DARK HORSE COMICS
CONAN/RED SONJA (HC)
Writers: GAIL SIMONE, JIM ZUB
Art/Cover: DAN PANOSIAN
Colors: DAVE STEWART
Pencils: RANDY GREEN
Inks: RICK KETCHAN
FC, 96 pages, $19.99
HC, 7″ x 10″
Comics superstars Gail Simone and Jim Zub!
Gail Simone and Jim Zub team up to bring together two legendary warriors: Conan and Red Sonja! This volume collects issues #1-4 of the smash-hit crossover!
In a tale spanning three eras in the lives of these classic characters, Conan and Red Sonja become comrades to take down a sorcerer-priest hell bent on creating a new age in Hyborian warfare!
“Beauty and brawn are back!” -- PreviewsWorld
REVIEW
I read every single appearance of Conan and Red Sonja in their Marvel days, which is a lot of pages -- none of which matters here, in a new continuity that pays no attention to what came before. You'd think that would annoy me, but I'm not that kind of fan: I want a good story, not one that is a slave to a continuity that isn't consistent with these two characters' source material anyway.
And this IS a good story. So go read it.
If you want particulars, I can't give you much. Hey, it's a Hyborian book -- there's lots of cursing, smiting and bawdy humor. It's not Shakespeare. But it's done well, and that's all that's important.
Plus, it's got the only two characters from this world that I really give a fig about, doing what they do best. Which is killing, pretty much. But they also usually stumble into doing the right thing, and that happens here, too.
And, best of all, they are both kept in character. That's tougher than it sounds, because both characters are committed to their own personal brand of sex and violence which is more likely than not to result in one killing the other. That both survive without implausible plotting or mischaracterization is a remarkable feat.
Is that a spoiler? Well, so be it: Both characters do in fact survive to continue making money for their respective trademark holders. Duh. But doing so in a rousing adventure that doesn't require either to act out of character is pretty brilliant. Oh, and the art's good, too.
So, as I said, it's a good story. And you should read it.
CONAN THE AVENGER #16
Writer: FRED VAN LENTE
Art: BRIAN CHING
Colors: MICHAEL ATIYEH
Cover: JASON FELIX
FC, 32 pages, $3.50
Ongoing
Danger in the desert!
A new arc of Conan the Avenger by Fred Van Lente begins!
A mysterious oasis with a massive inland lighthouse beckons to Conan amidst the scorching sands. Answering a call for help, he offers assistance, only to realize too late all is not what it seems—he’s stumbled into a trap!
“A fun, exciting adventure story starring everyone’s favorite Barbarian ... Recommended.” -- Fandom Post
REVIEW
Excited by how much I enjoyed Conan/Red Sonja, I read this book too -- the first Conan book I've picked up since Cary Nord drew it, back in the long-ago time.
And once again, I was pleasantly surprised. Not only was Conan less dour and more fun to read than in times past, but his female traveling companion has an actual personality. (A grating one, but a persponality nonetheless). Most women in the long-ago time not only failed to have personalities, some didn't even have names. So, that's progress.
And it also makes for a better story. The back and forth between the Cimmerian and his reluctant traveling companion is amusing. plus it adds a needed element of verisimilitude. That other walk-on characters also have little quirks is just a bonus (but a welcome one).
And, thank God, nobody calls anyone else "dog-brother."
THE EC ARCHIVES: WEIRD SCIENCE VOLUME 4 (HC)
Look at the credits on this book. Not only does it have the usual gang of idiots, but Harlan Ellison and Frank Frazetta, too! If I wasn't already married, I'd propose to this book.
Writers: BILL GAINES, AL FELDSTEIN, JERRY DEFUCCIO, HARLAN ELLISON
Art: AL FELDSTEIN, WALLY WOOD, AL WILLIAMSON, JOE ORLANDO, BILL ELDER, JACK KAMEN, JACK DAVIS, FRANK FRAZETTA, BERNIE KRIGSTEIN, HARRY HARRISON, HARVEY KURTZMAN
FC, 216 pages, $49.99
HC, 8 1/4″ x 11″
Foreword by Harlan Ellison!
The Weird Science archives take flight at Dark Horse! This volume collects the complete Weird Science issues #19–#22 and Weird Science-Fantasy #23–#24 in glorious remastered color! Don’t miss any of the sci-fi classics from such visionary artists as Wally Wood, Al Feldstein, Harry Harrison, and Harvey Kurtzman!
Dark Horse reprints the famous science-fiction comic series!
LOBSTER JOHNSON: A CHAIN FORGED IN LIFE (ONE-SHOT)
I didn't find a review copy or a preview of this book, but as I've said before, I'm delighted for no one reason I can name that the preposterously named Lobster Johnson exists.
Writers: MIKE MIGNOLA, JOHN ARCUDI
Art: TROY NIXEY
Art/Cover: KEVIN NOWLAN
Colors: DAVE STEWART
Cover: TONCI ZONJIC
FC, 32 pages, $3.50
One-shot
Santa is in trouble!
Santa was taken hostage after witnessing a hostile robbery and a man’s death. Hidden away in a mountain cabin, will the Lobster be able to find Santa and save Christmas?
• Kevin Nowlan returns to Lobster Johnson!
• Troy Nixey joins the Mignolaverse!
OH MY GODDESS! OMNIBUS BOOK 1 (TPB)
Dark Horse was proud enough of this one to provide the press release below.
