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It has begun. With the start of Absolute Power and Blood Hunt going strong the Comic Book Summer Event season is in full swing. With that though we still have plenty of great smaller books telling quality stories as well. Should make doing this list a lot of fun these next few weeks:
(Editor’s Note: Solicitations provided by respected Publishers)
Writer: Cullen Bunn
Artist: Chris Batista
Publisher: Mad Cave
Solicitation: The triumphant return of Gatchaman, the iconic Japanese animated franchise of a five-member, bird-themed superhero team, known to Western audiences as Battle of the Planets!
A mechanical terror has descended upon numerous cities and the world’s greatest scientists are disappearing. Our only hope: Science Ninja Team Gatchaman! As they battle these machinations from the international terrorist organization known as Galactor, their strength, willpower, and even vehicles are pushed to the absolute limit. If they fail…who’s waiting in the wings to take their place? The first exciting issue in an ongoing series that expands upon the original anime series!
Why it Made the List: I am coming into this book as a newbie. I never watched Battle of the Planets nor do I know what a Gatchaman is beyond what I see on the cover. So why am I interested? For one I have heard great things and always wanted to give it a try so this feels like the perfect opportunity. Also seeing Cullen Bunn’s name gets me immediately intrigued. There will also be Gatchaman – Ken: Deathmatch #1 released this week as well so I am curious how extensive this world is going to be. Plus Mad Cave has impressed me a lot this year including with the current Dick Tracy series. If they put as much care into this as they have that book this should be a success.
Writer/Artist: Michael Avon Oeming
Publisher: Dark Horse
Solicitation: Pursued by outlaws and the monastery, William and Winnie encounter a demon stealing souls from soldiers while devils and angels battle in the sky. Arriving in Berwick, they are told about an ill-tempered merchant who died and soon began to shamble about town. After an ominous encounter at a Faerie mound, William and Winnie are ambushed by knights as their adventures catch up with them. Find out what happens in this medieval horror fit for any age.
Why it Made the List: Michael Avon Oeming has been a respected comic creator for a few decades now but I have sadly not experienced as much of his work as I should. For example, Powers has remained on my list of shame for far too long. So I was not missing this series and I rather enjoyed the first issue. I would describe it as Hellboy by way of Usagi Yojimbo. For some reason, this year has given us a ton of fantasy comics so it has become a very crowded genre. I have a strong feeling that this will stand out within a crowded field.
8. Godzilla: Here There Be Dragons II – Sons of Giants #1
Writer: Frank Tieri
Artist: Inaki Miranda
Publisher: IDW
Solicitation: A sequel to last summer’s smash miniseries! Frank Tieri and Inaki Miranda reunite to explore the conspiracy that led to Sir Francis Drake hiding his treasure on Monster Island! Who are the Sons of Giants, and what is their mission? More importantly, what is their connection to Godzilla and the other monsters? This series shows us how it all came to be, how Godzilla was discovered by the leaders of the world, and how it changed history forever!
Why it Made the List: IDW has been putting out a lot of great Godzilla comics and last year’s Godzilla: Here There Be Dragons was one of the best. I was so happy and shocked to see it get an Eisner nomination. It is not often a licensed book like this that gets that type of recognition. To be to be fair that is because most licensed books are not nearly as good. Inaki Miranda’s page designs were my favorite part of that series so happy to see him return as an artist. I do worry that this is trying to capitalize on the surprise success of that previous book forcing a story that was not meant to be, because that has been the case time and time again. Hopefully, this can live up to the original run’s qualifications and earn its own Eisner nomination.
Writer: David Avallone, Kevin Eastman
Artist: Kevin Eastman, Troy Little, Ben Bishop
Publisher: Image Comics
Solicitation: A funeral, an angry widow, a talking statue, a crazed mob, a silent-movie nightmare, and a face-off with murderous Lithuanian gangsters. It’s another tricky day for Shane “Books” Bookman, a comic book creator who rode the roller coaster of fame and fortune and ended up…in a whole lotta trouble!
