Welcome to Can’t Wait for Comics, your guide to what comics are arriving in comic book stores, bookstores and on digital. As is normal when a month has a fifth week, Marvel and DC are heavy on the annuals and specials this week.
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.
Fantastic Four: Full Circle (Abrams ComicArts/Marvel, $24.99): Alex Ross writes and illustrates a story he has “been wanting to tell for years,” as he sends the Fantastic Four into an adventure in the Negative Zone. This publication marks the launch of MarvelArts, a graphic novel collaboration between Marvel Comics and Abrams ComicArts, and it’s presented in a format that mirrors the Marvel Graphic Novel line from the 1980s. It also includes a painted poster that retells the origin of the Fantastic Four.
Neverlanders (Razorbill, $16.99): Tom Taylor and Jon Sommariva tell the story of Paco, the last Lost Boy from Neverland, who recruits a new crew to help Tinkerbell and her army of fairies defend the island from magic-stealing pirates. This is available both as a hardcover and a softcover.
Electric Frankenstein (Clover Press, $74.99): Clover Press collects about 100 shorts by various artists who adapted the lyrics of the high-energy punk band Electric Frankenstein into comics. You can see a full list of the artists involved on their website.
Thunderbolts #1 (Marvel, $4.99): This new iteration of Marvel’s Thunderbolts was supposed to strike in May, but there was a “Reign” delay. Oh, so many puns! It comes to us courtesy of writer Jim Zub and artist Sean Izaakse, as New York Mayor Luke Cage assembles a brand new team to serve as NYC’s official superhero team — and, thanks to the Kingpin and the events of Devils’ Reign, NYC’s only legal superhero team. I think? It’s a plot point in the first issue, but I can’t recall it being brought up in any other Marvel comic since Devil’s Reign ended. In any event, I’ve read a review copy, and it’s a fun first issue.
Superman: Warworld Apocalypse (DC, $6.99): Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Brandon Peterson and Will Conrad present the final battle between the forces of Superman and Mongul’s Unmade Champions, concluding the Warworld Saga that’s been running in Action Comics.
DC’s Saved by the Belle Reve (DC, $9.99): I love this one for the title alone. DC celebrates going back to school (boo!) with a new comics anthology (yay!) featuring stories by Art Baltazar, Franco, Andrew Aydin, Becky Cloonan, Tim Seeley, Scott Kolins, Mike Norton and more, starring the Suicide Squad, Gotham Academy, Tiny Titans and more.
Amazing Fantasy #1000 (Marvel, $7.99): As part of the 60th anniversary of Spider-Man, Marvel releases an anthology by an eclectic mix of creators, including Neil Gaiman, Kurt Busiek, Dan Slott, Jim Cheung, Olivier Coipel, Armando Iannucci, Anthony Falcone, Michael Cho, Ho Che Anderson, Jonathan Hickman and more.
Various DC Annuals (DC, $5.99 each): To help you end August and summer in style, DC has three annuals out this week, including Wonder Girl, an anthology of stories set after Trial of the Amazons, and Harley Quinn, which wraps up the Task Force XX/alien invasion storyline from her regular title.
Forever Forward #1 (Scout Comics, $4.99): Zack Kaplan and Arjuna Susini present a time travel tale about five friends who leap forward in time, only to find a message from themselves telling them to keep moving forward if they ever want to make it back home.
Harley Quinn The Animated Series: The Real Sidekicks of New Gotham Special (DC, $9.99): This anthology features stories by the creators from both TV and comics, including Jimmy Mosqueda, Connor Shin, Alexis Quasarano, Tee Franklin, Erica Henderson, Jamiesen Borak, Logan Faerber and more.
Star Trek Picard: Stargazer #1 (IDW, $4.99): Set between the second and third season of the Picard show on Paramount+, this miniseries has Picard and Seven trying to save the crew of the missing U.S.S. Stargazer.
Transformers: Shattered Glass II #1 (IDW, $3.99): Danny Lore and Marcelo Matere return to the Transformers’ version of the Mirror Universe, where Optimus Prime is a tyrant and Megatron fights for peace.
The Very Final Last Girls (Darby Pop, $24.99): This collects the digital series that Darby Pop released this past summer by Josh Eiserike, Z Crockett and Andres Barrero. It’s about a secret government rehabilitation program for survivors of horrific anomalies, aka “final girls.”