THE TOP 5
Batman ’89 #1
DC Comics | $3.99
Writer: Sam Hamm | Art/Cover A: Joe Quinones | Cover B: Jerry Ordway
Step back into the Gotham of Tim Burton’s seminal classic Batman movies! Batman ’89 brings in screenwriter Sam Hamm (Batman, Batman Returns) and artist Joe Quinones (Dial H for Hero) to pull on a number of threads left dangling by the prolific director. Gotham becomes torn in two as citizens dressed as Batman and The Joker duke it out in the streets. As D.A. Harvey Dent tries to keep the city together, he targets the one problem tearing it apart: BATMAN! And he’ll get Bruce Wayne’s help in taking down the Dark Knight!
Captain Comics sez: Come on. You know this will be fun.
I hope they got the rights to use Michael Keaton's likeness and his "bee-stung lips," as a 1989 review I read phrased it. I think it was meant to be a compliment, but I'm not entirely sure.
Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done?
Albatross Funnybooks | Mature | $29.99
Eric Powell — the legendary creator of comics like The Goon and Hillbilly — and Harold Schechter — the author of true crime classics including Deviant and The Serial Killer Files — are collaborating on an ambitious new graphic novel about one of the most notoriously deranged murderers in American history, Ed Gein. Powell and Schechter are co-writing DID YOU HEAR WHAT EDDIE GEIN DONE?, an all new, 200-page, original graphic novel illustrated by Powell that delves into the twisted history of the Gein family and the notorious violence that inspired Psycho, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Silence of the Lambs. Painstakingly researched and illustrated, Schechter and Powell’s true-crime graphic novel presents Gein’s infamous story like never before.
CC sez: I'm a sucker for a "true crime" book that does its homework, and that appears the case here (and with a Jack Davis-influenced artist I really enjoy).
Serial killers are so chockablock in modern entertainment media that I'm almost inured to them; I don't really think about what they do, and relegate them mentally to "plot donkey," as Joel Kinnaman called his Rick Flag character in the first Suicide Squad.
But Ed Gein was something else altogether. He wasn't just a killer; he was perverse in a way that my brain can't make sense of. His actions seem to be those of an alien being who doesn't share the same sensibility as the rest of humanity. But he was a human, which makes his crimes all the more shocking.
Elric: The Dreaming City #1
Titan | Mature Themes | 32 pages | $3.99
Writers: Julien Blondel & Jean-Luc Cano | Art: Julien Telo & Robin Recht | Cover A: Mike Mignola | Cover B: Valentin Secher | Cover C: Eric Bourgier | Cover D: Julien Telo
GORGEOUS COMIC ADAPTATION OF MOORCOCK'S WORLD-RENOWNED CULT FANTASY SAGA!
Elric of Melniboné, is exiled from his home and cursed to walk the land under the influence of the god of chaos, Arioch. With his sword Stormbringer, Elric must find his way through the unknown.
FIRST TIME THAT MOORCOCK'S NOVELS HAVE BEEN FULLY ADAPTED IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER.
CC sez: I've probably read (and maybe own in collections) virtually all the Moorcock adaptations to date, but Titan found my weakness by re-publishing them in order with a common trade dress. Now I'm buying them all again. Curse you, Titan Comics! And thank you!
The Unbelievable Unteens #1
Dark Horse | $3.99
Writers: Jeff Lemire, Tyler Crook | Art/Cover: Tyler Crook | Variant: John McCrea
After signing at a comic book convention, Unbelievable Unteens artist Jane Ito finds herself visited by one of the characters from her own creation — but was it her own creation? Were the Unteens an actual school of teenaged misfit superheroes who battled supervillains under the lead of the mysterious Dr. Miles Moniker? And if so, who wiped their memories and why? As Jane’s world is turned upside down and she learns the true nature of her identity she discovers a sinister plot leading her to assemble a team she had suspected was purely fictional.
CC sez: Black Hammer has done Justice League/Avengers, and now it's turning its loving homage to the X-Men. Sold.
OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST
Blade of the Immortal Deluxe Volume 3 HC
Dark Horse | B&W | 664 pages | $49.99
Writer/Art/Cover: Hiroaki Samura
Over 650 pages of samurai battles, bloodshed, and bitter rivalries! A young survivor’s seemingly immortal protector, Manji, is helping her destroy the eccentric, bloodthirsty Itto-ryu sword school that ambushed and killed her parents. While Manji has his hands full with a trio of devious assassins, Rin decides to make her way across Edo to search for the murderous Itto-ryu leader Anotsu Kagehisa on her own! Will Manji find her before Anotsu does? This volume also features the debut of the mysterious Mugai-ryu warriors, who will become major players in this revenge epic from a modern manga master!
Collects Blade of the Immortal volumes 7 to 9 in the original 7” x 10” serialized format, in a faux-leather hardcover treatment, and with a bookmark ribbon.
CC sez: I know nothing about this series than what I can glean from the covers. (I'm guessing it has something to do with an immortal ronin. Could be wrong, though.) But Dark Horse thought it important enough to send me two press releases, so maybe it is.
CAMPISI #1
Aftershock | $4.99
Writer: James Patrick | Art: Marco Locati | Cover: Fran Galan
Sonny Campisi is a small-time fixer for the mob-controlled neighborhood of Green Village. If you don't pay your gambling debt, he'll come and collect. If you get a little rough with one of "the girls," he gets a little rough with you. But when a dragon flies into town and Sonny is the one who's tasked with getting rid of it, it's a problem unlike any he's ever faced, and a chain of events begins that will affect everyone who lives in that neighborhood. Especially Sonny.
Each issue of CAMPISI features 24 pages of story and art with a cardstock cover!
CC sez: I wasn't interested in an off-brand crime story until they got to the dragon.
Death-Defying 'Devil: Our Home
Dynamite | 120 pages | 16+ | $19.99
Writer: Gail Simone | Art: Walter Geovani | Cover: Inhyuk Lee
The Winslow House is in shambles, but people call it home. It is a place for people who have almost nothing but are trying to make a life for themselves. It is also in a bad neighborhood, and no one will stop criminals from tormenting the residents ... until The Death-Defying 'Devil shows up!
But when the 'Devil tries to step in and protect the innocent, things take a turn for the worse and he finds himself trapped inside the house, being taken care of by the same people he was trying to save.
Gail Simone (Birds of Prey, Wonder Woman) and Walter Geovani (Red Sonja, Clean Room) present the story of The Death-Defying 'Devil and a group of neighbors who will do what it takes to keep their home, and each other, safe!
Includes issues #1-5 of The Death Defying 'Devil (2019).
CC sez: I'm mildly pleased that the original Daredevil is getting a second life, but I'm mildly sad that he can't even use his own name. Sorta like the original Captain Marvel.
Defenders #1 (of 5)
Marvel | Teen+ | $3.99
Writer: Al Ewing | Art/Cover: Javier Rodriguez | Deadpool 30th Anniversary variant: Rob Liefeld | Variant: Peach Momoko | Variant: Carlos Pacheco | Variant: Ron Lim
DOCTOR STRANGE and the MASKED RAIDER take a non-team of Marvel's weirdest, wildest heroes on a mission that will uncover the hidden architecture of reality itself! This cosmos was not the first to exist...but if the DEFENDERS can't track Marvel's oldest villain through the deepest trenches of time - it might be the last!
CC sez: Wait, isn't Dr. Strange DEAD? I guess he'll get better.
Also, I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I don't recognize Cloud Girl or Demon Girl. Can someone clue me in? Don't worry about that redheaded girl in the green costume below; that's the Silver Witch, a Wanda/Pietro amalgam from the recent "Heroes Reborn" event.
