REBIRTH (DC COMICS)
It's getting to where the entire DC line has been Rebirthed. There are still the odd New 52 titles here and there (collections, Doctor Fate this week, etc.), but they're getting fewer and farther between. We're getting close to 100 percent replacement rate.
AQUAMAN #5
Written by DAN ABNETT
Art by PHILIPPE BRIONES
Covers by BRAD WALKER and ANDREW HENNESSY
Variant covers by JOSHUA MIDDLETON
32 pg • FC • $2.99 U.S. • RATED T
“The Drowning” part five.
Unjustly branded a murderer and a fugitive, Aquaman’s forced to defend himself against the might of America’s military. Meanwhile, Black Manta and the deadly underwater crime cabal known as N.E.M.O. advance their plan for revenge on Aquaman.
Um, Mera's not bullet-proof. How's she surviving in that first cover?
Anyway, on to the story. Do we know what N.E.M.O. stands for? Let's figure it out. Nerds Eating Mexican, Ole? Nasty Eels Masticate Oysters? Near East Murder Organization? Need Mustard, Mister Olsen?
FIRST ISSUE ALERT
BATGIRL AND THE BIRDS OF PREY #1
Written by JULIE BENSON and SHAWNA BENSON
Art by CLAIRE ROE
Cover by YANICK PAQUETTE
Variant cover by KAMOME SHIRAHAMA
32 pg • FC • $2.99 U.S. • RATED T
“Who Is Oracle?” part one!
Someone has stolen the name Oracle right out of Barbara Gordon’s past! Hot on this false Oracle’s trail, Batgirl, Black Canary and Huntress are all tracking the same mafia capo … so it makes sense to team up, right? Problem is, Barbara and Dinah need the secrets locked up in Oracle’s brain … and Helena Bertinelli would rather put a crossbow bolt right through it!
BATMAN #5
Written by TOM KING
Art and covers by DAVID FINCH and MATT BANNING
Variant covers by TIM SALE
32 pg • FC • $2.99 U.S. • RATED T
“I Am Gotham” part five.
In the final chapter of this epic, is Batman truly the hero Gotham City deserves -- or does it deserve better? In this ultimate showdown, where the line between allies and enemies blurs, the question will finally be answered … and the fate of Gotham will be decided.
I really did expect some sort of public condemnation of Batman in favor of Gotham, a meme I find tiresome. And lo, it failed to come to pass! So I dunno where this is going, which suits me fine.
GREEN ARROW #5
Written by BENJAMIN PERCY
Art and covers by JUAN FERREYRA
Variant covers by NEAL ADAMS
32 pg • FC, $2.99 U.S. • RATED T+
“The Death and Life of Oliver Queen” part four!
Black Canary steps through the deadly gates of Inferno, the global super-villain answer to Fort Knox, to discover the truth behind the destruction of Oliver Queen’s life, fortune and reputation. Meanwhile, Seattle’s manhunt for the outlaw Green Arrow takes an exhilarating twist when an old frenemy makes an unexpected return.
“The Death and Life of Oliver Queen” part five! It’s Green Arrow and Black Canary versus Shado and the Ninth Circle in the belly of the Inferno.
People tend to get heavier as they age. Weirdly, Black Canary has gotten heavier as Neal Adams has aged!
GREEN LANTERNS #5
Written by SAM HUMPHRIES
Art by ARDIAN SYAF
Covers by ROBSON ROCHA
Variant covers by EMANUELA LUPACCHINO
32 pg • FC • $2.99 U.S. • RATED T
“Red Planet” part five!
Bad goes to worse as Atrocitus, leader of the Red Lanterns, comes to Earth to begin the final stages of his plan to turn Earth into a new central battery for his Corps!
Atrocitus got off his chair? This IS serious!
HARLEY QUINN #2
Written by AMANDA CONNER and JIMMY PALMIOTTI
Art by CHAD HARDIN
Covers by AMANDA CONNER
Variant covers by BILL SIENKIEWICZ
32 pg • FC • $2.99 U.S. • RATED T+
“Die Laughing” part two!
As the plague of zombies on Coney Island continues to spread, Harley must rescue one of her own from the undead hordes … and try to uncover the cause of this corpse-y catastrophe!
JUSTICE LEAGUE #3
Written by BRYAN HITCH
Art by TONY S. DANIEL and SANDU FLOREA
Covers by TONY S. DANIEL and MARK MORALES
Variant covers by YANICK PAQUETTE
32 pg • FC • $2.99 U.S. • RATED T
“The Extinction Machine” part three!
The hive-mind entities known as the Awakened take their vendetta against the Justice League to the next level by changing ordinary people into grotesque monsters bent on hunting down super-humans all over the world. Meanwhile, Superman journeys to the center of the earth to stop the catastrophic quakes that are taking lives all over the world.
NIGHTWING #3
Written by TIM SEELEY
Art and covers by JAVIER FERNANDEZ
Variant covers by IVAN REIS
32 pg • FC • $2.99 U.S. • RATED T
“Better than Batman” part three!
Nightwing and Raptor have become the pride of the Parliament of Owls, successfully completing missions for them across the globe -- but Batgirl is not happy. Can she convince Nightwing he’s gone too far, or has he fallen too far under Raptor’s influence?
FIRST ISSUE ALERT
SUICIDE SQUAD #1
Written by ROB WILLIAMS
Art and cover by JIM LEE and SCOTT WILLIAMS
Variant cover by LEE BERMEJO
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+
“The Black Vault” part one!
When a mysterious and definitely super-important cosmic item falls out of the heavens and into enemy hands, America has only one option: Task Force X, Amanda Waller’s strike team of incarcerated super-criminals. A one-stop-shop for plausibly deniable espionage and ultra-violence, this “Suicide Squad” only handles missions they’re not expected to survive. An insane new era of SUICIDE SQUAD begins here with superstar artist Jim Lee and red-hot writer Rob Williams (UNFOLLOW, MARTIAN MANHUNTER).
FIRST ISSUE ALERT
SUPERGIRL: REBIRTH #1
Written by STEVE ORLANDO
Art by EMANUELA LUPACCHINO and RAY McCARTHY
Cover by EMANUELA LUPACCHINO
Variant cover by ADAM HUGHES
32 pg • FC • $2.99 U.S. • RATED T
Supergirl turns to the shadowy organization known as the D.E.O. (Department of Extranormal Operations) to restore her lost powers once and for all! But as a fateful experiment sends Kara Zor-El rocketing toward the sun, disaster strikes at home in the form of the lost Kryptonian werewolf Lar-On! All the epic action of the brand new Supergirl series starts here!
I see they took the weird hole out of Kara's boots that so annoyed me. (Where her knee poked out. I couldn't imagine being active with that sort of footwear.) I hope they've fixed the other things from the character's New 52 incarnation that irritated me as well, such as her personality. Little things like that.
SUPERMAN #5
Written by PETER J. TOMASI and PATRICK GLEASON • Art by DOUG MAHNKE and JAIME MENDOZA • Covers by PATRICK GLEASON and MICK GRAY • Variant covers by KENNETH ROCAFORT
32 pg • FC • $2.99 U.S. • RATED T
“SON OF SUPERMAN” part five!
