- Let's try something new. Tell me what you like and don't like.
WHAT'S NEW (COMICS)
ANCIENT ENEMIES #1 (OF 6)
Story: Dan DiDio | Art: Danilo Beyruth | Frank Miller Presents | $7.99
Earth becomes the final battlefield for a centuries-old war between two alien races. But this final conflict becomes the unintentional breeding ground for a new generation of super powers, each with the ability to influence the outcome of the war. Some super powers choose sides, while others struggle to maintain their independence with the hope of saving the Earth. This series explodes with new characters and creations, written by former DC Publisher Dan DiDio, with design and art by the industry's newest rising star, Danio Beyruth. As first issues, go, this one is not to be missed!
- So this is where Dan DiDio ended up. I didn't hate the books he wrote at DC, or his many reboot schemes, but they were wildly off model. He's probably better suited to IP that doesn't have lengthy continuity.
AVENGERS ASSEMBLE ALPHA #1
Story: Jason Aaron | Art: Bryan Hitch | Variants: J. Scott Campbell
On the eve of their 60th anniversary, the Avengers will embark on one of their greatest epics yet in AVENGERS ASSEMBLE! Uniting the Avengers, Avengers Forever, and Avengers of 1,000,000, for a multiverse-spanning conflict, this monumental saga will serve as the incredible finale of Jason Aaron’s era of Avengers and it all kicks off next month in AVENGERS ASSEMBLE ALPHA #1! To mark the occasion and honor the team’s upcoming milestone, artist J. Scott Campbell has turned out his newest anniversary variant cover! Assembling the team’s classic Silver Age lineup, this AVENGERS ASSEMBLE ALPHA #1 variant cover is the latest in the best-selling artist’s line of variant covers celebrating the anniversaries of Marvel’s greatest heroes!
“It’s a thrill and an honor to create cover art celebrating the anniversary of characters that have become so iconic and ingrained in our culture,” Campbell said. “I really wanted to make images that would have a visual bridge from the pulpy 4 color origins of these monumental heroes to the modern day slick coloring and production we are now all familiar with.”
Like Campbell’s previous anniversary covers, fans can also pick up the AVENGERS ASSEMBLE ALPHA #1 ANNIVERSARY VARIANT COVER in retro and virgin editions! Check them out now and stay tuned for more of J. Scott Campbell’s anniversary covers to be revealed in the months ahead! For more information, visit Marvel.com.
COVER OF DARKNESS ONE-SHOT
Story: Chris Cam, George Michail | Art: GMB Chomichuk, John Delaney | Art/Cover: Andy Belanger | Source Point Press | Mature | $3.99
Featuring three stand-alone short stories in the COVER OF DARKNESS universe, with incredible art by Andy Belanger (Swamp Thing), GMB Chomichuk (Apocrypha: The Legend of Babymetal) and John Delaney (Justice League Adventures).
A Dragon-riding Elf warrior must team up with Dracula to save his dying niece. Frankenstein and his wife, Mary, travel the ancient wonders, only to have their holidays interrupted by Zombies.
And Ninjas vs. Kaiju!!
- "Ninjas vs. Kaiju"? They buried the lead!
DARK CRISIS: THE DARK ARMY #1 ONE-SHOT
Story: Mark Waid, Delilah S. Dawson, Dennis Culver | Art: Freddie E. Williams II | Cover: Werther Dell Edera | DC Comics | $5.99
As Pariah's Dark Army continues its march around the globe, Damian Wayne thinks he's got an answer as to why Pariah is able to control the most dangerous cosmic villains of the Multiverse — and he's taking Red Canary and Dr. Light on the road to see if he's right! Don't miss this thrilling Dark Crisis tie-in with direct connections to the present and future of the DCU!
- I guess I'm going to have to wait for the omnibus to find out who Red Canary is.
DOCTOR STRANGE: FALL SUNRISE #1 (OF 4)
Story/Art/Cover: Tradd Moore | Marvel Comics | Teen+ | $4.99
From the fantastical mind of creator Tradd Moore (Silver Surfer: Black) comes a Strange story like you’ve never seen in DOCTOR STRANGE: FALL SUNRISE! Launching in November, the four-issue limited series sees Doctor Strange awaken alone in a distant world not his own. Lost of purpose and surrounded by danger, the wandering sorcerer must explore this land of blades and mystery to unravel arcane secrets and escape the deadly horrors that lie in wait!
- Come on! Is he dead or not?
FANTOMESQUE #1
Story: Jacob Norris | Art/Cover: Jacob Norris | Lev Gleason-Friday | $9.99
Action and mystery is the name of the game for Fantomesque, New Empire's leading masked investigator. Teamed with his steadfast bodyguard and confidant Frankie Villalobos, there is no case too dangerous, no case too strange. Mobsters, monsters — it's all the same to Fantomesque!
- Hoping for a crossover with Fantomex.
FEAR OF A RED PLANET #1
Story: Mark Sable | Art: Andrea Olimpieri | Cover: Paul Azaceta | Aftershock | $4.99
Mars. Fifty years from now, humanity's first Martian colony is no longer self-sustaining. Under the thumb of its corporate mining overlords, the surviving colonists slave away just to pay for resupply rockets from Earth, will little or no hope of returning home.
