Valiant Entertainment has released a new teaser from artist Felipe Massafera. “Icons” is a “new dawn for Valiant’s greatest heroes,” including X-O Manowar, Faith, Bloodshot, Shadowman, and Harbinger Wars 2.
“Icons” begins in 2017.
This is a column that focuses on something or some things from the comic book sphere of influence that may not get the credit and recognition it deserves. Whether that’s a list of comic book movies, ongoing comics, or a set of stories featuring a certain character. The columns may take the form of a bullet pointed list, or a slightly longer thinkpiece – there’s really no formula for this other than whether the things being covered are Underrated in some way. This week: the comic book publisher Valiant Entertainment
This week I wanted to draw your attention to a publisher that I feel is one of the most underrated publishers around right now, Valiant. Although you may (or may not – no judgment here) remember Valiant from when the publisher launched in 1992, but because this was never intended to be a History Of Valiant piece suffice it to say the Valiant of the nineties isn’t the same as the Valiant of today (if you want to read more about the different iterations of the publisher over the years, you can head to the Wikipedia page). The Valiant that’s publishing some of the best comics in the industry today started publishing comics in 2012, launching X-O Manowar in May to be followed by another three series over the coming months.
Although I remember hearing about Valiant from the British magazine Comic Heroes, my LCS didn’t really have that many Valiant comics in every month; I was able to pick up a couple issues of Eternal Warrior: Days Of Steel, but it wasn’t until I started writing for Graphic Policy in 2015 that I fell in love with Valiant.
Why, you might ask?
Well, dear reader, I shall tell you! I’m going to give you some easily digestible bullet points in a little bit, but before I do that I wanted to reiterate that I am unabashedly a big fan of anything Valiant have put out since they relaunched. While there are a few series I have left to read, I can honestly say that I haven’t read a bad Valiant comic yet. Sure, there are some that don’t measure up to the others, but even those haven been better than at least one or two of the other comics I read in any given week.
Before I discovered Valiant, I was primarily a Marvel fan who enjoyed his comics with a side of Batman, although I found myself gradually reducing my pull list to comics that weren’t from the Big Two as I began to lose interest in superhero comics for various reasons that weren’t entirely limited to the cyclical nature of Marvel’s big event that changes nothing, but sets up the next big event that also changes nothing but has multiple needless tie-ins that I didn’t care about… It was getting exhausting trying to keep up with every subsequent renumbering, crossover story or sales boosting initiative, and at the same time the quality of what I was reading had been steadily trending downward – a few comics aside – and I’d stopped reading them because I didn’t want to spend money on drivel.
By the time I joined Graphic Policy I had begun to drift toward standalone series from smaller publishers, but I was still missing the interconnected superhero titles that drew me into comics in the first place so many years ago. And then I was introduced to the most exciting superhero universe I had seen in a decade. I’ll admit to being hesitant to calling the Valiant characters superheroes, because very few of them are superheroes in the typical sense, but thanks to Valiant’s characters I found my faith in superheroes, and by extension comics, again.
Here come those bullet points I promised you.
2012 they may not have had continuous appearances since then).
Valiant Event stories tend to focus around a single miniseries (usually four issues) with four standalone tie-in single issues. Although there are some who would hesitate to call this format an event as the story doesn’t always cross into the ongoing comics that are being published month to month, I’m a big proponent of the format. It allows you to choose how many comics you want to pick up in relation to the event; whether that’s just the main four issue miniseries or if you’re going to go all in and get them all. Added to this, Valiant’s events have been received incredibly well critically over the last three years (the only one that struggled was 4001 A.D., and I think that had more to do with the fact it was a direct continuation of the story that had been building in Rai which resulted in having several pages of recap in the first issue of 4001 A.D.).
Something that a lot of websites don’t seem to mention as often as we should is that a lot of Valiant’s miniseries have a sturdier cover that makes the comic feel much sturdier – I’m guilty of this, as I typically read the review copies rather than the print copies from my LCS in order to have the reviews ready every Wednesday.
I could easily keep writing about Valiant’s comics and characters, and why you should be reading them, but this is already longer than I expected it to be, so I’m going to cut it short here. There’s a good chance we’ll revisit this in the near future, but until that happens, if you’re wondering where you should start, Humble Bundle has a wide selection of some of Valiant’s comics and trades available over the next ten or so days here if you’re so inclined to find out just why the publisher is Underrated.
If you brought a copy of Valiant‘s Faith #8 last week, and you’re a member of the Facebook group Valiant Comic Fans, then you may have been the lucky recipient of a free digital sketch by the man who drew the issue, Joe Eisma on Wednesday night.
Below you’ll find a selection of the sketches that Joe drew for fans; in the interests of full disclosure, the first image is one I had requested (and it may have taken Joe all of five minutes to do). This was an incredibly awesome thing for Joe to do, and it’s something that I wanted to share with you.
