Major Releases
BATMAN #17
Written by Scott Snyder
Art by Greg Capullo and Jonathan Glapion
• This is it: The stunning conclusion to “DEATH OF THE FAMILY”!
• Who lives? Who dies? Who laughs last? Find out as Batman and The Joker face off one last time!
Why You Should Care: For once, the solicitation says it all. This is the end of Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, and Jonathan Glapion's Death in the Family arc. Considering how intense the whole thing has been, that's kind of a big deal. It also definitely helps that the whole thing has been pretty darned good up until this point. Worth mentioning that this is also the first issue of the arc that will not have a backup story drawn by Jock. Presumably that means the conclusion will take up all 30 pages of this comic, which bodes well for it being jam packed with excitement as it barrels towards the end.
SECRET AVENGERS #1
Written by Nick Spencer
Art by Luke Ross
“The Most Dangerous Secrets We Have... Are The Ones We Keep From Ourselves.” The new Nick Fury leads a covert Avengers strike team including but not limited to Hawkeye, Black Widow, The Hulk, The Winter Soldier, Maria Hill and Phil Coulson on missions so dangerous, even the team members themselves can’t know about them!
Why You Should Care: Marvel has been hyping the Secret Avengers launch for a good like while, and with Nick Spencer and Luke Ross on the title, it's clear that they mean business. Secret Avengers has often been a nice little corner of the Marvel Universe where you can go for stories that don't necessarily have to tie into anything larger than the issue itself, which I've always liked. Hopefully we'll get something similar here. Also: bonus points for Phil Coulson being one of the starring characters of this book. Coulson Lives.
STAR WARS #2
Written by Brian Wood
Art by Carlos D'Anda
A cagey young Imperial officer seems to anticipate the Rebels’ every move, so Princess Leia forms a “stealth squadron”—including Luke Skywalker—to expose a suspected spy within their ranks.
Meanwhile, Han Solo and Chewbacca run afoul of bounty hunter Boba Fett, and the Emperor sends Darth Vader on a secret mission!
Why You Should Care: The first issue of Brian Wood and Carlos D'Anda's Star Wars was all kinds of fun. This comic really has the feel of adventure and possibility that you remember from the original trilogy, which is an utter joy. Wood also writes one crazy badass Leia, who appears as if she'll be taking centre stage for the next little bit, with Luke and Wedge as the secondary characters. I'm quite eager to see more of this excellent title, and those Alex Ross covers certainly don't hurt.
UNCANNY X-MEN #1
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by Chris Bachalo
The true flagship book of the X-Men returns. In the wake of the Phoenix, the world has changed and is torn on exactly what Cyclops and his team of X-Men are – visionary revolutionaries or dangerous terrorists? Whatever the truth, Cyclops, Emma Frost, Magneto, and Magik are out in the world gathering up new mutants and redefining the name UNCANNY X-MEN.
Why You Should Care: If you were a big fan of Avengers vs. X-Men, then this book is probably right up your alley. Cyclops' heel turn has been one of the biggest changes of the past year, and it looks like Brian Michael Bendis will have plenty of opportunities to follow-up on that in the pages of Uncanny X-Men. It will be interesting to see what goes down here.
New Beginnings
GHOSTBUSTERS #1
Written by Erik Burnham
Art by Dan Schoening
The Ghostbusters are gone, spirited away by some dastardly demons from another dimension! But spectral shenanigans haven't ceased in the city that never sleeps, meaning a new group will need to step up and don the proton packs. Will the New Ghostbusters be able to rescue their predecessors, or will they share the same fate? The Ghostbusters creative super-team of Erik Burnham and Dan Schoening return to bust out more ectoplasmic excitement in this all-new Ghostbusters ongoing volume!
Why You Should Care: It's been a little while since I've read any of IDW's Ghostbuster books, but I always enjoyed how the property was handled by the company. I'd heard a bit here and there about this new series, and I'm actually kind of curious to see how a brand new team of 'Busters looking for our original four team members might play out. Sounds like a fun premise in my estimation. This title could very well bring me back into the Ghostbuster fold.
PLANET OF THE APES SPECIAL #1
Written by Daryl Gregory
Art by Diego Barreto
Daryl Gregory returns to the PLANET OF THE APES in this epic over-sized issue, featuring fan-favorite artist Diego Barreto (IRREDEEMABLE) throughout 32 pages of new story and art! It’s the return of what Jason Aaron (SCALPED, WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN) called: “The best PLANET OF THE APES comic ever. And one of my favorite comics of the year, period.” When the Lawgiver was assassinated by a human, Ape City fell into a vicious civil war. Ten years have passed since the horrific violence and a fragile peace is emerging. Voice Alaya has been deposed and awaits sentencing in Ape City’s prison. Meanwhile, Sully has begun to rally forces, both human and ape. Little do they know they’re both on a collision course towards an even greater danger…
Why You Should Care: I've really been digging Boom!'s Planet of the Apes adaptations, and if Daryl Gregory's handling of the property is as good as Jason Aaron claims, I could very well have another ape book to follow, which is kind of crazy when you consider that I haven't seen any of the movies (I know, I know). It's my understanding that this is picking up on Gregory's earlier run on the title, so we'll see if it can manage to be both approachable and interesting.
