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So this weekend is the ‘Big Game’. It’s an exciting time if you are a football fan, but on the flip side, it means Sundays will be getting a lot longer starting next week. Weird what happens when you don’t have 12 hours of football to watch. The good news is you can fill that time with reading comics!
Not sure where to start? Well, here is what I am excited for this week…
(Editor’s Note: Solicitations are provided by the Respected Publishers)
Writer: Peter J. Tomasi
Artist: David Lafuente
Publisher: DC Comics
Solicitation: MEET DC’S DEVIOUS NEW DUO! FROM SUPER SONS WRITER PETER J. TOMASI AND FAN-FAVORITE ARTIST DAVID LAFUENTE! They’re bad to the bone, ready to brawl, and the sons of two of the deadliest villains in the galaxy: they’re the Sinister Sons and the DC Universe will never be the same! When the son of General Zod was cast off of his adopted homeworld of New Kandor, Lor-Zod runs afoul of a kid on a mission: Sinson is out to prove he’s got what it takes to live up to the family name of Sinestro! But all is not as it seems, and the sons’ journeys will take them into the heart of darkness in this sensational first issue!
Why it Made the List: As a big fan of the Super Sons series I am excited to see what can be done with this book. I am not sure if I love the idea of every hero and villain having a kid, but it could work in the right context. Plus Zod and Sinestro are big enough villains so it matters without causing everything to be changed around in a major way. Evil Kids should be a fun read too if done right. A lot of dad issues will be worked out with this series.
Writer: G. Willow Wilson
Artist: Christian Wildgoose
Publisher: IDW
Solicitation: The dream of the human and orc alliance has died. Our beloved orc princess, Tara, now travels along the road north alone, heading home in search of her old life. But before Tara can get home, she’ll face incredible danger… and discover a secret that will change everything.
Why it Made the List: What will happen now? Now that the orc alliance is no more what does the future hold for this series and its characters? This also appears to be the last issue at least for now. With all the uncertainty surrounding IDW at the moment, I hope this is simply a break until the next arc because this series has been a gem for fantasy fans. The way this is being built it seems there is so much story left to tell. I could see this being a long-running book for years to come if the audience maintains. If you have not been reading it then I blame you if it does not return.
Writer: Victor LaValle, Benjamin Percy
Artist: Geoff Shaw
Publisher: Marvel
Solicitation: SABRETOOTH WAR—PART 3! SABRETOOTH and WOLVERINE once worked together—and killed together! But how do the violent missions of their TEAM X days factor into the SABRETOOTH WAR being waged in the present?
Why it Made the List: I recently returned to this series with the SABRETOOTH WAR and I am glad that I have. This book has been brutal in ways Marvel comics rarely are when not on the classic Max line. Seeing that Geoff Shaw will be on art duties helps increase my excitement as well. I became a fan of his since his work with Donny Cates on God Country and Thanos. He has a knack for crafting those big action moments that will be needed with this issue. This year we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of Wolverine so it’s the perfect time to jump on board. If you are like me and fell off this is a great time to jump back into his world as it gets torn to shreds.
Writer: James Tynion IV
Artist: Michael Avon Oeming
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Solicitation: This ambitious, non-fiction comic book experience depicts true stories of UFO abductions with an eye to capturing the strange essence of those encounters. In 1947, Kenneth Arnold flew his Call-Air A-2 over the skies of the Pacific Northwest when all of a sudden he saw a blinding flashof silver light. What followed was a bizarre and difficult to explain encounter with several flying objects that would change the course of his life forever. Tiny Onion Studios and Dark Horse Comics present a line of upcoming creator-owned work from the mind of James Tynion IV across a broad spectrum of his interests. Also includes a True Weird backup story by Zac Thompson, Gavin Fullerton, and Aditya Bidikar!
Why it Made the List: As a kid who grew up in the ’90s I remember that the UFO/Alien craze was huge. From stories on the scariest shows ever created Unsolved Mysteries to X-Files all we had to do was believe. Now a few decades later we are seeing people who played major roles within the US government release information regarding the truth behind UFOS. Perfect timing for a series like this that goes back to some of the classic UFO tales to recount what occurred. Now more than ever these tales have a level of validity, and even if they don’t they are fun to read. I enjoyed the last Blue Book book and looking forward to more.
Writer: Jason Aaron
Artist: John Timms
Publisher: DC Comics
Solicitation: TRAPPED IN THE CITY OF BIZARRO! The shocking second chapter of the Worst Bizarro Story Ever! Jason Aaron’s first time writing Superman sees the Man of Steel trapped in a world gone mad, a Metropolis transformed into the City of Bizarro! While Superman struggles to save the lives of people who despise him, he’s also battling the most powerful Bizarro of all…the one inside his own mind!
