DARK
BALTIMORE VOLUME 6: THE CULT OF THE RED KING (HC)
Writer/Cover: MIKE MIGNOLA
Writer: CHRISTOPHER GOLDEN
Art: PETER BERGTING
Colors: DAVE STEWART
FC, 144 pages, $24.99, HC, 7” x 10”
Continuing his quest to destroy the Red King, Lord Baltimore heads to the icy Baltic Sea and northern Russia, but he finds witchcraft in the streets of St. Petersburg and evil in its shadows. With new allies and fearsome new enemies, Baltimore continues his battle to save the world from the Red King. But as his path grows darker, he may not only lose his way but those closest to him as well. Collects Baltimore: The Cult of the Red King #1–#5.
If you enjoy Hellboy and haven't tried Baltimore yet, you should. Baltimore is set in a different timeline, where the carnage of World War I woke up blood-lusting creatures like vampires. The creatures of the night made themselves at home in a war-weakened world, so technology and society more or less froze at the early 20th century level. Baltimore is a slightly more-than-human protagonist in search of the high-ranking vampire who wiped out his family, traveling from dangerous spot to dangerous spot in search of him, ridding the earth of bad things in the process. It's not Hellboy, but it has the same sensibility and often the same artists.
BARB WIRE #7
Writer: CHRIS WARNER
Pencils: PATRICK OLLIFFE
Inks: TOM NGUYEN
Cover: WES DZIOBA
Cover: ADAM HUGHES
FC, 32 pages, $3.99, Ongoing
Shady federal agents have tasked bounty hunter Barb Wire with tracking down and delivering her former associate Avram Roman, or she’ll face dire consequences. With little choice but compliance, Barb learns that her former ally is not the man she remembers ... if indeed he is a man at all!
“Barb Wire is bold and fast-paced.”—Comic Book Resources
“Not a series you should sleep on.”—Geeked Out Nation
I get the joke here, in that the planter and post-shower accoutrements are meant to give a feminine vibe, but Barb's position and activity is very masculine. But what's weird is that the way Barb's hips are drawn and the way her weight is held is also masculine, making her look pretty manly. It's as if she has male hip bones and her breasts are weightless. This is a first -- an Adam Hughes cover where (IMO) he gets female anatomy wrong.
GIRL CRAZY (HC)
Writer/Art/Cover: GILBERT HERNANDEZ
B&W, 88 pages, $17.99, HC, 6” x 9”
Finally back in print!
Kitten, Maribel and Gaby are childhood friends celebrating their sixteenth birthday. But someone’s missing—their fourth friend, Una, is imprisoned in Tijuana. So the girls set out to give Una the ultimate birthday gift—freedom—even if it means taking on an entire city!
• From Love and Rockets co-creator Gilbert Hernandez!
• Features a cover gallery with art by Gilbert Hernandez and Dave Stevens, Jaime Hernandez, and Chris “Coop” Cooper!
I've said before that my interest in the Hernandez Bros. ends with Jaime. But a lot of folks are fans of Gilbert, so here ya go. I'd like to note that, again, the glowing figure in the back has very masculine arms. Cover her face, and that's a drawing of a man.
LONE WOLF 2100 #1 (of 4)
Writer: ERIC HEISSERER
Art/Cover: MIGUEL SEPULVEDA
Colors: JAVIER MENA
FC, 32 pages, $3.99, Miniseries
AD 2100: A devastating manmade plague is turning the human race into cannibalistic monsters known as the Thrall. But there is hope: young Daisy Ogami’s blood holds the secret to a cure—if Itto, her android protector, can get her to a place where it can be extracted!
Screenwriter Eric Heisserer retools Lone Wolf 2100!
The last real man on Earth may be an android!
I read the original 12-issue maxiseries in 2002 (this is a sequel) and was mildly disappointed. It might have impressed me more if it didn't borrow a name from one of the most beloved stories in comics, which sets the bar -- and readers' expectations -- too high.
DC COMICS
ADULT COLORING BOOK VARIANTS
Yep, just as the title above indicates, DC's variant covers this month are BYOC -- bring your own crayons. This week's offerings are Action #48, Detective #48, Green Arrow #48 and Green Lantern #48.
SWAMP THING #1 (of 6)
Written by LEN WEIN
Art and cover by KELLEY JONES
1:25 Variant cover by YANICK PAQUETTE
32 pg, FC, 1 of 6, $2.99 US • RATED T
Swamp Thing returns in an all-new series written by his co-creator, legendary writer Len Wein! Swamp Thing has received an ominous warning, and now he finds himself under attack from the forces of dark magic. These are more than just your average monsters—and there’s something much worse looming on the horizon for Alec Holland!
This is an idea that should have happened already: Kelley Jones is a natural to draw Swampy and his world. It looks pretty good.
IDW PUBLISHING
STAR TREK NEW VISIONS: MISTER CHEKOV
Writer, Photo-manipulation: JOHN BYRNE
FC • 48 pages • $7.99
You met him as the navigator on the Bridge, but what roles did Pavel Chekov play aboard the ENTERPRISE before his promotion to the starboard seat? Find out as we go below decks for "Ensign Chekov," heading your way in January, 2016.
