It's another monster week, with lots of No. Ones from Marvel and serious competition from other publishers. Sorry it's long, but isn't that a good thing?
DARK HORSE COMICS
THE BIG GUY AND RUSTY THE BOY ROBOT
(SECOND EDITION HC)
Writers: FRANK MILLER, GEOF DARROW
Art/Cover: GEOF DARROW
Colors: DAVE STEWART
FC, 88 pages, $19.99, HC, 8” x 12”
Front and center, kiddos! Here comes action! Here comes adventure! Here comes The Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot -- a roller-coaster ride through the minds of Geof Darrow and Frank Miller, the tag team that set you reeling with their hard-hitting series Hard Boiled!
Everything you remember about being eight years old and watching monster movies is right here, but with all the magnified detail that you always wanted to see, collected in hardcover for the first time ever!
With remastered color by the inimitable Dave Stewart, this stunning edition includes the Dark Horse Presents special and surprise extras!
Read the exclusive interview with Geof Darrow only on Newsarama!
Praise for The Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot:
“A futuristic all-ages romp.” -- Comic Book Resources
“Darrow’s art: fine-lined, tight and knotty, beautiful detail bestowed in every nook and cranny.” -- ComicsAlliance
• Recolored by coloring maestro Dave Stewart!
• Collected in hardcover for the first time ever!
• Includes the DHP special!
I remember reading this when it was first released, and not being sure if it was parody, homage, satire, or what. I read it again the other night, and I'm still not sure. I will say this: If you're a Geof Darrow fan, there's a lot to like here.
CRIME DOES NOT PAY ARCHIVES VOLUME 10 (HC)
Writers: LEV GLEASON, JEFF JENSEN
Art: DAN BARRY, CHARLES BIRO, BERT BUSHELL, JACK COLE, BOB FUJITANI, FRED GUARDINEER, FRED KIDA, ED MOORE, GEORGE TUSKA
Cover: CHARLES BIRO
FC, 280 pages, $49.99, HC, 7” x 10”
Our latest deluxe hardcover -- including every uncensored page from Crime Does Not Pay issues #58 to #61 -- is packed with timeless true-crime tales by artists George Tuska, Fred Guardineer, Dan Barry, Charles Biro and others! This volume also features an enlightening new foreword by Eisner Award–winning writer Jeff Jensen (Green River Killer)!
• Includes all prose pieces and fan pages!
• Foreword by Jeff Jensen (Green River Killer, Tomorrowland).
I post these almost as a reminder to myself, as I really enjoy these pre-Code crime books. Plus, Dark Horse has provided an entire story by George Tuska as a preview!
EVE: VALKYRIE #1 (of 4)
Writer: BRIAN WOOD
Art: EDUARDO FRANCISCO
Colors: MICHAEL ATIYEH
Cover: BÖRKUR EIRÍKSSON
FC, 32 pages, $3.99, Miniseries
Brian Wood returns to the stars!
Superstar writer Brian Wood tells the origin of Rán, founder of the Valkyrie—the deadliest space-fighter pilots in the EVE universe!
This series leads into EVE: Valkyrie, one of the most hotly anticipated video games of all time, a groundbreaking virtual reality space-dogfighting shooter from the creators of EVE Online.
• EVE: Valkyrie is the future of gaming -- the killer app of virtual reality!
• EVE Online has hundreds of thousands of subscribers!
I usually like Brian Wood, but here he makes the mistake of thinking that everyone who reads this book is familiar with the premise of the video game. So he saves the big reveal of what Eve is and how she got to be that way (the implication is that she's dead but somehow reanimated) for a future issue. So as much as I enjoyed Wood's surefooted dialogue and the art (which is very nice), I really couldn't commit to a story whose principal elements I don't know. That being said, I imagine it will read very well when it's collected.
THE GOON IN THEATRE BIZARRE
Writer/Art/Cover: ERIC POWELL
Art/Variant: JOHN DUNIVANT
Special Halloween one-shot!
In this special Halloween one-shot, Goon finds himself trapped in the Theatre Bizarre at the mercy of Zombo the Clown and burlesque queen Roxi Dlite! Theatre Bizarre is a real-life Halloween event held annually in Detroit, the brainchild of artist John Dunivant!
“Smartly written and terrifically drawn.” -- Fangoria
“With its beautiful art and stories that blend genuine tragedy, disturbing horror and the physical comedy that comes from having a main character who makes a habit of punching out street-walking mules, Eric Powell’s The Goon is hands down one of my favorite comics on the stands.” -- ComicsAlliance
I don't usually read The Goon in time for this Guide -- not because I don't like it, which I do, but because there are only so many comics I can read in the available window, and not much happens in a given issue of The Goon to distinguish it from any other issue of The Goon. So it gets short shrift. But I do like the book, which is sorta Popeye by way of Quentin Tarrantino.
HARROW COUNTY #6
Writer: CULLEN BUNN
Art/Cover: TYLER CROOK
FC, 32 pages, $3.99, Ongoing
It’s said that everyone has an evil twin—and in Emmy’s case that may be true! But if Kammi is evil, she’s also charming, clever, and sweet, and she could lure Emmy down a dark and dangerous path -- one that leads ever closer to fulfilling the legacy of the long-dead witch Hester Beck!
“Harrow County is worth checking out if you’re a horror-comic fan!” -- Clive Barker
“One of the most haunting comics to come out in a while.” -- IGN
This issue is essentially the launch of the second story arc, with an evil twin visiting our heroine and causing mischief. That sounds trite -- didn't Samantha have an evil twin in Bewitched? -- but Bunn's skill at creeping me out is undiminished. Evil twin or no, this book stays on my A list.
REBELS #7
Writer: BRIAN WOOD
Art: MATTHEW WOODSON
Colors: JORDIE BELLAIRE
Cover: TULA LOTAY
FC, 32 pages, $3.99, Ongoing
A perfect jumping-on point!
A standalone one-shot story featuring the lush artwork of Matthew Woodson (Northlanders, Meathaus), this issue takes the American folktale of Molly Pitcher and brings to it fresh relevance as a poignant commentary on the subjects of veterans’ rights and women in combat. Not to be missed.
“I think this series is going to be talked about and be winning awards in the years to come, you should get on board at the ground floor.” -- Comic Spectrum
“Gutsy, well-written and with solid artwork.” -- Word of the Nerd
This is a standalone issue that features all of the charm and intensity I liked in the first story arc. Plus it describes a slice of history I didn't know, which made me feel virtuous for having learned it.
TWO BROTHERS (HC)
I didn't read this one, but DH was proud enough to send multiple press releases, which I have edited together for your edification.
Writers/Art: GABRIEL BÁ, FÁBIO MOON
B&W, 232 pages, $24.99, HC, 7” x 9”
Over the course of the last 15 years, Brazilian-born twin brothers Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá have carved out a stunning career in comics, whether collaborating together or working with some of the most acclaimed writers in pop culture, including acclaimed screenwriter Joss Whedon (SUGARSHOCK!), rock star Gerard Way (THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY) and bestselling comic book writer Matt Fraction (CASANOVA). Their collaboration DAYTRIPPER was published in 2010 to major awards and widespread acclaim and this fall Dark Horse Comics will publish the twins’ highly anticipated follow up, the original graphic novel TWO BROTHERS, on sale in comic book stores on October 14 and in bookstores on October 27.
TWO BROTHERS is a stunning adaptation of the novel The Brothers by Milton Hatoum, one of Brazil’s most renowned contemporary writers. The books tell the tragic story of a fractured family divided by two identical brothers, Omar and Yaqub, who have nothing in common except for their bloodline and the fierce, possessive love of their mother. After a violent exchange between the young boys, Yaqub, “the good son,” is sent from his home in Brazil to live with relatives in Lebanon. When he returns to his hometown five years later, he’s a virtual stranger to his family. Despite their mother’s desperate pleas, a reconciliation between the brothers appears elusive.
In the tradition of David Mazzucchelli’s adaptation of Paul Auster’s novel CITY OF GLASS and Darwyn Cooke’s adaptation of the PARKER novels, Bá and Moon honor their literary source material by creating a profound and moving graphic novel that soars with its bold cartooning and accomplished storytelling. Bá and Moon have reimagined the novel in stark black and white, which lends metaphorical weight to both the dissolution of the family and cultural transformation of the port city of Manaus. Together Bá and Moon decided what changes to make to the novel’s structure and pacing, then Gabriel Bá researched and illustrated the book. Their close collaboration has created a riveting graphic novel about identity, love, loss, deception and the dissolution of blood ties.