POWERS: BUREAU #1
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by Michael Avon Oeming
A new chapter of the Eisner Award-winning POWERS that sends Deena Pilgrim into the big leagues! Pilgrim is now a federal agent and dealing with the biggest powers cases in the entire country. But will this new life close the closet full of skeletons she carries with her? (Absolutely not!) And what does this mean for her old partner, Walker? This is a bold game-changer for the iconic crime superhero comic that started it all and an amazing jumping-on point for new readers!
Why You Should Care: I haven't actually read any of the earlier Powers' books, but I've heard nothing but good things. A superhero tale told from the perspective of the police, the series uses Brian Michael Bendis' love of crime fiction to weave tales that are character-heavy. It certainly sounds like something worth checking out, and with a brand new volume (after some significant delays), now would seemingly be an excellent time to do so.
You May Have Missed
CREEPY COMICS #11
Written by Gilbert Hernandez, Jaime S. Rich, J. Torres, Dan Braun & Peter Bagge
Art by Gilbert Hernandez, Peter Bagge, Joelle Jones & Amy Reeder
February is when dear Uncle Creepy’s fancy turns toward . . . scaring the bejeezus out of readers! Prepare to swoon at the bouquet of terror offered up by our team: Gilbert Hernandez (Love and Rockets) weaves a tale of love gone horribly wrong, Jamie S. Rich (It Girl and the Atomics) and Joëlle Jones (Hourse of Night) provide a peek at voyeuristic ghosts, and J. Torres (Jinx) and Amy Reeder (Batwoman) make you afraid to go into the water—or near your beloved! Plus, the Creepys find romance in Dan Braun and Peter Bagge’s latest Creepy Family strips!
• New romantic scares from Gilbert Hernandez and Peter Bagge!
• Just in time for Valentine’s Day!
Why You Should Care: With Young Romance being such a thorough bust, I'm still jonesing for a Valentine's Day themed comic book anthology, and it appears that Dark Horse has me covered with this week's issue of Creepy Comics being filled with romantic scares by plenty of talented creators (and a reasonable price!). I could be game for that.
CYBER FORCE #3
Written by Marc Silvestri and Matt Hawkins
Art by Khoi Pham and Sunny Gho
FREE
CYBER FORCE CONTINUES IN ITS GROUND-BREAKING RELAUNCH!
The massive corporation CDI continues to engineer technologically enhanced humans. Opposing CDI is a lone group of rebels. Will the public perceive the newly formed Cyber Force as resistance fighters battling for public good – or terrorists who must be stopped?
Not content in pushing the envelope just in terms of story and art, Top Cow will be the first major US comic publisher to launch one of their biggest properties with top tier creators concurrently for the traditional print market and exploding worldwide digital market for FREE. That’s right, thanks to the support of fans through Kickstarter and participating comic shops, you can get the first FIVE issues of CYBER FORCE at no cost.
Why You Should Care: Remember Top Cow's Cyber Force relaunch? Yeah, it has been a bit of a while. But while I'll probably have to dig out my back issues to remember what the heck is supposed to be going on, the fact remains that this comic is FREE. It will cost you zero dollars, and while it hasn't been setting the world on fire, it's hard to dispute the value. So hit your local comic book shop or online retailer and get yourself a copy.
DJANGO UNCHAINED #2
Written by Reggie Hudlin
Art by R.M. Guera
Based on the screenplay by Quentin Tarantino
• Oscar-winning writer/director Quentin Tarantino’s latest epic film script is adapted for comics!
• The blood-soaked tale of a bounty-hunting dentist and his partner, a recently freed slave, in the post-Civil War South!
• This is an adaptation of the full screenplay, including scenes that may not make it into the final theatrical cut!
Why You Should Care: There's been a bit of a delay between issues #1 and #2 of the Django comic book adaptation, but that shouldn't stop you from picking it up. The first issue was stunningly good, with brilliant art by R.M. Guera and some fine adapting by Reggie Hudlin. I'm excited of getting the chance to spend some more time with these characters and I remain intrigued as to how they'll fit everything from that movie into six comic books (and how it will differ in the process).
The Balance
BEDLAM #4
Written by Nick Spencer
Art by Riley Rossmo
"The Good Doctor."