Why it Made the List: I am not a fan of the character of Bizarro which made how much I enjoyed the last issue of Action Comics all the more shocking. His being the opposite of everything Superman can quickly become convoluted but that did not happen. I loved the twist that unlike Superman magic makes Bizarro even stronger. Jason Aaron has shown his ability to take characters that have been around for a long time and discover a new wrinkle to make them work differently. Now he gets to use that skill with DC characters for the first time in a very long time.
5. If You Find This, I’m Already Dead #1
Writer: Matt Kindt
Artist: Dan McDaid
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Solicitation: Robin is a big city reporter, embedded with US Marines heading to the hostile pocket universe called Terminus. Ten minutes in, the entire marine squad is wiped out and she has to survive (and report) on her own. Terminus is full of cosmic wonders–and sci-fi “gods” that are in the middle of a political power struggle. The language is alien, and the politics are deadly. Can she survive long enough to figure out what’s going on and get home to tell the story?
Why it Made the List: The big reason I am interested in this book is the involvement of Matt Kindt. He is one of those writers that is an instant buy for me. Next, this is a story about a reporter which is another of my favorite genres. (You will see another one on this list). One of Kindt’s best skills is picking great artists. He is an artist himself, which I would assume helps get the right person for each story. I enjoyed the world Dan McDaid did with the Basketful of Heads series happy to see his name on a book yet again. A lot is adding up with this series making me think it could be one of my favorites of the year if everything works out.
Writer: Ryan K. Lindsay
Artist: Sami Kivela
Publisher: MAD CAVE STUDIOS
Solicitation: Stop the presses! With Bucky in a bad position, Dan, his sub-editor, picks up the story threads as he tries to discover the true rot deep within Sheltered Cove. What the pair find is beyond politics and money. The trouble brewing is centuries old, horrific, and very thirsty for blood.
Why it Made the List: You can read my review of the first issue of this series to see how much I enjoyed it. There were not as many deer puns as I was hoping for, but I did like how it was a straightforward noir tale that just happened to star a deer. Although being a deer did help in a few spots. The first issue was strong enough to stand on its own so I am curious to discover what else these creators have in store. The look of the book was solid as well with this blue and white design. It elicits the exact type of mood that one would want for a story of this nature.
Writer: James Tynion IV
Artist: Josh Hixson
Publisher: Image Comics
Solicitation: When Michael Olsen decided to turn his lifelong fascination with the Deviant Killer into a comic book, he didn’t realize the process would bring him so close to the abyss. Now, as new blood spills in a decades-old story, Michael discovers that he might already be in too deep.
Why it Made the List: This series is the most I have enjoyed a James Tynion IV book in quite a while. He has done great and popular work but I have not been able to get into books like Something is Killing the Children or Department of Truth as much as most. I sense his style is a bit different with this book as his dialog seems to be trimmed down compared to what I have seen previously. I find the design of the narrative quite impressive as it switches back and forth between periods with ease. Despite this being a fictional story there is also a sense this is speaking to something larger in actual reality, and of course, it has been creepy as hell.
Writer: Rob Williams
Artist: Pye Parr
Publisher: Image Comics
Solicitation: THE CITY IS ALL…THE CITY PROTECTS!
The O’s deadliest racer, SuperCarStar™, has tracked down Petrol Head & Co. Their only hope? A PETROL HEAD SHOWDOWN RACE! Meanwhile, can Satnav Sid find a sneaky back door out of the Smogzone? After all, he’s a roit old geezer an’ no mistake!
Why it Made the List: As we are months away from Summer Movie season it is great to have a comic series like Petrol Head that is so big and bold with its ideas. Unlike some blockbusters it is not all explosions and car chases — although those a great and look amazing. There’s a story here with meaning and purpose but it doesn’t hinder the big moments it makes it better. Also, Pye Parr’s designs are something special. This does not look like every dystopian world we see time and time again, and the robot design is especially well done. One of those series that any comic book fan should be reading, and everyone I know that is is absolutely loving it.
Writer/Artist: Daniel Warren Johnson
Publisher: Image Comics
Solicitation: Starscream revives one of the most powerful Decepticons to eliminate the Autobots once and for all.
Why it Made the List: I recently did a video regarding how crazy it is that you can create the ultimate Saturday Morning Cartoon lineup just using comics, and of course, Transformers was a big part of that. I do wonder if it is a good thing that we have so many licensed books out at once. Ultimately as long as the comics are good it’s good for everyone, and considering it helps make other publishers like Image and Dynamite strong it is a good thing. Daniel Warren Johnson is doing everything he can to make this book a success. These characters are as rich as ever, and the action has been a joy to witness. I also love how they are building this Engergon universe. Getting small bits in all the different books like a major character showing up in the Cobra Commander series. I am not sure if that is the character Starscream will be reviving but I will be reading for thing Wednesday to find out.