Dark Horse Comic’s publication of the TWO BROTHERS promises to bring new attention for Milton Hatoum’s fiction in the States. Today over 200,000 copies of Hatoum’s novels have been sold in Brazil. The Brothers is taught in classrooms throughout the country and readers remain passionately divided by their different interpretations of the novel’s ambiguous ending. With the release of TWO BROTHERS this October, readers and critics alike have the opportunity to discover the world of the Brazilian Amazon, discover a profoundly resonant story, and celebrate the career of two phenomenal comic book creators and the literary reputation of an international literary star.
From the Eisner Award–winning and New York Times best-selling duo behind Daytripper, Gabriel Bá and Fábio Moon!
“Bá’s distinctive lines render characters in minimal strokes; clever transitions, well-placed shadows, and atmospheric scene-setting live up to the twins’ already well-deserved reputation for beautiful art.” -- Publishers Weekly
“One of the most original, innovative, well-executed comic books anywhere to be found.” -- Stan Lee
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá are twin brothers born in 1976 in São Paulo, Brazil, where they live to this day. They have been telling stories in comic book form for over fifteen years, and their work has been published in twelve languages.In 2008, they won their first Eisner Awards for 5 (a self-published anthology created with Becky Cloonan, Vasilis Lolos and Rafael Grampá), The Umbrella Academy (with Gerard Way), and Sugarshock! (with Joss Whedon). They reunited with Cloonan and Lolos in 2009 to create the horror graphic novel Pixu. Their most recent book, Daytripper, has achieved great international acclaim and won all sorts of awards. Since then, the Brazilian wonder twins have been traveling around the world to share their love for comics -- a love as strong as a hot cup of black coffee.
Milton Hatoum, who is recognized as one of Brazil’s most important contemporary writers, was born in 1952 in Manaus, Brazil. A novelist, short story writer, translator and professor, he is the author of four award-winning novels, translated into twelve languages and published in fourteen countries: Tale of a Certain Orient (Bloomsbury/UK), Ashes of the Amazon (Bloomsbury/UK), Orphans of Eldorado (Canongate/UK) and The Brothers (Bloomsbury/UK; Farrar, Straus and Giroux/USA). The Brothers was selected in a survey by two of Brazil’s leading newspapers as the best Brazilian novel published between 1990 and 2005. Three of his novels are being adapted into films.
Praise for TWO BROTHERS:
“TWO BROTHERS is a feat of bravura visual storytelling, a revealing and nuanced work of family portraiture, and a thrilling act of historical re-imagination. It is clearly the work of two major artists, two master collaborators, operating at the peak of their powers.” -- Michael Chabon, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
“Moon and Bá have long been cartoonists of extraordinary skill, and with TWO BROTHERS they have created their masterwork. Their passion for the comics medium bleeds through in every brushstroke and pen line. This is a stunning book that will touch your heart and leave you breathless.” -- Jeff Lemire, Descender
“This book immediately jumps onto the list of the most essential graphic novels you will read in your lifetime. Two amazing creators at the top of their game, telling a story in a way only they can tell it. What a gift. What a treat.” -- Brian Michael Bendis, Powers
“TWO BROTHERS is a haunting tribute to sibling love, brotherly hatred, and the kinetic energy when those two forces fuel a family. The deep sense of place, the palpable sorrow of nostalgia, the aura of truth: once again Ba and Moon bring it like no one else in graphic storytelling.”- Mat Johnson, Loving Day
“This is an extraordinary work. Moon and Bá, two men already on top of their game, have rewritten what we thought the game was. The comic book was created as entertainment. TWO BROTHERS is proof comics can be Art. The wider your eyes get, the more it touches your heart.”
-- Brian Azzarello, 100 Bullets
“As anyone who’s read The Umbrella Academy, Casanova or Daytripper knows, Moon and Bá are two of the most gifted artists in the comics world. Their new graphic novel, based on the Brazilian novel Dois Irmãos, may be their most ambitious work yet.” -- io9
DC COMICS
MONSTER VARIANT COVERS
This week's Halloween-themed variant covers include Batman #45, Batman/Superman #45, Catwoman #45, Harley Quinn #21 Cover A, Harley Quinn #21 Cover B and Starfire #5. Oddly, both of Harley Quinn's covers this week fit the theme, with Cover A -- the "regular" cover -- being an homage to The Shining.
CONVERGENCE
This week's "Convergence" collections collect all the issues involving the post-Crisis characters. These were probably my favorite issues of the event.
CONVERGENCE: CRISIS BOOK 1
Writer: MARC ANDREYKO & Various
Art: CARLOS D'ANDA & Various
Cover: ANDY KUBERT
This CONVERGENCE collection stars the Outsiders, the Legion of Super-Heroes, Hawkman and many more, as they fight in a gladiator-style competition to see which worlds will live...and which will perish! This book spells out the final fates of some of DC's most popular heroes. Collects CONVERGENCE: BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS #1-2, CONVERGENCE: ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #1-2, CONVERGENCE: GREEN LANTERN CORPS #1-2, CONVERGENCE: SUPERBOY AND THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #1-2 and CONVERGENCE: HAWKMAN #1-2.
CONVERGENCE: CRISIS BOOK 2
Writer: DAN ABNETT & Various
Art: JOSHUA MIDDLETON & Various
Cover: NICOLA SCOTT
This CONVERGENCE collection stars The Flash, Wonder Woman, the JLA and many more, and includes the miniseries THE FLASH #1-2, WONDER WOMAN #1-2, JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #1-2, SWAMP THING #1-2 and THE NEW TEEN TITANS #1-2.
$19.99 each.
DC COMICS BOMBSHELLS #3
Written by MARGUERITE BENNETT
Art by MARGUERITE SAUVAGE and LAURA BRAGA
Cover by ANT LUCIA
1:25 Variant cover by KATE LETH
40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T • DIGITAL FIRST
This issue will ship with two covers.
A dark ritual is performed in a German cabaret, and a supernatural servant is brought forth to serve the Reich -- has Zatanna been manipulated by The Joker’s Daughter? Plus, Batwoman leaves Gotham City, and Amanda Waller introduces her to an unearthly ally. And Wonder Woman gets into combat as she joins Mera on the European war front.
A German cabaret? Well, of course! If there's one place Zatanna fits in perfectly, it's Berlin between the wars!
GRAPHIC INK: THE DC COMICS ART OF DARWYN COOKE (HC)
Written by DARWYN COOKE and others
Art by DARWYN COOK and others
Cover by DARWYN COOKE
400 pg, FC, 8.625” x 11.625”, $39.99 US
This beautiful book features the distinctive style of Eisner Award-winning writer/artist Darwyn Cooke, dating back to 1985’s TALENT SHOWCASE #19, and stories from BATMAN: GOTHAM KNIGHTS, LEGION WORLDS, JSA ALL STARS, JONAH HEX and more, plus dozens of covers!
I love Darwyn Cooke's re-imagining of 1960s JLA. What he draws isn't the JLA as they were, but as they would have been if the "Atomic Age" style had been used in comics as it was in clothes, architecture and advertising. It's pretty amazing DC allowed him to establish it in New Frontier, and now that he has, it's instantly recognizable and always welcome.
GREEN LANTERN: A CELEBRATION OF 75 YEARS (HC)
Written by JOHN BROOME, DENNIS O’NEIL, GEOFF JOHNS and others
Art by MARTIN NODELL, GIL KANE, NEAL ADAMS and others
Cover by JIM LEE and SCOTT WILLIAMS
400 pg, FC, $39.99 US
The heroic career of Green Lantern is celebrated in a new, 75th anniversary hardcover! Don’t miss these tales that introduced the Golden Age GL, Alan Scott, as well as Hal Jordan and the entire legacy of the Green Lantern Corps!
I've probably read every one of these stories before, but I might get the book anyway just to have it on my shelf. I'm just very gratified that DC is putting out these "75th anniversary" books, recognizing the rich history of these characters.
SUPERMAN: LOIS & CLARK #1
Written by DAN JURGENS
Art and cover by LEE WEEKS
1:25 Variant cover by TONY S. DANIEL
32 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
This issue will ship with two covers.
Following the epic events of CONVERGENCE, here are the adventures of the last sons and daughter of the Krypton and Earth as they try to survive in a world not their own. But can they keep this world from suffering the same fate as their own? Can this Superman stop the villains he once fought before they are created on this world? What is Intergang, and why does Lois’s discovery of it place everyone she loves in jeopardy? What will happen when their nine-year-old son learns the true identity of his parents? Make way for the original power couple, for better, for worse, in sickness and in health, until death do them part!
If all "Convergence" gave us is this variation on the old "Mr. and Mrs. Superman" strip, it might have been worth it!
THE TWILIGHT CHILDREN #1
Written by GILBERT HERNANDEZ
Art and cover by DARWYN COOKE
40 pg, FC, 1 of 4, $4.99 US • MATURE READERS.
