GENRE TV
Snowpiercer, "A Single Trade" (TNT, Feb. 15)
Black Lightning, "The Book of Reconstruction: Chapter Two" (CW, Feb. 15)
Riverdale, "Chapter Eighty-One: The Homecoming" (CW, Feb. 17)
Resident Alien, "Birds of a Feather" (Syfy, Feb. 17)
WandaVision, episode TBD (Disney+, Feb. 19)
For All Mankind, season 2 premiere, "Every Little Thing" (Amazon Prime, Feb. 19)
A Discovery of Witches, "Episode 2.7" (BBC America, Feb. 20)
American Gods “Fire and Ice” (Starz, Feb. 21)
Batwoman, "Gore on Canvas" (CW, Feb. 21)
Charmed, "You Can't Touch This" (CW, Feb. 21)
GENRE MOVIES
Flora and Ulysses (Feb. 19, Disney+)
10-year-old Flora, an avid comic book fan and a self-avowed cynic, rescues a squirrel with unique superhero powers.
CROSSOVERS/EVENTS
Black History Month (Marvel)
Champions #4
Black History Month Variant Cover by Ernanda Souza
Iron Man #6
Black History Month Variant Cover by Ernanda Souza
Miles Morales Spider-Man #23
Black History Month Variant Cover by Ernanda Souza
I can't say I'm overly impressed with Ernanda Souza's work. But Marvel must be, to give it this kind of showcase.
Die!Namite crossover (Dynamite)
Die!Namite #5 (of 5)
Cover A: Lucio Parrillo
Cover B: Arthur Suydam
Cover C: Will Robson
Cover D: Rachel Hollon Cosplay
Cover E: Lorraine Cosplay
Writer: Fred Van Lente
Art: Vincenzo Carratu
Dynamite / Teen + / 32 pages / $3.99
It all comes to do this! Our motley band of heroes from across space and time has made a final stand in an isolated monastery high in the Himalayan mountains against the zombie plague sweeping the multiverse ... as the secret hand behind the zombie plague at last reveals itself! But is it too late the worlds of Dynamite from an unstoppable wave of undead?
I'm running this blurb just as it came in. Was it written by someone for whom English is a second language? Was it just never proofed? Inquiring minds want to know!
Future State (DC Comics)
Future State: Catwoman #2 (of 2)
Cover by Liam Sharp
Card stock variant cover by Hicham Habchi ($4.99)
Written by Ram V
Art by Otto Schmidt
$3.99 US | 32 Pages | FC
Catwoman has clawed her way through half of the Magistrate’s bullet train, but her fight has only just begun! Now, with Onomatopoeia in tow, Selina makes her way toward the car carrying a ghost of her past, and Gotham’s as well. It’s Bruce Wayne … but is it really him? And with Talia al Ghul on board as well, will this be a long-awaited reunion between the Bat and the Cat, or will Selina’s mission to rescue the Magistrate’s prisoners go off the rails?
Future State: Immortal Wonder Woman #2 (of 2)
Cover by Jen Bartel
Card stock variant cover by Becky Cloonan ($6.99)
“Immortal Wonder Woman” written by Michael W. Conrad and Becky Cloonan, art by Jen Bartel
$5.99 US | 48 PAGES | FC
The Undoing is here. Superman couldn’t stop it. Darkseid couldn’t stop it. Only Diana Prince is left to hold back the being that could spell the complete disintegration of the cosmos. But will even she be powerful enough for the task?
“Nubia” written by L.L. McKinney, art by Alitha Martinez and Mark Morales
Meanwhile, in another future, Nubia’s attempts to stop the theft of ancient artifacts have led her to an even bigger conspiracy, and an even bigger foe. Circe is up to her old tricks, even after all these years — and she has an offer that Nubia will find hard to refuse.
Future State: The Next Batman #4 (of 4)
Cover by Ladrönn
Card stock variant cover by Jim Lee and Scott Williams ($8.99)
“The Next Batman” written by John Ridley, art by Laura Braga
$7.99 US | 64 Pages | FC
The next Batman goes head-to-head with the Magistrate’s shock troops to protect the ... guilty?! It’s a savage running battle across Gotham City, and it will have the next Dark Knight fighting overwhelming odds to prove that justice still lives in the heart of a broken city.
“Batgirls” written by Vita Ayala, art by Aneke
In the finale of “Batgirls,” after discovering the person locked in the high-security cell is the one who’s been sending out “Batman Lives” signals to the Resistance, Stephanie Brown and Cassandra Cain must work together to make sure they take that person when they escape their prison!
“Gotham City Sirens” written by Paula Sevenbergen, art by Emanuela Lupacchino
Plus, in the conclusion of “Gotham City Sirens,” Catwoman and the new android Siren hide out in Poison Ivy’s newly built paradise, where they discuss their past relationships, including what Catwoman has — or had — with Batman. But when Peacekeeper forces arrive, the new Siren will have to make a sacrifice to save her friends.
