Can’t Wait for Comics | A new era of ‘Venom’ kicks off this week

New comics and graphic novels arrive this week from Jeffrey Brown, Rachel Smythe, Al Ewing, Ram V, Walter Mosley, Bryan Hitch, Kikuo Johnson and more.

Welcome to Can’t Wait for Comics, your guide to what comics are arriving in comic book stores, bookstores and on digital.

You can visit Diamond’s PreviewsWorld website (which is still up; see below) for this week’s almost complete list of new comics arriving in stores. The Lunar Distribution home page has 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. And this week, in particular, will likely bring delays for some titles, as Diamond Comics Distributor’s website was taken down earlier this week by a ransomware attack. They’ve set up a temporary website where they’re giving updates, and according to one from yesterday, “some customer shipments of product with an on-sale date of November 10 will be delayed.”

Venom #1 (Marvel, $5.99): Venom returns at Marvel this week with a new creative team and new storytelling approach. Al Ewing and Ram V each will be writing a separate character in the series, as the book focuses both on Eddie Brock and his son Dylan. Meanwhile, Bryan Hitch draws it all.

The Thing #1 (Marvel, $4.99): Novelist Walter Mosley (Devil in a Blue Dress) writes this new miniseries featuring Ben Grimm and artwork by Tom Reilly. Marvel promises “a sweeping saga of Yancy Street’s favorite son that will range from the urban sprawl of the back alleys of Manhattan to the farthest reaches of the cosmos itself.”

Robin & Batman #1 (DC, $5.99): Writer Jeff Lemire and artist Dustin Nguyen, the creators behind the hit creator-owned titles Descender and Ascender, trade space operas for street crime as they team up for a new miniseries focused on a young Dick Grayson and his bat-themed mentor.

Action Comics #1036 (DC, $4.99): This issue kicks off the big storyline that’s been teased in everything from Superman and the Authority to the Future State titles earlier this year. It’s the official start of the Warworld saga, and promises to be “the biggest Superman event since the Death and Return of Superman.” It’s courtesy of Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Daniel Sampere, and also features a back-up story by Sean Lewis and Sami Basri.

What’s the Furthest Place from Here? #1 (Image, $4.99): Matthew Rosenberg and Tyler Boss, creators of 4 Kids Walk into a Bank, have gotten the band back together for this new title about a gang of children living in the ruins of a post-apocalyptic wasteland, searching for hope and vinyl. It kicks off with a triple-sized first issue, and there’s also a deluxe version that includes a vinyl single with new music from Jawbreaker’s Blake Schwarzenbach and California rock band Joyce Manor.

Regarding the Matter of Oswald’s Body #1 (BOOM! Studios, $3.99): If you’re familiar with Christopher Cantwell’s work on books like The Blue Flame and Iron Man you know he always brings an interesting POV to his work. This oen looks no different, as he and Luca Casalanguida present an “off-kilter crime thriller” built around the assassination of John F. Kennedy and the “rat’s nest of conspiracy theories” built up around it. It’s timely, given what happened in Dallas earlier this month.

My Date with Monsters #1 (AfterShock Comics, $4.99): At one point this comic was called Croak, but it underwent a title change between the announcement and publication. In any event, it’s by Paul Tobin and Andy MacDonald, and it combines weaponized nightmares, monsters and modern dating. So it should be fun, no matter what it is called.

Batman and Robin and Howard (DC, $9.99): The wonderful Jeffrey Brown sends Damian Wayne to middle school, where he encounters a new nemesis, Howard, the smartest and most athletic kid in school.

PhenomX #1 (Image Comics, $6.99): Actor John Leguizamo teams up with Aram Rappaport and Joe Miciak, and artist Chris Batista for this new comic about a wrongfully convicted criminal who gains superpowers after being experimented on in prison.

Himawari House (First Second, $17.99): Harmony Becker, who drew They Called Us Enemy, writes and draws this story of a trio of kids who move to Japan. You can learn more about it in our interview with Becker, which went up earlier today.

No One Else (Fantagraphics, $16.99): The Nightfisher creator Kikuo Johnson is back with this new graphic novel about a family on Maui dealing with grief and trying to find their way forward — and trying to find their lost cat, who is named Batman.

Lore Olympus (Del Ray, $19.99): You would likely make any teenage webcomics fan’s Christmas if you bought them this collection of Rachel Smythe’s mega-popular webcomic. This collects strips that originally appeared on Webtoon, as Smythe re-imagines the Greek tale of Hades and Persephone with a romantic modern update.

Stealing Home (Kids Can Press, $17.99): J. Torres has written countless comics, from Alison Dare to Teen Titans Go, and for this new historical fiction graphic novel he teams up with artist David Namisato. Together they tell the story of a Japanese boy who loves baseball and comic books who is placed in an internment camp after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

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