COMICS GUIDE FOR OCT 5, 2016
For some reason, I'm buried in PR more than usual this week, and there are lots and lots of comics worthy of comment. The result is that I'm going to have to break up the Comics Guide into more categories and posts than usual. WARNING: If you're looking at this on your phone, it could take a while!
FIVE COMICS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT
FIRST ISSUE ALERT
ARCHIE MEETS RAMONES #1
Publisher: ARCHIE COMICS
Script: ALEX SEGURA AND MATTHEW ROSENBERG
Art: GISELE LAGACE, SHOURI
Cover A: GISELE LAGACE
Cover B: VERONICA FISH
Cover C: FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA
Cover D: DAN PARENT
48-page • full color comic • $4.99 U.S.
Hey! Ho! Let's Go! Coming in 2016, the classic rock group THE RAMONES and everyone's favorite redhead will be crossing over in an extra-sized adventure!
When the Archies tank at the Riverdale High Battle of the Bands, a magical twist of fate sends them hurtling into the past -- and face-to-face with none other than The Ramones! Can the legendary punks get the Archies to realize their own rock 'n' roll potential and find their way home? Probably not -- but it'll be a blitzkrieg bop of a journey, as the two bands bounce from 53rd and 3rd to Rockaway Beach in this must-read crossover from the writers of the best-selling ARCHIE MEETS KISS and WE CAN NEVER GO HOME with jaw-droppingly beautiful art from Gisele Lagace ("Occupy Riverdale")!
Coinciding with the 75th anniversary of Archie Comics and The Ramones' 40th anniversary, the new comic follows in the tradition of Archie Comics crossovers like ARCHIE MEETS KISS and ARCHIE MEETS PREDATOR.
"Having the band cross over with Archie seems perfect and completely insane at the same time," said ARCHIE MEETS RAMONES co-writer Alex Segura. "Fans can expect a fun, rockin' and heartfelt extra-sized adventure that will stand up there with some of the best Archie crossovers ever. Which is saying a lot!"
Together with co-writer Matthew Rosenberg and artist Gisele, the team plans to mix the colorful cast of Riverdale with the Ramones in fun and exciting ways.
"Getting to draw Archie Meets Ramones has me fangirling in excitement," said artist Gisele. "I will draw with the energy and passion of a Ramone to ensure my beloved Riverdale gets a Rock 'N' Roll High School."
No stranger to musical crossover comics, co-writer Alex Segura's passion for music and comic books made writing ARCHIE MEETS RAMONES a no-brainer, "My comic fandom always ran parallel to an obsession with music, so having the chance to merge them for this project has been amazing. Not only are Matt and Gisele amazing collaborators -- they're wonderful people and friends. This is the project we've been waiting years to do, and I hope it makes Archie and Ramones fans happy."
"When I was growing up Archie ignited my lifelong love for comics and Ramones are what made me fall in love with punk. As an adult, it's a dream come true to be able to smash these two things together," added co-writer Matthew Rosenberg.
As both a musician and comic artist, Gisele Lagace calls getting to draw ARCHIE MEETS RAMONES a dream project come true. "I'm giving this my all, Ramones style, to make sure fans of both Archie and Ramones dig the results."
I suggest when reading this book that you try to forget that all but one of The Ramones is dead. Too depressing.
Anyway, I'm mesmerized by Cover A. Betty just looks deranged.
FIRST ISSUE ALERT
BETTY BOOP #1
Publisher: DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT
Writer: ROGER LANGRIDGE
Art: GISELE LAGACE
Cover A: HOWARD CHAYKIN
Cover B: ROGER LANGRIDGE
Cover C: GISELE LAGACE "Halloween Costume"
Cover D: Fleischer Character Sheet
Cover E: J. Bone Coloring Book Cover
32 Pages • All Ages • $3.99
The most famous female cartoon star of all is back -- and Dynamite has her! All-new adventures of Betty Boop (with her pals Koko the Clown and Bimbo, natch!) by award-winning writer Roger Langridge and Gisele Lagace. Join Betty as she works at the Oop-A-Doop Club, dreams of hitting the big-time, looks after her old Grampy ... oh yeah, and FIGHTS GHOSTS! (Betty was always ahead of her time!)
Betty Boop is famous, but is she interesting? I guess we'll find out.
Cover A is obviously an homage to Batman: Harley Quinn (1999). My question is: Was B:HQ an homage to anything? Some older image I should know about? It just feels so familiar.
FIRST ISSUE ALERT
CHAMPIONS #1
Publisher: MARVEL COMICS
Written by MARK WAID
Art & Cover by HUMBERTO RAMOS
Party Variant by JAY FOSGITT
Variant Covers by ALEX ROSS & SKOTTIE YOUNG
Champions Variant by MARK BROOKS
Classic Ghost Rider Action Figure Variant by JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
Miles & Hulk Action Figure Variant by JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
Marvel NOW! Action Figure Variant by JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
Classic Action Figure Variant by JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
Hip-Hop Variant by RAHZZAH
Captain America 75th Anniversary Variant Also Available
Premiere Variant by TBA
Blank Cover Available
48 PGS. • Rated T • $4.99
The Marvel Universe is fractured. Heroes who once stood together now position themselves in against one another. The next generation of heroes are fed up! It’s time for a change. It’s time for a brighter tomorrow. Enter ... the CHAMPIONS! Six determined young heroes out to change the world. Get ready to meet them in Marvel’s CHAMPIONS #1 – a brand-new ongoing series launching as the flagship title of Marvel NOW!
Eisner Award winning writer Mark Waid and Eisner Award nominated artist Humberto Ramos join forces to bring you a brand new super team for a brand new era. A teen team supreme that refuses to adhere to the outdated ways of old and is ready to change the world on their own terms. It’s time to be heroes again, and Ms. Marvel, Miles Morales, Nova, Viv Vision, Cyclops and the Totally Awesome Hulk are striking out on their own to make a new future. Not Avengers. Not Defenders. They are – Champions!
“To their mind -- the reputation of super heroes has taken a very public beating and they’re very intent on proving to the world that super heroes still have value and still have relevance,” says writer Mark Waid in an interview with Marvel.com.
It doesn’t take a Tony Stark or Captain America to make a difference. All it takes is six young heroes and you can change the world. A new day is dawning – and these six are just getting started! Be there for their first outing as Marvel NOW! shifts into high gear in CHAMPIONS #1 – coming to comic shops and digital devices everywhere on October 5th!
To celebrate the release of this historic 1st issue and the kickoff to the brand-new Marvel NOW! initiative, Marvel has partnered with valued retail partners across the globe to produce custom Champions #1 variant covers! Participating retailers have the opportunity to showcase Marvel’s newest super team on covers that are exclusive to their stores.
