Comics Guide for week of Sept. 25, 2023

NOTE: Go HERE for Full List.

TOP 5 PUBLISHERS

MARVEL COMICS

"Dark Droids" continues in STAR WARS: DOCTOR APHRA #36.

MICRONAUTS #1 FACSIMILE EDITION reprints the first appearance of the toy-based Microverse characters.

MIRACLEMAN BY GAIMAN & BUCKINGHAM: THE SILVER AGE #6

Story: Neil Gaiman | Art/Cover: Mark Buckingham

Young Miracleman has been found. Now what? One Miracleman decided to destroy the world and almost did. Another Miracleman decided to rebuild the world in his own image and DID IT. What will this Miracleman do?

Last year, Neil Gaiman and Mark Buckingham returned to complete a comic book masterpiece decades in the making, MIRACLEMAN: THE SILVER AGE! The groundbreaking series tells the extraordinary story of Young Miracleman, the lost member of the Miracleman Family. His last memories were of a 1963 world of joy and innocence. Now, he's been thrust into the 21st century where his best friends have become gods and monsters. This relevant and hard-hitting journey brought to the page by two of the industry’s greatest visionaries is just getting started!

This title is cursed. How long since the last issue at Marvel? How long since the first issue at Eclipse? But at least it's finally here.
Another Pietà cover! Collect 'em all!
MIRACLEMAN ORIGINAL EPIC TP is also out this week.
Here's a PREVIEW.

ULTIMATE INVASION #4 (OF 4)

THE END ... OR THE BEGINNING?

War breaks out as timelines and universes collide! Iron Man must choose between the lesser of two evils — the Maker or Kang. But what secret does Iron Man know about the men behind the masks? And at the end of it all, the world outside your window will be forever changed! Don’t miss this giant-sized, action-packed conclusion — or is it only the beginning ...?

"THE END ... OR THE BEGINNING??" It's obviously the beginning, duh, because Ultimate Universe #1 comes out next month.
Here's a PREVIEW.

"Fall of X"

INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #10

THEY’RE NOT LOSING AN X-MAN, THEY’RE GAINING AN AVENGER!

You are cordially invited to the wedding of Anthony Edward Stark and Emma Grace Frost …Come join the lucky couple as they exchange vows. Attire is Hellfire formal. Orchis raid to follow. Plus some exclusive wedding extras!

IGN revealed the upcoming connecting covers for X-MEN #26 and INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #10, which feature the long awaited wedding between Emma Frost and Tony Stark. Debuting in September, both issues are written by Gerry Duggan with art by Stefano Caselli (X-MEN #26), Juan Frigeri (INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #10), and stunning covers by Lucas Werneck.

First, in X-MEN #26, the moment we swore would never happen — heck, the moment EMMA FROST swore would never happen — is here at last! As the Frost/Stark knot is tied, Emma’s mutant family reacts to this surprise news! Then, readers are cordially invited to the wedding of Anthony Edward Stark and Emma Grace Frost in INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #10. Come join the lucky couple as they exchange vows. Attire is Hellfire formal. Orchis raid to follow. Plus some exclusive wedding extras!

Duggan spoke with IGN about the upcoming nuptials and said, “Neither seems like the marrying type. Why this works, and how this works, and how much fun this is whether their marriage works or not will need to be seen to be believed and you'll have to buy it to find out! They certainly don't seem like they're ready to be married to anyone, let alone to each other, but life can change quickly.”

Note the homage to the Peter-MJ wedding.
Yes, you've seen the wraparound before. X-Men #26 had the White Queen half as a cover option, and Iron Man #10 has the Tony Stark half as a cover option. But both, I assume, also have the full wraparound as an option.
"Fall of X" continues this week in JEAN GREY #2 (OF 4), REALM OF X #2 (OF 4) and MS. MARVEL: THE NEW MUTANT #2.
Here's a PREVIEW.

"CONTEST OF CHAOS"

AVENGERS ANNUAL #1 (ONE-SHOT)

CONTEST OF CHAOS FINALE!

Stephanie Phillips and Alberto Foche bring the CONTEST OF CHAOS to a fantastical finish as the fate of Marvel magic is decided! When Agatha pits the Avengers against the winners of the previous chaos battles, they realize they must choose between saving their friends and stopping the creation of the new Darkhold. But their choice may have consequences that no one — not even Agatha — could have imagined.

