THE BIG STUFF
The Complete Kirby: War & Romance HC
Marvel Comics | All Ages | $125.00
Writer: Stan Lee | Art/Covers: Jack Kirby
King of the comics art form, Jack Kirby needs no introduction. He was an architect of the Marvel Universe, but his contributions extended far beyond just super heroes. Now, highlighting two sides of the human condition, Kirby's war and romance work finally gets its due! A combat veteran during World War II, Kirby brings hard-earned realism to BATTLEGROUND and BATTLE — while Kirby and Stan Lee bring the war genre into the Marvel Age with SGT. FURY! On the other end of the spectrum are tales from vintage romance titles - many restored directly from Kirby's original art — that prove that love is war! Collecting material from BATTLE #64-70; BATTLEGROUND #14; SGT. FURY #1-8, #10-20 and #25; LOVE ROMANCES #83-85, #87-88 and #96-106; MY OWN ROMANCE #71-76 and TEEN-AGE ROMANCE #84-86.
The Captain's Comments
If you're a fan of Jack Kirby — and if you're a fan of American comic books, you almost have to be — this book brings to our respective libraries Kirby stories most of us have never seen. Frankly, I never expected to see them. But here they are, most of them reprinted for the first time.
One quick thing: Obviously, the title is a misnomer. This book isn't "The Complete Kirby War & Romance," it's only "The Complete Kirby War & Romance That Was Published by What Is Now Known As Marvel Comics." It doesn't take a comics historian to know that Kirby did war and romance comics for people other than Timely/Atlas/Marvel, and plenty of 'em.
But that's picking a nit. I've already ordered my copy.
Heroes Reborn #1 (of 7)
Marvel Comics | 56 pages | Teen | $5.99
Writer: Jason Aaron | Art: Ed McGuinness | Cover: Leinil Francis Yu | Variant: Ed McGuinness | Variant: Jeffrey Veregge | Trading Card variant (Blade): Mark Bagley | Variant: Stanley "Artgerm" Lau | Hidden Gem variant: George Perez | Patriotic variant: Carlos Pacheco | Gatefold variant: Iban Coello | Trading Card variant (Mephisto): Mark Bagley | Stormbreakers variant: Joshua Cassara | Action Figure variant: John Tyler Christopher
The Silver Witch. Nightbird. Commissioner Cage. These bold new takes on your favorite Marvel characters along with many more will be introduced on May 5th in HEROES REBORN, an exciting new transformation of the Marvel Universe. Brought to you by super hero masterminds — writer Jason Aaron and artist Ed McGuinness — HEROES REBORN will present a world where the Avengers never assembled and the Squadron Supreme took their place as Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. The exciting — and unsettling — ripple effect the Avengers' absence has on the rest of the Marvel Universe will be explored throughout the series as well as thrilling one-shots, revealing the history behind the new reality of your favorite heroes and laying the groundwork for its unpredictable future.
The Captain's Comments
Marvel buried me in press releases for this event, and even though I've read them all, that avalanche of words really didn't tell me very much. I glean, though, that it's like "House of M," "Age of Apocalypse" and other temporary re-imaginings of the Marvel Universe.
It's even got the one character who realizes that something's amiss. In "House of M" it was Wolverine, but here it's ... Blade??!? Well, I guess they're building up the guy into a more important character before his movie reboot. Anyway, his search for how the world went so wrong will surely uncover the Reset Button.
But it's big "event" with lots of related series and one-shots, along with the 7-issue spine, so here's your official heads up.
Obviously, this has zip to do with the original "Heroes Reborn," when Marvel leased some of its most important characters to Image for a year. The only similarity is that both end with "Heroes Return" — only in this case it's a single one-shot, not a vaguely connected event spread across multiple titles.
And in the meantime, we'll have some fun takes on familiar characters. The PR mentions a hard-drinking Thor who's an atheist who hates hammers. Victor Von Doom has the Gem of Cytorrak, and goes by Dr. Juggernaut. Oh, and Captain America? Still a Popsicle, since there was no Avengers to find him.
Instead we have the ersatz Justice League called the Squadron Supreme. There have been a variety of takes on this concept, which can be confusing, since the costumes rarely changed even when the personalities and backstories did. Let's hope the blind, crazy Hyperion and energy vampire version of Princess Power aren't the ones they use! I do hope Nighthawk is still Black, though, because Marvel beat DC to the punch with a Black Batman by years.
Here's a bunch of variant covers, two trailers, 8 teasers and a six-page preview:
Teasers: Art: Carlos Pacheco | Inks by Rafael Fontirez | Colors: Matt Milla
Star Wars: War of the Bounty Hunters Alpha #1Marvel Comics | 32 pages | Teen | $3.99
Writer: Charles Soule | Art/Cover: Steve McNiven | Black Armor variant by Steve McNiven | Action Figure variant: John Tyler Christopher | Crimson variant: Steve McNiven | Variant: Leinil Francis Yu
The Star Wars Comic Event You’ve Been Waiting For!
- The notorious bounty hunter BOBA FETT has finally landed his greatest prize – HAN SOLO, frozen in carbonite for easy transport.
- Fett will bring the smuggler to TATOOINE to collect the massive bounty placed on Solo’s head by the fearsome crime lord JABBA THE HUTT.
