DARK HORSE COMICS
ADAM.3 #1 (of 5)
Writer/Art/Cover: SCOTT KOLINS
FC, 32 pages, $3.99
Miniseries
Award-winning writer/artist Scott Kolins (Past Aways, The Flash, The Avengers) premieres his first original comic book creation: ADAM.3! A man born into a futuristic island utopia fights to save his troubled family as terrifying visions of a monstrous doom foretell the end to his Eden! Can Adam and his family survive S.E.E.D.S.?
• Writer/artist Scott Kolins premieres ADAM.3!
• Published in special “widescreen” format!
If you're a Scott Kolins fan (and I am), then this is a real treat, as he not only draws this, but writes it and owns it. And even if you're not a Scott Kolins fan, it's a pretty interesting book.
Adam.3, the titular star, lives in some sort of Eden, an island named Avalon (probably not on Earth) where all the animals can talk and live (mostly) in harmony. But it's not Biblical; the jungle hides a high-tech infrastructure and has numerous satellites, which allow Adam to (among other things) talk to his wife Skye from a distance in their high-tech, voice-activated treehouse. Skye is pregnant with twins.
If there's a snake in this garden, it's their first son, Beo. He really resents his father, for reasons we don't yet know, and acts pretty aggressively and erratically. He says Skye isn't his mother (as he pushes her off a cliff), which seems pretty obvious, as he's black and Adam and Skye look Caucasian. The book opens with Beo giving Adam a gift from a place he's never supposed to go ... shackles, which Adam puts on, That doesn't seem like a really good idea, does it?
Whether it is or isn't will have to be seen later, as this issue takes place in a single day -- Adam's birthday -- and is largely spent setting things up. And it sets up a lot of things!
Not only is there the problem of Beo, but also the mystery of the place he's not supposed to go. An unexplained event maddened and injured a bear named Grae, who blames it on Adam's pet jackelope, Mojo, which is another mystery. Also, Adam has terrifying, unexplained visions. And will the twins be named Cain and Abel?
Adam.3 is a strange mixture of Tarzan and Adam & Eve, set in sci-fi world masquerading as an idyllic Eden. Or is it Eden, with new information we never had before? It makes you wonder what in the world is going on here!
Which means Kolins is doing his job.
HARROW COUNTY #4
Writer: CULLEN BUNN
Art/Cover: TYLER CROOK
FC, 32 pages, $3.99
Ongoing
Kept prisoner by a monster of her own creation, Emmy is forced to confront the truth about the evil witch of Harrow County and the power she wields!
• Featuring two backup stories exclusive to the single issues!
• The chilling ongoing series from Cullen Bunn and Tyler Crook (The Sixth Gun) continues!
"Beautifully drawn, bleak, and action packed.” -- The Escapist
“Genuinely creepy and engaging.” -- Mark Millar
Well, I sure didn't see this coming.
"Harrow County" is the story of a teenage farm girl who begins to suspect she is a reincarnated witch -- as do her neighbors, who want to burn her at the stake. She escapes with the help of some friends (not all of them human), but discovers some things in the woods that aren't so friendly. She is forced to find out who she is, as she is pursued by those who want to kill her for who they think she is.
And, silly me, I thought that was the premise of the series. I figured she'd go on having adventures while
learning her identity on the go -- in other words, a coming-of-age story.
Nope. Writer Cullen Bunn ("Sixth Gun") takes a sharp turn, storywise, in "Harrow County" #4, turning what has happened up until now as a sort of origin story. So now the real story begins.
And I can't wait! "Harrow County" is genuinely unsettling, a testament to both Bunn and artist Tyler Crook, who renders this rural world in a convincingly grubby and rustic fashion. The pacing of both story and art is also extremely cinematic, so I fully expect to see "Harrow County" turned into a movie or TV show soon. And so should you.
HELLBOY AND THE B.P.R.D.: 1952 (TPB)
Writers: MIKE MIGNOLA, JOHN ARCUDI
Art: ALEX MALEEV
Colors: DAVE STEWART
Cover: MIKE MIGNOLA
FC, 144 pages, $19.99
TPB, 7″ x 10″
Hellboy’s first mission!
A bizarre series of murders and rumors of something worse lead Professor Bruttenholm to send a young Hellboy to a Brazilian village on his first mission. Hellboy and a small group of agents uncover something terrible in the shadows of a sixteenth-century Portuguese fortress. Collects the five-issue miniseries.
• Alex Maleev returns to Dark Horse!
“A magnificent introduction into the universe Hellboy occupies.” -- Comic Book Resources
“With a solid cast, worthy text and the fact that I'm absorbed by the world of the B.P.R.D. as it existed in 1952 it's no wonder that this comes highly recommended.” -- Unleash the Fanboy
I want to read these flashback minis so bad! But I'm waiting to see if they will be published in the Library format where I've got the rest of Hellboy collected. But the wait is killing me!
KING TIGER #1 (OF 4)
Writer: RANDY STRADLEY
Art/Cover: DOUG WHEATLEY
Colors: RAIN BEREDO
FC, 32 pages, $3.99
Miniseries
BLOOD OF A KING, HEART OF A TIGER!
Blood, death, and fire -- the darkest kind of magic. A monstrous secret from King Tiger’s past has found the mystic warrior, but can Tiger’s skills and sorcery triumph against an unthinkable supernatural obscenity linked to his own destiny? If the Tiger falls, the Dragon will rise!
Written by Randy Stradley (Star Wars, Aliens vs. Predator).
“[Doug Wheatley]’s got a gift in being able to draw very fine, thin lines that make the pages look almost photo-realistic, but without making his character look stiff or posed.” -- Comic Book Resources
I never read the original King Tiger when he made guest appearances back in the long-before time, so this is a Comics' Greatest World retread that I come to fresh. And I'm not sure what to make of it.
King Tiger himself is a mysterious man well versed in both martial arts and magic. A Dr. Strange-Iron Fist mash-up, if you will. We meet him, his protege and his girlfriend in this issue, who all become aware of a growing peril that, in all likelihood, will be tied to King Tiger's origin so that we learn it.
That's pretty much all I took away from the first issue. The art was pretty enough, so I guess I'll stick around to see what's going on. But so far it's not really grabbing me, which may explain why King Tiger has never had his own book before.
REBELS #5
Writer: BRIAN WOOD
Art: ANDREA MUTTI
Colors: JORDIE BELLAIRE
Cover: TULA LOTAY
FC, 32 pages, $3.99
Ongoing
The young Seth Abbott embarks on the defining mission of his career as soldier and patriot. He must organize the transport of sixty tons of cannon overland from upstate New York south to Boston.
Great title for YA readers!
“Rebels is a great and beautiful book!”—Matt Kindt (MIND MGMT)
This book is so absorbing, I'm always surprised and disappointed when I abruptly come to the end of an issue. I always want more, more, more, which is the sign of a great book.
"Rebels" is the story of two New England lads in the 1770s who get caught up in the War for Independence. We see actual historical events from their point of view, although author Brian Wood ("Northlanders") acknowledges he may vary from history here and there, or compress an event.
