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Well, we are back to a normal week of books. After the monster week that occurred with San Diego Comic-Con and the rather light week last week, we just have a typical week of comics. Plenty of books to be excited about as normal with a mixture of new and old. With that said let’s take a look at this week’s list…
(Editor’s Note: Solicitation provided by the respected Publishers)
Writer: Chip Zdarsky
Artist: Chip Zdarsky, Rachael Stott
Publisher: Image Comics
The Eisner Award-winning comic about comics by CHIP ZDARSKY (BATMAN, NEWBURN) continues! Move over, Jim Lee! Get outta here, Ryan Stegman! This issue features the first appearance of the world’s hottest comic artist, TEDDY KRANK! Prepare to get Kranked™!
Why it Made the List: I love comics about comics and The Public Domain came back as strong as ever last month. To make things even more meta we got the real-life comic book of what these characters are making within this universe. Part of me wonders if that was giving away its own story, but alas it is not all that important. What we are seeing with this arc is the challenge of bringing back a classic character for a new era and the push and pull that happens. Do you simply just do what worked before or do you try to redefine for a new generation? There are pluses and minuses to both so it is a great way to get some organic drama in a story. Although the comic has been made that is just the start of the story. The true test is what comes next.
9. The Goon: Them That Don’t Stay Dead #2
Writer/Artist: Eric Powell
Publisher: Dark Horse
Solicitation: To mark the 25th anniversary of The Goon, Eric Powell returns with an all-new miniseries, Them That Don’t Stay Dead! When one of the Goon’s most hated enemies delves into black magic to settle their grudge, there are unsuspected consequences. for them, the Goon and all of Nameless Town. An old evil returns in a new way to reclaim Lonely Street.
Why it Made the List: I am crossing my fingers while putting this on the list. (Makes it really hard to type) Truth is I have put it on the list a couple of times only for it to be pushed back to a later date. Delays happen especially when you have one person doing everything like Eric Powell who is on Art and writing duties. Rather the creator takes the time they need to get it right than rush it out to hit some meaningless schedule. Sometimes it can be difficult to remember what happened but with The Goon you can typically pick up the issue and follow it with no major problem. The first comic I read from this franchise was twenty years into its history and I had no issue following what was happening. It is basically placing a goodhearted tough guy into the middle of a Universal Monsters story and you see what happens. When that is done with the unique and phenomenal art of Eric Powell it cannot be missed. Hoping it is not missed this week.
Writer: Kieron Gillen
Artist: Caspar Wijngaard
Publisher: Image Comics
Solicitation: “Superpowered.” You have certain preconceptions. They’re incorrect. Here, that word has a specific technical definition. Namely, “any individual with the destructive capacity of the nuclear arsenal of the USA.” There are six such people on Earth. The planet’s survival relies on them never coming into conflict. Come dance to the ticking of the doomsday clock with KIERON GILLEN (THE WICKED + THE DIVINE, DIE) and CASPAR WIJNGAARD (HOME SICK PILOTS, ALL AGAINST ALL). The eternal fight against fighting starts now.
Why it Made the List: You have to love it when two creators you are a major fan of join forces for a brand new comic. Kieron Gillen has been doing great work for decades now so any time he has a new book out I am definitely going to check it out. I have enjoyed Caspar Wijngaard’s art on several series now and his style seems like it would fit perfectly with the work of Gillen. Part of me wonders if we need even more stories about superpowered beings considering the plethora we have right now. Image Comics seems to be having a new boom of superhero stories so is there room for a story like this? There is always room for good comics so as long as this story works the subject matter does not matter. Also considering this is Gillen it will be anything but standard.
Writer: Tyrone Finch
Artist: Sebastián Piriz
Publisher: Ahoy Comics
Solicitation: The tale of two hapless ex-supervillain henchmen barrels toward a stunning conclusion! With Jerry and Clarence trapped behind bars, how can they save ten-year-old Zara? Or their own dignity, for that matter? Featuring the fifth of six “mug shot” incentive covers by Richard Pace (Second Coming), which form a linked image.
