DARK HORSE
CONAN THE AVENGER #17
Writer: FRED VAN LENTE
Art: BRIAN CHING
Colors: MICHAEL ATIYEH
Cover: JASON FELIX
FC, 32 pages, $3.50
Ongoing
Conan’s out for blood in a desert oasis as he stalks the bandits responsible for the slaughter of a trading caravan—and the man he believes to be their accomplice, the sinister Kerim Shah. But is the Cimmerian on the right trail, or is there something more mysterious afoot?
“It’s a fun, exciting adventure story starring everyone’s favorite barbarian. ... Recommended.” -- Fandom Post
This is the second one of these I've read, and the second I've enjoyed. I blame myself for not knowing these books were good; I read so many bad Conan stories in the character's last few years at Marvel that the "ho, dog-brother" ilk of stories is ingrained in my head. Turns out van Lente knows how to write a modern story set in pre-history. Go figure.
Anyway: If you're like me, it might be time to give the ol' Cimmerian another try.
HELLBOY IN HELL #7
Writer/Art/Cover: MIKE MIGNOLA
Colors: DAVE STEWART
FC, 32 pages, $2.99
Ongoing
“The Hounds of Pluto” Part 1 of 2.
In August and September, Dark Horse Comics will publish a two part HELLBOY IN HELL story, “The Hounds of Pluto.” It kicks off with a glimpse of England -- which loyal readers will remember was the scene of Hellboy's death, before it was wiped off the face of the Earth. This is one of the most beautifully drawn and colored sequences Mike Mignola and Dave Stewart have ever done.
Now Hellboy, dead and in Hell, falls ill, and seems to be dying. Again. In order to be saved, he makes a deal with a guy on trial for charges he’d rather not discuss. The guy will help, as long as Hellboy agrees to deal with another problem -- the strange creature on the cover of HELLBOY IN HELL #8, inspired by a plastic Halloween decoration of a cat skeleton that Mike found, and decided he had to have.
“[Mike Mignola] has lost none of his touch, delivering page after page with cinematic action sequences, haunting imagery, and inventive layouts that all contribute to the sense that Hellboy is on the cusp of something huge.” -- IGN
Mignola back drawing Hellboy? Sign me up!
Mike Mignola and friend. Courtesy Dark Horse Comics
Writer: EIJI OTSUKA
Art: HOUSUI YAMAZAKI
Cover: BUNPEI YORIFUJI
The last wishes of the dead are about to be realized in a big way this August when acclaimed manga series The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service gets the omnibus treatment from Dark Horse Comics.
Translated from the best-selling Japanese series, The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service: Book One Omnibus collects the first two volumes of Eiji Otsuka and Housui Yamazaki’s acclaimed story following five recently graduated university students that specialize in the deceased -- and your body is their business! The quintet uses their special skills of channeling, dowsing, ESP and more to help the dead move on to their next reincarnations.
The first in a series of omnibus editions for The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service, this book features 640 pages for only $19.99. Each volume comes shrink-wrapped and carries an 18+ advisory. Collects The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service Volumes 1-3.
Praise for The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service:
“A translation with just the right balance of humor, drama and supernatural edification makes the dialogue a delight to read -- but the real highlight of the text is the glossary and editor’s notes in the back.” -- Anime News Network
“Nobody does horror-comedy better than Otsuka and Yamazaki.” -- Booklist
I like the concept. I don't know if I like the art -- honest, I try to like this sort of manga, I just often fail -- but I'll give it a try anyway.
SUNDOWNERS VOLUME 2 (TPB)
Writer: TIM SEELEY
Art: JIM TERRY
Colors: SEAN DOVE
Cover: JUAN FERREYRA
FC, 168 pages, $19.99
TPB, 7” x 10”
When the Sundowners are on the run from the Chicago police, a stopover in Detroit uncovers the Motor City’s supervillain underbelly! Meet Mr. Christmas and his little helpers—he knows when you're sleeping, and he's not too happy that the Sundowners are coming to town. Collects Sundowners #7-11.
An original graphic novel collecting never-before-seen material!
“Sundowners is a series that I honestly cant recommend highly enough.” -- Big Comic Page
I have never read this, but this preview is interesting.
ZODIAC STARFORCE #1
Writer: KEVIN PANETTA
Art: PAULINA GANUCHEAU
Cover: MARGUERITE SAUVAGE
FC, 32 pages, $3.99
Miniseries
An elite group of teenage girls with magical powers have sworn to protect our planet against dark creatures . . . as long as they can get out of class!
These high-school girls aren’t just combating math tests. They’re also battling monsters! But when an evil force infects leader Emma, she must work with her team to save herself—and the world—from the evil Diana and her mean-girl minions!
• A brand-new creator-owned series from Kevin Panetta (Bravest Warriors) and Paulina Ganucheau (TMNT: New Animated Adventures, Bravest Warriors).
• For fans of Sailor Moon, Buffy and Lumberjanes!
“Zodiac Starforce is everything I want in a modern magical girl story -- friendship, diversity, sweet battles and enviable costumes. Kevin and Paulina have crafted a both stunningly beautiful and heartfelt adventure series I honestly can’t wait to read.” -- Kate Leth (Adventure Time: Seeing Red, Edward Scissorhands)
From editor Jim Gibbons:
Full disclosure: I’ve never seen a single episode of Sailor Moon. I’m a thirty-year-old man who, up until a few months ago, had no idea that “magical girl” was a popular manga and anime genre. In short: I’m not who you’d think of as the target audience for a book about a team of magically powered high-school girls.
And yet the second I read the pitch packet and saw the sample pages of Kevin Panetta and Paulina Ganucheau’s heartfelt, genuine, and legitimately funny Zodiac Starforce, I was hooked. More than hooked: I fell in love. The characters, the art, and the story immediately had such incredible personality and charisma that the idea of not getting to spend more time with them left me heartbroken. Each month, we see dozens of new comic series launch, but let’s be honest—we’ve all been in comics long enough to be a little jaded. How many superhero relaunches and high-concept sci-fi series have we all read over the years? Some are good, some are bad, some we love, and some we hate, but—bottom line—we’re all too familiar with them. Zodiac Starforce is anything but familiar. And yet it’s got all the makings of an instant classic. It emits a fun-loving vibe that gives me the bellyful of excitement butterflies that only a comic this fresh, new, unique, and sincere can inspire.
Zodiac Starforce, in short, is magic.
We haven’t even hit final-order cutoff on issue #1, and we’ve been inundated with Zodiac Starforce fan art and even cosplay from fans anxiously anticipating what they keep calling their new favorite series. The fan response simply to the news of the book is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Those excitement butterflies I mentioned seem to be going around!
Let’s talk about the creative team:
Artist Paulina Ganucheau is poised to be one of the biggest breakout artists of 2015, with some of the most fun and original character designs you’ll see this year alongside her energetic, lively, expressive pages! Writer Kevin Panetta is hilarious, breathing life into some of the most entertaining characters I’ve ever read while crafting a plot that includes a level of depth rarely seen in an all-ages comic. Combined, they’re an enthusiastic duo pouring their heart and soul into a comic they deeply care about. That commitment infuses passion into everyone who reads Zodiac Starforce, which is how we got cover artists like Marguerite Sauvage, Kevin Wada, Jacob Wyatt, Noelle Stevenson, and Babs Tarr onboard.
Heh. The 30-year-old editor thinks his liking this book despite his advanced age is an inducement for me to read this series. Heh.
