Welcome to Can’t Wait for Wednesday, your guide to what comics are arriving in comic book stores, bookstores and on digital.
I’ve pulled out some of the other highlights for this week 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! + Dynamite + more)
- ComicList (Pretty much all of the above)
- Amazon/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.
Resurgence of the Valiant Universe #1 (Alien Books, $4.99): Alien Books’ plans for the Valiant characters kick into high gear in the first issue of this four-issue event series by Becky Cloonan, Michael Conrad, Guillermo Fajardo and more. The event features the former villain Dr. Silk, whose promise of utopia and to make humans immortal has divided the entire planet and set everyone at odds. Expect appearances by X-O Manowar, Bloodshot, Eternal Warrior, Ninjak, Ivar, Rai, Livewire, Faith and just about every other Valiant character there is.
The Moon is Following Us #1 (Image Comics, $3.99): Daniel Warren Johnson and Riley Rossmo team together for this new creator-owned series “about family and about parenthood, but it also has sweet snake monsters,” according to Johnson. It’s about a couple who journey into a magical realm to free their daughter from an evil force called The Cascade.
Dazzler #1 (Marvel, $4.99): It’s been decades since Dazzler has headlined her own series, but this week she returns to the spotlight in a four-issue miniseries by Jason Loo and Rafael Loureiro. Alsion Blaire returns to touring in a post-Krakoa world — along with her road crew, Domino, Strong Guy and Multiple Man.
Absolute Power: Super Son #1 (DC, $5.99): If you’ve been reading Absolute Power, you know things haven’t been going well for Jonathan Kent. In this one-shot by Sina Grace, Nicole Maines, John Timms and Travis Mercer, the Super Son fights back.
The Tin Can Society #1 (Image Comics, $4.99): Peter Warren, Francesco Mobili and Chris Chuckry launch a new title through Rick Remender’s Giant Generator imprint. It’s about a world-famous tech mogul who pioneered mobility aids for people with disabilities who also moonlights as the metal-suited vigilante Caliburn. But when Johnny is murdered and his suit stolen, his estranged childhood best friends reunite to figure out who did it.
Spirits of Vengeance #1 (Marvel, $4.99): The many heroes (and villains) who have hosted the Spirit of Vengeance assemble in this new title by Sabir Pirzada and Sean Damien Hill. Johnny Blaze, Danny Ketch, Robbie Reyes, The Hood and Kushala reunite as Michael Badilino, a.k.a. Vengeance, returns.
The Masked Macher #1 (Dark Horse, $4.99): David A. Goodman, Gonzalo Duarte and Alex Andrés enter the squared circle in this comedy title about an aspiring actor named Tony Hollywood whose path top stardom takes him into the ring.
Lilith #1 (Vault Comics, $4.99): Vault Comics launches another imprint, this one focused on mature readers titles called Threshold, with the release of the first issue of Corin Howell’s sexy horror series Lilith. The comic is about an immortal demon looking to find her way home from Earth, but falls in love along the way.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Nation #1 (IDW, $5.99): This new anthology series will feature two stories in each issue, with this first one including a Raphael story by Tom Waltz and Vincenzo Federici, and a Casey Jones/Karai story by Erik Burnham.
MultiVersus: Collision Detection #1 (DC, $4.99): MultiVersus, the Warner Bros, video game that lets you smack around everyone from Superman to Bugs Bunny to Arya Stark in the style of Super Smash Bros., comes to comics courtesy of Bryan Q. Miller and Jon Sommariva.
Venom War: Deadpool #1 (Marvel, $3.99): Cullen Bunn and Rob Di Salvo helm this three-issue Venom War tie-in miniseries that sees Bunn return to two characters he worked on in the past — Deadpool and Agent Venom, as they battle zombiotes.
Venom War: Lethal Protectors #1 (Marvel, $3.99): Sabir Pirzada and Luca Maresca team up for this Venom War tie-in that features Silver Sable and the Life Foundation symbiotes battling zombiotes.
Jim Henson’s Labyrinth #1 (BOOM! Studios, $4.99): Writer Kyla Vanderklugt and artist Giorgio Spalletta adapt A.C.H. Smith’s novelization of Jim Henson’s beloved Labyrinth film in this four-issue miniseries.
Deathlok 50th Anniversary Special (Marvel, $4.99): The original Deathlok, Luther Manning, debuted in Astonishing Tales #25 back in August 1974. Created by Rich Buckler, Manning’s story was set in a post-apocalyptic future (in 1990!) and now 50 years later Marvel celebrates the character with a one-shot special. The anthology will include stories by Justina Ireland, Christopher Priest, Dale Eaglesham and more.