One woman has kept a fragile peace: the U.N.'s first and only interplanetary marshal. A lawwoman escaping a violent past on Earth, she prides herself on never having fired a shot on Mars. But when she's tasked with solving the murder of the colony's most hated man, her investigation threatens to tear the red planet apart.
Written by Mark Sable (MISKATONIC, WHERE STARSHIPS GO TO DIE) and illustrated by Andrea Olimpieri (Dishonored, Dark Souls), FEAR OF A RED PLANET is a near-future western with the hard sci-fi of The Expanse and the hard-boiled gunslinging of Justified.
Sounds a bit like Outland, but I guess any space Western will.
FRANK MILLER'S RONIN BOOK TWO #1 (OF 6)
Story: Frank Miller | Art: Frank Miller, Philip Tan, Daniel Henriques | Frank Miller Presents | Mature | $7.99
Frank Miller returns to one of his most critically praised and influential body of works, RONIN. Theis six-part mini-series follows the original work and takes Casey and her new born son across the ravaged landscape of America. With layouts by Miller, the beautiful panoramic art by Philip Tan and Daniel Henriques captures all the energy and excitement of the original series, taking the characters and world into a direction all its own. Not to be missed!
- I don't remember much about the original Ronin, except that I was vaguely dissatisfied with it. And that everybody seemed to have mold growing on them. What do y'all remember?
KAMEN RIDER ZERO ONE #1
Story: Brandon Easton | Art: Hendry Prasetya | Cover: Inhyuk Lee | Titan Comics | $3.99
NEW COMIC SERIES OF THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF THE NEW TOKUSATSU TV SHOW KAMEN RIDER ZERO-ONE!
Aruto Hiden is KAMEN RIDER ZERO-ONE! Along with his trusty humagear companion Izu, he's saved the world numerous times as the insectile superhero! But when his company HIDEN INTELLIGENCE is attacked by the mysterious RAGNAROK, Arturo must not only face the volcanic cluster cell-powered villain but also his own past...
- Heads up, Kamen Rider fans!
- Here's a preview.
MYSTERIUM #1 (OF 3)
Story: Christina Blanch | Art/Cover: Alex Monik | Source Point Press | $3.99
Will you dare to walk through the gates of the Mysterium Manor? Conrad MacDowell keeps encountering supernatural occurrences after moving into his new home. Along with a group of world-renowned mystics, they will try to help a ghostly presence cross to the other side, all before time runs out!
Based on the popular board game Mysterium, this story will keep you guessing as to how, where and who was behind the murder. Join Conrad and his friends, along with writer Christina Blanch and artist Alex Monik, to see if they can free this spectral soul and let them rest in peace.
NOBODY'S GIRLS #1 (OF 3)
Story: Damian Connelly | Art/Cover: Matias San Juan | Sumerian Comics | Mature | $3.99
From the creator of You Promised Me Darkness. Emmet lives a very normal life until he finds a strange video that leads him on a peculiar search for a missing girl. A story about sex, violence, loneliness and disappointment.
- "Sex, violence, loneliness and disappointment." Oh, so it's about girls in their 20s?
ONCE UPON A TIME AT END OF WORLD #1
Story: Jason Aaron | Art: Alexandre Tefenkgi | Cover: Mike Del Mundo | BOOM! | $4.99
In this epic post-apocalyptic tale, Maceo and Mezzy have never met anyone like each other, and they'll need all the help they can get to survive a planet ravaged by environmental catastrophe.
This epic trilogy — each issue overflowing with 30 story pages — spans a lifetime as philosophical differences tear at the threads holding Maceo and Mezzy together.
Will they, and the earth beneath their feet, ultimately be torn apart? New York Times bestselling, Eisner and Harvey Award-winning, and Marvel flagship writer Jason Aaron (Thor, The Avengers, Southern Bastards) launches his most ambitious creator-owned series to date with the first of three unique artistic partners — Eisner-winning artist Alexandre Tefenkgi (The Good Asian) to take on a vision of the end of the world that's brutal and nostalgic, whimsical and grounded ... and ultimately, timeless.
ROBYN HOOD: LAST STOP ONE-SHOT
- Zenescope
SILVER STREAK SEASON 1 #1
Story: Keith Champagne | Art/Cover: Stefan Tosheff | Lev Gleason-Comic House | $5.99
Silver Streak! The name every racing fan hoped they would hear at pole position again is still nowhere to be found. After a horrific crash that put them and their pit crew out of the circuit, Streak is desperate to get back on track. But something is different since the crash, it's not just Streak's car that has speed anymore! Now with a set of powers they don't understand, new complications arise. Hunted and indebted, the problems just keep piling up. How long can Streak run from them? Sometimes the most significant race is the one for your life!
- I thought this already came out, literally years ago.