DC COMICS
Here are this week's "Bombshells" covers (as ever, click for larger image). They are (from top left) Aquaman #43, Deathstroke #9, Flash #43, Grayson #11, Harley Quinn #19, Justice League of America #3, Sinestro #14, Superman #43 and Teen Titans #11. Some of them are pretty good. Given Ravager's eye patch (assuming she still has it in The New 52), a pirate pose works. And what's more appropriate for Sinestro than being a sleazy dance instructor? I gather the Harley Quinn cover is supposed to be a riff on the famous shot of the serviceman kissing a nurse at Times Square on V-E Day, but I had to squint at it a couple of times to see it.
Written by CULLEN BUNN
Art and cover by TREVOR McCARTHY
Bombshells Variant cover by ANT LUCIA
On sale AUGUST 26 • 32 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for more information.
Since his exile from Atlantis, Aquaman has been exhibiting strange new powers. Now learn the secret of these powers as the former king comes face-to-face with Poseidon! And as the Atlantis of old wages war on Earth, the forces behind Arthur and Mera’s estrangement are revealed! All is not what it seems...
BATMAN: ARKHAM KNIGHT – GENESIS #1
Written by PETER J. TOMASI
Art by ALISSON BORGES
Cover by STJEPAN SEJIC
1:10 Video game art variant cover
RESOLICIT • On sale JUNE 30 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T • DIGITAL FIRST
This issue is resolicited. All previous orders are canceled. It will ship with two covers.
Witness the birth of Gotham City’s newest villain, the Arkham Knight, in this stunning new 6-issue miniseries written by Peter J. Tomasi, the man behind the hit series BATMAN: ARKHAM KNIGHT and BATMAN AND ROBIN!
Is this another video game-based book? DC has jumped into that concept with both feet.
G.I. ZOMBIE: A STAR-SPANGLED WAR STORY (TPB)
Written by JUSTIN GRAY and JIMMY PALMIOTTI
Art by SCOTT HAMPTON
Cover by DARWYN COOKE
On sale AUGUST 26 • 176 pg, FC, $16.99 US
Meet the soldier they call G.I. Zombie! In these stories from issues #1-8 and FUTURES END #1, an undercover operation exposes a terrorist plot – and the only thing in its way is a zombie with an AK-47! Plus, the only man who can negotiate with terrorists is already dead!
Evidently this didn't sell, but I'm still curious about how zombies work in the DCU.
HARLEY QUINN #19
Written by AMANDA CONNER and JIMMY PALMIOTTI
Art by CHAD HARDIN
Cover by AMANDA CONNER
Bombshells Variant cover by ANT LUCIA
32 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
This issue will ship with two covers.
Harley’s finding out just how hard it is to be the boss! She’s finally ready to put her love life first—if only the Gang of Harleys would let her have a moment’s rest!
The "Bombshells" variant is posted above, but this regular cover is pretty cool as a riff on The Brady Bunch (or maybe Hollywood Squares).
JUSTICE LEAGUE 3001 #3
Written by KEITH GIFFEN and J.M. DeMATTEIS
Art and cover by HOWARD PORTER
1:25 Variant cover by HOWARD PORTER
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for details.
It’s the Super-Buddies versus Giant Turtle Olsen starring in. ... Who the hell cares what it’s called? It’s Giant Turtle Olsen! You are so welcome. Oh, and the Justice League will show up too. I mean, it being their book and all. … And hey, did we mention Giant Turtle Olsen?
Giant Turtle Olsen is my jam! CR-RK! CR-RK!
JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK VOL. 6: PARADISE LOST (TPB)
Written by J.M. DeMATTEIS
Art by ANDRES GUINALDO, WALDEN WONG, TOM DERENICK and others
Cover by GUILLEM MARCH
On sale AUGUST 26 • 176 pg, FC, $16.99 US
In these stories from issues #35-40 and ANNUAL #2, Zatanna assumes leadership of the team and prepares to rebuild. With team members angry and confused by John Constantine’s methods during their recent battles, how will Constantine fit into this new team, if at all?
The concept of this book is attractive, but how has it proved in practice, JLD readers? I haven't been reading it since the first trade. (Constantine got on my nerves.)
IDW PUBLISHING
DRIVE #1 (OF 4)
Writer: MICHAEL BENEDETTO
Art/Cover: ANTONIO FUSO
Subscription Variant: MIKE COLLINS
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
A hard-boiled pop-culture sensation re-created for comics.
IDW Publishing hits the sun-bleached streets of L.A. this summer with the comic-book adaption of James Sallis’ modern noir classic, DRIVE. Artist Antonio Fuso (G.I. Joe: Cobra, Zombies vs Robots) alongside IDW’s own Michael Benedetto will adapt Sallis’ novel into a four-part series of Hollywood stunt driving, high-stakes heists and cold-blooded revenge.
DRIVE follows a young man who escapes to L.A. to do one thing, drive. That’s all he does, and he’s the best. Whether on studio lots as a stunt driver or in high-speed chases evading the cops, there’s no one better behind the wheel. That kind of expertise comes with a hefty price tag and allows for a strict set of principles: “I don’t sit in while you’re planning the score or while you’re running it down. … I don’t take part, I don’t know anyone, I drive …” But in L.A.’s criminal underworld, the rules are made to be broken if you want to stay alive.
“This is a story that’s practically made for comic books,” offered series editor Justin Eisinger. “DRIVE is a lean, taut story, where the details lend that feel of authenticity. If you’ve cruised the back neighborhoods and streets of Los Angeles — or any metropolis — and you’ve read this book, there’s a tone, a feeling that ties them together. It’s tactile. It’s there and we want to bring those ominous undercurrent vibes to the page.”
"The idea behind DRIVE, the engine, was to write a contemporary equivalent of those muscular original paperbacks from publishers like Gold Medal -- something that will translate beautifully into graphic novels,” explained author James Sallis. "I've spoken of Nic Refn's film as a perfect storm, where everything, music, script, acting, came together miraculously. IDW's DRIVE looks to be another perfect storm. This kind of loving development goes beyond adaptation; it's true re-creation."
First published in 2005, DRIVE is a critically acclaimed novel praised by The New York Times as “a perfect piece of noir fiction.” The 2011 award-winning film adaptation featured an all-star cast and was lauded for its hyper-stylized vision of Los Angeles. IDW Publishing’s comic book adaptation celebrates the 10-year anniversary of the novel’s release.
Here's another new book that doesn't force itself to the top of my to-read pile, but will probably get sampled someday.
GODZILLA IN HELL #2 (OF 5)
Writer/Art/Cover: BOB EGGLETON
Subscription Variant: MATT FRANK
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Godzilla descends further into the pit! Godzilla navigates a city that can never be destroyed as demonic versions of his greatest foes wait for the perfect moment to strike!
A new issue, a fantastic new style for The King of Monsters!
You know what would be cool? Gojira vs Giant Turtle Olsen! In hell!
JOE FRANKENSTEIN
Writers: GRAHAM NOLAN & CHUCK DIXON
Art/Cover: GRAHAM NOLAN
HC • FC • $24.99 • 128 pages
An action/horror/adventure tale by Graham Nolan and Chuck Dixon! Young Joe Pratt discovers, upon meeting the monster of his ancestor, that he is the heir to the Frankenstein name. A legacy that may get him killed if the creatures of the night have their way.
From the creators of Bane!
Looks good. Of course, everything Nolan draws looks good.
