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.
Immortal Sergeant #1 (Image, $3.99): Joe Kelly and Ken Niimura, the award-winning creators of I Kill Giants, reunite for this new miniseries. It’s about a hardened police sergeant who, on the eve of his retirement, gets a big break in an unsolved murder from decades before. So he and his anxiety-riddled adult son have to chase a lead down before it is lost forever.
Wasp #1 (Marvel, $3.99): Following up on his work on the Ant-Man miniseries, writer Al Ewing turns his attention to Hank Pym’s partner and former wife, Janet Van Dyne. He’s joined by artist Kasia Nie, while Tom Reilly, who worked with Ewing on the previous series, provides his always on-point covers. The story will involve both Van Dyne and her fellow Wasp, Nadia, as well as an old enemy who returns to threaten both of them.
Lazarus Planet: Assault on Krypton (DC, $4.99): Following last week’s “Alpha” issue, Lazarus Planet continues with the first of several one-shots set on an Earth where the Lazarus volcano erupted and metahuman powers go haywire. This one features Power Girl, Mercy Graves, Dreamer and Jonathan Kent in stories by Nicole Maines, C.S. Pacat, Frank Barbiere, Leah Williams, Skylar Patridge, Scott Godlewski, Sami Basri, Marguerite Sauvage and more.
White Savior #1 (Dark Horse, $3.99): Eric Nguyen and Scott Burman explore — and poke fun at — the “white savior” role in stories and pop culture. When the peaceful of Inoki put their faith in a vicious captain from the U.S. army, a time-traveling teacher has to warn them of his true nature before he brings death and destruction.
Barbaric: Hell to Pay (Vault, $4.99): Michael Moreci and Nathan Gooden return to the world of Owen and his axe, Axe, for the story that involves a dragon and someone from Owen’s past.
Nightwing #100 (DC, $6.99): Writer Tom Taylor is joined by Bruno Redondo, Rick Leonardi, Scott McDaniel, Mikel Janin and Javier Fernandez for this extra-sized milestone issue of Nightwing.
Maniac of New York: Don’t Call It a Comeback #1 (AfterShock, $4.99): Elliott Kalan and Andrea Mutti return for a third miniseries about Maniac Harry, the seemingly unstoppable killing machine who was stopped in the last miniseries. Or was he … ? Actually, according to the solicits, there’s a new Maniac on the loose being pursued by NYPD Detective Zelda Pettibone, so we don’t have any reason to believe that Harry isn’t dead. Or do we … ?
Gangster Ass Barista #1 (Black Mask, $4.99): Pat Shand and Renzo Rodriguez unite for the tale of Trinity, a former criminal turned barista who gets tired of writing names on cups and gets pulled back into her old life.
Batman: One Bad Day: Bane (DC, $7.99): This one-shot in the “One Bad Day” series is by Joshua Williamson and Howard Porter, who show us a washed-out Bane years in the future who, when he’s not wrestling guys dressed as Batman, spends his remaining time trying to shut down the flow of Venom into the streets.
Tim Seeley’s Lucky #1 (Keenspot, $5.99): Oh, this one may require a bit of a history lesson, so strap yourself in, comic fans. Back in 2013 Tim Seeley and Michael Moreci teamed up on a minicomics project called Mini Comics Included. Remember how He-Man and Super Powers and other action figures sometimes came packaged with a comic book? I mean, they still do this on occasion, but … well, that’s not important. Moreci and Seeley created six nostalgic minicomics for six fictional action figures and then crowdfunded them on Kickstarter. One of the comics Seeley worked on was called SuperBeasts, which featured a team of super monsters, like Dracula Man and Grave Angel, who protected their home Frankenvania from evil monster hunters. One of those protectors was Lucky, the cat woman shown above, who is now starring in her own comic series. If you’re interested in seeing her first appearance, Keenspot have posted it for free on their website.
Avengers Two: Wonder Man & The Beast (Marvel, $7.99): Roger Stern and Mark Bagley’s 2000 miniseries featuring two best friends is finally collected. After returning from the dead thanks to the Scarlet Witch, Simon Williams returns to L.A. to wrap up some loose ends from his life, with his old friend Hank McCoy along for the ride. Along the way they face Lady Lotus and It, the Living Colossus.
Bomb (Roaring Book Press, $17.99): Nick Bertozzi draws this graphic novel adaptation of Steve Sheinkin’s novel of the same name, which tells the true story of “the creation of the destructive force that birthed the arms race and the Cold War.”
To Boldly Go: How Nichelle Nichols and Star Trek Helped Advance Civil Rights (Harper Collins, $18.99): Angela Dalton and Lauren Semmer pen this graphic novel tribute to actress Nichelle Nichols and her ground-breaking role on the original Star Trek series back in the 1960s.
Pearl of the Sea (Catalyst Press, $19.95): Raffaella Delle Donne, Anthony Silverston and Willem Samuel created this new graphic novel about a girl who helps her fisherman dad at his job. When she befriends a sea monster named Otto, she has to find the courage to protect it from poachers.
Lugosi: The Rise & Fall of Hollywood’s Dracula (Humanoids, $29.99): Koren Shadmi’s work is always worth a look, whether it’s his fictional graphic novels about everything from immortal highwaymen to bionic teens in love, or his non-fiction work. In the past, he’s drawn or created biographies of Gary Gygax and Rod Sterling, and now he adds actor Bela Lugosi to the list.