
BAD BLOOD #3 (of 5)
Writer: JONATHAN MABERRY (Bram Stoker Award winner for Ghost Road Blues)
Art/Cover: TYLER CROOK
FC, 32 pages, $3.99
Miniseries
Trick and Lolly continue their hunt for vampires, though their research seems to be at a dead end. But when they get a little too close to the truth, the watching bloodsuckers attack! Thankfully, their Craigslist post has paid off, and a hero comes to their rescue!
“Phrases like ‘modern Renaissance man’ or ‘the real deal’ ... seem perfectly applicable to New York Times-bestselling author Jonathan Maberry.” -- Nightmare Magazine
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER SEASON 9 VOLUME 5: THE CORE (TPB)
Writers: ANDREW CHAMBLISS, JANE ESPENSON
Pencillers: GEORGES JEANTY, KARL MOLINE
Inkers: DEXTER VINES, KARL STORY, ANDY OWENS
Colors: MICHELLE MADSEN
Cover: JO CHEN
FC, 160 pages, $17.99
TP, 7” x 10”
THE MUST-READ FINALE TO BUFFY SEASON 9!
When Dawn falls ill, it’s up to best friends Buffy, Xander, and Willow to join forces and find a supernatural cure in a world sorely lacking magic. The trio must fight their way into the Deeper Well, the former home of Illyria and other ancient gods known as the Old Ones, where they hope to jump-start magic back into existence. Collects Buffy Season 9 #21-25 and “Love vs. Life” from Dark Horse Presents #25-27.
• Executive produced by Joss Whedon!
• Andrew Chambliss of television’s Once Upon a Time!
As one of the poor, unfortunate souls who did not watch Buffy when it was on, I'm curious: How did Xander lose an eye? And was he the werewolf, or was that someone else in the Scooby Gang?
CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT ARCHIVES VOLUME 2: CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT SAVES THE WORLD (HC)
Writer: BILL WOOLFOLK
Art: LEONARD FRANK and others
FC, 152 pages, $49.99
HC, 7” x 10”
A HERO FOR ALL AGES!
Captain Jim Albright, inventor and ex-Army pilot, maintains a secret identity as Captain Midnight, flying superhero and defender of justice! In this second archival volume, featuring stories selected from the original 1940s Fawcett comics, Captain Midnight and his sidekick Ichabod Mudd explore new planets and defend the earth from aliens, including moon creatures, purple pirates, and the bizarre and villainous Xog! Collects selected stories from issues #48, #50, #52-#56, #58-#60, #62, #64, and #66.
• Complements new Captain Midnight comics from Dark Horse!
• Inventive sci-fi superhero comics from the Golden Age!
From the description, it appears that this Archive, like the first one, will skip around a bit rather than being comprehensive. I find that a bit frustrating, and not just because I'm an anal-retentive fanboy who wants a complete run of the title. I've had trouble getting into the first Archive precisely because it jumps around, with each short story just one chapter in a longer one that we don't get to read. Not only is that confusing, but it makes the stories sort of incoherent (and they're not all that well-written to begin with).
CATALYST COMIX #9 (of 9)
Writer: JOE CASEY
Art: ULISES FARINAS, PAUL MAYBURY, DAN MCDAID
Colors: BRAD SIMPSON
Cover: BRENDAN MCCARTHY
FC, 32 pages, $2.99
Miniseries
It’s all come down to this! The Agents of Change smash their way through a hellish mindscape, Grace dukes it out with an alien invasion force and Frank Wells stands up to the biggest bully of them all! Make yours Dark Horse with the greatest issue yet of Catalyst Comix!
• Catalyst’s first arc reaches its mind-altering conclusion!
• Joe Casey (Sex, The Bounce)!
• Cover by Brendan McCarthy (The Zaucer of Zilk)!
DREAM THIEF (TPB)
Writer: JAI NITZ
Art/Colors: GREG SMALLWOOD
Cover: ALEX ROSS
FC, 120 pages, $17.99
TP, 7” x 10”
After John Lincoln steals an Aboriginal mask from a museum, vengeful spirits possess his body and mind while he sleeps! As the Dream Thief, he accrues the memories and skills of murder victims and fights to stay awake, before he kills again! Jai Nitz and Greg Smallwood craft a stylish drama of supernatural revenge! Collects the five-issue miniseries.
• Featuring bonus art by Alex Ross, Ryan Sook, Kevin Nowlan, Michael Golden, R. M. Guerra, Dan Brereton and a host of others!
• Jai Nitz and Greg Smallwood’s breakout hit series collected!
EVE: SOURCE (HC)
Writer/Art/Cover: CCP GAMES
FC, 184 pages, $39.99
HC, 9” x 12”
IT’S A BIG GALAXY. BRING A GUIDE!
EVE: Source is your comprehensive source book and visual guide to the gargantuan universe experienced in EVE Online and DUST 514! Developed in close collaboration with the EVE and DUST 514 creative teams, this beautiful 184-page, full-color hardcover will immerse readers in the history and lore of EVE through stunning artwork and never-before-released material detailing the settings, stories, races, and factions of the EVE universe.
• A beautifully designed resource chronicling one of gaming’s most massive, dynamic universes!
• MMORPG.com’s Game of the Year 2009–11!
• 2014 marks the entry of EVE Online into its second decade!
GASOLINE ALLEY VOLUME 1: THE COMPLETE SUNDAYS 1920–1922 COMIC STRIP MASTERPIECES (HC)
Writer/Art/Cover: FRANK KING
FC, 128 pages, $75.00
HC, 12” x 16”
Dark Horse is proud to present the first in a series that will collect all the Sunday pages of the classic newspaper strip Gasoline Alley, in chronological order! Collects every Gasoline Alley Sunday strip from 1920 through 1922.
• The second-longest-running comic strip in the U.S.
• Reprinted in full color, using the original color proofs!
• By Reuben Award–winning cartoonist Frank King!
My local papers never carried Gasoline Alley when I was growing up, so all I know about it is from comics history books and off-hand remarks by aficionados. And, apparently, it was quite good, so I'm looking forward to this.
GRINDHOUSE: DOORS OPEN AT MIDNIGHT #6 (of 8)
Writer: ALEX DE CAMPI
Art/Colors: FEDERICA MANFREDI
Cover DAN PANOSIAN
FC, 32 pages, $3.99
“I positively cannot wait to see what they do next.” -- Bloody Disgusting
Miniseries
Clad in her fallen brother’s armor, massacre survivor Branwyn vows to repay every drop of blood that was spilled during the slaughter of her wedding party. But her mission turns even more horrific than expected when the true authors of her torment are revealed in the grisly conclusion to “Bride of Blood”!
• Cover by Dan Panosian!
• Hack/Slash and True Blood’s Federica Manfredi brings the hurt!
• Eisner nominee Alex de Campi (Smoke, Ashes) will make you squirm!
JUICE SQUEEZERS #3 (of 4)
Writer/Art/Cover: DAVID LAPHAM
Colors: LEE LOUGHRIDGE
FC, 32 pages, $3.99
Miniseries
DAVID LAPHAM PITS SCRAWNY KIDS AGAINST GIANT BUGS!
While half of the Squeezers try to uncover the secret parentage of one of their teammates, the rest of the group get into deep trouble ... one hundred feet below the surface! And, with the new kid still causing trouble, Juice Squeezers Field Captain Eric Fitz takes action to test his mettle with an ambush where it’s squish or be squished!
Eisner Award–winning creator David Lapham (Stray Bullets, The Strain) writes and draws a new creator-owned series!
LOBSTER JOHNSON: GET THE LOBSTER #2 (of 5)
Writers: MIKE MIGNOLA, JOHN ARCUDI
Art/Cover: TONCI ZONJIC (Where Is Jake Ellis?)
Cover: DAVE STEWART
FC, 32 pages, $3.99
Miniseries
After a grenade fight with two renegade wrestlers, the NYPD declares Lobster Johnson public enemy number one. Can our hero find out who was behind the wrestling rampage with the police hot on his tail?
From the pages of Hellboy!
TERMINATOR SALVATION: THE FINAL BATTLE #4 (of 12)
Writer: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Art/Cover: PETE WOODS
Colors: MATT WILSON
FC, 32 pages, $3.99
Miniseries
THE MACHINE WAR RAGES ON!
The battle for humanity is underway, but a deadly new player has entered the game! A murderous psychopath has joined with Skynet and imbued the Terminators with his own lust for death. How can John Connor hope to survive when the machines are now as ferocious as men?
• From writer J. Michael Straczynski (Ten Grand, The Amazing Spider-Man, Thor)!
• Pete Woods (Superman, Deadpool) shows us the ultimate man vs. machine battle!
• Return of the T-800!
VEIL #1 (of 5)
Writer: GREG RUCKA
Art/Cover: TONI FEJZULA
FC, 32 pages, $3.50
Miniseries
She’s not what you expect!
A beautiful girl wakes up in an abandoned subway station with no memory of how she got there. When men try to hurt her ... they wind up dead. Where did she come from? And what is she capable of?
• An all-new series from Eisner Award–winning writer Greg Rucka!
• Art by Toni Fejzula (Cthulhu).
• A surprising new heroine from the creator of Lazarus and Queen and Country!
I generally enjoy Rucka's work, but when I think of his stuff I've really enjoyed -- like Queen & Country and Gotham Central -- it doesn't usually involve the fantastic. So I'm not overly hopeful, but I am pretty curious. I have the first trade of Lazarus, although I haven't gotten around to reading it, and whether I enjoy that or not will probably be the decider on whether I try Veil or not.
And, without seeing any of the interior art, I have to wonder about why the solicitation describes the person on this cover as "a beautiful girl." Boy, I hope that skin condition clears up before the first page!
THE VICTORIES #10
Writer/ArtCover: MICHAEL AVON OEMING
Cover: NICK FILARDI
FC, 32 pages, $3.99
Ongoing
Faustus is on a search for clues as to why Metatron killed the Jackal and left his body on the Georgia Guidestones. But as each clue brings him closer to the mysterious Advisors, the danger he encounters is much greater.
• By Eisner Award winner Michael Avon Oeming (Powers, Rapture, Takio).
• The conclusion of the Posthuman arc!
Replies
DC COMICS
ACTION COMICS #29
Art/Cover: AARON KUDER
1:25 Robot Chicken Variant cover
32 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
This issue will ship with two covers.
Superman must protect the sub-terrans from Ghost Soldier and the U.S. Armed Forces! Is he about to become Public Enemy #1?
Art: STEVE PUGH, FRANCIS PORTELA, JOHN PAUL LEON and others
Cover: JAE LEE
144 pg, FC, $14.99 US
Following the loss of his son, Buddy Baker finds he can’t mourn in peace without constant media intrusions that his newfound fame as an actor have brought about. But Buddy must rise to the challenge when a new and horrifying species called The Splinterfolk appears. This volume collects issues #20-23 and ANIMAL MAN ANNUAL #2.
I just finished this trade, and I'm really digging this title. Recommended.
Art by JAE LEE, ED BENES and others
Cover by ED BENES
48 pg, FC, $5.99 US • RATED T
It’s the first meeting of Supergirl and Red Hood, Steel and Supergirl and more as the competing Batman and Superman families must battle for the control of the missing Mongul’s fortress! And at the heart of it, Batman and Superman deal with their grief over their fallen comrades.
This book was originally solicited for January, and the mix of artists isn't a good sign, either.
Art: EDUARDO PANSICA , JULIO FERREIRA
Cover: RAFAEL ALBUQUERQUE
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Gotham City has been invaded by an army of criminals sent from the Gotham Underground! Batwing must defend his home and live through his first meeting with his most dangerous foe yet: Menace!
Wait -- Batwing is set in Gotham City now? Obviously I haven't been reading this title, but I was always encouraged that a book set in Africa had found an audience. So much for that idea.
Well, maybe he's just visiting.