- Sounds easy. What could go wrong?
The Captain's Comments
Well, we all know some things that could go wrong, since we all watched Return of the Jedi!
Anyway, here's another major Marvel event. This one seems to take place between the time that Fett takes possession of a carbonized Han from Darth Vader and delivering him to Jabba. "Nothing is ever simple," Boba says in the preview, and the complications on the way are a lot of bounty hunters — Dengar, IG-88, Bossk, 4-LOM and Zuckuss are mentioned — who want Fett's prize.
We know how "War of the Bounty Hunters" ends, because we know that Fett eventually delivers Han to Jabba. And we know some of the bounty hunters who survive, because we've seen them since. It is, as they say, the journey, not the destination.
I'm not the biggest Star Wars fan on the planet, but I'll read this one. It fills in a gap in the movies I know best with some A-list writing and art, which is the kind of Star Wars I like most.
PRE-READ FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE
Billionaires
Drawn & Quarterly | $24.95
By Darryl Cunningham
"Cunningham cogently combines portraits of the lives and careers of Rupert Murdoch, the Koch Brothers, and Jeff Bezos into a graphic treatise that considers both the responsibility that wealth and power demands and the inevitability of such power corrupting absolutely." — Publishers Weekly
The Captain's Comments
I actually haven't read this one yet. It went to the bottom of the pile, because I dreaded it — I feared it would enrage me. The grotesque wealth inequality in this country, and the trickle-down, depressed-wage environment that has encompassed my entire adult working life, tends to do that.
But here's a lengthy preview so you can make up your own mind.
Die #16
Image Comics | $3.99
Writer: Kieron Gillen | Art/Cover: Stephanie Hans
To go into the dark, you have to get to the dark. They never put a dungeon anywhere accessible, do they? Past sins haunt our party, and future sins permeate the landscape. Die’s closing arc begins as we began: with regrets and screaming.
Bestselling series Die by Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans will kick off its final story arc — ominously titled “Bleed” — beginning with Die #16 out from Image Comics this May. The highly anticipated conclusion for the series will be revealed in Die #20.
The Captain's Comments
I haven't been reading this book, but Image hit me with two lengthy press releases touting this new storyline. "They wouldn't do that," thought I, "unless they intended to make it an accessible jumping-on point."
Nay, nay. I had no idea what was going on in this book. It seems like some sort of role-playing-game-based idea, with the actual RPG an afterthought. Gillen seems to be creating the game as he goes along.
One thing that was evident that didn't require prior Die knowledge is that this storyline is taking an H.P. Lovecraft slant. Quite literally, with a new character named "Howard," who looks like Howard Phillips Lovecraft. Elder Gods should appear in 10, 9, 8 ...
The Good Asian #1 (of 9)
Writer: Pornsak Pichetshote | Art: Alexandre Tefenkgi | Cover: Dave Johnson | Variant: Sana Takeda
The Good Asian introduces readers to main character Edison Hark — a haunted, self-loathing Chinese-American detective — on the trail of a killer in 1936 Chinatown. The Good Asian is Chinatown noir starring the generation of Americans to come of age under America’s first immigration ban — the Chinese Exclusion Act — as they’re besieged by rampant murders, abusive police, and a world that seemingly never changes.
The Captain's Comments
I really quite enjoyed this, and almost pushed it up into the "The Big Stuff" category.
It may seem weird to have an Asian police detective in the 1930s, during the ban on Chinese immigration. It was the time of "The Yellow Peril," which was really quite a thing in Western minds. Think Fu Manchu, and if you can bear it, the first sequence in the "Buck Rogers" comic strip.
But there was also Charlie Chan in the '30s, and his many imitators. In the '40s, the Chinese were the good guys, and the Japanese were the bad guys, although most Americans at the time couldn't tell the difference. Don't ask me to explain the complexities of racial stereotypes, I'm just a simple journalist.
Anyway, the author explains in the back how much history he's cramming into the series, which is fine by me. The only flaw I saw was where he explains how he had Hawk get his police badge in Hawaii instead of San Francisco (the story's venue), because an Asian wouldn't be able to get a badge in California in the 1930s. The flaw is that he referred to Hawaii as a state, which wouldn't happen for another 20 years or so (1959). I can probably write that off to shorthand, but it's disturbing nonetheless.
However, the history he gets right makes for a very complex lead character. An Asian with a badge has to walk a tightrope, talk obliquely and act carefully, both with other Asians and with his fellow cops. The character's internal dialogue, which is wonderfully Sam Spade-ish, layers shades upon shades.
And I like the art, too. It's occasionally slick, and occasionally rough. Perhaps that's reflecting the content; I haven't seen enough yet to make an evaluation. But it's very clear storytelling.
I'm also quite pleased that Pichetshote credits the guy who created the title lettering style. Title lettering is important! And this one is especially keen, reflecting the style of movie titles in the '30s.
I'll be sticking around for this one.