CHAMPIONS #1 LAUNCH PARTY OPT-IN
To ensure Marvel NOW! kicks off with a bang, each retailer opting in to the event will receive a Champions #1 Party Kit, containing exclusive promotional materials.
“The next chapter of the Marvel Universe is about to begin and it all starts with the Champions,” says Marvel SVP, Sales & Marketing David Gabriel. “CHAMPIONS #1 sees Marvel’s top characters striking out on their own for a thrilling new series and we’re helping retailers support this launch in a huge way. In addition to huge incentives, limited edition variants and lithographs -- we’ll be offering can’t miss promotional items for fans including Action Figure standees for each of the team members and Champions pins.”
All retailers who opt-in and qualify will receive the following as part of the Champions #1 Party Kit: Champions #1 Invitational Postcards; Champions #1 Skottie Young Lithographs; Champions #1 Jay Fosgit Gwenpool Party Sketch Variant; Champions #1 Premiere Variant; Champions #1 Pins; and Champions #1 Action Figure Standees (Second Standee Sheet Available w/ Issue #2).
But that’s not all! Retailers who qualify will also be eligible to order a variety of variant covers to Champions #1 -- including the Champions #1 Gwenpool Party Variant. Artist Jay Fosgitt brings Gwenpool face-to-face with the Marvel Universe’s newest super team -- all as part of a hearty and nutritious breakfast. This one-of-a-kind variant is only available at Marvel’s Champions #1 Launch Parties and should not be missed!
Marvel has been touting the heck out of this book, the main repercussion of "Civil War II." I see it for what it is: the "youthenizing" of superheroes that both major publishers attempt every 10 years or so. Credit where it's due, though, in that this one appears more or less organic, rather than forced (like "teen Tony", Emerald Twilight/Kyle Rayner, "teen Ray Palmer," New 52 and so forth). All the characters are legacies or younger versions of existing characters, but they've all arrived on the scene in disparate, unconnected ways. That's pretty smart, and makes me inclined to like this book before I've even seen it.
FIRST ISSUE ALERT
HE-MAN/THUNDERCATS #1
Publisher: DC COMICS
Written by ROB DAVID and LLOYD GOLDFINE
Art and covers by FREDDIE E. WILLIAMS II
Wraparound coloring book cover by FREDDIE E. WILLIAMS II
32 pg • FC • 1 of 6 • $3.99 U.S. • RATED T
It’s the epic crossover event 30 years in the making! He-Man and the Masters of the Universe team up with the ThunderCats to make comic book and pop culture history! Scheduled to debut in October and published by DC Entertainment, this monthly miniseries will embroil heroes and villains -- Masters, Mutants and ThunderCats -- in a mind-blowing six-part comic book saga!
The story will be brought to life by the writing team of Mattel Head Writer and Masters of the Universe Lead Creative Rob David and Supervising Producer Lloyd Goldfine, with all-star artist Freddie E. Williams II (Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) handling interiors and cover art.
"The Masters of the Universe and the ThunderCats are both global phenomena, beloved by millions. Teaming them up for one enormous story will prove to be a publishing event that fans simply cannot miss. This is something that transcends both comic book and pop culture," said DC Editor-in-Chief Bob Harras.
"For everyone out there who took different action figures and teamed them up to take on the world, this one’s for you," said co-writer Rob David, who recently wrote the storyline for the critically acclaimed He-Man: the Eternity War, published by DC Entertainment in 2015.
"Writing this crossover event is the thrill of a lifetime, and Rob and I can’t wait to get started," added co-writer Lloyd Goldfine. "You don’t wait 30 years and not go big!"
In his eternal desire to destroy the mighty ThunderCats, the evil Mumm-Ra quests for a weapon that can rival the legendary Sword of Omens: He-Man’s Sword of Power! But his dimension-spanning scheme launches a cataclysmic crisis that will, for the first time ever, unite Lion-O, Cheetara, Tygra, Panthro, WilyKit and WilyKat with He-Man, Battlecat, Teela, Man-At-Arms and the rest of the Masters of the Universe.
"The Power of Grayskull and the Great Eye of Thundera have aligned to make me the luckiest guy on all the earths!" explained artist Freddie E. Williams II. "He-Man and ThunderCats were my life when I was in grade school—family and friends knew I loved both cartoons so much. I used to pause episodes and draw from them, since they were so awesome. The He-Man/ThunderCats crossover is the fulfillment of a lifelong goal and my fanboy dream come true! I'm having a blast!"
Both He-Man and Thundercats came along long after I stopped watching Saturday morning cartoons, but I'll bet good money folks 10-15 years my junior have fond memories of both series -- and will be thrilled by this crossover.
CBLDF: SHE CHANGED COMICS
Publisher: IMAGE COMICS
Writers/Art: Various
$14.99 • 160 pp • FC.
Women have been making comics since the medium’s very beginning, but there’s an important story that hasn’t yet been told: how women changed free expression in comics. Comic Book Legal Defense Fund will tell that story in SHE CHANGED COMICS, a full-color, 160-page book coming out this October 2016 from Image Comics. SHE CHANGED COMICS was a runaway success on Kickstarter last month, where backers funded the project in eight hours and supported several stretch goals, including teaching guides for middle school, high school, and higher education, as well as a nationwide teaching tour.
Covering female comics creators from the turn of the 20th century to present day, SHE CHANGED COMICS will profile more than 60 women who transformed the landscape of free expression and expanded the comics artform. It will also examine the plights of women who have been persecuted for expressing themselves through cartoons and feature interviews with some of the most influential women working in comics today. The book will be illustrated throughout, with a professional index and links to additional resources, making it invaluable for educators and fans alike.
“More women are reading and making comics, and we want to explore the women who laid the groundwork for this transition in She Changed Comics,” said Betsy Gomez, CBLDF Editorial Director and editor of She Changed Comics. “These are women who opened the door, ventured into new creative terrains, and radically changed the face of free expression in the process. She Changed Comics will be an invaluable tool in CBLDF’s ongoing mission to educate people about the value of comics as art and literature.”
“As an education professional and longtime advocate for the contributions women have made to comics, I regard this book as essential,” said Katherine Keller, Sequential Tart co-founder and CBLDF Board Member. “She Changed Comics has an important place in classrooms and libraries, and belongs in the backpack of any young person discovering their place as a reader or creator in this incredible medium.”
"We're thrilled to partner with Image to distribute this book to the widest possible range of readers," said Christina Merkler, CBLDF Board Member and www.DCBService.com partner. "We're immensely grateful to all of the Kickstarter backers who funded the creation of the book and all of the incredible added material we had only dreamed was possible. Image's efforts will allow us to get all of that extraordinary work out to the world in a much bigger way than we could do ourselves. We couldn't be happier about their support!"