Hardware Season 1 #1
Writer: Brandon Thomas | Art: Denys Cowan, Bill Sienkiewicz | Cover: Mateus Manhanini | Card Stock variant ($4.99): Denys Cowan | Card Stock variant ($4.99): Bill Sienkiewicz
Curtis Metcalf was the brightest shining star of Alva Industries, a brilliant scientist mentored by Edwin Alva since childhood … until the failures of Alva technology at the Big Bang disaster threatened to destroy the company, and Alva needed a scapegoat. Now Curtis is on the run from the Dakota police department … but a man as smart — and paranoid — as Curtis takes precautions. With a nearly indestructible suit of armor and remarkable inventions that he never handed over to Alva, Curtis stands determined to do much more than clear his name … he’s going to take the fight back to Alva himself! Writer Brandon Thomas (Future State: Aquaman, Excellence) is joined by Hardware’s co-creator and Milestone founder Denys Cowan to open a legendary new chapter in the story of the Milestone Universe’s most complicated man! Is a better world on his mind? Or just a world built for him?
CC sez: My tastes must be really commonplace. DC is launching Milestone titles in the exact order of my preference: Static, then Icon, now Hardware. I can't predict what they'll launch next, because after Hardware my interest in Milestone characters falls off a cliff. (I suppose it'll probably be Blood Syndicate, which I actively dislike.)
Hershey Disease TPB
Rebellion / 2000AD | $17.99
Writer: Rob Williams | Art: Simon Fraser
You think you know her story. Chief Judge of Mega-City One, Barbara Hershey had been a powerful ally to Judge Dredd, until she became infected with an alien pathogen and — supposedly — died. But little do the citizens and judges of Mega-City One suspect that Hershey's death was faked. Now, join fan-favorite character Judge Hershey as she embarks on a new adventure beyond the grave and beyond the walls of Mega-City One, to right the wrongs of her past and dispense justice!
CC sez: Judge Dredd has the same problem as the prose Conan: He doesn't have a supporting cast because anyone introduced in his stories inevitably gets killed. Story after story, he's the only named character who survives. (With one exception: Judge Anderson. And I think she was killed, too, but had a miraculous return.) Glad to see somebody besides Dredd starring in a Mega-City One story.
I Am Batman #0 DC Comics | 40 Pages | $4.99
Writer: John Ridley | Art/Cover: Travel Foreman | Card Stock variant ($5.99): Derrick Chew | Card Stock variant ($5.99): Dave Wilkins | Card Stock 1:25 variant ($5.99): Riccardo Federici
The age of a new Dark Knight begins! On August 10, picking up immediately from the events of The Next Batman: Second Son, Jace Fox begins the march toward his destiny when he fights to protect Alleytown against the oppressive forces of the Magistrate, using Batman armor and tech he’s found in Bruce Wayne’s old base of operations, the Hibernaculum!
CC sez: Why would I want to read about faux Batman when the real one is still around? Also, I didn't care for the Future State of Gotham City, and have little interest in the ongoing stories that are going to get us there, or are already set there (Future State: Gotham). Seriously, why does Batman have such a great reputation when he never wins and his city just keeps getting worse?
Lilly Van Helsing Graphic Novel Adventures HC
Van Ryder Games, LLC | $22.99
Writer: Skarn | Art/Cover: Tom
In this Graphic Novel Adventure, you'll take on the role of Lilly Van Helsing, a young Monster Hunter working for the Silent Night security company. It is up to you to keep your clients safe from werewolves, vampires, and other things that go bump in the night. A new way, in graphic novel form, to experience the kind of game books popularized years ago. It's your choices, your adventure, and your story!
CC sez: There was a Lillian Van Helsing in the TV show Van Helsing, which is based (verrrrry loosely) on the Zenescope series of the same name, which stars a Leisl Van Helsing. That's a lot of L's. Is there an L-named character in Dracula lore they're all based on? Or is it coincidence?