STAR WARS: REVELATIONS #1 ONE-SHOT
Story: Marc Guggenheim | Art: Salvador Larroca, Pere Pérez, Emma Kubert, Justin Mason & Paul Fry | Cover: Phil Noto | Variants: Peach Momoko, Bryan Hitch, Jim Cheung | Marvel Comics | Teen | $5.99
Marvel’s Star Wars comic series are on course for a monumental 2023 and it all begins on Nov. 23 in STAR WARS: REVELATIONS #1! The giant-sized one-shot will reveal what lies ahead in ongoing titles Star Wars, Star Wars: Darth Vader, Star Wars: Doctor Aphra and Star Wars: Bounty Hunters, as well as the epic upcoming limited series, Star Wars: Hidden Empire. Set during the era after Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Marvel’s line of Star Wars comics have redefined the Star Wars mythos with bold sagas set during this largely unexplored time period. These stories are far from over and STAR WARS: REVELATIONS #1 will lay the groundwork for the major turning points to come for these adventures as they continue to head towards an unpredictable future.
Written by Marc Guggenheim and illustrated by Salvador Larroca, Pere Pérez, Emma Kubert, Justin Mason and Paul Fry, STAR WARS: REVELATIONS is set amidst the infamous lava pools of Mustafar but will take readers across all corners of the galaxy. Join Darth Vader as he watches the very destiny of the Rebellion, the Empire, Doctor Aphra and the galaxy’s most notorious bounty hunters in a vision that will leave him and fans breathless.
Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, Lando Calrissian and the Rebel Alliance are struggling to thwart the Galactic Empire’s stranglehold on countless worlds. Vader ruthlessly hunts for those who stand against the Empire, aided by none other than Sabé — former handmaiden of his lost love, Padmé Amidala. Beilert Valance finds himself on a collision course against his former partner T’onga and her crew of bounty hunters. The Spark Eternal, an archaic technology that grants users Sith-like powers ... has taken control of archaeologist Doctor Chelli Aphra. And Lady Qi’ra, leader of the Crimson Dawn crime syndicate, is ready to unleash an ambitious offensive aimed at destroying the Sith and wrenching power from the hands of the Empire. All of these seemingly disparate threads are woven into a singular tapestry that will become strikingly clear in STAR WARS: REVELATIONS. And that’s not all. Vader will also learn of a deadly new threat that’s about to emerge. Meet AJAX SIGMA, a droid unlike any other. Discover his rich Star Wars-history spanning backstory and watch in terror as he reawakens with a goal that will shake the galactic landscape to its core!
“Now, we all know that the Force can be used to glimpse the present, the past and possible futures,” Guggenheim told StarWars.com. “Well, The Eye [of Webbish Bog] is going to show Vader all of the above, including moments that will be coming into play in 2023 all across the Star Wars line. It’s our clever way of giving readers a preview of what everyone has up their sleeves for next year, but this isn’t a 40-page movie trailer. It’s a real Star Wars story with Vader at the center.”
- Marvel's Star Wars books must be doing well, because they keep expanding the line.
STAR WARS: YODA #1
Story: Cavan Scott | Art: Nico Leon | Cover: Phil Noto | Marvel |
Announced this past weekend at Star Wars Celebration Anaheim, Yoda will star in a brand-new Marvel Comics limited series this October. A ten-issue epic, STAR WARS: YODA will take place during Yoda’s self-imposed exile on Dagobah as he reflects on past adventures. The centuries-spanning saga will be divided into three arcs by three separate creative teams, each set during key moments in the Jedi Master’s long and legendary life.
New York Times bestselling author Cavan Scott and artist Nico Leon will kick things off with a story set during the Star Wars: The High Republic era. They’ll be followed by writers Jody Houser and Marc Guggenheim and artists Luke Ross and Alessandro Miracolo with stories set just before the Prequel Trilogy and near the end of the Clone Wars. Scott and Leon will return to complete the saga in the final issue. Yoda’s first-ever solo comic series, STAR WARS: YODA will reveal unexplored aspects of the Jedi Master’s storied history and shed new light on the mystery that surrounded the iconic character since his debut.
“I’ve been lucky to write Yoda in various projects over the last few years, most notably in Dooku: Jedi Lost, and every time I write him my love for him deepens,” Scott told StarWars.com. “It’s fair to say that my study at home is a shrine for three Star Wars icons: there are a lot of Obi-Wan figures; many, many, many, MANY pieces of Ewok merchandise (do I love those murder bears more than the Lepi? Don’t tell Jaxxon, but there’s every chance!); and then there is Yoda. The little guy is everywhere, in models, in art, and in lots of LEGO. Yoda casts a long shadow over anything he appears in, and writing him is a privilege and a responsibility I take seriously.”
“I’ve been wanting to do a Yoda book since I started working on the STAR WARS titles,” Editor Mark Paniccia added. “Yoda is a very special character to me as he is to everyone working on this series. We all have our hearts and souls in this and I hope the fans enjoy it as much as we have putting it together. It’s really unique and I’m very proud of it.”
- See?
