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July 2021 Previews: Carman’s Picks

Primordial #1
JUL210009
Estimated release: September 15, 2021
Publisher: Image Comics
(W) Jeff Lemire (A/CA) Andrea Sorrentino

Mind-bending sci-fi collides with Cold War thriller in this six-issue miniseries by the bestselling and Eisner-winning creative team behind GIDEON FALLS!
In 1957, the USSR launched the dog, Laika, into Earth’s orbit. Two years later, the USA responded with two monkeys, Able and Baker. These animals never returned. But, unbeknownst to everyone, they did not die in orbit…they were taken. And now they are coming home.

Hey, if you’ve haven’t read Gideon Falls yet, go fix that now while we’re waiting on Primordial. It’s not been that long since Gideon Falls ended but it still felt like we’d been waiting a while to hear what this duo had in the works next. I’m so glad they’re continuing to work together and the fact that Laika the dogstronaut is a main character..? I can’t wait!

Mazebook #1 (of 5)
JUL210285
Estimated release: September 8, 2021
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
(W/A/CA) Jeff Lemire

From New York Times bestselling and Eisner Award-winning Black Hammer creator Jeff Lemire comes this ambitious and haunting comic series about family, mourning, and reality.

A lonely building inspector still grieving the loss of his puzzle-loving daughter receives a mysterious phone call one night from a girl claiming it’s her and that she’s trapped in the middle of a labyrinth. Convinced that this child is contacting him from beyond this world, he uses an unfinished maze from one of her journals and a map of the city to trace an intricate path through a different plane of reality on an intense and melancholy adventure to bring his daughter back home.

The only way out is in . . .

It’s looking to be another one of those Lemire months. I believe Mazebook is the first solo Lemire book since Frogcatchers and Jeff has been talking this one up. What would one expect from a solo Lemire project but tackling “family, mourning, and reality?” I know I’ve said it before but I’m ready to get sad. Maybe scared?

Telepaths #1 (of 6)
JUL211409
Estimated release: September 1, 2021
Publisher: Artists Writers & Artisans Inc.
(W) J. Michael Straczynski (A/CA) Steve Epting

The brand new epic from comic book legends J. Michael Straczynksi (The Amazing Spider-Man, Thor) and Steve Epting
(Captain America: The Winter Soldier). An electromagnetic disturbance results in the sudden awakening of telepathic
powers in a tenth of the Earth’s population. In the moments after the world comes to grip with this development, newlyBoston police find themselves sent against a wrongly convicted prisoner who becomes a hero and leader of
other telepaths trying to escape a world in which their powers will make them targets. Both are heroes of their own story,
and the future may depend on whether or not trust can be found between them.

Listen I don’t know a much about this book but I do know some things — one is that I’ve been going through old David Cronenberg movies and I’ve not yet watched Scanners. Is this Scanners? I also know that the cover reminds me of the VHS box art for the movie Deep Impact. Remember that movie? Was it good? I remember it being good. But it probably wasn’t! Also, is that guy at the top Ronald Reagan as portrayed by Bruce Campbell? Is “newlyBoston” the name of the city or just a typo? Let’s find out together.

I Am Batman #1
Estimated release: September 14, 2021
Publisher: DC Comics
(W) John Ridley (A/CA) Olivier Coipel

In the throes of the Future State, the streets of Gotham City cry for justice and Jace Fox answers the call! With a new and improved Bat-Suit, Jace hits the streets to inspire and protect…as he follows the trail of the voice of misinformation and violence–the anarchistic Anti-Oracle! Can the new Dark Knight counterbalance their plan to inspire armed rebellion in the citizens of Gotham?! Can one man inspire a city?

I’ve not kept up well with DC Future State stuff but I’ve really enjoyed John Ridley’s work on The Other History of the DC Universe and it’s great to see him on an ongoing book (I presume it’s ongoing given that it doesn’t have a finite end issue here). If you want to catch up on The Other History of the DC Universe and would like a collected edition, a hardcover is planned for November.

May/June 2021 Previews: Carman’s Picks

Dark Blood #1 (of 6)
MAY210943
Estimated release: July 21, 2021
Publisher: Boom! Studios
(W) LaToya Morgan (A) Walt Barna (CA) Valentine De Landro

What if you were given the power to change the course of history?

Alabama, 1955. Avery Aldridge is an ordinary young Black man. A decorated World War II veteran, Avery provides for his wife and daughter.

But wounds of the past have a way of coming back, and Avery Aldridge will soon discover he is anything but ordinary…

After a run-in awakens strange new abilities, Avery’s about to become more powerful than he could have ever dared to dream… in a country and society that never wanted him to have any power.

A bold, evocative genre-bending saga by screenwriter LaToya Morgan (AMC’s The Walking Dead, Into The Badlands) and rising star artist Walt Barna (The Osiris Path) perfect for fans of Department of Truth and Bitter Root!

Bad Blood grabbed me right off the bat. I like that we’re not getting a ton of info — I’ve got a feeling that going into this somewhat blind will allow a big payoff. Granted, it doesn’t hurt to mention the likes of Bitter Root and Department of Truth.