Writer/Art/Cover: KOSUKE FUJISHIMA
B&W, 552 pages, $19.99
TPB, 5 3/4″ x 8 1/4″
OVER 500 PAGES FOR $20!
Get ready to go back to the beginning of one of manga’s most adored love stories of all time, because the first Oh My Goddess! omnibus is set to hit stores in July from Dark Horse Comics.
College student Keiichi Morisato thought it was a prank when a strange, beautiful young woman appeared in his dorm room one night. But his unexpected visitor is literally a goddess from heaven, Belldandy, come to grant him any single wish of his choosing. When Keiichi wishes for Belldandy to stay with him forever, it’s the beginning of a complicated, cosmic saga of comedy and romance that makes for one of manga’s greatest love stories!
Spanning 48 volumes, Kosuke Fujishima’s Oh My Goddess! has also expanded into other media, including numerous anime adaptations, a film, and a prose novel.
Featuring the first three volumes of Fujishima’s epic romance manga, Oh My Goddess! Omnibus Book 1 also features 552 pages of larger art, brighter paper, and bonus color illustrations for a whole new generation to enjoy -- all for the affordable price of $19.99.
• Contains the first three volumes in the regular OMG! series.
• Larger art, brighter paper, and bonus color illustrations!
DC COMICS
BATGIRL #42
Didn't this villain start out as a Superman: The Animated Adventures character? Strange to see her as a Batgirl villain!
Written by CAMERON STEWART and BRENDEN FLETCHER
Art by BABS TARR
Cover by CAMERON STEWART
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Batgirl can barely hold her own in combat against the new Batman … so what happens when Livewire joins the fight with the intention of taking them both out?
BATGIRL ANNUAL #3
Wow -- Babs Gordon and Dick Grayson may, in fact, be roughly the same age now. Must re-adjust brain.
Written by CAMERON STEWART and BRENDEN FLETCHER
Art by BENGAL and others
Cover by BENGAL
48 pg, FC, $4.99 US • RATED T
On her latest mission, Batgirl finds herself mixing it up with Helena Bertinelli of Spyral…but who is the mysterious Spyral agent who seems to be one step ahead of her at every turn without ever showing his face? She’s determined to crack this mystery – but Grayson is just as determined not to get caught! Plus: Batgirl visits Gotham Academy – and there are plenty of surprises in store for her!
THE FLASH ANNUAL #4
I expect we'll be seeing a lot of Zoom, given that he's the Big Bad for season two of The CW's Flash.
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI and VAN JENSEN
Art by BONG DAVO and NORM RAPMUND
Cover by BRETT BOOTH and NORM RAPMUND
48 pg, FC, $4.99 US • RATED T
Meet the new hunting party gathered by Professor Zoom – and see how The Flash’s nemesis recruited each of these deadly players to plague the life of Barry Allen.
GOTHAM BY MIDNIGHT ANNUAL #1
Gentleman Ghost doesn't look quite so gentlemanly any more, does he? The true, harsh face of Victorian England emerges!
Written by RAY FAWKES
Art by CHRISTIAN DUCE
Cover by JUAN FERRYRA
48 pg, FC, $4.99 US • RATED T+
Get set for a tale of love and vengeance in this centuries-old mystery for the Midnight Shift – and the Gentlemen Ghost!
JUSTICE LEAGUE: GODS AND MONSTERS –SUPERMAN #1
Last week, vampire Man-Bat Batman. This week, Harvest of Shame Superman. Wonder Woman is next week, and I'm almost afraid to see what she'll be like.
Written by J.M. DeMATTEIS and BRUCE TIMM
Art by MORITAT
Cover by GABRIEL HARDMAN
1:10 Variant cover by DARWYN COOKE
ONE-SHOT • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US RATED T • DIGITAL FIRST
This issue will ship with two covers.
Prequel to the DC Universe movie Justice League: Gods and Monsters!
“Truth, justice and the American way” has a very different meaning to a Superman raised by poor immigrant farmers. He’s seen abuse and injustice his whole life – and now he’s ready to let the world know what happens when a Man of Steel gets angry..
THE SANDMAN: OVERTURE SPECIAL EDITION #5
Long delayed, but welcome just the same.
Written by NEIL GAIMAN
Art and cover by J.H. WILLIAMS III
On sale JULY 29 • 40 pg, FC, $4.99 US • MATURE READERS
This Special Edition will include the entire fifth issue of the new miniseries before coloring, with translucent lettering, giving readers a behind-the-scenes look at J.H. Williams’s unique art process. This issue will also include a special process piece interview with Dave McKean, a mini Q&A with Neil Gaiman and other surprises!
SUPERMAN #42
The variant cover made me laugh.
Written by GENE LUEN YANG
Art and cover by JOHN ROMITA, JR. and KLAUS JANSON
TEEN TITANS GO! Variant cover by JORGE CORONA
On sale JULY 22 • 32 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
This issue will ship with two covers.
The Superman epic you never expected – “TRUTH” continues! Has Lois Lane betrayed Superman with the truth?
IDW PUBLISHING
DONALD DUCK #3
Writer: GIORGIO PEZZIN
Art/Cover: GIORGIO CAVAZZANO
Subscription Variant: DEREK CHARM
FC • 40 pages • $3.99
"The Siege of Nothing Atoll" -- when an island-dwelling mad scientist sics his super-weapons on Scrooge's Money Bin, it's up to Donald to take the bad guy down!
• Duck comics legend Giorgio Cavazzano brings us one of his most legendary thrillers -- for the first time in the USA!
