DARK HORSE COMICS
ASSASSIN'S APPRENTICE I #4
BERSERK DELUXE EDITION VOL 13 HC
CLEAR #1 (OF 3)
Dark Horse Comics will bring Clear, a dazzling, visual thrill ride through a hard-boiled sci-fi dystopia, by bestselling writer Scott Snyder and superstar artist Francis Manapul (The Flash, Justice League) to print for the first time in 2023. Clear will be published in three oversized periodicals and feature variant covers by acclaimed artists. The trade paperback collection of Clear will be published in Fall 2023.
Clear is the story of a not-too-distant future where mankind no longer sees the world as it truly is. The invention of neurological filters has made it so one can view reality however they may choose — Old Hollywood monochrome, zombie apocalypse, anime ... the possibilities are endless.
Neo-shamus Sam Dunes is one of only a handful who choose to live without a filter. When the death of an old flame reveals foul play, Dunes is set on a wild and twisting mystery that will take him from the city’s deadly underworld to the even deadlier heights of wealth and power.
Clear was first released as a six-issue series from Comixology Originals and is available to read digitally at Comixology.
“Scott Snyder and Francis Manapul’s Clear is gorgeous sci-fi noir” — The A.V. Club
“Masterful Cyberpunk Noir Reckons With the Helplessness of Connectivity. ... Built on the impeccable execution of two masters at the top of their game, Clear is easy to recommend for anyone who wants unnervingly relevant genre fiction.” — Comicbook.com
“One part The Maltese Falcon and another part Blade Runner, Clear is an old school crime thriller all done up in new school sci-fi splendour.” — Comicon
- I generally enjoy Snyder's work, but I'm not sure another dystopic, Matrix-like story is what I want from him.
SNOW ANGELS LIBRARY ED HC
SPACE JOB #2
STEPHEN MCCRANIE'S SPACEBOY VOL 15 TP
DC COMICS
ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN: JON KENT #1 (OF 6)
Writer Tom Taylor and artist Clayton Henry will be telling new Jon Kent stories in Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent.
ANOTHER SUPERMAN HAS FALLEN. Across the Multiverse, Kal-Els are being murdered. Val-Zod, the Superman of Earth-2, believes only one man can help stop the killing — Kal-El's son, Jon Kent! Jon will have to step across dimensions and face the killer of the Kal-Els, the monstrous Ultraman, the man who kidnapped and tortured him for years. And Val-Zod is not acting alone in trying to save the Supermen. Who is the mysterious woman alongside him? And what is her shocking connection to the Super-Family?
“I couldn't be more excited for Jon Kent to headline the iconic Adventures of Superman,” said Tom Taylor. “It’s a real testament to the fantastic response of fans to Jon as Superman. This series is going to be one of the most action-packed books I’ve ever written and Jon is going to be tested more than ever before. While we can tell you the Superman of Earth-2, Val-Zod, and Jon’s nemesis, Ultraman, will be key characters in the early part of Adventures of Superman, what we’re going to reveal at the end of issue #2 will have everyone talking and issue #3 launches us in a direction that no one will see coming.”
- They do seem to be trying to re-invigorate the Super-franchise, which I applaud. But I didn't care for Crystal Blue Persuasion Superman the first time. (I like the song, though.)
- Anyone else think the cover just below left looks like John Newton of the 1988 Superboy series?
BATGIRLS VOL 2: BAT GIRL SUMMER TP
BATMAN #133
BATMAN #137 FACSIMILE EDITION
- First appearance of The Squid.
- (Not sure how that rates a facsimile edition. Maybe he's about to make a comeback, or there's something else noteworthy in the issue.)
BATMAN & THE JOKER: DEADLY DUO #5 (OF 7)
BATMAN/SUPERMAN: WORLD'S FINEST VOL 1: THE DEVIL NEZHA
BLUE BEETLE: JAIME REYEZ BOOK TWO TP
FLASH #794
MONKEY PRINCE #12 (OF 12)
POISON IVY #10
STATIC: SHADOWS OF DAKOTA #2 (OF 6)
- Heads up, Milestone fans!
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT
CHERISH #5
DEJAH THORIS (2023) #1
Story: Chuck Brown | Art: Emiliana Pinna | Cover: Leirix | $3.99
An all-new vision of A Princess of Mars! Eisner Award-winning writer Chuck Brown (Bitter Root) and stellar artist Emiliana Pinna (Red Sonja) present Dejah Thoris, a tale set before the events of Edgar Rice Burroughs' first classic novel. Young Princess Dejah has lived a sheltered existence, growing up behind vast palace walls, guarded by Helium's greatest warriors. But when the entire royal family is attacked by horrific Kaldane Martians, Dejah narrowly escapes into the wilds of Barsoom, with no recourse but to strike out on a quest to save her kingdom.
