TOP PUBLISHERS
MARVEL COMICS
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #252 FACSIMILE EDITION reprints the first appearance of the black costume.
Henry Pym returns in AVENGERS INC #5, looking a lot like Michael Douglas.
DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN GALLERY EDITION HC is just in time for Jeff of Earth-J's mammoth Daredevil discussions.
"Gang War" continues in DEADLY HANDS OF KUNG FU: GANG WAR #2.
MIGUEL O'HARA — SPIDER-MAN 2099 #5 (OF 5) introduces Man-Thing 2099.
"Sabretooth War" continues in WOLVERINE #42.
MARVEL'S VOICES: LEGENDS #1
Story: David F. Walker, Ezra Claytan Daniels, Justina Ireland & Sheree Renée Thomas | Art: Eder Messias, Sean Damien Hill, Karen Darboe & Julian Shaw | Cover: Caanan White | Variants: Edwin Galmon, Sean Damien Hill, Mateus Manhanini | Teen+ | $5.99
This year, Marvel Comics honors Black History month with MARVEL’S VOICES: LEGENDS #1, a special one-shot with four all-new stories starring some of comic book’s most iconic heroes.
All-star creators and rising talents from throughout the industry come together in this triumphant special that brings you the world outside your window. Uniting various cornerstones of the Marvel Universe, MARVEL’S VOICES: LEGENDS #1 delivers can’t-miss stories including a celebration of Misty Knight’s nearly 50 year legacy, the long-awaited return of Elijah Bradley, aka Patriot; and much more. This year, the one-shot will hit stands on January 31 so fans can celebrate Black History Month at their local shop right at the start of February!
Read on to discover the stories that await:
- Writer David F. Walker and artist Eder Messias bring Patriot back to the spotlight with a bold tale of corruption, abuse and the hope that springs eternal! Locked in a fierce showdown with Crossbones, Elijah Bradley has to explore his own family’s legacy and remind himself of his heroic destiny in order to save the day!
- Writer Justina Ireland and artist Karen Darboe kick off Misty Knight’s milestone year with an action-packed Daughters of the Dragon adventure! See why Misty Knight and Colleen Wing are one of the best duos in the Marvel Universe as they take down crime in style!
- TV writer Ezra Claytan Daniels (Doom Patrol) makes his Marvel Comics debut alongside artist Sean Damien Hill (Bishop: War College)! Michael Collins has always used his Deathlok abilities to be a force for good. Now, after an epic battle, he lies broken beyond repair. To continue the fight, he’ll be forced to make a game-changing decision!
- Award-winning writer and poet Sheree Renée Thomas makes her Marvel Comics debut alongside artist Julian Shaw with a glimpse at a bright future for one of Marvel’s most prominent romances — Storm and Black Panther!
Plus an introduction by Eisner Award winning and best-selling author John Jennings, creator spotlights, and more!
Throughout the year in both print comics on stands and digital Infinity Comics on Marvel Unlimited, the Marvel’s Voices program highlights the diverse storytelling, characters, and creators that illustrate the richness and breadth of the Marvel Universe. Proudly representing different cultures and backgrounds, these critically acclaimed stories uplift and inspire by showing that fans from all walks of life have a place in the mighty Marvel mythos!
I'm glad they're doing something with the Bradley family legacy, which seems like rich territory for meaningful stories.
This stars an all-Black cast in honor of Black History Month.
"Fall of X"
DEAD X-MEN #1 (OF 4)
Story: Steve Foxe | Art: Vincenzo Carratu | Cover: Pere Perez | Variants: Lucas Werneck Teen+ | $4.99
DEATH WAS ONLY THE BEGINNING!
In this four-issue limited series, Foxe, currently exploring the twisted nature of mutantkind in Dark X-Men, will team up with a host of acclaimed artists including Vincenzo Carratù, Bernard Chang, and Jonas Scharf. The saga will revisit the key moments in realities’ past that paved the way to Krakoa as a team of fallen mutants are sent through history by Professor X on a desperate mission to reverse Krakoa’s fate! It’s an impossible quest that calls for an impossible team but who are the chosen heroes for this sacred mutant mission? Who are the DEAD X-MEN?!
DEATH WAS ONLY THE BEGINNING! When the world turned against Krakoa, these five mutants lost their lives…but their mission as X-Men is just getting started. To preserve Xavier’s dream, they must accomplish the impossible — or die again trying!