For the first time ever, legendary comics creators Gilbert Hernandez (Love and Rockets) and Darwyn Cooke (DC: THE NEW FRONTIER) have joined forces for a surreal project unlike anything you’ve ever read before!
When a white orb washes up on the shore of a remote Latin American village, a group of children naturally poke at the strange object to see what it is. The orb explodes, leaving the children completely blind. And when a beautiful young woman who may be an alien is found wandering the seafront, she’s taken in by the townspeople, but soon becomes a person of interest to a quirky pair of undercover CIA agents, and the target of affection for a young scientist. Can they come together to prevent an all-out alien invasion and save the souls in this sleepy, seaside town?
Wow, that's some creative team! This is probably well worth picking up ... but doesn't it feel, somehow, that it ought to be an Image book?
IDW PUBLISHING
'ARTIST'S EDITION' VARIANT COVERS
This month's "Artist's Edition" variant covers include G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero: Cobra World Order Prelude and Jem and the Holograms #8.
G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO: COBRA WORLD ORDER PRELUDE
Writer: LARRY HAMA
Art: S.L. GALLANT
Cover: PAUL POPE
Variants: FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA, PHIL JIMENEZ
Artist's Edition Blank Sketch Variant
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
It's zero hour for Real American Hero! This table-setter leads into a mammoth 6-part bi-weekly event kicking off with next month's RAH #219 and #220! G.I. JOE has been fighting the evil forces of COBRA for decades, but now COBRA is ready to unleash its master plan on an unsuspecting G.I. JOE!
Written by the man who started it all, G.I. JOE comics legend Larry Hama, this table-setter leads into a mammoth 8-part bi-weekly event, kicking off with G.I. JOE: ARAH #219 and #220! Art duties for this arc will be in the very capable hands of S.L. Gallant who has become a fan-favorite for his attention to detail and accurate portrayals of classic G.I. JOE vehicles and characters.
“What we have seen of Cobra’s plans in G.I. JOE: ARAH to date is just the tip of the iceberg,” said series writer, Hama. “Other players in the Cobra periphery -- like Destro and Zartan -- are making their moves so as to be in on whatever benefits accrue from Cobra Commander’s master plot. Meanwhile, Hawk leads an international team around the globe to uncover the details of this sinister conspiracy.”
The Prelude issue will boast covers by some of the hottest artists working in the industry today; with Paul Pope leading the charge on the standard cover and variant covers by Francesco Francavilla and Phil Jimenez. And it doesn’t end there; this issue is also part of IDW’s celebrated Artist’s Edition Month with a variant by Stephen Mooney as well as a Blank Sketch variant.
Whether you are a longtime fan or new to this world, G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero: COBRA WORLD ORDER Prelude is the prefect jumping on point for all.
“After the Death of Snake Eyes, I didn’t think Larry would come up with something that could top a story like that … but the more we talked about COBRA WORLD ORDER and the more details he gave me about COBRA’s momentous scheme, the more I saw this as a perfect event: something accessible to new readers that still pays off years of worldbuilding and storytelling in G.I. JOE: ARAH. Fans -- new and old alike -- are gonna be blown away!” said IDW editor, Carlos Guzman.
The 8-part COBRA WORLD ORDER starts here and will continue in the following months’ now bi-weekly G.I. JOE: ARAH! Don’t miss it!
• A perfect jumping on point for G.I. Joe fans, new and old!
• Covers from Paul Pope, Francesco Francavilla and Phil Jimenez!
• The 7-part COBRA WORLD ORDER starts here and conitnues in next month's now-bi-weekly RAH!
• Part of IDW's Artist's Edition Month promotion!
I don't follow G.I. Joe, but I read this just to see what the deal is. It's a good set-up, heralding a nice event, provided the execution holds up.
HAUNTED HORROR VOL 3: PRE-CODE COMICS SO GOOD THEY'RE SCARY (HC)
Writers: Various
Art: FRANK GIACOIA, NICK CARDY, SHELLY MOLDOFF, BOB POWELL, JACK SPARLING, JOE CERTA, LIN STREETER & Various
Cover: LEE ELIAS
HC • FC • $24.99 • 160 pages • 8.5” x 11”
Volume 3 is the monstrously great curated collection of the goriest, craziest, rarest comics that the U.S. Government didn’t want you to see! David Colton in USA Today screams, “The comic book industry's most obscure and outrageous stories of the 1950s!” Decapitated Dan screeches, “Some of the greatest horror comic material ever to be reprinted!” Under the infamous melting face cover you’ll witness under-appreciated artists Frank Giacoia, Nick Cardy, Shelly Moldoff, Bob Powell, Jack Sparling, Joe Certa, and Lin Streeter, masters of the horror comics genre!
Tell your comic shop, “Haunted Horror for me, see!?”
Man, I hate it when my face explodes.
MICKEY MOUSE #5
Writer/Art: BILL WRIGHT
Cover: JONATHAN GRAY
Subscription Variant: DEREK CHARM
FC • 40 pages • $3.99
"The Ghost of Man-Eater Mountain!" Mickey's and Goofy's skiing holiday turns spooky -- and near-deadly! -- when a spectral kidnapper strikes!
• Boo! Right on target for Halloween, it's an extra-long spook story by Golden Age Mouse artist Bill Wright!
• Continues this classic series' legacy numbering at #314!
• 40 action-packed pages for only $3.99!
• Variant "Disney Legacy" Halloween-inspired Haunted Mansion cover by David Alvarez!
UNCLE SCROOGE #7
Writers: ROMANO SCARPA, JOE TORCIVIA
Art: ROMANO SCARPA
Cover: WILLIAM VAN HORN
Subscription Variant: DEREK CHARM
FC • 40 pages • $3.99
"Mummy Fearest": When Scrooge rebuilds his Money Bin in pyramid form, rival tycoon John D. Rockerduck decides it's time for a Pharaoh's curse!
• Boo again! Our Halloween cover and McDuck mummy tale are seasonally suited to set your feathers on end!
• Continues this popular series' legacy numbering at #412!
• 40 action-packed pages for only $3.99!
• Variant "Disney Legacy" Halloween-inspired Haunted Mansion cover by Derek Charm!
Good stuff.
IMAGE COMICS
I HATE FAIRYLAND #1
Writer/Art/Cover: SKOTTIE YOUNG
Colors: JEAN-FRANCOIS BEAULIEU
F*CK FAIRYLAND #1 VARIANT
32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.50
Superstar SKOTTIE YOUNG (Rocket Raccoon, Wizard of Oz) makes his Image debut with an ALL-NEW SERIES! The Adventure Time/Alice in Wonderland-style epic that smashes its cute little face against Tank Girl/Deadpool-esque violent madness has arrived. In an adventure that ain't for the little kiddies, (unless you have super cool parents, then whatever), you'll meet Gert -- a six year old girl who has been stuck in the magical world of Fairyland for thirty years and will hack and slash her way through anything to find her way back home. Join Gert and her giant battle-axe on a delightfully blood soaked journey to see who will survive the girl who HATES FAIRYLAND!
I usually recoil from the cutesieness of Young's LI'l Marvel characters, but this looks mean-spirited enough that I might like it!
SATELLITE SAM DELUXE (HC)
STORY: MATT FRACTION
ART / COVER: HOWARD CHAYKIN
OCTOBER 14 / 400 PAGES / BW / M /$44.99
1951: Carlyle White -- creator and star of the daily children's show SATELLITE SAM -- turns up dead in the last place a struggling young television network wants its star to be found. His accidental death reveals a secret life, and the discoveries his son makes trying to piece together his father's last days will send him spiraling down a dark path of murder, sex and obsession. This midnight-black roman noir weaves true stories of TV's golden age together with harrowing portraits of broken men and women struggling to hold on to their souls under bright lights and tabloid celebrity. By the award-winning team of MATT FRACTION (SEX CRIMINALS, ODY-C, Hawkeye) and HOWARD CHAYKIN (BLACK KISS, AMERICAN FLAGG!, The Shadow), this omnibus edition features all 15 issues, special bonus materials and an all-new epilogue created especially for this collection.
Collects SATELLITE SAM #1-15 & BONUS MATERIAL.
Here's a rarity: A story with a beginning, middle and end! It's typical Chaykin, though, with lots of sex (some of it kinky), so if that offends, steer away. But Fraction keeps the story on track through all the bedrooms (and dressing rooms, and telephone booths, and ... ) so the sex isn't gratuitous. Just plentiful. Anyway, if you want to read Satellite Sam, this is probably the way to do it, in one big book.
SEX CRIMINALS #13
Writer: MATT FRACTION
Art/Cover: STEVE ZDITKO
XXX Variant: Arthur Fonzarellie "Coop" Cooper. Same comic! Only polybagged! Because the cover is completely (limited edition) filth!
