THE CAPTAIN'S PICKS
ALL-NEW INVADERS #1
Written by JAMES ROBINSON
Art by STEVE PUGH
Cover by MUKESH SINGH
Variant Covers by JOHN CASSADAY, SKOTTIE YOUNG, & STEVE PUGH Also Available
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
“GODS AND SOLDIERS” PART ONE
All-New Marvel NOW! heads to the battlefront, and today Marvel is pleased to present your first look at ALL-NEW INVADERS #1 from Eisner Award-Winning writer James Robinson (Starman, Earth 2) and blockbuster artist Steve Pugh (Animal Man, Hotwire, Gen X)! In a bid to conquer the universe, the Kree Empire has discovered a way to weaponize Norse Gods. It falls to Brothers-in-arms Captain America, The Winter Soldier, Namor, and The Original Human Torch to re-band for a different kind of war. One that will force them to face the future and save the Earth from the Kree Empire.
"James Robinson and Steve Pugh have put 120% of their talents into this project,” said Senior Editor Mark Paniccia. “The end-result is an exciting superhero adventure dropping this legendary team into the current Marvel Universe at hyper drive."
Can these timeless allies survive the deadly comic trenches? Find out as Marvel’s original mightiest heroes take to the stars for the senses shattering ALL-NEW INVADERS #1!
Given the popularity of Legionnaire Richard Mantle's Okay Axis Here We Come! The Complete Invaders! thread, there must be an appetite for this crew.
And why not? It stars the Timely Trinity that sold oodles of comics in the Golden Age, and Captain America has done all right by himself in modern times. Both Namor and Jim Hammond have had stretches where they were handled poorly, but with James Robinson writing this one, I don't expect that to re-occur.
Plus, there's the burning question: "Where's Toro?"
AVENGERS #25
Written by JONATHAN HICKMAN
Art by SALVADOR LARROCA
Cover by MIKE DEODATO
Variant Cover by DUSTIN WEAVER
MARVEL 75TH ANNIVERSARY VARIANT by TBD
MARVEL 75TH ANNIVERSARY SKETCH VARIANT by TBD
32 PGS./Rated T+ … $3.99
“THE MIRROR”
• It worked for the X-Men! Would we be so crass as to do it again? Introducing the ALL-NEW AVENGERS!
• And we’ve been good up till now, but this issue, an Avenger dies.
They have come from a different place and time – and today, Marvel is pleased to present your first look at AVENGERS #25, from blockbuster creators Jonathan Hickman and Salvador Larroca. United against threats no single super hero could withstand – the Avengers have faced dangers unlike any other. But what happens when the danger is themselves? From the splintered fringes of time comes … the Avengers?! And the heroes of the past must face the horrors their present has wrought.
“After wrapping up INFINITY, Jonathan and I were pretty tired. Too tired to come up with anything new,” says Executive Editor Tom Brevoort. “That whole All-New X-Men thing with the X-Men from the past has been working out pretty well for Brian Bendis, so we thought we’d jump on the bandwagon. Hence, the All-New Avengers! Sounds like the sort of thing that we’d do, doesn’t it?”
Past and present collide this January in AVENGERS #25. But when the dust settles, will there be a present worth fighting for? Not everyone makes it out alive!
This is such an incredibly silly and derivative idea, you know that what we're seeing on the surfiace isn't the whole story. And I can't wait to find out what the twist is!
ARCHIE’S VALENTINE: A ROCK & ROLL ROMANCE TPB
Publisher: ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS
Script: Dan Parent
Art: Dan Parent, Rich Koslowski, Jack Morelli
Cover: Dan Parent
$10.99/$12.99CAN
6 5/8 x 10 3/16”
Trade Paperback, 104 pp
It’s the greatest rock ‘n’ roll romance in history! Betty and Veronica have some competition when Valerie, the bassist for Josie & the Pussycats, moves to Riverdale! Take a stroll down Riverdale’s now-famous Memory Lane along with Valerie and see what life would be like if she married Archie! Their future is sure to be full of surprises, challenges, and musical interludes as they deal with rock band drama, reality TV and their respective careers. Will Archie and Valerie make beautiful music together? PLUS: Valerie’s not the only musician in her family! Meet Trev, her older brother who sings his way right into Betty’s heart! It all happens in the critically acclaimed Archie Marries Valerie storyline, available for the first time ever in graphic novel.
Archie Comics, company which once embodied the ultra-conservative restrictions of the Comics Code, is now in the vanguard of experimentation. Here's another example of a story that will have the original MLJ founders spinning in their graves: A mixed-race romance involving their most popular character!
Of course, once you get past the potential controversy, the question is -- as always -- is it a good story? I don't know, as I never read the issues where this story originally appeared. And while I've enjoyed other Archie what-ifs like Life with Archie and Afterlife with Archie, those were written by Big Two veterans Paul Kupperburg and Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, respectively, while this is by Archie-only Dan Parent. Parent's work at Archie is usually solid but not flashy, but is he good enough to pull this off?
I don't know, but I'm willing to give it a try, just to reward such editorial bravery. Still, you'll notice what's NOT on the cover: Betty and Trev. Maybe next year.
BLACK WIDOW #2
Written by NATHAN EDMONDSON
Art & Cover by PHIL NOTO
Variant Cover by FRANK CHO!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
• In fact, it’s so good, that you won’t want to wait another month for the next issue.
• And you won’t have to!
No one escapes their past. Least of all the Black Widow, and today Marvel is pleased to present your first look at BLACK WIDOW #2. From the blockbuster creative team of Nathan Edmondson and Phil Noto – cool and calculating, the Black Widow executes her missions with laser precision. But not every mission goes according to plan. Alone and in the crosshairs, Natasha fights for her life against deadly new foes circling in the shadows. And for the Marvel Universe’s deadliest covert operative – mistakes can be the difference between life and death. And the Black Widow is about to learn just how costly her mistakes can be. The beautiful and lethal new series continues this January in BLACK WIDOW #2!
I asked nicely two weeks ago for everyone to support my dream of a successful Black Widow comic book. So I fully expect that all Legionnaires have already purchased Black Widow #1, or put in their order for the first trade. If not, here's a gentle reminder.
ETERNAL WARRIOR #5
Written by GREG PAK
Art by DIEGO BERNARD
Cover by CLAYTON CRAIN
Pullbox Exclusive Variant by DIEGO BERNARD
Variant Cover by DAVE BULLOCK
Variant Cover by DAVID MACK
$3.99/T+/32 pgs.
MUST READ VALIANT! All-new arc, all-new jumping-on point! Valiant's immortal champion builds a bridge to … 4001 A.D.!
Valiant is proud to announce that New York Times best-selling writer Greg Pak (Batman/Superman) and rising star Diego Bernard (Shadowman, Witchblade) will be jump-starting the legendary future timeline of the Valiant Universe in Eternal Warrior #5! This January, discover an all-new vision of the year 4001 as the Eternal Warrior soldiers into "Eternal Emperor" – a brand new story arc revealing a transformed Gilad Anni-Padda fighting the forces of final extinction to protect a tattered remnant of humanity on a ravaged continent.
"This is a radically different future with huge emotional ramifications for our characters," Pak revealed today in exclusive interview at IGN. "We're going whole hog here – taking advantage of this crazy premise to explore a massive, mind-bending story we could never do in the present."
"The future timeline was always an essential element of the original Valiant Universe," added Valiant Executive Editor Warren Simons. "We're continuing in that grand tradition with 'Eternal Emperor,' an action-packed milestone that shows the Eternal Warrior in a new light, one that's vivid and heartbreaking, and taps into the best that the character has to offer."
Two thousand years from today, the planet has been transformed by science, technology…and war. The centuries have not been kind to the Earth's own undying warrior – but a battle that could change everything is just beginning right here in the 21st century. Find out where the roots of humanity's last stand will begin when Greg Pak and Diego Bernard build a bridge to the year 4001…and unearth a brand new era for the heroes of the Valiant Universe.
To find out more about 4001 and beyond, join Greg Pak and an all-star panel of Valiant insiders at New York Comic-Con for the Valiant Comics: Must Read Valiant panel presentation on Saturday, October 12th at 4 pm.
A wave of new arcs and easy jumping-on points for Valiant's acclaimed ongoing series, previously announced MUST READ VALIANT milestones include Quantum and Woody #5 by James Asmus and Ming Doyle; Shadowman #13 by the all-new creative team of Peter Milligan and Roberto De La Torre; and Bloodshot and H.A.R.D. Corps #18 by Christos Gage, Joshua Dysart and Bart Sears; and Harbinger #20 by Joshua Dysart and Clayton Henry. This winter, find out why VALIANT is the MUST READ publisher in comics today, right here with MUST READ VALIANT!
For more information on Eternal Warrior and the rest of the Valiant Universe, visit Valiant on Facebook, on Twitter, and at ValiantUniverse.com.
I don't know how many Legionnaires read the original Valiant line of books, but if not, you need to know this: 4001 A.D. was an important year. The original Valiant had at least two books set in that year, Magnus, Robot Fighter and Rai (later Rai and the Future Force). While I believe the rights to Magnus are now with Dynamite, I can't believe Valiant picked that year randomly. Expect fireworks.
GEORGE ROMERO EMPIRE OF THE DEAD: ACT ONE #1 (of 5)
Written by GEORGE A. ROMERO
Art/Cover by ALEX MALEEV
Variant Cover by ARTHUR SUYDAM
40 PGS./Parental Guidance …$3.99
ZOMBIE GODFATHER GEORGE ROMERO UNLEASHES HIS NEXT UNDEAD EPIC — AS AN ALL-NEW MARVEL COMIC!
When the dead fight the dead -- where does that leave the living? Marvel is pleased to present your very first look at Empire of the Dead #1 -- from zombie godfather and horror visionary George Romero and Eisner Award winning artist Alex Maleev!
Welcome to New York City years after a horrifying plague has swept the nation. The Big Apple is a quarantine zone – but that doesn’t guarantee safety inside! Flesh-eating zombies roam within the remains of Manhattan – and they are not alone. Vampires lurk in the shadows as well, feasting on the living and the undead alike – and no one is safe!
“George A. Romero singlehandedly created the zombie genre that’s captured the public imagination for decades,” says Editor In Chief Axel Alonso. “Now, his unique vision for the silver screen comes to life on the comic book page – a chilling rumination on human nature and man’s place in the food chain, served with a terrifying twist.”
“Like a surgeon, George Romero is once again using the horror genre as a scalpel, cutting through the surface of everyday life to expose society’s undercurrents,” said editor Bill Rosemann. “One could say that the vampires are the Haves and the zombies are the Have-Nots. And us poor humans? We’re the ones getting caught in the crossfire of their escalating war. It’s a violent clash indeed, and Alex Maleev is bringing this undead battle to horrifying – but beautiful – life!”
What happens when the undead invade the city that never sleeps? Find out when Empire of the Dead #1 shambles into a comic shop near you!
This isn't really a terribly original idea -- there's at least two other books currently being published that mix zombies and vampires, not to mention Vertigo's recent miniseries Victorian Undead. But this one is the brainchild of George Romero, who single-handedly created the modern zombie genre. That earns him enough horror cred for us to at least take a look!
THE PLANETARY OMNIBUS HC
Written by WARREN ELLIS
Art by JOHN CASSADAY, JERRY ORDWAY, PHIL JIMENEZ and ANDY LANNING
Cover by JOHN CASSADAY
864 pg, FC, $75.00 US
Hailed as a timeless story that turned modern super hero conventions on their heads, PLANETARY stars an inter-dimensional peace-keeping force including Elijah Snow, Jakita Wagner, and The Drummer. Tasked with tracking down evidence of super-human activity, these mystery archaeologists uncover unknown paranormal secrets and histories, such as a World War II supercomputer that can access other universes, a ghostly spirit of vengeance, and a lost island of dying monsters. Now, the entire series is collected in hardcover, including PLANETARY #1-27, PLANETARY/BATMAN #1, PLANETARY/JLA #1 and PLANETARY/AUTHORITY #1.
If you have never read Planetary, pick this up -- and expect a treat.
The early premise of the book was that, essentially, every fantasy/supernatural/science fiction story you've ever seen or read had a real-world origin. And there is an agency that tracks these anomalies down, contains them, and hides them from the public. So you had this team of three that dealt with giant, radioactive monsters, a ghostly kung fu fighter, a band of mystery men led by a Man of Bronze who have been fighting off an alien invasion (from what looks suspiciously like the Crime Syndicate of Earth-3) since the pulp era, and so forth. It was very, very clever, and very well done.
Then things took a different turn. The three agents were all super-powered; one controlled cold, another was super-strong and -fast, and a third could talk to machines. But they weren't the only super-powered beings in the world. And it came about they needed to deal with The Four: A quartet of astronauts who had returned from space with super-powers.
Sound familiar? Yes, the powers they have will look very familiar, but their actions won't. Because The Four have used their abilities to make themselves virtually untouchable to governments and law-enforcement agencies, and moreover, they have tracked down and killed every other potential super-powered being on Earth, in preparation for taking control of the entire planet. You will recognize a lot of familiar objects/costumes in their trophy room, and it should give you a shudder. In fact, everything about them should scare the pants off you. It's "What If the Fantastic Four Were Evil?" done with the gloves off.
The confrontation between the agents and The Four make up the second half of the series, and while I missed the giant ants and stuff, the battle with The Four was epic.
Given that virtually everything in the series was lifted from movies, TV shows, comics books, pulps and science fiction novels, I kept trying to place the three agents. Who did they represent? What were they a metaphor for? I never figured it out, but maybe you will. Because Planetary is the book that made me a Warren Ellis fan, and I imagine you'll enjoy it too.
ARCHIE COMICS
ARCHIE’S FUNHOUSE DOUBLE DIGEST #1
Script: John Workman
Art: Rex Lindsey, Rich Koslowski, Vickie Williams, and Barry
Grossman
Cover: Gisele, Rosario “Tito” Peña
160-page, full color comic, $3.99 U.S.
