Comics Guide for comics shipping week of Oct. 30, 2023

For FULL LIST go HERE.

TOP PUBLISHERS

MARVEL COMICS

Since Natasha Romanoff is dead in the movies, you can't very well have her gallivanting around the comics in her old outfit, can you? That's probably why she's the new symbiote in VENOM #27. Here's a PREVIEW.

Speaking of the movies: "Oh, look! Florence Pugh has her own comic book!" It's WHITE WIDOW #1 (of 4).

Like Highlights magazine, I'm glad IT’S JEFF: THE JEFF-VERSE #1 exists, but it's not for me.

“Dark Droids” continues in STAR WARS #40.

"Fall of X" continues in X-MEN #28.

Jed MacKay's second arc begins in AVENGERS #7.

SPIDER-BOY #1

SECRETS OF SPIDER-BOY REVEALED!

Here comes the spectacular SPIDER-BOY! After the events of THE END OF THE SPIDER-VERSE story arc, Spider-Boy’s secret history as Spider-Man’s sidekick was nearly forgotten forever. But now those mysteries will be revealed while they embark on exciting new adventures …TOGETHER! The freaktacular first issue will feature two pulse-pounding tales as Bailey team up with Squirrel Girl and then confronts the mad scientist who made him into a monster ... MADAME MONSTROSITY!

“Spider-Man isn't supposed to have a sidekick. That's just wrong on so many levels. And that is exactly why we are going to have so much fun with this,” Slott explained. “Both this character — and this new title — are going to break all the rules. Bailey Briggs is going to have over-the-top adventures in the Spider-Man corner of the Marvel Universe. He'll be facing off against a mix of both all-new villains and fan-favorite Spidey bad guys. The one thing we can promise you, whenever you pick up a copy of SPIDER-BOY, we are going to take the weirdest and wildest swings with every single story! Our goal is to get every reader to ask two questions: ‘What in the hell did I just read?!’ and ‘When is the NEXT one coming out?!’ ”

“When I found out that I was taking charge of Spider-Boy, I was GREATLY excited because of the possibilities of the character,” Medina said. “Aesthetically, there's so much to do with him. Every character gets their action poses to be their personal signature. This time I'm working on something cool and specific for Spider-Boy, something that gives him a light of his own. On the other hand, I'll be working with Dan which is fantastic. His limitless imagery is what such a fresh character needs, it just makes me think of all the things we can do together and what I can bring to the table.”

The mystery behind Spider-Boy’s origins will continue to develop in upcoming issues of Spider-Man.

Given all the variant covers, this must be the most important Marvel title this week!
I am agnostic on the existence of Spider-Boy. I guess it's how they play him that matters.
Do I need to mention the Amazing Spider-Man #1 homage?

ULTIMATE UNIVERSE #1 (One-Shot)

THE SPOILS OF VICTORY!

After the worlds-shaking conclusion of ULTIMATE INVASION, a new team of heroes bands together to save the future! From mastermind Jonathan Hickman and superstar artist Stefano Caselli, don’t miss out on this foundational issue for the new line of Ultimate Comics!

In this extra-sized foundational one-shot, enter a new age of Ultimate storytelling filled with bold takes on iconic Marvel characters and special previews of upcoming Ultimate titles, including the recently revealed Ultimate Spider-Man and more.

"What made the Ultimate Universe originally really interesting was that it was a reflection of the world outside your window, in the moment that you were living in. What does it look like in the world we’re living in now?" Hickman said. "It’s kind of shocking how much the world has changed in that period of time. The idea of what it would be like to see the genesis of Super Heroes in a brand new world is a really fascinating exercise."

Since we've already seen one version of this universe, once again it's going to come down to execution as to how interesting it is. Since Jonathan Hickman's in charge, I imagine it will be pretty interesting.
The announced titles in the new line are Ultimate Black Panther, Ultimate Spider-Man and Ultimate X-Men.

DC COMICS

"G0tham War" concludes in BATMAN/CATWOMAN: GOTHAM WAR — SCORCHED EARTH #1 (One-Shot)

AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM SPECIAL #1 (one-shot)

Discover the shocking events that connect the smash-hit Aquaman movie to the eagerly anticipated Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom! Aquaman balances his duties as king and as a member of the Justice League, all while planning a wedding! Black Manta is on the hunt for Atlantean tech to help rebuild his armor! Orm plots to escape his Atlantean prison! Three action-packed tales crammed into a single special!

This is a fifth week for DC (but not for anybody else), so it's mostly one-shots and specials.

SUPERGIRL SPECIAL #1 (One-Shot)

GIRL INTERRUPTED!

After joining the Superman Family and their heroic efforts in Metropolis, Kara thought she had found her place in the world. But there’s only room in town for one Supergirl, and Power Girl’s sudden reappearance has made her redundant. Her identity and role are both in question as she looks for answers. Will they lead her out of the city or out of this world?

Find out as critically acclaimed writer Mariko Tamaki (Supergirl: Being Super) returns to the Maid of Might with the help of Skylar Patridge (Wonder Woman)!

That grin on cover A, in anticipation of battle, belongs on Power Girl, Big Barda or Wonder Woman. Not Supergirl! I always liked Kara because she was the nice one. (Perversely, I always like Magik because she was not.)