The Eradicator is unstoppable and it has forced Superman to leave Earth behind to keep his son from harm.CIVIL WAR II (MARVEL COMICS)
ALL-NEW WOLVERINE #11
Writer: TOM TAYLOR
Art: IG GUARA
Cover by BENGAL
Marvel Tsum Tsum Takeover Variant: JAKE PARKER
32 PGS. • Rated T+ • $3.99
DESTINY COMES KNOCKING FOR WOLVERINE!
• LAURA KINNEY has fought all her life to avoid a destiny she did not want.
• She has fought against instincts that would make her nothing more than a weapon to be used by others, instead becoming a hero — becoming WOLVERINE.
• But now, destiny intrudes again, this time threatening those dearest to her. And with a SUPER HERO CIVIL WAR tearing her world apart, is there any hope that Wolverine will emerge victorious? Or will she finally succumb to destiny?
That second cover looks like an homage to Wonder Woman: Hyketia to me.
CAPTAIN AMERICA: SAM WILSON #12
Writer: NICK SPENCER
Art/Cover: DANIEL ACUÑA
Black Panther Variant: TULA LOTAY
32 PGS. • Rated T • $3.99
• Who are The Americops?
• #givebacktheshield is trending.
Contractually, when they're finished the Americops have to return their uniforms to Marshal Law.
CIVIL WAR II: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #3 (of 4)
Writer: CHRISTOS GAGE
Art/Cover: TRAVEL FOREMAN
Variant: KHARY RANDOLPH
32 PGS. • Rated T+ • $3.99
• Ulysses’ visions wreak havoc on Spider-Man.
• The Amazing Spider-Man and Clash fight a swarm of robots and Clash slide into old habits!CIVIL WAR II: CHOOSING SIDES #4 (of 6)
Writers: DECLAN SHALVEY, JOHN ALLISON AND DEREK LANDY
Art: DECLAN SHALVEY, ROSI KAMPE AND MORE
Cover: JIM CHEUNG & DECLAN SHALVEY
Variant: GURIHIRU
32 PGS. • Rated T+ • $3.99
• The battle is heating up, but nothing’s hotter than the limelight! When the media starts muckraking, how far will heroes go to stay out of the public eye?
• Featuring Nick Fury, Power Pack and jolly J. Jonah Jameson himself!
We've seen versions of the Power Pack girls as young adults (Julie is gay and in an ex-superhero therapy group, Katie is a big bruiser). What happens to the boys?
CIVIL WAR II: GODS OF WAR #3 (OF 4)
Writer: DAN ABNETT
Art: EMILIO LAISO
Cover by JAY ANACLETO
Variant: TBA
32 PGS. • Rated T+ • $3.99
MEET THE DEITIES READY TO SAVE THE DAY
• As a civil war rips through the Marvel Universe, HERCULES battles to stop the Uprising Storm … the one threat no one else is aware of.
• But if the first super hero is going to save the world, he’s going to need help, and not even the Avengers are going to stand in his way.
• With no one else to turn to, Herc must recruit heroes of myth to stand at his side.
• HERE COME GILGAMESH, BEOWULF, IRE, THESEUS, SIGURD and LORELEI … the GODS OF WAR!
There are two Loreleis in Marvel Comics. I'm guessing this is the one from Asgard, not the one from the Savage Land.
CIVIL WAR II: X-MEN #3 (of 4)
Writer: CULLEN BUNN
Art: ANDREA BROCCARDO
Cover by DAVID YARDIN
Variant: TBA
32 PGS. • Rated T+ • $3.99
• An Inhuman with the ability to profile the future has emerged, upsetting the delicate balance of power between the Inhuman and Mutant nations.
• Refusing to let his people fall by the wayside, the mutant master of magnetism, MAGNETO, gathers those who sympathize with his cause to aid him in his crusade: an assault on Attilan to take the new Inhuman off the board!
FIRST ISSUE ALERT
THE FALLEN #1
Written by GREG PAK
Art by MARK BAGLEY
Cover by LEINIL YU
Variant Covers by MIKE DEL MUNDO , LEINIL YU and JACK KIRBY
40 PGS. • Rated T+ • $4.99
The unthinkable has happened. Civil War II has claimed the life of one of Marvel’s greatest heroes. Now, as the death of the Hulk continues to shake the foundations of the super hero community, explore the void he leaves behind in THE ACCUSED #1.
Legendary Hulk scribe Greg Pak (The Totally Awesome Hulk) returns to the original Jade Giant with superstar artist Mark Bagley (Ultimate Spider-Man) for one last swan song in THE FALLEN #1! As a giant falls, friends and enemies alike gather to mourn his passing. Amadeus Cho, Rick Jones, Betty Ross, Thunderbolt Ross, the Warbound and more. Can they all keep a level head – or will some of them get ANGRY? Plus, what secrets lie in the Last Will and Testament of Bruce Banner?
The Hulk is dead. But his legacy will live on. Be there as the Marvel Universe experiences the cataclysmic fallout in THE ACCUSED #1.
MOCKINGBIRD #6
Writer: CHELSEA CAIN
Art: KATE NIEMCZYK
Cover by JOËLLE JONES
32 PGS. • Rated T+ • $3.99
• A top secret mission on behalf of an old friend, a tropical cruise. What could go wrong? Turns out it’s a theme cruise – super-hero themed, naturally – a floating comic-con. Now Bobbi is trapped on a boat with a thousand cosplayers, caped colleagues she was trying to avoid, an ex-boyfriend who keeps showing up at inopportune times and a rampaging herd of corgis.
• When a passenger is murdered, Bobbi must play Hercule Poirot to find the killer and confront some uncomfortable truths from her past in the process.
POWER MAN AND IRON FIST #7
Writer: DAVID WALKER
Art: SANFORD GREENE & FLAVIANO
Cover by SANFORD GREENE
Marvel Tsum Tsum Takeover Variant: MING DOYLE
32 PGS. • Rated T+ • $3.99
• The IRON FIST is behind IRON BARS!
• DANNY and LUKE are on the same side, but predictive justice vigilantes PREEMTIVE STRIKE split them up!
• Will Danny’s new criminal allies protect him from all his old criminal enemies?
SPIDER-WOMAN #10
Writer: DENNIS HOPELESS
Art/Cover: JAVIER RODRIGUEZ
32 PGS. • Rated T+ • $3.99
• Jessica Drew is a hard-boiled private eye who’s got a newborn baby, so she’s trying to steer clear of this whole “CIVIL WAR” thing.
• But when a startling new case lands in her lap, keeping herself out of the conflict becomes impossible…
• …and so does taking Carol’s side of things.
THE ULTIMATES #10
Writer: AL EWING
Art/Cover: KENNETH ROCAFORT
32 PGS. • Rated T+ • $3.99
• The one thing that could tear the Ultimates apart forever is inside that briefcase ...
• ... and someone just opened it.
• Meanwhile, Thanos is ready to strike. And he has an ally ...
