BEST BETS
BATMAN ‘66 MEETS GREEN HORNET #1 (DC Comics, $2.99): If you're old enough (or watch Boomerang), you'll know that Green Hornet and Kato guest starred a couple of times on the 1966-68 Batman TV show. (Green Hornet was also a TV show running concurrently on the same network, 1966-67). The first time was only a cameo, but the second time Batman, Green Hornet, Robin and Kato battled Col. Gumm (before, in time-honored fashion, they battled each other). This miniseries acts as a sequel, with now Gen. Gumm the antagonist. Director Kevin Smith and actor/comedian Ralph Garman write the this miniseries, with Batman '66 regular Ty Templeton on art. Should be good.
RISE OF THE MAGI #1 (Image Comics, $3.50): Teased with a zero issue on Free Comic Book Day, Rise of the Magi blends magic, a mystery and a coming-of-age story in a mystic war by Marc Silvestri, one of the Image founders. That last doesn't guarantee a good book, but Silvestri is an excellent artist, and Image has been on a roll with new titles lately.
THE SUPERANNUATED MAN #1 (of 6, $3.99): Ted McKeever is one of the artists whose sketchy linework most people either love or hate. But his stories, always aggressively bizarre, are usually a thoughtful metaphor for the state of man (under all the weirdness). This book appears no different, where he explores "The Other," when The Other is us.
VAMPIRELLA #1 (Dynamite, $3.99): It's Vampirella's 45th anniversary, and Dynamite is celebrating by re-launching the series with horror writer Nancy Collins (Sunglasses After Dark) as writer. Vampirella is a fairly dopey concept that various talented creators have managed to make interesting now and then; Collins may be one of those creators.
The Comics Guide is assembled using the Diamond Comic Distributors Inc. website, as a guide, and is subject to change. Clicking on most images results in a larger image. All information is from Diamond and/or publisher solicitations and press releases, except for random comments by Captain Comics (in blue), and occasional comments by The Baron (in this here purplish color).
AFTERLIFE WITH ARCHIE: ESCAPE FROM RIVERDALE (TPB)
Script: ROBERTO AQUIRRE-SACASA
Art: FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA, JACK MORELLI
Cover: FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA
$17.99 U.S./$19.99 CAN
6 5/8 x 10 3/16”
Trade Paperback, 160 pp, Full Color
When Jughead's beloved pet Hot Dog is killed in a hit and run, Jughead turns to the only person he knows who can help bring back his canine companion -- Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Using dark, forbidden magic, Sabrina is successful and Hot Dog returns to the land of the living. But he's not the same ... and soon, the darkness he brings back with him from beyond the grave begins to spread, forcing Archie and the gang to try to escape Riverdale! Collects issues 1-5 featuring the first storyline "Escape from Riverdale" from the new ongoing TEEN+ comic book horror series Afterlife with Archie.
The scattered issues I've read of Afterlife with Archie have really whetted my appetite for this TPB.
Art: TRACY YARDLEY, JIM AMASH, JACK MORELLI, MATT HERMS
Cover: TRACY YARDLEY
Variant Cover art provided by SEGA
32-page, full color comic, $2.99 US
Knuckles and the Chaotix are back in action! "The Great Chaos Caper" Part Two: The chaos continues with part two of this insane arc! It’s hijinks and high explosives galore with Knuckles caught in the middle of all the action! The Chaotix and the Hooligans are falling over each other to get to a Chaos Emerald -- the key to saving (or dooming) the world! It’s up to Knuckles to power through the madness and complete his own mission, and in his travels, you’ll never believe who he finds! Featuring new cover art from Tracy Yardley and a rad red SEGA Variant cover!
WORLD OF ARCHIE DOUBLE DIGEST #40
Art: HARRY LUCEY, MARTY EPP, BARRY GROSSMAN
Cover: JEFF SHULTZ, BOB SMITH, ROSARIO "TITO" PENA
160-page, full color comic, $3.99 U.S.
Archie’s been commanded from on high (aka his parents) to do some outside chores. This doesn’t go over too well with Veronica, who Archie had to break his plans with. But no chores means no allowance which means no date! When she decides to go out with Reggie instead, will Archie be the better man? Or will he skip out on his responsibilities to win her over? Find out in “Job Well Done” the lead story to this fun-filled double digest!
ANGEL & FAITH SEASON 10 #3
Art: WILL CONRAD
Colors: MICHELLE MADSEN
Variant: CHRIS SAMNEE, JORDIE BELLAIRE
FC, 32 pages, $3.50
Ongoing
New Players, New Rules, New Season!
Angel has found everyone is going to the same person in London’s Magic Town for advice -- and it’s decidedly not him. But she is someone Angel can take partial credit for. … And the pixie menaces have stepped up their muscle with another lady from Angel’s past. Meanwhile, Faith is screwing up. Again.
• Season 10 has just begun -- don’t miss a second!
• Will Conrad (Serenity) returns to the Whedonverse!
• Executive produced by Joss Whedon!
DRAGON AGE LIBRARY EDITION VOL 1 (HC)
Writer: DAVID GAIDER, ALEXANDER FREED
Art: CHAD HARDIN
Colors: MICHAEL ATIYEH
Cover: ANTHONY PALUMBO
FC, 232 pages, $39.99
HC, 9” x 12”
FROM LEAD WRITER DAVID GAIDER!
Helping set the stage for BioWare’s hotly anticipated Dragon Age: Inquisition, this deluxe oversized hardcover collects every Dark Horse Dragon Age comic to date -- The Silent Grove, Those Who Speak and Until We Sleep -- an epic trilogy complete in one volume, written by Dragon Age lead writer David Gaider!
• Prepare for Dragon Age: Inquisition!
• Featuring annotations from the creators!
• An essential addition to the Dragon Age canon!
“The industry needs to take note, if you want to do a comic book video game tie-in; you follow the blueprint that this title has set.” -- Comic Bastards
FEAR AGENT VOLUME 3: THE LAST GOODBYE (2ND PTG TPB)
Pencils/Cover: TONY MOORE
Inks: RICK REMENDER, AND PARKS
Colors: LEE LOUGHRIDGE
FC, 104 pages, $16.99
TPB, 7” x 10”
Fan-favorite creators Rick Remender and Tony Moore reunite to tell the pulse-pounding origin of the last Fear Agent! When Earth is attacked by the three feuding alien races, obliterating almost all life on the planet, weary trucker Heath Huston and his wife Charlotte face a living nightmare! Collects issues #12-15.
• From Rick Remender (Captain America, Uncanny X-Force) and Tony Moore (The Walking Dead)!
• A sci-fi homage to Two-Fisted Tales and the war comics of the EC era.
Art/Cover: ARIEL OLIVETTI
FC, 32 pages, $2.99
Ongoing
A EULOGY FOR GHOST!
While Ghost is out busting Chicago’s scum, her friends discover a eulogy written for Elisa Cameron’s funeral. It speaks of her idyllic childhood ... and a tragic loss of innocence! One woman’s quest for justice comes into focus as past and present meld and the hero now known as Ghost is born!
Kelly Sue DeConnick (Captain Marvel, Avenging Spider-Man) pens a poignant epilogue to the “White City Butcher” arc.
First solicited for April 2. Hey, only two months late -- they're getting better!
LOBSTER JOHNSON: GET THE LOBSTER #4 (of 5)
Writers: MIKE MIGNOLA, JOHN ARCUDI
Art/Cover: TONCI ZONJIC
Colors: DAVE STEWART
FC, 32 pages, $3.99
Miniseries
20 Years of Hellboy!
After shooting a gung-ho NYPD chief right through the head, Lobster heads to the villains’ massive laboratory, where he’s attacked by two huge steampunk cyborgs!
• Art by Tonci Zonjic (Where Is Jake Ellis?)!
“That's weird. That's cool. That's Lobster Johnson.” -- Comics Bulletin
I have no idea why I like Lobster Johnson so much. But I do!
MASS EFFECT FOUNDATION VOL 2 (TPB)
Pencils: MATTHEW CLARK, GARRY BROWN, TONY PARKER
Inks: DREW GERACI, SEAN PARSONS
Colors: MICHAEL ATIYEH
Cover: BENJAMIN CARRE
FC, 120 pages, $16.99
TPB, 7” x 10”
Follow Miranda Lawson and Jacob Taylor as they chase Commander Shepard to the lawless and dangerous Terminus Systems, where no training can prepare them for what they’ll find! Then, join the beautiful and cunning Agent Rasa as she hunts Jack, the lethal biotic powerhouse, and crosses paths with the deadly master assassin Thane Krios! Collects Mass Effect: Foundation #5-8.
Art by Matthew Clark (Supergirl, Ghost Rider), Garry Brown (The Massive), and Tony Parker (X)!
“You definitely should add this to your pull list.” -- Florida Geek Scene
Pencils: STEVE RUDE, PAUL SMITH, ADAM HUGHES
Inks: JOHN NYBERG
Colors: LES DORSHEID
Cover: STEVE RUDE
FC, 440 pages, $24.99
TPB, 6” x 9”
Multiple Eisner Award winner!
When Horatio Hellpop resigns as Nexus, the mantle of cosmic executioner falls to the vengeful and dangerous Loomis sisters. It isn’t long before the amazing power that accompanies the office begins to corrupt Stacy and Michana Loomis, and the nigh-omnipotent Merk must supplant them with a new, nobler host! Collects issues #53-65 of Nexus volume 2 and issues #2-4 of The Next Nexus!
• Features early work from Adam Hughes, Peter David and Phil Hester!
• Over 400 pages!
ROBERT E. HOWARD'S SAVAGE SWORD #8
Writers: JOHN ARCUDI, GARY CHALONER, DAN JOLLEY, ROY THOMAS, PAUL TOBIN
Art: GARY CHALONER, ALBERTO ALBURQUERQUE, FRANCK BIANCARELLI, JOHN BUSCEMA, JOHN NADEAU
Cover: PHILIP TAN
FC, 80 pages, $7.99
Ongoing
Eighty pages of adventure from the mind of pulp master Robert E. Howard! Solomon Kane comes to the rescue in a wolf-infested forest, while Conrad and Kirowan plumb the depths of the supernatural ... plus more pioneering adventures of Breckinridge Elkins and an original Conan story by John Arcudi!
• An original, haunting story of globetrotting adventurers Conrad and Kirowan!
• Featuring adventurous poetry in the tradition of “Solomon Kane’s Homecoming.”
Art/Cover: JANUSZ PAWLAK
FC, 168 pages, $19.99
TPB, 7” x 10”
Steampunk horror from Jai Nitz!
The mechano-samurai Toshiro travels a Victorian clockwork world, battling horrors too dark for mankind. With his mysterious partner, the world-famous adventurer Quicksilver Bob, Toshiro must face Earth’s greatest foe yet: the soul-stealing, zombie-creating jellyfish from beyond.
• Genres collide in this adventure where steam-powered tanks clash with katanas!
• Janusz Pawlak’s jagged inks and moody watercolors create a world of dread and mystery.
• From the critically acclaimed writer of Dream Thief!
Replies
DC COMICS
ACTION COMICS #32
Writer: GREG PAK
Art/Cover: AARON KUDER
DC Collectibles Bombshells Variant: ANT LUCIA
32 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
This issue will ship with two covers.
“SUPERMAN: DOOMED” continues with “ENEMY OF THE STATE” as Superman struggles against the Doomsday virus – but is he losing the fight? How much longer can he stay in control? And how far will he be pushed when he’s faced with a world against him and a shocking betrayal at the end of this issue?
AQUAMAN AND THE OTHERS #3
Writer: DAN JURGENS
Art: LAN MEDINA and ALLEN MARTINEZ
Cover: IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Aquaman learns the secret behind the Atlantean relics The Others use! Plus, a member abandons the team during a deadly battle against the Solokovs!
BATMAN AND ROBIN VOL 3: DEATH OF THE FAMILY (TPB)
Writer: PETER J. TOMASI
Art: PATRICK GLEASON, MICK GRAY and others
Cover by PATRICK GLEASON, MICK GRAY
160 pg, FC, $14.99 US
In the stories from BATMAN AND ROBIN #15-17, BATMAN #17 and BATMAN AND ROBIN ANNUAL #1, Damian battles The Joker -- with catastrophic results! What secrets will be revealed?
BATMAN AND ROBIN VOL. 4: REQUIEM FOR DAMIAN (HC)
Written by PETER J. TOMASI
Art by PATRICK GLEASON, MICK GRAY, CLIFF RICHARDS and MARK IRWIN
Cover by PATRICK GLEASON and MICK GRAY
176 pg, FC, $24.99 US
Spinning out from the tragic death of Damian Wayne in the pages of BATMAN, INCORPORATED, the Dark Knight attempts to cope with the death of not only his partner, Robin, the Boy Wonder, but also his son. Will he be able to deal with his grief on his own, or can he turn to his allies to help him through the pain? This new hardcover collects BATMAN AND ROBIN #18-23.
BATMAN ‘66 MEETS GREEN HORNET #1
Writer: KEVIN SMITH and RALPH GARMAN
Art: TY TEMPLETON
Cover: ALEX ROSS
1:25 Variant cover by MICHAEL ALLRED
32 pg, FC, 1 of 6, $2.99 US • RATED E • Digital first
This issue will ship with two covers.
In 1967, television history was made when two masked crime fighters met in a historic crossover. Now, superstar filmmaker Kevin Smith and actor/comedian Ralph Garman join forces with artist Ty Templeton (BATMAN ’66) to bring these two iconic characters and their famous partners together again. Set in the continuity of that earlier team-up, Batman, The Green Hornet, Robin and Kato must go up against a very different General (formerly Colonel) Gumm. What crime could be so deadly as to force these rivals to put aside their differences and join forces again? And what surprise does Gumm have up his sticky sleeve?
Co-published with Dynamite Entertainment.
BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM – LIVING HELL (DELUXE EDITION HC)
Writer: DAN SLOTT
Art: RYAN SOOK, WADE VON GRAWBADGER and JIM ROYAL
Cover: RYAN SOOK
160 pg, FC, 7.0625” x 10.875”, $22.99 US
ARKHAM ASYLUM: LIVING HELL examines the dark underbelly of Gotham City’s notorious “House of Madness!” Warren White, one of Gotham’s most successful financiers, thought he could beat his jail rap by pleading insanity. Now he’s finding out why you don’t cop an insanity plea in Gotham! Expect appearances by Batman, The Joker, Two-Face, Poison Ivy, Killer Croc, and the rest of Arkham’s regulars -- plus the debut of several new Rogues! Collecting the edgy 6-issue miniseries in hardcover for the first time!
I remember not enjoying this very much when I first read it, but don't remember why. I guess I'll have to re-read it!
BATMAN ETERNAL #9
Writer: SCOTT SNYDER & Various
Art/Cover: GUILLEM MARCH
As the weekly Batman epic continues, the questions continue to mount. In this issue, find out why Batman is in Hong Kong teaming up with Mr. Unknown!
BATWING #32
Writer: JUSTIN GRAY and JIMMY PALMIOTTI
Art: EDUARDO PANSICA and JULIO FERREIRA
Cover: AMANDA CONNER
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
The final showdown between Batwing and Menace is here!
BEFORE WATCHMEN: MINUTEMEN/SILK SPECTRE (TPB)
Writers: DARWYN COOKE, AMANDA CONNER
Art/Cover: DARWYN COOKE, AMANDA CONNER
288 pg, FC, $19.99 US • MATURE READERS
Darwyn Cooke tells the tragic tale of the Minutemen, assembled to fight evil in a world spinning out of control. Can these heroes from completely different backgrounds and with completely different attitudes on crime come together? Or will they fall apart before they begin? Then, Cooke and Amanda Conner take an look at the Silk Spectre’s early years with her overbearing, Superhero mother, chronicling her journey down the winding path toward becoming her own kind of hero. This volume collects BEFORE WATCHMEN: MINUTEMEN 1-6 and BEFORE WATCHMEN: SILK SPECTRE 1-4.
They'll be one of these on sale each week in June.
EARTH 2 #24
Writer: TOM TAYLOR
Art: EDDY BARROWS and EBER FERREIRA
Cover: PHILIP TAN and NORM RAPMUND
DC Collectibles Bombshells Variant: ANT LUCIA
This issue will ship with two covers.
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Aquawoman leads Green Lantern, Hawkgirl and The Flash to battle Beguiler in the middle of the ocean! And Superman makes an unprecedented move that could change the future of Earth 2!
"Aquawoman"? That certainly makes me curious! Is it Mera? Tula? A female version of Arthur? Lagoon Boy's younger sister?
FOREVER EVIL #6 (2ND PTG)
Writer: GEOFF JOHNS
Art/Cover: DAVID FINCH, RICHARD FRIEND
The final fate of Nightwing! The most unlikely of allies have set the Crime Syndicate in their sights -- and they're playing for keeps while the life of a hero hangs in the balance! Plus, the identity of the mysterious man in the hood is finally revealed!
GREEN ARROW #32
Writer: JEFF LEMIRE
Art/Cover: ANDREA SORRENTINO
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
With Seattle under siege and Diggle in the grip of crime lord Richard Dragon, the Queen Legacy must find a way to move on. But is that even possible given the violent aftermath of The Outsiders War? A brand-new storyline and perfect jumping-on point to Lemire and Sorrentino’s popular run, as “Green Arrow: Broken” begins here!
GREEN LANTERN #32
Writer: ROBERT VENDITTI
Art/Cover: BILLY TAN and ROB HUNTER
DC Collectibles Bombshells Variant:ANT LUCIA
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Combo pack edition: $3.99 US
This issue will ship with three covers.
“UPRISING!” part 3! In the midst of a bloody interstellar revolution against the Green Lantern Corps, the Durlans make a move to claim the ultimate position of power for themselves! But the battered Corps' only hope is intel possessed by a sworn enemy, Nol-Anj!
This issue is also offered as a combo pack edition with a redemption code for a digital download of this issue.
HARLEY QUINN #1 (4TH PTG)
Writer: AMANDA CONNER, JIMMY PALMIOTTI
Art: CHAD HARDIN
Cover: AMANDA CONNER
Harley is set to begin her new life, but she needs a job first! Enter the Coney Island Roller Derby! It's game time as Harley sets out to destroy her competition -- literally!
HARLEY QUINN #3 (2ND PTG)
Writer: AMANDA CONNER, JIMMY PALMIOTTI
Art: CHAD HARDIN
Cover: AMANDA CONNER
It's Valentine's Day, and Harley is getting depressed watching happy couples walk by. Will a special gift from Poison Ivy turn things around for Harley?
Evidently this book is selling better than expected.
HELLBLAZER VOL. 8: RAKE AT THE GATES OF HELL (TPB)
Writer: GARTH ENNIS
Art: STEVE DILLON
Cover: CLIFF CHIANG
384 pg, FC, $19.99 US • MATURE READERS
John Constantine heads toward a final showdown with a revenge-crazed Satan during a raging race riot! While trying to save his remaining friends, Constantine has a final reunion with his lost love Kit.
Collects HELLBLAZER #78-83 plus HEARTLAND #1.
Ah, Johnny, we hardly knew ye. Now we have to hang out with your annoying younger brother.
HINTERKIND #8
Writer: Ian Edginton
Art: Francesco Trifogli
Cover: Greg Tocchini
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • MATURE READERS
After being rescued from death’s door by the Ogrekin, Prosper and Jon Hobb find themselves drawn into a murder investigation as the hand of the Vampire Nation moves across the land. Meanwhile, Asa can’t believe his eyes as a familiar face is seemingly back from the dead.
JUSTICE LEAGUE 3000 #7
Writer: KEITH GIFFEN and J.M. DeMATTEIS
Art/Cover: HOWARD PORTER
On sale JUNE 4 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
They’ve been plotting for months, and now Cadmus’ plans come to fruition! The FIVE’s true leader is revealed at last! And The Flash dies -- again! It’s just another a day in the life of the future Justice League.
LOONEY TUNES #219
Writer: IVAN COHEN
Art: ROBERT POPE and SCOTT McRAE
Cover: SCOTT NEELY
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED E
Wile E. Coyote is sure that attending a self-improvement lecture will lead him to glorious victory over the Road Runner. The panels are inspirational, and he knows just the Acme Products to put their ideas into practice! But the featured speaker has other ideas.
THE NEW 52 – FUTURE'S END #5
Writer: BRIAN AZZARELLO, JEFF LEMIRE, DAN JURGENS and KEITH GIFFEN
Art: JESUS MERINO and DAN GREEN
Cover: RYAN SOOK
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Mr. Terrific unveils his latest technical achievement -- but will it take over the DC Universe? Plus, Firestorm’s inner conflict explodes!
Looks like Brother Eye is going to be Mr. T's mistake this time.
STORMWATCH VOL 2 (TPB)
Writer: WARREN ELLIS
Art: TOM RANEY, RANDY ELLIOTT, OSCAR JIMENEZ, BRYAN HITCH, PAUL NEARY and others
Cover: BRYAN HITCH and PAUL NEARY
384 pg, FC, $19.99 US
Warren Ellis concludes his run on Stormwatch by redefining the team and introducing the powerhouse Apollo and brutal Midnighter. But when disaster strikes in the form of alien creatures, can the team survive? Collecting STORMWATCH #48, 49 and #1-11.
STORMWATCH VOL 4: RESET (TPB)
Writer: JIM STARLIN
Art: YVEL GUICHET, LE BEAU UNDERWOOD and others
Cover: JIM STARLIN, ROB HUNTER
272 pg, FC, $19.99 US
On their first off-planet mission, StormWatch has to prove itself, but a run-in with the Kollective threatens to force Stormwatch to seek help from intergalactic criminal Lobo. The power of the Kollective reveals secrets about Midnighter and Apollo’s origins and threaten to destroy Stormwatch from the inside out. Collecting STORMWATCH #19-30!
I'm considering the trade of old Stormwatch, even though I have the single issues found therein. Conversely, I wouldn't buy that new Stormwatch trade with a gun to my head. The New 52 didn't do the WildStorm books many favors.
SWAMP THING #32
Writer: CHARLES SOULE
Art/Cover: JESUS SAIZ
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+
Swamp Thing versus Aquaman! See the other side of the battle that exploded between these two forces of nature last month in AQUAMAN #31! Is Swamp Thing guilty of the crimes Aquaman is accusing him of?
SWAMP THING VOL 4: SEEDER (TPB)
Writer: CHARLES SOULE
Art: KANO, JESUS SAIZ, DAVID LAPHAM, ALVARO LOPEZ
Cover: JOCK
144 pg, FC, $16.99 US
In this new collection of stories from issues #19-23 and SWAMP THING #23.1: ARCANE, Swamp Thing meets the mysterious Capucine and encounters the Sanctuary of the Green Leaves! Then, the mysterious Seeder disturbs the natural order in a small Scottish town that draws the Swamp Thing’s attention -- trouble is, it’s caught the eye of John Constantine as well! Plus, it’s Swamp Thing vs. Superman for the fate of Metropolis!
TINY TITANS: RETURN TO THE TREEHOUSE #1
Writer: ART BALTAZAR and FRANCO
Art/Cover: ART BALTAZAR
O32 pg, FC, 1 of 6, $2.99 US • RATED E
The Eisner Award-winning series is back for an all-new six-issue miniseries! Superboy and Supergirl return to the treehouse to discover … IT’S MISSING! Or is it just … really small? Who could have done such a thing?! Find out as all your favorite Tiny Titans search for answers!
Will the Ray "Tiny Titan" Palmer make the Tiny Titans tinier? That's my guess, anyway. He has to protect his trademark!
TRINITY OF SIN: PHANTOM STRANGER #20
Writer: J.M. DeMATTEIS
Art: FERNANDO BLANCO
Cover: GUILLEM MARCH
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
“The Crack in Creation” concludes! The Spectre arrives to aid the Stranger as Non and Sin Eater threaten to reshape our reality. But can The Spectre be trusted -- or will he sacrifice an entire world to get his revenge on the Phantom Stranger?
THE VAMPIRE DIARIES #6
Writer: COLLEEN DORAN
Art/Cover: COLLEEN DORAN
40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • DIGITAL FIRST
When a house fire takes the life of a Mystic Falls cheerleader, Elena and her friends are skeptical -- after all, Annie’s dad died years before in a fire, too. But when the town police begin to investigate, Stefan Salvatore is drawn into the intrigue as part of a love triangle … and the prime suspect in this grisly murder!
THE WAKE #9
Writer: SCOTT SNYDER
Art: SEAN MURPHY
Cover: ANDREW ROBINSON
32 pg, FC, 9 of 10, $2.99 US • MATURE READERS
A post-apocalyptic USA only partially above sea level, a country overrun by corrupt leaders fearful of horrific mermaids, a voice dredged up from the deep, dark past -- how will all these factors tie together in the acclaimed miniseries by Scott Snyder and Sean Murphy? Will Leeward discover something more to the life she knows out across the vast ocean? Find out in the penultimate issue of THE WAKE!
I read the first trade, and I will undoubtedly get the second, but don't ask me to explain the plot to you. Can't be done.
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA #12
Writer: DAN ABNETT
Art: CEZAR RAZEK
Covers: LIVIO RAMONDELLI
Teen + / 32 pages / $3.99
ON SALE DATE: April 16
A day in the life aboard Galactica ... as seen through the eyes of two of the smallest characters aboard: Boxey and his Daggit! What is life like for an innocent boy growing up in the strange, dangerous, exciting and often lonely world? An unusual and compelling take on life on the Galactica!
A super-special, exclusive Ken Haeser "Li'l BSG" cover, only available to comic shop subscribers and limited to initial orders!
THE BLACK BAT #11
Writer: BRIAN BUCCELLATO
Art: RONAN CLIQUET
Covers: JAE LEE
Subscription Variant: BILLY TAN
Teen + / 32 pages / $3.99
ON SALE DATE: April 2
Black Bat has managed to toe the line throughout his quest for redemption. But when someone close to him dies, will he finally cross that line and become a killer? Also, Oliver Snate's mystery guardian angel pulls back the curtain and finally reveals himself... propelling this story towards its gut-wrenching conclusion.
CAPTAIN ACTION CAT: THE TIMESTREAM CATASTROPHE! #2 (of 4)
Writers: ART BALTAZAR, FRANCO AND CHRIS "ZOD" SMITS
Cover/Art: ART BALTAZAR
All Ages/32 pages/$3.99
ON SALE DATE: May 21
The journey through the TIMESTREAM continues as Captain Action Cat, Khem, Golden Age Action Cat and Dr. Evil Cat spin wildly out of control! Their discombobulated trip takes them to unsuspected lands, unfamiliar places, and the dimension of the fantastic phantom apparition known as The Ghost! Who is she? What's her deal? Is she a Cat person? We sure hope so! Who is trying to possess the ultimate evil anyway? Just when our heroes make sense of things they come face to face with the mysterious man known as "X"! All this and a sample of jungle fury from the cheetah called the Savage Beauty! Be careful not to crush on her ... or she will crush you! From the Eisner award winning cartoonists Art Baltazar and Franco! The awesomeness lies within these pages! Highly recommended by Franco's mom. She says to buy 2. :-D
CHAOS #1 DAVILA COLOR STEAMPUNK RARE REORDER
$3.99
CHAOS! #2 (of 6)
Writer: TIM SEELEY (Batman: Eternal)
Art: MIRKA ANDOLFO
Cover: EMANUELA LUPACCHINO
Variant Cover A: TIM SEELEY
Variant Cover B: NEI RUFFINO
Retailer Incentive Variant #1: EMANUELA LUPACCHINO (“Black and White” Line Art)
Retailer Incentive Variant #2: NEI RUFFINO (“Black and White” Line Art)
Retailer Incentive Variant #3: TIM SEELEY (“Black and White” Line Art)
Subscription Variant: CARLOS RAFAEL (Chastity)
32 pages/Teen +/$3.99
ON SALE DATE: June 4
The hunt is on as the Chosen kids raise the dead in the search for Evil Ernie. Chastity revolts against Purgatori, leading to a vampire catfight to end all vampire catfights.