Delver
JUN210347
Estimated release: October 6, 2021
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
(W) M.K. Reed, C. Spike Trotman (A/CA) Clive Hawken

When the door to a living dungeon surfaces in the tiny hamlet of Oddgoat, village girl Temerity Aster has two choices: abandon the only home she’s ever known to carpet baggers and sellswords, or carve out a place for herself and her family in the new and dangerous world of delving.

•  From Iron Circus Comics founder C. Spike Trotman and Eisner-nominated writer MK Reed!

I’ve been following Iron Circus Comics for a year or two and recently picked up The Harrowing of Hell (recommended!) published by them. I’ve never read anything by C. Spike Trotman though so I was excited to see her name pop up in Previews and Delver sounds rad.

Old Head
JUN210152
Estimated release: August 25, 2021
Publisher: Image Comics
(W/A/CA) Kyle Starks

Space Jam meets Fright Night in this hilarious action-horror as a former basketball star returns home to bury his mother only to learn of her mysterious past, his destiny, and to find himself embroiled in a decades-long blood feud with actual Dracula.

Kyle Starks’ books are so fun and having one that is horror-themed is 100% my jam. I cannot wait for Old Head.

Deadbox #1
JUN211896
Estimated release: August 25, 2021
Publisher: Vault Comics
(W) Mark Russell (A/CA) Ben Tiesma

Welcome to the town of Lost Turkey, where the main source of entertainment is a cursed DVD machine that seems to know more about the fate of its citizens than they do.

Y’all, from what I’m seeing here… this is a comic book about a haunted RedBox.

The Unbelievable Unteens #1 (of 4)
JUN210271
Estimated release: August 11, 2021
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
(W) Jeff Lemire, Tyler Crook (A/CA) Tyler Crook

From the world of the Eisner Award-winning Black Hammer series comes this meta team superhero saga taking place between two different worlds.

After signing at a comic book convention, Unbelievable Unteens artist Jane Ito finds herself visited by one of the characters from her own creation-but was it her own creation? Were the Unteens an actual school of teenaged misfit superheroes who battled supervillains under the lead of the mysterious Dr. Miles Moniker? And if so, who wiped their memories and why?  As Jane’s world is turned upside down and she learns the true nature of her identity she discovers a sinister plot leading her to assemble a team she had suspected was purely fictional.

•  An exciting reimagination of the Eisner Award-winning Black Hammer series!

When Lemire stops cranking out excellent Black Hammer-universe titles, I’ll stop putting them in these lists. I don’t expect that to happen. Also, glad to see Tyler Crook on another one of these Black Hammer stories!

Spider-Man: Life Story Annual #1
JUN210656
Estimated release: August 25, 2021
Publisher: Marvel Comics
(W/CA) Chip Zdarsky (A) Mark Bagley

A Special Encore Return to the World of SPIDER-MAN: LIFE STORY by the Original Creative Team!
SPIDER-MAN. He’s a threat. He’s a menace. And J. JONAH JAMESON will do whatever it takes to make the world see it! But in this companion piece to last year’s hit miniseries SPIDER-MAN: LIFE STORY, will the decades of his obsession bear fruit for Jonah…or be his destruction?
CHIP ZDARSKY and MARK BAGLEY reunite for this story told in a world where Marvel’s beloved characters aged in real time!

Spider-Man: Life Story was great. It’s no surprise that Marvel wanted to bring it back. With the implication that there will be more annuals, it’ll be interesting to see where Zdarsky and Bagley take this going forward. Now that they’ve done several decades leading up to the present, will they move to the future?

April 2021 Previews: Carman’s Picks

6 Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton #1
APR210126
Estimated release: June 9, 2021
Image Comics
(W) Kyle Starks (A/CA) Chris Schweizer

For fans of CHEW and ASSASSIN NATION comes a new action-mystery series from Eisner Award nominees CHRIS SCHWEIZER (Crogan Adventures) and KYLE STARKS (SEXCASTLE).

The world’s most unlikable action star has been found dead, and his previous TV sidekicks are looking to solve the mystery. But how can you catch a murderer when almost everyone hated the victim? Now these sidekicks are going to learn what it means to be the stars of the show…that is, if any of them survive the STUNTMAN WAR!

Fun to see what the Kyle Starks Title Generator came up with this time! I don’t mean that as a dig — 6 Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton is a very on-brand title for Starks and it’s great. I know it’s mentioned above, but this definitely has an Assassin Nation vibe to it. If you’ve not read that book yet, go grab it and then pick this up!

Everfrost #1
APR211533
Estimated release: June 2, 2021
Black Mask Comics
(W) Ryan Lindsay (A/CA) Sami Kivela

Van Louise retired to the ice coast so she could quietly find a way off planet from a world on the wrong side of societal collapse.

She biohacks a dead leviathan to orchestrate passage away into the universe, but her plans are about to get chewed up by a mounting war between the Warlords – violent gatekeepers for the global ruling party – and the Bloom – those who risk extinction living out on the water – as well as a family reunion with her son who she hasn’t seen since he died in her arms when he was a child.  

