IT’S NEW COMIC BOOK DAY!
But what to read?
Fortunately, the Major Spoilers Staff have comic book recommendations for you!
ALIEN LEGION: UNCIVIL WAR HC
Writer: Chuck Dixon
Artist: Larry Stroman, Carl Potts
Publisher: Titan Comics
Cover Price: $19.99
SOLICITATION: In a galaxy savaged by strife, torn by civil war, boiling with spilt blood, Alien Legion is a comics military force doing its damnedest to keep the peace by always being ready for war. At the tip of the Legion’s multi-species spear is Force Nomad – the worst of the worst fashioned on the white-hot forge of battle into the best of the best. Now the squad’s grizzled veterans are on what should be a boring milk run; shepherding refugees fleeing a civil war ripping apart their system. Could be a good chance to toughen the newbies of Nomad into soldiers … until straight-up peacekeeping descents into full-scale war! This brand new series brings together the creative giants behind the legendary original Alien Legion stories: Chuck Dixon (Punisher War Journal, Savage Sword of Conan, Batman and the Outsiders) and Carl Potts, with fantastic art by Larry Stroman! Collects Alien Legion: Uncivil War #1-4.
WAYNE: I’ve missed Alien Legion for a long time, and this miniseries, now assembled into a hardcover, stratches that wonderful itch I felt when reading this series years ago. Excellent action mixed with fascinating characters in a sci-fi setting – I loved it! I think you will, too!
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #14
Writer: Dan Slott
Artist: Giuseppe Camuncoli
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: THE CLIMACTIC CONCLUSION TO SPIDER-VERSE! The Prophecy is coming to fruition but Superior Spider-Man has something up his sleeve.
ROB: Spider-Verse has been fantastic and the conclusion looks to be interesting. Here’s hoping Superior does something to bring more of the Spiders into our regular stories. Or at least let me see some of them when the Secret Wars happen again.
DARTH VADER #1
Writer: Kieron Gillen
Artist: Salvador Larroca
Publisher: Marvel
Cover Price: $4.99
SOLICITATION: The original Dark Lord of the Sith stars in his first ongoing series! Ever since Darth Vader made his first on-screen appearance, he became the one of the most popular villains to ever haunt an audience’s dreams! Now, follow Vader straight from the ending of A NEW HOPE (and the pages of the new STAR WARS comic book) into his own series, showing the Empire’s war with the Rebel Alliance from the other side! Writer Kieron Gillen (Uncanny X-Men, Journey Into Mystery, Iron Man) and artist Salvador Larroca (Invincible Iron Man, X-Men: No More Humans) bring us a peek behind the mask of evil!
CHRIS: It may come as a shock to some Spoilerites, but despite my dislike of the Star Wars book I’m still looking forward to Darth Vader #1. I’ve loved just about everything I’ve read by Kieron Gillen and Larroca’s art is a treat. I’m interested to see how/if Vader can sustain his own title. Plus, who wouldn’t want to read a book staring the blackest brother in the galaxy? (Thank you Chasing Amy for never letting me look at Vader the same way ever again)
GEORGE: Of all the new Marvel Star Wars titles, Darth Vader is the one I’m most excited for, and that’s mostly due to Kieron Gillen handling writing duties. While his more high-profile work like Young Avengers is all about the feels, he’s perfectly able to write harder-edged, nasty characters (see: Uber). I’m hoping Gillen can bring the darkness to the most famous proponent of the Dark Side.
STEPHEN: I’m looking forward to this book, if for no other reason than the hope that we’ll see quiet Vader moments where he contemplates his life’s actions and reflects on his behavior.
DIVINITY #1
Writer: Matt Kindt
Artist: Trevor Hairsine
Publisher: Valiant Entertainment
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: From New York Times best-selling writer Matt Kindt (THE VALIANT, Mind MGMT) and blockbuster artist Trevor Hairsine (X-Men: Deadly Genesis) comes a shocking new vision of 21st century science fiction in an all-new prestige format limited series.
At the height of the Cold War, the Soviet Union – determined to win the Space Race at any cost – green lit a dangerously advanced mission. They sent a man farther into the cosmos than anyone has gone before or since. Lost in the stars, he encountered something unknown. Something that…changed him.
Long thought lost and erased from the history books, he has suddenly returned, crash-landing in the Australian Outback. The few that have been able to reach him believe him to be a deity – one who turned the scorched desert into a lush oasis. They say he can bend matter, space, and even time to his will. Earth is about to meet a new god. And he’s a communist.
How long can it be before the first confrontation between mankind and DIVINITY begins?
GEORGE: Cosmonauts and tranhumanism and Australia. Sounds like weird, wild stuff. Matt Kindt does good stuff and I’m glad to see Valiant putting out a series like this. Could be good.
ELEPHANT MEN #62
Writer: Richard Starkings
Artist: Axel Medellin
Publisher: Image Comics
Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: “THE RED QUEEN DESCENDANT” Conclusion. Sahara’s life is changed forever.