WHAT'S NEW (GNs)
BOAT LIFE GN
Story/Art: Tadao Tsuge | Floating World Comics | $24.95
Serialized between 1996 and 2000, Boat Life stars novelist Tsuda Kenta, a lightly veiled stand-in for the artist, Tsuge Tadao, himself, as he pursues a life of reprieve and reverie on a small, makeshift houseboat on a river outside of Tokyo. Based loosely on the artist's own daily life, this charming story follows the hapless protagonist on a series of magical absurdist quests, featuring a panoply of personable characters, including a drunkard fisherman, a pervy monk, a talking corpse, a senile hermit and a half-supportive, half-doubtful wife and adult son.
- This is probably technically manga, but I didn't delete it because it's also very First Second-esque and will probably end up on some college syllabi.
EVE ONLINE: CAPSULEER CHRONICLES HC
Story: Sam Maggs, Melissa Grey | Art: Kieran McKeown \ Inks: Dexter Vines | Colors: Sebastian Cheng | Letters: Nate Piekos | Cover: Jeremy Wilson | Dark Horse | $24.99
Dark Horse Books is pleased to announce EVE Online: Capsuleer Chronicles, based on the online multiplayer role-playing game EVE Online, collects all four digital comics.
A new threat has come to the New Eden star cluster, an ancient and ruthless civilization, demanding all factions either submit to conversion or die. Despite their differences in loyalties, four capsuleers battle tooth and nail to save each other and all of New Eden, hoping to buy just enough time for reinforcements to arrive.
This isn’t just a book about epic space battles, exploding starships and an apocalyptic invasion. It’s about the people who are brave enough to keep fighting when they are outgunned, who pick themselves up every time they get knocked down, and are willing to sacrifice their lives to protect everything they love.
MEGALEX DELUXE HC
Story: Alejandro Jodorowsky | Art/Cover: Fred Beltran | Humanoids | Mature | $5.99
An original Sci-Fi adventure of rebellion against a totalitarian and oppressive world, as could only be imagined by master storyteller Alejandro Jodorowsky.
On Megalex, the city-planet, the laws of nature are prohibited. The tyrannical order reigns over a renewed population controlled by genetic manipulation. Due to the repeated attacksattacks of the neighboring forest, primitive and impenetrable, the urbanized system in command allowed an 'anomaly,'"anomaly," a clone policeman nearly 10 ft tall, to escape. Guided by Adama, one of the rebels fighting for their freedom, the gentle giant manages to join the camp of the 'objectors'"objectors" and help them go up against the evil powers of Megalex.
- Dang, I'm suddenly accumulating a lot of Jodorowsky.
MEN I TRUST HC
Story/Art: Tommi Parrish | Fantagraphics | $34.99
Tommi Parrish's sophomore graphic novel establishes them as one of the most exciting voices in contemporary literature. Eliza is a thirtysomething struggling single mother and poet. Sasha, a twentysomething yearning for direction in life, just moved back in with her parents and dabbles as a sex worker. The two strike up an unlikely friendship that, as it veers toward something more, becomes a deeply resonant exploration of how far people are willing to go to find intimacy in a society that is increasingly closed off. In Sasha and Eliza, Parrish has created two of the most fully realized characters in recent contemporary fiction. Parrish's gorgeously painted pages showcase a graceful understanding of body language and ear for dialogue, brilliantly using the medium of comics to depict the dissonance between the characters' interior and exterior experiences. Men I Trust is about not-always-healthy people attempting to make healthy connections in a disconnected world, and is one of the most moving and insightful works of literary fiction in any medium this year.
MORE OF NOTE
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #14
Story: Zeb Wells | Art: Michael Dowling, Kyle Hotz, Terry Dodson | Cover: John Romita Jr. | Teen+ | Marvel Comics | $4.99
"DARK WEB" PRELUDE!
DARK WEB will be a Spider-Man/X-Men crossover story spearheaded by current AMAZING SPIDER-MAN scribe Zeb Wells. The saga will begin in prelude issues throughout November, followed by December’s DARK WEB ALPHA #1 where Wells will be joined by superstar artist Adam Kubert. From there, the web will be spun across issues of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN as well as various tie-in one-shots and limited series.
DARK WEB will find Spider-Man and the X-Men joining forces against two iconic characters that have experienced a resurgence in popularity in recent years — Ben Reilly and Madelyne Pryor. As seen in this year’s FREE COMIC BOOK DAY: SPIDER-MAN/VENOM, the two wronged clones are teaming up as Chasm and Goblin Queen to raise hell across the Marvel Universe. The story will fan the embers of the iconic INFERNO crossover and pack an emotional punch that pays off decades of Marvel Comics storytelling.
- "Dark Web" prelude.
BATMAN: BLACK & WHITE BOX SET
- Collects all five Batman: Black and White trade paperbacks. I bought the first couple of series and liked 'em, so I'll get this just to scratch my completist itch.
BLACK PANTHER BY PRIEST OMNIBUS VOL 1 HC
- Priest's Black Panther has previously been collected in four TP omnibuses, which I did not buy. Now that's in hardback, I'm on board to get the whole run. To me, it's the definitive Black Panther. (Although, caveat, I have not read the Tahesi Coates run yet.)