It never occurred to me that Chekov got promoted to the bridge crew. I always assumed he transferred to the Enterprise ... from a Beatles concert.
IMAGE COMICS
THE FADE OUT #12 (OF 12)
Writer: ED BRUBAKER
Art/Cover: SEAN PHILLIPS & ELIZABETH BREITWEISER
40 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99
SERIES CONCLUSION
It all ends here! The dramatic wrap-up to the mystery and to Brubaker and Phillips' bestselling and most ambitious project yet!
At last, the final issue. Now I'll find out if my guess about the killer from about six months ago is right.
FOUR EYES: HEARTS OF FIRE #1 (OF 4)
Writer: JOE KELLY
Art/Cover: MAX FIUMARA
32 PAGES / FC / T+ / $2.99
Writer Joe Kelly (I KILL GIANTS, BAD DOG) and artist Max Fiumara will launch a new story arc in their genre-splicing series FOUR EYES from Man of Action this January.
Previously in FOUR EYES, readers met Enrico, a young boy in an alternate 1930s New York. The untimely passing of his father left him the man of the house, a duty he took quite seriously—seriously enough to step into his father’s shoes as a dragon hunter. But though he tried to be a killer, he ended up bringing home a baby dragon.
In FOUR EYES: HEARTS OF FIRE #1, the training begins.
“Now that we've set up the players, Max and I really get to dive into the universe and the characters,” said Kelly. “In the first story arc, we fell in love with Enrico and the gothic world he's inhabiting. In Hearts of Fire, we start to see just what effect this world of underground fighting, gangsters, and monsters has on a young boy. This is the beginning of a dark ride for Enrico, Four Eyes and Fawkes ... my favorite kind.”
“The world of dragon fighting will be central, and it’s going to hit Enrico really hard,” added Fiumara. “I can't wait to see readers’ hearts broken again!”
I didn't read the first miniseries. Did any Legionnaires read it, and what did you think?
SOUTHERN CROSS VOL. 1 (TPB)
Writer/Cover: BECKY CLOONAN
Art: ANDY BELANGER & LEE LOUGHRIDGE
160 PAGES / FC / M / $9.99
SPECIAL LOW INTRODUCTORY PRICE OF $9.99!
Now boarding: Southern Cross, tanker flight 73 to Titan. Alex Braith is tracing her sister's steps to the refinery moon, hoping to collect her remains and find some answers. The questions keep coming though—and they lead her down a path of intrigue, betrayal and galactic horror.
Collects SOUTHERN CROSS #1-5.
I've read three of these issues, and it was interesting with decent art. I don't know if I can give it a full-throated endorsement, but it's not bad.
STARVE, VOL. 1 (TPB)
Writer: BRIAN WOOD
Art: DANIJEL ZEZELJ & DAVE STEWART
120 PAGES / FC / M / $9.99
SPECIAL LOW INTRODUCTORY PRICE OF $9.99!
Once the world's most famous chef, Gavin Cruikshank's been in a self-imposed exile for years. His little foodie television program has since evolved into STARVE, an arena sport that pits chef against chef for the pleasure of their super-rich patrons. It's a stain on a once-noble profession, and Chef Gavin is ready to go to war to stop it. Two things stand in his way: his arch rival Roman Algiers, and his adult daughter Angie, who probably just wants her dad back and acting normal.
Collects STARVE #1-5.
Yes, it's a book about celebrity chefs, and yes, you know my opinion about that genre. I love the art of Daniel Zezelj, and that was enough to carry me through to about the middle of the third issue of this depressing story set in a dystopic future and featuring a repugnant protagonist. Even Zezelj couldn't drag me any farther than that.
MARVEL COMICS
A-FORCE #1
Written by G. WILLOW WILSON
Art by JORGE MOLINA
Cover by VICTOR IBANEZ
Cosplay Variant by JAY JUSTICE
Hip-Hop Variant by ADAM HUGHES
Variant by VICTOR IBANEZ
Marvel '92 Variant by J. SCOTT CAMPBELL
32 PGS / Rated T+ / $3.99
Marvel’s mightiest are back! The title that brought together the female powerhouses of the Marvel Universe has returned in an all-new series! She-Hulk, Medusa, Captain Marvel, Dazzler, and Nico Minoru are joined by the newest addition to Marvel’s pantheon of Super Heroes – Singularity. Coming this fall from award winning writer, G. Willow Wilson (Ms. Marvel, X-Men), and artist Jorge Molina (All-New X-Men, Thor), the premier female leads of the Marvel Universe must team up to tackle a mysterious new villain that not only threatens the lives of everyone A-Force holds dear, but also the very fabric of reality.
So who is the mysterious Singularity? Where is she from? And how will she pull our band of heroes together? “Readers first became acquainted with Singularity during our blockbuster summer event SECRET WARS,” says series editor Daniel Ketchum. “At the conclusion of SECRET WARS, Singularity will arrive in the new Marvel Universe. And when she discovers that its fate is hanging in the balance, she will summon A-Force to her side to battle a threat the likes of which they’ve never seen.”