RETURN OF SUPERMAN 30TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL #1 (One-Shot)

Story: Dan Jurgens, Louise Simonson, Jerry Ordway, Karl Kesel | Art: Travis Moore, Dan Jurgens, Brett Breeding, Jon Bogdanove, Butch Guice, Tom Grummett, Doug Hazlewood | Cover: Dan Jurgens | Variants: John Giang, Dave Wilkins, Francis Manapul, Ben Oliver, Brad Walker, Jon Bogdanove, Dan Jurgens ($10.99) | 80 pages | Prestige | $9.99 (all covers card stock)

Superman returns! After the tragic events of more than 30 years ago, when Superman met his end at the hands of Doomsday, Metropolis mourned the loss of their greatest hero and soon turned their attention to the search for his successor. Four Supermen rose to the challenge: Superboy, Steel, Eradicator, and Cyborg Superman. Each with their own strengths and weaknesses, they fought in honor of the original Man of Steel. Little did they know, his return was just around the corner!

To celebrate the Reign of the Supermen and Return of Superman, DC has brought back the original creative teams for new stories set in the wake of Superman’s death. It all begins with new Daily Planet editor-in-chief Lois Lane discovering Perry White’s journals from the time and the secrets he kept as he searched for who could be the next Superman. What could this discovery mean for our present? Find out in this special that’s sure to be a classic in the future!

I had so many disappointments with "Death of Superman." One of them was that I didn't find any of the Superman replacements interesting or likable, except for Steel. The less I saw of the other three, the better. Those covers below just bring up bad memories.
I guess this is a case of something being cool if you weren't there, because this storyline is legendary enough now to get its own 30th anniversary celebration. And I still don't like it.

IMAGE COMICS

BAD KARMA HC

Story: Alex De Campi | Art: Dee Cunniffe | Cover: Tony Stella | Mature | $29.99

The beloved Panel Syndicate webcomic Bad Karma — an action/comedy in the grand tradition of Die Hard and Lethal Weapon, by bestselling writer Alex de Campi (Dracula, Motherf**ker!, Parasocial) and artists Ryan Howe (True War Stories; Daisy Blackwood: Pilot for Hire) and Dee Cunniffe (Indigo Children, Star Wars, She-Hulk) — will be collected in its gigantic 312-page entirety and published in print, hardcover format for the first time this November from Image Comics.

After finding out Aaron Carter, an innocent man, is on Death Row for a mercenary job they did 10 years ago, down-on-their luck army veterans Sully and Ethan go on a Christmas road trip to free him. Turns out nobody’s interested in Aaron’s innocence, but someone is very interested in making sure Sully and Ethan don’t live to see the New Year. They just didn't figure on one thing: Ethan's ex-wife Cheryl.

“Bad Karma is my love letter to trashy military action-thrillers and buddy comedies," said De Campi. "But instead of the hypercompetent lone wolf hero with the dead family, we’ve got Ethan: divorced, discharged, disabled and still (with his best friend Sully and his ex-wife Cheryl) absolutely going to kick a dent into the military-industrial complex. Look, you just don’t mess with South Boston.”

Howe added: "Bad Karma is a treasure trove of storytelling for an artist. You've got explosions, car chases, helicopters, gun fights and knock-down brawls, but what's driving all that (literally at times, ha!) are two very broken friends, taking on a system that already chewed them up and spit them out in their prime, and it's not going to take it any easier on them now. Action is only as big as the quiet moments are small, and there are times you can hear a pin drop as Ethan and Sully work towards fixing the mistakes of their past."

"Trashy military action-thrillers" is a genre?
The girl top at left looks enough like Jessica Chastain that I'm guessing she was used for photo reference. The guy in the middle looks familiar, too, but I can't put my finger on it. John Boyega, maybe?

BLOOD COMMANDMENT #1 (of 4)

Story/Art: Szymon Kudrański | $3.99

Image Comics is pleased to announce an all-new horror story from the artist behind Spawn and Punisher, Szymon Kudrański. A four-issue horror miniseries from the creator of the breakout hit series Something Epic, Kudrański will bring readers a story about survival, sacrifice and hope this November from Image Comics.

Living an isolated life in a shadowed valley surrounded by mountains and a thick forest, a father and son are terrorized by a dangerous supernatural presence. Only the father's dark secrets can save them … or damn their souls for all eternity!

"It's a story about the relationship between a father and his growing up son, facing a danger that threatens their lives. Living far away from civilization in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by thick forests and mountains, they're trying to survive the attack of a vampire. In such an isolated place, you can't count on help from outside, it's either fight or ... run," said Kudrański. "I tried to return to the most classical rules of vampires and reinvent them a bit, where their origin lies in the bearing of a damned soul, instead of a 'monster' that just acts as a killing machine. Which removes the drama of the vampire character. Staying within the framework of faith and God, it deepens the tragedies of these characters. The first arc of Something Epic ends in November, the second arc starts in March. Blood Commandment is a great story for someone who is following and waiting for my solo work as a creator, writer and illustrator. I assure my readers that they will experience a lot of emotions while reading it!"