About SHE CHANGED COMICS:
SHE CHANGED COMICS celebrates the women who changed free expression in comics, with profiles of more than sixty groundbreaking female professionals and interviews with the women who are changing today's medium, including RAINA TELGEMEIER, NOELLE STEVENSON, G. WILLOW WILSON, and more! SHE CHANGED COMICS also examines the plights of women imprisoned and threatened for making comics and explores the work of women whose work is being banned here in the United States. A must for readers of all ages, students, and educators.
There was a lot of competition for this fifth spot (see the ADDITIONAL IMPORTANT BOOKS category), but I opted for comics history -- and it's comics history we don't often hear about.
CROSSOVERS!
Night of the Monster Men
BATMAN #8
Publisher: DC COMICS
Written by STEVE ORLANDO and TOM KING
Art by RILEY ROSSMO • Cover by YANICK PAQUETTE
Variant cover by TIM SALE
32 pg • FC • $2.99 U.S. • RATED T
“NIGHT OF THE MONSTER MEN” part four! The giant monsters might be bad, but Gotham’s heroes encounter a whole new threat level when two of their own start terrorizing the city! Batman must face the horrifying possibility of losing two of his closest allies to Hugo Strange’s vicious attack.
NIGHTWING #6
Publisher: DC COMICS
Written by STEVE ORLANDO and TIM SEELEY
Art by ROGE ANTONIO • Cover by YANICK PAQUETTE
Variant cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO
32 pg • FC • $2.99 U.S. • RATED T
“NIGHT OF THE MONSTER MEN” part five! The hunt for Hugo Strange rages onward as the
Manipulator rises and uses the citizens of Gotham City to shield itself from the Bat-Family. All while the monstrous version of Nightwing looms over Gotham City.
Rebirth can't seem to do anything wrong. This is a story that deserves to be a crossover, a story that is organically a crossover, and a story has been very well executed. It's an update of Hugo Strange's first story from 1939, and it is barreling along at a breathless pace that I'm tempted to calling thrilling. The threat is huge, the heroes aren't written as idiots to make it work and everybody is getting moments to shine. This is how all crossovers ought to be done.
Revolution
REVOLUTION #2 (of 5)
Publisher: IMAGE COMICS
Writers: CULLEN BUNN & JOHN BARBER
Art: FICO OSSIO
Cover: TRADD MOORE
Variant: BRANDON PETERSON
“Official Handbook” Variant: JOHN BYRNE
Propaganda Variant: JAMES BIGGIE
Imaginary 2-Pack Toy Variant: ADAM RICHES
FC • 40 pages • $3.99
ROM -- A MURDERER?! That’s what OPTIMUS PRIME and the TRANSFORMERS think -- and right or wrong, there’s only one outcome: all-out war! Meanwhile, G.I. JOE turns to the one person who can save the world from ultimate destruction -- MILES MAYHEM!
REVOLUTION: ROAD TO REVOLUTION SPECIAL (TPB)
Publisher: IDW PUBLISHING
Writers: SIMON FURMAN, CHUCK DIXON, JOHN BARBER, JAMES ROBERTS, MAIRGHREAD SCOTT, KAREN TRAVISS
Art: ROBERT ATKINS, BRENDAN CAHILL, GUIDO GUIDI, E.J. SU, STEVE KURTH, ANDREW GRIFFITH, ALEX MILNE, SARA PITRE-DUROCHER, SARAH STONE
Cover: POP MHAN
FC • 100 pages • $7.99
Ten years of TRANSFORMERS and G.I. JOE comics have led to this month’s REVOLUTION! This bargain-priced bonanza presents five key stories that have paved the road to the universe being born this month! From the first-ever IDW Transformers comic to the Karen Traviss G.I. JOE, the building blocks of this universe have been growing for years!
I confess I haven't read much of this crossover. Not only do I have only a marginal interest in concepts like G.I. Joe and Transformers, but there are only so many hours in a week. But don't let my lack of enthusiasm dissuade you, if you are a fan of these concepts. Read "Revolution," and then report back to the rest of us!
Civil War II
INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #14
Publisher: MARVEL COMICS
Writer: BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Art: MIKE DEODATO
Cover by DALE KEOWN
32 PGS. • Rated T+ • $3.99
A blistering new chapter in the Iron Man mythos.
After the shocking conclusion of CIVIL WAR II, a young woman answers the call and takes the mantle of Iron Man. And her surprising relationship to Tony Stark will define the book for years to come. Meet Riri Williams … she is Iron Man.
Well, for now. She’s still working on the name. But the Marvel Universe WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN.
I like that Tony's alcoholism isn't being swept under the rug. He's still a dry drunk, and it's a lifelong struggle, which reflects the difficulties of alcoholics IRL.
That being said, I still don't like Mary Jane playing Pepper Potts. MJ has no business walking into an executive secretary/personal assistant/CEO job, and her presence suggests that redheads are interchangeable, and/or Pepper was easily replaceable. I find both concepts unpalatable.
SPIDER-MAN 2099 #16
Publisher: MARVEL COMICS
Writer: PETER DAVID
Art: WILL SLINEY
Cover by FRANCESCO MATTINA
32 PGS. • Rated T • $3.99
Caught in the clutches of the malignant CEO of ALCHEMAX, the future looks bleak for Spider-Man and his allies.
And with S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Public Eye waging ALL-OUT WAR against anyone with super-powers, the heroes have little hope of rescue.
Can Spidey and his friends find a way to escape and set the timeline right?
The least interesting of the many Spider-People. I don't expect this book to survive CWII.
SQUADRON SUPREME #12
Publisher: MARVEL COMICS
Writer: JAMES ROBINSON
Art: LEONARD KIRK
Cover by ALEX GARNER
32 PGS. • Rated T+ • $3.99
CHAPTER OF “FINDING NAMOR”!
• The saga continues as the SQUADRON SUPREME try to stop WARRIOR WOMAN from resurrecting their sworn enemy, NAMOR — but nothing has gone to plan.
• Unable to help their allies, HYPERION and DOCTOR SPECTRUM are forced to watch as the stakes rise against them…with BLUR and THUNDRA pitted against SPIDER-MAN and the entirety of S.H.I.E.L.D.
• On his own, NIGHTHAWK hunts the precognitive Inhuman named ULYSSES, intent to discover whatever secrets his visions hold.
Oh, look, Marvel's oldest character didn't stay dead. In other surprises, water remains wet.
ADDITIONAL IMPORTANT BOOKS
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #19
Publisher: MARVEL COMICS
Written by DAN SLOTT
Art by JIM CHEUNG
Covers by ALEX ROSS
Connecting Variants by ALEXANDER LOZANO
40 PGS. • Rated T • $4.99
The world’s greatest super hero faces his biggest challenge yet this Fall! Amidst a gauntlet of his greatest foes, a mysterious new villain and the return of loved ones lost – Peter Parker plunges headlong into DEAD NO MORE! A blockbuster new storyline kicking off in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #19 -- A-List creators Dan Slott and Jim Cheung bring you THE Spidey story of 2016!