With the world in danger, the call is made – A-FORCE ASSEMBLE! Marvel’s most powerful women are ready to take the world by storm and no one is more excited to present the new A-Force team than series writer G. Willow Wilson. “Given the tremendous fan response to the A-FORCE SECRET WARS series, I'm very excited to bring this wonderful cast of characters home to the new Marvel Universe. She-Hulk, Dazzler, Nico, Medusa and an exciting lineup of guest stars will take on a threat unlike anything they've ever faced before.”
The next chapter of A-Force is about to begin and you won’t want to miss the debut of Marvel’s latest series featuring the Emerald Empress - She-Hulk, Earth’s Mightiest Hero - Captain Marvel, Queen of the Inhumans - Medusa, the mutant queen of disco – Dazzler, Nico Minoru, a.k.a. Sister Grimm, and the enigmatic Singularity! A-Force #1 assembles in your local comic shops this fall.
Is there an in-story reason why this team is all female? I don't mind an all-female team -- rather like it, in fact -- but I'm just curious what these women tell their male counterparts who might want to tag along.
COLOR YOUR OWN DEADPOOL
There's a ton of Deadpool out this week, with more in the pipeline. You'd think he had a movie coming up, or something. Here's the current crop:
Penciled by ED McGUINNESS, TONY MOORE & MORE!
Cover by ED McGUINNESS
120 PGS / Parental Advisory / $9.99
Deadpool is many things. Mercenary. X-Man. Soon-to-be-Uncanny Avenger (we’re not kidding). But next February, he’s breaking new ground. Taking the world by storm in a whole new way. That’s right – adult coloring books! Deadpool’s got guns, he’s got grenades, he’s got swords. But this January, he needs YOU! Because the Merc with a Mouth is the Merc Without Color – and he needs your help to fill in the lines with the COLOR YOUR OWN DEADPOOL adult coloring book.
Called therapeutic and stress relieving by the New Yorker, Adult Coloring Books are the perfect way to unwind after a long day. And what could be more stress relieving than sitting down for a night of coloring with Deadpool? We can't think of anything! Jam packed with 120 pages of Deadpool goodness, fans of all ages can be part of the creative process as they bring to life artwork from some of Marvel’s biggest artists! Now is your chance to color inside the lines – or not! What color will you make Deadpool? Red is so last season, after all.
So dig out those crayons, markers and colored pencils, True Believer. But don’t forget your imagination – you’re going to need it! Channel your creative energies, unwind after a hard day’s work, and spend some quality time with the Merc with a Mouth! Look for COLOR YOUR OWN DEADPOOL on sale this January!
Plus – don’t miss the first entry in Marvel’s exciting upcoming adult coloring book line when the AGE OF ULTRON COLORING BOOK is released this October!
DEADPOOL CLASSIC OMNIBUS VOL. 1 (HC)
Written by CHRISTOPHER PRIEST, GLENN HERDLING, JIMMY PALMIOTTI, BUDDY SCALERA, FRANK TIERI, GAIL SIMONE, EVAN DORKIN & DANIEL WAY
Penciled by PACO DIAZ, ANDY SMITH, JIM CALAFIORE, PAUL CHADWICK, MICHAEL LOPEZ,
DARICK ROBERTSON, ANTHONY WILLIAMS, GEORGES JEANTY, KARL KERSCHL, UDON STUDIOS, SAL VELLUTO,
MITCH BREITWEISER, JUAN BOBILLO, KYLE HOTZ, EVAN DORKIN & MORE
Cover by ARTHUR ADAMS
1304 PGS / Rated T+ / $125
Trim size: oversized
It’s a heaping helping of the Merc with a Mouth, chock-full of the craziness that helped form a cult following! Deadpool crosses Loki, joins the Frightful Four, rubs shoulders with Black Panther, and goes into space — but who’ll throttle him first: his new roommates, his crazy ex Copycat, or his new sidekick Pool Boy? Deadpool takes on the mob, battles the Punisher, rejoins Weapon X, faces his nemesis T-Ray…and dies — twice! And as if four pretenders ushering in a Reign of the Deadpools isn’t enough, who the heck is Agent X and what’s his title-stealing deal? Is he Deadpool or ain’t he? Taskmaster and Outlaw join the fun…and so should you! Guest-starring Thor, Siryn and Fight-Man! Collecting DEADPOOL (1997) #34-69, BLACK PANTHER (1998) #23, AGENT X #1-15, FIGHT-MAN #1 and material from X-MEN UNLIMITED (1993) #28.
Think this is a sort-of homage? At least the central figure looks like it was lifted from Captain America #1 (1968, top left). What do you think?
DEADPOOL’S SECRET SECRET WARS (TPB)
Written by CULLEN BUNN & JIM SHOOTER
Penciled by MATTEO LOLLI, JACOPO CAMAGNI & MIKE ZECK
Cover by TONY HARRIS
112 PGS / Parental Advisory / $15.99
Official SECRET WARS tie-in! Well, not that SECRET WARS — we’re talking the original epic from 1984! But wait, Deadpool wasn’t in that series, right? Wrong! Prepare to learn the terrifying truth as the team behind DEADPOOL KILLUSTRATED reveals the crucial role the Merc with a Mouth played on the Beyonder’s Battleworld! A role so secret, the rest of Marvel’s super heroes don’t even remember it! Now, relive the Secret Wars — from Doctor Doom’s rise to power to Hulk holding up a mountain — all with added Deadpool! Amid the chaos, there comes … and goes … a costume — but Wade’s awesome secret shield is totally for keeps! Prepare to discover how the original SECRET WARS really ended — and how the sassin’ assassin saved the universe! Collecting DEADPOOL’S SECRET SECRET WARS #1-4 and MARVEL SUPER HEROES SECRET WARS #1.