Join Ryan K Lindsay, award-winning writer of ETERNAL and NEGATIVE SPACE, as he teams yet again with Sami Kivela, the artistic juggernaut behind ABBOTT and UNDONE BY BLOOD, alongside Lauren Affe, the colourist of THE WITCHER, STRANGER THINGS, and FIVE GHOSTS as they drop an absolute bomb of sci fi insanity and heartbreaking emotion in the grandest Black Mask tradition.

“She biohacks a dead leviathan to orchestrate passage away into the universe.” I’m not going to pretend like I fully understand that but I’ll tell you that I want to find out. There is a LOT to take in from the info above and I am very interested to see how Everfrost plays out. I love Kivela’s work on Abbott, too — another great book to pick up if you’ve not read it!

Lost on Planet Earth
APR210379
Estimate release: August 4, 2021
Dark Horse Comics
(W) Magdalene Visaggio (A/CA) Claudia Aguirre

It’s 2381, and Basil Miranda, on the verge of graduation, knows exactly what she’s doing with the rest of her life and always has: a primo assignment on the best ship in the fleet alongside her best friend in the world. She has meticulously prepared herself, and the final Fleet Exam is tomorrow. But what if none of that is what she really wants? And why hasn’t she ever asked herself that before?

Lost on Planet Earth is the latest expectation-defying series from Visaggio, the Eisner-nominated writer of Kim & Kim and Eternity Girl. Lost on Planet Earth reunites Visaggio with artist Aguirre. The pair previously collaborated on Kim & Kim and created the acclaimed series Morning in America; they are joined by letterer Zakk Saam and editor Joe Corallo.

o Collects the original digital series Lost on Planet Earth.

I love when a sci-fi story is low stakes. Like slice-of-life put to a futuristic setting, nothing fantastical. I’m not saying that’s necessarily what’s going with Lost on Planet Earth, but the solicit somewhat gave me that impression. Either way, I’ve enjoyed a lot of books that Mags Visaggio has written and I’ll certainly be checking this out.

Black Hammer Reborn #1
APR210356
Estimated release: June 23, 2021
Dark Horse Comics
(W) Jeff Lemire (A/CA) Caitlin Yarsky

The Eisner Award-winning superhero saga returns in this ongoing series picking up twenty years later with new series artist Caitlin Yarsky.  

Now, it’s twenty years later, and Lucy, and the world, have moved on. Living in the suburbs of Spiral City, Lucy is married and has children. But all is not blissful. Her marriage is falling apart, her job has reached a dead end, and for mysterious reasons, she hasn’t picked up the hammer in years.  But, as her domestic life begins to crumble, the secrets of the last twenty years, and the reasons Lucy really gave up being Black Hammer, begin to resurface, threatening her family, and the peace she has tried hard to find for herself.

Yes. Oh yes. It feels like it’s been so long since we’ve had main-title Black Hammer books. I am very, very ready. To prepare, go read (or reread) EVERYTHING. The library edition hardcovers are excellent.

March 2021 Previews: Carman’s Picks

The Good Asian #1 (of 9)
MAR210031
Estimated release: May 5, 2021
Image comics
(W) Pornsak Pichetshote (A) Alexandre Tefenkgi (CA) Dave Johnson

Writer PORNSAK PICHETSHOTE’s long-awaited follow-up to the critically acclaimed INFIDEL with stunning art by ALEXANDRE TEFENKGI (OUTPOST ZERO)! Following Edison Hark-a haunted, self-loathing Chinese-American detective-on the trail of a killer in 1936 Chinatown, THE GOOD ASIAN is Chinatown noir starring the first generation of Americans to come of age under an immigration ban, the Chinese, as they’re besieged by rampant murders, abusive police, and a world that seemingly never changes.

“With snappy period dialogue and deftly engaging art, PORNSAK and ALEX have crafted a gripping and authentic crime story from an Asian-American POV. This is the book I’ve been waiting for.”-CLIFF CHIANG (PAPER GIRLS)

“Edison Hark immediately joins the ranks of Phillip Marlowe and Sam Spade in a smart, classic noir drenched in style and history.”-JAMES TYNION IV (DEPARTMENT OF TRUTH, Batman)

“Like any good noir, a sense of dread hangs off every page of THE GOOD ASIAN, a brittle story that takes place during an unfamiliar time in our history that is tragically all too familiar now in our present.”-BRIAN AZZARELLO (100 Bullets, Batman)

If you’ve not already read Infidel by Pornsak Pichetshote and Aaron Campbell, do yourself a favor and buy that book. I’ve been ready for Pichetshote’s next project since Infidel finished and The Good Asian looks excellent. Don’t miss this one.

Red Room #1
MAR211290
Estimated release: May 19, 2021
Fantagraphics Books
(W/A/CA) Ed Piskor

From the creator of Hip Hop Family Tree and X-Men: Grand Design comes this ALL-NEW monthly comic book series, with a specially priced, self-contained, double-sized debut issue! Red Room is a cyberpunk, outlaw, splatterpunk masterpiece. Aided by the anonymous dark web and nearly untraceable crypto-currency, there has emerged a subculture of criminals who live-stream and patronize webcam murders for entertainment. Who are the murderers? Who are the victims? How do we stop it? As seen on Piskor’s YouTube channel sensation, Cartoonist Kayfabe!

