Can’t Wait for Comics: Like a zombie, it will dig itself back up again

Comics slowly but surely make their way to retailers again this week.

This is a big week for comic releases, not so much in terms of quantity (as selection is limited compared to a “normal” Wednesday), but in terms of actually having physical comics shipping from Diamond again. Wohoo! #BacktheComeback, and all that.

It seems like many comics retailers are opening back up as well, at least on a limited basis or with curbside pick-up, as I’ve seen several of them post on social media — even here in the Bay Area, where restrictions seemed to be tighter than in a lot of places. As a part of the new normal, you should call ahead or check your local shop’s website to see what your options are. Wear a mask, wash your hands, pay with a credit card in advance and enjoy some comics.

And if you’re wondering what you should get, here are some recommendations by the Smash Pages crew. You can check the Comic List page to see what’s arriving from Diamond in your local shop, and the comiXology new releases page for what’s available digitally.

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Smash Pages Q&A: Magdalene Visaggio

The writer of ‘Eternity Girl,’ ‘Vagrant Queen,’ ‘Kim & Kim,’ ‘Morning in America’ and more discusses ‘Lost on Planet Earth,’ her latest series from comiXology Originals.

In the span of just a few years, Magdalene Visaggio has shown herself to be one of the most original, dynamic and inventive writers in comics. 

She’s written books for different companies from Marvel (Dazzler: X-Song) and Valiant (Doctor Mirage) to IDW (Transformers vs. The Visionaries) and Humanoids (Strangelands). The Eternity Girl miniseries from her and Sonny Liew is simply one of the strongest (and strangest) books that DC has published in recent years and I think the best book to come out of the very impressive Young Animal imprint.

For the most part, though Visaggio has written creator-owned miniseries. That in and of itself is hard to do, but the wide variety of what she’s made is impressive. To name just a few, Visaggio has written three Kim & Kim series, Calamity Kate, Morning in America, Quantum Teens Are Go!, Sex Death Revolution, two Vagrant Queen miniseries. Yes, the same Vagrant Queen that was adapted into the current SyFy Channel TV show.

So much of her work is about change and about the emotional journey of transforming ourselves, growing up and finding a new path, rejecting what’s laid out for us when it would be easier to accept it. In a medium that specializes in stories of transformation and adventure, Visaggio has found a place for queer stories and misfit stories that break so many molds and expectations, crafting something that is different, sometimes startlingly so. Her stories reject grand narratives, hero journeys, chosen one sagas, for something messier, something harder. Something a little more realistic and relatable. They are stories about the lives that we build and shape ourselves, with the emotional and psychological stories far more important than the larger narratives.

Her current project is Lost on Planet Earth, the second issue of which comes out from Comixology today. A collaboration with Claudia Aguirre, the two have worked together often over the years. The book and its themes come out of a lifelong obsession with Star Trek (something we both share), but the story that she’s written is uniquely hers, something that one doesn’t need to be a Trek fan to understand or relate to, and something truly unique. 

Visaggio and I met last year at the Queers & Comics Conference, and we spoke recently about working with artists, the Federation and more, while comiXology provided a preview of the new issue. 

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New ‘DCeased’ story launches on digital today

‘DCeased: Hope at World’s End’ sets the stage for next month’s ‘DCeased: Dead Planet’ series.

DC Comics’ popular DCeased comics made a surprise return today, as a new digital comic featuring the “zombiefied” versions of DC’s heroes shambled onto digital platforms today.

DCeased: Hope At World’s End is now available across multiple platforms, including ReadDC.com, Comixology, Amazon Kindle, Apple Books and the DC Universe app.

“There was a point in DCeased where we had to make the decision to skip weeks of losses and triumphs and heroism or our first miniseries wouldn’t exactly be a miniseries,” said writer Tom Taylor in a press release. “But we knew we had a larger story to tell, so we seeded plots we could expand on and deliberately left huge characters off the table for the future. That future is here.”

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Mad Cave announces four new titles for this fall

New titles from Christopher Sebela, David Stoll, Matthew Erman, Shelby Criswell and more will arrive from the publisher in October and November.

During The Mad Cave Showcase this past weekend, the publisher announced four new titles during the virtual event, by creators like Christopher Sebela, David Stoll, Matthew Erman, Shelby Criswell and more.

They also announced a new talent search, which will run from June 1 through Sept. 1. Three artists and three writers will be chosen to take part in an upcoming horror anthology from the publisher. Details can be found on their website.

Here’s a rundown of the four titles that were announced:

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