Welcome to Can’t Wait for Comics, your guide to what comics are arriving in comic book stores, bookstores and on digital.
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 + IDW + graphic novels + manga)
- Lunar Distribution (DC + Scout + more)
- Diamond’s PreviewsWorld (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.
Dark Web Alpha (Marvel, $4.99): After being built up in Amazing Spider-Man and other titles, Marvel’s big Spider-Man/X-Men crossover arrives this week from Zeb Wells and Adam Kubert. Ben Reilly and the Goblin Queen get their clone on as they seek revenge against the world by reigniting the Inferno.
All Against All #1 (Image, $3.99): Alex Paknadel and Caspar Wijngaard present a “primal vision of humanity gone terribly wrong,” as the last remaining human lives in an artificial jungle environment created by the alien race known as “the Operators.”
Frank Miller’s Pandora #1 (Frank Miller Presents, $7.99): The fledgling publisher’s third title arrives in the form of Pandora, the story of a girl who finds a mystic artifact that delivers her heart’s desire — but at the expense of the real world around her. Created by Miller, the comic’s creative team is Chris Silvestri, Anthony Maranville and Emma Kubert.
It’s Only Teenage Wasteland #1 (Dark Horse, $3.99): Y0uth writer Curt Pires and Angel Boy artist Jacoby Salcedo team up for this new miniseries about a group of teenagers throwing an epic rager — just as the end of the world arrives.
X-Treme X-Men #1 (Marvel, $3.99): Extreme ways are back again — wait, sorry. X-Treme ways are back again, as Chris Claremont and Salvador Larroca return with a new X-Treme X-Men miniseries set right after their initial run on the title. It features the X-Treme X-Men — Kitty Pryde, Storm, Bishop, Gambit, Rogue, Wolverine and Rachel Summers — taking on Wolverine and Kitty’s old enemy Ogun.
Batman #130 (DC, $4.99): Chip Zdarsky and Jorge Jimenez’s first Batman storyline wraps up, as Failsafe arc reaches its “brutal and stunning conclusion” this issue. The back -up story continues to show the early days of the Dark Knight and his relationship with Zur-En-Arrh.
Avengers #63 (Marvel, $3.99): Avengers Assemble continues this week following last week’s Alpha issue, as the Avengers and their prehistoric counterparts come face to face with Doom Supreme and the Multiversal Masters of Evil. It’s by Jason Aaron and Javier Garron.
The Blue Flame #10 (Vault, $3.99): This excellent series by Christopher Cantwell and Adam Gorham concludes this week, as the Blue Flame calls himself to the witness stand in the trial that will determine the fate of all humanity.
Hexware #1 (Image, $3.99): Magic and technology collide in this new miniseries by Tim Seeley and Zulema Lavina, which is about a corporate-ruled world filled with class inequality, neo-spiritualism and hedge magic.
Know Your Station #1 (BOOM! Studios, $3.99): Eat the Rich writer Sarah Gailey and Trve Kvlt artist Liana Kangas helm this new miniseries about a space station inhabited by the ultra-rich, who fled into the safety of space to escape a climate crisis on Earth, and the murderer who is stalking them.
Fantastic Four #2 (Marvel, $3.99): The first issue of Ryan North and Iban Coello was an excellent Thing story, but it also left us with one big question — what exactly happened to the Fantastic Four (and New York)? I’m not sure if this issue will answer that question, but it does feature Reed, Sue and a whole bunch of Doombots.
Dark Crisis War Zone (DC, $5.99): This anthology features various “tales from the front” type stories about Dark Crisis, featuring the Flash family, Red Canary and more in stories by Matthew Rosenberg, Delilah S. Dawson, Jeremy Adams, Frank Tieri, Stephanie Williams, George Kambadais, Daniel Bayliss, Fernando Pasarin, Matt Ryan, Serg Acuña and more.
Dahlia in the Dark #1 (Mad Cave, $3.99): Joe Corallo and Andrea Milana are the team behind this new series from Mad Cave, which is about a hitman who takes one last job that puts him in the middle of a war between factions from the fairy realm.
