COMICS GUIDE FOR OCT 5, 2016 (cont'd)
MORE PRESS RELEASES
A&A: THE ADVENTURES OF ARCHER AND ARMSTRONG #8
Written by RAFER ROBERTS
Art by MIKE NORTON with DAVID LAFUENTE
Cover A by KANO
Cover B by DAVID LAFUENTE
Variant Cover by BRIAN LEVEL
Variant Cover by JEFFREY VEREGGE
$3.99 US • 32 pgs. • T+
America’s most bizarre Big Top has a brand new attraction!
Archer & Armstrong. Fearless adventurers. Best friends. Better partners. But that was before this traveling circus made them prisoners of a sideshow so freakish, it makes Davey the Mackerel look like the girl next door! Now captives beneath the world’s maddest midway, our fearless(ish) heroes are just steps from the final clue to locating Armstrong’s long-lost wife. … Too bad there’s a literally “small” army of deranged and dangerous Armstrong clones protecting it with all of their miniature might! Meanwhile: Mary-Maria must confront the one force capable of putting her in her place – the Council of Elders! And whatever happened to Davey, anyway?
Come for the popcorn and stay for the mad science gone awry as rising star Rafer Roberts (HARBINGER RENEGADES) and Eisner Award-winning artist Mike Norton (Revival) bring “NEXT STOP CLOWNTOWN” roaring into a city near you!
Why did anyone ever think clowns were amusing? They are now and always have been creepy. John Wayne Gacy was a clown! Maybe it took The Joker to make us consider the concept realistically. Anyway, I think we all now realize that a man hiding behind makeup and behaving strangely while being utterly silent is probably up to no good.
ALL-NEW WOLVERINE #13
Publisher: MARVEL COMICS
Written by TOM TAYLOR
Art by NIK VIRELLA
Cover by DAVID LOPEZ
Connecting Variant A by BENGAL
Classic Variant by RON LIM
Champions Variant by ART ADAMS
32 PGS. • Rated T+ • $3.99
Wolverine ... murderer?! One of the most iconic Wolverine stories of all time is reborn this October as the new Wolverine runs a deadly gauntlet in ENEMY OF THE STATE II! Marvel is pleased to present the first chapter of "Enemy of the State II," coming to you from blockbuster writer Tom Taylor and incoming artist Nik Virella (Return of the Living Deadpool, 1872)!
Laura has fought hard to be something other than what she was programmed for. But the fight is over. The killing machine has returned, and Wolverine has blood on her hands. As her actions bring the forces of S.H.I.E.L.D. and some of her deadliest foes descending upon her, dark forces conspire to manipulate Laura for their own gains. Can the Wolverine outrun the demons from her past? Or will she be forced to give up all she’s built? The stakes have never been higher as the Wolverine faces her greatest challenge yet when ENEMY OF THE STATE II kicks off this October in ALL-NEW WOLVERINE #13!
BLACK DOG: THE DREAMS OF PAUL NASH (OGN)
Publisher: DARK HORSE
Writer/Art: DAVE MCKEAN
LTD ED HC, $79.99 • TPB, $24.99
Dark Horse proudly presents Black Dog: The Dreams of Paul Nash, a new original graphic novel by the legendary artist Dave McKean based on the life of surrealist painter Paul Nash.
Black Dog takes biographical moments from Paul Nash’s life and explorations of his work, writing and imagination and mixes them with firsthand accounts of the First World War. Presented as a series of surreal dreams, the stories add up to a moving piece about how war and extreme situations change us and how we deal with the resulting pain -- in Nash’s case, by turning landscapes into powerful and fantastical “psychoscapes.”
Best known for his collaborations with Neil Gaiman, McKean defied expectations with his stunning debut as writer and artist in Cages, winner of multiple awards for Best Graphic Album. McKean is also the winner of the Alph-Art, Pantera, Harvey, Spectrum, and BSFA awards.
In addition to the standard release, Black Dog will also receive a limited edition of 400 copies featuring an exclusive plate signed by Dave McKean.
Praise for other works by Dave McKean:
“One of the most important works of comic art in the last decade.” -- The Comics Journal
“It is compulsively readable, with a lyrical tone that moves the reader through the rougher, more elusive passages as it strives at the very edge of the form’s limitation.” -- Comic Foundry Magazine
“The finest comic being created today. Get it and see what heights narrative graphic art can achieve.” -- The Fine Print
BLOODSHOT REBORN #18
Written by JEFF LEMIRE
Art by TOMAS GIORELLO
Cover A by STEPHEN SEGOVIA
Cover B by ADAM GORHAM
Cover C by ANDRES GUINALDO
Variant Cover by BRIAN LEVEL
Variant Cover by ROBERT GILL
$3.99 • 32 pgs. • T+
Valiant is proud to present BLOODSHOT REBORN #18 – a blood-stained epilogue to “BLOODSHOT ISLAND” from New York Times best-selling writer Jeff Lemire (Moon Knight, Old Man Logan) and Valiant’s latest exclusive superstar, Tomas Giorello (4001 A.D.: WAR MOTHER)! Before BLOODSHOT U.S.A. #1 grips New York with infection, fear, and panic on October 26th, jump on board the series nominated for Best Writer, Best Artist, Best Continuing Series, and much more at the 2016 Harvey Awards with a searing standalone tale perfect for new readers!
Ray Garrison and a battered team of survivors have made their escape from BLOODSHOT ISLAND … only to drift straight into shark-infested waters! Marooned in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with no defenses except the relentless will to survive, will the highly trained team of killers aboard this life raft band together … or throw each other to the prehistoric predators below? And, if they don’t kill each other first, will mother nature finish the job?’
Come aboard with Jeff Lemire and Tomas Giorello as they send Bloodshot on a carnage-filled cruise headed straight for BLOODSHOT U.S.A.! There will be blood in the water when Valiant’s nanite-enhanced commandos enter uncharted territory, only in BLOODSHOT REBORN #18 – featuring covers by Stephen Segovia (Wolverine), Adam Gorham (DEAD DROP), Andres Guinaldo (Justice League Dark), Brian Level (The Mantle) and Robert Gill (X-O MANOWAR)!