DETECTIVE COMICS #29
Art: AARON LOPRESTI and ART THIBERT
Cover: GUILLEM MARCH
1:25 Robot Chicken Variant cover
32 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
Combo pack edition: $4.99 US
This issue will ship with three covers.
The stunning conclusion of “Gothtopia”! Batman discovers the terrifying secret behind this brave new world.
This issue is also offered as a combo pack edition with a redemption code for a digital download of this issue.
I've enjoyed "Gothopia" quite a bit, as much for its quick pace (and brevity) as for the clever twists on the standard assortment of Bat-people.
Art: NICOLA SCOTT and TREVOR SCOTT
Cover: KEN LASHLEY
1:25 Robot Chicken Variant cover
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
This issue will ship with two covers.
Last issue’s major new addition to Earth 2 tests his new powers against the Parademon hordes!
Art: SHAWN McMANUS
Cover: ADAM HUGHES
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • MATURE READERS
Cinderella’s quest to find the creator of the rodent assassins leads her to India -- and into the big, blue arms of an old flame! Can Cindy find the answers she needs to save Fabletown from a pest problem of the deadliest kind before it’s too late? And how will Cindy react when she finally comes face to face with [FAIREST #23 SPOILER CENSORED]?
Wait -- "big blue arms" in India? That would be Brahma, wouldn't it? I'd think that would be a little above Cinderella's pay grade.
FOREVER EVIL #6
Art by DAVID FINCH and RICHARD FRIEND
Cover by DAVID FINCH
1:25 Variant cover by ETHAN VAN SCIVER
1:50 Variant cover by ETHAN VAN SCIVER
1:100 Variant cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO
32 pg, 6 OF 7, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T • Combo pack edition: $4.99 US
This issue will ship with five covers.
The final fate of Nightwing! The most unlikely of allies have set the Crime Syndicate in their sights -- and they’re playing for keeps while the life of a hero hangs in the balance! Plus, the identity of the mysterious man in the hood is finally revealed!
This issue is also offered as a combo pack edition with a redemption code for a digital download of this issue.
"The final fate of Nightwing!" Well, since the next issue of Nightwing comes out next week, and it still stars Dick Grayson, and it's set after "Forever Evil," I'm guessing he comes out all right.
Art: SCOT EATON and JAIME MENDOZA
Cover: JASON FABOK
1:25 B&W Variant cover by JASON FABOK
32 pg, FC, 6 of 6, $2.99 US • RATED T
This issue will ship with two covers.
The final battle for Gotham City starts now! The Scarecrow has unleashed a mutated army of Arkham’s worst killers, and only Bane can stop them! It all leads into FOREVER EVIL #7!
I hate to say it, but I'm getting kind of burned out on Batman's rogues gallery -- we just see too much of them, and it's all starting to blur together. Conversely, I've been enjoying the Forever Evil spinoff starring Flash's rogues, because there's still so much new ground to cover there.
Art/Cover: ANDREA SORRENTINO
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
“The Outsiders War” part 3! In the latest chapter of this game-changing epic, Green Arrow tries to take the fight to The Outsiders -- but he’s badly outnumbered, and things are about to go from bad to worse! How can Ollie possibly survive?
Art/Cover: BILLY TAN
1:25 Robot Chicken Variant cover
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Combo pack edition: $3.99 US
This issue will ship with three covers.
Hal Jordan, the greatest Green Lantern in the history of the Corps, has lost everything. Friends have died, Oa has been destroyed, and now he must say goodbye to Earth! As war threatens to dismantle the Green Lantern Corps, Hal does the unthinkable: He asks for help. Can he and a team of handpicked Lanterns remove a deadly weapon from the enemy’s arsenal, or will they be dealt their first defeat? And what of Saint Walker, the fallen leader of the Blue Lanterns? Can the Corps survive without its most trusted and powerful ally?
This issue is also offered as a combo pack edition with a redemption code for a digital download of this issue.
They keep telling us that Hal Jordan is "the greatest Green Lantern in the history of the Corps," but he never seems to score a clean win or build anything lasting. Right now he's proving to be an ineffective leader of the now Guardian-free Corps, which doesn't exactly look good on a resume. C'mon, DC, show us WHY he's "the greatest Green Lantern in the history of the Corps"!
Art: TERRY DODSON, RACHEL DODSON, PHIL NOTO, CRAIG ROUSSEAU and others
Cover: TERRY DODSON, RACHEL DODSON
288 pg, FC, $19.99 US
In this new Harley collection, HQ heads to Metropolis with allies Poison Ivy and Bizarro in tow! Collecting HARLEY QUINN #14-25.
Wait, this is the Old 52 Harley, isn't it? I really liked that series.
HAWKWORLD (NEW EDITION TPB)
Art by TIMOTHY TRUMAN and QUIQUE ALCATENA
Cover by TIMOTHY TRUMAN
152 pg, FC, $14.99 US
In this classic 3-issue miniseries from the 1990s, writer/artist Timothy Truman reinvents Hawkman as a brutal member of Thanagar’s police force, in a society split between the decadent ultra-rich and alien immigrants struggling for fortune -- and survival!
I suppose everyone knows the story that Hawkworld was supposed to be an "Elseworlds," but DC liked it so much they made it part of Hawkman's official origin -- which was a very bad fit, and the start of long, slippery slide into incoherence that made Hawkman virtually unwriteable in the 1990s. If you can divorce yourself from that, it's not a bad story -- sort of Hawkman by way of Grimjack, if you like the "alien dsytopia" sort of thing.
Art: SEAN MURPHY, SEAN PHILLIPS, PHIL JIMENEZ and others
Cover: TIM BRADSTREET
168 pg, FC, $14.99 US • MATURE READERS
In these stories, John Constantine faces school violence, a desperate, occult family and more. Plus: A group of documentary filmmakers tries to find out what happened to the punk band led by Constantine that met a mysterious end. Collects HELLBLAZER #144, 145, 245, 246, the gala issue #250 and VERTIGO RESURRECTED: HELLBLAZER – SHOOT #1.
While I don't dislike the new Constantine, the old one was really a phenomenal character. He's used to good effect in the stories this book collects, which are written by some big names.
Art: FRANCESCO TRIFOGLI
Cover: GREG TOCCHINI
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • MATURE READERS
Buried underground in the city of ghosts, Prosper must make the toughest decision of her life. Meanwhile, the knives are out as the assassins move in on Queen Telsche and Malachi, the Red Knight.
THE MOVEMENT #10
Art: FREDDIE WILLIAMS II
Cover: STEPHANE ROUX
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+
Guest-starring Batgirl! The Movement goes head to head with Batgirl over someone who’s using Coral City as a sanctuary! Then, the team heads to West Virginia to stop Michael the Blessed from killing his brother: The Movement’s own Burden!
Art/Cover: DARIO BRIZUELA
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED E
A magical imp is causing havoc in Gotham City, and the Dynamic Duo is looking for help from Scooby and the gang!
But when Scooby gets his own “greatest fan” from the Fifth Dimension, can even Batman, Robin, and Mystery Inc. outwit two unpredictable imps to deal with the spooky, magical hijinks of … Scooby-Mite?!
What th-?!??
Art: YVEL GUICHET and LE BEAU UNDERWOOD
Cover: ROGER ROBINSON
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+
Extremax and Jenny return to Earth as the final battle with the Kollective looms on the horizon!
Art/Cover: JESUS SAIZ
On sale MARCH 5 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+
The three-part “Gift of the Sureen” arrives to usher in major changes to The Green! Alec Holland begins his journey across the globe in search of the truth behind an incredible offer from the mysterious cult known as the Sureen!
Don't you just hate those days where you wake up and you're surrounded by fanatical worshipers praising your divinity? So tiresome.
RESOLICIT • 32 pg, FC, 7 of 8, $2.99 US • MATURE READERS
The penultimate issue of Vertigo’s acclaimed sci-fi epic is here, and Nika and William are out of time -- literally! The last love story ever told nears its conclusion ... but what waits beyond the end of the universe? You’ll have to read to find out!
TRINITY OF SIN: THE PHANTOM STRANGER #17
Art: FERNANDO BLANCO
Cover: GUILLEM MARCH
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
“FOREVER EVIL: BLIGHT” continues as the Justice League Dark tries to free the captured mystics of Project Thaumaton! Continues in this month’s CONSTANTINE #12!
TRINITY OF SIN -- THE PHANTOM STRANGER VOL 2: BREACH OF FAITH (TPB)
Art: GENE HA, ZANDER CANNON, PHILIP TAN, FERNANDO BLANCO and others
Cover: GUILLEM MARCH
144 pg, FC, $14.99 US
The Phantom Stranger is sucked into a metaphysical poker game against the sons of Trigon! And on the eve of “TRINITY WAR,” the Stranger is forced to make the most difficult choice he’s faced in thousands of years walking in the wilderness. Collecting issues #6-11.
There's a revelation in one of the issues collected here which is supposed to make us think well of PS, I think, but it didn't offset for me everything else about him, which stinks. This Phantom Stranger isn't a hero at all -- in fact, he's virtually a villain. He's not evil per se, but he's just so selfish, and all his actions so self-serving, and the results of most of his actions so cruel, that he might as well be a villain. I can't figure out why I'm supposed to root for him. And I don't.
Art/Cover: CAT STAGGS
40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • DIGITAL FIRST
Damon returns to Mystic Falls carrying a Confederate communiqué, too ill to deliver it promptly. Will Katherine’s lust for revenge against the young woman chosen to heal this fine specimen of Southern manhood lead to disaster for The Cause?
"Will Katherine’s lust for revenge against the young woman chosen to heal this fine specimen of Southern manhood lead to disaster for The Cause?"
SPOILER ALERT: "The Cause" pretty much ended in disaster all on its own.
DYNAMIC FORCES
LADY RAWHIDE #4
Art: MILTON ESTEVAN
Cover: JOSEPH MICHAEL LINSNER
Teen+/32 pages/$3.99
Lady Rawhide faces off against Adelina, leader of the Sisters of the White Rose. But all around them, forces loyal to the corrupt governor draw nearer, bent on killing everyone who stands against them. New alliances are formed, secrets revealed, and the final battle against oppression is about to begin ...
I don't understand why a variant cover that is simply the regular cover without color is desirable. (Incidentally, the original solicitation for this was Nov. 20.)
Art: ROBERTO CASTRO, ALEX ROSS
Cover: ALEX ROSS
Mature/152+ pages/$19.99
Two legends of science fiction and fantasy literature collide in an epic crossover event! Tarzan, the legendary Lord of the Jungle, has claimed his title as a British nobleman, but his very life is threatened when a hunting excursion among high society goes disastrously wrong. Meanwhile, John Carter, the Warlord of Mars, responds to a veiled threat from his defeated enemies. Though separated by millions of miles, these champions of Mars and Earth are drawn together by a sinister cult and manipulated into a deadly confrontation. With their lives and those of their beloved Jane and Dejah Thoris on the line, can these iconic heroes put aside their differences and survive the Thern plot ... and a thousand rampaging White Apes? Includes a cover gallery of over a dozen cover editions from the Lords of Mars comic-book series.
"The book is sold as bold and promises the team up of a lifetime." -- Bloody Disgusting
Art: RONILSON FREIRE
Covers: PAOLO RIVERA
Teen +/32 pages/$3.99
The dragnet is closing around the Green Hornet -- in no small part because crusading radio journalist Britt Reid is leading the hunt! But -- isn't Britt Reid the Hornet ...?
Art: MARCIO ABREU
Cover: BILLY TAN COVER
Variant: ARDIAN SYAF
Variant: COLTON WORLEY
Variant: DENNIS CALERO
Teen +/32 pages/$3.99
ON SALE DATE: December 18
PHILADELPHIA 1 of 2. With Miss Fury now working undercover as The Pharaoh of Time's chief assassin, she is sent to a Philadelphia shipyard to murder a nuclear physicist who could become a time travel threat. But that physicist is working on The Philadelphia Experiment! In the battle that follows, Miss Fury and the crew of the USS Eldridge find themselves thrown through time... into a naval battle unlike any seen before. Can Miss Fury save the scientific mind that could finally end the time war?