We see folks like George Washington, Benedict Arnold and Ethan Allen, but mostly in passing. Mainly, it's just a well done historical book about the slobs who actually fought the thing. The characters and setting feel authentic -- I imagine Wood did a lot of research -- and the art is the kind of sketchy I normally don't like, but is perfect for this book, in that it demonstrates a raw earthiness that feels authentic. And the main characters are both likeable and plausible.
This issue completes a task our heroes began last issue, hauling 59 cannon and attendant ammunition and such from Fort Ticonderoga in Canada to Boston in the dead of a New England winter. It's an adventure a lesser writer would have decompressed for six issues, at least. Instead, Wood says what he has to say, shows what he has to show, tosses in a few cookies and curveballs, and gets out.
I was completely mesmerized.
So there's no magic trick or clever idea or edginess to explain why this book grabs me. It's just very well done, and that's irresistible.
DC COMICS
This is another week where DC has variant covers setting their covers in the '20s and '30s, called "Bombshells." It's cute, and I bought the first statue (Wonder Woman), but DC seems to think it has legs. Let's see.
ACTION COMICS #43
Written by GREG PAK and AARON KUDER
Art and cover by AARON KUDER
Bombshells variant cover by ANT LUCIA
32 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
This issue will ship with two covers.
“Truth” continues as Superman defies the Metropolis police and faces a new threat from the shadows!
Ha ha! That's a pretty good "Bombshells" cover, with Power Girl and Superman as weightlifters on what is probably the Atlantic City boardwalk.
ARROW SEASON 2.5 #11
Written by MARC GUGGENHEIM
Art by JOE BENNETT and CRAIG YEUNG
Photo cover
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T • DIGITAL FIRST
Get ready for a dramatic showdown between Oliver Queen and Caleb Green at the abandoned Queen Mansion!
The books based on TV shows always have the most awesome covers.
BATMAN #43
Written by SCOTT SNYDER
Art by GREG CAPULLO and DANNY MIKI
Cover by GREG CAPULLO
Bombshells Variant cover by ANT LUCIA
32 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
This issue will ship with two covers.
In the start of a new epic, a new villain stalks Gotham City. Will Batman be able to uncover the mystery of Mr. Bloom?
This may be the weakest "Bombshells" cover yet. The guys will always be a bit duller than the gals, I guess.
BATMAN/SUPERMAN #23
Written by GREG PAK
Art and cover by ARDIAN SYAF and VICENTE CIFUENTES
Bombshells Variant cover by DES TAYLOR
On sale AUGUST 12 • 32 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
This issue will ship with two covers.
“Truth” continues as Superman must learn to depend on the new Batman’s help—but can he trust him?
See? Great "Bombshells" cover, because the chicks rule! Although I have to wonder ... is Lois supposed to be French?
CATWOMAN #43
Written by GENEVIEVE VALENTINE
Art by DAVID MESSINA
Cover by KEVIN WADA
Bombshells variant by DES TAYLOR
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+
This issue will arrive in stores with two covers.
While Selina investigates the mystery of whatever happened to Batman, Spoiler finds a mentor in Eiko. Plus: Antonia makes a dangerous bargain.
Ha! They didn't have to change much for a Catwoman "Bombshells," did they?
DC COMICS BOMBSHELLS #1
Written by MARGUERITE BENNETT
Art by MARGUERITE SAUVAGE
Cover by ANT LUCIA
1:25 Variant cover by EMANUELA LUPACCHINO
40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T • DIGITAL FIRST
This issue will ship with two covers.
DC Entertainment’s fan-favorite Bombshells designs take center stage in August with an all-new comic book series, the return of the popular variant cover theme, new statues from DC Collectibles, as well as new product offerings from Warner Bros. Consumer Products and DC Universe Online. The DC Comics Bombshells designs pay tribute to World War II vintage and historical depictions of classic characters. The Bombshells have become a sensation, and now fans can enjoy these wartime characters in new ways.
DC COMICS BOMBSHELLS will join the Digital First comic line-up with a new ongoing series. Digital chapters will be available starting in July with the first print collection available August 12. Written by Marguerite Bennett and art by Marguerite Sauvage, DC COMICS BOMBSHELLS #1 introduces retro-bombshell versions of Batwoman, Wonder Woman and Supergirl in an alternate reality where super-powered female heroes are on the front lines in WWII! The full line of Bombshells characters will be introduced as the story unfolds in the months ahead.
"DC COMICS BOMBSHELLS is one of the wildest things I've ever had the pleasure to create--a story of the DC heroines, all the DC heroines, in a crisis that defines themselves as well as their generation," explains writer Marguerite Bennett. "I cannot possibly tell you how excited and grateful I am to be involved in a story this massive and inventive. The series will explore war stories, romances, mysteries, heists, action adventure, and horror in a way that only these characters could do--I cannot wait for this book to drop. Pun very much intended."
"When I was contacted to work on this book, I was attracted by the retro style of the statues, not to mention the most iconic female characters of DC are represented," explains artist Marguerite Sauvage. "And then when I read Marguerite's script, I was really excited and totally convinced by the story, the tone and the universe and time it will take place. In terms of artistic approach, I focused on page layouts and more on graphics than on a realistic approach. I spent a lot of time searching for references to be as accurate as possible to the story and habits of this time period, but keeping in mind it's a parallel universe, so I can take some freedom on details."
in August, the newest wave of Bombshells will be celebrated as the variant cover theme for DC Comics’ periodicals. Following the incredible success of the June 2014 Bombshells theme month, the new selection of variant covers expands to feature a cast of iconic DC characters including AQUAMAN, BATMAN, CHEETAH, DICK GRAYSON, GREEN LANTERN, HUNTRESS, KILLER FROST, POWER GIRL, RAVAGER, RAVEN, SUPERMAN, and SINESTRO!
Continuing the success of the bestselling statue line that started the Bombshell phenomenon, DC Collectibles is adding DC Comics' Cheetah and Killer Frost characters to the Bombshells line. Designed by Ant Lucia and sculpted by Sam Greenwell and Tim Miller respectively, these new statues will hit stores in Spring 2016.
DC Bombshells has truly become a fan phenomenon with a variety of items available from Warner Bros. Consumer Products licensees including apparel and accessories from Bioworld, collectible buttons from Diamond Comics, stylized posters from Quantum Mechanix, stickers from At-a-Boy, and PVC figures from Cryptozoic.
Players of the PC and PlayStation game DC Universe Online can also expect to see playable Bombshells Legends characters, in addition to a unique new Episode for players to jump into action alongside them.
And here ya go, they've decided to take the "Bombshells" covers and somehow write a story about it. Well, why not? If you've got it, flaunt it, sez I!
GREEN ARROW #43
Written by BENJAMIN PERCY
Art and cover by PATRICK ZIRCHER
Bombshells Variant cover by ANT LUCIA
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
This issue will ship with two covers.
Green Arrow is imprisoned by Mr. Zimm! Despite Oliver’s effort to raise Emi as a safe normal kid, she has no choice but to gear up and take to the streets. How can she possibly save Arrow and the citizens of Seattle from the Zimm’s army of Panopticons bots?!
Black Canary is a natural for the "Bombshells" line too, even though she wasn't created until the late 1940s. She's an archetype that fits in a number of eras.