FIRST ISSUE ALERT
CANNIBAL #1
Publisher: IMAGE COMICS
Writers: BRIAN BUCCELLATO & JENNIFER YOUNG
Art/Cover: MATIAS BERGARA
32 PAGES • FC • M • $3.99
Image Comics is pleased to announce that New York Times bestselling author Brian Buccellato (SONS OF THE DEVIL, The Flash, Injustice), Jennifer Young, and artist Matias Bergara (Sons of Anarchy) are teaming up for a Southern Gothic horror series.
In CANNIBAL #1, a small Everglades town is hit by a new virus that causes those it infects to crave human flesh. But with no cure in sight, the region has become split over what to do with the victims. For the Hansen family the answer is simple: Kill them. However all of that changes when the virus infects those the family cares about most.
“It’s about a Florida town that is just trying to hold onto their everyday lives at the dawn of a cannibal epidemic,” said Young. “Told through the eyes of the Hansen family, it’s an anti-apocalypse story because mankind is too stubborn to give in. It’s a about family and community, and explores how people respond to the spread of deadly diseases.”
“These cannibals are just like us. They feel remorse and guilt and don’t want to eat people,” added Buccellato. “But the virus manifests as an insurmountable addiction that builds up until they can’t control themselves. After they feed and sate their hunger, they must face the guilt and ramifications of their actions. At its heart, it’s an allegory for drug addiction.”
Young continued: “In a world where your neighbor, your friend, your barber could suddenly try to eat you, this story is also about mankind’s resolve and deeply-ingrained desire to maintain the status quo -- so deep that they will assimilate the idea of cannibals into their normal life.”
This is the second collaboration by Buccellato, Young and Bergara, following the short story, “Jennifer” which appeared in SONS OF THE DEVIL, VOL. 1.
Sounds like this falls in the zombie genre, sort of like 28 Days Later.
FIRST ISSUE ALERT
DEADPOOL: BACK IN BLACK #1 (of 5)
Publisher: MARVEL COMICS
Written by CULLEN BUNN
Art & Cover by SALVA ESPIN
Variant Covers by ROB LIEFELD & RON LIM
Contest of Champions Game Variant Also Available
Rob Liefeld Sketch Variant Also Available
32 PGS. • Parental Advisory • $3.99
What happens when Deadpool bonds with Venom? Pure mayhem! Today, Marvel is pleased to present your first look inside DEADPOOL: BACK IN BLACK #1 – a brand-new series debuting this October! Fan-favorite creators Cullen Bunn and Salva Espin are back with a brand-new Deadpool tale that ratchets up the chaos to completely new heights!
Remember when Spider-Man rejected the alien symbiote way back in the day? Did you know that for a period of time, the symbiote went slinking back to Deadpool on the rebound? No? Well you do now! And you won’t believe the damage Deadpool can cause when he’s packing a nigh invulnerable alien symbiote. The fireworks begin this October when DEADPOOL: BACK IN BLACK #1 comes crashing in to comic shops and digital devices everywhere!
FIRST ISSUE ALERT
DEADPOOL & THE MERCS FOR MONEY #4
Written by CULLEN BUNN
Art by IBAN COELLO
Variant Cover by MIKE MCKONE
Character Variant by ROD REIS
Story Thus Far Variant by DAVE JOHNSON
32 PGS. • Parental Advisory • $3.99
Get ready to meet the all-new Mercs for Money this October! Wait, a new team already? Guess that’s what happens when the old team quits and goes solo. Today, get your first look inside DEADPOOL AND THE MERCS FOR MONEY #4 – the first chapter of “New Crew, New Rules”. The Mercs crash headlong into Marvel NOW! as a brand new team leader steps into the fore. Wait, isn’t Deadpool’s name on the cover? What gives? That’s right, new team leader Domino is here and she’s packing a brand-new team of highly trained mercenaries – Masacre, Machine Man, Hit-Monkey, Negasonic Teenage Warhead and Gorilla-Man. You’re going to “go bananas” for this new team, True Believer! We promise it’s not because their ranks include two monkeys. Yes we know Gorilla-Man is technically an ape. Stop writing us letters. Get your first look at this new team this October when they come to comic shops and digital devices in DEADPOOL AND THE MERCS FOR MONEY #4!
DOCTOR STRANGE #12
Publisher: MARVEL COMICS
Written by JASON AARON
Art & Cover by CHRIS BACHALO
Classic Variant by PAUL SMITH
Champions Variant by JOYCE CHIN
Defenders Variant by BUTCH GUICE
Story Thus Far Variant by MICHAEL WALSH
32 PGS. • Rated T+ • $3.99
“BLOOD IN THE AETHER” STARTS NOW!
The Last Days of Magic were just the beginning. This October, the Sorcerer Supreme begins a deadly gauntlet of his greatest foes as “Blood in the Aether” kicks off in DOCTOR STRANGE #12! Blockbuster creators Jason Aaron and Chris Bachalo begin the next phase of their critically-acclaimed series – beginning with a Stephen Strange on the brink of death! His magic has been depleted, all but lost. Sensing him at his absolute weakest, his enemies see their greatest opportunity yet – destroy him once and for all! Baron Mordo, Dormammu, Satana, Master Pandemonium, Nightmare, Kaecilius and more are all ready to take their shot. If Doctor Strange is to survive, he’ll have to learn to defeat them without the help of his magical abilities. The rules of magic in the Marvel Universe have been reshaped. Can Doctor Strange adapt in time…or is it too late? Don’t miss out on the kickoff to the next explosive story arc when “Blood in the Aether” kicks off in DOCTOR STRANGE #12!
This is the one Marvel book I still read regularly.
