IT’S NEW COMIC BOOK DAY!
Major Spoilers runs down the comics we are looking forward to, and recommending, this week.
ARCHER & ARMSTRONG #15
Writer: Fred Van Lente
Artist: Khari Evans
Publisher: Valiant Entertainment
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: WARNING: This is no longer a (FINGER QUOTES) ‘fun’ comic. Now the Sect Civil War has begun, it is now a (FINGER QUOTES) ‘grim’ and (FINGER QUOTES) ‘gritty’ work of (REAL QUOTES) ‘sequential literature’ with blood and headshots and naughty words (like ‘H-E-DOUBLE-HOCKEY-STICKS’) and if you squint real hard at the backgrounds, maybe boobies. In this particular issue that will change the Valiant Universe forever*, the man now calling himself Dark Archer (NOTE TONAL SHIFT) must find his former partner Armstrong so they can reunite to stop the aforementioned Sect Civil War. And there are almost no fart jokes. Okay, one. (* FOREVER = APPROX. 20 MINUTES)
CHRIS: Just reading the solicitation should make you want to read this book. Along with Quantum and Woody, Archer & Armstrong has been consistently strong. Highly recommended for fans of fun comics, regardless what the solicitation says.
ASTRO CITY #6
Writer: Kurt Busiek
Artist: Brent Anderson
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: The Ambassador, Cleopatra, The Ore-Master…what do they have to do with Thatcher Jerome, a mid-level mobster involved with business on Astro City’s rivers? And how does all-out Super Hero battle change his world? A tale of opportunity, ambition and family ties—in a world where even the sky’s not the limit.
The Ambassador, Cleopatra, The Ore-Master…what do they have to do with Thatcher Jerome, a mid-level mobster involved with business on Astro City’s rivers? And how does all-out Super Hero battle change his world? A tale of opportunity, ambition and family ties—in a world where even the sky’s not the limit.
GEORGE: For excellence in comics, you can’t go wrong with Astro City.
MATTHEW: Astro City! Qu’est-ce que c’est?
Fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa far far better
Run, run, run, run, run, run, run away
ROB: Astro City is always and interesting story, and this one is no different. Besides, who doesn’t want to see an all out battle in Astro City?
BATMAN #25
Writer: Scott Snyder
Artist: Greg Capullo, Danny Miki
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $4.99
SOLICITATION: ‘Dark City’ begins in this issue that features an embossed cover. And the ZERO YEAR blackout spreads into other titles this month, affecting heroes across the DC Universe! This issue is also offered as a combo pack edition with a redemption code for a digital download of this issue.
CHRIS: I thoroughly enjoyed Zero Year and am excited to see how Snyder handles the Riddler. We’ve been given a glimpse, but I’m waiting to see if he can redeem what I consider a somewhat silly villain. And we get some awesome Greg Capullo art.
CLOWN FATALE #1
Writer: Victor Gischler
Artist: Maurizio Rosenzweig
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: Sexy female clowns are mistaken for contract killers and abandon their shabby traveling circus for a world of violence and cruelty—with clown makeup.
* Featuring covers by Tim Seeley (Hack/Slash, Revival)
* By Victor Gischler (Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Spike—A Dark Place, Punisher MAX, X-Men)!
RODRIGO: I’m really, really concerned about the “clown” on the bottom of the cover.
DEADPOOL #19
Writer: Gerry Duggan, Brian Posehn
Artist: Declan Shalvey
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $2.99
SOLICITATION: • The final chapter of The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.
• Hey, you know how Deadpool is always so funny?
• Let’s see if he can keep that up after this.
GEORGE: Under Duggan and Posehn, Deadpool has finally returned to form after years of overexposure and abuse. Their first arc or two brought the humor back, but in the current The Good, The Bad, The Ugly storyline, they’ve reintroduced the underrated elements of pathos that make Deadpool a character (rather than a 4th-wall breaking joke). This has been a still funny, but emotionally rough, series of issues, and if they stick the landing, it will cement their run on Deadpool as the best in years. And Declan Shalvey is absolutely nailing it on this run too.
FEARLESS DEFENDERS #11
Writer: Cullen Bunn
Artist: Will Sliney
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: A new status quo for Marvel’s Warrior Women? Sounds like the perfect time for a field trip to New Amazonia! Secrets of Hippolyta’s resurrection are revealed! And love is in the air for the Fearless Defenders!