This is it, True Believers! The final chapter! And nothing will ever be the same again!
Actually, we all know it pretty much will all be the same again. I just like saying that.
But not every crossover has to be a linewide, status quo-altering crisis. I might enjoy this as just a standalone story, given some of the characters involved.
Here's a PREVIEW.

"SUMMER OF SYMBIOTES"

DEATH OF THE VENOMVERSE #5 (OF 5)

CARNAGE WINS!

This is it, True Believers! The final chapter! And nothing will ever be the same again!
Oh, wait, I've already used that joke.
But with this book, I hereby declare "Summer of Symbiotes" over. Do you hear me, Marvel? IT'S OVER.
We now return you to your non-symbiote-involved programming.
Here's a PREVIEW.

DC COMICS (Note: This publisher list has been edited)

"Gotham War" continues in BATMAN/CATWOMAN: GOTHAM WAR — THE RED HOOD #1 (OF 2)

BATMAN: THE GOLDEN AGE OMNIBUS VOL. 1O HC completes the Golden Age. The first volume of Silver Age is already out.

Milestone alert! STATIC: SHADOWS OF DAKOTA #6 (OF 7) arrives this week.

TALES OF THE TITANS #3 (OF 4) features Donna Troy.

FLASH #1

Story: Si Spurrier | Art: Mike Deodato Jr. | Cover: Mike Deodato Jr, Trish Mulvihill | $4.99

WALLY WEST RACES TOWARD THE FUTURE WITH ALL-STAR NEW CREATIVE TEAM SI SPURRIER AND MIKE DEODATO JR.! Wally West has never been quicker, more fulfilled, more heroic. His loving family is around him. And yet something is off. Very off. His evolving understanding of his powers has opened Wally to new avenues of sci-fi adventure and attuned his senses to strange new ideas. Something whispers from the dark vibrations beyond the Speed Force, and as Wally experiments with creative new approaches to his powers he encounters new realms, mysterious allies, and mind-shattering terrors. A new era for the Scarlet Speedster begins now from the team of Si Spurrier (Coda, Damn Them All) and Mike Deodato Jr. (Avengers).

FLASH #105 FACSIMILE EDITION arrives this week also, reprinting the first issue of the Barry Allen's ongoing title.

POWER GIRL #1

Story: Leah Williams | Art: Eduardo Pansica, Julio Ferreira | Cover: Gary Frank | $3.99

PRETTY, PUNCHY, AND POWERFUL! After the events of Knight Terrors, a long-dormant Kryptonian threat has returned to take down Superman and his family. Who could possibly stop it? Well, according to the Man of Steel, it’s Power Girl! Witness a road trip race against time as Paige reconnects with her roots to save the world from her deadly past. Power Girl Special writer Leah Williams returns with artist Eduardo Pansica (Supergirl) for an ongoing series of epic proportions!

IMAGE COMICS

RAT QUEENS: SISTERS, WARRIORS, QUEENS (ONE-SHOT)

Story: Kurtis J. Wiebe | Art/Cover: Roc Upchurch | Mature | $7.99

The epic conclusion to an incredible 10-year run of the award-winning series Rat Queens. The finale reunites Betty, Dee, Violet and Hannah decades after a fateful final adventure that forever broke them apart, with many questions and things left unsaid. Discover the mystery of what drove them apart, and what forces have brought them together one last time. SPECIAL 10TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY PRESTIGE FORMAT ONE-SHOT!

At one time I really enjoyed this title, and I think I even bought the first collection (despite owning the individual issues). But then came a series of creator changes, a shift to webcomic format, a shift back to print with different creators that didn't continue the original continuity, and so forth. I must not have been the only reader put off by the riot of changes, as the title died quietly in 2021 with issue #25.
Here's a wrap-up that I'll probably read ... and have no idea what's going on. Maybe it'll read better in an omnibus. Or not.

VOID RIVALS #4

Cover: Lorenzo De Felici | Variants: Diberkato, Yejin Park, Karen S. Darboe, Alvaro Martinez, Lorenzo De Felici | $3.99

Today Skybound, in collaboration with leading toy and game company Hasbro, revealed the full lineup of variant covers for Void Rivals #4, the continuation of the new shared universe from the Oblivion Song team of Robert Kirkman (Invincible, The Walking Dead) and Lorenzo De Felici (Kroma), along with colorist Matheus Lopes (Step by Bloody Step) and letterer Rus Wooton (Fire Power). Return to the Sacred Ring in this space epic when it hits comic book stores on September 27, 2023.

