IT’S NEW COMIC BOOK DAY!
If you are undecided on what to pick up this week at your local comic shop or digital device, take the jump for a rundown of titles the Major Spoilers Staff is picking up.
AKANEIRO #2
Writer: Justin Aclin
Artist: Vasilis Lolos
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: American McGee’s reenvisioning of Red Riding Hood takes shape as this all-new story.
The brave young warrior Kani battles a gauntlet of fantastic mythical beasts inspired by Japanese folklore. However, things are not what they seem, and danger lurks where Kani least expects it!
Justin Aclin (Star Wars: The Clone Wars) and Vasilis Lolos (Conan the Barbarian)!
Based on the hot new game by American McGee’s Spicy Horse Games!
RODRIGO: You can hear my early review on last week’s MSP. This series is shaping up nicely.
ALL-STAR WESTERN #21
Writers: Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti
Artist: MORITAT
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price $3.99
SOLICITATION: The old West meets The New 52 as Jonah Hex visits the 21st century!
THOMAS: All-Star Western has been one of the consistently best books of the New 52 since issue #1, and the recent arc featuring the meddlesome antics of Booster Gold has provided the perfect buddy comedy. Issue #21 transports the duo to modern times, and Jonah Hex has a run-in with Batwing to kick off the adventure. Hex has been brilliantly written by Gray and Palmiotti, and the thought of him dislocated in time opens up some great potential for good stories. All this and a new Stormwatch backup? Gold!
ATOMIC ROBO: SAVAGE SWORD OF DR. DINOSAUR #1
Writer: Brian Clevinger
Art: Scott Wegener
Publisher: Red 5 Comics
Cover Price: $3.50
SOLICITATION: “Atomic Robo investigates cryptid sightings near the old Nazi space program, “Science City,” buried deep in the Venezuelan wilderness. Meanwhile, a mysterious package is delivered to Tesladyne – from Hashima Island Quarantine Zone. Is it from Alan? Majestic 12? Or something else entirely? If only the title could shed some light on this mystery!!”
ROB: DR. DINOSAUR!! The greatest character ever to be flung into the future returns with a full book of awesome adventure! Oh, there’s also a pretty cool robot guy, but Dr. Dinosaur!!!
STEPHEN: When a week goes by and I don’t get some Atomic Robo action, I get in a such a mood, and Jeebus protect the Matthew that gets in the way of a Stephen who is jonesing. Fortunately, new Atomic Robo is in stores today!
WAYNE: If you aren’t reading Atomic Robo, you should be! It’s the kind of comic everyone in the family can enjoy, full of action, adventure and fun! It’ll be great to see what Dr. Dinosaur, a baddie Robo faces a lot, is up to now!
ZACH: A new Atomic Robo arc is starting with a whole lot of Dr. Dinosaur to be included!! If you have kids you could have a wonderful time reading this series with them. If you don’t have kids you will have a wonderful, more quite, time reading this by yourself.
BATMAN SUPERMAN #1
Written by: Greg Pak
Art by: Jae Lee
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: “A new epic begins with the debut of this new, ongoing series! Don’t miss the first fateful meeting of Batman and Superman in The New 52!“
RODRIGO: Every time these two get together hijinks are sure to ensue, I hope we see a cross-country road trip or maybe both of them competing to woo Lori Lemaris.
STEPHEN: There’s a book that has Batman AND Superman in it? Count me in!
WAYNE: Probably the book of the week for me, this comic kicks off a new era. Before The New 52 arrived, there was Superman Batman, one of the most celebrated of the DC Comics. Now kicking off with a great writer/artist team, Batman Superman will update the World’s Finest team for today’s readers. Should be great!
ZACH: DC books have almost completely dropped off my radar the last couple of months, but I’m planning on picking this up Wednesday. Most likely this is due to the Superman reading already being done this week (listen to this week’s MSP) and me trying to give the Man of Steel a fair shot at entertaining me.
GHOSTBUSTERS #5
Writer: Erik Burnham
Artist: Dan Schoening
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: The Original Ghostbusters are back in Manhattan, picking up the pieces of their interrupted lives. Ray and Egon are concerned about what effects their escape from another dimension may yet hold for the world, and throw themselves into their research, while a decision Janine made when she was busting ghosts comes back to haunt her… all this and more as GHOSTBUSTERS continues!