THE DISCIPLINE VOL 1 (TPB)
Publisher: IMAGE COMICS
Writer: PETER MILLIGAN
Art/Cover: LEANDRO FERNANDEZ
160 PAGES • FC • M • $9.99
Sizzling creative team Peter Milligan (The Names, X-Statix, Hellblazer) and Leandro Fernandez (The Names, Punisher MAX, Northlanders: The Plague Widow) will release the first arc of their chillingly erotic horror series THE DISCIPLINE in trade paperback.
When frustrated Manhattan wife Melissa Peake allows herself to be seduced by a mysterious stranger, she is drawn into an ancient war between The Discipline and the creatures known as The Stalkers … and must discover hitherto unimagined potential within herself to survive. But at what cost? Whatever you've heard about it won’t prepare you for ...THE DISCIPLINE.
PRAISE FOR THE DISCIPLINE:
“Milligan and Fernandez are cooking up one hell of a sexually charged mystery building on something many people can relate to -- feeling sexually starved -- and using it to reveal a mysterious world involving sex, violence, and manipulation.” -- AiPT!
“Fernandez’s use of shadow to evoke sexual tension and fear of the unknown reinforces an atmosphere of fear-tinged titillation, yet never approaches unwarranted visual depravity.” -- Broken Frontier
“THE DISCIPLINE delivers a story that is mythical, risqué, eccentric and mysterious.” -- Monkeys Fighting Robots“THE DISCIPLINE is a dark, suggestive, and ultimately interesting look at what goes with the world after dark. Be it monsters or men, we are all slaves to the night.” -- Fangoria
I'm pretty sure I dated that girl in college.
Peter Milligan is hit or miss with me. When he writes something I can identify with (however vaguely) I generally enjoy his work. When he focuses on his own particular hobby horses, I see the little man behind the curtain, it's too personal for me to relate, and I don't enjoy it. (X-Statix thumbs up, The Enigma thumbs down). This looks like the Milligan I like to read.
FIRST ISSUE ALERT
GREEN VALLEY #1 (of 9)
Publisher: IMAGE COMICS
Writer: MAX LANDIS
Art/Cover: GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI, CLIFF RATHBURN & JEAN-FRANCOIS BEAULIEU
40 PAGES • FC • T+ • $2.99
Beloved screenwriter and creator Max Landis (Chronicle, American Ultra, Superman: American Alien) teams up with penciler Giuseppe Camuncoli (Amazing Spider-Man), inker Cliff Rathburn, colorist Jean-Francois Beaulieu, and letterer Pat Brosseau for an all-new miniseries from Image/Skybound Entertainment called GREEN VALLEY.
The knights of Kelodia are the finest in the land, but they’ve never faced a power like the one that resides in GREEN VALLEY. This new nine-issue miniseries will welcome readers into a world where nothing is as it seems.
“Green Valley was an idea I had when I was a very little kid,” said Landis. “As I got older, most of my ideas from when I was small sounded stupider and stupider. But Green Valley persisted in my mind, and grew. I'm glad to see it finally come to life so beautifully.”
FIRST ISSUE ALERT
LITTLE TAILS IN THE FOREST VOL 1 (HC)
LITTLE TAILS IN THE JUNGLE VOL 2 (HC)
Publisher: MAGNETIC PRESS
Writer: FREDERIC BRREMAUD
Art/Cover: FEDERICO BERTOLUCCI
$14.99 (each)
Among the titles announced are two volumes of LITTLE TALES, a series of nature-focused graphic novels for young readers, created by Federico Bertolucci & Frédéric Brrémaud, the world famous creators of the Eisner-Award nominated LOVE graphic novel series. LITTLE TALES: IN THE FOREST and LITTLE TALES: IN THE JUNGLE will both be released simultaneously in September, 2016.
LITTLE TALES is a series of young readers graphic novels created by Eisner Award nominated illustrator Federico Bertolucci, and Frédéric Brrémaud, creators of the world-famous, multi-award winning LOVE series of silent, nature focused graphic novels.
In each volume of LITTLE TALES, a precocious puppy and an adventure-seeking squirrel named Chipper & Squizzo, set out on a journey to explore new and interesting environments full of fascinating animals curious creatures.
The first volume in the series is LITTLE TAILS: IN THE FOREST, which finds Chip & Squizzo venturing into a lush forest to visit Squizzo’s family. On their journey, the two animal pals discover and discuss a fantastic variety of bugs, birds, bears, & more!
LITTLE TALES: IN THE JUNGLE will be released simultaneously with LITTLE TALES: IN THE FORREST in September, 2016.
The second story in the LITTLE TALES series of young readers graphic novels by Bertolucci & Brrémaud, LITTLE TAILS: IN THE JUNGLE follows Chipper & Squizzo as they journey through different jungles around the world, where they’ll find all kinds of things that hunt, bite, and roar!
LITTLE TALES: IN THE JUNGLE will be released simultaneously with LITTLE TALES: IN THE FORREST in September 28, 2016.
FIRST ISSUE ALERT
ROMULUS #1
Publisher: IMAGE COMICS
Writer: BRYAN HILL
Art/Cover A&B: NELSON BLAKE II
32 PAGES • FC • M • $3.99
Fan-favorite writer Bryan Hill (POSTAL) and Nelson Blake II come together for an all-new Image/Top Cow series in ROMULUS.
Set in the near future, ROMULUS follows the last in a line of near-mystical martial artists wages a revolutionary war against The Order of Romulus, the ancient secret society that trained her—a global organization, hidden in plain sight, that's controlled the world since the days of Ancient Rome.
Their plan? Cull the population with genocide and rule a New World Order. Her plan? Kill them all or die angry.
