Welcome to Can’t Wait for Comics, your guide to what comics are arriving in comic book stores, bookstores and on digital this week. This week sees the kickoff of Marvel’s next big event, a new creative team for Batman, Buffy’s last stand and a whole lot more.
I’ve pulled out some of the highlights below, but for the complete list of everything you might find at your local comic shop and on digital this week, you’ll want to check out one or more of the following:
- Penguin Random House (Marvel + graphic novels + manga)
- Lunar Distribution (DC + Scout + more)
- Diamond’s PreviewsWorld (IDW + Image + Dark Horse + many more)
- ComicList (Pretty much all of the above)
- comiXology new releases (digital comics)
Also, as a reminder, things can change and what you find on the above lists may differ from what’s actually arriving in your local shop. So always check with your comics retailer for the final word on availability.
Devil’s Reign #1 (Marvel, $5.99): Chip Zdarsky and Marco Checchetto’s long-running storyline featuring Daredevil, ElektraDevil and the Kingpin spills onto the rest of the Marvel universe, as Mayor Fisk brings “his full criminal and political power to bear on the super heroes who call NYC home.”
Batman #118 (DC, $4.99): With Fear State and James Tynion IV’s tenure on the book now over, this issue of Batman kicks off a new era, courtesy of Joshua Williamson and Jorge Molina. In this issue, Batman leaves Gotham to deal with a crisis involving Batman Inc. and a new villain named Abyss.
Captain America & Iron Man #1 (Marvel, $3.99): Derek Landy and Ángel Unzueta kick off a miniseries featuring the avenging duo, as they take on a government agent turned Hydra provocateur they both have ties to.
One-Star Squadron #1 (DC, $3.99): Red Tornado, Power Girl, Plastic Man and several other B-list DC heroes team up to make a buck while saving the world or attending birthday parties in this new miniseries by Mark Russell, Steve Lieber and Dave Stewart.
Buffy the Last Vampire Slayer #1 (BOOM! Studios, $4.99): Buffy gets the “Old Man Logan” treatment in this new miniseries by Casey Gilly and Joe Jaro. Check out our interview with Gilly about the series for more details.
Buckhead #1 (BOOM! Studios, $3.99): Shobo Coker and George Kambadais team up for this new miniseries about a boy and his mom who move to the small Oregon town of Buckhead, where the boy discovers a strange video game that’s a perfect replica of the town and its people.
Superman: Son of Kal-El Annual #1 (DC, $5.99): The adventures of Superman’s son continue in this extra-sized annual, which features Jon Kent’s first confrontation with his dad’s old pal Lex Luthor. It’s by Tom Taylor, Clayton Henry and Steve Pugh.
Daisy #1 (Dark Horse, $3.99): Colin Lorimer writes and draws a new miniseries about a desperate mother’s five-year search for her missing son that leads her to the mysterious Phillips family — who have an eight-and-a-half feet tall daughter who “may well be descended from a race of cannibalistic giants spawned from the outcasts of Heaven.”
Memoria (comiXology Originals, $6.99): ComiXology just announced this new project by Curt Pires and Sunando C last week. It’s a digital graphic novel, told in five parts, about two detectives — one terminally ill, one with a drinking problem — who are on the case to track down “the most prolific serial killer in American history.”
Lunar Room #1 (Vault Comics, $3.99): Danny Lore and Gio Sposito tell the story of Cynthia “Sin” Breaker, whose resume includes former mob enforcer for a mage AND being a werewolf, as she’s hired to protect a new mage.
Tales of Mother F Goose (AfterShock Comics, $6.99): This prestige format one-shot by Frank Tieri and Joe Eisma mashes up fairy tales with a mobster murder mystery, where the Three Little Pigs are gluttonous casino owners, Little Miss Muffet is a hard-nosed cop with arachnophobia and the Three Blind Mice are ocular-impaired assassins.
Archie’s Holiday Magic Special (Archie Comics, $3.99): This holiday-themed anthology features three new stories by Micol Ostow, Michael Northrop, J. Torres, Gretel Lusky, Arielle Jovellanos, Dan Schoening and more, set in the worlds of “Little Archie” and “Life With Archie,” among others.
Star Wars: Crimson Reign #1 (Marvel, $4.99): With War of the Bounty Hunters in the history books, Charles Soule and Steven Cummings present the next chapter in the return of Han Solo’s girlfriend and the criminal organization she runs.
Death of Doctor Strange: Blade #1 (Marvel, $4.99): Danny Lore and Dylan Burnett delve into the history between Doctor Strange and vampires, as the vampire nation celebrates the death of the guy who once wiped them off the face of the Earth — and contend with a threat from another dimension.
Giant Size Black Cat:Infinity Score #1 (Marvel, $4.99): Marvel’s Infinite Destinies event, which ran through their annuals this past summer and in the pages of the Black Cat ongoing, wraps up this week with a giant-sized finale that involves Nick Fury, Nighthawk and possibly … Thanos? This one’s by Jed MacKay and C.F. Villa.
Marvel’s Voices: Comunidades (Marvel, $9.99): Marvel’s Voices, the anthology series that puts the spotlight on underrepresented characters and creators, returns this week with stories featuring Latinx characetrs and creators. Check out stories about Miles Morales, White Tiger, Ghost Rider and more by Terry Blas, Daniel José Older, Amparo Ortiz, Juan Ponce, Karla Pacheco, Alex Segura and more.
Afternoon at McBurger’s (Fantagraphics, $16.99): This new graphic novel by Ana Galvan has an interesting premise — it’s about a fast food restaurants that offers a special kid’s menu with a special prize — going into “a room where they can view five minutes of one of three moments in their future.”
Methods of Dyeing (Avery Hill, $12.95): British publisher Avery Hill is currently kickstarting several books they plan to release next year, but if you’re interested in seeing what they’re all about, maybe check out Methods of Dyeing, the new graphic novel from B. Mure about the mystery surrounding the death of a renowned botanist and master dyer.
Other Lives (Fantagraphics, $12.99): After finishing Hate, Peter Bagge went on to create this miniseries for Vertigo in 2010 that’s never been collected. It follows the intersecting lives of former college classmates and their fabricated online identities.
Beta Ray Bill: Argent Star TPB (Marvel, $15.99): Marvel collects Daniel Warren Johnson’s recent miniseries starring the worthy Korbinite, which was one of my favorites from the past year. The story spins out of events in both Thor and King in Black, as Beta Ray Bill sets off to find himself a new weapon and teams up with Pip the Troll, the Executioner and more along the way.