ABSOLUTION #1 by Peter Miligan and Mike Deodato Jr. Another AWA series involving a modified assassin and her quest for revenge. It’s got everything you would want: a great story, killer art, a super cyborg-like assassin and a serious amount of action and gore. I have to hand it to AWA as they keep turning out (mostly) great mini-series and this has the looks of being another one!
ANT-MAN #1 by Al Ewing and Tom Reilly. This mini-series will take readers through the various people who have been Ant-Man, ending up with the Ant-Man of the future. In the first issue, it’s Hank and Janet, AKA Ant-Man and The Wasp, as they battle villains from his past. I love the quirky art style of Reilly and Ewing’s tale is a cool little nod to the past, complete with documenting where these long forgotten villains first appeared. It’s truly a love letter to the past.
AVENGERS 1,000,000 B.C. #1 by Jason Aaron and Kev Walker. Journey back in time to the beginnings of the Marvel Universe where the first Avengers lived. Yeah…Prehistoric Avengers in the form of Odin, Starbrand, Agamotto, Black Panther, Ghost Rider, Iron Fist and The Phoenix. Learn the true story of Thor’s birth, as previously hinted at in THE AVENGERS. Cool story that totally changes what we thought we knew. Spoiler: Odin is an A**HOLE!!!
A.X.E.: EVE OF JUDGMENT #1 by Kieron Gillen and Pasqual Ferry and . A.X.E.: JUDGMENT DAY #1 by Gillen and Valerio Schiti. Marvel’s next big event series is here. The Celestials are coming to Krakoa to handle those they consider Deviants. In this case, al mutants. This is the start of a many month reaching story that runs its’ way through a host of Marvel titles, one-shots and mini-series. If you are a true Marvel Zombie, you know you are going to grab them all. Will it change the status quo? Possibly. But let’s be honest. Who really stays dead in comics?
BATMAN: ONE BAD DAY-THE RIDDLER #1 by Tom King and Mitch Gerads. The first in a series of one shots highlighting some of Batman’s greatest villains. Does this book really fit into continuity? I’m unsure, but if it is, it basically gives us the origin story for The Riddler. From his earliest days in school where his father is the headmaster to his current turns as a villain, it is typical King, with lots of dialogue and some great story twists.
BATMAN-WHITE KNIGHT PRESENTS: RED HOOD #1 by Sean Murphy, Clay McCormack and Simone Di Meo. Murphy’s White Knight saga has been a huge success for DC and this mini-series is just going to continue to fuel the fire for readers. All Jason wants to do is forget his past and drink some beer. But he runs into Gan, who has decided to pick up the mantle of Robin. So what’s a former Robin to do? Train your replacement. The story is fun, the art is cool, even if Murphy isn’t doing that lifting, and it will certainly appeal to fans of the core title.
BETTY AND VERONICA FRIENDS FOREVER: SUMMER SURF PARTY #1 by Jamie L. Rotante, Francis Bonnet, Frank Doyle, Mike Gallagher, Dan Parent, Dan DeCarlo, Pat Kennedy, Tim Kennedy and Doug Crane. A fun collection of Archie stories for the fans out there. The biggest reason to grab it is the introduction of Stacy Banks to the Archieverse. While it is brief, e all know what new characters can do to a comic’s value!
CAPTAIN AMERICA: SENTINEL OF LIBERTY #1 by Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly and Carmen Carnero. Cap is back in action in another new #1. He has moved into new digs, is taking up art classes and reunites with some of his old Army buddies to try to investigate what is later referred to as The Century Game. Bring in the Winter Soldier, a mysterious crystal and a shadowy villain and tis book looks like a winner designed to add new details to Cap’s origin.
DAMAGE CONTROL #1 by Adam F. Goldberg, Charlotte(Fullerton) McDuffie, Will Robson and Jay Fosgitt. Was I the only one by the way that Damage Control was portrayed in the MS. MARVEL television show? I always loved the DAMAGE CONTROL titles and this is no exception for me. It’s decidedly fun and silly as new intern Gus has to save the world by finding a piece of mail he shredded. Like I said, fun, and decidedly silly and filled with plenty of guest appearances. Remember kids: comics don’t have to be serious all the time!