Thrown before the highest authority for their crimes against the Sacred Ring, will Darak and Solila’s newfound alliance hold strong? After introducing Skuxxoid and a Quintesson Prosecutor, which fan favorite Transformer character will show up in VOID RIVALS next?

The “Energon Universe” officially began with the surprise first appearance of iconic Transformers character Jetfire in Void Rivals #1. The launch introduced the historic new collaboration between Hasbro and Skybound, with Transformers and G.I. Joe comics finding a new home with the publisher. Each issue of Void Rivals promises to take readers further into this all-new world, with more familiar faces to appear.

“A genuine tour de force of the medium, Void Rivals #1 demonstrates the power and scope of what comic books can achieve.” — CBR

“A can’t miss reading experience.” — Comic Book Revolution

Bleeding Cool says some big-name creators, like Mark Millar, are calling the Energon Universe the third great multiverse (after Marvel and DC) and predict similar sales. I don't see it. But then, I'm too old to have any nostalgic attachment to Transformers and G.I. Joe. They seem as dumb to me as Silver Age comics do to These Kids Today (tm).

DARK HORSE

USAGI YOJIMBO: ICE AND SNOW #1 (OF 5)

Story/Art: Stan Sakai | Colors: HiFi Colour Design | Covers: Stan Sakai, Skottie Young, Paolo Rivera | Dark Horse | $4.99

Dark Horse Comics partners with Dogu Publishing and renowned creator Stan Sakai for the return of the legendary rabbit rōnin in Usagi Yojimbo: Ice and Snow! The new series features Usagi’s new-found cousin Yukichi, as well as the return of fan-favorite villain, Jei. Along with writing, art, and lettering by Sakai, the series also features colors by HiFi Colour Design.

Usagi and Yukichi are still in the snowy mountaintops of Northern Japan, following Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo story arc, “The Green Dragon.” They are led to the hut of a strange hermit who allows them to spend the night at her home to shelter from the snowstorm. Meanwhile, the maniacal Jei and his familiar, Keiko, are on Usagi’s trail when they stumble upon a bandit lair and subdue a band of cutthroats and thieves.

A new story starring Usagi Yojimbo and the new character, his cousin, Yukichi! Follows directly after the story The Green Dragon.

Praise for Usagi Yojimbo:

“Stan Sakai has been delighting people and fans around the world since first creating Usagi Yojimbo and his world in 1984. Once again, Stan brings readers back into Usagi's world, where more adventures await all who pick up a copy of this first issue [Usagi Yojimbo: The Hidden] and dive in.” — PopCultHQ

“The mystery thickens and a new antagonist is revealed, all told with beautiful visuals. You can never go wrong with a book by Stan Sakai. Usagi Yojimbo: The Hidden is something you should find as soon as possible. Highest possible recommendation.” — SciFiPulse

“Usagi Yojimbo has been consistently great for decades, but there hasn't been a standout story for some time now. That all changes, as we jump 20 years into the future, for a story of war, sacrifice, family great honor and" aliens?” — Newsarama on Usagi Yojimbo: Senso

I dismissed this character when he first debuted as Lone Wolf and Cub Lite. Then he became very popular, but I felt like I'd missed the boat. Maybe in my dotage I'll get all the collections and read them.
Here's a PREVIEW.

IDW PUBLISHING

IDW celebrates with SONIC THE HEDGEHOG: AMY’S 30TH ANNIVERSARY #1.

DARK SPACES: HOLLYWOOD SPECIAL #2 seems standalone.

"DAY OF BLOOD"

STAR TREK #12

Story: Collin Kelly | Art: Jackson Lanzing, Angel Unzueta | Cover: Marcus To | $4.99

The crossover event between Star Trek and Star Trek: Defiant comes to a thrilling conclusion in part five of DAY OF BLOOD! Using powers bestowed upon him by the Prophets, emissary Benjamin Sisko withstands the god-killing weapon for now, but forces of the Orb of Destruction wear on him with each passing moment. Meanwhile, Worf agonizes over a fatal wound of his own that he can never hope to heal. What will become of our heroes? What will become of the universe? Can the crews of the Theseus and Defiant stop the godkiller once and for all?

This is the fifth and final part of this crossover, which only includes two titles (Star Trek and Star Trek: Defiant). I'll probably read it in trade.