ROB: Well, the idea of an entirely new team didn’t last too long, but that doesn’t mean the series is over. With an entire extra team and some leftover problems for the original guys I’m curious to see what happens next.
GREEN TEAM TEEN TRILLIONAIRES #2
Writer: Art Baltazar, Franco
Artist: Ig Guara
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $2.99
SOLICITATION: It’s not easy being Cecilia Sunbeam, the most famous actress in America…and it’s harder still when you suddenly find yourself with a cybernetic arm! The all-out assault on the Green Team by class-warrior Riot has some VERY unexpected consequences, and no one’s going to emerge unscathed!
MATTHEW: The first issue of this was a pleasant, if unexpected, surprise. While I don’t expect this book to go more than 12 issues, I’m enjoying a new take on one of Joe Simon’s loopiest concepts. Up next: Prez 2013!!
HAWKEYE #11
Writer: Matt Fraction
Artist: David Aja
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $2.99
SOLICITATION: • THE breakout character of 2012… becomes the breakout character of 2013… as PIZZA DOG gets his own issue.
• Literally… the entire issue… it’s all from the dog’s point-of-view.
• Pizza Dog gets hired to solve a crime — the grizzly murder that shocked Team Hawkguy — and the only thing more shocking than THAT… is what happens the end of THIS.
• Seriously. This is not a joke! Even the coloring. Dog issue. We’re all gettin’ fired. PLEASE READ…
“Pizza is my Business” …before it’s too late for us.
GEORGE: Normally I find these gimmicky solicitations kinda lame, but I actually really like this one. It helps that Hawkeye is one of the best comics on the stands, too.
JUPITERS LEGACY #2
Writer: Mark Millar
Artist: Frank Quitely
Publisher: Image Comics
Cover Price: $2.99
SOLICITATION: The comic book event of 2013 continues as the schism between the superheroes widens and a plot to unseat the greatest hero of them all emerges. Celebrate the 75th anniversary of Superman this month by buying this frankly much-more interesting book by superstar creators MARK MILLAR and FRANK QUITELY.
KEVIN: Mark Millar and Frank Quitely reunite in this dramatic superhero series. There is a big generational gap dividing their heroes. While those of the older generation fight supervillains and keep peace around the world, their younger offspring have embraced celebrity by going to parties, doing drugs, and constantly falling short of their parents’ expectations. Frank Quitely’s art is jaw-droppingly detailed while Mark Millar has laid the foundations for a great interweaving story.
LARFLEEZE #1
Writer: Keith Giffen
Artist: Scott Kolins
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $2.99
SOLICITATION: Larfleeze, the breakout character from BLACKEST NIGHT, last seen in the pages of THRESHOLD, is back in his own solo, ongoing series—and he’s not sharing it with anyone! In his debut solo adventure, Larfleeze meets Laord of the Hunt, a pan-dimensional cosmic entity that believes all living things are prey—and he’s out to turn the universe into his own private hunting reserve! And the only thing worse than Laord is the deadly beings he can summon! –
RODRIGO: Larfleeze is finally getting his own book, I say it’s about time! He’s the sort of leading man the DC Universe needs. No more lantern-jawed, truth-and-justice types. Weird greedy space dogs are the wave of the future.
LAZARUS #1
Writer: Greg Rucka
Artist: Michael Lark
Publisher: Image Comics
Cover Price: $2.99
SOLICITATION: “FAMILY,” Part One
In a dystopian near-future government is a quaint concept, resources are coveted, and posession is 100% of the law. A handful of Families rule, jealously guarding what they have and exploiting the Waste who struggle to survive in their domains. Forever Carlyle defends her family’s holdings through deception and force as their protector, their Lazarus. Shot dead defending the family home, Forever’s day goes downhill from there….
GEORGE: Greg Rucka doing dystopia? I’ll take it.
MORNING GLORIES #28
Writer: Nick Spencer
Artist: Joe Eisma
Publisher: Image Comics
Cover Price: $2.99
SOLICITATION: “… And There Is No End.”
The double-sized conclusion to the Season 2 Premiere!
ZACH: Buy this. Read. Be confused. Go buy the trades. Read the trades. Fall in love. Continue being confused.