- Peep a plethora of pulchitrude!
VAMPIRELLA VS. RED SONJA #5
IDW PUBLISHING
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: HONOR AMONG THIEVES — THE FEAST OF THE MOON
Creators: Jeremy Lambert, Ellen Boener, Eduardo Ferigato, Guillermo Sanna | 96 pages | $14.99
In anticipation of Paramount Pictures’ upcoming Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, IDW is thrilled to announce a comic prequel, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves — The Feast of the Moon, which will be available in February 2023, ahead of the film’s theatrical release. Written by Jeremy Lambert (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and Ellen Boener with art by Eduardo Ferigato (Last Flight Out) and Guillermo Sanna (Luke Cage), Feast of the Moon introduces Edgin, Holga and more of the movie’s ignoble antiheroes, and tells the thrilling, hilarious and unexpected story of events leading up to the epic calamity that will ultimately ensnare them.
Stranded in a town under siege after their latest heist goes awry, Edgin and his band of thieves find themselves enmeshed in a bitter conflict between the town’s inhabitants and a tyrannical Bandit King who has exploited the town’s resources for years under threat of violence and ruin. With their backs against the wall, Edgin and his associates vow to help the townsfolk repel the Bandit King’s forces once and for all — but as the danger escalates and the thieves’ loyalties are tested, allegiances begin to shift, and it soon becomes clear that all is not as it seems.
“I can’t begin to describe how fun it was to open up my notebook filled with scribbles for old D&D campaigns and start a new chapter for a different kind of story,” says Lambert. “What I love about these characters is that they aren’t the brave, gallant, all-powerful warriors that will forever win the day — they’re regular people, just like you or me. They’re emotionally messy, and they are completely in over their heads.”
“I’ve always been a huge fantasy fan,” says Ferigato. “Dragons, dwarves, elves, and barbarians are all among my favorite things to draw. I think of my style as very cinematic, so I’m really excited for the film and eager to see how it’s going to turn out. I hope the fans will have as much fun reading the finished comic as I’ve had drawing these pages!”
“Creating a comic set in the world of this exciting new film means we get to enjoy the fun of bringing together all the elements that make D&D so versatile and well suited to different mediums,” says IDW editor Jonathan Manning. “Not only did we get to build and expand on the personal histories of these exciting new characters, but we also got to explore so many of the elements we love the most about the game of D&D — its class systems, its creatures and its mechanics. Feast of the Moon is the perfect introduction for anyone looking to get into the world of D&D for the first time, as well as for longtime fans. Play the game, watch the movie, read the comic!”
- I hear there's a movie coming.
GENIUS ILLUSTRATED: LIFE & ART OF ALEX TOTH TP
GODZILLA RIVALS: MOTHRA VS. TITANOSAURUS
TMNT ARMAGEDDON GAME ALLIANCE #5
IMAGE COMICS
ALMIGHTY #2
AMERICAN JESUS VOL 3: REVELATION TP
A.R.C.: ANIMAL RIGHTS COLLECTIVE ONE-SHOT
Top Cow Productions, Inc., the company behind Witchblade, The Darkness and Cyberforce, announce a new crime/mystery one-shot surrounding the subject of animal rights and environmentalism called, A.R.C. by Matt Hawkins, Paul Feinstein, Ryan Cady, Atilio Rojo and Troy Peteri and featuring cover art by Stjepan Šejić.
A.R.C. Animal Rights Collective is a concept developed by co-founder of Fine Stone Entertainment and travel journalist Paul Feinstein, who has written for a myriad of publications and media companies including Travel + Leisure, The BBC, TIME, and NBC/UNIVERSAL.
“As a travel writer, I have been all over the world and have had a front row seat to the devastation of our world’s flora and fauna," said Feinstein. "A.R.C. is important because it sheds a giant light on the corrupt forces around the globe that are contributing to mass extinctions, illegal wildlife trade, the growing threat of animal-borne viruses and climate change.”
With Top Cow’s President Matt Hawkins at the creative helm, Feinstein and the team uses the medium of fictional sequential storytelling to take readers into the world of animal rights and asks a very simple question: How do we stop illegal wildlife trading, mass extinctions and preserve the sanctity of the natural world? The answer is A.R.C., led by wildlife champion Noah Eran who is an animal rights defender by day and animal rights vigilante by night. When the law can’t take down the corruption, Noah’s A.R.C. can.
“A.R.C. is a great opportunity for the team to tell a compelling and brutally honest story about the secret underbelly of poaching and the effects that lie in its wake. We pull no punches,” said Hawkins.
Cady added: "I'm always happy to work with Top Cow, and I've been hoping to collaborate with Atilio Rojo on something for awhile now. When Matt and Paul approached me with this fascinating story and Atilio on board, I leapt at the chance! Fans of mine or Matt's other Top Cow books will dig this one, no doubt.”