STAR TREK: DAY OF BLOOD — SHAX’S BEST DAY #1

Story: Ryan North | Art/Cover: Derek Charm | $5.99

You've seen Captains Benjamin Sisko and Worf with their crews of the U.S.S. Theseus and Defiant stop the fascist, god-killing clone Kahless II from declaring war on non-followers across the galaxy in a brutal battle on Qo'noS. But you haven't seen it from the eyes of the man, the myth, the legend — Lieutenant Junior Grade Shaxs!

From the writer behind the best-selling Lower Decks comics series, Ryan North, with esteemed artist Derek Charm (The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl), comes a 30-page standalone tie-in to the “Star Trek: Day of Blood” event detailing the Bajoran's beast-mode brawl and showcasing all the behind-the-scenes Klingon-zealot butt-kicking in full animated glory!

This came out of nowhere, with no PR or anything. I hope it's included in the trade, because I love Lower Decks!
I didn't realize Shax — the Cerrito's head of security — was just a Lieutenant J.G. That means Boimler and the rest are now equal in rank (per recent promotions). That's a pretty low rank for a guy with gray hair.

MORE PUBLISHERS

Ahoy alert! Ahoy comics is releasing SECOND COMING TRINITY #6 (OF 6) and THE GIMMICK TP this week.

Comic strip collector alert! Manuscript Press is releasing ALLEY OOP: BACK TO THE MOON TP this week.

NIGHT CRUISING (Floating World Comics) is a one-shot about "rebellious youth" cruising at night, duh, in Los Angeles. I'm many decades from my rebellious youth, and really don't care what sort of trouble idiot teenagers get into. But you might.

MILLENNIALS: YOU ARE SPECIAL #1 (Anyone Comics) features super-powered twentysomethings and college loans.

The Valkyrie Saviors — college students by day, giant Valkyrie warriors by night — return to save the world in Antarctic's VALKYRIE SAVIORS: KEY OF STORMS #1 (OF 3). They previously appeared in the three-issue, 2021 Antarctic series Valkyrie Saviors.

Ghost Fox and The Mighty Crusaders appear in WORLD OF BETTY & VERONICA JUMBO COMICS DIGEST #29.

ZOMBIE TRAMP DELUXE EDITION VOL 1 TP is being published by Still Ill Comics. That's Bob Mendoza's new imprint, so I guess he won his battle with Action Lab over ownership of the titular character.

WHO WAS BETTY WHITE? GN (Penguin Classics) is for young readers, and they should darn well learn who she was!

VAMPIRELLA/DRACULA: RAGE #2

THE FINAL ACT OF CHRISTOPHER PRIEST'S EPIC VAMPIRELLA SAGA KICKS INTO HIGH GEAR! After being told that her baby had died at birth, Vampirella discovers her son is actually alive but has been stolen by a nihilist cult who believe the newborn to be a carrier of "The Dracula Virus." Meanwhile, the Lord of Vampires himself seeks out the help of Victory, Vampirella's former lover, as he remains several frustrating steps behind Vampi while she hunts down the cultists. The angry new mother will stop at nothing to get her son back — and wreak terrible vengeance on those who took him!

CHRISTOPHER PRIEST BREAKS DOWN THE UNBRIDLED RAGE!

Year One is in the rearview — fans got a peek at Vampirella’s early days, while also keeping up with her current status following the big events of Vampirella/Dracula: Unholy. Now Dracula is back in focus for Rage. How has he come back into the picture?

[Mild spoilers for Unholy and Year One] In Vampirella/Dracula: Unholy, Vampirella married FBI Agent Matthew Ecsed as part of a blood ritual required to stave off the “Dracula virus,” a necromantic strain created from Dracula’s DNA and passed down through generations to the unwitting Matt. The ritual succeeded in averting Matt’s becoming Dracula, but not before Matt passed the virus on to someone else.

An unforeseen complication of Vampirella’s efforts to save Matt was her discovering she was expecting her first child. Vampirella: Year One features our vampire mom-to-be telling her origin story to her unborn child. Year One concludes with Vampi going into premature labor, leading to our new story, Rage.

See what happens when you miss an issue?

Although now severed from the Ecsed family line, Dracula has been resurrected in the bloodline of another. He knows Vampirella’s son is a carrier of the Dracula virus, his own DNA, which makes this a child of Dracula and a carrier of his legacy.