THE SECRET LOVES OF GEEK GIRLS
Publisher: DARK HORSE
Writers: MARGARET ATWOOD, MARJORIE LIU, MARIKO TAMAKI, MARGUERITE BENNETT
Art: MARGARET ATWOOD, JEN VAUGHN
Cover: NOELLE STEVENSON
FC, 280 pages; TPB, 6'' x 9'' $14.99 Age range: 14
Editor Hope Nicholson has assembled a dazzling mix of prose, comics and illustrated stories about love, dating and sex featuring more than 50 creators, including Booker Award–winning novelist Margaret Atwood (The Heart Goes Last), Mariko Tamaki (This One Summer), Trina Robbins (Wonder Woman), Gisèle Lagacé (Ménage à 3), Marguerite Bennett (A-Force), Marjorie Liu (Monstress), and Carla Speed McNeil (Finder). It also features a foreword by Kelly Sue DeConnick (Bitch Planet) and a new cover by Noelle Stevenson (Nimona). Originally funded via a high-profile Kickstarter campaign, The Secret Loves of Geek Girls is available in both comic book stores and bookstores.
“These are the stories we bond over when we get together at a comic con, play video games, and marathon Star Trek,” said Hope Nicholson. “They are stories about the loves of our lives (both real and fictional!), and our embarrassing moments as we grow and learn more about the complex worlds of love and dating, especially as they relate to our fandom obsessions. All of the writers and artists involved -- especially me -- are incredibly excited to work with Dark Horse and bring our stories into comic and book stores worldwide.”
The Secret Loves of Geek Girls includes:
• Cartoons by award-winning novelist Margaret Atwood that detail her personal experiences as a young woman
• A comic by Fionna Adams and Jen Vaughn about what it’s like being a trans woman trying to figure out romantic and sexual inclinations while entrenched in comics
• A story by Mariko Tamaki and Fiona Smyth in which a 17-year-old Tamaki dreams of being Montreal’s first chubby Asian Frank N. Furter
• A story by Marguerite Bennett about fandom and how it allows us to say what we feel to our loved ones
• New comics by Meaghan Carter, Megan Kearney, ALB, Meags Fitzgerald, Gillian G., Diana Nock, Roberta Gregory, Laura Neubert, Sarah Winifred Searle, Natalie Smith, Jenn Woodall and Irene Koh
• Illustrated stories by Janet Hetherington, Sam Maggs and Selena Goulding, Megan Lavey-Heaton and Isabelle Melançon, Cherelle Ann Sarah Higgins and Rachael Wells, Annie Mok, and Stephanie Cooke and Deena Pagliarello
• Prose stories by Brandy Dawley, Diana McCallum, Jen Aprahamian, Katie West, Adrienne Kress, Soha Kareem, Loretta Jean, J. M. Frey, Trina Robbins, Twiggy Tallant, Hope Nicholson, Crystal Skillman, Emma Woolley, Gita Jackson, Natalie Zina Walschots, Alicia Contestabile, Tini Howard, Cara Ellison, Jessica Oliver Proulx and Erin Cossar
Looks cute.
... AND THE REST
ALTERNA ANNIVERSERIES (GN)
Publisher: ALTERNA COMICS
Writers: PETER SIMETI, JEFF MCCOMSEY, MICHAEL S. BRACCO, JEREMY MASSIE, GRESHAM, ANNE, JON PARRISH, HANK TUCKER, WES LOCHER, MICHAEL KOGGE, JUSTIN M. RYAN, ERICA J HEFLIN, CHARLES DOWD
Art: BRET M. HERHOLZ, KRISTIAN ROSSI, MAIA GROSS, DAN PARSONS, FARES MAESE, KEVIN ENHART, ANDREW HERBST, EDUARDO JIMENEZ, DIEGO TORO, KEVIN CHRISTENSEN, DONIS, JORGE
Cover: PETER SIMETI
400 pages • $19.99
Space-traveling children, swash-buckling sky pirates, zombies invading the battlefields of WW2, sadistic prison guards, wise-cracking Area 51 agents, an alien with an identity crisis, a little girl that slays monsters, and so much more. AnniverSERIES celebrates our first ten years of creator-owned comics with a 30 page character guide combined with over 400 pages of the very best stories from Alterna.
I appreciate the effort, but I don't think I recognize any of those creators.
FIRST ISSUE ALERT
ANGEL CITY #1 (OF 6)
Publisher: ONI PRESS INC.
Writer: JANET HARVEY
Art/Cover: MEGAN LEVENS
Mature • $3.99
Introducing ANGEL CITY, a hard-boiled 1930s noir starring Dolores Dare, previous Hollywood hopeful and current enforcer for the Volante mob. When her best friend turns up dead in a dumpster behind the Chinese Theater, Dolores starts her own investigation of the "April Fool's Killer." As she gets closer to the truth, the studios, the corrupt homicide division, and even her own gangland contacts work to cover up the scandal. Has she bitten off more than she can chew?
I like crime noir, and I like '30s Hollywood crime noir most of all. I don't recognize the creators, but I like the genre and I trust the pubisher. So strong maybe.
FIRST ISSUE ALERT
ARMY OF DARKNESS/XENA: FOREVER ... AND A DAY #1 (OF 6)
Publisher: DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT
Writer: SCOTT LOBDELL
Art: ELLIOT FERNANDEZ
Cover A: REILLY BROWN
Cover B: ELLIOT FERNANDEZ
Cover C: DAVID ROBINSON "Action Figure"
Cover D: MICHAEL ADAMS "Halloween Costume"
32 Pages • TEEN + • $3.99
You're Xena the Warrior Princess and your thousand strong army has fallen to an implacable and ancient evil. What do you do? You suck it up and summon the only ally who stands any hope at all of helping you prevent the end of the world. Unfortunately, that lone man is the wise ass, ass kicking, time traveling, woman kissing, boom sticker known as Ash!
"An epic tale of horror, time travel, friendships that last a century, action, and comedy all wrapped into a big-ass honking story that stars both characters front row and center!" -- Scott Lobdell
Evidenty this is the third or fourth Xena/AOD crossover. I had no idea.