From the writer who brought you wallcrawling, webslinging epics such as Spider-Verse, Superior Spider-Man, Spider Island and more comes the next defining moment in the life of the Amazing Spider-Man! The mysterious man in the red suit has an offer for some of Spidey’s greatest rogues – obey him, and your loved ones live. Fail him, and lose them FOREVER! With the Rhino, the Lizard, Electro and even Doctor Octopus at his side, things are looking bleak. But who else from Peter’s past has reappeared?!
The mystery is just getting started but fans won’t have to wait too long! Don’t miss your first taste of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN: DEAD NO MORE as Dan Slott and Javier Garron bring you a prologue on FREE COMIC BOOK DAY – May 7th! And don’t miss the fireworks when the storyline kicks off in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #19 this fall!
• Someone in the Amazing Spider-Man’s orbit dies.
• Peter, once again, has to choose between being Spider-Man and his personal life and it doesn’t go well for him.
• Also, get the other side of the Spider-Man/Kingpin story from the FREE COMIC BOOK DAY story.
Here's the launch of both Clone Conspiracy and Dead No More, which may or may not be the same story.
BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS BOOK AND MASK SET
Written by FRANK MILLER
Art by FRANK MILLER and KLAUS JANSON
Cover by FRANK MILLER
224 pg • FC • approx. 8.5” wide x 11.75” tall x 5.25” deep • $39.99 U.S.
DC Entertainment presents a new book and mask set featuring Frank Miller’s vision of the Dark Knight, including a highly detailed PVC mask plus THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS 30TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION TP, collecting the original, groundbreaking 4-issue miniseries.
Hey, you need a mask. It's almost Halloween!
FIRST ISSUE ALERT
CAGE! #1 (of 4)
Publisher: MARVEL COMICS
Written by GENNDY TARTAKOVSKY
Art & Cover by GENNDY TARTAKOVSKY & STEPHEN DESTEFANO
Hip-Hop Variant by MARCO D’ALFONSO
Run the Jewels Variant by DAMION SCOTT
Classic Variant by TREVOR VON EEDEN
Variant Cover by JOE QUESADA
32 PGS. • Rated T+ • $3.99
Sweet Christmas, the wait is finally over! Award-winning animator Genndy Tartakovsky (Dexter’s Laboratory, Samurai Jack, Hotel Transylvania) comes to Marvel to bring his long-awaited Luke Cage tale to life! Written by Tartakovsky with art by Tartakovsky & inker Stephen DeStefano, Marvel is pleased to announce the hard-hitting, action-packed CAGE! #1 is due to be published this October!
Welcome to the mean streets of New York City – shoes are big, bottoms are belled and crime is rampant! But in the heart of the city, the world’s hardest-working, smack-talking, chain-wearing, tiara-sporting super hero is hitting the streets hard and hitting the bad guys harder. This Hero for Hire is on the case, and his rates are reasonable! He’s Luke Cage, and he’ll save your behind. Dig it!
“Growing up with those [Power Man and Iron Fist] comics in the 70’s and 80’s I have a very strong fondness of that version of Power Man so my version is very rooted in that time, but I think it’s totally fun and feels new,” says Tartakovsky, in an interview with Birth.Movies.Death. “It was about making something entertaining with a character that I really liked. So I think it can appeal to young and old readers.”
I loved Samurai Jack -- Tartakovsky's cartoon sensibility really tickles me. And I'm old enough now to really appreciate the original Luke Cage for the kitsch it was.
FIRST ISSUE ALERT
DEADMAN: DARK MANSION OF FORBIDDEN LOVE #1 (of 3)
Publisher: DC COMICS
Written by SARAH VAUGHN
Art by LAN MEDINA
Cover by STEPHANIE HANS
Prestige Format • 48 pg • FC • 1 of 3 • $5.99 U.S. • RATED T
A gothic tale of love, mystery, and vengeful spirits arrives just in time for the scariest month of the year, as DC Entertainment announces the return of Boston Brand, a.k.a. Deadman, in DARK MANSION OF FORBIDDEN LOVE -- a frightful new miniseries set in the style of gothic romance comics of the 1960s and ’70s. This series from creators Sarah Vaughn and Lan Medina debuts in a 3-issue 48-page prestige format, giving readers a chance to immerse themselves in this romantic and haunting tale.
A young woman with a conflicted heart and the ability to see ghosts, Berenice lives with her boyfriend, Nathan, in a grand mansion in New England but is growing closer and closer to her best friend, Sam. As she struggles with her heart’s desire, a dark presence settles over the mansion, drawing the attention of the ghostly superhero Deadman. As Berenice and Deadman seek to free the house and its inhabitants of Adelia Whitehall's (known as the Darkness) vengeful rage, more disturbing and sinister secrets emerge, leaving Berenice in grave danger.
“I've been reading romance novels and comics since I was kid, and it is a genre I am positively passionate about,” says writer Sarah Vaughn. “I can't tell you how excited I am to be able to tell a modern gothic horror story with classic DC roots.”
“After reading the synopsis of the story, I felt I was coming back to the old days of romance comics, but in an entirely new way,” says artist Lan Medina. “I was thrilled by how the Darkness character mixes with Deadman. This has absolutely taken me on a hell of a ride.”
A gothic romance comic with superhero flair, DEADMAN: DARK MANSION OF FORBIDDEN LOVE comes from the creative minds of writer Sarah Vaughn (Alex + Ada) and artist Lan Medina (Vertigo’s FABLES) with covers by Stephanie Hans.
Done right, this could be awesome. What a clever use for a mid-tier character.
FIRST ISSUE ALERT
DEATH OF HAWKMAN #1 (of 6)
Publisher: DC COMICS
Written by MARC ANDREYKO
Art and cover by AARON LOPRESTI
Variant cover by WALTER SIMONSON
32 pg • FC • 1 of 6 • $3.99 U.S. • RATED T
Writer Marc Andreyko (WONDER WOMAN ’77) and interior/cover artist Aaron Lopresti (THE NEW 52: FUTURE’S END, METAMORPHO/LEGENDS OF TOMORROW) are teaming up for a return to the worlds of Rann and Thanagar in HAWKMAN AND ADAM STRANGE: OUT OF TIME, a six-issue monthly miniseries.
Residing on Earth and out of the hero game, Adam Strange finds himself trying to live a “normal” life, until he’s literally pulled back into adventure again as a seemingly normal Zeta beam transmission returns him to the planet Rann, where he hopes to be reunited with his beloved Alanna. But instead, he finds the once great city of Ranagar in ruins with millions dead, and the once peaceful Alanna is now calling for the blood of Rann’s oldest enemy, Thanagar, home of the Hawkmen.