RAGNARÖK #6
Writer/Art/Cover: WALTER SIMONSON
Subscription Variant : WALTER SIMONSON
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Bring Out Your Dead.
Thor has arrived at last in Asgard. The devastation is complete, as the Thunder God searches the ruins of his home for the remains of those nearest and dearest to him. He finds not only the broken heart of his worst fears, but a secret hidden since before the final battle of the gods and their enemies, a secret that reveals the deep and devious wisdom of Father Odin, and the goodwill of a red squirrel.
Continuing the runaway hit series from the legendary Walter Simonson!
I tried the first TPB, and dog gone if this isn't really good. I thought Simonson would have said everything he had to say about Thor back when he was writing and drawing the Thunder God at Marvel, but I would be wrong!
SHERLOCK HOLMES: THE SEVEN-PER-CENT SOLUTION #1 (of 5)
Writer: DAVID & SCOTT TIPTON
Art: RON JOSEPH
Cover: KELLEY JONES
Subscription Variant : JUAN CARLOS RUIZ
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
IDW Publishing announced today at WonderCon 2015 the 5-issue comic-book adaption of writer/director Nicholas Meyer’s best-selling mystery novel The Seven-Per-Cent Solution. Scott Tipton and David Tipton, the writing team behind Harlan Ellison’s The City on the Edge of Forever: The Original Teleplay and Star Trek/Planet of the Apes: The Primate Directive, are adapting the material, alongside artist Ron Joseph with cover art by Kelley Jones.
From the mind of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan writer/director Nicholas Meyer, The Seven-Per-Cent Solution is a "rediscovered" Sherlock Holmes adventure that recounts the astonishing and previously unknown collaboration of Sherlock Holmes and Sigmund Freud, as recorded by Dr. John H. Watson. In addition to recounting this remarkable collaboration on a case of diabolic conspiracy, it reveals the real identity of Holmes’s nemesis Professor Moriarty, a dark secret shared by Sherlock and his brother Mycroft Holmes, and the detective's true whereabouts during the Great Hiatus, when the world believed him to be dead.
“I'm delighted to help translate my novel, The Seven-Per-Cent Solution, for a new audience in a new venue and hope the results will justify the effort!” said Meyer.
The Seven-Per-Cent Solution, which was originally published in 1974, made The New York Times Best Seller list for forty consecutive weeks and has been adapted into a motion picture that earned Meyer an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. IDW is pleased to be the first to bring this incredible tale to life in comics!
“I’ve long been an admirer of Nicholas Meyer’s work, going all the way back to his first film Time After Time,” said Scott Tipton, “so I’m thrilled to get the chance to work with him, especially on such legendary literary creations like Holmes and Watson.”
“We think Nicholas Meyer’s The Seven-Per-Cent Solution will be a great fit for a comic-book edition, and we are very much looking forward to helping adapt his unique approach to the adventures of Sherlock Holmes,” said David Tipton.
Isn't this the book that made Holmes a junkie? I haven't read it, so I could be wrong.
WALT DISNEY'S COMICS & STORIES #722
Writers: BRUNO SARDA, JONATHAN GRAY
Art: MASSIMO DE VITA, FREDDY MILTON, AL TALIAFERRO
Cover: GIORGIO CAVAZZANO
Subscription Variant: JAMES SILVANI
FC • 40 pages • $3.99
Mickey battles Scorpion Valley's giant bugs in Part 2 of the epic "Search for the Zodiac Stone!" Then it's Scrooge versus Beagle Boys in a new Freddy Milton tale!
• Disney's most long-lived, celebrated monthly title is back! Discover Walt Disney's Comics and Stories again for the first time!
• 40 action-packed pages for only $3.99!
• "Disney Legacy" Epcot cover by Derek Chram!
This is fine work.
IMAGE COMICS
IMAGE GIANT-SIZED ARTIST’S PROOF EDITION: THE WALKING DEAD #1
Story: ROBERT KIRKMAN
Art/Cover: TONY MOORE
August 26 / 32 pages / B&W / Mature Readers / $19.99
The all-new IMAGE GIANT-SIZED ARTIST’S PROOF EDITION series presents special artist achievements in their raw form in an oversized format. TONY MOORE’s gritty line work from THE WALKING DEAD #1 is presented here in glorious black and white inks, free of grey tones, at 11x17.
Since this was B&W to start with, I guess what you're buying is ... size?
INVISIBLE REPUBLIC, VOL. 1 (TPB)
Story: GABRIEL HARDMAN & CORINNA BECHKO
Art/Cover: GABRIEL HARDMAN & JORDAN BOYD
August 19 / 144 pages / Full Color / 15+ / $9.99
Fan-favorite comic book writer and film storyboard artist Gabriel Hardman (writer: KINSKI, Hulk, Planet of the Apes, storyboard artist: Inception, The Dark Knight Rises, Interstellar) teams up with artist Corinna Bechko (HEATHENTOWN, Savage Hulk, Star Wars: Legacy) for an all-new science fiction series in INVISIBLE REPUBLIC, VOL. 1. This collects issues #1-5 into trade paperback and will be available in August.
In INVISIBLE REPUBLIC, VOL. 1, when a reporter unearths the secret history of the recently deposed dictator of a remote colonized moon, he discovers that exposing secrets can be deadly.
Praise for INVISIBLE REPUBLIC:
“Whereas most future sci-fi tales begin with the world, Invisible Republic builds from its characters. Such structure makes the new debut from Gabriel Hardman and Corinna Bechko quickly engaging, the book's plot piloted by very human drama.” -- IGN
“Readers looking for something with the feel of classic films like The Insider or All the President's Men with the look of Ronald D. Moore's Battlestar Galactica would do well to check out Invisible Republic.” -- Comic Book Resources
“A great story that you can easily be absorbed into. Invisible Republic proved to be a refreshing debut that looks to only get more interesting from here.” -- All-Comic
Yes, I will give this a try.
IXth GENERATION, VOL. 1 (TPB)
Story: MATT HAWKINS
Art / Cover: STJEPAN SEJIC
JUNE 24 / 160 PAGES / FC / T+ / $14.99
In the future there is no more natural death, no needs unfilled and everything you could ever want is yours … as long as you’re one of the chosen ones to live in this new Utopia and you’re willing to subjugate yourself to these new self-proclaimed gods with IXs emblazoned on them. Do the ends truly justify the means? Is a utopia built on genocide worth the price? Aphrodite, Velocity, Hades and the other Nines establish fiefdoms in this new world and attempt to rule. Their internal clashes have escalated, but they are forced to put that aside as they face off against the relentless hordes of the Darkness. The sins of the past have come to claim those who would pretend to be Gods.
Collects IXTH GENERATION #1-4 and IXTH GENERATION: HIDDEN FILES #1.
This one, too.
RUNLOVEKILL, VOL. 1 (TPB)
Story: JON TSUEI
Art/Cover: ERIC CANETE
August 19 / 96 pages / Full Color / Mature Readers / $9.99
Fan-favorite writer Jon Tsuei (Comic Book Tattoo) teams up with artist Eric Canete (The End League, Iron Man: Enter the Mandarin) for an all-new thriller/suspense that will hook readers and keep them on the edge of their seats in RUNLOVEKILL, VOL. 1. This collects issues #1-4 into trade paperback and will be available in August.