Why it Made the List: As I mentioned with The Power Fantasy #1 there are a lot of superhero books out right now besides the normal Marvel and DC lore, and a lot of good ones at that. One of the most underrated is Deadweights by Ahoy Comics. This has been as story of two former henchmen who are trying to live their lives the right way but the world will not accept them as anything beyond what they were. You can certainly make connections to our world with how it is so difficult to rehabilitate yourself or amend for past misgivings. With that setup, it’s been able to craft a great deal of empathy for these two main characters because you cannot help but feel for their situation. They are doing what they are supposed to do but that’s not enough. There have been plenty of stories about how the Super Heroes are really the bad guys and this is not just that. It is much more nuanced than something like The Boys which I appreciate a great deal.
Writer: Stephanie Phillips
Artist: Goran Sudžuka
Publisher: Boom! Studios
Solicitation: Red Before Black is a violent, hyper kinetic, women-led crime thriller reminiscent of 2000s-era Vertigo from superstar writer Stephanie Phillips (Grim, Harley Quinn) and acclaimed artist Goran Sud uka (Hellblazer, Y The Last Man), perfect for fans of Birds of Prey and Killing Eve.
On a special assignment from the FBI, disgraced army veteran Val is sent to Florida to hunt down an infamous drug runner named Leo. But she soon finds that they have an unexpected enemy in common, turning the game of cat and mouse into something else entirely!
Why it Made the List: You know how you get my interest? Evoke Vertigo as an inspiration for your comic book. Now with that, you are putting a great deal of expectations on your comic as well. For me, peak Vertigo comics are peak comics period. When you mention 2000s-era Vertigo my mind goes to Scalped one of my all-time favorite books. So can this creative team follow through? Well, considering it is Stephanie Phillips and Goran Sudžuka I have faith they can do it. Sudžuka already has for that matter. Never have I read a Stephanie Phillips comic and thought of that era but that does not mean she cannot pull it off. If anything she has shown quite a range as a creator. Looking forward to seeing if that range can expand even further with this series.
Writer: David Pepose
Artist: Jonathan Lau
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Solicitation: As Space Ghost and his young allies continue to dig into the evils of Robo-Corp, a new threat is emerging – one that may prove to be deadlier than all of the galaxy’s rogue companies and space pirates put together! Breaking free from their specially designed prison, Zorak and his army of fanatical Zorathian warriors are coming to take revenge on the Guardian of the Spaceways. And as if this wasn’t bad enough, our heroes must also face the might of Titanor!
Danger and excitement expand like a supernova in Space Ghost #4 – all carefully charted by award-winning author DAVID PEPOSE (Punisher) and star artist JONATHAN LAU (Vampirella Strikes), with stellar covers from FRANCESCO MATTINA, JAE LEE & JUNE CHUNG, BJORN BARENDS, and MICHAEL CHO!
Why it Made the List: How do you make a character like Space Ghost work in today’s world? What this series has done is take concepts you would normally associate with this character and find a way to slightly modernize them. Last issue for example we got that all-important story that teaches a valuable lesson. It did not come off as an afterschool special nor a PSA you would get at the end of an episode of G.I. Joe. Simply a story of a character who allowed vengeance to overcome their actions. Simply doing what good Science Fiction should. It has been a more mature take but not overtly hard edge that is trying too hard. It reminds me of the tone of The Gargoyles which is suitable for kids but darker compared to your typical Saturday or Afternoon affair. Also have to shout out Jonathan Lau who has made this world work. Dynamite does not always put the best artists on their books and appreciate this looks great thus far. His shadow work in particular has been stellar.
Writer: Ben H. Winters, Chris Condon, Corinna Bechko, Matt Kindt
Artist: Artyom Topilin, Caitlin Yarsky, Jonathan Case, Kano
Publisher: Oni Press
Solicitation: Compelled to OBLIVION, driven to ENTROPY, all life in our cosmos can only end in one place: COMPLETE ANNIHILATION! For the first time in 70 years, the limitless fury of EC Comics rages back to life to shred the very fabric of the universe itself—and wrench bizarre tales of time and space into our dimensional plane! Our guides across this double-sized, 40-page introduction to a cosmic maelstrom of strange extraterrestrial entities, malevolent scientists, and terrifying technological catastrophes? Learn to fear the void with the irradiated imaginations of Hugo Award nominee Corinna Bechko (Invisible Republic, The Space Between), rising star Chris Condon (That Texas Blood), Eisner Award nominee Matt Kindt (BRZRKR, Mind MGMT), and Edgar Award winner Ben H. Winters (The Last Policeman) as they collide with the wondrously destructive visions of artists Jonathan Case (Green River Killer), Kano (Immortal Iron Fist), Artyom Topilin (I Hate This Place), and Caitlin Yarsky (Black Hammer: Reborn)! The unpredictable return of EC Comics continues here with the quantum comics event of the millennium! Galaxies will collapse. Space-time will be distorted. And your very will to exist, too, shall be broken . . . Just remember: it’s all in the name of SCIENCE!