32 pages / Full Color / MMMMMM / $3.50
Bwakka-chikka-wakka-chikka-wakka-chikka-wakka-chikka-wakka-chikka-wakka-chikka-wakka-chikka-wakka-chikka-wakka-chikka-wakka-chikka-wakka-chikka-BWOMP
Nonsense! Everybody knows it goes BOM-chicka-WOW-wow.
SWITCH #1
Writer/Art/Cover: STJEPAN SEJIC
48 PAGES / FC / T+ / $3.99
After millions of views on DeviantArt, this popular web comic finally gets its own series. A teenage girl gets a mighty artifact that grants her immense powers ... the catch? It's a bit haunted! This self-contained “universe” includes Artifacts and characters from other series (with permission!) in a delectably STJEPAN SEJIC fashion!
Now that I've read Sunstone Vol 1 by Stjepan Sejic -- who seems to be everywhere these days -- all of his art seems dirtier to me. Still, this isn't dirty (as far as I know), and it's another Image first issue that looks interesting.
Replies
MARVEL COMICS
CAPTAIN AMERICA: SAM WILSON #1
Art by DANIEL ACUÑA
Variant Covers by DANIEL ACUÑA and JOHN CASSADAY
Cosplay Variant by EDDIE NEWSOME
Hip-Hop Variant by MAHMUD ASRAR
Kirby Monster Variant by TONY MOORE
32 PGS. / Rated T / $3.99
This October, Captain America takes up the shield once more. Today, Marvel is pleased to present your new look at SAM WILSON, CAPTAIN AMERICA #1 – the explosive new series from Nick Spencer (Ant-Man) and Daniel Acuña (Uncanny Avengers)! When Steve Rogers was restored to his natural age, he chose only his closest and most trusted ally to take up the mantle of Captain America. Now, as the Marvel Universe charges forward into a new age, the Avenger formerly known as the Falcon stands proud as the one and only Captain America! Yet eight months have passed, and these two former friends now find themselves on opposite sides. What could have happened to divide them? More importantly – who will you stand with? New friends, new foes, and a new beginning for Sam Wilson this October in SAM WILSON, CAPTAIN AMERICA #1!
I'm getting all the first issues of Marvel's reboot, just to have an idea what's going on. But it doesn't look like this one varies much from its pre-Secret Wars incarnation. I do have to wonder how they resisted doing an homage to Captain America #144 (top right) with the cover at top left.
CLICK HERE FOR PREVIEW!
CHEWBACCA #1 (of 5)
Art & Cover by PHIL NOTO
Variant Covers by ALEX ROSS, ARIEL OLIVETTI, GABRIELE DELL’OTTO
Sketch Variant by ALEX ROSS
Young Variant by SKOTTIE YOUNG
Blank Variant available
32 PGS. / Rated T / $3.99
Legendary and relentlessly loyal Wookiee warrior, Chewbacca, has continued to battle the empire in the hopes of restoring freedom to the galaxy. Through unwavering and steadfast devotion to the rebel cause Chewbacca has always stood on the frontline to bring peace to a galaxy far, far away. This October, Chewbacca, along with an unlikely side-kick, proves why he is one of the fiercest warriors among the stars in CHEWBACCA #1 from writer Gerry Duggan and artist Phil Noto.
Known for his big heart, short temper, and booming voice, Duggan plans to get to the core of what makes Chewbacca one of the strongest warriors in the Star Wars universe. Speaking with Marvel.com, Gerry Duggan says, “He’s a hero, plain and simple. He’s a giant-sized underdog. He’s faithful, fierce, and can be playful. At the beginning of the story he’s on a very important mission. One he sets aside to help those in need. By the end of this arc we’ll have met the soul of the Wookiee. We’ll understand what he fears, and we’ll know why he picked up his bowcaster. Yes, this story will be an action-packed thriller, but I think it has a very strong Wookiee heart, too.”
Accompanying Chewbacca in this brand new series is a young and feisty co-star, Zarro, whose home comes under attack from the Empire and Duggan and Noto are excited to show how this unlikely pair take on the ruthless grip of the Empire. “Zarro’s home is under threat, and when others shrink, she stands tall,” says Duggan. “At first glance, she sees Chewie as the extra muscle she needs. The brains attached to those muscles will be a surprise for her….and I think how Chewie and Zarro manage to deal with the threat will be a fun surprise for fans. Both Phil and I are so excited to be collaborating on a Star Wars comic. The term ‘dream project’ is probably overused, but there is simply no other way to describe the gig. If fans have half as much fun as we do, then everybody's in for a fun ride.”
Don’t call him a fuzz ball. Don’t call him a walking carpet. This is Chewbacca – fierce and loyal warrior of Kashyyyk in a brand new Star Wars series coming from Marvel this October!
Also, be sure to catch up on the blockbuster Marvel series – STAR WARS and DARTH VADER – from the very beginning! Pre-order STAR WARS VOL. 1: SKYWALKER STRIKES and DARTH VADER VOL. 1 on sale later this year!
Star Wars © Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All rights reserved. Used under authorization. Text and illustrations for Star Wars are © 2015 Lucasfilm Ltd.
I'm very sorry to say this, but the three prequel movies has dampened my enthusiasm for Star Wars so much that I won't be reading any more Star Wars comics or novels without a recommendation. Heck, I may not go see the new J.J. Abrams movies. That gives me the sads.
CLICK HERE FOR PREVIEW!
DAMAGE CONTROL: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION (TPB)
Penciled by ERNIE COLON, KYLE BAKER & SALVA ESPIN
Cover by ERNIE COLON
392 PGS / Rated T+ / $34.99
Galactus ate your apartment building? The S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier crashed on your car? Aliens destroyed Manhattan…again? Call DAMAGE CONTROL!
Meet the Marvel Universe’s No. 1 clean-up crew, the guys and gals with the bulldog badge who work tirelessly to put New York back together after every super-hero battle — from giant robots, to the devastation wreaked by ACTS OF VENGEANCE, to the coming of the cosmic clean-freak Edifice Rex! Not disastrous enough?
How about their biggest challenges to date: Doctor Doom’s unpaid bill and the aftermath of WORLD WAR HULK! Collecting DAMAGE CONTROL (1989A) #1-4, DAMAGE CONTROL (1989B) #1-4, DAMAGE CONTROL (1991) #1-4 and WWH AFTERSMASH: DAMAGE CONTROL #1-3 — plus material from MARVEL AGE ANNUAL #4, MARVEL COMICS PRESENTS (1988) #19 and IRON MAN ANNUAL #11.
If you haven't read this already, you might as well, since it's in development to be a TV show.
DEADPOOL VS. THANOS #3 (of 4)
Art: ELMO BONDOC
Cover by TRADD MOORE
Variant by RON LIM
32 PGS / Rated T / $3.99
• Let me check the Marvel Wiki. Hang on ...
• OK ... Deadpool is a guy with guns and swords ...
• Thanos is an Eternal with strength, endurance, agility, and nearly invulnerable skin, who can shoot cosmic energy from his eyes and hands.
• Sounds like a fair fight!
OK, that's funny.
CLICK HERE FOR PREVIEW!
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #1
Art: VALERIO SCHITI (a)
Cover by ARTHUR ADAMS
Hip-Hop Variant is by SHAWN CRYSTAL
Cosplay Variant by CONTAGIOUS COSTUMING
Young Variant by SKOTTIE YOUNG
Blank Variant also available
Action Figure Variant by JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
Variant by VALERIO SCHITTI
Sketch Variant by ARTHUR ADAMS
Variant by JASON LATOUR
Kirby Monster Variant by MIKE ALLRED
Groot Variant by MIKE ALLRED
32 PGS / Rated T / $3.99
THE RACCOON’S IN CHARGE!
This October, blast off into the stratosphere as the recharged group of galactic guardians explode into the All-New, All-Different Marvel Universe in GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #1! Coming to you from legendary comic writer Brian Michael Bendis (Invincible Iron Man) and rising star artist Valerio Schiti (New Avengers) comes a team unlike any you’ve seen before! Eight months have passed since the end of Secret Wars, and Peter Quill didn’t waste any time abandoning the Guardians and taking the throne as ruler of Spartax. And Rocket didn’t waste any time taking his place as leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy either! Leading a team comprised of Kitty Pryde (now known as Star-Lady), Drax, Groot, Venom and newcomer Ben Grimm, the everlovin’ blue-eyed Thing – Rocket and the Guardians are out to show that even though Secret Wars may be over, the galaxy still needs guarding. Strap in and hold on this October for their bombastic new debut in GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #1!
My inner twentysomething is still stunned by this concept's popularity.
CLICK HERE FOR PREVIEW!
