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:
Immortal Sergeant #1 by Joe Kelly and Ken Nimura, published by Image Comics
From the creative team that brought us I Kill Giants. That's basically all I need to know. I Kill Giants is an incredibly memorable, special, emotional comic (by Joe Kelly and Ken Nimura) of a girl's journey through - well, I don't want to spoil it. But it's incredibly drawn by Nimura, nd it's a powerful, very emotional story. And Immortal Sergeant promises to also hit you in the emotions. So, that's enough for me. I can't wait to check this out.
Public Domain TP vol. 1 by Chip Zdarsky, published by Image Comics
That Chip Zdarsky can do everything, can't he! He was the artist on Sex Criminals, but he's also the extremely talented, terrific current writer of Batman and Daredevil. He's the supremely talented cartoonist behind Public Domain, a story about family and connection and also about the completely unfair, corporate-controlled comic book industry. This is a fantastic, emotional read that you could give anyone in your life and they'd understand and enjoy it. Zdarsky (the artist) his an accessible, highly appealing style that makes any comic really fun to read. And Zdarsky (the writer) has a supreme grasp on great ideas, great dialogue, and Zdarsky (the everything) does an incredible job bringing those very human struggles to the page and making them come alive. Punisher #9 by Jason Aaron, Paul Azaceta, and Jesus Saiz, published by Marvel Comics
Here's the thing: I'm typically not much of a fan of the Punisher. I really don't like the dark, gritty characters generally, and the Punisher is really a sociopathic murderer whose interests only occasionally seem to coincide with doing good and heroic things in the Marvel Universe. Not to mention I'm really not a fan of the way in which the Punisher's symbol has been co-opted by law enforcement in this country. It's shameful and terrifying. But, I heard good things about this comic and decided to pick it up. And it turns out, I'm really glad I did. Because writer Jason Aaron has fully embraced the fact that the Punisher is a terrible person and a villain, and doesn't really seek to redeem him. He provides a lot of background and explanation for the character, but what we learn reveals to us that he was a damaged sociopath of a person long before his family was killed. Also, he's currently the leader of the mystical ninja group The Hand, and is at war with Ares, the god of war. The current day story is drawn by Jesus Saiz and his work is fantastic. Similarly great are the flashback sequences, brough to life by the terrific Paul Azaceta. This is a Punisher run even for those of you who don't like the Punisher. It's a really good story.
What’s the Furthest Place From Here #10 by Matthew Rosenberg, Tyler Boss, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, published by Image Comics
The team of Tyler Boss, Matthew Rosenberg, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou have been putting together a really special story in the pages of What's the Furthest Place from Here (here's my review of issue #1). It's a story of found family, and loss of innocence, and the end of the world, and the way it feels to be a kid without parents, or a young adult without guidance in navigating a scary world. If you haven't been reading, you should catch up. The most recent few issues have been drawn by a few guest artists who have been showing some of the origins of the world. It's a sad story, but it's also funny and action-packed and dramatic and just weird. It somewhat defies description, which is a really good thing. I just love it, and you will too.
World's Finest #11 by Mark Waid, Dan Mora, and Tamra Bonvillain, published by DC Comics
We just learned a HUGE piece of information at the end of issue #10 of this series, that ties all the way back to a comic written by Mark Waid almost 3 decades ago. I don't want to say much more but I will say that this was a legit "HOLY $%^T" moment for me and for lots of other people. More broadly, this is just a terrific series and one of the best superhero books ring published. The story from Waid is fun and accessible, and the art from Dan Mora and colorist Tamra Bonvillain is absolutely top-notch. Mora has a style that feels both classic and modern, and Bonvillain's colors are bright and give the pages a ton of energy. This is a great, dramatic, emotional seris that's also full of fun and humor.