Hey Kids! Comics! Vol 2: Prophets & Loss #1 (of 6)Image Comics | $3.99
Writer/Art/Cover: Howard Chaykin
Digging deeper into the sometimes-sordid, sometimes-seedy, always-entertaining lives of the men and women who built a multi-billion-dollar industry almost by accident, Prophets & Loss traces a path through the creation of many of comics’ greatest franchises, from companies that dared to push the boundaries of least-common-denominator kid stuff — usually at their peril — to those happy just to ride the waves others took the time to create. Along the way there’s exploitation, Blaxploitation, custom toilet paper, death at the dinner table and plenty more as fans turn pro and pros turn bitter.
The Captain's Comments
This is a sequel to the first Hey Kids! Comics! series, which told the tale -- or maybe satirized is a better word -- of the real-life comics field in the '40s. I read the first issue, and could see who was who if I squinted hard enough.
The thing is ... it's not a very nice story. Harry Donenfeld and Jack Liebowitz screwed Malcom Wheeler-Nicholson, and then screwed Siegel and Shuster. Martin Goodman screwed Simon & Kirby. MLJ screwed Bob Montana. Bob Kane avoided getting screwed by screwing Bill Finger. And some not-very-nice men made a lot of money. I know all these things happened, that all these things are true. But like other bad things in the world, I try not to dwell on them. It's depressing.
And so it is with Hey Kids! Comics! Add to that Chaykin's penchant for filling his stories with debauched sleazebags who speak in adolescent double entendres, and the unrelenting tide of sludge proved too much for me. I took a shower and read something else.
But, hey kids! We appreciate horse races in these here parts. If Hey Kids! Comics! Part I made you laugh, or made you think about the inequities of "work for hire," or otherwise engaged you, kudos! Here's Part II, which I'm guessing carries the narrative into the '50s and '60s. Or maybe later!
When it comes to comics, every decade gives us plenty of sleaze to explore.
Invincible Red Sonja #1Dynamite | 32 pages | Teen+ | $3.99
Writers: Jimmy Palmiotti, Amanda Conner | Art: Moritat | Cover A: Amanda Conner | Cover B: Joseph Michael Linsner | Cover C: Celina | Cover D: Frank Cho "Outrage" Cover | Cover E: Dominica Cosplay | Cover F: Blank Authentix
Written by the award-winning fan favorites AMANDA CONNER and JIMMY PALMIOTTI, Red Sonja finds herself on a spectacular journey filled with pirates, mermaids, princesses, and political intrigue as the threat of two kingdoms hangs in the balance. All this, plus the spectacular art of MORITAT and a cover by AMANDA CONNER and PAUL MOUNTS makes THE INVINCIBLE RED SONJA a series not to be missed! With so many challenges, Sonja will need to be INVINCIBLE to overcome these odds!
The Captain's Comments
Since there's already an ongoing Red Sonja title, I assume this one was created to take advantage of the availability of the superstar team of Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti. I usually enjoy anything these two put together, but I was surprised to find this one off-putting.
For one thing, once you get past the lovely-as-usual Conner cover, the interior art depicts Sonja as suffering from Balloon Boob Syndrome. It's not anatomically possible, not sexy and definitely not advantageous in a fight.
Worse, the dialogue is ... weird. Stilted, with archaic terms and clumsy sentence structure inserted randomly to make everyone sound like drunk, blue-collar Victorians trying to talk posh. I think they were going for Medieval (or at least Roy Thomas' Conan), but don't have an ear for it.
I'm really disappointed, as I haven't followed a Sonja series regularly since the one written by Gail Simone, and have been waiting for a good one. This isn't it, so I'll just move on.
Jenny Zero #1 (of 4)
I wrote about this one already here.
Judge Dredd: False Witness TPB
IDW | $15.99
Writer: Brandon M. Easton | Art/Cover: Kei Zama
Justice Academy drop-out Mathias Lincoln always survived by sub-legal means, but after uncovering a vast conspiracy, he finds himself pursued by legendary lawman Judge Dredd!
Get ready for a street level look at justice in Mega-City One as one person fights to expose the darkest secrets of the rich and powerful in a thrilling mystery set against a backdrop of media manipulation and social unrest. While on a job for a rich client, Justice Academy drop-out and professional fixer Mathias Lincoln makes a horrific discovery-children are disappearing, and the conspiracy stretches from the wastes of the Cursed Earth all the way to the halls of power in Mega-City One.
The Captain's Comments
Another disappointment. I've read a lot of Dredd — some good, some bad, some mediocre. This one falls in the mediocre category.
The premise is a loose metaphor about America's immigration debate, with Dredd and the judges, weirdly, falling on the progressive side of the argument.
I didn't care for it. The politics are a little too ham-handed for my taste, and the story mischaracterizes Dredd, who is an over-the-top fascist. (That's the joke, son.)
Also, I've seen better art on Dredd. I can't recommend this.
V.E. Schwab’s ExtraOrdinary #0
Titan Comics | 24 pages | $1.00
Creator: V. E. Schwab | Art/Cover: Enid Balam
In 2020, New York Times Best-Selling author V. E. Schwab topped the charts with The Invisible Life of Addie Larue. Now comes Schwab’s next smash hit… ExtraOrdinary – a brand-new comic series set in the world of Schwab’s best-selling Villains novels launching May 5, 2021 with a special $1 Issue #0 which leads into a four-part series!