FIRST ISSUE ALERT
BIG TROUBLE LITTLE CHINA/ESCAPE NEW YORK #1
Publisher: BOOM! STUDIOS
Writer: GREG PAK
Art/Cover: DANIEL BAYLISS
$3.99
"It's the mother of all crossovers as Jack Burton and Snake Plissken meet for the first time ever anywhere!"
Done with director John Carpenter's complete blessing, witness this melee of the mullets as two cult classic characters made famous by actor Kurt Russell crossover in an improbable adventure.
As lightning cascades around Jack and his good ol' Pork-Chop Express, he finds himself transported and driving through the horrors of what seems to be the dystopian future of...Escape from New York..
Snake Plissken catches wind of Jack and goes on the hunt to find who is trying to steal his identity.
Prepare for the road trip of a lifetime, with Jack and Snake rumblin' down the streets of a dystopian future to find what craziness caused Jack to jump through worlds.
Written by Greg Pak (Totally Awesome Hulk, Action Comics) and illustrated by Russ Manning Award nominee Daniel Bayliss (Kennel Block Blues, Translucid).
Kurt Russell teams up with Kurt Russell.
FIRST ISSUE ALERT
BLACK #1
Publisher: BLACK MASK COMICS
Writer: KWANZA OSAJYEFO
Art: JAMAL IGLE
Cover: KHARY RANDOLPH, ASHLEY A. WOODS
Mature • $3.99
IT'S HERE! The comic that blazed through Kickstarter during Black History Month 2016.
In a world that already hates and fears them -- what if only Black people had superpowers. After miraculously surviving being gunned down by police, a young man learns that he is part of the biggest lie in history. Now he must decide whether it's safer to keep it a secret or if the truth will set him free.
FIRST ISSUE ALERT
BLADE BUNNY VOL 2 #1
Publisher: ANTARCTIC PRESS
Writer: ERIC KIMBALL
Art/Cover: ERWIN
$3.99
Bunny, the world's ditziest assassin, has been dispatched by the dragon Ao Lung on a quest to retrieve an ancient artifact before it falls into evil hands. At long last, she and Ao Lung's pupil Kyoto have reached the monastery from which the pearl was stolen, but the monks there are acting rather strange...possibly because Bunny punched one of them.
If you missed the first series, the premise is "What if Dumb Bunny of Inferior Five was the star of Samurai Assassin?"
CHARLES BURNS LAST LOOK (GN)
Publisher: PANTHEON BOOKS
Writer: CHARLES BURNS
Art/Cover: CHARLES BURNS
$29.95
A true graphic milestone: the epic trilogy that began with X'ed Out, continued in The Hive, and concluded in Sugar Skull, now in a single volume. The long strange trip of Doug in all its mind-bending, heartbreaking totality. The fragments of the past collide with the reality of the present, nightmarish dreams evolve into an even more dreadful reality, and when you finally find out where all of this has been going, and what it means. It will make you go right back to the first page and read it all again with new eyes. Just like Doug.
Looks very Black Hole-ish. Did Burns do work for that book?
FIRST ISSUE ALERT
COMBAT JACKS #1 DIRECTOR'S CUT
Publisher: BANANA TALE PRESS
Writers: MARK MCKENNA, SAM EGGLESTON
Art: MARK MCKENNA
Cover: ART THIBERT
Art/Cover: JASON BAROODY
$4.50
In the 23rd-century, a space marine squad is sent to investigate the disappearance of prison terraformers on newfound planet Maia. What they find is much worse then they imagined. The oxygen-rich atmosphere created by the planet's pumpkin-like vegetation makes Maia a perfect place for settlement -- and the perfect flytrap!
The girl's face is drawn a little awkwardly, but I suppose that's not where we're supposed to look.
COMICS CONFIDENTIAL: 13 GRAPHIC NOVELISTS TALK (HC)
Publisher: CANDLEWICK PRESS
Writers: LEONARD S. MARCUS, HARRY BLISS, CATIA CHIEN, GEOFFREY HAYES, KAZU KIBUISHI, HOPE LARSON, DANICA NOVGORODOFF, MATT PHELAN, DAVE ROMAN, GENE LUEN YANG, SARA VARON, MARK SIEGEL, SIENA CHERSON SIEGEL, JAMES STRUM
$24.99
Respected anthologist Leonard S. Marcus turns his literary microscope to the world of comics, which has lately morphed and matured at a furious pace. Powerful influences from manga to the movies to underground comix have influenced the thirteen artists and writers interviewed in these pages to create their own word-and-picture narratives. Here are their moving, funny, inspirational stories: true tales from the crucible of creative struggles that led each to become a master of one of today's most vibrant art forms. Featuring interviews with: Harry Bliss, Catia Chien, Geoffrey Hayes, Kazu Kibuishi, Hope Larson, Danica Novgorodoff, Matt Phelan, Dave Roman, Mark and Siena Cherson Siegel, James Sturm, Sara Varon and Gene Luen Yang.
If this sounds familiar, it's because there are a number of books which do the same thing (I own a couple), plus there was a TV documentary titled Comic Book Confidential.
FLYING COUCH GRAPHIC MEMOIR (GN)
Publisher: BLACK BALLOON PUBLISHING
Writer/Art/Cover: AMY KURZWEIL
$18.95
Flying Couch, Amy Kurzweil's debut, tells the stories of three unforgettable women. Amy weaves her own coming-of-age as a young Jewish artist into the narrative of her mother, a psychologist, and Bubbe, her grandmother, a World War II survivor who escaped from the Warsaw Ghetto by disguising herself as a gentile. Captivated by Bubbe's story, Amy turns to her sketchbooks, teaching herself to draw as a way to cope with what she discovers. Entwining the voices and histories of these three wise, hilarious, and very different women, Amy creates a portrait not only of what it means to be part of a family, but also of how each generation bears the imprint of the past.
I usually enjoy this sort of comics memoir. As long as there's no coming-of-age!