Being a single father can be tough, but for Ezra Connolly, it's a duty he doesn't take lightly. Living off-grid, away from prying eyes, in the heart of forest country, he spends his days teaching his teenage son Wil survival skills. But Wil has questions, questions Ezra fears to answer — about his past, and about why they never leave the valley before sundown…

"All my heroes growing up were writer/artists. It's the purest form of our medium. I now add Szymon to this list of greats. This is Exceptional." — Mark Millar, Kick-Ass, Wanted

"Blood Commandment is the type of storytelling I yearn for. The depth of a human story coupled with the genre-bending horror that keeps me up at night! I love this book!" — Rodney Barnes, Killadelphia, Star Wars: The Mandalorian

Always up for a good vampire story.
Here's a PREVIEW.

Video credit: Trailer directed by Szymon Kudranski, music by Zach Heyde.

GOOD COMICS FOR BAD PEOPLE: AN EXTRA FABULOUS COLLECTION HC

Story/Art: Zach M. Stafford | Skybound | 240 pages | 14.99

Today Skybound debuted a new look at the upcoming OGN Good Comics for Bad People: An Extra Fabulous Collection, which will be available everywhere books are sold November 2023. This release marks Zach M. Stafford’s graphic novel debut, and features all the laughter, absurdity and bodily fluids that have made his worldwide mega-hit webcomic so (in)famous!

This hardcover will not disappoint fans of Zach M. Stafford’s brazen humor as the collection features the best of Extra Fabulous, 24 book-exclusive comics, and an introduction written by webcomics superstar Sarah Andersen AKA Sarah’s Scribbles.

Good Comics for Bad People first launched as part of the hit “The Extra Fabulous Experience” Kickstarter campaign alongside the party game Boo-Ty Call in July 2022, securing worldwide media coverage and earning nearly $475,000. The “Extra Fabulous Experience” became a top five webcomics graphic novel campaign of all-time.

"It is with great strain and effort I have born this book for you to enjoy, and if it weren't for my wide hips and help from the great folks over at Skybound, this book would still be lodged deep inside my pelvis,” said Zach M. Stafford.

Some of these take too much work for me to figure out the funny. Maybe because I don't think being raunchy is a substitute for being funny. So, OK, this isn't for me. But Image sent enough previews that you can decide for yourself.

DARK HORSE COMICS

MONSTER SIZED HELLBOY HC is an oversize volume collecting the main Hellboy story (think Hellboy Omnibus Vols. 1-4).

THE HUNDREDTH VOICE is middle-school GN "in the vein of dark fantasy master Niel Gaiman.” "In the vein of" is not the same as "as good as."

CANARY #1 (of 3)

Story: Scott Snyder | Art/Cover: Dan Panosian | 56 pages | $4.99

Blending modern horror, historical fact and western lore, Dark Horse Comics, Scott Snyder (Barnstormers, Night of the Ghoul), and Dan Panosian (Alice Ever After, Black Tape) bring Canary to print in stunning oversized issues, featuring 56 pages! Written by Snyder, illustrated by Panosian and lettered by Richard Starkings and Comicraft’s Tyler Smith, Canary #1 will also feature variant covers by Panosian, Emma Rios (1:10 incentive variant), and Jill Thompson (1:25 incentive variant).

During the final days of the Gold Rush, one mining company in Colorado pulled up radioactive uranium — and then the mine collapsed in on itself. Legends sprang up about the mine being cursed or even haunted. Now, the Frontier is closed, the gold and silver mines have dried up, the country is becoming “civilized,” and yet, in one stretch of the Rocky Mountains, a terrifying, new kind of violence is suddenly emerging: random killings as people go mad and murder neighbors or classmates without real cause. When a schoolboy kills his teacher with a hatchet, a famous federal marshal named Azrael William Holt is called in to investigate the killings. What he and a brilliant young geologist uncover is stranger and more horrifying than anything they could have ever imagined.

“Canary blends Gothic Horror and the Western genre into a world never seen before,” said Panosian. “Scott created a unique take on this story and it demanded an equally unique take artistically. I wanted the look, the feel and the colors to take a reader to a place they haven’t been to before. A Western is familiar to most of us — but taking that style and twisting, ever so slightly, presents a certain unease that helps shape this experience. We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we have enjoyed creating it.”

Praise for Night of the Ghoul:

“Night of The Ghoul #1 is a superb opener to this horror series from two veteran creators. Clever writing and beautiful art add significant depth to this '50s B-horror movie inspired tale.” — Major Spoilers

“An impeccably crafted, genuinely unsettling horror tale packed with depth, twists and real narrative depth.” — Big Comic Page

“'Night of the Ghoul' is the perfect horror story that bridges the classic monster movies of the '30s and '40s with a modern sensibility of fandom gone too far. Some things are best left alone. Snyder and Francavilla have a blast scaring the pants off readers in this engrossing pulpy thriller that you won't be able to put down.” — Lotusland Comics

My preference for weird Westerns like this over ordinary ones is well-established. Welcome, Canary!

