Share this
This week I committed two sins I tried to avoid. The first is packing this list with books from Marvel or DC. Nothing against those companies I just rather shine a light on books that could perhaps use it more. The second is filling it with debut issues. It just seems too easy and I like to award consistency. It was simply the perfect storm this week and when I put the list together this is what came out. But with that, someone honorable mentions that almost made the cut:
Ultimate Spider-Man #8, Deadpool #5, Destro #3, John Constantine, Hellblazer: Dead in America #8, Dark Knights of Steel: Allwinter #2, Get Fury #4, Namor #2, Epitaphs From the Abyss #2, The Powerpuff Girls #2, Usagi Yojimbo: The Crow #5, Lawful #3, Standstill #1, Archer & Armstrong: Assassin Nation #1, Blow Away #5
Shaping up to be a great week of books. With that lets get onto the countdown
(Editor’s Note: Solicitations are provided by the Repsecte Publisher)
10. Predator vs. Black Panther #1
Writer: Benjamin Percy
Artist: Chris Allen
Publisher: Marvel
Solicitation: WAKANDA… IS PREY? You saw the Marvel Universe’s most tenacious mutant go up against one of the greatest killing machines in history in PREDATOR VS. WOLVERINE — and survive. Now the planet Earth lives on in Predator lore… a planet full of the most exhilarating prey they could imagine! And the strongest weapons in the Multiverse are in their sights. When a young Predator with something to prove comes for Wakanda’s vibranium, the Black Panther faces an enemy whose resources rival those of his great nation. Who will prove stronger? Benjamin Percy teams up with Stormbreaker artist Chris Allen to pit king against king in a bloody new series!
Why it Made the List: I know the complaints about placing a book like this on the list. This is just a heartless crossover to appeal to the lowest common denominator. It is the artistic equivalent of having microwaved popcorn covered in chocolate syrup and M&M’s for dinner. Maybe, but that can be tasty if you make it right and don’t eat too much. This appeals to that part of my brain that made me a comic book fan in the first place. Remembering back to those classic Messageboard battles debating about who would win in a fight. I do not have a desire to do those debates again but reading the actual battle take place in a comic does interest me. Also, Benjamin Percy is the perfect person to write this. He has a way of writing stories like this that are not ashamed to be what they are. Junk food that’s not trying to be anything that it isn’t.
Writer: M. Son
Artist: Cas Madcursed Peirano
Publisher: Vault Comics
Solicitation: Something wicked crawled out screaming.
Edith “Eddie” Miller has no grand plans or great prospects. She spends her days sleeping in and her nights working shifts at a gas station. But when her younger sister fails to come home, Eddie unearths a web of missing girls and rotting bodies. The police prove useless, so Eddie teams up with her best friend, Rainer, in a desperate hunt to find her sister. The only thing is-Eddie believes her best friend might be the Devil himself.
Why it Made the List: Two big factors tend to impact my anticipation of a new series. First and foremost is the creative team behind the book. In this case, I have no familiarity with anyone attached to this series. Item two is the premise or concept of the title. The concept here sounds intriguing but I would not say it is above or beyond other similar titles. So why am I anticipating so highly? Well, that would be due to the publisher. I trust Vault as a publisher as much as any other right now. They have introduced me to so much talent before they became mainstays in the business like Ram V with his comic These Savage Shores. Will M. Son or Cas Madcursed Peirano be just as successful? Well, I hope so because the more good talent exists in the industry the better it is for anyone. Plus there’s a special joy when you can discover a new favorite creative team to follow for years. Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips had to start somewhere, and not to put those levels of expectations but it is just one benefit of trying books from people you may not know. Like the classic line says ‘A stranger is just a friend you haven’t met yet’. Same can be said for comic creators you have not read yet.
Writer: Tom Taylor
Artist: Bruno Redondo
Publisher: DC
Solicitation: THE PENULTIMATE CHAPTER OF TOM TAYLOR AND BRUNO REDONDO’S LEGENDARY NIGHTWING SAGA! While Dick connects with the ghost of his past, “Nightwing” takes to the streets to defend his honor. But how can he be in two places at once? And what shocking revelation does Dick learn when confronted with the truth behind his parents’ deaths? The “Heartless” saga continues in the penultimate chapter of this celebrated run!