Marvel: August 1961 Omnibus Hardcover
Marvel | All Ages | $150.00
Writer: Stan Lee | Pencils: Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Don Heck, Stan Goldberg, Al Hartley, Paul Reinman,
Jack Keller, Dick Ayers, Bob Forgione, Vince Colletta & More | Cover: Javier Rodriguez | Direct Market variant: Jack Kirby
Considering leaving the comic book industry behind, Stan Lee was persuaded by his loving wife Joan to create one more book exactly the way he wanted it. And so, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created FANTASTIC FOUR #1 and changed the American pop culture landscape forever. Before the Silver Age kicked off, Marvel Comics had published western, romance, comedy, monster and science fiction titles — and in August 1961, FANTASTIC FOUR was just one of over a dozen very different Marvel books. This first-of-its-kind omnibus will include:
- Journey Into Mystery (1952) #73-74
- Kathy #13
- Life With Millie #13
- Patsy Walker #97
- Amazing Adventures (1961) #6
- Fantastic Four (1961) #1
- Kid Colt, Outlaw #101
- Linda Carter, Student Nurse #2
- Millie The Model #105
- Strange Tales (1951) #90
- Tales Of Suspense (1959) #23
- Tales To Astonish (1959) #25
- Gunsmoke Western #67
- Love Romances #96
- Teen-Age Romance #84
- Amazing Adult Fantasy #7
- Patsy And Hedy #79
- Rawhide Kid (1960) #25
CC sez: One thing I always actively miss when I read old comics is the context in which they were published. It's one thing to read a random issue of Adventures into the Unknown, but when was it published? Before the pre-Code horror boom? During? After? What else was on the stands? What was it competing with? Are any of these stories a reaction to something that was published elsewhere, or current events, or something else?
This book answers that question with a resounding "Face Front, True Believer!" It's also a fascinating snapshot of a single month in the life of a single publisher in the Silver Age. Lookit the romance books! Lookit the Westerns! This will scratch a long-held itch for me.
Pennyworth #1
DC Comics | $3.99
Writer: Scott Bryan Wilson | Art: Juan Gedeon | Cover: Jorge Fornes | Variant: Juan Gedeon
Spanning the years between the hit TV show and today, Pennyworth tells the continuing adventures of Alfred Pennyworth as an MI6 counterintelligence agent — this time in Cold War-era Soviet Russia. When Alfred and his partner receive intelligence that nuclear weapons are being manufactured near the Arctic Circle, they’re off to infiltrate the remote military base to learn more. But things don’t go exactly as planned, and the ramifications of this mission may be more far-reaching than anyone could have guessed, as our present-day butler gets dragged back into his past ...
CC sez: If you're not watching the Pennyworth TV show, you're missing a treat. I don't expect the comic book to be as good, because — as we comics/media veterans all know — it can't go any further or reveal anything more than its parent show does. Still glad to see the love, though.
Red Sonja: Black, White, Red #2
Dynamite | 32 pages | Teen+ | $4.99
Writer: Jonboy Meyers, Jeff Parker, David F. Walker | Art: Jonboy Meyers, Natalie Nourigat, Will Robson | Cover A: Lucio Parrillo | Cover B: Jonboy Meyers | Cover C: David Nakayama | Cover D: Tabitha Lyons Cosplay
The greatest tales! The most amazing storytellers! Red Sonja, like you've NEVER seen before ... all presented in beautiful black, white, and red!
JONBOY MEYERS (Teen Titans) presents an aging Queen Sonja, face-to-face with a long-forgotten foe who threatens to change the world for the worse ...
JEFF PARKER (Aquaman) and NATALIE NOURIGAT (Disney) toss Sonja into a living sentient fungus bog, with no easy exit out ...
DAVID F. WALKER (Naomi, Bitter Root) and WILL ROBSON (Fantastic Four) feature a creature from myth, with a craving for the blood of a She-Devil ...
CC sez: I don't usually tout second issues, but then again, neither do publishers. Dynamite sent me this (lengthy) preview, which deserves to be passed along. Also, I'm quite taken with the phrase "living sentient fungus bog."