In RUNLOVEKILL, VOL. 1, a mysterious military organization known only as “The Origami,” is on the hunt for one of their former assassins: Rain Oshiro. Their stronghold on the city of Prygat is tightening and Rain has fewer than 24 hours to get out of their radius of influence before she’s trapped forever. Rain must face the decisions of her past while utilizing every last resource at her disposal to avoid capture -- or even worse -- death.
Praise for RUNLOVEKILL:
“Jon Tsuei and Eric Canete make it easy to appreciate the world and the mystery surrounding Rain as [RUNLOVEKILL] appears to be something that is going to get bigger and bigger as things move forward.” -- Forces of Geek
“A fresh, new science fiction series... that understands how important pacing is to action and how less is truly more when it comes to story. Recommended.” -- Adventures in Poor Taste
“A fantastic read.” -- Comix I Read
This one, three. Jeepers, we need more days in the week!
SUNSTONE, VOL. 3 (OGN)
Story/Art/Cover: STJEPAN SEJIC
128 pages / Full Color / Mature Readers / $14.99
STJEPAN SEJIC continues the critically acclaimed SUNSTONE series with volume three. A classy, sexy, fun, and emotional look at two women and the alternative lifestyle they live. It’s all fun and games until someone falls in love! But the fun and games carry on!
“One could almost say the story is like When Harry Met Sally, except with two women... dressed in leather... with ropes and chains... yet still containing all the awkwardness and sweetness that comes with two people falling in love.” —Comic Book Resources
The critically-acclaimed, #1 Amazon.com bestselling Erotica graphic novel series by Stjepan Sejic continues with SUNSTONE, VOL. 3, set to hit stores the end of August.
SUNSTONE, VOL. 3 is a classy, sexy, fun, and emotional look at two women and the alternative lifestyle they live. Ally and Lisa are happy, well-adjusted young women, but they're both a little lonely. Ally loves the creativity of being a "domme" in her sex life, but hasn't found the right person to share it with. And Lisa ... well, Lisa loves to be tied up! When they find each other online, they know they have to meet.
But bondage is all about trust, and even after they've explored every facet of their sexuality together, Ally and Lisa will find the ultimate test of this trust lies in three simple words. The webcomic and graphic novel sensation continues to heat up in this third volume as Ally strives to keep things creative in the playroom and Lisa gets tied up and tattooed. But will they keep on avoiding the whole falling in love thing? It’s all fun and games until someone falls in love! But the fun and games do carry on…
I refuse to buy this on the grounds that it's exactly what they expect me to do.
THE TITHE, VOL. 1 (TPB)
Story: MATT HAWKINS
Art/ Cover: RAHSAN EKEDAL
136 pages / Full Color / 15+ / $14.99
"Wait, this comic is about a group that robs from mega-churches and gives the money to charity? That's cool as hell! This comic is really great!" -- Robert Kirkman
"The Tithe's aim is true -- targeting the hypocrisy born of naivete.
As such it will piss off a lot of people. My only regret is that I didn't write it. Well, done, Mr. Hawkins!" -- Jim Valentino
Writer Matt Hawkins (THINK TANK, TALES OF HONOR) and artist Rahsan Ekedal’s (THINK TANK) team up for all-new thriller suspense series in THE TITHE, VOL. 1, hitting stores this September. It collects issues #1-4 of the breakout hit Top Cow series.
THE TITHE, VOL. 1 is a heist story unlike any before. Mega-churches are being robbed for millions of dollars by a crusader hacker group known as Samaritan who is giving the money to causes they deem more worthy. This modern day “Robin Hood” is being pursued by two FBI agents who actually admire their quarry but want to stop the theft before it escalates.
Select praise for THE TITHE:
“While the main premise is definitely intriguing, it's with these characters where the series finds both emotional depth and an interesting intellectual debate.” -- IGN
“A strong and approachable story with a fresh flavor.” -- Comic Book Resources
“Hawkins and Edekel might've just invented a whole new genre of comic-book, 'The Mega-Church Heist'.” -- Multiversity Comics
“This is some great writing paired with some excellent art and definitely worth a look.” -- Comicosity
“Matt Hawkins is putting together a nice streak of good books lately and this should be added to the list. Rahsan Ekedal did great work on this issue and certainly looks to have a bright future in the business. The Tithe is a book that deserves a read, the good writing and excellent art will keep you coming back.” -- All-Comic
Wasn't a Legionnaire asking about this the other day? Well, here it is!
MARVEL COMICS
ANT-MAN: LAST DAYS #1
Writer: NICK SPENCER
Art: RAMON ROSANAS
Cover by MARK BROOKS
Manga Variant by TBA
32 PGS / ONE SHOT / Rated T+ / $3.99
• When a local clairvoyant predicts the end of the world, a mysterious woman sends Scott on a vital mission!
• An old foe (okay, maybe more like annoyance) shows up -- and Scott’s going to regret it!
• What do you do when you think the world is about to end? What do you think? Doesn’t anybody else remember 1999? You party! Everything dies?
Pfft. Everything DANCES.
Is the "old foe" the chick in the miniskirt? She looks like The Wasp, if she had been created in 1940, but perhaps she appeared in a Scott Lang story years ago and I have simply forgotten. What I first thought -- and still hope -- when I saw this cover is that the new Marvel Universe that emerges from Secret Wars mirrors the movies more closely, with Henry Pym an older, retired hero (who never hit his wife, created Ultron or had a nervous breakdown) and Lang a legacy hero carving his own legend. Wouldn't the redemption/revision of Hank Pym be a lovely outcome of all this Battleworld hoo-ha?
HANK JOHNSON, AGENT OF HYDRA #1
Writer: DAVID MANDEL
Art: MICHAEL WALSH
Cover by AMANDA CONNER
Variant Cover by MICHAEL WALSH
32 PGS / ONE SHOT / Rated T+ / $3.99
Hey there, comic reader! Have you ever wondered what Hydra agents do during their downtime? No? Well … then, uh, go read HAIL HYDRA. For everyone else with a burning desire to see a Hydra agent letting it all hang out, THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU! BE THRILLED as Hank picks up his kids from school! BE AMAZED as Hank talks with Hydra’s HR department! And BE STUPEFIED as Hank wishes he had picked a different line of work! From CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM executive producer David Mandel, Hank Johnson, Agent of Hydra will have you looking at faceless henchmen in a whole new light.
Whatever happend to Bob, Agent of Hydra. He and Hank probably have a lot in common.
INHUMANS BY PAUL JENKINS & JAE LEE TPB
NEW PRINTING!
Written by PAUL JENKINS
Penciled by JAE LEE
Cover by JAE LEE
304 PGS / Rated T / $34.99
The Inhumans are one of Marvel’s most enduring oddities. A race of genetic anomalies secluded on their island kingdom of Attilan, their mutations are self-inflicted; as a coming-of-age ritual, each Inhuman exposes themselves to the Terrigen Mists that impart unearthly powers — some extraordinary, some monstrous. But now, Attilan is under attack from without and within. Can the Royal Family, led by the mute Black Bolt, repel the foreign invaders who assail their outer defenses, as well as the internal threat of Black Bolt’s insane brother, Maximus the Mad? Paul Jenkins and Jae Lee infuse one of Marvel’s oldest families with a modern sensibility — including international politics, class dissension and the age-old struggle of growing up. Dark and grimly compelling, it remains one of Marvel Knights’ most beloved stories. Collecting INHUMANS (1998) #1-12.