DAREDEVIL #1 by Chip Zdarsky, Marco Checchetto and Rafael LaTorre. Again, Marvel decides that it’s a good thing to finish a certain story arc and then reboot the title with a new Number One. Case in point: This run of DAREDEVIL comes on the heels of the last one and picks up the same dangling plot threads. Matt Murdock is “presumed dead”, although it’s really his “brother” Mike. Fisk is in exile and we have TWO DAREDEVILS now as Elektra has decided to keep the mask on that she wore while Matt was in prison. So…yeah. You’re all caught up!
DCEASED: WAR OF THE UNDEAD GODS #1 by Tom Taylor and Trevor Hairsine. Welcome to the final chapter in DC’s epic undead collection of series. The survivors of the old Earth, wiped out by this outbreak caused by the Anti-Life Equation that took out most of the population and most of their heroes, have settled on Earth-2 and preparing to get their lives in order. But, of course, there is a problem that will need solving. And it appears to be the dead Gods coming to finish the job. I have been a huge fan of the other series and greatly look forward to the final chapter. Fun story, great art and a completely different take on Earth’s heroes.
DEFENDERS: BEYOND #1 by Al Ewing and Javier Rodriguez. Marvel’s favorite “non-team” is back again with a new team consisting of a female version of Loki, Tigra, Taaia, America Chavez, and the Blue Marvel. The universe needs saving and this is the team to do it. But wait? The Beyonder is the baddie? Cool! If you enjoyed the last series, you’re sure to enjoy this one.
FLORIDA MAN #1 by Mike Baron, Todd Mulrooney, Elias Martin and Marcelo Salaza. Legendary creator Baron adapts his FLORIDA MAN novels into comic form and it’s a wild ride. That’s about all I can say. It’s a weirdly disjointed read with a bunch of crazy Redneck characters engaging in all sorts of stupid things. The art is cool though.
GHOST RIDER: VENGEANCE FOREVER #1 by Benjamin Percy and Juan Jose Ryp. Johnny Blaze seeks out Necro the tattooist to get some special ink. What he does not know is that Necro has the ability to tell the tales of all those who have been Ghost Rider, beginning in Texas in the late 1800’s and continuing through to the present. The bottom line: all the various Spirits of Vengeance are all connected to each other and vengeance is forever. This was a fun story that can act as a jumping on point for new fans and a nice, heartwarming nod to older ones.
GIANT-SIZE GWEN STACY #1 by Christos Gage and Todd Nauck. In the days before the pandemic, Marvel launched a five issue Gwen Stacy mini-series, telling a tale from before she met Peter Parker. But, after two issues, the pandemic shut it down and fans thought they would never reach the end. Finally, Marvel collected those two issues and the final three and it was worth the wait. Meet Gwen: part student and part detective. What I loved, in addition to the story and Nauck’s killer art, was dropping in so many classic characters, ranging from The Enforcers to Jean DeWolff. This was so much fun, I could almost take this as a regular series. It was a blast to read and great to look at!
GUN HONEY: BLOOD FOR BLOOD #1 by Charles Ardai and Ang Hor Kheng. My favorite gun for hire is back in an all new, totally cool mini-series from Titan. I’m a huge Hard Case Crime to begin with and own so many of the Noir novels that the first series was a no-brainer for me. This one picks up from where the last series ended with our girl on the run. Ardai knows his character well and Kheng’s good girl art fits the bill perfectly. If you love gritty Noir stuff, this is for you! Now go find all those cool variant covers!
HARLEY QUINN: THE ANIMATED SERIES-THE REAL SIDEKICKS OF NEW GOTHAM SPECIAL #1 by Tee Frankin, Alexis Quasarano, Conner Shin, Jimmy Mosqueda, Jamiesen Borak, Max Sarin, ONeill Jones, Erica Henderson, Logan Faerber, PJ Holden and Jon Mikel. Holy smokes! A monstrous book filled with all your favorite characters from the HARLEY QUINN animated series. A whole bunch of stories sewn together by the Tawny Talks television show. If you are unfamiliar with the animated series, this will be a definite kick in the crotch! If you have binged those seasons, and thanks for Season Three, you will totally dig this book!