BRAND NEW #1! When the gang takes a trip to the Lodge’s Lodge in the North Woods, they discover a nearby cozy cabin with a lot of personality—so much personality that it seems to even have a life of its own! When each trip to the cabin comes with a new historic surprise, Archie & his friends get a little uneasy. Is the cabin haunted, or is someone playing a clever trick? The answer may surprise you in “Fun House,” the crazy first story to this FUN NEW double digest series!
So this "Funhouse" is an actual building -- and sort-of like a good-natured House of Mystery. That's a clever idea to get the kids out of Riverdale for a few adventures!
BETTY AND VERONICA DOUBLE DIGEST #220
Art: Dan Parent, Jim Amash, Teresa Davidson, and Barry Grossman
Cover: Dan Parent, Bob Smith, Rosario “Tito” Peña
160-page, full color comic, $3.99 U.S.
Clairvoyance is SO in this month! When Veronica receives a necklace from her psychic Aunt Lily, she doesn’t think much of it until she uncovers its secret powers. Now granted with the ability to find out who everyone’s first kiss was, will Veronica use her powers for good or for evil? Find out in “Kiss & Tell!” Features a special bright and sunny 5th color cover!
It's funny that I never noticed the cheesecake in Archie Comics when I was in middle school, but now, as an adult, I think "Wow, that's a pretty small bikini, and she's just a teenager." And that gets truer the older I get. It's like when I teach at University of Memphis, and realize that the girls in the class I would have been pursuing when I was in college myself now look (and act) like children to me. Evidently the range of ages in which I find women attractive has aged with me. I suppose that's universal, or at least healthy.
Where was I? Oh, yeah, the Comics Guide:
MEGA MAN VOL 6: BREAKING POINT TPB
Script: Ian Flynn
Art: Ryan Jampole, Gary Martin, John Workman, and Matt Herms
Cover: Jamal Peppers, Gary Martin, and Matt Herms
$11.99/$13.99CAN
6 5/8 x 10 3/16”
Trade Paperback, 104 pp
The 25th anniversary celebration of Mega Man continues with the exciting next chapter in the Mega Man mythology! And this latest graphic novel volume is a cause for celebration indeed—there are parties, love, and… revenge?! From a New Year’s terror attack by the vengeful Emerald Spears, to a devastating showdown with the mysterious Break Man, Mega Man just can’t catch a break! This volume also ties-into the biggest comic book crossover event of the year: SONIC/MEGA MAN: WORLDS COLLIDE! See how Mega Man's world was rocked by Dr. Eggman and Dr. Wily's evil schemes! Witness the startling aftermath of the crossover as the mysterious RA MOON begins its bid for world domination! It's mega-madness, and with our heroic blue hero stretched so thin, there's only so much evil a bot can take before he reaches his BREAKING POINT! Featuring art from Harvey Award-nominated penciller Ryan Jampole, MEGA MAN VOL. 6 collects MEGA MAN #21–23 and 28.
At the rate Archie puts out Mega Man and Sonic books, they must be doing well. Some months it feels like half their line! I'm glad of that, although I haven't the slightest interest in either. Am I missing out on something good, Legionnaires?
WORLD OF ARCHIE DOUBLE DIGEST #36
Script: Bill Golliher
Art: Tim Kennedy, Ken Selig, Bill Yoshida, and Barry Grossman
Cover: Jeff Shultz, Bob Smith, Rosario “Tito” Peña
160-page, full color comic, $3.99 U.S.
For once Archie is excited to go to school — clown school, that is! Archie’s won a contest to become a clown for a day. Does he have what it takes to down the red nose and pie-stained suspenders? Find out in “Clownin’ Around”!
DARK HORSE
AMALA'S BLADE: SPIRITS OF MAAMARON TP
Includes never-before-seen story and images!
Steve Horton (W)
Michael Dialynas (A/Cover)
FC, 144 pages, $18.99
TP, 7” x 10”
The kingdom of Naamaron is bitterly divided into warring factions, Purifiers and Modifiers, with both sides fearing the Great Vizier's deadliest assassin, Amala. With a price on her head—and a ghost monkey on her back—the future of both kingdoms may rest in her bloodstained hands! Collects the entire miniseries and Dark Horse Presents stories and includes a never-before-published Amala’s Blade story, an art gallery, and creators’ notes!
• Debuted in the award-winning Dark Horse Presents.
• Featuring art by Michael Dialynas from Superior Spider-Man Team-Up Special #1.
“Swashbuckling fun for the whole family.” — Comic Book Resources
BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL VOLUME 28: RAINING CHAOS TP
The violent rush to Blade’s finale
Hiroaki Samura (W/A)
B&W, 216 pages, $19.99
TP, 5 3/4" x 8 1/4"
Heads and limbs fly as the vicious grudge match between desperate rogue Anotsu and disgraced officer Habaki continues! Three weird Rokki-dan thugs catch up to the fleeing Ittō-Ryū crew—with unexpected results! As this epic manga series nears its final volume, now’s time to catch up with Manji, Rin, and your favorite battling groups of anachronistic, freakish warriors!
"Samura's work will thrill you, engage you and even horrify you like no other artist working in film or print today." -- Geof Darrow
B.P.R.D.: HELL ON EARTH VOLUME 7: A COLD DAY IN HELL TP
Mike Mignola’s New York Times best-selling series!
Mike Mignola (W/Cover)
John Arcudi (W)
Peter Snejbjerg, Laurence Campbell (A)
Dave Stewart (C)
FC, 144 pages, $19.99
TP, 7’’ x 10’’
Following the deadly events of The Return of the Master, the zombie director of the Russian occult sciences division leads the B.P.R.D. to go head to head with demons from Hell. Meanwhile, Johann commands a rescue mission to locate the missing agents from The Abyss of Time. What they find is an army of mutated humans. Collects B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth #105-109.
• Art by Peter Snejbjerg (Abe Sapien: The Abyssal Plain, A God Somewhere) and Laurence Campbell (Marvel Universe vs. Wolverine, Punisher MAX).
CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT #7
Joshua Williamson (W)
Eduardo Francisco (A)
Stefani Rennee (C)
Freddie Williams II and Dan Scott (Cover)
FC, 32 pages, $2.99
Ongoing
Fighting for his life in Washington, DC, Captain Midnight struggles to do any damage to a secret organization’s brutal assassin. Meanwhile, Agent Jones is abducted by an unexpected captor who may reveal the unsettling truth about the mysterious Black Sky’s motives.
• Learn more about the mysterious Project Black Sky!
• A new cover by Freddie Williams II and Dan Scott!
• Written by Joshua Williamson (Ghosted, Masks and Mobsters)!
“Dark Horse has another success on their hands.” — Comics Beat
I'm still waiting for the oft-delayed trade paperback to evaluate this series. If anyone's aleady a fan, feel free to chime in!
CONAN VOLUME 15: THE NIGHTMARE OF THE SHALLOWS HC
The most acclaimed Conan series in years!
Brian Wood (W)
Davide Gianfelice, Mirko Colak (A)
Andrea Mutti (P)
Pierluigi Baldassini (I)
Dave Stewart (C)
Massimo Carnevale (Cover)
FC, 152 pages, $24.99
HC, 7” x 10”
In the wake of an unthinkable tragedy, Conan and Bêlit find their bond buckling under an enormous strain. When Bêlit returns to her childhood home, what she discovers in the sands of Shem could separate her from Conan forever. Conan then seeks clarity through the mind-altering power of the yellow lotus, but the visions revealed to him may be more than the Barbarian can bear.
• With The Legend of Conan announced for 2014, Dark Horse’s Conan is essential reading!
CONAN THE BARBARIAN #24
FROM THE CREATIVE TEAM OF DMZ!
Brian Wood (W)
Riccardo Burchielli (A)
Dave Stewart (C)
Massimo Carnevale (Cover)
FC, 32 pages, $3.50
Ongoing
The penultimate issue in Brian Wood’s acclaimed “Queen of the Black Coast”!
The demonic residents of the river Zarkheba have exacted a devastating toll from Conan—but still they demand more. With nothing left to lose, Conan sets out to face an evil whose power is beyond any earthly reckoning!
• From Brian Wood (Star Wars, The Massive) and Riccardo Burchielli (DMZ).
• The final story arc of “Queen of the Black Coast” heats up!
DARK HORSE PRESENTS #32
2013 Eisner & Harvey Award Winner: Best Anthology
(W) Mike Mignola, Caitlín R. Kiernan, Mike Baron, Phil Stanford, Steve Horton, Darrin Grimwood, Jamie S. Rich, Fred Van Lente, Rich Johnston, Chad Lambert
(W/A) Brendan McCarthy
(A/C) Mick McMahon
(A) Steve Lieber, Steve Rude, Patric Reynolds, Ryan Cody, Brent Schoonover, Reilly Brown, Simon Rohrmüller, Christine Larsen
(C) Dave Stewart
FC, 80 pages, $7.99
Ongoing
Delve into a twisted video game tale with Brendan McCarthy and Darrin Grimwood’s The Deleted! Rich Johnston’s Miss Cranbourne returns! Mike Mignola and Mick McMahon reveal the surprise twist in the nuptials when . . . Hellboy gets married!
Plus, the long-running DHP serials Alabaster: Boxcar Tales and Nexus: Into the Past reach their thrilling conclusions!
And, of course, new installments of Integer City, City of Roses, Monstrous, Kill Me, and Saint George!
“Dark Horse’s prestigious anthology series . . . showcases emerging talent alongside some of the greatest writers, artists and cartoonists comics has to offer, as well as promising new and underground talents.”— ComicsAlliance
“Seriously, this is comics’ best kept secret trove of great comics.”— Comic Book Resources
“A stunning debut. Crisp, mysterious, compelling and gorgeously drawn. Don’t miss this book.”— Kurt Busiek
DHP really is a nice package, and I feel guilty that I don't support it by buying it. But anthologies, by their nature, will offer some things in which I'm really interested, some things in which I'm only mildly interested and some things in which I'm not interested at all. So I can always find something for my $7 that is more of a sure thing, and wait for the trades collecting the stuff in which I'm really interested.
I feel guilty, like a free rider of some kind, but not guilty enough to make me shell out the $7.
EERIE ARCHIVES VOLUME 15 HC
Classic tales of horror!
(W/P) Jose Bea
(W) Gerry Boudreau, Bill DuBay, Budd Lewis, Doug Moench
(P) Auraleon, Luis Bermejo, Howard Chaykin, Esteban Maroto, Gonzalo Mayo, Paul Neary, Jose Ortiz, Leopold Sanchez, Bernie Wrightson
(C) Michele Brand
(A) Sanjulian
(A/C) Ken Kelly
B&W, 294 pages, $49.99
HC, 8 3/8” x 10 7/8”
Bizarre science fiction, luminous fantasy, dark psychological drama, and wild western adventure—in the pages of Eerie, these genres were brought together, twisted, and given thrilling touches of the macabre! This volume in the acclaimed Eerie Archives hardcover series collects all stories and bonus features from issues #70 to #74.
• The continued adventures of Coffin, undead in the wild west!
• Thrill at the eye-popping artwork!
• Painted covers by Ken Kelly and Sanjulian, plus all text features and fan pages!
ELFQUEST: THE FINAL QUEST #1
Elfquest returns!
Wendy Pini (W/A/Cover)
Richard Pini (W)
Ongoing
The Wolfriders' chief, Cutter, knows that change is coming. His tribe's proximity to the Palace of the High Ones, a mysterious and magical oasis, makes this inevitable. As Cutter's daughter Ember, chief of her own tribe, shares her father's efforts to preserve the old ways amongst their kin, the human tyrant, Angrif Djun, ascends the mountain her clan call home and rocks the foundation of their peaceful existence.
• Winner of the Golden Pen Award from the Young Adult Advisory Committee!
• Brand-new Elfquest art and adventures!
• Includes Elfquest extras from past and present!
I energetically collected ElfQuest when it first came out, despite occasional difficulty finding a given issue. At some point, though, I just kinda quit. I guess my subconscious was telling me I'd read all the Wolfrider stories I'd ever need to. Still, Wendy is a remarkable artist and the Pinis deserve their own chapter in comic-book history for all the trails they blazed getting the first ElfQuest #1 into comic shops. If you've never read ElfQuest, you should treat yourself and give it a try.
EMPOWERED VOL 5 TP
(W/A/CA) Adam Warren
$16.99
After saving much of the superhero community from certain doom, costumed crime fighter Empowered is dismayed to find that, in the suspicious eyes of her caped colleagues, she's gone from being merely a "pair of training wheels for supervillains" to possibly being a closeted supervillain herself! Worse yet, she's wrestling with envy and resentment that her roommate Ninjette and boyfriend Thugboy are now more popular in masks-and-tights circles than she is! Meanwhile, our stressed-out superheroine must also unravel an alien-spawned body-image conspiracy, overcome "cosplay" dress-up disasters at work and in bed, and try to survive a potentially lethal confrontation with her teammate Sistah Spooky!
• Empowered Vol. 1 is already in its fourth printing!
• A New York Times bestseller!
• Adam Warren's work on The Dirty Pair is well known to U.S. comics readers.
I don't buy this, because when I read the first volume I felt anxious -- like I was 10 years old, flipping through my older brother's Playboys, and Mom might catch me any minute.
Now, why might I feel that way, Empowered fans?
MASS EFFECT: FOUNDATION #7
THE PSYCHOTIC BIOTIC UNLEASHED!
Mac Walters (W)
Garry Brown (A)
Michael Atiyeh (C)
Benjamin Carré (Cover)
FC, 32 pages, $3.99
Ongoing
When elite Cerberus agents are ordered to capture a powerful and dangerous rogue biotic, they are completely unprepared for the fury that is Subject Zero—better known as Jack!
