Welcome to Can’t Wait for Comics, your guide to what comics are arriving in comic book stores, bookstores and on digital this week. And this week things get spookier than normal as your favorite comic companies start releasing all sorts of horror and Halloween-themed comics. I’ve even got previews of a couple of them.
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.
Are You Afraid of Darkseid? (DC, $9.99): DC’s annual Halloween special for this year not only has the most clever title ever based on an old TV show, but also sports a fitting cover by Dan Hipp. This prestige format anthology features scary stories from across the DC Universe by Ed Brisson, Jeremy Haun, Terry Blas, Max Dunbar, Mike Norton and many more.
Soul Plumber (DC Horror, $3.99): When DC announced that their new horror line would kick off with a comic based on The Conjuring, I can’t say I would have expected the second title to be this. But I will say this looks like a lot of fun, in no small part thanks to the artwork of the wonderful John McCrea. It’s written by Marcus Parks, Henry Zebrowski and Ben Kissel, creators of The Last Podcast On The Left, and it’s about a former seminary school student who decides to become an exorcist after attending a shady seminar hosted in a hotel conference room.
Archie Halloween Spectacular (Archie Comics, $2.99): Archie has started including brand-new stories in their “classic” releases, and this issue features a new story about Archie, a witch and a pumpkin by Bill Golliher and Bill Galvan. Check out a preview:
Darkhold Alpha #1 (Marvel, $4.99): Marvel’s long-delayed series-of-one-shots finally surfaces this week, as Steve Orlando and Cian Tormey bring the notorious Darkhold to the forefront of the Marvel Universe. Doctor Doom and Scarlet Witch will feature prominently in this story that also will include Iron Man, Black Bolt, Blade and the Wasp unleashing their “inner darkness.”
Edgar Allan Poe’s Snifter of Death #1 (AHOY Comics, $4.99): AHOY’s humorous horror anthology returns for another six issues, with this first issue featuring stories by Mark Russell, Stuart Moore, Peter Snejbjerg, Frank Cammuso and more, with a cover by Richard Williams. If you’re curious to see what’s inside, check out this preview of Russell and Snejbjerg’s story:
Squad (Greenwillow Books, $14.99): In what sounds like a combination of Teen Wolf and Bring It On, Maggie Tokuda-Hall and Lisa Sterle tell the story of a girl who moves to a new school and becomes friends with the popular “squad” — only to find out they’re werewolves.
We Have Demons (comiXology Originals, $4.99): Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo, who you probably know from all their DC work together, team up for this new creator-owned series that’s part of Snyder’s eight-title deal with comiXology. Yes, Scottober has arrived, and it kicks off here with a story about a teenage hero who “embarks on a journey that unveils a secret society, monsters and mayhem.”
Arkham City: The Order of the World #1 (DC, $3.99): Dan Watters and Dani team up for a new miniseries that ties into the Fear State event running through the Batman titles. The six-issue series will focus on several escapees from Arkham Asylum and the doctor trying to track them down.
Wonder Woman 80th Anniversary Special (DC, $9.99): DC continues to celebrate the 80th anniversary of its various characters with a focus on Wonder Woman. The 100-page anthology features stories by Becky Cloonan, Michael W. Conrad, Jordie Bellaire, Mark Waid, Tom King, Steve Orlando, G. Willow Wilson, Amy Reeder, Jim Cheung, Paulina Ganucheau, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, Evan “Doc” Shaner, Isaac Goodheart, Gabriel Picolo and more.
Amazing Spider-Man #75 (Marvel, $5.99): Nick Spencer’s run on Amazing Spider-Man isn’t even cold yet, but Marvel is wasting no time in introducing the next era of the title, this time created by a host of different writers and artists, and featuring the return of Ben Reilly as Spider-Man.
Chicken Devil #1 (AfterShock Comics, $4.99): Mitchell Moss, a happily married father of two, co-owns the Memphis chain of Hot Chicken restaurants and discovers his business partner owes money to the Russian mob. After the mob attacks his family, Mitch “dons the mantle of the Chicken Devil to fight back.” I love it. This one is by Brian Buccellato, Hayden Sherman and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
Dirtbag Rapture #1 (Oni Press, $3.99): Christopher Sebela and Kendall Goode tell the story of a stoner who can see ghosts and finds out she’s part of a diabolical, demonic plan. “And she’s not thrilled about it.”