Aw, c'mon! That second cover isn't cheesecake, it's just plain nekkidness. Plus, it appears that Miss Fury has been in a tragic accident that has removed her nipples.
NOIR #5 (OF 5)
Art: ANDREW MUTTI
Covers: ARDIAN SYAF
Teen + / 32 pages / $3.99
FINAL ISSUE!!! Lost in the labyrinth of the Templars and separated from the others, Miss Fury must outwit the demented Minerva and the Mohawk Akash. Meanwhile, The Black Sparrow has problems of her own. The sadistic Orlando has overdosed on Dr. Ravels super serum and he's out for blood. And just what is the lost treasure of the Templars that the Mohawks guard so jealously? Find out in the exciting conclusion of NOIR!
Art: KEITH BURNS
Cover: ALEX ROSS
Teen + / 144 pages / $19.99
Bestseller Michael Uslan (Archie Marries, Batman: Black and White) unites two classic pulp heroes in a meticulously-researched historical fiction! An unstoppable power will plunge the world into darkness ... unless the crime-fighting icons known as The Shadow, The Green Hornet and Kato can stop it! When an invention capable of harnessing elemental forces falls into the hands of the maniacal Shiwan Khan, The Shadow races against time to prevent the utter destruction of all America's vital industries and financial institutions. To that end, he enlists The Green Hornet, a crusader masquerading as a crimelord, to infiltrate Shiwan's organization of saboteurs. Will the masked heroes prevent Khan's deadly plot to shatter a nation?
This 144 page collection reprints isues 1-5 of the hit series written by MICHAEL USLAN and drawn by KEITH BURNS. It features footnotes for every issue and a complete cover gallery by ALEX ROSS, JOHN CASSADAY and CHRIS ELIOPOULOS.
"Uslan offers up a fast-paced and intense story that pulls you in from the first page." -- COMIC BOOK THERAPY
"Great premise, great story and great art." -- SCI FI PULSE
I generally like Uslan's rare forays into funnybooks, so I'm tempted to get this. But I don't know anything about Keith Burns. What about it, Legionnaires? Can any of you make a recommendation?
Art: COLTON WORLEY
Covers: TIM BRADSTREET
Subscription Variant: COLTON WORLEY
Teen + / 32 pages / $3,99
The Shadow and Khan begin their endgames as a grudge match, 80 years in the making, enters its final stages. The gang war the Shadow has created threatens to spiral out of control, even as Khan's manipulation of the underworld threatens to send New York spiraling into chaos. Meanwhile, the Shadow's hastily-assembled network begins to show its weaknesses and Khan's granddaughter moves in for the kill. It's plot and counter-plot in the penultimate issue of the pulp showdown.
Art: MIRKO COLAK
Covers: BART SEARS
Subscription Variant: JAE LEE
Teen + / 32 pages / $3.99
THE GOLD KEY UNIVERSE CONTINUES! It is 1210 AD, and destructive invaders -- both reptilian and human -- have ravaged Turok's land. Will the outcast Turok defend the tribe that shunned him, or side with these freakish new warriors? Prepare for history-twisting carnage from superstar GREG PAK (Batman/Superman) and MIRKO COLAK (Conan)!
"It is 1210 AD ... "
You'd think a little thing like a dinosaur invasion would be mentioned in the history books.
THE TWILIGHT ZONE #3
Art: GUIU VILANOVA
Cover: FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA
Teen + / 32 pages / $3.99
When Trevor Richmond left behind his old life, the last thing he expected was that someone else might move in to take his place. But that's exactly what has happened. Who is the man everyone now knows as Trevor? Where did he come from, and maybe more to the point ... what does he want? The secrets are revealed right here ...
Artist: WAGNER REIS
Covers: JOE JUSKO (50%), LUCIO PARILLO (50%)
Mature/32 pages/$3.99
John Carter is hunted, hounded and on the run from the brutal tyrant laying waste to the Red Planet. At last, Carter and his family discover the tyrant's true identity, but they're no closer to stopping his campaign of planet-wide slaughter. The tyrant kidnaps Carter's son, in a bid to lure Carter out into the open, only to discover Carthoris is a chip off the old block. Soon, very soon, the tables are turned.
This product is not authorized by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc.
Another Nov. 20 book that finally shipped.
IDW PUBLISHING
GATE-WAY #3 (of 4)
Art/Cover: JUANFRANCISCO MOYANO
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
As Jake settles into Freedom Town, he finds that life outside the walls of Hopetown is as dangerous as he was told. With no law and order, survival in Freedom Town requires a quick trigger finger.
Art: WERTHER DELL'EDERA, ANTONIO FUSO
Cover: WERTHER DELL'EDERA
TPB • FC • $19.99 • 124 pages
As Clockspring becomes more dejected and bitter, Tomax continues to lead him down a dangerous path. Meanwhile, Flint is beginning to doubt his leadership abilities at a time when the Crimson Twin makes his move and the Cobra Files team is left trapped and cornered.
Collects issues #5–9.
Art/Cover: ALEXANDRA COLUMBO
HC • FC • $17.99 • 28 pages • 11” x 11”
It's the new installment of Michael Recycle! Our green-caped crusader is on the job and turning his attention to a new frontier -- the high seas! Read along as Michael rights another environmental wrong in this colorful, fun book that's perfect for young readers.
Art:PHIL MOY, RICARDO GARCIA FUENTES, CYNTHIA MORROW
Cover: PHIL MOY
TPB • FC • $19.99 • 140 pages
They're cute. They're fun. And they're powerful! The Cartoon Network classic Powerpuff Girls return in this collection of comic-book adventures.
Collects issues #11–16 of the DC Comics series.
Artist: ALBERTO PONTICELLI
Cover: GLENN FABRY
Variant: COLIN WILSON
Variant: JAMES STOKOE
32 pages • $3.99
As announced at San Diego Comic-Con 2013, the genetically modified G.I., Rogue Trooper is returning! Expanding the relationship started with the successful Judge Dredd series, IDW and Rebellion/2000 AD will return to the front lines of Nu-Earth and Rogue Trooper with an outstanding creative team!
After storming the world of fiction with his debut fantasy novel, Winterbirth, the first book in "The Godless World" trilogy, Brian Ruckley will report for duty as the writer of the brand-new series. Joining Ruckley, and bringing his dynamic and monstrous style back to IDW, Alberto Ponticelli (Godzilla: Gangsters and Goliaths, Unknown Soldier, Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E.) will be handling the art for the series. In addition to the standout creative team, Rogue Trooper will feature covers by esteemed artists Glenn Fabry (Preacher, Slaine) and James Stokoe (Godzilla: Half-Century War, Orc Stain).
“Rogue Trooper is likely the most recognizable 2000 AD character not named Dredd, and it’s extremely exciting to have the opportunity to reintroduce the character to an all-new audience,” editor Denton J. Tipton says. “Brian and Alberto are longtime fans of the strip, and will bring a fresh spin on Nu-Earth while retaining a healthy respect for the original material. And with gripping covers by Glenn and James, the series is practically going to leap off the rack right into your face.”
On the war-torn world of Nu-Earth, Rogue Trooper trudges across the poisoned planet in search of answers and justice. Haunted by betrayal, Rogue Trooper accepts a mission that defies the war that has ravaged the stategically important location.
“As a kid, I read the original Rogue Trooper strip from its very beginning, and was fascinated by the brutal, strange world and striking characters it presented,” said Brian Ruckley, “to now get the chance to revisit and re-imagine all of that for a new audience, and do it alongside such amazingly talented folk as Alberto Ponticelli, is just crazily exciting.”
Co-created by Gerry Finley-Day and renowned artist Dave Gibbons in 1981 for 2000 AD, Rogue Trooper became a showcase for some of Britain’s top artistic talent. In addition to Gibbons, Steve Dillon, Colin Wilson, Cam Kennedy, Brett Ewins and Chris Weston have contributed art to the popular strip.
Beginning in 2014, Rogue Trooper will return to the comics page not only in this brand-new series, but additionally, IDW will begin re-producing the classic series from 2000 AD. Look for both in the coming year!
I remember reading Rogue Warrior reprints back in the Eagle Comics days, and found it pretty boring. The premise was interesting, yes, but as I've mentioned before, UK comics seem aimed at teenage boys, so the stories were pretty gory and juvenile. Add to that the clunky format -- short, choppy chunks of story designed to be doled out weekly -- and Rogue Warrior, like most UK comics reprinted by Eagle, was pretty shallow and forgettable.
But, as I said, it had an interesting premise, and if written for an adult audience, could be pretty cool. That appears to be the case here, so I plan to try it out. If nothing else, it's probably better than Marvel's UK characters!
Art: ANDY CLARKE
Cover: ANTONIO FUSO
Subscription Variant: DAVID MILGATE
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Sinister and Dexter have had more than one close scrape but when they accidentally take out the entire Belvmoi Branch of the Sons of Satan, they unwittingly unleash a curse that may send them 666 feet under. Plus, Sinister and Dexter meet for the first time?!
Art: CORY SMITH, MIKE HENDERSON, BEN BATES, DAN DUNCAN
Cover: TYLER WALPOLE
TPB • FC • $17.99 • 104 pages
The Villains keep on coming! Karai, Hun, Bebop and Rocksteady, and the Shredder all get the spotlight with stories that delve into their pasts and current actions that will have major ramifications on everybody's future.
Collects issues #5–8.
Art/Cover: ZACH HOWARD
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Time is running out. Desperate to survive, The Dawn is making a run for open sky. However, every path they choose the Judge and his fleet of warships are constantly a step ahead. With war inevitable, will The Dawn be able to prepare in time for the ultimate aerial showdown?!
This book has been delayed so long I don't even have an original ship date for it. But it's been a looooooong time since the third issue, probably on the order of six months. I feel sorry for people who commit to a book like this, and then halfway through, it basically goes on hiatus for half a year. Do you remember what it's about? Do you care any more? Really, I make jokes about lateness, but it's really a cruel disservice to people who are willing to gamble their money on a new book.
IMAGE COMICS
APOCALYPSE AL #2 (of 4)
Art/Cover A: SID KOTIAN, BILL FARMER
Cover B: FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA
36 PAGES / FC / M / $2.99
You know your day is off to a crummy start when Ultimate Darkness gives you an up-close-and-personal tour of their planned Apocalypse. Then, when the screaming stops, you still have the techno-wizard who has his eyes on your bra and the keys to the Cybervoid, not to mention killer viruses, guilt-inducing apparitions from the afterlife, and a dozen three-inch-tall, machine gun-toting imps determined to blow you and your car into the next world. That's just the start of the day for Allison Carter in her desperate attempt to prevent the End of the World. Step up for one of the funniest and most surreal detective stories ever printed about someone named Al.
Art RYAN BROWNE
Cover FRAZER IRVING
120 PAGES / FC / T+ / $14.99
Collects BEDLAM #7-11
Fillmore Press, formerly the maniacal crime lord Madder Red, is trying to protect the city he once terrorized -- but what happens when the city turns on itself? No one is safe when a new killer emerges, pulling unseen strings and wreaking chaos on every corner.
Art: MATTEO SCALERO
The third issue of the hit Image Comics science fiction adventure series BLACK SCIENCE, written by Rick Remender (DEADLY CLASS, Uncanny Avengers, Captain America) and drawn by Matteo Scalera (DEAD BODY ROAD), has already garnered critical acclaim and sold out at the distributor level.
In BLACK SCIENCE #3, a shell-shocked and battered Grant and his team are stranded on the front lines of the European soldiers' final standoff against the Sons of the Wakan Tech-Tanka and readers will be on the edge of their seats until the very last page.