Illegal poaching is a billion-dollar industry, a black market trade violently interwoven with the bloody work of warlords and international traffickers. South African industrial heir Noah Ehran has dedicated himself to battling this evil on two fronts, in two separate lives. By day, he's an environmental lobbyist and aggressive corporate reformer-but by night, Noah leads A.R.C., the Animal Rights Collective, in an armed crusade against the criminal empires responsible!
- I appreciate the sentiment, but all this book does is remind me how fast we're killing off species, especially big ones. Now I'm going to be depressed all afternoon.
BLOOD TREE #2
DARK RIDE VOL 1 TP
GOSPEL #5 (OF 5)
LOVESICK #7 (OF 7)
ROGUE SUN #11
SPAWN #339
STONEHEART #1
Emma Kubert — the artist behind Frank Miller’s Pandora and Image Comics’ Inkblot and Radiant Pink series — will bring readers a whimsically twisted new tale in the upcoming Stoneheart.
In Stoneheart, the bubbly and headstrong Shayde Whisper has been inexplicably exiled from her magical guild and relocated — left only with vague memories and romanticized hope. But when she hears a sinister voice in her head that awakens a power beyond her comprehension, she’ll traverse her past and present to unravel her prestigious place within the mystical land of Athea!
“Stoneheart introduces a new perspective on the hero’s journey and a deep dive into our capabilities of great good and great evil. I began this series simply as a catharsis to help me deal with the many worldly problems my generation is facing today, but it slowly culminated into a confrontation of my inner monologue," said Kubert. "The art, the writing, and the lettering is all a reflection of myself and my dedication to the industry and craft. Through humor, adventure, excitement, action, and love, Stoneheart confronts our inner self-worth and creates an entirely new fantasy; a fantasy where we strive for peace.”
- Emma Kubert is Joe Kubert's granddaughter. Feel old yet?
TWO GRAVES #5
MARVEL COMICS
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #21
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN EPIC COLLECTION THE GOBLIN LIVES TP
AVENGERS #66
Written By Jason Aaron
Art And Cover By Javier Garrón
In AVENGERS #66, enter the dark heart of all that is where the battle to save the entire Multiverse is raging, featuring a cast of Avengers that staggers the imagination. Surely no foe from any universe would dare stand against such a force? Mephisto dares, as the full extent of his plan finally comes into shocking focus.
“It feels good. It’s definitely the right time to bring this all crashing together and finish some of the character arcs that I’ve been building for years now,” Aaron told CBR in an exclusive interview. “We talked about what a big, epic, war story this is. It’s got a lot of different characters punching each other, and a lot of different versions of Avengers from throughout time and space. In the midst of all that though we have all the character moments, beats, and arcs that have been part of my run since issue #1. So, one of the goals is to make sure we don’t lose all of that amongst all the fighting, and crazy moments.
“There are some huge character beats to come at the end of this, and a lot of these characters are ones I’ve been working on in some form or another for more than a decade now. It does feel like the right time to wrap all of that up.”
- Part 8 of “Avengers Assemble”
- This looks interesting enough that I expect I'll be getting the "Avengers by Jason Aaron" omnibus. Or buses.
BLACK PANTHER #15
BLOODLINE: DAUGHTER OF BLADE #2
FANTASTIC FOUR #5
GAMBIT: THICK AS THIEVES TP
MARY JANE AND BLACK CAT #4 (OF 5)
MIGHTY MMW DAREDEVIL VOL 2: ALONE AGAINST UNDERWORLD TP
MOON KNIGHT #21
NEW MUTANTS: LETHAL LEGION #1 (OF 5)
Story: Charlie Jane Anders | Art: Enid Balam | Cover: Javier Fernandez | Teen+ | $3.99
THE NEW, NEW MUTANTS — WITH ALL THE CLASSIC THRILLS! Best-selling, multiple-award-winning, generally bedazzling writer Charlie Jane Anders launches a fresh take on the beloved team, with rising star Enid Balam behind the illustrious pencils! The Shadow King. U-Men. Demon Bear. Themselves. The New Mutants have faced some of the most cunning minds in the Marvel Universe — and survived. But when someone starts building a new Lethal Legion, will Krakoa's youngest class finally be outmatched? Featuring fan favorites like Wolfsbane and Karma alongside explosive newcomers like Escapade, this is a series you can't miss! Everything leads to the Fall of X — don't sleep on the start.