The Body Trade #1 (Mad Cave Studios, $4.99): Zac Thompson and Jok kick off a neo-noir series about an ex-convict trying to find his son’s stolen corpse, which leads him into “the seedy corporate underbelly of America.”
Ultramega #5 (Image Comics, $7.99): James Harren’s mega-sized kaiju title returns with a new story arc, as a new threat comes from the stars to plague a kaiju-ravaged Earth.
Star Wars: Darth Vader #50 (Marvel, $7.99): This final issue wraps up the post-Empire Strikes Back, pre-Return of the Jedi storyline that’s been running through Marvel’s Star Wars books for the last few years, as they prepare to jump into a new post-Return of the Jedi timeline. Greg Pak and Raffaele Ienco wrap up their Darth Vader story with an issue that features Vader preparing to go up against the man he hates most in the galaxy, the Emperor.
All-New Henry & Glenn Comics & Stories (Microcosm Publishing, $7): Tom Neely returns to his small-press comix featuring cartoon versions of Henry Rollins and Glenn Danzig, as the couple adopt a cat named Iggy and Henry gets cast in a new movie.
The Graveyard Club #1 (BOOM! Studios, $9.99): Horror master R.L. Stine and Carola Borelli introduce a town called Graves End, an “endlessly eerie place with no shortage of strange and dangerous happenings” that also happens to be surrounded by graveyards. When a high schooler pulls what seems like a harmless prank, he may be putting his friends in more danger than he could imagine.
Weirdo (First Second, $14/99): Tony Weaver Jr., Jes Wibowo and Cin Wibowo present this autobiographical tale about a young Tony Weaver Jr. who attempted suicide after being bullied by classmates for being a “weirdo,” but finds friends and a new path when he switches to a different school.
Rocket and Groot: Tales of Terror (Graphix, $8.99): Amanda Deibert is back for another all-ages Rocket and Groot tale, this time working with artist Leo Trinidad. In this volume, the duo find themselves trapped in the forest with a mysterious cloaked figure, and the only way they can leave is tell a really spooky story.
A Child in Palestine (Verso, $19.95): Palestinian cartoonist Naji al-Ali had a 30-year career drawing comics for newspapers in Cairo, Beirut, London, Paris and more that spotlighted the trials and suffering of his people. Now Verso collects many of those strips by the man considered to be one of the Arab world’s greatest cartoonist, along with an introduction by Palestine creator Joe Sacco
Disciples of the Soil (Avery Hill, $12.95): B. Mure writes and draws this fantasy graphic novel about a mystical land where building a new rail line might result in waking up the giant serpent deity that sleeps underground.
Deathslinger (Cosmic Lion, $20): Shane Berryhill and Ben Perkins tell the story of a cyborg who once helped her masters rule the galaxy, but now spends her time as a hired assassin on a backwoods moon.
Dear Dad (Graphix, $14.99): This graphic memoir details the life of Jay Jay Patton, with an assist from co-writer Kiara Valdez and art by Markia Jenai. Patton grew up with her father in prison, and her only contact with him was through letters. Now he’s coming home. The OGN details this new stage in their relationship and how they’d go on to create an app that connects incarcerated parents with their kids.
When to Pick a Pomegranate (Silver Sprocket, $14.99): Yasmeen Abedifard writes and draws this series of stories about a woman gardener and a pomegranate that grows in her garden.
Hex Vet: The River Guardian (BOOM! Studios, $10.99): Creator Sam Davies and cartoonist Lisa Moore return with more witchy misadventures for Nan and Clarion, the inspiration behind the Nickelodeon animated series of the same name. This volume features several water creatures, including ice swans and kelpies, going loopy, so the Hex Vets must work with their owner to figure out what’s wrong.
Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees TPB (IDW, $17.99): Patrick Horvath’s “cozy horror” story featuring a town populated by anthropomorphic characters beset on by serial killers proved to be one of 2023’s biggest successes in the comics world, and this week IDW collects the six-issue miniseries into one volume.
Micronauts Original Marvel Years Omnibus, Volume 2 (Marvel, $125): This second omnibus of Marvel’s original Micronauts series collects issues #30-54, which saw the introduction of Devil and Fireflyte, a visit with Nightcrawler, an appearance by Doctor Strange and more. Creators for this volume include Bill Mantlo, Butch Guice, Pat Broderick, Gil Kane and many others, plus a cover by Michael Golden.