Praise for BLACK SCIENCE:
“Matteo Scalera and Dean White are a visual dream team. For three issues now, we have been singing their praise and for good reason... I just want to taste each page of this comic; I want to cook it in a quesadilla and absorb its essence. It's that good.” -- Benjamin Bailey, IGN
“I can’t recommend it enough.” -- Zac Thompson, Bloody Disgusting
“If readers have been on the fence with this series, this issue will cement what Black Science is going to be all about and hop on board now before you get left in another dimension.” -- Roderick Ruth, Comicosity
“Black Science is a winner. Any sci-fi fan will be hooked.” -- Iann Robinson, Crave Online
“The visually stunning first issue plunges the reader headfirst into a Rod Serling fever dream. From creatures to spacesuits, the art team of Matteo Scalera and Dean White aesthetically tempers tension of the unknown within the familiar groundwork of vintage sci-fi.” -- Robert Tutton, Paste Magazine
“Whatever dark wizards Remender made a deal with to create this story are certainly getting their money's worth. Black Science #1 is the start of a terrifying new thrill ride that I will be reading between my fingers, hands over my eyes.” -- Matt Little, Comic Book Resources
“Matteo Scalera's art and Dean White's colors are enough to make you wonder what you did to deserve such a treat.” -- Tony Guerrero, Comic Vine
“The book is completely unlike anything on shelves right now.” -- Justin Partridge, III, Newsarama
“As a collaborative effort, Black Science immediately impresses with its relentless sense of wonder mixed with grounded, complex characterization.” -- Vince Ostrowski, Multiversity Comics
Art /Cover A: SINA GRACE
Cover B: TOMM COKER
48 PAGES / FC / M / $4.99
Rock is in his biggest pickle yet! Taken captive on an alien world, his only chance is to fight and try to find a way back home! This may be it for our street hero. MEANWHILE: Bear and Lex go out for dinner.
Art / cover JUAN JOSE RYP & ANDY TROY
FEBRUARY 19 / 32 PAGES / FC / T+ / $2.99
“You must hide the truth to save his life.”
As government forces lead an assault on the clones, Luke and his brothers are given an offer they can’t refuse. But what sacrifices must they make to ensure their freedom?
Hey, nobody tole me there was sex in this book! I'm still not reading it, but that certainly increases the odds!
Art: DEAN ORMSTON
Cover: DALE KEOWN
32 PAGES / FC / T+ / $3.99
ALES KOT (ZERO, WILD CHILDREN) joins DEAN ORMSTON (Judge Dredd, Predator, Books of Magick) to deliver this special TALES OF THE DARKNESS one-shot! The Roman Empire is on the edge of collapse. A part of its army is stranded deep within the Visigoth territory. The barbarian leader wakes up in a mass grave. He should be dead; yet he is not.
Evidently The Darkness has been around since ancient times, yet didn't make the history books any more than Turok's dinosaur invasion did. I'm beginning to think that some of this is made up.
Art: MATTEO SCALERA
The second issue of the wildly popular new Skybound series DEAD BODY ROAD, written by Justin Jordan (LUTHOR STRODE) and with art by Matteo Scalera (BLACK SCIENCE), keeps gaining readers and has already sold out at the distributor level. As his vengeful manhunt continues, ex-cop Gage’s momentum doesn’t falter as the body count rapidly increases.
Praise for DEAD BODY ROAD:
“This is a story unsettling enough to be compelling and memorable without any unnecessary flash or sizzle.” -- Doug Zawisza, Comic Book Resources
“If the first issue is any indication, this series promises lots of action and that is something to be very pumped up for.” -- Benjamin Bailey, IGN
“This is the type of comic that punches you in the gut with its storytelling. Getting punched in the gut may not sound fun but this comic absolutely is.” -- Tony Guerrero, Comic Vine
“Dead Body Road #1 is a great debut by a talented creative team. They've managed to take a fairly stock concept and turn it into something worth reading… As long as the action and intrigue stay at high levels, Dead Body Road will definitely be a winner.” -- Pierce Lydon, Newsarama
“If you liked the first issue, this one will definitely keep your attention: it's got all the action you could ever want, and the bleak setting is still being played to the hilt.” -- Michelle White, Multiversity Comics
“An excellent start, Dead Body Road #1 is difficult to put down once you get started. I can't wait to see what happens next in the series.” -- Jorge Solis, Bloody Disgusting
Art/Cover: RILEY ROSSMO
32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.50
Our first story arc ends as psychedelic detective Drum Hellar leads a wild ghostly dinosaur cattle drive into the badlands, and a stunning diabolical revelation leaves him wondering just who -- or what -- he is!
Art/Cover: SEAN PHILLIPS
288 PAGES / FC / M / $39.99
Collects FATALE #1-10
Josephine is everything a femme fatale should be—beautiful, alluring, dangerous. And she’s also cursed. The heroine of the Image Comics series FATALE by Ed Brubaker (VELVET, Captain America: The Winter Soldier) and Sean Phillips (Criminal) is irresistible to men, who will do anything to be with her once they’ve fallen under her spell, inevitably leading to their ruin and unimagined horrors. Immortal, Josephine must bear witness to their suffering again and again as she struggles to unravel the mystery of her own existence.
A lush combination of crime noir and Lovecraftian horror, FATALE was nominated for five Eisner Awards in 2013 (Best Continuing Series, Best New Series, Best Writer, Best Penciller/Inker, Best Cover Artist). And now Image Comics is proud to announce a special hardcover edition that collects the first ten issues of the critically acclaimed series. In this first volume, Josephine’s quest will lead her into the depths of an ancient evil, a path that takes her from 1950s San Francisco, where crooked cops hide deeper evils, to mid-'70s L.A., where burnt-out actors and ex-cult groupies are caught in a web around a Satanic snuff film.
Fatale: Deluxe Edition Volume One is a 288-page full color, oversized hardbound book, packed with behind-the-scenes extras from the creative team, including art, stories, sketches, and layouts. The collection will also include several essays on genre fiction by Jess Nevins, which previously appeared only in the single issues.
Now that I've already bought four trades, Image is coming out with a better format that I'd rather have. Bah!
INVINCIBLE UNIVERSE #11
Art / cover TODD NAUCK & GABE ELTAEB
MARCH 5 / 32 PAGES / FC / T+ / $2.99
Every active Guardian has been called into action to stop King Lizard’s planetary takeover! Next issue, will we have to re-title this book LIZARD LEAGUE UNIVERSE?!
JUPITER'S LEGACY #4
Art / cover FRANK QUITELY
Variant cover BRYAN HITCH
Variant cover IAN McQUE
32 PAGES / FC / M /$2.99
Brandon and his Uncle Walter have instigated the superhero revolution, but there are those who would still stand against them. On the other side of the world, Chloe and Hutch are hiding with their enormous secret and hoping to evade the man charged with hunting renegade superhumans.
This is another book that has been delayed so long I don't have notes on when it was originally solicited. How do y'all feel about that, Jupiter's Legacy readers? If I wasn't trade-waiting, I'd be mighty peeved!
Art: MATTHEW ROBERTS
The first issue of Chris Dingess (Being Human) and Matthew Roberts’ (BATTLE POPE, FOUR LETTER WORLDS) critically acclaimed Skybound series MANIFEST DESTINY has sold out instantly and will go into its 4th printing. Readers and critics alike keep discovering the troupe of explorers and joining the vibrant historical fantasy adventure.
Praise for MANIFEST DESTINY:
“Historical fiction can be a gamble in comics. … By keeping it weird and focusing on their characters, Dingess and Roberts make a great case for how well it can work.” -- Marykate Jasper, Comic Book Resources
“Salvation lies west, and Manifest Destiny is proof - taking a smart spin on otherwise barren narrative territory, Chris Dingess, Matthew Roberts and Owen Gieni have produced an opening issue that will pique your interest and get you invested in our heroes. This is the kind of trailblazing you won't want to miss.” -- David Pepose, Newsarama
“Dingess and Roberts have done a terrific job here, establishing the ugly side as well as the wonder of this expedition to the West. Manifest Destiny is looking to be one revelatory journey.” -- Michelle White, Multiversity Comics
“Manifest Destiny #1 promises to be some really solid storytelling, focusing on a time when the world was still a mystery to those who thought themselves above it, and a world which too often valued the pioneer spirit above basic human decency.” -- Andy Hunsaker, Crave Online
“It is way too early to start making best comics of the year lists, but we can safely put Manifest Destiny on the contenders list.” -- Cody Ferrell, Comic Book Therapy
Art: Various
Cover: JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPER
$10.00
Includes the complete four-issue Progeny miniseries running in Artifacts #25-26, Witchblade #164, and The Darkness #111.
Art MIKE NORTON
Cover JENNY FRISON
32 PAGES / FC / M / $2.99
While Dana is obsessed with discovering the identity of the masked Reviver who attacked her, her family is falling apart. And just what has escaped Reviver Anders Hine been up?
Art /cover: HOWARD CHAKYIN
144 PAGES / BW / T+ / $9.99
Collects SATELLITE SAM #1-5
NEW YORK CITY, 1951: The star of the hit TV show "Satellite Sam" turns up dead in a flophouse filled with dirty secrets. If his son can sober up, he might be able to figure out why in this noir mystery shot through with sex and violence in the seedy underbelly of TV's golden age. By MATT FRACTION (SEX CRIMINALS, Casanova, Hawkeye) and HOWARD CHAYKIN (BLACK KISS I & II, AMERICAN FLAGG!).
Praise for SATELLITE SAM:
“The strength of the writer's storyline deserves kudos both for its intrigue and period setting, but also for its ability to bring out the absolute best of one of the industry's most talented and innovative artists.” -- Jim Johnson, Comic Book Resources
“Like a serialized TV fan, I'm hooked and want to see the next episode of Satellite Sam.” -- Jen ‘Miss J’ Aprahamian, Comic Vine
“Satellite Sam #1 offers the best of both creators; a strong family story told through images that excite, that tease and that have so much energy in them that you can't help but get excited to see what's going to happen on each new page.” -- Scott Cederlund, Newsarama
“Satellite Sam #1 is ironic, irreverent, and impeccably engineered.” -- Sam LeBas, Multiversity Comics
“Satellite Sam #1 is a killer opening. Sexy, vulgar and completely entertaining.” -- Iann Robinson, Crave Online
“Fraction and Chaykin imbue this mystery with sex and violence -- neither of which is displayed graphically, but sometimes, what you don't see is more powerful than what you do.” -- Melissa Gray, IGN
Halleluah! I've been looking forward to reading this trade, but it kept getting delayed, and delayed, and delayed again (along with the regular "monthly" issues). But it's finally here, so I should be getting my copy from Amazon any time now. And I have to admit I like the price point quite a bit. Now let's hope I actually enjoy the thing!
Art / cover: J. BONE
32 PAGES / FC / T+ / $2.99
Tomas Ramirez is now in the small Mexican coastal town of La Calma, where other new freedom fighters allies intend to test a device to end the threat of the aliens forever. But the aliens have a counterattack plan of their own, so this certainly will be the Day of the Dead.
Art: RYAN BODENHEIM & MICHAEL GARLAND
NOVEMBER 20
32 PAGES / FC / T+ / $3.50
“KODIAK”
The secrets behind the hidden connection tying the CIA, KGB and modern Security Companies are finally revealed.
Art: GORAN PARLOV
Cover A JOHN CASSADAY
Cover B: GORAN PARLOV
MARCH 5 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $2.99
So much for retirement!
Meet Duke McQueen, a man who has long since settled down and left his days of saving the Universe and operating as the space hero everyone depended on -- at least that’s what he thought. His wife long passed and his kids off embarking on their own adventures, Duke lives a quiet, solitary life until he receives an unexpected call from a distant world, calling him to action one last time.
This March begins an all new ongoing series with STARLIGHT #1, Mark Millar (JUPITER’S LEGACY, KICK-ASS, WANTED) and Goran Parlov's (Fury MAX: My War Gone By, Punisher MAX) much-anticipated first salvo in an intergalactic adventure that will have fans leaning in as they read.