CREEPSHOW #3
Story: Francesco Francavilla, L Marlow Francavilla, Ariela Kristantina | Art: Francesco Francavilla, Jorge Corona | Covers: Chris Burnham & Adriano Lucas, Francesco Francavilla, Vance Kelly | Mature | $3.99
Today Skybound revealed a first look at Creepshow #3, the latest issue of the hot new comic book anthology based on Greg Nicotero’s hit Shudder TV series produced and licensed by Cartel Entertainment.
In the spirit of all iterations of Creepshow in pop culture, each issue of the Creepshow comic anthology series comes packed with two spine-chilling stories.
First, Francesco Francavilla (Night of the Ghoul, Detective Comics) and L Marlow Francavilla welcome you to a barbershop where the locals share tales of their greatest kills, and the hunters can just as easily become prey.
"We have always been HUGE fans of the CREEPSHOW franchise from the very first movie by George Romero and Stephen King, until the recent TV series by (dear friend) Greg Nicotero, so you can imagine how EXCITED we were when Skybound invited us to join this book with our own spooky tale," said Francesco Francavilla.
"One of the side effects of the pandemic was spending more time at home in our own backyard and making friends with some very cute and smart raccoons and possums,” added L Marlow Francavilla. “Our conversations about their lives and adventures, and how they are perceived and treated was a huge inspiration for this story."
Then, Ariela Kristantina (Chain) and Jorge Corona (The Me You Love in the Dark) journey to a temple hidden within an island paradise, where many visit, but not everyone leaves.
“As a lifelong horror and macabre fan, it's an absolute joy for me to contribute to the Creepshow anthology as a writer,” said Ariela Kristantina. “Most Indonesians coexist peacefully with the supernatural/superstition instances daily and the creepiest of folklores, many of which overlap with the natives' cultures and religions. It's very satisfying to share a story inspired by my values and background. On top of that, I get to collaborate with Jorge, one of my roommates/best friends since college. I witness him excel in various genres — from superheroes to young adult fantasy — so I'm excited to see the final pages!”
“Being a huge fan of horror, I was ecstatic by the opportunity to add something to the world of Creepshow but, to also work alongside Ariela Kristantina? A creator I truly admire! A longtime friend! A former college roommate who I've witnessed being as creepy and macabre as the story she wrote for this anthology! Well, I've seen enough to know that I shouldn't say no to this one,” said Jorge Corona. “Add to that the reunion with collaborators Alex Antone and Jean-Francois Beaulieu and you can bet it's going to be a fun ride!"
“If you are looking for a delightfully deadly read this fall, Creepshow promises to deliver in blood.” — ComicBook.com
“An excellent homage to the vintage horror comics of the past.” — That Hashtag Show
- Image seems very excited about this. I may get the trade if the reviews are good.
G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO #300
As 2022 draws to a close, IDW will bid farewell to its long-running series of G.I. JOE comic books with the publication of G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero #300, written by indispensable visionary Larry Hama with art by legacy fan-favorite contributor SL Gallant, inks by Maria Keane, colors by J. Brown, and letters by Neil Uyetake. The final, overlength issue of the IDW comic will be published in November, and one of its sensational cover variants—illustrated by Jamie Sullivan—sets a new world record for the most characters featured on a comic book cover!
G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero #300 marks the culmination of a culture-shifting 40-year franchise helmed throughout by industry legend Hama. Nearly every issue of the original 155-issue run was written by Hama until Marvel Comics ended publication in 1994, and when IDW acquired the license 15 years later, Hama was welcomed with open arms to continue the storyline right where he left off!
Hama, who was recently recognized for his lifetime of achievements as an inductee of the Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame, was emotional as he looked back on the 40-year legacy of the series, which has been guided and shaped from its inception by Hama’ own indelible contributions:
“I handed in the plot to G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero #300, which is the final issue of the series for IDW, with a mix of sadness and amazement. Sad, that a storyline I began in 1982 is coming to an end, and amazement that it has lasted this long. “Back in 1982, it was common knowledge that a toy licensed comic lasted one to two years at the most, and toy companies were reluctant to let a series based on a toy line run longer than three years, lest they get stuck with warehouses full of unsaleable Cabbage Patch Dolls or Beanie Babies. Every year that G.I. JOE and Transformers made it to the next season seemed miraculous.
“I remember finishing the very first G.I. JOE story, and thinking to myself that that was it, those were all the ideas I had. I had no clue what to do for the next issue.
"So I did what I’ve been doing now for forty years: I jumped into the deep end of the pool and wrote page one without any idea about what would happen on page two. Then I slogged ahead, page by page, until I got to the end.
“I’ve never been concerned about ‘plot’ or ‘continuity.’ Most of G.I. JOE is a long, continuous ret-con. My main concern has always been the characters, getting them to stand up and walk around inside their own universe. My second concern is visual storytelling—making sure the story is carried along in an impactful way by the succession of images. The words always come dead last, and that’s why I don't identify as a ‘writer,’ but as more of a ‘penciler with a word processor.’
