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Last week I had a list dominated by Marvel and DC. This week? Only one book makes the list from those two publishers. Weird how the weeks shake out. The beauty of comics is there is always something to be surprised by. Now onto the list
(Editor’s Note: Solicitations are provided by the respected Publishers)
Writer: Jonathan Hickman
Artist: Esad Ribić
Publisher: Marvel
Solicitation: ALIENS AND AVENGERS FACE OFF! It’s all led to this: Xenomorphs reach Earth! The perfect organism meets a planet of superhumans. Who will be first to fall? Legendary collaborators Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribić cut loose in this four-part epic unmissable for Marvel and Alien fans alike!
Why it Made the List: I feel like I just want to copy and paste what I said last week for Predator vs Black Panther. The criticism for a book like this is obvious but it does not mean it cannot work. My anticipation for Predator vs Black Panther was met with some disappointment as I was not the biggest fan of the issue, mostly due to the art being a bit of a mess. So why am I still anticipating this series? Well because I know that will not be a problem because of the creative team. I had to check a few times to make sure the list of creators was correct. When you have a book like this that will largely sell based on the title rarely are high-end creators placed on it. Jonathan Hickman is probably Marvel’s biggest writer at the moment and Esad Ribić is a tremendous artist whose style should work wonderfully for this type of story. If I see Hickman and Ribić’s name on a comic I will be reading. Hoping they can be that team to elevate this material to something special.
Writer/Artist: Marcus Williams
Publisher: Massive
Solicitation: Popeye, arguably one of the most iconic characters in comic book history, makes his return to comic shops this May. The century old comic strip and legendary cartoon character is reimagined for the modern age, in this brand new series by Marcus Williams (Marvel’s CAPTAIN AMERICA). Popeye: Eye Lie Popeye reimagines the pop culture staple in a high-energy, manga-inspired monthly comic series that explores Popeye’s past and finally reveals the century-long mystery of how he lost his eye! Was it an epic battle or some nautical accident? The truth finally comes out as an old enemy from the sea returns to face off against the legendary Sailor Man.
With the rich history of the character and this action-packed new take lifted from the pages of top-selling manga like One Piece and Dragon Ball, Eye Lie Popeye will appeal to both traditional comic fans and younger manga readers alike.
Why it Made the List: Sometimes it is fun just to take a chance. Am I a big Popeye fan? Eh. I watched some of his cartoons as a kid and watched pieces of the live-action movie on TV so I am not unfamiliar with his world. Cannot say I have read a lot of comics done by Marcus Williams either, however, I have seen the preview pages of this and it simply looks like a good time. You can certainly see influences from the worlds of anime and Manga with a bit of a twist. I rather enjoyed what Massive and Sean Murphy did with Zorro so I hope more of the same can be done with Popeye. It does feel like every character ever is coming back in some way. Some of those series like Dick Tracy have worked out quite well. What I like about this one is that Popeye doesn’t have this extensive lore you need to pay respect. There’s far more room to create something new so I hope that Williams uses that in his favor.
8. Something is Killing the Children #40
Writer: James Tynion IV
Artist: Werther Dell’Edera
Publisher: Boom! Studios
Solicitation: The iconic Erica Slaughter has battled nightmares and monsters for over half a decade, but her journey is only just beginning…
Discover a groundbreaking new story in the Slaughterverse universe, marking the final issue of the character-defining Year Zero arc before the release of Something is Killing the Children #0!
What terrifying trials will Erica need to overcome in her formative origins before we return to the present, and the next chapter of her adventure?
This milestone issue features a premium “5 Year” commemorative foil stamp variant cover by Werther Dell’Edera, as well as additional terrifying variants by Jenny Frison, Guillem March, and Brian Stelfreez!