Run Book One #1 GN
Abrams ComicArts
Writers: Andrew Aydin, John Lewis | Art: L Fury | Art/Cover: Nate Powell
To John Lewis, the civil rights movement came to an end with the signing of the Voting Rights Act in 1965. But that was after more than five years as one of the preeminent figures of the movement, leading sit-in protests and fighting segregation on interstate busways as an original Freedom Rider. It was after becoming chairman of SNCC (the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) and being the youngest speaker at the March on Washington. It was after helping organize the Mississippi Freedom Summer and the ensuing delegate challenge at the 1964 Democratic National Convention. And after coleading the march from Selma to Montgomery on what became known as "Bloody Sunday." All too often, the depiction of history ends with a great victory. But John Lewis knew that victories are just the beginning. In Run Book One, John Lewis and longtime collaborator Andrew Aydin reteam with Nate Powell-the award-winning illustrator of the March trilogy-and are joined by L. Fury-making an astonishing graphic novel debut-to tell this often overlooked chapter of civil rights history.
CC sez: Since Mr. Lewis has left us, I don't suppose this series will continue. But I'm glad that we got all that we did.
Marvel| Teen+ | $4.99
Writer: Rainbow Rowell | Art: Andrés Genolet, Kris Anka & Adrian Alphona | Cover: Kris Anka | Variant: Adrian Alphona
They started as six normal teenagers brought together by the shocking revelation that their very parents were super villains and over the years, the Runaways have reinvented themselves time and time again, becoming one of Marvel’s most beloved franchises. This August, the series will mark 100 issues and Marvel Comics is proud to celebrate the book’s legacy of incredible creators, dynamic cast of characters, and brilliant storytelling with a special giant-sized issue. The 38th issue of author Rainbow Rowell’s critically acclaimed run, this landmark comic will feature art by series artist Andrés Genolet as well as Kris Anka and the return of the Runaways’ co-creator, artist Adrian Alphona.
CC sez: My interest in this book ebbed away about 90 issues ago. I think it was when they went back in time, severing the last link to the kids' parents, a dynamic which I had hoped would be the fulcrum of the series.
The original tagline was, "Remember when you thought your parents were supervillains? What if they really were?" That sounded pretty interesting, but that idea didn't last long. When the book became just another teen-angst mag, I stopped reading.
I guess it was the parents I really found interesting. How did they get away with it for so long? Did they ever cross paths with any Avengers? How did their syndicate actually work? I don't suppose most of those questions will ever be answered.
But congrats on the 100th issue, Runways — it's quite an accomplishment.
The Silver Coin #5
Image | $3.99
Writer/Art/Cover: Michael Walsh
Michael Walsh’s new horror anthology The Silver Coin is being extended into an ongoing series this August in response to its breakout success and positive reception among fans.
Each issue of The Silver Coin tells a tale of terror in a shared supernatural world. The story starts in 1978 with a failing rock band whose fortune suddenly changes when they find the mysterious Silver Coin. Little do they know that fame comes with a cost, and a curse is always hungry.
CC sez: Yep, you guessed it: I got a press release because Silver Coin has been promoted from miniseries to ongoing title. I have enjoyed the issues I read, so I don't mind posting this.
The Six Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton #3
Image | $3.99
Writer: Kyle Starks | Art/Cover A by Chris Schweizer | Cover B by Rob Guillory
We’re beginning to think that the former sidekicks of TV’s biggest action star might be dummies, but we’ll learn for sure in The Six Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton #3. Image/Skybound today revealed a first look at the next issue of the critically acclaimed new series from Eisner Award nominees Kyle Starks (Sex Castle) and Chris Schweizer (Crogan Adventures).
Looking to increase their muscle to protect their scrawny necks, our trio of former sidekicks head to the world of underground fighting to recruit a former sidekick and martial arts prodigy. But then they all get drunk and it’s a mess, folks. But they’re PROBABLY getting closer to solving the mystery. We hope.
CC sez: Wait, they're just beginning to think "the former sidekicks ... might be dummies"? News flash: They are. But they're also quirky enough to be hilarious.
Star Wars: High Republic Adventures — The Monster of Temple Peak #1 (of 4)
IDW Publishing | $4.99
Writer: Cavan Scott | Art/Cover: Rachael Stott
Follow former Jedi turned saber-for-hire monster hunter Ty Yorrick in her first comic appearance in this all-new High Republic miniseries by Cavan Scott and Rachael Stott!
