Comics Guide: Oct. 3-9, 2022

BOOM! STUDIOS

BASILISK #12 ($3.99)

MAGIC THE GATHERING #19 ($4.99)

 

DARK HORSE COMICS

40 SECONDS TP)

AIR VOL 1 TP

THE ART OF DUCKTALES HC

THE ART OF STAR WARS: VISIONS HC

AVATAR: ADAPT OR DIE #6 (of 6)

AVATAR: LAST AIRBENDER TP BOX SET

BLACK HAMMER VOL 7: REBORN PART III TP

BLADE OF IMMORTAL VOL 7 DLX ED HC

BRITISH PARANORMAL SOCIETY: TIME OUT OF MIND #4 (of 4)

JENNY ZERO II #4 (of 4)

LEONIDE THE VAMPYR: MIRACLE AT CROW’S HEAD #1 ONE-SHOT

32 pages |  $3.99

This fall Dark Horse Comics will publish LEONIDE THE VAMPYR: MIRACLE AT THE CROW’S HEAD by legendary Hellboy creator Mike Mignola, rising star artist Rachele Aragno (Mel The Chosen), award-winning colorist Dave Stewart, and letter Clem Robins. This ghoulish full-color one-shot introduces all-new characters, a new and horrific world, and one unforgettable young vampire. LEONIDE THE VAMPYR: MIRACLE AT THE CROW’S HEAD will be published just in time for Halloween, with a main cover by Aragno and Stewart and a variant cover by Mignola and Stewart.

“Last October I was publishing daily sketches on social media. Mike Mignola had seen the first one, a portrait of a vampire girl, and he loved it,” said Rachele Aragno. “From there we started talking about the idea of a collaboration between us, and that my vampire portrait could be the basis of a story. When Mike sent me the outline, I went crazy with joy. It was perfect, and I was delighted to be able to draw and put those words on paper. Mignola has always been in the pantheon of my favorite authors, and I was honored to be able to work with him.”

"I pretty much fell in love with Rachele’s art the moment I saw it — especially these little drawings she was doing of a little vampire girl,” said Mignola. “They have the perfect balance of innocent charm and weird creepiness. Sometimes you just look at a character and you know their stories. That’s pretty much what happened here. Almost no effort went into it — I just looked into her spooky little eyes and the stories came spilling out."

LEONIDE THE VAMPYR: MIRACLE AT THE CROW’S HEAD is the first in a series of planned collaborations between Mignola and Aragno. In this one-shot, a small coastal village is home to normal people living quiet and simple lives –– until a shipwreck brings a small coffin and its smaller occupant into their midst. And what begins as a miracle soon quickly takes a horrible turn.

Like THE AMAZING SCREW-ON HEAD and MR. HIGGINS COMES HOME, LEONIDE THE VAMPYR: MIRACLE AT THE CROW’S HEAD is set in a standalone world, outside the continuity of both the Hellboy Universe and the Outerverse.

  • Wait, another Mignola universe? Sadly for my bank account, I'm OK with that, because I love 'em all.
  • Here's a preview.

MIND MGMT BOOTLEG #4 (of 4)

MINOR THREATS #2 (of 4)

NIGHT OF THE GHOUL #1 (of 3)

Story: Scott Snyder | Art/Cover: Francesco Francavilla | 56 pages | $4.99

Shot in 1936, Night of the Ghoul by writer/director T.F. Merritt was meant to sit beside Frankenstein and Dracula as an instant classic ... but the legendary film never made it to the silver screen. Just before editing was finished, a mysterious studio fire destroyed the footage and killed the cast and crew celebrating at the wrap party. Forest Inman is a horror film obsessive who digitizes old films for the famed Aurora movie studio. When Forest stumbles across a seemingly forgotten canister of footage, he just might have discovered the remnants of the lost classic Night of the Ghoul. This discovery sends Forest on a dark odyssey, where he is warned by a mysterious old man that the film's ghoul is far more than a work of fiction: it's a very real monster who plans to kill him.

  • I think I like Francavilla's work as an interior artist better than I do as a cover artist. Obvs, I like 'em both.
  • Here's a preview.

SHOCK SHOP #2 (of 4)

SURVIVAL STREET #3 (of 4)

TALES FROM HARROW COUNTY LIBRARY ED HC

  • I feel badly that I haven't been buying the Library Editions of this excellent series. But  and I can't tell you why  I know this is a series I will never re-read. So be it.

 

DC COMICS

ABSOLUTE DOOMSDAY CLOCK HC

  • When the series came out, I bought the first issue and thought, "I'll get the whole thing when it's collected." Then the TP collection came out, and I thought, "I'll wait for the hardback." Then the hardback came out, and I thought "I'll wait for the Absolute edition." Sigh. I'm out of excuses.

AMERICAN VAMPIRE OMNIBUS VOL 1 HC

  • I have the whole series in HC. I enjoyed it, until the end. Think Game of Thrones.

BATMAN #128

BATMAN: KNIGHTWATCH #2 (of 5)

BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN — HAUNTED KNIGHT DELUXE EDITION HC

  • Collects Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight Halloween Special #1, Batman: Madness — A Legends of the Dark Knight Halloween Special #1 and Batman: Ghosts — A Legends of the Dark Knight Halloween Special #1.
  • This will look nice next to all my other Long Halloween books. Yes, I have all this in floppy. But someday I won't, and I'll still have the hardbacks.

BLACK ADAM: THE JUSTICE SOCIETY FILES — DOCTOR FATE #1 ONE-SHOT

Story: Cavan Scott, Bryan Q. Miller | Art: Jesus Merino, Marco Santucci | Cover: Kaare Andrews | $5.99

Long ago, Kent Nelson donned an ancient helmet and became Doctor Fate, defender of order in a universe dominated by chaos. Now he is an impossibly old man, haunted both by memories of a past spent with the now-defunct Justice Society and by visions of an apocalyptic future. When a group of children unwittingly unleash an infernal menace on the Earth, can Kent maintain his humanity while defending those who need him most? The road to Black Adam concludes.

  • When I was introduced to the Justice Society back in 1963, the JSAer who seemed coolest to the Li'l Capn was Dr. Fate. Maybe it was the costume, maybe it was the powers, maybe it was the mystery, maybe it was because the rest of the JSA was just a bunch of punchy guys (and a girl) — or probably it was all of it. And no matter how badly DC botches the character, I will never lose that childish enthusiasm, which is so deeply imbedded in my lizard brain.

CONSTANTINE: DISTORTED ILLUSIONS TP

DARK CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS #5 (of 7)

DARK CRISIS: THE DEADLY GREEN #1 ONE-SHOT

Story: Various | Art: Daniel Bayliss, Various | Cover: Goni Montes | $5.99

SUPERMAN AND SWAMP THING UNCOVER THE SECRETS OF THE GREAT DARKNESS! Written by Joshua Williamson, Dan Watters, Ram V and others During the original Crisis on Infinite Earths, Swamp Thing encountered and formed a truce with the Great Darkness, but this ancient force has been awakened by Pariah and now its influence is felt across the Multiverse. Now the Avatar of the Green must work together with new allies to investigate how far it's spread and why it would work with Pariah. If they want to stop the Great Darkness from swallowing the Green, they need some extra help... ENTER: SUPER SWAMP THING.

  • I'm omnibuswaiting Dark Crisis (and actually looking forward to it). Of course, I'm still omnibuswaiting Dark Nights: Metal and Dark Nights: Death Metal, which aren't out yet, so Dark Crisis might be a long wait.