Why You Should Care: Nick Spencer and Riley Rossmo's story about a lobotomized supervillain who may or may not have been cured of his homicidal ways has been nothing short of fascinating. Spencer is writing the heck out of this book, filling it with interesting and challenging ideas, while Rossmo has been showing why his star has risen so high of late. As good as Spencer's writing has been, Rossmo's art is a big sell for this series, as his unique style seems perfectly suited for the story they're telling. It's some disturbing stuff, but in a good way.
BPRD HELL ON EARTH #104: THE ABYSS TIME #2
Written by Mike Mignola and Scott Allie
Art by James Harren
Transported back to the Prehistoric times, a B.P.R.D. agent finds himself among a tribe of cavemen locked in battle with a group of monsters and the evil god they worship.
Why You Should Care: James Harren showed me the crazy thing she can do with fight scenes during his short stint on Conan the Barbarian, and it looks like he's going to get the chance to unleash that talent and energy on a much bigger fight between this tribe of cavemen and monsters. That already sounds like a pretty good selling point to me, and then you also have Mike Mignola and Scott Allie on writing duties, so you know there will be some interesting stuff going on. This feels like an important book for the BPRD going forward, so you should get on board to see what all the fuss is about.
BRAVEST WARRIORS #5
Written by Joey Comeau
Art by Mike Holmes
Backup Story by Ryan Pequin
FIRST ISSUE OF A NEW ARC! There’s a femme fatale causing trouble on a distant planet…and the Bravest Warriors have to go undercover to figure it out! Don’t miss out on the first Nick Edwards connecting cover for this arc, featuring each of the Bravest Warriors and a special incentive variant cover with art from series creator Pendleton Ward!
Why You Should Care: Joey Comeau and Mike Holmes' Bravest Warriors has been an odd creature. The first issue really blew me away, but I was kind of underwhelmed by the second and third ones. However, the finale to that story arc got me back on board, so I'm here for the start of the next story arc. Hopefully it can be a little more consistent this time around, but either way, I can look forward to Ryan Pequin's delightful backups, which have been solid throughout, if highly irreverent.
DEMON KNIGHTS #17
Written by Robert Venditti
Art by Bernard Chang
• How can things get worse for Jason Blood, the man bonded for eternity to the Demon Etrigan? Let’s start with decades of brutal torture…
• Vandal Savage is on the scene to rescue Blood, which may not be a good thing.
• And where is Madame Xanadu?
Why You Should Care: Robert Venditti's arrival on the title last month signaled a big change in direction, taking the narrative ahead 30 years later, but while it's still early, it seems like the change could very well be a welcomed one. While the cliffhanger was a big heavy-handed I must admit that I'm interested to see how everything will be resolved and whether or not the band will truly be getting back together again. And once they do or don't, there's still Amazonian vampires to fight, which should make for some solid comics. Looking forward to it.
PETER PANZERFAUST #9
Written by Kurtis J. Wiebe
Art by Tyler Jenkins
“PARIS” Part Four
Captured! Peter and the boys face the terror of Nazi interrogation and despite saving Felix, their adventures have come to an end. There is no way out and the indomitable Kapitan Haken will have his questions answered, one way or another.
Why You Should Care: I've falling behind a little on Peter Panzerfaust, but I've enjoyed every issue I've read. Hook's arrival on the scene might not spell good things for our heroes, but I have a feeling it will make for some excellent reading. Kurtis J. Wiebe and Tyler Jenkins have some real chemistry that has been throughout this series, and I'm certain that Peter Panzerfaust #9 will be yet another winner from these two creators.
THE END TIMES OF BRAM & BEN #2
Written by James Asmus and Jim Festante
Art by Rem Broo
Bram's wild and very public response to the Apocalypse brings a cult of followers to his door – and warring agents of the End Times! Ben, meanwhile, gets blue balls and a trip to Hell. Destruction! Betrayal!
Crotch-grabbing! And the violence kicks into high gear!
Why You Should Care: I had a lot of fun with the first issue of this lighthearted tale of the apocalypse. Written by two comedians, The End Times of Bram & Ben is one of the funniest comics I've read in recent memory. And while there's plenty of jokes and laughs in here, James Asmus and Jim Festante seem to serving up a pretty cool story to go alongside the whole thing.
Pick of the Week
As always, there are lots of solid looking books hitting stands this week, but I'm going to have to go with Batman #17 as my pick this time around. Snyder and company have been telling one heck of a Batman story since this arc started, and I'm mighty eager to see how they're intending on wrapping the whole thing up. Should be interesting, if nothing else.
What are you looking forward to this week? Any titles in particular tickling your fancy? Hit the comments to let us know!
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