Titan Comics is thrilled to reveal the cover and artwork for New York Times Bestselling author V. E. Schwab’s brand-new comic book series ExtraOrdinary. This exciting new title will delve deeper into the story of Schwab's critically acclaimed Villains novels and will launch May 2021 with a special issue #0 that leads into the new four-part series.
This new story is set in the years between the VICIOUS (2013) and VENGEFUL (2018) novels and will feature Eli Ever, the villain/antagonist of the original story. A whole host of new comic characters will also be introduced into this epic series.
"ExtraOrdinary" introduces Charlotte Tills, a headstrong teenager who survives a bus crash and becomes EO--ExtraOrdinary, gaining the ability to see people's deaths before they occur. But when she looks into her own future and witnesses a murder by notorious EO-killer Eli Ever, Charlotte works to piece together the mystery of her visions and sets off to find — and change — her future — before it comes for her.
The Captain's Comments
This preview was only 12 pages long (14 with covers), which explains why it's only a buck. And I suspect these 12 pages are probably going to be repeated as the first 12 pages of ExtraOrdinary #1 (of 4). That's a guess, though, so don't quote me.
As to content, I rather liked it. Novelists don't always transition to comics well; it takes a while for them to adjust to the new medium's requirements. But good or bad, one thing they always bring is a command of story. You know there's going to be a beginning, middle and end.
That mastery is on display here; Schwab launches her story quickly, explores her main characters painlessly and races headlong into her plot, all in 12 pages. This is going somewhere, and getting there fast.
And I think I like where it's going. Our protagonist is middle-school-ish Charlotte, who has a near-death experience. When she is resuscitated, she discovers that she can see the future deaths of the people around her by observing them in reflective surfaces. But when she looks at her own reflection, there's some guy looking back at her saying, "Hey, who are you?" Obvs, she's not the only one with new abilities, and this weird twist allows them to see each other.
The art, as you can see in the preview below, is clean, clear and polished. I think I'll be following this one.
WORTH A LOOK
Across the Tracks
Abram ComicArts | $15.99
Writer: Alverne Ball | Art: Stacey Robinson, Renaldo Anderson
One hundred years after the Tulsa Race Massacre, author Alverne Ball and illustrator Stacey Robinson have crafted a love letter to Greenwood, Oklahoma. Also known as Black Wall Street, Greenwood was a community whose importance is often overshadowed by the atrocious massacre that took place there in 1921. With additional supplementary materials including a detailed preface, timeline, and historical essay, Across the Tracks offers a thorough examination of the rise, fall, and rebirth of Black Wall Street.
The Captain's Comments
Now that Watchmen (the TV series) has educated America about the Tulsa Race Massacre, this book is particularly timely. I'd sure like to have an idea what the art looks like, but there's no preview.
Batman/Fortnite: Zero Point #2DC Comics | Teen | 32 pages | $3.99
Writer: Christos Gage | Art: Reilly Brown
Batman is trapped on the Island — unable to speak, his memory gone, having to fight to survive against the deadliest warriors of countless worlds. Can even the World’s Greatest Detective escape this trap when time itself resets every 22 minutes? And will the presence of someone else from Gotham City — a familiar feline fatale-help or hinder his efforts ... especially when they don’t remember each other? In another life, they were enemies, friends, partners … but here on the Island, can they do anything but battle to the death? Please note: This digital comic purchase DOES NOT include any redeemable code for Fortnite in-game bonus rewards.
The Captain's Comments
I said last week that DC is sending me art and PR for every single issue of this series, and I promised to pass it on. So here ya go.
Becstar #1
Mad Cave Studios | $3.99
Writer: Joe Corallo | Art: Lorenzo Colangeli | Cover: Sweeney Boo
Becstar is a star hopping mercenary-gone-full time-gambler light years away from Earth. Leaving her old life behind with the help of her magical luck dagger and her fan-turned-regret filled-friend Sally Soolin, Becstar ekes out a living under the nefarious Shadow Syndicate's radar. But when a mysterious girl appears with grim news and an urgent quest where the fate of the universe hangs in the balance, Becstar has no choice but to join... and regret it immediately.
The Captain's Comments
The description is the usual fantasy gobbledegook ("magic luck dagger," "time gambler") that won't make sense until I read the thing (if I do), so no judgment there. But I do like the art.
Dark One Vol 1 HC
Writers: Brandon Sanderson, Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing | Art: Nathan Gooden | Cover: Tim Daniel
Paul Tanasin is a young man haunted by visions of a dark and fantastic world―visions he initially believes are hallucinations. But when he discovers they are prophecies from Mirandus, a world in which he’s destined to become a fearsome destroyer, he’ll have to embrace the fear, rise up as the Dark One, and shatter everything. Dark One examines the dual roles we often take on in life—the ability to be a savior as well as a destroyer.
The Captain's Comments
I got this preview, like, a year ago. Then the pandemic hit, and I've saved it all this time. So, by God, I'm gonna run it.
Devlin Waugh: Blood Debt TPB
Rebellion/2000AD | $19.99
Writers: Rory McConville, Ales Kot | Art: Mike Dowling
Vatican exorcist, freelance paranormal investigator and altogether dashing rogue, Devlin Waugh is in the business of getting up close and extremely personal with the occult! This time he'll have to rescue his debtor brother Freddy from a casino suspended over an unending interdimensional void save Brit-Cit from a plague of mutagenic nightmare spores, and befriend a possessed demonic dildo, all while negotiating boyfriends ex- and current ...