GOTHAM CITY: YEAR ONE #1 (OF 6)

Story: Tom King | Art/Cover: Phil Hester, Eric Gapstur | Variant: Ryan Sook | $4.99

There once was a shining city on the water, a home for families, hope and prosperity. It was Gotham and it was glorious. The story of its fall from grace, the legend that would birth the Bat, has remained untold for 80 years. That’s about to change. Superstar creators Tom King and Phil Hester team up for the first time to tell the definitive origin of Gotham City: how it became the cesspool of violence and corruption it is today, and how it harbored and then unleashed the sin that led to the rise of the Dark Knight. Two generations before Batman, private investigator Slam Bradley gets tangled in the "kidnapping of the century" as the infant Wayne heir disappears in the night ... and so begins a brutal, hard-boiled, epic tale of a man living on the edge and a city about to burn.

  • Wait, Slam Bradley is now "two generations before Batman"? That's going to come as an ugly surprise for Catwoman, who's had sex with him at least once. I guess he's a GILF?

HARDWARE SEASON ONE HC

Story: Brandon Thomas, Reginald Hudlin | Art: Denys Cowan, Bill Sienkiewicz, Various | Cover: Mateus Manhanini | $29.99

Curtis Metcalf was the shining star of Alva Industries … until the Big Bang disaster threatened to destroy the company, and Edwin Alva needed a scapegoat. Now Curtis is on the run, with a nearly indestructible suit of armor and inventions he never handed over to Alva — and he’s determined to do much more than clear his name. He’s going to take the fight straight back to Alva himself! Collects MILESTONE RETURNS: INFINITE EDITION #0 and HARDWARE: SEASON ONE #1-6.

  • Heads up, Milestone fans!

JOKER: THE MAN WHO STOPPED LAUGHING #1

Story: Matthew Rosenberg | Art: Carmine Di Giandomenico, Francesco Francavilla | Covers: Carmine Di Giandomenico, Lee Bermejo, David Nakayama | $5.99

The world once again holds its breath as The Joker strikes again! But how far is he willing to go this time? From the twisted minds of Matthew Rosenberg (Task Force Z, What's the Furthest Place from Here?) and Carmine Di Giandomenico (Batman: The Knight) comes a violent, mind-bending new series that picks up from the cataclysmic end of The Joker and follows the mayhem across the United States. With the Clown Prince of Crime setting out on his most bizarre caper yet, will a fan-favorite vigilante be able to prevent certain tragedy? Or is he in on the joke? In the back-up — Joker's got a hot date but he's going to need a mirror to make sure he looks nice. Maybe Mirror Master can help.

  • I didn't buy the last Joker "ongoing" series, or the Joker: Puzzlebox miniseries, and I'm not buying this one either, due to Joker Fatigue (TM). To paraphrase Dan Hicks, how can I miss him if he won't go away?

MONKEY PRINCE #7 (of 12)

MULTIVERSITY: TEEN JUSTICE #5 (of 6)

POISON IVY #5

SUPERMAN #1 FACSIMILE EDITION

SWORD OF AZRAEL #3 (of 6)

TRIAL OF THE AMAZONS HC

  • I've opted to get all the Wonder Woman miniseries that have come out of late, which I think tie together somehow. Or maybe not. I do know they've had some repercussions; Hippolyta is now an Olympian god and Nubia is now queen of Themyscira. I'll know soon enough how all this happened.

 

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

GARBAGE PAIL KIDS: ORIGINS #1

Story: Hans Rodionoff, Adam F. Goldberg, Jeff Zapata | Art: Jeff Zapata | Covers: Ray Lago, Tom Bunk, Jeff Zapata, Zapata trading card | 32 pages | Teen+ | $3.99

The insane minds of Adam F. Goldberg, Hans Rodionoff and Jeff Zapata have joined forces to bring you the Garbage Pail Kids as you've never seen them before. Dynamite Entertainment and this incredible trio of creators proudly presents give you ... Garbage Pail Kids: Origins!

This all-new GPK comic book event is a bad-ass, sprawling, superhero epic; we not only learn how our GPK heroes came to be ... but we also reveal to the world that Adam Bomb and his gang of good guys were instrumental in the outcome of World War II and the fate of humanity! 

Issue #1 starts with Adam Bomb's origin and how he begins as an unassuming, flat-footed soda jerk named Adam Baum ... ultimately transforming into an All-American superhero named Adam Bomb. Thanks to an unfortunate radiation leak, Adam leads a team of other enhanced super-charged garbage humans to take down the axis of evil ... led by Nasty Nick.

Featuring 4 incredible covers by Jeff Zapata, Tom Bunk, Ray Lago and a classic GPK Trading Card image, presented on cardstock!

  • I remember the trading cards from the '80s, when I was far too old to consider buying them. I wasn't impressed, anyway. But now, I guess, the people who did collect them are old enough to be in charge of enough entertainment platforms to bring them back!
  • Here's a trailer.

NANCY DREW OMNIBUS VOL 1 TP ($17.99)

NYX #10 ($3.99)

SIREN’S GATE #1

Story/Art: Shannon Maer | 40 pages | Teen+ | $3.99

SUPERSTAR ARTIST SHANNON MAER MAKES HIS WRITING AND INTERIOR ART DEBUT! Red-hot artist Shannon Maer's covers have been showcased on some of the best-selling books in the industry, and fans have asked for years when will he draw interiors.  Well, wait no more, as Shannon makes his writing and interior art debut with this fiendish tale that explores the very nature of what we call reality, illuminated with the kind of stunning artwork that only he can deliver.

Tara, an aspiring writer, has never thought of herself as anyone special. For better or worse, all that is about to change.

When a mysterious young man extends an unexpected invitation, Tara is awed at the opportunity to meet with her literary idol, Lady Rose. This unique encounter sparks a series of events, forever thrusting her into a world of the unimaginable.

What Tara once assumed to be nothing more than the imagined pages of dark fiction, slowly begins to unravel itself as the true reality.

SWEETIE CANDY VIGILANTE #1

Story: Suzanne Cafiero | Art/Covers: Jeff Zornow | Mature | 40 pages | $3.99

IT'S SUGAR, ICE AND YOU BETTA' BE NICE! Sweetie Candy Vigilante is a honey-dipped, dark-humor infused horror/fantasy that tells the tale of Sweetie, an ethereal, beautiful, charming, well-meaning (yet unquestionably unhinged) blood relative of the mythological "candy man" ... you know, the dude that takes the sunrise and sprinkles it with dew? Yeah — that guy. Dismayed by the blight and decay of her community, Sweetie is hell-bent on enacting a blood-caked, sugar-coated manifesto on society by utilizing her other-worldly powers and proprietary family secrets in her quest to make the world a "sweeter" place. She's starting brick by brick in her hometown, New York City.

In issue #1, on a snowy, icy night, Sweetie pays a visit to a NYC landmark sweet shop known as the Ice Cream Bunny, hoping to find its namesake at the helm. To her dismay, she finds the shop transformed from its once sugary splendor to a salty den of iniquity. The once-beloved store is now a front for a notorious crime syndicate, and they're not very nice at all. Sweetie uses her captivating persona and unassuming confectionary weapons to tear the place, and its gang of thugs, limb from limb — as the first step to restoring its former glory. All the while enjoying a dynamic punk rendering of the Archies' pop classic "Sugar, Sugar" on the jukebox, as heads roll — literally.

This issue includes a download code for a free pop-rockin' MP3 of "Sugar, Sugar," performed by Osaka Popstar (as featured in the issue) so you can listen along while Sweetie kicks butt! Will Sweetie find any good eggs among the clientele of the Ice Cream Bunny? Who exactly is the Ice Cream Bunny? Who is Sweetie's oversized Gummee hench-bear? This issue has it all: Blood, guts and a sugar rush! It's all going down in the debut issue of "Sweetie Candy Vigilante." Isn't that nice?