FIRST ISSUE ALERT
GRIMM FAIRY TALES: GENESIS HEROES REBORN #1
Publisher: ZENESCOPE ENTERTAINMENT INC
Writers: JOE BRUSHA, PATRICK SHAND, DAVE FRANCHINI, LOU IOVINO
Art: TBD
Cover A: MIKE KROME
Cover B: DAVID LORENZO RIVEIRO
Cover C: RENATO REI
Cover D: PASQUALE QUALANO
Cover E: NOAH SALONGO
30 pages • MATURE • $4.99
One issue ... five action packed stories ... no ads! With 30 pages of action spotlighting the best known characters from the Grimm Universe this is a great intro to the most popular Zenescope titles and characters. A great jumping on point for new readers, and a super value for current fans.
This seems custom-made for people who want to get familiar with GFT universe. (Hint: Most of heroes are buxom girls.)
FIRST ISSUE ALERT
GIRRION #1
Publisher: SCOUT COMICS
Writer/Art/Cover: TOM LINTERN
$3.99
The next big Scout book has arrived! Girrion is a sweeping sci-fi fantasy story of a hero's journey in a distant world and time, a saga told through the eyes of Jarra, a poor factory worker who dreams of escaping his world of endless toil. His wish comes true, though not in a way he would have ever wanted, when his city is attacked by a dark entity called the Halodron. He escapes the conflict, but only to be thrust into a war of other-worldly magic and weaponry!
Dunno what the heck this is. I should start a "What th-?" category.
HALLOWEEN COMIC FEST
HCF 2016 ARCHIES MADHOUSE MINI COMIC POLYPACK
HCF 2016 BOOOOOOOOOM BOX HALLOWEEN MINI COMIC POLYPACK
HCF 2016 CARPENTER TRAVELLERS TALE MINI COMIC POLYPACK
HCF 2016 GRUMPY CAT HALLOWEEN MINI COMIC POLYPACK
HCF 2016 JOHNNY BOO MINI COMIC POLYPACK
HCF 2016 LITTLE TAILS HALLOWEEN MINI COMIC POLYPACK
HCF 2016 LUNCH WITCH 2 MINI COMIC POLYPACK
HCF 2016 MICKEYS INFERNO MINI COMIC POLYPACK
HCF 2016 MUMMYS ALWAYS RIGHT MINI COMIC POLYPACK
HCF 2016 PEACH & ISLE OF MONSTERS MINI COMIC POLYPACK
HCF 2016 POKEMON POCKET COMICS XY MINI COMIC POLYPACK
HCF 2016 TIM BURTON NBX MANGA MINI COMIC POLYPACK
HCF 2016 ZOMBIE CAMP MINI COMIC POLYPACK
Now's the time to put in your order.
HEROES HAVEN VOL 1 (GN)
Publisher: GOTHAM CITY FILMS
Writer: MARIO SIMONE
Art/Cover: MATT JACOBS
MATURE • $19.99
In a post-apocalyptic Los Angeles, scientists are working to create a drug called V-1, to awaken "Superhero DNA Code" in the human body. A Utopian society is born; the revolution is called Heroes Haven. As V-1 testing unfolds to enlighten and heal the dregs of LA - hitmen, druggers, hookers and thieves - V-1 begins to synergize, and awakens gifts like healing, super-strength, visions, and telekinesis. But alongside these gifts came the risk of extremely dangerous side-effects. In the dark shadows of the city, a secret society has stolen the drug to test on death row inmates in hopes of creating immortal super soldiers. The battle to control the drug that will create a new world order begins, and the only hope for humanity are the test subjects from Heroes Haven, the very dregs of society first experimented upon.
Post-apocalyptic superheroes have been done to death, but if it's done well, more's the merrier.
I LUV HALLOWEEN VOLS 1-3
Publisher: TOKYOPOP
Writer: KEITH GIFFEN
Art/Covers: BENJAMIN ROMAN
MATURE • $9.99 (each)
This time it's not just about the candy. ... Join the misadventures of a group of particularly disturbing trick-or-treaters as they go about their macabre business on Halloween night. Pick up the sometimes sick and always twisted tale about a holiday that some of us just can't live ... without!
I posted this because I saw Keith Giffen's name in the credits.
FIRST ISSUE ALERT
INTERTWINED #1
Publisher: DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT
Writer: FABRICE SAPOLSKY
Art/Cover A: FRED PHAM CHUONG
Cover B: FRED PHAM CHUONG "Homage Cover"
32 Pages • MATURE • $3.99
A murder. A mysterious league of protectors operating in the shadows. A legacy to protect. A city to save from filth, corruption and gangs. A girl who has to pose as a man to protect herself and her heritage. A young Kung Fu student lost in a concrete jungle he never chose to... Welcome to the world of Intertwined. It's 1971 and for Juan Jin, life is about to become hell! He didn't ask to be a hero. He didn't ask to go to Chinatown. He only wanted to follow the way of Wing Chun, the Kung Fu style he masters brilliantly. But destiny had other plans for him!
The first ever Kung Fu Noir series starts here on the heels of its successful campaign on Kickstarter, from Fabrice Sapolsky (Spider-Man Noir, One-Hit Wonder) and hot new French sensation Fred Pham Chuong (who also practices Kung Fu himself)! It's the creator-owned comic book series you can't wait to read, even if you don't know it yet. And it's from the House of Noir itself, Dynamite Comics!
Dynamite isn't a first-issue machine like some publishers, so when they do one, I like to take a look.
DEMON (GN)
Publisher: :01 FIRST SECOND
Writer/Art/Cover: JASON SHIGA
$19.99
Jimmy cannot die. When the body he is occupying is killed, Jimmy's consciousness simply takes over the body of the living person in closest proximity to him. Simple, right? Not once Jimmy gets started. Because Jimmy is an insurance actuary. His mind is sharp and highly analytical, and he cares about nothing but his own survival and the survival of his adorable daughter. To avoid the shadowy government agency on his tail, Jimmy will do anything to protect his family, even if it means tearing the world down around them in the most mind-bogglingly complex and fiendishly clever way possible.