STRANGER THINGS: THE VOYAGE #1 (of 4)

Story: Michael Moreci | Art: Todor Hristov | Cover: Kyle Lambert | $3.99

Dark Horse Comics invites you all onto the open seas in Stranger Things: The Voyage, a new comic arc In the world of Netflix’s Stranger Things with brand new characters and a new setting. Writer Michael Moreci (Stranger Things: Kamchatka, Stranger Things Halloween Special) returns to the world of demogorgons and the Upside Down, with illustrator Todor Hristov (Stranger Things: Kamchatka), colorist Francesco Segala (Stranger Things: The Tomb of Ybwen), and letterer Nate Piekos (Stranger Things and Dungeons & Dragons). The first issue will feature a main cover by Marc Aspinall and variant covers by Stranger Things fan-favorite artist Kyle Lambert, Diego Galindo, and Todor Hristov.

Captain Jacoby is too broke to reject a shady deal from a group of Russians looking to get from Alaska back home on his freighter ship The Persephone, but things don’t go as planned. Storms, demogorgons, strange doctors and more all threaten the crew of The Persephone and their passage in this new series.

Praise for Stranger Things: Kamchatka:

“Michael Moreci spins a brilliant story here and makes clever use of all the characters.” — Ian Cullen, SciFiPulse

“Right out of the gate, Kamchatka has poised itself as being a captivating corner of the franchise that could both be its own narrative while also making the events of the TV show all the more enriching.” — Comicbook.com

“As a geek on a budget, I would highly recommend the first issue of Stranger Things: Kamchatka. It has that magical ability to transport us back in time and the reader is not required to be a die hard fan of the franchise to appreciate this series.” — Indie Comix Dispatch

“Writer Michael Moreci does a great job creating an exciting story in which the reader quickly becomes invested. No, it’s not the Stranger Things we’re used to — or likely why we bought the book in the first place. But it sits within the greater universe and is no less compelling.” — Comicon

The advantage comics have over TV: The kids in Stranger Things can stay in middle school forever.

TOMAHAWK ANGEL VOL 1 GN

Story/Art: Odysseas Theodoratos | $14.99

Tomahawk Angel is a story written and illustrated in a traditional manga format by award-winning creator Odysseas Theodoratos, aka Mangaka Ody (Subject Zero, After Darkness). In the year 2050, an 18-year-old amnesiac wakes up to a ruined world overrun by monsters. Guided by an artificial superintelligence, a ruthless scientist unleashes hell on Earth to preserve only a fraction of humankind. Love and war await as the mysteries of this corrupt new world unfold!

I love how some manga takes various concepts, legends and historical bits from around the world and throws them into a blender.

THE UNLIKELY STORY OF FELIX AND MACABBER

152 pages | $24.99

Dark Horse Books presents The Unlikely Story of Felix and Macabber, the first original graphic novel written by PanelxPanel editor and award-winning letterer, Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou. Juni Ba (Djeliya, Monkey Meat) joins as the artist and colorist with Otsmane-Elhaou lettering.

Felix is a shy little beast growing up in a world where monster wrestling is the biggest spectacle there is. Lonely and constantly bullied by the bigger monsters his age, Felix struggles to prove himself and find his place in the world. Their fate is changed forever when a dare lands them on the doorstep of one of the scariest monsters in the whole world — Macabber Tails, one of the most famous monstering champions in history.

Felix wants to be big, brave, strong and tough, just like Macabber, and so he decides to do whatever it takes to not be a scared little monster anymore. Their unlikely journey together sees Macabber confronting his past with journey’s to visit old friends, mentors, and rivals such as the colossal flame-wielding Kilnver — a monster able to spit out an army of knights spontaneously. They even return to his hometown for a final brutal confrontation with Amaret, the monster that made Macabber the champion he is now.

Together they face some battles for their life, but not always in ways that are physical and by the end, Felix and Macabber may learn a thing or two about being tough.

"With Felix and Macabber, Juni and I wanted to explore the idea of doing whatever it takes to become something great,” said Hassasn. “Who are the role models that people look up to? And how do the pressures on your own life change the way we understand those role models? Which all sounds quite serious, but it's also a great excuse to let Juni's imagination loose on these wonderful weird monster designs and big, bombastic fight sequences — which he's a master at. We're really excited about readers meeting our cast of monster-characters, from the big guy himself to his arch-nemesis, to the big dog that lives in a cave and creates knights-in-armor from his own saliva. Yep. You're going to love it."

The Unlikely Story of Felix and Macabber is perfect for fans of all ages and is similar to titles like The Ghoul Next Door and Young Hellboy or shows like Over the Garden Wall and Steven Universe.

I assume that by the end a Life Lesson will be learned.

INTERESTING

Comic-strip collector alert: ALLEY OOP BACK TO THE CAPTIVE PRINCE TP (Manuscript Press)

Terry Moore alert: TERRY MOORE: AFTER DARK ART BOOK SC (Abstract Studios)

MARVEL COMICS LIBRARY VOL 5: SILVER SURFER 1968-1970 HC is another oversize Taschen book, this one collecting Silver Surfer (first series) #1-18. Yes, I'm getting them all, why do you ask?

SAVAGE RED SONJA #1

Prepare yourself for the savagery that can only Red Sonja can deliver in this brand-new series that harkens back to the classic era of Robert E. Howard's original pulp tales of swords and sorcery!