TRUE BELIEVERS
DEADPOOL #1
Reprinting NEW MUTANTS #98.
32 PGS./Rated T …$1.00
DEADPOOL ORIGINS #1
Reprinting WOLVERINE ORIGINS #25.
32 PGS./Parental Advisory …$1.00
DOCTOR STRANGE #4
Writer: JASON AARON
Art: CHRIS BACHALO
Cover by KEVIN NOWLAN
DEADPOOL VARIANT COVER BY TBA
32 PGS / Rated T+ / $3.99
• Doctor Strange has gathered a circle of magic-using friends to try and best monitor magic in the Marvel Universe.
• But this tactic is too late as forces are destroying all magical objects and beings in the multiverse and they are turning their sights on our dimension.
• At least Strange won’t have to die alone …
As I've mentioned before, I like that Strange has friends and a peer group, of a sort. I wouldn't mind seeing some of these character in more than cameo, and this cover and storyline promises just that.
OBI-WAN AND ANAKIN #1 (of 5)
Writer:CHARLES SOULE
Art/Cover: MARCO CHECCHETTO
Action Figure Variant by JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
Young Variant by SKOTTIE YOUNG
Variant by TBA
Classic Variant byTBA
Blank Variant available
Movie Variant available
32 PGS / Rated T / $3.99
Before their military heroism in the Clone Wars, before their tragic battle on Mustafar, and many decades before their final confrontation on the Death Star...they were Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and his Padawan learner, Anakin Skywalker. It's been a few years since Obi-Wan pledged to train the young "chosen one," but even as they have grown closer through training, it has been a difficult road. Now, called to a remote planet for assistance, Master and Padawan may be pushed to the breaking point. Writer Charles Soule (Lando, She-Hulk, Daredevil) and artist Marco Checchetto (Star Wars: Shattered Empire, Avengers World, Punisher) bring us a tale of the Jedi at the height of their power.
I ran this last week because Diamond said it was shipping. Now Diamond says it's shipping this week instead. OK, I'm easy.
ROCKET RACCOON & GROOT #1
Written by SKOTTIE YOUNG
Art by FELIPE ANDRADE
Cover by SKOTTIE YOUNG
Variant Cover by SUPERLOG
Hip-Hop Variant by KHARY RANDOLPH
Action Figure Variant by JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
Deadpool Variant by TODD NAUCK
Cosplay Variant by HURLEY FX
32 PGS / Rated T / $3.99
ROCKET RACCOON BREAKS BAD!
There’s a new criminal mastermind in the galaxy, and it’s … ROCKET RACCOON?! But just how did Rocket become the galaxy’s most wanted criminal? How did this happen? SERIOUSLY, HOW DID THIS HAPPEN, YOU GUYS??? Groot knows, but he’s not talking! Well, he is talking, but all he’s saying is … oh, you know. Diabolical danger, madcap mysteries and astonishing adventure abound as SKOTTIE YOUNG (Rocket Raccoon) and FILIPE ANDRADE (Figment, Siege) return to tell tall tail tales of Rocket Raccoon, now with the adorable, arboreal Groot along for the ride! If you love adventure, animals, outer space and just about anything in between, this is the book for you!
This is another book that Diamond said was shipping last week, and has apparently been bumped to this week. I think that means there were no #1s from Marvel on Dec. 30!
SILVER SURFER VOL. 3: LAST DAYS (TPB)
Written by DAN SLOTT
Penciled by MICHAEL ALLRED
Cover by MICHAEL ALLRED
120 PGS / Rated T+ / $17.99
Time ran out, and the Marvel Universe died. From the edge of Battleworld to the outskirts of infinity, every planet and star was expunged. Every life force extinguished. There are no survivors — except the Surfer, Dawn, and Toomie. How did they cheat death? And more important, can they figure out a way to bring everything back? Given unheralded new power, the Surfer is tasked with remaking the entire universe! From the laws of physics to the origins of life itself, what strange new cosmos will Norrin Radd will into being? Meanwhile, Dawn has a far less intimidating task: All she has to rebuild is Earth! This may be the Silver Surfer’s last days, but it might also be the first day of an All-New Marvel Universe! Plus: a Moebius twist on a sci-fi classic! Collecting SILVER SURFER (2014) #11-15.
This book has always suffered long delays, as evidenced by this collection, which brings together the last stories before Secret Wars.
SPIDER-MAN/DEADPOOL #1
Written by JOE KELLY
Art & Cover by ED MCGUINNESS
Variant Cover by MIKE DEL MUNDO
Action Figure Variant by JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
Hip-Hop Variant by DAVE JOHNSON
Action Figure Photo Variant Also Available
Deadpool Variant by WILL SLINEY
40 PGS / Rated T+ / $3.99
BECAUSE YOU DEMANDED IT!