“I did 155 issues at Marvel, and they pretty much gave me free reign to do what I pleased. When IDW got the license, they wisely chose to turn me loose with my own methods, and I happily produced a run that is only five issues short of my Marvel run. The editors and staff at IDW have been incredibly understanding and supportive. In particular, they’ve been highly respectful and considerate of all my odd working methods and peccadillos. I’m thankful to all of them. Now, however, I have come to the end and it truly feels like leaving home, leaving characters that have been my friends for four decades—many of which are, in fact, based on my actual friends and acquaintances—and I can feel a real emptiness looming.
“Somehow, though, I suspect the story doesn't completely end here, that the story will go on and the PIT will not be in mothballs for long. See you in the next incarnation!”
In the bombastic conclusion to IDW’s G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero, Cobra is on the verge of creating its deadliest army ever by resurrecting both dangerous villains and heroes. Will the warriors of G.I. JOE foil their archenemy’s evil machinations before it’s too late? Or will the devious Revanche robots have the last word over both the Joes and Cobra?
“Issue #300 marks a milestone for a property that has been an enduring cornerstone of nostalgia for many, many fans,” says Gallant. “From the start, my goal was to create new books that felt like lost treasures from the original run, continuing the adventure for devoted, long-time fans while also working to expand the universe so those fans would enjoy sharing these stories with their own kids. The fight for freedom hasn’t ended — G.I. JOE is still here. Yo, Joe!”
“I recently finished a 100-issue run writing IDW’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and whenever folks ask me how it felt to write all those issues, I just smile and humbly remind them that I edit for Larry Hama on G.I. JOE. 100 issues is a neat feat, but 300 issues? That’s Hall of Fame-worthy, my friends,” says IDW Group Editor Tom Waltz. “It’s been an absolute honor and privilege to be even a small part of Larry’s phenomenal run, and I couldn’t have done it without Diana Davis, our ever-faithful Research Specialist who helped keep the series firmly positioned within the proper continuity lanes that comprise the expansive canon which Larry has built over the years.”
In honor of the final issue, A Real American Hero #300 will feature a record-shattering cover image by artist Jamie Sullivan that pays tribute to the scope and impact of the 40-year-old franchise. Sullivan’s cover sets a new world record, featuring a total of 313 unique, named G.I. JOE characters together in a single image.
G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero #300, the final issue of IDW’s G.I. Joe series, will be available with six cover variants, including Covers A and B by Jamie Sullivan; Cover C by Netho Diaz; Cover D by Kieran McKeown; two retailer incentive covers by John Royle and Ron Joseph, respectively; and a special retailer incentive wraparound of Sullivan’s world record-setting cover without trade dress, so every single detail and character can be seen in its full glory.
- Last issue, I think. Obvs, I didn't read all the words above. Don't expect you to, either.
JUSTICE WARRIORS #6 (OF 6)
- Heads up, Ahoy fans!
LOVE AND ROCKETS: THE FIRST FIFTY: THE CLASSIC 40TH ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION
By Gilbert Hernandez, Jaime Hernandez, and Mario Hernandez | Fantagraphics | 2,200 pages | 8 volumes | $400.00
Fantagraphics is proud to celebrate the 40th anniversary of our flagship title, Love and Rockets, by Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez.
Debuting in 1982, Love and Rockets shattered readers’ conception of the artistic heights to which comics could aspire. Featuring audaciously intimate, complex, humane, novelistic stories, the original run of the series represents a milestone in comics history. To honor Love and Rockets’ 40th anniversary, Fantagraphics has recreated its first 50 issues (1982-1996) in a facsimile format, spread over seven hardcover volumes — packaged in an impressive slipcase set. Plus a bonus 300-page eighth volume comprising critical essays, press clippings, a cover gallery and over 100 pages of L&R-related comics and drawings created during the period by all three Hernandez Brothers. A momentous publishing event to celebrate the greatest comics series of all time, Love and Rockets: The First Fifty: The Classic 40th Anniversary Collection is due out Fall 2022.
Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez are still recognized as two of the greatest cartoonists in the history of the medium — award-winning, world-renowned, critically acclaimed. Their trailblazing comic series Love and Rockets has persisted to this day, as they continue to flesh out their beloved characters and build upon the rich world they have created. In celebration of Los Bros’ incredible, four-decade cartooning achievement, Fantagraphics returns to the dynamic roots of the series with a luxurious reprinting of its first 50 issues.
KCET and PBS SoCal, Southern California’s flagship PBS stations as well as the home for award-winning, original local content, are honoring the 40th anniversary of Love and Rockets by broadcasting and streaming an hour-long documentary entitled ‘Love and Rockets’: The Story Behind the Great American Comic. The documentary will air as part of KCET’s Original Artbound series and be available to stream for viewers across the country on the free PBS App in the Fall of 2022.
“Wow. 40 years of comics, 40 years with Fantagraphics,” says Jaime Hernandez. “Not a bad haul and we’re not finished!”
