Welcome to Can’t Wait for Wednesday, your guide to what’s coming to your local comic shop this week.
I’ve pulled out some of the 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 + Mad Cave + 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 check with your retailer to see what’s arriving at their shop this week.
Mind MGMT: New & Improved #1 (Oni Press, $5.99): Matt Kindt’s psychic espionage series returns with a new entry point set 10 years after the collapse of the Mind MGMT agency. Detectives Delphi and Swon investigate a series of impossible murders connected to former agents, but uncovering the truth may mean discovering that the agency never truly disappeared.
Ultimate Endgame #5 (Marvel, $4.99): It’s the end of the world as we know it, as the Ultimate Endgame miniseries reaches its conclusion. Our reimagined heroes face their final battle against The Maker, while everything they’ve fought to protect hangs in the balance. Deniz Camp, Terry Dodson and Jonas Scharf bring it all down in this oversized finale, which isn’t quite the final issue for the line …
Ultimate Universe: Finale #1 (Marvel, $7.99): If Ultimate Endgame #5 is the end, then this anthology one-shot sounds like the postlude. It brings together the creative teams from the line’s various titles, offering a look back at the universe’s major stories and characters. Written by Deniz Camp and Jonathan Hickman, with art by Alessandro Cappuccio and Stefano Caselli and a cover by Phil Noto, Ultimate Universe: Finale closes the chapter for one of Marvel’s biggest recent initiatives (and biggest successes).
Summer of Supergirl Special #1 (DC, $5.99): With her big movie debuting later this week, Supergirl takes the spotlight in this special that features stories from Sophie Campbell, Mark Waid, Gail Simone, Belen Ortega, Cian Tormey, Emma Kubert and more. This one includes a look at the other side of the encounter between Supergirl and the Main Man that kicked off in last week’s Lobo #4.
Universal Monsters: Blood of the Wolf Man #1 (Image Comics/Skybound, $4.99): Joshua Williamson and Leomacs unleash a new take on another one of horror’s biggest icons with the story of the Wolf Man. Adam Jaeger thought college would be a chance to start over, but after a deadly incident leaves him questioning his own actions, he must confront the terrifying possibility that the monster inside him is real.
X-Men: Outback #1 (Marvel, $4.99): Steve Orlando and Stephen Segovia revisit the X-Men’s time operating out of their Australian headquarters. After the world believed the X-Men were dead, Storm, Wolverine, Rogue, Colossus, Dazzler, Havok, Psylocke and Longshot continued their mission from the shadows while dealing with new threats and internal tensions.
Hellboy and the B.P.R.D.: The Monster of Nivola (Dark Horse Comics, $4.99): A report of a mysterious creature draws Hellboy to a deserted town in Sardinia, where an investigation into local folklore soon leads him to an isolated abbey hiding secrets of its own. As often happens in the world of Hellboy, the line between monster and victim proves more complicated than it first appears. Co-writers Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden team with artist Daniele Serra for this standalone one-shot, which serves as both a self-contained story and a showcase for Serra’s debut in the Hellboy Universe.
Blüdwire #1 (Mad Cave, $4.99): Paul Allor and Ermitis Blanco introduce a violent but heartfelt science fiction love story, where two former pleasure androids fight for the chance to build a life of their own. When Ace launches a dangerous rescue mission to save the woman she loves, the pair find themselves hunted by a corporate kill squad determined to reclaim their property.
Venom #259 (Marvel, $4.99): Al Ewing and Carlos Gomez introduce a new look for the Mary Jane Venom as the series explores the changing relationships between the characters tied to the symbiote. A figure from the symbiote’s past returns with a warning that could signal the end of the world, Mary Jane Watson finds herself protecting a major secret while trying to determine who she can trust and Dylan Brock makes a decision that could reshape the future of the Venom family.
Eye Collector #1 (Image Comics, $3.99): GMB Chomichuk writes and draws this surreal mystery about an ancient being whose interest in humanity is reignited after the Apollo 10 mission. When the creature turns its attention toward Earth, readers will discover that seeing may truly be believing.
Justice League Dream Girls: A DC Pride Event #4 (DC, $4.99): The latest DC Pride celebration reaches its finale in this issue by Jadzia Axelrod, Nicole Maines, Brandt&Stein, Rosi Kampe and others. As Dreamer faces a dangerous choice involving the Key’s sinister plans, Galaxy must step forward to save her friend and stop a threat to the Justice League.
X-Men: Elsewhen Vol. 1 (Abrams ComicArts, $39.99): Former Uncanny X-Men creator John Byrne decided several years ago that he was going to continue creating X-Men stories that followed his run with writer Chris Claremont on the book, reimagining their history from the end of the Dark Phoenix saga onward — and also changing the ending to that particular tale by having Jean Grey survive. This take could only be found on his website until now, as Abrams ComicArts publishes it as three hardcover volumes, starting with this one.
Fish and Water (Pantheon, $30): Eisner winner Gengoroh Tagame follows My Brother’s Husband and Our Colors with a romance set during the COVID pandemic. Akira, an office worker, and Koji, a freelance writer, become friends after meeting at a wedding, but their relationship begins to deepen as lockdowns and isolation push them closer together through a series of shared meals and increasingly meaningful conversations. Translated by Anne M. Ishii, Fish and Water explores loneliness, companionship, and the sometimes blurry line between friendship and love.
Minnie Pouches in the MicroRealm (IDW Publishing / Top Shelf Productions, $14.99): Caleb Goellner and Eric Lide send readers on a wild, multiversal adventure in this new graphic novel about a super-strong but super-anxious kid who discovers courage in the strangest places. When Minnie escapes into the MicroRealm using her parents’ high-tech fanny pack, she’ll have to face pizza dinosaurs, laser robots and other bizarre threats to rescue her missing pets and save her family.
Dogs on Dates (Drawn & Quarterly, $22): Luke Healy delivers this rom-com about two dogs, Bernie and Brad, whose meet-cute begins with a pair of unfortunate collisions. Filled with awkward dates, unexpected connections and plenty of charm, Healy’s latest explores love, identity and finding the right person (or canine) in the messiest ways possible.
Moebius Library: The Depressed Hunter (Dark Horse Books, $24.99): Dark Horse continues its English-language versions of Jean “Mœbius” Giraud’s work with this graphic novel prequel to The Major. Seeking a break from his troubles, Major Grubert heads to the Airtight Garage for a vacation, only to find himself caught in a surreal conspiracy involving an assassination plot targeting himself. The volume is translated by Diana Schutz, with lettering by Adam Pruett.
The Last Starfighter Movie Adaptation (Mad Cave, $17.99): The 1984 science fiction movie returns to comics with a new collection of the three-issue adaptation originally published by Marvel. Written by Bill Mantlo with art by Bret Blevins and Tony Salmons, this collection gives longtime fans and new readers a chance to revisit the story of Alex Rogan’s journey from arcade champion to intergalactic hero before the new Mad Cave series kicks off.
Zdarsky Comic News: Eighteen Months I Can’t Get Back (Zdarsky, $17.99): Chip Zdarsky collects all 18 issues of his comic magazine, which he offered for free to retailers to promote his work. Featuring interviews and comics-related chaos with creators like Scott Snyder, Gail Simone, Deniz Camp, James Tynion IV, Brian K. Vaughan, Tini Howard and Eve Ewing.