STARLIGHT kicks off the inter-linked Millarworld Universe titles that will launch out of Kick-Ass 3's conclusion. “Plain and simple, this is the book that starts it all and you're getting on the ground floor here for a three years plan I have featuring nine or ten titles with the biggest artists in the comic-book industry,” said Millar. “Goran has been my favourite artist for the last couple of years and getting to work with him on a project that's so pivotal to my plans, the beginning of what I hope is something enormous, is really exciting to me.”
For STARLIGHT #1, Millar was inspired by the old science-fiction serials from the '40s and '50s, and he has long wondered what would happen next in them. “One day they'd come back to Earth and settle down and have kids and that's exactly what Starlight is... the story of a space-hero who returned and nothing exciting ever happened to him again until he reached retirement age and he had this call back to the stars. I've always been a fan of old gunslinger stories… the idea of this man who had been famous for his excellence getting one last chance to show what he can do. Applying that myth to a space-hero, to an iconic sci-fi character, seemed really interesting to me and the character is so warm and likeable as well as gruff and, I suppose, bad-ass that he really just wrote himself. Goran and I are very proud of this book.”
Art/Cover A: JUNG-GEUN YOON
Cover B: STJEPAN SEJIC
Cover C: RAHSAN EKEDAL
Cover D: PATRICK TATAPOLOUS
32 PAGES / FC / T+ / $2.99
THE HONORVERSE EXPANDS TO COMICS!
TALES OF HONOR #1 kicks off the first of many immersive science-fiction comics, games, webisodes and TV episodes leading up to the release in 2017 of a feature film. Based on the USA Today and New York Times bestselling science-fiction novels, Honor Harrington, by David Weber, the stories are set 2,000 years in the future when hyperspace travel has allowed humanity to colonize the far reaches of the universe. TALES OF HONOR follows the life and times of a brilliant, genetically engineered spaceship captain, Honor Harrington, as she heroically leads her crew through a series of epic political, military and personal adventures.
“We chose the comic platform to launch the Honorverse to the uninitiated because it emphasizes visual storytelling and introduces our characters in a strong, iconic way. Comics also offer us the opportunity to interact with audience on a monthly basis to find the right tone and style for this new incarnation of Honor Harrington and her world,” said Scott Kroopf, Chief Creative Officer, Evergreen Studios.
The first comic series introduces Honor on the eve of her execution. From her cell, she recalls her first command assignment in a hellish backwater star system, where she discovers an enemy fleet massing for a sneak attack and must find a way to stop them with her lone ship.
“Weber’s story world is so cool because it’s based in real science, which gives it a feeling of authenticity. TALES OF HONOR is to Science Fiction what JASON BOURNE is to spy movies: realistic, gritty, and action-packed,” said Kroopf.
Matt Hawkins from Top Cow agrees. “I have never taken on outside comic projects, but when Evergreen approached me and I read the books, I was truly intrigued. David Weber has a level of detail that is not given in a lot of stuff now. The way they do the spaceship combat is actually realistic. The idea that the ships are so far apart and have to deal with inertia is something you don’t see in Star Trek or Star Wars. You can’t just turn a ship on a dime that’s going that fast.”
“What impressed me about THINK TANK was how clever and scientifically grounded it was, which made it very accessible and believable. Matt studied science and grew up in a military family, which made him the perfect person to adapt this story as a comic,” said Kroopf, Chief Creative Officer.
Evergreen Studios, the company behind WALKING WITH DINOSAURS, currently in theatres, develops stories whose characters, plots, and ideas can unfold over multiple platforms.
The mobile game, Tales of Honor: The Secret Fleet, will be available on iOS and Android and releases shortly after the first comic. This free-to-play strategy game will allow people to battle a multitude of enemies in ship to ship combat across the breadth of the “Honorverse”.
David Weber wrote 28 Honor Harrington novels, including an anthology series, two spin-off series, and a recent young adult series. The most recent entry in the series, Beginnings, was released July 2013.
For more information, go to www.tales-of-honor.com or www.topcow.com
'Tales of Honor': Comic launches multi-platform storyworld to introduce new fans to the 'honorverse'.
VELVET #4
Art STEVE EPTING & ELIZABETH BREITWEISER
Cover STEVE EPTING
JANUARY 29
32 PAGES / FC / M
$2.99
At the Masquerade everyone hides their true face, especially the double-agent that Velvet needs to get to if she has any hope of clearing her name.
Don't miss this hot new super-spy series from the best-selling creators of the Captain America: The Winter Soldier saga!
Here's another series where the first trade can't come soon enough, yet the individual issues keep getting delayed (which delays the trade). I haven't as much reason to complain as someone who buys the individual issues, but it sure is annoying.
Art Cover: CHARLIE ADLARD, STEFANO GAUDIANO & CLIFF RATHBURN
136 PAGES / BW / M / $14.99
Collects THE WALKING DEAD #115-120
The biggest storyline in THE WALKING DEAD history starts here. It’s Rick versus Negan, with a little help from everyone else!
It's beginning to feel like they should start calling this "The Hundred Year War II."
AVENGERS A.I. #10
Art: ANDRE LIMA ARAUJO
Cover: DAVID MARQUEZ
Variant Cover: KEVIN TONG
32 PGS./Rated T+/$2.99
• S.H.I.E.L.D. priority alert: Monica Chang and her robot-hunting partner Jocasta (?!) have been ordered to confiscate and/or eliminate unregistered artificial intelligences on sight.
• UNAUTHORIZED ENTRY: Hank Pym, Vision and the Uncanny Avengers have been spotted in the Diamond. All citizens are advised to be cautious of this rebel element.
• WARNING: All hail Dimitrios OR ELSE!
Art: PAUL SMITH, MARK BRIGHT, GENE COLAN, SAL BUSCEMA, BOB BUDIANSKY, MIKE ZECK
Cover: FRANK MILLER
216 PGS./Rated T/$24.99
The Falcon is soaring into animation and film -- now learn his secret origin in this comprehensive collection of his formative adventures! Witness all the action as Sam Wilson, along with his trained falcon, Redwing, battles to save his fellow Harlem from slumlords, evades a malfunctioning Sentinel and takes on the megawatt menace Electro! Plus: The Falcon teams with Captain America to defeat the Red Skull, and soon becomes Cap’s costumed partner-in-crimefighting! But though villains like Mortimer Freebish and the Silencer are relative walks in the park for the high-flying hero, will the Falcon’s own traumatic past be his deadliest foe? Collecting FALCON #1-4, MARVEL PREMIERE #49, CAPTAIN AMERICA (1968) #117-119, and material from CAPTAIN AMERICA (1968) #220 and #276-278.
Art/Cover: NIC KLEIN
Variant Cover: GLENN FABRY
Captain America Variant Cover also available
32 PGS./Rated T/$3.99
• Will Dr. Mindbubble shatter Captain America’s already fragile psyche?
• The Iron Nail rises.
• SHIELD’s greatest secrets revealed to the world’s most dangerous man.
I don't know why Marvel says "Captain America Variant Cover also available" on an issue of Captain America. Maybe it's code.
Adapted from the graphic novel by ED BRUBAKER
Cover: STEVE EPTING
352 PGS./No Rating/$24.99
Steve Rogers is dead! Long live Captain America! He was a hero to millions, an inspiration to America’s armed services and the representative of his nation’s greatest ideals. He lived for his country -- and now, he has given his last final measure for the nation he loved, shot down in cold blood. In the aftermath of his death, Cap’s longtime partner, the Falcon, makes revenge his first order of business. Sharon Carter finds herself spiraling out of control, a captive of the Red Skull’s minions. And Bucky Barnes, a.k.a. the Winter Soldier, must reconcile his own sordid past with the calling to become the new Captain America! Experience Marvel’s blockbuster shakeup of the Captain America mythos like never before in this new adaptation!
Art: JOE BENNETT
Cover: PAUL RIVOCHE
32 PGS./Rated T+/$3.99
“IRON METROPOLITAN” CONCLUSION!
• MANDARIN CITY is aflame. Troy is in ruins. Who comes to help TONY STARK in his hour of need?
• Will Tony make the ultimate sacrifice to save the city?
• And WHO is hunting the ring-bearers?
Tony fights for his life as the blockbuster Iron Metropolitan arc reaches its world shaking conclusion in IRON MAN #22! Mandarin City is aflame. Troy is in ruins. Both brutally destroyed by wielders of the Mandarin Rings. As Tony does battle against The Exile, Red Peril and Lord Remaker, is there anyone left to help Tony in his hour of need? It’s a showdown for the ages -- and you’ll never guess who comes out on top! Will Tony make the ultimate sacrifice to save the city? Can he? Plus, who is this mysterious threat hunting the Mandarin Rings from the shadows? Seeds sown here bear bitter fruit in the upcoming Rings of the Mandarin arc! You won’t want to miss IRON MAN #22!
Art: LEE GARBETT
Cover: JENNY FRISON
Artist Variant: JAIME MCKELVIE
32 PGS./Rated T+/$2.99
• Loki vs. Lorelei!
• It’s the battle of the Asgardian younger siblings -- from the casinos of Monte Carlo to a speed date in New York!
• Loki goes speed dating. We should have mentioned that earlier, really.
I would guess that Loki isn't terribly susceptible to Lorelei's bewitching song. I mean, manipulating people is his specialty! Compared to him, Lorelei is amateur hour.
Art: GABRIEL HERNANDEZ WALTA
Cover: PAOLO RIVERA
Variant Cover: JOHN CASSADAY
Animal Variant Cover: MIKE DEL MUNDO
Young Variant Cover: SKOTTIE YOUNG
32 PGS./Rated PARENTAL ADVISORY/$3.99
Once the deadliest, most feared mutant mastermind on the planet, MAGNETO is no longer the man he once was. After falling in with Cyclops and the X-Men, Erik Lehnsherr became just one more pawn in another man’s war. But now, determined to fight the war for mutantkind’s survival on his own terms, Magneto sets out to regain what he’s lost … and show the world exactly why it should tremble at the sound of his name. Magneto will safeguard the future of the mutant race by hunting down each and every threat that would see his kind extinguished -- and bloody his hands that they may never be a threat again.
Erik Lehnsherr is judge, jury, and executioner this March when he makes his All-New Marvel NOW! debut in MAGNETO #1 -- a haunting new ongoing series from the blockbuster creative team of Cullen Bunn (Wolverine, Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe) and Gabriel Hernandez Walta (Astonishing X-Men)!
He’s been called many things -- hero, villain, teacher, revolutionary, redeemer, destroyer. Now he walks a different path. One of the hunter -- seeking out and eliminating threats to the Mutant race with extreme prejudice. And the Master of Magnetism is more than ready to get his hands dirty in the service of his people.
“I think Magneto is definitely an anti-hero,” says series writer Cullen Bunn in an interview with Marvel.com. “He’s fighting for the right thing, but his methods are far too extreme. He’s not above breaking the law, stretching the limits of what is moral and putting evil to work for good. ... How readers interpret his actions, whether they see him as a hero, anti-hero, or villain, is one of the things I’m really excited about with this book.”
Witness the beginning of a new Master of Magnetism as he begins his one man mission for all-mutantkind when MAGNETO #1 hits!
MOON KNIGHT #1
Art/Cover: DECLAN SHALVEY
Variant Covers: BILL SIENKIEWICZ, ADI GRANOV, SKOTTIE YOUNG, KATIE COOK
32 PGS./Rated T+/$3.99
Marc Spector is Moon Knight! ... or is he? It’s hard to tell these days, especially when New York’s wildest vigilante protects the street with two-fisted justice and three -- that’s right, count ‘em -- different personalities! But even with the mystical force of Khonshu fueling his crusade, how does the night’s greatest detective save a city that’s as twisted as he is? The road to victory is going to hurt. A lot. Marvel’s most mind-bending adventure begins NOW as Moon Knight sleuths his way to the rotten core of New York’s most bizarre mysteries!