Future State: Nightwing #2 (of 2)
Cover by Yasmine Putri
Card stock variant cover by Nicola Scott ($4.99)
Written by Andrew Constant
Art by Nicola Scott
$3.99 US | 32 Pages | FC
It’s an all-new dynamic for the Dynamic Duo when Nightwing and Gotham’s mysterious new Batman join forces against the Magistrate. But when the totalitarian force controlling the city declares the two heroes their primary targets, Nightwing will need to call on the full force of his hidden resistance, including two Batgirls, Huntress, and Two-Face! But even then, will it be enough? Find out in this action-packed conclusion!
Future State: Shazam! #2 (of 2)
Cover by Bernard Chang
Card stock variant cover by Gerald Parel ($4.99)
Written by Tim Sheridan
Art by Eduardo Pansica
$3.99 US | 32 Pages | FC
Shazam’s soul is laid bare as he’s confronted by one of the most powerful beings in the
DC Universe! Revealing shocking secrets and the final fate of Billy Batson, the boy who was Earth’s Mightiest Mortal, this issue introduces a deadly new threat born from the ashes of the Teen Titans Academy: Raven!
Future State: Superman: Worlds of War #2 (of 2)
Cover by Mikel Janín
Card stock variant cover by Riccardo Federici ($8.99)
$7.99 US | 64 Pages | FC
“Superman: Worlds of War” written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, art by Mikel Janín
“Midnighter” written by Michael W. Conrad and Becky Cloonan, “Midnighter” art by Gleb Melnikov
Meet the rising champion of the gladiatorial pits of Warworld: Superman! The Man of Steel is still down in the pits duking it out with Mongul’s hordes and working his way up to the big boss himself. But since it’s Superman, there has to be more to this than a simple determination to win the title belt, right? Yes, because he’s also got Midnighter out there on a mission to chase down a dangerous new power source ... but the man standing in his way is all too familiar.
“Mister Miracle” written by Brandon Easton, art by Valentine De Landro
“Black Racer” written by Jeremy Adams, art by Siya Oum
Plus, the Black Racer smashes her way to freedom, and Mister Miracle, now trapped on Warworld himself, has to find his way back to the bottle city of Metropolis — and his only mode of transportation is a busted Boom Tube!
King in Black (Marvel)
King in Black #4 (of 5)
Art and Cover by Ryan Stegman
Ian Bederman Tattoo variant
Rivera Spoiler variant (unreleased)
Leinil Francis Yu connecting variant
Written by Donny Cates
WHAT’S A GOD TO A KING?
The war against Knull erupted on Dec. 2 in KING IN BLACK #1, the shocking new chapter in Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman’s game-changing run on Venom. In February, Knull’s influence continues to spread, ensnaring the entire planet in the darkness of his reign. Outgunned and outmanned, the heroes of the Marvel Universe will unite like never before. Will the combined force of Eddie Brock, the Avengers, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, and more be enough to turn the tide of this devastating conflict? Find out in February’s KING IN BLACK #4 as well as newly announced King in Black one-shots and tie-ins coming your way!
Steve Rogers is joined by Winter Soldier and Falcon in a brutal brawl against Knull’s forces in the streets of New York City in writer Danny Lore and artist Mirko Colak’s KING IN BLACK: CAPTAIN AMERICA. Kate Pryde leads the Marauders in a dangerous rescue mission on the high seas in writer Gerry Duggan and artist Luke Ross’ KING IN BLACK: MARAUDERS! Wakanda will need its king more than ever when Knull sets his sights on it in KING IN BLACK: BLACK PANTHER by writer Geoffrey Thorne and artist Germán Peralta. The Fantastic Four and the Unseen (AKA Nick Fury) enter the fray in FANTASTIC FOUR #29 by writer Dan Slott and artist Ze Carlos.
“The King in Black is very much an all-hands on deck, end of the world, omega-level threat. It's going to bring together some allies that will have to put aside some ancient beefs and problems in order to come together,” Donny Cates told Comic Book Resources in a recent interview. “I can't wait for everybody to read issue #1 and see just how front and center Krakoa is! I have to give enormous props to Jonathan Hickman and the entire team. I also have to give them to Dan Slott, Jason, Aaron, and Gerry Duggan who kind of pulled double duty with his work on the X-Titles and the other books he writes. Also to Chip Zdarsky, and really everyone at Marvel.”
This Knull dude is supposed to be incredibly powerful, yet it's taking him, like, the better part of a year to take over one miserable planet. It's almost like he's dragging this out so Marvel can sell more comic books ...
King in Black: Gwenom vs. Carnage #1 (of 3) 2nd Ptg Var
King in Black Planet Of Symbiotes #2 (of 3)
Cover: Tony Moore
Variant by Kyle Hotz
Writers: Marc Bernardin, Geoffrey Thorne
Art: Kyle Hotz, Jan Bazaldua
Rated T+ / $3.99
IN THIS CORNER: A DRAGON MADE OF PARASITIC SLIME, SENT FROM OUTER SPACE TO CONSUME ANY AND ALL LIFE ON EARTH WITH EXTREME PREJUDICE!
IN THAT CORNER: A BOMBASTIC BEHEMOTH PACKING A HUNDRED THOUSAND TONS OF ALL-AMERICAN MUSCLE — YOU KNOW HIM, YOU LOVE HIM ... AMERICAN KAIJU! YUUU! EESSS! AAAAAYY!
You can call him whatever you want, but I know Godzilla when I see him! It's ... Symbizilla! Godzenom! Goozilla!
Miles Morales: Spider-Man #23
Cover: Taurin Clarke
Writer: Saladin Ahmed
Art: Carmen Nunez Carnero
Rated T / $3.99
There are symbiote dragons in Brooklyn, but that's not the worst thing Miles has to face today ...
Knull has taken one of his best friends and is using them to go after the Spider-Man he met back in ABSOLUTE CARNAGE!
Will Miles sacrifice his friend to save himself?
Savage Avengers #18
Cover: Valerio Giangiordano
At first I thought those were vampires behind Conan and Deadpool, but then realized they were only Sebastian Shaw and Emma Frost. Wait, come to think of it, they do suck the life out of people, albeit metaphorically.
Variant by Superlog
Writer: Gerry Duggan
Art: Kev Walker
Parental Advisory / $3.99
THROUGH HELLFIRE AND ... DEADPOOL?!
Conan, Deadpool and the Night Flyer escape Riker's in the endless night during the reign of the King in Black. What crazy heist will ruin Deadpool's 30th anniversary? Here's a hint: It involves the Hellfire Club!
Marvel vs. Alien (Marvel)
Black Widow #5
Marvel vs. Alien variant by Terry Dodson
Captain America #27
Marvel vs. Alien variant by Ivan Shavrin
Mech Strike (Marvel)
Iron Man #6
Mech Strike variant by Patrick Brown
Savage Avengers #18
Mech Strike variant by Leonel Castellani
Stormbreakers (Marvel)
Captain America #27
Stormbreakers variant by Patrick Gleason
X-Men Legends #1
Stormbreakers variant by Patrick Gleason
FIRST ISSUES
Aria: Heavenly Creatures one-shot
Art/Cover A: Jay Anacleto, Brian Haberlin
Cover B: Joe Quesada, Danny Miki
Cover C: J.G. Jones
Cover D: Drew
Writers: Brian Holguin, Brian Haberlin
Image / $6.99
Lady Kildare, expatriate princess of Faerie, is living a life of aristocratic decadence among Victorian London's social elite. One night, while slumming among the city's notorious underbelly, Kildare and her companions come across an illicit underground sideshow boasting "Creation's Most Wondrous and Perverse Curiosities." The centerpiece of this bizarre menagerie? A genuine angel held in captivity! This sets the stage for an unlikely alliance and the beginning of an unforgettable tale of mystery, adventure, and retribution.
Why does this put me in mind of Michael Turner's Fathom? Is it because it gives me the same vibe? Or was this character actually published along with Fathom back in the day, which only my subconscious remembers?
Belladonna #1
Jungle Fantasy Secrets #0
Jungle Fantasy Survivors #1
Lookers Ember #1
Threshold Allure #0
These are all by Boundless Comics and have many, many variant covers. Diamond won't show any of the covers. That says "soft-core porn" to me.
Black Cotton #1 (of 6)
Cover: Marco Perugini
Co-creator/Writer: Patrick Foreman
Co-creator/Writer: Brian Hawkins
Artist: Marco Perugini
Letterer: Francisco Zamora
Graphic Design: Jerry Nilsson
Scout Comics / $3.99
Set in an alternate reality where the social order of “white” and “black” is reversed, an elitist family, the Cottons, are rocked by a tragic shooting that begins to unravel long standing family secrets that could not only destroy the family, but also divide the fragile social climate of the world.
Elijah Cotton, the modern patriarch of the Cotton family and business mogul of Black Cotton Ventures, tries to manage the public outrage and fallout from his police officer son, Zion Cotton’s, shooting of a young white woman. Meanwhile, Qia Cotton, the only daughter of Eljiah and the CEO of Black Cotton Ventures, attempts to assuage the situation by paying off the victim and her family; Xavier Cotton, the youngest Cotton and sophomore in high school, works on a history project that takes him down a rabbit hole of family history.
“Black Cotton is a comic, but it’s also a mindset; it’s a mindset that’s being explored in a comic.” — Co-Creator/Co-Writer Brian Hawkins
Black Friday #1 (of 3)
Writer: Jon Clark
Art: Travis Williamson
Scout / $3.99
Black Caravan Imprint! Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year. Millions of Americans pack the aisles of retail outlets all over the country battling for the best bargains. While an unlucky clean-up crew deals with the aftermath of the latest Black Friday frenzy, they discover that years of pent-up negative energy has released something very evil and dark into their superstore, which is just the way corporate wanted it.