“When I read Gilbert and Jaime's stories in Love and Rockets for the first time their work looked to me, miraculously, like the artistic future of comics — and so it was,” explains Fantagraphics publisher Gary Groth. “It has certainly been a high point of my career (and my life) to have known and published these brilliant cartoonists over the last 40 years, and I look forward to publishing them another 40. Well, OK. Maybe 30.”
“It’s 40 years of Love and Rockets with Fantagraphics and it feels like we’ve just begun,” exclaimed Gilbert Hernandez. “Here’s to 10 years more!”
- I don't know when I stopped buying Love and Rockets, but if I get this, it won't matter! I can just have the whole run on my bookshelf, and sell the originals.
MICHAEL MOORCOCK ELRIC BOX SET HC
- This collects The Ruby Throne, Stormbringer, The White Wolf & The Dreaming City. It's the adaptation by Julien Blondel, Jean-Luc Cano & Didier Poli, not the adaptation by Roy Thomas, P. Craig Russell and Michael T. Gilbert. I have most of one and all of the other. I prefer the Thomas/Russell version, probably because I'm an American.
PARKER GIRLS #3
- Heads up, Terry Moore fans!
VAMPIRES: BLOOD SHOT ONE-SHOT
Story: Steve Banes | Art: Sid Check, Harry Lazarus, Frank Forte, Mel Keefer | Covers: Sid Check, Drazen Kozjan | Asylum Press | $3.99
Mr. Karswell cracks open another coffin-loaded collection of foul-fanged, bat-winged terrors from the Golden Age of pre-Code comics! Six sinister tales to assault your salivating senses as you're transported back in time to face a rather bloodthirsty ancestor in "Blood for the Vampire!" Legendary artist Mel Keefer asks you if there's anything worse than a "Special on Beet Soup?" And then Harry Lazarus unleashes one of the most insidiously mad monster mash-ups ever in "The Wolpire!" Plus, a "True Vampires of History" lesson, a shivery superb cover by Syd Check, additional crypt classics from Harvey, Stanley Morse and lots more!
- Here's a preview.
WILD VOL 1: OR SO I WAS BORN TO BE TP
Story/Art: Cristian Castelo | $29.99
"At Westhoff High, pain is part of the curriculum. ... But so is math, science and chemistry. However, Wild Rodriguez and her pint-size companions have always had one goal and one goal only as they enter freshman year: to join the the Rocket Rollers and test their mettle in the infamously violent roller derby league. Now, summer draws to an end and tryouts are here! Do they have what it takes to climb the ranks of the derby world, or will their dream just as quickly turn into a nightmare?
Wild discovers that sometimes dreams involve a lot of getting kicked in the face, as well as maybe accidentally getting involved in a blood feud or two. Half roller derby, half professional wrestling, the league is filled with cussin', spittin' roughnecks like the Cult Catastrophe, earnest athletes the 8-Ball Bruisers, sick freaks Puppy & the Pound, and the elegant-but-deadly Matadors. Becoming a true legend of the derby track like her hero (and occasional helpful psychic avatar) Rosie Rozene involves a lot of physical and emotional fortitude, luckily Wild and all her friends-imaginary or otherwise-have each other's backs no matter what!"
MORE COMICS & GNS
06 PROTOCOL #2
ACTION COMICS #1049
ACTION JOURNALISM #3
ALIEN #3
ALIENS ORIGINAL YEARS OMNIBUS VOL 3 HC
ALL-OUT AVENGERS #3
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN BY WELLS & ROMITA JR. VOL 2: NEW SINISTER TP
AVENGERS FOREVER #11
BATMAN & SCOOBY-DOO MYSTERIES #2
BATMAN: FORTRESS #7 (OF 8)
BATMAN: GOTHAM KNIGHTS — GILDED CITY #2 (OF 6)
BATMAN: THE AUDIO ADVENTURES #3 (OF 7)
BETTY & VERONICA JUMBO COMICS DIGEST #309
BLOODBORNE: LADY OF LANTERNS #3
BLOODSHOT UNLEASHED #3
CARNAGE VOL 1: IN THE COURT OF CRIMSON TP
CEREBUS VOL 14 FORM & VOID TP REMASTERED ED
COWBOY BEBOP VOL 1 TP
CONAN THE BARBARIAN: THE ORIGINAL MARVEL YEARS OMNIBUS VOL 9 HC
DAREDEVIL #5
DARK SPACES WILDFIRE #5
DC HORROR PRESENTS: SGT. ROCK VS. THE ARMY OF THE DEAD #3 (OF 6)
DC MECH #5 (OF 6)
DC VS. VAMPIRES #11
DEADLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN #2
DEATHSTROKE INC. #15
DEFENDERS BEYOND #5 (OF 5)
DEPARTMENT OF TRUTH #22
DETECTIVE COMICS #1066
EIGHT BILLION GENIES #6 (OF 8)
EVE CHILDREN OF THE MOON #2 (OF 5)
FANTASTIC FOUR #52 FACSIMILE EDITION
FEARSOME DOCTOR FANG COLLECTORS BOX SET
FIRE POWER BY KIRKMAN & SAMNEE VOL 5 TP
FOREVER FORWARD #3 (OF 5)
FORTNITE X MARVEL ZERO WAR PREMIERE HC
GENIS-VELL CAPTAIN MARVEL #5 (OF 5)
HARLEY QUINN #24
HEAVEN'S REJECT #3 (OF 4)
HITOMI #2 (OF 5)
HUMAN TARGET #9 (OF 12)
ILLUSION WITCH #5 (OF 6)
IMAGE 30th ANNIVERSARY ANTHOLOGY #8
IRON FIST EPIC COLLECTION: FURY OF IRON FIST TP (NEW PTG)
IRON MAN EPIC COLLECTION: RETURN OF TONY STARK TP
JIM HENSON’S THE STORYTELLER: SHAPESHIFTERS HC
KAMEN RIDER: KUUGA VOL 1 GN
- Heads up again, Kamen Rider fans!