The finale of the last series was teased with the birth of Vampirella’s baby, as she was pregnant throughout it in the scenes set in the present. Due to some shifting of story beats, the next baby reveals are happening here — but we hear it’s not set to be so happy ever after. What is setting off this titular Rage for our heroine?

After suffering terrible birth complications, Vampirella awakens in Rage #1 and is told her baby did not survive. However, she soon discovers this is not true. Deranged cultists have stolen her baby, and Vampi launches out to hunt them down.

You’ve described Vampirella in this story as a “shark,” which fits well with her vampire abilities as well. She’s lurking in the dark, hunting victims, and she smells blood in the water. How is this vision of Vampirella going to be so starkly different from how fans are used to seeing her?

Having tracked the cultists, Vampirella is on the verge of recovering her son when the newborn infant is murdered before her eyes. This triggers an inconsolable rage within her, stripping away her compassion and goodness while revealing a Vampirella we’ve never seen before.

These people murdered her son. Now she’s going to kill every damn last one of them.

This, ironically, puts Dracula on the side of the angels as he pursues Vampirella in an effort to save her from becoming completely consumed by hate and, therefore, becoming as evil as he is.

The Vampirella mythos has been built up quite a bit since you took the wheel for our 50th anniversary celebration in 2019. What other characters can we expect to see in Rage? We hear Victory will be swinging through for an appearance, while fans can also check out her solo efforts in her new series.

Ha ha! Victory doesn’t swing (or does she…?). Victory becomes Dracula’s ersatz Renfield for this story arc. We will not see much of Vampirella’s supporting cast as this is a much leaner and more tightly focused story: she’s hunting, she’s killing, can Drac prevent Vampirella from losing her soul?

In pacing and tone Rage will be much more like Lone Wolf & Cub than Paper Girls (both series I love, by the way). Tonally it will be a rapid departure from the kinds of stories we’ve typically done in this shared universe, as we push a good and noble character well beyond what she can reasonably bear.

She’s going to kill every damn last one of them.

When Dynamite issues an interview with Christopher Priest for the second issue, you know they're pulling out the stops.

LOVE KILLS HC

Story/Art: Danilo Beyruth | Titan | B&W | 248 pages | $24.99

When you have a past as long as this, something’s bound to come back to bite you!

A lone female vampire, Helena, stumbles into an alliance with Marcus, an unwitting human, when she’s attacked by a rival coven on the streets of Sao Paulo. But when what seems at first to be a simple fight over hunting territory quickly turns into a lethal game of cat and mouse, Helena is forced to confront a shocking past betrayal and battle for her very existence.

A cool, urban noir from the creator of Samurai Shiro (adapted into a movie, Yakuza Princess), Danilo Beyruth (Frank Miller Presents Ancient Enemies series with Dan Didio).

It's a vampire story. I confess I've already read it and enjoyed it. Review to come.

40 MEN AND 12 RIFLES GN

Story: Marcelino Truong, David Homel | Art/Cover: Marcelino Truong | Arsenal Pulp Press | $28.95

40 Men and 12 Rifles is an expansive, gripping graphic novel set in Indochina in the year leading up to 1954, when the French-held garrison at Dien Bien Phu fell after a four-month battle, leading to the end of the first Indochina war between French forces and Ho Chi Minh's nationalist rebels. Minh (no relation to Ho) is a young man from Hanoi, an aspiring painter who dreams of experiencing la vie bohème in Paris's Latin Quarter. To dissuade him from pursuing an artistic life, his father sends him into the countryside to tend to the family's holdings. He is soon pressed into serving with the Ho Chi Minh rebels, where he becomes a soldier despite repeatedly defying his cadres — ideological Communist commanders with whom he disagrees — becoming both hero and anti-hero in the process.

This one looked interesting to me just because it's so far off the beaten path.
I'm a little surprised it's not marked mature readers, especially given the cover.

BOX OF BONES VOL 1 GN

Story: Ayize Jama-Everett | Art: John Jennings | Rosarium Publishing | $19.95

When Black graduate student Lyndsey begins her dissertation work on a mysterious box that pops up during the most violent and troubled time in Africana history, she has no idea that her research will lead her on a phantasmagorical journey from West Philadelphia riots to Haitian slave uprisings. Wherever Lyndsey finds someone who has seen the Box, chaos ensues. Soon, even her own sanity falls into question. In the end, Lyndsey will have to decide if she really wants to see what's inside the Box of Bones. Described as "Tales from the Crypt Meets Black History," Box of Bones is a supernatural nightmare tour through some of the most violent and horrific episodes in the African Diaspora. Jama-Everett and Jennings have assembled a talented group of artists for this ten-issue project, including cover artist, Stacey Robinson (I Am Alfonso Jones), David Brame (MediSIN), Avy Jetter (APB: Artists against Police Brutality), and Tim Fielder (Matty's Rocket). The first issue (penciled by Jennings)

I could make a joke here about every story starting with a Black driver pulled over by the police, but I'll refrain. It isn't a very funny subject, anyway.

