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When I do this list I do get concerned when it is dominated by one publisher. For one it can make for a boring list, and also can make it seem like I favor one publisher over another. I simply could not avoid it this week since Image has a ton of great books coming out. So if you want to call me an Image shill I may disagree with you but I get it. Maybe next week it will be Zenescope. You never know.
Anyways onto this week’s Top 10 Imag..er I mean Top 10 Most Anticipated Comics.
(Editor’s Note: Solicitations are provided by the Respected Publishers)
Writer: Jeff McComsey
Artist: Chris Ferguson
Publisher: ARTISTS WRITERS & ARTISANS INC
Solicitation: Don’t miss the start of this hard-boiled neo-Western thriller!
In this explosive new thriller by writer Jeff McComsey (Grendel, Kentucky) and artist Felipe Cunha (Gatsby), Cole, a straight-arrow handyman, finds himself in the crosshairs of a ruthless crime syndicate-along with his pregnant wife. But what is the meaning of the “little black book” of underworld contacts Cole’s deceased father had hidden in his home? Cole’s deceased father believed the best thing he could do for his son was to stay out of his life, but does the apple fall far from the tree…?
Why it Made the List: You had me at a ‘Hard-boiled neo-Western Thriller‘. When I hear that I think of shows like Justified, movies like No Country for Old Men, and comics like That Texas Blood – and to take a line from the Icon that is Julie Andrews, “These are a few of my favorite things!”. The series Grendel, Kentucky did not fully work for me, but I thought there was promise there that has me interested in checking out how this series will pan out. Anytime I see a book of this nature I try to support it and just hope I do not end up regretting it, and I honestly have a really good feeling about this one. When you get Francesco Francavilla to do your covers that’s another point for you as well.
Writer: Josie Campbell
Artist: Alessio Zonno
Publisher: Boom! Studios
Solicitation: 18-year-old Trini will do anything to compete in her favorite sport, Screaming Pain Ball, aspiring to the heights of her longtime hero Skull-Crusher! But she can’t do it alone, and a gaggle of misfits is just what she needs to cross the American wastes and battle in Queen Mob’s deadly tournament.
With Trini’s dreams of being just like Skull-Crusher on the line, do she and her friends have what it takes to win a coveted spot on Skull-Crusher’s undefeated team?
Why it Made the List: Sometimes all it takes is an eye-catching cover to get me excited about a comic. I mean, it’s why they are there to begin with. The color choice and style mesh together greatly and based on the trailer the interior will have a familiar look and feel. I have also enjoyed Josie Campbell’s work on several DC series including Shazam so curious to see what she can do with a series like this. Lastly, I have an affinity for stories that focus on sports that exist within a post-apocalyptic landscape. Running Man, Rollerball (the first one), and another that will make this list. Weird niche I know.
Writer/Artist: Jeff Lemire
Publisher: Image Comics
Solicitation: Franny and the bug seek shelter at a farmhouse with two elderly siblings. Elsewhere, Helen DuPuis finds a strange symbol in the woods that she’s determined is the link between all the mysteries, while Officer Laraque finds a lead of his own that might bring Francis Fox home safely.
A special extra-length issue from JEFF LEMIRE (GIDEON FALLS, Sweet Tooth) deepens the mystery of this small-town surrealist horror.
Why it Made the List: The only bad thing about a book like Fishflies is that I am running out of great things to say about it every time it makes this list. I do not want to just call out new books though and think it is important to highlight series that continue to be great with every issue. If you are a Jeff Lemire fan and have enjoyed some of the more surreal books he has done like Frogcatchers you will get everything you want from this book. You may twist your mind a little bit but will also make your heart feel good as well. That seems to be Jeff Lemire’s mutant ability with how often he can accomplish it especially when he is writing and drawing.