Hip Hop Family Tree and X-Men: Grand Design have been on my list for a long time. Whenever I catch a glimpse of Piskor’s work, I think “that looks rad, I still need to check him out.” Now’s the time!

Time Before Time #1
MAR210037
Estimated release: May 12, 2021
Image Comics
(W) Declan Shalvey, Rory McConville (A) Joe Palmer, Chris O’Halloran (CA) Declan Shalvey

The year is 2140, and to escape a world with no future, many turn to the Syndicate, a criminal organization who, for the right price, will smuggle you back in time to a better life. After working for the Syndicate for years, Tatsuo and Oscar decide to steal one of their boss’s time machines-but soon find that the one thing you can’t run from is your past.

TIME BEFORE TIME is a brand-new ongoing series where writer/artist DECLAN SHALVEY (BOG BODIES) joins forces with the WRITE IT IN BLOOD team of RORY McCONVILLE and JOE PALMER. Looper meets SAGA in this extra-sized debut issue.

Good time travel stories are hard to do in any medium. Time Before Time puts an interesting twist on some well-tread ground and I think it could be great.

Made in Korea #1 (of 6)
MAR210048
Estimated release: May 26, 2021
Image Comics
(W) Jeremy Holt (A/CA) George Schall

A QUICKSTART GUIDE FOR YOUR PROXY
STEP 1: Remove box.
STEP 2: Power on.
STEP 3: Raise your child.

For Jesse, the world’s first true A.I. system, growing up means learning to think outside the box. This exciting new six-issue miniseries will redefine what it means to be a family in an age when biological parenthood is no longer a reality.

I love the idea of Made in Korea but I’m also slightly worried that I will end up a blubbering mess. Not sure what to expect but only one way to find out!

February 2021 Previews: Carman’s Picks

The Silver Coin #1 (of 5)
FEB210045
Estimated release: April 7, 2021
Image Comics
(W) Chip Zdarsky (A/CA) Michael Walsh

Eisner-winning artist MICHAEL WALSH (Star Wars, Black Hammer/Justice League) teams with an all-star lineup of collaborators-CHIP ZDARSKY (STILLWATER), KELLY THOMPSON (Sabrina the Teenage Witch), ED BRISSON (Old Man Logan), and JEFF LEMIRE (GIDEON FALLS)-on a new horror anthology miniseries for mature readers. Each issue will tell a tale of terror in a shared supernatural world. The story starts in 1978 with a failing rock band whose fortune suddenly changes when they find the mysterious Silver Coin. Little do they know that fame comes with a cost, and a curse is always hungry.

More horror anthologies! Just in general, across all mediums. That alone is going to get me to try the book but the line up here so far is star-studded. Can’t wait! Also, regarding the cover, is that the least happy someone has been playing a Telecaster?

Home #1 (of 5)
FEB210032
Estimated release: April 14, 2021
Image Comics
(W) Julio Anta (A) Anna Wieszczyk (CA) Lisa Sterle

When a young boy is torn away from his mother while seeking asylum at the U.S. border, something begins to change in him, and it isn’t just the trauma, anxiety, and guilt you’d expect. He doesn’t know it yet, but it’s the onset of superhuman abilities that will change his life forever.

JULIO ANTA and ANNA WIESZCZYK debut with a deeply grounded and heartfelt five-issue series that explores the real-world implications of a migrant with extraordinary powers.

Every once in a while, you may hear folks griping about how tired and trope-filled the superhero/superpower genre can be. While any medium can be subject to well trodden ground, it’s nice to see creators who are using the superpower framework to tell unique and relevant stories. Home sounds to be doing that and I’m looking forward to Anta and Wieszczyk’s debut.

Helm Greycastle #1 (of 4)
FEB210027
Estimated release: April 28, 2021
Image Comics
(W) Henry Barajas (A/CA) Rahmat Handoko, Bryan Valenza

New Latinx fantasy by HENRY BARAJAS, author of the critically acclaimed LA VOZ DE M.A.Y.O.: TATA RAMBO! The last dragon prince has been abducted-kept prisoner by an unknown threat: AZTEC MEXICA! Helm Greycastle and his outsider comrades are here to save the prince-but are recruited by a resistance plotting to overthrow Montezuma. Will Greycastle help save the people of MEXICA…or rescue the dragon prince and flee?
  
BONUS! HELM GREYCASTLE #1 includes a Latinx one-shot RPG (5E compatible) written by TRISTAN J. TARWATER (Rolled & Told) and art by JEN VAUGHN.

I’m a sucker for unique supplemental material/backmatter in books and I love that Helm Greycastle comes with a one-shot RPG! This series sounds fun and I gotta say, that’s heck of a logo.

Many Deaths of Laila Starr #1 (of 5)
FEB210841
Estimated release: April 14, 2021
Boom! Studios
(W) Ram V (A/CA) Filipe Andrade

* A powerful new series for fans of The Wicked + The Divine  and The Dreaming from Ram V (Justice League Dark) and Filipe Andrade (Captain Marvel) that explores the fine line between living and dying in Mumbai through the lens of magical realism.