I didn't much care for this book when it came out, and I have to wonder how relevant it is now that Inhumans have taken such an active role in the Marvel Universe. I guess anything with "Inhumans" on it is going to get reprinted these days, but I think a book like this would do more harm than good in promoting the brand.
MARVEL ZOMBIES #3
Writer: SIMON SPURRIER
Art: KEV WALKER
Cover byKEN LASHLEY
Variant byTBA
32 PGS./Rated T+ / $3.99
• Stalked across the zombie-ridden Deadlands by a merciless hunter, Elsa Bloodstone is determined to fight her way out and save the life of a child who relies on her for survival.
• But Elsa is about to learn that the child is not who (or what!) she originally claimed to be…
*SECRET WARS SERIES
I really like this iteration of Elsa Bloodstone, and this book is high on my list for possible TPB purchase.
NEXTWAVE: AGENTS OF H.A.T.E. – THE COMPLETE COLLECTION TPB
NEW PRINTING!
Written by WARREN ELLIS
Penciled by STUART IMMONEN
Cover by STUART IMMONEN
304 PGS / Parental Advisory / $34.99
RRRAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!!! Action! Excitement! Explosions! The Highest Anti-Terrorism Effort, or H.A.T.E. (a subsidiary of the Beyond Corporation©) put NEXTWAVE together to fight Bizarre Weapons of Mass Destruction. When NEXTWAVE discovers that H.A.T.E. and Beyond© are terrorist cells themselves, and that the BWMDs were intended to kill them, they are less than pleased. In fact, they are rather angry. So they make things explode. Lots of things. Starring Monica Rambeau (formerly Captain Marvel and Photon), Aaron Stack (Machine Man), Tabitha Smith (X-Force’s Meltdown), monster-hunter Elsa Bloodstone and The Captain! If you like anything, you will LOVE NEXTWAVE! BOOM! Included on the Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for 2007 by the Youth Adult Library Services Association, Nextwave is a pure extraction of comic-book action and adventure, with plenty of kicks, punches and explosions along the way! Collecting NEXTWAVE: AGENTS OF H.A.T.E. #1-12.
This was a realllly odd book, where Warren Ellis took a bunch of unused characters, gave them personalities representing their publishing history (Monica Rambeau was resentful of having her name constantly changed, Machine Man had given up humans and become the robot equivalent of an alcoholic) and set 'em loose on an adventure only tangentially serious. It's good, snarky fun.
RETURN OF THE LIVING DEADPOOL (TPB)
Written by CULLEN BUNN
Penciled by NICOLE VIRELLA
Cover by JAY SHAW
112 PGS / Parental Advisory /$16.99
NIGHT OF THE LIVING Deadpool brought you the tale of the Merc with the Mouth trapped in a zombie apocalypse. Our hero eventually found a “cure” to the outbreak — any zombie that ate Deadpool transformed…into another Deadpool. Happily ever after? Not so fast! Because wandering hordes of Deadpools might just be worse than flesh-hungry walking corpses! Now, the world is overrun by zillions of Deadpools AND zillions of zombies, and a girl named Liz just wants to live through the night. But did she really just find a good Deadpool among the chaotic hordes? Plus: Wait, what’s the actual danger of a planet overrun with Deadpools? Tummy sore from laughing? Overdose of awesomesauce? Or just too much of a good thing? I have no idea how this is going to end.
Collecting RETURN OF THE LIVING DEADPOOL #1-4.
I'm not a huge Deadpool fun, but I like zombie stories and I like funny stories, and this seems to be both.
S.H.I.E.L.D. #9
Written by MARK WAID, AL EWING & STAN LEE
Art by LEE FERGUSON, STEFANO CASELLI & JACK KIRBY
Cover by JULIAN TOTINO TEDESCO
Howling Commandos Variant by ART ADAMS
Variant Cover by JACK KIRBY & JIM STERANKO
Black & White Kirby & Steranko Variant Also Available
64 PGS / Rated T+ / $5.99
THE MAN CALLED D.E.A.T.H.!
Oversized Anniversary Issue! Waid! Ferguson! Kirby! Steranko!
• A commemorative 50th Anniversary story that spans the past and the present, and unites Phil Coulson and Nick Fury, Sr. in a unique cross-time adventure to answer a riddle that lies at the heart of the origins of SHIELD: who is The Man Called D.E.A.T.H.? Includes a sequence penciled by Jack Kirby and inked by Jim Steranko that has never seen print as part of a story before!
• Plus: The return of Dum Dum Dugan and the birth of the new Howling Commandos! The very first SHIELD story from 1965! And the pilot presentation sequence that inspired the creation of SHIELD!
Celebrate a half century of Marvel’s premier intelligence agency in one colossal issue! Be there as a half-century celebration of espionage and intrigue comes to comic shops this August in S.H.I.E.L.D. #9!
Wow, that Kirby/Steranko cover sure brings back good memories.
Replies
OTHER PUBLISHERS
AJIN VOL 06: DEMI-HUMAN (GN)
Writer/Art/Cover: GAMON SAKURAI
$12.95
High school student Kei Nagai is killed in a traffic accident, but immediately revives to learn that he may not be human at all. Instead, he may be a Demi-Human, a mysterious almost immortal being blessed with amazing super-human abilities. Scared, he runs away, and is aided in his escape from society by his friend Kai. Unfortunately for Kei, the manhunt is on and he will soon be caught within a conflict between mankind and other Demi-Humans as they prepare to fight for global supremacy.
Is that a vacuum hose? An alien heart valve? A sex toy? Please tell me it's not a sex toy.
ALIENS VS ZOMBIES #2
Writers: RALPH TEDESCO, JOE BRUSHA
Mature/$3.99
When a meteor carrying the Zombie virus hits Earth it triggers the potential end of mankind. The last chance for humanity is the spacecraft full of Alien scientists tasked with eliminating the interstellar virus.
As the Aliens emerge from their ship, they must search for what remains of the wreckage in order to launch an anti-vaccine - the only hope humanity has at defeating the Zombie virus. But what will happen when a group of human survivors stumbles upon them?
Dog gone it! Why do zombies always go for the cute chicks? Even alien cute chicks! Come on, zombies, go for somebody useless, like that guy who mows his lawn at 7 a.m. Nobody would miss him. Wait a minute -- maybe that zombie IS the guy who mows his lawn at 7 a.m. Yeah, he probably went first.
BETTY & VERONICA #277
Art: DAN PARENT
Betty & Veronica #277 CVR A Reg: DAN PARENT
Betty & Veronica #277 CVR B Variant: BRITTNEY WILLIAMS
32-page, full color comic, $3.99 U.S.
This is it, the final leg of Betty & Veronica’s trip around the world! The BFFs are happy to be back to their old selves in The City of Light -- Paris! The girls are enjoying the fine foods and even finer looking gentlemen of France -- but what they’d really like is to be back in their hometown! Meanwhile, back in Riverdale there’s a new love triangle brewing between foreign exchange student Banni, Dilton and … Jughead?!! Will Betty and Veronica return to their old routines and familiar faces once their trip is over, or will nothing ever be the same again? You won’t want to miss a minute of this exciting conclusion to “Farewell, Betty & Veronica”!
This is the final issue of the story written by Batman producer Michael Uslan, but moreover, I really dig that variant cover. With this title being canceled in favor of a Betty & Veronica written and drawn by Adam Hughes, we may see more art by Brittney Williams and artists like her -- and I welcome it.