Writer: Declan Shalvey
Artist: Drew Moss
Publisher: DYNAMITE
Solicitation: In the aftermath of his first battle with the Mu’Tants, Lion-O attempts to use the Sight Beyond Sight to ask for guidance from their lost leader, Jaga. The vision he receives instead leads the ThunderCats to discover another Thundarian survivor on Third Earth! Meanwhile, Slithe and his Mu’Tant band have discovered the pyramid of Mumm Ra – and they’re about to learn firsthand how dangerous the Ever-Living one can be!
Why it Made the List: Thunder, Thunder, THUNDER, THUNDERCATS, Hooo! (I promise I won’t do that next time) The first issue of Thundercats brought with it a lot of hype and sales, but was it any good? I enjoyed the first issue enough to come back for the second issue. I thought it worked well in taking the mythos of the Thundercats and making a new story out of it without changing everything that came before. Nostalgia can bring you in but it often is not enough to make you stay. You need a good story to go along with it and so far we are getting that. I do think the art can be a little sharper but at the same time, Thundercats are not easy to draw. Hopefully, as this series goes on Drew Moss will get more comfortable and improvement will come naturally.
Writer: Scott Snyder
Artist: Hayden Sherman
Publisher: IDW
Solicitation: Why was Detective Madoc kept in the Dungeon? Who chose that fate for him? These questions have haunted him for years and given him countless sleepless nights. He’s now on the verge of discovering who sabotaged his whole life. But will he live to reveal the true nature of the dungeon master? Or will he once again become a doomed prisoner? The critically acclaimed miniseries reaches its penultimate issue!
Why it Made the List: Someone needs to check on Scott Snyder and Hayden Sherman because I do not know how you can create this book and not have endless nightmares. I am no stranger to horror stories but the Dungeon concept in this is up there as one of the most unnerving ideas I have read in comics. I have to keep the book at a distance because if I try to place myself into that situation the anxiety becomes overbearing…but in a good way. Stories that center on children in peril are often a no-go for me to begin with, but on the bright side, it has made for one compelling read. Hayden Sherman has grown so much as an artist as well. I always thought he had a knack for storytelling with comics like Wasted Space, but his character work has also become so sharp since working with Scott Snyder. He has kept what has made him great and just built upon that. Exactly what you hope for with an artist.
Writer: Jason Aaron
Artist: John Timms
Publisher: DC Comics
Solicitation: THE FINALE OF “I, BIZARRO” BY JASON AARON AND JOHN TIMMS! The startling finale of “I, Bizarro” sees the Man of Steel making his most shocking team-up ever as part of the mind-blowing final battle against the ultimate Bizarro.
Why it Made the List: If this story can hit the landing this will instantly become one of my all-time favorite Bizarro stories. To be honest, the only other story on that list is Escape from Bizarro World mostly due to my love of Eric Powell’s artwork. I tend to find the character rather annoying yet he has worked here despite having an entire world filled with people becoming Bizzaro versions of themselves. It has done what you need to do with Superman stories and given him a problem that simple strength and power cannot overcome. Based on how the last issue ended I wonder exactly what he will need to do to make the world whole once again. Not to spoil anything for those still waiting to catch up but I love myself an unlikely team-up. Wrestling uses this concept a lot to create or prolong feuds. The classic mantra of, “How will they can they coexist?’. When done well it can lead to great success like with RK-Bro or The Bar. Do not think the duo in Action Comics will challenge for the Tag Titles but who knows where this story will go? When I woke up this morning I did not think I would be comparing Bizarro to RK-Bro but here we are.
Writer: Rob Williams
Artist: Pye Parr
Publisher: Image Comics
Solicitation: End of Story Arc. The way out of the Smogzone is blocked! The O and his Robo-Cops have tracked down Lupa. SuperCarStar cannot be outdriven. Hybrid’ lost his head. There’ no way into the O-Zone! It’ the finale of Petrol Head’s thrilling first arc. Can he find one last cheat mode?