NEW AVENGERS #1
Art & Cover by GERARDO SANDOVAL
Variant Cover by FRANK CHO
Hip-Hop Variant by ED PISKOR
Blank Variant Also Available
32 PGS. /Rated T+ / $3.99
This Octo ber – the old order changeth, and everything is new! Today, Marvel is pleased to present your look inside NEW AVENGERS #1 – the new ongoing series from Al Ewing and Gerardo Sandoval! Bobby DaCosta a.k.a. Sunspot, now the leader of formerly evil super-science organization A.I.M. is about to change the world. And that starts with the new Avengers Idea Mechanics! A scientific global rescue squad of tomorrow’s heroes, operating outside the jurisdiction of any government. America doesn’t want them! S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn’t know what to do with them! But Sunspot, Squirrel Girl, Hawkeye, Wiccan, Hulkling, Songbird, Pod, Power Man & White Tiger might just be Earth’s last hope. New team! New mission! New Avengers! Welcome to Avengers Idea Mechanics.
Another first issue.
CICK HERE FOR PREVIEW!
SPIDER-GWEN #1
Art & Cover by ROBBI RODRIGUEZ & RICO RENZI
Variant Covers by NICK BRADSHAW, BRUCE TIMM
Young Variant by SKOTTIE YOUNG
Kirby Monster Variant by FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA
Action Figure Variant by JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
Hip Hop Variant by HUMBERTO RAMOS
Cosplay Variant by KATHRINE ZAN
Blank Variant Also Available
32 PGS / Rated T / $3.99
She’s back! The character that took the world by storm, launched thousands of cosplays, fan art, music and more is swinging back into comics this fall for SPIDER-GWEN #1 – a brand-new ongoing series! The red-hot creative team of Jason Latour, Robbi Rodriguez and Rico Renzi return to chronicle the adventures of Marvel’s breakout sensation!
“This book has defied all expectations, mine included, and has continued to thrive and grow,” says series writer Jason Latour, in an interview with Marvel.com. “I can’t tell you how precious of an experience that makes it. Re-launching and being put out there on the front lines as a tent pole kind of title really is a tremendous opportunity to open our doors to everyone again.”
Now is your chance to jump in, with a clean entry point into the character that has the world buzzing! Plus – the answers you’ve all been waiting for! The secret history of Gwen Stacy and Peter Parker finally revealed! Someone out there has recreated Peter Parker’s Lizard formula. The same formula that ultimately cost him his life and branded Gwen a fugitive. And she won’t let it happen again! But with NYPD Captain Frank Castle and the Kingpin of Crime Matt Murdock both on her tail, that’ll prove easier said than done. Who could be behind all of this? The answers will shock you!
“We’ll also finally meet Norman and Harry Osborn. That seems like it could be pretty significant, huh?, continued Latour.
The epic next chapter of Gwen Stacy’s life is about to begin. And you won’t want to miss the bombastic debut as she swings into comic shops once more this fall in SPIDER-GWEN #1!
For more information, visit Marvel.com later today for an exclusive interview with the Spider-Gwen creative team!
And another.
CLICK HERE FOR PREVIEW!
SPIDER-MAN 2099 #1
Art by WILL SLINEY
Cover by FRANCESCO MATTINA
Design Variant by KRIS ANKA
Variant Cover by RICK LEONARDI
Hip-Hop Variant by AFU CHAN
32 PGS. / Rated T / $3.99
2099 in your calendars, #1 in your hearts. This October, Miguel O’Hara is recharged, refueled and ready for action with a brand-new ongoing series for an All-New, All-Different Marvel Universe! Today, Marvel is pleased to present your first look at SPIDER-MAN 2099 #1, the new series from webslinging wonders Peter David and Will Sliney! Eight months have passed since the end of Secret Wars. With a steady job at Parker Industries, a stable relationship, and a life in the present day – Spider-Man 2099 is no more! That’s right, Miguel O’Hara has hung up the webs. But when a dangerous new threat appears and puts his new life in jeopardy, he’s got no choice but to suit up once more. Donning some new threads and a new attitude, prepare for a wallcrawler unlike any you’ve seen before when SPIDER-MAN 2099 #1 swings into comic shops this October!
Still another first issue.
CLICK HERE FOR PREVIEW!
UNCANNY AVENGERS #1
Art & Cover by RYAN STEGMAN
Hip-Hop Variant by JASON PEARSON
Cosplay Variant by MISS KIT QUINN
Variant Cover by J. SCOTT CAMPBELL
Kirby Monster Variant by GEOF DARROW
Blank Cover Also Available
40 PGS /Rated T / $4.99
This October, it’s truly a team of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes unlike any you’ve seen before. Humans! Mutants! Inhumans! Deadpool! Yeah, we’re not kidding! Today, Marvel is pleased to present your first look at UNCANNY AVENGERS #1 – the blockbuster new series from Gerry Duggan and Ryan Stegman! It’s an All-New, All-Different Marvel Universe and Steve Rogers has assembled a new squad for the same purpose – unity. Joining the man once called Captain America are Rogue, Spider-Man, the Human Torch, Doctor Voodoo, Deadpool, Quicksilver and newcomer Synapse. United under one banner, these seven heroes will stand shoulder to shoulder in the public eye – a shining beacon of cooperation between human, inhuman and mutant alike. But with a dangerous new villain on the prowl, the bonds of this untested squad will stretched. Are cracks in the unity squad already beginning to form? Find out this October in the explosive debut of UNCANNY AVENGERS #1!
Aaaaand another first issue.
CLICK HERE FOR PREVIEW!
OTHER PUBLISHERS
ABBADON (GN)
Writers: JIMMY PALMIOTTI & VARIOUS
Art/Cover: FABRIZIO FIORENTINO
$12.99
In the late 1880s American West, Abbadon is a city steeped in sin, where anything is possible if you have the money, influence and power to obtain it. Poised to become the next boomtown, Abbadon is plagued by a series of murders heralding the arrival of U.S. Marshall Wes Garrett. A legendary lawman, Garrett's arrival exposes the secret that Abbadon's sheriff Colt Dixon has desperately been trying to conceal -- the victims have all been mutilated the same way they were by a killer Garret stopped -- a man some called a monster, but the papers called him Bloody Bill. Garrett and Dixon join forces to uncover the killer's identity in a town so full of corruption that everyone is a suspect.
Palmiotti & Gray wrote what many consider the best run of Jonah Hex, so they certainly know their way around a Western.
ASSASSIN’S CREED #1
Writers: ANTHONY DEL COL & CONOR MCCREERY
Artist: NEIL EDWARDS
Colorist: IVAN NUNES
NYCC Silver Variant Cover
Cover A: NEIL EDWARDS
Cover AA: Painted Art Variant by MARCO TURINI
Cover B: Subscription Variant by DENNIS CALERO
Cover C: 1:10 Art Cover by ADAM GORHAM
Cover D: 1:25 Sketch Cover by NEIL EDWARDS
Cover E: Blank Sketch Cover
Barnes & Noble Variant: MARIANO LACLAUSTRA
Books-A-Million Variant: YISHAN LI
Diamond UK Variant: ASHLEY MARIE WITTER
Hastings Variant: MARIANO LACLAUSTRA
Fan Expo Variant (Col): JAMIE TYNDALL
Fan Expo Variant (B/W): JAMIE TYNDALL
Forbidden Planet / Jetpack Comics Variant: LEE GARBETT
Larry’s Comics Variant (Col): ANGEL HERNANDEZ
Larry’s Comics Variant (B/W): ANGEL HERNANDEZ
GameStop Variant: MARIANO LACLAUSTRA
Newbury Comics Variant: ELENA CASAGRANDE
Yesteryear Comics Variant: JAMIE TYNDALL
Hot Topic Variant: RACHEL STOTT
Ongoing - 32pp - FC - $3.99
Charlotte de la Cruz is overeducated and underemployed, wasting her time in a dead-end job in San Diego, spending her free time chasing down conspiracy theories.
When a real-life conspiracy crashes into her life, she is pulled into the orbit of the Assassins, a mysterious organization with roots stretching back thousands of years, and users of stolen Animus technology, which allows them to experience the memories of their ancestors as if they were there!
Charlotte has a secret in her blood ... the genetic memory of an ancestor who was in Salem at the time of the infamous witch trails: Tom Stoddard, an Assassin who witnessed a dark act with repercussions for the present day!
As Charlotte is trained in the Assassins’ art, and as she investigates the life of her ancestor ... the forces of the Templars begin to move against her.
Will Charlotte learn the skills she needs to survive, and the truth she needs to prove her worth – before the Templars silence her forever?!
Assassin’s Creed is one of the most popular franchises in the video game industry, with more than 93 million units sold since its inception in 2007. Over time, Assassin’s Creed has broadened its reach into numerous media beyond games, enriching the Assassin’s Creed lore for the joy of many fans.