Tasked with retrieving a long-hidden gem from a crumbled, ancient kingdom, the She-Devil With a Sword is traveling alone through a dangerous wasteland when fate intervenes, and her solo adventure is sidetracked by a wayward prince and his bride as they try desperately to escape from fearsome desert bandits - only to be attacked by a monstrous beast from beneath the sands!

Don't miss out on this fast-paced tale of mystery, suspense, and the supernatural - written by comics superstar DAN PANOSIAN and illustrated by ALESSIO PETILLO, with colors by FRANCESCO SEGALA!

Red Sonja is as timeless as Conan. Only, you know, also hot.

THE ATLAS COMICS LIBRARY NO. 1: ADVENTURES INTO TERROR VOL. 1

Story/Art: Gene Colan, Russ Heath, Basil Wolverton, Dr. Michael J. Vassallo, more | Fantagraphics | 180 pages | $34.99

Fantagraphics is pleased to announce the publication of Fantagraphics Presents the Marvel Atlas Comics Library, a series of hardcover volumes reprinting comics from Marvel’s 1950s Atlas Comics line in both facsimile editions of individual titles and compilations of a single artist.

Atlas holds a special place among aficionados of the genre, producing more horror titles and issues by far, than anyone in the industry. While the quality of EC's six horror/sci-fi titles was unsurpassed with their elite cadre of talent, Atlas was the equivalent of the B-movies studio, churning out anywhere from 8 to12 different horror titles a month, giving a wider array of artists, including some of the best craftsmen of the era, a chance to show off their talents: in addition to those already mentioned, future volumes will include Bill Everett, John Romita, Bernie Krigstein, Jerry Robinson, Harry Anderson, and Matt Fox. Stories from Marvel's Atlas line have barely been reprinted.

The Fantagraphics Atlas Comics Library is the first attempt to publish a carefully curated line of Atlas titles. Our first volume, Adventures Into Terror, includes a treasure trove of stories drawn by many of the most stylistically accomplished artists of the Golden Age, including George Tuska, Carl Burgos, Mike Sekowsky, Joe Maneely and Joe Sinnott. Highlights include Russ Heath's two-part story "The Brain" from issue #4 and "Return of the Brain" from issue #6; Basil Wolverton's classic "Where Monsters Dwell" from issue #7; Gene Colan's moody "House of Horror" in issue #3; and Don Rico's wild layouts are on display from #4's "The Torture Room." The stories are written firmly in the tradition of the pulpy, perverse, borderline deranged style that brought Fredric Wertham, the United States Senate Sub-Committee, and public opinion down like a sledgehammer on comics in the early '50s.

Edited by Atlas scholar Dr. Michael J. Vassallo, scanned directly from the published comics, and meticulously restored by Allan Harvey, the first volume of the new Fantagraphics Atlas Library series is an event among comics lovers, collectors, and historians.

“It is with great pleasure that I reintroduce modern audiences to this hidden gold and Marvel’s talented 1950s creators, many of whom would go on to fame in the silver age and beyond,” Vassallo said.

“One of Fantagraphics’ mandates has been to preserve cartooning throughout history, from newspaper strips like Popeye to EC Comics to Carl Barks’ Duck stories — and now, to the superb craftsmanship on display in the Atlas line,” declares Fantagraphics publisher Gary Groth.

“At Marvel, it’s essential for us to continue to honor our legacy of comic book storytelling and the creators behind it, and Fantagraphics has proven to be a leader with that same mission,” said Sven Larsen, Vice President of Licensed Publishing at Marvel. “The Fantagraphics Marvel Atlas Comics Library will shine a spotlight on an important era in our history, and we’re excited for today’s fans to get to see these historic genre comics for themselves.”

Oh, man, have I been waiting for this! I routinely read some of the worst '50s horror/suspense comics (in the PS Artbooks series), so believe me when I say a '50s reprint book featuring Joe Maneely, Bill Everett, George Tuska, etc., is going to be well received in this particular Comics Cave! Also, "Marvel" was an obvious hole in my burgeoning '50s reprint shelves that needed filling.
So when's DC going to get in on the act? They didn't have any real horror or crime — their "horror" and "crime" books were more Dell than EC — but I haven't read many of them, either. We finally got 1950s Phantom Stranger in the recent omnibus, and DC is reprinting the Joe Orlando-edited House of Mystery and House of Secrets, which is late 1960s on. But I'm still waiting for House of Mystery #1-173 and House of Secrets #1-80, Sensation Mystery (officially #110-116, but starting earlier), Mr. District Attorney, Big Town, etc.
Here's a PREVIEW.
Fantagraphics also offers A CHRISTMAS BESTIARY HC this week, collecting a lot of really creepy drawings. Here's a PREVIEW.
There's also ALL ONE LIFE TP from Fantagraphics, a bunch of 3D images celebrating tribal life from the Pacific Northwest to Tibet. Here's a PREVIEW.

MORE FIRST ISSUES & OGNS

ALMOST DEAD #1 (Ablaze) is a post-apocalyptic road-trip story starring a woman with "surpressed survival skills." Apparently the world before the apocalypse wasn't what they thought it was, either.

BAD KIDS PRESS PRESENTS: THE LUMBERJACK BRIDE #1 (Bad Kids Press) features the ghost of a scorned lumberjack left at the altar who chops off heads with an axe. Should be interesting imagery, anyway.