OTHER BOOKS OF NOTE
FIRST ISSUE ALERT
BACKSTAGERS #1 (OF 8)
Publisher: BOOM! STUDIOS
Writer: JAMES TYNION IV
Art: RIAN SYGH
Cover: VERONICA FISH
$3.99
James Tynion IV (Batman Eternal, The Woods) teams up with artist Rian Sygh (Munchkin, Stolen Forest) for an incredible yet earnest story about finding a place to fit in when you're kinda an outcast.
When Jory transfers to the private, all-boys school St. Genesius's, he figures joining the stage crew would involve a lot of just fetching props and getting splinters. To his pleasant surprise, he discovers there's a door backstage that leads to different worlds, and all of the stagehands know about it!
All the world's a stage ... but what happens behind the curtain is pure magic!
"Pure magic"? Naw. It looks like pure wish fulfillment from someone who worked as stage crew in high school. Not saying that Tynion did -- I don't have any inside information. I'm just saying that's what it looks like. Regardless, it also looks like "not my cup of tea." I've never been interested in theater, either on stage or backstage. But the book does have a decent creative team, so it's bound to at least be professional entertainment for those who are interested.
BLACK HAMMER #2
Publisher: DARK HORSE
Writer/Variant Cover: JEFF LEMIRE
Art/Cover: DEAN ORMSTON
Colors: DAVE STEWART
FC, 32 pages, $3.99, Ongoing
“Black Hammer is a place you too will find nearly impossible to leave.” -- Scott Snyder (Wytches)
The Golden Age heroes of Spiral City have been “erased” from existence! Banished years ago to a timeless farming community, the team are torn between accepting their fate and finding a way home! Chapter two focuses on child hero Golden Gail, whose un-aging body most deeply feels the tragedy of their new lives.
This is what I was waiting for since the first few pages of the first issue: The story of Golden Gail. It's pretty screwed up, which is why she's pretty screwed up. Another interesting angle on an already interesting book.
FIRST ISSUE ALERT
BRIGGS LAND #1
Publisher: DARK HORSE
Writer: BRIAN WOOD
Art: MACK CHATER
Colors: LEE LOUGHRIDGE
Cover: TULA LOTAY
FC, 40 pages, $3.99, Ongoing
From New York Times best-selling writer Brian Wood (The Massive, Rebels, DMZ, Channel Zero) comes an electrifying crime saga relevant to current world events: Briggs Land.
The new ongoing comic series is set to begin in summer 2016, with interior artist Mack Chater (Ashes, Six), cover artist Tula Lotay (Rebels), and Hugo Award–nominated colorist Lee Loughridge bringing Wood’s script to life on the page.
Wood is also developing a television adaptation of the comic for AMC, serving as writer and executive producer, with producing partners John Hodges and Ravi Nandan at A24.
“AMC and I have been looking for the right thing to work on together for years, and it finally came in the form of Briggs Land, a crime drama set within a rural secessionist community. It’s the culmination of everything I’ve done in my twenty years as a comics creator, bringing socially conscious and politically charged themes to the page, putting some of the more unsettling elements of American culture under scrutiny,” noted Brian Wood. “With AMC I have a much larger canvas to work on, and the ability to design the overall story so the TV show and the comic add to each other.”
A24’s John Hodges and Ravi Nandan added, “We have been avid readers and rabid fans of Brian’s work for some time, and we are thrilled to collaborate with him on translating this exciting new property to the screen for AMC, which continues to define itself by championing bold and unique voices.”
The series tells the story of Briggs Land, nearly a hundred square miles of rural wilderness that harbors the largest and most secretive anti-government secessionist movement in the United States. When matriarch Grace Briggs wrests control of the operation from her incarcerated husband, she sparks a war within the community -- and her immediate family -- that threatens to bring the full power of the federal government down on their heads.
Praise for other works by Brian Wood:
“One of the best character writers in the industry.” -- IGN
“[Northlanders is] another creative victory for writer Wood, who’s quickly emerging as one [of] the medium’s premier scribes.” -- Entertainment Weekly
“Brian Wood’s The Massive proves that there’s room for political comics.” -- Complex Magazine
Brian Wood has really been at the top of his game lately, so I'm expecting big things from this. The description seems to put the book in the same company as Sons of Anarchy and the Gerhardt family in Fargo. But it also has echoes of real-world issues, as witnessed by the rise of right-wing militias and white supremacy groups, the Bundy family activities out West and so forth. Also, it's like ground zero for the world of DMZ, should such a thing ever happen. I'm eager to read Briggs Land -- and see it on TV.
FIRST ISSUE ALERT
CHAPTERHOUSE SUMMER SPECIAL 2016 #1
Publisher: CHAPTERHOUSE COMICS
Writers: ANTHONY FALCONE, JAMES WALEY, KALMAN ANDRASOFSZKY, JASON LOO, ROSSI GIFFORD
Art: LEONARD KIRK, RON SALAS, ROSSI GIFFORD, JASON LOO, TOM GRUMMETT
Cover A: G. B. TRUDEAU
Cover B: Blank
Cover C: Odeon Toys
$4.99
Carrying on the long-standing Canada Day tradition of the first Summer Special by CKR Productions in 1981, and the Scarper Studios SS in 2014, The Chapterhouse 2016 Summer Special features short stories of many of it's new and upcoming ti-tles- including Captain Canuck, Northguard, the Pitiful Human Lizard, Spirit Leaves and the Northern Light. All of this and a "Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau" cover by Captain Canuck creator Richard Comely make this 64-page spectacular the ultimate in summer reading and collecting!
This is a good move, since Trudeau is probably more popular than Captain Canuck.
CORTO MALTESE: THE ETHIOPIAN (GN)
Publisher: IDW PUBLISHING
Writer/Art/Cover: HUGO PRATT
TPB • 9.25" x 11.625" • 96 pages • B&W • $24.99
When Corto Maltese arrives in the Middle East and Africa in 1918 the shifting sands and loyalties reveal colonial powers still battling for domination over each other and the indigenous people. The desert of Yemen, controlled by the fading Ottoman Empire, is the setting for "In the Name of Allah, the Merciful and Compassionate," where Corto meets Cush, the Danikil warrior with whom he establishes a close yet conflicted relationship. In "The Coup de Grace" the stubborn racism of an English commander of a small fort in British Somaliland leads to conflict with Cush and the Dervish army of Sayyid Mohamed, whom the British call "The Mad Mullah." The action moves to Ethiopia amidst inter-tribal conflict in "…and of Other Romeos and Other Juliets," as Cush introduces Corto to the mysterious and powerful shaman Shamael, who hears the voices of the dead and of devils. German East Africa is the background of "The Leopard-Men of the Rufiji," where Corto is engulfed in a dreamlike atmosphere that reveals how African justice operates outside the constraints of "white" law.
• Nominated for both the Eisner and Harvey Awards for Best Foreign Language Publication!
• Translation by Dean Mullaney and Simone Castaldi.
Am I the only person on Earth who doesn't much care for the Milt Caniff school of art? Since everyone swoons at the mention of Caniff's name, I guess so. It's tolerable to me, but I don't see what the big deal is. Anyway, that means each riff on Caniff's style (and the soldier-of-fortune genre) must stand on its own for me, unsupported by lingering nostalgia. Corto Maltese is such a book. It's been OK so far, but the fact that I haven't finished the last one before another has arrived is probably telling.
CRY HAVOC VOL 1: MYTHING IN ACTION (TPB)
Publisher: IMAGE COMICS
Writer: SIMON SPURRIER
Art: RYAN KELLY, NICK FILARDI & LEE LOUGHRIDGE
Cover: RYAN KELLY, EMMA PRICE & CAMERON STEWART
160 PAGES / FC / M / $9.99
“Flawless.” -- The Nerdist
From writer Simon Spurrier (X-Men: Legacy) and superstar artist Ryan Kelly comes the darkly folkloric CRY HAVOC VOLUME 1: MYTHING IN ACTION, which collects issues #1-6.
Meet Lou: a street musician savaged by a supernatural terror.
Meet Lou: a civilian crossing war-torn Afghanistan with a unit of shapeshifting soldiers.
Meet Lou: a monstress held captive by the rogue beast she was sent to kill.
CRY HAVOC interweaves three stages of a remarkable life into a critically exalted saga of military, myth and mania, including an unprecedented use of multiple colorists (Matt Wilson, Lee Loughridge & Nick Filardi) to define the story's threads.
PRAISE FOR CRY HAVOC:
“An electrifying account of black ops, black dogs and weaponised folklore that is unlike anything you’ve ever seen. Best in show.” -- Alan Moore
“CRY HAVOC is flawless. It sinks its teeth into you and won’t let go. Graceful, elegant, visceral and fierce, it runs the gamut. If there’s any justice in the world this will be another huge hit for Image Comics.” -- The Nerdist
“The supernatural spec-ops comic for grownups. Literary, human, complicated, bloody, horrible, compulsive.” -- Kieron Gillen
“CRY HAVOC arrives like Christmas, reads like candy and lingers like a concussion. One of the most thrilling and surprising books I’ve read in ages.” -- Gail Simone
Well, all these fine folks seem to like it, so I guess I'll give it a try.
FIRST ISSUE ALERT
DEVIL DOGS: GUTS & GLORY #1
Publisher: AMERICAN MYTHOLOGY PRODUCTIONS
Writer: CRAIG PARTIN
Art/Cover: ANDREW MANGUM
$5.99
A team of Marines dropped into a remote jungle finds miserable and unspeakable horrors waiting there. This is a violent, bloody revenge tale that proves some stones are best left unturned. Fans of The Expendables, Hostile and Saw will love this action packed, blood-soaked romp in the jungle that will exemplify the term "Guts and Glory." Illustrated by Andrew Mangum (Puppet Master, Evil Ernie), colors by Maxflan Aurajo (Realm War), and written by Craig Partin (Man of God).
"Devil dog" a nickname for a Marine, an oblique reference to Cerberus in German and a creature of Catalan folklore. It's also a delicious snack cake made by Li'l Debbie. The first three will kill you quickly, but the fourth will do so slowly, through obesity and adult-onset diabetes. Which is the greater monster?
FIRST ISSUE ALERT
DEMONIC #1 (OF 6)
Publisher: IMAGE COMICS
Writer:CHRISTOPER SEBELA
Art/Covers A: NIKO WALTER & DAN BROWN
Cover B: LUKAS KETNER
32 PAGES / FC / M / $2.99
SERIES PREMIERE
Detective Scott Graves will do anything to protect his family… even bargain away his soul. Now, the only thing to fear isn’t New York’s worst criminals, but what’s already raging inside of him. After all, what’s the cost of your soul when it’s already damaged?
Image/Skybound Entertainment is pleased to announce the sinister, all-new series DEMONIC co-created by Robert Kirkman and Marc Silvestri, written by Eisner Award-nominated Christopher Sebela (High Crimes, Escape from New York), and with debut artist Niko Walter, colorist Dan Brown (Wolverine Max, Ghost Rider), and letterer Sal Cipriano set to launch this August 2016.
In DEMONIC, Detective Scott Graves will do anything to protect his family … even bargain away his soul. Now, the only thing to fear isn’t New York’s worst criminals, but what's already raging inside of him. After all, what's the cost of your soul when it's already damaged?
Another intriguing launch. Image really is where the cool kids hang out now, isn't it?
FRIENDS IS FRIENDS (HC)
Publisher: :01 FIRST SECOND
Writer/Art/Cover: GREG COOK
$19.99
Friends Is Friends tells the story of complicated friendships through a series of funny, bittersweet vignettes. Greg Cook's deceptively sweet storybook world is imbued with grown-up humor that is both dark and whimsical. The result is a fable for adults, where the only clear moral is this: friendship isn't easy, whether you're a hobo or a snowman or a ghost. Friends Is Friends is indie-favorite Greg Cook's first major work in over a decade. This long-awaited tragicomedy is a great stand-alone work for both new and established graphic novel readers.
I don't know any more about this book than what's in the blurb above, but First Second tends toward high-quality adult fare, so it's worth a look.
THE! GREATEST! OF! MARLYS!
Writer/Art/Cover: LYNDA BARRY
Hardcover • 248 pages • 8.5" x 10" • B&W • $22.95 USD / $29.95 CAD
Eight-year-old Marlys Mullen is Lynda Barry’s most famous character from her long-running and landmark comic strip Ernie Pook’s Comeek, and for good reason! Given her very own collection of strips, Marlys shines in all her freckled and pig-tailed groovy glory. The trailer park where she and her family live is the grand stage for her dramas big and small. Joining Marlys are her teenaged sister Maybonne, her younger brother Freddie, their mother, and an offbeat array of family members, neighbors, and classmates.
"Lynda Barry’s comics were my YA, before YA really even existed. She’s been writing teen stories with an incredibly clear voice since the early 80s. [The! Greatest! Of! Marlys!] is raw, ugly, hilarious, and poignant.” -- Raina Telgemeier, author of Smile and Drama
Drawn & Quarterly has acquired world English rights to Lynda Barry's The! Greatest! Of! Marlys!, The Good Times are Killing Me and One! Hundred! Demons! Originally published between 1998 and 2002, the three books are pinnacle titles not just in Barry’s career but in all of publishing for the past 20 years. D+Q will publish new editions of the three titles in hardcover.
“To have these titles on the D+Q list is an honor. Lynda is a singular artist in that her prose is just as rewarding as her comics, and in this regard, she really has no equal,” said Peggy Burns, Publisher and Acquiring Editor. “I think the best example of Lynda’s prowess as a cartoonist is in her four-panel comics, where she manages to pack the emotion and humor of a complete story in just four drawings. And yet, her prose in The Good Times Are Killing Me is just as tight. In either medium, Lynda portrays childhood and adolescence with a potent, moving display full of energy, personality, sadness and humor.”
Barry just got inducted into the Eisner Hall of Fame at SDCC this year, so something about her work must be pretty awesome.
HOTSPUR: COMPLETE AND ASTONISHING (TPB)
Publisher: COMICMIX
Writer: JOHN OSTRANDER
Art: BEN DUNN, ROMEO TANGHAL
Art/Cover: TIMOTHY TRUMAN, KARL WALLER
$15.00
Heroic fantasy at its rip-roaring best, as created by the fabled team of John Ostrander and Timothy Truman! Return with us to the magic world of Xoo, where animals walk upright, humans are chattel, and actor Joseph Quist finds himself trapped in a world beyond comprehension - and at the mercy of the nefarious Cardinal Fengk and his Demon Musketeers! Hotspur: Complete and Astonishing! collects for the first time the three-issue mini-series by John Ostrander, Karl Waller, and Timothy Truman, unseen by human eyes for almost thirty years!
I think I read this back when it was published by Eclipse, but I don't remember it. Maybe I just read an issue or two. Maybe it was my aversion to theater that made it fall out of my brain. I really like Ostrander's work, though. 'Tis a puzzlement.
IS THIS TOMORROW? (ONE-SHOT)
Publisher: CANTON STREET PRESS
Art/Cover: CHARLES SCHULZ
$8.99
Originally published in the midst of the Cold War, Is This Tomorrow? is a classic example of "Red Scare" propaganda. The story envisions a scenario in which the Soviet Union orders American communists to overthrow the US Government. Charles Schulz ("Peanuts") contributed to the artwork throughout the issue. Reprinted here for the first time in 70 years.
Canton Street's churned out a number of reproductions lately that I haven't mentioned, mainly because I think they're grossly overpriced for what amounts to one-issue reprints. This one is interesting, though, thanks to the "Peanuts" connection.FIRST ISSUE ALERT
JACKBOOT & IRONHEEL #1 (OF 4)
Publisher: IDW PUBLISHING
Writer/Art/Cover: MAX MILLGATE
Subscription: MAX MILLGATE
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
EDDIE NEALE had his future planned, shooting balls into the net for West Ham United F.C, but thanks to WORLD WAR II, now he's shooting NAZIS as an R.A.F tail-gunner! Shot down, he finds himself captive in castle LUNGOTZ LUFTZIG where he'll face his biggest opposition yet ... his own DESTINY!
• From regular Judge Dredd contributor and Sinister Dexter co-creator Max Millgate comes a new, horrific twist on the annals of world history!
• Part of IDW's five-week Creator Visions event! Five creator-driven books, launched in five straight weeks!
There's really not enough information in the blurb above to tell me whether I'll like it, but if I get a review copy, I'll let y'all know.
FIRST ISSUE ALERT
JUNGLE FANTASY IVORY #1
Publisher: BOUNDLESS COMICS
Art: RENZO FERRER, RICHARD ORTIZ, RON ADRIAN
Cover: RENATO CAMILO
Luscious: MATT MARTIN
Natural Beauty: RAULO CACERES
Nude: RENATO CAMILO
Sultry: CHRISTIAN ZANIER
Wraparound: RAULO CACERES
$5.99 • Nude covers $7.99 • Mature
All-new monthly series! Hot on the heels of the smash JFan hit Vixens, we bring you the sexiest Jungle Fantasy to date with Ivory! Trying to survive on a dinosaur-filled planet is even more challenging when you are on your own, but Ivory gets by on her wiles and wits as she hunts for her abducted family. This first issue features a gigantic tale with art from Richard Ortiz and Renzo Ferrer, topped off with a special gallery of luscious Ron Adrian art!
Boundless delivers a host of sexy stunning covers with this issue including a Regular Cover by Renato Camilo, Wraparound and Natural Beauty Covers by Raulo Caceres, Luscious Cover by Matt Martin, and a Sultry Cover by Christian Zanier. Plus an array of super limited covers for the collector including a Century Nude (limited to 100 copies) by Richard Ortiz and Costume Change Set (limited to 250 sets) by Christian Zanier. And for the erotic art collectors, there is an Adult, Adult Extreme, & Sultry Nude Cover by Christian Zanier, Wraparound & Natural Beauty Nude Cover by Raulo Caceres, and a Luscious Nude Cover by Matt Martin! To see the uncensored adult covers, please visit www.boundlesscomics.com.
The existence of nude covers doesn't really upset me in any way, but what does disturb me about the Boundless covers is the prevalence of what we used to call "beaver shots." It's really obvious how they're positioning the characters to make sure we get a look between their legs, positions which will be replicated in the nude covers. That crosses some sort of line for me -- the difference between "erotica" and "porn," maybe.
KELLY: THE CARTOONIST AMERICA TURNS TO (TPB)
Publisher: IDW PUBLISHING
Writer: WARD SUTTON
Art/Cover: STAN KELLY
Paperback: 200 pages • 6.9 x 0.7 x 8.4 inches • $19.99
The Los Angeles Times proclaims The Onion's editorial cartoonist, Stan Kelly, "A maniac whose ideas frequently make no sense at all!" But what do you expect from the Lame-stream Media? What truly makes no sense at all is that there has never been a published collection of Kelly's work-until now! Easily our era's top opinion-maker, Kelly influences everyone from world leaders to water cooler layabouts. Sticking it to the sickos and giving props to the patriotic, Kelly's super-award-winning cartoons "tell it like it is" and frame today's crucial issues in context so you don't have to. This lavish, soft-cover 50th Anniversary Collection, compiled by acolyte Ward Sutton and loaded with bonus extras, presents the best of Kelly in his signature, eye-popping black and white. It's a trip every Kellyhead has been dying to take!
If he works for The Onion, the Mad magazine for adults, he must be funny!
KIRBY GENESIS: DRAGONSBANE (TPB)
Writer: ROBERT RODI
Art: FRITZ CASAS
Cover: ALEX ROSS
104 pages • Teen+ • $15.99
Age range: 16+
Sigurd Dragonsbane, one of the greatest creations of legendary comic book writer/artist Jack "The King" Kirby, returns in an epic tale of valor and victory! When the Fell Mists, which have shrouded the borders of Valhalla for time immemorial, rise to expose other Mythlands beyond his own, Sigurd and his brethren Balduur, Honir, and Heimdall revel in the knowledge that they may once again ride abroad into unknown lands, lending arms to those in need. Tahmina, a princess imprisoned by fearsome dragons in distant Persia, sends a psychic projection to Valhalla, requesting their aid. Across strange summits and seas, they rush into adventure ... facing witches, hulking beasts and fiery she-demons along the way!
• "Casas is great at rendering fantastically powered heroes of myth as well as their surroundings. He's a master of detail." -- Ain't It Cool News
• "The color palettes are simultaneous eye-poppingly bright and pastel hued. They are incredibly vibrant, look great, and are the most visually arresting element of the book." -- Unleash The Fanboy
Didn't some of y'all comment on this when it came out? What was the verdict?
LOAC ESSENTIALS PRESENTS KING FEATURES VOL. 1: KRAZY KAT 1934
Publisher: IDW PUBLISHING
Writer/Art/Cover: GEORGE HERRIMAN
HC • B&W • $29.99 • 328 pages • 12” x 4.25”
Much attention has been paid to Herrriman’s Sunday full-page comics, yet it is in the daily Krazy Kat strips that the cartoonist most frankly illustrates many of his major themes, especially the shifting nature of social identity.
The 1934 strips reprinted in this book fit anyone’s definition of “essential.” They show Krazy Kat at top speed, ever-changing, endlessly inventive, with language that sparkles with double meanings and more in lines such as “his malady drills me to my sole.”
The year includes homages to old jokes and bricks, followed by playful references to sex, drink and even drugs. The daily Krazy Kat strips are often Herriman’s most personal works and standouts in this year include Krazy Kat’s attempt to write a memoir and the Kat’s quietly waiting for the last leaf of “ottim” to fall (a tender scene that finds echoes in Charles Schulz’s drawing Linus admiring the last autumn’s leaf stubborn spirit). It could also be argued that the daily is more accessible to the new reader. Herriman biographer Michael Tisserand provides an insightful introduction.
The celebration of 100 years of King Features continues!
Is this strip reprinted in totality anywhere? And if not, why not?
FIRST ISSUE ALERT
NEON GENESIS EVANGELION: THE SHINJI IKARI RAISING PROJECT OMNIBUS VOL 1
Publisher: DARK HORSE
Writers: KHARA, OSAMU TAKAHASHI
Art: OSAMU TAKAHASHI
552 pgs • $19.99
Following the major success of previous manga omnibus editions, Dark Horse will deliver a new collected format of Neon Genesis Evangelion: The Shinji Ikari Raising Project.
The famous final episode of the Neon Genesis Evangelion anime TV show imagined the show’s main characters in an alternate world where friendship and romance could be as important as their task to pilot the Evangelion. That premise forms the story line of Neon Genesis Evangelion: The Shinji Ikari Raising Project.
Stunning, hotheaded Asuka Langley Soryu has been friends with Shinji Ikari since they were little. And she always sort of assumed they’d stay together -- until the day the beautiful, brilliant Rei Ayanami showed up in class! When Shinji starts to get curious about Rei, Asuka needs to figure out if she wants to be just friends with Shinji, or something more. But why are so many people keeping an eye on these relationships -- people like homeroom teacher Misato, school nurse Ritsuko, and Shinji’s mother -- NERV’s chief scientist, Yui Ikari …?
Perhaps the most famous anime and manga franchise of the last 20 years, Evangelion celebrated its twentieth anniversary in 2015, and a new movie is coming soon!
Setting alight the Baron-Signal, to explain the history and significance of this book!
PRIVATE BEACH COMPLETE (TPB)
DOVER PUBLICATIONS
PRIVATE BEACH COMPLETE TP
Writer/Art/Cover: DAVID HAHN
$16.95
"Dripping with post-modern cool" (comicbookresources.com), this Eisner and Harvey award nominee stars sexy and sarcastic Trudy Honeyvan and her 20-something friends. Fans have been waiting fifteen years for the conclusion to Trudy's cliff-hanger encounter with a cult called Heaven's Rift, and this collection reprints the original seven issues and adds a brand-new 30-page conclusion by series creator David Hahn. New foreword by Jeff Parker.
I seem to remember reading some individual issues of this title back when it first came out, and not being sure what to make of it. It veered from espionage to comedy to slice of life, and I wasn't sure which parts I was supposed to laugh at or take serious or ignore or what. They did tend to emphasize bikinis on the cover (and then make jokes about emphasizing bikinis on the cover). Anybody know more?SAM GLANZMAN'S ATTU: THE COLLECTED EDITION (TPB)
Publisher: DOVER PUBLICATIONS
Writers: SAM GLANZMAN, TIMOTHY TRUMAN, JEFF LEMIRE
Art/Cover: SAM GLANZMAN
$19.95
A rebellious caveman, cast out by his mountain-dwelling tribe, finds adventure in the lowlands among giant tigers, dinosaurs and visitors from another planet. Rendered in stark black-and-white by the acclaimed creator of the USS Stevens stories, the saga combines prehistory, super-science, and time travel. This complete collection includes a never-before-published story as well as a new Introduction by original publisher Timothy Truman and a foreword by comic writer/artist Jeff Lemire.
There are a lot of Glanzman fans on this board, so heads up!
SCOOBY APOCALYPSE #4
Publisher: DC COMICS
Story by JIM LEE and KEITH GIFFEN
Script by KEITH GIFFEN and J.M. DEMATTEIS
Art by HOWARD PORTER
Cover by JIM LEE
Variant cover by DENYS COWAN and KLAUS JANSON
32 pg • FC • $3.99 U.S. • RATED T
After fleeing a monster-infested underground base, Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy and Scooby stumble upon a desert ghost town where they hope to catch their breath. But when night falls, they learn it’s not a ghost town after all -- and the terrors that show up like to bite! Scooby Snack is about to take on a whole new meaning.
This has been better than I expected, although I'm waiting to find out if the gang are the last humans left on earth, which would mean the book is simply about survival, which is kind of grim.
FIRST ISSUE ALERT
SHEKHAR KAPUR DEVI REBIRTH #1
Writers: SHEKHAR KAPUR, SIDDHARTH KOTIAN, ASHWIN PANDE
Art: MUKESH SINGH
Cover: JENNY FRISON
$2.99
Leaping from the pages of the Devi/Witchblade crossover event in January, Graphic is now re-releasing the hit series for a new generation of readers with an all-new backup story and new cover by acclaimed artist Jenny Frison! From filmmaker, Shekhar Kapur (Elizabeth, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, The Four Feathers) comes Devi, the warrior goddess of divine myth. Tara Mehta, an unsuspecting young woman in the futuristic city Sitapur is the new Devi. She has no idea that she is about to become the centerpiece of a divine battle between the Gods of Light and the demon lord Bala. Devi is a story about a young woman battling for survival in a landscape of ancient legends, duty and fate. Where will she fall? Between the Divine and the Diabolical there is Devi.
I remember the crossover with Witchblade and wondering if I'd missed this character's debut. But it appears that was it, and here she is back again. Which is probably a good thing -- Indian mythology is ripe for Western storytelling (and Jenny Frison covers).
SNAKE TALES (HC)
Publisher: IDW PUBLISHING
Writers: Various
Art: RUDY PALAIS, LOU CAMERON, MARTY ELKIN
Cover: BEN BROWN, DAVID GANTZ
HC • FC • $24.99 • 148 pages • 8.5" x 11"
Slithering scares … dangerous snake-women … cold-blooded killings … Snake Tales scours the snake-pit of Pre-Code horror to bring you the weirdest stories of serpentine thrills, guaranteed to raise your blood-pressure (and maybe an eyebrow)! Hissing horror from the likes of Rudy Palais, Lou Cameron and Marty Elkin and other masters of comic book fear. Crawling your way in full color.
"These misunderstood serpents in Snake Tales will envenomate you with an unhealthy dose of 1940s and 1950s pre-code comic book horror!" -- Dr. Frank T. Burbrink, Curator of Reptiles and Amphibians at the American Museum of Natural History
In the words of Butt-head: "All chicks dig snakes." And if there's one thing Butt-head knows, it's chicks.