Why it Made the List: Four words that fill me with joy: ‘End of Story Arc‘. Now I am not happy this arc is ending but rather what those words mean. This is just the end for now and we should be getting more Petrol Head. I assume that means this book has been enough of a success to keep going and so happy to see great comics get support from the comic book community. With I Heart Skull-Crusher #1, I mentioned I enjoy stories that focus on sports in a post-Apoclatypic landscape. This was the other book I was referring to as this involves robots racing in a world near its end. Now that part is not the story’s focus as the robots have been forced to retire. It does help inform us about this world and how we got here rather effectively. The last issue ended on a major cliffhanger that placed our main protagonist and antagonist face to face for the first time. Can’t wait to see how it turns out.
Writer: Rick Remender
Artist: Bengal
Publisher: Image Comics
Solicitation: The bestselling creative duo of RICK REMENDER & BENGAL reteam for NAPALM LULLABY, an all-new, ongoing dystopian epic with a special double-length first issue!
A child with unimaginable power is raised to believe he is God by a cult of zealots utterly confident in the moral authority of their religion. The Magnificent Leader has imposed his will on humanity and created the ultimate theocracy. Join them, or be cast out to suffer with the masses.
Why it Made the List: Spoiler Alert to future lists – Anytime Rick Remender has a comic it is going to make this list. It may not stay on for the entire time, but he is a must-read creator for me. I enjoyed Remender and Bengal’s Death or Glory, especially with the high-octane action Bengal was able to draw. That man can draw himself a fantastic car chase. Now cars do not seem to be the focal point with this book so I am a little sad about that. Remender is an artist himself and although he does not draw much anymore he knows what good art looks like. More importantly, he knows what artist will match up well with the story he is telling. So he chose Bengal for a reason, which means he will have plenty of opportunities to impress us.
Writer: Tom King
Artist: Bilquis Evely
Publisher: Dark Horse
Solicitation: From the Eisner award-winning and bestselling creative team of Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow comes this Gothic sword and sorcery epic that’s Conan the Barbarian meets The Wizard of Oz. Following the tragic death of her late father C.K. Cole, the esteemed pulp writer and creator of the popular warrior character Othan; Helen Cole is called back to her Grandfather’s enormous and elustrious estate: Wyndhorn House. Scarred by Cole’s untimely passing and lost in a new, strange world, Helen wreaks drunken havoc upon her arrival; however, her chaotic ways begin to soften as she discovers a lifetime of secrets hiding within the myriad rooms and hallways of the expansive manor. For outside its walls, within the woods, dwell the legendary adventures that once were locked away within her father’s stories.
Why it Made the List: I try to avoid reviews of comics before I get a chance to read them myself. For one I do not want to end up repeating something I heard someone else say. It is easy to do without even realizing it. Plus I try to avoid adding more expectations into a book than I already have plenty for already. (I know that is odd to say considering I am writing this article) Still, I have not been able to avoid seeing the praise for this series online. To be fair based on the creative team it was making this list either way. I loved their run on Supergirl so I was checking this out. Hype can be a dangerous thing. Hopefully, this book can live up to it.
Writer/Artist: Daniel Warren Johnson
Publisher: Image Comics
Solicitation: END OF STORY ARC! ONE WILL STAND, ONE WILL FALL. The Autobots vs. The Decepticons. This is it. And someone isn’t going to survive.
Why it Made the List: One book that has been able to live up to all the hype has been Transformers. Daniel Warren Johnson has been making magic with this book. Also, he is not alone as I need to call out the pristine colors of Mike Spicer. Every page of this series has been gorgeous. One downside about this issue is that not only are we losing a major character but also Daniel Warren Johnson as an artist. Jorge Corona will be taking over, and he is great, so no disrespect to him. There is simply something special about Daniel Warren Johnson’s work with this series that will be hard to replicate. For now, I’m just looking forward to this issue and I do wonder what character we will be losing. Could it be a major character? In most cases, I would think not but with a mind like Robert Kirkman behind everything anything is possible. That man lives to take chances and ending the first arc with the death of Optimus Prime for example is something I could see doing. We shall see!