Explaining the new series, Foxe said: “DEAD X-MEN is one of the most complex stories I’ve worked on at Marvel, but also one of purest: a small group of mutants who have to accomplish the impossible, which is the premise that made me fall in love with the X-Men in the first place. I’ve been working closely with Kieron [GIlen] and Jordan [White] to make sure that the mission these unexpected X-Men undertake has real repercussions for the line — and the very existence of Krakoa as we know it. I’m also stoked Marvel was up for the challenge of assembling such a big art team. There’s a reason you’ll see so many talented creators credited on the book, and I can’t wait for readers to discover the secret behind DEAD X-MEN.”
Wow. "Dead X-Men" covers a lot of territory. They could be almost anybody.
JK. It's 2024, and you can find anything on the Internet. The team comprises Cannonball, Dazzler, Frenzy, Jubilee and Prodigy.
DC COMICS
BATMAN AND ROBIN 2024 ANNUAL #1 ONE-SHOT
Story: Joshua Williamson | Art/Cover: Howard Porter | $5.99
FATHER-AND-SON ROAD TRIP! Batman and Robin have gone through hell the last few months, so Bruce decides to take Damian on a camping trip to bond. But as they try to enjoy the great outdoors, they find a different kind of hunting ground ... one that hunts the most dangerous game! Trapped and cut off from their weapons and backup, Batman and Robin must use their surroundings to hold off and take down some of DC's deadliest mercenaries!
I can think of no one I'd rather go camping with less than Damian Wayne. Are you sure about this, Bruce?
BATMAN/SUPERMAN: WORLD'S FINEST ANNUAL #1 ONE-SHOT
Story: Mark Waid, Cullen Bunn, Stephanie Williams, Dennis Culver and Christopher Cantwell | Art: Edwin Galmon, Rosi Kampe, Travis Mercer and Jorge Fornes | Cover: Dan Mora | $4.99
IT'S THE WORLD'S FINEST ANNUAL! As the battle against Magog rages on Earth-22, Batman and Superman discover a surprising secret by way of the 5th dimension! Meanwhile, Metamorpho's story picks up after the events of the Elementary arc as our hero journeys deep within an ancient tomb that may have a hidden, deadly connection to his secret origin! Plus, Batman recruits the Challengers of the Unknown for a top-secret mission, and a special, sizzling story stars the Teen Titans' most buzzworthy member, Bumblebee! It's a world tour of the World's Finest in this first-ever series annual, curated by World's Finest architect Mark Waid!
World's Finest, Metamorpho, Challengers of the Unknown, Teen Titans — holy flashback, Batman, it's the Silver Age!
DC POWER 2024 #1 ONE-SHOT
Story: N.K. Jemisin, John Ridley, Brandon Thomas, Lamar Giles, Shawn Martinbrough, Cheryl Lynn Eaton, and Alitha Martinez | Art: Jamal Campbell, Edwin Galmon, Khary Randolph, Denys Cowan, Tony Akins, Asiah Fulmore, and Alitha Martinez | Cover: Chase Conley | $9.99
DC Power returns for round two with brand-new stories spotlighting Black characters from across the DC Universe by an all-star cast of writers and artists! N.K. Jemisin and Jamal Campbell return to the Hugo Award-winning world of Far Sector for an epilogue featuring the first meeting between Jo Mullein and John Stewart! The Signal, Duke Thomas, finds inspiration from an unlikely ally. Crispus Allen searches for purpose outside of being the Spectre — and goes to Renee Montoya for guidance! Thunder and Lighting (Anissa and Jennifer Pierce), cause sparks to fly at a community event crashed by the Condiment King; Raphael Arce learns the secret origin of the original Bloodwynd; Val-Zod, Earth-2's Superman, contemplates the balance between his pacifist philosophy and protecting the people of his universe; and Nubia teams up with ... Mr. Mxyzptlk?! All these stories and more, just in time for Black History Month!
DC's version of "Voices," DC Power also featuring an all-Black cast, in honor of Black History Month.
POWER GIRL UNCOVERED #1 ONE-SHOT
Story: Brittany Holzherr | Art: Various | Cover: Pablo Villalobos | $5.99
Art by Frank Cho, Sozomaika, Warren Louw, Guillem March, Babs Tarr, Rahzzah and others There's no stopping Power Girl! Celebrate the Earth-2 hero's triumphant return to the DCU with this gallery of awe-inspiring covers by the all-star artists who have brought her to life over the years!
As I've said before, a collection of covers with no narrative has no appeal for me. Even if those covers are wall-to-wall cheesecake, as is likely to be the case here.
My preferences aside, I expect this to sell pretty well. There are a lot of 12-year-old boys out there.