Sensing something is amiss, Strange enlists the aid of Thanagarian policeman Katar Hol, aka Hawkman, who is also trying anything possible to avert war. Together the two try and uncover who’s really behind the destruction of Rann while at the same time preventing Rann and Thanagar from marching into interplanetary armageddon!
So they're going to kill the guy whose main power is reincarnation? Color me unimpressed. But it's always cool to see Hawkman and Adam Strange together, as to old fanboys like me they belong together (they used to share Mystery in Space).
DEATH OF X #1
Publisher: MARVEL COMICS
Written by JEFF LEMIRE & CHARLES SOULE
Art & Cover by AARON KUDER
Classic Variant by BUTCH GUICE
Wraparound Teaser Variant by AARON KUDER
Connecting Variant A by MIKE CHOI
Kuder Wraparound Sketch Variant Also Available
32 PGS. • Rated T+ • $3.99
The X-Men and the Inhumans are on a collision course. Cyclops is missing and presumed dead. But the question on everyone’s lips is “why”? That question and more will be answered in DEATH OF X #1 – a new four-issue series launching this fall! Superstar creators Jeff Lemire (Extraordinary X-Men) and Charles Soule (Uncanny Inhumans) are joined by fan-favorite artist Aaron Kuder (Action Comics) for an incendiary tale that will change the course of Mutantkind and Inhumanity alike!
As the Terrigen Mists roll across the Earth, it’s transformative properties are birthing new Inhumans across the Marvel Universe. But while the mists bring life to the Inhumans, they spell only doom for the X-Men, leaving dead or sickly mutants in their wake. As the Inhumans travel to Japan where the Terrigen Cloud has created a shocking new Inhuman, the X-Men travel to Muir Island where the cloud has caused something truly terrible. For the sake of his people, Cyclops must take action or face extinction. But how?
“Right now things are not good for mutantkind,” says Jeff Lemire, speaking with Entertainment Weekly. “On the flipside, Inhumans have been growing and becoming more prominent in the Marvel Universe. There is a lot of tension between these characters about that.’
“For both sides of this, it doesn’t affect just a small group of them,” continues Charles Soule. “It’s not just their livelihood and way of life but their very lives at stake, so they’re going to react the way you think they would.”
The burning questions will be answered here as the Inhumans and the X-Men’s untold past comes to light. But with the fuse lit, how long until this powder keg explodes? Find out this October as Soule, Lemire and Kuder bring you DEATH OF X #1!
Here's another big-story launch, of what happened to the original Cyclops. I should also mention that the third cover is an homage to The X-Men #46 (1968).
ENCHANTED TIKI ROOM #1
Publisher: MARVEL COMICS
Written by JON ADAMS
Art by HORACIO DOMINGUES
Cover by BRIAN KESINGER
Orange Bird Variant Cover by JASON GRANDT
Connecting Variant Cover by JASON GRANDT
Action Figure Variant by JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
Variant Cover by JODY DALY
32 PGS. • RATED T • $3.99
The world famous attraction comes to Marvel Comics for an all-new adventure! Today, Marvel Entertainment and the minds at Walt Disney Imagineering are proud to present your first look inside ENCHANTED TIKI ROOM #1, the newest Disney Kingdoms limited series! Pack your sunscreen and catch the boat, because creators Jon Adams and Horacio Domingues are taking you on a tropical Disney Kingdoms vacation.
Welcome to the Enchanted Tiki Room, a place of legend … of fantasy … and mystery! Here, on an isolated and mysterious island, almost anything can happen. And often does! Inside the island’s Enchanted Tiki Room -- an astonishing cast of birds, plants and ancient Tiki gods spring to life. As the next boat arrives carrying new visitors, what stories will unfold, what mysteries will be revealed and how are they all connected?
“The Disney Kingdoms series gave us an opportunity to build on stories from our classic Disney Parks attractions that guests love,” says Walt Disney Imagineer Tom Morris, speaking with the Disney Parks Blog. “We’re hoping the books inspire readers to revisit favorite attractions with a new perspective. For this series, we’re taking guests to a tropical island filled with everything loved from the original attraction and introducing some new characters, songs, and stories to discover.”
Launching under the Disney Kingdoms banner, Enchanted Tiki Room has been created in close partnership with the designers, producers and creative directors at Walt Disney Imagineering. Joining other critically-acclaimed hits like The Haunted Manion, Figment, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and more – Disney Kingdoms titles present exciting new adventures that expand upon the beloved lands, attractions and characters of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts.
Your journey is about to begin, so grab your flip-flops, pop open your beach chair and uncover the mystery and the magic with ENCHANTED TIKI ROOM #1! Plus, look for the ENCHANTED TIKI ROOM #1 POSTER, available at your local comic shops on Oct. 12!
Elements based on Enchanted Tiki Room © Disney.
I don't read any of the Disney books based on rides, but they're the only Disney books that Marvel publishes. I don't know why. I report, you decide.
THE FLINTSTONES #4
Publisher: DC COMICS
Written by MARK RUSSELL
Art by STEVE PUGH
Cover by DAN PANOSIAN
Variant cover by DAN PARENT
32 pg • FC • $3.99 U.S. • RATED T
What is this newfangled thing called “marriage” and why are so many people willing to sacrifice the traditional sex cave for exclusive partnerships? Fred and Wilma leave Pebbles and Dino with the Rubbles for the weekend and head out to a marriage retreat to find out all they can about this new fad they’ve bought into.
Legionnaire Randy is correct that the downside of this series is that any couple could be the central one in this series, not necessarily Fred and Wilma. But the book isn't selling us Fred and Wilma so much as a Swiftian satire. Here they cleverly reverse or invert many of the arguments about same-sex marriage by showcasing that A) marriage as we know it now is a relatively new institution, and B) some of the more unhinged objections to same-sex marriage can be used against any kind of marriage, including marriage itself.
FUTURE QUEST #6
Publisher: DC COMICS
Written by JEFF PARKER
Art and cover by EVAN “DOC” SHANER
Variant cover by DAN PARENT
32pg • FC • $3.99 U.S. • RATED T
Team Quest is dealt a serious blow at the hands of F.E.A.R. just as Omnikron starts rebuilding itself on Earth—out of anything living that comes too close! Inter-Nation’s Deva Sumadi takes charge and splits the group up to go recruit more forces to take on the alien supercreature. It’s time to go on tour with the Impossibles and meet the biggest fighting force in the world, Frankenstein, Jr.!
It's really easy to recommend this book. It makes me feel virtuous!
HEAD LOPPER VOL 1: THE ISLAND OR A PLAGUE OF BEASTS (TPB)
Publisher: IMAGE COMICS
Writer/Art/Cover: ANDREW MACLEAN
FC • MATURE • $19.99
Andrew MacLean (Apocalyptigirl) will release his critically-acclaimed, action-packed indie hit HEAD LOPPER in trade paperback this October, collecting all four double-sized issues.