Marvel Comics will illuminate the dark recesses of the Marvel Universe as it launches a new monthly Moon Knight series by award-winning and critically acclaimed writer Warren Ellis (Iron Man: Extremis, Astonishing X-Men) and the outstanding artistic team of Declan Shalvey and Jordie Bellaire (Venom; Deadpool). Moon Knight will continue the Company’s popular All-New Marvel NOW! initiative with an all-new #1 that will be sure to redefine the mysterious vigilante and solidify him as one of Marvel’s most extraordinary heroes.
This gritty and bold era of Moon Knight’s history is orchestrated by Warren Ellis, who promises to introduce readers to the dark corners and unspoken fears of the Marvel Universe.
“The touchstone for this book, for me, has been ‘Weird Crime’. Both ground-level action and high strangeness,” says Warren Ellis, in an interview with Marvel.com. “This is a take on Moon Knight that unifies all the previous takes, making the character whole and taking him forward into a new kind of crime fiction.”
“Moon Knight is one of Marvel’s most underrated characters we have and with ‘MK’ back in New York City, the book is going to be a reflection of its environment: filled with darkness, secrets and super heroes,” says series Editor Stephen Wacker.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to finally have this book out in front of readers," said Wacker. "Moon Knight is one the most fascinating characters in the Marvel library and the depths that Warren, Declan and colorist Jordie Bellaire are taking him to will guarantee this book fits perfectly alongside acclaimed books like Daredevil, Hawkeye and Black Widow. This is the comic you had no idea you were waiting your entire life for.”
As a mercenary turned super hero, Marc Spector has faced down everything from werewolves, super villains to his own fractured psyche. Fearsome foes and gruesome threats permeate the darkest corners of New York City. Is Moon Knight ready for NYC? Better yet, is NYC ready for him?
Every FIRST ISSUE bearing the All New Marvel NOW! branding includes a code for a free digital copy of that same comic on the Marvel Comics app for iOS and Android devices.
For more on Moon Knight & All-New Marvel NOW!, please visit now.marvel.com and join in the conversation on Twitter with hashtag #MoonKnight.
Art: ROGER LANGRIDGE, SHELLI PAROLINE, AMY MEBBERSON
Covers: ROGER LANGRIDGE, PHIL NOTO
1296 PGS./All Ages/$49.99
Set the music! Set the lights! Jim Henson’s beloved creations are taking the stage at Marvel with The Muppets Omnibus Hardcover! Fan favorite writer Roger Langridge’s award-winning comic adventures of Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzy Bear and all your favorite felt friends are finally collected in this oversized hardcover collection that’s as massive as it is hilarious!
"I'm extremely proud of the work I did on the Muppet Show comic books and thrilled to hear that they'll be available soon in this long-lasting format,” said Langridge. “This is one of those rare cases where corporate imperatives neatly intersected with a cartoonist's own interests and passions, and I'm pleasantly surprised to hear that Marvel thought my efforts were worth commemorating with such a prestigious edition."
Explore every corner of the Muppet Universe, from the broiling labs of Bunsen and Beaker to the DEEP reaches of the galaxy with Piiiigs In Spaaace, in a Muppet experience like no other. And of course, no Muppet production would be complete without Kermit and the Glam Ham herself, Miss Piggy! Strap in for a knee-slapping joy ride that celebrates the best of what the Muppets and comics have to offer with The Muppets Omnibus Hardcover!
Collecting THE MUPPET SHOW (2009) #1-4, THE MUPPET SHOW COMIC BOOK: THE TREASURE OF PEG-LEG WILSON #1-4, THE MUPPET SHOW COMIC BOOK #0-11 and THE MUPPETS (2012) #1-4.
Art: MARCUS TO
Cover: RAMON PEREZ
Variant Cover: MARK BAGLEY
Variant Cover: JORGE MOLINA
32 PGS./Rated T+/$3.99
All across the world, the New Warriors come together … SEE! Sun Girl and Haechi deal with Morlocks! WITNESS! Justice and Speedball fight to save magic! CRINGE! As Scarlet Spider refuses to play well with others.
If it isn’t human -- it dies! Marvel is proud to present your first look at NEW WARRIORS #2 -- from the critically acclaimed creative team of Christopher Yost and Marcus To! Evolution has gone off the rails. And the High Evolutionary and his army of Evolutionaries have taken it upon themselves to put things right -- through the complete extermination of all super-powered beings in the Marvel Universe! And it’s up to the New Warriors to stop him -- but will they be enough? Their first mission may just be their last! If they want to survive, they’ll have to learn to be a team first -- and that’s much easier said than done. Plus, what does the High Evolutionary want with Nova? The answer may surprise you!
Art: RAMON ROSANAS
Cover: JAY SHAW
32 PGS./Parental Advisory/$3.99
• Deadpool’s battle with the ambulatory dead comes to a close!
• This is going to be a dark series, my friends.
• Dark.
Art: DAVID BALDEON
Cover: PACO MEDINA
Variant Cover: JORGE MOLINA
32 PGS./Rated T/$3.99
• IT’S A BAD TIME TO BE A NOVA!
• David Baldeon (Scarlet Spider) joins Gerry Duggan for an interstellar adventure with Beta Ray Bill begins with a bang (and a massive robotic battle)!
• It’s clean-up time as Sam and Bill ride through the cosmos attempting to right the wrongs that Sam caused!
Art: PACO MEDINA, CARLO BARBERI
Cover: ED MCGUINNESS
112 PGS./Rated T/$16.99
Now that we’ve learned the new Nova’s origin, there’s only one thing standing between Sam Alexander and being an Avenger: He needs to ask his mom. Zeb Wells (Robot Chicken) and Paco Medina (ULTIMATE X-MEN) continue the story of Marvel’s newest, least experienced hero as he takes on the Superior Spider-Man and encounters the madness of INFINITY! But can Nova handle his first taste of the power of a mad cosmic god? Sam may be well out of his depth, but he’s about to get backup from some of the original Nova’s allies: that’s right, members of the fan-favorite New Warriors! Will Sam help them put their team back together? Big changes are on the horizon for Sam Alexander -- and for the newest Nova, the horizon is only an instant away! Collecting NOVA (2013) #6-9 and material from #10.
I was never a fan of the original Nova -- for one thing, co-creator Marv Wolfman said he wrote Richard Ryder deliberately as not very bright, so as to contrast with Peter Parker -- so I had little interest in an even younger and less competent version. But the new title seems to be doing well, so what about it Legionnaires? Anyone reading Nova? And, if so, do you recommend it?
Art: SKOTTIE YOUNG
Cover: SKOTTIE YOUNG
112 PGS./All Ages/$24.99
The Eisner Award-winning team of Eric Shanower and Skottie Young bring you the best Oz series yet! Uncle Henry, Aunt Em and Dorothy must leave their Kansas home -- but where can they go? To Oz, of course! Dorothy and the Wizard take Em and Henry on a grand tour -- but will anyone in Oz be left alive after the Nomes attack, allied with the disagreeable Growleywogs and the evil shape-shifting Phanfasms? Ozma discovers the Nome Army’s impending invasion, but too late -- and she, Dorothy, the Tin Woodman and the rest of their friends can only watch helplessly as the Nome King’s hordes pour into the Emerald City. But the Scarecrow has a plan to save the day, and Glinda the Good has another! Can they rescue the Land of Oz from destruction? Collecting EMERALD CITY OF OZ #1-5.
Art/Cover: MITCH GERADS
Variant Cover: ALEX MALEEV
32 PGS./Parental Advisory/$3.99
Frank Castle dukes it out with one of the Marvel Universe’s big bads in THE PUNISHER #3 -- from the critically acclaimed creative team of Nathan Edmondson and Mitch Gerads! Frank has discovered the Dos Soles gang’s deadly new weapon -- and it looks like dark times ahead for the city of Los Angeles. The clock is ticking, and if The Punisher’s going to stop it he’ll have to stab, shoot and explode his way through scores of gang members and one very angry Marvel super villain! And you’ll never guess who it is! A daring raid on a heavily fortified compound? Should be Punisher business as usual, but nothing’s been usual since Frank’s move to Los Angeles.
Art: JAVIER PULIDO
Cover: KEVIN WADA
Variant Cover: AMANDA CONNER
32 PGS./Rated T+/$2.99
• Jennifer opens her own practice, but things aren’t going as smoothly as she’d like.
• A new client rides into town … but is he hero or villain?
• Guest-starring Patsy Walker, Hellcat!
Art: JEROME OPENA, ESAD RIBIC, RAFAEL ALBUQUERQUE, BILLY TAN, MARK BROOKS, ROBBI RODRIGUEZ, GREG TOCCHINI, PHIL NOTO, MIKE MCKONE, JULIAN TOTINO TEDESCO, DAVE WILLIAMS
Cover: ESAD RIBIC
928 PGS./Parental Advisory/$99.99
Rick Remender puts the Uncanny into X-Force in an epic, critically acclaimed run! Psylocke, Archangel, Deadpool and Fantomex sign up for Wolverine’s secret squad of assassins, but their first mission -- to find and deal with the reborn Apocalypse -- casts a long shadow. As the members of X-Force struggle to come to terms with their actions, one among them unravels in what could only be called the “Dark Angel Saga.” Startlingly familiar Deathloks; a return to the Age of Apocalypse; a warring Otherworld; and the all-new, all-deadly Brotherhood of Evil Mutants await in Remender’s extraordinary exploration of the ethics of execution. Featuring the stunning art of Jerome Opeña, Esad Ribic, Phil Noto and more! Collecting UNCANNY X-FORCE (2010) #1-35, #5.1 and #19.1; and material from WOLVERINE: ROAD TO HELL #1.
Art: MARCO RUDY
Cover: ALEXANDER LOZANO
32 PGS./Rated T/$3.99
• Cyclops finds himself in serious trouble.
• Who’s got Scott Summers at gunpoint?
Art: CHRIS BACHALO & FRAZIER IRVING
Cover: CHRIS BACHALO
136 PGS./Rated T+/$19.99
The true flagship X-Men series returns! In the wake of the Phoenix event, exactly what are Cyclops and his team of outlaw X-Men: visionary revolutionaries or dangerous terrorists? Whatever the truth, Cyclops, Emma Frost, Magneto and Magik are gathering new mutants and redefining the name “Uncanny X-Men.” But they face harsh challenges: Once again, robotic Sentinels hunt the team and the mutants they protect -- but who’s doing the hunting? And there’s a mole on Cyclops’ squad -- who is it? A weakened Magneto must prove he’s still the master of magnetism as Magik wonders why she’s the only member of the Phoenix Five to emerge unscathed! Plus: Learn what it’s like to be a student at Cyclops’ new school! Blockbuster creators Brian Michael Bendis and Chris Bachalo revamp the entire X-Men concept! Collecting UNCANNY X-MEN (2013) #1-5.
Art/Cover: MAHMUD ASRAR
Variant Cover: MARK BROOKS
Animal Variant: JENNY PARKS
This March, Wolverine and the rest of the Jean Grey School charge forward into All-New Marvel NOW! in Wolverine & The X-Men #1, the bombastic new series from the blockbuster creative team of Jason Latour and Mahmud Asrar!
If you thought the inaugural year of the Jean Grey School was crazy -- you ain’t seen nothing yet! The X-Men of tomorrow have faced dangers unlike any other, and it’s not going to get easier any time soon. Summer School is in session, with new dangers, new faces … and is that Quentin Quire as a teacher?
But with X-Men’s own lives riddled with deadly enemies and personal crises, how can they hope to guide the next generation, when they can barely defend them! A new enemy lurks in the shadows, ready to strike at the heart of the Jean Grey School. And this new organization will test the faculty and students of the JGS like never before!
“School's back for summer, and Wolverine, Storm and Quentin Quire are here to guide the next generation of mutant heroes,” says Editor Tom Brennan. “When the time came to find out who’d take the Wolverine & The X-Men story to its next chapter, Jason Latour was pretty much the only choice for someone who could continue this book’s legacy while charting new destinations. Mahmud Asrar is the perfect partner for Jason, expanding on the world of the Jean Grey school and the lives and dangers of its students with breathtaking drama and scale.”