NIGHTCRAWLERS #2 (OF 3)
Story: Si Spurrier | Art: Andrea Di Vito | Cover: Leinil Francis Yu
Wagnerine and her gene-spliced assassins are holy thieves, servants to a cosmic cult in NIGHTCRAWLERS #2! Let the HEIST LITURGY be spoken! Loot the ashes of Asgard! Raid the tombs of Otherworld! Pick the pockets of the Marvel Universe and build the sacred weapon! And let us bear witness to the final fate of the First ... the fallen fiend who was once known as NIGHTCRAWLER.
- "Sins of Sinister" tie-in.
PREDATOR #1
Story: Ed Brisson | Art: Netho Diaz | Cover: Giuseppe Camuncoli
Marvel’s highly-anticipated foray into the terrifying Predator universe began this past August in Ed Brisson and Kev Walker’s PREDATOR #1! Delivering all the explosive action and relentless horror that fans of the pop culture phenomenon crave, PREDATOR introduced a brand-new protagonist, Theta Berwick, who stalks the spaceways on a mission to rid the galaxy of the lethal alien killers, the Yautja. Her quest for vengeance has only just started and this March, she’ll increase her kill count on a brand-new hunt in PREDATOR #1!
Joined by rising star artist Netho Diaz, Ed Brisson will kick off the explosive next chapter of PREDATOR with a brand-new series that continues Theta’s thrilling journey! Set years after the opening arc, the new series will be perfect for newcomers and a must read for fans of Brisson’s PREDATOR run so far. The epic new saga will introduce a host of new characters trapped fighting for their lives against three distinct Predators. Each Predator uses their vicious skills and alarming expertise in distinct and terrifying ways but they all share the same objective: HUNT. KILL. REPEAT.
On a planet far from Earth, eight strangers find themselves in a deadly game. But this time, the Predators aren’t the only ones on the hunt. Someone has the Yautja in their sites — and they’ve been searching for this game preserve for a long time. Prepare for a brutal, carnage-filled adventure that will turn everything you thought you knew about Predators on its head!
“As a lifelong Predator fan — ever since seeing the first at the drive-in theatre at too-young-of-an-age — writing the comic has been an absolute dream gig,” Brisson said. “I've been thrilled at fan reaction and how I've been able to bring Theta into Predator lore — a bad-ass hunter we haven't seen the likes of since Dutch took down the Jungle Hunter back in 1987.”
“My only problem with our first series was that it was over too soon! I waned, no...needed, to write more in this universe,” he continued. “Thankfully, we're coming back, with incredible newcomer Netho Diaz on art, to tell a tale that ties into film continuity, while breaking new ground. We've got a new cast, new Predators, and some huge surprises in store! If you've read and enjoyed our first series, you are not going to want to miss out.”
SCARLET WITCH #3
Story: Steve Orlando | Art: Sara Pichelli | MCU Variant Cover: David Nakayama
Fans can relive Wanda Maximoff and Vision’s captivating saga in Westview in a new Marvel Cinematic Universe-inspired variant cover for SCARLET WITCH #3! Drawn by superstar artist David Nakayama, the piece celebrating Marvel Studios’ WandaVision is the latest in Marvel Comics’ line of MCU VARIANT COVERS that sees some of the industry’s greatest artists honor Marvel Studios’ incredible impact with stunning poster-style comic art. Gracing the cover of an upcoming issue of writer Steve Orlando and artist Sara Pichelli’s new SCARLET WITCH ongoing comic book series, Nakayama’s art perfectly encapsulates what fans loved about the Emmy Award-winning series, showcasing Wanda’s transformation into the Scarlet Witch, the climactic double Vision showdown, and breakout characters Agatha Harkness and Monica Rambeau.
SILVER SURFER: GHOST LIGHT #2
SILVER SURFER BY SLOTT & ALLRED OMNIBUS HC NEW PTG
SPIDER-MAN VS VENOM OMNIBUS HC
STAR WARS: BOUNTY HUNTERS #32
Story: Ethan Sacks | Art: Alessandro Miracolo | Inferno Squad Variant Cover By Rachael Stott
The legendary imperial unit from the hit video game Star Wars: Battlefront II are tasked with hunting down the galaxy’s greatest bounty hunters in a new arc of Ethan Sacks’ Star Wars: Bounty Hunters. Check them out a newly revealed variant cover by Rachael Stott.
STAR WARS: HIGH REPUBLIC #6
STAR WARS: SANA STARROS #2
TRIALS OF X VOL 6 TP
X-23 #1 FACSIMILE EDITION
- NOT the first appearance of X-23. That was in NYX #3, where (I kid thee not) she was a teenage hooker. They don't mention that much any more.
