Catch It at the Comic Shop February 6th, 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...

Rob's Picks:

Vampirella vs Re-Animator #2 by Cullen Bunn, Blacky Shepherd, and Taylor Esposito, published by Dynamite Entertainment
Herbert West: Undead Marriage Wrecker? Everyone's favorite mad scientist has gotten way over his head, bringing back a Goddess of Death who wants to use him to create an army. Vampirella's on the case, but West's formula has changed her old foe in ways that might make for strange bed fellows. I knew Cullen would have fun with these characters, mixing horror with humor, and it hasn't disappointed me one bit. Blacky Shepherd's choice to use mostly black and white art with color splashes really makes this one sing, too. A great, fun romp.

Marvel Action Avengers #2 by Matthew K. Manning, Jon Sommariva, Protobunker, and Christa Miesner, published by IDW
Tony Stark: Agent of Aim continues with a Fin Fang Foom chaser. If you loved Marvel Adventures, you'll love this. Take great characters, give them a fun story, and don't worry about continuity, making things "realistic" or shaking things up. That's what all-ages comics should do, and this delivers on all counts. One of my favorite parts is that Manning is really doing a great job of giving each character a personality that's distinctive. The art isn't quite what I'm used to--the characters seem just a bit off--but it's not like it's distracting. If you like the Avengers but don't want the baggage, this book is for you.


James' Picks:

 Wasted Space #6 by Michael Moreci, Hayden Sherman and Jason Wordie, published by Vault Comics
This was one of my favorite series of 2018. It's a smart sci-fi series from writer Moreci which explores ideas of religion, personhood, politics, and has a ton of humor and heart to go with the smart ideas. Sherman and Wordie provide fantastic, scratchy art that gives this futuristic universe a lived-in feel.

Ether vol. 2: The Copper Golems by Matt Kindt and David Rubin, published by Dark Horse
This is a fun, weird series that explores both science and magic, and the tremendous cost that one man undertakes to seek his dreams. Cool, creative story from Kindt, and Rubin provides some stunning art.

Daredevil #1 by Chip Zdarsky and Marco Checchetto, published by Marvel Comics
I don't know much about the current status quo of Daredevil. I really loved the extended Mark Waid run (with many artists, but significantly Chris Samnee) but fell off after that. Zdarsky has proven to be an extremely talented and versatile writer, so I'm curious to see what he brings to the character. And Checchetto is an extremely talented artist.

The Immortal Hulk #13 by Al Ewing and Joe Bennett, published by Marvel Comics
At first I just thought this book was going to be the Hulk as a dark vigilante of the night dishing out brutal justice. But it has turned out to be so much bigger and so much weirder than that. I don't exactly know what's going on, but I really enjoy this book.