James' Picks:
Sherlock Frankenstein and the Legion of Evil TP by Jeff Lemire and David Rubin, published by Dark Horse Comics.
So, if you're not reading the Black Hammer comics, first, please go remedy that and read those comics. Sherlock Frankenstein takes place within the universe of those stories, and tells the story of one of the great villains of that world, along with the story of Lucy Weber (the daughter of the hero, Black Hammer). It's a nuanced and fun story, brought to life with gorgeous art from David Rubin, one of my favorite artists.
Barrier #1 by Brian K. Vaughan, Marcos Martin and Muntsa Vicente, published by Image Comics.
I read this comic digitally and I'm excited to see it come to print. As I understand, the issue this week will be a larger, special-edition, horizontal comic (as it was originally created). Barrier is a really interesting comic - I think it works more as a weird meditation on barriers and alienation than it does as a story, but the storytelling aspects still work pretty well given the talented creators involved (the team that brought you The Private Eye). If that team is involved in anything, it is worth picking up.
Isola #2 by Brenden Fletcher, Karl Kerschl and Msassyk, published by Image Comics.
Issue 1 of Isola was one of the most gotgeous comics I've seen in a while. For that reason alone I'm happy to pick up the second issue. But also because the story intrigues me. I feel like I'm sorta missing something, having never seen a Miyazaki or Studio Ghibli film, but if the story is good, it should draw me in regardless of that lack of reference. And thus far I'm certainly intrigued by the story of dark magic that turned a queen into a tiger, and the magical island that can fix her.
Justice League: No Justice by Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, Joshua Williamson and Francis Manapul, published by DC Comics.
In the wake of Dark Nights: Metal, DC is going big and cosmic, and dividing up the Justice League into 4(!) teams in order to battle giant beings that are totally not a cross between the Celestials and Galactus (I hope Jack Kirby's family is getting credit or $ or something). Anyway, I think the age of dark and gritty is done for a while, and the age of big and cosmic is upon us, and I couldn't be happier. I'm looking forward to see what DC does with these interesting and unusual team pairings.
Mike's Picks:
Calexit # 3 by Matt Pizzolo and Amancay Nahuelpan, published by Black Mask Comics
I don’t know if I’ve anticipated an issue more than Calexit #3 in some time. The political climate that surrounds the book helps keep it grounded, while the all-to-present future feel adds just the perfect amount of sci-fi tropes to provide the necessary degree of escapism. Calexit has some roots in cyberpunk both in tone and format, and there are also some Mad Max vibes flowing through the comic. But both are just enough to remind you to pay attention to the narrative, which has been gripping and tense.
Real Deal # 8 by Lawrence Hubbard and William Clausen, published by Fantagraphics
I only caught on to Real Deal after the revival and subsequent publication of # 7, and even then I was fairly tardy. Here’s the solicit, “Lawrence Rawdog Hubbard and crew are back and slangin dope new comix to wake you the @#$%&! up! Draw down with G.C. in 'Psyops' and raise your fist in the air for the final chapter of 'Planet Dregs'! Forever shout out to H.P. Dr. Chronic McElwee, RIP!” So, I mean, of course you want to buy this, right?
Hellboy Omnibus Volume 1: Seed of Destruction, published by Dark Horse
Hellboy is one of the most important independent comic series of all time. It’s fantastic that it is finally getting the omnibus treatment – the Dark Horse ten issue style, not the “$100 – these pages are really thick” DC style, nor the “we repackaged a few trades for $75” Marvel style. The format is good because it allows for a deep dive into Hellboy without an insane commitment. Hellboy is a complex narrative, but these smaller-than-true-omnibuses-larger-than-trade collections are the perfect size. That’s 368 pages for $25.
Disney Masters Vol. 1 – Mickey Mouse: The Delta Dimension by Romano Scarpa, published by Fantagraphics
If you had the chance to pick up last year’s American issue of Scarpa’s The Return of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, you’ll definitely be mesmerized by his Mickey work. Scarpa’s Italian Mickey Mouse stories continued directly from Floyd Gottfredson’s strips after the latter was told to change to a daily gag format. Yet, for all of his work for Disney Italia, he hasn’t seen much publication here. Hopefully, this Disney Masters series starts to rectify that.
Domino 2 by Gail Simone and David Baldeon, published by Marvel Comics
You had me at a Dazzler cameo, Gail! I wasn't sure if I'd be in for this comic, given that I'm not the biggest X-fan out there. But Gail does a great job of making you like the character, and after setting up her status quo, she immediately starts messing with it, which hooked me. Baldeon's art is really slick, doing a great job of making people look attractive without being exploitative--important given the nature of the cast--and his panel layouts are really strong. Domino looks to be in some trouble here, and I can't wait to see what happens next.
Exiles 3 by Saladin Ahmed and Javier Rodriguez, published by Marvel Comics
If you didn't think Saladin was already a geek for picking Obscure Tiny Wolverine, you'll know he is when Peggy Carter Captain America from Marvel Puzzle Quest(!!) shows up this issue. The Exiles have been scattered and all looks lost, but this comic is something you shouldn't miss. The combination of Ahmed's depth of knowledge of Marvel's obscure figures and Rodriguez's ability to draw whatever he's asked in an amazing, slick style, is a perfect combination.
You Are Deadpool 2 by Al Ewing and Paco Diaz, published by Marvel
This is a very weird week for me. Marvel usually doesn't find its way to my reading list. But this is the second issue of the Deadpool RPG/Choose Your Own Adventure, and issue 1 was so much fun, I had to put in on the list again. And any series that brings back a villain from the Larry Leiber days of Thor is okay in my book. Have fun rolling your dice as you read along.
Fraggle Rock 1 by Jared Cullum, published by Boom!/Archaia
New adventures in the world created by Jim Henson. This is a total nostalgia pick for me, but whatever. I really enjoyed the last set of comics in this world that they published, so hoping for good things here. If you have fond memories of the series, definitely check this out.
Prism Stalker 3 by Slone Leong and Ariana Maher, published by Image Comics
The amazingly imaginative, colorful worldbuilding continues here, as Slone shows us how hard training for this new world will be. Some of the panel work is quite imaginative, but requires careful reading. This continues to be a great series that sci-fantasy fans should read.