TITANS: BEAST WORLD #6 (OF 6)
Story: Tom Taylor | Art: Ivan Reis, Lucas Meyer |Cover: Ivan Reis | $5.99
DR. HATE REVEALED! As Raven makes her final stand against the chaotic evil sorcerer, the Titans race against time to cure the world of the epidemic caused by Beast Boy. How far will the team go? How much will the friends sacrifice? Watch as the DCU is forced to evolve or die in this shocking conclusion!
Dr. Fate and Dr. Hate. Oy.
TRINITY SPECIAL #1 ONE-SHOT
Story: Tom King | Art: Belen Ortega, Daniel Sampere | Cover: Daniel Sampere | $5.99
THE FIRST APPEARANCES OF DC'S BREAKOUT CHARACTER, COLLECTED! FEATURING A BRAND NEW STORY FROM THE WONDER WOMAN TEAM OF TOM KING AND DANIEL SAMPERE! Featuring DC's brightest new star, Trinity! Discover Lizzie's earliest adventures as she takes the world of heroes by storm! Reprinting the character's first appearance alongside hilarious tales of the little Amazon and her Super Son babysitters, this special will be an instant classic for fans old and new. Plus, a brand-new story from the all-star creative team behind Wonder Woman that will tease the future of Diana's daughter!
I still see no need for this character — since Amazons are essentially immortal, any of the current army of Wonder Girls could still be around in the future to pal around with grown-up Damian and Jon. But it looks like she's staying in the future, which makes her unique. Sorta.
IMAGE COMICS
MOON MAN #1
Story: Kyle Higgins, Scott "Kid Cudi" Mescudi | Art: Marco Locati | Cover: Rod Reis | $3.99
Grammy Award winning musician Scott "Kid Cudi" Mescudi will make his comics debut alongside Eisner Award-nominated co-writer and Massive-Verse architect Kyle Higgins (Radiant Black, NO/ONE), breakout artists Marco Locati and Igor Monti (Inferno Girl Red, Deep Cuts), Eisner Award-winning letterer Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou (Midlife) and editor Michael Busuttil. This all-new, ongoing series will launch from Image Comics, Black Market Narrative and Mad Solar, kicking off the new year with an extra-length first issue and an accompanying mixtape from the Grammy Award-winning recording artist.
Moon Man follows Ramon Townsend, a man ready for a quiet life after gaining unexpected celebrity status for steering his ship and crew safely home from a near-disastrous moon mission. Whatever went wrong on that failed moon mission, whatever happened in the missing minutes the cameras didn't capture, all Ramon really wants is to settle down back home in Cleveland. But those missing minutes hold an Earth-shattering secret — and, with all eyes turned to him, Ramon will soon find himself becoming something the world has never seen before.
“This might be one of the top three coolest things I've ever been a part of. This story is something that took a lot of love from everyone involved, and I’m so excited for the world to finally experience Moon Man,” said Mescudi. “I promise you this comic will be unlike anything you've read before. To each and every person that picks up a copy and shows support in January — I love you more than you can imagine. Thank you!”
“Moon Man is a book about What’s Next — what’s next for Ramon Townsend, for superhero stories, for humanity. In the face of corporations that seek only to possess and control, the ideals that make up our best heroes have never been more relevant,” said Higgins. “This is a series that will explore not only what it means to come into great power, but also what it means to discover the truth about the world — and the universe — around us. What kind of change is Ramon willing to make?”
Well, it certainly looks good.
Here's a PREVIEW.
DARK HORSE
THE ART OF OCTOPATH TRAVELER HC
Story: Square Enix | Art: Naoki Ikushima | 224 pages | $49.99
Dark Horse Books and Square Enix team up to present The Art of The Octopath Traveler, available in English for the first time. Adapted from The Art of Octopath 2016-2020, this 200+ page hardcover volume is a faithful localization of original Japanese material featuring gorgeous concept art and extensive commentary from the games’ creative teams.
Discover what lies beyond the horizon! Join the travelers in their journey through Orsterra and discover each of their unique origins. Delve into a fantasy landscape full of amazing creatures and scenery. Ponder the inspired design and artistic passion through hundreds of pieces of incredible art from the creation of the critically acclaimed Octopath Traveler and Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent.
Praise for Octopath Traveler:
“This isn’t merely a modern retread of past classics, but a phenomenal homage with genuinely fresh ideas in a fantastically charming wrapper of old-school meets new.” — IGN
“Classic-inspired gameplay, an orchestrated soundtrack, and a unique approach to storytelling make this a game that you won’t want to miss.” — Nintendo Life
“Every element of Octopath Traveler comes together brilliantly to create a refreshing take on the genre.” — Polygon
Here's a PREVIEW.