* With humanity on the verge of discovering immortality, the avatar of Death is fired and relegated to the world below to live out her now-finite days in the body of twenty-something Laila Starr in Mumbai.

* Struggling with her new-found mortality, Laila has found a way to be placed in the time and place where the creator of immortality will be born…

* But will Laila take her chance to permanently reverse the course of (future) history…or does a more shocking fate await her?

Who would win in a fight, Death in Many Deaths of Laila Starr or Death in East of West? Read this book and use your judgement! Also, you know I’m gonna check out a new Ram V book.

Radio Apocalypse #1
FEB211600
Estimated release: April 28, 2021
Vault Comics
(W) Ram V (A/CA) Anand Radhakrishnan

Long after the rock out of space struck the world and turned it all to dust, in Bakerstown stands the last Radio Station on the planet. Radio Apocalypse broadcasting into the unknown, a beacon in the dark for those who wander the lost places. Now change is coming to Bakerstown. Among the refugees flocking into an already precarious settlement, an orphan boy Rion, caught in an indiscretion, will twine his fate with the Radio Station. And in doing so, begin this mixtape of love and heartbreak and interminable hope. This soundtrack to the end of the world.

And speaking of new Ram V books… we’ve got another one! Radio Apocalypse is also the only book on this list that’s not outright listed as a miniseries. I didn’t plan it that way, just a mini-heavy month!

January 2021 Previews: Carman’s Picks

Nocterra #1
JAN210016
Estimated release: March 3, 2021
Publisher: Image Comics
(W) Scott Snyder (A/CA) Tony S. Daniel, Tomeu Morey

“FULL THROTTLE DARK,” Part One-Ten years after the world is plunged into an everlasting night that turns all living creatures into monstrous shades, the only way to survive is to stay close to artificial light. Enter Valentina “Val” Riggs, a skilled ferryman who transports people and goods along deadly unlit roads with her heavily illuminated eighteen wheeler.

This March, legendary creators SCOTT SNYDER (Dark Knights: Death Metal, WYTCHES) and TONY S. DANIEL (Batman, Deathstroke) unveil horrors beyond any shade in this extra-sized first issue.

Unless I’m forgetting something, I don’t think I’ve seen a creator-owned book written by Scott Snyder since Wytches. It’s exciting to see him on another book outside of the Big Two (Marvel and DC). Plus, from the sound of it, we’re getting the mashup that everyone has been waiting for — Pitch Black meets Smokey and the Bandit.

Ultramega #1
JAN210038
Estimated release: March 17, 2021
Publisher: Image Comics
(W/A/CA) James Harren (A) Dave Stewart

A cosmic plague has spread, transforming everyday people into violent, monstrous kaiju. Only the Ultramega – three individuals imbued with incredible powers – hold the line against this madness. Their battles level cities and leave untold horror in their wake. Now, the final reckoning approaches for the Ultramega… but is this a war they can even win?

Fight monsters and stand with humanity in this new Skybound original from the greatest artist of his generation, JAMES HARREN (RUMBLE, BPRD) and Eisner Award-winning colorist DAVE STEWART. Each issue is extra-sized, with a 60-page debut that can barely contain its giant heroes, creatures, and devastation!

REGISTER PITCH: The high-impact adventure of EXTREMITY, but with the kaiju-esque monster action scenes of Pacific Rim.

All right, I know that pitching a book about a plague enveloping the earth might not be super appealing right now given… everything. BUT. You know what is appealing? James Harren doing a monster book. I loved Harren’s work on B.P.R.D. (also chock full of monsters!) and Ultramega seems right in his wheelhouse.

Proctor Valley Road #1
JAN210939
Estimated release: March 3, 2021
Publisher: Boom! Entertainment
(W) Alex Child, Grant Morrison (A/CA) Naomi Franquiz

Perfect for fans of Paper Girls and Die, visionary writer Grant Morrison (Klaus), Alex Child (BBC’s Holby City) and Naomi Franquiz (Tales from Harrow County) present a chilling new horror series about the mysterious monsters that haunt Proctor Valley Road – and the four misfit teenagers who must stop them.

August, Rylee, Cora & Jennie have organized a “Spook Tour” with their classmates on the most haunted, demon-infested stretch of road in America to fund attending the concert of their dreams.

When their visit turns deadly, these four friends race to rescue the missing students… before the town tears them limb from limb.

Now they must slay the evils roaming Proctor Valley Road… along with the monsters lurking in the hearts of 1970s America.

Hey, a big month for fighting monsters out on the road. Proctor Valley Road is looking like a fun, period horror book. It’s got Grant Morrison doing some writing on it, to boot. If the likes of Annihilator and Nameless are any indication, we should be in for some weird spooks!

Alien #1
JAN210568
Estimated release: March 24, 2021
Publisher: Marvel Comics
(W) Phillip Kennedy Johnson (A) Salvador Larroca (CA) Inhyuk Lee

THE ICONIC CINEMATIC TERROR MAKES ITS MARVEL DEBUT!
Gabriel Cruz gave his life to Weyland-Yutani–In the case of an alien attack he barely survived, almost literally! Recently retired, Cruz is trying to patch things up with his abandoned son with the help of his friend, a Bishop-model android, but his re-entry into civilian life is not going smoothly…and his encounters with the deadly Xenomorph are far from over. Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Salvador Larroca team up to tell an all-new tale of the titan of horror and science fiction that has scared audiences for decades. No one is safe. No one is innocent. And no one can hear you scream.