The Captain's Comments
They pretty much had me at "Vatican exorcist." But they also gave me a short preview, which forced my hand:
Eve #1 (of 5)BOOM! Studios | $3.99
Writer: Victor Lavalle| Art: Jo Migyeong | Cover: Ario Anindito
When the ice caps melted, most of humanity was lost to the hidden disease that was released. Now, a mysterious girl named Eve has awoken in secret and must deal with a world that’s nothing like the virtual reality she was raised in. In order to save her real father, Eve must embark on a deadly quest across the country, but she has no idea of the threats that await her — or the price she will pay to restore life to a dying planet …
The Captain's Comments
Post-apocalypse stories are a dime a dozen these days, but that doesn't mean they're bad — it all depends on execution. And this one is off to a good start, with attractive art. Also, since the mitochondrial "Eve" was almost certainly Black, a young Black girl as a new hope for mankind is sorta poetic.
Lev Gleason Presents #1
Comic House | $9.99
Writers: Keith Champagne, Ho Che Anderson, Andrew Wheeler | Art: Felipe Cuhna, Juan Samu | Art/Cover: Stefan Tosheff
Lev Gleason's Comic House returns to super-hero publishing after 75 years with Lev Gleason Presents #1. This series jumpstarts with Silver Streak: Season 1 Issue 1 by Keith Champagne (Stranger Things) and Stefan Tosheff (Minerva's Map); Freelance: Season 2 Issue 1 by Andrew Wheeler (Wonder Woman) and Juan Samu (Black Panther); Captain Canuck: Season 5 Issue 3 by Ho Che Anderson (KING) and Felipe Cunha (Cult Classic); plus a classic archive adventure featuring the Golden Age Silver Streak! Each mega-sized issue will contain a brand-new #1 issue as well as at least two NEW 20-page stories continuing from the Comic House shared universe! Included in each issue are download codes for digital copies of each issue featured.
The Captain's Comments
When I first got Captain Canuck PR with "Comic House" on the cover, I thought, "Boy, wait'll the lawyers for the Lev Gleason estate get hold of that." Because Lev Gleason Publications used Comic House as its comics imprint in the 1940s and '50s, publishing such titles as Crime Does Not Pay and Daredevil Comics. Gleason went out of business in 1956.
It turns out that Chapterhouse Comics, which previously published Captain Canuck and related titles, has been bought out by Lev Gleason Publications, which has somehow returned from the dead. Whoa.
True to the reputation of that famously fly-by-night publisher, though, Lev Gleason Presents #1 arriving this week isn't a sure thing. Whenever I can find a release date on the Internet it's May 5, but a lot of sites don't include a date and Diamond doesn't list it yet.
But I hope Lev Gleason Publications is for real, because the PR I got promises a Fantomah revival in Lev Gleason Presents #3. Fletcher Hanks is long dead, but if they could somehow ape his unhinged style, it would be a hoot.
Marjorie Finnegan: Temporal Criminal #1AWA | $3.99
Writer: Garth Ennis | Art: Goran Sudzuka | Cover: Andy Clarke | Cover B: Mike Deodata | Cover C: Frank Cho
She's Marjorie Finnegan. She's a temporal criminal. What more do you need to know? Oh, all right then: all Marj wants to do is race up and down the time-lanes, stealing every shiny-gleamy-pretty-sparkly she can lay her hands on. But her larcenous trail from the Big Bang to the Ninety-fifth Reich has drawn the beady eye of the Temporal PD, whose number one Deputy Marshall is now hard on our heroine's tail - and taking things extremely personally. Worse still, Marj's worthless creep of an ex and his even scummier partner
The Captain's Comments
Written by Garth Ennis. Covers by Mike Deodata and Frank Cho. Somebody has confidence in this book, and is willing to shell out some bucks.
Metropolis Grove TPB
DC Comics | 152 pages | 5.5" x 8" | $9.99
Writer/Art/Cover: Drew Brockington | Colors: Wendy Broom
The big city is full of Superman sightings, but here in Metropolis Grove? Every kid in this suburb knows that he’s not real...except newcomer Sonia Patel, who convinces her friends Duncan and Alex to believe. When the trio discovers a mysterious cave full of Super-memorabilia, they can’t keep it to themselves—and that sets off a school year full of drama, adventure, and more than a few opportunities for a newfound friendship to test its limits. And when they finally figure out the resident of the cave is Bizarro, things get even more out of control!
The Captain's Comments
Obviously, this is aimed at kids, and I'm not a fan of this kind of art. But they sent me a preview, so I'll share it. Because Bizarro.
Shadowman by Andy Diggle Deluxe Edition HCValiant | $49.99
Writer: Andy Diggle | Art: Stephen Segovia, Shawn Martinbrough, Doug Braithwaite, Renato Guedes | Cover: David Mack
For years, Jack Boniface believed that he knew the true story of the Shadowman loa - the true story of the curse inside him. He was wrong. Now, the man once known as Shadowman is returning home to sharpen the weapon within ... and unleash a reckoning on the evils of our world that will soon send shockwaves through heaven and hell alike...