Yes, you heard right, True Believer! Two great heroes that hero great together! Later this year, the two most popular characters in the world are together for their very own ongoing series! That’s right – SPIDER-MAN/DEADPOOL #1 is coming your way, chock-full of wall-crawling, wisecracking and bad-guy punching! Blockbuster creators and the legendary Deadpool creative team of Joe Kelly & Ed McGuinness reunite once more to chronicle the ongoing adventures of Peter Parker and Wade Wilson!
But what to call this terrible twosome? The Merc-y Neighborhood Deadpool? The Spider with a Mouth? They’ll figure it out eventually. Deadpool LOVES Spider-Man. Spider-Man hates Deadpool. Sounds like a perfect match! So what on Earth could be enough bring these two together for a titanic team-up in the merry Marvel manner?
“I will say that there is an assassination involved, a case of misplaced trust and their names are on the book so they sort of have to show up,” says writer Joe Kelly speaking with Marvel.com on what unites the two.
“Seriously, I’m having a blast writing the banter,” Kelly continued, “It’s your favorite buddy-cop movie on steroids if it was written by a swill-minded teenager.”
Read THE VISION #1 Full Issue in January’s SPIDER-MAN/DEADPOOL #1!
The Marvel Universe’s most unlikely duo is about to become a trio! That’s right, today Marvel is pleased to announce that next month’s highly anticipated SPIDER-MAN/DEADPOOL #1 will now also contain the full issue of the critically acclaimed THE VISION #1 – at no extra cost! Missed out on the title that has the entire comic industry buzzing? Now is your chance to jump on board one of the hottest new series!
“The Vision #1 is a title that perfectly encapsulates the All-New, All-Different Marvel initiative,” says Marvel SVP Sales & Marketing David Gabriel. “It’s a riveting reinterpretation of a character that has existed for decades and Tom [King], Gabriel [Hernandez Walta] and Jordie [Bellaire] truly hit a home run. We’re hoping that by including it in a huge release like SPIDER-MAN/DEADPOOL we can get this fantastic first issue in front of a larger audience.”
Here’s what some of the critics have to say about THE VISION #1:
“…a strangely chilling, page-turner of a comic. And it is fantastic.” – io9.com
“The Vision #1 is as pitch-perfect a first issue as I’ve ever read.” – Newsarama
“… this is as compelling as comics can get.” – Adventures in Poor Taste
I'm curious to see how they can keep Spider-Man around form more than one issue. I mean, he really doesn't like Deadpool!
UNCANNY X-MEN #1
Written by CULLEN BUNN
Art & Cover by GREG LAND
Hip-Hop Variant by GREG LAND
Variant Cover by KEN LASHLEY
32 PGS. / Rated T+ / $3.99
Ruthless killers. Relentless villains. X-Men?! Today, Marvel is pleased to present your new look inside the highly anticipated UNCANNY X-MEN #1 – the new ongoing series from blockbuster creators Cullen Bunn and Greg Land! Eight months have passed since the end of Secret Wars, and the X-Men find themselves in a world that hates and fears them more than ever. Refusing to accept one more mutant death, Magneto has gathered together the deadliest team of mutants ever assembled for one goal – to proactively eliminate any and all threats to their species. They’re not afraid to get blood on their hands. And if you see them coming, you should run the other way. But with a team full of villains, killers and all-around baddies – can they stop from killing each other long enough to take out their enemies? Find out this January in the bombastic debut of UNCANNY X-MEN #1!
So the title that launched the X-Men in 1964* is now populated entirely by villains. Quelle surprise.
* Yes, I'm aware that the original book was formally The X-Men until issue #142, when it was changed in the indicia to Uncanny X-Men. But it was informally "Uncanny" going back to when Stan first started calling them that in 1960s.
OTHER PUBLISHERS
ARCHIE #5
Script: MARK WAID
Art: VERONICA FISH, ANDRE SZYMANOWICZ, JACK MORELLI
Archie #5 CVR A Reg Cover: VERONICA FISH
Archie #5 CVR B Variant: THOMAS PITILLI
Archie #5 CVR C Variant: DAVID WILLIAMS
32-page, full color comic, $3.99 U.S.
The biggest comic series of the year presses on! Betty and Jughead have declared war on Veronica over the heart and soul of Archie Andrews! Who should you be rooting for? You might just be surprised by the answer! Rising star comics artist Veronica Fish (Pirates of Mars, the RIVERDALE CW promo image) joins the legendary Mark Waid on creative duties for this brand new issue!
Last issue Waid gave us "the Lipstick Incident," and it made perfect sense -- with the added bonus that it could leave a long-term wedge between Archie and Betty that isn't insurmountable but probably will be as long as Veronica presents an alternative. So he's done it: Waid has laid the foundation for the famous love triangle that has legs and doesn't make anyone look bad. Nice work.
BLOODTHIRSTY #4
Publisher: TITAN COMICS
Writer: MARK LANDRY
Art: RICHARD PACE
Cover: ASHLEY WITTER
Subscription Variant: JOEL CARPENTER
Mature/$3.99
While New Orleans' privileged prepare to party, the city's disenfranchised batten down for the storm of the century. But with Rosa already on the horizon, can Virgil stop the horror headed for his town before she hits?