Being an insurance actuary for eternity should be its own ring of Hell.
LAND OF THE RISING DEAD TOKYO SCHOOL GIRL SURVIVING ZOMBIE
Publisher: SEVEN SEAS ENTERTAINMENT LLC
Writer/Art/Cover: SAKAZAKI FREDDIE
$14.99
It was a regular day of class, when suddenly ... zombies struck! Kris, Sara, Lina and Melo barely managed to escape their school alive only to find the entire city in full blown panic mode. Now it's time for these four brave school girls to learn all they'll need to know about the undead and to teach us how to survive a zombie apocalypse along the way, Japan-style!
If there ever is a zombie apocalypse, I hope there are some Japanese schoolgirls around. Those gals can handle anything, it seems.
THE LAST ONE (HC)
Publisher: IDW PUBLISHING
Writer: MARC DEMATTEIS
Art/Cover: DAN SWEETMAN
$29.99
What if you couldn't die? The sole survivor of an ancient race of immortals, the being called Myrwann has nothing but time. Throughout history, as nations rose and fell, as humans waged war, waged peace, wrote poetry and touched the stars, Myrwann lived outside them and beside them, sometimes as woman, sometimes as man. Now, old beyond imagining, tired beyond words, The Last One nurtures the failed and broken souls of New York City's East Village-even as his own heart cries out for the release of death.
DeMatteis is also capable of good work. But I think I read this from another publisher.
FIRST ISSUE ALERT
MY PATHETIC VAMPIRE LIFE VOL 1 (GN)
Publisher: SEVEN SEAS ENTERTAINMENT LLC
Writer/Art/Cover: ROSE ISHIKAWA
$12.99
Koide was turned into a vampire at the age of sixteen ... one hundred and thirty three years ago. Now, poor Koide is trapped in an eternal loop of the same old homework, the same boring lectures and meaningless tests, and an ever-unquenchable thirst for blood. Koide has repeated his uneventful sophomore year of high school one hundred and thirty-three times, and now, in his one hundred-and-thirty-fourth-year, he doesn't expect things to change -- and is frankly too bored to care. But his classmates this year seem a little different than ever before. They're thrilled to have a vampire in their midst, and are eager to do whatever they can to help. Will "134" be Koide's lucky number or is that just wishful thinking?
Eternity in ninth grade should be another ring of Hell!
FIRST ISSUE ALERT
NARWHAL VOL 1: UNICORN OF SEA (GN)
Publisher: TUNDRA BOOKS
Writer/Art/Cover: BEN CLANTON
TPB • $7.99 • HC • $12.99
The first in a funny and adorable graphic novel series, starring exuberant, happy-go-lucky, waffle-loving Narwhal and his cynical sidekick, Jelly. Narwhal is a happy-go-lucky narwhal. Jelly is a no-nonsense jellyfish. The two might not have a lot in common, but they do they love waffles, parties and adventures. Join Narwhal and Jelly as they discover the whole wide ocean together. Jelly learns that Narwhal is a really good friend. Then Narwhal and Jelly form their own pod of awesomeness with their ocean friends. And finally, Narwhal and Jelly read the best book ever - even though it doesn't have any words ... or pictures!
Yep, this is based on the song/video made famous by the Sprint commercials. Here's the video. WARNING: If you watch the video, you won't be able to get the song out of your head all day.
FIRST ISSUE ALERT
NEW BRIGHTON ARCHEOLOGICAL SOCIETY VOLS 1-2 (HC)
Publisher: MANEKI NEKO BOOKS
Writer: MARK ANDREW SMITH
Art/Cover: MATTHEW WELDON
$25.00
Out of the ashes of misfortune will rise the next generation of great adventurers! After their parents are lost on an archeological expedition, four children begin to unlock the secrets of their parents' mysterious lives, discovering a hidden world of mystical artifacts, mythical creatures, and arcane knowledge. Soon they find themselves drawn into a conflict over a great library that has kept two kingdoms at war for centuries, the children must save an enchanted forest, the birthplace of magic itself. Join us as these children become the latest members of the fabled New Brighton Archeological Society, and take their first steps towards their true destiny!
I posted this because I bothered to look up "Maneki Neko." The publisher is all Kickstarter, but the phrase is Japanese, and refers to small good-luck figurines, usually made of plastic or ceramic, and usually of a bob-tailed cat with one paw up in greeting.
The Japanese are just all sorts of awesome.
FIRST ISSUE ALERT
OH JOY SEX TOY VOLS 1-2
Publisher: LIMERENCE PRESS
Writer/Art/Cover: ERIKA MOEN
$29.99
Oh Joy Sex Toy: Volume One is 268 pages of comics by Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan about sex, sex toy reviews, sexuality, sex education, safer sex practices, interviews with sex industry workers, AND MORE. Volume One collects the first year's worth of content from the weekly comic Oh Joy Sex Toy. Combining helpful facts with terrible puns and the occasional Star Trek joke, Volume One is an indispensable resource for fans of sex, fans of comics, and nerds of all stripes. It also features the comics of nearly a dozen other cartoonists, plus brand new comics made exclusively for the book and behind-the-scenes content!
Well, of course.
FIRST ISSUE ALERT
PLATINUM END VOL 1 (GN)
Publisher: VIZ MEDIA LLC
Writer: TSUGUMI OHBA
Art/Cover: TAKESHI OBATA
$9.99
As his classmates celebrate their middle school graduation, troubled Mirai is mired in darkness. But his battle is just beginning when he receives some salvation from above in the form of an angel. Now Mirai is pitted against 12 other chosen humans in a battle in which the winner becomes the next god of the world. Mirai has an angel in his corner, but he may need to become a devil to survive.
Sounds like another "The One" story, like The Matrix. In my youth I had high hopes that I was "The One" of prophesy, and it would be revealed that I was the central figures between opposing forces of darkness and light, and would bring balance to the universe.