JUSTICE LEAGUE: GODS AND MONSTERS #1
Written by J.M. DeMATTEIS and BRUCE TIMM
Art by THONY SILAS
Cover by DARICK ROBERTSON
1:10 Variant cover by DARWYN COOKE
40 pg, FC, 1 of 3, $3.99 US • RATED T • DIGITAL FIRST
This issue will ship with two covers.
Prequel to the DC Universe movie Justice League: Gods & Monsters! Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman: three powerful and dangerous loners, drawn together by a man who claims he can bring humanity to the next level of evolution. But are Jackson Alpert and his immortal Forever People what they claim to be? Will they save the Earth -- or conquer it?
Here's another alternate look at DC's characters, this one a little less visually compelling than "Bombshells." Although the idea of a Cesar Chavez-type Superman is really interesting. Look out, one-percenters!
NEW SUICIDE SQUAD #11
Written by SEAN RYAN
Art by PHILIPPE BRIONNES
Cover by JUAN FERRERYA
Bombshells Variant cover by DES TAYLOR
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+
This issue will arrive in stores with two covers.
An extremist offshoot of the League of Assassins has taken what was once a shadow war into broad daylight, attacking a crucial energy concern with a view to trading power for super-weapons of mass destruction. It’s up to new “recruits” Deadshot, Boomerang and Manta to save the world without blowing their cover.
Who's the chick on the left? Cheetah? Giganta?
IDW PUBLISHING
BOY-1 #1 (of 4)
Writer: H.S. TAK
Art: AMANCAY NAHUELPAN
Cover: ZACH HOWARD
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
In the fast-approaching future, when the drug-addled heir of a genetic-engineering company begins to investigate his company's murky past, he discovers he is the catalyst in a terrifying global event that will transform him and forever alter the course of human evolution.
• In the tradition of Y: The Last Man and Bladerunner.
• This issue's cover by Zach Howard (Wild Blue Yonder)!
• Ask your retailer about the variant cover by Amancay Nahuelpan!
As you can see from the preview below, BOY-1 is about a young geneticist in the near future (possibly 2023, as there is a visual reference) who is self-medicating for an undisclosed ailment with an undisclosed medicine. Also, it turns out his father created the company he works for, and then disappeared, some 25 years ago.
But that's just the surface. As the issue progresses, you discover that Jadas Reizner -- presumably the "Boy" of the title -- has nearly uncovered his father's secret several times, only to have his memory erased. What is that secret? Is our hero a real boy or some sort of genetically-modified experiment? And who's in on the scam? His boss? His co-workers? His prostitute? (Yep, I'm betting the prostitute is in on it.)
If you enjoy paranoid sci-fi with pretty art, then you'll like this book. And you don't, how do you know you don't? Someone could be altering your DNA so that you don't like it!
EMPIRE: UPRISING #4
Writer: MARK WAID
Art/Cover: BARRY KITSON
Subscription Variant: BARRY KITSON
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
War has been declared on the Empire -- but how does the enemy know exactly where to strike and when?
Aargh! I've been so busy reading other books I haven't gotten to this one!
Well, you don't need my review, because you know I love it. And I can't wait to settle in and enjoy this issue!
POPEYE CLASSICS #37
Writer/Art/Cover: BUD SAGENDORF
Variant Cover by Dave Calver!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
You'll love "The Search for the Spinach Icebox!" You'll also love the O.G. Wotasnozzle comic "Amateur Inventor," and the story "The Big Sting!" Get the fun comic for adult kids and little kids alike, ya swab! Arf! Arf!
I never got to this one, either, but it has a nice preview. It is 'cause I sez it is!
STAR TREK/GREEN LANTERN #2 (OF 6)
Writer: MIKE JOHNSON
Art: ANGEL HERNANDEZ
Cover: PAUL POPE
Variant: DARICK ROBERTSON
Connecting Subscription Variant: GARRY BROWN
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
The comics crossover event of 2015 continues here! Hal Jordan meets Captain Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise for the first time as six Lantern rings choose new bearers! But which Trek characters - and which alien races - will be selected? Iconic franchises collide for the first time in this all-new galaxy-spanning epic!
• The blockbuster event of 2015!
• 6 connecting variant covers from Garry Brown, one for every issue, forming one giant image!
I have to again establish that I do not understand why Paul Pope's artwork is popular. That variant cover is, to me, pretty ugly.
This weird but fascinating crossover continues, with DC's superhero Green Lantern meeting the crew of J.J. Abrams' rebooted Star Trek crew.
Last month I wondered how they could possibly mix the likes of Green Lantern and Star Trek in a way that didn't reduce Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock to spectators. That was the problem in the X-Men/Star Trek crossover of 1996 that was never solved. That is to say, when you have the god-like powers of superheroes mixed with the very human Trek characters, who need tons of resources, time and organization to do what a power ring can do in seconds, the book becomes "Green Lantern and His Amazing Friends" pretty quickly.
So how to avoid that? I guessed they'd power down Green Lantern, but writer Mike Johnson surprised me by doing the reverse -- and handing out power rings like so much candy. So yes, we have Green Lantern and Sinestro in the Star Trek universe. But we also have Uhura, Chekov, Bones, a Klingon and a Romulan with power rings. And things are about to get ugly. Cool!
STAR TREK/PLANET OF THE APES: THE PRIMATE DIRECTIVE (TPB)
Writers: SCOTT TIPTON & DAVID TIPTON
Art/Cover: RACHAEL STOTT
TPB • FC • $19.99 • 120 pages
STAR TREK: The hope for the best of mankind's future! PLANET OF THE APES: A chilling look at the fall of humanity! How could these worlds possibly collide? What could possibly cause Captain Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise to side with Dr. Zaius to protect Ape City? And what does Colonel George Taylor have to say about it?
"A must have if you're a fan of either franchise." -- ComicsTheGathering.com
I read this when it came out in hardback, and enjoyed it far more than I thought it would. Of course, I could still be jazzing over the GL/Star Trek book!
STRING DIVERS #1 (OF 5)
Writer: CHRIS RYALL
Art: NELSON DANIEL
Cover: ASHLEY WOOD
Subscription Variant : NELSON DANIEL
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Meet the String Divers! A renegade team called upon to save the universe from arcane threats at the sub-microscopic level! String theory made real, and real thrilling, in "Unified Chaos Theory," part 1!
• The first in a coming universe of comics developed from Ashley Wood's 3A Toys!
• Fans of high-octane insanity and quantum physics -- and who isn't? -- this is for you!
• From the creators of Zombies vs Robot and Nelson "Judge Dredd" Daniel!
San Diego, CA (March 27, 2015) – Acclaimed artist/designer Ashley Wood is preparing to launch his latest comic-book project at IDW this summer with String Divers, a comic series blending a team of robot adventures and string-theory physics! String Divers, directed and overseen by Wood and written by Wood’s Zombies vs. Robots co-creator Chris Ryall, features stunning artwork by Nelson Daniel and a concept that grows bigger the smaller it gets!
Spun out of Ashley Wood’s 3A Toys’ line of titular figures, String Divers incorporates string theory as threats to our universe at the sub-microscopic level have dire and lasting repercussions in our universe and across all dimensions.