Why it Made the List: Something is Killing the Children is one of the biggest comics of today so it may sound odd when I say that this is the first time it has appeared on this list. I enjoyed it when it began but fell off around the third arc. I heard this current arc was a bunch of one-shots which caught my interest. So I jump back in. I didn’t read the majority of the issues I missed because I was curious to see how well I could understand things without that knowledge. A true one-shot issue should work on its own, and to credit the creators everything was easy to follow. One of my favorite issues was the therapy issue because it allowed for some great character exploration. It reminded me of the type of episode we would get in an Aaron Sorkin TV show that used the gift of dialog to tell a compelling story. Now that it is leading to issue forty I wonder what exactly they have planned. Crazy that this book has been around for five years. So rare in today’s market. This is an achievement worth celebrating even if you are not a fan of the series because this book has done a lot of good for the industry.
7. The Hunger and the Dusk: Book Two #2
Writer: G. Willow Wilson
Artist: Christian Wildgoose
Publisher: IDW
Solicitation: Old emotions resurface and tensions among the Orc tribes rise as Tara returns home. Can Faran and Troth’s budding relationship withstand the return of his former flame, or will the Orcs’ intertribal alliance fall alongside their partnership with the humans? The Vangol are still coming… and no one is prepared.
Hearts pound and civilizations fall as the second volume of the most ambitious fantasy series on the shelves continues!
Why it Made the List: The Hunger and the Dusk came back and did not miss a beat. This has been one of the best fantasy comics on the shelves since it first came out. They have built this intriguing and layered world filled with alliances and conflicts, yet it never feels like it gets lost in that world-building. You cannot help but look at some of the real-world allegories to a story of combating nations unwilling to come together to face a clear world-ending threat. Christian Wildgoose has been doing wonders as well. The Orc design in particular is strong and varied, which is important considering the role they play in this story. It is like they have taken the beast of the fantasy genre down to its core leaving room for die-hard fans as well as those who may normally be turned off by stories of this nature.
6. Barbaric vs. Deathstalker #1
Writer: Tim Seeley, Steven Kostanski
Artist: Nathan Gooden
Publisher: Vault
Solicitation: Overlength one-shot featuring two of the most iconic sword and sorcery heroes locked in epic battle! Cursed barbarian versus warrior king! Axe versus sword! Owen versus Deathstalker! When an evil wizard summons the two most reluctant heroes of all time, they’ll have to square off. But a clash of steel alone may not decide the final victor.
Why it Made the List: I am so happy that this is happening. It is one thing when two properties owned by Disney crossover, it’s another when you see publishers like Vault joining the game as well. I know Deathstalker has a lot of cult fans but I was unaware of its existence until Vault started making the comics. Barbaric on the other hand I have been a fan of since day one. Both these properties come from a similar place but have their own take on a classic idea so meshing them into one should be a lot of fun. I expect a lot of crude humor and plenty of brutal violence so if that is your type of thing would highly advice checking this issue out.
5. Resident Alien: The Book of Life #3
Writer: Peter Hogan
Artist: Steve Parkhouse
Publisher: Dark Horse
Solicitation: In this exciting issue, meet newborn Clover — Harry and Asta’s daughter! And this new addition to the family is, well, very normal and human-looking, much to our alien-in-hiding’s relief. As little Clover’s personality and possible powers develop, will Harry Vanderspiegel wind up being the “World’s Greatest Dad” on multiple planets?
Why it Made the List: Resident Alien: The Book of Life #2 was one of the most human stories I read in a comic all year. It was just about a couple getting prepared for the birth of their child and nothing more. No major twists or turns. Just beat for beat the process of that journey. One of the more refreshing reads because of that. Now as any parent knows that is just the start of the journey. All the fun and lack of sleep comes next. When you add the fact that one of those parents is an alien from another world it does complicate matters just a bit. What I have appreciated is that it does not go with the obvious joke. The fish out of water part of this story has dissolved through the years. Now it’s mainly about people and their natural complications with the extra dilemma through in here and there. This is a type of story you get when creators are confident in the story they are telling.
4. Universal Monsters: Frankenstein #1
Writer/Artist: Michael Walsh
Publisher: Image
Solicitation: A MODERN-DAY HORROR VISIONARY RESURRECTS ONE OF THE MOST ICONIC MONSTERS
Award-winning creator MICHAEL WALSH (THE SILVER COIN) presents an electrifying new vision of the horror classic. Each issue of the limited series tells the shocking story behind one of the body parts used to create the unforgettable monster in the original film.