BAD MEDICINE GN (Emanata) features five horror stories based on Cree folklore. Actually, I'd love to learn a little Cree folklore.

BLOWTORCH: BAD ROADS #1 (Comicsburgh) is "the bare-knuckled, rough and tumble, gritty, bloody crime thriller you've been waiting for!" Well, it's about time! I've been waiting for ages! Oh wait, I haven't. But somebody must have been, 'cause they said so.

THE COMPLETE JONTAR TP

Story: Bill Miller | Art: Tony Lorenz, Dane Barrett | Power Comics | $29.99

Male stripper by night and street sanitation worker by even later-night, Jontar finds his mulleted and na ve existence is about to seriously change after the discovery of a disappearing elf in a trashcan. Originally published at the height of the indie black-and-white comic boom of the '80s, the Jontar series was self-published by creator Bill W. Miller. He enlisted five separate artists over the course of nine issues to realize his wildly warped and singular vision which includes disappearing camels, petrified elves, lizard lords, Christian punk cults, and even a gritty '90s-style reboot rebranding the franchise with era-appropriate anti-heroes. This complete edition contains nearly 300 pages of the full story, all-new creator interviews and never-before-released alternate issues by entirely different artists!

I didn't buy it then, and I'm not going to buy it now. But it does sort of make me nostalgic for a world long gone. In the '80s and early '90s, you found out about new indie publishers from word of mouth, or just stumbling across them at the comics shop. And there were a lot of them.

Five teens are sent to a horror/fantasy land by a sentient puppet and have to overcome obstacles to return in Mad Cave's CONFETTI REALMS GN. Some teen angst and coming of age will be involved, I imagine. Here's a PREVIEW.

"National Book Award winner Neal Shusterman presents a graphic novel exploring the Holocaust through surreal visions and a textured canvas of heroism and hope" in COURAGE TO DREAM GN (Graphix). There really can't be enough reminders that the Holocaust happened.

Humanity races to find out why everyone is aging prematurely, and how to fix it, in Red 5's DYING DAYS #1. And when they find out, I hope they pass on the secret. There is absolutely nothing fun about getting old.

FACELESS & THE FAMILY #1 (of 4)

Story/Art: Matt Lesniewski | Oni Press | 48 Pages | $7.99

From the magnificently distorted imagination of Eisner Award-nominated cartoonist Matt Lesniewski (MIND MGMT BOOTLEG, CRIMSON FLOWER, THE FREAK) comes a new milestone in comic book storytelling that must be seen to be believed: FACELESS & THE FAMILY #1 (of 4)!

Debuting with a double-sized, 48-page first issue in November, FACELESS (for short) is the latest and greatest masterwork from the New York-based cartoonist who first rose to prominence with his graphic novel debut, THE FREAK from Adhouse Books, earning a 2020 Eisner Award nomination in the process. Lesniewski's subsequent collaborations with New York Times best-selling writer Matt Kindt — including the acclaimed CRIMSON FLOWER and MIND MGMT BOOTLEG — earned him an even wider audience ... but FACELESS represents an even more monumental evolution in Lesniewski's considerable powers as a storyteller and cartoonist.

A heart-breaking saga of friendship, redemption and adventure on a harsh and unforgiving foreign world, each issue of FACELESS pulsates with Lesniewski's manically detailed, hyper-rendered line art — representing a new level of artistic accomplishment and virtuosity from one of the one of the industry's most celebrated new artistic talents.

“I’m really happy to have found the perfect publisher in Oni, who are going the extra mile to showcase Faceless in the best possible way,” said Matt Lesniewski. “This comic has taken me more time and effort than any of my previous ones, and I hope it shows. If you like super detailed art, black and white comics and just general weirdness, then this will be a treat!”

On the broken and warped world known as the Hand Planet, the wanderer simply called "Faceless" ekes out existence on the margins to escape the shame that cost him his name and his identity. Exiled for his crimes, Faceless now calls the wastelands his home — until the good fortune of fate delivers him a mismatched band of fellow travelers who will soon become family ... if they can survive a suicidal mission into the Hand Planet's class-segregated Finger Cities to restore what lies beneath Faceless' helmet and, with it, his hope in humanity.

"Matt Lesniewski is one of the one of the most talented cartoonists of his generation, and it is a true honor to bring FACELESS & THE FAMILY to Oni Press," said Oni Press President & Publisher Hunter Gorinson. "Each page of FACELESS is a breathtaking feat of visual originality, and we're taking great care to reproduce the painstakingly fine detail of Matt's pristine artwork without compromising its original, black-and-white form. Comics executed at this level are not common, and FACELESS is true must-have material for any serious fan, reader, or connoisseur of the comics medium."

Part epic fantasy adventure, part science-fiction odyssey, and an unparalleled expression of Lesniewski's extraordinary artistic vision, experience the unrestrained power of comic book storytelling at its most visionary in FACELESS AND THE FAMILY #1 — a double-sized, 48-page debut coming from Oni Press in November!

Oni is going to overship orders for this book by 50%, according to Bleeding Cool.