“As we’ve seen this first year or so of the Jean Grey School has been a hard road. As a result we’ll begin with a lot of the teachers and students sitting on the edge of their seats just waiting for the bell to ring,” explained Latour. “Those that are left are the teachers and the kids who basically have nowhere to go. Headmasters Wolverine and Storm are spending the summer with Quire and Evan and Idie. The kids who are among the most potentially powerful and dangerous mutants alive.”
“In them we could be witnessing the growth of the next GREAT team of X-Men, or the creation of the biggest threats the Marvel U will ever see.”
And with Fantomex joining the staff, what could possibly go wrong? Get ready for an explosive new start for the Jean Grey school this March in Wolverine & The X-Men #1 -- if they survive that long!
For more on All-New Marvel NOW!, please visit www.marvel.com and join the conversation on Twitter with hashtag #MarvelNOW.
Marvel is pretty high on the artist for this series. Here's a press release they sent out in December:
Marvel announces exclusive agreement with artist Mahmud A. Asrar
New York, NY (December 9th, 2013) - Marvel Entertainment is excited to announce the exclusive agreement with newest Wolverine and the X-Men artist, Mahmud Asrar.
Reflecting on how he got started with his Marvel work, Asrar reminisced, “The first time I worked for Marvel was back in 2007. I was to do a Nova annual where I'd be retelling the origin of the character. I was already pressured to be doing my first work for Marvel but I was to reinterpret a story originally drawn by John Buscema -- one of my all-time biggest influences. Talk about anxiety! That gig and several others after that, along with years of doing other comic work, I was offered to work on an Ultimate X-Men story."
He may not have been in the industry for long, but Asrar knows that when the stars align, he needed to take the leap, “The timing was just right so I took it on even though I was doing an ongoing book at the time. That work led to more offers by Marvel which I was excited about, however, CB Cebulski knew I had a weak spot for Wolverine so he asked if I'd be interested in doing Wolverine and the X-Men with Jason Latour. The lure worked and I just couldn't resist jumping on board.”
The appeal of entering the hallowed halls of the, now titled, “School for Higher Learning” has enticed creators since its inception with the original X-Men and it has always energized artists to bring their own unique style to the student body, “What I've always enjoyed about the original X-Men was that they were students in a weird school so it's exciting that we'll have the opportunity to tell the story of a new breed of X-Men with a new mentor. Visually we'll have the school remain as a school, which means the children will be in uniform. Even the Bamfs will be in uniform.”
Asrar does, however, promise introducing new visual dynamics to the school and its new student body, “The most distinguishable changes will be in some of the kids who have a changed status in the school hierarchy. Especially Quentin Quire springs to mind, who is now a teacher at the school. He's being put in a most unexpected position which will lead to interesting situations.”
When asked who he is looking most forward to visually tackling, Asrar continues, “Aside from getting to draw some of the original X-Men I'm looking forward to draw Fantomex. He's one I wasn't expecting but I suppose Jason [Latour’s] writing has my interest piqued.”
Once again, Marvel is excited to welcome Mahmud Asrar's kinetic and expressive work exclusively to Wolverine and the X-Men, the Marvel Universe and all Marvel Properties.
When news breaks of Asrar's latest projects, you can be sure to find it at Marvel.com. Please also visit the artist's own website, mahmudasrar.com and visit him on instagram.com/mahmudasrar for more glimpses of his beautiful artwork.
Art: JOHN BYRNE, JACKSON GUICE, TERRY SHOEMAKER, CHRIS WOZNIAK, JON BOGDANOVE, ARTHUR ADAMS, WILL SIMPSON, ALAN DAVIS & JOE BENNETT
Cover: TERRY AUSTIN
392 PGS./Rated T/$39.99
For years, the X-Men have fought to avert a nightmarish future in which robotic Sentinels herd mutants into camps -- or kill them on sight. But no matter what they do, that future seems to loom ever closer. Now, the classic tales featuring this dystopian alternate timeline are collected in one oversized volume! Kate Pryde journeys desperately through time to prevent Senator Kelly’s assassination! Franklin Richards flees to the present, pursued by the hound-master Ahab! And Excalibur ventures into the future in a last-ditch attempt to defeat the Sentinels! Plus: prequels starring Wolverine and the Hulk! The future is now! Collecting X-MEN (1963) #141, UNCANNY X-MEN (1963) #142, X-MEN ANNUAL (1970) #14, EXCALIBUR (1988) #52 and #66-67, and WOLVERINE: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST #1-3; and material from FANTASTIC FOUR ANNUAL #23, NEW MUTANTS ANNUAL #6, X-FACTOR ANNUAL #5 and HULK: BROKEN WORLDS #2.
I have all these comics already, but I'm pleased to see them all under one cover for easy reference, especially with the movie on the way.
VALIANT COMICS
ARCHER & ARMSTRONG #18
Art: PERE PEREZ
Cover: LEWIS LAROSA
Interlocking Pullbox Variant: JORGE MOLINA
Variant Cover: MICHAEL WALSH
$3.99/T+/32 pgs.
Valiant is proud to announce "Mission: Improbable" -- a four-part crossover event beginning in Archer & Armstrong #18 and Bloodshot and H.A.R.D. Corps #20!
Archer & Armstrong are going to war with Bloodshot and H.A.R.D Corps! (GULP!) That's right, Valiant's globe-trotting adventure duo have been targeted for elimination by Project Rising Spirit's most elite kill crew. Their mission? Assassinate the the newly appointed leader of a homegrown fundamentalist terror sect named … Obadiah Archer?! (And if they could take out his mentally ill, alcoholic bodyguard who just happens to think he's a 10,000-year-old immortal, that'd be swell too!)
"Mission: Improbable" unites the ongoing Archer & Armstrong creative team of Fred Van Lente and Pere Perez with Bloodshot and H.A.R.D Corps co-writers Christos Gage and Joshua Dysart and incoming artist Tom Raney for an action-packed melee through the espionage-laden underground of the Valiant Universe! Each issue features one of four interlocking Pullbox Exclusive Variants – reserved exclusively for comic shop subscribers – by artist Jorge Molina.
For more information on "Mission: Improbable" and the rest of the Valiant Universe, visit Valiant on Facebook, on Twitter, and at ValiantUniverse.com. For Valiant merchandise and more, visit Valiant.CinderBlock.com.
Art/Cover by TOM FOWLER
Pullbox Exclusive Variant: MATTHEW WAITE
Variant: CHIP ZDARSKY
$3.99/T+/32 pgs.
Are heroes born … or are they bred?
Tom Fowler returns to QUANTUM AND WOODY for the thrilling and tragic life story of … Vincent Van Goat! Behold! A hero is born! A hero rises! We’re gonna level with you -- you’re going to need to read this issue! Excitement and laughs and all that! Major repercussions for Quantum and Woody! Yes, seriously! Buy the issue and then see if we weren’t kidding!
Art: MING DOYLE
Cover: ANDREW ROBINSON
$14.99/T+/112 pgs.
So … two superheroes, a clone, and a goat move into a junior two-bedroom…
Imbued with unpredictable new superpowers in the wake of an energy experiment gone wrong, Eric and Woody Henderson have just had their lives turned upside down -- and they need to KLANG together every 24 hours or else their atoms will disperse. So what do you do when the most annoying person in your life is also the only thing keeping you alive? You move in with him! And his goat. And his barely legal clone girlfriend. Besides, every team of heroes needs a secret headquarters … and this one has a slightly used hot tub. Plus: Quantum gets a job -- and meets his first true blue super-villain!
Collecting QUANTUM AND WOODY #5-8 by acclaimed writer James Asmus (Thief of Thieves) and rising star Ming Doyle (Mara), get ready to kiss that security deposit goodbye when the world's worst superhero team shacks up and breaks loose for an all-new adventure!
OTHER PUBLISHERS
ADVENTURE TIME #18 (SDCC EXCLUSIVE)
Publisher: BOOM ENTERTAINMENT
Writer: RYAN NORTH
Art: SHELLI PAROLINE, BRADEN LAMB
Cover: BRYAN TURNER
$9.99
Previously only available at SDCC! Collect this special edition connecting cover by Bryan Turner!
Publisher: BOOM ENTERTAINMENT
Writer: YUKO ONO, ANANTH PANAGARIYA
Art: IAN MCGINTY
Cover: BRYAN TURNER
$9.99
Previously only available at SDCC! Collect this special edition connecting cover by Bryan Turner!
Publisher: BOOM ENTERTAINMENT
Writer/Art: NATASHA ALLEGRI
Cover: KASSANDRA HELLER
$9.99
Previously only available at SDCC! Collect this special edition cover by Natasha Allegri!
Writer: PAUL TOBIN, COLLEN COOVER
Art/Cover: WWOK JIN CLARK
Cover A: COLLEEN COOVER
Cover B: HEATHER DANFORTH
$3.99
Finn and Jake learn the truth behind why Monkey Wizard doesn't kidnap princesses anymore. With Marceline helping out, it should be easy for our Heroes to finally get Painting Princess kidnapped ... right?!
Writer: DANIELLE CORSETTA
Art: ZACK STERLING
Cover: STEPHANIE GONZAGA
$11.99
WHY WE LOVE IT: Marceline is one of that raddest characters in Ooo and her relationship with her dad, Hunson, has always been interesting. We're excited to see those two together!
WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT: Kate Leth (KATE OR DIE!) writing an OGN about Marceline and Jake traveling to the Nightosphere with Zach Sterling (ADVENTURE TIME™) illustrating this super fun adventure!
WHAT'S IT ABOUT: Marceline has to go back home for a family reunion. Normally, she would skip out but it turns out she left her axe behind the last time she was there. With the help of Jake the dog, Marceline hopes this trip won't be a complete drag. Little does she know, her dad has made some decisions while she's been away and this visit is going to be a roller coaster of family, friends, and communication!
Writer: RICK SPEARS
Art/Cover: JAMES CALLAHAN
$3.99
Fresh off the biggest bomb in Hollywood history, disgraced and desperate producer Nathan T. Rex enters a downward spiral of drugs and depravity in a quest to resurrect his career and save his soul. Over budget and behind schedule on the latest installment of the horror franchise, PRESIDENTS DAY, T. Rex is backed into a corner by bad publicity, a crap project, and a jerk studio exec, but finds salvation at a strip club by huffing glue, and a chance encounter with cable news. Welcome to the most deranged, notorious, and hilarious comic of 2014! We apologize in advance.
I haven't had time to read the review copy Oni sent, but a quick scan suggests a frenetic, goofy story on the seedy side of the street. I expect I'll enjoy it.
Writer: BEN LICHIUS
Art/Cover: DEAN KOTZ
$12.99
The Black Coat returns in an all-new tale of action, adventure, espionage, and monsters! It's 1776 and war has begun. While attempting to protect George Washington and his army stationed in New York City, The Black Coat discovers that the secret society of evil known as "The League" has resurfaced. But will he succeed in stopping their twisted scheme or will America's first superspy instead be forced to sacrifice Washington's troops and betray his closest allies? Chocked full of swashbuckling action, this new graphic novel picks up where the last series left off, but is a great place for new readers to jump on board as well.
I'll give Black Coat this: He chose a much better name than The Scarlet Pimpernel did.
BLIGHTED EYE (HC)
Writer: GLENN BRAY
Art: CHARLES ADDAMS & Various
Cover: CHARLES ADDAMS
$100.00
Glenn Bray began collecting original comic art in 1965 and eventually amassed the most eclectic collection of comic art in private hands. The Blighted Eye features work by an A to Z of cartooning masters from Charles Addams and Carl Barks to Robert Williams and Art Young and almost everyone in between. The Blighted Eye is a testament to Bray's dogged and visionary commitment to preserving the work by the greatest artists working in an art form habitually sneered at by cultural gatekeepers throughout most of the 20th century.