“A chance to combine high adventure on a scale both bigger and smaller than what I’ve done before is appealing enough,” said writer/IDW Chief Creative Officer Chris Ryall, “but a chance to again work with Ash Wood and Nelson Daniel on a series packed with crazy action, mis-applied theoretical physics and micro-scale intrigue that affects the larger universe being built here is about as fun as comics gets.”
Ashley Wood will be providing story direction, concept design, art direction and covers for String Divers. Wood and Ryall are joined by Nelson Daniel, fresh off a long run on IDW’s Judge Dredd, on art. Daniel, who previously partnered with Ryall on the Stephen King/Joe Hill project, Road Rage, will again be providing art and colors on both interiors and variant covers of each issue.
“It’s always a pleasure to work with IDW and Chris,” said String Divers creator and toy designer Ashley Wood. “String Divers is just the first in a series of comics that sees IDW and 3A combine forces!”
String Divers #1, a 32-page, $3.99 comic, launches in August!
Like the story, hate the art.
Ryall establishes a strong foundation for this series in the first issue, about a team of androids that explore the quantum world, created and facilitated by a team of humans in our world. There are lots of these "String Divers" -- from string theory -- that come in various colors (for which they're named) and who transfer memories to their successors if killed. Some of the humans think of them as sentient beings, some as robots. A point for the future, I guess. Anyway, something's going wrong down below, so the Divers have their work cut out for them.
Ryall not only constructs a strong story, but his quantum physics are right -- or at least not wrong, AFAIK. I've read various non-math-oriented explanations of quantum physics and string theory, and he's in lock-step with them all. So kudos on what must have been tough research!
Anything else? Oh, yeah, the art. Don't care for it. Too manga-y. I still managed to enjoy the story, but the art was a chore to get over. Does that make me shallow?
UNCLE SCROOGE #5
Writer/Art: MIQUEL PUJOL, FREDDY MILTON
Cover: MIQUEL PUJOL
Subscription Variant : DEREK CHARM
FC • 40 pages • $3.99
"The Grand Canyon Conquest" wraps this month with a pulse-pounding cliffside showdown between Scrooge and schemers!
• Continues this popular series' legacy numbering at #410!
• 40 action-packed pages for only $3.99!
• "Disney Legacy" Epcot cover by Thom Pratt!
I didn't get around to reading this yet, but it comes with the nice preview below.
IMAGE COMICS
THE BEAUTY #1
STORY: JEREMY HAUN & JASON A. HURLEY
ART / COVER A: JEREMY HAUN
COVER B: JENNY FRISON
COVER C: KEVIN WADA
32 pages / Full Color / Mature Readers / $3.50
THE PILOT SEASON WINNER RETURNS! Modern society is obsessed with outward beauty. What if there was a way to guarantee you could become more and more beautiful every day? What if it was a sexually transmitted disease? In the world of The Beauty, physical perfection is attainable. The vast majority of the population has taken advantage of it, but Detectives Foster and Vaughn will soon discover it comes at a terrible price. Writer/artist JEREMY HAUN (Constantine, Batwoman) and co-writer JASON A. HURLEY offer up a startling reflection on the cost of looking good in this procedural science fiction tale.
Image doesn't release their digital review copies in time for this Guide, but I thought I should alert everyone to a first issue. Especially one with such a terrifying cover!
PHONOGRAM: THE IMMATERIAL GIRL #1
Story: KIERON GILLEN
Art/Cover: JAMIE MCKELVIE & MATT WILSON
32 pages / Full Color / Mature Readers / $3.99
The team behind the New York Times bestselling and Eisner-nominated smash hit THE WICKED + THE DIVINE return to the acclaimed urban fantasy where they first made their names. Writer Kieron Gillen, artist Jamie McKelvie and colorist Matt Wilson, return to PHONOGRAM to finish what they started with PHONOGRAM: THE IMMATERIAL GIRL #1.
“Phonogram is unfinished business. It's a vision we need to complete,” said Gillen. “Three stand alone, but thematically connected, volumes. Each one can be devoured alone, like our favourite albums. The third one was always going to bring everything we've learned about pop and comics together. I've been wanting to do this book for over a decade. Now I finally get to share the explosions in our head. I can't be more excited, at least in a socially acceptable fashion.”
PHONOGRAM: THE IMMATERIAL GIRL is the story of Emily Aster, who sold half her personality for the power to rule a coven of phonomancers. It's worked for nearly a decade. Clearly nothing could go wrong now, and the girl behind the screen won't come back for what's been taken from her. In a world where Music is Magic, a song can save or ruin your life. In PHONOGRAM: THE IMMATERIAL GIRL we discover what a video can do. And you will never listen to A-ha's "Take On Me" in the same way ever again.
Another first issue, another great cover -- albeit one in an entirely different style.
MARVEL COMICS
BLACK PANTHER BY CHRISTOPHER PRIEST: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION VOL. 1 (TPB)
Written by CHRISTOPHER PRIEST & JOE QUESADA
Penciled by MARK TEXEIRA, VINCE EVANS, JOE JUSKO, MIKE MANLEY, MARK BRIGHT & SAL VELLUTO
Cover by JOE QUESADA
416 PGS / Rated T+ / $34.99
Black Panther reinvented as a sharp and witty political satire? Believe it! T’Challa is the man with the plan as Christopher Priest puts the emphasis on the Wakandan king’s reputation as the ultimate statesman, as seen through the eyes of the U.S. government’s Everett K. Ross. As the Panther investigates a murder in New York, Ross plays Devil’s Advocate in an encounter with Mephisto, and a new regime seizes control in Wakanda. When the truth behind the coup becomes clear, T’Challa finds himself an enemy of the state — and a major revelation threatens to destroy his relationship with the Avengers! Plus: Meet Queen Divine Justice — is she ready to join T’Challa’s deadly crew of female bodyguards, the Dora Milaje? Are they ready for her? Hold onto your pants, because Ross sure can’t! Collecting BLACK PANTHER (1998) #1-17.
I think this run is when I began thinking of T'Challa as a leading character again. If nothing else, it's got healthy dollops of Christopher Priest humor.
THE KORVAC SAGA #3
Writer: DAN ABNETT
Art/Cover: OTTO SCHMIDT
VARIANT COVER BY TBA
32 PGS / Rated T+ / $3.99
A dark and potentially catastrophic madness haunts the domain of The Forest Hills, and has caused an unthinkable tragedy. Lord Michael Korvac, governor of the domain, has commanded his loyal Guardians to neutralize the threat as fast as possible, as a crucial peace summit with Korvac’s rival, the Wonder Man Simon Williams, is at risk. But can even the powerful Starhawk locate the source of the problem? And if he can, can he SURVIVE it..?
*SECRET WARS SERIES
Does that cover look familiar? It's an homage to Avengers (first series) #172!