The Head Lopper, the legendary hero who’d much rather go by Norgal, and the nagging severed head of Agatha Blue Witch arrive on the Isle of Barra to find it overrun with beasts: minions of the Sorcerer of the Black Bog. When Queen Abigail hires Norgal and Agatha to slay the Sorcerer, our heroes trek across the island relieving the horrors of their heads -- and playing right into the hands of a master manipulator.
PRAISE FOR HEADLOPPER:
“Maclean’s art has the spirit of a woodcut and the flair of a late-night cartoon, and with one minimalist action sequence after another, it has head-lopped its way into my heart.” -- Multiversity Comics
“Action-packed, bloody, and sometimes humorous, HEAD LOPPER is a solid fantasy epic the likes of which has to be seen to be believed.” -- ComicsVerse
“HEAD LOPPER is a glorious visual buffet, filled to the brim with crazy action and intriguing characters.” -- Comicosity
“MacLean’s crafted an inky scenario that reeks of potential crossover appeal.” -- Paste Magazine
Some Legionnaires have been bragging on this book, so here's a chance for the rest of us to catch up!
HOMIES #1
Publisher: DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT
Writer: DAVID GONZALES, ELLIOT SERRANO
Art: ANDREW HUERTA
Cover A: ANDREW HUERTA "Wraparound"
Cover B: DAVID GONZALES "Wraparound"
Cover C: MICHAEL ADAMS "Vending Machine"
32 Pages TEEN + $3.99
It's time to go back to the barrio with the HOMIES! The surprise hit of the '90s is back in a brand-new comic book series co-plotted by original HOMIES creator David Gonzales and Adventures of Grumpy Cat writer Elliott Serrano, featuring all-new stories and never-before-seen characters.
With art and covers by Andrew Huerta, HOMIES #1 features the long-awaited wedding of Hollywood and Gata. It's been a day that she has imagined for her entire life, but now Gata has to deal with everyone trying to ruin it! What will she do when she hears the whispers about Hollywood and his womanizing ways? Will the wedding still take place when everything that can go wrong actually does? Is Hollywood destined to be a bachelor for life, or will Gata finally get him to settle down?
It's a day that will be full of love, laughs and heartbreak. But for who?
This appears to be based on a toy line that didn't make it to Memphis (that I know of). Did it ever become a cartoon? Anyway, Dynamite started crowing about getting this license at least a year ago.
JESSICA JONES #1
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Art by MICHAEL GAYDOS
Cover by DAVID MACK
Variant Covers by ALEX MALEEV and DAVID AJA
Action Figure Variant by JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
Teaser Variant by MIKE DEODATO
Black Panther 50th Anniversary Variant by JEFFREY VEREGGE
Hip-Hop Variant by JEFF DEKAL
Champions Variant Also Available
32 PGS. • PARENTAL ADVISORY • $3.99
After a decade, Jessica Jones is back in an all-new solo series! One of the most complex characters of the Marvel Universe returns for an all-new mystery from the original creative team -- Brian Michael Bendis (Civil War II, Invincible Iron Man, Spider-Man, Alias) Michael Gaydos (Alias, Avengers), and David Mack (Alias, Daredevil).
A lot has changed in the Marvel Universe over the past ten years and there are still many secrets hiding in the shadows. Secrets only a special woman like Jessica Jones can hope to uncover. So what haunting secrets from Jessica’s past come back to cause havoc? Speaking with IGN, series writer, Brian Michael Bendis said, "You're going to find out about it in the first issue. We're going to open up a book where Jessica's world has blown up in her face. She's at a place you'll least expect her. You're going to find all of her relationships have altered. And we're slowly going to find out why.”
A lot has happened to Jessica Jones since her debut, but the biggest difference that will be a factor in this new series is the baby girl, Danielle, she had with husband, and former Avenger, Luke Cage.
"Luke and Jessica have tried to raise a baby in a very dangerous environment. We talked about this during [New] Avengers, you're raising a baby in Avengers Mansion and somebody's trying to knock that building over every four days…so your perspective changes, and as an investigator and a detective her perspective will change because she's a mother,” continued Bendis. “I know some people are worried about that baby being dragged like a sack of potatoes that holds down the story or something, but I can think of many ways to tell the story celebrate this part of her life and at the same time complicates it to a degree that a lot of people can relate to. I think a lot of people can relate to trying to 'do it all.' Lord knows I can.”
What unsolved mysteries have fallen through the cracks and what dark secrets have been unrevealed within the Marvel Universe? Alias Investigations is open for business and Jessica Jones is on the case.
She's ba-a-a-a-ck! Hardly a surprise, given the success of the Netflix show. But how can what made the original Alias popular continue? The psychologically damaged alcoholic of that series is now a stable, happy, married mother. Is Bendis going to screw up her life again? That would be depressing.
JIM THOMPSON KILLER INSIDE ME #2 (OF 5)
Publisher: IDW PUBLISHING
Writer: DEVIN FARACI
Art/Cover: VIC MALHOTRA
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Jim Thompson’s sinewy, brutal and beloved novel brought to life as a five-part graphic noir! Adapted by writer Devin Faraci and illustrated with gut-punchingly vivid art by Vic Malhotra (Murder Book), The Killer Inside Me gives us a pitch-black glimpse into the mind of the American serial killer years before Charles Manson, John Wayne Gacy and Brett Easton Ellis’ American Psycho.
I posted the first issue in the Guide last month, but didn't know anything about it. Now I've read that issue, and can recommend it.
Yes, it's creepy and has probably influenced a lot of serial-killer fiction that we read without knowing about the source material. It's worth reading for that alone.
However, the story is pretty old-fashioned, not only in lingo but in story structure and pacing. Some might find that off-putting, but I find it interesting -- it's a view into the sort of pop culture we'd have devoured if we were adults in the '50s, and tells us a lot about what our parents (or grand-parents) found exciting.
LOAC ESSENTIALS: KING FEATURES VOL 2: TIM TYLERS LUCK 1933 (HC)
Publisher: IDW PUBLISHING
Writer: LYMAN YOUNG
Art/Cover: ALEX RAYMOND
$29.99
These never-before-collected strips represent an essential transition point that would forever change the direction of adventure comics. Lyman Young's Tim Tyler's Luck was a successful series set in exotic locales before Alex Raymond signed on as Young's assistant. It's in these 1932-1933 strips, as Raymond assumed greater and greater responsibility for the drawing, that he developed the prototypes for Flash Gordon, Dale Arden, and Jungle Jim, and the style for which he became famous a year later.
Historically important, plus Alex Raymond!