FIRST ISSUE ALERT
SPAWN KILLS EVERYONE (ONE-SHOT)
Publisher: IMAGE COMICS
Writer: TODD McFARLANE & J.J. KIRBY
Art: J.J. KIRBY & TODD McFARLANE
Cover A: TODD McFARLANE
Cover B:J.J. KIRBY
Cover C: LIANA HEE
40 PAGES • FC • T • $3.99
Do you have a favorite hero?! Better change it … they’re DEAD! If you ever wondered who the strongest hero is, THIS BOOK ANSWERS IT! It’s SPAWN … he kills EVERY HERO!
Is there any chance the heroes could kill Spawn repeatedly? I'd pay good money to see that.
STARTREK #60
Publisher: IDW PUBLISHING
Writer: MIKE JOHNSON
Art/Cover: TONY SHASTEEN
Subscription Variant: JORGE FORNES
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
ALTERED ENCOUNTERS PART 2 OF 2
BLOCKBUSTER SERIES FINALE! A Five Year Mission = five years of STAR TREK comics! Celebrate the end of the latest chapter in the Enterprise's epic adventures with this all-new story that brings Captains and crews from two different timelines together!
As I expected, this is only the last issue until IDW can re-tool for a new series that reflects changes in the canon from Star Trek Beyond.
STAR TREK: 50TH ANNIVERSARY COVER CELEBRATION
Publisher: IDW PUBLISHING
Intro: MIKE JOHNSON
Art: TIM BRADSTREET, J.K. WOODWARD, TONY SHASTEEN, DAVID MESSINA, RACHEL STOTT, AND MORE!
Cover: TONY SHASTEEN
FC • 52 pages • $7.99
In celebration of 50 years of STAR TREK, a collection of the greatest TREK covers from across the galaxy! From Kirk to Klingons, Bones to Borg, it's all here!
• STAR TREK BEYOND in theaters July 22!
• PLUS! An introduction from IDW's ongoing Star Trek writer, Mike Johnson!
I probably own most of the original comics, but I'm glad to see this anyway.
FIRST ISSUE ALERT
SUPERF*CKERS FOREVER #1 (of 5)
Publisher: IDW PUBLISHING/TOP SHELF
Writer/Cover: JAMES KOCHALKA
Subscription: RYAN OTTLEY
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
IDW Publishing and Top Shelf are partnering to give cartoonist James Kochalka’s SUPERF*CKERS new life as a five-issue comic-book miniseries, SUPERF*CKERS FOREVER, launching in August. As an added bonus, each issue of the monthly comic will also feature a variant cover by an acclaimed indie artist, and a 4-page back-up story by another such idiosyncratic artist.
Foul-mouthed, filthy-minded, and completely oblivious, the young “heroes” of SUPERF*CKERS do everything BUT fight crime – they’re too busy getting high, hazing the new kids, playing video games, scheming to be team leader, and designing new costumes.
SUPERF*CKERS was created by writer/artist/musician Kochalka in 2005. In addition to their original miniseries (now collected as a graphic novel) and the digital comic SUPERF*CKERS Save Christmas, the characters have also starred in an animated series on YouTube's Cartoon Hangover. To date, the YouTube series has garnered over 1.4 million plays.
“In an era of ongoing over-the-top comic book events, Superf*ckers Forever out-events all others,” said Chris Ryall, IDW’s Chief Creative Officer. “Or it will at least out-crazy them, likely out-curse them and maybe even out-shock all the others, too. And even better than Kochalka unleashed here, the series also has contributions from additional amazing talents, all of whom are only too happy to get silly within the confines of the world James has created.”
August’s SUPERF*CKERS #1, in addition to the lead story by Kochalka, features a variant cover by Invincible artist Ryan Ottley and a back-up story by Jake Lawrence. Subsequent issues will see covers and stories by the likes of Laura Knetzger, Box Brown, Rachel Lindsay, Julian Glander, Daryl Ayo, Debora Cheyenne Cruchon, Levin Jihanian and Michael Fiffe.
To get an animated taste of SuperF*ckers, check out the whole series on YouTube's Cartoon Hangover. To catch up on the team's adventures, pick up the SuperF*ckers graphic novel and get ready for more in August!
• The first-ever Superf*ckers comic book series!
• Back-up stories by acclaimed indie creators in ever issue. Up first: Jake Lawrence!
• Variant covers by acclaimed indie creators on every issue! Up first: Ryan "Invincible" Ottley!
• Jack Krak is *still* the mother*cker!
• Part of IDW's five-week Creator Visions event! Five creator-driven books, launched in five straight weeks!
Um. Pass.
FIRST ISSUE ALERT
THAT WOLF BOY IS MINE VOL 1
Publisher: KODANSHA COMICS
Writer: YOKO NOGIRI
$10.99
Komugi's not sure what to expect when her family moves to the remote northern island of Hokkaido, and she starts at a new high school. But she certainly didn't expect a boy to come up to her and say, "Gee... you smell good, somehow!" That boy is Yu Ogami, and Komugi finds herself strangely drawn to him. But when she sees him in an unguarded moment, she discovers he's a werewolf! Now she has a choice to make: to keep his secret, or to ask for help and risk angering a wolf-boy?
I thought most teenage boys say "you smell good" in appropriately at some point in their lives. Maybe it was just me.
FIRST ISSUE ALERT
THREE STOOGES BOYS ARE BACK #1
Publisher: AMERICAN MYTHOLOGY PRODUCTIONS
Writers: S.A. CHECK, J. C. VAUGHN
Art: BRENDON FRAIM, BRIAN FRAIM, BILL GALVAN
Covers: BUZ
$29.99
We're throwing a party -- a Stooge-A-Palooza -- for all the fans of the original Three Stooges! In this oversized issue we have brand new comic laughs, classic tales from the golden age, and a Stooge-ton of original content! We're bringing you all the chuckles and guffaws you love from The Boys and paying homage to the comedy legends with behind the scenes interviews with Stooge family members, candid pictures, and fans from all over the world. This issue has no ads - it is 100% stuffed with Stooges! The Stooges influenced generations of comic book creators and now lifelong fans have a chance to contribute to their legacy with these new slapstick adventures. If you are tired of the same old humdrum comics week-in and week-out, try out The Three Stooges and enjoy laughing at their timeless antics!
Geez, ol' Curly kinda looks like a serial killer, doesn't he?
THUN'DA (TPB)
Publisher: DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT
Writer: ROBERT PLACE NAPTON, GARDNER FOX
Art: CLIFF RICHARDS, FRANK FRAZETTA
Cover: JAE LEE
160 pages • Teen+ • $19.99
After a military helicopter crashes in a remote valley in Africa, a lone survivor awakens without memory of his identity or mission. From the wreckage, he learns only his name: Roger Drum. Armed with instinctive survival skills, the amnesiac roams his new surroundings, discovering a bizarre lost world of dinosaurs, mammoths, sabretooth tigers, and primitive human tribes. Against the backdrop of this hostile new reality, Drum must come to terms with his violent past... so that he may assume the respected and feared mantle of the prophesied jungle warrior Thun'da!
Thun'da, the hero of the primeval forest created by legendary fantasy illustrator Frank Frazetta, returns in this action-packed adventure by Robert Place Napton and Cliff Richards! As a special treat, Dynamite Entertainment proudly presents four classic tales of Thun'da, fully remastered and featuring the creative talents of comic legends Gardner Fox (Detective Comics, The Flash) and Frank Frazetta himself!