Sweetie Candy Vigilante kicks off with an extra-sized Dynamite Debut issue to get you hungry for more! So buckle up gum-drop, and make sure you save room for dessert, because, it's not like a little sugar is going to KILL you, RIGHT?

Osaka Popstar is the pop-punk multimedia music and art project led by singer/producer John Cafiero, longtime Misfits and Ramones collaborator and platinum selling film and video director. The critically acclaimed debut album Osaka Popstar and the American Legends of Punk featuring frontman Cafiero with a revolving lineup of punk-rock legends as his backing band including members of the Misfits, the Ramones, Black Flag, the Voidoids and more. Sweetie made her debut appearance on the cover of Osaka Popstar's latest release Ear Candy, which has been featured on CNN and debuted at #7 on the top 10 SubModern Album chart.

  • From a single illustration on a pop music album cover to her own series. Wotta world.
  • At first I thought she was a vampire (see fangs below), but from the copy it appears she's a supernatural being with "confectionary powers," whatever those are.
  • Here's a trailer.

UNBREAKABLE RED SONJA #1

Story: Jim Zub | Art: Giovanni Valletta | Covers: Lucio Parrillo, Celina, Giuseppe Matteoni, David Finch, cosplay | 32 pages | Teen+ | $3.99

As we head toward the 50th anniversary of the She-Devil With a Sword in 2023, Dynamite Entertainment is proud to present a sweeping story of sword and sorcery and high adventure by writer Jim Zub (Conan the Barbarian, Dungeons & Dragons, Avengers) and artist Giovanni Valletta (John Wick, James Bond)!

In this debut issue, Red Sonja carries a hazy vision that lurks just out of reach in her memories. The answer to that mysterious moment will unlock a journey of forbidden magic and searing steel as Sonja's past and present collide in a quest beyond anything our scarlet-haired hero has faced before!

  • Hey, Li'l Sonja makes an appearance! Maybe she'll team up with Li'l Archie. I'd buy that for a dollar.
  • Here's a trailer.

 

IDW PUBLISHING

D & D RAVENLOFT: ORPHAN OF AGONY ISLE #4

EARTHDIVERS

Covers: Rafael Albuquerque, Maria Wolf,  Aaron Campbell, Christian Ward | $3.99

Cerebral horror visionary and New York Times best-selling author Stephen Graham Jones, writer of acclaimed genre favorites The Only Good Indians and My Heart Is a Chainsaw, ventures deep into the bloody terrain of American colonial history this October with the launch of his new ongoing comic book series Earthdivers from IDW. With art by Davide Gianfelice (Ghosted, Daredevil: Reborn), colors by Joana Lafuente, and lettering by Steve Wands, Earthdivers was announced in April as part of the upcoming slate of original titles from IDW set to launch throughout 2022 and beyond.

Set in a postapocalyptic near future, Earthdivers follows a small group of Indigenous survivors who time travel to prevent the creation of America and retroactively save the world from destruction. In each arc, they will target a pivotal point in history, beginning with a mission to kill Christopher Columbus in 1492.

About his inspirations and themes, Jones is unequivocal. “A lot of us here in America who have been forcibly dispossessed, had genocide attempted against us, then been continually erased from history books, we've got a bone to pick with one of the people instrumental in facilitating all that: Christopher Columbus.”

“If you could go back in time,” Jones continues, “deal with one of your bullies, really put them in their place, then … maybe you do that, right? For American Indians, there have been a lot of those bullies we’d like to go back and put in their place, and Columbus is first on that list.”

Reflecting on the practice of bringing this high-stakes world to life, artist Davide Gianfelice explains, “What I like most about drawing Earthdivers is the depth of feeling of the protagonists. Often they face very difficult and extreme situations, and I wonder what I would do in their place. I’m not ashamed to say that sometimes a shiver runs down my spine thinking about it.”

As well as a fantastical exploration of America’s history (and future), Earthdivers is a cautionary tale about the need for an expanded environmental consciousness and the perils of impending climate disaster.

Earthdivers teaches us a very important thing,” says Gianfelice. “We must take care of the place where we live and the people who live there, and right now, we are slowly destroying both. We may not get any second chances, but we do still have time to prevent all this from happening.”

“Postapocalyptic stories are always cautionary tales,” Jones elaborates. “Stories give us devices like time travel as a way of dealing with poor choices and regret. History isn’t written in stone. Or if it is? Then go back, scratch it out. Write something better.”

Earthdivers is one of the most creatively rewarding comics that I’ve edited, and I can’t wait to share this experience with readers. The story fully commits to its killer premise, but in ways you won’t predict and can hardly imagine. Stephen and Davide are delivering a feast of genres — sci-fi, horror, supernatural thriller — all thoughtfully connected by a tragic love story that spans centuries. You’re going to look back and laugh at your own expectations because this book blows them out of the water with each passing issue,” says editor Maggie Howell.

  • A revenge story ... for Native Americans? Even as a white guy, I see the justice in that.

STAR TREK PICARD: STARGAZER #2

TMNT: SATURDAY MORNING ADVENTURES #1

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: SATURDAY MORNING ADVENTURES #1

Covers: Tim Lattie, Kevin Eastman, Tony Gregori, Tim Lattie | $3.99

Cowabunga, dudes and dudettes! The love for ’80s pop culture never fades, and by popular demand, IDW is giving fans what they want with the September debut of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures, a faithful new comic book inspired by the classic cartoon, shipping monthly and featuring the fan-favorite creative team of writer Erik Burnham and artist Tim Lattie.

In 1987, the world at large was introduced to the TMNT by way of a catchy theme song and action-packed animation. The cartoon’s aesthetic returns in a four-issue miniseries, featuring an all-new set of standalone stories. Whether it’s the Heroes in a Half Shell getting trapped in a VR simulator, one of General Krang’s stalwart stone soldiers abandoning their post in pursuit of hair-metal superstardom, or concepts even more awesomely absurd, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures is 100 percent guaranteed to thrill fans of all ages.

“I’m no stranger to writing the TMNT for IDW, but this is different,” says Burnham. “The version of the Turtles that exploded onto TV screens in 1987 was the version that I first met, and it brought me a lot of joy … and getting to play in this particular corner of the sandbox has built upon that joy! Humor, action, and plenty of high concepts were packed into each episode, and we’re following that path. I’m not sure if anyone in comics is having as much fun as Tim Lattie and I are with these done-in-one stories!”

“Growing up in the late ’80s, nothing was like the experience of discovering TMNT: playing with the toys, watching the show, or waiting in a crowd with the hopes of getting a chance to try your luck at the arcade game,” says Lattie. “It’s rare enough in life to be able to do what you love for work, but to work on something you grew up loving is hard to comprehend. What else is there to say: Go ninja, go ninja, go!”

“Toys, comics, character-laden graphic tees — my love of pop culture runs deep, and it all started with the original TMNT cartoon,” says editor Charles Beacham. “It’s an absolute thrill for all of us at IDW to bring fans back to that universe in a new, fresh way. Erik and Tim have cooked up some crazy adventures that are sure to have you on the edge of your seat, so grab a big bowl of sugar cereal and get ready for some serious Turtle Power!”

  • This seems like the natural milieu for TMNT. They've always seemed like Saturday morning cartoon characters to me, no matter how grim-n-gritty the stories got.

TRANSFORMERS BEST OF ARCEE ONE-SHOT #1 ($3.99)

 

IMAGE COMICS

3KEYS #1 (of 5)

Covers: David Messina, Werther Dell’Edera | Mature | $3.99

Han Solo artist David Messina invites readers to explore the mysterious world of 3Keys. This apocalyptic five-issue miniseries is set to launch from Image Comics this October.