FIRST ISSUE ALERT
MIDNIGHTER AND APOLLO #1 (of 6)
Publisher: DC COMICS
Writer: STEVE ORLANDO
Art: FERNANDO BLANCO
Colors: ROMULO FAJARDO JR.
Cover: ACO
1 of 6 • $3.99 U.S. • RATED T+
From their days as founding members of The Authority, the heroes Midnighter and Apollo have been forever linked, both professionally and romantically. On October 5th, they’ll be back, badder than ever, in Midnighter and Apollo, a six-issue miniseries written by breakout star Steve Orlando, with art by Fernando Blanco, colors by Romulo Fajardo Jr. and covers by ACO.
“MIDNIGHTER AND APOLLO is the book we need right now, as comics' most iconic queer couple face down a new enemy and show us that we can never give in to fear, hatred, and evil,” says Orlando. "And they do it with their own brand of action movie wit … and punching. I won’t just deliver fans the much-anticipated return of Apollo. I’ll also feature the Lords of the Gun and the iconic Mawzir from DC's seminal Hitman, as well as Underworld Unleashed's Neron. And that’s just the beginning. It’s a knockdown, drag out, DC Universe western revenge thriller that starts kicking from page one!"
Spinning out of the hit series Midnighter, this new miniseries continues the story that launched writer Steve Orlando to notoriety over the past year. Midnighter received critical acclaim in both comic and mainstream press; most notably recognized with a 2016 GLAAD nomination in the “Outstanding Comic Book” category. Together again, in the series opener Midnighter and Apollo will take on subway pirates in Los Angeles and demons in Opal City, but their reunion will take a shocking turn and send them both on an epic journey beyond all belief!
“Midnighter and Apollo have spent time apart -- figuring out who they were when defined on their own instead of by their relationship,“ said Orlando. “They have a firmer idea of who they are and they've become stronger and more confident together. Midnighter and Apollo are back to remind the world that it truly is a bad time to be bastards. This is the World's Finest Couple -- kicking back and making each other better than they are on their own.”
I still don't see why we need this pair, who started out as a parody of the original World's Finest team, and feels like slash fiction. But, OK, if Orlando has some stories he wants to tell that requires a gay Superman/Batman duo, then have at it. I probably won't be on board.
FIRST ISSUE ALERT
MOONSHINE #1
Publisher: IMAGE COMICS
Writer: BRIAN AZZARELLO
Art/Cover A: EDUARDO RISSO
Cover B: FRANK MILLER
32 PAGES • FC • M • $2.99
Image Comics is pleased to announce that author Brian Azzarello (ALPHA KING) and artist Eduardo Risso, the New York Times bestselling, Eisner Award winning creative team that redefined the crime genre with 100 Bullets, have reunited for an all-new gangster tale with a horror-twist in MOONSHINE.
Set during Prohibition, and deep in the backwoods of Appalachia, MOONSHINE #1 tells the story of Lou Pirlo, a city-slick “torpedo” sent from New York City to negotiate a deal with the best moonshiner in West Virginia, one Hiram Holt. What Lou doesn’t figure on is that Holt is just as cunning and ruthless as any NYC crime boss. Because not only will Holt do anything to protect his illicit booze operation, he’ll stop at nothing to protect a much darker family secret ... a bloody, supernatural secret that must never see the light of day … or better still, the light of the full moon.
"The idea for Moonshine has been bubbling around between Eduardo (Risso) & I for years,” said Azzarello. “It's exciting that it's about to burst forth! But if fans think they know what to expect from us, then they ought to think again.
"It’s killer to be working with Eduardo again on a project that we've been dying to get to,” said Azzarello. “Like 100 Bullets, the high concept is a grabber, but the heart of the story is dealing with an extremely fractured ‘hero’ (Gangster, Lou Pirlo). He’s one of the most complex characters I’ve written in a long time and I can’t wait to dig into his many sides … seedy and otherwise.”
Risso added: “Being back together with Azzarello is always a pleasure. And to now be at Image, with the freedom to do what we do best, is an added thrill. This time around I’m doing my own coloring so that’s a new approach and I look forward to hearing what our fans think about it. It’s important as creators to keep challenging yourselves and I think we’re doing that with Moonshine!”
Image Comics is pleased to announce a special cover of Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso’s forthcoming MOONSHINE #1 in celebration of this year’s Local Comic Shop Day. As an added treat for fans, the series is set to launch this October -- making it the perfect Halloween read.
About Local Comic Shop Day
Local Comic Shop Day will be held on November 19, 2016 this year.
For 2016, the date has been changed to the Saturday before Small Business Saturday. “We polled participating retailers if they preferred to have Local Comic Shop Day on Nov. 19 or Nov. 26,” said ComicsPRO President Peter Dolan (Main Street Comics, Middletown NY). “By a margin of 73 percent to 27 percent, our retailers wanted to change the date to the earlier Saturday so it would have a distinct identity separate from Small Business Saturday.”
Local Comic Shop Day is the only Comic Book Industry event created and run by retailers for retailers. “Last year nearly 400 storefronts participated in Local Comic Shop Day,” said ComicsPRO Executive Director Marco Davanzo (Alakazam Comics, Irvine CA). “Each and every one of these retailers has a voice in how we grow the day -- that’s why we polled them and will continue to ask their opinions as we go forward.”
Brian Azzarello mixes his trademark crime fiction with werewolves and Southern Gothic. Quite a genre-bender!
RAGNAROK #10
Publisher: IDW PUBLISHING
Writer/Art/Cover: WALTER SIMONSON
Subscription Variant: JOHN PAUL LEON
FC • 40 pages • $4.99
Riding on the backs of the newly metamorphosed steeds of the Thunder God, Thor, Regn, and Drifa soar across the Dusk Lands. Beneath them roars a Frost Giant, towering over a back door into Hel. And before them lies the Fortress of Angantyr, the Lord of the Dead, and a rendezvous with destiny.
Here's another popular book among the Legionnaires.
Replies
FIRST ISSUE ALERT
SHADE, THE CHANGING GIRL #1
Art by MARLEY ZARCONE
Cover by BECKY CLOONAN
Variant cover by TULA LOTAY Variant cover by DUNCAN FEGREDO
40 pg • FC • $3.99 U.S. • MATURE READERS
There’s no such thing as a little bit of madness.
Far away on the planet Meta, Loma’s going nowhere fast. She’s dropped out of school, dumped her boyfriend, and is bored out of her mind. She longs to feel things. That’s where her idol, the lunatic poet Rac Shade, and his infamous madness coat come it. Loma steals the garment and makes a break across galaxies to take up residence in a new body: Earth girl Megan Boyer. Surely everything will be better on this passionate primitive planet with a dash of madness on her side and this human girl’s easy life. Only now that she’s here, Loma discovers being a teenaged Earth girl comes with its own challenges and Earth may not be everything she thought it’d be. Megan Boyer was a bully whom everyone was glad was almost dead, and now Loma has to survive High School and navigate the consequences of the life she didn’t live with the ever-growing and uncontrollable madness at her side. Not to mention that there are people back on her homeworld who might just want Shade’s coat back.