In this first issue, Dr. Henry Frankenstein begins his unholy quest to create life by robbing the grave of a decorated police officer. But little does he know that the corpse has a son who is mourning a father — and that this young boy will forever change Frankenstein’s life.
Why it Made the List: I am a fan of when we get a Writer/Artist on a book, and Michael Walsh is one of today’s best in that category. I have been following his career for a while now including some Kickstarter work so happy to see him get a chance to tell his version of one of the most iconic stories of all time. Michael Walsh’s visual mind is so vivid and his stories tend to say something rather vital about the nature of humanity. So taking the classic idea of Frankenstein and using it to tell a story that better reflects the world we live in makes a lot of sense to me. I have not loved all the Universal Monsters comics we have gotten from Skybound, but I have had the highest hopes for this series. I trust Walsh can stay true to this material while not just repeating what has be done in the past.
Writer: David Avallone, Kevin Eastman
Artist: Kevin Eastman, Troy Little, Ben Bishop
Publisher: Image
Solicitation: NEW STORY ARC
Books and Beastly in Hollywood! Our beleaguered cartoonist hero goes to Los Angeles to visit the set of the “gritty” adaptation of his most famous creation, and chaos ensues. The second arc kicks off with a magical mystery tour through show business and Books’ own heartbreaking past.
Why it Made the List: Drawing Blood is up there for my surprises of the year. A comic I had zero expectations for and I love more and more with every issue. It is also hard to explain because of all the different things going on throughout the narrative. I love the meta-commentary it has had about both the comic book and movie industry. Last week, the main character, who is inspired by Kevin Eastman, met Kevin Eastman at a Comic-Con. It seems like they said let’s be weird with it and find a new way of accomplishing each issue. I am also impressed because we are entering a new storyline but the book continues to come out. Today’s trend is for the book to take a hiatus before ending a new chapter. Happy to see this isn’t slowing down anytime soon.
Writer: Rick Remender
Artist: André Lima Araújo
Publisher: Image
Solicitation: How do we survive in the absence of love? How do we push ourselves forward into a bright future when the past has been so dark? How do we forgive those who have wronged us?
Why it Made the List: When I finished issue ten of The Sacrificers I had that realization that we were in the hands of a master storyteller. It started with taking a character that we should completely despise considering her connection to some awful people, but we were given a story soaked in sympathy for her. Showing the darkness of society in how it will so easily turn away from those that need help because of their own selfish reasons. That story was captivating enough but then it ended in a way that caught me completely off guard and changed everything moving forward. A lot of writers telegraph their surprises far too much. Not the case with Remender. With only two issues left cannot wait to see what this creative team has in store for us.
Writer: Rick Remender, Brian Posehn
Artist: Brett Parson, Moreno DiNisio
Publisher: Image Comics
Solicitation: Rick’s dad gives him adolescent world-ending news that causes a fight with Brian, leaving him feeling angry, alone, and unheard just as their movie night with friends and girls begins, but party-crashing high school animals BYOB and blow their plans to bits.
Why it Made the List: Sometimes you are so good the only competition is yourself. This might be a first for me where a creator is on the top two books of a given week. Remender is just that good right now. Not that he should get all the credit as his co-creators Brian Posehn, Brett Parson, and Moreno DiNisio bring a lot to this series as well. Now that we are in issue four I feel safe in saying this is my favorite comic on the shelves right now. It helps to tell a type of story that I adore in coming of age, but also in a way that is not concerned about narrative all that much. It reminds me a lot of my favorite Richard Linklater films that capture a specific time and place so well that becomes a major part of the story. It’s about people living their lives and lives do not always maneuver in the way stories do. It also is reminiscent of the sense of freedom this retells. A time when kids operate much on their own and all the good and bad that brings. Brett Parson and Moreno DiNisio have made this one of the best-looking books on the shelves. Parson’s cartooning is expressive and DiNisio’s colors are distinct and full of pop. It is a book doing its own thing in every way possible.