Ty is a brave yet superstitious monster hunter, traversing the galaxy with KL-03 and her trusty rune-stones fighting the deadliest monsters on any world. After dealing with an escaped Drewen being transported to the Republic Fair, Ty heads to Loreth, where local pioneers have tasked her with taking on the fearsome Gretalax that terrorizes them. She takes the mission but can't shake the feeling that something is amiss with the Force.
CC sez: I'm probably the last guy to figure this out, but "High Republic" is an umbrella concept that is being explored across comics, novels and probably other media. So that's why you see "High Republic" books at three different comics publishers.
Tech-on Avengers #1 (of 6)
Marvel | Teen | $3.99
Writer: Jim Zub | Art/Cover B: Chamba | Cover A: Eiichi Shimizu | Cover C: Peach Momoko | Cover D: Chamba
In partnership with BANDAI SPIRITS of Japan, Marvel Comics will release a brand-new Avengers comic series this August: TECH-ON AVENGERS! This thrilling collaboration will blend classic Marvel storytelling with the innovative creativity of BANDAI SPIRITS resulting in an Avengers saga like never before. Written by Jim Zub (Uncanny Avengers, Champions) and illustrated by Jeff “Chamba” Cruz (Venom: The End, Street Fighter), TECH-ON AVENGERS be a tokusatsu-inspired action-adventure comic series featuring stellar new armor designs for some of Marvel’s most iconic heroes and villains.
When the Red Skull wields a strange new power that strips heroes of their powers and threatens the entire world, the Avengers turn to Tony Stark’s experimental new technology to save us all. Here come the Iron Avengers — TECH ON AVENGERS! Sleek high-tech power suits bristling with energy and amped-up attack power face off against super villains enhanced to match. It’s mechs and mayhem in the Marvel Mighty Manner!
CC sez: I have no interest in this, but maybe those who love mecha, kaiju and manga storytelling will. (I'm only one for three.)
ONGOING EVENTS/CROSSOVERS
Infinite Frontier #4
DC Comics | $4.99
Writer: Joshua Williamson | Art: Xermanico, Paul Pelletier, & Jesús Merino | Cover: Mitch Gerads | Card Stock variant ($5.99): Bryan Hitch
Coming up in August, the Multiverse’s Finest clash! In Infinite Frontier #4, President Superman finds himself in the wrong world, and it isn’t looking good. Bones and Chase attempt to stop super-powered heroes and villains from crossing Multiversal lines. If they can shut down the President of Steel, they think that it will serve as a signal to all to not mess with Earth-0! This is only a distraction, however, as Injustice Incarnate begins to show them the worst the Multiverse has to offer, and only Flashpoint Batman is there to lend the heroes backup.
CC sez: I've actually fallen behind on this series, despiye my enthusiasm for President Superman. And Captain Carrot. And, really, the whole Grant Morrison-y vibe. Just not enough hours in the day to read everything I want to.
ASIAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE VARIANTS
DEADPOOL 30TH ANNIVERSARY VARIANTS
'THE SUICIDE SQUAD' MOVIE VARIANTS
WHAT TH--?
Cinnamon #1 (of 3)
Behemoth | $3.99
Writer: Victoria Douglas | Art/Cover: Victoria Douglas
Cinnamon is just your perfectly ordinary, average housecat. At least until we get a glimpse of the world through her eyes! Countertops become skyscrapers, cat toys become biker gangs, and perilous giant robots rampage on the daily! Get drop kicked onto the action packed streets of Big Kitchen City, as she fights the dark forces that dare to keep her from her favorite treat ... catnip!
CC sez: I'm not really interested in a cat's point of view.
Death Plays A Mean Harmonica GN
Cat-Head Comics | Mature | $12.99
Writer/Art/Cover: Steve Lafler
Gertie and Rex get a wild hair and relocate to Oaxaca! Upon arrival in this cultural hub of southern Mexico, our intrepid migrants meet Eduardo, the crafty 1000-year-old Zapotec vampire who prefers chicken blood, El Rey Pel n (the skinny pot-bellied fungus who drives a taxi) and of course Death, who plays a mean harmonica.