• Continues this beloved series' legacy numbering at #370.
• 40 action-packed pages for only $3.99!
• "Disney Legacy" Fantasyland 60th Anniversary cover by Amy Mebberson!
GHOSTBUSTERS: GET REAL #2 (OF 4)
Nice EC cover.
ERIK BURNHAM (W) • DAN SCHOENING (A & C)
THEY'RE ALL REAL NOW! While the boys in gray meet the boys in brown, blue, green and tan, Proteus hunts through the multiverse for his quarry... and finds something Extreme. (Was that too subtle a hint?)
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Ghostbusters: Get Real #2 (of 4)—EC Comics Subscription Variant
Erik Burnham (w) • Dan Schoening (a) • Evan "Doc" Shaner (c)
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Part of EC Comics cover month! Homage cover by Doc Shaner!
THE SHRINKING MAN #1 (OF 4)
I didn't get around to reading/reviewing this issue this week, but I'm looking forward to the whole story. Richard Matheson was one of my favorites when I was devouring the Nerd Sci-Fi Library (tm) in junior high, and I'm looking forward to re-uniting with an old "friend."
Also, that's a very Feldman-esque cover, isn't it?
Writer: TED ADAMS
Art/Cover: MARK TORRES
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
IDW Publishing is proud to announce the comic-book adaption of the late Richard Matheson’s seminal science fiction novel, The Shrinking Man. Ted Adams, IDW’s CEO & Publisher, is adapting the material, alongside artist Mark Torres.
Richard Matheson's exploration of shrinking manhood is brought to vivid life in this comic-book adaptation! Scott Carey, reducing 1/7" per day, faces tension big and small as his body continues to shrink away.
To further emphasize the series’ classic appeal, the debut issue will be a part of IDW’s month-long “EC Comics cover month” promotion. The Shrinking Man #1 will be one of a dozen IDW titles getting a variant cover that pays tribute to the classic EC Comics cover designs from the 1950s. The Shrinking Man #1’s homage to Al Feldstein’s brilliant Weird Science #12 from the June 1950 cover is also being drawn by series artist Mark Torres.
Originally published in 1956, The Shrinking Man has been adapted into a motion picture and won the 1958 Hugo award for best science fiction/fantasy dramatic presentation. This legendary tale chronicles the events of an average family man, Scott Carey, who, after being exposed to a mysterious cloud, comes to the frightening realization that he is shrinking slowly day-by-day. His everyday existence as a husband and father is thrown into chaos as he struggles with not just shrinking smaller and smaller but with the possibility that he may disappear all together. All ideas of normal fade as Carey becomes a national spectacle and his family converts into unreachable giants. He is pushed to the very limits of fear and existence with each passing day becoming a struggle just to survive.
“Running IDW keeps me busy so I don't have as much time to write as I'd like but when we decided to adapt Matheson's classic novel, I knew I had to find the time,” said Adams. “This isn't just a great adventure story, it's also an exploration into what it means to be a man when you can no longer provide for or protect your family.”
The Shrinking Man, part of IDW’s Five Featured Firsts, which sees a new series launching each of the five Wednesdays in July, takes its place alongside other IDW/Matheson collaborations including I Am Legend, Hell House, numerous short stories including the Eisner-nominated “Blood Son,” and Duel. Grab your copy before the stacks wither away at your local comics shop!
• Richard Matheson's beloved suspense novel brought to life by IDW's CEO & Publisher Ted Adams and artist Mark "ZvR" Torres!
• Part of EC Comics cover month! Homage cover by Mark Torres!
• One of Five Featured First issues in July! One every week!
T.H.U.N.D.E.R. AGENTS 50TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL
Writers: VARIOUS
Art: WALLY WOOD, DAN ADKINS, STEVE DITKO, GARY LEACH, GEORGE TUSKA, MORE
Cover: DAN ADKINS
Subscription Variant: ANDREW PEPOY
FC • 64 pages • $7.99
A half-century celebration of Brown & Wood's T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents! 64 pages of classic stories, rarely seen commissions, pin-ups, covers, and other rarities.
• Part of EC Comics cover month! Homage cover by Andrew Pepoy!
• 64 pages in square-bound, prestige format!
REVIEW
I had no idea what this was when I began reading, but it turned out to be a collection of reprints of stories I already have. And you know what? I happily re-read them anyway. Even after all these years, the essential concept of T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents -- and the pervasive Wally Wood influence -- still grabs me.
WEIRD LOVE #8
Every time my wife catches me kissing a jungle queen, there's trouble. And let's not even get into "Clown Love"!
Writer/Art: VARIOUS
Cover: LEE ELIAS
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
WARNING! CLOWN ALERT! This issue of the guilty pleasure, Weird Love, contains an especially creepy story of CLOWN LOVE in the story "The Love She Didn't Want" (and who WOULD?!). Plus more bizarre romance classics by the same people that bring you Haunted Horror!
IMAGE COMICS
I really need to catch up on Image Comics. There are a number of good books this week, but I'm so far behind I can't comment on any of them. What books are you folks reading?
MARVEL COMICS
1602: WITCH HUNTER ANGELA #2
Writers: MARGUERITE BENNETT with KIERON GILLEN
Art: STEPHANIE HANS, IRENE KOH
Cover by STEPHANIE HANS
Variant Cover by IRENE KOH
32 PGS / Rated T+ / $3.99
“IN WHICH WICKED SOMETHINGS THIS WAY COME”
• The hunt is on! The Faustians have made their deal with the Devil -- er, Enchantress -- but Angela isn’t going to take that lying down, is she? No, not by her psychic ribbons and very, very pointy weapons, no, she is not.
