Major Spoilers Staff Picks for May 23, 2012

As the unofficial beginning of Summer arrives, you’re going to need something to read while you are lounging by the pool, waiting for the Diablo 3 servers to come back online, or while waiting for the new season of television programming that doesn’t arrive for months. Luckily, the staff at Major Spoilers has a few recommendations for you this week.

ACOLYTE CHRONICLES #1
Writer: Jeff Carns
Artist: Thomas Chillemi
Publisher: Azure Press
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: Crime is at an all-time high. Wars, disease, and drugs run rampant. At the center of this corruption is Korath, an immortal being with an unquenchable thirst for dominance. I am the one that prevents his victory, I am the Acolyte. On the streets of Argent, the battle will escalate.

RODRIGO: If the art inside looks anything like the cover then this book will at least be worth flipping through. Gotta wonder though, usually acolytes are acolytes of some discipline. What’s this guy studying? Coolshadeshaving?

ALL STAR WESTERN #9 (NIGHT OF THE OWLS)
Writer: Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti
Artist: Moritat, Patrick Scherberger
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: A tie-in to “NIGHT OF THE OWLS!” Concluding JONAH HEX’S battle with THE AUGUST 7!• Discover what the Court of Owls was up to in GOTHAM CITY circa 1880!• NIGHTHAWK and CINNAMON hunt down killers and fall in love in this issue’s backup story.

ROB: I got into this book a bit late, but have enjoyed it thoroughly since then. With that, I am really curious, especially after the cliff-hanger at the end of the last issue, how this is going to tie into the whole Night of the Owls thing. I don’t know that it will be any good or not, but I still wanna see it, and am honestly quite hopeful.

STEPHEN: I’ve been on board this issue since the beginning, and I haven’t gotten tired of it yet. I like how the cowboy has come to the big city, and now that it looks like Hex is headed back to Gotham, it is interesting to see how DC Comics will tie the Night of Owls into what has become The Chronicles of Gotham.

BATMAN INCORPORATED #1
Writer: Grant Morrison
Artist: Chris Burnham
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $2.99
SOLICITATION: Batman, Incorporated makes its NEW 52 debut with an all-new first issue!
The series hits the ground running as Batman and Robin face off against the assassin Goatboy! Leviathan’s sinister mission revealed!

JIMMY: The biggest worry I had about the DC Relaunch was how the continuity of Batman Incorporated would be handled; I’ve loved everything Grant Morrison has done on Batman over the last several years, and the idea of it all going by the wayside filled me with chagrin. Chris Burnham’s art really compliments Morrison’s style well; it’s clearly heavily influenced by Frank Quitely’s work on Batman and Robin, but Burnham manages to do most of the things Quitely does well WITHOUT the little Quitely tics that tend to bother me.

CHEW #26
Writer: John Layman
Artist: Rob Guillory
Publisher: Image Comics
Cover Price: $2.99
SOLICITATION:
“Space Cakes,” Part One
“Open the door, sir. I’m Toni Chu, Agent of NASA. I’m here to lick your paintings.”

ROB: Chew is amazing. Consistently awesome, consistently interesting, and always, always cranking things up another step. Just give this book a read, you won’t be disappointed.

STEPHEN: This title is consistently good, consistently weird, and consistently on my read pile.

ZACH: Oh how my heart rejoices that another issue of Chew is arriving! The time between issues feels like years passing by as I wait to see what Tony will learn from eating a rotten foot or decaying cow liver next. Do the right thing and pick this up.

DOCTOR SOLAR MAN OF THE ATOM TP VOL 02
Writer: Jim Shooter
Artist: Roger Robinson, Agustin Alessio, Diego Bernard
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Cover Price: $15.99
SOLICITATION: Ruthless power broker Tanek Nuro has hacked into the operating system of the universe. With no limit to his monstrous ambition and only Doctor Solar in his way, a new Big Bang is about to begin! Plus, the mind-blowing origin of the Man of the Atom is revealed: how did a middle-aged physicist come to command the fires of creation? Everything you knew-and everything you didn’t-is about to cross the event horizon! Collects Doctor Solar #5-#8.