In 3Keys, writer/artist Messina invites you to explore a mysterious world where inhabitants of another dimension flee into our reality in order to save themselves from the terrible wrath of the Great Old Ones … or to perhaps instead prepare us for a final, devastating invasion, with only an impetuous young comic-store clerk and her sardonic, furry and surprisingly violent mentor standing in the way.

3Keys is not only an action-horror story about a friendship greater than the apocalypse,” said Messina. “But it is also a declaration of love toward pop culture and the sense of wonder that kept us in suspense as we read the books and comic books that have really stayed with us."

DARK RIDE #1

Story: Joshua Williamson | Art: Andrei Bressan | Colors: Adriano Lucas | Covers: Andrei Bressan, Martín Morazzo | Covers: Andrei Bressan & Adriano Lucas, Martin Morazzo & Adriano Lucas, Sweeney  Boo, Trish Forstner & Tony Fleecs | Mature | $3.99

Skybound today announced the launch of Dark Ride, a new horror comic book series from the visionary Birthright team of Joshua Williamson (Batman, Dark Crisis) and Andrei Bressan (Batman and Robin) that introduces readers to The Scariest Place on Earth.

Devil Land has been the world’s premiere horror-themed amusement park for over 50 years, home to the scariest ride ever created — The Devil’s Due. But when lifelong fan Owen Seasons begins his first day on the job, he will discover the true horrors happening behind the scenes, the truth about the park’s reclusive creator Arthur Dante and that the job of his dreams might just be a living nightmare.  

"Two of my biggest obsessions have always been HORROR ... and AMUSEMENT PARKS. So, I had to find a way to combine them into something new. It’s a dream book I’ve been working on for a LONG time and it’s been awesome to finally pull it together with Andrei and the whole Birthright team!” said Joshua Williamson. “It's great to get back to horror after Nailbiter ended, and here we dive into some new themes with horror: What is scary in today’s world? How can you create something scary when every day we’re living in a horror show? Those are the themes I wanted to explore with DARK RIDE. Amusement Parks are meant to be a place of FUN ... but here we really bring the HORROR."

 “It’s safe to say that we’re heading home! I’m really happy to be reunited with the rest of the Birthright clan once again! Hell! We usually tell people we are a team, but in fact, we are a living, breathing creature! And a hungry one too! At first you had us brandishing swords ... but now, this time around ... well ... horror, right?” said Bressan. “I remember reading something that says ‘In horror, the surface always lies. Nothing is what it seems to be.’ So, take this and mix it up with an amusement park. You think you’re playing and having fun, but you’re actually flirting with Death. And here, Death blinks back at you!”

“Joshua and Andrei created one of the iconic modern series in Birthright and when they approached us about Dark Ride, it was clear that lightning struck a second time,” said Amanda LaFranco, Editor, Skybound Entertainment. “This is everything you love about Joshua and Andrei turned up to eleven, with a thrilling new approach to horror comics that you’ll love whether you’re a die-hard fan of the genre or not.”

  • Sounds like a serious version of Zombillenium.
  • Here's a trailer.

DEAD LUCKY #3

GOLDEN RAGE #3 (of 5)

IMAGE 30TH ANNV ANTHOLOGY #6 (of 12)

IMAGE FIRSTS: FARMHAND #1

IMAGE FIRSTS: GIDEON FALLS #1

IMAGE FIRSTS: HELLCOP #1

IMAGE FIRSTS: ICE CREAM MAN #1

IMAGE FIRSTS: MARKED #1

IMAGE FIRSTS: NEO NOIR #1

JOE HILL'S RAIN HC

JUNKYARD JOE #1: SPECIAL BLACK & WHITE VETERANS EDITION

Story: Geoff Johns | Art: Gary Frank | Covers: Gary Frank & Brad Anderson, Robert Love & Brad Anderson,  Andrea Mutti, Jerry Ordway & Brad Anderson, Gary Frank & Brad Anderson | $4.99

Bestselling Geiger creative team Geoff Johns, Gary Frank, and Brad Anderson reteam for an all-new series in the upcoming Junkyard Joe, telling the story of a mysterious robot soldier and the cartoonist who he believes created him. Expanding Mad Ghost’s historical universe of heroes known as The Unnamed, this explosive new story is set to launch from Image Comics this October and will feature a special black and white edition to benefit veterans.

Proceeds from the Junkyard Joe #1: Special Black & White Veterans Edition will be donated to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans in honor of Johns’ grandfather and to Veterans Aid in honor of Frank’s grandparents. All three served during WWII.

Junkyard Joe strives to highlight veterans’ perspectives through a comic book lens and raise awareness and funds to support NCHV and VA, two of the leading charitable organizations committed to ending veteran homelessness in the US and UK, respectively.

“My grandfather served during World War II and it changed his life forever. Junkyard Joe felt like an opportunity to raise not only visibility for these two amazing veteran organizations, but real financial support. It’s an honor to be working with the NCHV and VA,” said Johns.

Additionally, Johns’ Mad Ghost Productions will donate $2 for every issue purchased.

“There are people out there who risk everything to protect us and, all too often, find that society isn’t there for them when they return. I’m grateful for the opportunity to help raise awareness of the work done by some of the people and organizations who remember and repay our debts to those who serve,” added Frank.

NCHV’s CEO Kathryn Monet said: “NCHV is honored and grateful to be a part of Junkyard Joe. It is wonderful to work with such legendary figures in the comic world to raise awareness for the issues veterans face, and our work to end veteran homelessness simultaneously. We thank the Junkyard Joe team for including NCHV in this unique project.”

CEO of Veterans Aid, Dr Hugh Milroy, said, "We were surprised and delighted to be beneficiaries of this unusual venture and deeply moved by Geoff and Gary's commitment to honoring the veterans in their own families. The bond that unites those who have served is special and although readers of Junkyard Joe will probably never meet the former servicemen and women helped by their donations, they too will have done something special in enabling us to restore independence and dignity to their lives at a time when they most need it."

From the beloved pages of Geiger comes the story of Junkyard Joe. The world knows him as the comic strip by cartoonist Muddy Davis, but the truth stretches back to the Vietnam War. This is their story of sacrifice and brotherhood. Throughout history, unlikely and strange heroes have risen and fallen, their identities and lives a secret. But for a Great Evil to be stopped, their stories must be told. They are The Unnamed fighting The Unknown War.

  • If it really benefits vets, I'm all for it.
  • Here's a preview.

KAYA #1

Story/Art/Covers: Wes Craig | $3.99

Kaya is the story of siblings surviving in a world of monsters and mutants. After the destruction of their village, a young girl with a magic arm and a fighting spirit is tasked with delivering her little brother to a faraway safe haven. There, he’s destined to discover the secret to overthrowing the all-powerful empire that destroyed their home.

“I’m putting every bit of heart, action and fun that I can into each issue," said Craig. "Kaya, her brother Jin, and the strange world they live in are very real to me, and I think readers are gonna have a blast discovering it, month in, month out.”

First previewed in the Image! Anthology, this jam-packed series premiere features 31 gorgeous story pages, bonus material and a Jack Kirby-inspired variant cover by Craig. This new series is a must-have for readers on the hunt for their next favorite read.

Early praise for Kaya:

“There is literally nothing in comics I love more than being introduced into a strange new world inhabited by characters you very quickly grow to love. Kaya is that. A whole load of that.” — Robert Kirkman, The Walking Dead, Invincible

“One of my favorite storytellers, taking us on a human and fantastical adventure. For the characters, this is a journey across a desert, but for us, it’s an oasis of joy.” — Kieron Gillen, The Wicked + The Divine, Die

“This book’s an absolute delight from a master working at the peak of his craft. My favorite thing I’ve read this year.” — James Harren, Ultramega, Rumble

  • A lot of Kirby in that B cover.
  • Here's a preview.