Writer: CHUCK DIXON, SHARAD DEVARAJAN
Art/Cover: GRAHAM NOLAN
$2.99
From the legendary Detective Comics creative team of Chuck Dixon and Graham Nolan, comes their newest superhero collaboration -- Black Tiger! As a kid, Rajan Shah lost his parents to a hit-and-run driver. Resigned to a life of poverty, Rajan is stunned when a mysterious benefactor pays for his education. Determined to make the most of his good fortune, Rajan becomes a lawyer to fight for justice. But Rajan quickly learns his benefactor is not what he seems and that some forms of justice must take place outside the law! Available with covers by Nolan and Mukesh Singh.
How odd: American creators doing Indian comics. At least I assume these are sold in India. I guess they could be sold only in the U.S. and aimed at Indian-Americans. Maybe I should alert Bobby Jindal.
BLOOD & HONOR: FOREWORLD SAGA VOL 1 (GN)
Writers: TONY WOLF & VARIOUS
Art: JOAO VIEIRA & VARIOUS
Cover: JOAO VIEIRA
$14.95
Collected for the first time: three exciting alternate history graphic novel adventures exploring fantasy, magic and martial arts in The Foreworld Saga! Suffrajitsu: Mrs. Pankhurst's Amazons. London, 1914: The leaders of the radical women's rights movement are fugitives from the law. Their last line of defense is the secret society of "Amazons." The Dead God. In the year 536, Frisia is a hostile place of swords and sorcery. Across the dark, cold countryside, three valiant warriors quest for a treasure, the likes of which few can comprehend. Symposium. The Shield-Brethren is a secret martial order that has defended the West for centuries. Now, the origins of the order are revealed.
I haven't the slightest idea where to begin with this. Is it, uh ... feminist comics? Suffragette comics? I'm not really sure.
BOOK OF DEATH: THE FALL OF NINJAK #1
Art by TREVOR HAIRSINE
Cover A by KANO
Cover B by CLAY MANN
Variant Cover by ROBERT GILL
Variant Cover by DAS PASTORAS
$3.99 US | 32 pages | T+ | ONE-SHOT
So let it be written, so let it be done …
All-star creators Matt Kindt and Trevor Hairsine reveal Ninjak’s final mission in an all-new vision of the future ripped directly from the pages of BOOK OF DEATH!
Valiant is proud to present an inside look to BOOK OF DEATH: THE FALL OF NINJAK #1 – an essential installment to this summer’s monumental comics event from New York Times best-selling writer Matt Kindt (NINJAK, Mind MGMT) and Trevor Hairsine (DIVINITY)! This August, the blockbuster creative team behind 2015’s breakout series, DIVINITY, reunites to reveal the final fate of Valiant’s deadliest master spy in an all-new standalone adventure!
In the ruins of his mansion, Colin King hunkers down as the last living member of Unity after the Third Armor Hunt – or so he thinks. A visit from an old friend and a peace offering present the chance for Ninjak to break the cycle of death and escape the horrible fate foretold in the Book of the Geomancer. Will he betray his dead friends or will THE FALL OF NINJAK come to pass and give rise to a very familiar future …?
Join master storytellers Matt Kindt and Trevor Hairsine to discover the never-before-revealed future of MI-6's most elite operative – and the Valiant Universe's along with it – in BOOK OF DEATH: THE FALL OF NINJAK #1! Featuring covers by Kano (THE DELINQUENTS), Clay Mann (NINJAK), Robert Gill (BOOK OF DEATH), and Das Pastoras (Thor: God of Thunder), find out why Ninjak will be the last warrior standing as the world falls to pieces in the next must-read chapter of BOOK OF DEATH!
I've fallen behind on this storyline, but I have a feeling I know how the book ends. Says so right in the title!
Writer: BRIAN AUGUSTYN
Art/Cover: HUMBERTO RAMOS
Mature/$34.99
Crimson, the beloved series by Humberto Ramos (Amazing Spider-Man) and Brian Augustyn (Batman: Gotham By Gaslight), returns! For the first time ever in the prestigious hardcover format, experience Alex Elder's ascension from vampire victim to "The Chosen One," destined to bring about the end of all vampires! Collects the first 12 issues of the series.
I remember when this was a big deal. Then it just faded out. Was it ever finished?
DEAD DROP #4 (of 4)
Art by ADAM GORHAM
Cover by RAUL ALLEN
$3.99 US | 32 pgs. | T+
Detective Cejudo pieces everything together. The long con materializes. And she might not have a way to stop it.
This was always a game within a game, since the beginning, and the person at the core of it manipulated us all along. Now, with the con revealed, the team must face the truth.
Maybe now this thing will make sense!
Writer: PAUL CORNELL
Art: NEIL EDWARDS
Cover: Photo
Into the lion's den! The Doctors take the fight to the enemy ... but have they already been outmaneuvered?
Another week with no Doctor Who previews! (Sob!)
Writer: J. TORRES
Art/Cover: JUSTIN WAGNER
$9.99
Do Gooders don't fight! Do Gooders do what's right! In this fun and imaginative board comic, two siblings learn what it really means to be a hero. It doesn't take bravery and strength, it takes teamwork and friendship. The perfect comic for any budding superhero!
I don't know what this is, but Oni sent a nice preview.
Writer: JOE STATON
Art: NICOLA CUTI, JOE STATON
Cover: NICOLA CUTI
$27.95
The beautifully re-colored collection of Nic Cuti and Joe Staton's entire 10-issue E-Man run at Charlton Comics. Bonus materials include pieces done for Charlton Bullseye and original First Comics' Michael Mauser/E-Man reprint covers. A gorgeous and fun collection; all reprint collections should be done so well!
I loved E-Man when he first came out precisely because he was so off-beat. I don't know if that will hold up 20 or 30 years later, but I hope so. Besides, anything drawn by Joe Staton will be fun.
HUNGER HOUSE (HC)
Writer: CARL-MICHAEL EDENBORG
Art/Cover: LOKA KANARP
$25.00
This Swedish ghost story tells the tale of two sisters, Fredi and Elsa, who are wrenched from their family life when their mother dies and are thrown into an alien environment. Feeling neglected and isolated they do what two kids do - they go and explore all the places their foster parent warned them to avoid. In direct defiance of their new guardians the children delve into the secrets of an old haunted house nearby. Sometimes adult warnings are given with good reason.
I don't know how a "Swedish ghost story" differs from any other kind, but I'd kind of like to find out!
JENNIFER BLOOD: BORN AGAIN (TPB)
Art: KEWBER BAAL
Cover: STEPHEN SEGOVIA
Publication Date: July 2015
136 Pages / Teen+ / $19.99
The streets of La La Land run red when Jennifer Blood returns to declare a new war on the mobs... or does she? As a low-level hood plots to leverage her in a bid to take over the Los Angeles underworld, her war attracts some very dangerous attention and unexpectedly sets a lethal international chain of events in motion. A deadly new direction from writer Steven Grant, the acclaimed writer of The Punisher and creator of 2 Guns!
Swords of Sorrow did its job -- it showed me a character I'd never read before (this one) and now I'm interested in reading more.
Art: ARIEL MEDEL
Cover A Main: BART SEARS
Cover B Variant: ABHISHEK MALSUNI
Cover C Variant: EMANUELA LUPACCHINO
Page Count: 32 pages / Teen+ / $3.99
It ain't easy being green! With John Carter and Dejah Thoris lost somewhere in the Martian wastes, Thark chieftain Tars Tarkas takes it upon himself to search for his missing friends. Accompanied by the most fearsome of sidekicks in Woola, the shocking threat Tars uncovers in the desert sands is beyond even his warrior skills. Mighty Martian action in the tradition of creator Edgar Rice Burroughs!