The Captain's Comments
If you bought the Shadowman revival last week and liked it, you can thank this series. Shadowman started out kinda mediocre in the '80s, but Diggle cranked the bar up a few notches.
She’s Josie TPB
Archie | 5 1/4 x 8” | 224 pages | $10.99
Writers/Art: Various | Cover: Dan DeCarlo
Before she was a part of Josie & the Pussycats, she was just Josie! See how this world-famous rock star started out — as an average high school teen! With her BFFs, the ditzy Melody and the quick & witty Pepper, Josie gets caught up in all sorts of misadventures. Check out this collection and meet her boyfriend Albert, the rotten Cabot twins Alex & Alexandra and many more in this chronological collection of the classic 1960s series!
The Captain's Comments
Any book that reprints Dan DeCarlo — especially DeCarlo's most personal creation, the one he named for his redheaded wife — I will buy it.
Slow Death Zero Comix Anthology of Ecological Horror GNLast Gasp | $24.95
Writer: Jon B. Cooke, various | Art: Richard Corben, Drew Friedman, Hunt Emerson, Greg Irons, various Cover: William Stout
A revival of the legendary underground horror comix anthology, this one-shot 50th anniversary edition includes all-new comix by 33 writers and artists, with one classic reprint by R. Crumb, 28 stories and pin-ups to chill the bones in our temperature-rising age of global warming. Inspired by the ecological advocacy of the original title, which debuted on the very first Earth Day in 1970, this edition features horrifying tales depicting the environmental calamity facing our world in this time of climate change. The book is headlined by a savage depiction of the implications of the melting polar ice cap in Antarctica, by award-winning cartoonist/illustrator William Stout, who provides the cover. Also included is work by Richard Corben, Rick Veitch, Drew Friedman, Bryan Talbot, Hunt Emerson, Peter Kuper, and many more, as well as unseen work by the late, great Greg Irons.
The Captain's Comments
I'm actually old enough to have bought some Slow Death comix off the stands at a local head shop. I was wowed by underground comix as a youngster — sex! drugs! more sex! — but when I revisit them as an adult they seem ... well, lame. Like the stories were created by people who weren't very good artists and were very, very stoned, or something. Creators like S. Clay Wilson, R. Crumb and Gilbert Shelton could actually pull off a coherent story, but after that the quality in the undergrounds fell off a cliff.
I expect this book will be up to modern standards of quality, and environmentalism is even more important now than it was in the 1960s and '70s. Sadly, we're still fighting the same battles 50 years later.
Whalesville #1 x Rocks and Minerals one-shot
Bad Idea | 72 pages | All ages | No ads | Perfect-bound | $9.99
"Whalesville"
Writer: Matt Kindt | Art/Cover: Adam Pollina | Colors: Matt Hollingsworth
It's a tale as old as time: Boy meets whale, whale swallows boy, boy discovers tiny town inside whale...and then the adventure really begins!
When young Wawae — the seaborn son of a whaling captain — is thrown overboard and swallowed whole by a whale, he knows his father will relentlessly pursue revenge against the creature that stole away his boy. What he didn’t expect, however, is what he’s about to find inside: the town of “Whalesville” — a colorful, cobbled-together village inhabited by an astounding collection of talking sea creatures, including a crab named Caleb, an angler fish called Angela, and a sea dragon that prefers to go by Lilly. But, to Wawae’s new friends, Whalesville isn’t just their home, it’s the whole world — and they don't understand the danger that now pursues them from above the waves or that they are even inside a whale at all. To rescue his new best buddies, Wawae will have to convince them of the truth … and save Whalesville before his own father sends them sinking into the inky depths forever.
Writer: Matt Kindt | Art: Tony Millionaire | Colors: James Campbell | Cover: Adam Pollina, Matt Hollingsworth
In the time after the Great Polishing, organic life is no more. Earth is ruled by highly evolved rubble, rocks and minerals. They walk. They talk. They are free. But their age is just beginning and the world is still a largely unknown and very scary place. When the Rock Queen's daughter and her two best friends venture into the forbidden unpolished zone, they find the world mankind left behind and meet what they think is a very quiet new green rock. To their surprise it sprouts a head, four legs and a very loud voice. This is no rock. This is Elpis the turtle, and she needs help getting back to her pond in time to lay her eggs. But what is a pond? For that matter, what's a turtle? The three friends must venture further into the unknown to help Elpis to unravel a secret the Queen herself has fought to keep from her people. A tale of high adventure in the second stone age!
The Captain's Comments
To tell you the truth, I'm not particularly interested in either of these stories. But I feel guilty for leaving Eniac #2 and Tankers #1 off the list a month ago, and I'm hoping this will salve my conscience. (It's easy to overlook Bad Idea, because it isn't distributed by Diamond. Nor does my LCS carry Bad Idea. If it wasn't for the PR — tons of PR — I wouldn't know it exists.)
X-Men: Curse of the Man-Thing #1Marvel Comics | 40 pages | Teen+ | $4.99
Writer: Steve Orlando | Art: Andrea Broccardo | Cover: Daniel Acuña | Variant: Nabetse Zitro
Man-Thing’s Curse Has Been Revealed ... But It’s Under New Management!