• Out into the wilds of the countryside, Angela and Sera collide with a wandering caravan of ne’er-do-well performers. (Hint: their name starts with a “G” and ends with an “Y” and has an “Uardians of the Galax” in the middle.)
Why would a group on 1602 call themselves Guardians of the Galaxy? Had the word "galaxy" even been invented yet?
• Pagan rites, dubious ethics, a deadly curse, and Kieron and Irene Koh being up to no good – who can resist the lure of the Faustians?
*SECRET WARS SERIES
AGE OF ULTRON VS. MARVEL ZOMBIES #2
Somebody reading this title needs to explain to me why the robots don't wipe out the zombies in an afternoon.
Writer: JAMES ROBINSON
Art/Cover: STEVE PUGH
Landscape Variant by TBA
32 PGS / Rated T+ / $3.99
WAR RAGES BETWEEN TWO SIDES OF UNHUMANITY – THE UNDEAD AND THE ARTIFICIAL!
• As battle escalates between ULTRON’S robotic horde and the ZOMBIE masses, a smaller pocket of humanity must defend themselves from both sides.
• Can SALVATION—an oasis of sanity amidst utter chaos run by JIM HAMMOND, THE VISION and WONDER MAN—protect what little humanity resides in the “DEADZONE”?
• And what is the HANK PYM from 1872, a man literally in a world he never made, supposed to do when first encountering the evil of Ultron?
*SECRET WARS SERIES
DAREDEVIL #17
I like the suit. I think someone wore something like it to my high school prom. (I was in powder blue, of course. It was 1976, after all.)
Writer: MARK WAID
Art/Cover: CHRIS SAMNEE
32 PGS / Rated T+ / $3.99
It all comes down to this – the penultimate chapter! Matt Murdock’s made a deal with his own personal devil, and unless he can outsmart the strongest, toughest opponent he’s ever known, no one walks out alive!
STAR WARS #7
Evidently we're going to learn a little more about Obi-Wan Kenobi's life (that we apparently didn't learn in the prequel movie), and Marvel's proud enough of it to provide the press release and preview below.
Written by JASON AARON
Art by SIMONE BIANCHI
Cover by JOHN CASSADAY
Variant Covers by TONY MOORE , SIMONE BIANCHI and JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
Sketch Variant by JOHN CASSADAY
32 PGS / Rated T / $3.99
This July, experience a very special issue of the blockbuster Star Wars series as special guest artist Simone Bianchi (Thanos Rising, Astonishing X-Men) joins chart-topping writer Jason Aaron for a look back into the past with STAR WARS #7! Luke Skywalker has uncovered the journals of his departed mentor Obi-Wan Kenobi. Now, experience Kenobi’s harrowing accounts of days long gone by! It is a time when injustice reigned on Tattooine. As villainous scum runs rampant over the blistering sands, only a Jedi Master stands any hope of liberating the planet from the grasp of gangs, thieves and thugs. But would Ben risk everything to do what was right? Even if it meant revealing himself to those searching for his whereabouts? Find out this July as Aaron & Bianchi bring you STAR WARS #7!
THORS #2
Who would mess with a police force of Viking thunder gods? That's just suicidal!
Writer: JASON AARON
Art/Cover: CHRIS SPROUSE
Variant Cover by DALE KEOWN
32 PGS / Rated T+ / $3.99
• The saga of the Battleworld police force continues!
• More murders. More mystery. More Thors! (Like GROOT THOR!)
• And maybe even a break in the case, as a surprising suspect is brought in for questioning…
*SECRET WARS SERIES
OTHER PUBLISHERS
DOCTOR WHO: THE TENTH DOCTOR #13
This week's Whomania!
Writer: NICK ABADZIS
Artist: ELENA CASAGRANDE
Cover A: MARIANO LACLAUSTRA
Cover B: Photo
32pp – FC – $3.99
Eisner award-winning writer Nick Abadzis (Laika) and fan-favorite Elena Casagrande (Suicide Risk) race the Tenth Doctor and Gabby towards the conclusion of Year One!
A terrifying pyramid has appeared in the skies above New York City, and it’s here to claim an ancient secret – buried in the body of a very-much alive movie star!
As the Doctor attempts to unravel the conflict, Gabby and Cindy’s friendship is stretched to breaking point. Has Gabby changed too much in her short time away – or has she changed just enough to save the day?!
- From Eisner award-winning writer Nick Abadzis (Laika) and fan-favourite Elena Casagrande (Angel)!
- Season One endgame approaches!
- Comes with two covers to collect!
DOCTOR WHO 12TH #10
Publisher: TITAN COMICS
Writer: ROBBIE MORRISON
Art: BRIAN WILLIAMSON, MARIANO LACLAUSTRA
Cover A: RIAN HUGHES
Subscription Variant: Photo
$3.99
Thrillingly explosive action on the '60s Las Vegas strip as the Doctor and Clara battle the mob and an alien invasion force! The Doctor gambles with humanity, with the highest stakes and the longest odds! Has his morality been compromised - or has Clara's? Sharp fashions, sharp minds and sharper weapons!
