Major Spoilers Staff Picks for August 19, 2015

IT’S NEW COMIC BOOK DAY!

Honestly, Wednesday may be our favorite day of the week, because it means we get to check in again with our favorite characters and titles.  There are so many options for you to choose from, and it can be intimidating. The staff at Major Spoilers has collected its list of books they are looking forward to this week to help you in your comic book selection.

ARCHIE #2
Writer: Mark Waid
Artist: Fiona Staples
Publisher: Archie Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: COMIC SUPERSTARS MARK WAID AND FIONA STAPLES CONTINUE THEIR REIMAGINING OF AN ICON! The new school year continues to bring with it daunting new challenges and interesting changes for the teens of Riverdale High. But there’s one thing that remains constant: Archie’s car is still a piece of garbage! With car problems comes money problems, which means that Archie’s on the hunt for a new job. Fortunately, a mysterious new building in Riverdale is offering some career opportunities for Archie and his friends. Who’s behind this new conglomerate and what are their intentions for Riverdale? Find out in the second issue of this all-new Archie series!

ROB: I enjoyed the first issue of this and look forward to seeing what the modern retelling of Archie is going to be like.

STEPHEN: If you didn’t hear me gush about this book on this week’s Major Spoilers Podcast, and you didn’t see my Tweet extolling Archie #2, then read this, “BUY THIS BOOK! IT IS SO DAMN AWESOME!”

BLACK CANARY #3
Writer: Brendan Fletcher
Artist: Annie Wu
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $2.99

SOLICITATION: Black Canary’s worst nightmare has come true: child prodigy Ditto has been kidnapped! But the perp isn’t your average criminal mastermind!

CHRIS: I never liked Black Canary until she became a rock star, not because I’m shallow but because I’m stupid. This book seems like the perfect fit for the character and is again the kind of unique and unusual idea that piques my interests. The fact that Brendan Fletcher and team make it work doesn’t hurt either.

DEATH HEAD #2
Writer: Zack Keller, Nick Keller
Artist: Joanna Estep
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: Surviving a close call in the woods, Niles Burton becomes haunted after he brings back a plague doctor mask. As Niles searches for answers to an ancient mystery, his son Bee makes his first friend—a girl who happens to be a ghost! What might this spirit know about the cursed mask worn by the murderous Plague Doctor?

RODRIGO: I was very pleased with the first issue, it has a real EC vibe while maintaining modern sensibilities. There is no reason not to read this book.

GIANT DAYS #6
Writer: John Allison
Artist: Lissa Treiman
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: Final issue! As everyone buckles down for exams, we get a good look into Susan’s mysterious past.

ASHLEY: Giant Days continues to delight and surprise in its realistic, yet silly, tale of three girls finding their identities in university. John Allison brings an English sensibility to his story that is endlessly charming for a North American reader such as myself and Lissa Treiman has an artistic flare that is too fun not to spend time looking at!

HEXED #12
Writer: Michael Alan Nelson
Artist: Dan Mora
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: Final issue! Raina, Bob, and the now-human Harlot race to escape The Aether as Lucifer makes the ultimate choice: stop Cymbaline, or learn the answer to the one secret she’s forbidden from knowing.

WAYNE: Again we lose this terrific comic! I hope it will rise up again, so I’d see where Mr. Nelson and Mr. Mora take us in what will likely be the last chance to see these characters for some time to come!

HOUSE OF M #1
Writer: Dennis Hopeless
Artist: Marco Failla
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: The House of Magnus controls all, having crushed all resistance to their reign. Magneto rules with an iron-fist, while his children and grandchildren live their lives as royals—with all the privileges and pit-falls that come with that title. But is Magneto’s control as all-encompassing as it seems? And what happens to a conqueror when there is no one left to conquer?

ROB: I’m interested in seeing what the Battleworld version of House of M looks like. I’m just wanting to see which characters this focuses on and if it has any interaction with the outside world.

INVADER ZIM #2
Writer: Eric Trueheart, Jhonen Vasquez
Artist: Aaron Alexovich, Megan Lawton
Publisher: Oni Press
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: ‘Dib knows ZIM’s sudden disappearance from Earth can only mean bad news for the human race. Can Dib stop him before Earth is just another alien-infested spaceside attraction like the universe’s biggest doughnut?

CHRIS: If you’re old like me and remember Zim then you’ve probably read issue one by now. Everyone should read this comic, it’s that hilarious which is to be expected since Jhonen Vasquez is involved. Hopefully using the comic medium will allow him to push the boundaries even more and get really crazy. A must, must read.