CC sez: I can't really identify what genre this is, much less whether I'll like it or not. Is it maybe magical realism? Mexican mythology? Surrealism? A little bit of all three?
Djinn Hunter #1
Blackbox Comics | $3.99
Writer: Jay Sandlin | Art/Cover: Fabrizio Cosentino
The cosmos is in chaos! The elder council of Djinn must stop their rogue member, Abyss and his minions from granting wishes to mortals, resulting in untold horrors. Their only hope is Zara, the Djinn Hunter. Will she hunt down the mad Djinn or doom the realms to destruction?
The only djinn I've ever been interested in hunting was Barbara Eden, circa 1968. I was just 10 years old, but she made me feel all funny inside.
Farewell, Brindavoine HC
Fantagraphics Books | $19.99
The French cartooning master Jacque Tardi's first solo graphic novel is a riotous action-adventure comedy set in Paris, 1914. A strange old man visits Lucien Brinvadoine's flat and implores him to go to Istanbul to seek his destiny. No sooner are these words spoken than a shot is fired through the window and the man is murdered by a mysterious assailant. Thus kicks off a madcap adventure wherein the mild-mannered Brindavoine races to the Middle East with assassins threatening him at every turn. Farewell, Brindavoine showcases the French cartooning master's signature blend of dark humor, brutal violence, and beguiling mystery.
CC sez: Not to be confused with Jacques Tati, the French filmmaker.
Fartnite vs. Minecrapt #1
Keenspot Entertainment | $5.99
Writer: Remy Eisu Mokhtar | Art: John Joseco | Art/Cover: Remy Eisu Mokhtar
Our crappiest idea yet! It's the game-breaking, server-shattering, gas-powered explosive conclusion to the Fartnite trilogy! The player creators of the hit game Minecrapt have uncovered a secret so horrible it could stain everybody's underwear! Teaming up with the best Fartnite has to offer, a quest begins that will change everyone's Iives forever - or until mom tells us to stop playing!
CC sez: I think I outgrew potty humor in the second grade. I guess some people never do.
The Fuhrer and the Tramp TPB
Source Point Press | $19.99
Writers: Sean McArdle, Jon Judy | Art: Dexter Wee
Charlie Chaplin - comic, filmmaker, and raconteur - didn't become the world's biggest star by courting controversy, but when he comes face-to-face with the horrors of Hitler, he feels compelled to get off the sidelines and get involved. And then Charlie is approached by FDR himself with a special assignment that will send Chaplin across the globe and bring him face-to-face with the Fuhrer himself!
CC sez: Well, of course Chaplin was a secret agent. Just like Bettie Page.
KISS: Phantom Obsession #1
Dynamite | 32 pages | Teen+ | $3.99
Writer: Ian Edginton | Art: Celor | Cover A: Jae Lee | Cover B: Stuart Sayger | Cover C: Tim Seeley | Cover D: Celor | Cover E: Photo | Cover F: Blank Authentix
Darius Cho is the richest man in existence and the most reclusive. To many, he's a ghost, a phantom ... whilst other believe he doesn't exist and is actually a front for a maze of companies and consortiums. Truth is, he does exist and he's a KISS fan! KISS are hired by Cho to play a private party and from there, Cho's obsession takes center stage and it's the fight of the band's life!
CC sez: Despite the superficial connection to superhero comics (They wear costumes! They have code names!) I never really warmed up to KISS. Mainly because the music was so mediocre. Since their primary description is "band," they need decent music or it's just an exercise in marketing.
Come to think of it, I never liked pro wrestling either, which also seems like an exercise in marketing to me. But there's a lot of overlap between wrestling fans and comics fans, and there's overlap between KISS and comics fans. I mean, I get it. I just don't share it.
But if you're KISS fan, here you go. There should be comics — lots of them — that I have no interest in. That's how you get a healthy market: Something for everybody.
Resilient #1
Absolute Comics Group | $4.99
Writer: George Michail | Art/Cover: Vinz El Tabanas
Jolanda O'Bryne had it all ... a loving husband, a great career as a Judo instructor, and a heart for helping others. It was that heart that led her to Cambodia where she sought to help clear mines to save children from death and ruin. Unfortunately, when she accidentally tripped one of the mines, she must now discover just how resilient she can be.
