Catch It at the Comic Shop May 5th, 2021

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...
 

Sean's Picks:


Jenny Zero #1 by Dave Dwonch, Brockton McKinney, Magenta King & Megan Huang, published by Dark Horse

This is it, folks. This is the comic we’ve all been waiting for. And if the cover doesn’t seal the deal for you then just keep on running because the Kaiju may just have changed course ..by adding you to its main course. Worth noting that there are a handful of Kaiju related titles on the comic stands right now, but literally none of them will compare to this one. Jenny Zero is the daughter of Mega Commander Zero, the superhero and father to Japan’s top Kaiju killer. The caveat to this though is that Jenny doesn’t give two shits about that and would much rather party, drink, and carry on with her friend Sheraton. The dialogue in this debut is as snarky as a shark. I’d figure that with a sarcastic and inebriated Kaiju killer composing a sub genre of its own, and add twitch it the illustrations of rising star Magenta King, then we hands-down have a no brainer. Go get this book. You hear me?

Marvel Action Captain Marvel #3 by Sam Maggs, Sweeny Boo & Brittany Peer, published by IDW

Carol Danvers always seemed to find herself in some sort of hilarious hijinks in this sporadically ongoing IDW series. The plot in these issues never really span further than a few issues or so, but the consistent tone (though admittingly juvenile by nature) is always a breath of fresh air among all of the self-serious titles that come out week after week. This is a comic meant for nothing else but to give you a damn good time with the characters that we grew up loving. In this particular issue we begin said hijinks with Danvers being Danvers; Captain Marveling her way into harms way all in the name of being the hero. And when things start to seem routine, her whole world turns inside out as she finds herself ..trapped inside a video game?! I can feel the draft now, as all our younger readers turn their heads simultaneously at the mere mention of video games. Oh, and there’s a talking fire hydrant ..so, yeah, things get a bit weird in this one. During a time when most comics are trying to critique their way into a corner as they analyze the latest and greatest, IDW, meanwhile, is over here churning out issues of flat out fun comics from some of the most beloved Marvel characters. My only gripe would be that they don’t come out often enough.

Dead Dog’s Bite #3 by Tyler Boss and published by Dark Horse

I recently read issue 1 through 3 of Dead Dog’s Bite in one sitting and my immediate afterthought was: give me more comics by Tyler Boss and give them to me now. This week is the penultimate issue and I highly recommend reaching back for issues 1 & 2 as well this week’s issue 3. This is a smart and ambitious story about a missing person in a small town as told by a mysterious narrator. Seriously, what’s up with that guy but give me more of that guy. (I’d without question purchase a Tyler Boss comic about the narrator in Dead Dog’s Bite). Boss has a knack for telling stories, and Dead Dog’s Bite is using every ounce of his potential as the next big thing in comics by honing in on what makes his quirk be not just his gimmick but instead it’s his vessel. Boss has an eye for telling his story visually and he’s got the wit and razor sharp tongue to give the narrative what it needs to make this story, honestly, an irresistible read. Seriously, folks. I devoured these 3 issues faster than most sad teenagers would a Phoebe Bridgers B-side. Go snag this title at your local shop before someone else does.

James' Picks:

The Good Asian #1 by Pornsak Pichetshote (A) Alexandre Tefenkgi, published by Image Comics
I've read The Good Asian #1 and it's a very strong start to a murder mystery story set in 1930's San Francisco. It's a rich first issue full of both compelling storytelling and interesting ideas, along with an exploration of race and racism. I didn't know either of the creators prior to this, but I already think that Pichetshote has a strong authorial voice, and that Tefengki is a fantastic artist. I definitely recommend picking this one up.

Dead Dog’s Bite #3 by Tyler Boss and published by Dark Horse
Tyler Boss is really showing himself to be a fantastic overall creator with the story of Dead Dog's Bite. It's a murder mystery in a small town, but it's also a story about relationships and not giving up and about the general weirdness of small towns. Boss is a great storyteller overall, and a particularly talented visual storyteller.  This feels like just the start of big stuff from him. You should definitely be reading this book. Additionally, PLEASE go back and read 4 Kids Walk Into a Bank, a truly special comic. 