• Written by Mac Walters, lead writer of Mass Effect 2 and 3
• A canonical entry in the Mass Effect series, tying directly into Mass Effect 2!
At least they spell "Cerberus" correctly. I was afraid Cerebus the Aardvark had permanently altered the word's spelling! Otherwise I know nothing about this title, or about The Massive (below), and because I don't, I'm always getting the two confused.
THE MASSIVE #19
“It’s a whole new universe and I’m strapping myself in for the ride.”—Giant Fire Breathing Robot
Brian Wood (W)
Garry Brown (A)
Jordie Bellaire (C)
J. P. Leon (Cover)
FC, 32 pages, $3.50
Ongoing
An improvised explosive device rips through the Kapital while at port in the Baltic Sea, and the group claiming responsibility is no group at all . . . It’s an individual: Arkady, the demon from Cal’s past in Mogadishu. When Cal goes to confront his nemesis, he discovers that Arkady holds a piece of the puzzle that could change everything.
• From the writer of Star Wars, Conan, and X-Men!
MIND MGMT #18
“Much like DMZ, the glimpses of savagery [in The Massive] are unsettling because this world isn’t as divorced from ours as we’d like it to be.”—IGN
Matt Kindt (W/A/C/Cover)
FC, 32 pages, $3.99
Ongoing
Once one of Mind Management’s youngest and most unusual agents, Ella the Animal Kid had a crisis of conscience and disappeared for years. Now Meru’s found her, but is it to interview Ella for her book or to make her take a side? And either way, can she escape the jungle alive?
• New York Times best-selling series!
• Don’t miss MIND MGMT in Dark Horse Presents #31!
STAR WARS: LEGACY #11
History Repeats!
Corinna Bechko (W)
Gabriel Hardman (W/A)
Rachelle Rosenberg (C)
Agustin Alessio (Cover)
FC, 32 pages, $2.99
Ongoing
Just who is Ania Solo? Is she a lowly salvage dealer from a backwater planet, as she says, or is she an escaped prisoner and the murderer of an Imperial Knight, as the authorities claim?
• Gabriel Hardman returns as artist!
“Like the original theatrical release . . . readers are left with a set of characters to relate to, assimilate with and cheer on.”—Comic Book Resources
DC COMICS
ANIMAL MAN #27
Written by JEFF LEMIRE
Art and cover by RAFAEL ALBUQUERQUE
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+
THIS IS IT: The final battle for The Red begins here! Brother Blood must kill the avatar before he can rule. But will Buddy’s new powers be enough to protect Maxine?
ANIMAL MAN VOL. 5: THE MEANING OF FLESH TP
Written by PETER MILLIGAN and TOM VEITCH
Art by CHAS TRUOG, MARK FARMER and STEVE DILLON
Cover by BRIAN BOLLAND
352 pg, FC, $24.99 US • MATURE READERS
In these tales from ANIMAL MAN #27-37, Buddy Baker is desperate to reconnect with his family, but after he begins to explore the effects of his power to replicate the abilities of animals, will this former Super Hero ever be able to live a normal life?
BATMAN #27
Written by SCOTT SNYDER
Art by GREG CAPULLO and DANNY MIKI
Cover by GREG CAPULLO
1:25 SCRIBBLENAUTS UNMASKED variant cover
32 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
Combo pack edition: $4.99 US
Retailers: This issue will ship with three covers. Please see the order form for more information.
“ZERO YEAR” reaches an all-important crossroads as Batman and Jim Gordon try to turn the lights back on in Gotham City. This issue leads directly into the final arc of Zero Year, which begins here next month!
This issue is also offered as a combo pack edition with a redemption code for a digital download of this issue.
Wow! Nice cover! Have I got the right book ... ?
BATMAN ‘66 #7
Written by JEFF PARKER and TOM PEYER
Art by CHRISTOPHER JONES and DEREC DONOVAN
Cover by MICHAEL ALLRED
40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED E • DIGITAL FIRST
Horrors! Bruce Wayne is trying to scam a jewelry store and put the blame on poor Aunt Harriet? Or could it actually be the work of that mysterious master of disguises, False Face? Then, find out how crime really pays when the Clown Prince of Crime tries to downsize his mob in “The Joker’s Layoff Riot.”
BATMAN AND TWO-FACE #27
Written by PETER J. TOMASI
Art and cover by PATRICK GLEASON and MICK GRAY
1:25 SCRIBBLENAUTS UNMASKED variant cover
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for more information.
The origin of Two-Face continues! Batman finds himself in the crossfire of a vengeful war between Two-Face and Erin McKillen! Both are hellbent on killing each other and anyone else who dares to step between them.
Wait, is Two-Face getting a new origin? Since I trade-wait this title, I don't know!
BATMAN BEYOND UNIVERSE #6
Written by CHRISTOS N. GAGE and KYLE HIGGINS
Art by IBAN COELLO and THONY SILAS
Cover by KHARY RANDOLPH
48 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T • DIGITAL FIRST
In “Justice League Beyond," Brainiac returns to a world more reliant on computers than ever before! Meanwhile in “Batman Beyond,” Terry joins forces with an unlikely ally in his fight against a deadly new foe!
BATWING VOL. 3: ENEMY OF THE STATE TP
Written by JUDD WINICK and FABIAN NICIEZA
Art by MARCUS TO, FABRIZIO FIORENTINO and others
Cover by SIMON BISLEY
144 pg, FC, $14.99 US
Batwing has never been under more fire than in these stories from issues #13-18. First, David must fight one of the most crooked cop forces on the continent. Then, Batwing tries to take down the deadly Father Lost and the Sky Pirate, who put David’s allies in danger.
BATWOMAN #27
Written by MARC ANDREYKO
Art by JEREMY HAUN
Cover by STEPHANE ROUX
1:25 SCRIBBLENAUTS UNMASKED variant cover
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for more information.
Batwoman faces off against the new Black Spider as the mystery deepens! What do the wealthy citizens of Gotham City have that he wants? Will Batwoman’s overconfidence cost her her life? And on the personal front: Kate meets Maggie’s daughter!
BIRDS OF PREY #27
Written by CHRISTY MARX
Art by ROMANO MOLENAAR and JONATHAN GLAPION
Cover by JORGE MOLINA
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
A “GOTHTOPIA” tie-in! We reach a major turning point in the series as the Birds find a new benefactor and a new mission to take down one of the ancient evils of the DC Universe: Ra’s al Ghul!
I don't follow this title. The original Birds came together in an organic and natural way, and their adventures flowed smoothly from the friendship between Barbara Gordon and Dinah Lance (and later, Helena Bertinelli). This group, from the few issues I've read, seem to exist solely because DC wants to publish a Birds of Prey title (or to give Black Canary a star vehicle, but one with other popular characters to help with sales). It seems artificial to me, especially when DC dragoons characters like Poison Ivy and Katana -- hardly team players -- for no obvious reason other than they are female.
But I could be wrong. What say you, Legionnaires?
Replies
GREEN LANTERN: NEW GUARDIANS #27
Art and cover by BRAD WALKER and DREW HENNESSY
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Kyle’s training with the New Guardians continues as he tries to solve the mystery of what caused an entirely peaceful civilization to go to war!
Kyle's not a Green Lantern any more. But I can see that calling him "White Lantern" might have its downsides.
Art by CHAD HARDIN
Cover by AMANDA CONNER
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Harley and guest star Poison Ivy set out to rescue a bunch of cute puppies and kitties! What could possibly go wrong?
Art and cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO
1:25 SCRIBBLENAUTS UNMASKED variant cover
32 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
Combo pack edition: $4.99 US
Retailers: This issue will ship with three covers. Please see the order form for more information.
A FOREVER EVIL tie-in! With the Justice League still missing, a barely functional Cyborg will need help if he’s going to take down the Crime Syndicate! To do that, he must find Doctor Will Magnus!
This issue is also offered as a combo pack edition with a redemption code for a digital download of this issue.
I've been enjoying "Forever Evil," where for once the bad guys have thought through their plan, have executed it well and ... well, they've won. The Crime Syndicate doesn't really have any serious threat to their rule, and they've got the B-list villains deployed to stomp out the minor threats. That's a good set-up for the inevitable good-guy triumph, as the cards are seriously stacked against them! And meantime we get to see bad guys acting like bad guys really would, which is fun in a Crime Does Not Pay kinda way.
My one complaint is the "Justice League is dead" claim, because it's obvious to the reader that the League isn't dead (or if it is, can't stay that way), and in-story the villains obviously know the League isn't dead, because they didn't kill them, so why are they bragging about something that will eventually prove itself to not be true? It shows weakness, which can't be good for the perpetuation of totalitarian rule! Oh well, I guess some conventions must be observed.
PREACHER BOOK THREE TP
Art by STEVE DILLON and STEVE PUGH
Cover by GLENN FABRY
352 pg, FC, $19.99 US • MATURE READERS
Collects PREACHER #27-33, SAINT OF KILLERS #1-4 and PREACHER SPECIAL: CASSIDY—BLOOD AND WHISKEY! During some down time, Jesse Custer faces an enemy from the past who seeks vengeance for his father’s death. Also includes a story spotlighting the Saint of Killers and a stand-alone tale starring Cassidy, the Irish vampire.
Art by NOEL RODRIGUEZ
Cover by STEPHEN SEGOVIA
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
The Outlaws have their final bloody showdown with Ra’s al Ghul and the League of Assassins!
Art and cover by ADAM ARCHER
1:25 DC Collectibles variant cover
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED E • DIGITAL FIRST
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for more information.
It’s here! Straight from the hit video game Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure comes an all-new, all-ages adventure featuring Maxwell, Lily and as many DC characters as you can imagine! You don’t want to miss this!
Art by YILDIRAY CINAR
Cover by GUISEPPE CAMUNCOLI and CAM SMITH
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Part Two of Kara’s confrontation with the deadly new Lobo. After last issue’s shock ending, this issue we discover an even greater threat in Shay Veritas that will force Supergirl to make a deadly choice!
Art by FRANCIS PORTELA
Cover by JULIAN TOTINO TEDESCO
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
A FOREVER EVIL tie-in! A major turning point for Pandora, who reluctantly joins forces with John Constantine’s team of mystical underdogs to confront the personification of all evil: Blight! Continued in this month’s JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #27.
I haven't been following this, because after Pandora served her function as the catalyst for "Forever Evil," I saw no further reason for her to exist. She's a plot contrivance, not a character. Or is she becoming one in a series I don't read? Let me know, Legionnaires!
Art by PETER GROSS
Cover by YUKO SHIMIZU
1:13 Variant cover by PETER GROSS
32 pg, FC, $3.99 US
MATURE READERS
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for more information.
It’s the perfect jumping on point, as Tom Taylor is stranded at the beginning of all creation! Lost in the unwritten scenes of all the world’s stories, Tom Taylor is headed back to reality — and all the gods and beasts and monsters ever imagined can’t stop him. But there’s a toll on the road that may be too high for him or anyone to pay…
Art and cover by CLIFF CHIANG
1:25 SCRIBBLENAUTS UNMASKED variant cover
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for more information.
Diana returns to Paradise Island for the first time since the Amazons were wiped out…but do those ancient stones hold the answers she’s looking for?
Still one of my favorite series.
BERKELEY BREATHED OUTLAND COMPLETE COLL S/N HC
$50.00
Berkeley Breathed, the mad genius who boggled and bewildered us with "Bloom County," is back! Soon after retiring "Bloom County"-and at the peak of its popularity-Breathed returned with an all-new Sunday-only newspaper strip: "Outland". Debuting just four weeks after the final "Bloom County" was published, and with many of the same cast members, "Outland" continues on in the same traditions set forth by its forebears-ranging from delightful whimsy to raging satire!
This is a limited edition of the Complete Outland Collection, strictly limit to 500 copies, each numbered and signed by the one and only Berkeley Breathed!
Don't hold your breath waiting for me to say anything nice about Outland. I met Berke Breathed a few times in college, and the bad taste that left in my mouth has influenced my reaction to his work. I'm sorry, I just can't separate the two.
I'm not proud of it, but at least I'm honest about it.
JACKY'S DIARY HC
$39.99
Jackie's Diary collects the complete run of the hysterically funny and whimsical strip by Jack Mendelsohn. The strip was produced by the humor-savy Mendelsohn, who wrote for luminaries such as Carol Burnett, Bill Cosby, "Mad" magazine, and the Beatles movie Yellow Submarine. The book sports a fascinating behind-the-scenes introduction by Jack Mendelsohn, a foreword by Beetle Bailey's Mort Walker and Mama's Mel Lazarus.
(A) Andrew Huerta
(CA) Eduardo Ramirez Viera
$3.99
In an effort to the defeat the alien Kibrani, Andrew and his ragtag team continue their quest to assemble an army of Jinn (Genies)! Two jinn bottles remain to be found, and together they hold the key to Earth's fate. The jinn and their human allies prepare for the final battle, but the key to victory may mean handing the Kibrani their most powerful weapon yet.
(A) Nelson Daniel
(CA) Brendan McCarthy
$3.99
"Badges, part 2." With Judges being assassinated at an alarming rate, and chaos breaking out in various blocks, Dredd is more determined than ever to find the killer-a former Judge who went insane about being cloned and incarcerated. But the case draws Dredd into the crosshairs of the Special Judicial Squad, who think he's to blame for all the troubles of late. If you think the Dredd plays rough, wait until you meet the skull-cracking sadists of the SJS... the Judges who judge the Judges!
If you think that cover looks familiar, that's because it's a swipe of a cover Jim Steranko did (gulp!) 45 years ago:
(A/CA) Ulises Farinas
$3.99
Dredd heads Californee way! As part of a judicial exchange program, Dredd is sent packing to Mega-City Two, a sprawling city covering 5,000 square miles of the Californian West Coast and centered in what was once known as Los Angeles, where he soon discovers that they do things differently there.