DOC SAVAGE #6
Writer: CHRIS ROBERSON
Art: BILQUIS EVELY
Covers: ALEX ROSS
Teen +/32 pages/$3.99
ON SALE DATE: May 14
As the millennium draws to a close in 2000, Doc Savage's operation has expanded into a world-wide network of call centers and helpdesks, enabling him to assist more people than ever. But when a terrorist organization hacks into Doc's servers and cripples the infrastructure with a malicious virus, countless lives are put at risk. And as planes begin to fall from the skies, can even the Man of Bronze save them all?
JIM BUTCHER’S DRESDEN FILES: WAR CRY #1 (OF 6)
Dynamite Entertainment is pleased to announce plans and publication details for the next all-new, original comic-book series based on New York Times Bestselling author Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files: War Cry!
In War Cry, four months have passed since the events depicted in Dead Beat, the 7th novel in the Dresden Files series. A war is raging between the vampire forces of the Red Court and the White Council -- a war the wizards are losing. So desperate are the Council that they've dragooned the experienced and the outcast to reinforce their thinning ranks of Wardens. One of these draftees is one Harry Dresden, Chicago's only wizard for hire and a guy who's long been looked upon with suspicion by the supernatural authorities. Now, he's one of them, and his first big mission as a Warden is a doozy: Take a small team of greenhorns to a frigid town in the middle of nowhere to rescue a handful of mortals who've been targeted by the Red Court. The question is, why exactly are these particular mortals so crucial to the outcome of the war? The answer will come only if Harry can keep them, and his team, alive for one very long night.
"The greatest frustration about writing the Dresden Files is all the stories I come up with that are too small or too straightforward to write into a novel," says acclaimed novelist Jim Butcher. "One of the great pleasures I've had as a writer is getting the opportunity to tell some of those stories in a short-story format, and in graphic novels like this one! WAR CRY is one of the stories I always wanted to tell but never got the chance to in the context of the novels, and I'm extremely pleased with how well it's coming out."
War Cry is co-written by Jim Butcher and Mark Powers. Fans are in for a visual treat with this newest series, as the amazing Stjepan Sejic (Witchblade, Ravine) has signed on to do covers. Carlos Gomez (Deadpool, Pathfinder) is handling the interior art on the series, and has been delivering stunning pages from day one.
"I'm very excited to once again play a part in bringing the world of the Dresden Files to comics -- and to be working with someone as talented as Carlos," says series writer Mark Powers. "War Cry will show some aspects of the war with the Red Court fans haven't glimpsed before, and it's packed with intense moments and great visuals. I hope fans enjoy it as much as I do."
Says series artist Carlos Gomez: "I'm new to the whole world of the Dresden Files, but I have been having so much fun drawing this book so far, and I hope that comes through in my pages. Such great characters and action … it's been amazing … and I'm only on the first issue!"
"This series has got me psyched," says Dresden Files series Editor Rich Young. "We're jumping forward to a new time frame in Harry's life, and he's interacting with people that we've never seen visually depicted before, such as the wardens, which is quite cool. Jim's story is intense, scary, and will keep you on the edge of your seat. Plus I've wanted to work with Carlos on a longer-term project for a while now, and finally getting a chance here!"
War Cry #1 ships shortly after the much-anticipated new novel in the Dresden Files series, Skin Game, published by Roc Books and releasing in stores everywhere May 27. The graphic novel collection of War Cry will be shipping later this year from Dynamite.
VAMPIRELLA #1
Writer: NANCY A. COLLINS
Art: PATRICK BERKENKOTTER
Main Cover: TERRY DODSON
Variant Cover: JENNY FRISON
Variant Cover: ART ADAMS
Variant Cover: JAY ANACLETO
Variant Cover: JOE JUSKO
Subscription Variant: STEPHANIE BUSCEMA
Retailer Incentive Variant #1: JACK JADSON ("Homage")
Retailer Incentive Variant #2: SERGIO FERNANDEZ DAVILA ("Steampunk")
Retailer Incentive Variant #3: MIMI YUNE
Retailer Incentive Variant #4: KEN HAESER ("Li'l Vampi")
Retailer Incentive Variant #5: KEN HAESER ("Li'l Vampi" variant)
Retailer Shared Variant: SERGIO FERNANDEZ DAVILA
Blank Authentix Variant
32 pages/Teen +/$3.99
ON SALE DATE: June 4
Celebrating Vampirella’s 45th anniversary! In FEAST OF SHADOWS, the first in the six-part OUR LADY OF SHADOWS story arc. Vampirella is sent by the Vatican to investigate the kidnapping of a little girl by Ethan Shroud and the Chaos cultists, only to become the centerpiece of a ritual invoking Lady Umbra, the sister-bride of Chaos, that leaves her marked as a living sacrifice to the dark goddess who rules the shadows. VAMPIRELLA is back and returns to her horror roots with Bram Stoker Award-winning author Nancy A. Collins (Swamp Thing, Sunglasses After Dark, Jason vs. Leatherface) and Patrick Berkenkotter (Avengers/Invaders, Red Sonja).
Dynamite is proud to announce that Nancy A. Collins, the author of Sunglasses After Dark and Vamps, will revive the iconic horror series Vampirella with a #1 issue in June. Collins will be joined by talented artist Patrick Berkenkotter (Avengers/Invaders) for the new ongoing series. Superstar illustrator Terry Dodson will provide the main cover, while a veritable who's who of industry talent will provide variant collectible covers.
"I'm very excited about taking over the reins on Vampirella," says Nancy Collins. "I've really been enjoying myself so far. In celebration of her 45th anniversary, I'm returning the book's focus to its horror roots and giving Vampirella a slightly darker edge. Dynamite has been wonderful to work with, and have given me a great deal of support. It's been some time since I last wrote for comics, and it feels great to be back!"
As the debut "Our Lady of Shadows" story arc begins, supernatural heroine Vampirella is sent by the Vatican to investigate the kidnapping of a little girl by the Cult of Chaos... only to become the centerpiece of a ritual invoking Lady Umbra, the sister-bride of Chaos. Of the fateful repercussions, Collins says, "Vampirella's life is turned completely upside down, and she finds herself having to team up with the strangest bedfellow imaginable in order to battle both a demonic threat and an elite Vatican hit-squad."
Nancy A. Collins has spent the last twenty years writing novels, short stories, and comic books for fans of the supernatural, paranormal, and fantastical. Her prose works include Sunglasses After Dark, featuring punk vampire slayer Sonja Blue, the YA series Vamps, a collection of Weird Western tales called Dead Man's Hand, and a collection of Southern Gothic stories entitled Knuckles & Tales. Her comic book work includes Swamp Thing, Jason vs. Leatherface, Machina Jones, and Predator: Hell Come A'Walkin.
Artist Patrick Berkenkotter is a staple of Dynamite Entertainment, having contributed artwork to such titles as Red Sonja, Dark Shadows/Vampirella, Project: Superpowers, and two Dynamite/Marvel crossovers, Avengers/Invaders and The Torch. "I cannot sing Vampirella artist Patrick Berkenkotter's praises loudly of often enough," says Collins. "His pencils are spectacular, and he's able to make her sexy, menacing, and bad-ass all at the same time. I think the fans are going to be pleased with his work when they pick up Vampirella #1, and I hope they take me to heart as well."
"My first exposure to Nancy's writing was in the pages of Swamp Thing, and I've always remembered her run. When Gail (Simone) suggested Nancy to write one of the anniversary stories in Legends of Red Sonja, it was a great reminder of how good of a writer Nancy is. As we were prepping for Vampirella's relaunch, and were discussing potential writers, Joe (Rybandt, Sr. Editor) commented that since we all liked Nancy's Red Sonja story, why not approach her. The rest, as they say, is history. Patrick illustrating Nancy's story, and Terry Dodson coming on board as the main cover artist really compliment the series as we go in to Vampirella's 45th Anniversary. I'm confident that fans are going to love Nancy's take on Vampirella, and be in it for the long haul. It's that damn good." States Dynamite CEO/Publisher Nick Barrucci.
Dynamite will celebrate the new Vampirella series with a variety of cover options, including a Main cover by Terry Dodson (X-Men, Wonder Woman), Retailer Incentive covers by Jenny Frison, Sergio Fernandez Davila, Jack Jadson, Mimi Yoon, Ken Haeser, and a Subscription cover by Stephanie Buscema dedicated to those hardcore fans who place preorders with their local comic retailers. Sergio Fernandez Davila (Legenderry: A Steampunk Adventure) has also created a Retailer Exclusive Variant image that can be tailored to promote individual comic shops.
Vampirella #1 will be solicited in Diamond Comic Distributors' April Previews catalog, the premiere source of merchandise for the comic book specialty market, and slated for release in June 2014. Comic book fans are encouraged to reserve copies of Vampirella with their local comic book retailers. Vampirella will also be available for individual customer purchase through digital platforms courtesy of Comixology, iVerse, and Dark Horse Digital.
Needless to say, Cover #7 is an homage to Warren's Vampirella (magazine) #1.
IDW PUBLISHING
It's a light week for IDW, mainly because 10 of the titles Diamond listed May 24 as coming June 4 were yanked off the list by May 31. I'm not criticizing, I'm just reporting what I observe.
G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO #203
Writer: LARRY HAMA
Art/Cover: S L GALLANT
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
While G.I. JOE continues to adjust to their new circumstances, COBRA COMMANDER begins making his play to unite COBRA. However, his serpentine plot has many twists and turns, and with ZARTAN, DESTRO and BARONESS in the mix, the results may be unexpected -- and dangerous! All the pieces fall into place in G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #203!
Larry Hama sketch variant cover!
G.I. JOE: ORIGINS OMNIBUS VOL 1
Writers: LARRY HAMA, CHUCK DIXON, J.T. KRUL, MARC ANDREYKO
Art: MIKE HAWTHORNE, TOM FEISTER, AGUSTIN PADILLA, RICK KETCHAM, ALEX CAL, ANDREA MUTTI, KLAUS SCHERWINSKI, BEN TEMPLESMITH
Cover: ANDREA DI VITO
TPB • FC • $24.99 • 296 pages • 6" x 9"
A new era calls for a new type of fighting force. It's a time of wars fought in city streets and back alleys, not on open battlefields. Read from the beginning, as the team known as G.I. JOE, is formed to deal with this new breed of warfare.
Collects issues #0–12 of G.I. JOE: Origins.
JUDGE DREDD: MEGA-CITY TWO #1: DIRECTOR'S CUT
Writer: DOUGLAS WOLK
Art/Cover: ULISES FARINAS
FC • 48 pages • $4.99
Mega-City Two has been drawing praise from comic critics and longtime fans alike. Now, in celebration of this acclaimed miniseries, we are proud to release a special Director's Cut of the first issue, which includes all of the covers along with the comic's script, plus annotations and sketches, giving a rare insight into the inner workings of a comic book from initial thought to publication. Join series writer Douglas Wolk and artist Ulises Farinas as we reprise their story of Dredd's first visit to the West Coast!
Ever wanted to see the inner workings of a comic? This Director's Cut contains the entire script from the first issue!
THE MAXX: MAXXIMIZED #8
Writers: SAM KIETH, WILLIAM MESSNER-LOEBS
Art/Cover: SAM KIETH
Recolored Subscription Variant: SAM KIETH
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Maxx and Pitt continued: In the Outback, an oversized Julie gets aggressive with a tiny and annoying Mr. Gone -- which brings her one step closer to revealing the possible source or her trauma. while Maxx and Pitt managed to use old VHS tapes to restrain the berzerk Isz. Meanwhile, Sarah confronts a Horse who speaks to her on the side of a building.
Featuring an all-new cover by Sam Kieth!
SAMURAI JACK VOL 1: THE THREADS OF TIME (TPB)
Writer: JIM ZUB
Art/Cover: ANDY SURIANO
TPB • FC • $19.99 • 120 pages
The legendary samurai known only as “Jack” is stranded in a strange future ruled by the demonic wizard, Aku. His quest to return back to the past has tested him many times, but now the stakes are higher than ever. Can an ancient relic known as the Rope of Eons finally take him home? Collects issues #1-5.
"By combining their reverence for the source material with a strong desire to move it forward, they've created a new beginning for a character with a considerable history and made it an excellent jumping on point for new and old fans alike." -- Newsarama
This cover looks really familiar, but the closest I could come were the three below. I guess it's a familiar construction.
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #34
Writers: TOM WALTZ, KEVIN EASTMAN
Art: MATEUS SANTOLOUCO
Cover: MATEUS SANTOLOUCO, KEVIN EASTMAN
Variant: XURXO PENALTA
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Trying to figure out a way to thwart Krang’s Earth-ravaging monstrosity, the Technodrome, Don seeks the help of his genius (but cranky) friend, Harold. Unfortunately Harold has his hands full with his newest invention -- the robotic turtle Metalhead!
The first IDW appearance of the fan-favorite character Metalhead!
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES VOL 8: NORTHAMPTON
Writer: TOM WALTZ, KEVIN EASTMAN
Art/Cover: ROSS CAMPBELL
TPB • FC • $17.99 • 104 pages
Recovering from the events of "City Fall," the Turtles seek sanctuary in the countryside but struggle with unanswered questions and tension within the family. Each Turtle deals with the new status quo in his own way, and each feels lost. Can they find their way to being a family again as the past haunts them -- and then hunts them down?
Collects issues #29–32.
