Welcome to Can’t Wait for Comics, your guide to what comics are arriving in comic book stores, bookstores and on digital.
With Batman Day coming up on Sept. 16, DC will release several new titles and collections featuring the Dark Knight this week, including the new Rafael Grampá Black Label Batman project and a Batman and Robin ongoing. There’s also a new Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki graphic novel, a new Daredevil title and a pair of biographical graphic novels on Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.
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 + Dark Horse + more)
- Lunar Distribution (DC + Image + more)
- Diamond’s PreviewsWorld (BOOM! + 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.
Batman and Robin #1 (DC, $4.99): Just in time for Batman Day, the father-and-son team of Bruce and Damian Wayne leap into their own title by Joshua Williamson and Simone Di Meo. In it, the dynamic duo will be “investigating mysterious new cases and monsters in Gotham.” Plus, introducing the Robinmobile!
Batman: Gargoyle of Gotham #1 (DC, $6.99): Mesmo Delivery creator and Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child artist Rafael Grampá returns to Gotham for this Black Label miniseries. The story features Batman deciding to “kill off” his Bruce Wayne identity and dedicating his life to fighting crime as the Caped Crusader. Mat Lopes joins Grampá on colors, unless you prefer black and white, and then there’s the “noir” edition for the same price.
Note that Lunar has an in-store date of 9/12 for these, while Comixology has them listed as going on sale this Saturday, which is Batman Day. So check with your retailer to see when they will have them available.
Batman ’89 Hardcover (DC, $29.99): Batman screenwriter Sam Hamm returns to comics to work with Joe Quinones on the further stories of Batman, as he was played by Michael Keaton in 1989. This collects the six-issue miniseries with a new cover inspired by the film’s promotional poster.
Batman & the Joker: The Deadly Duo (DC, $29.99): Marc Silvestri’s Black Label limited series, featuring Batman and the Joker teaming up to save Harley Quinn and Jim Gordon, gets the deluxe hardcover treatment.
Batman & Scooby Doo Mysteries #12 (DC, $2.99): Batman Day wouldn’t be complete without Batman Beyond, so what better way to celebrate the future Batman than to team him up with the Scooby gang? This one is by Ivan Cohen and Dario Brizuela.
Avengers Inc. #1 (Marvel, $4.99): The Avengers pay tribute to the Avengers in this new series by Al Ewing and Leonard Kirk. It stars the original Wasp and Victor Shade, the former alias of the Vision, in a story featuring super villain murders, conspiracy and the pair solving “every mystery in the Marvel universe,” Steed and Mrs. Peel style.
The Alternates #1 (Dark Horse, $4.99): Minor Threats, the genre-bending superhero mystery by Patton Oswalt, Jordan Blum and Scott Hepburn, gets a spinoff miniseries . Oswalt and Blum are joined by co-writer Tim Seeley, with Christopher Mitten and Tess Fowler on art. While Minor Threats paid tribute to the Bronze Age of comics and the “grim and gritty” titles of the 1980s, From the World of Minor Threats: The Alternates draws from 1990s Vertigo Comics.
Kill More #1 (IDW, $3.99): Scott Bryan Wilson and Max Alan Fuchs present the story of a city under siege by an influx of serial killers. Two cops find themselves in their crosshairs as they attempt to investigate the rapidly growing number of open homicide cases.
Coda #1 (BOOM!, $4.99): Simon Spurrier and Matías Bergara return to their Eisner-nominated apocalyptic fantasy world with a new chapter. It’s the story of a world where magic has died … or perhaps is just resting.
Daredevil #1 (Marvel, $6.99): You can’t keep a good hero down, especially one as resilient as Daredevil. Matt Murdock and Elektra are back in this new series by Saladin Ahmed and Aaron Kuder.
Creepshow Vol.2 #1 (Skybound, $3.99): The horror anthology Creepshow returns to comics for a second miniseries from Skybound, featuring stories by Garth Ennis, Phil Hester, Becky Cloonan and more.
Sonic the Hedgehog 900th Adventure (IDW, $7.99): IDW celebrates a big milestone for Sonic the Hedgehog as Ian Flynn, Evan Stanley, Caleb Goellner, Daniel Barnes, Aaron Hammerstrom, Nigel Kitching and more send Sonic and friends on a relay race to get rid of the world-destroying Warp Topaz.
Venom #25 (Marvel, $7.99): In this oversized issue, Al Ewing, Sergio Davila, CAFU and more pit Eddie Brock against Doctor Doom. As Venom attempts to “borrow” Doom’s time platform, the duo end up in a battle through the ages — including a trip to Midtown High School.
Bloodbourne: The Bleak Dominion #1 (Titan, $3.99): Cullen Bunn and Piotr Kowalski return to the world of the popular video game in this new miniseries about hunters Gretchen and Abraham searching for their missing protégé under a blood moon. And you know what that means — nothing good!
Alligator Loki (Marvel, $5.99): Originally digital comic on Marvel Unlimited, Alligator Loki comes to print in a story by Alyssa Wong and Bob Quinn, as the lovable, mischievous gator makes trouble across the Marvel Universe.
Star Trek: Picard’s Academy #1 (IDW, $3.99): Sam Maggs and Greco Ornella head to the past — Star Trek’s past, which is still our future — in this new ongoing about the early days of Jean-Luc Picard when he was a student at Starfleet Academy.
Werewolf by Night (Marvel, $5.99): Following the Disney+ special that debuted last Halloween, Werewolf by Night gets a new one-shot written by Derek Landy and drawn by Fran Galán. Like the show, it features Elisa Bloodstone and a unique approach to how it is colored, with the werewolf appearing in black and white, and Elisa appearing in color.
Saint John #1 (Dark Horse, $4.99): Portland-based artist Brennan Wagner and writer Dan Schkade helm this four-issue miniseries that introduces a hero “built for the quirks that make [Portland] unique.” The project came about when Dark Horse teamed with apparel company Portland Gear to help promote the city.
Roaming (Drawn and Quarterly, $34.95): The award-winning duo of Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki return with a new graphic novel about “a much-anticipated trip to New York” where “an unexpected fling blossoms between casual acquaintances and throws a long-term friendship off-balance.”
Club Kick Out (Harper Alley, $15.99): Steph Mided writes and draws this new graphic novel where several creative clubs end up canceled, so a group of students form a new one — Club Kick Out, where they exercise their creativity in the wrestling ring.
Lisa Cheese and Ghost Guitar (Top Shelf, $19.99): Kevin Alvir’s debut graphic novel is about “a sweet unicorn girl from another dimension moves to Earth City hoping to make a name for herself as a folk singer…but her very first open mic is a disaster, leaving her with a bionic arm and an identity crisis.”
Restless ($19.99, Street Noise Books): Set 30 years after the end of Lebanon’s civil war, this graphic novel by Joseph Kai tells an autobiographically inspired story of a young queer comics artist living in Beirut: a complex city with shifting perspectives on art, sex and political uprising.
Matchmaker ($22.99, Silver Sprocket): All chapters of Cam Marshall’s queer slice-of-life webcomic get collected in this new volume. It’s about two friends living through the pandemic and a rough job market, as one attempts to play matchmaker to the other.
I Am Stan/Jack Kirby: The Epic Life of the King of Comics (Ten Speed Press, $22.99 each): Tom Scioli, whose Jack Kirby biography came out a few years ago, returns with not only a new printing of that volume, but also a companion bio on Stan Lee.