Blade Runner 2039 #1 (Titan, $3.99): Mike Johnson, Mellow Brown and Andres Guinaldo present the latest Blade Runner miniseries, which is set 10 years after the previous one, as a new line of replicants is introduced.
Do a Powerbomb #7 (Image, $3.99): Daniel Warren Johnson’s awesomely heart-wrenching miniseries about the wrestling tournament to end all wrestling tournaments comes to its conclusion this week, as Lona Steelrose and Cobrasun face the ultimate opponent on their path to resurrecting Lona’s mother. OMG!
Family Time #1 (Ablaze, $3.99): Robert Windom, Lily Windom and Asiah Fulmore are the team behind Family Time, a new title about a family whose vacation to Ireland is interrupted by an old man with a mysterious crystal that seemingly teleports them 1,000 years back in time.
Firstborns #1 (Sumerian Comics, $3.99): E&E Plissken and Luca Vassallo present the story of Stanley Greene, a high school kid who dreams about people catching on fire and a mysterious alien artifact.
Gargoyles #1 (Dynamite, $3.99): Greg Weisman, a name synonymous with Disney’s Gargoyles property, returns to write this new take on the characters, with George Kambadais on board for art.
Miles Morales: Spider-Man #1 (Marvel, $4.99): Miles Morales is back after a short — like, maybe two months? — hiatus since his last title ended. This new one is by Cody Ziglar and Federico Vicentini, and features the debut of a new villain.
Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur #1 (Marvel, $3.99): Novelist Jordan Ifueko and artist Alba Glez bring back the world’s smartest human and her pet dinosaur in this new series that finds Lunella organizing a roller derby team of other Inhuman kids.
Nocterra: Val Special #1 (Image, $3.99): Scott Snyder and Tony S. Daniel are joined by artist Francis Manapul for this one-shot that delves into the past of Nocterra‘s main character, Valentina Riggs.
Radiant Pink #1 (Image, $3.99): The Massive-verse — that’s the collection of titles headed up by Kyle Higgins that includes Radiant Black, Inferno Girl Red and Rogue Sun, among others — goes social in this new series by Meghan Camarena, Melissa Flores and Emma Kubert. It’s about a streamer who features guest appearances by the teleporting superhero Radiant Pink, but not all the attention garnered by the new hero is positive.
Ricky and Morty vs. Cthulhu #1 (Oni Press, $3.99): Oni Press launches another miniseries featurng the always lovable Rick and Morty, as their antics bring them to “a Lovecraftian hellscape” and a confrontation with Cthulhu. It’s by Jim Zub, Leonardo Ito and Crank!
Thanos: Death Notes (Marvel, $4.99): This anthology of stories about the Mad Titan includes tales by Ron Lim, J. Michael Straczynski, Torunn Grønbekk, Kyle Starks, Christopher Cantwell, Andrea Di Vito, Travel Foreman and more.
Crash & Troy #4 (A Wave Blue World, $3.99): The adventures of our two mercenaries come to a crashing halt — pun intended — in the fourth and final issue of this banter-filled miniseries. Check out our exclusive preview for more information and taste of what’s inside, by writer Jarred Luján and artist Kyler Clodfelter.
20202020 (Floating World Comics, $20): In 2020, The Wrenchies creator Farel Dalrymple made a series of 366 watercolor and ink drawings, which are collected in this volume. “Different themes in the book include a robot Tod alphabet, a complete tarot deck and a variety of fictional and nonfictional characters.” That sounds amazing.
Marvel Comics Library Vol. 3: Fantastic Four (Taschen America/Marvel, $200): The third volume of Taschen’s oversized collections of early Marvel issues features the first 20 issues of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s work on Fantastic Four. It also includes an in-depth essay by Mark Waid, a foreword by former NASA astronaut Mike Massimino and more extras. This would look great under my Christmas tree, hint hint.