OPERATION: S.I.N. - AGENT CARTER (TPB)
Written by KATHRYN IMMONEN
Penciled by RICH ELLIS & RAMON PEREZ
Cover by MICHAEL KOMARCK
144 PGS / Rated T / $17.99
Tying into the explosive events of ORIGINAL SIN! In the early 1950s, an alien energy source is discovered in Russia. It’s up to Peggy Carter and Howard Stark to find it — but a newly risen terrorist group called Hydra is also on the hunt! When the mysterious Woodrow McCord enters the picture and Howard accidentally causes a UFO to fire on Moscow, Peggy and her team must go underground. And when they discover a Hydra-run gulag that hides a mysterious woman just as Soviet scientists open a portal between worlds, an ancient terror is released! But what is it searching for? The truth behind S.I.N. is exposed, and Peggy and the gang face impossible decisions with grisly consequences! Plus: a tale of love and honor starring Peggy Carter and Captain America! Collecting OPERATION S.I.N. #1-5 and CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE FIRST THIRTEEN #1.
“Marvel’s Agent Carter” © 2014 Marvel & ABC Studios
I find myself wanting to read this just because of the TV show!
SECRET WARS: BATTLEWORLD #4 (of 4)
Writers: JAMES STOKOE, PETER DAVID
Art: DANIEL VALADEZ
Cover by FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA
Variant Cover by JAMES STOKOE
32 PGS / Rated T+ / $3.99
• The SILVER SURFER OF EGYPTIA must gather silver for the giant sphinx in the desert or else he’ll be doomed to wander FOREVER!
• The MAESTRO has something SILVER SURFER wants and he’s not giving it up without the fight of the century!
Is it me, or is that a not-so-good Kirby pastiche?
STAR-LORD AND KITTY PRYDE #2
SAM HUMPHRIES (w) • ALTI FIRMANSYAH (a)
Cover by YASMINE PUTRI
ACTION FIGURE VARIANT COVER BY JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
32 PGS / Rated T / $3.99
• The most legendary star-crossed lovers in the Marvel Universe crash land on BATTLEWORLD!
• STAR-LORD and AGE OF APOCALYPSE KITTY PRYDE wage Love and Secret War!
• Will love tear us apart, again?
*SECRET WARS SERIES
Is Kitty now a Wolver-wannabe, or are the claws temporary?
YEARS OF FUTURE PAST #4
Writer: MARGUERITE BENNETT
Art: MIKE NORTON
Cover by ARTHUR ADAMS
32 PGS / Rated T+ / $3.99
• Reeling from the secrets that Kate Pryde has kept, the X-Men lead a prison break from the last mutant internment camp.
• The X-Men clash with friends and enemies alike...and their true purpose is revealed at last!
*SECRET WARS SERIES
I know it probably makes me a fuddy-duddy, but I don't think anybody's improved on the original Jack Kirby design of the Sentinels for sheer scariness.
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OTHER PUBLISHERS
21ST CENTURY TANK GIRL #3
Art: JAMIE HEWLETT, WARWICK JOHNSON-CALDWELL, PHILLIP BOND, JONATHAN EDWARDS, BRETT PARSON
Cover: BRETT PARSON
32 pages / Mature / $3.99
SHOVE THIS UP YOUR GUN-TURRET!
Positively turgid with strips, pin-ups, poems the usual balls-to-the-wall bedlamism, with brand new contributions from Hewlett, Martin and the cream of the Tank Girl art community, get ready to sacrifice your last shred of sanity for the stupendous final issue of 21st Century Tank Girl!
As I've mentioned before, I've finally figured out how to read Tank Girl and enjoy it. I have to put myself in the mindset I had when I was young, feared no consequences and hated authority. Since at least one of those things is still true, it wasn't that hard. And lo -- I enjoyed this issue of Tank Girl. Maybe you will, too!
Writer: BRADFORD WINTERS, LARRY COHEN
Art: DANIEL IRIZARRI
Cover: MIKE CHOI
$3.99
What's to Love: Part social commentary, part family drama, Americatown asks: What if the American Dream were no longer possible? In their inaugural comic series, screenwriters Bradford Winters (Oz, Boss, Kings) and Larry Cohen (Phone Booth, Cellular), give us a story great for fans of Transmetropolitan, Hacktivist, and the TV show Black Mirror.
What It Is: After an economic collapse, Americans are illegally emigrating to other countries to find work, creating "Americatowns" wherever they go. Owen has a difficult time trying to sneak back into Buenos Aires in Argentina to rejoin his family; his struggle is just a small part of the hardships and conflicting agendas in an immigrant community trying to build itself in the shadow of a once great nation.
I haven't seen this book, but it sounds awesome. Maybe if Donald Trump read this, he wouldn't assume all immigrants are rapists.
Artist Name(s): MARCO MACCAGNI, BOBBY HERNANDEZ, SALVATORE R. VILLIRILLO
Cover Artist(s): MARCO MACCAGNI, ERIN FUSCO
32 pgs / Teen / FC / $3.99 (reg.) / $4.99 (Var.)
Las Vegas, 1981. Gareth Thompson, a Vietnam veteran and single father, has just accepted a security job at the new fantasy-themed “Archon Hotel and Casino.” However, he’ll soon discover all the Orcs, Elves and Dragons at the Resort are not people in costumes, but actual creatures of myth and legend. Variant cover by Erin Fusco, limited to 2000 copies.
Here's a #1 from Action Lab that, strangely, doesn't star a teenage girl. Nevertheless, it's here, and could be good.
Writer: ALEX SIMMONS
Art: JOE BENNETT
Cover: SCOTT HANNA
$14.95
Back in print for the first time is almost 20 years, and collected for the first time ever! Originally published as a 6-issue mini-series, Blackjack: Second Bite of the Cobra is a tale of blood and vengeance. This graphic novel stars Arron Day, alias Blackjack, an African-American soldier of fortune. Blackjack returns to his boyhood home in Cairo, joining forces with martial-arts expert Maryam and mercenaries Bo and Red to seek long-overdue revenge on a charismatic Bedouin warlord known as The Cobra. New Foreword by Joe Ilidge. New Afterword by David Colley. New cover by Scott Hanna! New Introduction by series creator Alex Simmons.
I haven't heard of this book, despite being a completist collector since the mid-1960s. It was originally from a small publisher when they got zero distribution, which far outweighs the fact that it stars a black guy. Racism is real, y'all, and that's a fact. But money is still the biggest gun in the room.
CALVIN & HOBBES AUTHORITATIVE (HC)
Writer/Art/Cover: BILL WATTERSON
$29.99
A collection of Calvin and Hobbes cartoons. The author won the 1986 Reuben Award as Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year. The second volume in the complete run of the strip, The Authoritative Calvin and Hobbes collects all the strips from Yukon Ho! and Weirdos from Another Planet!, originally published in 1987 and 1988.
I am still amazed at this strip. I tried for years and years to come up with a good hook for a comic strip, but Watterson wrote and drew probably the best one ever made by basing it on something amazing simple, yet infinite: The imagination of an 8-year-old boy. Perfect. Simple. Amazing.
Anyway, this book has come out before, as have the two below. But I'm posting them in case anyone reading this missed 'em.
CALVIN & HOBBES ESSENTIAL (HC)
Writer/Art/Cover: BILL WATTERSON
$29.99
Celebrate the 30th-anniversary of Bill Watterson's Calvin and Hobbes with brand-new hardcover editions of the first three treasury collections! Calvin and Hobbes soared to the top of the bestseller lists in its first month of publication. Something Under The Bed Is Drooling exploded out of the stores, selling nearly a million copies within the first month of publication! Now, those two books are brought together in this oversized book, the first volume in the complete Calvin and Hobbes collection, now in hardcover. Adding to the fun in The Essential Calvin and Hobbes are an original 16-page story and color Sunday cartoons.