Written by Cecil Castellucci (THE PLAIN JANES, Moving Target: A Princess Leia Adventure), drawn by Marley Zarcone (EFFIGY) and overseen by Gerard Way, SHADE, THE CHANGING GIRL starts a whole new chapter in the story of one of comics’ most unique series.
This sounds pretty cool. The original Vertigo Shade was pretty gender-bendy, so there's not a lot of material to mine there, but I think approaching this concept from a female point of view (regardless of how that character identifies sexually) opens up a lot of territory to explore that the standard white male approach couldn't address.
SHIPWRECK #1
Writer: WARREN ELLIS
Art: ERIC GAPSTUR
Art/Cover: PHIL HESTER
$3.99
Dr Jonathan Shipwright, sole survivor of a very unusual and very secret shipwreck, doesn't know where he is. Seemingly trapped on an endless road, in pursuit of a saboteur who holds the key to his salvation -- or doom. Industry legend WARREN ELLIS joins AfterShock comics with this mysterious and captivating tale full of shock, secrets and surprises.
Any book by Ellis deserves mention, I think. There's not much of his work I haven't enjoyed.
TRIGGERMAN #1
Writers: WALTER HILL, MATZ
Art: JEF
Cover A: JEF
Cover B: DENNIS CALERO
Cover C: FAY DALTON
Cover D: ROBERT HACK
Cover E: FRANCISCO PARONZINI
NYCC Variant: FAY DALTON
FC - 32pp - $3.99
Titan Comics is drawing down on the iconic crime imprint Hard Case Crime, ready to pull the trigger on a brand new line of comic books.
Hard Case Crime is the leading publisher of hard-boiled crime novels, publishing the giants in the genre: Stephen King, Michael Crichton, Lawrence Block, Mickey Spillane, Ed McBain, Donald E. Westlake, James M. Cain and Max Allan Collins, whose best-selling Quarry series is destined for TV in the highly anticipated adaptation for Cinemax in September -- and for comic books in an all-new Quarry comic series from Titan and Hard Case Crime in 2017.
Starting this October, Titan will bring Hard Case Crime’s gritty, sexy, violent world to life. The first shots fired out of the Hard Case Crime comics line will be Prohibition epic Triggerman by the legendary director of The Warriors, Walter Hill, and punky neo-noir Peepland from celebrated crime authors Christa Faust and Gary Phillips.
Triggerman is an operatic Prohibition-era miniseries.
Locked up for a life of murder, Roy Nash never thought he’d walk the mean streets of Chicago again… let alone rescue his beloved, Lena. But when the city’s Mafia elite spring the notorious gun-for-hire to handle one last assignment, Roy once again finds himself thrown headfirst into a life of bloodshed and bullets as he sprints a breathless race to save the girl he left behind.
From legendary screenwriter and director Walter Hill (The Warriors, Red Heat, Last Man Standing) and French comics Matz, comes this hard-boiled crime thriller set in the bullet-ridden streets of 1930s Chicago.
Hitting stores the following week, on October 12, is Peepland – a semi-autobiographical neo-noir mini-series with a punk edge set in the seedy Times Square peep booths of 1980s New York City. Written by award-winning crime novelist and former peep show employee Christa Faust (Money Shot, Nightmare on Elm Street) with Gary Phillips (The Underbelly, The Rinse) and art by rising star Andrea Camerini (Il Troio).
These two explosive new titles debut with a range of variant covers to collect by top industry artists including Fay Dalton (Judge Dredd Magazine), Mack Chater (In the Dark), Alex Ronald (Doctor Who), Caitlin Yarsky (The Changeable Harper Finn), Andrea Camerini, Robert Hack (Sabrina), Dennis Calero (Assassin’s Creed), and Francisco Paronzini (Iron Fist).
“We are so excited to be steering the Hard Case Crime series into a new frontier,” said Ricky Claydon, Direct Sales & Marketing Manager at Titan Comics. “We aim to bring to comics that same grit and gristle that Hard Case Crime is famous for!”
“Before I became a mystery reader, I was a comic book fan -- so the chance to expand Hard Case Crime into the world of comics is a dream come true,” said Charles Ardai, winner of the Edgar, Shamus and Ellery Queen awards and editor of Hard Case Crime. “Hard Case Crime is already known for its sexy, stylish artwork, and the sharp, tough, high-velocity stories we tell are a natural for the medium.”
This looks really good, if you're into crime noir, which I am. Next week's Peepland looks even better.
THE UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL BEATS UP THE MARVEL UNIVERSE! (OGN)
Written by RYAN NORTH
Art & Cover by ERICA HENDERSON
120 PGS. • Rated T • $24.99
It’s a story so HUGE, we needed an entire Original Graphic Novel to tell it! Yes she’s unbeatable. Yes she talks to squirrels. But this Fall, she becomes something entirely new -- the star of her very own OGN! Today, Marvel is pleased to announce THE UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL BEATS UP THE MARVEL UNIVERSE! OGN -- coming at you from the award winning team behind the monthly Unbeatable Squirrel Girl series -- Ryan North and Erica Henderson!
She’s beaten Thanos. She’s bested Galactus. She’s thwarted Doctor Doom (twice, but who’s counting?). But in this all-new graphic novel, she’ll take on her most dangerous, most powerful and most unbeatable enemy yet: HERSELF! Specifically, an evil duplicate created through all manner of mad science (computer and regular type). So what happens when two unbeatable Squirrel Girls clash? You’ll have to wait to find out, but believe us – it’s going to be NUTS!
Spinning out of the hit series everyone is talking about, THE UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL BEATS UP THE MARVEL UNIVERSE! OGN is perfect for new readers, but also set within continuity for die-hard fans. Presented in an hardcover format, Doreen Green’s first Original Graphic Novel marks another stellar entry into Marvel’s growing OGN line including Avengers: Rage of Ultron, Amazing Spider-Man: Family Business and the upcoming Deadpool: Bad Blood.
Ha! This might be the first "X destroys X Universe" that doesn't depress me.
GO TO PART TWO
It's from a J. C. Leyendecker shirt ad. There's a note about it at Dan Thompson's Unofficial Blackhawk Web Page.
It was actually the third issue of Blackhawk, but great memory, Rob! And it was by Chaykin also, so if it's an original image, he was homaging himself. Here's the Harley image as well.
Wow! That is a great find, Luke!
T'wasn't me that worked it out.
One of those Champions covers is an homage to X-Men #268.
They are really going out on a limb sexualizing the current Ms Marvel on this cover.
Jeff of Earth-J said:
They'd do that to her sooner or later wouldn't they?
Richard Willis said: