Welcome to Can’t Wait for Comics, your guide to what comics are arriving in comic book stores, bookstores and on digital this week.
Check out a few highlights below, or visit Diamond’s website for this week’s almost complete list of new comics arriving in stores. You can visit Lunar Distribution’s home page to see DC’s releases, and the comiXology new releases page for what’s available digitally.
I should also add that the list of what is actually arriving at your local shop can vary from what’s on anyone’s official website for a myriad of reasons — so always check with your comics retailer for the final word on availability.
Good Night, Hem (Fantagraphics, $19.99): Norwegian cartoonist Jason returns with his latest graphic novel this week, a collection of three stories that mix fact and fiction to tell the story of writer Ernest Hemingway across several decades and continents.
Ms. Marvel: Stretched Thin (Marvel + Scholastic, $12.99): Nadia Shammas and Nabi H. Ali team up for the latest Marvel/Scholastic joint production, as they pit a Kamala Khan who is “stretched thin” due to too many commitments deal with a mysterious robot that attempts to infiltrate Avengers Tower.
Malika, Warrior Queen (Dark Horse, $24.99): Dark Horse and YouNeek Studios‘ founder Roye Okupe team up to bring Okupe’s self-published graphic novels to a larger audience, starting this week with Malika: Warrior Queen Volume 1. In it, Malika inherits the crown from her father, but in the process the kingdom of Azzaz is split in half. After years of civil war, Malika finally unites all of Azzaz, expanding it into one of the largest empires in all of West Africa—but expansion will not come without its costs.
Whistle: A New Gotham City Hero (DC, $16.99): While Fear State will spread through the Batman line over the next month and beyond, here’s something set in Gotham that won’t be affected by it — a new YA graphic novel that introduces the new hero Whistle (and her dog, Lebowitz). Written by novelist E. Lockhart and drawn by artist Manuel Preitano, the graphic novel will feature several Gotham villains, like Killer Croc, Poison Icy and the Riddler, who is a “family friend” and plays a big part in the story.
Batman #112 (DC, $4.99): Speaking of Fear State … after last week’s Fear State Alpha, the latest Batman crossover event jumps into full gear this week. In this issue, James Tynion IV, Brandon Thomas, Jorge Jimenez and Max Dunbar all contribute to the tapestry of fear being weaved through Gotham, as Batman, Clownhunter and other allies face off with Scarecrow and the Peacekeepers.
Last Flight Out #1 (Dark Horse Comics, $3.99): This new miniseries by Marc Guggenheim, Eduardo Ferigato, Marcelo Costa and Diego Sanches tells the story of “an absentee father trying to make amends with his daughter during the end of the world.”
Black Manta #1 (DC, $3.99): Aquaman villain — and Aqualad’s dad — breaks out into his own miniseries following the preview we saw in last week’s Aquaman 80-Page Giant. Chuck Brown and Valentine de Landro tell a story that introduces Torrid, Black Mnta’s new ally looking for a rare metal, but she and Black Manta will have to face down with the all-new villain Devil Ray to get it.
Mazebook #1 (Dark Horse, $5.99): Jeff Lemire writes and draws this new miniseries about a father’s journey through grief over the death of his daughter. Described as an “ambitious and haunting comic series about family, grief, and loss,” the five-issue series will focus on a building inspector who becomes convinced his deceased daughter is trying to contact him. He uses an unfinished maze from her journal and a map of the city to make his way to a different reality and bring his daughter home.
Deadbox #1 (Vault Comics, $3.99): I had this one in last week’s column, but it turns out it is actually hitting stores this week. Mark Russell, Benjamin Tiesma, Vladimir Popov and Tim Daniel take us to the town of Lost Turkey for this new miniseries where a haunted DVD rental machine reveals the fates of the town’s citizens.
Ka-Zar: Lord of the Savage Land #1 (Marvel, $3.99): Marvel heads back to the Savage Land this week, with writer Zac Thompson and artist Germán Garcia serving as tour guides. This new miniseries featuring the once-deceased Lord of the Savage Land will flesh out Ka-Zar’s new abilities since his resurrection, as well as introduce a new Savage Land villain.
Conan the Barbarian #25 (Marvel, $4.99): Robert E. Howard’s barbarian warrior reaches the big issue #25 in his latest series, which would be cause enough for celebration, but the issue is also the 300th issue of Conan published by Marvel. So, by Crom, let’s party! This issue will feature stories by Jim Zub and Cory Smith, the regular creative team for Conan, along with Dan Slott, Marcos Martin, Larry Hama and Christopher Priest.
Search for Hu #1 (AfterShock Comics, $4.99): Writers Jon Tsuei and Steve Orlando team with artist Rubine, colorist DC Alonso and letterer Carlos M. Mangual for this new series. It’s about a man, Aaron Tse, who discovers his family has ties to organized crime in the worst way possible, sending him across an ocean to protect his parents.
Infinite Frontier #6 (DC, $4.99): DC’s latest “era-defining” miniseries wraps up this week from Joshua Williamson and Xermanico, promising to reveal secrets and a big showdown between the assembled heroes and Darkseid.
Suicide Squad #7 (DC, $3.99): The Suicide Squad gets an unexpected new member this issue, as Robbie Thompson and Eduardo Pansica introduce Ambush Bug and his antics to the team. Their mission? Go to Hell and gain access to the Rock of Eternity.
Bountiful Garden #1 (Mad Cave Studios, $3.99): Ivy Noelle Weir and Kelly Williams team up on this high-concept science fiction series for Mad Cave Studios. It’s about teenagers on a space ship who are awakened from cryogenic slumber over a strange planet containing a cosmic horror.
Treasure in the Lake (HarperAlley, $12.99): This debut graphic novel from animator Jason Pamment sounds really fun and looks super great. It’s about two kids in a small town who discover a hidden city and “a tale of friendship long-forgotten.”
Nod Away, Volume 2 (Fantagraphics, $29.99): Skyscrapers of the Midwest creator Joshua Cotter is back with the second chapter in his Nod Away series, a science fiction story about a near-future society with a telepathic internet where its hub is a human child. This volume focuses on Earth, specifically a couple that moves in together and may end up causing the end of the world. Cotter has ambitious plans for the series — seven volumes, coming in at more than 2,000 pages, and I for one plan to enjoy every page of it.