CALVIN & HOBBES INDISPENSABLE (HC)
Writer/Art/Cover: BILL WATTERSON
$29.99
This unlikely due captured the hearts, the minds, and, most of all, the funny bones of America. The Indispensable Calvin and Hobbes contains an original full-color section, as well as all the cartoons appearing in The Revenge of the Baby-Sat and Scientific Progress Goes "Boink." All Sunday cartoons are presented in full-color. The third volume in the complete Calvin and Hobbes, The Indispensible Calvin and Hobbes collects strips originally published in The Revenge of the Baby-Sat and Scientific Progress Goes "Boink."
CAPTAIN CANUCK SERIES ONE COMPENDIUM VOL 1 (TPB)
A few weeks ago I said that the many Captain Canuck series over the years from various publishers weren't worth getting except for the art of Richard Comely. I was wrong: The many Captain Canuck series over the years from various publishers weren't worth getting except for the art of George Freeman. Comely -- the Captain's creator -- was all right, but Freeman had a unique style, both well rendered and zesty, that caught my attention. (Yes, I said "zesty." Deal with it!) This book appears to have lots of Freeman, plus some Leonard Kirk, so it should have lots of yummy art.
Writers: GEORGE FREEMAN, RICHARD COMELY
Art: GEORGE FREEMAN & Various
Cover: GEORGE FREEMAN
$29.95
New regular artist Leonard Kirk (Fantastic 4, X-Factor, JSA) joins the team! Captain Canuck's brother, Michael Evans has vanished. It's up to Canuck and Equilibrium to mount a rescue op and find him. All the clues point to the mysterious Site ALEPH! Plus: Classic Canuck faces an all new threat in a back-up story by Ed Brisson and Scott Hepburn!
DEATH SENTENCE LONDON #3
Writer: MONTYNERO
Artist: MARTIN SIMMONDS
Cover: MONTYNERO
32 pages / Mature / $3.99
The smash-hit sex, death and superpowers series continues – now ongoing!
Verity digs through the wreckage of her life, looking for clues to her future – little knowing that she's become the most valuable person in the world!
Weasel rockets up the charts! And in the US, Jeb's marital troubles take an explosive turn, as more of the FBI's plans come to light.
Plus – a journalist has dug up a juicy scoop on London's Mayor... What will he do to make it all go away?
For more information visit: http://titancomics.tumblr.com
I didn't have time to read and review this one, but rest assured I'll get to it. Death Sentence is both fun and thought-provoking.
Artist: NEIL EDWARDS
Publisher: TITAN COMICS
32pp / SC / $3.99
The 5-part weekly series is penned by Paul Cornell (Wolverine) and illustrated by Neil Edwards !
The weekly event, running through August and September 2015, in place of the ongoing series, features all three Doctors from Titan's regular ongoings. This epic event is the thrilling next chapter in Titan Comics' bombastic Doctor Who publishing saga.
The first issue releases Wednesday August 12, supported by the global Doctor Who Comics Day on Saturday August 15!
Writer Paul Cornell has penned classic episodes from the Doctor Who TV series ('Father's Day', 'Human Nature/Family of Blood', both Hugo-nominated), classic Doctor Who novels, as well as successful comic book runs on titles such as Wolverine, Action Comics, Demon Knights and Captain Britain and MI:13.
The event follows straight on from the issue #15 conclusions of Year One, with the second years of the Tenth, Eleventh and Twelfth Doctors beginning after the event's blistering finale!
Four Doctors, three companions, one action-packed mystery!
To keep up to date visit DoctorWhoComicsDay.com or connect with Doctor Who Comics Day on Facebook or follow @DW_ComicsDay on Twitter.
This year’s event takes place on Saturday, August 15, 2015, to tie in with Titan’s Doctor Who crossover event series - Doctor Who: Four Doctors!
Look out for a number of Doctor Who: Four Doctors #1 variant covers to pick up on Doctor Who Comics Day from stores including: Alien Entertainment; Books-A-Million; Borderlands; Cafe Anime; Forbidden Planet; Geppi's Entertainment Museum; Hastings; Hot Topic; Jester Comics; Newbury Comics; Third Eye; Twilight Comics; and The Who Shop.
For more information visit:
DoctorWhoComicsDay.com
I'm not normally a Doctor Who reader, as Whomania rose up outside my radar, and now that I've become aware of it, I've always feared I'd simply never catch up.
But now comes a Doctor Who "event" from Titan Comics, which features the stars of their three ongoing Doctor Who titles (the Tenth, Eleventh and Twelfth Doctors) and their companions. Hey, I get to learn about three of them at once! Maybe I [ital] can [end ital] catch up!
Further, the name of the series -- which publishes weekly for five weeks, beginning Aug. 12 -- is named "Four Doctors." So who's going to complete our bridge group? Even I know that the Twelfth Doctor is supposed to be the last, so how and where is this next guy coming from? And it has to be a Thirteenth Doctor, because if it was an earlier one, the Tenth, Eleventh and Twelfth Doctors would all remember this adventure already, wouldn't they?
Or maybe not. The first issue sets up the premise, in which an alien machine tells Clara, the Twelfth Doctor's companion, that all timelines and universes will end if the three Doctors in question meet on a certain day in Paris in 1923. So naturally she goes back in time to warn the other two companions to not let the Doctors meet. Which naturally results in the situation she was trying to avoid.
I'm sorry, is that a Spoiler? Because if they don't meet, there's not a story, so shut up. Anyway, while the whole scene ends the way we know it will, it's pretty amusing getting there, as the pacing is perfect and the dialogue is witty. It's written by Paul Cornell, who has written Doctor Who novels, TV episodes and comics. Plus, the art is clear, pleasing and -- where it comes to the frustration of the companions -- expressive.
In short, "Four Doctors" #1 is a lot of fun. No wonder people like this Doctor Who business!
Art: DANNY ZABBAL
Letters/Colors: FRED C STRESING
Cover: DANNY ZABBAL
32 pgs / Teen / FC / $3.99 (reg.) / $4.99 (Var.)
Jake Roth is the only man to ever manifest superpowers but not go insane. While Jake is still trying to decide how best to use his new powers to help prevent a war between humans and "extrahumans", an old friend reappears and draws him into direct conflict with the local mafia who have their own extrahuman enforcer, Odinson!
Here's another Action Lab book I didn't have time to get to before Tuesday came and went. But any book with a character with the name "Odinson" gets my attention!
I saw bunches of Jeffrey Jones one- or two-pagers in Heavy Metal and similar magazines in the long-before time, and never really understood what they were. Were they short philosophical points? Vignettes in a larger story? Drunken doodles on a bar napkin? Honestly, sometimes the line between fine art and random scribblings was hard for me to find.
But, hey, here's a whole collection of those things, so you can judge for yourself!