• "(A) wonderful romp in the forest." -- Unleash The Fanboy
• "Really refreshing ... a very fun read." -- Geeks of Doom
I think the day of jungle heroes is over, except for Tarzan, as the first, and The Phantom, with the best mythology.
Replies
TUMOR (HC)
Writer: JOSHUA HALE FIALKOV
Art/Cover: NOEL TUAZON
$19.99
Private investigator Frank Armstrong barely scrapes by in the Los Angeles underbelly until "the big one" hits his desk. Locate and retrieve the daughter of a drug kingpin, and he can finally afford more than the one-dollar meatloaf. Unfortunately, the job offer arrives just as the symptoms of his fatal, late-stage brain tumor intensify. Frank must find the target and keep her safe while time collapses, family turns into foe, and the specter of his murdered wife resurfaces in the eyes of a mobster's daughter.
Eisner, Harvey, and Emmy nominated writer Joshua Hale Fialkov joins Harvey and Eisner nominated artist Noel Tuazon in their second thrilling collaboration about the bittersweet joy of lost love and the sharp pain of redemption.
This is the book that made me a Joshua Hale Fialkov fan -- and for all I know, it was his first. But it was a terrific crime noir story that at the same time subverted the tropes of that genre a bit, as our gumshoe is an unreliable narrator, which calls into question whether he's having a Sam Spade-type adventure, or he just thinks he's having a Sam Spade-type adventure. The art was nothing to write home about, but the story more than makes up for that.
WALLY WOOD JUNGLE ADVENTURES WITH JIM KING & ANIMAN (GN)
Writer/Art/Cover: WALLACE WOOD
Deluxe Slipcase, $69.95 • HC, $39.95
Before Marvel's Wolverine, before DC's Animal Man, Hall of Fame comics creator Wallace "Wally" Wood created Animan! After years of development, shortly after leaving Daredevil to launch the THUNDER Agents, Wood unveiled his Animan masterpiece in early issues of his ground-breaking self-published magazine, Witzend. Vanguard continues their Wood Classics series with nearly 200 pages of Wood jungle comics spanning from the Golden Age through the 1960s with Animan, Jim King, Sabu, and much more. Don't miss this special deluxe slipcase with 16-page Bonus Folio and unique cover design.
Evidently there is still a ton of Wood material that's never been reprinted, and Vanguard is doing us all a service by unearthing it.
WONDER WOMAN BY GEORGE PEREZ VOL 1 (TPB)
Writers: GEORGE PEREZ, GREG POTTER, LEN WEIN
Art: BRUCE D. PATTERSON, BOB SMITH
Art/Cover: GEORGE PEREZ
$24.99
In this new paperback collecting WONDER WOMAN #1-14, the Amazon Princess' first assignment takes her to Man's World to teach humanity the ways of the goddess Gaea-no matter who objects!
I know there's some interest in seeing these issues reprinted again.
WRATH OF THE ETERNAL WARRIOR #10
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI
Art by RAUL ALLEN with ROBERT GILL
Cover A by KANO
Cover B by PERE PEREZ
Variant Cover by ANDRES GUINALDO
$3.99| 32 pgs. | T+
Pain and suffering await at the “LABYRINTH’”s end!
Against all odds, the Eternal Warrior has fought his way to the Labyrinth’s brutal and mysterious center. But his suffering is far from over! Standing between the Earth’s immortal master of war and freedom stands the figure only known as the Dying One … and the masterstroke in his centuries-long plan to unlock the secret of the Eternal Warrior’s immortality! Battered but not beaten, can Gilad Anni-Padda rise once more to fell his greatest foe … or will the madness of the “LABYRINTH” break his mind as well as his body?
New York Times best-selling writer Robert Venditti (X-O MANOWAR) and visionary artist Raúl Allén (NINJAK) bring their blood-curdling epic to a boil as “LABYRINTH” reaches its unforgettable end – and determines the final fate of Valiant’s greatest warrior!
The bad guy in this story? Some people just need killin'.
NEON GENESIS EVANGELION: THE SHINJI IKARI RAISING PROJECT OMNIBUS VOL 1
I've been picking this series up in individual volumes. The original NGE anime was pretty grim and got fairly apocalyptic towards the end. I gather that the director was having mental/emotional issues towards the end. The last episode is fairly cryptic - I've watched it a couple of times, and I'm still not 100% sure what the Hell was supposed to be going on. At any rate, in the last episode, the protagonist, Shinji Ikari, is given a glimpse of an alternate life that he could have, one in which his family is whole, and he and his friends are living a lighthearted high school comedy sort of life. this book is set in the world, so its a sort of "Elseworlds".. I suspect it's probably more amusing for those of us who are familiar withe the original story. It's just a relief to see the characters happy, and not constantly suffering horrible things.
Geez, ol' Curly kinda looks like a serial killer, doesn't he?
Let's be honest - as much as I have always enjoyed watching the Three Stooges, if you knew guys like them in real life, you'd avoid them like the plague.
The Baron said:
I think Moe was Donald Trump's campaign manager for a while.
As to NGE, I think you've explained it to me before, but it's just now sinking in. Given the competing narratives, I'd probably thought of them as two different books, or would jump to the conclusion that I'd mis-remembered what I'd read before. I'll try to remember this time.
A couple of years ago, I went to the Stoogeum, a rarely-open but exhaustive museum honoring the Three Stooges in the suburban Philadelphia area. (I highly recommend it, btw.) I knew there were Three Stooges comics, but what I hadn't realized is that a lot of them were done by Norman Mauer, Joe Kubert's partner on Tor (I was reading the hardcover reprints of that series at the time). Turns out Norman was married to Joan Howard, Moe's daughter!
The world gets smaller every day.
Captain Comics said:
There's been a couple of NGE "Elseworlds" type manga, putting the characters into different genres.
Other things of note: Attu! I'm one of the Glanzman fans on the board, and will have to keep an eye out for this one. (I'm happy to say a Glanzman reprint kickstarter I supported, Red Range, will be published!)
I haven't read much Corto Maltese, but I can say that my affection for Milt Cannif isn't nostalgia at all. I read his entire run of Terry and the Pirates in the last few months, and he's a really incredible storyteller. My appreciation of his art is mostly in how it serves the story -- though I do like looking at it. (I'm actually reading the Caniff chapter of Will Eisner's Shop Talk right now; it's a book of interviews Eisner conducted with a lot of his contemporaries, like CC Beck, Jack Kirby, etc. I never had reason to read the Caniff chapter until now.)
As for Aquaman, why on earth would they call this arc "The Drowning" when they could have called it "Fighting N.E.M.O."?
CRY HAVOC VOL 1: MYTHING IN ACTION (TPB)
I don't know if I would like it, but the title tickles me no end.
Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod) said:
As for Aquaman, why on earth would they call this arc "The Drowning" when they could have called it "Fighting N.E.M.O."?
Maybe they're afraid of the Disney lawyers?
If not, they should be!
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