A HAUNTING ON MARS #1

Earth's most dangerous hacker is captured and forced on a suicide mission into a haunted house on Mars.

A hot-headed hacker is forced onto a team of corpo scum tasked with retrieving a dangerous piece of tech from a haunted house. She must survive double-crossing teammates and the bizarre mysterious horrors within.

Mission at the Mansion: High above the long-dead Mars colony, atop Olympus Mons, looms Emmeric Deschutes’ mansion. Inside shadows twist, ancient automated defenses cycle, corpses rot and a priceless technology lays dormant, waiting for the corporate Echo Team to retrieve it.

An Unstable Team: The Deschutes corporation has assembled a team of experts to retrieve the tech–Cass is an anti-corporate terrorist hacker, forced on the mission against her will. Fozli is a junkie empath with a sixth sense that suffers PTSD from corpo wars. Paz is one of the most powerful psionics that’s ever lived, but her powers make her unstable. Ryker is a company man, in it for the paycheck, but quickly growing disillusioned with the Deschutes Corporation. Lastly, Morgan is their mission leader who knows more than he lets on. Together they combat the horrors on Mars while battling to keep their sanity.

A Cruel MacGuffin: The Core is a bottled singularity; the matrix in a box. Digital immortality. Inside it are the ghosts of the people who once lived on Mars. The Deschutes corporation's secret plan is to retrieve the Core and place a price on afterlife. Little does the team know that the tech’s creator now resides inside the Core as a merciless, sadistic god a la I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream.

The Hacker’s Choice: After escaping the haunted mansion, the Hacker must return the tech to the corporation in exchange for her freedom back on Earth, or destroy it, dooming herself, but ending the suffering of her teammates, and other souls stuck inside the Core.

"Scout's been putting out some great books these last couple of years. To share shelf space with Pulp Bytes, By The Horns, Grit and Count Draco is a real honor." — Zach Chapman (writer/creator)

"Zach Chapman's comics are a true horror sicko's delight. Every panel is a celebration of horror at its most fun. Gnarly creatures, wacky science fiction nightmares, and the kind of characters who make you howl with laughter when they meet their gruesome demise. I dare you to read these comics without a big slobbering grin across your face." — Max Booth III, writer of "We Need to Do Something" on House of Blood, created by Zach Chapman

"Zach Chapman's clever writing balances between '70s Richard Matheson and EC's Al Feldstein, yet uncontrived, contemporary and grimly realized." — Edwin Callihan, Gravely Unusual Magazine

Graphic Mundi's I DONT WANT TO BE A MOM GN is a Mature-Readers, coming-of-age memoir about a young woman realizing she doesn't want to have children, and how other people react negatively to that. We didn't have kids, but I don't remember anybody giving us crap for it. OTOH, my experience clearly wasn't universal.

Mad Cave's MARIKO BETWEEN WORLDS GN is a sci-fi rom-com. Here's a PREVIEW. I have no beef with rom-com fans, but they're not for me.

SelfMadeHero's MIDDLE DISTANCE: A GRAPHIC MEMOIR is about the inner and outer experiences of the mind-body connection. I have no beef with this sort of thing, either, but it's not for me.

Uncivilized's PILL HILL GN is a graphic novel memoir about navgating single fatherhood after a divorce. Yawn.

RED LIGHT #1 (of 4)

A FUTURISTIC EROTIC THRILLER BEGINS! Get ready for a red-hot futuristic erotic thriller that sits at the intersection of sex and tech by exciting new writer Sarah H. Cho and artist Priscilla Petraites (CHARIOT, HIT ME).

Lacy is an A.I. sex worker in a futuristic Red Light District. And Lacy knows exactly what her clients want — better than they know it themselves. Housed in a high-tech brothel under the watchful eye of the mysterious Mister, Lacy has little in her manufactured life besides work. All that changes when she befriends Natalie, an orphaned child who comes into her care. Now Lacy and Natalie are on a mission to escape the Red Light District, only to find themselves flung headlong into the mystery behind Lacy's creation.

"Robot prostitutes" isn't a terribly original idea, given Westworld, et al. Nor robots becoming self-aware and wanting to meet their maker. As usual, execution will be the deciding factor.

SPACE BETWEEN #1 (BOOM, of 4) is series of sci-fi love stories. Here's a PREVIEW. It's another rom-com.

Antarctic's SPECTREMAN HEROES TP is a "salute to classic tokusatsu (Japanese SF live-action) series." Hopefully, Prof. Baron will give us some tokusatsu tips.

Holiday House's STORIES OF ISLANDS GN features three folk tales from Indonesia. Ooh, I bet that's interesting.

T PUB's THEORY VOL 1 TP is a Mature-Readers "story about an astroarchaeologist working to save our future, and a time traveler striving to fix our past." I think I speak for all genre fans when I say about trying time travel to the past to fix the present: "Oh, Bullwinkle, that trick never works."

Uncivilized's UNENDED GN is a graphic novel memoir about a young man trying to finish his father's unfinished autobiographical play in graphic novel form and all the emotions that evokes. Yawn.