Listen, I wasn’t meaning to make this whole thing about monsters. Some might say I’m only now realizing that these first four books are all (somewhat) creature features. Not that there’s anything wrong with that! I’m in for this book so I can get some of that Wayland Yutani aesthetic. I mean, Aliens are cool, too.

The Down River People
JAN210966
Estimated release: May 26, 2021
Publisher: Boom! Entertainment
(W) Adam Smith (A/CA) Matthew Fox

For fans of Stillwater and Essex County comes a new graphic novel reuniting writer Adam Smith and artist Matt Fox, the duo behind the Eisner and Harvey Award-nominated Long Walk to Valhalla, for a riveting story about a man attempting to survive the complicated and dangerous web of his family’s criminal ties with his soul intact.

Myers Carpenter is a bootlegger who just inherited his family’s bar and must turn to his estranged mother – who he hasn’t seen since he was a boy – for help.

Myers learns the secrets of his new family’s lodge, but he may not escape the dark cult thriving just under the surface of opulence.

Okay, so to my knowledge… there are no monsters in The Down River People. Granted, with the mention of a dark cult, you never know. I’ve heard great things about Long Walk to Valhalla so this may be my jumping on point for Smith and Fox’s work. Maybe it’s all of the Kelly Reichardt movies I’ve been watching, but the muted landscape cover really struck me. Also, name dropping Essex County seals the deal.

December 2020 Previews: Carman’s Picks

Two Moons #1
DEC200044
February 24, 2021
Publisher: Image Comics
(W) John Arcudi (A) Dave Stewart (A/CA) Valerio Giangiordano

RUMBLE and B.P.R.D. writer JOHN ARCUDI is back at Image with rising star VALERIO GIANGIORDANO for an all-new ONGOING HORROR SERIES! This issue starts the long journey of a young Pawnee man named Virgil Morris – a.k.a. Two Moons.- fighting for the Union during the Civil War. When he is suddenly confronted with his shamanic roots, he discovers horrors far worse than combat as the ghosts of his past reveal the monstrous evil around him!

John Arcudi’s work on B.P.R.D. has been the strongest writing in the “Mignolaverse” outside of the main Hellboy stuff, for my money. I can’t wait to see him on another horror book, especially one with a compelling premise like Two Moons.

Fear Case #1 (of 4)
DEC200244
February 3, 2021
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
(W) Matt Kindt (A/CA) Tyler Jenkins, Hilary Jenkins

A new, horrific detective series by Matt Kindt (Ether, Mind MGMT) and Tyler Jenkins (Grass Kings)!

A no-nonsense Secret Service agent and his new-age partner investigate a mysterious box known as the “Fear Case,” which has appeared throughout history at sites of disaster and tragedy. Whoever comes into possession of this case must pass it on within three days or face deadly consequences. The agents must track down this Fear Case while staying one step ahead of a psychotic cult and the otherwordly forces behind the Case’s existence.

Matt Kindt writing a book with a shadowy agency dealing with psychic objects — sounds familiar! In a good way, that is. Fear Case is a safe bet, for sure, and it checks a lot of boxes for me. Great to see another team up with Tyler Jenkins, as well. Grab yourself some volumes Grass Kings and Black Badge for more of that goodness.

Black Hammer Visions #1 (of 8)
DEC200250
February 10, 2021
Publisher: Image Comics

An exciting reimagination of the Eisner Award-winning Black Hammer series told by guest writers and artists such as Patton Oswalt, Geoff Johns, Mariko Tamaki, Chip Zdarsky, Kelly Thompson, and more of comic’s top talents!

Patton Oswalt joins artists Dean Kotz and Jason Wordie to explore the life of youthful super heroine Golden Gail on the Black Hammer Farm before the beginning of Black Hammer #1, and her struggle to maintain sanity as a middle-aged woman trapped in the unchanging body of a superpowered grade-schooler.

I’ve been catching up on everything Black Hammer recently and that world is so danged great. I know I’ve gushed about the main book and its offshoots many times in this column and this certainly won’t be the last. I’ll say that I’m super excited to see more guest writers and artists get to contribute to this fantastic universe.

Hollow Heart #1
DEC201747
February 17, 2021
Publisher: Vault Comics
(W) Paul Allor (A/CA) Paul Tucker

EL used to be human. Now he’s a jumble of organs in a bio-suit. EL is also in tremendous pain and has been for a very long time. Hope arrives in the form of Mateo, a mechanice brought in to work on EL’s suit. Mateo sees LK in a way no one ever has. And what’s more: Mateo offers EL an escape.
Hollow Heart reunites Tet creators Paul Allor and Paul Tucker for a queer monster love story about the choices we make between giving our loved one what they want and what we think they need.

It’s a story we can all relate to — we’re just a bunch of jumbled up guts being held together by a fancy suit when a fancy mechanic comes by to fix us up. What’s not to love? All right, maybe that’s not super common. I dig the premise on Hollow Heart (and that terrific cover) and I’ve really enjoyed a lot of these Vault debuts.