Why it Made the List: Bruce Wayne playing the role of Nightwing seems silly. Well, that’s because it is a bit silly. I tend to like silly when done well. It also plays well against what’s going on in Nightwing’s journey right now. We are nearing the end of Tom Taylor’s run and he along with Bruno Redondo are doing everything they can to bring this run back to its previous heights. Last issue we saw all the pieces that have been building since the beginning, which was impressive to witness laid out like it was. I am fascinated with seeing how exactly Nightwing is going to find a solution to the issues in front of him. Knowing Deadman will be part of the solution also has me quite excited. You can never have enough Deadman.Â
Writer: Tom King
Artist: Jeff Spokes
Publisher: DCÂ
Solicitation: EISNER AWARD WINNER TOM KING DELIVERS A NEW WILDSTORM SERIES WITH RISING STAR ARTIST JEFF SPOKES! The wild storm begins! What could four strangers have to do with the fate of the world? Find out as Captain Atom goes rogue, threatening to destroy the planet he once swore to protect. Can any hero stop him? Well, it may take the most unconventional of them all… Jenny Sparks, the one woman tasked with keeping ALL the heroes in line, no matter the cost. With a snap of her fingers, she’s entered the fray and won’t quit until the job is done! The Spirit of the 20th Century returns for the 21st in this action-packed new miniseries by Eisner Award-winning writer Tom King (WONDER WOMAN, SUPERGIRL: WOMAN OF TOMORROW) and artist Jeff Spokes!
Why it Made the List: My experience with the world of Wildstorm is quite limited so others may be anticipating this much more than I am. Although there are probably just as many on the other end because when Tom King’s name is on a book there are plenty of fans ready, willing, and able to voice their displeasure. I am an unabashed Tom King fan as he takes chances so even if something does not fully work it will fail interestingly. One thing that is consistent with King is that he works with great artists and knows how to write to those artist’s strengths. Will that trend continue with Jeff Spokes? My bet is yes. I do hope my lack of knowledge regarding Jenny Sparks does not hinder my enjoyment, but perhaps it will also push me to read more of the Wildstorm universe finally.Â
Writer: Phillip Kennedy Johnson
Artist: Somnath Pal
Publisher: Boom! Studios
Solicitation: Danny is spiraling out of control, still off his meds and stewing in the murderous aftermath of his recent job.
When it comes to the next hit, it’s not just the hallucinatory hauntings that feel off; something is seriously wrong, and it won’t be Danny that will find himself in the poetically ironic jaws of death itself…
Why it Made the List: Crocodile Black is a series I do not think I have given the credit it deserves. Partially because I have a hard time quantifying exactly what it is as a comic. It is kind of a crime story, with a bit of a mystery element, and although there is not a supernatural element it has the sense you are witnessing something otherworldly. Dave Stewart’s colors help a great deal with that as well. Somnath Pal’s art has been a big reason too as he renders the world in this aura of controlled chaos that explodes into fits of rage and violence. It speaks to a large part of our society that is seemingly lost with no direction or purpose so they get drawn to the worst of what we are as a species. Often when people try to make a story that describes our current world it can come off as forced or shortsided. Here the commentary is both insightful and organically woven into the narrative in a way some may even miss. This series needs to be talked about more so making sure I do just that.
Writer: Stephanie Phillips
Artist: Alessandro Miracolo
Publisher: Marvel
Solicitation: JEAN GREY is dedicated to protecting innocents in deep space! Yes, space is vaster than imagination, greater and darker than the mind can comprehend — and yet, not big enough to stop family from dropping by without warning… But that’s how it goes when your father-in-law is CORSAIR of the STARJAMMERS! Leaving the pirate life behind, he’s got the inside line on huge news, and PHOENIX is the only one who can act to save untold lives — that is, if she can believe he’s telling the truth…
Why it Made the List: When Phoenix was first announced it was not high on my list of the new X-Men line. Nothing against the creative team it is simply that the Phoenix is a character that is difficult to write for in a long-term story especially when she is at the center of it. Yes, I know this is when someone says Dark Phoenix Saga, which is part of the problem because people often just try to rehash what was. Her power level is such that finding challenges is not the easiest thing to do. So what changed? They changed the context of the story. Making this a cosmic book is such a smart choice because Phoenix is a character that works so well in that setting, and despite having familiarity with it there are plenty of opportunities to tell new stories. Having Nova show up last issue was a nice surprise I am still not over it. Now we are getting Corsair and the Starjammers who I love and we very rarely see anymore. With one issue this went from on my lower level of anticipation to near the top of all the current X-Men titles.Â
Writer: James Robinson
Artist: Scott Kolins
Publisher: Dark Horse
Solicitation: From the celebrated creators behind Starman and The Flash comes this new supernatural series about slasher monsters, mad scientists, and cult movie-inspired horror.
A young girl named ‘Patra wakes up with no memory of her past. All she knows is that a big knife and a horrific mask appear whenever she’s in danger. Oh, that, and a deranged killer, in the tradition of 1980s slasher films, who is slaughtering families in a small mid-western town, and wants to make Patra his victim too. Join us for a new series as one brave little girl faces both monstrous dangers and mysterious secrets in this homage to the classic horror movies of yore.