THE X-FILES ART GALLERY #1
Art: CAT STAGGS, JOE CORRONEY, CHRIS MASON, MIRAN KIM, MARK MCHALEY and more
Cover: MARK MCHALEY
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
This special ad-free issue presents new portraits of all your favorite X-Files agents, aliens, shadowy figures, and friends and enemies, all rendered by the dynamic hands of a wide array of talented artists!
IMAGE COMICS
‘68: RULE OF WAR #3
Story: MARK KIDWELL
Art: JEFF ZORNOW & JAY FOTOS
Cover A: NAT JONES & JAY FOTOS
Cover B: TIM VIGIL & JAY FOTOS / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99
Face-to-face with the psychopath that murdered his only son, CIA Agent Declan Rule learns the meaning of pain at the turn of a scalpel’s blade. An abandoned airstrip in Vietnam introduces Kuen Yam and his followers to the unlikely agents of Heaven and in New Jersey. The Kuens’ desperate journey downriver delivers them into the hands of a madman.
BURN THE ORPHANAGE: REIGN OF TERROR #2 (OF 5)
Story: DANIEL FREEDMAN & SINA GRACE
Art / Cover A: SINA GRACE
Cover B: EMI LENOX
32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.50
Tensions are rising as Rock’s distrust for Izabel splits the rebel group in two. With resources dwindling and spirits descending, MannCorp’s assault-bots will have an easy time picking the team off unless they can find a way to work together.
CLONE #17
Story: DAVID SCHULNER, AARON GINSBURG, & WADE MCINTYRE
art / cover: JUAN JOSE RYP & ANDY TROY
32 PAGES / FC / M / $2.99
As the Coalition’s anti-clone agenda grows stronger, one man adopts a grass-roots approach: knocking bigots’ teeth out!
THE DARKNESS: CLOSE YOUR EYES (ONE-SHOT)
Story: ALES KOT
Art / Cover: MAREK OLEKSICKI
32 PAGES / FC / T+ / $2.99
Ales Kot (ZERO, WILD CHILDREN) joins Maro Oleksicki (Judge Dredd, Predator, Books of Magic) to deliver THE DARKNESS: CLOSE YOUR EYES. Readers of THE DARKNESS, WITCHBLADE and ARTIFACTS will enjoy this special glimpse into Estacado’s past.
Los Angeles more than a hundred years ago: a different place, yet the sun still burns and the oilfields still flow.
"This is a story no one told before,” said Kot. “This is a missing piece of the puzzle that is The Darkness."
This is a story of another Estacado. This is a story of love. This is a story of death. Perfect for readers interested in jumping onto the long-running series or curious about the Top Cow Universe, THE DARKNESS: CLOSE YOUR EYES provides the perfect sampler.
One of the problems with positing ancient entities that have been meddling in human affairs for millennia is ... why haven't we heard about them before? Maybe stories like this will explain how The Darkness, Witchblade, Angelus and so forth have never let their presence be known before.
DREAM POLICE #2
Story: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Art / Cover A: SID KOTIAN & BILL FARMER
Cover B: ANNA DITTMAN
32 PAGES / FC / M / $2.99
Dream Police Lieutenants Joe Thursday and Katie Black have always been partners. At least, that's what they both remember. But if that's true, why does Joe keep having recurring visions of a partner he never had? Is it just his imagination? With the Dreamscape constantly on the verge of destruction, what difference can one man's memory really make? The answer may be more important than any of them can guess.
FIVE GHOSTS #12
Story: FRANK J. BARBIERE
Art/Cover: CHRIS MOONEYHAM
32 PAGES / FC / T+ / $2.99
"LOST COASTLINES," Conclusion
In the midst of a battle against his greatest foe, Fabian is faced with an impossible decision! Who will survive the Island of Dreams?
This cover resembles a number of covers Neal Adams did. He appears to have liked this arrangement, and there's probably an exact copy I didn't think of. I could swear I can remember Green Lantern in that pose ... maybe an interior scene?
Now for the previews!
FIVE WEAPONS #9
Story/Art/Cover: JIMMIE ROBINSON
32 PAGES / FC / T / $3.50
"BACK TO CLASS," Part Four
Enrique, Principal O, and the Nurse unleash a full assault against Tyler in order to regain power of the school clubs. But Tyler isn’t going down without a fight because he has a secret weapon of his own: the fastest animal on earth ... Principal Z’s cheetah.
GREAT PACIFIC #15
Story: JOE HARRIS
Art/Cover A: MARTÍN MORAZZO
Cover B: STEVE ROLSTON
32 PAGES / FC / M / $2.99
"BIG GAME HUNTER," Part One
New Texas is growing, along with tensions between Chas Worthington's people and the nuclear-armed 'Little Chief,' whose mysterious band of outlaw tribesmen also call 'The Pack' their home. But when a hunter of weapons and men comes hunting both, Chas will have to pick sides ... and risk a civil war!
Special "Yalafi" variant cover by STEVE ROLSTON!
MADAME FRANKENSTEIN #2 (OF 7)
Story: JAMIE S. RICH
Art: MEGAN LEVENS
Cover: JOELLE JONES & NICK FILARDI
32 PAGES / BW / T+ / $2.99
Now that he has built his creature, Vincent has to start teaching her how to be a lady. Meanwhile, his rival, feeling guilty over the death of their mutual love, begins to investigate what’s going on down at the lab.
MORNING GLORIES VOL 7 (TPB)
Story: NICK SPENCER
Art: JOE EISMA
Cover: RODIN ESQUEJO
120 PAGES / FC / T+ / $14.99
Collects MORNING GLORIES #35-38
The Truants are back in class, and that means new mysteries abound! And whatever happened to Abraham? The answer to that question and more as Season Two races on! Collects the suspense-filled arc "Honors."
NAILBITER #1 (2ND PTG)
Story: JOSHUA WILLIAMSON
Art / Cover: MIKE HENDERSON
32 PAGES / FC / M / $2.99
A killer success!
Joshua Williamson (GHOSTED) and Mike Henderson's (MASKS AND MOBSTERS) new series, NAILBITER, is already causing insomnia and nightmares industry-wide. The newly-released horror suspense series was announced at Image Expo in January and generated early comparisons to Twin Peaks and The Silence of the Lambs. It has sold out at the distributor level and is slated for a second printing.
Praise for NAILBITER:
“If Josh died I wish he’d leave Nailbiter to me in his will so I could say it was my idea.” -- Scott Snyder (WYTCHES, Batman, American Vampire)
“Prepare your cuticles for this masterful bit of horror.” -- David Pepose, Newsarama
“In the end, Nailbiter stands on a premise so instantly enticing that you can almost see the movie trailer.” -- Robert Tutton, PASTE Magazine
“Nailbiter will get under your skin. That's where it's most comfortable. It'll fill you with a vague sense of dread as it drags you into the fascinating world of serial killers. It'll hold you tightly in its grip and compel you to think about the more unsettling parts of human existence. It's chilling, unique, and a total revelation for horror comics.” -- Zac Thompson, Bloody Disgusting
NAILBITER #2
Story: JOSHUA WILLIAMSON
Art / Cover: MIKE HENDERSON
32 PAGES / FC / M / $2.99
Officer Nicolas Finch doesn’t care about Buckaroo, Oregon’s serial killers or its secrets -- he just wants to find his missing friend. With time running out he turns to the one man who has all the answers ... the infamous Nailbiter!
ONE-HIT WONDER #3 (of 5)
Story: FABRICE SAPOLSKY
Art/Cover: ARIEL OLIVETTI
32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.50
The shocking events of last issue have left Richie angrier than ever. He's determined to find who has targeted someone very close to him. His journey only begins and on the way, he'll cross paths with an old friend, a pretender, a dead guy with weird tattoos and a human bomb!
" ... he'll cross paths with an old friend, a pretender, a dead guy with weird tattoos and a human bomb!"
Hey, it's the Freedom Fighters! Old friend: Uncle Sam! Pretender: Phantom Lady! Weird Tattoos: Black Condor! Human bomb: Human Bomb!
OK, it won't be the Freedom Fighters. But it would probably be better story if it was!
PROTECTORS INC. VOL. 1 (TPB)
Story: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Art / Cover: GORDON PURCELL & MICHAEL ATIYEH
JUNE 4 / 160 PAGES / FC / M / $12.99
Collects PROTECTORS, INC. #1-6
Chicago is home base for Protectors Inc., a corporation renting out super-powered men and women as franchises and heroes and spokespersons ... making money and enjoying prestige and power in a world without super-powered bad guys. But when one of the Protectors is found murdered, the trail begins to lead back to one of his other teammates. None of them want to consider the possibility that one of their own has turned to the dark side ... so it falls to Lieutenant Detective John Riley to follow the evidence wherever it goes. His journey will take him into a maze of secrets going back over seventy years, to the creation of the very first Protector ... and a killer whose identity may threaten the very existence of Protectors Inc.
This mystery will unfold in PROTECTORS, INC. VOLUME 1 by J. Michael Straczynski (TEN GRAND, SIDEKICK) and Gordon Purcell (Star Trek), a graphic novel collecting the first half of the latest Joe’s Comics series published by Image.
At the heart of the mystery is the origin of the Protectors’ powers. Endowed with super-human abilities during World War II, they are nevertheless ignorant of the source of their power.
“That there have never been any bad guys with powers seems to indicate that whatever entered the world that day during WW2 is being very selective in terms of who gets those abilities,” Straczynski explained in an interview at Newsarama. “The question, of course, is ... is that true, or is it simply a cover for something else? Is there a conspiracy at the center of Protectors Inc. that has been there almost from day one? If so, they've been able to cover it up pretty well, and might be able to do so indefinitely ... unless something goes terribly wrong.”
Standing in the way of Detective John Riley’s investigation of the murder is the very company the Protectors thought existed to safeguard their interests: Protectors, Inc. Detective Riley will have to delve deep and keep out of the crosshairs of one of the most powerful corporations in the country to discover the truth.
PROTECTORS, INC. VOLUME 1 merges the hope and exuberance of Golden Age superhero comics with the darker explorations of the genre in books like Watchmen. It will be in comic book stores on June 4 and bookstores on June 17 and is available for pre-order now.
Praise for PROTECTORS, INC.:
“... a prime showcase of exemplary collaboration in creating not only a fascinating world but a resonant social satire.” -- Meagan Damore, Comic Book Resources
'“If you are looking for a change of pace from the primary hero fare and want something a little different, yet with some elements that you like, then Protectors, Inc. is right up your alley. If you don’t like superhero stories and prefer more hard hitting drama, then Protectors, Inc. also meets that need. Finally, if you just want a good and entertaining story with superb writing and art, we’ll Protectors, Inc. meets that too. It’s a comic that will not disappoint in any areas.” -- James Anders II, Comic Bastards
RISE OF THE MAGI #1
Story / Cover A: MARC SILVESTRI
Art / Cover C: SUMEYYE KESGIN
Cover B: STJEPAN SEJIC
Cover D (Retailer Incentive): MARC SILVESTRI
32 PAGES / FC / T+ / $3.50
The world as we know it is at risk because the world we don’t see -- the one that makes ours possible -- is on the brink of destruction. From Top Cow Productions, Image Comics founder and partner Marc Silvestri (THE DARKNESS, WITCHBLADE, CYBER FORCE) and artist Sumeyye Kesgin present a new ongoing fantasy adventure series set in both the worlds -- magical and mundane -- in which we live.
A small black sphere contains all the magic that exists -- past, present, and future. Without it, two worlds would not survive. But someone has done the unimaginable: stolen a piece of the sphere and fled from the world of magic into the world of man.
Now only the very common Asa Stonethrow can find him. Asa thought saving two worlds was great enough a burden … until he meets a girl.
“The unfamiliar, the uncomfortable, and the things that scare us are what make us grow as people,” said Silvestri. “It’s safe then to say that in Rise of the Magi, Asa and a cast of characters both strange and familiar, will be doing a lot of growing.”
The Magi are awake and they are legion, and only seven magicians, sorcerers, thieves and killers can stop them. But as Asa will soon find out that there truly is no honor among thieves.
SPAWN #244
story: TODD MCFARLANE
art: SZYMON KUDRANSKI
cover: SZYMON KUDRANSKI & TODD MCFARLANE
32 PAGES / FC / T+ / $2.99
After seeking out answers about Sara’s whereabouts, Jim leaves the individual responsible, but not without sending a message. Will he make it to Sara’s aid in time?
THE SUPERANNUATED MAN #1 (of 6)
Story / Art / Cover: TED MCKEEVER
32 PAGES / BW / M $3.99 / GOLDEN AGE FORMAT
Ted McKeever (MINIATURE JESUS, Metropol) introduces a chilling dystopia in THE SUPERANNUATED MAN, the first of a six-issue miniseries from Shadowline.
By the time most people realized it, they were no longer in charge of the world we know. In an unspecified future, the small seaside town of Blackwater has now been taken over by advanced and mutated animals. Most of the humans that lived there are now either dead or gone, but one old man remains -- a man called HE -- who scavenges off the scraps and refuse of humanity’s past on the outskirts of Blackwater, and doggedly defies the new tenants.
HE lives a life of solitude in Blackwater is a seaside town bordered by a carbon sea of inky blackness, and populated by animals that have been mutated for reasons connected to the sea. “But it's the animals who are threatened by something they do not understand completely. And for years, there has been a growing inferiority tone of indifference and distrust towards him because of his aloof and self-sustaining ‘humanity,’” revealed McKeever. “He is the unknown. An outsider who refuses to join in. He will not conform to their rules. And what they can't understand, or bend to their ways, they will crush.”
THE WALKING DEAD, VOL. 4 SPANISH LANGUAGE EDITION (TPB)
Story: ROBERT KIRKMAN
Art: CHARLIE ADLARD & CLIFF RATHBURN
Cover: TONY MOORE
136 PAGES / BW / M / $14.99
Collects THE WALKING DEAD #19-24
Available for the first time in the US, the fourth volume of THE WALKING DEAD saga is presented in Spanish.