KING SPAWN #15

MIRKA ANDOLFO’S SWEET PAPRIKA VOL 2 TP

OBLIVION SONG BOOK 3 HC

ORDINARY GODS #9

REVOLVERS #1 (of 4)

ROGUE SUN #7

SAGA VOL. 10 TP

  • I read the first trade and liked it. But I've become a collection snob and have been waiting for a hardcover series to read the whole thing. Which hasn't yet appeared. Just injuring myself, I guess.

THAT TEXAS BLOOD #18

TIME BEFORE TIME #17

UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY #21

WALKING DEAD DELUXE #48

 

MARVEL COMICS

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #1 FACSIMILE EDITION

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN BY WELLS ROMITA JR VOL 1 TP

ANT-MAN #4 (of 4)

AVENGERS EPIC COLLECTION TP: OBSESSION (NEW PTG)

A.X.E.: STARFOX #1

Story: KIeron Gillen | Art/Cover: Daniele Di Nicuolo | Teen+ | $3.99

AN A.X.E. TIE-IN! Eros the Eternal! Starfox of Titan! The equal of his brother Thanos, matching his achievements every step of the ... What? Oh. But you know what they say. Come the hour, come the ... intergalactic layabout who'd rather have a drink? At least if this is Judgment Day, he won't be around for a hangover tomorrow.

  • Is Starfox starting to look more like Harry Styles?
  • There are a lot of Judgment Day books this week and next, so buckle up.
  • Here's a preview.

A.X.E.: X-MEN #1

Story: Kieron Gillen | Art: Francesco Mobili | Covers: Nic Klein, Salvador Larroca | $3.99

A.X.E.: X-MEN #1 will examine Jean Grey’s intricate relationship with the Phoenix Force, burning away the mystery behind their connection once and for all. It wasn't her. It wasn't her. It wasn't her. It wasn't her. It wasn't her. Yet: "I am fire and life incarnate! Now and forever" Which part of "Now and Forever" is confusing to you? As one world burns, can Jean Grey justify her existence after burning another?

BLACK PANTHER LEGENDS GN ($13.99)

BLOODSTONE & THE LEGION OF MONSTERS TP (NEW PTG, $34.99)

CAPTAIN AMERICA: SENTINEL OF LIBERTY #5

Story: Collin Kelly & Jackson Lanzing | Art: Carmen Carnero | Connecting Variant: Paco Medina | Teen+ | $3.99

The Outer Circle's most recent defector leads Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes to the Outer Circle's headquarters — and to the answers Steve seeks about the origins of his shield. But Bucky already has his answers and is looking for solutions. Will decades of friendship be enough to outmaneuver an enemy who calls himself the Revolution? The world of Captain America is rocked in this can't-miss issue that will have ramifications for years to come!

The secret origin of Steve’s shield, the revenge of White Wolf and Crossbones, and the return of Nomad — but which one? All roads lead to COLD WAR, a new CAPTAIN AMERICA event kicking off in Spring 2023!

  • Nice to see a Cap-centric event. He was, as Jeff of Earth-J likes to say, one of my first favorites.
  • Here's a preview.

EDGE OF SPIDER-VERSE #5 (of 5)

Story: Dan Slott, J.M. DeMatteis, Steve Fox, Phil Lord | Art: Bob McLeod, Kei Zama, David Lopez | Covers: Josemaria Casanovas, Kris Anka, Mark Bagley, David Lopez | $4.99

Right now, fans are witnessing a revolution of the Spider-Man mythos in EDGE OF SPIDER-VERSE! Each jam-packed issue contains thrilling stories by all-star creators that introduces breakout new Spider-Heroes like Spider-Rex, the new Spider-UK, and Sun-Spider and redefines fan-favorite heroes like Araña, Spider-Man Noir, and Spider-Ham. Arriving on October 5, EDGE OF SPIDER-VERSE #5, the final issue of limited series will debut three extraordinary new heroes, each one swinging onto the scene to take readers headfirst into a brand new era of Spider-Verse storytelling!

Here's what fans can expect from the final issue in the exciting EDGE OF SPIDER-VERSE saga:

  • Web-Weaver, a not-so-mild mannered fashion designer at Van Dyne gets spider-powers and shows us a very different kind of Spider-Slayer in a story by Steve Foxe and Kei Zama. See him strut the runway in front of his fellow Spiders in a variant cover by Kris Anka, the amazing artist behind Web-Weaver’s fabulous design!
  • Imagine a world where Sergei Kravinoff got Spider-Powers. Meet Hunter-Spider, the most hardcore Spider yet, in a riveting tale by Dan Slott, J. M. DeMatteis, and Bob McLeod! Check out his fearsome design by superstar artist Mark Bagley in a special variant cover!
  • Phil Lord, the filmmaker behind the Spider-Verse movies, teams up with artist David Lopez to create a new Spider that you have to see to believe… Fans will have to wait until the issue goes on sale to meet Syllie Spider, a one-of-a-kind new Marvel character who will also get the spotlight on a classified SPOILER VARIANT COVER by Lopez!

And remember, this is only the beginning! EDGE OF SPIDER-VERSE will serve as the foundation for Dan Slott and Mark Bagley’s new SPIDER-MAN #1 where the dark threat seeking to bring about the end of the Spider-Verse will be revealed and the Spider-Heroes readers have met along the way will play key roles in the war to come!

  • Gah, so sick of multiple Spider-people. YMMV.
  • Here's a preview.

HULK #9

Story: Donny Cates | Art/Cover: Ryan Ottley | $3.99

This July, climb aboard Starship Hulk and crash-land on HULK PLANET, an entire world of Hulk-like creatures thriving under the heat of a gamma star! Writer Donny Cates and artist Ryan Ottley will take readers to this exciting new locale in a new story arc beginning in HULK #9. The saga will explore what a society built by Hulks for Hulks would operate like and will introduce a host of new gamma-fueled characters including the planet’s ruler, MONOLITH.

Thoroughly shaken by his battle with Thor in “Banner of War” and by Titan’s impact on his friends, Bruce Banner decides that his best company is himself – and only himself. As he sets Starship Hulk on a far away course, he begins to reckon with what it means to be healthy – and encounters an alternative to isolation he’d never thought to dream of. Bruce finally found what should be the ultimate paradise but he can’t shake thoughts of the past, or the nagging suspicion that Monolith isn’t being totally honest about what she wants from the Hulk.

On creating Monolith, Ottley said, “Donny Cates is the kind of writer that feeds the artist what they are best at and pushes them to new heights with what they can do. He’s the type of writer that writes as if he has a billion dollar budget. Which is fine with me! I get to stretch my art skills and go all out. He knows my work well over the years and knows what I can do, and he knows what he wants to see me do. So we work amazingly well together and are having way too much fun slamming this book out and giving it everything we got. I’ve been designing and creating new characters with Donny on this run and issue #9 will be some completely new faces, with the most impactful being Monolith. She is a tall hulkish woman that became leader of this strange world our Hulk showed up on. And I can’t wait to show you all what we’ve made, the smashing shall be insane!”