After entering a partnership with Rebellion/2000 AD, IDW has explored Dredd’s past in Year One, and taken him “Into the Cursed Earth” in his ongoing title, but with a truly unique creative team on Mega-City Two, Dredd will go up against the unfamiliar and depraved like never before!
Mega-City Two marks the comics-writing debut of Eisner Award-winning journalist and Dredd aficionado Douglas Wolk (Reading Comics). Art chores will be handled by powerhouse Ulises Farinas (TRANSFORMERS: Heart of Darkness, Catalyst Comix), whose precise linework showcases the oddities of Judge Dredd’s world in stunning detail. Rounding out the creative team, colorist Ryan Hill brings the incredible structure in Farinas’ work to life. Mega-City Two will also feature homage variant covers that pay tribute to iconic films, with art by Joe Corroney, NAR!, E.J. Su, and more!
In the year 2094, a secret mission puts Dredd behind the wheel of a Lawcruiser in Mega-City Two, the West Coast megalopolis that sprawls around what was once Los Angeles. And he’s about to discover that the rules—and the laws—are very different in a city where image is everything...
"Ulises, Ryan and I are going to show you a vision of Dredd’s world that you’ve never seen before," Wolk says. "We’re yanking the East Coast’s toughest lawman out of his element, and plunging him into the bizarre, sunlit depths of post-apocalyptic California. There’ll be studio stars and cycle cultists, cartoon predators and beachfront terrors—plus, of course, ultraviolence, musical numbers and the occasional thrill-powered salute to Joan Didion."
“Mega-City Two remains a criminally underexplored facet of Dredd's world,” said 2000A.D./Rebellion Editor-in-chief, Matt Smith, “and Doug and Ulises are having a ball crafting an environment, not only geographically, but ideologically the opposite of MC-1. Dredd is the proverbial fish out of water, and a lot of the fun comes from seeing that East Coast mentality clash with the laid-back attitudes of MC-2. Dredd fans shouldn't miss this really quite unique mini-series.”
Judge Dredd has had a busy year at IDW in 2013, and 2014 already looks to be filled with boot-stomping action with Mega-City Two!
So, if I'm reading this correctly, IDW is re-telling seminal Dredd stories? Hmmm. Maybe to paper over the parody/satire elements of the character? Just guessing.
(A) Chris Evenhuis
(CA) Anthony Francisco
$4.99
Dack Fayden remains in THEROS with his new artifact-a powerful gauntlet that holds many secrets. But those secrets may bring trouble to Dack's doorstep... and the Planeswalker thief will have to face a foe unlike any other.
I still read this as "The Gathering Thermos."
(A) Jorge Monlongo
(CA) Matt Kaufenberg
$3.99
Mister Peabody and Sherman are always happy to lend a paw in the name of science-whether it means splashing down in Archimedes' bathtub or dropping apples on Isaac Newton's head. But things really go off with a bang when the time-traveling duo head back to ancient China... and invent gunpowder!
(A) Carla Speed McNeil
(CA) Amy Mebberson
$3.99
Introducing a brand new ongoing series! Dedicated to exploring the magic that arises from the friendship of two different ponies, prepare for anything in this fun-filled team-team up comic! Our first pony pairing features none other than Applejack and Pinkie Pie! When the two enter a baking contest, you can bet the culinary hijinks are going to get messy!
Didn't this come out already? These MLP books all look the same to me.
(A/CA) Andy Suriano
$3.99
A mystic queen of great power and beauty accepts no criticism, especially from a lowly wandering samurai. Can Jack find another one of the Threads of Time before he's imprisoned for royal heresy?
(A/CA) Andy Kuhn
$3.99
Intrigue and betrayal abound on Burnow Island! This mini-series takes us to the Technodrome where Krang's plans to destroy the Earth are ramping up. Little does he know that Baxter Stockman plans to harness its power for himself! As the two villains scheme, one imprisoned robot holds the key to success-Fugitoid! Will he be able to reach the Turtles in time? All this plus the long awaited story of the alien Utrom race!
Being a veteran of Silver Age DC Comics, I immediately read "Utrom" backwards to see if there was a pun or story hint. And sure enough, "mortu" is the Latin adjective for "dead." Hence "mortuary" and a plethora of other words beginning with "mor," from morbid to Mordred.
(A) Livio Ramondelli & Various
(CA) Casey Coller
$3.99
WHAT LIES BENEATH! ULTRA MAGNUS leads what's left of the Lost Light crew deep into the last place they ever thought they'd be-and they find they last CYBERTRONIANS they ever expected to find! Meanwhile: MEGATRON versus GALVATRON: Round One.
(A) Salvador Navarro
(CA) Miran Kim
$3.99
The Conspiracy continues! The Lone Gunmen investigate their first lead, the Ghostbusters. Are they frauds and charlatans, bilking unwitting clients out of money? Or do they have special insight into the afterlife? And how are they connected to the plague that's poised to wipe out humanity?
IMAGE COMICS
APHRODITE IX: THE HIDDEN FILES #1
Art / cover STJEPAN SEJIC
32 PAGES / FC / T+ / $2.99
PEEK INTO THE PROPRIETARY BLACK BOX OF APHRODITE’S MIND!
The cybernetic assassin Aphrodite IX has survived the rise and fall of countless civilizations. What sacrifices and tragedies has she seen that have been erased from her memory?
The idea of a beautiful woman being used as a puppet by powerful men, forced to commit acts of seduction and murder, isn't a terribly appealing one, at least to me. And to know it's been going on for centuries is just depressing.
Art / cover DIEGO GRECO
48 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99
"WHAT HAPPENS STAY," CONCLUSION
Like all good trips to Vegas, this saga ends in tears and spilled milk. Spend your New Year in a pit of misery and mayhem with Lou and Wendell as they face down the Dairy Queen, her Well-Horned Lord, and Baker the raging jackhole.
Art RYAN BROWNE
Cover FRAZER IRVING
32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99
The finale to the explosive second arc is here! The city is on its knees, manipulated into causing its own destruction ... and only Fillmore Press can save them now.
(A) Khari Evans & Various
(CA) Kinsun Loh, Hoang Nguyen
$4.99
"MOTHERS OF REVOLUTION," CONCLUSION
The war, which not long ago was everything, now seems insignificant in the face of the unimaginable destructive power of the stone. But there is still hope, for even as the world unravels, mortal enemies unite and the true meaning of Gottfaust's prophecy is revealed in this, the double-length finale to our EPIC saga.
That's four books in a row that I know almost nothing about. It's weeks like this that remind me to be humble.
Art / cover ROB GUILLORY
32 PAGES / FC / M / $2.99
“FAMILY RECIPES,” Part Four
Amelia’s been writing again!
Boy, has this book been seriously delayed.
The first issue of the highly anticipated new series DEAD BODY ROAD by writer Justin Jordan (LUTHOR STRODE) and artist Matteo Scalera (BLACK SCIENCE) has already garnered critical acclaim and sold out at the distributor level. This action-packed revenge story begins with a bloody bank robbery, and escalates to one man's mission to find out why his wife died in it... and execute everyone responsible.
Praise for DEAD BODY ROAD #1:
“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
“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
DEAD BODY ROAD #1 has completely sold out at the distributor level, but may still be available in comic stores, and is currently available digitally on the Image Comics website (imagecomics.com) and the official Image Comics iOS app, as well as on Comixology on the web (comixology.com), iOS, Android, and Google Play.
Image Comics is pleased to announce that this first issue will be going back to print to meet customer demand.
Art / cover MATTEO SCALERA & MORENO DINISIO
32 PAGES / FC / M/ $2.99
Will a standoff in a diner lead Gage one dead body closer to his revenge? Or is it just a pit stop on the highway to Hell?
Revenge fantasies are common as dirt in all genres, but that's not a knock -- if they're done well, they can be quite satisfying. I haven't read this book yet, but the portents auger well.
DEADLY CLASS #1
Art / covers WESLEY CRAIG & LEE LOUGHRIDGE
32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.50
It’s 1987. Marcus Lopez hates school. His grades suck. He has no money. The jocks are hassling his friends. He can't focus in class, thanks to his mind constantly drifting to the stunning girl in the front row and the Dag Nasty show he has tickets to. But the jocks are the children of Joseph Stalin's top assassin, the teachers are members of an ancient league of assassins, the class he’s failing is "Dismemberment 101," and his crush, a member of the most notorious crime syndicate in Japan, has a double-digit body count.
Welcome to the most brutal high school on Earth, where the world’s top crime families send the next generation of assassins to be trained. Murder is an art. Killing is a craft. At King’s Dominion High School for the Deadly Arts, the dagger in your back isn’t always metaphorical, nor is your fellow classmates' poison.
Join writer RICK REMENDER with rising star WESLEY CRAIG (Batman) and legendary colorist LEE LOUGHRIDGE (Fear Agent) to reminisce about the mid-1980s underground through the eyes of the most damaged and dangerous teenagers on Earth.
Not being a Remender fan in general, it's going to take more than a cliche set-up like this to get me interested.
Art / cover DEAN KOTZ
32 PAGES / FC / T+ / $2.99
From the alleys of Italy to the mountains of Nepal, the Krampus's globetrotting quest continues! When a clue leads him deep inside the Himalayas, the Krampus finds himself facing a legendary foe. Plus, fallout from Father Christmas's decision sparks dissension at the North Pole. The stage is set for the Santa Coup!
Art EMMA RÍOS & JORDIE BELLAIRE
Cover EMMA RÍOS
32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.50
Every Death must love and every Death must die; the cycle of world demands it. The one who captures our last breath must breathe his last before becoming inured to the pain of loss. This cycle is ending. But this Death... will not go easy.
I've only read the first two issues, but was really intrigued by those. The idea of Death being female isn't entirely new -- Thanos' would-be gf was depicted as a female, and Death in Sandman was a teen Goth girl, among others -- but the star here is Death's daughter. And from what I can tell, that adds a pretty lousy career path to the already miserable conditions of adolescence. And -- at least in the first two issues -- the handling of these themes has been handled with a light touch, which I appreciate. I don't need to be beat over the head with "themes." (See: Great Gatsby)
128 PAGES / FC / T+ / $16.99
Collects SAVAGE DRAGON #187-192
Convicted of crimes he committed when he reverted to his Emperor Kurr persona, Dragon is locked up with the deadly villains he himself brought to justice. What follows isn't pretty.
Art / cover PIOTR KOWALSKI
32 PAGES / FC / M / $2.99
SEX goes global! Simon Cooke is stalked! Larry gets laid! Keenan seeds his future! Annabelle keeps it together! The Prank Addict is run down! Bring the noise! Bring the pain! Bring your money and buy more SEX!
Based on reading a couple of e-issues of this title, I've ordered the first trade. I'm not crazy about the book, but I kinda enjoyed the foibles of some of the characters, and that's enough for me to be curious how things work out for them. My one big complaint is the title; sex is an important theme in the book (as the lack of it is a symptom of the lead character's psychological problems), but since it isn't the real focus of the book, the title just reeks of "cheap marketing stunt."
Art / cover CHRISTOPHER MITTEN
32 PAGES / FC / M / $2.99
"BLOOD FROM A STONE"
Nightmare shadow creatures, murdered Kings, slaughtered smugglers, mysterious hobos, mythical gems, and stone guardians — it can only be UMBRAL, the incredibly rich new fantasy world from Wasteland creators ANTONY JOHNSTON and CHRISTOPHER MITTEN! Join Rascal as she fights to uncover the truth... and to stay alive!
This has been delayed so long I've forgotten if I like it or not!
Art CHARLIE ADLARD, STEFANO GAUDIANO & CLIFF RATHBURN
Cover CHARLIE ADLARD & DAVE STEWART
JANUARY 22
32 PAGES / BW / M / $2.99
"ALL OUT WAR," PART 6
This war has taken a toll.
Art WILL TEMPEST & JORDIE BELLAIRE
Cover WILL TEMPEST & TOM MULLER
JANUARY 22
32 PAGES / FC / M / $2.99
The solicitation text for this issue of ZERO has been censored by the Agency. There is nothing to see here
MARVEL COMICS
ALL-NEW X-FACTOR #2
Art by CARMINE DI GIANDOMENICO
Cover by KRIS ANKA & JARED FLETCHER
On-Sale – 01/22/14
Brought to You by SERVAL INDUSTRIES
Serval Industries newest employees infiltrate a heavily guarded A.I.M. base in the thrilling ALL-NEW X-FACTOR #2! And their first time in the field isn’t going so well! From the blockbuster creative team of Peter David and Carmine Di Giandomenico comes an team unlike anything you’ve ever seen before! Led by mutant mistress of magnetism Polaris – it’s up to the All-New X-Factor to fight their way through scores of A.I.M. agents armed to the teeth. But is there more to the mission than corporate backers Serval Industries are telling them? Don’t miss Polaris, Quicksilver, and Gambit’s first mission in ALL-NEW X-FACTOR #2. Because this January, it could be their last!
I read every issue of PAD's X-Factor in its All-Old incarnation, so I'm certainly not going to stop now. Besides, where else are you going to see these characters?
Art & Cover by STUART IMMONEN
Variant Cover by DALE KEOWN
Animal Variant by CHRIS SAMNEE
Variant Cover by DALE KEOWN
Sketch Variant by DALE KEOWN
Blank Variant Also Available
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
X-Men 50th Anniversary Poster Variant Also Available!
“The Trial of Jean Grey”
The sins of the past haunt the All-New X-Men in the senses-shattering first chapter of The Trial of Jean Grey crossover, and today Marvel is pleased to present your first look at ALL-NEW X-MEN 22.NOW – from the award-winning creative team of Brian Michael Bendis and Stuart Immonen!