Why it Made the List: Has anyone checked on Kevin Eastman? Reading this makes me concerned about where his head might be. Now this is not supposed to be a true story but the allegorical links to Kevin Eastman’s actual life are not hard to spot. An indie cartoonist creates a strange comic about mutated animals that becomes of a massive surprise hit, then after selling the property to a corporation he has a massive falling out with his fellow co-creator. The money he makes quickly runs dry and he is lefty doing shady things in hopes of getting money to produce his passion project. In a way, it feels like a ‘What If?” story but in reality. I have rathered enjoyed it because it is so unique in its creation and has that underground feel of independent comics of the ’80s and ’90s. You cannot place it into any one genre do the the unexpected direction the story takes. It lacks polish but in a way that works in its favor.
6. Inaki Miranda: The Book of Life #1
Writer: Peter Hogan
Artist: Steve Parkhouse
Publisher: Dark Horse
Solicitation: “The status for this world has now changed… and you should act accordingly.”
In this new series, everything does change for small town alien-in-hiding Harry Vanderspiegel! The latest mesmerizing Resident Alien outing from writer Peter Hogan and artist Steve Parkhouse sees Auntie Asta become Mother Asta, and Harry cosplays as Jason Voorhees before he makes a surprising plea to his home planet.
Why it Made the List: I have been a big fan of Resident Alien for a while now so I am happy to see any new series for it. Also find it crazy that this series has had such a successful TV adaptation when larger properties like Y the Last Man could not get beyond one season. For those fans of the show the comic bears little resemblance to what you have seen on TV or streaming. Where the show goes more in a comedic direction the comic has been far more straightforward with a subdued execution. Often feeling more akin to a crime book than anything. Although this has a number one on the cover this continues the story that has been running since 2012. Will it be welcoming to new readers? That I cannot say but considering more eyes may be on this due to the success of the show I hope that is the case. If not I would implore you to go back to the original run because it is worth your time.
Writer: Robert Kirkman
Artist: Lorenzo De Felici
Publisher: Image Comics
Solicitation: Secrets of the Sacred Ring revealed! VOID RIVALS finally puts the “energon” in their corner of the Energon Universe!
Why it Made the List: Void Rivals first made waves because it was used as a launching bad for the entire Engergon Universe. Have to give Robert Kirkman credit for being one of the few people in comics who can keep a secret but in a way it had me worried that this book wasn’t much more than an advertisement for other more interesting books. Because of that, I let it stack up for a while and recently finally got up to date. I should have given Kirkman more credit because they are weaving quite a tale here. I am ignorant of the world of Transformers so I know some deep-cut characters have made an appearance but their involvement has not moved the needle for me. What has moved the needle is the main story of these two Waring planets and two soldiers caught in between their manufactured conflict. Lorenzo De Felici’s art has been quality throughout including the designs for some of the original characters. Competition is thought but this is neck and neck with Transformers for best book in the Engergon universe.
4. Absolute Power: Ground Zero #1
Writer: Mark Waid, Chip Zdarsky, Gleb Melnikov, Joshua Williamson, Nicole Maines
Artist: Dan Mora, Skylar Patridge, V. Ken Marion
Publisher: DC Comics
Solicitation: WITNESS THE TRINITY OF EVIL’S RISE TO POWER IN THE CAN’T-MISS PRELUDE TO DC’S SUMMER BLOCKBUSTER! THE DOMINOS FALL! As the DC Universe braces for the “Absolute Power” blitzkrieg, the key to capturing metahuman powers on planet Earth will at last be unlocked! Bridging the events of Batman, Superman: House of Brainiac, and Suicide Squad: Dream Team, this special oversize GROUND ZERO issue brings Waller’s total dominance to the doorsteps of the world’s finest heroes… using the combined might of FAILSAFE, BRAINIAC QUEEN, and the SUICIDE SQUAD to do it! Witness years of storytelling culminate, brought to you by Absolute Power series architect MARK WAID and the masterminds behind the trinity of evil, CHIP ZDARSKY, NICOLE MAINES, and JOSHUA WILLIAMSON!
Why it Made the List: As stated we are fully in the Summer Comic Book Event season. I know the typical reaction is people complaining about event fatigue yet they keep making them so someone must be buying them. I am hopeful for Absolute Power for one major reason and that’s the involvement of Mark Waid and Dan Mora. World’s Finest has been my favorite DC book so I will give anything they create a chance. I would prefer instead of doing a Prelude like this they would just jump into it but considering all the different titles coming together I get the need to level set. If this can get the event off on a good start it will go a long way to appease minds that my have turned off already.