The cover on the left is two-fer homage: It references both Saturday Evening Post covers and The Pieta.
INTERCEPTOR #1
Publisher: HEAVY METAL MAGAZINE
Writer: DONNY CATES
Art/Cover: DYLAN BURNETT
Subscription Variant: DYLAN BURNETT
Mature / $3.99
Interceptor tells the tale of Poli and Weep, two freedom fighters on a planet populated exclusively by blood-sucking vampires. A planet called Earth. From Donny Cates (Buzzkill, Ghost Fleet and The Paybacks) and Dylan Burnett comes a neon-drenched, blood-soaked vision of vampires like you've never seen before! (I.E. sweet mech suits and laser swords and stuff!) Variant cover by Daniel Warren Johnson (Ghost Fleet) #SpaceSucks!
I feel obliged to give a heads up about first issues, but I don't know anything about this one.
LAST CONTRACT #1
Publisher: BOOM! STUDIOS
Writer: ED BRISSON
Art/Cover: LISANDRO ESTHERREN
$3.99
What's to Love: Last year, John Wick reminded everyone why hitmen make for awesome stories. Of course, we've known that for years as evidenced by The Killer and Hit. Ed Brisson's (Cluster, Sheltered) take on a retired hitman who finds himself as the target is a well-paced thriller that kept us guessing until the end, and newcomer Lisandro Estherren's (Tall Tales from the Badlands) noirish art perfectly sets the mood.
What It Is: A retired hitman, known only as "The Man," is forced back into the game when a list of his kills is leaked by a mysterious Broker. The list makes targets out of anyone associated with one of the The Man's previous jobs, not to mention The Man himself. As he fights to protect those the list exposes, The Man sets off to uncover the identity of the Broker so he can move on with his new life once and for all. But will the truth ruin those chances forever?
Here's another mysterious entry into the first-issue sweepstakes, but at least it comes with a preview to help you make up your mind.
LEONARD STARR'S MARY PERKINS ON STAGE VOL 14 (TPB)
Publisher: CLASSIC COMICS PRESS
Writers: LEONARD STARR, TERRY BEATTY
Art/Cover: LEONARD STARR
$25.95
Nearing the end of its 22 year run, Classic Comics Press is very pleased to present Volume 14 of Leonard Starr's Mary Perkins On Stage. Reprinting dailies and Sundays of this classic American comic strip from November 11, 1975 to September 18, 1977 this volume also includes an introduction by Terry Beatty (The Phantom, Rex Morgan M.D. and Ms. Tree).
Vols. 2-10, 12 and 13 are also available this week. I don't know why there's a flood of these collections all of a sudden, but it's a thing, and now you know.
ONE DOLLAR DEBUT: NINJAK #1
Written by MATT KINDT
Art by CLAY MANN with BUTCH GUICE
Cover by LEWIS LAROSA
Re-presenting NINJAK #1 (2015)
$1.00 | 32 pgs. | T+
Ninjak is probably Valiant's best book, as it was in the publisher's last incarnation. He's like a cross between Batman and James Bond, and even more cynical than those two, if you can believe it.
PERFUME OF LILACS (GN)
Publisher: SOARING PENGUIN PRESS
Writer/Art/Cover: STEVE LEBLANC
Mature / $25.99
In the summer 1996, Nicolas is staying with his Aunt Rose, who is in mourning. To pass the time, Nicholas helps her look after her garden and discovers a passion for botany. Like many teenagers, he is searching for his own identity and asks her many questions. But Nicolas has quite a way to go before he realizes the extent that this summer will have changed him. With Perfume of Lilacs, readers are submerged into the mind of a teenager in the full throes of puberty and his emerging sexuality. Sometimes shocking, this thoughtful book questions the taboos of our society.
Gee, do you think he might be gay? I really hope there's more to it than that, because there's nothing remotely "shocking" about a kid figuring out he's gay.
SCARLETT COUTURE COLLECTION (TPB)
Publisher: TITAN COMICS
Writer/Art/Cover: DES TAYLOR
112 pages / $19.99
Beautiful. Intelligent. Deadly.
Scarlett Couture is all of these things, and more. She’s a spy.
Using her cover as Head of Security for her mother’s internationally renowned fashion house, she gathers intelligence for the CIA. In this explosive first issue, Scarlett follows her instincts right into the middle of the action and finds she needs to use all her wits to get herself out of hot water!
The high-octane critical and sales hit, finally collected in one explosive volume.
Collects Scarlett Couture #1-4.
"Beautiful ... I love this style!" -- Mark Millar (Kick-Ass)
"Super-stylish and super-sexy!" -- Dave Gibbons (Watchmen)
"Really fantastic stuff. I'm a fan!" -- Heath Corson (Writer/Producer, Justice League: War)
I found the art pretty but the story less than compelling. Your mileage may vary.