If you’d like to commission Joe for a sketch, then you can check out this link.
Below you’ll find a selection of the digital sketches Joe drew for fans of various Valiant characters – and Faith writer Jody Houser above left
Valiant has announced that April’s Faith #10 will begin the FIRST ISSUE of “The Faithless” – a sinister new jumping-on point introducing The Faithless, a terrorizing team of foes sworn to eliminate the one and only Faith “Zephyr” Herbert! On April 5th, join acclaimed writer Jody Houser and stratospheric artists Joe Eisma and Marguerite Sauvage as they send Valiant’s high-flying hero headlong into a deadly gauntlet of unstoppable adversaries hellbent on wreaking revenge and ruin!
The villains are coming! Faith’s most ruthless rogues – superhero actor-turned-real-life villain Chris Chriswell, high-tech burglar-for-hire Murder Mouse, the incubus-inhabited feline Dark Star, and undercover alien saboteur Sydney Pierce – have finally united, creating an unstoppable coalition of evil with one singular goal: Destroy Faith Herbert! Together, they are The Faithless…and if Los Angeles’ greatest hero doesn’t think fast and fly even faster, they’re going to ground the sky-soaring psiot for good!
Featuring covers by Kano, Jenn St-Onge, Elsa Charretier, and Rian Gonzales!
From Hollywood’s darkest shadows, an old enemy rises to extract revenge on Faith! A superhero’s work is never done…and, now, one of Faith’s former adversaries has returned for a fateful rematch that will put the life of Los Angeles’ greatest hero into a tailspin. And when this familiar assailant finally shows their true face, will the high flying psiot have the strength to put them down for good?
I’m not exaggerating when I say that Faith is one of the series that I’m always excited to read every month. Jody Houser is able to tell a compelling story that is easy to read for folks who, much like a friend of mine that I turned onto the series, really haven’t read any Valiant comics before. A large part of that are the shorter stories we’ve been seeing of late since the launch of the ongoing series (I was going to say the first arc, but then I remembered the first arc was only three issues) that give new readers an easily digestible gateway into the world of Valiant‘s high-flying hero, often with a different artist joining the team. Case in point is the two-part story that concludes this issue with art by the talented Joe Eisma.
We also have Marguerite Sauvage providing the fantasy sequences to the comic again, which lends an air of consistency across the different artists to have contributed to the series as we get to explore Faith’s daydreams, dreams or nightmares that occur a couple of times each issue.
Typically, the differing styles between Sauvage and the other artist allow a reader to easily differentiate between what’s actually happening and the fantasy sequences, but that’s not quite been the case over the last two issues; through no fault to his artistic ability, Eisma‘s work blends a little too well with Sauvage‘s sequences. You can still make out the difference between the two artists’ work, but just not as easily as with some of the earlier issues. If that sounds like a nitpick, then I’ll hold my hands up, because it absolutely is.
Although there are moments where the dialogue feels just right, Faith #8 isn’t the strongest of issues in the series. The plot has Faith dealing with her inner demons and doing a little ghost-busting, but the potential hinted at from the first part of this story is never quite realized. A shame, really, but when a comic has been as consistently excellent as Faith has been then the occasional stumble can be overlooked once in a while.
Now, despite me having just spent the better part of the review picking holes in the comic, if you’re already reading the series then you’ll want to read this issue because it does lay some groundwork for the future, and despite my hang-ups it’s not as bad as I’ve probably made it sound – I don’t regret buying the issue at all.
Here’s hoping we’re back on track with the next issue.
Story: Jody Houser Art: Joe Eisma Colourist: Andrew Dalhouse
Fantasy Sequence: Marguerite Sauvage
Story: 7.0 Art: 8.75 Overall: 7.75 Recommendation: Read
Wednesdays are new comic book day! Each week hundreds of comics are released, and that can be pretty daunting to go over and choose what to buy. That’s where we come in!
We’re bringing back something we haven’t done for a while, what the team thinks. Our contributors are choosing up to five books each week and why they’re choosing the books.
Find out what folks think below, and what comics you should be looking out for this Wednesday.
Joe
Top Pick: Old Man Logan #17 (Marvel) – I am sad that Lemire is leaving the book after issue #24, but what a run he has had. Along with Sorrentino (who sadly hasn’t been doing the interiors on every issue lately), these creators have taken Logan through the ringer. Now we get an Aliens-like feel where Logan is in space against the Brood. I loved the last issue and cannot wait!
Batman #16 (DC Comics) – Tom King’s slow burn continues with the beginning of the “I Am Bane” arc. It looks like the muscle-bound villain is back on venom and bringing menace to Gotham once again as he seeks revenge on the dark knight. How far will Bane go? And who will he hurt that Batman loves? Hopefully, there will be no more broken backs this time around.