Heroes Reborn #1 by Jason Aaron and Ed McGuinness, published by Marvel Comics
What if there were no Avengers?  Well then, as it turns out, the Marvel universe would look a lot more like the DC universe.  The biggest hero on Earth is the mighty Hyperion, leader of the Squadron Supreme. He's got a best pal, a photographer for the Daily Bugle named Peter Parker. And well, you get the idea. I think this is such a fun concept, and I can't wait to see what sorts of fun ideas they build in here. 
 
All-New Wolverine Omnibus HC by Tom Taylor, David Lopez, David Navarrot, Marcio Takara, and more, published by Marvel Comics
I'm not sure when I'll be picking up this giant doorstop of a book, but I know I will want to. I own all of the trades of Taylor's All-New Wolverine run, but this story deserves its own omnibus and I'm glad it's getting one.  I think this was a transformational book for the character of Laura Kinney/X-23. You may know that she's a clone of Wolverine, originally created to be a mindless killer. But she broke free from that, and has led a weird existence since then. But in All-New Wolverine she assumed the mantle of Wolverine (while the "regular" one was dead for a little while, he got better) and she proved herself more than equal to the task. Not only was she a highly capable superhero, but she was a terrific legacy character, so we saw in the story the way in which she struggles with being a clone of Logan and a terrifying killer, but also being something more than that. She's a hero of warmth and compassion, as the takes on her little "sister" Gabby, and she more than lives up to the Wolverine title. She is, in fact, my favorite Wolverine. So I 100% recommend this book.

The Swamp Thing #3 by Ram V. Mike Perkins, and Mike Spicer, published by DC Comics
I'm really enjoying this comic so far. I can't say I'm particularly a huge fan of the Swamp Thing as a character, tjhough I feel like he's a character that's gotten a lot of incredibly strong comics over the years. I'm thrilled to see Ram V take over the book and that if it is going to involve a swamp, it doesn't have to actually be the Louisiana Bayou, because as it turns out there are other swamps in the world, including India. I'm excited to read about new characters, new avatars of the Green. And Ram V is setting up a story that feels big and weird and scary and different. I loved his blend of mythology and politics in These Savage Shores and I'm really enjoying this book so far.  Mike Perkins is also a great fit for this story.  I really enjoyed his work on the recent Lois Lane series. He's got a really grounded, detailed style, but he clearly also excels at the weird and monstrous.  A strong book so far.

Mike's Picks:

Clyde Fans by Seth, published by Drawn and Quarterly
Clyde Fans is a masterpiece and it belongs on every comic reader's bookshelf, but the hardcover price tag might be a little high. Fortunately, a more budget-friendly trade paperback edition arrives this week. Clyde Fans is remarkable in its construction, tracking the the tragicomic decline of two brothers equally unequipped to handle the responsibilities of their legacy, and documenting almost twenty years of the evolution of Seth's style from wavy and avant-garde to definitive abstract formalism. This book is so many things, both a satire on post-war optimism and an indictment of boomer entitlement, but also a sad story about a world that passes two brothers by for entirely different yet equally pitiful reasons. 

Black Star by Eric Anthony Glover and Arielle Jovellanos, published by Abrams/Megascope
The flip-side to the dearth of post-scarcity science fiction that has populated the genre for some time now is the idea that progress is cyclical. Even great technology falters and breaks down. Nothing is guaranteed perpetuity. Such is the premise of Black Star. Imagine a crumbling infrastructure, but now set it in space. Dangerous missions to the end of the galaxy are eventually bound to end in disaster, and Black Star explores the idea of a survival story set in the far reaches of space in the vein of both The Martian and Lost in Space. Jovellanos' bright artwork captures a lush landscape and contrasts the dark plot rife with deception. 

Summer Spirit by Elizabeth Holleville, published by Nobrow
You know how you had summer friends? People whose short duration in your life was punctuated remarkable consistency - friends from camp or an annual vacation. Now, imagine that summer friend is actually a ghost, and, more relevant to our story at hand, is the only one who understands you because everyone else around you seems to be growing up too fast. French artist Elizabeth Holleville creates a charming and sincere portrait of life for an early teenage girl. Using an absolutely beautiful color palette, she draws on the lights and darks of the summer months, accentuating her classic style with a richness that lends to an ever-so-spooky feel.