Catch It at the Comic Shop March 13th, 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...

Kirk's Picks:

Little Bird #1 by Darcy Van Poelgeest, Ian Bertram and Matt Hollingsworth, publishd by Image Comics

I've been watching these creators talk about this project on twitter for a little bit now and it was never coming from a place of trying to hype the title up leading to it's release, but rather them sharing their personal experiences while they were creating it. I've read it and it's breathtaking. Van Poelgeest fits an entire arc in just the first issue. Bertram's style is uniquely his own since his stint on the unsettling House of Penance forcing Hollingsworth to step out of his comfort zone and color a world that you are genuinely afraid to step in to. The character designs are some of the best I have seen in quite some time, even for a vehicle as high fantasy as this. Landing somewhere in between Princess Mononoke and a Moebius fever dream, Little Bird is beautiful, introspective at it's bloodiest, and seemingly too big for it's proposed 5 issue run. Do not sleep on this title.

Calamity Kate #1 by Magdalene Visaggio, Corin Howell and Valentina Pinto, published by Dark Horse Comics

Sometimes a book pitches itself as straightforward as possible without any smoke and mirrors and it just hits the spot. Kate is going through a divorce, travels to LA to impose on her best friend she hasn't spoken to in 5 years, and sets out to become LA's new premier monster killer with all the fame that it entitles her. Part Buffy the Vampire Slayer in broad daylight and with cameras rolling, part unlikeable Scott Pilgrim written with just enough charm to keep you along for the ride. Kate travels from Los Feliz to Canoga Park (hometown shoutout! Thanks Mags!) ridding monsters throughout LA completely aloof to the impulsive life choices she's making in an attempt at a quick fix for her life. It's just damn fun.

James' Picks:

Assassin Nation #1 by Kyle Starks and Erica Henderson, published by Image Comics
The writer and artist of the insanely great, hilarious and moving Kill Them All and Sexcastle and Rock Candy Mountain teaming up with the spectacular artist from the Unbeatable Squirrel Girl? To tell a story about a crime boss guarded by the world's greatest assassins? Yeah, sign me up. 

Little Bird #1 by Darcy Van Poelgeest, Ian Bertram and Matt Hollingsworth, published by Image Comics
I'm not particularly familiar with the creators involved here except to say that I know that Ian Bertram is a terrifically talented artist, and this one looks like a super-weird and interesting, science fiction story. I'm always looking for something new and different, so the stunning cover has got me very intrigued, and what I've seen of the interiors has got me even more intrigued. 

The Magnificent Ms. Marvel #1 by Saladin Ahmed and Minkyu Jung, published by Marvel Comics
I loved, and am going to miss, G. Willow Wilson's run on Ms. Marvel but I'm also excited to see a new voice with a new take on the character. Saladin Ahmed is a terrific writer. I LOVED his Black Bolt comic. And I'm excited to see the character grow in a new solo series from someone other than one of her co-creators. This should be really good.

Infinite Dark TP Vol. 1 by Ryan Cady, Andrea Mutti and K. Michael Russell, published by Image Comics
"Scary stuff happening in space" is not particularly something I want in a movie, but it is absolutely something I want in a comic. Not necessarily a gorefest, but the notion of the crushing void and loneliness of space, and some sort of evil or terror? That can make for some remarkable comic storytelling. So, with that in mind, I definitely recommend Infinite Dark. The people living aboard this space station are literally the last living beings in the entire universe. It is the heat death of the universe - but there's something else out there. That's all I'll say.

Batman Who Laughs: The Grim Knight #1 by Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV and Eduardo Risso, published by DC Comics
I've really enjoyed the Batman Who Laughs storyline so far, so I'm thrilled to see more of it play out. At first I was skeptical of this character, but a Batman who's become "jokerized" and still retains all of Batman's skill and none of his morals, that's a pretty compelling hook.  And this spinoff issue is brought to life by the spectacular Eduardo Risso (100 Bullets).  So, this is something very much worth checking out.