MOBILIS HC

Story/Art: Juni Ba | TKO Studios LLC | $29.99

It has been centuries since the oceans rose and swallowed up all the nations of men. Now only beasts and unseen horrors lurk below the waves, kept in check by one man: Captain Nemo, in his legendary ship the Nautilus. Until one day, young Arona comes onboard his ship, a stowaway from times long past, giving Nemo his first crew member in years. But as he raises the young orphan in his image, she begins to have questions that ask Nemo to dredge up the past: what has become of the world? Can it be saved? And was it all worth it?

I thought that might be of interest to H.G. Wells (or League of Extraordinary Gentlemen) fans.
I have no idea how Captain Nemo is still alive in this post-flood future. Maybe he's a descendant of the original.

DRACULA X FRANKENSTEIN TP

Story: Michele Monteleone, Giulio Antonio Gualtieri | Art: Fabrizio Des Dorides, Francesco De Stena | Cover: Fernando Dagnino | Fairsquare Comics | $19.90

TWO LEGENDARY MONSTERS, ONE SCARY VOLUME!

Straight out of Italy, here comes a bold new take on two classic monster stories ... "Fumetti style!"

Dracula x Frankenstein is the perfect graphic novel to get this year for Halloween and beyond.

Jonathan Harker, a British solicitor, arrives in Transylvania to meet his client, Count Dracula. In the Count's castle, he finds himself playing the part of the bait in a cruel game that Dracula set up for his host.

July 31, 1797. During an expedition to the North Pole, Captain Walton is stuck with his ship in the ice and scans the horizon. Suddenly, someone emerges from the gloom, on a dog sled. The driver is an exhausted man, Victor Frankenstein. And once he has recovered from the cold he will have to tell the captain about his near-death experience with the mysterious creature to which he himself gave life to ...

The Big Two Universal monsters with an Italian slant! Check out the PREVIEW.

MEMOIRS OF THE MORBID RED EDITION

An homage to classic horror of the '40s and '50s (Tales from Crypt or Creepshow). This anthology holds 5 self-contained horror stories bookended by a parody of classic horror narrators, "The Ghoulmaster."

It's marked Mature, so it's got my attention. And I always appreciate an EC trade dress homage.

SUMMER OF HAMN HC

Story/Art: Chuck D | Enemy Books | $34.95

In Summer of Hamn, legendary hip-hop artist Chuck D takes on gun violence with rhythmic, inventive writing and passionately raw art. Summer of Hamn is the bound journal Chuck D carried with him in the summer of 2022 — a summer marked by a particularly high rate of gun death. In these pages, victims are memorialized, politicians are skewered, and vehement pleas to eradicate gun violence are made. Jaw-dropping statistics (40% of all personal guns in the world are owned by U.S. citizens; there are 100 million more guns in the U.S. than there are citizens) intersect with poetic reflections ("Another mall shooting seems normalized in Columbus / Raining outside in Ohio / Raining inside folks panic / Inside hearing shots bust"), all written in Chuck's hand over vibrant, utterly original, neoexpressionist ink and watercolor art.

A shout from within the gun crisis. I thought it worth hearing.

TALES FROM THE CAVE (ONE-SHOT)

Just in time for Halloween, Mad Cave Studios is proud to present readers three treats: a spooky Nottingham story from Hazan, Volk, Romano and Birch; a Battlecats "tail" featuring teenage felines tempting fate; and a Hunt. Kill. Repeat. battle over technology.

Fans of all three worlds are given "pumpkin" to talk about with stories crafted by MCS Talent Search winners from past to present!

For readers of Nottingham, Battlecats and Hunt. Kill. Repeat.