Hollow Heart #1
Art/Cover A: Paul Tucker
Cover B: Tim Daniel, Nathan Gooden
Cover C: David Mack
Same as above, only with foil.
Cover D: David Mack foil
Cover E: Paul Tucker
Writer: Paul Allor
Vault / $3.99
EL used to be human. Now he's a jumble of organs in a bio-suit. EL is also in tremendous pain and has been for a very long time. Hope arrives in the form of Mateo, a mechanice brought in to work on EL's suit. Mateo sees LK in a way no one ever has. And what's more: Mateo offers EL an escape.
Hollow Heart reunites Tet creators Paul Allor and Paul Tucker for a queer monster love story about the choices we make between giving our loved one what they want and what we think they need.
Vault Comics is thrilled to announce two gorgeous new David Mack incentive covers for Hollow Heart #1. Mack's cover art will come in two different versions. A regular cover will be available as a 1:15 variant, while a deluxe foil edition printed on thick card stock will be available as a 1:30 variant.
So ... gay monsters? *shrug*
Immortal Hulk: Flatline #1
Writer/Art/Cover: Declan Shalvey
Cover B: Kevin Nowlan
Marvel / T+ / $4.99
This January, writer/artist Declan Shalvey will deliver an IMMORTAL HULK tale that gets to the heart of gamma! Known for his outstanding covers as well as his work on books like Moon Knight and Venom, the all-star creator will both write and draw this action-packed issue.
Every morning, Bruce Banner wakes up in a new place. The Hulk is trying to tell him something — but Bruce has had enough of his green-veined alter. When a new gamma-powered villain shows up in a small New Mexico town, Bruce is forced to confront the source of his anger … and it’s nothing that fans will expect.
"What Al Ewing and Joe Bennett have accomplished with IMMORTAL HULK is astounding. I love how the book has given the character a new twist that has expanded what can be done with (and said about the) character,” Shalvey said. “To get to play in this particular sandbox with this one-shot is such a thrill, it's a great challenge as a storyteller, to add to this new mythology as both a writer and artist. Big, Hulk-sized boots to fill, I hope it lives up to the great work already accomplished by the IMMORTAL HULK team."
Don’t miss an extraordinary tale from one of the industry’s top talents when IMMORTAL HULK: FLATLINE #1 hits stands in January! For more information, including an exclusive first look at the debut issue, visit Marvel.com.
John Steel Files one-shot
Cover: V.V. Glass
Writers: Various
Art: Luis Bermejo, Pippa Bowland
Rebellion/2000 A.D. / $15.99
Two classic secret agent stories from the golden age of spy fiction! John Steel is a secret service agent during World War II, but by the Sixties he works as a private detective and haunts jazz cafes. Inevitably he is drawn back into the international world of espionage as he hunts down fugitive Nazi war criminals. Re-presented for a modern audience these never-before-reprinted comics are stunningly drawn by Luis Bermejo with contemporary coloring by Pippa Bowland and a new cover by V. V. Glass.
Savage #1
Cover A by Marcus To
Cover B by Christian Ward
Preorder Variant Cover by Giuseppe Camuncoli
1:20 Cover by Stacey Lee
Blank Variant Also Available
Written by MAX BEMIS
Art by NATHAN STOCKMAN
Colors by TRIONA FARRELL
Letters by HASSAN OTSMANE-ELHAOU
32 pages, full color | $3.99 US | T+
SAVAGE #1 brings monster mayhem to comic shops this February.
Hit musician and critically-acclaimed writer MAX BEMIS (Moon Knight) and energetic artist NATHAN STOCKMAN (Spidey) present SAVAGE, an action-packed adventure that's loaded with animated artwork, lots of laughs, and a completely unpredictable story.
Kevin Sauvage, aka Savage, grew up on a remote island populated by bloodthirsty dinosaurs and terrifying marauders. The wild child knew only one thing: survival. Now, he's living in London and has become a breakout viral sensation. As Savage learns to live in his new environment, a taste of home comes to London as dinosaurs invade the city! It's time for Savage to do what he does best: hunt!
Max promises to deliver the goods with this new series. "Tons of gigantic freaking lizards and Brit-influenced comedy."
Nathan has high hopes fans will be gripped immediately by what they read. "There’s some really cool characters and action in there and I’d love readers to put it down and go, 'Hey that was cool, when’s the next issue out?' That’s always the goal!"
Senior Editor Heather Antos is excited to bring this character front and center for new and returning Valiant fans. "We're bringing Kevin 'Savage' Sauvage to the forefront of the Valiant Universe in 2021. No longer is he trapped in the alternate dimension known as the Faraway -- rather he's right on our doorsteps in modern-day London!" She explains how this is a quintessential Valiant comic by, "Exploring some of the strongest Valiant tenets of questioning what it means to carry the responsibility and choice of being a superhero, the action-packed science-fiction of SAVAGE is about as Valiant as Valiant can get."
SAVAGE #1 unleashes dinosaur-hunting fun this Febr. 17, 2021, featuring colors by Triona Farrell, letters by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, and covers by Marcus To, Christian Ward, Stacey Lee, and Giuseppe Camuncoli. Visit Newsarama for more comments from the creative team.
Shadow Doctor #1
(W) Peter Calloway (A) Georges Jeanty (CA) Mark Chiarello
Aftershock / $4.99
Years in the making, this is the true story of writer Peter Calloway's grandfather, Nathaniel
Calloway, a Black man who graduated from medical school in the early 1930's. Unable to get work at any Chicago hospitals because he was Black, and unable to secure a loan from a bank to start his own practice because he was Black, he turned to another source of money in
Prohibition-era Chicago: the Mafia, run by none other than Al Capone.
As Calloway himself says, "On the one hand, his story represents the promise of Ameri-ca. On the other hand, it shows the worst of it."
Snow Angels #1 (Comixology, Feb. 16)
Two of the most acclaimed creators of our time — writer Jeff Lemire and artist Jock — are uniting for one of the most anticipated comic books of 2021 with Snow Angels. Next Tuesday, February 16, 2021 will see the debut of Snow Angels, a 10-part limited series by the writer of Black Hammer and Gideon Falls and the artist of Wytches and Batman, marking the first time ever that the two esteemed creators have collaborated. Together, Lemire and Jock have created an epic science fiction adventure story set in a brutal near future where the world is covered in ice.
In coordination with comiXology, Amazon Original Stories, an imprint of Amazon Publishing, is simultaneously releasing Jeff Lemire’s first prose short story, also entitled Snow Angels, which introduces the world that will be expanded upon in the comic series. With cover art by Jock, the short story acts as a prologue to the comics, but can also be read as a standalone coming-of-age science fiction story that combines the vivid world-building and deeply felt characterization that Lemire is known for.
“Snow Angels has been gestating in my notebooks for over a decade and it’s really rewarding to see Milli and Mae finally come to vibrant life with Jock’s kinetic and emotive artwork,” says Lemire. “Jock and Will and I have been discussing this book for years and now The Trench finally lives! Really excited to share this story with readers and for them to fall into this world we are creating.”
“Jeff had me hooked from the minute he told me about Snow Angels and the story of Millie and Mae,” says Jock. “The mix of personal drama and the unique setting of The Trench and the world they live in make it a dream to draw. It’s been a long time gestating so I’m thrilled to see it find it’s home with comiXology and released into the world.”
In Snow Angels, Milliken and Mae have never left The Trench — it’s all they’ve ever known. They were born in The Trench, and they’ll die there, just like all their people do. The two girls, eight and eleven, are a part of The Trenchfolk, a sprawling settlement of people living inside the massive ice walls of a vast, seemingly endless frozen trench carved into the surface of an otherwise icy wasteland. The Trenchfolk survive in this hostile world by following The Three Testaments of The Trench — golden rules repeated like a mantra from birth to death …
- YOU MUST NEVER LEAVE THE TRENCH.
- THE TRENCH PROVIDES.
- THE TRENCH IS ENDLESS.
Milli and Mae don’t really know how their people came to live here. No one does, not even their wise and gentle father. On Milliken’s twelfth birthday, their father takes the two girls on an overnight skate down the trench — a coming-of-age ritual to teach them how to fish the frozen river, how to hunt the wild Trenchdogs that wander its frigid banks, and how to give proper thanks to their frozen Gods — The Colden Ones. It’s the trip of a lifetime until the girls push beyond the borders of their humble land and awaken the Trench’s deadly defender…The Snowman!
“Having had the great fortune to work with both of these talented creators separately, it’s a real thrill for me to finally see them working together!” says editor Will Dennis. “They had an instant chemistry and the work they are doing is some of the best of their storied careers. Fans will be blown away by this project!"
“Snow Angels is an action-packed story of survival, loss, redemption, and sisterhood,” said comiXology Head of Content, Chip Mosher. “It’s a stunning comic by two of the most imaginative comic book creators of all time and it is a joy to read.”
Father
Milliken and Mae
Snowman
The Trench
Steambound #1
(W) Giuseppe Andreozzi (A/CA) Lorenzo Di Santo
Behemoth / $3.99
Pandora. It is easy to get lost on the streets of megacities, like our protagonists, Hound, Yaeger, and Alice have. Raised together and linked by friendship and spider addiction, Hound is a knight of the order's restricted council, while Yaeger, genetically modified, works for the city's criminal cartels. Alice's request for help will force the group to join again.
White Lily #1
(W) Preston Poulter (A) Lavalle Davis
Red 5 Comics / $3.95
Lilya Litvak is destined to become the greatest female fighter pilot of all time, flying for the Russian Army in World War II against the Germans who conquered who [sic] home in Poland. But first she's got to survive harsh commanders, sexist trainers and bad equipment before she'll get the chance to face German planes and bullets.
Lilya (also "Lydia") Litvak really was a World War II ace in the Soviet Union. (Note to Red 5: Russia was officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in WWII, and its army was called the Soviet Army or, colloquially, the Red Army. Russia was just one of 14 republics that made up the USSR, so what it fielded in the war was definitely not the Russian Army, as it was partially manned by Latvians, Georgians, Turkmen and other nationalities that would not like to be referred to as Russian. Also, the USSR had an official Soviet Air Force, of which Litvak was a member. Most belligerents did, from the RAF to the Luftwaffe. It was the U.S. that didn't have a distinct air force service, instead fielding air arms in both the Army and Navy, until 1947. Other than that: great research, guys!)
X-Men Legends #1
Cover by Brett Booth
Wow. That's a really '90s cover.
Action Figure variant by John Tyler Christopher
Connecting variant by Iban Coello
Written by Fabian Nicieza
Art by Brett Booth
Break out the yellows and blues, fire up the Danger Room and snap on your pouches as legendary X-writers return to classic eras of the mutant super heroes in all-new, in-continuity stories set during their groundbreaking runs! Featuring greats like Chris Claremont, Louise Simonson, Fabian Nicieza, Larry Hama, Peter David, and more, X-MEN LEGENDS will deliver startling tales month after month that dive into the rich history of the X-Men to tie up loose ends, resolve long-standing plot danglers, and reveal shocking truths that will change the past and future of the X-Men!
Fabian Nicieza, known for his explosive work on the X-Men in their nineties heyday, kicks off the series with a special saga of Cyclops and Havok that will solve one of the greatest X-Men mysteries of all time: Adam-X and his startling connection to the Summers bloodline!
“It's incredibly exciting to finally tell the story of the infamous "third" Summers brother. Twenty-five years in the making, to see the truth about Adam-X revealed – and drawn so magnificently by Brett Booth – is one of the most surreal experiences of my career!” Nicieza said. “Getting the opportunity to tell this tale while kicking off the new X-Men Legends series is a x-tremely x-citing!”
Witness X-Men history revisited, revealed, and reshaped when X-MEN LEGENDS debuts in February. This one-of-a-kind new series will feature the greatest X-Men creators returning to their original runs with all-new, in-continuity stories to tie up loose ends, resolve longstanding plot danglers, and uncover long hidden truths that will shake up the past, present, and future of Marvel’s mutant super heroes. To celebrate this unprecedented venture into the legacy of X-Men, Marvel’s Stormbreaker artist Iban Coello has crafted an incredible mashup of the X-Men’s greatest eras in a series of connecting variant covers that will grace the first three issues of this groundbreaking series.
"I became a fan of the X-Men with the animated series of the 90s, the comics drawn by Jim Lee, and the arcade fighting video game as well,” Coello said. “Having the opportunity to draw those characters has been like going back to the past. I have really enjoyed doing my interpretation of all these characters!"
With stories by Chris Claremont, Louise Simonson, Larry Hama, Peter David, and more, X-MEN LEGENDS will be packed with revelatory tales that will leave X-Men fans speechless month after month. Kicking things off will be writer Fabian Nicieza returning to solve one of the biggest mutant mysteries of all time: Adam-X and his starting connection to the Summers bloodline. Be there when X-MEN LEGENDS #1 takes the comic book industry by storm this February! For more information, visit Marvel.com.
Iban Coello is part of the 2020 class of MARVEL’S STORMBREAKERS, Marvel’s latest preeminent talent distinction program to spotlight the next generation of elite artists in the industry. Check out Marvel.com/Stormbreakers to see all the latest exclusive interviews, articles, and artwork from these future comic book superstars.
Young Hellboy The Hidden Land #1 (of 4)
Cover: Matt Smith
Writer/Variant Cover: Mike Mignola
Writer: Tom Sniegoski
Art: Craig Rousseau
Colors: Dave Stewart
FC, 32 pages, $3.99
Legendary HELLBOY creator Mike Mignola, co-writer Tom Sniegoski, artist Craig Rousseau, colorist Dave Stewart, and letterer Clem Robins will explore an untold chapter of Hellboy’s childhood in YOUNG HELLBOY: THE HIDDEN LAND. In this four-issue series from Dark Horse Comics, Hellboy and Professor Bruttenholm are stranded on a strange island after a mishap on their way to a South American dig site. They soon find themselves confronted by all manner of monsters, and even when the stranger who rescues them turns out to be one of Hellboy’s heroes, they aren’t as safe as they think they are. The four issue mini-series features covers by Folklords artist Matt Smith. Mignola and award-winning colorist Dave Stewart provide the variant cover for the debut issue, with subsequent issues featuring variant covers by Rachele Aragno (#2), Wylie Beckert (#3) and Anthony Carpenter (#4).