JANE FOSTER MIGHTY THOR #5 (of 5, $3.99)

MARAUDERS #7 ($3.99)

MIGHTY MMW BLACK PANTHER VOL 1 GN ($15.99)

MIRACLEMAN #0

Story: Neil Gaiman, Mark Buckingham, Ryan Stegman, Mike Carey, Peach Momoko & Jason Aaron | Art: Mark Buckingham, Ryan Stegman, Ty Templeton, Paul Davidson, Peach Momoko & Leinil Francis Yu | Covers: Alan Davis & Alejandro Sánchez, Peach Momoko, Terry Dodson & Rachel Dodson, Skottie Young | $5.99

Forty years ago, Miracleman’s modern era began and changed the world of comics as we know it. Now, on the cusp of a new era of Miracleman, Marvel Comics is proud to celebrate all things Kimota in MIRACLEMAN #0! In this giant-sized one-shot, comic book visionaries Neil Gaiman and Mark Buckingham make their long-awaited return to Miracleman’s saga with a special story that leads into MIRACLEMAN: THE SILVER AGE #1! Also on sale in October, MIRACLEMAN: THE SILVER AGE #1 will see Gaiman and Buckingham’s return to their unfinished Miracleman epic, recreating and completing the most anticipated story in comic book history!

Joining Gaiman and Buckingham in MIRACLEMAN #0 will be an incredible lineup of industry superstars, each putting their own unique spin on the captivating Miracleman mythology with thrilling new stories! Here’s what fans can look forward to:

  • Young Miracleman faces off against classic Miracleman villain Big Ben in an action-packed story written and drawn by Marvel superstar Ryan Stegman.
  • Mike Carey and Paul Davidson introduce a new Warpsmith and explore how dangerous Miracleman’s god-like abilities can be in a riveting outer space adventure!
  • Peach Momoko reveals the deadly price of Kimota’s power in a spellbinding—and terrifying—journey into the unknown!
  • Miracleman meets his maker in an explosive and thought-provoking story by Jason Aaron and Leinil Francis Yu.
  • Eisner Award-winning artist Ty Templeton examines Miracleman’s profound impact on the world around him in a series of comic strips!

And that’s not all! MIRACLEMAN #0 will also have an exclusive sneak peek at the new artwork Buckingham has completed for MIRACLEMAN: THE SILVER AGE #1!

  • It's about time!
  • Here's a preview.

NEW FANTASTIC FOUR #5 (of 5, $3.99)

SABRETOOTH: THE ADVERSARY TP ($17.99)

SAVAGE AVENGERS #6 ($3.99)

SHE-HULK BY RAINBOW ROWELL VOL 1: JEN AGAIN TP ($15.99)

SPIDER-MAN #1

Story: Dan Slott |  Art/Cover: Mark Bagley | $4.99

THE END OF THE SPIDER-VERSE IS UPON US! In the aftermath of EDGE OF SPIDER-VERSE, the upcoming limited series that explores and introduces Spider-heroes from across the multiverse, comes a new ongoing series by two of Spider-Man’s most legendary creators — Dan Slott and Mark Bagley! Just in time for Spider-Man’s 60th anniversary, the two Spidey masterminds will be teaming up for the first time on Spidey to unleash the full potential of the Spider-Verse and its beloved heroes in SPIDER-MAN #1! The new saga will kick off when a threat emerges that will change the fate of Peter Parker and all his fellow Spider icons such as Spider-Woman, Ghost-Spider, Miles Morales, Silk and more, including the new heroes that will debut in EDGE OF SPIDER-VERSE. The series will also tie directly into the events of Zeb Wells and John Romita Jr.’s AMAZING SPIDER-MAN run, picking up plot elements such as Spidey’s new costume and his mysterious association with Norman Osborn!

Morlun is back and he is not alone. Allied with one of the most powerful beings known to the Spider-Verse, the scariest Spider-Villain of all time is making his biggest play and no Spider is safe. Especially not the Chosen Spider himself, Peter Parker. With Peter working for Norman Osborn and using a glider … does he have it coming?

Here's what Slott had to say about his grand return to Spider-Man:

“How does it feel to be writing Spider-Man again? Like I'm home. Like there's nowhere else I'd rather be. How does it feel to be working on it with Mark Bagley, one of the greatest Spidey icons of all-time?! Honored, excited and unstoppable! Mark and I are two guys who live to tell Spider-Man stories. Cut us and we bleed Spider-Man. And now Marvel has entrusted the two of us to bring back their monthly — adjectiveless — SPIDER-MAN title!

“We are not going to let you down. We're going to take BIG swings in each and every issue! And the first thing we're doing, right out of the gate, is the Spider-Verse comic to END all Spider-Verse comics!

“THE END OF THE SPIDER-VERSE will see Peter, Miles, and your favorite characters from previous Spider-Verse stories, along with all-new characters from the upcoming EDGE OF SPIDER-VERSE mini, slam them all together, and bring the entire SPIDER-VERSE saga to a fiery close! It's going to have lots of action, surprises, but most of all, it's going to have a lot of heart! Even though this story will be epic, it will also have a profound effect on Peter Parker. You are not going to want to miss this!”

“Dan and I have been wanting to work together for years, and having the opportunity to be the artist that is there to wrap up his Spider-verse storyline is really exciting,” Bagley added. “Further, I'm thrilled to see where this book takes us from there.”

  • The endless parade of first issues has, for me, gone from funny to annoying to white noise.
  • Here's a preview.
  • Here's a trailer.

STAR WARS LEGENDS EPIC COLLECTION VOL 6: NEW REPUBLIC TP ($44.99)

STAR WARS: MANDALORIAN #4 ($4.99)

TOMB OF DRACULA #1 FACSIMILE EDITION ($3.99)

WAKANDA: WORLD BLACK PANTHER OMNIBUS HC ($125)

X-MEN RED #7

Story: Al Ewing | Art: Madibek Musabekov | Cover: Russell Dauterman | Teen+ | $3.99

FINAL JUDGMENT FOR THE RED PLANET! — AN A.X.E. TIE-IN! As the dust settles and the costs are counted, change is coming to Arakko — starting at the top. After the catastrophic war with the Eternals, the Great Ring declares that ISCA THE UNBEATEN is no longer fit for the Seat of Victory. But Isca's power is never to lose. If she won't step down ... is there anyone on Arakko who can make her?

 

MORE COMICS

2000 AD REGEND VOL 4 TP

ARCHIE’S HALLOWEEN SPECTACULAR #1

Archie | $2.99

Halloween is about to get a little bit spookier (and a little bit sweeter) when Archie Comics welcomes Trick and Treat to its stable of holiday-themed magical characters in October! The two Halloween imps will make their first appearance in the collectible one-shot comic book, ARCHIE HALLOWEEN SPECTACULAR #1, in a new lead story by writer Ian Flynn and artist Ryan Jampole.

In the story, Trick and Treat — who represent the scary side and the sweet side of Halloween, respectively — try to prove which part of Halloween is the most important, with Archie and the rest of the Riverdale gang suffering the consequences!

“Trick and Treat may be new characters, but they’d feel right at home with the classic creations,” Flynn said. “Since they’re the spirits of Halloween, I wanted to make sure neither of them was the ‘good one’ or the ‘bad one.’ They’re both about fun and enjoying the holiday, but they both have a bit of a naughty streak. I hope folks enjoy them, and we get to see more of them in the future.”

The characters were designed by Archie Comics Art Director Vincent Lovallo, who took inspiration from similar magical characters in the Archie Comics roster who appear in fan-favorite holiday-themed stories every year.

“Editor-in-Chief Mike Pellerito had a few initial ideas in mind with the ultimate goal to have them be our go-to Halloween mascot characters, similar to Jingles the Elf or Sugar Plum the fairy from previous Christmas stories,” Lovallo said. “Their proportions needed to be similar to those characters, but with more of a Funko Pop or Chibi design, and they would be a play on the classic concept of an angel or devil on a person’s shoulders. However, despite those attributes, both characters are equally spirits of Halloween, so naturally, they can get pretty scary if they need to with their shape shifting abilities.”