"We’re so excited to be working with Ubisoft on this fantastic new adventure, said Lizzie Kaye, editor, Titan Comics. “Assassin's Creed is one of the most notoriously beautiful games on the market, and the team at Ubisoft have created a world that is perfect for us to explore, expand and inhabit with a raft of new characters in new settings. We're really hoping to surprise readers with the direction for this new series.”
The first 5-part arc will be illustrated by the artist of Doctor Who: Four Doctors – Neil Edwards!
Assassin's Creed #1 comes with six covers to collect.
To keep up-to-date with news on the Assassin's Creed comics, join Titan Comics on Facebook or follow @ComicsTitan on Twitter. For more information about Titan Comics, visit Titan-Comics.com.
I don't know anything about this video game, but it appears to be popular.
CLICK HERE FOR PREVIEW!
BAD MOON RISING #1
Writers: SCOTT ROSENBERG, BRANDON M. EASTON
Art/Cover: TY DAZO
$3.99
It's hell on wheels when Sherriff George Waggner is killed. His son Teddy returns home to discover that the small town has become victim to a rash of brutal murders. The investigation points to the nomadic motorcycle gang, the Lunar Cycles, that has set-up camp just outside of town. The arrival of werewolf hunter Noah Packard confirms that the bikers are more than they claim to be. Get ready for one wild and hairy thrill ride when the moon and the gas tanks are full and the townies and werewolves go to war to kick some serious werewolf butt in this wild and wooly smash up of The Wolfman and Sons of Anarchy.
For some reason, I feel like I've seen a werewolf biker gang before a few times.
BALKANS ARENA (HC)
Writer: PHILIPPE THIRAULT
Art/Cover: JORGE MIGUEL
Mature/$24.95
Ex-soldier, and widower, Frank Sokol must face the ghosts of the past when he returns to his native Croatia with his Canadian-born 11-year-old son, Ben. But when Ben is kidnapped, Frank will be forced to mend deep-seated familial wounds, and resort to his military training to get him back. Nothing will prepare him for what his search for his boy will uncover. This original, fast-paced, and visceral tale, written by Philippe Thirault (Miss: Better Living Through Crime) and drawn by Jorge Miguel (The Z Word), catapults us deep into the seedy underworld of a country whose violent past still echoes into a fractured present.
You don't often see graphic novels set in Croatia.
BATTLING BOY: FALL OF HOUSE OF WEST (GN)
Writers: PAUL POPE, J T PETTY
Art/Cover: DAVID RUBIN
$9.99
A bold new hero finds her feet in the second of two action-packed graphic novels revealing the origin story of Battling Boy's Aurora West! Aurora West is on the verge of solving the mystery of her mother's death, but it's hard keeping her efforts a secret from her grieving father, the legendary monster-hunter Haggard West. Between her school work and her hours training and hunting with her dad, Aurora is hard-pressed to find time to be a secret sleuth. But she's nothing if not persistent. What Aurora doesn't realize is that she's about to blow open a secret that may very well destroy what's left of her family - and, indeed, all of Arcopolis!
Everybody but me seems to love Paul Pope's work, so here's a heads up.
THE BEST OF ARCHIE COMICS: 75 YEARS, 75 STORIES (TPB)
Script: Various
Art: Various
Cover: HARRY LUCEY
640 pages / Full Color / $14.99 U.S./ $15.99 CAN
5 1/4 x 7 ½”, TPB
Celebrate 75 years of Archie and friends with this fun, full-color commemorative collection of high school hijinks! Contains over 600 pages of classic, much-loved comic book stories -- one from each of the 75 illustrious years of Archie Comics publishing. Each of the comics in THE BEST OF ARCHIE COMICS: 75 YEARS, 75 STORIES has been personally chosen by creators, fans and contributors alike. Featuring special behind-the-scenes anecdotes, this is a must-have for all Archie -- and comic book -- fans everywhere!
I think one of the top 10 developments of recent years in comics is Archie embracing its past. Prior to the new leadership, the publisher ignored its 70-year history, only reprinting stories from recent years. Now we get stuff going back all the way to 1940, and I, for one, am delighted.
BOUNCER (HC)
Writer: ALEJANDRO JODOROWSKY
Art/Cover: FRANCOIS BOUCQ
Mature/$44.95
Bouncer, the one-armed gunslinger, is the law inside the Inferno Saloon. This collection compiles his adventures and showdowns, from his family's violent legacy, to his stint as Barro City's executioner, to his misguided attempts at love -- all populated by the Wild West's most perverse and bizarre characters. Mastermind writer and filmmaker Alexandro Jodorowsky rides out with artist Francois Boucq, whose savage vision vividly captures the American West in all its gritty glory. Collects the series' first 7 volumes together for the first time.
Wow, another Western. Cool.
BROKEN MOON #2
Writer: STEVE NILES
Art/Cover: NAT JONES
$3.99
Humans David and Avery only narrowly escape a vampire attack with their lives, thanks to the unexpected aid of... a pack of werewolves? Werewolf leader Rantz has decided to stop hunting humans due to their shared vampire enemy. But even working together, they're vastly outnumbered. To seek out help, Rantz relies on the ancient tale of a madman -- one they called Frankenstein.
Love that cover! Steve Niles is pretty cool, too.
CAVEWOMAN SHORTS #1
Writer/Art/Cover: DEVON MASSEY
$3.99
Cavewoman: Shorts is a collection of mini-stories starring Meriem as she interacts with the people in Marshville. Meriem deals with guys whistling at her, catty jealous girls, finding a job, doing a calendar shoot and much more! A light hearted romp throughout the city (and maybe beyond) with our favorite Jungle Girl!
I don't think I can be snarky enough to add to the ridiculosity of this cover. Insert your own joke.
CLANDESTINO #1
Writer/Art/Cover: AMANCAY NAHUELPAN
Mature/$3.99
The country of Tairona became a no man's land after the military coup. Guerrillas were formed across the lands, and rebels unified against the dictator to resist the regime. The hopes of many lay on Clandestino, who barely escaped from the military attacks as a child, and was then recruited by the rebel forces, to later lead the revolution against the dictator. An all-new miniseries by Amancay Nahuelpan (Young Terrorists, Boy-1, Robocop).
Wow, another Western! OK, it takes place in the present, and it's set somewhere in Latin America. But it looks pretty Western-y, doesn't it?
CROSSED PLUS 100 #10
Writer: SIMON SPURRIER
Art: RAFA ORTIZ
Cover: MICHAEL DIPASCALE
Mature/$3.99
What if the Crossed were there from the very beginning of comics? This edition will be an Homage to a great Golden Age cover. Art by Michael DiPascale.
I don't read any of the Crossed books, but I thought y'all would enjoy this homage to Marvel Comics #1 (1939).
DEAD DROP (TPB)
Written by ALES KOT
Art by ADAM GORHAM
Cover by RAUL ALLEN
$9.99 US | 112 pgs. | T+
FOUR HEROES. FOUR STORIES. ONE TICKING CLOCK.
There is a secret black market in New York. It is hidden in plain sight – in our streets, trains, and restaurants. Those who know how to navigate it exchange secrets of extraordinary nature. But when the secret in circulation is a biological weapon derived from Vine technology, the gloves are off – and the most extraordinary agents are released to stop the disaster before it occurs. Otherwise, in less than thirty minutes, there will be no world to come back to. X-O Manowar, Archer, Neville Alcott, Detective Cejudo and Betamax are ready to save the world.
Red-hot writer Ales Kot ( Bucky Barnes: The Winter Soldier) and rising star Adam Gorham ( Zero) go in deep with an unlikely cast of superhuman operators for an undercover conspiracy action thriller in the darkest corners of the Valiant Universe!
Collecting DEAD DROP #1–4.
This turned into something I didn't expect, and while that's usually a good thing, I found this story a bit too clumsily stage. By the second issue, I could see the little man behind the curtain. I often tout Valiant books, so I felt it only fair to mention when one disappointed me.
DEAN KOONTZ'S FRANKENSTEIN: STORM SURGE #1 (of 6)
Writer: DEAN KOONTZ, CHUCK DIXON
Art/Cover: ANDRES PONCE
$3.99 / Teen+ / 32 pages
An all-new original story! From the celebrated imagination of Dean Koontz comes a powerful reworking of one of the classic stories of all time. If you think you know the story, you know only half the truth. Welcome to the mystery, the myth, the terror, and magic of Dean Koontz's Frankenstein.
Dynamite Entertainment is proud to announce the October launch of Dean Koontz's Frankenstein: Storm Surge, an all-new six-issue miniseries. From the celebrated imagination of the bestselling novelist comes a powerful reworking of one the most classic stories of all time, co-written by veteran comic book author Chuck Dixon (Batman, The Punisher) and illustrated by Andres Ponce (Doctor Who, Transformers Prime).