MOUSE GUARD LEGENDS OF THE GUARD VOL. 2 #1
Writers: David Petersen, Stan Sakai, Ben Caldwell, and Nick Tapalansky
Artists: David Petersen, Stan Sakai, Ben Caldwell, and Alex Eckman-Lawn
Publisher: Archaia
Cover Price: $3.50
SOLICITATION: “The 2011 Eisner Award winner for best anthology is back with a second volume! In the mouse tavern the June Alley Inn, a new round of storytelling begins between the patrons. Their goal is to be declared the best story of the night in hopes of having their outstanding debt to the barmaid forgiven. Legends of the Guard continues the tradition of featuring handpicked artists and storytellers by series creator David Petersen. This issue features Stan Sakai (Usagi Yokimbo), Ben Caldwell (The Dare Detectives!), and the Awakening team of Nick Tapalansky and Alex Eckman-Lawn!”
WAYNE: Mouse Guard should be in every school library and read by every comics reader, in my opinion! Every so often, Mr. Petersen lets other creators play in his sandbox, and if the last series was any indication, this four-issue comic should be tremendously enjoyable!
STAR-LORD: THE HOLLOW CROWN TP
Writer: Steve Englehart, Chris Claremont
Artist: Steve Gan & Various
Publisher: Marvel
Cover Price: $7.99
SOLICITATION: As a child, Peter Quill spotted a flying saucer — and it ruined his life forever!Now a withdrawn, embittered adult, Quill strives to become an astronaut — so he can return to space and take revenge!How does a fateful encounter with the Master of the Sun change his destiny — and transform him into the intergalactic policeman known as Star-Lord?And can even the newly empowered Star-Lord triumph over a sadistic group of alien slavers?Collecting material from MARVEL PREVIEW #4, MARVEL PREVIEW #11 and STAR-LORD SPECIAL EDITION.
MATTHEW: NOW you’re talking my language. These stories originally saw print 40 years ago in Marvel’s Black and White magazines, and (like much of that material) are mostly forgotten and totally worth reading. Now, if we can get some decent reprints of the REST of Marvel Preview, I’ll be happy as a pig in slop, but anyway, go read this stuff!
TMNT ONGOING #23
Writer: Tom Waltz, Kevin Eastman
Artist: Mateus Santolouco & Various
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: “CITY FALL” part 2: Desperate times call for desperate measures as unexpected alliances take shape. Will the Turtles be able to find the Foot Clan’s HQ in time to stop the next phase of Shredder’s heinous plan? Plus, the return of the witch Kitsune! What ancient evil will she unleash? One Turtle is about to find out!
ROB: A lot of pieces are coming together from the various TMNT titles, and after the end Old Hob’s story last week I really want to see how this puzzle comes to fruition.
YOUNG AVENGERS
Writer: Kieron Gillen
Penciler: Kate Brown
Publisher: Marvel
Cover Price: $2.99
SOLICITATION: Ever wonder what the super hero equivalent of a terrible soul-sucking talent-wasting temp job is? You haven’t? Oh go on. Actually, don’t. We’ve done it for you and written a story about it. This one.Wonder what Tommy (aka Speed) has been up to? Discover herein.Wonder why mutant David Alleyne (aka Prodigy) hasn’t been even in the background in any one of the eight thousand X-books? Discover that herein too.Existential horror turns cosmic horror as something emerges from the shadows of the past. It seems the Young Avengers have yet one more thing to worry about.
MATTHEW: This book has been quite satisfying, reminding me of the original New Warriors book in both concept (existing teen heroes banding together) and execution (thoughtful writing and dynamic-but-unusual art), which is all a good thing. This issue promises the return of another lost teen hero, Prodigy (but not the one who got arrested during Civil War), which gives me hope that we’re going to see something done with Marvel’s legions of teen goobers other than ritual executions. *coughavengersarenacough*
WAKE #2
Writer: Scott Snyder
Artist: Sean Murphy
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $2.99
SOLICITATION: They call it the “Ghost Rig.” A secret, underwater oil rig filled with roughnecks and scientists on the brink of an incredible discovery. But when things go horribly wrong, this scientific safe haven will turn into a house of horrors at the bottom of the ocean! Part two of the incredible new series by Scott Snyder and Sean Murphy!
GEORGE: The first issue of Wake was pretty bonkers, with great art from Sean Murphy and a great hook from Scott Snyder. With glimpses into the (relative) near future and the ancient past, top-secret underwater bases, spooky government agencies, Wake has a lot for you to sink your teeth into. And it is an important reminder that the ocean is a terrifying place.
ROBOT OVERLORD: YOU NOW HAVE A LIST OF BOOKS TO BUY THIS WEEK! CONSUME!