DOCTOR WHO 9TH #3
Publisher: TITAN COMICS
Writer: CAVAN SCOTT
Art: BLAIR SHEDD, RACHAEL STOTT
Cover A: BLAIR SHEDD
Subscription Variant: Photo
$3.99
The hotly-anticipated "Weapons of Past Destruction" continues, as the Doctor, Rose, and Jack are trapped in an alien bazaar, caught in a heavily-armed standoff between the overpowered Unon and the Lect, as the nearby star threatens to go supernova!
EVIL ERNIE VOL 2: RISE OF EVIL (TPB)
I had hoped to have had time to read and review this title, but alas. You'll just have to settle for this enormous preview!
Writer: TIM SEELEY, STEVE SEELEY
Art: RAFAEL LANHELLAS
Cover: TIM SEELEY
184 pages / Teen + / $19.99
Teen psychopath Evil Ernie is dead, resigned to Hell where he belongs. But when reality is threatened by a force that even the Devil can't handle, Lucifer calls on the only weapon that can prevent total megadeath: Evil Ernie himself! Will the antihero-to-end-all-antiheroes take his place as the world's most unlikely savior ... and how will he handle the revelation that his former lover, Mistress Hel, has replaced him with not one, but multiple new paramours? It's all-out mayhem in the classic Chaos Comics manner!
FAIRY QUEST VOL 2 (TPB)
I'm not on BOOM!'s review list, nor is this a book whose subject matter is likely to induce me to buy it. But with a creative team of Paul Jenkins and Humberto Ramos, it's rather tempting!
Publisher: BOOM! STUDIOS
Writer: PAUL JENKINS
Art/Cover: HUMBERTO RAMOS
414.99
WHAT'S TO LOVE: We all grew up reading fairy tales. We all love fairy tales! But if you enjoy your fairy tales with a twist like Fables, Fairest, or Once Upon a Time, Fairy Quest is the perfect series for you. Plus, Paul Jenkins (Wolverine: Origin) and Humberto Ramos (Amazing Spider-Man) have already made the fans their co-publishers with a successful Kickstarter.
WHAT IT IS: The adventures of Red and Mister Woof have only just begun. In Fablewood, all of the stories that have ever been told live side-by-side. But it is an evil place, overseen by the awful Mister Grimm and his cadre of Think Police. Red and Woof want to escape to a world where their friendship isn't prohibited, but nothing can prepare them for what lies ahead in the Dark Forest.
GRIMM FAIRY TALES: TALES OF TERROR #13
I don't care for Cover A -- is that Mary Jane Watson after a botched boob job? -- but the second and third covers are pretty cool, and the premise is hilarious. Haven't we all heard the joke/urban legend about the guy gets roofied and wakes up without a kidney? Sometimes the story says it happens in New York, sometimes in Mexico, sometimes in Europe, but a pretty girl is usually involved.
Publisher: ZENESCOPE ENTERTAINMENT INC
Writer: RALPH TEDESCO, JOE BRUSHA
Mature/$3.99
The newest issue of Zenescope's Horror anthology series is here!
The famous urban legend of the man who wakes in a bath tub only to realize his organs have been stolen comes to life in this insanely twisted new horror story from Ralph Tedesco and Joe Brusha!
IMPERIUM VOL. 1: COLLECTING MONSTERS (TPB)
Written by JOSHUA DYSART
Art by DOUG BRAITHWAITE
Cover by RAUL ALLEN
$9.99 | 112 pages | T+
A psychic dictator, an inhuman robot, a mad scientist, a murderous alien, and a superpowered terrorist are about to try and take over the world...and you’re going to be rooting for them every step of the way!
Toyo Harada is the most dangerous human being on the planet. Imbued with incredible powers of the mind, he has spent his life guiding humanity from the shadows. But today he is a wanted man. His powers are public knowledge, his allies have turned to enemies, and he is hunted by every government on the planet. Instead of surrendering, Harada has one last unthinkable gambit to play: to achieve more, faster, and with less, he will build a coalition of the powerful, the unscrupulous, and the insane. No longer content to demand a better future, he will recruit a violent legion from the darkest corners of the Earth to fight for it. The battle for utopia begins now! Start reading here as New York Times best-selling creator Joshua Dysart – writer of the Harvey Award-nominated series HARBINGER – and superstar artist Doug Braithwaite (UNITY, Justice) begin the daring new superhero saga of the year.
Collecting IMPERIUM #1–4.
REVIEW
The title is accurate -- Toyo Harada spends these four issues collecting his core "team" of monsters. That's good and bad. Good because it gives us a chance to know each one, instead of having them all introduced at once (a trick that never works). Bad because it slows the story to the point that not much happens in this trade.
It's a slow build, as they say, so I'm really not disappointed. And the Braithwaite art is its usual goodness -- he seems to be establishing himself as the company's "house style" -- so I'm satisfied that reading Collecting Monsters was time well spent, and I'm looking forward to the next trade.
JUNGLE GIRL SEASON 3 #4
Writers: FRANK CHO, DOUG MURRAY
Art: JACK JADSON
Cover: FRANK CHO
32 pages / Teen+ / $3.99
The God Mountain is almost gone, revealing the sleeping behemoth that, when awakened, will destroy the Lost World and all its inhabitants There is only one way to stop it -- an ancient device hidden in a temple deep in the forest, although it is missing a vital part. When Jana and Togg locate the piece, it's up to them to get it to Jana's father at the temple. Can they do it in time? Can they save the world? And if so, what will it cost them?