MATTHEW: You kids today don’t know how lucky you have it. See, Gold Key Comics are a HUGE pain in the ass to find, and are even harder to find in decent condition. My NM copy of Doctor Solar #1 was only achieved through hard work, skulking in moldy-smelling shops, and a frankly stupid amount of money. (Seriously, it cost more than this WHOLE VOLUME will cost you…) Now, you can buy these awesomely weird and moody tales in big wodges, without even having to sneeze or talk to strange antique shop people. It is truly a new world…

FANTASTIC FOUR #606
Writer: Jonathan Hickman
Artist: ron Garney
Publisher: Marvel
Cover Price: $2.99
SOLICITATION:
“ADVENTURES IN RED”
* A life hangs in the balance…
* As Marvel’s First Family race through an alien landscape.
* Follow the Fantastic Four on a journey unlike any you’ve seen before.

ZACH: After an entertaining, but non-new reader friendly, Point One issue I’m looking for Hickman and company to bring their A-games as they hopefully are kicking off a new story arc. Fantastic Four has increasingly become one of my favorite reads every month, along with the accompanying FF title.

FLASH #9
Writer/Artist: Francis Manapul
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $2.99
SOLICITATION: Continuing the debut of Gorilla Grodd in DC Comics – The New 52!
The Flash travels to Gorilla City for the first time! Who are the Runners and what do they mean for The Flash and the Speed Force?

JIMMY: I’ve never been a huge Gorilla Grodd fan, but I’m excited for Francis Manapul’s take on the big ape, as well as curious to see how he’ll handle the Speed Force. The Flash has had the most consistently good art in The New 52. If you haven’t been reading this title, this issue should be a reasonable jumping on point, and it’s worth giving it at least a one issue try just to see Manapul’s art.

IRREDEEMABLE #37
Writer: Mark Waid
Artist: Diego Barreto
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: The Final Issue of Mark Waid’s Seminal Superhero Series! Can the Plutonian, seemingly Irredeemable, find his salvation? What is the true definition of a hero? And can a world, ravaged by loss and carnage, ever believe in such an idea again? The stunning, breath-taking conclusion of Mark Waid’s Eisner and Harvey Award-nominated superhero saga. Do not miss this final issue of a master writer’s Magnum Opus!

JIMMY: I know this is technically “books we’re looking forward to,” but as soon as Major Spoilers got our advanced review PDFs, I popped this on the tablet and read it, and it’s INCREDIBLE. If you’ve been reading Irredeemable, or if you read the first arc or two of Irredeemable and dropped off it, you HAVE to read this issue. It ends the series in the only way Mark Waid could, and yet I had no idea it would end this way until about halfway through the issue. All the hints have been there, yet I don’t think anyone suspected this conclusion.

MAGIC THE GATHERING #4
Writer: Matt Forbeck
Artist: Martin Coccola
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: Dack Fayden has finally caught up to the mage that destroyed his home village, but it might be too late: she has begun casting a deadly spell that will drain hundreds of their life force. And, now that Dack has arrived, he may fall prey to the same dark magic as the rest!

ROB: I like Magic. I like the Magic story-lines and how the multiverse works. This book has actually taken that and turned it into something quite enjoyable. Dack Fayden is a fun protagonist and I look forward to finding out how he gets out of the trouble he caused and what more trouble he can create for himself.

RESIDENT ALIEN #1
Writer: Peter Hogan
Artist: Steve Parkhouse
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Cover Price: $3.50
SOLICITATION: A stranded alien seeks refuge in the small town of Patience, USA, where he hides undercover as a semiretired doctor, masking his appearance using his unique mental abilities. Now known as Dr. Harry Vanderspeigle, all the alien wants is to be left alone until he’s rescued. However, when the town’sreal doctor dies, “Dr. Harry” is pulled into medical service—and also finds himself smack dab in the middle of a murder mystery! He’d rather be fishing. Acclaimed creators Peter Hogan (2000 AD, Tom Strong) and Steve Parkhouse (The Milkman Murders, Doctor Who) deliver a truly unique sci-fi adventure tale!

RODRIGO: Don’t be fooled, this is secretly the second issue, you need to read issue #0 if you want to see how things started. Confusing numbering aside (this is comics after all) I’m very interested in how this story is shaping up. “Dr. Harry” is an interesting protagonist at times vibrant and melancholy. Also purple.