Me temo que los muertos. Me temo que los vivos mas!
WITCHBLADE #175
Story: RON MARZ
Art / Cover A: LAURA BRAGA
Cover B: JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
Cover C: MICHAEL TURNER
48 PAGES / FC / T+ / $5.99
DOUBLE-SIZED ANNIVERSARY ISSUE!
Starting a new storyline, the team of writer RON MARZ and artist LAURA BRAGA continue their acclaimed run, providing an entry point for new readers, as well as a celebration of all that's gone before. Also features a second story by MARZ & BRAGA, revealing a previously untold tale of the Witchblade in feudal Japan, as well as other bonus features.
Man, this John Byrne hand is getting a workout these days, isn't it?
MARVEL COMICS
ALL-NEW X-FACTOR #9
Writer: PETER DAVID
Art: CARMINE DI GIANDOMENICO
Cover: KRIS ANKA & JARED FLETCHER
• The team faces unexpected consequences for “saving” a young girl.
• Plus: Gambit does something naughty.
32 PGS./Rated T+/$3.99
Is this really cover material?
AMAZING X-MEN #8
Writers: CRAIG KYLE, CHRIS YOST
Art/Cover: ED MCGUINNESS
32 PGS./Rated T+/$3.99
New Creative Team! Fan-favorite X-writers Craig Kyle and Chris Yost join blockbuster artist Ed McGuinness for an all-new arc of Marvel mutant mayhem in AMAZING X-MEN #8!
Though Nightcrawler has returned to them, there is no rest for the X-Men. A return trip to Canada leads Wolverine to a hairy situation as the search for a missing friend brings him face to face with a horde of bloodthirsty Wendigo! One Wendigo is enough to stop even the strongest heroes dead in their tracks. What hope to the X-Men have against an entire army? Even the combined strength of the X-Men and guest stars Alpha Flight may still not be enough to stop the coming assault! Don’t miss both teams prepare for battle as the pulse-pounding new ‘World War Wendigo’ arc kicks off this June in AMAZING X-MEN #8!
Without his healing factor, Wolverine is just a little guy with claws. He might even be a liability.
AMAZING X-MEN ANNUAL #1
Writer: MONTY NERO
Art/Cover: SALVADOR LARROCA
40 PGS./Rated T+/$4.99
• Storm and the Amazing X-Men go to Africa!
• A death in Storm’s family sheds light on a new threat to the X-Men!
AVENGERS WORLD #7
Writer: NICK SPENCER
Art: STEFANO CASELLI
Cover: MARK BROOKS
• What is SPEAR? Who are The Ascendant?
• In the face of an ancient evil, a rising super-power answers the call.
32 PGS./Rated T+/$3.99
BLACK WIDOW #7
Writer: NATHAN EDMONDSON
Art/Cover: PHIL NOTO
32 PGS./Rated T+/$3.99
“Fog of War”
Natasha returns to San Francisco
I SOOOOO want the first trade! You hear me, Amazon? Ship it, already!
CAPTAIN AMERICA #21
Writer: RICK REMENDER
Art/Cover: NIC KLEIN
32 PGS./Rated T/$3.99
• This is it, the one you don’t want to miss: The beginning of the end of Steve Rogers!
• The Iron Nail breaks Captain America!
• Steve Rogers lays a final sacrifice on the altar of freedom.
Wait, didn't Steve Rogers die once already in recent memory? They should try something new!
CYCLOPS #2
Writer: GREG RUCKA
Art: RUSSELL DAUTERMAN
Cover: ALEXANDER LOZANO
Variant: TBA
32 PGS./Rated T+/$3.99
• A father and son mend fences the best way possible -- on an intergalactic road trip!
• Stop one? The spectacular resort world of Dixzit, where Scott flirts with aliens. Badly!
• But what’s the dark secret of Dixzit? Greg Rucka (PUNISHER) and Russel Dauterman (Nightwing) uncover the clues!
Teenagers flirting. Ugh.
Come to think of it, It's not much prettier when adults do it.
Flirting. Ugh.
INDESTRUCTIBLE HULK VOL. 4: HUMANITY BOMB PREMIERE (HC)
Writer: MARK WAID
Pencils: MAHMUD ASRAR, CLAY MANN & JHEREMY RAAPACK
Cover: MAHMUD ASRAR
144 PGS./Rated T/$24.99
INHUMANITY tie-in! Bruce Banner has been recruited to save the planet! But who is working against him? As the Hulk battles Iron Man and the Beast for the fate of the world, one of Banner’s lab assistants has fallen to the Terrigen Mists! And as the danger escalates, will Banner’s other assistants make it out alive? An enraged Banner has one last chance to prevent Terrigenesis -- but the Hulk has unleashed a menace even worse than the Mists, and it’s brought Banner straight into an assassin’s crosshairs! Plus: Before Bruce Banner and Tony Stark became heroes, they built weapons. But who inspired them? S.H.I.E.L.D. sends Hulk and Iron Man to retrieve the world’s greatest weapons designer, but will they come back as weapons of mass destruction themselves? Collecting INDESTRUCTIBLE HULK #16, #17.INH-18.INH, #19-20 and ANNUAL #1.
"One of Banner’s lab assistants has fallen to the Terrigen Mists! And as the danger escalates, will Banner’s other assistants make it out alive?"
Didn't care about Banner's assistants when they were introduced, don't care about 'em now.
I bow to no man in my admiration for Mark Waid's work, but the "introduce a bunch of secondary characters all at once" trick never works. The reader never thinks of them as anything but a unit, and never cares about any of them individually, no matter what personality tics are attached.
My first thought when they were introduced was, and I am not kidding, "Gee, I wonder which one will turn traitor/get killed first?" That's because I thought of them as plot devices, not characters. And I still do. The sooner they're all dead, the better.
INHUMANITY (HC)
Written by MATT FRACTION, KELLY SUE DECONNICK, WARREN ELLIS, BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS, MARK WAID, JONATHAN HICKMAN, KIERON GILLEN, MATT KINDT, SAM HUMPHRIES, AL EWING & CHRISTOS GAGE
Penciled by MATTEO BUFFAGNI, OLIVIER COIPEL, NICK BRADSHAW, KRIS ANKA, CLAY MANN, SIMONE BIANCHI, JOE BENNETT, PAUL DAVIDSON, ANDRÉ ARAÚJO, GREG LAND, JOE MADUREIRA & RICHARD ELSON
Cover by OLIVIER COIPEL
384 PGS./Rated T+/$49.99
Trim size: oversized
After the fall of Attilan and the Terrigen Bomb explosion, thousands of people across the globe have transformed into Inhumans! Their new powers are dangerous and terrifying, making them targets. With Black Bolt believed dead, who can these new Inhumans turn to? As the Avengers face Karnak, who has discovered the Inhumans’ secret, Medusa struggles to rule her vastly increased population. And Marvel’s heroes — including the Hulk, Spider-Girl, the X-Men, the new Illuminati, Iron Man, the Jean Grey School, the AvengersAcademy, Luke Cage and the Superior Spider-Man — must cope with the fallout! Collecting INHUMANITY #1, AVENGERS ASSEMBLE (2012) #21-23, INHUMANITY: MEDUSA #1, UNCANNY X-MEN (2013) #15, INDESTRUCTIBLE HULK #17-19, NEW AVENGERS (2013) #13, IRON MAN (2012) #20.INH, INHUMANITY: THE AWAKENING#1-2, AVENGERS AI #7, MIGHTY AVENGERS (2013) #4-5, INHUMAN #1 & INHUMANITY: SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #1.
This series has three strikes against it, from my perspective: 1) The most interesting Inhuman is Black Bolt, and he's missing in this series. 2) This is not the first time Black Bolt has been missing for an extended time. Couldn't someone else be missing this time? Triton, maybe? 3) An explosion of new Inhumans that incites fear and hatred is exactly what the X-Men has been about for 50 years, so that's not new territory either.
But I'll probably get this anyway, just to keep up with the Marvel U's status quo. Probably.
IRON FIST: THE LIVING WEAPON #3
Writer/Art/Cover: KAARE ANDREWS
Variant: JEROME OPENA
32 PGS./Parental Advisory/$3.99
K’UN LUN IN RUINS!
• Ninja nurses versus killers in suits!
• Our villain’s face revealed, and it’s one terribly close to Danny Rand’s heart!
IRON MAN #27
Writer: KIERON GILLEN
Art: JOE BENNETT
Cover: CHRISTIAN WARD
32 PGS./Rated T+/$3.99
RINGS OF THE MANDARIN COMES TO A STARTLING CONCLUSION!!!
• The MANDARINS rampage reaches its climax. Who can TONY STARK count as an ally?
• The TRUTH behind the Mandarins.
• Can Tony’s Fellowship manage to defeat the Lords of the Rings?
LOKI: AGENT OF ASGARD #5
Writer: AL EWING
Art: LEE GARBETT
Cover: JENNY FRISON
32 PGS./Rated T+/$2.99
• Nobody else would have done it -- because nobody else would have the nerve! Loki’s crew comes together to crack the deepest dungeons of Asgardia itself!
• It’s the ultimate caper -- but is there one plot twist too many for even the God of Trickery to handle?
• This movie rated :( for tears before bedtime.
I'm looking forward to the first trade. And Jenny Frison, noted for her facility with women, is an interesting choice for cover artist -- is there a story reason for feminizing Loki?
MAGNETO #5
Writer: CULLEN BUNN
Art: JAVI FERNANDEZ
Cover: DECLAN SHALVEY
32 PGS./Parental Advisory/$3.99
• Magneto continues his crusade of safeguarding the future of mutantkind by whatever means he deems necessary, all the while pursued by agents of S.H.I.E.L.D ….
• But now someone new is hot on the trail of the Master of Magnetism. Someone with ties to his past. Will she be his greatest ally or his downfall … or both?
Who could she be? She's got red hair ... Magda Lensherr? Black Widow? Jean Grey? Mary Jane Watson? Cheryl Blossom?
MARVEL MASTERWORKS: NOT BRAND ECHH VOL. 1 (HC)
Writer: STAN LEE, ROY THOMAS, GARY FRIEDRICH, ARNOLD DRAKE & MARIE SEVERIN with STU SCHWARTZBERG, PHIL SEULING & BILL DUBAY
Pencils: MARIE SEVERIN, JACK KIRBY, GENE COLAN & TOM SUTTON with DON HECK, JOHN SEVERIN, ROSS ANDRU, JIM MOONEY, DICK AYERS, JOHN VERPOORTEN, FRANK SPRINGER, STU SCHWARTZBERG, HERBTRIMPE, BILL DUBAY & RONN FOSS
Cover: JACK KIRBY
456 PGS/Rated T/$69.99
When Stan Lee set the tone for the Marvel Age of Comics it came with a healthy dose of humor. When fans demanded more of that Marvel mayhem, Stan, along with Jack Kirby, Gene Colan and theBullpen’s mistress of mirth, Marie Severin, turned the dial up to 11 and let loose! What came blasting out was the masterpiece of Silver Age satire Not Brand Echh. Each issue came packed with Marvel’s greatest talents taking a sideways look at the super heroes they made famous (and even some that they didn’t!) Now, Charlie America, Scaredevil, the Revengers, Sore Son of Shmodin, the Sunk-Mariner and the one and only Forbush Man are coming at you in this unprecedented enormous Marvel Masterworks! Collecting NOT BRAND ECHH (1967) #1-13 and material from DAREDEVIL ANNUAL (1967) #1, FANTASTIC FOUR ANNUAL (1963) #5, SGT. FURY ANNUAL (1965) #4, AVENGERS ANNUAL (1967) #2 & AMAZING SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL (1964) #5
MARVEL MASTERWORKS: NOT BRAND ECHH VOL. 1 HC -- VARIANT EDITION VOL. 219 (DM ONLY)
MILES MORALES: THE ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #2
Writer: BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Art/Cover: DAVE MARQUEZ
Variant: AMY REEDER
32 PGS./Rated T+/$3.99
PART TWO OF THE BIGGEST SPIDER-MAN STORY OF THE YEAR “REVIVAL”
• After the mind-blowing reveal at the end of the first issue, miles life will NEVER be the same again.
• With SHIELD gone, the biggest villain in SPIDER-MAN history is out and nothing can stop him.
• Miles has made a huge choice about the woman he loves. Will he live to regret it?
MIRACLEMAN #7
Writer: THE ORIGINAL WRITER
Art: ALAN DAVIS & CHUCK AUSTEN
Cover: ALAN DAVIS
Variant: ALAN DAVIS
Variant: RONNIE DEL CARMEN
Variant: ALEX MALEEV
48 PGS./Parental Advisory/$4.99
• Miracleman and Mr. Cream descend into the jungles of Paraguay where the battle with Gargunza begins!
• Gargunza’s shocking intentions for Liz Moran and her unborn child are revealed!
• An unexpected enemy may mean the death of Miracleman!
• Including material originally presented in WARRIOR #20-21 and MIRACLEMAN #6, plus bonus content.
I can't decide if I should get the hardback collections right away to re-experience this awesome series, or wait to see if there will be a snazzy deluxe version down the road. Decisions, decisions!
MOON KNIGHT #4
Writer: WARREN ELLIS
Art/Cover: DECLAN SHALVEY
32 PGS./Rated T+/$3.99
• Moon Knight goes somewhere even more messed up than his own mind.
• Something is happening to the subjects of a sleep experiment that’s driving them all insane.
• Go with Moon Knight to the Mushroom graveyard planet for the most troubling and disturbing issue yet!
Few do crazy better than Warren Ellis, so I'll pick this up. Come to think of it, that's the same reason I watch Christopher Walken movies.
NEW WARRIORS #5
Writer: CHRISTOPHER YOST
Art: NICK ROCHE
Cover: RAMON PEREZ
32 PGS./Rated T+/$3.99
• With half the team trapped in the bowels of mysterious and very probably haunted WUNDAGORE MOUNTAIN, the rest of the all-new New Warriors deal with the bar scene in Prague!