X-23: DEADLY REGENESIS #1 (OF 5)
Story: Erica Schultz | Art: Edgar Salazar | Covers: Kalman Andrasofszky, Jan Bazaldua, Mike Choi
Before Laura Kinney was Wolverine, one of mutantkind’s greatest heroes, she was X-23, its deadliest assassin! This March, writer Erica Schultz and artist Edgar Salazar will return to the time when the character was at a crossroads during her journey as an X-Man in X-23: DEADLY REGENESIS! Announced earlier this month at New York Comic Con, the five-issue limited series will add surprising depth to X-23’s incredible transformation into the hero she is today. Taking place during the X-Men’s Utopia era, the story will find X-23 targeted for revenge by an iconic Marvel Comics super villain and an all-new foe with a personal vendetta against Laura that’s so extreme, they may end up becoming her new archnemesis!
Laura Kinney, A.K.A. X-23, was cloned from Logan and trained by the Facility to be a deadly assassin. Even as she tries to put that life behind her, forces will try to drag her back -- and she’ll fight them tooth and claw! Beset by new enemies – as well as old favorites – this series follows X-23 during her days as a member of the X-Men and X-Force when she walked away from the island of Utopia to find where she truly belongs. Don’t miss this all-new story in the fan-favorite saga of Laura Kinney!
Kimura, Laura’s sadistic former handler from the Facility, is back with a vengeance to try to break X-23’s spirit and this time, she’s recruited a mysterious figure from Laura’s past to help her do the job — HAYMAKER! A skilled fighter with a personal vendetta against Laura, Haymaker is more than a match for X-23 and will earn their spot as X-23’s new archnemesis. After Haymaker (Jordan Gastin) makes their first appearance, readers will learn more about their backstory throughout the series. In the meantime, check out the character for the first time on the newly revealed design variant cover by Marvel’s Stormbreaker artist Jan Bazaldua for X-23: DEADLY REGENESIS #1 and the main series cover by Kalman Andrasofszky for May’s X-23: DEADLY REGENESIS #3.
“I'm really excited to have gotten the opportunity to work with Jan Bazaldua and Edgar Salazar in adding Haymaker to the Marvel Universe,” Schultz said. “Between Haymaker (aka Jordan Gastin) and Kimura, Laura's got her work cut out for her in this one.
"I've been a fan of X-23 from her first appearance in X-Men: Evolution twenty years ago. The fact that I get to play in the X-Men sandbox is its own reward, but having the opportunity to explore a character as complex and nuanced as Laura is a dream,” Schultz said. “Edgar Salazar, Mark Basso, and Drew Baumgartner have been fantastic to work with, and I really hope the fans enjoy this take on her."
“Working on X-23: DEADLY REGENESIS has been a fun ride! There’s lots of action, but I also enjoyed going deeper into Laura Kinney's personality and seeing what makes her who she is,” Salazar added. “I enjoyed teaming up with Erica Schultz. She really knows how to make a great story, with clever Ideas delivered in every script in a clear way, which is great for me as an artist.”
X-Men #20
MORE COMICS
ARCHIE JUMBO COMICS DIGEST #338
ARTFUL BREAKDOWNS COMICS OF ART SPIEGELMAN
Art Spiegelman | University Press of Mississippi | $30.00
A carefully curated, wide-ranging edited volume tracing Art Spiegelman's exceptional trajectory from underground rebellion to mainstream success, Artful Breakdowns: The Comics of Art Spiegelman reveals his key role in the rise of comics as an art form and of the cartoonist as artist. The collection grapples with Spiegelman's astonishing versatility, from his irreverent underground strips, influential avant-garde magazine RAW, the expressionist style of the comics classic Maus, the illustrations to the Jazz Age poem "The Wild Party," and his response to the September 11 terrorist attacks to his iconic cover art for the New Yorker, his children's books, and various cross-media collaborations.
B&V FRIENDS FOREVER ROCK N ROLL #1
BASH VOL 1 OGN
Story: Rudy Gobert | Art/Cover: Vince Serrano | Titan Nova | 128 pages | $17.99
BASH — an intergalactic game of basketball played by superstar athletes from across the cosmos. Young Rudy comes from the poor neighborhood of Nevilia, but dreams of a being a BASH star, and his talent might just make it happen: but can he make it while threats come from every corner of the galaxy? Throughout the universe, there’s one sport that everyone’s a fan of: BASH! A brutal, high-octane version of basketball: its players are rockstars, legends, gods, and for young Rudy, a poor kid from Nevilia, his only dream is to be one of them.
Rudy’s got talent, but talent is nothing without practice and so he sets out to become the best BASH player in the galaxy, always training, always reaching for just one more dunk.
And while Rudy is starting to get noticed by the teams and the talent scouts, other, more sinister forces have started to creep out from the shadows, jealous of this rising young star.
Written by NBA superstar Rudy Gobert!
- We are given to believe that since a guy is good at basketball, he is also a good writer. I guess he could be, but I'm not buying the book on the strength of that hope alone.
- Here's a trailer.