Celebrated scribe James Robinson and artist Scott Kolins bring a new slasher horror series to Dark Horse!
Why it Made the List: With Something Crawled Out #1 I mentioned how the number one thing I look for when anticipating a new series is the creative team. So that should tell you why this book is so high on this week’s list. There are few runs more acclaimed and loved than theirs on Starman by both fans and fellow creators. So anytime they get the band back together there is reason to get excited. This appears to be a much different type of story than what they did with DC back in the day, which is probably the better choice. Allowing for an opportunity to make a comic that does not have an instant connection to the past work, hopefully beyond being really great as well. I am not the biggest fan of slasher horror stories but when they work well I love them. For example, Halloween is one of the best horror films of all time in my opinion. The key is to have a story and be more than just gore and violence. I trust that will be the case with this series.Â
3. Batman / Superman: World’s Finest #30
Writer: Mark Waid
Artist: Gleb Melnikov
Publisher: DC
Solicitation: THE TRINITY’S FIRST MISSION: REVEALED! Get ready to see the Trinity — Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman — take part in their first adventure as a trio!
Why it Made the List: One thing I have to credit DC for is their ability to counter-program during Absolute Power. One of my issues with Night Terrors last year was that it took over the line to such a degree if you did not like the story you did not have much else to turn to with the DC line. With Absolute Power, we had Action Comics last week which was a wonderful standalone story, and now this week we get a World’s Finest issue that is a throwback to a time within DC lore. We have gotten a couple of stories like this already with this line. One was a take on Batman and Superman’s first meetup and the other was when Joker and Lex Luthor found common ground for the first time. I dug both of those arcs so it gives me reason to think it will be three for three. Now Dan Mora not being on art duties makes me a bit sad. I get he’s busy with the main Absolute Power series, and being human he can only do so much. I do not know much about the work of Gleb Melnikov but even when Mora has not been on art duties the work has been solid. Melnikov has big shoes to fill but it helps when you have a veteran like Mark Waid to help you along the way.Â
Writer: Tim Seeley, Tony Fleecs
Artist: Tim Seeley, Tony Fleecs
Publisher: Image
Solicitation: END OF STORY ARC +The Lost Ones, Finale
Local Man has lost Farmington to the forces of the Faceless Horde. Now every townsperson is a devout, fanatical member of a sprawling terrorist organization bent on rebooting the world—including his own grieving mom.
Now Jack is alone and outclassed. Thankfully, he has the one thing that makes every Image superhero smile…
Lots and lots of big ass guns.
Why it Made the List: One of my favorite Comic Series is heading to the end of an arc. Not making the same mistake I made last time thinking the series is actually ending. Already saw what they are cooking up for the next round and am extremely intrigued with where they are going. For now, I am wondering where exactly this arc will end up. They do not do things by accident with this series so seeing the use of ‘rebooting’ in the solicitation has to mean something big is in store. This entire run has been this massive overview of the superhero genre, but not in a way that can be put into a box or directly compared to something like Watchmen or The Boys. At times it is meta, at times it is a direct genre story, at others a parody, and often someplace in between. Bottom line it is a story that could only be constructed by people who understand the genre through and through to give us something both familiar and new.
Writer: Jonathan Hickman
Artist: Greg Capullo
Publisher: Marvel
Solicitation: HICKMAN AND CAPULLO JOIN FORCES FOR A WOLVERINE EPIC LIKE NO OTHER! Greg Capullo makes his grand return to Marvel Comics storytelling as he and Jonathan Hickman pit WOLVERINE against a cadre of foes who will turn his world upside down! He’s been beaten! He’s been bloodied! And LOGAN only has one thought on his mind: REVENGE! Don’t miss this prestige miniseries, set to become one of the defining tales in Wolverine’s storied legend!
Why it Made the List: I do not love listing a number one in the top spot because it feels too easy, but at times I cannot avoid it. Sure it’s great to see Jonathan Hickman’s name, and Wolverine has given us so many great comics over the years. What has me excited is seeing Greg Capullo doing interiors again! I remember when he announced he had something big planned and when it was revealed it was just a Wolverine cover. While it was a good cover, it did make me hope one day he would get the chance to do an actual Wolverine comic and here we are. Then when you match him up with a writer the level of Jonathan Hickman is even more reason to be excited. Honestly, Wolverine is not a character I would think would fit the style of Hickman’s writing, but I also thought the same thing about Spider-Man and so far he has proved me wrong. Wolverine stories do not need to be the most complex to be good. We know he is the best he is at what he does and what he does should fit the style of Capullo very well.Â