Part 3 of 3!
Years ago, DOCTOR TED SALLIS was ready to give up anything to crack the SO-2 serum and deliver success to his growing family. Unbeknownst to the rest of the world...he did. Today, as cities spanning from the U.S. to Krakoa are besieged by fear-driven blazes, the MAN-THING must reckon with his past deeds if he hopes to emerge renewed and rescue a world on fire. But fighting from his lowest means that Man-Thing can rise to his highest, especially with the unexpected help of the X-MEN’S resident sorceress MAGIK and her debuting team of monstrous mutants known as THE DARK RIDERS!
The Captain's Comments
This wraps up the three-part Man-Thing story that started in Avengers: Curse of the Man-Thing #1 and continued in Spider-Man: Curse of the Man-Thing #1. I guess Marvel hopes that by pairing the muck-encrusted mockery of man with some of its most popular characters, Man-Thing will become more popular by osmosis? Oh, Bullwinkle, that trick never works.
Or maybe it's just a story they wanted to tell, because it was a good story. I'd like to think that.
THE FULL LIST
BOOM! STUDIOS
Buffy The Vampire Slayer Willow TPB
Eve #1 (of 5)
Last Witch #5 (of 5
Many Deaths of Laila Starr #1 (of 5) 2nd Ptg
Mighty Morphin Vol 1 TPB
We Only Find Them When They’re Dead Vol 1 TPB
Wynd #6 (of 6)
Wynd Book 1: Flight of the Prince TPB
DARK HORSE COMICS
Beasts of Burden: Occupied Territory #2 (of 4)
Dead Dog’s Bite #3 (of 4)
EC Archives: Tales from the Crypt Vol 1 TPB
Fear Case #4 (of 4)
God of War: Fallen God #3 (of 4)
Jenny Zero #1 (of 4)
The Orville: Digressions #1 (of 2)
DC COMICS
Batman #108
Batman/Fortnite: Zero Point #2 (of 4)
Crime Syndicate #3 (of 6)
Dark Nights: Death Metal: The Multiverse Who Laughs TPB
Green Arrow/Black Canary: Till Death Do They Part
Green Lantern #2
Man-Bat #4 (of 5)
Metropolis Grove TPB
Suicide Squad #3
The Swamp Thing #3
Tiny Titans: Pet Club
DYNAMITE
Invincible Red Sonja #1
James Bond: Agent of Spectre #3
Vampirella #19
IDW PUBLISHING
Chained to the Grave #3
Full Bleed Comics & Culture Quarterly Vol 4 The End HC
Goosebumps: Secrets of the Swamp TPB
Judge Dredd: False Witness TPB
Marvel Action Classics: Spider-Man Two-In-One #3
Marvel Action: Captain Marvel Vol 2 #3
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic #97
Sleeping Beauties #6
Star Trek Year Five #20
Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures #4
TMNT: Urban Legends Vol 2
Transformers #29
Transformers: Escape #3
Voyage to the Stars #4
IMAGE COMICS
Bliss #7 (of 8)
Commanders in Crisis #8 (of 12)
Deep Beyond #4 (of 12)
Die #16
The Good Asian #1 (of 9)
Hey Kids! Comics! Vol 2: Prophets & Loss #1 (of 6)
Inkblot #8
Nocterra #2 2nd Ptg
Nocterra #3
Silver Coin #1 2nd Ptg
MARVEL COMICS
All-New Wolverine by Tom Taylor Omnibus HC
Amazing Spider-Man #65
America Chavez: Made In the USA #3 (of 5)
Carnage: Black White and Blood #1 (of 4) 2nd Ptg
The Complete Kirby: War & Romance HC
Dead Man Logan Complete Collection TPB
Hellions #11
Heroes Reborn #1 (of 7)
Immortal Hulk #46
Iron Fist: Heart of the Dragon #5 (of 6)
King Deadpool Vol 2 TPB
Kull the Savage: The Original Marvel Years Omnibus HC
Marauders #20
Ms. Marvel by Saladin Ahmed Vol 3: Outlawed TPB
Squadron Supreme TPB
Star Wars: War of the Bounty Hunters #1
Star Wars: War of the Bounty Hunters — Director’s Cut #1
Strange Academy #10
Thanos Quest: Marvel Tales #1 one-shot
The Union #5 (of 5)
Thor and Loki: Double Trouble #3 (of 4)
Venom by Michelinie and Mcfarlane Gallery Edition HC
Venomnibus Vol 1 HC New Ptg
OTHER COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS
Animosity Vol 3: Year Three HC
Across the Tracks
Arsenal FC: The Game We Love HC
Babyteeth #17
Becstar #1
Betty & Veronica Jumbo Comics Digest #293
Billionaires: Lives of the Rich and Powerful GN
Black Clover Vol 25 GN
Black Cotton #1 (of 6) 2nd Ptg
Black Sand Beach 2: Do You Remember the Summer Before?