We take a month off from Dejah and John for a Tars Tarkas (and Woola) tale. And it's pretty good!
LADY MECHANIKA #0
Writer: JOE BENITEZ
Art/Cover: JOE BENITEZ, PETER STEIGERWALD
Introduce new readers to the best-selling steampunk sensation! In a Victorian world filled with flying dirigibles, clockwork automatons, and elegantly fashionable attire, Lady Mechanika, a young woman with mechanical limbs and no memory of how she got them, searches desperately for the secrets to her past. This specially priced book reprints the very first Lady Mechanika story: The Demon of Satan's Alley.
I don't think I've read a steampunk story all the way through. But I have to say that a lot of them have great, detailed period art.
NINJAK #6
Art by RAUL ALLEN and BUTCH GUICE
Cover A by MICO SUAYAN
Cover B by JELENA KEVIC-DJURDJEVIC
Cover C by DAVE JOHNSON
Character Design Variant by MATT KINDT
Variant Cover by CLAYTON HENRY
$3.99 US | 40 pgs. | T+
ALL-NEW ARC! "THE SHADOW WARS" – PART 1
This summer, Matt Kindt is pitting MI-6's most elite intelligence operative against four brand new foes … and some of the greatest artists in comics today are about to join the battle!
As revealed at C2E2 2015, Valiant is proud to announce THE SHADOW WARS – an all-new story arc beginning in NINJAK #6 from New York Times best-selling writer Matt Kindt and an all-star gauntlet of top artistic talents – Raul Allen (BLOODSHOT REBORN, Hawkeye), Juan Jose Ryp (Black Summer), Stephen Segovia (UNITY, Convergence), and Clay Mann (NINJAK, X-Men)! Join one of the year's most acclaimed new series here as Ninjak begins his deadliest test yet – a one-on-one showdown with four all-new enemies … each more ruthless that the last…illustrated by a different top talent each month!
Ninjak went to Tokyo to destroy the shadowy Weaponeer arms cartel from the inside out, beginning with its secret council of shinobi masters…the Shadow Seven. Now, the world's top super-spy is cutting his way through the four death-defying members – The Barbe, Fitzy, Fakir and Sanguine – that stand between him and the one secret that still eludes him. Who really wields the power behind the world's most powerful terrorist network? Who is the secret seventh member of the Shadow Seven? And what do they want with Colin King?
"I tried to come up with an interesting cast of characters – villains for the most part – but also characters that share similar training to that Ninjak received. … We've got a crazy billionaire recluse in a foil suit (and a lot of secrets), a master thief that looks like Errol Flynn and a blood-sucking punk rocker in a tutu. We're definitely having fun with this," writer Matt Kindt told ComicBook.com.
Ninjak's international manhunt for the super-powered puppet masters behind the world's most dangerous – and most secretive – crime syndicate ratchets up the stakes when Matt Kindt and Raul Allen launch the first chapter of THE SHADOW WARS in NINJAK #6 – coming to comic shops everywhere this August!
Plus: Ninjak's essential second feature, THE LOST FILES, continues in each 40-page issue of THE SHADOW WARS! Also beginning in NINJAK #6, Matt Kindt and Eisner-nominated artist Butch Guice ( Captain America) reunite to reveal how Colin King and Neville Alcott first met – and the deadly secret Neville has kept from his most valuable field agent! The second act of THE LOST FILES starts here!
Featuring covers by Mico Suayan (BLOODSHOT REBORN), Jelena Kevic-Djurdjevic (DIVINITY), Dave Johnson (100 Bullets), Matt Kindt (Mind MGMT), and Clayton Henry (IVAR, TIMEWALKER), the next explosive chapter of Ninjak's red-hot monthly series starts here this August, only in NINJAK #6!
Another pretty Valiant book.
Artist Name(s): EMILY MARTIN, BRETT GRUNIG
Cover Artist(s): EMILY MARTIN, BRETT GRUNIG
32 pgs / All Ages / FC / $3.99
Adrienne and Bedelia are finally ready to go rescue Angoisse with the help of their new goblin guide. Now all that stands between them and Angoisse’s castle is a river full of the most dangerous, vile, and deadly creatures in the swamp…and zombies…don’t forget the zombies. Meanwhile, Sparky is off to find and subdue the terrible swamp creature who has been hunting down goblins, The Grimmorax!
I've fallen down on the job keeping up with Action Lab releases, but this week offers three of their best-sellers, so I'll post the previews at least. Here's a Princeless book. Puppet Master and Zombie Tramp follow below.
Writer: SHAWN GABBORIN
Art: MICHELA DA SACCO
Colors: YANN PERRELET
Cover: MICHELA DE SACCO (Pencils/Inks) and DANIEL MORALES (Colors)
Jester Cover: MICHELA DE SACCO (Pencils/Inks) and YANN PERRELET (Colors)
32 pgs./ Mature Readers/ FC / $3.99 / $4.99 Variant
Breathing fresh air for the first time in decades, the souls once condemned to Toulon’s Puppets have been freed to live in flesh and blood bodies. But if they are out of the Puppets … who’s in? “THE REBIRTH” continues to explore the world and mythos created in the cult classic Puppet Master film series!
Variant Covers: Color, Sketch & Photo cover of Torch limited to 1500 copies each.
Writer: MARSHALL NAYLOR
Art: DAVID HUTCHISON
$3.99
When a rogue mechanic kidnaps an innocent child, RoboCopper, the steam-powered, brass-bound arm of the law, must blast to his rescue! This gritty, action-packed one-shot combines police drama and sci-fi thrills in a retro-futuristic dystopia with steampunk style!
Steampunk RoboCop? Well, of course!
SHERLOCK HOLMES VS. HARRY HOUDINI (TPB)
Writer: ANTHONY DEL COL, CONOR MCCREERY
Art: CARLOS FURUZONO
Cover: JOHN CASSADAY
120 Pages / Teen+ / $19.99
The world's most famous detective meets the world's most famous magician ... and death ensues! Famed sleuth Sherlock Holmes and brash showman Harry Houdini must combine forces to defeat a mysterious mystic dedicated to destroying Houdini's career and killing anyone who gets in his way. Written by Anthony Del Col and Conor McCreery, the Harvey Award-nominated creators of Kill Shakespeare!
Didn't The Shadow meet Houdini a little while back? I guess it makes sense that an escape artist would get around.
Artist: A.C. ZAMUDIO WITH RYAN HILL
$3.99
In the House of Death, the young Princes have found a new plaything. Meanwhile, their Disciples stalk Buzzard Wife and what remains of the Hunting Party through the inhospitable realm. With their escape from the Spirit World growing tantalizingly near for the band of warriors, new threats reveal themselves as darkness settles over the nightmare realm... and something emerges from the House of Death.
I always promise myself I'm going to catch up on Sixth Gun, and I never do. But here's a heads up that the latest collection is out.
STRINGERS #1
Art/Cover: JUSTIN GREENWOOD WITH RYAN HILL
From Marc Guggenheim (Arrow co-showrunner) and Justin Greenwood (Stumptown, The Fuse) comes an action-packed new miniseries about crime, corruption and the perfect shot.