The arrival of the time-displaced original X-Men sent shockwaves through Earth’s superhuman community – but that was only the beginning. The entire universe has been alerted to their presence. And they’re not happy to see Jean Grey – former vessel of the formidable and destructive entity known as the Phoenix!
“If you’ve been asleep for the last year and have missed ALL-NEW X-MEN, get on board here!” says Senior Editor Nick Lowe. “Brian & Stuart are crafting the biggest story for the ALL-NEW X-MEN yet!”
Jean Grey must pay for her crimes – and galactic forces from across the stars are out to extinguish the threat of the Dark Phoenix before Jean Grey even meets the Phoenix force! The All-New X-Men must fight to save one of their own alongside the most unlikely allies – THE GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY!
Should she be stopped before it happens again? Lines will be drawn and sides chosen as the epic Trial of Jean Grey crossover begins in ALL-NEW X-MEN 22.NOW this January and continues in GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY 11.NOW one week later!
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. But that’s not all! Select .NOW! titles, including ALL-NEW X-MEN 22.NOW includes a digital code for the entire first collection of that series ABSOLUTELY FREE!
I confess to being really interested in how this is going to play out. I'm confident enough in Bendis that it's not going to just be a boring repeat of "The Dark Phoenix" story with a couple of gender switches or character swaps (see Star Trek Into Darkness), plus there's the whole "Avengers World" business -- Earth isn't quite the easy target for extra-terrestrial powers it was in the Claremont-Byrne years. Yeah, try to pass judgment on us now, cosmic jerks!
Art by STEFANO CASELLI
Cover by JUNG-GUEN YOON
Variant Cover by SIMONE BIANCHI
Cover by JUNG-GEUN YOON
VARIANT COVER BY SIMONE BIANCHI
• AIM Empire has begun.
• Smasher, Sunspot, and Cannonball – trapped and prisoners of the Scientist Supreme.
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
Marvel is pleased to present your first look at AVENGERS WORLD #2 – the next explosive chapter of one of the biggest All-New Marvel NOW! titles! The From blockbuster writers Jonathan Hickman & Nick Spencer along with red-hot artist Stefano Caselli – Earth has been declared an Avengers World, but by whom? The Avengers do not speak for the entire world – and their declaration will have repercussions. Held prisoner by the Scientist Supreme – Sunspot, Cannonball, and Smasher are about to face the ramifications of their actions. This January, the A.I.M. Empire has begins …
Still on board for this. I liked the origin for Smasher, especially.
ANGEL UNZUETA (A)
COVER by RAMON PEREZ
“VENDETTA”—A Four Part X-FORCE Event!
32 PGS. /Parental Advisory …$3.99
“VENDETTA” PART III
• Classic X-Force villain STRYFE has returned! And he’s eager to exact his revenge on the man who left him broken and adrift in the timestream: CABLE.
• As Stryfe’s plan comes to bear, Hope is brought face-to-face with Bishop, the man who crusaded across centuries in a mission to exterminate her. But this time around, she’s ready to retaliate…and they’ll hold nothing back as they race to destroy one another.
• Don’t miss this no-holds-barred, knockdown, drag-out X-FORCE event! Because when the dust settles, only ONE X-Force team will be left standing …
There are few villains I find less compelling than Stryfe. And I've never been a Cable fan, either, so you can guess I'm passing on this. So let me know if there's continuity issues I need to know, Legionnaires!
Art by CARLOS PACHECO
Cover by JIM CHEUNG
Variant Cover by FRANCESCO MATTINA
32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99
LOOSE NUKE PART 5
• The final fate of Nuke!
• Dr. Mindbubble revealed!
• The Iron Nail’s war on the Capitalist West begins!
• Captain America unraveled!
The Iron Nail Strikes in CAPTAIN AMERICA #15!
This January, Loose Nuke concludes in the senses shattering CAPTAIN AMERICA #15 – from the blockbuster creative team of Rick Remender & Carlos Pacheco! Captain America and the Falcon have taken down Nuke once and for all, but was it too late? The final fate of Nuke revealed as the sinister Iron Nail prepares his assault on the Capitalist West! And don’t miss the debut of the disturbing Dr. Mindbubble – the Weapon Minus Super Soldier from the 1960s! All leading up to the senses shattering conclusion that will change Cap’s life forever in 2014! It all starts here in CAPTAIN AMERICA #15!
"Weapon Minus"? Please.
ALVARO MARTINEZ (A)
Cover by IGOR KIERYLUK
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
• The future of the X-Men and all mutantkind rests on ROGUE’S SHOULDERS!
• To return home, a sacrifice must be made.
• Will there be a world for them to come back to?
SPOILER: Yes.
That's right: After interminable months of us watching Galactus sitting down to lunch, smoothing the tablecloth, re-arranging the silverware, ordering wine, flirting with the waitress, putting on his reading classes to peruse the menu, and otherwise not getting down to business ... he's not going to.
We know this because a couple of weeks ago Marvel sent out a press release touting three new Ultimate Universe titles! They are:
All-New Ultimates: By Michel Fiffe and Amilcar Pinna, it will "team up Spider-Man, Black Widow (formally Spider-Woman), Kitty Pryde, Bombshell and Cloak & Dagger to tackle the crime wave overtaking Hell’s Kitchen. Issue #1 will feature cover art by David Nakayama, with a variant cover by David Marquez."
Miles Morales: Ultimate Spider-Man: By Brian Michael Bendis and Dave Marquez, it "will give Miles Morales’ web-slinger his own solo series, where he will face a major villain from Peter Parker’s past."
Ultimate FF: By Joshua Hale Fialkov and Mario Guevara, it "will have Sue Storm, Tony Stark, Machine Man and Sam Wilson facing the devastation in the direct wake of events of Cataclysm. Cover art here by Mike McKone."
So there you go. The Ultimate U isn't going anywhere, and neither is its most popular character, Miles Morales. This information comes with at least two issues to go in the "Cataclysm" event.
Those last two issues will seem a little anti-climactic now, won't they? Not to mention suspense-free.
MICHAEL ALLRED (A/C)
Variant Cover by Mike Allred
40 PGS./Rated T …$3.99
FINAL ISSUE! – “For All We Have And Are”
• The final showdown. The last FF member standing, Scott Lang goes up against Dr. Doom alone -- and everyone knows the Ant can’t. The smackdown of the century.
• Plus an extra ten page bonus of F4/FF goodness co-written by Karl Kesel and the Allreds.
I haven't bought any of the "interim" Fantastic Four books (the ones between the last cancellation and this one), because -- well, I saw the handwriting on the wall and knew they wouldn't last. (Seriously, a girl in a Thing suit? Really? Really?) And, as we see, my prediciton has borne out. Still, the most recent Fantastic Four #1-16 and FF #1-16 are the only FF stories I've never read, and I feel kinda bad about that. Should I get them in trade, Legionnaires?
COVER BY DAVID AJA
32 PGS./Rated T+ ...$2.99
• The adventures of Lady Hawkguy out west continue as Kate helps a reclusive and Sixties-damaged pop music genius find his lost masterpiece.
• Madame Masque, meanwhile, finds HER. By which we mean starts trying to kill her again.
• Also the cat needs cat food and there’s none to be found. What’s THAT about?
• Hey not for nothin’ but you guys gotta try these Cronuts!
Reallllllly delayed. I don't know why.
Art by JHEREMY RAAPACK & MIGUEL SEPULVEDA
Cover by MAHMUD ASRAR
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
INHUMANITY TIE-IN! – “THE HUMANITY BOMB” CHAPTER TWO!
Guest Starring Iron Man, Hank Pym, & X-Men’s Beast!
It’s Hulk vs. the Terrigen Mists as Banner tries to stave off the Inhumanity in INDESTRUCTIBLE HULK #18.INH – from blockbuster writer Mark Waid and red hot artists Jheremy Raapack and Miguel Sepulvda! The Terrigen Mists are spreading across the globe – awakening thousands of dormant Inhumans. To combat the threat, S.H.I.E.L.D. has called in the world’s foremost authority on transformative radiation – Dr. Bruce Banner!
Now, Banner races against the clock to solve a problem the Hulk can’t smash! But he’ll have to get through Iron Man, Hank Pym and the X-Men’s Beast first! Now that’s a problem the Hulk can smash! Plus, which one of Banner’s lab assistants has fallen to the Terrigen Mists – and what does that mean for the rest of them? Find out this January in the explosive INDESTRUCTIBLE HULK #18.INH!
(CA) TBD
$24.99
Working for a secret subdivision of S.H.I.E.L.D., Hulk is sent on his most dangerous mission yet! After the events of AGE OF ULTRON, history is breaking - and only the Hulk is strong enough to hold it together - but only with Bruce Banner's help! It's Hulk vs. the Chronarchists in the last hours before the extinction of the dinosaurs! Kid Colt, Two-Gun Kid, Rawhide Kid and the Black Knight guest star - but when the Chronarchists arrive in the time of Camelot, can the Hulk triumph against Merlin the magician? As Bruce Banner finds himself literally running out of time, the Hulk returns to the present - but which Hulk? Answers had better come fast, because the final showdown with the Chronarchists looms - and it's time to smash! Collecting INDESTRUCTIBLE HULK #11-15.
Penciled by LEINIL FRANCIS YU
Cover by LEINIL FRANCIS YU
136 PGS./Rated T+ ... $19.99
Hulk for hire! The Incredible Hulk is an indestructible force of nature, more weapon than man. Bruce Banner is the Hulk’s human alter-ego, and the smartest man alive. Combined they are the most powerful, most intelligent weapon on the planet — and now they’re both working for the government as Marvel NOW! makes the Hulk an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.! Taking on deadly threats including the Mad Thinker, the Quintronic Man and Attuma, Hulk goes from walking W.M.D. to world saver. But even when playing the hero, the Green Goliath is going to do what he does best: SMASH! Collecting INDESTRUCTIBLE HULK #1-5.
Boy, that's a lot of Hulk product for one month! Good thing I really dig this series.
Cover by PAUL RIVOCHE
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
INHUMANITY TIE-IN! – IRON METROPOLITAN PART THREE!
• Who will be the next MANDARIN?!
• Will an INHUMAN threaten Tony’s plan to build the city of tomorrow?
• More mysteries of the rings revealed!!!
I was incredibly bored by the "Iron Man in Space" stories, especially since it just seemed an excuse to guest star the Armored Avenger in Guardians of the Galaxy to give that oft-canceled title a sales boost on its latest re-launch.
Anyway, the point is that this book has been pretty much on hold while Tony was gyring and gymbling among the wabes. So I'm looking forward to its continuity getting back on track.
BRAHM REVEL (A/C)
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
The Haunting & The Hunted!
• As the past comes raging back to take down the X-Men, two new mutants struggle with their newfound powers.
• Infighting threatens to pit X-Man vs X-Man in a battle to the death!
MARVEL UNIVERSE ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN VOL. 5 DIGEST
264 pgs./Rated T ... $2.99
It’s all-out action and excitement as the hit Disney XD TV show bursts off the screen and into your hands with four screen-capture adaptations from season one, including an episode scripted by Marvel scribe supreme Brian Michael Bendis!
• When Peter Parker discovers that Thor has been transformed into a Frog of Thunder, he must travel to Asgard to save the Nine Realms from Loki’s wrath!
• Spider-Man teams up with X-Man Wolverine to take down the mutant Mesmero, but things get freaky when Mesmero switches the two heroes’ personalities!
• Spidey’s most dangerous foe, Venom, returns —and the sinister symbiote chooses Harry Osborn as its new host!
• An exhausted Spider-Man takes the weekend off, so of course that’s when Dr. Octopus and the Whirlwind decide to strike!
Collecting MARVEL UNIVERSE ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #17-20.
• SPIDER-MAN goes on a deep- space adventure to save Earth from KORVAC and the CHITAURI.
• Special guest stars: the GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY!
• Based on the hit animated series on DISNEY XD.
GREG LAND (A/C)
Variant Cover by KALMAN ANDRASOFSZKY
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
INHUMANITY TIE-IN!
• It’s the leadership challenge you’ve been waiting for! Luke vs The Superior Spider-Man - with She-Hulk arbitrating! As in “arbitrating” a robot’s head off!
Extreme physical discourtesy the way you crave it, True Believer!
• Meanwhile, there’s something very rotten in the fallen city of Attilan - and it’s shambling towards the Mighty Avengers!
• Plus! WHO are the Deathwalkers? Does Ronin know? Wait, hang on, he’s DEAD?
OUCH!. That top left cover looks painful. (I'm assuming that's Luke Cage on the other end of that arm. Which would, you know, hurt.) And I'll bet Spider-Otto really had it coming!
ADAM KUBERT (A/C)
32 PGS./Parental Advisory …$3.99
• Without his family, Logan struggles to continue on
• Meanwhile, word of a clawed wild man in the woods has reached civilization and the hunt to capture him first begins!
• And enter … CREED
I am probably the only comic-book fan in the world who is utterly, desperately, permanently bored by Sabretooth. I mean, honestly, I haven't the slightest bit of interest in the guy, but he keeps showing up and ruining stories for me. This happens enough that my disinterest has grown into active dislike.
I guess we're supposed to be excited to learn how Creed and Logan first started hating each other. You know what? I can guess. And I bet they fight a lot -- probably for pages and pages -- with no resolution. Not now, not later, not ever. Just endless, endless, endless fighting.
You know how when people complain about a story as being "like something out of comic book," and they don't mean it in a good way? THIS is what they're talking about.
MARCO CHECCHETTO (A/C)
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
GOBLIN NATION PRELUDE
• As the Green Goblin continues to gobble up the New York Underworld, Superior Spider-Man gets a little help from his friends – Daredevil and The Punisher!
• Plus: Cloak and Dagger! And Mr. Negative!
Enjoy Spider-Otto while you can!
Pepe Larraz (A)
COVER by Nick Bradshaw
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
• Battle of the Atom is over -- but the battle for the future of mutankind has just begun!