“A while back (when you could still do such things) I was at a convention in Boston and ducked out for lunch with Tom Sniegoski,” said Mignola. “Years earlier we co-wrote a more-than-slightly insane novel together, GRIM DEATH AND JOE THE ELECTROCUTED CRIMINAL, and I brought up the idea of the maybe slightly insane globetrotting adventures of a very young Hellboy. Tom’s eyes lit up, as I kind of knew they would. So there was half the battle won, but we would need a special kind of artist to bring Tom’s madman energy to the page—and artist Craig Rousseau just happens to be that artist. And Craig just happened to be at that same convention, and when I told him the idea his eyes lit up just the way Tom’s had. It was almost too easy, and I’m happy to say the results are everything I could have hoped for.”
“YOUNG HELLBOY: THE HIDDEN LAND is another look into our red-skinned paranormal investigator’s childhood,” said Sniegoski. “The events in the series take place in May of 1947, before the events depicted in HELLBOY: THE MIDNIGHT CIRCUS. Lighter in tone, YOUNG HELLBOY: THE HIDDEN LAND is an exhilarating adventure that embraces the thrills and chills of the pulp adventure stories of the 1930s. Mysterious islands, vampire queens, dinosaurs, giant ape gods, and a new and exciting addition to the Hellboy Universe—Scarlett Santiago, the Sky Devil. I’ve always been fascinated by the glimpses into Hellboy’s childhood that Mike has given us, and to be asked to contribute to these stories, along with Mike, Craig, and Dave, is a dream come true.”
“This may sound like a cliché, but as a fan of Hellboy since he arrived in Mike’s very first issue, it’s been an absolute thrill to work on this project with Mike and Tom and Dave,” said artist Craig Rousseau. “Getting to play in this universe with a story so full of over-the-top action, adventure, and fun has been an absolute blast and a career highlight."
GRAPHIC NOVELS OF NOTE
The Crossroads at Midnight TPB
Writer/Art/Cover: Abby Howard
Iron Circus, Young Adult, 6.625" × 10.25", 320 pages, $18
A masterful collection of tales from the faded border between our day-to-day world and the horrifying unknown on the other side of midnight.
An old woman living alone on the edge of a bog gets an unexpected — and unsettling — visitor, throwing her quiet life into a long-buried mystery. An isolated backwoods family stumbles into good fortune for a time with a monstrous discovery in the lake behind their house, but that time is running short. And a misfit little girl, struggling to make friends, meets an understanding soul one day at the beach: but why will he only play with her alone at night? All these lonely souls — and more — have reached out into the darkness, not knowing what they might find.
Around the dark edges of reality lurk unknown beings with unknowable intentions — ordinary objects can become cursed possessions, entities who seem like friends can become monstrous, and those who seem monstrous can become the truest companions. In this collection of evocative, unnerving slice-of-life horror, five stories explore what happens when one is desperate enough to seek solace in the unnatural, and what might be waiting for us at the Crossroads at Midnight.
PRAISE FOR ABBY HOWARD AND THE CROSSROADS AT MIDNIGHT
“An enjoyable read and a fitting one for this spooky month of October.” — MULTIVERSITY (THE LAST HALLOWEEN)
“Howard is able to convey silliness as powerfully as she can convey real horror, and the result is a singular piece of work that resonates in genuinely unnerving ways.” — COMICS ALLIANCE (THE LAST HALLOWEEN)
“[Like] Sendak did, [Howard] trusts children perhaps more than most adults to understand that fear is not inherently a bad thing.” — A.V. CLUB (THE LAST HALLOWEEN)
“A fast-moving exploration of how scientists have come to understand life in that period (dinosaurs, as well as mammals, insects, and sea life), clearly and amusingly explained through the duo’s dialogue.” — PUBLISHERS WEEKLY Starred Review (DINOSAUR EMPIRE!)
“Stylish, informative, and funny, this inviting work of graphic nonfiction is ideal for visual learners as well as those who can’t get enough of prehistoric creatures.” — BOOKLIST (OCEAN RENEGADES!)
“If you’re like me and think Abby Howard is hilarious but haven’t yet actually taken the time to dig into her work, this is very good.” — WOMEN WRITE ABOUT COMICS (JUNIOR SCIENTIST POWER HOUR)
Curious about this one, and its predecessor, The Last Halloween.
Freiheit!: The White Rose GN
With an entire nation blindly following an evil leader, where did a handful of students find the courage to resist? The thrilling and timely book FREIHEIT!: The White Rose Graphic Novel tells the dramatic true stories of the young university students who formed the White Rose, an undercover resistance movement in Nazi Germany which wrote and distributed now-infamous pamphlets calling for resistance against the Third Reich before their untimely deaths at the hands of the Gestapo. Their story, which has been celebrated in print and film, will be experienced in graphic novel form for the very first time, accompanied by Italian artist Andrea Grosso Ciponte’s haunting imagery which will resonate with today’s students and activists.