Paul and Nick are the guys who shoot the news. Filming car chases, fires and shootouts in their busted-up rig, they put their (uninsured, unsalaried) lives on the line every night so that the good citizens of Los Angeles can get their daily update. But when a firefight between the LAPD and the MS-13 goes wrong, Paul and Nick find themselves on the run.
“I’m excited beyond words that this long-gestating project is finally coming to fruition, and doing so brilliantly,” said writer Marc Guggenheim. “Justin and I had such a blast working together on Resurrection at Oni Press that I wanted to create something new just for him and he’s knocked it clean out of the park with jazzy visuals that really capture the concept’s humor and breakneck pacing. We both couldn’t be more thrilled to be back at our home for creator owned projects, where our first collaboration, Resurrection, began.”
Here's a new book I haven't tried yet. Maybe the preview will be enough for you to decide whether you to pick it up or not.
Writer/Artist/Cover: JAY GUNN
32 pages / $3,99
The truth behind the global apocalypse – and the return of Megumi and Ryan – revealed at last!
Mutation and evolution offer a way to save humanity – but are we worth saving?!
Return to the dark days at the end of the world – but is there hope for a new beginning?
The island invaded by an alien threat – but the islanders aren't going to go down without a fight!
I've grown accustomed to the stiffness of the art (it's very well done otherwise), so now I'm into the story. One more issue to go!
Publisher: DYNAMITE
Writer: EMMA BEEBY
Art: ROD RODOLFO
Cover: MIRKA ANDOLFO
40 pages / Teen+ / $4.99
Ancient Egyptian demon hunter and shape shifter, Pantha, is thrown across a Rift into the early twentieth century London, straight into the path of Jane Porter, American explorer, aviatrix and new wife to Tarzan. Pantha hasn't come alone, however, as London is plunged into chaos by the appearance of a Great Pyramid in the sky ... and what it contains. Up against gods, monsters, Purgatori, and each other, the pair need all the help that ancient magic and modern aviation can supply to stop London from turning into a new hell on earth.
Writer Emma Beeby (Judge Dredd, Doctor Who) and artist Rod Rodolfo (Battlestar Galactica, John Carter: Warlord of Mars) reimagine these two characters -- complete with all new costumes - in this turn-of-the-century pulp-action one-shot adventure.
Evidently Jane has become something of an action hero herself.
Writer: MARGUERITE BENNETT
Art: MIRKA ANDOLFO
Cover A: JAY ANACLETO
32 pages / Teen+ / $3.99
As the jungle descends into a lethal winter, Red Sonja and Jungle Girl have finally cornered the vicious Mistress Hel and -- oh, whoops, wait, it's the other way around. Monsters, magic, a dreamboat in distress -- and a velociraptor chariot race? Time is running out for Sonja and Jana to restore to island before all is lost!
I hate to say it, but Jungle Girl has been written as kind of a half-wit in this series. Maybe she'll get smarter in this issue.
Writer: GREG PAK, PAUL TOBIN
Art: LEE FERGUSON, RUAIRI COLEMAN, STEPHEN DOWNEY, FELIPE CUNHA
128 Pages / Teen+ / $16.99
Life is difficult for Turok in the "civilized" Great Britain of the 1200s, where he's treated as a savage despite being able to tame dinosaurs better than anyone. But a murder conspiracy against one of his allies will send the hunter deep within Sherwood Forest, and back into his element. In his attempt to survive this struggle for power, Turok starts to learn why dinosaurs still exist... while the Sheriff of Nottingham gathers crusaders, archers, and a menagerie of thunder lizards to wipe out Turok's merry men!
I think these are the final issues of Turok from Dynamite. It's too bad these characters can't seem to find success anywhere.
Art: XENIA XIU
Cover: TMCHU (regular, risqué variant), DAN MENDOZA (limited variant), APTERUS (artist variant)
32 pgs / Mature Readers/ FC / $3.99 (reg.) / $4.99 (Var.)
Zombie Tramp’s made her way to the deep South, but her recent encounter with people from her past life leave her ready for some R&R.
Maybe the Rolling Hills Country Club will be just what she needs to relax and clear her head.
They offer pools, spas, and … satanic sex cult members?!?
Features a variant cover by series creator Dan Mendoza (limited to 2000 copies)
a risqué variant cover (limited to 2500 copies), and a painted artist showcase variant by Apterus Graphics (limited to 1500 copies).
9x12 / 48pp. / full color hardcover / $14.99
There’s excitement in the Zombillenium horror themed park run by actual monsters. Brought in by Behemoth himself, the vampire Bohemond Jaggar de Rochameau IIII is officially supposed to help CEO Francis in managing the park. But the employees expect the worst: isn’t he known as a cold-blooded killer? If one looks more closely, the reasons for his coming may seem less anodyne than announced. Of course, his mission is to increase return on investment for the shareholders, but for Behemoth that return has to be in souls. Francis is appalled but obligated to kowtow to the almighty consultant, determined to take power and pervert the rules of Zombillenium. Meanwhile, Aurelian goes through a bad patch. Depressed by his immortal status and the absurdity of his life ... sorry, his death, he’s burned out. And burnout, in a powerful demon, can be devastating. Held back in extremis by Gretchen, he avoids the worst. This is timely, because Gretchen has a plan for him ...
A particularly biting new episode of Zombillenium in which we discover the underbelly of the most monstrous amusement park in the world.
I already reviewed this one right here.
ANT-MAN: LAST DAYS #1
She looks like The Wasp, if she had been created in 1940, but perhaps she appeared in a Scott Lang story years ago and I have simply forgotten. What I first thought -- and still hope -- when I saw this cover is that the new Marvel Universe that emerges from Secret Wars mirrors the movies more closely, with Henry Pym an older, retired hero (who never hit his wife, created Ultron or had a nervous breakdown) and Lang a legacy hero carving his own legend. Wouldn't the redemption/revision of Hank Pym be a lovely outcome of all this Battleworld hoo-ha?
IIRC, the flashback sequence in the Ant-Man movie showed Janet Van Dyne with long hair like this.
E-MAN EARLY YEARS (TPB)
I loved E-Man when he first came out precisely because he was so off-beat. I don't know if that will hold up 20 or 30 years later, but I hope so. Besides, anything drawn by Joe Staton will be fun.
Same here. I'm definitely getting this.
Today's Purchases:
Doctor Who: Four Doctors #2
Godzilla in Hell #2
Cap Said:
So, wait you never read Kurt Busiek's run? Or Brian Wood's epic love story? If not you have done yourself a disservice
I did read Busiek's run, but when he and Cary Nord left, so did I.
How are you enjoying Four Doctors, Baron? For some reason I didn't think you bought Titan's Who books.
The Baron said:
Captain Comics said:
I've been buying the Twelfth Doctor book, I haven't been following the ones with previous Doctors. I picked it up despite the fact that It was written by Paul Cornell, mostly because I'm a sucker for "multiple Doctor" stories. There's a germ of an interesting idea here, but I've always felt that Cornell's never been able to capture the Doctors' "voices". Thus you end up with a story about a character called "The Doctor" who doesn't sound like the Doctor at all. Cornell's obviously an old fanboy, he knows the show's continuity too well to be anything else, but he just doesn't know how to write the character, IMO. I have just enough interest that since it's only five issues, I'll probably buy the remaining three just to see how the story is resolved, but if you're not a sad old Who fan (like me), I can't imagine this holding an interest for you.
I enjoyed the first issue, and will probably read the rest, but as you note, it's not a high priority for me.
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