BATTRON AGAINST CHARIOTS TP
BIOGRAPHIX: HOWARD CRUSE SC
Story: Janine Utell | Art: Howard Cruse | University Press of Mississippi | $20.00
Howard Cruse tells the life story of one of the most important figures in LGBTQ+ comics. A preacher's kid from Alabama who became "the godfather of queer comics," Cruse (1944-2019) was a groundbreaking underground cartoonist, a wicked satirist, an LGBTQ+ activist and a mentor to a vast network of queer comics artists. His comic strip Wendel, published in The Advocate throughout the 1980s, is considered a revolutionary moment in the development of LGBTQ+ comics, as is his inaugurating the editorship of Gay Comix with Kitchen Sink Press in 1979, which furthered the careers of important artists like Jennifer Camper and Alison Bechdel. Cruse's graphic novel Stuck Rubber Baby, published in 1995, fictionalizes his own coming out in the context of the civil rights movement in 1960s Birmingham and was a significant forerunner to contemporary graphic novels and memoirs.
- Did I know that Howard Cruse died? If I didn't, I do now.
BLACK TAPE #2 (OF 4)
BY WATER: THE FELIX MANZ STORY GN
Story: Richard Mommsen, Jason Landsel | Art: Sankha Banerjee | Plough Publishing House | $19.95
By Water, is a true story of friendship and betrayal set in the Swiss city of Zurich. It chronicles the conflict between establishment reformer Ulrich Zwingli (1484-1531) and his student Felix Manz (1498-1527), who at first reveres Zwingli as a father figure but ends up drowned on Zwingli's orders for insisting that only believers should be baptized. In this dramatic visualization of the birth of the Radical Reformation, water is both wonder and weapon, a symbol of new life and a death sentence.
CHILDREN OF THE BLACK SUN #3
CHILDREN OF BATHALA MYTHOLOGY CLASS REUNION GN
FEMFORCE #199
FUNGIRL: VULVA VIKING ONE-SHOT
By Elizabeth Pich
A one-shot Fungirl story featuring gig work, missed connections, and newfound (very) personal discoveries!
Fungirl is turning her life around! She's got a new job slinging corndogs, and snagged a date with a handsome influencer. But when things get steamy, her pelvic pumps prove a little too powerful. Is Fungirl truly a murderous muff monster, or could her newfound strength save the day?
- As usual, I have little idea what's going on in a Silver Streak book. But I'm starting to gather that Fungirl has a super-powered vagina. Which is probably not as cool as it sounds.
GREEN GIRLS GN
GRETEL: SEEDS OF DESPAIR ONE-SHOT
HAMMER GN (SATURDAY AM TANK) VOL 3: JUNGLE KINGDOM
JUDGE DREDD REGICIDE TP
KILLCHELLA #3 (OF 4)
KNOW YOUR STATION #4 (OF 5)
LIFE AND DEATH OF THE BRAVE CAPTAIN SUAVE #5
MIMOSA GN
MOONCAKES GN (NEW PTG)
MOTH KEEPER GN
OSWALD & STAR CHASER #1 (OF 6)
Story, co-writer: Tommy Kulik | Co-writer/letterer: Tyler Villano Maron | Art: Tom Hoskisson | Colorist: Rebecca Good | Editor: Colleen Douglas | Production: Sean Callahan
Following a list of his childhood heroes, a young space knight ventures across the stars with an enigmatic mercenary to reclaim their fallen kingdom from evil.
Torn from his training after King FEK usurped the throne, space knight Oswald Bretters embarks on a quest to save the Star Lands! As headstrong as he is, even Oswald knows he can’t restore his fallen kingdom alone, so he searches for his childhood heroes to bolster his ranks. With the watchful eye of King FEK omnipresent, Oswald luckily runs into all-star help! The mysterious mercenary Star-Chaser joins his cause, but can she really be trusted!? It all starts here — the adventure of a lifetime — at the edge of space!
Tommy Kulik: “Oswald and the Star-Chaser has been a passion project in the making for several years now. I'm so thankful that my first step into the published world of comics is through Scout. Like us, they're new on the scene, and hopefully we'll grow as fast as Scout has!”
Tyler Villano Maron: “Since we wrote Oswald and the Star-Chaser as a space-fantasy adventure for all ages, our comic book feels right at home on Scout Comics. This series marks our official debut into the professional comic book world, so we appreciate Scout taking a chance on us and publishing the series. Spinning a healthy mix of humor and character-driven plot, the first volume runs six action-packed issues created by our talented team — so please look forward to what’s in store!”
- Something about that cover says "Walt Simonson" to me, but I can't say why.
PHOTONIK MAN OF LIGHT #1
Story/Art: Ciro Tota | Covers: Ciro Tota, Stephane Roux, Ivan Fiorelli | Scout Comics | 76 pages | $12.99
THE SILVER AGE IS BACK!