JUSTICE LEAGUE #43

Writer: Geoff Johns
Artist: Jason Fabok
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: “The Darkseid War” event rages on as Batman takes a dark journey into the depths of Godhood and unlocks the forbidden knowledge of the DC universe! Meanwhile, arch-enemies Superman and Lex Luthor must stand together in order to survive, and Wonder Woman leads the Justice League in an offensive against the Anti-Monitor and Darkseid! But what is Grail’s true mission during this war–and what is the secret she holds over Wonder Woman?

WAYNE: Batman as a god? Wildness! Looking forward to Mr. Johns taking the Justice League where they’ve never gone before!

MAD MAX FURY ROAD: MAX #1 (2nd printing)
Writer: George Miller & various
Artist: Mark Sexton
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $4.99
SOLICITATION: Max. The warrior Max. Haunted by his past and fated to wander the brutal Wasteland in search of his better self. To do so, Max Rockatansky enters Gastown, the only source of guzzoline for thousands of miles. Here he finds the final piece that he needs to rebuild his Interceptor – the powerful Boss 351 engine. But in order to acquire the fabled V8 in a world where car parts are worth more than a man’s life, Max must survive a gladiatorial battle in a place called…Thunderdome Plus! From the mind of George Miller, the creator of the Mad Max trilogy, the prelude series to the upcoming film Mad Max: Fury Road continues in its penultimate issue!

RODRIGO: Missed this the first time around, but I’m very interested. Especially with George Miller doing the writing.

OEMNIBUS #1
Writers/Artists: Michael Avon Oeming & Various

Publisher: Image Comics

Cover Price: $24.99
SOLICITATION: Collecting seven one-shots and short stories created with Image Comics over the past 15 years, this volume includes out of print and rarely seen stories by Powers co-creator MICHAEL AVON OEMING.  Collects 86 VOLTZ, PARLIAMENT OF JUSTICE, GOD COMPLEX, SIX, & more!

WAYNE: I’ve enjoyed Mr. Oeming’s work for years now, so it will be great to have this collection!

RAT QUEENS #11
Writer: Kurtis J. Wiebe
Artist: Tess Fowler
Publisher: Image Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: “DEMONS” Road Trip! Having survived the end of the world, the Queens follow Hannah back to where it all began: Mage University. With Necromancers being hunted by a mysterious cadre of religious zealots, Hannah will see to it that the Council of Ten, the overseers of the mage community, do something about it.

ASHLEY: New artist! Tess Fowler first played in the Rat Queens world during the Braga one shot and her work there was stunning! Not only am I looking forward to another adventure with Dee, Violet, Betty and Hannah, but I’m looking forward to seeing the newest visual interpretation of this world.

SECRET WARS SECRET LOVE #1
Writer: Various
Artist: Various
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $4.99
SOLICITATION: * WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE, CAN THEIR LOVE SURVIVE?

* ROBBIE REYES/KAMALA KHAN!
* TYPHOID MARY/KAREN PAGE/MATT MURDOCK!
* AND MANY MORE SECRET LOVE AFFAIRS…
Parental Guidance

ASHLEY: I’m not a fan of Secret Wars and have spent a lot of time avoiding the mess, but the idea of taking some of my favourite Marvel characters and telling an old fashioned romance story with them sounds too good to pass up!

CHRIS: I honestly have no clue what this is. It will either be awesome or a complete disaster but I’ll love it either way. That cover alone insures Marvel will get my money and I’m a sucker for something wacky and different.

TMNT ONGOING #49
Writer: Tom Waltz, Kevin Eastman
Artist: Cory Smith
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: A final battle looms as Karai decrees a “Gauntlet” battle between ancient foes Splinter and Shredderbut first the Turtles must defeat the Foot mutants- Koya, Bludgeon, Bebop & Rocksteady! With Leo making an unimaginable battle gamble, a second Turtle’s life may be on the line!

ROB: While the story keeps ramping into something greater and greater I don’t like this talk of “final battle”. Either way, I’m looking forward to more of this story.

VAMPIRELLA #13
Writer: Nancy A. Collins
Artist: Patrick Berkenkotter
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Cover Price: $4.99
SOLICITATION: Vampirella must deal with a palace coup in the conclusion of the “God Save the Queen” story arc in this special Unlucky 13 issue. When her lover, Tristan, is kidnapped and tortured by her enemies, Vampirella must decide whether or not to abdicate the throne in favor of the evil Count Savanovic or fight to remain Queen of the Nosferatu with the aid of a former ally—one that also happens to be more than a little dead.

STEPHEN: This is the last chapter of a long Vampirella story arc, but it is well written that you can jump in right here if you absolutely need to. Lots of movie monsters make their appearance, and there are a lot of great moments, making this a fun read this week.