THE LAST SHADOWHAWK by Philip Tan. Marc Silvestri’s legendary hero meets his end in this one shot that ends with the death of(spoiler) Shadowhawk. Well, it’s a pretty looking way to end your association with a character, but not much else. While it serves a purpose, I found it kind of disappointing.
LOVE EVERLASTING #1 by Tom King and Elsa Charretier. Okay…it’s a romance anthology where it seems every story is connected. What? Yeah: this is a weird one! King totally nails the genre and Charretier’s art fits it perfectly. The fact that our main character seems to be experiencing different lives is a great hook and enough to hook me in for the net issue.
MAN GOAT AND THE BUNNYMAN: GREEN EGGS & BLAM #1 by Joe Brusha, Ralph Tedesco, Dave Franchini, David Wohl and Jordi Tarragona. Four writers on a book usually makes me nervous but I have to say I was hooked in by the cool Blink-182 inspired cover art and the concept. Bunnyman and his partner Man Goat are on the hunt for the scientists responsible for messing with him and his family. The art is decent and the story is fun. Don’t expect Earth shaking stuff here. Like I have said: sometimes comics are just read for the fun of them.
NEW FANTASTIC FOUR #1 by Peter David and Alan Robinson. Come with us now to a previous version of the Fantastic Four starring Gray Hulk, Spider-Man, Ghost Rider and Wolverine as they find themselves fighting demons masquerading as humans. It’s a great throwback to a fun run from back in the day with a cool story from David and art very reminiscent of Art Adams, who did the original run. While it will upset newer fans, the older ones will love it.
PARKER GIRLS #1 by Terry Moore. Okay, we all know how much of a huge Terry Moore fan I have been for the last 30 years and anytime he turns something out, I’m all over it. But give me a story featuring some of my favorite STRANGERS IN PARADISE characters and I will love it that much more. The art rocks and the story is just beginning to get going. What is the endgame here for Tambi and the rest of the girls? You’ll have to tune into the next issue to see where this goes. As always, my highest recommendation!
PREDATOR #1 by Ed Brisson and Kev Walker. Marvel gets its’ hooks into another big name property and cranks out another book. And it’s really freakin’ good! Set in a different time from the past movies, but making note of those instances, it is a revenge tale that pits a girl, whose parents were killed by the creature many years ago, against the creature or creatures. The story is tight and the art looks great. I was a big fan of their take on ALIEN and now I have this to look forward to. A surprise gem here!
PUBLIC DOMAIN #1 by Chip Zdarsky. What happens when two brothers fight to gain control of the superhero that their father created? You end up with PUBLIC DOMAIN. If you’re expecting a big battle book, you will b disappointed. As is typical with much of Zdarsky’s work, it’s a story about people that just happens to revolve around superheroes. I enjoyed it.
PUNISHER WAR JOURNAL: BLITZ #1 by Torunn Gronbekk and Lan Medina. The first in a series of semi-regular one-shots featuring a Frank Castle who is now a member of The Hand. Here, he hunts down members connected to the Hate Monger. It’s a cool tale with a bunch of back and forth between then and now.
SACRAMENT #1 by Peter Milligan and Marcelo Frusin. It’s 2999 and Earth has been deserted. Religion is outlawed and a lone priest, who may have a sketchy past and questionable morals, finds himself on the run. But he gets called into service after a series of what appear to be ritualistic murders occur. This is a typical Milligan jaunt that drops bread crumbs and gives us some of his personal thoughts on religion and society. And Frusin’s art is beautiful! It's from AWA and that means it’s only a five issue mini-series, so you don’t have a super long investment in it.
SAVAGE TALES #1 by Scott Bryan Wilson, David Avallone, Mariano Benitez Chapo, Will Rios, Al Barrionuevo and Hamish Munro-Cook. A quartet of fur tales fill this one-shot from Dynamite. Vampirella, Allan Quatermain, Red Sonja and Captain Gullivar Jones all get their turn at showing their stuff. Nothing earth-shattering here and I feel it’s strictly for collectors.