Calling all classic comic lovers! FairSquare Comics is excited to announce a first-time American release of the cult-classic French comic sensation PHOTONIK: MAN OF LIGHT!
Written and Drawn by Ciro Tota, PHOTONIK: MAN OF LIGHT stars a trio of outcasts ready to save the day while society rejects them, so if you love classic comic hero stories from the silver-age that are just as relevant today, buckle up and get ready to fall in love with this big-hearted, feel-good action series!
PHOTONIK: MAN OF LIGHT may have been written and drawn in the early 1980s by a French creator of Italian descent, but it’s still shockingly relevant and universal. The book explores a variety of themes through its hero’s adventures: Thaddeus Tenterhook, who suffers from Kyphosis (hunchback), and his acolytes Dr. Ziegel (a Holocaust survivor with superpowers) and Tom Thumb (a stray kid who rarely misses any shot he takes).
Now offered for the first time in the United States, Issue #1 comes with three fabulous covers from series creator CIRO TOTA, artist extraordinaire STEPHANE ROUX (Zatanna, Star Wars, Harley Quinn) and rising star IVAN FIORELLI (X-Men, Venom, One-Hit Wonder).
- I appreciate efforts to re-create Silver Age vibes, but I'm not 12 any more.
POWER RANGERS VOL 6 TP
SAMURAI DOGGY #4
SNOWCAT PRINCE TP
SONG OF THE SEA GN
TALES FROM NOTTINGHAM #2
THE GIMMICK #1 (OF 5)
Story: Joanne Starer | Art: Elena GoGou | Covers: Erica Henderson, Khary Randolph | $3.99
A hard-hitting action/drama written by rising star Joanne Starer (Sirens of the City)! Pro wrestling champ Shane Bryant’s ring persona — his gimmick — is forgettable: He’s a “nice guy.” But his secret is more colorful: He has super-strength. And when he punches a fist straight through his opponent’s brain — in front of 2.4 million horrified viewers — everything changes. Now Shane needs a new gimmick — and a new life.
Featuring cover A by Erica Henderson and incentive cover B by Khary Randolph (Black).
We're pleased as (a) punch (in the face) about the first issue of dark wrestling comedy THE GIMMICK, which drops on March 8. And if you're looking for even more reasons to get excited, we've got a whole bunch of fantastic character designs by artist Elena Gogou alongside commentary from writer Joanne Starer.
You can find the full story over at Joanne's Substack newsletter from Glass Eye Studios, but here for your eyes only we've got an exclusive quote from Gogou about how they go about designing characters for a new comic.
"Designing the characters is one of my favorite parts of a comic, because you get to do a few first bits of visual storytelling," said Gogou. "Their silhouettes, their facial expressions, their clothes, all have intention behind them and can say things about their personality and who they are in the story. What I wanted to do is design a unique and interesting-looking cast of characters who looked like they could exist in the world Joanne had created. That meant they had to look realistic and serious for the more dramatic moments, but also exaggerated and with lots of funny faces for the funny moments. And I love funny faces."
We love funny faces too, Elena. Check out some of those funny faces below alongside Joanne's commentary, and be sure to check out the rest of the rib-crackingly good character designs and the accompanying commentary over on Joanne's substack, Glass Eye Studios.
We here at AHOY may love comic books, but really we're all super jocks at heart. Which is why we were so psyched to see THE GIMMICK featured by wrestling outlet FIGHTFUL, who posted this news bulletin about the upcoming wrestling comic. Everyone here at the AHOY offices was so freakin' pumped about it we did about a thousand push ups and took like thirty Gatorade showers each. You nerds wouldn't get it — it's a jock thing.
Meanwhile, those glasses-wearing pencil-pushers over at COMICS BEAT stepped up to the plate with both a glowing advance review of issue #1 and an in-depth interview with writer Joanne Starer.
So what's their take on it? In COMICS BEAT's words: “The story has all of the makings of a dark and dread-filled tale that unravels more like a Coen Brothers movie than an episode of Monday Night Raw, but Starer’s quick and snappy dialogue coupled with Elena Gogou’s bright and kinetic art style keeps things refreshingly animated. Gimmick’s pages are colorful and chockfull of life, going for spectacle rather than grittiness.”
And you don't want to miss the interview with Starer, where she drops tantalizing tidbits about her past work in the wrestling world and how it informs her delightfully dark and funny perspective: "Don’t get me wrong, I love wrestling. But you have to understand that it’s a business full of people willing to destroy their bodies to get the approval of strangers... It’s a calling. It’s an art. Whatever it is, it attracts certain personality types. And that’s really where this comes from —examining the interpersonal relationships of that, and imagining, 'If you gave someone like this super powers, would they do something good for the world, or would they just try to advance their career?'"