THIRSTY MERMAIDS GN

Story/Art: Kat Leyh | Gallery | $19.99

The Eisner and Lambda Literary Award nominated graphic novel about a group of mermaids trapped on dry land. Fresh out of shipwreck wine, three tipsy mermaids decide to magically masquerade as humans and sneak onto land to indulge in much more drinking and a whole lot of fun in the heart of a local seaside tourist trap. But the good times abruptly end the next morning as, through the haze of killer hangovers, the trio realizes they never actually learned how to break the spell and are now stuck on land for the foreseeable future. Which means everything from: enlisting the aid of their I-know-we-just-met-can-we-crash-with-you bartender friend, struggling to make sense of the world around them, to even trying to get a job with no skill set... all while attempting to somehow return to the sea and making the most of their current situation with tenacity and camaraderie (especially if someone else is buying).

I never watched or read anything about Disney's Little Mermaid, because I didn't care for the premise. Why should a girl — well, a mermaid — have to change everything about herself, and give up her family, friends and home, for a man? Why woud a man want a woman who brings nothing to the table? Also, if I were a mer-person, what interst would I have in going on land, with all its pollution, need for money and physical limitations?
This book sort-of answers the second question: Mer-people might want to party! And it's darn near impossible to drink underwater.

SAINTED LOVE #1

Vault Comics first announced the new series from Steve Orlando, known for his work with both DC and Marvel as well as numerous creator-owned series across publishers, and newcomer and queer cartoonist Giopota with colors by Rosh and letters by Simon Bowland via Kickstarter earier this month, and today announces the wider debut of Sainted Love in September!

Sainted Love, the steamy time traveling adventure series; equal parts romance and science fiction is already a certified success midway through its crowdfunding campaign, currently sitting at nearly four times its original funding goal.

Meanwhile, Sainted Love is a gay romance that sees queer heroes becomes legends themselves as they explore and adventure through iconic times in queer history, from the passion of gay saints Sergius and Bacchusto to the Lavender Mafia of the 1970s, and in between. Irina and Wolf first think they need to return home, but they soon realize that their real calling is elsewhere in time, to places where they're free to love and exists as who they are and eras that desperately need their help.

“Sainted Love is, in a lot of ways, the book my whole career's been building to — it's unabashed, it's bold, it's provocative, and it's sexy!” says Steve Orlando “It speaks truths through fiction, reveals history through fantasy, and is the proud, asskicking adventure that brings together the themes I've been building for years across many titles and publishers. Its two heroes criss-crossing to defend not just their love, but all of our loves, and all of our history. And god help anyone who tries to get in their way and erase it!”

“Sainted Love is the dream project I didn’t know I needed to work on” adds Giopota. “This is only my first job ever for the US market and it’s great that I’m having the opportunity to collaborate with a seasoned professional like Steve. I think I immediately clicked with him and found a method that allows us to work smoothly while having fun. Working with Vault Comics, a publisher so attentive to LGBTQIA+ issues makes me really proud, as my commitment to telling queer stories is the engine that drives me to pursue this career. I think the readers will be very entertained by this story, both for the twists and for the more romantic and even spicy scenes.”

Vault seems pretty excited about this one, but they may find the "gay romance" genre to be more crowded than they expected. Not just manga (where there's plenty of yaoi and yuri) but also Western titles from Oni, Dark Horse, Fantagraphics, Drawn & Quarterly and Silver Sprocket.

MORE PREVIEWS

BIG ETHEL ENERGY VOL. 3 TP

BLADE RUNNER 2039 #7 (OF 12)

BLADE RUNNER: ORIGINS 1-3 BOXED SET is also available this week.

CONAN BARBARIAN #3

FIRE POWER BY KIRKMAN & SAMNEE #27

MARVEL STUDIOS’ THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER THE OFFICIAL MOVIE SPECIAL

SUMMONERS WAR: AWAKENING #6

WORLD OF BETTY & VERONICA DIGEST #29

Replies

Jeff of Earth-J September 23, 2023 at 1:42pm

This title is cursed.

Man, you ain't kidding! I started re-reading Miracleman earlier with the intention of catching up to present right around the time of the last issue. I was reading and Marvel was publishing at a good little clip, I get caught up, then... nuthin'. It's been so long I almost feel as if I need to read the open chapters of The Silver Age again.

ZERO HOUR: CRISIS IN TIME OMNIBUS HC gets a reprint, although I'm not sure why.

Honestly, Zero Hour was one of my favorite "event" crossovers. Overall, I think, the ramifications affected more titles and were integral to those series at the time.

That was some time ago, and none of it stuck.

Yeah, but that was 30 years ago. Nothing from 30 years ago has "stuck."