SHERLOCK HOLMES STEAM DETECTIVE (TPB)
Publisher: ANTARCTIC PRESS
Writer:ROBBY BEVARD, DAVID HUTCHISON (A/CA) DAVID HUTCHISON
$9.99
All about London and the surrounding lands, dastardly/desperate men misuse and abuse the 19th century's steam-powered technology to deceive, defraud, or even dispatch their fellow Britons. The dashing detective of 221B Baker Street and his stalwart companion must fire up their gears, physical and mental, to outwit the villains and save the day! Collects Sherlock Holmes Steam Detective, SHSD: The Baskerville Boiler Beast, SHSD: Beauty and the Bohemian, and SHSD: The Five Napoleons.
Isn't Sherlock already in a world driven mostly by steam power? This doesn't seem like much of a stretch.
SONIC/MEGA MAN: WORLDS COLLIDE THE COMPLETE EPIC (TPB)
Script: IAN FLYNN
Art: JAMAL PEPPERS, TRACY YARDLEY, BEN BATES, RYAN JAMPOLE, EVAN STANLEY, TERRY AUSTIN, GARY MARTIN, JIM AMASH, JOHN WORKMAN, JACK MORELLI, THOMAS MASON, DUSTIN EVANS, MATT HERMS, STEVE DOWNER.
Cover: PATRICK "SPAZ" SPAZIANTE, MATT HERMS
Previews-exclusive Variant Cover: PATRICK "SPAZ" SPAZIANTE, MATT HERMS
$29.99 / $34.99 CAN / 6 5/8 x 10 3/16” / TPB / 336 pp / Full Color
It's the crossover of a lifetime! The team-up you've been dreaming of! Two of videogame history's most iconic heroes come together for the greatest action story ever told! SONIC THE HEDGEHOG and MEGA MAN unite in WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE! It all begins with a meeting of the minds--EVIL minds! Dr. Wily makes contact with Dr. Eggman, and the two malicious mechanics conspire in a plan that will reshape entire worlds! Using the power of the Chaos Emeralds, they build themselves an unstoppable army of Robot Masters and Roboticized Masters--Sonic's corrupted friends! It's pan-dimensional panic as Sonic and Mega Man race to uncover the doctors' diabolical plot, save Sonic's friends, and brave the nightmarish landscape of the Skull Egg Zone! Along the way they gain new allies, Mega Man gains all new powers, and the stakes keep getting higher until two universe hang in the balance! You CANNOT miss this critically acclaimed crossover! Celebrated by old and new fans alike, beloved by critics and casual readers, this is one big love letter to all things SONIC and MEGA MAN! WORLDS COLLIDE collects the entire crossover event, containing SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #247-251, SONIC UNIVERSE #51-54, MEGA MAN #23-27 and material from SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #252 and MEGA MAN #28.
The Sonic/Mega Man crossover. It's more "Crisis on Earth-One" than "Convergence," which is probably a good thing.
SPOOK #1
Publisher: RED 5 COMICS
Writer: JOSHUA STARNES
Art/Cover: LISANDRO ESTHERREN
$3.50
The CIA has been trying for years to capture and use ghosts for espionage agents, but when a mysterious mercenary gets there first and attacks an assembly of NATO top brass, the race is on to find out how it was done and if it can be replicated before the mercenary and his spectral assassins strike again. Writer Joshua Starnes and artist Lisandro Estherren mix the thrills and street-level spycraft of The Bourne Identity with the ghostly terror of Poltergeist as top agent James Calley, racing across the US and Europe searching for answers, discovers the hunter is becoming the hunted.
Red 5 joins the first-issue sweepstakes, with a gritty crime drama. I don't know any more than that.
X-O MANOWAR #43
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI
Art by RAFA SANDOVAL
Cover A by PHIL JIMENEZ
Cover B by STEPHEN MOONEY
Variant Cover by DAS PASTORAS
Variant Cover by MIKE CHOI
$3.99 | 32 pgs. | T+
ALL-NEW ARC! ALL-NEW JUMPING-ON POINT! X-O MANOWAR AND NINJAK GO DEEP UNDERCOVER FOR …”THE KILL LIST”!
Valiant is proud to announce THE KILL LIST – a heat-seeking new jumping-on point beginning in X-O MANOWAR #43 by New York Times best-selling writer Robert Venditti and red-hot rising star artist Robert Gill! Be here as Earth’s alien-armored guardian, X-O Manowar, and MI-6’s most elite super-spy, Ninjak, reteam for the first time since the ground-breaking events of ENTER: NINJAK for a deadly covert mission to eradicate a secret cabal of alien sleeper agents…before their infiltration of our world goes from undercover to all-out war!
“Robert Venditti and Robert Gill made history together this summer on BOOK OF DEATH, so getting them back for X-O Manowar and Ninjak’s much-demanded reunion made nothing short of perfect sense,” said Editor Tom Brennan. “THE KILL LIST is a taut international thriller that plays to the strengths of each character and holds some big surprises in store for the whole of the Valiant Universe. Hold on tight, because this team is building towards big things for X-O MANOWAR…and it all starts right here.”
With two kingdoms now under his command, Aric of Dacia has pledged loyalty to his adopted nation – the United States of America – and now … America has given him a new mission: destroy the Vine’s network of humanoid alien agents once and for all. To do it, he’ll have to turn to the one man among us he can trust … his own former enemy, the deadly MI-6 operative called Ninjak!