REVIEW
I got a taste of this character in the Swords of Sorrow: Vampirella & Jungle Girl, and hoped I could pick this book up without too much trouble. Unfortunately, not only was it the last issue of a miniseries (and I was hopelessly lost), but my iPad copy was really, really dark and hard to read. I'd like to hear from others reading this series to see if what I had was an anomaly, or poor choices by the colorist.
That being said, it appears that this mini shed some light on Jana's origin, or perhaps put a retcon twist into what was already known. That's got my fanboy juices flowing, wanting to know the *real* story! I suspect the trade is in my future.
LAST ONES (HC)
Publisher: HUMANOIDS INC
Writer: DAVID MUNOZ
Art: MANUEL GARCIA
Cover: MICHAEL LARK
Mature/$24.95
A cataclysm has transformed the Earth's atmosphere, blocking out all ultraviolet light, plunging it into a new ice age, and giving vampires free reign across the planet. With the human race threatened with extinction, two adults and a handful of children struggle to survive, hidden in the rubble of a ravaged Spanish city. Led by a mysterious savior who joins them, they embark on one last, desperate gamble to cross Europe in search of refuge, to where the last of humanity is gathered. Written by horror maestro David Muñoz (Guillermo del Toro's The Devil's Backbone, Whispers in the Walls) and drawn by Manuel Garcia, this moving, yet brutal, tale of friendship and survival leaves bite marks on the neck and frostbite on the soul.
I'm always up for a good apocalypse story, especially one that looks to have the awesome art we see on this cover. OTOH, the humans in this story have a much bigger problem than the vampires -- they'll all starve to death within a generation. Without normal photosynthesis there won't be any vegetation, and without vegetation all animal life will die. Which means the vampires face extinction-level starvation, too! I understand that the set-up is to make the vampires omnipresent and scarier, but unfortunately everybody dies, no matter what.
MELODY: STORY OF A NUDE DANCER (GN)
This being a Drawn & Quarterly book, it goes without saying that the emphasis won't be on the woo-woo aspect of stripping (or "peeling," as they call it in Canada). So it might be pretty funny. But I'll never find out, because I make it a practice to never buy any comic book that I think I could draw better.
Publisher: DRAWN & QUARTERLY
Writer/Art/Cover: SYLVIE RANCOURT
Mature/$22.95
In 1980, Sylvie Rancourt and her boyfriend moved to Montreal from rural Northern Quebec. With limited formal education or training, they had a hard time finding employment, so Sylvie began dancing in strip clubs. These experiences formed the backbone of the first Canadian autobiographical comic book, Melody, which Rancourt wrote, drew and distributed. Later, Rancourt collaborated with artist Jacques Boivin, who translated and drew a new series of Melody comics for the American market. The Rancourt drawn-and-written comics have never before seen English publication. These stories are compelling without ever being voyeuristic or self-pitying, and her drawings are formally innovative while maintaining a refreshingly frank and engaging clarity. Rancourt shares a world that, in someone else's writing, might be scandalous or seedy, but in hers is fully realized, real, and often funny.
NINJAK #5
Written by MATT KINDT
Art by CLAY MANN with BUTCH GUICE
Cover A by LEWIS LAROSA
Cover B by DAVE JOHNSON
Variant Cover by RAUL ALLEN
Variant Cover by CAFU
$3.99 | 40 pages | T+
The final secret of the Shadow Seven exposed!
Ninjak’s mission to destroy Weaponeer and its secret cabal of shinobi masters just got a bit more complicated…since the newest leader of Weaponeer is … Ninjak himself?! Meanwhile, Roku’s gone missing, but we all know the world’s deadliest woman is at her most dangerous when she’s out of sight!
Plus: Colin King’s past comes back to haunt him in a big way as NINJAK: THE LOST FILES reveals a deadly connection to Ninjak’s present as Clay Mann (X-Men) returns with Matt Kindt (THE VALIANT, RAI) and Butch Guice (Captain America)!
REVIEW
Here's another book I picked up in media res, so I'm in no position to comment on the overall story, plotting or characterization.
And yet, I enjoyed it immensely. I didn't know the background, but Ninjak is a compelling protagonist, and the story raced ahead breathlessly, full of action and drama. Plus, the art -- as I've come to expect from Valiant -- is first class.
ORIGINAL GHOST RIDER VOL 1 (HC)
Am I gonna get this? I already done bought it, ya durn owlhoot!
Publisher: CANTON STREET PRESS
Writers: GARDNER FOX, RAY KRANK
Art/Cover: DICK AYERS, FRANK FRAZETTA
$49.99
This volume collects Ghost Rider #1-5 and the Ghost Rider stories from Tim Holt #12-14, originally published by Magazine Enterprises in 1949-1951, with art by Dick Ayers and covers by Dick Ayers and Frank Frazetta. Fully restored and in full color, this 7.25" x 10.25" Smyth Sewn hardcover features an introduction by Tony Isabella.
PATH TO PROVIDENCE COLLECTOR BOX SET
I'll probably end up getting all of this, plus Providence, when the latter is collected. I'll bet I can get it cheaper than $150, though. Still, if this is your thang, here ya go.
Publisher: AVATAR PRESS INC
Writer: ALAN MOORE
Art/Cover: JACEN BURROWS
Mature/$149.99
Prepare for the return of Alan Moore to the frightful world of H.P. Lovecraft with this stunning box set of all that has come before! There would be no Providence without The Courtyard and Neonomicon before it, here is a very special chance to get a set of original first printings of those previous works! All told, this contains 30 covers from the two series, the original Neonomicon Hardcover edition, and the two original promotional posters for Neonomicon - both signed by Jacen Burrows and Alan Moore!