CC sez: If I'm reading this right, it's going to be differently-abled superhero comics. Not sure that will work, but Daredevil's done OK.
Replies
Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done? - I'm pretty sure I pre-ordered this. If not, I'll have to be sure and grab one.
Elric: The Dreaming City #1 - I love the Elric stories. I've read all of the originals, some of them more than once. I played the RPG which was definitely different from D&D. That being said, I'll tradewait these
Blade of the Immortal Deluxe Volume 3 HC - I read the original monthly series from Dark Horse for a fw years before I fell off. I don't remember why, because I enjoyed what I read. The main character is cursed with immortality until he kills 1,000 evil men, to atone for the evil he committed in his earlier life. I watched the live action movie last year, and I liked it as well.
Death-Defying 'Devil: Our Home - I'm just wondering if that price is right. $3.99 for 5 comics seems awfully cheap.
CC sez: I'm not really interested in a cat's point of view.
To be fair, most cats probably aren't interested in your point of view, either.
I did enjoy the 1905 novel I Am A Cat, by Natsume Sōseki, which satirized Meiji Era Japan through the titular character's comments on the humans around him.
Seconds of careless research indicate that "Demon-Girl" is the Red She-Hulk and "Cloud-Girl" is, well, Cloud.
Bob beat me to it, but Cloud previously appeared in the Peter Gillis run of the original series. (And, for those who may not know, Red She-Hulk is Etty-bay Oss-ray.)
1) Death-Defying 'Devil is $19.99, Travis. Sorry for the error, and thanks for the heads up.
2) Betty Ross is Red She-Hulk again? Or maybe still? I knew she was a while back -- I have the TPB -- but then I started seeing Harpy on the covers of various books, and assumed Ross had resumed her earlier form. Maybe someone else is Harpy now? I could engage in what Bob amusingly refers to as seconds of careless research, but I don't care enough for even that. So I'll just ask.
3) I remembered Cloud ... but then I remembered another character of similar powers and perhaps identical name in Young Justice. Then I started thinking ... is there only one character, and I'm remembering wrong? Or are there two characters of the same name? Or perhaps different names, and one is Cloud and the other is, I dunno, Cumulo-Nimbus? Did any of this happen, or did I imagine it? Is this a dream? Am I real, or just a character in someone else's dream? Is there any meaning to life, or just what we assign to it? Is it dinner time yet? I like peanut butter.
Are you thinking of the Secret?
Captain Comics said:
Actually, after taking a closer look at the covers, I think it is Red Harpy rather than Red She-Hulk.
Dang, Bob beat me to the punch again! Yes, he said Red She-Hulk instead of Red Harpy and I didn't catch it. I never did read a Red She-Hulk story, but I've been reading Immortal Hulk, she's been Red Harpy in that, and writer Al Ewing is moving from Immortal Hulk to Defenders, and talking her with him. I mean, look at the cover... that's Red Harpy.
I didn't read Young Justice, but I did read that run of defenders. Cloud was a teenage girl (a runaway?) who didn't wear a costume. she just ran around naked because her "cloud" conveniently covered her naughty bits (again, see cover).
I think if I had a super-power that created my clothes, I would still wear clothes, in case I fell asleep. Or got knocked unconscious, like that Defenders cover. Since Cloud didn't bother, one might assume she's an exhibitionist.
And I wonder about Green Lantern in that regard. How much of that costume is ring-generated? Hopefully none, in case the ring runs out of juice. I really don't want to see Pink Lantern.
Thanks for the update on Red Harpy, gents. I haven't been reading Immortal Hulk -- I'm trade-waiting -- so I don't know all the latest wrinkles. The last time I saw Harpy she was green, and the last time I saw Red She-Hulk she didn't have wings, so I had no idea who that was.
As to Young Justice, I was indeed thinking of The Secret, Bob. Thanks!
Thanks for the clarification on the Death-Defying 'Devil I definitely would have picked that up at that price.