Frankenstein: Storm Surge #1 continues the fan-favorite reimagining of "The Modern Prometheus" seen in Koontz's previous Dynamite series, focusing on cast members Victor and Erika. While healing from a beating she suffered at the hands of Victor Helios -- once Dr. Frankenstein -- and her own maker, Erika Five decides to leave the comfort of her glassed-in porch and bottle of cognac to go exploring into Victor's secret home lab, which she believes is an antechamber to something more sinister. With the help of the bodiless head Karloff and his disembodied hand, Erika finds a secret lab and within sees experiments revealing Victor's attempts to do more than create a race of super-immortals… and a mirror-like portal to another universe, one of infinite realities Victor is trying to bridge for his own terrifying reasons!
Regarding the new series, Dean Koontz says, "With Frankenstein: Storm Surge, Dynamite has wonderfully revitalized this series. Uber cool!"
Dean Koontz is a New York Times bestselling author whose books are published in 38 languages and have sold over 450 million copies to date. Fourteen of his novels have risen to the top of the NYT hardcover bestseller list (One Door Away From Heaven, From the Corner of His Eye, Midnight, Cold Fire, The Bad Place, Hideaway, Dragon Tears, Intensity, Sole Survivor, The Husband, Odd Hours, Relentless, What the Night Knows and 77 Shadow Street), making him one of only a dozen writers ever to have achieved that milestone. Sixteen of his books have risen to the number one position in paperback. His books have also been major bestsellers in countries as diverse as Japan and Sweden. Rolling Stone has hailed him as "America's most popular suspense novelist."
Chuck Dixon is a veteran comic book writer with thousands of titles to his name including a record run on Batman at DC Comics (where he co-created the villain Bane) and seminal work on Marvel's The Punisher. He adapted J.R.R. Tolkein's The Hobbit into one of the most successful graphic novels in publication. He is also the author of the bestselling SEAL Team Six novels from Dynamite. Chuck currently writes the monthly Winterworld comic and Joe Frankenstein for IDW, while working on new entries in the Bad Times and Levon Cade series.
Dynamite was proud enough of this to send me a press release. Alas, I can't post the preview until Tuesday, and I ain't waiting.
FRICKIN BUTT KICKIN ZOMBIE ANTS VOL 1 (GN)
Writer: STEVE STEM
Art/Cover: FILLBACH BROTHERS
$7.95
From the brilliant comic mind of Steve Stern and the amazing comic pens of The Fillbach Bros. Frickin' Butt-Kickin' Zombie Ants is about ... wait, honestly, do we need to explain what Frickin' Butt-Kickin' Zombie Ants is about? Kid friendly, adult friendly, laugh-out-loud funny -- terrific comic art entertainment (with more to come)!
What took them so long?
FUBAR BY THE SWORD (GN)
Writer: CHUCK DIXON & VARIOUS
Art: STEVE BECKER & VARIOUS
Cover: PIETRO
Mature/$16.95
From the castles of medieval England to the unstoppable armies of Genghis Khan, these 25 tales of zombie-stabbing action traverse the histories of the ancient world before the machinery of modern combat was perfected. These were brutal times when you either lived by the sword or died by the horde!
More zombies. But historical ones!
HOUSE OF AX (ONE SHOT)
$3.99
Indulge, if you dare, in a misbegotten assemblage of terrifying tales designed to deliver the contents of your nightmares onto paper. Our masters of macabre spatter your imagination with gore that'll chill you to the core.
That cover looks a lot like it was done by Kelley Jones or Jeff Jones.
KILLING AND DYING (HC)
Writer/Art/Cover: ADRIAN TOMINE
128 pages • 6.5" x 9.25" • full color • $22.95 U.S. / $26.95 CAD • 13 x 17 inches
"Adrian Tomine can draw, think, write and feel. He sees everything, he knows everything; he’s in your apartment, he’s on the subway, he’s in your dreams. He knows about aging baseball fans and delusional horticulturists, he knows hapless fathers and awkward nerd-girl stand-ups, he knows the single and the married, the mad and the sane, knows when to use a speech a bubble and when silence is enough. He has more ideas in twenty panels than novelists have in a lifetime." -- Zadie Smith, author of White Teeth and NW
Killing and Dying is a stunning showcase of the possibilities of the graphic novel medium and a wry exploration of loss, creative ambition, identity and family dynamics. With this work, Adrian Tomine reaffirms his place not only as one of the most significant creators of contemporary comics, but as one of the great voices of modern American literature. His gift for capturing emotion and intellect resonates here: the weight of love and its absence, the pride and disappointment of family, the anxiety and hopefulness of being alive in the twenty-first century.
In six interconnected, darkly funny stories, Tomine forms a quietly moving portrait of contemporary life. Adrian Tomine is a master of the small gesture, equally deft at signaling emotion via a subtle change of expression or writ large across landscapes illustrated in full color. Killing and Dying is a fraught, realist masterpiece.
Adrian Tomine is a master of the small gesture, equally deft at signaling emotion via a subtle change of expression or writ large across landscapes illustrated in full color. Killing and Dying is a fraught, realist masterpiece.
"Like finding a box of old school memories or discovering a battered Nokia 3310 filled with forgotten text messages, Tomine's stories have an ability to transport you back to the social awkwardness, unrequited love and emotional growing pains of your own adolescence." -- Vice (read the full interview!)
One of Los Angeles Times's 7 Great Books for Fall: "Moving, sharply rendered, these are comics where the real action takes place between the lines."
One of Entertainment Weekly's 7 Graphic Novels To Get Lost In This Fall
One of Details.com's 8 Books You Have To Read This Fall: "One of art comic's most revered talents returns with his latest collection of emotionally haunting tales of American life. Think the best of what '90s independent cinema was going for, but with better a better aesthetic."
"Killing and Dying has all the depth, shadows, restraint and emotional impact of Alice Munro or William Trevor. There is no finer exploration of embarrassment than the title story about a stammering, under-confident 14-year-old who wants to be a stand-up, much against her unsupportive father’s wishes, but Tomine goes a few steps further and devastates you, changing the entire emotional weather. He is a master of melancholy, of depicting lives running into the sand. He is also a master of the deflating joke, of comedy that breaks the heart. The psychological complexity and depth he is capable of rendering in a few panels is astounding." -- New Statesman
One of Village Voice's 9 Books To Read This Fall: "This new collection of six interconnected graphic stories is as masterfully wrought as past achievements like Sleepwalk and Summer Blonde, and just as hauntingly evocative of modern American loneliness, anxiety and hope."
"Plenty of graphic novelists mine the seam of modern anxieties and alienation. Only a tiny handful do so with as much perceptive humanity as Tomine. ... [He] has created a deft, deadpan masterpiece filled with heartache interspersed with the shock of beauty." -- Publishers Weekly, Books of the Week, October 2015
One of Phoenix New Times's 10 Best New Graphic Novels to Read This Fall: "Imagine Raymond Carver’s writing sensibilities overlaid with Edward Hopper’s art (or vice versa) and the end result might be Adrian Tomine’s graphic short stories: they are serious literature in a graphic form. Tomine’s work is spare yet dense and every image and word counts. His new collection brings together six interconnected, yet stylistically diverse stories."
"Simply put, Adrian Tomine is one of the best artists working in comics today." -- ARTINFO (read the full interview!)
"Tomine's meticulous realism and the subtle hues of humanity he describes with word and image are kind of an answer to the question someone, somewhere, must have asked at least once: What if Raymond Carver, at his best, had worked in comics?" -- Austin Chronicle
"Tomine can tell an entire story about contemporary experiences of isolation, yearning, and missed connection in a single drawing." -- Grace Bello in Guernica (read the full interview!)
Tomine explains how he wrote and drew Intruders (and shows off sketches from the story!) on Catapult.
Read about Tomine challenging himself as an artist, the stories that happen behind the story you're reading, and how fatherhood has affected the way in which he approaches his cartooning in an interview on Comic Book Resources
Adrian Tomine was born in 1974 in Sacramento, California. He began self-publishing his comic book series Optic Nerve when he was sixteen, and in 1994 he received an offer to publish from Drawn & Quarterly. His comics have been anthologized in publications such as McSweeney’s, Best American Comics, and Best American Nonrequired Reading, and his graphic novel Shortcomings was a New York Times Notable Book of the year. Since 1999, Tomine has been a regular contributor to the New Yorker. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and daughters.
Drawn & Quarterly is reallllly proud of this one!
NINJAK #8
Art by STEPHEN SEGOVIA and BUTCH GUICE
Cover A by MICO SUAYAN
Cover B by DAVE JOHNSON
Character Design Variant by MATT KINDT
Variant Cover by JASON LATOUR
$3.99 US | 40 pgs. | T+ | On sale OCTOBER 14
"THE SHADOW WARS" – PART 3! Ninjak face-to-face with the terrifying threat of … FITZY!