Black Star GN
Boarding School Juliet GN Vol 14
Body Factory: From the First Prosthetics to Augmented Human GN
Bofuri Don’t Want to Get Hurt Max Out Defense GN Vol 1
Boruto Vol 11 Naruto Next Generations GN
Broken Souls Ballad #1
Children of the Grave #5
Clyde Fans TPB
Crude: A Memoir GN
Darchon #3
Dark One Vol 1 HC
Daytime Shooting Star Vol 12 (of 12)
Deadworld Tattoo TPB
Devlin Waugh: Blood Debt TPB
Disney Masters Vol 16: Bottaro Donald Duck Jumpin Jupiter HC
Dungeon Builder Labyrinth Modern City Vol 4 GN
Eden one-shot
Eden’s Zero Vol 11 GN
Embodied GN
Eniac #3
Farming Life in Another World GN Vol 2
Fearless GN
Full Tilt Boogie TPB
Haikyu GN Vol 44
Hard Melody HC
Hardears GN
Hazure Skill Legendary Assassin Vol 1 GN
Heartstopper Vol 3 GN
Hippopotamister GN
Hollow Heart #3
Hollywood Trash TPB
Is It Wrong to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon Vol 15: Sword Oratoria GN
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventures 4 Vol 9: Diamond Is Unbreakable HC
Kaguya Sama Love Is War Vol 19 GN
Kaijumax Season 6 #1
King’s Beast Vol 2 GN
Kitten Construction Company Pob Vol 1: Meet House Kittens HC
Legend of Final Fantasy IX: Creation Universe Decryption HC
Lev Gleason Presents #1
Love Me Love Me Not Vol 8 GN
Marjorie Finnegan: Temporal Criminal #1
Mayara & Annabelle Vol 1 TPB
Miranda in the Maelstrom #6
Money Shot Vol 2 TPB
My Alcoholic Escape From Reality GN
New Gate Manga Vol 5 GN
Pea Bee & Jay Vol 3: Lift Off GN (Young Readers)
Poison Flowers and Pandemonium GN
Promised Neverland Vol 19 GN
Punchline and Vaude Villains #1
Renegades Vol 2: Flames of Amazonia GN
Reprise of the Spear Hero Vol 4 GN
Rick and Morty Book 6 HC Deluxe Edition
Rick and Morty: Worlds Apart #4
Ride Your Wave GN
School Zone Girls Vol 1 GN
Secret to Superhuman Strength GN
Shadowman by Andy Diggle Deluxe Edition HC
She's Josie TPB
Shortcake Cake Vol 12 (of 12) GN
Slow Death Zero Comix Anthology of Ecological Horror GN
Snow White with Red Hair Vol 13 GN
Summer Spirit GN
Thigh High Reiwa Hanamaru Academy Vol 1 GN
Treasure of King & Cat Manga GN
Undead Unluck Vol 1 GN
Uzaki Chan Wants to Hang Out Vol 5 GN
Vampire the Masquerade #8
Van Helsing Steampunk one-shot
V.E. Schwab's ExtraOrdinary #0
We Live #5 2nd Ptg
Whalesville x Rocks and Minerals #1
Replies
THE COMPLETE KIRBY WAR & ROMANCE HC: 'I've already ordered my copy."
Yeah? Which cover? ;)
HEROES REBORN: At first I couldn't understand why Marvel would want to saddle a new series with the name of such a lame series. Then I realized there's a way of nostalgia that sweeps the country every 20 years or so, and the creators of this series probabnly look back on the '90s as their "Golden Age." But what turned me off most about this series is the description of Thor as "an atheist who hates hammers." What a bizarre way to describe someone! Of all the people I have ever met in my life I've never thought of any of them in terms of their feelings about hammers. How does one even come to such a philosophy? If anyone buys this, please let me know.
HEY, KIDS! COMICS!: I can't disagree with anything you said about the first series, but I've liked it maore than anything else by Chaykin I've read in the last 20 years. (To put that statement in perspective, I generally like Chaykin's comics.)
Jeff of Earth-J said:
HEY, KIDS! COMICS!: I can't disagree with anything you said about the first series, but I've liked it maore than anything else by Chaykin I've read in the last 20 years. (To put that statement in perspective, I generally like Chaykin's comics.)
This reminds me of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. The sample pages sold me. I've ordered the volume one collection and will be getting the volume two collection when it's available.
Whoever imagined that Red Sonja used nail polish?
"I've ordered the volume one collection and will be getting the volume two collection when it's available."
When you get caught up, there's already a thread in place to discuss it (which I'll no doubt be bumping up to the top later this week).
I'll definitely be buying the War of the Bounty Hunters series. I've found the series Star Wars: Bounty Hunters, the best of the new crop. It has a new character (at least new to me). Since it also takes place between Empire and Jedi there is at least the possibility of the main character dying, and since the title has a generic name you can kill him and plug someone else in as the lead.
Just as a side note there was a trilogy called the the Bounty Hunter Wars, that took place after Boba Fett fell into the Sarlacc pit as well as in flashbacks.
I thought the first arc or two of Die was pretty good. The series seems to have lost its way to me.Also, its irregular publishing schedule. The last issue came out about 6 months ago. Kieron Gillen has actually created an RPG the series is based on. I think the first arc explained that very well, and there were articles in the back that explained the different character classes. That does you know good with the new issue obviously.
Hey, Kids! Comics! - Reading a fictionalized version of true stories I have read a bout a few times already, ended up not being very interesting to me. I didn't even make it through the first series.