The Complete contents: Courtyard #1 & 2 Regular and Wraparound covers on both. Neonomicon #1,2,3,4 - Regular, Wraparound, Auxiliary, Book of the Dead covers on all four issues. Neonomicon #1 Chicago, #1 New York, #1 San Diego, #2 New York. Neonomicon Hornbook - Regular, C2E2, Motor City, Wondercon, Project CC, and the Signed Leather cover. Neonomicon Hardcover Collection. Two Neonomicon promo posters, signed by Jacen Burrows and Alan Moore.
This is a truly special collectible set but limited to just 100 sets, so these are sure to go fast! (Allocations may occur.)
DIARY OF TEENAGE GIRL (REVISED GN ED)
Having been a teenager myself in the 1970s, I suspect this book would make me very, very sad.
Publisher: NORTH ATLANTIC BOOKS
Writer/Art/Cover: PHOEBE GLOECKNER
Mature/$18.95
First published 13 years ago, Phoebe Gloeckner's acclaimed Diary of a Teenage Girl - a dark story of sex and drugs in the life of a 1970s teenage girl - has a new, revised edition in anticipation of the August release of a new independent film based on the book! This new edition has an introduction by comics scholar Hillary Chute, and features a preface by Gloeckner talking about her experience seeing the book adapted. "I don't remember being born. I was a very ugly child. My appearance has not improved, so I guess it was a lucky break when he was attracted by my youthfulness." So begins the wrenching diary of Minnie Goetze, a fifteen-year-old girl longing for love and acceptance and struggling with her own precocious sexuality. She forges her way through adolescence, unsupervised and unguided, defenseless, and yet fearless. The story unfolds in the libertine atmosphere of the 1970s San Francisco, but the significance of Minnie's effort to understand herself and her world is universal. This is the story of an adolescent troubled by the discontinuity between what she thinks and feels and what she observes in those around her.
STRANGE FANTASY VOL 1
It's weird how much I enjoy stuff that came out before I was born. Is it an itch finally scratched? Is it an Indiana Jones adventure into mining the past? Is it looking for hidden clues that inform modern comics? Maybe it's all of those things, or none of them. But I enjoy poking around in these old books, no matter how corny they get. Perhaps there's something wrong with me, but I snap them up when they come out.
Publisher: PS ARTBOOKS
SLIPCASE EDITION: Housed in full colour slipcase and limited to 300 copies worldwide. £44.99/$69.99
BOOKSHOP EDITION: 1700 unsigned bookshop copies available. £36.99 / $59.99
More whacked-out weirdness from the days when comicbooks still had an edge and featuring (in issue #3) an appearance from everyone's favourite jungle princess, Rulah (albeit masquerading under the nom du loincloth, Pulah). The line-up includes writer Bruce Hamilton and penciller/inker Steve Ditko. Strange Fantasy was formerly Rocketman (for one issue) and picked up where Rocketman ceased publication. Strange Fantasy is then numbered #2-14 rather than #1-13. Collects issues #1-7, August 1952 to August 1953. The title left newsstands in 1954, the victim of the hearings in the Senate.
This first volume has been meticulously compiled from the original source material and painstakingly digitally restored. Limited to just 2000 copies and split across 2 editions.
RED SONJA #17
Writer: GAIL SIMONE
Art: WALTER GEOVANI
Cover A: JENNY FRISON
Cover B Variant: REBECCA ISAACS
32 pages / Teen + / $3.99
This intense issue finds the She-Devil in the grip of an obsession for revenge that is so all-consuming, she barely recognizes herself! What happens when the mightiest warrior finds the man who destroyed her life? Can even RED SONJA return from darkness this complete? Continuing the suspenseful FORGIVENESS OF MONSTERS storyline, taking Sonja to places she has never, ever been before!
REVIEW
Having been pleasantly pleased by this week's Conan/Red Sonja HC and Conan the Barbarian, I hoped for a hat trick with the latest issue of Red Sonja.
GOOOOOOOOALLLLLL!
I've only read Gail Simone's Sonja intermittently, and already knew that she'd ditched the Marvel origin for the character, with its weird misogynist arrangement where a god (goddess?) told Sonja she could only have sex if she was, essentially, raped. That was, what's the word, uhhhhh ... oh, yeah, awful.
So I know that Sonja's free of all that psychosexual humbuggery, and can have sex if she wants to or not, for either procreation or recreation, or not. That being said, I was a bit shocked to see this book open with Sonja on the back end of an orgy!
Now, hey, I'm not being judge-y. She can have any kind of sex she wants, and before Christianity, there was a lot less shame attached to sex (of all kinds), so why wouldn't Hyborians engage in whatever sex they liked, assuming their own gods were cool with it? So I don't think less of Sonja for having a healthy interest in sex (apparently with both men and women). But my first thought was -- swear to God -- "how does she avoid getting pregnant?" Maybe that's been addressed in one of the books I've missed, but I can't think of anything worse for an itinerant sell-sword.
Having said that, the book progressed in exactly the way I like a Sonja adventure, where she acts smartly and pragmatically -- until, inevitably, she finds herself feeling sorry for the defenseless, which naturally puts here on the wrong side of a lop-sided fight. Oh, Sonja, why do waste so much time pretending you're not going to do the right thing? You always do!
