We are back again with a look at what’s arriving in comic shops, bookstores and on digital this week. And what a week it is, with new Dog Man, Black Widow, Doctor Who and many other debuts, along with the big ending of Marvel’s Empyre miniseries.
If you’re wondering what to get this week, check out a few recommendations below. You can check the Comic List page to see what’s arriving in your local shop, and the comiXology new releases page for what’s available digitally.
Tomorrow will bring what’s likely the biggest graphic novel release of the year — and also a whole lot of joy to my house, as Dav Pilkey’s Dog Man returns with a new volume, Dog Man: Grime and Punishment. This one has a reported 5 million print run, but I bet it’ll still be sold out at my local bookstore tomorrow. [Scholastic, $12.99, in bookstores Sept. 1]
The new Black Widow title by Kelly Thompson and Elena Casagrande was originally supposed to come out in April, right before the Black Widow film would have debuted. Both, however, fell victim to the COVID-19 shutdown, and while the comic will finally arrive this Wednesday, you’ll have to wait until November (at least–if 2020 has taught us anything, things could change) before the film arrives. [Marvel, $3.99, in comic shops Sept. 2]
The first of two oversized Doctor Who comics, subtitled “Time Lord Victorious,” arrives this week from the creative team of Jody Houser and Roberta Ingranata. It features the 10th Doctor and his sworn enemies, the Daleks, and it part of a much bigger story that cuts across several different media. [Titan Comics, $5.99, in comic shops Sept. 2]
Marvel’s big Empyre event has a had a few hiccups along the way, but overall I’ve really enjoyed it. This week brings the big finale, pictured above, by Dan Slott, Al Ewing, Valerio Schiti and Marte Gracia, as well as a tie-in issue of Fantastic Four. [Marvel, $5.99, in comic shops Sept. 2]
I love the description of Grendel, Kentucky, which sounds like a Southern-fried crime story combined with a supernatural monster tale … plus, it’s got an all-female biker gang! I feel like I’ve been sleeping on AWA’s titles, but I caught up with a few of them over the last few weeks and I’ve really enjoyed them. Jeff McComsey and Tommy Lee Edwards are the creative team on this one. [AWA, $3.99, in comic shops Sept. 2]
While the ongoing Hellblazer title may have been cancelled, this Black label project by Tom Taylor and Darock Robertson moves forward. This one’s about a detective friend of John Constantine who is assigned to a case involving murdered businessmen with angel wings attached to them seemingly falling from the sky. [DC, $6.99, in comic shops Sept. 1]
The first issue of Inkblot, a new fantasy series from writer Rusty Gladd and third-generation comics artist Emma Kubert, arrives this week. The comic series features a sorceress who mistakenly creates a cat that can travel through time, space and reality — and threatens to unravel it all. You can see some preview pages here. [Image Comics, $3.99, in comic shops Sept. 2]
Artist Jen Hickman told Alex Dueben last month that writer Zac Thompson “wrote something extraordinarily weird and heartfelt” in Lonely Receiver. This horror/scifi story is about a woman who buys a holographic wife, only to have her disappear without warning after 10 years. The loss drives Catrin Vander “to the point of near insanity.” [AfterShock Comics, $4.99, in comic shops Sept. 2]
Hey, who remembers Outlawed, the announced Marvel event that unfortunately fell victim to the COVID-19 shutdown in the spring? It looks like it’s finally getting back on track with Miles Morales: Spider-Man #18, a tie-in issue by Saladin Ahmed and Carlos Carnero. [Marvel, $3.99, in comic shops Sept. 2]
Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade was a delightful all-ages comic published by DC more than 10 years ago; it was tragically cancelled, though it has found a second life with multiple printings of the collected edition over the years. If you have a young Supergirl or Superman fan in your family, get this for them. With DC’s current younger readers initiative, it would be great if they could bring Landry Q. Walker and Eric Jones back to work on a new OGN, wouldn’t it? [DC, $9.99, in comic shops and bookstores Sept. 1]
Author Kami Garcia and artist Gabriel Picolo follow up their well-received YA graphic novel featuring Raven with one that focuses on another Teen Titan — Beast Boy. This will be followed by a third one that sees the two come together. In this one, see a new take on Beast Boy’s secret origin, as he attempts to become popular but instead gains super powers. [DC, $12.99, in comic shops/bookstores Sept. 1]
Finally, let’s end with the one comic this week with a title so long that it takes up the entire cover — We Only Find Them When They’re Dead by Al Ewing and Simone Di Meo. The long title is referring to the bodies of ancient gods found by the crew of the Vihaan II , which harvests them for resources. And of course, they hope to be the first to find one alive, which would result in a title change, wouldn’t it? [BOOM!, $3.99, in comic shops Sept. 2]