SEVEN SONS #1 by Robert Windom, Kelvin Mao and Jae Lee. It’s 1998 and the world is awaiting their religious savior. The problem is, there may have been seven of them but they are slowly being taken off the table. Will any of them be left in the end to provide salvation for us all? This is a very weird concept with some amazing art by Lee. I truly cannot wait to see where the series takes us, as it’s filled with some interesting takes on man and organized religion.
SHE BITES #1 by Hedwig Hale and Alberto Hernandez R. This gem comes from the folks at Scout Comics. You’re eighteen years old and you are looking for a job as a babysitter. Except no one told you that you would have to babysit a 134 year old vampire child and also look at a penis(yeah…that happens!). I don’t know where this book is going in coming issues, but this first one was a hoot to read. It’s filled with laughs, quirky lines of dialogue and a little bit of blood. I love the crazy concept and can’t wait for the next issues.
SINS OF THE BLACK FLAMINGO #1 by Andrew Wheeler and Travis Moore. It’s a mix with a “gentleman thief”, some reborn folks from the past, a golem brought back to life, some dead folks and an angel. Weird stuff! Looks promising for the next issues!
STAR WARS: THE MANDALORIAN #1 by Rodney Barnes and Georges Jeanty. Marvel continues to mine the STAR WARS license and finally gets into the hottest of the television shows. It’s filled with action and a great story and, before you ask, the “child” does make an appearance. Barnes story is free-flowing and seems to fit in well with continuity. But the highlight is Jeanty’s art that shines on every page. This is essential for STAR WARS fans but should also be picked up by casual fans too.
SUPERMAN: SPACE AGE BOOK 1 by Mark Russell and Mike Allred. This is a book which will have some people loving it and other’s made about it. The origin of Superman is retold in a truly loving way. In 1985, Superman and his family endure what appears to be the end of the world. In the past, a young Clark Kent questions when the time is right to use his gifts. He gets an idea the assassination of President Kennedy. From there, it’s a whirlwind trip through the recent past with appearances by Presidents and statesmen, Pariah, Hal Jordan, Bruce Wayne, Lex Luthor and even the late John Lewis. In the end, we see the beginning of the Justice League. I know some people have been absolutely disappointed by this book but I love the way it weaves history into the narrative and I’m a big Allred fan. I personally CANNOT WAIT for the next installment.
VAMPVERSE PRESENTS THE VAMP #1 by Tom Sniegoski, Jeannine Acheson and Daniel Maine. A Thirties version of Vampirella, flying around in a dirigible and fighting demons and other creatures. I was aware this one shot was coming after a conversation with Sniegoski and Acheson earlier this year. It was a fun little romp that doesn’t tie into continuity but was cool either way.
THE VARIANTS #1 by Gail Simone and Phil Noto. Jessica Jones is back and, apparently, so are a bunch of versions of her, including a Captain America Jess. An interesting first issue that pants seeds for the rest of this mini-series. Nice to see Simone back on a Marvel book and Noto’s art is as cool as ever.
WILD CARDS: DRAWING OF CARDS #1 by Paul Cornell and Mike Hawthorne. Back in the Eighties, George R. R. Martin was the gamemaster for a role playing game called Superworlds. That led to some of the players taking those elements and, with Martin’s help, created an anthology series that currently has over 30 novels in print. It follows an alternate version of post-World War II Earth where an alien virus is unleashed on New York City and affecting thousands of people, who develop superhuman abilities. This comic tells that story. It’s a great introduction to the novels, if that’s your thing.
X-MEN: HELLFIRE GALA #1 by Gerry Duggan, Kris Anka, Russell Dauterman, Matteo Lolli and CF Villa. It’s that time again for the annual Hellfire Gala, where a new team of X-Men is formed. The new team, when all is said and done, is Cyclops, Jean, Synch, Forge, Firestar, Magik, Iceman and Havok. But let’s not forget that Moira is still out there causing trouble and really…who can you trust. This will set up the status quo for the next twelve months in the mutant end of the universe…provided they still exist after JUDGEMENT DAY.
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