Major Spoilers Staff Picks for July 31, 2019 #NCBD

IT’S NEW COMIC BOOK DAY! #NCBD

The best day of the week just got a lot better with a new round of awesome comics arriving in stores this week. Staff members at Major Spoilers are here to help you with your comic book selection this week, with their roundup of comics they recommend.

DEATH’S HEAD #1
Writer: Tini Howard
Artist: Kei Zama
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: Rising stars Tini Howard & Kei Zama take on Marvel UK’s hottest character, Death’s Head, in a new miniseries! When a job goes wrong, intergalactic mech merc Death’s Head wakes up half-assembled at a punk show! And if the crowd full of deodorant-eschewing youths wasn’t enough, the Young Avengers show up! Well, half of them anyway. Hulkling and Wiccan face down the best freelance peacekeeping agent in this universe!

MATTHEW: If we have to do 90s nostalgia, I much prefer the off-beat nonsense of Death’s Head to things like Adam-X or Youngblood. Heck, anybody who canonically fought The Doctor AND The Transformers and *survived* is cool in my book.

ICE CREAM MAN #13
Writer: W. Maxwell Prince
Artist: Martin Morazzo, Chris O’Halloran
Publisher: Image Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: What if you could have it both ways?

MATTHEW: It’s a mean-spirited book that has bordered on going too far for my tastes, but it’s a weirdly effective book whose squicky tongue-in-cheek horror appeals to me on a completely revolting, visceral level. Here’s hoping they can keep the balance in their third arc.

JUDGE DREDD: GHOST TOWN 2000 AD DIGEST
Writer: John Wagner, Alan Grant, Ian Edginton, Rob Williams
Artist: Dave Taylor Michael Dowling, R.M. Guera, Simon Colbey, Cameron Stewart
Publisher: Rebellion
Cover Price: $9.99
SOLICITATIOn: Mega-City One, 2135 AD. After the destruction wrought by the Chaos Bug with most of the city in ruins, a decimated Justice Department is struggling to cope. With disease, corruption, and looting rife, there are some that seek to take advantage of the city’s condition, including dangerous psychic, Algol Rey. Judge Dredd and Psi-Judge Anderson have survived, but after all the violence and horror, can they bring order back to a damaged city? Their limits as Judges are put to the test!

STACY: British comics are amazing, and Judge Dredd is and amazing character. This collection deals with what happens when a person who gives their all is pushed to give more, and the meaning of upholding the law. It’s a great collection everyone should check out.

JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK ANNUAL #1
Writer: James Tynion IV, V. Ram
Artist: Guillem March
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $4.99
SOLICITATION: Swamp Thing takes center stage in this one-of-a-kind story that will change the Green forever! After the fall of the Parliament of Trees, the Parliament of Flowers and its new guardian have risen. It’s now up to Alec Holland to convince him to become a benevolent protector of the world, but little does he know, a foe from his past, the Floronic Man, is trying to sway the guardian as well. Which path will the King of Petals choose? The fate of mankind depends on it!

JONATHAN: I’ve always appreciated how DC has allowed its magical characters to be used in ways that push the boundaries of storytelling and of the form itself. Justice League Dark Annual #1 keeps up this tradition. A beautifully tragic story with yet to be seen consequences, paired with vibrant and colorful art makes this a sure pick for me.

MANOR BLACK  #1
Writer: Cullen Bunn, Brain Hurtt
Artist: Tyler Crook
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: From the creators of Harrow County and The Sixth Gun comes this gothic horror fantasy about a family of sorcerers in crisis. Roman Black is the moribund patriarch of a family of powerful sorcerers. As his wicked and corrupt children fight over who will take the reins of Manor Black and become representative of the black arts, Roman adopts a young mage whom he gifts his powers to with the hope that someone good will take his place against the evil forces out to bring down his family and legacy.

STACY: Bunn and Hurtt present yet another tale that screams with a deep current of backstory and history. If you like your comics dark and magical, this one is for you.

MONSTRESS #24
Writer: Marjorie M. Liu
Artist: Sana Takeda
Publisher: Image Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: END OF STORY ARC! With war on the horizon-a war no one wants to stop-whose side will Maika choose? That of her friends, or her family?