November 2020 Previews: Carman’s Picks

Abbott 1973: #1 (of 5)
NOV200879
January 20, 2021
Boom! Studios
(W) Saladin Ahmed (A) Sami Kivela (CA) Taj Tenfold

* In a new series for  fans of Something is Killing the Children and Bitter Root, Saladin Ahmed, the visionary writer behind Miles Morales: Spider-Man, and Sami Kivelä, the acclaimed artist behind Tommy Gun Wizards, reunite for this Must Read supernatural thriller.
* Detroit’s hardest hitting journalist, Elena Abbott, is trying to make a fresh start at a new newspaper…but her deadly past isn’t ready to let go.
* The city is days away from the historic election of a Black candidate as their new Mayor, but a vicious new group has emerged to destroy him, targeting anyone who supports his campaign or the change he represents.
* That means Abbott, who discovers the group’s connection to a dangerous dark magic, has been targeted for certain death – unless she embraces her true power as the Lightbringer to save her city.

Yessssss. Ever since reading the original arc, I’ve wanted more Abbott. The wish has come true and I can’t wait for 1973. You know how sometimes you can think of a book/movie/podcast and remember exactly where you were when you saw or listened to it? I’ve only been on a train a couple times in my life but I read Abbott on a train to Chicago — not sure why but there was something strangely fitting about that.

Serial #1
NOV200979
January 13, 2021
Abstract Studios
(W/A/CA) Terry Moore

Zoe has been 10 years old for 50 years. Most of her life has been spent on the run fighting the demon that lived within her, kept her young and turned her into a serial killer. Now free of the demon, Zoe discovers her childhood friend is the latest victim in a string of murders. Determined to put an end to the reign of terror, Zoe uses her own deadly skills to stalk the predator and avenge her fallen friend. Serial is Terry Moore’s new series featuring Zoe, the irrepressible star of Rachel Rising and FiveYears. Don’t miss the premier issue of a her solo series!

Several years ago I had a dream about a comic. It was close to the time I started working at Fanfare and I dreamt that I bought a copy of the first trade paperback of Rachel Rising by Terry Moore. I read the whole thing in one sitting and I couldn’t believe how good it was. The next day, I told my co-workers that I thought it was weird to dream about a comic book, especially one I hadn’t read. You know what I did after that? Nothing! I didn’t buy the book! I still haven’t read it. Why have I betrayed my visions like this? Am I scared it won’t be as good as in that dream from seven years ago? Either way, I think I need to make it up to dreamland Terry Moore and get Serial #1. Okay, and that Rachel Rising.

HAHA #1
NOV200009
January 13, 2021
Image Comics
(W) W. Maxwell Prince (A/CA) Vanesa Del Rey

ICE CREAM MAN writer W. MAXWELL PRINCE brings his signature style of one-shot storytelling to the world of clowns-and he’s invited SOME OF THE COMIC INDUSTRY’S BEST ARTISTS to join him for the ride.

HAHA is a genre-jumping, throat-lumping look at the sad, scary, hilarious life of those who get paid to play the fool-but these ain’t your typical jokers.

With issues drawn by VANESA DEL REY (REDLANDS), GABRIEL WALTA (Vision), ROGER LANGRIDGE (Thor), and more, HAHA peeks under the big top, over the rainbow, and even inside a balloon to tell a wide-ranging slew of stories about “funny” men and women, proving that some things are so sad you just have to laugh.

How was it that clowns became this staple of horror media? Is Stephen King’s It to blame or does it go back farther than that? I feel like it has to. Anyway, I love a good horror anthology and Ice Cream Man has been a great one. Get ready for the unsullied reputation of clowns to take a nose dive.

I Breathed a Body #1
NOV200992
January 20, 2021
Aftershock Comics
(W) Zac Thompson (A/CA) Andy MacDonald

A science fiction horror series about social media, big tech, and influencer culture.

It’s The Social Network meets Hellraiser. When the world’s biggest influencer posts something irredeemably horrific online, the world changes in an instant. Now it’s up to his social media manager, Anne Stewart, to fan the flames of outrage and create a sensationalist campaign that rewrites the rules of “banned content.” Thus begins a carnival of lust, revulsion, desire, and disgust – all for viral videos.

Written by Zac Thompson (LONELY RECEIVER, UNDONE BY BLOOD, X-Men) and illustrated by Andy MacDonald (Multiple Man, Rogue Planet), I BREATHED A BODY is a horror series about the voyeurism of violence and the Big Tech companies who engineer patterns of fear in society.

I know the solicit says “The Social Network meets Hellraiser” but looking at the cover, all I can think of is Event Horizon. You know, that scene. I’m interested in fresh takes on cosmic horror and I Breathed a Body looks to have a neat spin on that forbidden knowledge trope. Plus, I feel like I can relate to this book on a personal level because who hasn’t breathed a body every once in a while?

October 2020 Previews: Carman’s Picks

Reckless
OCT200009
December 16, 2020
Image Comics
(W) Ed Brubaker (A) Jacob Phillips (A/CA) Sean Phillips

“Sex, drugs, and murder in 1980s Los Angeles… And the best new twist on paperback pulp heroes since The Punisher or Jack Reacher.  
  
Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips, the modern masters of crime noir, bring us the last thing anyone expected from them – a good guy. In a bold new series of original graphic novels, with three books releasing over the next year, each a full-length story that stands on its own.
  
Meet Ethan Reckless: Your trouble is his business, for the right price. But when a fugitive from his student radical days reaches out for help, Ethan must face the only thing he fears… his own past.
  
“Imagine Redford at his peak, ambling through sun-drenched, eighties L.A. in a serpentine plot that is equal parts Long Goodbye and Point Break. No one does crime fic like Brubaker and Phillips and their collaboration has never felt more new. Explosive. Vital. And yes… reckless. I love this book.”
  
– Damon Lindelof (Lost, HBO’s Watchmen)
  
“”Reckless is an absolute rush: on the same level as golden age Travis McGee novels and the hardest-hitting Richard Stark stories. This one comes at you as fast as Steve McQueen in a souped-up Mustang and as hard as Charles Bronson with a baseball bat. You gotta have it.””
  
– Joe Hill (Locke & Key, N0S4A2)
  
 Look for book 2 in the Reckless series in April 2021!”

Listen, it’s another Brubaker & Phillips team-up. As if that weren’t enough, there’s a quote from Damon Lindelof in the solicitation (go watch The Leftovers and Watchmen). Reckless is a safe bet.

Post York
OCT200262
February 24, 2021
Dark Horse Comics
(W/A/CA) James Romberger

The polar ice caps have melted, and New York City is flooded beyond recognition. An independent loner, along with his cat and only friend, struggles to live another day in this makeshift community, populated mostly by outsiders like himself while the depraved elite thrive ruthlessly on the outskirts. But his world is disrupted when he encounters both a mysterious woman and a trapped blue whale. Will they be each other’s salvation. . . or destruction?

Experimentally told and unequivocally told, Post York contains bonus materials including an environmental fact sheet, afterword, full-color art section, and more.

James Romberger is a cartoonist, fine artist and artist of the graphic novels 7 Miles a Second, The Late Child and Other Animals, Bronx Kill and Aaron and Ahmed.  

“James Romberger . . . is in the highest horror-comics tradition” – The New York Times Book Review

I’m not exactly clambering for post-apocalyptic narratives right now given the state of the world but something about Post York stands out to me. Maybe it’s the claim of experimentalism or the praise about high horror — I’ll be giving this one a look.

Afterlift
OCT200273
February 3, 2021
Dark Horse Comics
(W) Chip Zdarsky (A/CA) Jason Loo

2020 EISNER AWARD WINNER FOR BEST DIGITAL SERIES!
  
Ride-share driver Janice Chen has enough to deal with, from annoying passengers to overbearing parents. But when she picks up a pair of mysterious passengers who are pursued by otherworldly forces, Janice realizes that her already-terrible day might be headed straight to hell. This Eisner Award-winning series from Chip Zdarsky (Sex Criminals, Daredevil) and Jason Loo (The Pitiful Human-Lizard) features car chases, demon bounty hunters, and figuring out your place in this world and the next.
  
Collects Afterlift #1-#5 along with all covers and a sketchbook section.

I don’t read digital comics much so I’m always excited when I see a popular one going into print. I thought Afterlift sounded like fun when I first heard about it in Chip Zdarsky’s newsletter.

World of Black Hammer Library Edition Volume 2
OCT200300
February 10, 2021
Dark Horse Comics
(W) Jeff Lemire (A) David Rubin, Max Fiumara (CA) Dean Ornstrom

Far in the future of Black Hammer, a collection of superheroes, inspired by the legendary heroes of Black Hammer Farm, must band together to save the planet from an authoritarian regime.

During the Golden Age of superheroes, an elite Air Force crew called the Black Hammer Squadron bands together to combat the Nazis, a host of occult threats, and their ultimate aerial warrior the Ghost Hunter.

Collects The Quantum Age and Black Hammer ’45 in a deluxe, oversized hardcover format with a new cover, sketchbook extras, and more!

What a rich world Black Hammer is turning out to be. Though I’ve been buying the single issues, I’ve been waiting on the spinoff series until they’ve wrapped up. I’m loving these library editions! What an excellent cover on this one, too.

The Picture of Everything Else #1
OCT201644
December 16, 2020
Vault Comics
(W) Dan Watters (A/CA) Kishore Mohan

As the 20th century dawns, art promises to change the world…and steep it in blood. A rash of impossible killings sweep through Paris, tearing the rich and beautiful apart in their beds. When two art thieves stumble upon the portraits of the victims damaged in the exact same manner they died, it appears the man who once painted the immortal portrait of Dorian Gray has returned-with darker plans for future works. From the minds of Dan Watters (Coffin Bound, Lucifer, Deep Roots) and Kishore Mohan comes a haunting balance of depravity and beauty.

Oh you know, just another Oscar Wilde horror comic book. Kidding aside, Vault Comics continues to put out strong new titles and I’m always looking forward to checking them out.

Update: 12/3/20

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