• A look inside the mind of happy go lucky SPEEDBALL, the most hated man in America.
• A dog and cat play chess, the result of which could destroy NEW YORK CITY.
"A dog and cat play chess, the result of which could destroy NEW YORK CITY."
Aren't dogs and cats playing chess together a sign of the apocalypse?
NOVA CLASSIC VOL. 3 (TPB)
Writer: MARV WOLFMAN
Pencils: CARMINE INFANTINO, JOHN BUSCEMA, KEITH POLLARD, SAL BUSCEMA, JOHN BYRNE
Cover: CARMINE INFANTINO
304 PGS./Rated T/$34.99
Nova’s sensational ’70s series comes to a close, but that’s not the end of his story! Nova faces the Corruptor, Diamondhead and Dr. Sun before blasting into space to tackle the Sphinx! But when the shape-shifting Skrulls attack, old enemies must ally to survive — and when Xandar’s Queen Adora begs the Fantastic Four for help, the stage is set for a cosmic battle across time and space! The Sphinx is ready to conquer the world, and Mr. Fantastic knows of only one opponent who can stop him: Galactus! But with the FF rapidly aging thanks to a Skrull weapon, do the heroes have enough time left to find him? And will Nova and the Champions of Xandar be able to save their adoptive planet from the Skrull armada? Collecting NOVA (1976) #20-25, and FANTASTIC FOUR (1961) #204-206 and #208-214.
ORIGINAL SIN #3 (of 8)
Writer: JASON AARON
Art: MIKE DEODATO
Cover: JULIAN TOTINO TEDESCO
Variant: GABRIELE DELL'OTTO
Variant: ARTHUR ADAMS
Teaser Variant: STEPHANIE HANS
32 PGS./Rated T+/$3.99
ANSWERS AT ALL COSTS.
• In the wake of last issue’s explosion of secrets, the heroes of the Marvel U are reeling, leaving Nick Fury to stand alone.
• He Who Holds the Eye is still on the run, and now we meet his boss, the villainous mastermind behind the raid on the Watcher’s lair.
• And in deep space, the Winter Soldier leads a team that uncovers the most bizarre murder of all.
I hate to say it, but I think one of the major purposes of this story is to clear away white Nick Fury so that Sam Jackson Nick Fury is the only one. I hope I'm wrong.
PAINKILLER JANE: THE 22 BRIDES #1 (OF 4)
Writer: JIMMY PALMIOTTI
Art: JUAN SANTACRUZ & STEVE MANNION
Cover: SAS CHRISTIAN
Wraparound Variant Cover: AMANDA CONNOR
48 PGS./Mature/$4.99
DOUBLE-SIZED FIRST ISSUE!
PAINKILLER JANE: Romance and chaos is in the air as Jane is joined by a group of mercenary assassins called THE 22 BRIDES as they take down a group of terrorists causing chaos in NYC. Also featured is MONSTER featuring Jane on the hunt for a killer with art by Steve Mannion.
Another redhead!
PUNISHER #6
Writer: NATHAN EDMONDSON
Art/Cover: MITCHELL THOMAS GERADS
32 PGS./Parental Advisory/$3.99
• The electrifying conclusion to the Dos Soles story!
• Will L.A. burn, or can Frank fight fire with fire?
• And even if Frank can overcome A.I.M. and the Dos Soles, can he escape the ever-tightening noose of the Howling Commandos?
PUNISHER MAX BY JASON AARON OMNIBUS (HC)
Written by JASON AARON
Penciled by STEVE DILLON
Cover by DAVE JOHNSON
The Mob has set a trap for Frank Castle, turning low-level enforcer Wilson Fisk into a fictional “Kingpin of Crime” for Frank to target. But Fisk decides he quite likes his new position — enough to kill his bosses to keep it. Suddenly, the Punisher finds himself in a one-on-one war with a deadly threat, and he must decide how far he is willing to go to take the Kingpin down! Contending with dirty cops, battling the Kingpin’s henchmen Bullseye and Elektra, and suffering through a stint in prison, Frank Castle is brought lower than he has ever been. But as the Kingpin of Crime will soon find out, all that means is Frank has nothing left to lose! Jason Aaron’s grisly, uncensored Punisher run is collected in one oversized volume! Collecting PUNISHERMAX (2010) #1-22 and PUNISHER MAX X-MAS SPECIAL.
544 PGS./Explicit Content/$99.99
Trim size: oversized
THE SUPERIOR FOES OF SPIDER-MAN #12
Writer: NICK SPENCER
Art: STEVE LIEBER
Cover: RON WIMBERLY
32 PGS./Rated T+/$3.99
Voted one the best mainstream superhero comics of 2013 by THE ONION A.V. CLUB!
• Only Five villains stand between New York and total chaos.
• The problem? Those villains are the Superior Foes.
• Spencer, Lieber, and utter chaos on the streets of Manhattan. Buy it!
Offbeat and a lot of fun. I just wish it came out more regularly!
UNCANNY AVENGERS VOL. 2: THE APOCALYPSE TWINS (TPB)
Writer: RICK REMENDER & GERRY DUGGAN
Pencils: DANIEL ACUNA & ADAM KUBERT
Cover: JOHN CASSADAY
160 PGS./Rated T+/$19.99
The future begins in the past! It’s an 11th century clash of the titans as Thor battles Apocalypse! The Avengers’ ancestors are being hunted, with Rama-Tut and Kang pulling the strings, and only a young Thor can save his future companions! And in the present, the beginning of the end looms as the Apocalypse Twins debut! Why are they targeting the Celestials? What is their connection to Kang? And how is Thor responsible for their mighty power? Apocalypse’s Ship attacks S.W.O.R.D., a Celestial meets a shocking fate, and the Four Horsemen of Death are unleashed! And as the Twins’ new henchmen shatter the Uncanny Avengers, Wolverine discovers the Midnight City -- and immediately wishes he hadn’t! When all hope dies, Ragnarok begins! Plus: Kang and the Apocalypse Twins enter the Age of Ultron! Collecting UNCANNY AVENGERS #6-11 and #8AU.
WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN BY JASON AARON OMNIBUS (HC)
Written by JASON AARON
Penciled by CHRIS BACHALO, NICK BRADSHAW, JORGE MOLINA, MIKE ALLRED, STEVEN SANDERS, DAVID LOPEZ, RAMON PEREZ & PEPE LARRAZ
Cover by NICK BRADSHAW
928 PGS./Rated T+/$99.99
Trim size: oversized
Blockbuster writer Jason Aaron’s incredible, hilarious and touching WOLVERINE & THE X-MEN run is collected in one oversized volume! Wolverine returns to Westchester to start over with a new school, a new student body and a lot of surprises! But can Logan -- and a staff including Beast, Iceman, Rachel Grey, Kitty Pryde, Storm, Husk and Doop -- really lead the Children of the Atom into the future? Only if they survive the newHellfire Club, Krakoa, Sabretooth, an army of mischievous Bamfs, war with the Avengers, the Phoenix Five and more! As new students join the school, including the time-displaced original X-Men, new threats emerge from Frankenstein’s Murder Circus, Wolverine’s half-brother Dog Logan, Mystique, the Hellfire Academy … and S.H.I.E.L.D.! Welcome to the Jean Grey School, Wolverine -- hope you survive the experience! Collecting WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN #1-35, #38-42 and ANNUAL #1.
VALIANT COMICS
QUANTUM AND WOODY #11
Written by JAMES ASMUS
Art by WILFREDO TORRES
Covers by KANO and WILFREDO TORRES
$3.99 | 32 pages, full color | T+ | On sale JUNE 4
Q+W = DEAD MEAT!
The mad super-scientists of Edison’s Radical Acquisitions are BACK! Well … the ones who aren’t dead, anyway. (Or the ones who were dead and … uh, came back?) WHO?! is the mysterious new leader calling the shots? And HOW?! will Quantum and Woody survive a second fight against the 1980s robots, mad vivisectionists and evil astronomers who almost offed them the first time?! Wilfredo Torres (The Shadow: Year One) joins Team QW for this hilarious new two-parter!
RAI #1 (2ND PTG)
Writer: MATT KINDT
Art/Cover: CLAYTON CRAIN
$3.99/T+/32 pgs.
Valiant is proud to announce that RAI #1 -- the debut issue of Valiant's newest ongoing series from New York Times best-selling writer Matt Kindt (Unity, Mind MGMT) and superstar artist Clayton Crain (Carnage) -- has rocketed through its 36,500 copy print run and is now completely sold out at the distributor level. A second printing – with a new cover featuring Crain's stunning, digitally painted interior art – is now scheduled to arrive in stores June 4th, alongside the series' next blockbuster issue, RAI #2.
The year is 4001 A.D. – led by the artificial intelligence called “Father,” the island nation of Japan has expanded out of the Pacific and into geosynchronous orbit with the ravaged Earth below. With billions to feed and protect, it has fallen to one solitary guardian to enforce the law of Father’s empire – the mysterious folk hero known as Rai. They say he can appear out of nowhere. They say he is a spirit…the ghost of Japan. But when the first murder in a thousand years threatens to topple Father’s benevolent reign, Rai will be forced to confront the true face of a nation transformed…and his own long-lost humanity …
Discover why critics are calling Matt Kindt & Clayton Crain's RAI the most daring new series of the summer:
"An immersive experience … unlike anything else in comics." -- Comic Book Resources
"Rai is off to a killer start. … This is a book you really need to check out." -- Comic Vine
"Rai is just plain amazing. … It’s impossible to overstate how great Crain’s work is here." -- IGN
"Maybe the best looking comic Valiant has produced yet, and a book that has nearly unlimited potential …" -- Multiversity Comics
"A beautifully visualized, engaging artifact of future noir … [Rai] comes with the highest praise." -- PopMatters
RAI #2
Written by MATT KINDT
Art by CLAYTON CRAIN
Cover A by RAUL ALLEN
Cover B by MICO SUAYAN
Mask Cover by RIAN HUGHES
Variant Cover by BART SEARS
Variant Cover by PAOLO RIVERA
$3.99 | 32 pages, full color | T+ | On sale JUNE 4
But, soon, a single bullet will shatter the peace it has taken 2,000 years to secure …
Discover the astonishing world of the 41st century! This summer, Matt Kindt and Clayton Crain’s one-of-a-kind adventure proves that there is nothing else in comics like RAI!
In the far future of 4001 A.D., Japan is a single endless city-state, governed by a benevolent artificial intelligence and policed by one lone enforcer -- the mysterious Rai, spirit guardian of the rising sun.
Valiant is proud to present an advance look inside RAI #2 – the second issue of RAI's staggering first story arc by superstar creators Matt Kindt (Unity, Mind MGMT) and Clayton Crain (X-Force, Carnage)! This summer, discover the astonishing world of the 41st century as the VALIANT FIRST initiative launches in force!
In the far future of 4001 A.D., Japan is a single endless city-state, governed by a benevolent artificial intelligence and policed by one lone enforcer – the mysterious Rai, spirit guardian of the rising sun. But, soon, a single bullet will shatter the peace it has taken 2,000 years to secure…
On April 30th, start at the beginning to step into a daring new vision of what comics can be in RAI #1 – the must-read FIRST ISSUE of Matt Kindt and Clayton Crain's breakneck new series. Then, the radical journey into a future transformed continues on June 4th in RAI #2 – featuring fully painted interiors by Clayton Crain! Contact your local retailer to pre-order your copies today!
What do you read first? Throughout 2014, VALIANT FIRST will be rocketing to the top of your read pile with a major #1 issue debut monthly by some of the most talented creators in comics. Each month, Valiant is committed to delivering compelling and accessible new entry points to its award-winning publishing line – all while releasing no more than nine core titles per month by the end of the year. A combination of new ongoing titles, unprecedented crossover collisions, and high-profile mini-series, these are the books that will have you reading Valiant FIRST when you head home from the comic shop – and it all begins on April 30th in RAI #1!
Rai was one of the weaker titles in the original Valiant Universe, but I have to say the art on this iteration looks magnificent.
OTHER PUBLISHERS
32-BIT ZOMBIE
Publisher: ANTARCTIC PRESS
Writer: FRED PERRY
Art/Cover: DAVID HUTCHINSON
$3.99
The zombified 16-bit console memory card has lain dormant in a thrift store bargain bin for a year now, with its horrible curse a long-lost save game. Meanwhile, a new 32-bit console has been released! Its denizens start to enjoy the benefits of "full-motion video" and "blaster processing", when the new memory card burns out. The system can take older cards, though, and wouldn't you know it, a certain zombie game-character-infested memory card was just put on sale!
If you're concerned that a computer-virus zombie means the genre has jumped the shark, don't worry -- from the looks of the list below, vampires are already muscling zombies out of the spotlight.
ADVENTURE TIME FLIP SIDE #6
Publisher: BOOM! STUDIOS
Writers: PAUL TOBIN, COLLEEN COOVER
Art: WOOK JIN CLARK
Cover: WOOK JIN CLARK, DAVE CROSLAND
$3.99
Will Finn and Jake finally be able to get Monkey Wizard to kidnap Painting Princess and right all the wrong that is happening in Ooo?! Everything is backwards and sometimes forwards but always upside-down. Don't miss out on the final issue of THE FLIP SIDE!
BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA #1
Publisher: BOOM! STUDIOS
Writer: ERIC POWELL
Art: BRIAN CHURILLA
Cover: ERIC POWELL, JOE QUINONES
$3.99
WHY WE LOVE IT: BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA is one of our favorite cult-classic films because it mashed together '80s action and supernatural fantasy movies with '70s kung-fu flicks. This is the first time any new BIG TROUBLE stories have been told, and we have the film's original directer, John Carpenter, working with Eric Powell (THE GOON) on the story. You can't beat that!
WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT: Eric Powell is a huge fan of BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA, so the sense of humor and over-the-top action he brings to THE GOON will be all over this book. Plus, Brian Churilla's (THE SIXTH GUN) art on this perfectly captures the outrageous world of BIG TROUBLE.
WHAT IT'S ABOUT: Jack Burton, a macho, truck-driving adventurer, finds a stowaway hiding on his rig, "The Pork Chop Express," but that soon becomes the least of his troubles. He helped his best friend Wang save his fiancée from the clutches of a demon, but now the wedding has been invaded by more evil forces with one thing on their minds-revenge against Jack Burton!
This movie came out in 1986, and I barely remember it. Wasn't it something of a satire, where the brash, super-macho, stereotypical American hero was really ineffective and incidental to the resolution of the crisis (but took credit anyway)? I'm just wondering if there's a market for an adventure book where the hero is the butt of the joke, based on a 23-year-old movie.
CALIBAN #3
Publisher: AVATAR PRESS INC
Writer: GARTH ENNIS
Art/Cover: FACUNDO PERCIO
Wrap Variant: FACUNDO PERCIO
Terror Variant: FACUNDO PERCIO
Mature/$3.99
GARTH ENNIS has created a science fiction horror story that grabs you and rips a black hole in your chest while reading. The crew of the Caliban is dying. When an alien ship melded with their vessel in hyperspace, it unleashed something long forgotten from the darkest and coldest corners of the universe. Creeping flesh, mutating fears, and paranoia pushed to the brink of sanity rule now. Garth Ennis delivers a modern day sci-fi masterpiece in the vein of Alien that tears you screaming from your safe place and leaves you naked before unimaginable horrors. Available with Regular, Wraparound, Terror, and Design Sketch Incentive covers by Facundo Percio and a ultra-limited Dark Matter edition of just 1500 copies.
CROSSED BADLANDS #50 (COED DREAD 4 CVR SET)
Publisher: AVATAR PRESS INC
Mature/$39.99
Sexy terror in the dorm room! This four cover limited edition set by Matt Martin is limited to 400 bagged sets.
Do the words "sexy" and "terror" belong in the same sentence? In the same phrase? I'm asking seriously.
If you’re lucky, they do! Heh, heh, heh …
DENGEKI DAISY VOL 14 (GN)
Publisher: VIZ MEDIA LLC
Writer/Art/Cover: KVOUSUKE MOTOMI
Teen +/$9.99
Teru and Kurosaki finally get ahold of "M's Last Testament," and they discover the truth behind their nemesis Akira's past! While Teru opposes helping Akira with his current predicament, Kurosaki is forced to investigate further ... with dire consequences for the both of them!
This is apparently the story of a friendship between a 16-year-old high school girl and a 24-year-old janitor. What could possibly go wrong?
DISCOVERY: GREAT WHITE SHARKS (GN)
Publisher: ZENESCOPE ENTERTAINMENT INC
Writer/Art: Various
Cover: MATT TRIANO
$9.99
The Great White shark is the most feared predator of the sea. It is, perhaps, the most feared predator on the planet. This graphic novel takes a deep, in-depth look at a Great White, detailing its life cycle, its features, and just how ferocious it is. Chronicling the Great White's growth and eating habits will help better explain how the species has survived for so long. See this monster of the ocean in a whole new way!
Every time I see something like this or a "Shark Week" ad, a little voice whispers in the back of my head "Yes, but how many are left?"
DRAGON BALL 3-IN-1 VOL 5 (TPB)
Publisher: VIZ MEDIA LLC
Writer/Art/Cover: AKIRA TORIYAMA
$14.99
The Fearsome Power of Piccolo
King Piccolo is all set for world domination, but first he needs to gather the seven Dragon Balls together to restore his youth. Goku and his friends are fighting to stop Piccolo, but things are looking grim for the good guys as Piccolo picks them off one by one.
Their only hope is a martial arts move known as the "Maf?-Ba," a technique so powerful that it killed the last person who used it. But that won't stop Kame-Sen'nin and Tenshinhan from trying it, even if it means forfeiting their own lives in the process!
DRAGON BALL VOL 3: SAIYAN ARC (FULL COLOR TPB)
Publisher: VIZ MEDIA LLC
Writer/Art/Cover: AKIRA TORIYAMA
$19.99
With the mighty Kaio-ken amplifying his strength, Goku fights Vegeta in a desperate battle to save the world, only to find that the elite Saiyan warrior is even stronger than his own techniques! Goku calls on the Genki-dama, the "spirit ball," drawing power from every living thing around him. But alone, even Goku is not enough. The last worn-out survivors, Gohan, Kuririn and Yajirobe, rush back into the fray to try and stop the unbeatable Vegeta from destroying the planet Earth itself!
An interesting thing about Dragon Ball is the way it changed over the years. Toriyama’s previous manga, Dr. Slump, was all wacky names and talking animals and such. The early Dragon Ball was fairly similar in tone, slowly but steadily becoming somewhat more “serious” as time went by. Dragon Ball never quite completely lost the “wackiness,” however, so you would have still have horrifying, world-shattering villains with names like “Piccolo” and “Vegeta,” and later, a wizard, a demon and a djinn named “Bibbity,” “Bobbity” and “Boo.”
DRAGON GIRL VOL 1: SECRET VALLEY (GN)
Publisher: ANDREWS MCMEEL
Writer/Art/Cover: JEFF WEIGEL
$9.99
Eleven-year-old Alanna and her older brother Hamel are orphans and doing their best to take care of each other, until one day Alanna stumbles upon a cave full of dragon eggs. When the eggs hatch with no mother dragon in sight, Alanna decides to take care of the babies herself, even creating a clever costume so that the babies think she, too, is a dragon. With their large appetites and accidental fire burps, Alanna learns that dragon babies are hard work! And when a mama dragon finally comes to claim the babies, Alanna's costume is so convincing that she is swept along for the ride as they journey to Dragon Rock, a mysterious magnetic force that draws dragons of all shapes and sizes to a magical, untouched valley.
EXTINCTION PARADE #1: ARMY OF BLOODLINES (BLAST 3 BOOK SET)
Publisher: AVATAR PRESS INC
Writer: MAX BROOKS
Art/Cover: RAULO CACERES
Mature/$29.99
Max Brooks' Extinction Parade is continuing the march to end of all! For the first time, you can own the final exclusive Army of the Bloodlines set of three covers, this time featuring the firepower of Blast! This first printing edition set is limited to only 1000 copies.
THE FORGOTTEN MAN: A NEW HISTORY OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION (GN)
Publisher: HARPER PERENNIAL
Writer: AMITY SHLAES
Art/Cover: PAUL RIVOCHE
$19.99
This imaginative illustrated edition of Amity Schaels' bestseller The Forgotten Man brings to life one of the most devastating periods in America's history -- the Great Depression -- through the lives of American people, from politicians and workers to businessmen, farmers and ordinary citizens. Smart and stylish, black-and-white art from Paul Rivoche provides an original vision of the coexistence of despair and hope that characterized the Depression-era.
I saw the author briefly on cable news the other day, pushing the Republican line that government helping poor people really doesn't help them. I don't say this to get into politics, because I don't want to -- it's simply information I'm passing on, because that's probably the angle this book is taking.
GARFIELD #26
Publisher: BOOM! STUDIOS
Writer: MARK EVANIER
Art: ANDY HIRSCH
Cover: GARY BARKER
$3.99
As summer heats up, we've got two all-new GARFIELD stories! In the first, Jon gets caught up in another wacky scheme, followed by a tale where Garfield spends the day making a new friend.
GRIMM FAIRY TALES: GODSTORM -- AGE OF DARKNESS
Publisher: ZENESCOPE ENTERTAINMENT INC
Writer: PATRICK SHAND
Art: TBD
Cover A: JAMIE TYNDALL
Cover B: PAOLO PANTALENA
Cover C: PASQUALE QUALANO
$5.99
Can a god truly be killed?
In the aftermath of ASCENSION, Zeus's family has been rocked to its core by a tragic loss. As the Dark Horde joins with an old foe, will any of the gods who have fought for good stand against the coming threat? Or will their long legacies end in tragedy?
AGE OF DARKNESS Tie-in
The Jenny Frison covers, with their natural-looking women, have spoiled me. The Chris Turner look of Cover A has always turned me off, but now it actively irritates me. Women don't look like that, they don't stand like that and there's something fundamentally wrong with presenting them like that.
GRIMM FAIRY TALES #98
Publisher: ZENESCOPE ENTERTAINMENT INC
Writer: PATRICK SHAND
Art: SERGIO OSUNA
Cover A: DREW JOHNSON
Cover B: PASQUALE QUALANO
Cover C: CALDWELL
$2.99
Highborns and Falsebloods have been exposed! For years, the dark forces that threaten humanity have operated in the shadow of darkness. However, now that the Dark Horde is taking charge, the time of secrecy has gone. As humanity becomes aware of the great war brewing, we follow one family as they prepare for an Age of Darkness.
AGE OF DARKNESS Tie-in
GHOST COP (TPB)
Publisher: ANTARCTIC PRESS
Writers: V.J. BOYD, JUSTIN BOYD
Art/Cover: CHRIS DIBARI
$14.99
Antarctic Press presents a tense tale of the super-noir-tual, co-written by Justified writer VJ Boyd!
In 1947, hard-boiled police detective Tom Fraley was murdered by a vicious serial killer. Now, in 2013, someone is replicating that killer's pattern. Fraley's spirit returns to hunt down the criminal and take vengeance for his own death.
Collects Ghost Cop #1-3
GHOST WOLF #2
Publisher: AMIGO COMICS
Writer: EL TORRES
Art: SIKU, LOREN LORENTE
Cover: LOREN LORENTE
$3.99
In the northern wastes, the two demigods have their final showdown. The Ghost Wolf, avatar of the tribe, versus Kerunnos, the Horned God who feeds on the dead. Beyond the strength of any warrior, beyond the epic sagas, there are two enemies, two gods, fighting to death.
GOD IS DEAD #3
Publisher: AVATAR PRESS INC
Writer: JONATHAN HICKMAN, MIKE COSTA
Art: DI AMORIM
Aphrodite Cover: JACEN BURROWS
Mature/$5.99
JACEN BURROWS shows Aphrodite on the attack! Limited 1500 copies.
GOD IS DEAD #7
Publisher: AVATAR PRESS INC
Writer: MIKE COSTA
Art: JUAN FRIGERI
Cover: Morrigan Cover: JACEN BURROWS
Mature/$5.99
JACEN BURROWS delivers a delicious new image from the pulse pounding first issue of the second God is Dead arc! Limited 750 copies.
HAPPY MARRIAGE VOL 6 (GN)
Publisher: VIZ MEDIA LLC
Writer/Art/Cover: MAKI ENJOJI
Mature/$9.99
Chiwa Takanashi has married a total stranger -- company president Hokuto Mamiya - to get her father out of debt. Hokuto and Chiwa haven't spoken since she visited his estranged father, who Hokuto believes is responsible for his mother's death. She then returns to Hokuto's birthplace to find out how his mother died. But once Chiwa learns the truth, can she help Hokuto heal the scars from his past?
While I gather that arranged marriages do still happen in Japan, I don’t know that this sort of thing of marrying total strangers still goes on. Possible, I suppose.
JIRNI VOL 2 #1
Publisher: ASPEN MLT INC
Writer: J. T. KRUL
Art/Cover: PAOLO PANTALENA
$3.99
Return to a fantastical world of high-adventure!
Ara is a warrior-princess with the blood of the mystical D'jinn flowing through her. Powerful, brave, and capable, she is determined to finish her quest to find her kidnapped mother, no matter what obstacles may fall in her path. But, the desert she wanders through seems endless, and something is hunting her. Or is it the other way around?
Creator J.T. Krul, artist Paolo Pantalena, and colorist Brett Smith are proud to present the follow-up volume to Aspen's smash hit series -- JIRNI!
Don't stop believin', Jirni fans.
JOHN CARPENTER'S ASYLUM #6
Publisher: STORM KING PRODUCTIONS, INC
Writer: BRUCE JONES
Art: LEONARDO MANCO
Cover: TIM BRADSTREET
Mature/$3.99
The concluding chapter of Asylum's first arc. Duran and Beckett learn that the demon they are chasing is merely a pawn in the Devil's assault on Earth. No matter what they do, the end of days is coming and it's coming fast. Duran has to fight the forces of darkness from within while Beckett comes to some startling conclusions about his own direct purpose on this world. Los Angeles is falling and, when it does, nothing will be quite the same ever again ...
Wow, Bruce Jones. I don't think I've seen that name since his run on Hulk. As to the cover, i wouldn't be a bit surprised if it was an homage to a DC suspense-book cover, likely drawn by Nick Cardy. It seems familiar.
KAMISAMA KISS VOL 15 (GN)
Publisher: VIZ MEDIA LLC
Writer/Art/Cover: JULIETTA SUZUKI
Teen/$9.99
Nanami has gone back in time in order to find the fallen kami who cursed Tomoe, but the past is a lot more violent than she expected. Before she can even start her search, she has to deal with suspicious villagers and a mortally wounded Tomoe!
“Kami” is an interesting word, defying easy definition. It can mean a wide range of things. It is used for the Judeo-Christian God (“Sama” is an honorific indicating a high level of respect), “gods” comparable to Zeus or Thor, spirits of dead ancestors or heroes, and so on. Certain natural objects (mountains, trees, waterfalls) are kami. “Kami” can also indicate a quality. For example, what we call “kamikaze” (The Japanese called them Tokubetsu Kōgekitai -- "Special attack unit"), were considered by their attacks to be “aligning themselves with kami.” The fact that they were dead afterwards was merely incidental. Interestingly, “kami” can also mean “hair.”