Meanwhile, the Vine’s most militant warrior, Commander Trill, is readying a counterattack … and what happens next will shake the Valiant Universe to its core. Can X-O Manowar and Ninjak cut their way to the source of this stealth attack before all is lost?
Featuring a stunning slate of covers by all-star artists Phil Jimenez (Infinite Crisis), Stephen Mooney (Midnighter), Das Pastoras (Thor: God of Thunder), and Mike Choi (X-Force), Aric of Dacia and Colin King forge an alliance between nations to save a world right here this January for THE KILL LIST – beginning in X-O MANOWAR #43!
New York Times best-selling writer Robert Venditti (WRATH OF THE ETERNAL WARRIOR) and fan-favorite artist Rafa Sandoval (X-Men: Legacy) prepare the next epic salvo in X-O MANOWAR’s unfolding epic as the march toward the issue #50 game-changer continues!
Ninjak may be (arguably) Valiant's best book, but X-O Manowar is its flagship. This is where the big stuff happens.
Replies
I heard that Marvel shipped a few new titles as New Year's Day releases so they were available either last week Friday or this week Wednesday depending on whether or not your local store was taking part in the promotion, so that might explain the double-listing.
So they might be at my comics shop now, or they may not. I won't know until I go and see. It's Schroedinger's Comic Books!
Yikes! Just ran across this press release:
BITCH PLANET RETURNS IN FORCE
Writer Kelly Sue DeConnick (PRETTY DEADLY, Captain Marvel) and special guest artist Taki Soma (SINERGY, Rapture) will launch a special stand-alone issue in the ongoing bitingly satirical series BITCH PLANET this January.
Previously in BITCH PLANET, a new crop of non-compliants settled in for their stay on the Auxiliary Compliance Outpost. When a small group was offered a chance to earn their freedom, they took it, knowing the odds would be stacked against them at every turn.
In BITCH PLANET #6, Meiko Maki’s past is uncovered: how she went from promising engineer to killer—and the ace up her sleeve.
“I’ve wanted to work with Taki since we met, and Val and I were so pleased when she agreed to take on Bitch Planet,” said DeConnick. “Her art style matches Meiko’s personality, I think. There’s a vulnerability to it, an honesty, buffered with a sense of humor—which I think is critical for this title. And that’s not an easy thing to balance. Val makes it look effortless, but it’s not. Taki was able to step into our world and meld beautifully, and at the same time, entirely be herself.”
She added, "After lengthy discussions between ourselves, we’ve decided to run this issue with the following content advisory: 'The following is a flashback issue, covering the events that lead to Meiko Maki's incarceration. It contains plot elements and images relating to sexual assault. The creators encourage you to evaluate your comfort level before deciding to proceed. Bitch Planet's main narrative will resume next month with Issue 7. The series recap therein will not recount the assault.’ It’s similar to the tack we’ve taken with racial epithets—these things have to exist in the world of Bitch Planet, we have to talk about them, but we’re trying to figure out a way to do it that isn’t exploitative, that doesn’t contribute to trauma.”
"I gotta say, this has been a dream project,” said Soma. “In this particular issue, you really GET where Meiko Maki comes from in a way that's integral to the overall Bitch Planet title. If that doesn't excite you, let me just say that I feel sad for you and may I suggest that you look into your pet's eyes and hug it a lot."
SWAMP THING: Not only is Kelly Jones perfectly suited for Swamp Thing, this series is written by the original writer. (No, not the “Original Writer,” the original writer!) After so many reboots I once thought, “The only way DC will get me to buy Swamp Thing again would be to turn it over to Len Wein.” And now they have.
CHEKOV: Khan remembered him in Star Trek II. “Space Seed” was a first season episode and Chekov wasn’t seen until season two, so he must have been elsewhere on the ship in season one.
A-FORCE: What I want to know is who’s the intended audience? Girls (i.e., females) or boys (i.e., males)?
DEADPOOL CLASSIC OMNIBUS: Yeah, I’d call that a swipe. (I balk at the word “CLASSIC” however.)
That Swamp Thing creative team does look like a great match. I'm guessing Wein will pare the character back to something closer to the original concept--probably a good idea, given the somewhat muddled cosmology that has been built up over the years.
Captain Comics said:
It never occurred to me that Chekov got promoted to the bridge crew. I always assumed he transferred to the Enterprise ... from a Beatles concert.
I always figured that he was already on the ship since they were on a long distance exploration mission. If he was "reassigned" to the bridge that implies he was already an ensign. If he was "promoted," that implies he was an enlisted man who was made an officer, since ensign is the beginning rank of Navy officers.
I just took a closer look at this variant cover, and what do you know, the code beneath each name represents where that character first appeared:
Mystique: Ms. Marvel #16 (1978)
Sabretooth: Iron Fist #14 (1977)
Fantomex: New X-Men #128 (2002)
Jeff of Earth-J said:
Can't it be both? I'm planning to buy this book.
I forgot about the Khan business. That was a hot topic in 1982!
Jeff of Earth-J said:
The Baron said:
Sure, it can. If you're going to buy it, you can let me know. ;)
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