CHRIS: Oh Fearless Defenders, you never stood a chance did you? After hearing of the title’s somewhat inevitable cancellation, I couldn’t hide my disappointment. This is/was one of Marvel’s best titles with an all female cast of awesome characters. It will be missed and I strongly recommend you go out and find the previous issues or trade.
KATANA #9
Writer: Ann Nocenti
Artist: Fabrizio Fiorentino
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $2.99
SOLICITATION: In order to join the Sword Clan, Katana must hunt down and kill Mona Shard—but how do you kill a centuries-old ghost girl?
RODRIGO: You had me a centuries-old ghost girl.
ROCKETEER SPIRIT PULP FRICTION #3
Writer: Mark Waid
Artist: Loston Wallace
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: On the trail of two murderous madmen and the mysterious Television Terror, the Spirit takes Rocketeer to Central City, and Cliff finds it nearly impossible to navigate in such a crowded urban setting-but he’d better learn quickly because Betty’s life depends on it!
MATTHEW: Yes, it’s late. But it’s a Waid-written book featuring two of the finest pulp-type heroes in fiction, and even though the artist has changed, I am still intrigued by this conceit…
STEPHEN: I don’t know if it is late, or if it is back on schedule… regardless, I’m really looking forward to the new issue this week.
SUPERIOR FOES OF SPIDER-MAN #5
Writer: Nick Spencer
Artist: Steve Lieber
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $2.99
SOLICITATION: • FOES! FOREVER!
• You can’t steal the head of Silvermane without severe repercussions – a lesson the Foes are about to learn the hard way!
• Don’t miss out on the next action-packed chapters of the sleeper hit of Superior Spider-Month!
GEORGE: This could be the funniest book Marvel is putting out right now. This crew of lovable losers, led by the slightly canny, more-than-slightly pathetic Boomerang, is so hapless that they’re rapidly becoming one of my favorite Marvel team-ups. This series seems under the radar, but it’s seriously worth checking out.
SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #21
Writer: Dan Slott
Artist: Giuseppe Camuncoli
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: Stunner is back and wants revenge for the only man she ever loved – Otto Octavius! How will she avenge him? By killing the Superior Spider-Man!
ROB: Still loving the Superior Spider-Man, still enjoying Slott’s take on all things Spidey. Looking forward to this arc more than any arc in the last couple months though, this should be fun.
TMNT COLOR CLASSICS VOLUME 2 #1
Publisher: IDW Publishing
SOLICITATION: Revisit this TMNT Mirage classic in full glorious color! A fun-filled and relaxing picnic turns into action-filled drama for our heroes as they suddenly find themselves thrust into battle against militant survivalists, all the while racing to disarm a nuclear bomb that’s primed to start World War Three!
RODRIGO: Sometimes when I go back and look at old TMNT stuff I think to myself “wow, this is a lot worse than I remember.” Sometimes, though, it’s just as good or better.
TMNT VILLAIN MICROSERIES TP VOL 01
Writer: Joshua Williamson & Various
Artist: Mike Henderson & Various
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Cover Price: $17.99
SOLICITATION: Krang, Baxter Stockman, Old Hob, and Alopex all get their turn. Krang’s history is revealed, Baxter’s secret project may be more dangerous than he realized, Old Hob is ready to branch out on his own, and Alopex discovers a devastating truth about her past.
ROB: Want to understand the villains of the TMNT series better? Here you go. The Krang story alone is worth this trade.
UNITY #1
Writer: Matt Kindt
Artist: Doug Braithwaite
Publisher: Valiant Entertainment
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: To kill a king…he has created an army. The world’s most dangerous man, Toyo Harada, has been struck by the one thing he never thought possible – fear. Halfway across the globe, a new power threatens to topple modern civilization and, to preempt the cataclysm that is to come, Harada will unite the most unforgiving team the world has ever known – UNITY. Their mission: defeat the threat responsible for the destruction of MI-6, the decimation of an alien world, and the occupation of Eastern Europe… Unseat the warrior king armed with the universe’s most powerful weapon… Kill X-O Manowar!
MATTHEW: It’s the third time around for Unity, with varying results, but the first one was pretty awesome across the board. Will the new Valiant manage to uphold the standards of the old, where the original Unity was one of the few crossovers that lived up to it’s own hype? I’m gonna find out!
