IT’S NEW COMIC BOOK DAY!
With the myriad of titles being released each week, we know it can be difficult to narrow down your list of books to pick up. That’s why the Major Spoilers Staff came up with their list of books they are looking forward to this week.
AME-COMI GIRLS: FEATURING SUPERGIRL #5
Writer: Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti
Artist: Santi Casas
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: The first time in print for these digital first adventures!
• Supergirl and her cousin Power Girl confront a full-on space invasion!
• Supergirl goes head-to-head with Brainiac and pays a heavy price.
• The first AME-COMI miniseries reaches its grand finale!
RODRIGO: Say what you want about the Ame-Comi line, that costume is still better than the New 52 Supergirl costume.
AVENGERS AI #1
Writer: Sam Humphries
Artist: Andre Araujo
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $2.99
SOLICITATION: HARDER. BETTER. FASTER. STRANGER.
• The triumph of Hank Pym turns to tragedy for the human race…an unfathomable Pandora’s Box of destruction!
• When a brave new world is unleashed, only one team of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes can save us from the future – AVENGERS A.I.!
• THE VISION! HANK PYM! VICTOR MANCHA! DOOMBOT! The mysterious ALEXIS! MONICA CHANG, AGENT OF S.H.I.E.L.D.!
• The AGE OF ULTRON is over! The AGE OF A.I. is NOW!
MATTHEW: Okay, I hate that I want to love this. But the lead-in issue was good, and I’m a sucker for robots. BUT, if there isn’t a Machine Man appearance soon, I’m calling shenanigans, Marvel.
CATALYST COMIX #1
Writer: Joe Casey
Artist: Dan McDaid, Ulises Farinas, Paul Maybury
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Cover Price: $2.99
SOLICITATION: Straight from the glory of Comics’ Greatest World, Frank “Titan” Wells, Amazing Grace and the Agents of Change are back, baby! But you’ve never seen them like this! Superhero comics get a back-alley facelift as these very different champions confront cosmic threats and personal demons—and it all starts at the end of the world as we know it!
MATTHEW: I’ve already reviewed this one on the Major Spoilers Podcast, and I’m no less excited having read it already. I was a big CGW fan until it disappeared into 90s stupidity and all the characters were (no joke) killed by the Sigourney Weaver Aliens. Given that Joe Casey is entertaining, and these characters have some seriously untapped potential, I’d say check this out.
DEADPOOL KILLS DEADPOOL #1
Writer: Cullen Bunn
Artist: Salva Espin
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $2.99
SOLICITATION: The final act of the Deadpool Killogy begins! Deadpool sets his sites on the ultimate target…himself! Contains over 700% of your daily-recommended Deadpool!
CHRIS: I don’t know why but I’m curious to see how this pans out. Doesn’t his mutant healing factor make him invincible and oversaturated just like Wolverine? Regardless, Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe was surprisingly entertaining, so we’ll see.
DETECTIVE COMICS #22
Writer: John Leyman
Artist: Jason Fabok
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: “Meet The Wrath! In Gotham City, he’s the anti-Batman, and the body count is about to shoot through the roof! And in the backup story, Man-Bat makes a startling discovery!”
WAYNE: Detective Comics continues to shine as one of the very best Bat-books each month! Now, one of my all-time favorite Batman villains is back, The Wrath! And he’s got his own Robin now, called Scorn. Given that his son recently perished, that’s got to hurt Batman when the Dark Knight meets him. Can’t wait!
DEXTER #1
Writer: Jeff Lindsay
Artist: Dalibor Talajic
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: Dexter Morgan is not just an above-average forensic blood spatter expert. He’s also Miami’s friendly neighborhood crime-fighting serial killer! • But Dexter’s ‘killing’ streak gets put on hold, as he find himself trapped in a sticky situation – his high school reunion! • The Skid Row Slasher, Miami’s newest serial killer, is racking up quite the body count. The rookie is giving good ol’ Dexter a run for his money. • And Dexter’s problems are only beginning to multiply as his Dark Passenger, Dexter’s inner voice, screams for a little murderous fun to feed the need! Copyright © by Jeff Lindsay. All rights reserved.
CHRIS: The only reason I’m picking this up is because Jeff Lindsay is writing it. The books are great but writing for comics is quite different, so it will be interesting to see how his creation translates to comics. The TV adaptation is successful, so here’s hoping that’s true for the comics as well.
DIAL H #14
Writer: China Miéville
Artist: Alberto Ponticelli, Dan Green
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $2.99
SOLICITATION: With a gang of strange new allies, Nelson and Roxie jump through reality after reality on a quest to learn the origins of the dials. But the signal is VERY busy! Please hang up and try again! With a gang of strange new allies, Nelson and Roxie jump through reality after reality on a quest to learn the origins of the dials. But the signal is VERY busy! Please hang up and try again!