• For months, S.H.I.E.L.D. has had designs on the Jean Grey school -- now they make their presence known!
• All this, and Cyclops vs. Wolverine as Jason Aaron (THOR) and Pepe Larraz (ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN) bring you the action!
Penciled by MARC SILVESTRI, LARRY STROMAN & ANDY KUBERT
Cover by MARC SILVESTRI
280 PGS./Rated T+ …$29.99
The Reavers have cooked up their deadliest cyborgs yet: Albert, a mechanical doppelganger of Wolverine, and his partner, the cute widdle Elsie-Dee! But that’s just the start of the madness as Wolverine is targeted by mob enforcers, body-slammed by a stealth fighter, sucked into the sewers and savaged by Sabretooth — who somehow believes he’s Wolverine’s father! Jubilee, Forge, Cable and Nick Fury come to Wolverine’s aid — but when the mythical Hunter in Darkness is captured and Lady Deathstrike arrives to take her revenge on Logan, it leads to a blood-soaked four-way claw fight in Times Square that can’t possibly end well! Then, Wolverine and Wolfsbane are transported to a magical dimension to fulfill an ancient prophecy! Plus: a crazed zookeeper, an invisible demon and a vengeful sniper! Collecting WOLVERINE (1988) #38-46 and WOLVERINE: RAHNE OF TERRA.
Penciled by PABLO RAIMONDI, RYAN SOOK, DENNIS CALERO, ARIEL OLIVETTI & RENATO ARLEM
Cover by RYAN SOOK
400 PGS./Rated T+ …$34.99
Relive the gripping, noir-esque launch of Peter David’s most memorable concept: X-Factor Investigations! Jamie Madrox sets up shop in the heart of Mutant Town — but with so many duplicates out in the world, who is the real Madrox? Does he even know anymore? Then, when the fallout from the HOUSE OF M depowers most of the world’s mutants, X-Factor must find answers — fast! With Guido, Wolfsbane, Siryn, M and Rictor by his side — as well as the stuff-knowing Layla Miller — Madrox must take on the manipulative prescient Mr. Tryp’s rival group Singularity Investigations, navigate a superhuman Civil War, learn why the X-Men lied to his team, deal with the unbalanced Quicksilver’s new ability to reboot mutant powers for a price and discover the deadly traitor in X-Factor’s midst! Collecting MADROX #1-5 and X-FACTOR (2006) #1-12.
MUERTAS PART 3!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
• Lady Deathstrike’s new Sisterhood set their sights on the X-Men, and Psylocke is in the crosshairs!
• A foe awakens…and neither team might be able to handle her!
Penciled by TOM GRUMMETT, BRYAN HITCH, ROGER CRUZ, JOE MADUREIRA, PAUL SMITH, ANDY KUBERT, TERRY DODSON, JOHN PAUL LEON, RAMON BERNADO, DAN LAWLIS & MORE
Cover by JOE MADUREIRA
432 PGS./Rated T …$39.99
The X-Men have just averted the Age of Apocalypse, but the threat of Onslaught looms right around the corner — a villain so powerful he put the unstoppable Juggernaut into a coma! But before the X-Men can learn more about this shadowy foe, they must face Gene Nation, led by the vicious Marrow — and help Magneto’s Acolytes battle Apocalypse’s son, Holocaust, who escaped the AoA into the Marvel Universe! Plus: How will the world react when the Legacy virus’ existence is made public? Can Rogue handle learning Gambit’s greatest secret? And did Sabretooth’s brain damage truly change his personality, or is he a time bomb waiting to go off? All this, and the Xavier Institute enrolls a new student! Collecting X-MEN PRIME, UNCANNY X-MEN (1963) #322-326, X-MEN (1991) #42-45 and ANNUAL ’95, and X-MEN UNLIMITED (1993) #8.
"Onslaught" was groundbreaking in how, for the first time, a summer crossover event actually had big consequences for the line as a whole. In retrospect it really wasn't a very good or consistent story, but at the time it was sort of exciting.
Penciled by KATE BROWN & JAMIE MCKELVIE
Cover by JAMIE MCKELVIE
112 PGS./Rated T+ …$15.99
Existential horror turns cosmic horror as something emerges from the shadows of the past, and it seems the team have one more thing to worry about. The Young Avengers race desperately across the multiverse in pursuit of their missing friend, but their road trip goes crazy as it reaches its destination. Because its destination is mainly excitement and heartbreak. Several Young Avengers decide what to do next — the question is, whether they decide to stay Young Avengers! Plus: Ever wonder what the super-hero equivalent of a terrible soul-sucking talent-wasting temp job is? Wonder what Tommy (a.k.a. Speed) has been up to? Wonder why mutant David Alleyne (a.k.a. Prodigy) hasn’t been even in the background in any one of the eight thousand X-books? Discover answers herein! And hey, are you ready for Mother’s Day? Collecting YOUNG AVENGERS (2013) #6-10.
ETERNAL WARRIOR VOL. 1: SWORD OF THE WILD TPB
Art by TREVOR HAIRSINE & CLAYTON CRAIN
Cover by CLAYTON CRAIN
$9.99/T+/112 pgs.
TRADE PAPERBACK
Soldier. Guardian. Warrior. Legend.
Across ten millennia and a thousand battlefields, Gilad Anni-Padda has traversed the darkest, most mysterious corners of history. But the horror and bloodshed of constant warfare has finally taken its toll on the man myth calls the Eternal Warrior…and he has abdicated his duties as the Fist and the Steel of Earth for a quiet life of seclusion. But when a blood vendetta from the distant past suddenly reappears in the modern day, he must decide if he will return to the ways of war…for the child who betrayed him thousands of years ago…
From New York Times best-selling writer Greg Pak (Planet Hulk) and superstar artists Trevor Hairsine (X-Men: Deadly Genesis) and Clayton Crain (Carnage), this volume collects the first four issues of the series that Comic Vine calls "action-packed, well-written, and overflowing with potential."
I've always been a sucker for secret histories with Zelig-like immortal beings. ("Look, the waiter at The Last Supper? That's him! And Caesar's armor-polisher? There he is again! And look, the guy waxing Hitler's mustache? THERE HE IS AGAIN!") So Eternal Warrior was one of my favorite Valiant 1.0 titles, despite often inferior art.
Now here is the concept again, with better writing and better art. What's not to love?
Art by CARY NORD with VINCENTE CIFUENTES and TREVOR HAIRSINE
Cover by SHANE DAVIS
Variant Cover by CARY NORD
$3.99/T+/32 pgs..
UNITY TIE-IN! X-O Manowar: Prisoner of War!
Stripped of the X-O Manowar armor, Aric of Dacia has been imprisoned and interrogated at an off-the-grid black site. But what knowledge could the governments of the world want from a man who has journeyed 1,600 years to the present? A man who liberated an alien planet? A man who once wielded the most powerful weapon in existence? What knowledge could they want, you ask? All of it. And the agents of UNITY will extract every one of Aric of Dacia's secrets by any means necessary.
Valiant is proud to present an advance preview of X-O Manowar #21 by New York Times best-selling writer Robert Venditti and red-hot artists Cary Nord, Vicente Cifuentes and Trevor Hairsine! In the aftermath of Unity #3, the X-O Manowar armor has found a new bearer… Now find out what terrible punishment awaits its former host, Aric of Dacia…prisoner of war!
Stripped of the X-O Manowar armor, Aric of Dacia has been imprisoned and interrogated at an off-the-grid black site. But what knowledge could the governments of the world want from a man who has journeyed 1,600 years to the present? A man who liberated an alien planet? A man who once wielded the most powerful weapon in existence? What knowledge could they want, you ask? All of it. And the agents of Unity will extract every one of Aric of Dacia’s secrets by any means necessary.
Separated from the universe's most powerful weapon, can the Visigoth warrior that led the world to war still pose a formidable threat? Find out on January 22nd when Unity exacts its revenge on the man at the epicenter of the winter's blockbuster comic book event, only in X-O Manowar #21!
For more information, visit Valiant on Facebook, on Twitter, and at ValiantUniverse.com.
For Valiant merchandise and more, visit Valiant.CinderBlock.com.
OTHER PUBLISHERS
10TH MUSE VOL 3 TP
(W) Marv Wolfman
(A) Mark Brooks, Roger Cruz
$14.95
This critically acclaimed series, written by famed Marvel/DC writer Marv Wolfman, takes Greek mythology to a new level. Greek mythology has documented the nine Muses, the inspirational daughters of the almighty Zeus. But history forgot one - the Tenth Muse. Emma, Brett, and Dawn were the best of friends-- until Emma disappeared, leaving only a note saying goodbye. Now, eight years later, Emma is back, without answers. What happened to Emma? What is her connection with Grayson Bishop and, most of all, how did ordinary Emma Sonnet become the mysterious Tenth Muse?
Do I have to mention that this cover is an homage to the original Avengers #1?
(W) Ghostface Killah & Various
(A) Breno Tamura, Gus Storms
(CA) Francesco Francavilla
$3.50
This final act in Wu-Tang Clan's Ghostface Killah origin story ties together all the threads of the complex crime epic, from the machinations of the 12 DeLucas killing their way through the gang war of their youthful days to the mysterious deaths of each DeLuca in the years that follow. As secrets are revealed, readers will thrill to see the rise of the Ghostface Killah.
(W/A/CA) Natsumi Ando
$10.99
The final volume in the series! The latest work from Natsumi Ando, creator of the bestselling series Kitchen Princess. A unique mystery that will appeal to female comics readers who enjoy their manga with a dark, psychological twist. Arisa and Tsubasa's tale comes to an end. What will happen to the King?
OMG! Human-kitten hybrids! They're here to eat our children! Run away! RUN AWAAAAYYYYY!
(W) Brian Clevinger
(A/CA) Scott Wegener
$3.50
The crisis in Hollow Earth comes to a cataclysmic end. Back on the surface, the Majestic 12 invasion of Tesladyne Island is a complete success. Hey, at least things can't get any worse. Right? Wrong. Get ready for the most mind blowing and world changing installment of Atomic Robo ever.
(W/A/CA) Isayama Hajime
$10.99
First time in PREVIEWS! What's left of humanity lives in fear of their lives in this exciting, terrifying new manga that's a number one bestseller in Japan. Humanity has been devastated by the bizarre, giant humanoids known as the Titans. Little is known about where they came from or why they are bent on consuming humanity. Seemingly unintelligent, they have roamed the world killing off humankind for years. For the past century, what's left of mankind has hidden in a giant, three-walled city. People believe their 100-meter-high walls will protect them from the Titans, which are 10 to 20 meters tall. But the sudden appearance of an immense Titan is about to change everything.
My, what ugly teeth you have, Grandma.
(W) Herik Hanna
(A/CA) Bruno Bessadi
$3.99
If Kick-Ass and Deadpool had a baby, it would be Bad Ass! The only difference being that Dead End is a villain through and through with no intentions of serving anyone. What makes Dead End so great is his self-aware humor and biting sarcasm- the mark of a true evil genius. Hard to hate and even harder to kill, Dead End is an eloquent psychopath who fights for something better than justice: himself.
I guess it's Steranko Swipe Month:
(W) Ian Boothby & Various
$2.99
Bart Simpson goes on mock trial and it's up to his mock lawyer, Ralph Wiggum, to prove his innocence! Will justice be served? Then, Pieman and the Cupcake Kid take on a new crime team, Glutenus Maximus and his sidekick Gluten Tag, whose pastry-related misdeeds have led to a ban on all baked goods in Springfield. How will the heroic duo battle their foes without their arsenal of pies and cupcakes, and what's worse, what will Homer do without his daily dose of donuts?
It's odd but reassuring to see a concept invented long after the 1960s with such staying power that it will easily outlive me. A 10-year-old Bart will still be having adventures long after I'm dead, and that's sort of reassuring. It's the closest thing I'll ever get to having children!
(W) Yann
(A/CA) Edith
$39.95
London, 1887. While the British Empire is at its peak and influences the majority of the world, the majority of the population of London lives amid poverty and crime. Basil and Victoria are part of the thousands of orphans who survive by selling rats and whose only home is the docks. Helped by Cromwell, their faithful watchdog, the trio will wander from the streets of Whitechapel to lands far and wide, meet famous historical and literary figures along the way, and all the while bicker lovingly. Edith and the legendary Yann have created a magnificent and funny social fable in pure Dickensian tradition.
(W) Dan Abnett
(A) Dietrich Smith
(CA) Clint Langley
$3.99
The beginning of a staggering -- and terrifying -- new story arc. The Galactica leads the fleet into an uncharted storm zone to escape the Cylons, but what dark secrets await them there? Are the dreams the Colonial crews start experiencing genuine dreams of the lost colony Earth, or nightmares of something very different?
The original Battlestar Galactica was cheesy as all get-out, but you have to love the Cylons. Really sophisticated robots, and they couldn't get that eye to stop moving? Heh.
(W) Tony Lee
(A) Eman Casallos
(CA) Sean Chen
$3.99
The origin of Lt. Starbuck continues, told by #1 New York Times best-selling author Tony Lee! Framed for a murder he didn't commit, Starbuck is forced on the run with only Apollo by his side, while Adama gains help against Osiris from a trader named Baltar...
(W) Peyo
(A) Peyo, Will Maltaite
(CA) Peyo
$11.99
When Monsieur Dussiflard finds a lead on a long-lost ancient treasure, he and Benny Breakiron are off to the desert on the journey of a lifetime! But they're not alone; some shadowy figures from Dussiflard's past are on the trail, as well, and they might make it there first. Will Benny's super powers win the day - or actually get in the way?
The first Benny Breakiron trade was entertaining, in a French sort of way. But, like French food, it's best digested in small doses.