SHOOK! A BLACK HORROR ANTHOLOGY TP
Story: Bradley Golden, Marcus Roberts, John Jennings | Art: Alessio Nocerino | Art/Cover: Roberto Castro | $24.99
Dark Horse Comics and Second Sight Publishing are teaming up to deliver Shook! A Black Horror Anthology. This collection boasts more than 200 pages of dread, brought to life by award-winning Black writers and artists with a cadre of award wins and nominations such as Will Eisner Awards, Ringo Awards and Hugo Awards, and is the largest collection of Glyph Comics Awards winners and nominees in a single publication.
The award-winning group of writers on this project includes David Walker (Number 13), who has received multiple Eisner Awards (Bitter Root, Black Panther Party) and nominations (Naomi), as well as a Glyph Comics Award (Shaft). Alongside Walker is John Jennings (Kindred, The Blacker the Ink, Parable of the Sower), a two-time Eisner Award-winner, whose accolades also include a Hugo Award, Ignyte Award, Bram Stoker Award and two Glyph Comics Awards. And that’s just the beginning!
Stemming from a love of Southern Gothic horror, this anthology dives deep into the grotesque and fearsome world of the supernatural. Here’s a sneak peek at the chilling stories that lurk within:
- "The Last March": Set in a graveyard in the old South, a group of Klansmen attempt a lynching and get more than they bargain for from their intended recipient. Story by Rodney Barnes (2023 Eisner Award Nominee, Killadelphia) with art by David Brame (2023 GLAAD Award Winner, Young Men in Love).
- "Tasty Itchy": In a post-apocalyptic world, a group of survivors searching for food must get home before the sun goes down to avoid a bigger threat than hunger. Written by Bradley Golden (Leave on the Light) and art by Flavio Cortés.
Collection editor and COO of Second Sight Publishing Marcus Roberts says, “The Shook! project is a collaboration between John Jennings, Bradley Golden and myself who all hail from the South. John and Bradley are from Mississippi, and I am originally from Georgia. Our brand of horror has been called Southern Gothic horror and this has been in the making for two years.”
Black people from the South probaby know scary better than anybody.
MORE PUBLISHERS
Valiant alert: ETERNAL WARRIOR: SCORCHED EARTH TP.
Third State's FIGHTING TO BELONG: THE HISTORY OF ASIAN AMERICANS & PACIFIC ISLANDERS GN sounds educational.
When I saw the title of Zenescope's HOLMES & HOUDINI #1 (OF 3), I thought, "Wow, Harry Houdini and Sherlock Holmes are famous figures, and they're both men! Zenescope is finally going to do a book whose selling point isn't cheesecake!" Silly me. It's Spencer Holmes and Erica Houdini, who are both women and, yes, the selling point is cheesecake.
It's Morphin' Time with Boom's POWER RANGERS UNLIMITED: MORPHIN MASTERS #1. Here's a PREVIEW.
RICK & MORTY: MAXIMUM CRESCENDO #1: Oni Press launches another R&M title.
Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, who only read government-approved comics during the Cultural Revolution, interweaves ancient Chinese folklore with stories of his life, family and career in Tundra's ZODIAC GRAPHIC MEMOIR GN. I'd really like to see those Cultural Revolution comics. They'll either be hilarious or terrifying. Maybe both.
BILL WARD: THE FANTAGRAPHICS STUDIO EDITION
Story/Art: Bill Ward | Fantagraphics | 180 pages | $175.00
Vintage glamour girl artist extraordinaire Bill Ward gets the full Fantagraphics Studio Edition treatment featuring Ward’s most polished, fully-realized pinups from the 1950s and 1960s.
Bill Ward’s glamour girls were the staples of countless men’s and humor magazines, where they shared the pages with cult models like Bettie Page, Tina Louise and Julie Newmar, and cartoons by fellow “good girl” artists such as Archie’s Dan DeCarlo and Playboy’s Jack Cole. Imagine if you will, an innocent but stunning young woman boasting wildly exaggeratedly Barbie-like proportions poured into a wisp of lingerie or clingy cocktail dress and adorned in diamond necklaces and opera-length gloves, all perched on top of a pair of dangerously high stiletto heels, and you’ve got the recipe for the quintessential Bill Ward glamour girl.
What set Ward apart — and above — his talented contemporaries in terms of sheer image-making was his use of the conte crayon. When drawn on simple newsprint stock, this potent combination created Ward’s trademark gossamer sheen on his women’s thigh-high stockings.