JAY GARRICK THE FLASH #1

I will probably try this (and the Alan Scott Green Lantern one as well).

JUSTICE LEAGUE VS. GODZILLA VS. KONG

"A little thrill passed through my inner 12 year old when I heard about this" as well, but then I read the preview in last week's Wonder Woman #1. Honestly, I like the idea of this more than I expect to like the execution. I generally don't like mixing comic book and movie franchises (and I'm willing to cite a list as long as your arm if you'd like). We'll see.

I never watched or read anything about Disney's Little Mermaid, because I didn't care for the premise.

You know a LOT more about the Little Mermaid than I do.
The Baron September 23, 2023 at 3:52pm

I assume they're going to hobble Superman somehow to keep him from throwing the Big G and Kong back in time to join Titano ... on page two.

Remember, this isn't the Silver Age Superman, here. I don't think that Godzilla or Kong as they are presented currently could kill Superman (as he is presented currently), but I don't think they'd be simple chores for him, either.

Regarding The Thirsty Mermaid: It has recently come to my attention that among the young people today, "thirsty" is sometimes used contemptuously to describe someone who's desperate for attention, especially sexual attention, implying that they will debase themselves to gain another's attention. Make of that what you will.
Captain Comics September 26, 2023 at 4:49pm

Honestly, Zero Hour was one of my favorite "event" crossovers.

I don't remember much about it. Didn't they kill the JSA again in that one?

I generally don't like mixing comic book and movie franchises

I feel the same about mixing comics with music.

I don't think that Godzilla or Kong as they are presented currently could kill Superman (as he is presented currently), but I don't think they'd be simple chores for him, either.

You got me there. I haven't read Superman regularly since Infinite Frontier.

You know a LOT more about the Little Mermaid than I do.

Somehow I don't think that's a compliment!

Regarding The Thirsty Mermaid: It has recently come to my attention that among the young people today, "thirsty" is sometimes used contemptuously to describe someone who's desperate for attention, especially sexual attention, implying that they will debase themselves to gain another's attention. Make of that what you will.

There's a literal meaning for thirsty available. (The gals wanted some drinks.) It's also an oxymoron that could be employed to garner attention. As to the way These Kids Today use it, that's certainly a possibility. I won't speculate until and unless I read the thing. (Which is unlikely.)
Luke Blanchard September 27, 2023 at 3:56am

Jay had a solo story in the back of The Flash #201 (1970), by Robert Kanigher and Murphy Anderson. Jay and Joan go to an outdoor concert and Jay fights the Fiddler. Likewise there was a solo Hourman story in the back of The Spectre #7 in 1968.

In the mid-70s Golden Age scripts were recycled for stories starring Jay drawn by Edgar Bercasio for Four Star Spectacular #1 ("The City of Shifting Sand") and Rico Rival for DC Super Stars #5 ("Deal Me From the Bottom!")

He starred in the first issue of the 1991 Justice Society of America mini by Len Strazewski that preceded the short-lived ongoing Strazewski did with Mike Parobeck.

Apparently he subbed for Wally in The Flash #134 (1998).
Captain Comics September 27, 2023 at 11:41am

Initially I used the wrong list for this week's DC Comics. I've corrected in the FULL LIST, and changed what is featured in the DC list above.
Jeff of Earth-J September 27, 2023 at 1:56pm

I don't remember much about it. Didn't they kill the JSA again in that one?

Some members of the JSA did die, yes, but it was getting to be like Farley (the Patterson's dog in For Better or For Worse): DC had to deal with it sometime. It also had major ramifications for Hawkman, the LSH, Parallax (Green Lantern)... also Starman (James Robinson's) spun out of that series.

Somehow I don't think that's a compliment!

Just an observation. :)

Initially I used the wrong list for this week's DC Comics.

Ah, that explains it. I didn't see Golden Age flash, JLA/Godzilla/Kong, perhaps one or two others.
Richard Willis September 28, 2023 at 12:26am

Jeff of Earth-J said:

Some members of the JSA did die, yes, but it was getting to be like Farley (the Patterson's dog in For Better or For Worse): DC had to deal with it sometime.

Since you opened the door about it, For Better or For Worse: The Complete Library, Vol. 7 is coming out next week. I had all of the paperback collections which were maddeningly different formats.

(And Farley died heroically. And stayed dead.)
Richard Willis September 29, 2023 at 11:20pm

They kept the most important part of her costume

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