(W/A/CA) Edgar P. Jacobs
$15.95
The captain and the professor have finally made it to the secret base with the Swordfish blueprints, and construction has begun on the extraordinary machines. Olrik hasn't had his last word, though, and he is ready to take tremendous risks to locate the world's last bastion of resistance and freedom. A race against time is on between Imperial forces on one side and Mortimer's teams of engineers on the other. The fate of civilization is at stake!
(W) Tessa Stone, Ryan Pequin
(A) Mike Holmes, Ryan Pequin
(CA) Tyson Hesse, Terry Blas
$3.99
The Bravest Warriors are finally getting the break the deserve, just a nice time for friendship and feelings...NOT! It's another crazy mission where the Bravest Warriors must once again save the universe before it destroys itself!
(W) Mark Roslan
(A/CA) Mike Bowden
$3.99
They like the tech, but live for the high stakes!
The BUBBLEGUN team is banged up, worn down, and low on confidence after their leader is taken from them. Molli, in desperation, resorts to extreme measures in order to rescue her captive sister back from the dangerous clutches of Drazic, Craine and Vitadrone. The odds of survival are low--which is par for the course with this group!
Creator and writer Mark Roslan, along with penciler Mike Bowden and colorist David Curiel invite you to take part in what's sure to become Aspen's next hit sci-fi, action adventure series, BUBBLEGUN!
(W) Charlaine Harris
(A/CA) Don Kramer
$24.95
Charlaine Harris, the best-selling author of the True Blood novels, and horror novelist Christopher Golden present an original graphic novel, the first in a brand-new supernatural trilogy! She calls herself Calexa Rose Dunhill - names taken from the grim surroundings where she awoke, bruised and bloody, with no memory of who she is, how she got there, or who left her for dead. She has made the cemetery her home, living in a crypt and avoiding human contact. But Calexa can't hide from the dead - and because she can see spirits, they can't hide from her.
(W) Daniel Way
(A) Emiliano Urinola
(CA) Rafael Ortiz
$3.99
DANIEL WAY continues his tale of Crossed misery as the survivors take their sea voyage to an island in hopes of finding sanctuary. But the Captain's carefully considered plans may lead them from a desolate life upon the water to a violent and bloody grave on land. And the first shot fired may not be from a berserker, but from one of their own. Available with Regular, Wraparound and Torture covers by Rafa Ortiz and special Red Crossed Incentive cover.
Aside from the Carl Grimes riff on the third cover, these things are becoming almost too disgusting for me to post.
(W) Simon Spurrier
(A) Fernando Melek
(CA) Jacen Burrows
HC, $27.99; TPB $19.99
Manipulation, deceit, and petty politics rule the plague survivors living off the Scottish coast and pretending their isolated island is safe from the Crossed. But every day brings them closer to a horrible reckoning and the truth behind Shaky's past begins to reveal his hidden nature. Now the island dreamers have met up with a society living upon a floating city of derelict boats. But the feeling that something very bad is about to happen is palpable. And the survivors must decide if they should trust in their new allies or treat the uninfected with as much caution as the insane Crossed maniacs. This is the story of the search for meaning in in a world filled with homicidal lunatics. There is no help. There is no hope. There's only the Crossed. Collects the third chapter of the runaway hit webcomic from www.crossedcomic.com and available as a soft and hard cover.
(W) Jean Dufaux
(A/CA) Philip Xavier
$13.95
With the Master of Machines as their new leader, the Crusaders are ready to assault Jerusalem once more. The Sultan must now choose between his love for a Christian princess and his faith. And Gauthier of Flanders, to free his ally Osarias's Jewish people, will have to confront the last part of his mysterious past, a Jinni. As the final battle is joined, truths will be revealed on the nature of gods and demons and the ambitions of men.
(W) Steven Grant
(A) Jose Holder
(CA) Lorena Carvalho
$3.99
Let the games begin. ... At luxurious parties all across Europe, con men Lincoln McCord and Adony Zaruka dance around each other, trying to worm into one another's confidence in an attempt to uncover the true identity of the international thief "Micah." Little do they know, the noose is slowly closing around both of their necks as the international intelligence community starts to take notice ...
DINOSAURS VOL 1: BEGINNING HC
(W) Arnaud Plumeri
(A/CA) Bloz
$10.99
Think you know everything there is to know about dinosaurs? Think again! In this brand new series, kid dinos show us what their lives were like in short, funny, teeth-gnashing bursts of prehistoric mayhem. Dinosaurs is your guided tour through the rough-and-tumble world of the mightiest beasts to ever walk the earth!
Aren't dinosaurs believed to be feathered (and possibly warm-blooded) now? I thought the ol' giant lizard image had become passe -- and yet, here it is.
(W) Chris Roberson
(A) Bilquis Evely
(CA) Alex Ross
$3.99
It is 1949, and Doc Savage and his aides return from an adventure in far off, exotic locales to find danger waiting for them much closer to home. Someone has discovered the location of Doc's "Crime College," the hidden hospital where he "cures" prisoners of their criminal tendencies. And Doc faces an impossible situation when forced to choose between the greater good and the life of his own cousin, Patricia Savage.
If I can't have Tim Bradstreet on these covers, I'll gladly take Alex Ross.
(W/A/CA) Hiro Mashima
$10.99
Outraged by the way Yukino has been treated, Natsu goes on the warpath and challenges the master of Sabretooth to a fight! Back at the tournament, the wizards prepare to face Pandemonium, a castle built out of magic containing one hundred terrible monsters, the most powerful of which are easily capable of taking down a Wizard Saint. But when Erza, desperate to reclaim Fairy Tail's honor, wins the right to go first, she declares that she'll take on all one hundred at once!
I know I've made this joke before, but I can't help it. "Fairy Tail" sounds like pornography involving Tinkerbelle and her naughty friends. Which, if I know my Rule 34, probably exists somewhere.
(W/A/CA) P. Craig Russell
$17.99
One of comic art's most respected and pioneering artists, well known for his opera adaptations and beautiful fantasy work, P. Craig Russell is in the process of adapting Oscar Wilde's famous fairy tales in a series of landmark volumes. In the Remarkable Rocket, a vain little rocket figures itself above all others and still manages to see glory in its dismal end. The Young King, taken from humble origins, revels in the finer possession of his new lofty position. However, a series of dreams reveal to him the suffering his people must go through to make them for him. Casting them off, he finds paradoxically that he may be alienating the very people he wants to help.
(W/A/CA) Shuzo Oshimi
$10.95
From the editors of Love Hina and Negima!? Neo comes a new age romantic comedy of rural teens and classic French poetry. Lonely bookish teen struggles to find his identity through Charles Baudelaire's poetry, until two girls, a bully and the class beauty, help him realize true love and real friendship.
Nothing says teen rom-com like "classic French poetry."
(W) Alexios Tjoyas
(A/CA) Nicolas De
$24.95
The first work by the one and only Nicolas de Crécy (The Celestial Bibendum, NBM's Salvatore series, Glacial Period) is a lyrical and gorgeously illustrated dark tale, and nothing short of a milestone of its time! In order to revive the image of the town of Eccenihilo, a big carnival is organized with as a grand finale, the homecoming of the local golden child, the famous opera star and eunuch Foligatto. The artist's return to his roots, however, triggers a whirlwind series of dark and eccentric tribulations.
OK, I have no idea what this book is about, but that cover is downright creepy, and the word "eunuch" appears in the solicitation. That's enough for me to run screaming.
(W/A/CA) Yuusuke Kishi
$10.95
A grand tale of the fate of mankind upon obtaining "God's gift-telekinesis! Yet, beneath this thrilling adventure lies deep themes about the driving forces of life. Humanity, with the newfound "power of the gods" is on the brink. A new species of beast -- with the intelligence of man -- and another race of monsters, begin to clash in this unpredictable story told through the adventures of a group of six youths whose telekenetic abilities have such been revealed.
Judging from this cover, I'm guessing these girls use their TK primarily to make their clothes fit more tightly than is humanly possible!
(W) Patrick Shand
(A) Sergio Osuna
(CA) Emilio Laiso
$3.99
Blake has been infected with the essence of Wonderland! As the former White Knight succumbs to madness, the task of saving Myst from a great new threat falls to Bolder, Aisling, and Druanna. But as a new villain begins manipulating them from afar, they find themselves involved in a game more dangerous than they have ever played!
(W) Raven Gregory, Patrick Shand
(A) Tony Brescini
(CA) Abhishek Malsuni
$3.99
Imprisoned deep within the fractured mind of Alice Liddle, the Jabberwocky yearned to be set free in order to unleash his evil upon the world... They thought the realm of madness was contained to Wonderland. They were wrong. The third installment to the newest Wonderland trilogy has arrived and nothing will ever be the same!
I'm usually weirdly fascinated by the boobalicious GFT covers, but this month's isn't a particularly good crop. Too violent.
(W) V.J. Boyd, Justin Boyd
(A/CA) Chris Dibari
$3.99
Sixty-five years ago, hard-boiled cop Tom Fraley was murdered, and now his ghost is hunting the murderer. However, his search for the vicious serial killer hits a snag when a high-tech ghost-hunter gets involved.
(W/A/CA) Fred Perry
$3.99
Now that Brianna's on the train to Mommy-ville, her sisters are determined to curb some of her less maternal habits. All trips to the plasma rifle range, antimatter cannon ammo experiments, and high-G aero-mech joy rides are out until the baby's born! It's a strange case of "taming of the shrew" as Gina and Britanny take Brianna from grenade pins and gunpowder to safety pins and talcum powder!
There are a couple of art styles I don't care for, and this is one of them.
(W) Alyssa Milano & Various
(A/CA) Marcus To
$3.99
WHY WE LOVE IT: From the creative mind of Alyssa Milano, with artist Marcus To (Huntress, Red Robin), and writers Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly, Hacktivist is a fastpaced cyberthriller about friendship and freedom in a time war.
WHY YOU WILL LOVE IT: Fantastic characters and stunning action set pieces, beautifully illustrated by Marcus To (Cyborg 009, Red Robin) and Eisnernominated colorist Ian Herring (Jim Henson's Tale of Sand).
WHAT IT'S ABOUT: Ed Hiccox and Nate Graft are young, brilliant, and the cofounders of YourLife, a social networking company that has changed the way the world stays connected. In secret, these best friends are also "sve_Urs3lf," the largest, whitehat hacking group on the planet, exposing information and sparking revolutions across the globe.
I don't follow any BOOM titles, but I have to say I like their solicitations when done in this style. Someone is putting some effort into them.
(W/A) Tom Neely & Various
(CA) Shaky Kane & Various
$5.00
In the next installment of the greatest love story ever told, Glenn's mother is still living with him and Henry, until Glenn runs away. Henry, John, and Darryl comb a dozen familiar LA institutions to reunite our lovers. After being reunited during a karaoke parody of one of Glenn's songs, Henry & Glenn get their flu shots before the tragic events of Justin Hall's (No Straight Lines) story of Henry & Glenn Go To Gaydes. In this laugh-out-loud funny adventure many jokes are offered to longtime fans of our heroes and their musical pasts. Gaydes is, of course, ruled by Freddy Mercury who takes pity on Glenn and allows him one chance but he must never look back! Can Glenn do it?
(W/A/CA) Shannon Wheeler
$17.99
By popular demand, it's a new collection of illustrations from cartoonist Shannon Wheeler continuing a run that began with the Eisner Award-winning book, I THOUGHT YOU WOULD BE FUNNIER.
Where do cartoons go when they've been bounced by the New Yorker? When They're as funny as what's floating in Wheeler's brain, they're boiled down to the best of the bounced and presented in one laugh-out-loud volume.
What a coincidence. I'm not going to get this, either.
(W) Jean Van
(A/CA) Philippe Aymond
$11.95
Suzan and her father are taking a well-deserved break in the south of France. But their holidays are cut short when several men burst into the house and kidnap James Fitzroy. What Suzie doesn't know is that the attackers are actually CIA operatives: The Agency is offended by the existence of an unofficial European counterterrorist outfit. But in their attempt to use Lady S. to draw her employers out, it's the American spooks who may be made the fools.
Without peeking, what do you think the "S" in "Lady S" stands for? I haven't looked, so I don't know. Sex? Sadism? Sexegenarian? We ought to start a pool.
LARGO WINCH VOL 12: WAY & VIRTUE GN
(W) Jean Van Hamme
(A/CA) Phillipe Franq
The triads of Hong Kong are about to be introduced to the Tao of the Billionaire. Largo has disappeared. His friends and employees are trying to find him while they keep the W Group ticking, but no one seems to know what has happened to him-not even the Chinese authorities. It will be up to the billionaire, locked in a cell with a corpse as his only companion, to escape on his own before he can begin reassessing who are his allies and who are his enemies.
$11.95
(W) Gail Simone & Various
(A) Jack Jadson & Various
(CA) Jay Anacleto
$3.99
This bold experiment in anthology storytelling continues as the GREY RIDERS continue their quest to hunt and kill Red Sonja, but is she truly guilty of the horrendous crimes she is accused of? Spectacular short stories by Rhianna (Tomb Raider) Pratchett, Leah (Damsels, Sherlock Holmes) Moore, Nicola (Earth Two, Secret Six) Scott, and series regular Gail (Batgirl) Simone.
(W) Brandon Jerwa
(A) Ian McGinty
(CA) Art Baltazar
$3.99
Better! Stronger! Faster...and smaller?! Steve Austin and Jaime Sommers are the newest students at A.S.I. - the Academy of Science Intelligence, a school for the unique and gifted. They're also both cyborgs - human kids with a variety of high-tech body parts and modifications. Can these two outsiders put aside their shyness, and a growing rivalry, in time to take a stand against alien invaders who are determined to ruin the A.S.I. Track and Field Day? And if that isn't enough, each Li'l book comes with a two-page activity sheet!