The young university students who formed the White Rose knew that doing so could cost them their lives. But some things are worth dying for. Beginning on June 27, 1942, the White Rose printed and distributed leaflets to expose Nazi atrocities and wake up their fellow citizens. Just seven short months later, on February 18, 1943, The Gestapo caught and executed them. Sophie Scholl was twenty-one; her brother Hans, twenty-four; Christoph Probst, twenty-three; Alexander Schmorell and Willi Graf, twenty-five. But while its leaders were killed too soon, the White Rose was not silenced—and its message, and the heroism of its leaders, continues to inspire new generations of resistors, who know that while the challenges they face may differ, the need for young people to stand up against evil, whatever the cost, will remain.
The incredible story of the brave young people behind the White Rose movement is beautifully told in graphic novel form for the very first time by Italian artist Andrea Grosso Ciponte. Ciponte’s dreamily painted art drifts between brutal reality and poignant metaphor while quotes from German writers and thinkers allow the story to toggle seamlessly between the personal and the political, past and present, timely and timeless. The story of these iconic resistance leaders who lived and died almost 80 years ago echoes resoundingly into the present moment, making FREIHEIT!: The White Rose Graphic Novel an urgent and hopeful read for a modern audience.
Here’s what critics are saying about FREIHEIT!: The White Rose Graphic Novel”
“The true story of a group of anti-fascist student propagandists.... Although the White Rose lost its leaders, the spirit of the group continues to inspire young activists to this day, a fact that Ciponte’s graphic novel underscores, placing events into a larger historical context via additional quotes and commentary from German writers and historians.” — THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
“Ciponte...adopts a cinematic pace for the story, allowing it to unspool through the ordinary moments in the lives of the five protagonists. In doing so, he gives the characters depth and dimension beyond their historical role as resistance martyrs. … FREIHEIT! is an important reminder that the darkest times can’t extinguish the spark of human conscience, and that history remembers those who take risks — and even pay the ultimate cost — to resist oppression.” — FORBES
“Striking and atmospheric.” — BOOKLIST
“A heartfelt, well-deserved tribute.” — KIRKUS
“Appropriately moody and beautifully composed.” — COMICS BEAT
“Writer and artist Andrea Grosso Ciponte captures the hope and horror of resistance in hopeless, horrible times; a topic entirely too relevant to the present day. FREIHEIT! manages to be both intimate and epic, as it tells the story of Sophie Scholl and the White Rose resistance to Nazi Germany… a story little-known to English-speaking audiences. Ciponte uses an art style that evokes faded photographs, and a narrative technique that combines internal dialogue, classic literature and speeches from the period. The result feels like a stream-of-consciousness straight from the tortured German soul, suffering and straining under Hitler’s heel.” — David Avallone, THE SECRET DIARY OF BETTIE PAGE
“Brilliantly timely. ... I was engrossed until I finished the book in one sitting. It’s a magnificently illustrated and taut thrilling retelling of the incredible daring of these students who gave full measure to end the evil in their midst.” — GOOD MEN PROJECT
Currently reading this one. It's WWII history I don't anything about, so I'm jazzed.
Michael Jackson in Comics HC
Ceka and various artists
192pp., 7 ½ x10, full color HC, $26.99, e-book $16.99
By Ceka and various artists
192 pages, 7 ½ x10, full color, HC $26.99, e-book $16.99
Our latest volume in our continuing music biography series chronicles the life of a man "considered to be the greatest entertainer of all time and the most influential artist of the 20th century," Michael Jackson.
Michael Jackson has sold over 350 million records worldwide, making him the highest-selling pop act of all time and the third-best-selling music artist in history. His album, Thriller, is the best-selling album of all time, with estimated sales of 66 million copies worldwide. He has had 13 number-one singles in the US in his solo career. He has won 13 Grammy Awards, 5 Billboard Music Awards, 24 American Music Awards, and currently holds 16 Guinness World Records.
Well beyond his passing in 2009, Michael Jackson remains one of the most adulated and mysterious stars in the world. Incredible singer, brilliant musician, amazing performer, he was just as talented as he was eccentric, adored as well as reviled with sordid accusations, sadly caught between a stolen childhood and a suffocating star system.
Discover in this biography mixing comics and documentary chapters, how the youngest of the Jackson 5 was propelled to the front of the stage and then onto one of the most extraordinary solo careers in music.
The next volume in the sellout series featuring the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Bob Marley.
NBM has been doing some real nuts-and-bolts biographies not even mentioned above, like Willie Nelson and the The Carter Family. If I'm honest I admit that sometimes they get a bit too detailed, a little too picayune, which can be boring. This one looks a bit more stylized, and I rather doubt they'll dive too deeply into the pederasty charges. And since I'm being honest, those charges have really soured me on "the King of Pop," and I have a hard time listening to his music sometimes. I know, I know, I should separate the artist from the art. But that's easier said than done.
See "This Week in Comics: Feb. 15-21, 2021, Part II" for more.
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