Writer/Art/Cover: JEFFREY JONES
HC $39.99/SC $24.99
Two legendary graphic strips by the late Jeffrey Jones are collected for the first time. Idyl ran in the pages of the National Lampoon while the later I'm Age appeared in Heavy Metal Magazine. Now available is Idyl - I'm Age, a 96-page oversized 9" x 12" art book celebrating the unique vision of celebrated artist Jeffrey Jones. The book has both an Introduction and an insightful Afterword by award winning artist George Pratt. Please Note: Due to a late production error the I'm Age strip from the October 1982 edition of Heavy Metal Magazine is missing from this collection.
JUSTICE INC.: THE AVENGER #3
Writer: Mark Waid
Art: Ronilson Freire
Cover: Francesco Francavilla
32 pages / Teen+ / $3.99
Rating: Teen +
The secret of the Invisible Death is revealed -- but not before it claims one of Benson's own teammates in a tragedy that will tear Justice, Inc. asunder! To his horror, the Avenger realizes he may not be New York's only master of disguise!
I've said some nice things about this book already, but this issue really snapped my head around. The secondary characters -- especially the black ones -- got fleshed out and made memorable, and the plot has sped up meaningfully. Honest, reading a book by a pro like Mark Waid is always such a joy!
Art: JEREMY TREECE
Cover: DECLAN SHALVEY
32 pages / Teen+ / $3.99
Impossible dungeons! The world's leaders are bowing to the evil oppression of The Great Cobra! Can Mandrake and his witch companion Karma perform a great escape from their magical prison and mount a rebellion, or will Earth fall even further into chaos!?
I read this one because of the classy cover. Is that an homage to Fred Astaire? Or some movie poster I've seen before? Anyway, it dragged me into the book, which is what a cover is supposed to do.
And I was pleasantly surprised that the first Mandrake book I've ever read was so entertaining.
Mandrake's magic powers were limited in a considered way (necessary with magic-using characters) and his dialogue was clever and engaging.
As was his companion's, some gal who appears to be heading into being sort of a Nora Charles to his Nick. That was cool; it was pleasant to see a female character arrive as an equal and not be relegated to sidekick or hostage status. Her lines were easily the equal of his.
And speaking of that sort of thing, Lothar's absence was explained quickly and well. Now, I'm a comics fan, which means I'm a traditionalist, which means I want to see Lothar in any strip with "Mandrake" at the top of it. He belongs here, as Ebony does in "The Spirit," Robin does in Batman, Sluggo does in "Nancy," Papa does in "Baby Huey," Stuff does in "The Vigilante," and so forth.
But I know that "black man-servant" isn't going to work in 2015. Nor can I think of any position Lothar can fill that isn't some sort of horrible racist cliche, like "magic Negro" or something. So I get it: He has to go. I'm sorry for that, but at least they handled it well.
Meanwhile, the book is good. This Mandrake (and his new friend) could be a fun and clever strip, and I hope it goes that way. Maybe they can figure how to bring Lothar back some day!
Writer: CHARLES SOULE
Art/Cover: ALBERTO JIMENEZ ALBUQUERQUE with DAN JACKSON
$3.99
Reeling from a brutal setback in his efforts to win World War Three, and news that an even larger threat is on a collision course with Earth, President Blades finds an unexpected ally that could allow him to make one last play. On the Clarke, Gomez steps up with an incredibly dangerous plan involving the enigmatic alien Builders, and baby Astra offers her own contribution.
Another book I need to catch up on. Meantime, here's a promo.
Art: TYSON HESSE, JIM AMASH, JACK MORELLI AND MATT HERMS
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #275 CVR A REG: PATRICK "SPAZ" SPAZIANTE AND MATT HERMS
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #275 CVR B Wrap-around Variant: EDWIN HUANG
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #275 CVR C Wrap-around Variant: LAMAR WELLS, RICK BRYANT AND MATT HERMS
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #275 CVR D Wrap-around Variant: TRACY YARDLEY, TERRY AUSTIN AND STEVE DOWNER
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #275 CVR E Wrap-around Variant: RAFA KNIGHT
Epic Poster Variant (pt11 of 12): BEN BATES
On Sale Date: 8/12
48-page, full color comic, $4.99 U.S.
CELEBRATE 275 ISSUES OF SONIC THE HEDGEHOG with his good buddy Mega Man and the worlds of STREET FIGHTER, BILLY HATCHER, NiGHTS INTO DREAMS, MONSTER HUNTER and more in this DOUBLE-SIZED ISSUE! "Worlds Unite" Part Eleven: It’s pan-dimensional pandemonium as the unified army begins their attack on Sigma! Sonic, Mega Man and X lead an all-star roster of heroes from across the SEGA and Capcom universes in an all-out assault against the villainous robot from the future! Will they be enough to save all their worlds, or has Sigma already become a god? Featuring a wrap-around cover from the legendary Patrick "SPAZ" Spaziante! PLUS 5 variant covers from Edwin Huang, Lamar Wells, Tracy Yardley, Rafa Knight and part 11 of the epic 12-part connecting variant cover series by artist Ben Bates! Don't miss the penultimate chapter to the biggest crossover event in Archie Action history!
I've been running these "Worlds Collide" issues for the variant covers, but man, it's going on forever. I think this is the last week I'll run them.
STUMPTOWN V3 #7
Artist: JUSTIN GREENWOOD with RYAN HILL
$3.99
The Case of a Cup o' Joe, Part Two!
Dex is in possession of $30,000 dollars worth of coffee beans "processed" by Southeast Asian cats and everyone wants it: coffee moguls, billionaires who won't take "no" for an answer, and the Barista Mafia. It gets weirder from there.
Is anyone reading this? It looks interesting, but I haven't followed it. I think maybe I should!
Writer: GAIL SIMONE
Art: SERGIO DAVILA
Cover A Main: TULA LOTAY
Cover B Variant: EMANUELA LUPACCHINO
Cover C Subscription: ROBERT HACK
32 pages / Teen+ / $3.99
The wildest Dynamite crossover epic ever told continues at whole cities are smashed together in the prelude to inter-dimensional war! It's Martians versus Monsters versus Barbarians and more, with the women of Chaos on the wrong side of Good Vs. Evil ... plus, where are Red Sonja, Vampirella and Dejah Thoris in their worlds' time of need? Guest stars galore in this massive tale of battle, blades and bikinis!
When you're reading a Gail Simone book, you know it: The plot hurtles forward, the dialogue sparkles, and before you know it you care about people you might not have met before.
And that's why you should read this book, which with this issue assembles the groups in opposition on the same game board. On one side you have the Chaos! chicks, most of whom are powerful demons or vampires, while on the other side you have Red Sonja, Dejah Thoris, Vampirella, Masquerade, Miss Fury, Sparrow, Kato, Lady Zorro and more.
And they're all stabby!
Art by JOSE LUIS
Cover by KANO
Variant Cover by SINA GRACE
$3.99 US | 32 pgs. | T+ | ON SALE AUGUST 12
The world tips closer to the brink of World War III, and the unstoppable War-Monger tears a swath through the ranks of Unity…today and always!
Can X-O Manowar, Livewire, Ninjak and the Eternal Warrior fare any better than their predecessors? War-Monger took apart the rosters of decades past, and now Unity faces their most implacable enemy … and they don't even know they're already losing!