STRIKEFORCE MORITURI TP VOL 03
Writer: James Hudnall
Artist: James Hudnall
Publisher: Marvel
Cover Price: $34.99
SOLICITATION: The war against the Horde is over, and mankind is victorious – so what do the Morituri do now? As the Earth heals from its lengthy occupation, the surviving Strikeforce members must come to terms with their own looming mortality, even as new and deadly dangers arise on the post-war planet – including a group of Morituri-empowered assassins targeting the Prime Minister, and a secret conspiracy threatening to sunder Earth’s united government. And what is the sinister hidden agenda of the alien VXX199? The epic sci-fi sensation of the ’80s concludes here!

MATTHEW: Originally pitched as part of the New Universe, Strikeforce Morituri was one of the strangest comic books Marvel ever put out. In a future world, young people are given a chance to gain super-powers that will eventually kill them to defend Earth against an alien menace. This volume features some of the earliest work by Mark Bagley, and some great costume designs, as well as the complete “Electric Undertow” series, which prefaces the next twenty years of comics books in five slim volumes. HIGHLY recommended stuff from me…

WITCHBLADE #156
Writer: Tim Seeley
Artist: Diego Bernard & Fred Benes
Publisher: Image Comics
Cover Price: $2.99
SOLICITATION: Sara Pezzini thought she had reached an understanding with Chicago P.D.’s Jane “Big Woz” Wosnicki, but clearly she was mistaken. In order to protect her secret life, Pezzini will agree to help solve a personal problem for Woz, which will inadvertently lead her to discover another aspect of Chicago’s supernaturally corrupt nature.

A standalone issue from the new creative team of TIM SEELEY (HACK/SLASH, BLOODSTRIKE) and DIEGO BERNARD (The Man With No Name) is a perfect jumping on point for readers just now catching up with WITCHBLADE! Featuring two wraparound covers by DIEGO BERNARD and JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER (ARTIFACTS, Voodoo).

RODRIGO: Hey, kids! It’s Witchblade! I like to check in with buxom investigator/buxom supernatural crimefighter Sarah Pezzini every once in a while. This one looks like it’s a stand-alone story so it’s probably a good time to drop in on ol’ Witchy-B.

XENOHOLICS TP Volume 1
Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artist: Seth Damoose
Publisher: Image Comics
Cover Price: $14.99
SOLICITATION: The critically acclaimed series is collected in trade paperback! Are you addicted to aliens? Late night encounters? Abductions? Probes? Then become a member of Xenoholics Anonymous! Members of a support group that claim to be victims of alien abductions try to solve the mysterious disappearance of the Doctor who led their group but find themselves involved in a larger conspiracy. X-files and Fire in the Sky meet Chew in this exploration of the xenoholic subculture.

ZACH: I already have all of the first arc’s issues in physical form, but now I want them all on my new fancy-pants iPad. Xenoholics was a fun read centering around aliens, conspiracy, and fouled-mouth killing, so if you enjoy any of those you should pick this up.

YOUNGBLOOD #71
Writer: John McLaughlin
Artist: Jon Malin, Rob Liefeld
Publisher: Image Comics
Cover Price: $2.99
SOLICITATION: It’s the 20th anniversary of the comic book that launched the Image Revolution in 1992! ROB LIEFELD’s YOUNGBLOOD returns bigger and better than ever with an all-new look at the next generation of superheroes, courtesy of screenwriter JOHN McLAUGHLIN (Black Swan, Parker), up-and-coming artist JON MALIN and YOUNGBLOOD creator and Image founder ROB LIEFELD!
In this first issue, a young reporter is embedded in the Youngblood team. Her assignment is to gather enough information for a humiliating puff piece, but she quickly discovers Shaft, Vogue, Lady Photon, Die Hard and Cougar are a team to be reckoned with. Badrock would be part of the group too… if he wasn’t in a coma with wounds that have nearly pulverized his otherwise rock-hard hide.

MATTHEW: Because who DOESN’T love a trainwreck?

ROBOT OVERLORD:  There you go, Spoilerite! A plethora of reading to keep you occupied, while I continue to plot your demise!

Enjoy!