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...
James' Picks:
Blue in Green OGN by Ram V, Anand RK, John Pearson & Aditya Bidikar, published by Image Comics
Blue in Green is one of the best, most engaging things I've read all year, full stop. It's storytelling at the highest level. It’s a stunning, freaky, fantastic story of pain, loss, legacy and generational trauma. The creative team weaves a story here that exists in a dreamlike space where you don't know if some of the things in the story are actually happening, and that's ok. We are all just along for the ride. Every aspect of the story is top notch. Ram V has an ear for dialogue and narration. He knows how to keep things moving, and the dialogue feels true to life. And Anand RK is an incredible illustrator. This is weird, scratchy, mesmerizing work. I very much enjoyed his prior collaboration with Ram in Grafity's Wall, but there's nothing in that book that would have prepared me for the work here. He and colorist John Pearson combine for an explosive, weird, incredibly powerful story with work that reminds me of classic Bill Sienkiewicz, but still very much its own thing. And talented letterer Aditya Bidikar brings his A-game to this story as well, as the lettering here is hand-lettered, and detailed and sometimes scary or unsettling or sad, but incredibly additive and very much part of the story. Lastly, this book is brought together by the impeccable design sensibilities of Tom Muller, who brings a 60's Jazz feel to the book (which is entirely appropriate), and makes the book feel both new and old at the same time. It's impeccable design work from the very best (and whose involvement in a project is usually an indicator of high quality). Basically, I'm saying you need to pick up Blue in Green. It's weird and scary and emotional and a must-read.
Colonel Weird Cosmagog #1 by Jeff Lemire, Tyler Crook and Dave Stewart, published by Dark Horse
The Black Hammer universe has been one of the real bright spots in comics over the last few years. Writer Jeff Lemire is weaving a remarkable universe, filled with his take on a number of superheroic archetypes, but with Lemire's blend of fear, longing, weirdness and mystery. This story looks at Colonel Weird, who (not surprisingly) feels very much like a mentally unbalanced analogue for Adam Strange. He's spent far too long in the Para-Zone, where everything and nothing are beyond comprehension. I'm excited to see where this story goes, and I'm thrilled to see it brought to life by the incredible Tyler Crook. Crook is an incredible cartoonist whose work you might know from the horror series Harrow County. He's definitely got a style that's perfectly suited for the weird and creepy. This should be great.
The first issue of Department of Truth absolutely blew me away. As much as I hate the way that absurd conspiracy theories have made their way into the mainstream, I love the concept behind this story: that there's a secret government department whose job it is to make sure that reality stays the way we know and expect it to be. The first issue was a blast, and full of fun twists. Martin Simmonds does amazing, scratchy artwork here, and the style he uses (also evocative of Bill Sienkiewicz) works perfectly with the "what's happening, is this real" vibe of the story. This is a must-read.
Sean's Picks:
X-ray Robot #3 by Matt Allred and Laura Allred, published by Dark Horse
Blue in Green OGN by Ram V, Anand RK, John Pearson & Aditya Bidikar, published by Image
This is a story of loss, and of healing, and of sense of self, and of passion. It is a beautiful graphic depiction of how life can tragically be dealt with while under the influence of your past and being led by the spell of your obsessions. Ram V and Anand are becoming the next dynamic duo in comics. Once upon a time there was Jack and Stan, then there was O’Neil and Adams, along came Brubaker and Phillips, alongside Bendis and Bagley, which led to Lemire and Sorrentino, and Maxwell and Morazzo. The latest of these teams-of-which-can-have-no-misstep is Ram V and Anand. Prepare yourself for thy masterpiece.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles The Last Ronin #1 (of 5) by Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird & Tom Waltz, published by IDW
The last I read there was going to be 71 covers for this book. That’s... a lot of covers. I have opinions regarding this marketing technique, but that doesn’t change the fact that more variants mean more copies. And more copies mean more people will (hypothetically) read it. That said, I am sitting on my hands in excitement for this one. The Turtles have been a favorite of mine going back to my late elementary school years. This is a story of a lone turtle fighting for justice for his fallen family in a far off dystopian future. The Last Ronin combines my nostalgia for the Turtles with my love for dystopian stories that involve purpose. Get this one and stay on it while it’s fresh. It will be one to talk about.