KIMI NI TODOKE VOL 19 (GN)
Publisher: VIZ MEDIA LLC
Writer/Art/Cover: KARUHO SHIINA
$9.99
As Sawako and her friends ring in the new year, big changes loom on the horizon. Some are good, like the blossoming relationships between Ayane and Kento, and Chizu and Ryu. But some are scary, like choosing a future career path. Can Sawako find the courage to follow her heart and pursue her own happiness?
New Year’s is the big holiday in Japan. One is expected to visit one’s friends and business associates. The first dream of the New Year is said to be an omen of the year to come, and dreaming of a hawk, an eggplant or Mount Fuji are all said to be particularly auspicious.
KNIGHTS OF SIDONIA VOL 9 (GN)
Publisher: VERTICAL INC
Writer/Art/Cover: TSUTOMU NIHEI
$12.95
One of the manga world's most intriguing artists returns with a science-fiction tour de force which combines post apocolyptic action, modern sci-fi video game tropes and a traditional Japanese aesthetic in the Knights of Sidonia. Tsutomu Nihei tackles the world of hard science fiction by creating a modern space comedy inspired by the genre's hits from his youth. Nagate Tanikaze was a homeless teen living in the depths of a space colony with a thing for simulation games and stealing rice. Now he is the lead fighter pilot protecting said space colony from a race of shape-shifting space giants!
Interesting. I suspect that this is one of those books where if you haven’t played the games he’s riffing on, you may not get as much out of it.
KNIGHTS OF THE DINNER TABLE #208
Publisher: KENZER & COMPANY
Writer: JOLLY BLACKBURN, Various
Art: JOLLY BLACKBURN
Cover: TBD
$5.99
This multiple award-winning comic magazine features the hilarious misadventures of a group of gamers (the Knights) and their friends, along with useful role-playing and other articles for gamers, from a gamer's perspective. It's a slice of (fantasy) life in strips, articles, reviews and features, and a wonderful celebration of the gaming culture!
MILLENNIUM SNOW 2-IN-1 VOL 1 (TPB)
Publisher: VIZ MEDIA LLC
Writer/Art/Cover: BISCO HATARI
$14.99
In order to save Chiyuki's life, Toya finally bonds with Chiyuki. But what she doesn't know is that Toya has refused to make the full partnership with her. He doesn't want to doom her to a thousand years of life. Chiyuki swore to Toya that she would never leave him alone, but is that a promise she'll be able to keep?
MILLENNIUM SNOW VOL 3 (TPB)
Publisher: VIZ MEDIA LLC
Writer/Art/Cover: BISCO HATARI
Teen/$9.99
Toya still can't shake his blood aversion, even though Chiyuki would happily share hers with him, and the malnutrition is starting to take its toll. Chiyuki tries to supplement his diet with solid food, but that's just barely enough to keep him alive. Can Chiyuki fi nd a way to support her vampire when he refuses the help she knows he needs?
A vampire that doesn’t like blood? That could be a problem.
MISADVENTURES OF SALEM HYDE VOL 2: BIG BIRTHDAY BASH (HC)
Publisher: AMULET BOOKS
Writer/Art/Cover: FRANK CAMMUSO
HC $14.95, TPB $6.95
Young witch Salem Hyde is stubborn, impulsive, and loves flying. Her cat companion, Whammy, is nervous, careful, and loves staying on the ground. Somehow, though, they're best friends. In this second book in the series, Salem is invited to a birthday party, and she wants to make sure everything goes perfectly. But from the invitations to the presents, party games, and spells gone awry, nothing happens exactly the way it should, and she'll need Whammy's help to sort it all out.
NATSUME'S BOOK OF FRIENDS VOL 16 (GN)
Publisher: VIZ MEDIA LLC
Writer/Art/Cover: YUKI MIDORIKAWA
$9.99
Natsume's human friend Taki can only see yokai if they walk through one of her spell circles. Although many yokai see her spells as aggressive traps, putting her at risk of their retaliation, the latest yokai to pass through her circle may have something other than revenge in his heart. But is that any better ...?
NURA RISE OF THE YOKAI CLAN VOL 21 (GN)
Publisher: VIZ MEDIA LLC
Writer/Art/Cover: HIROSHI SHIIBASHI
Teen/$9.99
Rikuo and the Nura clan fight off the devious body parts of a dissected Sanmoto Gorozaemon, while Rikuo's allies fight back against his reputation as the harbinger of the apocalypse. But battle still looms against the members of the Hundred Stories clan... And it's possible that Sanmoto himself could be reborn in the form of yet another ghost story!
“Yokai” is the word for mythical/legendary monsters in Japan, as opposed to the better-known “kaiju,” which refers to critters like Godzilla or Gamera.
ONE PIECE 3-IN-1 VOL 9 (TPB)
Publisher: VIZ MEDIA LLC
Writer/Art/Cover: EIICHIRO ODA
$14.99
Luffy and team must figure out a way to get their ship, the Merry Go, to sail up - the Straw Hat crew's next destination is an island in the sky. It may seem like an island paradise, but the interesting characters they meet there are hardly heavenly. Soon Luffy and the Straw Hats are on the run...and it turns out they're on the path to a city of gold!
ONE PIECE VOL 71 (GN)
Publisher: VIZ MEDIA LLC
Writer/Art/Cover: EIICHIRO ODA
$9.99
After defeating the diabolical Caesar Clown at Punk Hazard, Luffy and crew head to the kingdom of Dressrosa. Awaiting them there is Caesar Clown's former boss, Doflamingo. Trafalgar Law has a plan to take down Doflamingo, but can he get the wild Straw Hat crew to stay focused?
Never read any of this, but I have to say that I love the name “Caesar Clown.”
POKEMON ADV PLATINUM VOL 11 (GN)
Publisher: PERFECT SQUARE
Writer/Art/Cover: HIDENORI KUSAKA
$9.99
The battle rages back and forth between the Distortion World and the regular world! Then, when Legendary Pokemon Giratina attacks Pearl, Dia intervenes with disastrous consequences! Meanwhile, Lady finds an unexpected ally in an unexpected location.
Will peace ever be restored to the Sinnoh Region...?!
Plus, spend time with lots of Pokemon including Blissey, Giratina, Regigigas, Slowking, Rotom, Shaymin, Cresselia, Magmortar, Electivire, Alakazam, Tangrowth and Arcanine!
POKEMON BLACK & WHITE VOL 16 (GN)
Publisher: PERFECT SQUARE
Writer/Art/Cover: HIDENORI KUSAKA
$4.99
Team Plasma leader N shakes Black's faith in his relationship with his Pokemon. Then, just when Black is about to call it quits and go home, he gets a last-minute chance to earn the final Pokemon badge he needs to be eligible to compete in the Pokemon League!
How will Black regain his confidence in time to win this crucial gym battle...?
Plus, meet the Elite Four: Shauntal, Grimsley, Marshall and Caitlin!
While I’ve enjoyed a few Pokemon comics, I have to say that the stories generally are fairly predictable.
PRINCESS UGG #1
Publisher: ONI PRESS INC.
Writer/Art/Cover: TED NAIFEH
$3.99
A new series from Courtney Crumrin's Ted Naifeh! Within the fairy-tale kingdom of Atraesca lies the prestigious Princess Academy, where young royals from all the five kingdoms come to get their education. But they've never before seen the like of Princess Ülga of Grimmeria. Armed with axe and sword, riding her war mammoth through the city gates, Ülga has come in search of schooling. But this barbarian princess might just end up schooling the people of Atraesca before that happens!
If written well, this could be great fun.
REVELATIONS #6
Publisher: BOOM! STUDIOS
Writer: PAUL JENKINS
Art/Cover: HUMBERTO RAMOS
Mature/$3.99
Detective Charlie Northern is close to the truth behind the death of the Pope's successor, but he struggles with his quickly fracturing faith. With the implication of a dark, corrupt cult at the very heart of the Vatican, Northern's investigation into one unexplained death might dismantle one of the oldest, most valued institutions of the world. Discover the truth in this final chapter of Jenkins and Ramos' thrilling mystery!
ROGUES: COLD SHIP #2
Publisher: AMIGO COMICS
Writer: EL TORRES
Art/Cover: LOLITA ALDEA
Mature/$3.99
The Rogues are now a reluctant part of the crew of Hakon the Deathless, in the search of the dragon Armod. Far from their usual turf, Bram and The Weasel are into a epic saga that they don't like at all. And the prophecies of the Half-Dead Volva unsettle them too. Their brotherhood will soon be torn apart!
SCRATCH9: CAT OF NINE WORLDS #1
Publisher: HERMES PRESS
Writer: ROB M. WORLEY
Art/Cover: JOSHUA BUCHANAN
$3.99
Continuing directly from the Free Comic Book Day issue comes the all new, feature-length Scratch9 adventure. The evil Dr. Schrodinger is back and he's out to even the score with the world's most lovable cat hero. This time the mad scientist has help from Strick, a cat like Scratch who has power over his nine lives. Fans who read the FCBD edition are sure to be clamoring for this breath-stealing feline battle-royale for all ages! First issue of a monthly eight-issue story arc!
SERAPH OF END VOL 1: VAMPIRE REIGN (GN)
Publisher: VIZ MEDIA LLC
Writer: TAKAYA KAGAMI
Art/Cover: YAMATO YAMAMOTO
$9.99
Yuichiro and his friends are kept as vampire fodder in a creepy institution masquerading as an orphanage. One day, Yuichiro's dreams of fighting back are realized when the orphans stage a daring escape. But things go horribly wrong, and his dream is kept alive at a cruel price.
I’m not big on vampires, but this sounds like an interesting premise. You’d think that instead of going to the trouble of hunting down potential victims, vampires might well maintain food stock. I could picture vampire food snobs arguing about whether free range humans had better blood.
SIMPSONS ILLUSTRATED #11
Publisher: BONGO COMICS
Writer/Art: MATT GROENING
Cover: JASON HO
$3.99
More comic adventures of the Bartman!
SUICIDE RISK #14
Publisher: BOOM! STUDIOS
Writer: MIKE CAREY
Art: FILIPE ANDRADE
Cover: STEPHANIE HANS
$3.99
With the Requiem identity in full control now, Tracey, Danny and Suni must find a way to survive the vengeful god now wearing Leo Winters' body. But Requiem has his own plans, and having been thwarted before, he's not going to let something as simple as family get in his way ...
SUPER EGO (HC)
Publisher: MAGNETIC PRESS INC.
Writer: CAIO OLIVEIRA
Art: CAIO OLIVEIRA, LUCAS MARANGON
Cover: GLENN FABRY
$19.99
Who do superheroes go to when they need to unload? Dr. Ego, psychotherapist for the superhero community! Welcome to the world of the deeply disturbed, where with great power comes great anxiety, angst and expectations! Written and illustrated by Caio Oliveira, with colors by Lucas Marangon, pinups by Ben Caldwwell, Sanford Greene, Tony Shasteen, Joyce Chin, Brent McKee, Kizer Stone, Michael O'Hare, Gary Erskine, Edgar Delgado and more! Cover by Eisner Award-winner Glenn Fabry.
TORIKO VOL 22 (GN)
Publisher: VIZ MEDIA LLC
Writer/Art/Cover: MITSUTOSHI SHIMABUKURO
$9.99
After a brutal showdown at Chowlin Temple, the IGO and Gourmet Corp. speed toward an inevitable clash! But before all-out war erupts, the coming Gourmet Solar Eclipse stirs four fearsome beasts larger and more deadly than anyone has seen in centuries. Only Toriko and the Four Kings can stop the Four-Beasts!
“Gourmet Solar Eclipse?”
VOICE OVER SEIYU ACADEMY VOL 5 (GN)
Publisher: VIZ MEDIA LLC
Writer/Art/Cover: MAKI MINAMI
$9.99
Hime's producer Yamada has decided to let her have some time off for good behavior, so he sets up a trip to a lake for her and the rest of the Stragglers. But will Hime ruin the vacation when her idea of a fun time turns out to be a bust?!
"But will Hime ruin the vacation when her idea of a fun time turns out to be a bust?!"
Probably.
WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW (HC)
Publisher: CONUNDRUM PRESS
Writer/Art/Cover: WILLY LINTHOUT
Mature/$20.00
In 2007, after the suicide of his son, Willy Linthout wrote and drew the graphic novel Years of the Elephant, which was nominated for a number of international awards. What We Need to Know is the sequel but uses a wide-angle lens to encompass the entire family, specifically three brothers who each need to cope with their own ghosts. Fortunately, they can consult "The Book" in emergencies. In that magic reference work, their mother has collected innumerable facts, recipes and advice -- in essence, what we need to know about life.
WOODS #2
Publisher: BOOM! STUDIOS
Writer: JAMES TYNION IV
Art: MICHAEL DIALYNAS
Cover: TBD
$3.99
While the crew of students led by Adrian and Karen come face to face with the unseen terrors of the alien woods, tensions boil over back at the school as power-hungry players seize the opportunity to take control.
Batman '66 Meet The Green Hornet #1
I'm looking forward to this. I remember the series' two-part episode. I haven't been disappointed with this series so far (IMHO, the best comic DC's put out since they cancelled Batman Inc. & all the 'new 52!' [expletive] combined).
TMNT #34
IDW has done a good job with this series, combining elements of the Mirage comics, the 80's cartoon (I'll not speak of the Archie comics line, not the Image run) and making it a solid read. And yes, I still have my Mirage TMNT comics.
ACTION COMICS #32 (DOOMED)
AVENGERS WORLD #7 ANMN
BLACK WIDOW #7
CYCLOPS #2: Who would have put this concept together? I love it, though. I love how the Marvel U right now just seems to be saying, "Go with it." They don't put all their action figures back in the box the way they found them anymore. It's awesome.
IRON FIST LIVING WEAPON #3
MILES MORALES ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #2
NEW 52 FUTURES END #5 (WEEKLY)
ORIGINAL SIN #3 (OF 8)
PUNISHER #6
RAI #2 CVR B SUAYAN (VF) I was really impressed by the first issue of this book.