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Another week and more great comics. Although this Wednesday is in November it is considered a fifth Wednesday so publishers like DC are not putting out a large number of books. Despite that though still plenty to get excited about. So with that let’s look at this week’s Top 10 Most Anticipated Comics…
Editor note: All Description portions come directly from their respected publishers
Writer: Dan Panosian
Artist: Alessio Petillo
Description: Prepare yourself for the savagery that can only Red Sonja can deliver in this brand-new series that harkens back to the classic era of Robert E. Howard’s original pulp tales of swords and sorcery!
Tasked with retrieving a long-hidden gem from a crumbled, ancient kingdom, the She-Devil With a Sword is traveling alone through a dangerous wasteland when fate intervenes, and her solo adventure is sidetracked by a wayward prince and his bride as they try desperately to escape from fearsome desert bandits – only to be attacked by a monstrous beast from beneath the sands!
Why it Made the List: I was late to read any Red Sonja comics. I dismissed the character as nothing more than sex and skin. When Mark Russell took over writing duties I decided to give it a shot and realized I was simply wrong. You can craft some great stories around her characters. Dan Panosian may not be Mark Russell but he is an industry veteran who has had a rather steady career. Actually excited to see him get an opportunity like this with such a mainstay character in the comic industry.
Writer/Artist: Szymon Kudranski
Description: Living an isolated life in a shadowed valley surrounded by mountains and a thick forest, a father and son are terrorized by a dangerous supernatural presence. Only the father’s dark secrets can save them…or damn their souls for all eternity! Being a single father can be tough, but for Ezra Connolly, it’s a duty he doesn’t take lightly. Living off-grid, away from prying eyes, in the heart of forest country, he spends his days teaching his teenage son Wil survival skills. But Wil has questions, questions Ezra fears to answer—about his past, and about why they never leave the valley before sundown… A four-issue horror miniseries from the creator of the breakout hit series SOMETHING EPIC and the artist of SPAWN and Punisher.
Why it Made the List: Szymon Kudranski’s previous series Something Epic was an interesting idea that was executed well. Plus it had amazing art. For him to come out with another series already that he is writing and drawing another series already is an achievement in itself. The man most never step away from the drawing board. Also a great time for a horror book a day after Halloween. No reason why Spooky season can’t last all twelve months.
Writer: Mariko Tamaki
Artist: Skylar Patridge
Description: GIRL INTERRUPTED! After joining the Superman Family and their heroic efforts in Metropolis, Kara thought she had found her place in the world. But there’s only room in town for one Supergirl, and Power Girl’s sudden reappearance has made her redundant. Her identity and role are both in question as she looks for answers. Will they lead her out of the city or out of this world? Find out as critically acclaimed writer Mariko Tamaki (SUPERGIRL: BEING SUPER) returns to the Maid of Might with the help of Skylar Patridge (WONDER WOMAN)!
Why it Made the List: It’s a great time to be a Superman fan and it would be wonderful to say the same for Supergirl as well. This is only a special but love seeing Mariko Tamaki return to the character as I was a big fan of her Supergirl: Being Super series. Sad to see Joelle Jones isn’t joining as well but Skylar Patridge is not a bad choice either. Maybe if this is done well we can see the character getting her own ongoing or at least another mini-series.
Writer: Van Jensen, Jay Baruchel
Artist: Alessandro Micelli
Description: Boy and Girl are on the run from the death cult that spawned them, and as they venture into a town they discover all the wonders that 1993 has to offer. A mall! Christmas! “In Utero” by Nirvana! Teenage angst! Things are pretty darn great, but boy howdy is it all about to go sideways as an army of assassins heads to town. Oh, and a guy gets his face punched off. No, really!
Why it Made the List: I am really digging this series. The first issue was a nice surprise and issue two was even better. Alessandro Micelli’s art is a big reason especially his use of color. Often there’s a lack of color but when the violence explodes the pages rage with red. I am also interested to see more of what this world is like. Seeing these kids exposed to a word they never knew will just add another dynamic to the narrative. One of my favorite surprises of 2023.
Writer: Christopher Yost
Artist: Val Rodrigues
Description: Chris Yost, co-creator of X-23, writer of hundreds of X-men issues and films and shows like Thor: Ragnarok and The Mandalorian, returns to comic books with Val Rodrigues to weave together Dark Fantasy and action-packed SciFi in UNNATURAL ORDER!
After the fall of the Britons and the Roman invasion of Hibernia, the captive known only as the Druid is released, sending a darkness across the world…an age of horrors, of fire and entrails. As the innocent burn in the Wicker fields, those who would resist learn of the existence of a man who even the Druid fears. For it is this prisoner, a soldier from a different time, who alone knows the Druid’s secret: this is not how the world is supposed to be.