Blood Blister #1 (Aftershock) – This series is intriguing and Aftershock has been hitting it out of the park lately with Animosity, and more. I am excited to see what this series is really about and where it goes.
Moon Knight #11 (Marvel) – Another sad moment for me as Lemire announced the book will end at #14. You can see I’m a big Lemire fan, and along with Old Man Logan, this is another favorite of mine. Much like OML, he is really giving one hell of a run on this book and I want to see what happens or what is really going on with Marc Spector.
Star Wars: Darth Maul #1 (Marvel) – So far the Star Wars miniseries have been really good. From Leia to Lando to Chewbacca and Han Solo. I have enjoyed them all. Now we get a miniseries with a badass character who didn’t get enough screen time.
Alex
Top Pick: A&A: The Adventures Of Archer And Armstrong #12 (Valiant) – And so another unsung and underrated comic series comes to a close. I’ve heard some people say they preferred Fred Van Lente’s Archer & Armstrong to Rafer Roberts much lengthier titled run, but I honestly couldn’t pick a favorite; they’re different beasts, and my collection is all the stronger for having them both in it. That said, this is a very bittersweet issue for me as I really don’t want to see the series end. C’est la vie, though, I suppose.
Aquaman #16 (DC Comics) – If you’d have told me a year ago that I’d become such a fan of Aquaman – bloody fish talking, almost useless bloody Aquaman – then I’d have laughed until I was blue in the face. Imagine my surprise when the series turned out to be one of the best ongoings (and certainly the best bi-weekly series) DC are putting out post-Rebirth.
Faith #8 (Valiant) – Quite possibly one of the most entertaining series being published right now. You need to be reading this.
Midnighter and Apollo #5 (DC Comics) – I came to this series entirely because of Graphic Policy’s Rebirth Review feature, and it’s discovering comics such as this that’s one of the reasons I’m happy to read past some of the other… less than enjoyable comics. This is a brutally entertaining story about a man who’d walk through hell for the man he loves. There’s not enough comics like this.
Old Man Logan #17 (Marvel) – The old man is in space, and there’s a distinctly Alien feel to the story so far. I’m loving what Jeff Lemire is doing here. Absolutely loving it.
Paul
Top Pick: Champions #5 (Marvel) – This as been a fun book from the start, and I am really enjoying it. This book lets superheroes be superheroes. It’s nice to see the optimism and determination of these kids, and it really comes through in the colors of the art and the dialogue between them. These kids are going to change the world, and they believe they can.
All-New X-Men #18 (Marvel) – Inhumans vs. X-Men has been a great event and has delivered in the main issues, but these tie-ins have really been weaving into the story so well (something not often seen with tie-ins). This issue says that young Cyclops will learn the truth about the adult Cyclops’ mission to take down the Inhumans, and I don’t think young Scott is going to take it very well.
Brett
Top Pick: Hawkeye #3 (Marvel) – The first two issues were fantastic and this new series is a perfect successor to the Matt Fraction/David Aja run. This issue packs in so much, amazing writing, amazing art. Just beyond entertaining and a must get (plus the first two issues if you haven’t).
Baltimore: The Red Kingdom #1 (Dark Horse) – What if evil won? Sound familiar?
The Flintstones #8 (DC Comics) – The women are away so Fred and Barney have to take care of the kids. This comic has been amazing as to how much it takes on real world issues and this release does that in volumes. One of the most subversive and politically astute comics on the market.
The Unstoppable Wasp #2 (Marvel) – The first issue was absolutely fantastic with a fun story and a feminist message that was in your face. I expect more of that with this second issue and so much more awesomeness. This comic was fun with a positive message. More please!
The Walking Dead #163 (Image Comics/Skybound) – This is it… the 25 cents issue! I’m fascinated by this to see what is in store for a comic that’s sure to fly off of shelves for the price alone. This is a big opportunity and I’m fascinated to see what is done with it.
Wednesdays are new comic book day! Each week hundreds of comics are released, and that can be pretty daunting to go over and choose what to buy. That’s where we come in!
We’re bringing back something we haven’t done for a while, what the team thinks. Our contributors are choosing up to five books each week and why they’re choosing the books.
Find out what folks think below, and what comics you should be looking out for this Wednesday.
Alex
Top Pick: A&A: The Adventures Of Archer And Armstrong #11 (Valiant) – The penultimate issue of a series that frequently had me laughing, I’m lookng forward to seeing how Rafer Roberts starts to wrap this crazy sixteen issue run up.
Deadpool The Duck #1 (Marvel) – I’m honestly expecting this to be a so-bad-it’s-awesome comic.
Faith #7 (Valiant) – Jody Houser has been consistently fantastic on this comic, and the revolving cast or artists have also been pretty damn awesome, too. This issue sees both the start of a new story and a new artist joining Houser and Marguerte Sauvage, Joe Eisma. I’m always excited to read this comic.