RODRIGO: Elephant Men achieves something amazing. Usually if a comic makes me uncomfortable I don’t keep reading it, but with Elephant Men (and Hip Flask stuff) I’m always interested to pick it up again.
THE EMPTY #1
Writer: Jimmie Robinson
Artist: Jimmie Robinson
Publisher: Image Comics
Cover Price: $3.50
Digital Price: $2.99
SOLICITATION: Tanoor lives in an empty apocalyptic world of poison and decay. Her village is all that remains of humanity as they struggle against mutant beasts and rotting bones.But Tanoor finds a chance to save her people when a stranger drifts into town. A stranger armed with the power to grow life from death. A stranger who could change the world—if Tanoor can keep them alive in the deadly world of The Empty.
RODRIGO: I’m in for this issue just for the cover. Also I’m lured by the promise of a brand new #1 issue of a post-apocalyptic world.
HEXED #7
Writer: Michael Alan Nelson
Artist: Dan Mora
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: The race between Lucifer and Madame Cymbaline to complete the artifact stolen from Val’s armory comes to an end, with disastrous implications for both sides. Meanwhile, the Harlot’s vicious endgame continues to be slowly revealed.
WAYNE: Hexed is one of those comics that grabs hold of your imagination and won’t let go! Strong writing and powerful art will always get my hard-earned quatloos, so this is a must-read for me! Highly recommended!
SECRET SIX #2
Writer: Gail Simone
Artist: Ken Lashley
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $2.99
SOLICITATION: What is Catman’s strange secret – and how will it affect this new team? Find out in the second sensational issue of SECRET SIX!
ROB: I was beginning to wonder if I’d missed this some how. I am very glad to see I have not. Gail was back to form with the first issue and I’m intrigued by the characters she’s brought together this time.
SOUTHERN BASTARDS #7
Writer: Jason Aaron
Artist: Jason Latour
Publisher: Image Comics
Cover Price: $3.50
SOLICITATION: As a kid, Euless Boss had football in his blood. But all football ever did for him was make him bleed. Until the day he met a strange man who would change his life and the fate of Craw County forever.
CHRIS: Reading Southern Bastards is like being handed a bag of money by Jason Aaron and having him immediately punch you in the gut. You’re kind of pissed but he did just give you something great. Southern Bastards is great every issue and Aaron knows how to write real southern characters. The kind you get connected to. Just don’t get too attached, that punch is looming around the corner…
SPIDER-WOMAN #4
Writer: Dennis Hopeless
Artist: Greg Land, Jay Leisten
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: SPIDER-VERSE EPILOGUE!
Jessica comes out of Spider-Verse changed, but what can she do now? Don’t miss this character-defining chapter!
ROB: Spider-Woman has been the most pleasant surprise coming out of the Spider-Verse cross-overs. I’ve never been a big fan of the character, but this book has been a fun read so far. Here’s hoping it holds up on it’s own.
STAR TREK ONGOING #41
Writer: Mike Johnson
Artust: Cat Staggs
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: “Behemoth,” part 1 of 2. In the wake of their century-spanning encounter with Q, the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise leaves explored space behind to embark on a new five-year mission of discovery! Beyond the reach of Starfleet communications, they can only rely on each other when faced with their first encounter in uncharted territory – and it might be their last! Don’t miss this perfect jumping-on point for new readers, produced in association with Star Trek writer-producer Robert Orci!
WAYNE: As a long-time sci-fi and Trek fan, I’ve loved reading new adventures of Kirk and his crew for a long time. It’s good that these books are not rehashing old stories any longer, but going where no Star Trek fan has gone before. It’s a good start to a two-part adventure, a nice change of pace to the previous tale told here.
TRANSFORMERS VS. G.I. JOE #5
Writer: Tom Scioli, John Barber
Artist: Tom Scioli
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: IT GETS CRAZIER! The biggest space battle ever grows to universal proportions! Will the G.I. JOE team and the AUTOBOTS make peace-before COBRA and the DECEPTICONS end the war the bad way?!
CHRIS: Five year old Chris loves this book. Who am I kidding? Thirty-two year old Chris loves this book, too.
GEORGE: I never get bored of this series. I also fail to understand how it could possibly get crazier, although having Tunnel Rat spelunk into the depths of Fortress Maximus sounds like a good start.
WITCHBLADE #180
Writer: David Hine
Artist: Laura Braga
Publisher: Top Cow
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: DARKNESS FALLS IN WITCHBLADE’S 19TH ANNIVERSARY! In another life Jackie Estacado was Sara Pezzini’s lover and the father of her child. Now he has used the power of the Darkness to endanger the whole of human existence and only the Witchblade can stop him. Here at last is the untold story…the Death Of Jackie Estacado!
RODRIGO: What I really like about the Witchblade/Darkness struggle is how often the fate of the world comes down to the relationship between two sexy Italian-Americans.
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