Turns out I wasn't.
FIRST ISSUE ALERT
PRINCE IN HIS DARK DAYS VOL 1 (GN)
Publisher: KODANSHA COMICS
Art/Cover: HIKO YAMANAKA
$12.99
A cross-dressing dramedy about a girl from a poor family who is thrust into Japanese high society as a rich classmate's body double. Atsuko's father is a drunk, and she's shunned by her classmates as "the poor kid." Walking the streets in a dark fog of despair, Atsuko cons perverts out of their money to survive. Then, one day, she meets Itaru, the heir to a wealthy family, who happens to look exactly like her. Itaru hatches a plan: Atsuko will live his tedious public life for him, and she will get a taste of the luxuries enjoyed by the 1 percent. Everybody's (finally) happy. Right?
Oh, cross-dressing? Ha! That's so yesterday! The U.S. will soon have a trans superhero! We win!
RETURN OF HONEY BUZZARD (GN)
Publisher: SELFMADEHERO
Writer: AIMEE DE JONGH
Art/Cover: AIMEE DE JONGH
$22.95
Simon, a bookseller, has hit hard times. The financial crisis has struck and sales have slumped; his store looks set to close, and he has become increasingly withdrawn. Returning from his storage facility in the woods, he stops at an isolated railroad crossing. There, he witnesses a suicide. Withdrawing deeper into himself, Simon is haunted by memories from his past, memories repressed, from a time he'd prefer to forget. It is only by chance that he meets Regina, a young girl who begins to provide the comfort and support he needs. But who is Regina, and can she help him come to terms with the loss of a childhood friend?
Um. Hrm. What th-?
SOFT CITY (GN)
Publisher: NEW YORK REVIEW COMICS
Writers: HARITON PUSHWAGNER, CHRIS WARE, MARTIN HERBERT
Art/Cover: HARITON PUSHWAGNER
$35.00
The only graphic novel by the legendary Norwegian pop artist Hariton Pushwagner -- completed in 1975, lost for decades, and never before published in the United States - is a scathing masterpiece in the tradition of Brazil and A Brave New World but with an off-kilter beauty all its own. Pushwagner gives us an epic, exuberantly intricate vision of a single day in a world gone wrong: a brightly smiling, disturbingly familiar dystopia of towering skyscrapers, omnipresent surveillance, and endless, distant war. Every face looks like the next, and language itself has gone soft: "CLEAN BOMB THE HAPPY WAY," blares the morning paper; "Heil Hilton!" barks an overlord on the news. Welcome to Soft City. Now don't be late for work.
Before today, I could not name a legendary Norwegian pop artist. Now I can.
SOLSTICE (HC)
Publisher: IMAGE COMICS
Writer: STEVEN T. SEAGLE
Art/Cover: MORITAT
120 PAGES • FC • M • $19.99
Russell Waterhouse, a manic millionaire with a death wish, drags his son to the dangerous corners of the Earth on a desperate hunt for the Fountain of Youth. On the longest day of the year, both men will discover there's a reason why the mysterious wellspring has never been found-and why its most noted seekers have all met premature ends.
I haven't seen much Seagle work in comics lately, and the last few things I remember didn't do much for me. But at one time he was a transgressive writer of some promise, so I hold out hope he can find that again.
FIRST ISSUE ALERT
STONE MAN MYSTERIES VOL 1: STONE COLD (GN)
Publisher: LERNER PUBLISHING GROUP
Writers: JANE YOLEN, ADAM STEMPLE
Art/Cover: ORION ZANGARA
$8.99
When young runaway Craig prepares to jump from a church rooftop, his salvation comes in the unholy shape of Silex: a beast trapped in the form of a gargoyle. Silex runs an investigative service, chasing redemption from atop his perch. And he needs a young lad to do his footwork. Craig begins his new life by probing a series of murders that has menaced Scotland. The scenes are frightening, the motivation is a mystery, and the authorities are no help. So along with Father Harris, a hard-edged man of the cloth, Craig steps onto the streets of Edinburgh -- and toward the dangerous task of catching a killer.
OK, he's not "The One," but it still looks like this kid is in for a grand adventure. How come I didn't know any gargoyles as a kid? Phooey.
Replies
Does Champions really have 19 variant covers?
And can it be that none is a homage to the original 1970s cover?
Mark S. Ogilvie said:
@Captain: "Black Hole" was an all-Charles Burns work, wasn't it?
RETURN OF HONEY BUZZARD (GN)
Is this a honey badger with wings? That would be really scary.
The lack of a Champions #1 homage is strange, Luis.Then again, it wasn't one Gil Kane's finest:
I read Black Hole a number of year ago and found it creepy and immersive. I don't remember much about it, plotwise -- there's a sexually-transmitted mutation that's spreading around a group of teens, but that's as much setting as plot. But I do remember being very nicely creeped out by it, and there's one sequence -- can't describe it, can barely remember it, other than how it made me feel -- that was so viscerally affecting, it felt like Burns pulled me right into the page. There's something about his linework -- so dark and velvety -- that makes the whole thing seem heightened and dreamlike.
Captain Comics said:
This is a great observation!
Mark S. Ogilvie said:
Far as I can tell, yes, it is the same Charles Burns.
I did read Black Hole, and while it has some interesting characterization and plotting, it is definitely not my piece of cake. It felt like everyone was drugging themselves half of the time. I don't think it quite succeeded at having a resolution of some sort, either.
As for Champions, didn't the original series go from #1 to #17? This premiere issue has beat the whole of the original series far as covers go...
Ha! That is true.
It was a weird team. It seemed to have no reason to exist except to find a home for stray characters who didn't have a home.
Well, Ghost Rider had a book at the time, which was early '75. The two X-Men were months away from Giant-Size X-Men #1, Hercules left Avengers back in 1968 and Black Widow had lost her home in Daredevil a few months previous.
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