Why it Made the List: EC Comics is back! A few weeks ago we got the first EC comic which includes several short stories within the horror genre. So how was it? I thought it was…fine. Had some stories I enjoyed, some I was not a fan of, and others that fell somewhere in between. So will this be an improvement? One thing going for it is that we do not have nearly the amount of Science Fiction anthologies as we do horror. Part of that may be due to the challenge of doing a science fiction story in just a few pages. It is not an easy feat but when it is done well it can be something special. The list of creators is impressive including Matt Kindt who has a book next week I am very excited about as well. Despite my indifferent feelings regarding the first special still have hope this experiment can work.
Writer: Michael Moreci
Artist: Nathan Gooden
Publisher: Vault Comics
Solicitation: Barbaric’s most brutal arc concludes! Battle lines are drawn, the real enemy is exposed, and Owen discovers a new path that may lead to the secrets of his curse.
Why it Made the List: This chapter of Barbaric is coming to an end. I rather enjoy this approach of three oversized issues for each arc. Fantasy stories can often get lost in their own lore and that type of format helps avoid that issue. You have to focus on what is important rather than putting all the focus in the world-building. Character has been the drive of this series since the beginning along with fantastic action and a really effective sense of humor. Fantasy comic book fans have been eating well right now and part of the reason is the number of different flavors there have been. For example, this is much different than something like The Hunger and the Dusk. Both are great but show the versatility of the genre. I mentioned before but it is worth mentioning again how good Nathan Gooden’s work has been for this series. His action is brutal in the best of ways and his character designs capture your eyes immediately. The only downside of this issue is that it means the end of Barbaric at least for now.
Writer: Skottie Young
Artist: Jorge Corona
Publisher: Image Comics
Solicitation: Ryder washes up on the shores of an abandoned mine and finds herself buried under her past, present, and future in this hauntingly loud silent issue.
Why it Made the List: If you read my review of the last issue you could my respect for this series thus far. Jorge Corona especially has risen his already rather high talent even further. For example, the last issue focused on two separate poker games which is not the easiest thing to do within the pages of comics. Jorge Corona pulled it off though in a rather creative manner. Seeing this is going to be a silent issue is a big reason it is so high this week. Feels like the storytelling has been evolving for this exact issue. To make a silent issue work a lot is put on the shoulders of the artists. Corona and the colorist Jean-François Beaulieus have given this book a very distinct look. So far I have been impressed with their ability to juggle multiple storylines within one issue without obvious context markers to separate both. Now with a new challenge in front of them excited to see how they tackle it. Have a sense this is going to back an emotional wallap.
Writer: Gail Simone
Artist: David Marquez
Publisher: Marvel
Solicitation: PROFESSOR X… IS GONE! A core group of essential X-Men rise FROM THE ASHES to face a world without a home — and without Professor X! All bonds among the mutant community seem to be slipping away, and ROGUE reluctantly finds herself as the hero designated to bring them back together… but a fearless, malignant power is out there hunting mutants, and it has a terrible secret that may destroy what remains of the X-Men!
Why it Made the List: We have been in this era of The X-Men for a few weeks now but this is the true test. Uncanny X-Men is usually the driving force of the X-Men world so this will go a long way to define this era. Like many I am a Gail Simone fan and so glad she is getting placed on such a big title like this. The team includes some of my personal favorite X-Men characters so giving points for that out the gates. Always been a fan of placing Rogue in a major leadership role. She is a character that Simone is going to do wonders with. David Marquez as an artist is a sneaky good choice and if you want to see why I advise checking out what he did with Brian Michael Bendis on The Defenders series a few years ago. X-Men is what made a comic book fan and as X-Men fans know sometimes they can make your life miserable. When they are hitting on all cylinders though it makes it all worth it. Time will tell where this new era will fall. Very much hoping for the cylinders.