And so stuff happens and there's joy and heartbreak and kindness and cruelty and all the things that make for a good story. It's not what's described in the solicitation above, but perhaps this is just the first chapter in an adventure where the stuff above will eventually happen. Regardless, I'm not complaining about a well-written done-in-one that also sets up future problems.
And finally, and mostly, I have to mention what makes this book (and presumably all Gail Simone-written Sonja books) sparkle: the dialogue. I'm sure Simone has some faults as a writer, but if so I'll never see them, because I'm always so blown away by how much characterization and plot, humor and insight, she packs into every word balloon.
It's really that good. And there isn't a "dog-brother" remark in sight.
RULAH: JUNGLE GODDESS VOL 3
More old stuff! Will buy soonest.
Publisher: PS ARTBOOKS
Writer: ROY THOMAS
SLIPCASE EDITION: Housed in full colour slipcase and limited to 300 copies worldwide. £44.99/$69.99
BOOKSHOP EDITION: 1700 unsigned bookshop copies available. £36.99/$59.99
You know what? I’m packing my bag -- just the essentials, of course -- and preparing to head on out to Darkest Africa (or some such like) 'cos that’s where all the babes hang out ... the latest being Rulah. Rulah first appeared in Zoot Comics #7 back in June 1947 and she’s generally regarded as being the brainchild of Matt Baker and, some time later, Jack Kamen and Ghastly Graham Ingels. Hey, what’s not to like, right? For those interested in such stuff -- okay, okay ... put your hands down! -- Rulah was ranked #79 in Comics Buyer's Guide's "100 Sexiest Women in Comics". All I gotta say here is, I wanna see numbers 1 thru 78!
Includes a special introduction from Hames Ware as well all the original comic stories digitally enhanced and faithfully reproduced. Volume Three features stories from All Top #8-18 (Nov 1947-1949) as well as Tegra/Zegra issues #1-5 (August 1948 to April 1949) and Alani (Seven Seas Comics) Issues #1-6 (1946-1947).
Limited to just 2000 copies and split across 2 editions.
Replies
SABRINA #4
Art/Cover: ROBERT HACK
Carrie Variant Cover: ROBERT HACK
32-page, full color comic, $3.99 U.S.
NEW ONGOING SERIES! Hell hath no fury … It’s Sabrina in the underworld as she and her companions risk everything -- including their immortal souls -- to rescue Harvey’s consciousness, trapped in the Dark Pit. Meanwhile, with Greendale’s most powerful witch missing in action, Madame Satan launches an attack on the Spellman household, but Hilda and Zelda are not helpless, and then of course there’s Cousin Ambrose to contend with … For TEEN+ readers.
REVIEW
How good does writing have to be for me to like a book despite not liking the art? Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is one answer to that question.
Each issue has racheted up the drama in this series, which uses familiar characters in very un-famliar ways. Despite her preposterously fictional situation, Sabrina is convincingly written as a pretty admirable teenager whose choices just keep getting worse and worse. The second appearance of two certain girls from Riverdale suggests they may eventually become supporting characters (which would not be a bad thing). I have no idea where Hilda and Zelda stand on anything, which makes their every appearance pregnant with dramatic -- perhaps lethal -- possibility. And what happens to Harvey Kinkle .... (*shudder*)
But I have to say I do not care for the art. And yet I read Sabrina eagerly whenever it arrives.
So I still don't know exactly where the line is that bad art will make me stop reading a good story in which I'm emotionally invested. But I know I'm still on this side of it with Sabrina.
I hate to say it, but this book, which has been so sincere and un-ironic in its use of Bond-level espionage tropes, has simply reminded me of how ridiculous those tropes are.
Writer/Art/Cover: DES TAYLOR
32PP / FC / $3.99
In this action-packed finale, Scarlett and Trent are imprisoned by the villainous Dante Ramon when they learn of the impending destruction of Las Vegas.
With less than an hour to stop the devastation, Scarlett and her team must do everything they can to save hundreds of thousands of lives, and finally uncover the evil mastermind behind it all.
Scarlett Couture #4 comes with 2 covers to collect.
Writer/Art/Cover: JAY GUNN
32PP / FC / $3.99
• The corals activate – and there's a tsunami on the way!
• Shauna and Shariq uncover the truth about Megumi and Ryan's shock return!
• A monstrous hunter stalks the island – and all anomalies must be purged!
• Death comes to the island – again!
REVIEW
This is the center of the miniseries, so it's a book full of reveals and plot progression. Hard to say anything bad about that, especially given how clever the concepts are.
I've warmed up to the art considerably. The people are still kinda stiff and posed, but Gunn uses today's expanded computer palette purposefully and well. He never overdoes it, he stays clear and focused, and some of the effects he gets when he lets go -- primarily with sea life/monsters -- is virtually iridescent.
Looking forward to what happens next. I hope some of these people survive, but right now it's looking pretty grim for humanity!
Here's another book I failed to get around to in time. Alas, there are only so many hours in a week. But we do have a very nice preview.
Artist: CHRISTOPHER MITTEN
$19.99
CHRISTOPHER MITTEN RETURNS to draw the final volume of the hit sci-fi western epic! Michael, Abi, and Thomas have found A-Ree-Yass-I at last. Now its secrets will be exposed, and the truth of the Big Wet must be told ... but is anyone ready to hear it? Don't miss this explosive conclusion to comics' ultimate post-apocalyptic epic!