Ninjak goes toe-to-toe with the brains of the Shadow Seven operation: the deadly and very intelligent Fitzy. But as Colin King discovers he has much more in common with this group of thieves and murderers than he’d like, will he be able to hold onto his honor…and his sanity?
Meanwhile, MI-6 makes their boldest move yet as Stephen Segovia (Convergence) joins Matt Kindt (RAI) and Butch Guice (Captain America) for the next bloodstained chapter of "THE SHADOW WARS"!
One of Valiant's best titles.
CLICK HERE FOR PREVIEW!
PIPPI LONGSTOCKING: STRONGEST IN THE WORLD (GN)
Writer/Art/Cover: ASTRID LINDGREN, INGRID VANG
$19.95
From Drawn & Quarterly. Celebrate the 70th anniversary of Pippi! Who can rescue babies from a burning building, outwit burglars, overpower a circus strongman, and still get home in time for Christmas? Pippi Longstocking can! Pippi Longstocking: The strongest in the world! collects over 100 pages of comics from Pippi creator Astrid Lindgren and her collaborator, illustrator Ingrid Vang Nyman. Unearthed by D+Q and republished between 2011 and 2014, these mid-century comics had never before been seen by North American audiences. Pippi Longstocking: The Strongest in the World! is a fitting tribute to one of the world's most beloved fictional characters.
I read some Pippi Longstocking when I was a kid, but realized pretty fast that I wasn't the target market. If you have daughters, this might be interesting to them.
SAMURAI COLLECTED OMNIBUS
Writer: JEAN-FRANÇOIS DI GIORGIO
Art/Cover: FRÉDÉRIC GENET
192 pages / FC / $29.99
Titan Comics are thrilled to announce their publication of Samurai Omnibus by Jean-François Di Giorgio and Frédéric Genet. Set in feudal Japan, the omnibus -- which collects Samurai vol. 1-4, previously published by Marvel Comics -- tells the epic story of one Samurai's quest for answers in a brutal world. This omnibus will be followed by the publication of all-new Samurai material, never before released in the English language.
Samurai is the latest series to join Titan's European graphic novels range, along with critical and sales hits Void, Snowpiercer and books based on the works of Michael Moorcock.
Takeo has finally achieved his dream; he has left behind the darkness of his past and become a Samurai. But now, with the courage that comes from knowing you are worthy, he finally feels ready to confront his demons.
Yet Imperial Japan is in turmoil; General Akuma, one of the Empire’s most powerful men has turned his back on the Emperor, and is planning to betray him. The two men are linked by a dark secret; the 13th prophet. It is into this mysterious feud that Takeo will stray on his quest to find out who he really is and answer the questions that have followed him his whole life. Why was he left to grow up in a monastery? And where is the brother that abandoned him ten years earlier?
For more information:
www.titan-comics.com
www.titanmagazines.com
I think I read this when Marvel published it, but I don't remember if I enjoyed it. Sorry!
CLICK HERE FOR PREVIEW!
Art: SERGIO DAVILA
Cover A Main: TULA LOTAY
Cover B Variant: EMANUELA LUPACCHINO
Cover C Subscription: ROBERT HACK
$3.99 / Teen+ / 32 pages
IT ALL ENDS NOW. The planet-crushing finale to this epic crossover ends here! With a key player down for the count, can the remaining warriors (and their Swords of Sorrow) hold the tide against Purgatori and the other CHAOS women, AND the Prince of All Dimensions as the universe collapses around them? Featuring the greatest pulp heroines of all time in the adventure no one ever imagined could happen!
This has been a pretty decent event, overcoming my event fatigue and entertaining me. Now when Dynamite reboots all its Big 3 protagonists next year (Vampirella, Dejah Thoris, Red Sonja) I'll approach them with warm fuzzies in my heart.
UNITY #23
Art by DIEGO BERNARD
Cover A by BILQUIS EVELY
Cover B by JED DOUGHERTY
Variant Cover by SCOT EATON (AUG15788)
$3.99 | 32 Pages | T+
NEW ARC! "REVENGE OF THE ARMOR HUNTERS" – PART 1
Valiant is proud to present UNITY #23 – the FIRST ISSUE of REVENGE OF THE ARMOR HUNTERS, a new two-part story arc from multiple Harvey Award nominee James Asmus (QUANTUM AND WOODY, All-New Inhumans) and explosive artist Diego Bernard (X-O MANOWAR)! Valiant’s earth-shaking ARMOR HUNTERS crossover epic was just the beginning for Unity’s deadliest enemies ... who are rising from the ashes for their next lethal assault on the Valiant Universe!
Deep under the mountains of the American Southwest, Quartz – one of the last surviving members of the alien Armor Hunters that attacked Earth – is kept secure in government custody. Escape is impossible from the inside. But can the combined might of the U.S. armed forces, X-O Manowar, and Unity stop a jailbreak from the outside … when that attack is an all-out suicide strike by Unity’s own giant killer robot GIN-GR?
The line between hero and villain has never been thinner as Unity goes to war with one of their own! As trust, loyalties, and allegiances are put to the test, can Unity endure the pressure put on their crumbling foundation?
On October 14th, the galaxy’s deadliest squad of killers will have their revenge when James Asmus and Diego Bernard present the rematch of the century in a two-part battle royale! Featuring covers by all-star artists Bilquis Evely (Shaft), Jed Dougherty (World’s Finest), and Scot Eaton (IMPERIUM), round two of Unity versus the Armor Hunters starts here, only in UNITY #23!
Evidently this didn't sell, because next issue is the final one.
CLICK HERE FOR PREVIEW!
WAR STORIES #13
Writer: GARTH ENNIS
Art/Cover: TOMAS ARIA
Mature/$3.99
How do you join The Tokyo Club? Simple. You climb into your single seat, single engine fighter- loaded with fuel and ammunition- and fly 700 miles across the open Pacific until you reach the mainland of Japan. There you fight off any enemy aircraft attempting to hit the American bombers you're escorting to their targets. Still alive? Now comes the fun part. You fly another 700 miles back home to your airstrip on Iwo Jima, fuel running lower and lower, nothing but ocean for miles around. Any battle damage you've suffered will reduce your chances even further. Make it back and you're in the club. And more good news: you get to do it all again tomorrow. Part one of three, by Garth Ennis and Tomas Aria. Available with Regular &Wraparound Covers by Tomas Aria, and Good Girl Nose Art & Battle Damage Retailer Incentive Covers by Matt Martin.
I loved the War Stories series when it was with DC, and I'm sure I'll like these, too. But I haven't seen any collections. Do they exist?
X-O MANOWAR #41
Art by RAFA SANDOVAL
Cover A by RAFA SANDOVAL
Cover B by DIEGO BERNARD
Variant Cover by JEFTE PALO
$3.99 US | 32 pgs. | T+ | On sale OCTOBER 14
It’s X-O Manowar vs. G.A.T.E. as "EXODUS" continues to rip the Valiant Universe apart!
With a conspiracy tearing the Vine and humanity’s tenuous relationship apart, Aric of Dacia takes matters into his own hands to bring peace – but at a dire cost. But when you don’t know whom to trust, you must trust yourself.
X-O Manowar makes the decision to save two worlds in "EXODUS" – Part 3 from New York Times best-selling writer Robert Venditti (Green Lantern) and red-hot sensation Rafa Sandoval (Ultimate Hawkeye)!
And yet a third Valiant title this week!
CLICK HERE FOR PREVIEW!
ZOMBIE TRAMP HALLOWEEN SPECIAL #1
Art: MARCELO TROM
Covers: MARCELO TROM, DAN MENDOZA, BILL MCKAY
MARCELO TROM risque variant cover (limited to 2500)
DAN MENDOZA variant cover (limited to 2000)
BILL MCKAY variant cover (limited to 1500)
BILL MCKAY risqué variant cover (limited to 1500)
32 pgs / Mature Readers / FC / $3.99 (reg.) / $4.99 (Var.)
Get set for Hot Habanero Action and Sexy Salsa Sizzle as our favorite Undead Vixen goes south of the border just in time for a Día de Muertos themed Halloween special!!
When a troubled young girl visits her sister’s grave on All Souls Day, could she rise from the ground and come to her sister’s aid? That we don’t know. But what we do know is that someone does hear her. Someone that does rise from graves.
That someone is Janey Belle, The ZOMBIE TRAMP.
Features Dia de los Muertos regular and risqué covers, and Halloween covers by Zombie Tramp creator Dan Mendoza, and Bill McKay ( Zombies VS Cheerleaders, Night of the 80s Undead)!
I'm guessing this will be the Halloween Comic Fest release.
FUBAR BY THE SWORD (GN)
Interesting choice for a title.