This Fantagraphics Studio edition showcases the best of Ward’s Humorama work and includes a healthy number of what became known as his “telephone girls.” Tame by today’s standards, Ward’s telephone girls were always caught in candid moments when they just happened to be talking on the phone dressed in gossamer lingerie in innocently provocative poses. And did they ever talk on the phone when they weren’t in bed?
The majority of the images in this volume were drawn between 1955 and 1965 when Ward was at the height of his skill. They have been scanned in super high-resolution from original art and reproduced to highlight every sheen and accentuate every curve to its fullest. The book not only reproduces more than 150 of Ward’s most beautifully rendered illustrations, but also serves as a time capsule to a more innocent moment in pop culture when these images were shocking. The Fantagraphics Studio Edition also features an introduction by fashion/style icon and burlesque superstar Dita Von Teese. An original pinup art collector herself, Dita was mostly recently featured in Taylor Swift’s music video “Bejeweled.”
Eh. Bill Ward's material didn't do anything for me when I was younger or now. The preposterous proportions just reinforced how artificial it was. But I guess it's an important part of comics history. Isn't it?
Here's a PREVIEW.
Here's MORE from Fantagraphics.
I ESCAPED A CHINESE INTERNMENT CAMP TP
Story: Anthony Del Col | Art/Cover: Fahmida Azim | Lev Gleason | $19.99
Winner of the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for illustrated reporting! The true story of Zumrat Duwat, a mother of three from the Xinjiang autonomous region in China, who was arrested and sent to a detention facility for Uyghur women where she endured brutal living conditions and beatings. That was just the beginning of the troubles for Duwat, who, with her husband, would soon hatch a plan to escape the country. A harrowing, evocative, and important story that will enthrall and enlighten readers worldwide.
This seems kind of highbrow for Lev Gleason, but it's apparently a Very Important Book. Pullet Surprise and everything!
JILL AND THE KILLERS #1 (of 4)
Story: Olivia Cuartero-Briggs | Art: Roberta Ingranata | Cover: Sanya Anwar | Oni Press | 48 pages | $6.99
A DOUBLE-SIZED AND DANGEROUS 48-PAGE DEBUT!
Rising stars Olivia Cuartero-Briggs (Mary Shelley Monster Hunter) and Roberta Ingranata (Witchblade, Doctor Who) present a new kind of game where even murder is much more than it seems.
Returning to school after the unsolved disappearance of her mother, teenager Jill Estrada can't wait for things to return to normal ... even as her friends become compulsively obsessed with Box Killers, a true-crime subscription game where each month's "unsolved case" is custom-tailored to the life of its player. There's only one catch: Jill's game seems to be all too real ... and when her clues begin to connect to a series of disappearances in her town, Jill and her friends must uncover the truth behind these mysterious crimes before one of their own becomes the next victim.
How can there be a Last Girl when they're all girls?
I do like the art (see PREVIEW). Very clean, and the girls are all identifiably different.
LILO & STITCH #1
Story: Greg Pak | Art: Giulia Giacomino | Cover: Joshua Middleton | Dynamite | $3.99
Get ready for a new adventure with LILO & STITCH as the irrepressible pair launch their very first ongoing comic series, brought to you by superstar writer GREG PAK (Darth Vader, Mech Cadets) and artist GIULIA GIACOMINO!
Life seems to have calmed down for Experiment 626 and his new family on Earth — at least until evil aliens come hunting for everyone's favorite blue-furred troublemaker. The kicker? They're using giant robots that are powered by Stitch's own DNA! Will Lilo's beloved pet be able to take on these villains and lead them away from his adopted planet and loved ones? And even if he succeeds, will he be able to find his way back home?
Interviews with Greg Pak:
AIPT - Greg Pak talks good vibes and weird aliens in ‘Lilo & Stitch’
THE BEAT - INTERVIEW: GREG PAK goes global with LILO & STITCH
COMICON - Talking Dynamite’s ‘Lilo & Stitch’ With Writer Greg Pak
Wait, Stitch is an ALIEN? I thought he was just a Disneyfied koala. Should I start watching Disney movies for kids so I know these things? (No.)
MORE PREVIEWS
BETTY & VERONICA JUMBO COMICS DIGEST #321
THE RIBBON QUEEN #7 (OF 8)
DARK RIDE #10
DUKE #2 (OF 5)
Replies
This cover gives off a Classics Illustrated Junior vibe
It does!
DEAD X-MEN... The team comprises Cannonball, Dazzler, Frenzy, Jubilee and Prodigy.
Maybe they could team up with...
It's surprising how many of these characters are still dead!