JONATHAN: I’m not very familiar with Monstress, so this probably wasn’t the best issue to jump in on. That being said, the political intrigue and character interactions here are reminiscent of some of the better, albeit quieter, episodes of Game of Thrones and that is more than enough to get me onboard. Unfortunately the series won’t return until January.

POWERS OF X #1
Writer: Jonathan Hickman
Artist: R.B. Silva
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $5.99
SOLICITATION: FEAR THE FUTURE! Superstar writer Jonathan Hickman (INFINITY, NEW AVENGERS, FF) continues his revolutionary new direction for the X-Men. Intertwining with HOUSE OF X, POWERS OF X reveals the secret past, present and future of mutantkind, changing the way you look at every X-Men story before and after. You do not want to miss the next seminal moment in the history of the X-Men!FACE THE FUTURE! Superstar writer Jonathan Hickman (SECRET WARS, AVENGERS, FANTASTIC FOUR) takes the reins of the X-Men universe! Since the release of Uncanny X-Men #1, there have been four seminal moments in the history of the X-Men. Giant-Sized X-Men. X-Men. Age of Apocalypse. New X-Men. Four iconic series that introduced a new era for Marvel’s mutants and revolutionized the X-Men. In House of X, Charles Xavier reveals his master plan for mutantkind…one that will bring mutants out of the shadow of mankind and into the light once more.

CHRISTOPHER: I have loved the X-Men since my parents introduced me to it as a kid. I’m unsure about this reboot but my curiosity is struck with both the cover image and the solicitation. I hope that Jonathan Hickman does the series justice.

MATTHEW: House of X was weird, off-putting and entertaining, so I’m tentatively wanting to know what the heck is going on. This book’s promise to fill in some blanks is compelling. I’m in, for now…

QUEEN OF BAD DREAMS #3
Writer: Danny Lore
Artist: Jordi Perez
Publisher: Vault
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: After surviving an attack in her home, Daher decides to take Ava to the safest place she knows—but Viv, Daher’s ex-wife, may have something to say about that. Ava is faced with the reality of normal life, while Daher gets up-close-and-personal with the Chases, and the power they wield in the waking world.

INGRID: This is a gem of a detective story set in a future where people in dreams can escape into the real world. It has a sort of Bladerunner vibe, dealing with prejudice and power struggles with a great sense of tension.

RAT QUEENS #17
Writer: Ryan Ferrier
Artist: Marco Lasko, Priscilla Petraites
Publisher: Image Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: Palisade enslaved! With a new king in control, the Rat Queens find themselves doing hard time in the clink. As they struggle to maintain their sisterhood (and their sobriety), their only hope for survival lies in an unlikely spirit. Can the Queens break their unlucky streak? If so, they’ll have to face their most dangerous quest ever…

CHRISTOPHER: Rat Queens is a love of mine due to the dungeons and dragons feel and the strong female cast. I have seen this brand go beyond comic books and I want to see where the new creative team will take the title.

RED SONJA: LORD OF FOOLS ONE-SHOT
Writer: Mark James Russell
Artist: Bob Q, Katie O’Meara, Christian Ward Cameron Stewart
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Cover Price: $4.99
SOLICITATION: THIRTY pages of story, tying directly into the aftermath of RED SONJA #6! As the battle wages in Hyrkania…CYRIL is the Crown Prince of the Zamoran Empire, and he is young but not stupid. The mysterious blind priest will unlock the secrets of The Lord Of Fools… Cyril will learn his fate, and what it will mean for the known world…

STACY: Mark James Russell has proven he is a writer to be trusted, and this is no exception. The two side stories in this issue flesh out the behind the scenes of Red Sonja #6, giving it all new depth. Pick it up to get the whole story.

SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH #4
Writer: Kelly Thompson
Artist: Veronica Fish and Andy Fish
Publisher: Archie Comic Publications, Inc.
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: Sabrina’s worlds collide as the town of Greendale becomes engulfed in a literal witch hunt—putting Sabrina’s family and her secrets right in the crosshairs. But the monsters plaguing the town are not exactly what they seem and it’s up to Sabrina to save the town from itself, while clearing the name of witches everywhere. But what will be the price? Sabrina’s got everything riding on her “fresh start” in Greendale but doing the right thing might mean losing all she’s come to hold most dear.

INGRID: A little romance, a little magic – what could be better? Sabrina is a perennial favorite, and this updated take on her has just the right mix of sweet, funny, and spooky. And have I mentioned the gorgeous art?

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