(W) Tonino Benacquista, Daniel Pennac
(A/CA) Achdé
$11.95
After their umpteenth defeat at Lucky Luke's hands, the Dalton brothers get into a big argument that ends with the four of them splitting up. They make a deal: Whoever is first to get a million dollars will be the leader of the gang. Going their separate ways, trying various schemes, each spreads his own kind of mayhem, forcing poor Lucky Luke to do four times the work to keep up with their antics!
(W) Jean Leturgie, xavier Fauche
$11.95
Luke gets embroiled in a good old-fashioned Indian siege. Passing through the quiet little town of Rattlesnake, Luke exposes a Mexican gambler as a cheat and runs him out of town. Unfortunately, the hustler ends up in the hands of the Bluefeet Indians and manages to convince them to attack Rattlesnake. A siege begins, during which Luke will have to use all his guile and courage to keep the Bluefeet at bay until the Cavalry arrives.
(W) Ryan North
(A) Shelli Paroline, Braden Lamb
(CA) John Keogh
$3.99
Fatty and the crew have arrived at the forgotten planet, Earth to find the source of the power that has transformed the entire place to gold. While they scour the planet in search of a myth, we get to know the crew a bit more and find out exactly why they're chasing legends in search of a great source of power.
MISSIONS OF LOVE VOL 6 GN
(W/A/CA) Ema Toyama
$10.99
When Akira helps Yukina recover from a bad cold, she realizes that the two of them share a much deeper connection than she will ever have with Shigure. She tries to further understand that connection so as to win more readers for her novel, but Shigure is not amused.
I'll bet Shigure isn't amused. Dumped by his girlfriend for a girl? And he isn't even allowed to watch? That's cold!
(W) Fred Van Lente (A) Max Dunbar
(CA) Zombie Caution Cover , Bill Tortolini
$3.99
At long last DIA agents Bunch and Malik uncover the connection between the long-lost film Mocking Dead and the real-life undead plague keeping the globe -- and you have to see it believe it! But with the zombie apocalypse quickly reaching the point of return, can they stay alive long enough to get it to the military in time?
I swear, until this week, I thought this book was a parody. Sometimes I'm as dumb as a bag of hammers.
(W/A/CA) Fumi Yoshinaga
$12.99
A stunning alternative history from Eisner-nominated creator Fumi Yoshinaga.
In this zany alternate world, many Americans drive Japanese cars, manga is popular across the U.S., and most American kids know what Pokemon is!
Oh, wait, that's the real world! In this book, a plague kills most of the men in feudal Japan, leading to a shogunate led by women.
(W) Sylvain Runberg
(A/CA) Serge Pelle
$13.95
Following the Kuala Lumpur incidents, which almost prevented the Human-Sandjarr reconciliation ceremony from being held, the situation on Earth is increasingly tense. The mood has turned ugly, resulting in attacks against aliens and assassinations of isolationist personalities. Meanwhile, the circles of Confederate powers are afire with political manoeuvring, and Mezoke is on trial for high treason, a convenient scapegoat. But when the judges request that Caleb be brought out of his regenerative coma to testify, the Sandjarr agent's loyalty is put to the test.
(W/A) Charles M. Schulz & Various
(CA) Vicki Scott
$3.99
No matter how hard Charlie Brown looks, he cannot find a single story worth writing about for his school newspaper assignment. Luckily, Lucy is on the case and she has found the perfect solution - when you can't find a story to tell, you have to make life tell the story you want!! PRESS HERE and many more fun stories can be found in this month's issue of PEANUTS. Jam-packed full of brand new stories, starring Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus, and Franklin!
(W) Tom Hutchison
(A) J. B. Neto
(CA) J. B. Neto, Oren Kramek
$3.50
The third Horseman of the Apocalypse has awoken, but can Jesus control the Horseman known as Death?
(A) Various
(CA) Michael Fahy
$29.99
Edited by Ignatz-Award-nominated editor Robert Kirby, QU33R is an all-new 33-contributor anthology featuring a cross-generational lineup up of LGBTQ cartoonists. Where No Straight Lines set down our history, QU33R shines a light on the future. Featuring Jennifer Camper, Howard Cruse, Diane DiMassa, Edie Fake, Nicole Georges, Ed Luce, and more.
(W) Gail Simone
(A) Walter Geovanni
(CA) Jenny Frison
$3.99
Red Sonja, still recovering from her near-death ordeal, leads a small band of rebels in a stealth war against the invading armada, while the supreme dealer of death Dark Annisia returns to wreak havoc on Sonja's small band of allies! Blood, lust and vengeance surround Red Sonja as she faces her ultimate foe!
I always assumed Red Sonja's ultimate foe would be frostbite.
(W) Roy Thomas
(A) Matt Baker, Carmine Infantino
(CA) Matt Baker
$24.99
She was not only the scourge of wrongdoers but also the nemesis of a good night's sleep for all red-blooded teenagers way back in the far-out fifties! With her modern-day counterpart now residing in the DC universe, these classic Phantom Lady tales from half a century ago are guaranteed to set pulses racing. Collects Police Comic #1-23 (August 1941 to July 1955).
Thanks to Jeff of Earth-J's detective work, we now know that there are three trades of this series, but only two hardbacks.
(W) Keith Thomas
(A) David Miller
(CA) Tyler Kirkham
A young woman awakens in a hospital covered in scars as if she had been taken apart and put back together again. Her mind is as fragmented as her body, leaving her delusional and seeing monsters everywhere. Is this the work of a serial killer, or something far worse? FBI Agent Erin Scott intends to help her find out, with or without the approval of her superiors in this visionary modern, Mature re-imagining of the Frankenstein legend from acclaimed artist/creator Tyler Kirkham (New Guardians, Teen Titans, and Amazing Spider-Man).
$15.99
I think this is a Frankenstein riff, but you could be forgiven for looking at the covers and thinking it was a book about beat-up prostitutes.
SHERLOCK BONES VOL 3 GN
(W/A/CA) Yuma Ando
$10.99
Takeru loves dogs, so he heads to the pound to adopt one. When he gets there, he notices a dog who doesn't play or interact with the other dogs, and he brings the dog home. Then he starts to hear voices - but he's not crazy! It's just that the legendary Sherlock Holmes has been reincarnated in the body of this small pup, and only Takeru can hear his human voice! Taking on the role of Watson, Takeru and Holmes (aka, Sherlock Bones) work to solve crimes across modern day Tokyo!
(W/A/CA) Various
$19.99
Get 100+ pages of manga including Naruto, Bleach, One Piece, and more! Includes a code for a 3-month digital subscription, plus an Ultra Rare Weekly Shonen Jump Yu-Gi-Oh! promotional card.
If I were 12, I'd think this was awesome. But I was 12 in 1970! What do today's kids think?
SORAKO GN
(W/A/CA) Takayuki Fujimura
$9.95
Sorako lives an ordinary life. And this is an ordinary story. She has friends and family, loves her dog, thinks about life, and occasionally looks for work (kinda). These are the adventures into a typical girl's life.
What I can find about this title describes it as slice-of-life stories about a young Japanese girl who doesn't sound like she has a very interesting life. But then, U.S. slice-of-life stories are often about slacker twentysomethings who have decidedly dull lives. I guess that's poignant. Or something. Whatever.
(W) Xavier Dorison, Fabien Nury
(A/CA) Christine Rossi
$13.95
Cuba, 1902. Freed from its Spanish masters by U.S. forces four years ago, the island is still occupied by its erstwhile liberators, some of whom aren't all that eager to leave. American businessmen and politicians would like to see Cuba become a full state, while the Cuban people dream only of freedom. When people begin dying and then come back to life, the SPOOKS are sent to investigate the possible involvement of a Cuban priest and rebel leader -- a santero.
This sounds kind-of interesting. U.S. involvement in Cuba has a sordid history which might not be all that pleasant for American readers, but the supernatural slant is certainly a game-changer.
(W/A) Various
$14.95
Goggles, gadgets, and gears: considering Steampunk on those terms is no less absurd then imagining our reality populated solely by electricians, hackers, and astronauts. Imagine a reality where steam-based technology and 19th century culture persisted. The Confederacy holds to Southern traditions while industry flourishes in the Union. The west is wild as the Apache fight to take back their land. Japan remains feudal under the shogunate, China struggles with opium addiction, and India is oppressed by the East India Company. Rebellions run rampant across mainland Europe while the British Empire seeks to colonize the globe. Steampunk can be as rich and diverse as our own reality.
$34.99
Collecting book 3 (A Jester's Tale) and 4 (The Toy Collector) of the New York Times bestselling series, The Stuff of Legend, this beautiful hardcover edition finds our toys at a crossroads. Unable to find their boy, our loyal toys' bonds have been tested and broken. Now scattered across The Dark, the toys must decide whether to continue their search or admit defeat and return home. Jester chooses to follow his heart in A Jester's Tale, and embarks on a solo quest to search for true love. Will he survive his swashbuckling journey across the perilous sea? Meanwhile in The Toy Collector, Maxwell the Bear, aching to bring the boy home, hunts for a weapon to defeat the Boogeyman for good. However, the Dark One does not play fair, and he is searching for an item as well, one that may very well make him unbeatable.
Publisher: BROADSWORD COMICS
(W/A/CA) Jim Balent
$21.99
Celebrate Yule with this 2 book, signed and number print bundle! You'll receive either the A or B cover (or even a Photocover edition) to this retelling of Tarot's trial to become the Sword Maiden to the Goddess. The accompanying pencil print is a brand-new Jim Balent portrait of Tarot! It measures approximately 6 1/2" x 10" and is numbered & signed by the artist. Limited to 500 copies.
Another barely-printable Broadsword cover. There's not much doubt what Balent's selling, is there?
(W) Ande Parks
(A) Esteve Polls
(CA) Francesco Francavilla
$3.99
Blizzard! On their way across the endless plains of Kansas, Tonto and The Lone Ranger are caught in the snowstorm of the century. In addition to the snow, the West's greatest heroes must battle a band of cold-blooded killers and a case of pneumonia. The old west wasn't high noon, a bright sun and dust. Sometimes it was midnight, a full moon and pure white for as far as the eye could see. The snow of the plains will be stained with blood by the end of this long night for The Lone Ranger.
(W) Mark Rahner
(A) Randy Valiente
(CA) Chris Bolson
$4.99
Vampirella meets "Baxter" - a serial killer with a code, who only preys on other killers. But why are there so many other serial killers cropping up in Miami? How does Baxter keep escaping so many close calls with the people he works with - who are all police detectives? And what's it all building to?
2013? If you're going to be this late, just change the name already!
(W/A/CA) Makoto Yukimura
$19.99
The Viking invasion of London has reached a fever pitch, and Askeladd and Thorfinn rush to take part in the carnage! Their goal is the capture of Cnut, the son of King Sweyn Forkbeard and heir to the throne of Scandanavia and the Danelaw. But standing in their way is Thorkell, one of the Viking world's most daring warriors. The defeat of a living legend will be a formidable test of Askeladd's cunning and Thorfinn's ruthlessness, and of their ability to set aside personal grudges and fell a common enemy!
This actually sounds historically accurate. Which makes me curious.
(W) Robert Place Napton
(A) Carlos Rafael
(CA) Fabiano Neves, Jay Anacleto
$3.99
In part 2 of 2, Dejah Thoris and her renegade brother, the twisted Kajak Thoris, circle toward their final confrontation. The lives of her entire family hang in the balance as events from the past collide with the present to dictate the future of Helium's royal family!
After a while you begin to wonder why Dynamite bothers to put ANY clothes on Dejah Thoris.
WAYWARD SONS VOL 2 TP
(W) Benny Powell
(A) Weilin Yang & Various
(CA) Genzoman
$19.95
Outnumbered nearly 200-to-1, the Ulympians must devise a method of evening up the odds for the coming confrontation that will change the course of human history - forever! Collects issues #6-10 of the hit webcomic series that mixes the sci-fi, fantasy, and super-hero genres!
(W/A/CA) R. Crumb
$29.95
All of Robert Crumb's work from his very influential Weirdo magazine. Widely considered to be some of his best work ever. Weirdo was a magazine-sized comics anthology created by Robert Crumb in 1981, which ran for 28 issues. It served as a "low art" counterpoint to its contemporary highbrow Raw. Early issues of Weirdo reflect Crumb's interests at the time: outsider art, fumetti, Church of the SubGenius-type anti-propaganda and assorted "weirdness." The incredibly varied stories include TV Blues, Life of Boswell, People Make me Nervous, The Old Songs are the Best Songs,Uncle Bob's Mid-Life Crisis, Kraft Ebbing's' Psycopathia Sexualis, Goldilocks, The Life of Philip K Dick, and many more.
I loved Crumb's work as an adolescent, but to tell you the truth, the more I hear about the man himself the less I want to hear.
(W/A/CA) Mitsuhisa Kuji
$12.95
The story of William Tell has never been rendered as beautifully as Mitsuhisa Kuji's stunning debut work, Wulfsmund, where a fortified way-station torments the Swiss district of Uri, murdering all who stand against it... until William and his son attempt to defy it!
Cap, I bought Black Widow #1 and loved it. The series has been added to my pull file.
Yes, you should. Of course, it's a temporary situation. Just like having Otto Octavius take over as Peter Parker & Spider-Man. Of course, the real Fantastic Four will return from space. Just like Jack Knight after Stars My Destination or Bruce Banner after Planet Hulk. The story is in the journey, not the destination. And, so far, the journey has been an absolute delight. I especially appreciate the way that Fraction has acknowledged the transitive nature of interim teams. The real FF were only supposed to gone for a matter of minutes. The subs were never supposed to actually become a team. But when the FF don't return at the right time, the subs are forced to become a team after all. So we get to see their initial surprise, and their residual disappointment (they were supposed to be back by now!). We also get to see the way they grow into their new roles after their early dysfunction. Plus, it's riotous wacky fun.
Also, know that the substitute FF picked up a few votes for Best Team in the recent Cappie Awards so you know that people like them.
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