Here's another lovely Valiant book, with an especially lovely cover.
Art: JETHRO MORALES
Cover A: TIM SEELEY
Cover B subscription: TONY FLEECS
32 pages / Teen+ / $3.99
It's on! Boomstick vs. fangs! The battle you've always wanted to see between Ash and Vampirella - sort of. Make that Ash and a monstrously transformed Vampi, as they tear through the medieval castle! Hilarious slapstick action and chills aplenty from Mark Rahner (Vampirella Bites, Army of Darkness/Reanimator) and Jethro Morales!
I read the first issue (despite being entirely unfamiliar with Army of Darkness) and it was OK. So I read this one too, and actually enjoyed it more -- I know what's going on a bit better, and this Ash guy is growing on me. Meantime, Vampi's been out of the picture, but will be back in it next issue. Bring it on!
Penciller/Inker/Cover: JAMAL IGLE
Colors: JAMES BROWN
32 pgs / Teen / FC / $3.99 (reg.)
The groundbreaking superhero series continues! Reggie Baxter has discovered Joe Campbell’s superpowered secret.
Joe can’t scare him off and if he does anything to Reggie, his quiet life is over.
Now Joe is reluctantly forced to do the one thing he never wanted to do: wear a cape.
Veteran creators Jay Faerber (Secret Identities) and Jamal Igle (Sensation Comics Featuring Wonder Woman) turn superhero tropes on their ears with this exciting series.
I still haven't re-read the first issue, so I haven't refreshed myself on this series, which I vaguely remember enjoying when dinosaurs walked the earth. So we'll see.
Art by RAFA SANDOVAL
Cover A by RAFA SANDOVAL
Cover B by ROBERT GILL
Variant Cover by CAFU
Variant Cover by BRENT PEEPLES
$3.99 US | 32 pgs. | T+ | ON SALE AUGUST 12
ALL-NEW ARC! ALL-NEW JUMPING-ON POINT! “EXODUS” BEGINS NOW!
Aric of Dacia is X-O Manowar, hero to humanity, leader of the remaining Visigoths, and a husband about to start a new family. He is also the bearer of Shanhara, and tantamount to a God in the eyes of the alien race known as the Vine. Now, in the aftermath of DEAD HAND, the Vine need a new home and have chosen Earth – tearing Aric between two races that worship him, but each despise one another. New York Times best-selling writer Robert Venditti (BOOK OF DEATH) and red-hot artist Rafa Sandoval ( Ultimate Hawkeye) unite here to begin a bold and tragic new era in the life of X-O Manowar!
Another purty Valiant book.
RE: "The Four Doctors" - The fourth Doctor is the so-called "War Doctor", a previously-unknown incarnation from between the Eighth and Ninth Doctors. Short summary: The original series of Doctor Who (1963 - 1989) covered the adventures of the first seven Doctors. In 1996, there was a TV movie featuring the Eighth Doctor, which served as a pilot for a new series that never materialized. In 2005, the new series started up with Christopher Eccleston as the Ninth Doctor. When show-runner Stephen Moffat came to write the 50th anniversary episode, he wanted to feature the three Doctors that the new show had featured up to the point - Eccleston (Nine), David Tennant (Ten) and Matt Smith (Eleven). However, Eccleston decided not to come back for the story. Moffat remembered that we had never actually seen the Eighth Doctor (Paul McGann) regenerate into the Eccleston Doctor. So, he invented a "Hidden" incarnation the McGann and Eccleston Doctors, and hired John Hurt to play him. Hurt's incarnation was the version who fought in the Time War, and didn't feel worthy to call himself "The Doctor",so that's how Moffat gets out of renumbering the later Doctors. So, even though the Doctor has had thirteen incarnations, current incumbent Peter Capaldi is numbered as the Twelfth Doctor. Except that he's the fourteenth incarnation, since the Tenth Doctor once regenerated but kept the same face. Hence, the fan joke: "How does Stephen Moffat count to twelve? One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, war, nine, ten, ten, eleven, twelve"
You've convinced me to try Adam.3.
Yes, Black Canary is perfectly suited for Bombshells, BUT... she was left off the 2016 Bombshells calendar (much to Tracy's chagrin). The "chick on the left" you asked about looks like Poison Ivy to me.
I'm reading King: Prince Valiant, and right now it's crossing over with Flash Gordon, Phantom and Mandrake (but Mandrake's mind is in the body of a small dinosaur).
The cover to Venture #2 is an homageto The Saturday Evening Post (background design).
In the 30s Mandrake had actual magical powers. He might save a woman from being run over by levitating the car, halt himself falling in mid-air, or materialise a pile of stones so he could throw one. But eventually Falk decided that his feats were illusions accomplished by hypnotism. Sometimes he was portrayed as having mental powers.
Falk had a habit of repeating his stories, and a standard Mandrake one of the 40s/50s involved the investigation of an apparent supernatural menace that turned out to be faked. Other stories had fantastic elements, but not supernatural ones. So the strip's fantasy had a rationalistic character.
Lothar shifted from being Mandrake's servant to being his partner in the course of the strip. In the earlier period he was devoted to Mandrake and superstitious. The later Lothar was fearless and no fool. His girlfriend was a model, Karma.
I've not gotten around to reading Narda's earliest stories. She was at first a guest-character, the princess of Cockaigne, but coming into the 40s she became a regular. In the 40s/50s she was a pretty clothes-horse, but by the 70s her portrayal had shifted and she was portrayed as a modern woman very much like Diana Palmer in The Phantom.
The Cobra was Mandrake's opponent in the first storyline, an evil magician. He appeared in a second storyline in the 30s and then disappeared until the 60s. The revived version of the character wore a mask to hide his scarred face. In the 80s Falk decided to revise Mandrake's origin so that his real father was Theron, the head of the College of Magic in Tibet, and the Cobra his half-brother.
I would think this version of the feature unlikely to appeal to existing Mandrake fans. It's like a new volume of Fantastic Four revealing Reed and Sue divorced after Franklin and Valeria were killed by the Thing.
Mandrake was present at the Phantom's wedding. I've not seen Mandrake's wedding story, but he's shown at it in the sequence above.
The name Cockaigne is from a medieval tradition about a fantastic land. Wikipedia has a page about it.
Today's Purchases:
DC Comics Bombshells #1
Doctor Who: Four Doctors #1
Secret Wars #5
Starfire #3
Star Trek/Green Lantern: The Spectrum War #2
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #8
Jeff of Earth-J said:
Actually, I was asking about the chick on the left. Poison Ivy is the chick on your other left. Or do you think they're both Poison Ivy?Let me know what you think of Adam.3!
Baron, thanks for the history lesson the Doctors. That should come in handy while reading this mini, and in the future. I may have convinced myself to start reading Doctor Who, once a sure sign of the apocalypse.
And thanks, Luke, for the history lesson on Mandrake, a character I've never known much about. This Mandrake has magic powers, but they come with a cost, so he uses them sparingly.
Oh, fer...
Y'know, I was absent that day in school when we learned our right from our left and I never did catch up. Anyway, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.
Adam.3 didn't ship to my shop this week, but I asked about it and it's on next week's invoice.