UNNATURAL ORDER #1

Story: Chris Yost | Art: Val Rodrigues | Cover: Joshua Hixson | Vault Comics | $4.99

Vault Comics first teased art and details on a brand-new creator-owned series from Christopher Yost, co-creator of X-23, writer of hundreds of X-Men issues and films and shows like Thor: Ragnarok and The Mandalorian at this year’s ComicsPRO annual meeting to unanimous applause. Today, the publisher reveals official details on the celebrated writer’s return to comic books with Val Rodrigues, who launced his career at Vault with Deep Roots, to weave together Dark Fantasy and action-packed SciFi in Unnatural Order!

Christopher Yost says “Unnatural Order has lived inside my head for a long time, it’s an insane mix of fantasy, sci-fi and dark humor that I can’t imagine coming to life with anyone other than Val Rodrigues and anywhere else than Vault.”

After the fall of the Britons and the Roman invasion of Hibernia, the captive known only as the Druid is released, sending a darkness across the world … an age of horrors, of fire and entrails. As the innocent burn in the Wicker fields, those who would resist learn of the existence of a man who even the Druid fears. For it is this prisoner, a soldier from a different time, who alone knows the Druid’s secret: this is not how the world is supposed to be.

“Unnatural Order is a blend of sci-fi and fantasy that expands the limits of realities with a creative team that is a joy to be a part of” adds artist Val Rodrigues.

Vault editor-in-chief Adrian Wassel adds “Without Chris Yost co-creating X-23 and co-writing X-Force, I’m not sure the younger version of me would have fallen in love with comics enough to become an editor. I guess that’s the long way of saying Vault wouldn’t exist without Yost. Yost has been a defining voice in comics since the 2000s, and he’s gone on to write Thor: Ragnarok and episodes of The Mandalorian and Star Wars: Rebels. Suffice to say, I’m working with one of my heroes. This is Yost’s return to comics and his first big creator-owned series. It’s everything he does best and more: a motley crew (that you love to hate and hate to love), gritty and wild action sequences, side-splitting one-liners, and complicated characters making their way through a dark fantasy world injected with the coolest imaginable sci-fi twist. Plus, all of this is being brought to life by Val Rodrigues, who is an absolute phenom; I’m beyond thrilled to be in the trenches with Val again. Whoever said not to work with your heroes was dead wrong — or, you know, they needed better heroes."

Vault made this book free to retailers, with a $4.99 price for consumers. So it's a windfall for retailers, depending on how many they sell. Orders were at 137,000 at cutoff, according to Vault.
Here's a PREVIEW.

Mad Cave's WHISPER OF THE WOODS GN tells the story of a guy searching for a missing friend in a haunted Romanian forest. What could possibly go wrong? Here's a PREVIEW.

WHY IS EVERYBODY YELLING? GROWING UP IN MY IMMIGRANT FAMILY GN is a coming-of-age memoir of a cartoonist in the 1950s. Wait, the '50s? The artist must be in her 70s!

MORE PREVIEWS

ALICE COOPER #2 (of 5)

MARVEL STUDIOS 'BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER' MOVIE SPECIAL HC

HEAT SEEKER: A GUN HONEY SERIES #4

WORLD OF BETTY AND VERONICA JUMBO COMICS DIGEST #30

Replies

The Baron October 28, 2023 at 4:02pm

Antarctic's SPECTREMAN HEROES TP is a "salute to classic tokusatsu (Japanese SF live-action) series." Hopefully, Prof. Baron will give us some tokusatsu tips.

Never seen any Spectreman. I've read that it's a mistranslation, and should have been called "Spectrum Man". Spectreman's archenemies, Dr. Gori and Rah, were the antagonists in Cromartie High - The Movie.
Captain Comics October 28, 2023 at 5:00pm

I knew I could count on you!
Jeff of Earth-J October 28, 2023 at 8:48pm

Given all the variant covers, this must be the most important Marvel title this week!

Either that or the most boring.

Do I need to mention the Amazing Spider-Man #1 homage?

Nah.

I had so many disappointments with "Death of Superman."

That year for Christmas my sister gave me a Fossil "Death of Superman" tie-in watch. It had all four shields on it, at 12, 3, 6 and 9. She and my brother-in-law both thought it was so cool! (They didn't have a clue, and I didn't bother explaining the significance of the four shields to them.)

THE ATLAS COMICS LIBRARY NO. 1: ADVENTURES INTO TERROR VOL. 1

This was supposed to have shipped last month, but I pre-ordered it so it will be waiting for me on Wednesday. (I'm as pumped about it as you are.)

Comic-strip collector alert: ALLEY OOP BACK TO THE CAPTIVE PRINCE TP (Manuscript Press)

Scroll down HERE for the complete list of releases through 2024.

Alley Oop books
Richard Willis October 29, 2023 at 2:55am

Oni is going to overship orders for this book by 50%, according to Bleeding Cool.

This is a smart choice for the company. Many (most) comic shops will only order exactly what their pull-customers request for lesser known titles. This way something will be on the shelf to add to the readership.

Oni Announces Overship for Faceless & The Family

Oni Press is also prepping the release of Matt Lesniewski's Faceless and the Family with word that it will "overship" retailers 50% extra
Captain Comics October 31, 2023 at 3:36pm

This is a smart choice for the company.

Evidently this is the second time they've done this. I don't remember the fist title where they did it, but it must have worked.

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