Artist Ryan Jampole, who drew the debut story, said, “What I really enjoy about them is because they are spirits, they are really rubbery and expressive and it allowed me a lot of freedom to stretch and squash them into all sorts of goofy poses. It was a lot of fun to draw that alongside the slightly more grounded Archie characters.”

The comic will publish alongside a complete slate of Halloween-themed digest comics throughout the weeks leading up to the holiday, all featuring brand new stories and classic reprints from throughout Archie’s 80-year publishing history. ARCHIE HALLOWEEN SPECTACULAR #1 releases October 5 in comic shops nationwide, featuring a cover by Archie legend Dan Parent.

  • I take issue with the phrase "Archie legend Dan Parent." Dan DeCarlo is the legend, not the guy who copies him (badly).

BECOMING FRANKENSTEIN #2

BEST OF CAT GIRL TP

BLACK CARAVAN PREMIUM: JON CLARK’S SOMETHING JUICY #1

Story/Art: Jon Clark | Black Caravan | $4.99

The most popular girl in school digs for juicy dirt on the girl who stole her boyfriend — but a frightening truth finds her instead. From the creator of Black Friday and Playthings comes this dark look at High School Drama.

  • This is the only kind of high school drama I can tolerate. I'd even watch Gossip Girls if they were all murdered in the end.

BLADE RUNNER: BLACK LOTUS #3

BLADE RUNNER: ORIGINS VOL 3: BURNING TP

BY THE HORNS: DARK EARTH #5

CELERY STALKS VOL 2

ENOLA HOLMES: MYCROFT’S DANGEROUS GAME GN

Story: Nancy Springer, Mickey George | Art: Giorgia Sposito | Legendary | $17.99

Teenage super-sleuth Enola Holmes is back at it again!  Picking up where 2020's exceptionally popular film left off, readers and fans will join Sherlock Holmes' rebellious teen sister Enola in a thrilling adventure and uncover the new mystery that she is up against. After a mysterious group of anarchists abduct her brother Mycroft, Enola investigates his disappearance in hopes of rescuing him and recovering something precious he took from her. With the help of Lord Tewkesbury and a young boy on the streets named Shag, she uncovers the truth behind her brother's abduction and unravels a web of mystery that takes her deep into the London underground as she tries to foil the anarchists' nefarious plot!

  • I've never watched the Enola Holmes movie. Is it any good, Legionnaires?

ESSENTIAL JUDGE DREDD NECROPOLIS TP

GEORGE R.R. MARTIN’S CLASH OF KINGS VOL 4 GN

GUN HONEY: BLOOD FOR BLOOD #2 (of 4)

ILLUSION WITCH #4 (of 6)

IMPOSSIBLE JONES VOL 1 TPB: GRIN & GRITTY

JODOROWSKY LIBRARY: THE SAGA OF ALANDOR DIOSAMANTE HC

JUDGE DREDD: LEGENDS OF THE LAW TP

KINGDOM COME: DELIVERANCE #3

NATHAN HALE’S BIGGER BADDER: UNDERGROUND ABDUCTOR GN

Story/Art: Nathan Hale | Amulet Books | $19.99

The Bigger & Badder editions of Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales continue! Araminta Ross was born an enslaved person in Delaware in the early 19th century. After years of backbreaking labor and the constant threat of being sold and separated from her family, she escaped and traveled north to freedom. Once there, she changed her name to Harriet Tubman. As an "abductor" on the Underground Railroad, she risked her life helping countless enslaved people escape to freedom. This  deluxe, oversized edition of the original Underground Abductor graphic novel includes 16 pages of new material!

  • Harriet Tubman's origin story

NEVERENDER #5 (of 9)

NOMADD: CITY OF EMPTY TOWERS #4 (of 6)

SHEPHERD: THE PIT #1

Story: Andrea L. Molinari, Alexandria P. Molinari, Roberto X. Molinari | Art: Ramiro Borrallo | Cover: Marco Fontanili | Black Caravan | $4.99

Lexi and Nico Miller, the surviving children of The Shepherd, are visited by a spectral dog whose face is horribly disfigured. The siblings are shocked to learn that this phantom is the victim of a local dog-fighting ring. Yet, despite his own brutal death, the mournful dog's spirit is determined that his fellow animals be freed from the violence and brutality of The Pit that claimed his life. What follows is a desperate rescue attempt that pierces the very heart of darkness.

  • Oh, God, dog-fighting. I can't take it. Dead people are fine, dead teenagers are better, but dead dogs just break my heart.

SIDE EFFECTS GN

Story: Ted Anderson | Art/Cover: Tara O'Connor | Aftershock | $17.99

Hannah doesn't want to be a hero. She just wants to be well.

Hannah's dealing with a lot in her first year of college and to make matters worse, she's also battling her own brain, in the form of anxiety and depression. Fortunately, her therapist has put her on some meds to help, but those meds cause some unintended side effects, like sleepless nights, pounding headaches ... or, in Hannah's case, superpowers.

Now, on top of juggling tests and dates, Hannah has to deal with occasionally shooting lightning bolts from her fingers or reading her girlfriend's mind. Maybe she's supposed to be a superhero, but all she wants to do is make it through the year in one piece.

Written by Ted Anderson (My Little Pony, Adventure Time: Beginning of the End, ORPHAN AGE, MOTH AND WHISPER) and illustrated by Tara O'Connor (Fly By Night, Roots, Puddles) comes a personal story about mental health and what it takes to find yourself again.

  • Mentally ill people with superpowers. What could go wrong?

SLASH THEM ALL HC

Story/Art: Antoine Maillard | Fantagraphics | Mature | 152 pages | $29.99

A tranquil seaside town is upended by the arrival of a serial killer. Two high school students are found dead, stoking fears amongst the student body and surrounding community of a serial killer on the loose. Yet summer is approaching, and the future is fraught with uncertainty - if only things could go back to normal for just a while longer. Instead, the heightened police presence prevents Pola from coping at school while her best friend, the typically discreet Daniel, resists increasingly morbid impulses. News crews speculate about the Bloody Batter, triggering PTSD and fueling paranoia. Meanwhile, evil has its own plans. Slash Them All is cartoonist Antoine Maillard's tribute to 1980s American horror cinema, skillfully absorbing the traditions and tropes of the genre, yet drawn in a gorgeous, grayscale pencil style that evokes 1950s film noir more than Jason or Freddy Kreuger. This singular work of graphic fiction is a story about adolescents thrust unexpectedly, unwillingly, and unpreparedly into adulthood, told with a graphic acuity and emotional depth that transcends its simple slasher inspirations.

  • This hardly seems like a Fantagraphics book. It's just a normal, cool-sounding GN. There must be some weird twist I'm not seeing.

SUZANNE: JAZZ AGE GODDESS OF TENNIS GN

Story/Art: Tom Humberstone | Avery Hill | $24.95

One of the greatest tennis players the world has ever seen was a woman few even remember. A championship player by the age of fifteen in a Europe overshadowed by impending war, Suzanne Lenglen broke records for ticket sales and match winning streaks, scandalised and entranced the public with her playing outfits, and became a pioneer, making friends and enemies throughout restrictive tennis society in the trailblazing jazz age. With stunning art and an astute eye, Suzanne explores how she battled bias in sporting journalism and her own divisive personality, to forge a new path and to change sport forever.

