Welcome to Can’t Wait for Comics, your guide to what comics are arriving in comic book stores, bookstores and on digital this week. With this being the fifth week of May, it’s a quieter week compared to most, especially for new projects, but there’s still plenty to get excited about.
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/Kindle new releases (digital comics)
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.
Shadow War Omega (DC, $5.99): This week brings not one but two specials dedicated to DC events, both spearheaded by Joshua Williamson. Shadow War Omega wraps up the Batman/Robin/Deathstroke event that’s run through each of their titles, as the real assassin of Ra’s al Ghul, revealed last week, stands against our heroes. “Events in this issue lead directly into DC’s next big summer event!” Which likely means Dark Crisis (see the next entry) but could conceivably also mean Batman vs. Robin, because one event at a time is just never enough …
Justice League: Road to Dark Crisis (DC, $5.99): DC gears up for another Crisis event series with this one-shot anthology of stories set after the recent death of the Justice League. It features stories by Joshua Williamson, the architect of the event, along with Jeremy Adams, Brandon Thomas, Chuck Brown, Stephanie Phillips, Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Clayton Henry, Fico Ossio, Emanuela Lupacchino, Leila Del Duca and more.
By The Horns: Dark Earth #1 (Scout Comics, $4.99): This is my personal pick of the week, as I loved the previous By The Horns series from Markisan Naso and Jason Muhr. Elodie, hater of all unicorns, and her half wolf/half deer best friend Sajen return, this time as farmers who are reluctantly called back into duty to go on a brand new quest to stop a blight and, most likely, hate on some more unicorns.
Super Freaks #1 (Image, $4.99): This special one-shot tribute to the Savage FINcast podcast as it celebrates its 10th year started as a fanzine that the hosts of the FINcast were planning to release featuring stories and artwork by fans. But then Savage Dragon creator Erik Larsen saw an early copy and decided to publish it through Image Comics. Even if you aren’t a big fan of Savage Dragon, you have to admit that’s a really cool move on his part.
The Closet #1 (Image, $3.99): James Tynion IV and Gavin Fullerton’s Substack comic comes to print, courtesy of Image Comics. It’s about a man who moves cross-country with his family, dragging the past along with them — and the monsters his son sees in the bedroom closet.
The Phalanx #1 (Image, $3.99): Jonathan Luna pays tribute to the 1990s Image era with this one-shot about a mercenary named Spur who chases a mysterious villain through a portal and runs into a famous superhero team. “I’ve dreamt of making a comic like this for many years, and to have it in print with the Image logo is amazing,” Luna said. “To those who also thought the ’90s was a magical time for comics, I hope this one-shot entertains and brings back memories!”
Newthink #1 (AWA, $3.99): AWA launches a new five-issue miniseries made up of five stand alone stories, all written by Gregg Hurwitz but with a different artist each issue (the first one features art by Mike Deodato). Each issue “examines the rapid proliferation of technology, the cultural and political polarization of the country, and the technocrats that have driven us to such extremes of thought that we need to present the present as something…futuristic.”
Neverender #1 (Behemoth, $4.99): Devin Kraft writes and draws this new science fiction series from Behemoth Comics, which is about a society on the edge of the galaxy that turns to sword fights to the death for sport.
Artist Elite Primer Red (Artist Elite, $4.99): This anthology features several stories from fledgling publisher Artist Elite, which was started by Shawn Hudachko, Alé Garza and Tyler Kirkham. This title includes stories by Ben Templesmith, Brett Booth, Ryan Kincaid, Paolo Pantalena and more.
The Girl and the Glim (IDW, $12.99): India Swift and Michael Doig tell the story of Bridgette, a girl having a hard time fitting in in hew new town, and the supernatural presence that takes notice. You can learn more about it at its dedicated website.
Free Pass (IDW, $19.99): Julian Hanshow writes and draws this graphic novel about a 20-something couple whose ambitions for an adventurous sex life takes a turn when a cutting-edge humanoid sex AI that can morph into anyone comes into their lives.
Mickey Mouse: Zombie Coffee (Fantagraphics, $24.99): This may look like another collection of classic Mickey Mouse stories from Fantagraphics, but oh no — this is a brand new story by French cartoonist and Disney animator Régis Loisel that’s set in the 1930s era of Mickey stories. It features Mickey, Minnie, Donald Duck, Horace Horsecollar, Clarabelle Cow, Pete and a shady real-estate developer named Rock Fuller, who wants to turn their town into a golf course.
Marvel June 1962 Omnibus (Marvel, $125): Back in June of 1962, Spider-Man made his big debut in Amazing Fantasy #15, Thor first lifted Mjolnir and Hank Pym first became Ant-Man. All those comics, plus every other comic published by Marvel in June of 1962, gets collected in this omnibus, which includes Fantastic Four, Hulk, Kid Colt and even Patsy Walker.
Rick Grimes 2000 (Image/Skybound, $19.99): If you missed the Rick Grimes 2000 stories that ran in last year’s Skybound X anthology, Image Comics collects Robert Kirkman and Ryan Ottley’s alternative look at the Walking Dead universe through a crazy science fiction lens.