Rob's Picks:
In a world of closely linked islands that ring the sky, each plot of land has its own rules--until one group looks to unite them by force. In a time of great need, there's a legend of a creature who can help--Gogor--if only the right ritual is performed. In this debut issue, Garing keeps his characters--and the reader--moving quickly, showing glimpses of an extended fantasy world through an issue-length chase sequence. It's really cool looking, with human-like characters riding giant insects and a cool take on the golem concept. I'm not usually one for pure fantasy, but this has my interest, and should have yours, too.
The first chapter of what the creators hope to be a longer story comes to a close here, as we learn that sometimes the end goal of your journey of discovery isn't always the one you start with. I'm impressed with the satisfying ending that still leaves room to do more in this world, the political and philosophical concepts raised by the creators (and how they resolve them may not be how *you* might see the world!), and of course, Ferigato's phenomenal, 70s/80s Marvel style linework. This series is on my current shortlist for 2019. Definitely don't sleep on it.
The first arc of the IDW-Marvel partnership featuring a world in which Miles, Gwen, and Peter are peers with powers comes to a close, as the three web-spinners begin to work as a team to take down a superior foe. I love reading all-age books featuring Marvel characters, and the fact that Dawson is being given completely free reign to tell her own story and not worry about any sense of continuity is exactly how to do this. This is as close as we're going to get to a Spiderverse-style comic, I think, and I'm good with that. Ossio's art is really good at showing how agile the Spiders are, though they do make the Lizard a bit too bulky for my taste. And of course, seeing Ronda Pattison, one of my favorite colorists, do work on Peter, Miles, and Gwen is such a great treat. This is aimed at kids but fans of fun superhero stories will enjoy it, too.
James' Picks:
Copra is an homage to DC's Suicide Squad of the 80's but it's much, much more than that. It's a love letter to gritty comics and movies and it's masterful story being told by a fantastic comics creator, Michel Fiffe. Fiffe does everything on this book, script, art, letters - originally published by Bergen Street Press, Copra is being published by Image Comics and I'm glad, because I'm hoping it will reach a wider audience, and people will get the chance to see Fiffe's stunning, remarkable artwork and storytelling. I love Copra (my review here), and I hope you will too.
So...Kingdom Come was a comic that came out back in the mid-1990's. Not exactly a new release, but the fact that it's being reissued under DC's Black Label imprint is enough of an excuse for me to talk about it. I first read Kingdom Come more than 10 years ago, as I was just starting to get back into comics, and Kingdom Come was one of the books that really showed me how far superhero comics had come from what I remember reading as a kid. It's a dark alternate future where the older heroes are mostly out of commission or in the shadows, and a newer, darker generation of edgy heroes has taken over, and the old gang comes back together to deal with big threats and to remind everyone what true heroes look like. It's written by the fantastic Mark Waid, and the art (as you probably know) is by the incomparable Alex Ross, who paints every stunning page. I love this book a ton, and if you haven't read it, I highly recommend it.
Another week, another instance where I tell you that you should be reading Giant Days. This is an extraordinary comic which tells the story about three women at university in England, and all about their many friends, loves, and random weirdos and nemeses. It's a really special book, and I've loved following the story of Esther, Susan and Daisy. I'll be said when they graduate and the story ends. Max Sarin has been providing art for a long time now (original series artist was Lissa Treiman), and Sarin has a wonderful "cartoony" style that is filled with visual gags, great physical humor, and tons of emotional honesty. My wife isn't a huge comics person and this is a comic she reads without fail. Trust me, and trust her, Giant Days is worth a read.
I read and enjoyed the first issue of this series, and I'm looking forward to picking up the collected trade. This is a story where two very different versions of the same superhero switch universes, and the light and optimistic Dragonfly ends up on the gritty earth and vice versa. The first issue was a lot of fun, and I'm looking forward to more.
Sean's Picks:
One of my favorite things to do is anticipate the next big thing. A sort of personal competition with myself to see if I can obsess over the creators today that many others will tomorrow. Under my belt I have a few wins paired with a few unfortunate losses. After reading an advanced copy of Descendent I am pushing all my chips in for this creative team of Stephanie Phillips and Evgeniy Bornyakov. They have put together a story so chilling it already reads as a classic. The story structure and dialogue are so well crafted that it’s difficult to not feel immediately invested in what is unfolding with each turn of the page. Combine these elements with the realism of the art on the panels and you have a comic so hard to put down that you find yourself already looking for issue number two. This may be one of those comics that becomes a better read as a collected volume.. but to ensure that we get to that point and maybe even get more to the story.. go out and buy these single issues to help keep this momentum going.
I have no recollection of any knowledge for this creator. Ken Garing is a new name to add to my list of creators who are able to do both aspects of the comic medium. Many have tried and few have succeeded. The first issue of Gogor was a super fun read and the last page was a bit of a surprise. I am interested to see where the story goes from here. It’s a fantasy driven one, with a heavy reliance to the chase-scene. I recommend this as a casual read when you entertain yourself between heavier ones. This is a fun comic and I would be remiss to exclude it from my weekly recommends.
Cullen Bunn is a masterful story teller, and I drop most things to scurry toward those that he has played a part in. This specific story is about a new drug made of the ashes of the dead. Those who use it begin experiencing horrific visions of the dead living through them. It’s a pinch of The Sixth Sense combined with a whole hell lotta Cullen Bunn. I’m gonna order two copies.. one for my shelf, and one for my shelf once that first one gets borrowed out to the first fellow horror enthusiast friend of mine that comes over soon after.
Mike's Picks:
There are few, if any, series that fill me with more regular joy than Giant Days, and I'm incredibly excited to recommend this oversized anniversary issue. It's a special accomplishment for a niche humor series to hit 50 issues. If you're at all intimidated by that number, don't be. Despite the fact that this series is long running, it's primary episodic, and you can jump in without much initiation if you've got some basic geek humor background knowledge. And then you'll be hunting down trades and single issues 1-49, probably.
Don't be surpised if you see the names Marcus Perry or Tony Donley pop up on major releases from the big two in the next few years. If their work on Albert Einstein: Time Mason is any indication, this duo has a knack for action and adventure storytelling of the broad, sweeing epic variety. At center stage here, though, is Donley's art. If you delight at the pages of Chris Samnee, Patrick Gleason, or Doc Shaner, you'll love Donley's Lichtenstein-influenced approach to the clean line pop art style
Self Made 6 by Matt Groom, Eduardo Ferigato, and Marcello Costa, published by Image Comics
I'm disappointed Self Made is ending. While speculation about the role of technology in our lives has been a theme of science fiction since the emergence of the genre, the fact that books like Self Made can still find new territory and fresh motifs is a credit to the creative skillset of Groom and Ferigato, who have managed to blend heavy philosophical tropes with sci-fi/fantasy world-building.
2000 AD Villains Takeover One Shot by Rob Williams and Henrik Sahlstrom, published by 2000 AD
DC may be introducing the Year of the Villain this week for only a quarter, but the fact that we get a villains special comic-format 2000 AD special for a buck is way cooler. Over the past few years, 2000 AD has toyed with various concepts to engage the American audience, and we get to benefit from this experimentation.
DC may be introducing the Year of the Villain this week for only a quarter, but the fact that we get a villains special comic-format 2000 AD special for a buck is way cooler. Over the past few years, 2000 AD has toyed with various concepts to engage the American audience, and we get to benefit from this experimentation.