  • Suzanne Lenglen's origin story

TALES OF TERROR QUARTERLY: RISE OF CTHULHU

WALKING WITHOUT A SOUL

Story/Art: Alicia Fernandez | Sumerian Comics | Mature | $16.99

The first in a trilogy of graphic novels by Aliz Fernández based on the vibrant universe that is Walking Without a Soul. Imagine that you have the chance to choose how you'd like to live, who you'd like to be, in your next life. How? You simply need to make a deal with these creatures, just before the moment Death comes to take you. They can grant you any wish, they can fulfill your deepest desires, no matter how selfish, perverse or twisted they are. The price? Your soul.

  • One plus in being a comic book fan: None of us are gonna be dumb enough to make a deal for our soul. We've read all the stories, and we know how that turns out!

WEST MOON CHRONICLES #1

Story: Frank Jun Kim | Art/Cover: Joe Bocardo | Scout | $4.99

A small-time thug learns that the love of his life and their infant daughter didn’t die eighteen years ago, but were taken by a supernatural entity to a realm where time runs slower and where they’ve aged only seven months — and now he has a chance at redemption if he can save them.

The elusive creatures of mud and blood known as the dokkaebi live just off of Route 4 in east Texas, in the ancient pine forest known as the Tanglechase. Joon-Ho, a Korean immigrant with a shadowy past, and his estranged grandson Jae-Sun are the only people in the nearby town of Vane who know the true nature of the dokkaebi. Together, they must figure out what's causing the creatures to turn hostile. Perhaps it has something to do with the interdimensional portal at the heart of the Tanglechase, for it is from here that the past comes knocking, demanding a reckoning from both men.

“Most people outside Texas don’t realize the tremendous natural beauty of the state," said Frank Kim "It’s not all deserts and tumbleweeds, as most movies would have you believe. There’s a beautiful old-growth pine forest in the eastern end of the state and, as someone who grew up there, this is my attempt to set the record straight. Korean mythology is rich with intrepid swordsmen who wander the wilderness going from one adventure to another, much like classic Western stories of the mysterious gunslinger. So this here is my fusion of two cultures that seem disparate on the surface but have a lot in common underneath: a modern Western with swords, magic, monstrous villains, and Love that transcends space and time. Hopefully people enjoy reading it as much as I did in dreaming it up.”

  • Guys, just move someplace without dokkaebi. Why risk your life for a bunch of rural Texans who probably don't much like you anyway?

WORLD OF BETTY & VERONICA JUMBO COMICS DIGEST #19

 

BOOKS

BRITMANIA HC

TEAM-UP COMPANION

YOURS CRUELLY, ELVIRA: MEMOIRS OF MISTRESS OF THE DARK SC

 

MAGAZINES

BACK ISSUE #139

FANGORIA v2 #17

JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR #84

 

MORE MANGA

ASCENDANCE OF A BOOKWORM PART 2 VOL 4 GN

BE AFRAID OF INUKI KANAKO GN

BORUTO VOL 15 GN: NARUTO NEXT GENERATIONS

CANIS DEAR HATTER VOL 1

FARAWAY PALADIN OMNIBUS VOL 4 GN

FREE LIFE FANTASY ONLINE IMMORTAL PRINCESS VOL 1 GN

GAHICHAN VOL 1

GRAND BLUE DREAMING VOL 17 GN

HERO LAUGHS PATH OF VENGEANCE SECOND TIME VOL 2

IMAGINARY VOL 1 GN

KAIJU GIRL CARAMALISE VOL 6 GN

MORIARTY THE PATRIOT VOL 9

MY HERO ACADEMIA VOL 32 GN

MY LOVE MIX UP VOL 5 GN

NIGHT OF LIVING CAT VOL 1 GN

RENT A GIRLFRIEND VOL 14 GN

ROMANTIC KILLER VOL 1 GN

SUMMER YOU WERE THERE VOL 1 GN

SUNDOME MILKY WAY VOL 5 GN

THAT TIME I GOT REINCARNATED AS A SLIME VOL 20 GN

WANDANCE VOL 2

YAKUZA REINCARNATION VOL 3 GN

YOUNG LADIES DON’T PLAY FIGHTING GAMES VOL 3

 

MORE KIDS

ALCATOE AND THE TURNIP CHILD GN

ENCHANTING ESCAPADES OF PHOEBE AND HER UNICORN TP

JUNIOR HIGH HORRORS MONSTER-SIZED ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL

LOUD HOUSE VOL 16: LOUD AND CLEAR

LEGACY BECSTAR #1

MAX MEOW: CAT CRUSADER VOL 4: TACO TIME MACHINE HC

MONSTER BAR MITZVAH GN

NARWHAL & JELLY HC VOL 7: NARWHALICORN AND JELLY GN

ROVER AND SPECK VOL 1 GN: THIS PLANET ROCKS

SEAMUS THE FAMOUS ETERNITY RUN GN

THIEVES GN

VICTORY STAND RASING MY FIST FOR JUSTICE GN

WONDER CITY VOL 1 GN

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Replies

    • Gah, so sick of multiple Spider-people. YMMV.

    Eventually, I will be able to create a list of one thousand spider-characters.

  • Hahahahahaha!

    *wipes away tears*

    Thanks, Bob, I needed that.

    The Baron said:

    • Gah, so sick of multiple Spider-people. YMMV.

    Eventually, I will be able to create a list of one thousand spider-characters.

  • SAGA VOL. 10 TP

    I read the first trade and liked it. But I've become a collection snob and have been waiting for a hardcover series to read the whole thing. Which hasn't yet appeared. Just injuring myself, I guess.

    I have vol 10 on order and have read the first nine. You should dive in!

    One plus in being a comic book fan: None of us are gonna be dumb enough to make a deal for our soul. We've read all the stories, and we know how that turns out!

    Two movies everyone should see. Bedazzled (1967), in which Dudley Moore and his old partner Peter Cook (as the devil) do a very funny Faust takeoff. (Don't go near the Brendan Fraser remake). The other is Damn Yankees (1958) with Ray Walston as the devil.

  • I've seen 'em both, but I really only remember Damn Yankees. I saw Bedazzled on TV when I was ... I dunno, 12? 13? And when Raquel Welch came on screen, my brain just went blank.

  • "All roads lead to COLD WAR, a new CAPTAIN AMERICA event kicking off in Spring 2023!"

    I've been waiting for a reason to drop both the Captain America titles; this might be it.

    "Archie legend Dan Parent."

    Who the hell is Dan Parent?

  • As originally designed Dr Fate was a magician with a Batman-like mystery. When his helmet was changed to show the lower half of his face that went away, even though Batman's mask shows his.

  • Collects Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight Halloween Special #1, Batman: Madness — A Legends of the Dark Knight Halloween Special #1 and Batman: Ghosts — A Legends of the Dark Knight Halloween Special #1

    I think I have most if not all of these already, although I just bought Batman: Ghosts — A Legends of the Dark Knight Halloween Special #1, 2 weeks ago.

    Cap said:

    GARBAGE PAIL KIDS: ORIGINS #1...I remember the trading cards from the '80s, when I was far too old to consider buying them. I wasn't impressed, anyway. But now, I guess, the people who did collect them are old enough to be in charge of enough entertainment platforms to bring them back!

    BORING story alert! These came out when I was in junior high, and bought them quite often from an ice cream truck that was outside of my school just about ever day. The owner of my LCS is still really into them, so I found a healthy stack a couple of years ago, and gave them all to him, No idea I still had them.

  • "The endless parade of first issues has, for me, gone from funny to annoying to white noise."

    I am ambivalent. On the one hand, very few of the "new number ones" appeal to me, but on the other, I do like to keep appraised of what's going on in the MU. Either I'm not going to like them and can drop them, or I am going to like tham and I find a new title to enjoy. In either case, I can speak from a position of authority. My Marvel purchases are more than usual right now, but that won't last. 

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