KNIGHTS OF THE DINNER TABLE #298
LCSD 2022 BATMAN & THE JOKER: THE DEADLY DUO #1
LCSD 2022 DARK SPACES: WILDFIRE #5
LCSD 2022 EIGHT BILLION GENIES #1
LCSD 2022 ILLUSTRATED AL: SONG OF WEIRD AL YANKOVIC H
LCSD 2022 QUICK STOPS #1
LCSD 2022 MMPR TMNT II #1 (OF 5) ASHCAN VARIANT
LCSD 2022 TORI AMOS: LITTLE EARTHQUAKES HC
LEGO NINJAGO GARMADON VOL 1 TP
LONE SLOANE BOX SET
LOVECRAFT: UNKNOWN KADATH #3
MAGIC ORDER 3 #5 (OF 6)
MEGA CENTURIONS #5 (OF 5)
MIDNIGHT SUNS #3 (OF 5)
MINDSET #5
MIRACLEMAN: SILVER AGE #2
MMW GHOST RIDER VOL 4 HC
OTHER HISTORY OF THE DC UNIVERSE TP
PARASOMNIA DREAMING GOD #4 (OF 4)
PINK LEMONADE #3
POSTMASTERS: LIVE BY THE LETTER #2 (OF 2)
POUND FOR POUND COLLECTORS BOX SET
PULL COLLECTORS BOX SET
PUNCHLINE: THE GOTHAM GAME #2 (OF 6)
ROCKETEER: COMPLETE ADVENTURES DELUXE EDITION HC
RISE AND FALL OF THE TRIGAN EMPIRE VOL 4 TP
SACRAMENT #4 (OF 5)
SENTIENT COLLECTORS BOX SET
SENTIENT GN
SILVER COIN VOL 3 TP
SIREN'S GATE #2
SPAWN SCORCHED #12
SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN OMNIBUS VOL 1 HC
SPIDER-GWEN: GWENVERSE TP
STAR RUNNER: RISING STAR #3 (OF 4)
STAR WARS: HAN SOLO & CHEWBACCA VOL 1 — CRYSTAL RUN TP
STAR WARS: HYPERSPACE STORIES #3 (OF 12)
STAR WARS: TALES FROM THE RANCOR'S PIT HC
STRANGER THINGS HOLIDAY SPECIALS TP
SUPERMAN AND THE AUTHORITY TP
TIGER’S TONGUE #5
TIM DRAKE ROBIN #3
TMNT: BEST OF LEATHERHEAD ONE-SHOT
TRANSFORMERS: SHATTERED GLASS II #4
USAGI YOJIMBO SAGA VOL 6 TP (2ND ED)
YOUNG JUSTICE: TARGETS #5 (OF 6)
VAMPIRE SLAYER (BUFFY) #8
VAMPIRELLA STRIKES #7
VAN HELSING: EVE OF OBLIVION TP
VANISH #3
WHAT’S THE FURTHEST PLACE FROM HERE? #8
X-FORCE #34
X-MEN #17
Replies
"Come on! Is he dead or not?"
I don't know about Dr. Strange, but continuity certain is (and you and I are just going to have to get used to it).
"I don't remember much about the original Ronin, except that I was vaguely dissatisfied with it. And that everybody seemed to have mold growing on them. What do y'all remember?"
The styles of Goseki Kojima (Lone Wolf & Cub) and Moebius collided on Frank Miller at roughly the same time, and Ronin reflects that influence.
"'Dark Web' prelude."
I am bored to tears by anything "dark" (figuratively, not literally).
"I didn't read all the words above. Don't expect you to, either."
...or any of them in my case.
Sounds a bit like Outland, but I guess any space Western will.
Unless, like me, you have no idea what Outland is.
I don't remember much about the original Ronin, except that I was vaguely dissatisfied with it. And that everybody seemed to have mold growing on them. What do y'all remember?
I actually first read this a few years ago (probably more than I actually remember), and I was very, very, underwhelmed by the series.
Last issue, I think. Obvs, I didn't read all the words above. Don't expect you to, either.
I haven't read G.I. Joe regularly since I was in junior high, but I still have to give huge props to Larry Hama, who wrote most if not every issue.
"Unless, like me, you have no idea what Outland is."
"High Noon in outer space."
The Outland (1981) trailer for Travis:
Outland (1981) - IMDb