Why it Made the List: Christopher Yost is another creator like Dan Panosian who may not get major headlines but has done a lot of great work, and even people like Dan Slott mentioned how clutch he was helping with series he has done in the past. Now this series is all his own with one of the most consistent publishers in comics today. Always looking for another exciting fantasy series as well. Definitely has the elements to be one of this week’s highlights.
Writer: Rick Remender
Artist: Max Fiumara
Description: We love to imagine that one day we will eat them. But they don’t have to dream. They have what they want. We live on their scraps. The anger is rising.
Why it Made the List: This series is showing me an entirely different side of Rick Remender. He has legitimately had one of the best comic careers, and series like this are a big reason. Now it has a level of darkness you would expect with a Remender series, but even that is much more reserved than some of his most recent works. Also have to give major credit to Max Fiumara. Remender’s eye for great artists that fit his stories remains as strong as ever. Fiumara’s style is key to making this series work and feel as different as it does. With each issue, this series gets better and better. Exactly what you want as a reader.
Writer: Jonathan Hickman
Artist: Stefano Caselli
Description: THE SPOILS OF VICTORY! After the worlds-shaking conclusion of ULTIMATE INVASION, a new team of heroes bands together to save the future! From mastermind Jonathan Hickman and superstar artist Stefano Caselli, don’t miss out on this foundational issue for the new line of Ultimate Comics!
Why it Made the List: To be honest I have no idea what to expect with this comic. I thought Ultimate Invasion’s ending was a bit of a dud, but Jonathan Hickman has a track record that is second to none. We also got the news this week about Ultimate Spider-Man so that has majorly piqued my interest as well. My hope is this will make up for the disappointment in Ultimate Invasion to garner some excitement for this relaunch of the Ultimate Universe.
3. Usagi Yojimbo: Ice and Snow #2
Writer/Artist: Stan Sakai
Description: Usagi and his cousin Yukichi must face their honorable host-a mysterious woman, pale as fresh snow-when she reveals herself to be a monster! Meanwhile, Jei and Keiko now have a group of bandits at their disposal. Usagi Yojimbo returns to Dark Horse comics with this new series!
Why it Made the List: In my first top 10 list this was my most anticipated book of the week. So you may think it fell off some seeing it down at three. Not the case whatsoever. We are talking about Stan Sakai here the most consistent creator in comics in the last thirty-plus years. Usagi Yojimbo is like ordering your favorite dish from your favorite restaurant. You know exactly what you are going to get and that’s why you love it. Some other books may be a bit higher but that’s because they have that element of the unknown that this does not have, which is not necessarily a bad thing.
Writer: Scott Snyder
Artist: Dan Panosian
Description: During the final days of the Gold Rush, one mining company in Colorado, pulled up radioactive Uranium, and then the mine then collapsed in on itself. Legends sprung up about the mine being cursed or even haunted. Now the Frontier is closed, the gold and silver mines have dried up. The country is becoming “civilized,” and yet, in one stretch of the Rocky Mountains, a terrifying, new kind of violence is suddenly emerging. Random killings. People going mad and murdering neighbors, classmates without real cause. When a schoolboy kills his teacher with a hatchet, a famous federal marshal named Azrael William Holt is called in to investigate the killings. What he – and a brilliant young geologist – discover is stranger and more horrifying than anything they could have ever imagined.
Why it Made the List: This might sound controversial but I fully believe it. Scott Snyder is easily doing the best work of his career right now and it is not close. Yes, he was the biggest name in comics back when he was doing Batman, but since it moved away from DC he has taken some real chances with a variety of different series. His output alone has been insane. Now we are getting him taking on the Western genre with artist Dan Panosian? Count me in.
Writer: Mark Russell
Artist: Roberto Meli
Description: Roy tries to make sense of his time on Earth and figure out what his mission on Mars really is during the last few days of his life.
Why it Made the List: This was not a week where I knew right away what would top the list. As I looked at this week’s books I ended up going with Traveling to Mars #9 because it has been such a consistently well-written series. Mark Russell is one of my favorite writers in comics so that’s not surprising but this series feels different for him. Obviously, it’s filled with sharp social commentary but the emotional core of this story has been what has made it such an appealing read. By all means this is a hopeless situation as a man is on a spaceship traveling to Mars with no chance of survival, but due to his illness, he would be dead anyway. Mars may be the destination but finding solace in one own’s mortality is where this story is heading. With each issue, there’s been a cavalcade of great twists and turns to keep the excitement going. With issue eleven being the final issue the final act is starting to take shape. Not sure if I am emotionally ready for it all.
Other books I am excited about that did not make the list: The Nasty #4, Red Light #1, Almost Dead #1, Godzilla: Here There Be Dragons #5, Stranger Things: The Voyage #1, Ghostlore #6, X-Men #28, The Avengers #7, and White Widow #1