ROB: With only two issues left, the weirdest series DC has to off is pulling out all the corks and letting the strangeness fly. And that is why I will be disappointed to see it go. But for now, enjoy all the weirdness presented within.
EARTH 2 #14
Writer: James Robinson
Artist: Nicola Scott, Trevor Scott
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $2.99
SOLICITATION: The bells of war ring loudly as Green Lantern, The Flash and Doctor Fate attack Steppenwolf head on— with the future of Earth 2 hanging in the balance!
The bells of war ring loudly as Green Lantern, The Flash and Doctor Fate attack Steppenwolf head on— with the future of Earth 2 hanging in the balance!
ROB: Earth 2 has been fascinating as we see an entire universe be built within one series. With Robinson’s run coming to a close later this year, it should be interesting to see where he sets everything from here.
WAYNE: I’m sorry Mr. Robinson is leaving this title, one of the surprise hits of the New 52 from DC. Still, I have high hopes for the book in the future and will enjoy reading this title and keeping up with this parallel universe!
GRENDEL OMNIBUS VOL. 3: ORION’S REIGN TPB
Writer: Matt Wagner
Artist: Matt Wagner, Tim Sale, John K. Snyder, Jay Geldhof, Bernie Mireault, Hannibal King
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Cover Price: $24.99
SOLICITATION: No longer content to inhabit one host at a time, the Grendel entity goes viral, in a new phase of Wagner’s epic spanning centuries and culminating with the rise of a new kind of host—the Grendel-Khan! This volume collects the never-before-reprinted “Incubation Years” tales from Grendel #20–#22 and the mammoth God and the Devil and Devil’s Reign story lines, featuring art by Tim Sale and John K. Snyder and collected in order for the first time!
CHRIS: Since I was a young ignorant lad in the 80’s, I missed out on some of the cool indy books that came out at the time. Now that I’m a grown ignorant lad, these collections have introduced me to Grendel and I’ve loved what I’ve read. Wagner’s creation really morphed from where it started and I’m eager to see where it goes next. These collect the story in order as well, which is great for fans that may have missed some issues. And at $24.99 for five hundred pages, it’s a good bargain too!
MISTER X: EVICTION #3
Writer: Dean Motter
Artist: Dean Motter
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: Dean Motter’s reintroduction of his classic character comes to a dynamic conclusion, as Mister X’s mission to cure Radiant City’s madness approaches its deadly end! The new city government, under the control of a devious cabal, seeks to envelop the entire world in a disastrous new conflict.
* Features an additional standalone tale from Radiant City!
RODRIGO: Great things are happening AND YOU ARE MISSING IT!
MOVEMENT #3
Writer: Gail Simone
Artist: Freddie E. Williams II
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $2.99
SOLICITATION: The Movement takes on the entire police department in an attempt to rescue one of their own!
The Movement takes on the entire police department in an attempt to rescue one of their own!
ROB: While I have not been able to read the first two issues yet (my store didn’t get #1) I have been hearing nothing but good things about this and since it’s Gail Simone, I have to assume those are accurate and look forward to finding all three issues later this week.
THE OWL #1
Writer: JT Krul
Artist: Heubert Khan Michael
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: “Lost for fifty years in an ethereal limbo, the Owl has come back to find a violent and desperate world of strangers. The woman he loved is gone, but he remains determined to continue his fight for justice. Can the Owl withstand the challenges awaiting him… or will this new reality crush his body and spirit?”
MATTHEW: I mostly know this guy from his 60s incarnation, where he was written by Jerry Siegel (Yes, THAT Jerry Siegel), but he dates back to the Golden Age. He was briefly part of the Project Superpowers thing a couple of years ago, but now he’s running solo again. I don’t know if it’s gonna suck, but I know I’m vaguely interested anyway. Fingers crossed that it is good…
WAYNE: I read The Owl back in the ‘60s when those Dell comics came out. (Yes, I’m that old!) Mr.Krul is one of my favorite comics writers, and I’m sure this will be terrific! Dynamite’s had a lot of success reviving pulp and other heroes from the past, so I’m expecting great things from this book!
SATELLITE SAM #1
Writer: Matt Fraction
Artist: Howard Chaykin
Publisher: Image Comics
Cover Price: $3.50
SOLICITATION: SEX o DEATH o LIVE TV!