Writer: MATT GAGNON, MICHAEL ALAN NELSON
Art: BRIAN STELFREEZE
Cover: KHARY RANDOLPH
$9.99
Previously only available at NYCC! Collect this special edition cover by Khary Randolph!
Writer: MATT GAGNON, MICHAEL ALAN NELSON
Art/Cover: BRIAN STELFREEZE
$3.99
War continues to rage throughout the vampire underground, as David's role for the Virgo family comes into question. But will Azalea, the mysterious matriarch, cast David out in search of a more proper wartime Day Man?
Writer: MONTY NERO
Art/Cover: MICHAEL DOWLING
$3.99
From Titan Comics. Given amazing superpowers -- and six months to live -- by the G+ Virus, three Londoners struggle to make their time count! Discover what made Monty such a manipulative s**t -- can he use his powers to climb all the way to the top? Washed-up singer-songwriter Weasel puts in a paternity visit -- and ends up on the run from GCHQ's power-hunting division! Already imprisoned, can Verity's artistic side flower in captivity? More importantly ... is there a chance that the G+ Virus could be cured? Death Sentence is a critical smash-hit! Don't miss your chance to get on board this shocking rollercoaster ride!
Writer/Art/Cover: JIMMY GOWNLEY
$11.99
Jimmy Gownley's graphic novel memoir about the "dumb" idea that changed his life forever! What if the dumbest idea ever changed your life forever? At thirteen, Jimmy was popular, at the top of his class, and the leading scorer on his basketball team. But all that changed when chicken pox forced him to miss the championship game. Then things went from bad to worse when he got pneumonia and missed even more school. Before Jimmy knew it, his grades were sinking and nothing seemed to be going right. How would Jimmy turn things around, get back on top at school, and maybe even get a date with the cutest girl in school? Jimmy Gownley shares his adventures as he grows from an eager-to-please boy into a teenage comic book artist and how the dumbest idea ever actually became the best thing that ever happened to him!
Writer: MAX BEMIS
Art: RANSOM GETTY
Cover: JAY SHAW
$3.99
WHY WE LOVE IT: After POLARITY, we just had to work with writer (and Say Anything lead singer) Max Bemis again, and his thrilling take on how our modern society could evolve into an evil empire is absolutely terrifying.
WHY YOU WILL LOVE IT: Every fan of fiction is aware of the trope of the "evil, sinister empire" i.e. the Empire in "Star Wars." Oftentimes, when we are introduced to these totalitarian establishments, they are already fully in power and it's up to our hero to bring back order and peace. However, in EVIL EMPIRE, we explore how that would unfold in a real-world setting. How close to the precipice are we right now in the world we live in? Would we let it happen? More specific to this tale: Would we secretly WANT it to happen?
WHAT IT'S ABOUT: Told through the perspective of an underground rapper named Reese, Max Bemis' gripping story explores a scenario in which we watch our modern society gradually evolve (or is it devolve?) into an evil empire.
Writer: MAX BROOKS
Art/Cover: RAULO CACERES
$14.99
Horror doesn't get any bigger than having New York Times Bestselling Author; MAX BROOKS deliver a one-of-a-kind masterpiece like Extinction Parade! Brooks' zombie fiction has been a staple of the bestsellers lists but this new comic book project ups the ante with a whole new set of creatures to fear. And this issue begins the all-out war of the undead as the vampire race is finally thrust into the center of the subdead zombie epidemic. Three species in mortal conflict -- Extinction Parade: This is how a species dies! Available with Regular, Wraparound, End of a Species and Bloodwashed Retailer Incentive covers by Raulo Caceres. Also, available with a special black Leather cover, limited to just 1000 copies!
Writer/Art/Cover: LYNN JOHNSTON
$22.99
It's One Thing After Another! is the fourth For Better or For Worse treasury, capturing more of the early years of this beloved strip, with annotations and asides by author Lynn Johnston. Since its debut in 1979, For Better or For Worse has touched comic strip readers as few cartoons ever do. Lynn Johnston's eye for detail and her uncanny sense of what real parents and children struggle with daily are a big part of her success.
Writers: MARK EVANIER, SCOTT NICKEL
Art: ANDY HIRSCH, RACHEL DUKES
Cover: ANDY HIRSCH
$3.99
Get ready for two more, all-new GARFIELD stories, as guest artist Rachel Dukes draws a tale about a mysterious neighbor (and her cat) who moves in across the street from Jon.
Writer: PATRICK SHAND
Art: RICARDO OSNAYA
Cover: HARVEY TOLIBAO
$2.99
AGE OF DARKNESS
How can you protect yourself what you don't understand? As the curtains pull back to reveal the Dark Horde's latest weapon, an insane shape-shifter named Ivory, Britney is forced to face a terrible truth about herself. Can she stop the Cyclops' Eye from falling into the hands of those who would use it for evil, or will she succumb to the darkness that's been hiding in the recesses of her mind for years?
Writer: JOE BRUSHA
Art: SALVADOR VELAZQUEZ
Cover: PAULO SIQUEIRA
$2.99
Baba Yaga returns to help Sela battle her most ancient enemy. An enemy of immense power who has joined forces with the Dark Horde. Will either of them survive the onslaught of Koschei the Deathless? The countdown to Grimm Fairy Tales #100 and the Age of Darkness continues!
Writer: JOE BRUSHA
Art: ROLANDO DI
Cover: ARTGERM
$24.99
Together, the four realms of power face a gathering storm that threatens to drown them all in darkness. The only hope to stop the coming storm rests on an unlikely hero, a Kansas farm girl named Dorothy. Unbeknownst to her, highborn blood flows through Dorothy's veins and with it, the power to save Earth and the four realms... But Dorothy must learn to use her unharnessed power before the witches of Oz destroy her and everyone that stands in their way to fi nding and controlling the powerful Veridian Scepter.
Writer: JOE BRUSHA
Art: MIGUEL MENDONCA
Cover: RENATO REI
Cover A: MARAT MYCHAELS
$3.99
The Witches of Oz rule with power and fear. Even their allies are not safe from their wrath if they step out of line and the punishment for those who betray them is severe. And as one of their most trusted advisors is about to find out forgiveness is not in their nature ... and even the most timid of men can be transformed into the scariest of creatures.
You know, the GFT covers are usually cheesecake, but it's often really good cheesecake.
Writer: MIKE COSTA
Art: JUAN FRIGERI
Cover: JACEN BURROWS
$3.99
Armageddon is upon us as MIKE COSTA continues the war of the divine with all new bi-weekly issues of God is Dead! The World is at peace with Mother Earth Gaia the sole survivor of the epic war. But a new resistance sets their sites on gods from the hidden pantheons to form a coalition to attack Gaia. But with more gods returning can this be trading one master for many? JONATHAN HICKMAN's unique vision of a world literally facing divine destruction roars on with new ravages from the gods of old. Available with a Regular, End of Days, and Iconic covers by Jacen Burrows, a Carnage Wraparound cover by German Nobile, and a special Gilded Retailer Incentive Cover also by Burrows.
Writer: RALPH TEDESCO
Art: SAMI KIVELA
Cover: VINCENZO CUCCA
$4.99
Cody and Bale must make a difficult decision about the unhinged Rian as Will and Dominic are tasked with finishing the job that they started.
But is Brown House a step ahead of them? Don't miss the epic overs-sized conclusion to one of the most action-packed, high octane comic titles of the season!
Writer: RALPH TEDESCO
Art: SAMI KIVELA
Cover: VINCENCZO CUCCA
$17.99
Cody and Bale must make a difficult decision about the unhinged Rian as Will and Dominic are tasked with finishing the job that they started.
But is Brown House a step ahead of them? Don't miss the epic overs-sized conclusion to one of the most action-packed, high octane comic titles of the season!
Writer: GARTH ENNIS
Art/Cover: MICAHEL DIPASCALE
$3.99
Is there nowhere a group of canine best friends can call home in the new world order? Even outside the confides of the chaotic and bloody cities, Charlie and his pals Rover and Red face terrors that no dog should have to. Three likeable companions attempt to find their way in a world that has literally gone to the dogs. GARTH ENNIS, the master of original horror, has crafted a story that eloquently reveals the best and worst in human nature through the actions of man's best friend. Available with a Regular, Wraparound, and a Dog Days Order Incentive cover by series artist Michael Dipascale.
Writer: MARK LONG & Various
Art/Cover: MARIO STILLA
$14.99
Five paramilitary Navy SEAL operators defend the residents of a remote mountain farming village in Afghanistan from attacks by marauding Taliban. Let by the war-weary Hector, The operators and villagers from mutual bonds of honor and respect leading up to a climactic battle where the "Lions of Panjshir" are desperately outnumbered.
Writer/Art/Cover: JOE SIMON, JACK KIRBY
$49.95
Continuing the award-nominated Simon & Kirby Library, this time the focus moves onto their horror output, rarely collected and beautifully restored by Simon & Kirby Museum alumni Harry Mendryk. From the Golden Age of the comic book era comes an unrivaled collection of terrifying tales that thrilled readers and appalled a nation! Their work in the legendary title Black Magic was acclaimed by readers. It was held up on national television by the Senate Committee on Juvenile Delinquency, where experts claimed Black Magic contributed to the corruption of American youth! Also included here are the Simon and Kirby stories from the experimental terror title Strange World of Your Dreams. For the first time, all of the stories written and drawn by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby themselves, as well as a selection of rarely seen collaborations, are collected in one huge hardcover edition.
Really looking forward to this. If you're a Kirby fan, this series really connects the dots on the man's career. And even if you aren't, it's really interesting from a historical perspective.
SUICIDE RISK #11
Writer: MIKE CAREY
Art: ELENA CASAGRANDE
Cover: TOMMY LEE EDWARDS
$3.99
Having just seen her husband within the grips of the supervillain team Nightmare Scenario, all Suni Winters wants is for her husband, Leo, to come home safe and sound. Unfortunately, she just might get her wish. Except, is it really Leo?
Writer/Art/Cover: WALT KELLY
$49.99
Walt Kelly's Pogo, acknowledged as one of the most important and influential comic strips of all time, first appeared not in newspapers but as a feature in the Dell comic book anthology Animal Comics, in its first issue, in 1942. It was here, in the four color world of comic books, that Kelly developed the feature and its characters, who grew and matured, ultimately becoming one of the world's most famous comic strips. Volume One features all of the Animal Comics Pogo stories together with complete reprints of Pogo's appearances in Dell's Four Color comics. This book also boasts numerous examples of original artwork from these stories as well as scholarly essays from noted Pogo historians.
WANT!
Publisher: TOOL PUBLICATIONS
No information available.
$3.50
Writer/Art/Cover: BRECHT VANDENBROUCKE
$22.95
With a few words and a gorgeous style, a cartoonist takes aim at the hypocrisies of the art world.
White Cube is Belgian cartoonist and illustrator Brecht Vandenbroucke's debut book, a collection of mostly wordless strips that follow a pair of pink-faced twins as they attempt to understand contemporary art and the gallery world. Their reactions to the art they encounter are frequently comedic, as they paint over Pablo Picasso's famous mural Guernica, and recreate a pixelated version of Edvard Munch's The Scream after receiving one too many emails. Lushly painted, these irreverent strips poke fun at the staid, often smug art world, offering an absurdist world view on the institutions of that world -- questioning what constitutes art and what doesn't, as well as how we decide what goes on the walls of the gallery and what doesn't.
Writer/Art/Cover: WILL EISNER
$17.95
A powerful portrayal of Jewish life in the New York City of Eisner's youth, Minor Miracles encourages similar introspection as it examines how luck and coincidence converge in everyday life in ways that, in hindsight, seem miraculous.
Captain Comics said:
If they arrived in central America earlier and took some time moving north we may have uncovered the cause of the Maya collapse.
Captain Comics said:
I think Vishnu, or Krishna or Rama, who are commonly regarded as among his avatars. After Hindu gods were used in Thor #301 in 1980 someone wrote in arguing that they should not have been as they had worshippers. I think he was right.
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