A compelling question, Joanne, and one we'll surely find an answer to when THE GIMMICK drops March 8!
- A new Ahoy book, for Ahoy fans! I didn't know what to do with the press release, so I basically re-created it.
"Alicia is Shane’s ex and the mother of his child. A former wrestler herself, her career was cut short when she became pregnant. She’s had a lot of questions about her child’s miraculous abilities, and now they’re being answered." — Joanne Starer
"Sam is the daughter of pro-wrestler Schmidt, the man Shane Bryant killed. She hadn't seen her father for years and has no interest in the wrestling business that he loved so much, but now she’s being dragged into it kicking and screaming." — Joanne Starer
"Shane’s estranged from his strict and severe mother Bonnie. She's been described as the only person Shane's afraid of. And she's willing to do anything to get her baby boy back." — Joanne Starer
TRAVELING TO MARS #4
TRIDENT OF AURELIA #2 (OF 4)
WEST OF SUNDOWN #9
YOUNG KATHERINE JOHNSON HC
MORE MANGA
AM I ACTUALLY THE STRONGEST VOL 1 GN
ANCIENT MAGUS BRIDE VOL 17 GN
AS A REINCARNATED ARISTOCRAT USE APPRAISAL SKILL VOL 4 GN
AYASHIMON VOL 1 GN
BLACK CLOVER VOL 32 GN
BLUE BOX VOL 3 GN
CAPTAIN CORINTH VOL 2 GN
ELUSIVE SAMURAI VOL 5 GN
FARMING LIFE IN ANOTHER WORLD VOL 8 GN
GHOST REAPER GIRL VOL 4 GN
GIRL IN ARCADE VOL 3 GN
GRANDMASTER OF DEMONIC CULTIVATION VOL 1 GN
I WAS REINCARNATED AS 7TH PRINCE VOL 4 GN
IMA KOI NOW I’M IN LOVE VOL 5 GN
KAKURIYO BED & BREAKFAST FOR SPIRITS VOL 8 GN
KUBO WON’T LET ME BE INVISIBLE VOL 6 GN
LADIES ON TOP VOL 2 GN
LEVEL 1 DEMON LORD AND ONE ROOM HERO VOL 5 GN
MAGUS OF LIBRARY VOL 6 GN
MARGINAL OPERATION VOL 13 GN
MUSHOKU TENSEI JOBLESS REINCARNATION VOL 16 GN
MY CLUELESS FIRST FRIEND VOL 1 GN
OVERLORD UNDEAD KING OG VOL 9 GN
RISE OF OUTLAW TAMER & HIS CAT GIRL VOL 1 GN
SHAMAN KING OMNIBUS VOL 12 TP
WORLD’S END HAREM FANTASIA ACADEMY VOL 2 GN
YOKAI CATS VOL 3 GN
YOKOHAMA KAIDASHI KIKOU OMNIBUS VOL 1 GN
YONA OF THE DAWN VOL 38 GN
Replies
"But I didn't care for Crystal Blue Persuasion Superman the first time."
My first thought when I saw that cover was, "At least it's not the costume of the real Superman this time."
"Anyone else think the cover just below left looks like John Newton of the 1988 Superboy series?"
Yeah, I can see that.
"AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #21"
Is this the one in which J.R., Jr. returns? I think it is.
"Emma Kubert is Joe Kubert's granddaughter. Feel old yet?"
Not about that, but J.R., Jr. is 66. That makes me feel old.
"...she was a teenage hooker. They don't mention that much any more."
Rick Jones' (ex?) wife Marlo was originally envisioned as a hooker (albeit not teenage) and was even drawn as such in her first appearance, but Marvel editorial got cold feet. They don't mention that at all.
*SIGH* Looks like another lackluster week. :(
Wasn't Mr. Fixit one of Marlo's johns? I seem to remember an ick moment when I realized that.
Also, John Romita Jr. cannot be 66, because he cannot be older than me. He's a junior!
My Dad was "James Robert", and his father was "James William". . Dad was called "Young Jimmy" even when he was a cranky old man in his 60's.
Captain Comics said:
Oh, I sincerely hope not
Captain Comics said:
"Wasn't Mr. Fixit one of Marlo's johns?"
He was indeed. Hulk and Rick have both had her.
And she was in a stag film shown at Rick's bachelor party. Awkward!
I missed that issue of Incredible Hulk somehow, and it took me a few years to get a copy. By then, of course, "the shocking secret of the ... bachelor party" wasn't a secret any more. Sad!
Jeff of Earth-J said:
IIRC, they retconned Marlo's occupation as "aerobics instructor." The idea was that she had to be physically strong (although not superhumanly so) to be able to ... how can I put this delicately ... engage in a night of passion with the likes of The Hulk.