NEW YORK CITY, 1951: The host of beloved daily television serial “Satellite Sam” turns up dead in a flophouse filled with dirty secrets. The police think it was death by natural causes but his son knows there was something more… if only he could sober up long enoguh to do something about it. This noir mystery shot through with sex and violence exposes the seedy underbelly of the golden age of television.
GEORGE: Matt Fraction is near “buy on sight” status for me. I’m not as sold on Howard Chaykin, whose output varies a bit more in quality than it used to (look, his faces are weird). That all averages out into something I’m interested in, but feeling somewhat guarded about. It’s that cover that keeps me coming back, though. I love it to death.
STEPHEN: Take the best of the early days of television and mix it up with sex, murder, and Howard Chaykin art, and you’ve sold me, on what could be my most favorite mini-seires of 2013.
ZACH: I enjoy reading creator-owned books from writers who I have only read on series from the Big Two, so picking up Satellite Sam from Matt Fraction is a no brainer. I love the work that Fraction has done for Marvel and don’t expect to be let down with this number one.
SECRET HISTORY OF D.B. COOPER HC
Writer:Brian Churilla
Artist: Brian Churilla
Publisher: Oni Press
Cover Price: $29.99
SOLICITATION: The most infamous airline hijacker of all time, D.B. Cooper remains on the FBI’s most-wanted list almost 40 years after the crime. For the first time, the secret history will be revealed. During the height of the Cold War, a fringe group within the C.I.A. wages a crusade on the deadliest battlefield of all: the mind. Aided by powerful psychotropic compounds, Cooper assists in a campaign of psychic assassination against the Soviets but are his government’s motives the same as his own or is his true mission something else entirely? Collecting the hit series from visionary cartoonist Brian Churilla (The Anchor) this oversized hardcover offers new insights into Cooper’s multi-faceted quest.
ZACH: I wouldn’t normally recommend a trade in our Staff Picks, but I have been waiting so long for this collected edition to come out that I just can’t help it. If you missed out on Brian Churilla’s series when it ran in single issues, I’m sorry. It is a mind bending series that deserves to be read and I personally can’t wait to have my hands on this hardcover and enjoy the series again.
SUPERIOR FOES OF SPIDER-MAN #1
Writer: Nick Spencer
Artist:Steve Lieber
Publisher: Marvel
Cover Price: $2.99
SOLICITATION: Boomerang and some of Spidey’s deadliest baddies prove that with terrible powers come terrible responsibilities!
Rising Star Nick Spencer teams with Eisner Award winning sensation Steve Lieber for a walk on the Spider-Verse’s evil side!
ZACH: Have I fallen behind on Superior Spider-Man? Sure have. So why would I want to read this you may ask? My answer? Nick Spencer is writing it. That is all the reason I need.
SWAMP THING #22
Writer: Charles Soule
Artist: Kano
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $2.99
Cover Image:
SOLICITATION: The mysterious Seeder has given a desperate town in Scotland an astonishing gift: a tree that bears whiskey like fruit! It’s a disturbance in the natural order that draws the Swamp Thing’s attention-trouble is, it’s caught the eye of John Constantine as well!
GEORGE: A tree that bears whiskey like fruit! Doesn’t sound disturbing at all.
TRANSFORMERS: ROBOTS IN DISGUISE #19
Writer: John Barber
Artist: Dheeraj Verma
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: THE DEATH OF A WORLD! Gorlam Prime-the entrance to the so-called DEAD UNIVERSE-holds many secrets… and now ORION PAX-the ‘bot who was once OPTIMUS PRIME-pries it’s secrets loose. But will it be too late for CYBERTRON?
CHRIS: I’ve recommended the Transformers books so much there’s not much more to say. It’s Transformers, it’s awesome and it has Optimus Prime. Buy it.
VENOM #37
Writer: Cullen Bunn
Artist: Aaaron Kim Jacinto
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $2.99
SOLICITATION: • If Venom’s going to be the super hero Philly deserves, he’s got to do it right!
• Venom wants it all–resources, allies, contacts, and an HQ–but he knows zip about setting that up!
• To make matters worse, he’s already made an enemy of Philly’s toughest crime boss–Lord Ogre!
• And Lord Ogre declares WAR!
GEORGE: I lost interest in Venom a few issues after Rick Remender left the title and it careened headlong into a story about demons and such. But after last arc, Cullen Bunn has pulled me back in. I also like that Marvel’s making at least a token effort to set stories outside of New York, so having Venom make camp in Philadelphia is gravy (and Flash Thompson as a gym teacher is like… extra gravy). This is the first issue with Aaron Kim Jacinto on art, but the previews look nuts in a good way.
ROBOT OVERLORD: YOU NOW HAVE A LIST OF BOOKS TO BUY THIS WEEK! CONSUME!