Writer: Ray Fawkes
Artist: Antonio Fuso
Publisher: Mad Cave
Solicitation: While Detective Dimitrovich digs further into the shocking murders, uncovering links to the black market, Detective Smirnoff faces pressure from higher up to close the case immediately. Meanwhile, the killer strikes very close to home…
Why it Made the List: As we are nearing the halfway point of the year I have been debating doing some awards like my favorite Publisher so far. Mad Cave would be on the shortlist not just due to some of their licensed books like Dick Tracy but also original work like Mugshots and Sanction. This is my type of book. The first issue felt like The ‘Russian Wire’ as you have a detective investigating a murder case in a way that just angers the higher-ups. He likes to dig too deep to the point it gets him in trouble. Was waiting for someone to say, “The job is not going to save you” but it did not happen. Maybe this issue. Having the story take place in Russia certainly ups the stakes because making people disappear including police feels a bit easier than in Baltimore. Antonio Fuso’s art works well with the story not trying to over-dramatize what is already there. It does the small things well which is indicative of the entire first issue.
Writer: Rick Remender, Brian Posehn
Artist: Moreno DiNisio, Brett Parson
Publisher: Image Comics
Solicitation: The Grommets’ big day out! After some fine dining at the Bell, Rick and Brian meet up with the Jens to skate a parking garage. They’ll face security guards, jock thugs, and wipeouts in a classic day of unsupervised danger, fun, and adventure in the lives of 80s suburban latchkey kids.
Why it Made the List: If you read my review of the first issue you saw how much I enjoyed it. I saw many that related to the first issue based on growing up in a similar time/place or also being a part of Skateboard culture. That is not the case with me as it takes place about a decade before my time and I never got much into skateboards beyond playing Tony Hawk: Pro Skater. I enjoyed it because it was a well-told story with a good sense of humor and fantastic art. The cartoony and colorwork are a thing of beauty so I am happy just for another chance to go back to that world. This week Remender also has The Sacrificers #9 which is another great series, but it bears so little resemblance to this book. Shows how versatile he is as a writer. Both books are deserving of this list but this got the edge because I prefer slice-of-life books and how rare they are in monthly issues.
1. Zatanna: Bring Down The House #1
Writer: Mariko Tamaki
Artist: Javier Rodríguez
Publisher: DC
Solicitation: AN ALL-NEW DC BLACK LABEL SERIES FROM EISNER-WINNING WRITER MARIKO TAMAKI AND ARTIST JAVIER RODRÍGUEZ! And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for… please put your hands together for Zatanna Zatara! The greatest entertainer in the crappiest hotel and casino of Las Vegas! Not that the ritzier spots on the Strip haven’t come calling, of course. But since a devastating instance of magic gone wrong that forever changed the course of her childhood, Zatanna would much rather live out her days as a top-hat-and-fishnets-wearing sleight-of-hand stage act than bother with real magic. These days, she doesn’t think much of the past at all. That is, until an interdimensional vortex cracks open during Zatanna’s act, and a terrifying demon crawls out to kill her. If she hopes to survive the horrors that follow it, she’ll need to take herself and her power seriously for the first time in a long time — and fast. Because when it comes to your past, you can run… but you can’t hide forever!
Why it Made the List: So why is this at number one? Is it because I am a huge fan of Zatanna as a character? Can’t say I have read much of her. But I do adore the work of Mariko Tamaki and Javier Rodríguez. If I were to name my favorite comic artists right now Rodríguez would easily make the top three. His panel layouts and page design in particular make it exciting to read his work. Every time I read a comic by him I see something I have never seen in comics before. The amount of creators I can say that about is only a handful. I tend to enjoy Mariko Tamaki’s indie work more than her DC work, but this could be a good in-between considering it is a Black Label comic so it is not burdened by the normal rules of DC continuity. Seeing Tamaki and Rodríguez’s names on the same comic made me instantly place this on top of this week’s list.
