Catch It at the Comic Shop January 30th, 2019

Welcome to Catch it at the Comic Shop, where the Panel Patter team looks at what's coming out at your favorite store or digital device this week. Each one of us that participates picks up to five items due out this week, with a little bit about why we like them. (NOTE: We use solicitation material for this, so if we miss creators, please talk to your publisher!) Sometimes we might only have a few items to share, other weeks, keeping it to five will make for hard choices. Here's what the team wanted to highlight this week...

Scott’s Picks:

Terrifics #12 by Jeff Lemire &Viktor Bogdanovic, published by DC Comics
Meet the Beatles was one of the first albums I remember listening to and staring at the cover of.  It was probably at least 12-13 years after it came out but it was one of the things in my parents’ record collection that I really stuck out to me whenever I would flip through their record collection.  So I love any variation of that cover, such as Doc Shaner’s homage to it in the new issue of The Terrifics.  I’ll admit that I really haven’t kept up on this series but I want to catch up with it just to get this cover.

Off Season by James Sturm, published by Drawn & Quarterly
Since James Sturm spends most of his time nowadays teaching the next great generations of cartoonists at the Center for Cartoon Studies, we don’t get to see as much of his work as we may want.  And Sturm has never been the most prolific cartoonist so it’s always great to be able to anticipate a new book by him.  I’m always interested to see the latest work by teachers as it’s fascinating to see them practice the art that they’re teaching. 

I Want To Eat Your Pancreas, The Complete Manga Collection by Yoru Sumino & Idumi Kirihara, published by Seven Seas Entertainment
Just the title of this alone is great but it may make you think that you’re getting ready to read the next Hannibal Lecter book and not a sweet romance comic about a girl dying from a pancreatic disease and the boy who finds out her secret.  This looks like a nice, sweet slice-of-life comic and was based on Sumino’s novel and has also been adapted into a live-action film and an anime movie as well.  This story has some serious legs to it so I’m looking forward to diving into Seven Seas printing of the manga.  It looks like it may be the perfect thing to read this week when the temperatures are going to be plunging well below 0 degrees in the Midwest.  

James' Picks:


Shanghai Red TP by Christopher Sebela, Joshua Hixson and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, published by Image Comics
I highly recommend this series. It's a terrific, dramatic series set in late 19th century Portland, involving piracy, issues of gender identity, violence, families, and a whole lot of other ideas. Really great, strong writing (as always) from Chris Sebela, with terrifically expressive art from Joshua Hixson.


Ms. Marvel #37 by G. Willow Wilson and Nico Leon, published by Marvel Comics
I feel like this book is now underappreciated. G. Willow Wilson (and a series of talented artists) have been telling stories about this wonderful character that Wilson co-created (with Marvel editor Sana Amanat) for more than 5 years now, and as Wilson is going to be leaving the book soon, it's worth acknowledging the terrific work she's done.  Kamala Khan is a character of depth and a very specific voice, with a rich family, social setting, with stories told in a very real-seeming (yet fantastical) world.  I'm not suggesting you start with this issue - I'm suggesting you go back to the very beginning and read all you can about this terrific teen hero.


Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt #1 by Kieron Gillen and Caspar Winjgaard, published by Dynamite Entertainment 
So, I knew virtually nothing about this character other than the fact that he was the basis for Ozymandias in Watchmen.  However, whren you've got a writer as good as Kieron Gillen, and an artist as talented as Caspar Winjgaard, you've got my attention. I've read the first issue and I can say it's a terrific read, and clearly setting up to be a fun meta-superhero deconstruction story, along with being a fun adventure.

Mike's Picks:


 
Animosity: Evolution # 10 by Marguerite Bennett, Eric Gapstur, Rob Schwagger, and Marshall Dillon, published by Aftershock Comics
I've officially reached the point where I'm unable to determine which is the better of the two Animosity books. Evolution is certainly the darker of the two series, but from that darkness springs a degree of satire that doesn't come from the main series. It's less long form survival-adventure epic like its sister series, and more of meditation on irony. This issue promises a major turning point in the War of the Species as the animal utopia continues to show signs of its inevitable descent into the same perils that plague human society.



Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt #1 by Kieron Gillen and Caspar Wijngaard, published by Dynamite Entertainment
Look, you'll probably read about 372 pieces surrounding the launch of this comic that references the fact that Peter Cannon was the inspiration for Ozymandias (373, check). It's not the backstory that should draw you to the book, though. Dynamite last rebooted Peter Cannon over five years ago in the wake of the successful relaunches of bygone properties in Project Superpowers, Kirby: Genesis, and Green Hornet. Whereas that previous volume, spearheaded by Alex Ross, played up the character's traditional Silver Age stories, Gillen makes no bones about reappropriating Cannon as an Ozymandias pastiche, thereby completing some nutso postmodern cycle of simulacra.



Herakles Book 2 by Edouard Cour, published by Lion Forge
Lion Forge has a multi-pronged approach to comics that includes the Catalyst Prime shared universe, original graphic novels including the critically acclaimed Upgrade Soul, and translations of European work of various genres. Cour's Herakles is the right kind of reimagined mythology - it pays enough attention to the source material while modernizing it enough to make a point. Cour's art alternates from clean to wavy, and he explores washed out colors to make the book feel both old and surreal.


Deep Roots Vol. 1 by Dan Watters, Val Rodrigues, Triona Farrell, and Aditya Bidikar, published by Vault Comics
Deep Roots deservingly found itself on a number of critics "Best of 2018" lists. Like all Vault books, this series combines and novel concept with impeccable design. Watters and Rodrigues craft one an eco-horror story worthy of Swamp Thing by creating a tale that is part mystery and part X-Files episode. Deep Roots is gnarly and wild, and it is all tied together by the deft pallete of one of the best colorists working today, Triona Farrell.

Rob's Picks:

WWE Forever #1, by Various Creators including Lan Pitts, Brent Schoonover, and others, published by Boom! Studios
One of the biggest draws that WWE uses is their long history in the industry, highlighting at the start of all their shows and using the tag line "Then, Now, Forever" these days. While the main comic series focuses on their current starts like AJ Styles, this issue takes a look at classic wrestlers, ranging from Bret Hart to Razor Ramon. I'm not steeped in the history of wrestling the way that others are, with only a casual knowledge of the old greats. A series like this, however, is a no-brainer for wrestling fans everywhere, regardless of your feelings on the current product WWE has. With people like my former 'Rama colleague Lan, a huge fan of the sport, at the creative helm, these should be great stories.


The Shape of Elvira #1, by David Avallone, Fran Strukan, and others, published by Dynamite Entertainment
Elvira is the perfect character to take pot shots at an award-winning film about amphibious amour, given her sexy, comedic horror concept and the movie's clear relation to the Creature from the Black Lagoon. In this one, Elvira agrees to be in what's supposed to be an art film but has a very different angle that could land her in more than hot water. The first Elvira mini was a great romp that made my short list, and I look forward to this one being more of the same zaniness that manages to capture the camp and put it on the comic page