Beth's Picks:
For quite some time, Justice League Dark has been the only JL title I’ve had any interest in reading. The magical side of the DC universe has always been one of my happy places, the weirder the better. JLD delivers the weirdness and then some. Previews for this issue promise a battle that will “change the team’s roster forever.” That’s fine, as long as Bobo stays on board, because everything is better with Detective Chimp.
Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen: Who Killed Jimmy Olsen TP, by Matt Fraction and Steve Lieber, published by DC Comics
I started this fun series, got behind in my comics reading, and decided to wait for the trade. As someone who grew up reading the original “Superman Family” DC Giants and Dollar Comics, I’m looking forward with giddy glee to jumping back into Fraction and Lieber’s distinctively modern sojourn into Silver Age silliness. Giant turtles? Yes please!
Rob's Picks:
James Kochalka was one of the first indie comics stars I ever met, after reading his awesome, brutally honest diary comics and his oddball stories, like the first Monkey vs. Robot. He is still the same in how he approaches comics as he was 12 years ago, having talked to him at SDCC in 2019 (really hope to put that up here sometime soon). Believing strongly in a personal vision rather than trying to hone craft, Kochalka's new work closely resembles his older style. So if you can't see a difference between the old and new material in Monkey vs Robot, that's the point--this is what James does, and he does it incredibly well. Drawing very basic characters and outlines, the stories here feature Kochalka showing off some rare talents in comics, not the least of which is letting his characters say the quiet part out loud or look at naturalism vs technological progress. In this case, it's literal, with a monkey and robot at the center of things across three tales. I'm not big on re-purchasing items, but I'm looking forward to grabbing a physical copy of this to add to my Kochalka Quality shelf.
Exorsisters Vol 2 TP by Ian Boothby, Gisele Lagace, Pete Pantazis, and Taylor Esposito, published by Image
The first volume of this series made my shortlist in 2019 and in my April 2019 recommendation of the series I hoped there'd be more of this comedic pair of exorcists who are about as good at their job as the the Ghostbusters in terms of minimizing damage. There was a darker undertone, however, that helped make this more than a broad farce. This volume picks up on that thread, pitting the sisters against an evil force that threatens Heaven, Hell, and everything in-between. The hijinks are still there, but the stakes are higher. Luckily, Boothby, Lagace, and company are more than up to the task in this manga-inspired (but not derivative) series. A good pick for your Halloween weekend!
The Autumnal is a horror comic that scratches my itch for creepy small-town American stories. It must be something about me being British but every time I see anything related to small-town America I just feel cosy inside. Must be memories of movies like The Goonies, Back to the Future, Flight of the Navigator and so many more but I just love that kind of Americana. The Autumnal sees single mum Kat and daughter Sybil up sticks from Chicago and head to Comfort Notch a picturesque town with a small population to attend a family funeral, but all is not as it seems. Creepy kids, eccentric residents and something about the season of Fall/Autumn itself leads to a pretty disturbing end to the first issue. With issue two I hope to see more building of what’s behind the haunting mystery of Comfort Notch as long as it doesn’t put me off one of my favourite seasons.
Since completing These Savages Shores I have been clamouring for a new long-form story by Ram V and with Blue in Green we might just have one of the most beautiful looking books of 2020. Preview images have shown a mind-blowingly beautiful painted style from Anand RK which is a huge change from his previous work with Ram V on Grafity’s Wall. That isn’t a complaint because that art style will definitely add to the story of a young Jazz musician’s single-minded pursuit of creative genius that slowly turns into obsession. The fact that this is being sold to me as a horror comic has both surprised me and intrigued me on how it all plays out. Roll on Wednesday evening.