Old Man Logan #16 (Marvel) – I’ve been a fan of Wolverine since before I was a fan of comics, and this is one of the few Marvel comics I rush to get every Wednesday. Lately it hasn’t quite been as good as I want it to be… but this is a new year, and a new arc.
The Unworthy Thor #3 (Marvel) – Jason Aaron writes a redemption story for the Odinson, after he lost his hammer at the end of Original Sin, and I’m looking forward to seeing where he takes it – it already looks like Odinson won’t get his old hammer back (what with that being in the hands of Jane Foster), which was my main concern for this arc.
Shay
Top Pick: Wynonna Earp Legends: Doc Holiday #2 (IDW Publishing) – Doc’s enemies are coming out of the woodwork leaving Doc and Wynonna in one hell of a fight with Doc’s past.
Harley Quinn #11 (DC Comics) – The latest arc ( Joker Loves Harley) starts in this issue. All those little reminders that have been popping up in the last 10 issues are leading Harley into an elaborate plot courtesy of Mr. J. I see a love triangle brewing because I don’t see Red Tool giving up without a fight.
Big Trouble in Little China/Escape From New York #4 (BOOM! Studios) – Snake and Jack go undercover in David Lo Pan’s army.
Justice League vs Suicide Squad #3 (DC Comics) – Amanda drops a truth bomb and the battle rages on. I’m not sure who to root for but, I’m looking forward to seeing it all play out.
Old Man Logan #16 ( Marvel) – This rescue mission went all kinds of wrong and Logan finds himself back in the Wasteland.
DC Comics Bombshells #21 (DC Comics) – A glimpse into Cheetah’s past while the rest of the ladies search for more mechanical gods.
Joe
Top Pick: Blood Blister #1 (Aftershock) – A new series from Aftershock. That sentence has translated into some of my favorite comics of 2016 with Animosity, Shipwreck and more. Here’s hoping for another hit!
Batman #14 (DC Comics) – More Cat and Bat before we get to “I Am Bane”. I cannot wait to see what King has in store for their back and forth “relationship”, and the messes it will get them in.
Superman #14 (DC Comics) – It looks like we are finally going to be getting some answers soon with Mr. Oz, the other Clark in Action Comics and what everything from Rebirth means. This issue looks like it could be fun, and could start the ball rolling toward more answers.
The Unworthy Thor #3 (Marvel) – So far, so good for the limited series featuring Odinson trying to get his groove back. I am keeping an eye on this and see what will happen and what it will mean for Jane.
The Wicked + The Divine #25 (Image) – After another cliffhanger issue, I can’t wait to see if what I think happened, just happened. Such a great series.
Brett
Top Pick: The Unstoppable Wasp #1 (Marvel) – I’ve read the first issue and it’s just tons of fun. From the writing to the art, it’s hard to read this debut and not have a smile on your face. But, the comic not just is entertaining it also promotes kick-ass women in science with a cool feature in the letters page. It’s a great comic to kick off 2017.
The Fall and Rise of Captain Atom #1 (DC Comics) – I’ve dug what DC has done in recent years with the character and I was intrigued to see what this limited series would bring. Having read the first issue, it’s solid.
The Flintstones #7 (DC Comics) – Some of the best social commentary out there.
Justice League of America: The Atom #1 (DC Comics) – I know nothing about the new Atom and since he’s a member of the new Justice League of America I’m looking forward to diving into this issue to get caught up.
Transformers: Optimus Prime #2 (IDW Publishing) – I love me some Transformers and watching not just the action but the politics that play out in this series focused on Optimus’ annexation of Earth has me even more excited.
Now that 2016 is in the history books (thank the fucking gods), it’s time to have a look back at some of the comics and events that really stood out for me, personally. These comics were all released this year, and in the case of a limited series if had at least two issues released this year (if a mini-series began late this year, then expect to find it on next year’s list – if it’s any good). Remember that this is all based on what I’ve read, and if your favourite comic isn’t here, it may be because I may not have read it, not because I didn’t like it.
First up there’ll be your standard Best Of categories of Ongoing Series, Mini/One Shot, Single Issue, Writer, Artist, and Colourist, then we’ll move on to a few other things I wanted to talk about.
Last year I had a hell of a time with this one, so thankfully this year was much easier. Although I could have made a case for almost any of the comics listed below (and, like last year I’m still wishing I had decided on a “top five” for this category without an overall winner), at the end of the day there really was only one comic that would end up here.
Wrath Of The Eternal Warrior (Valiant) – The final issue came out in December, so technically this isn’t an ongoing anymore, and while I’ll miss the shit out of it in 2017, it sits in the top spot for 2016 (because it was an ongoing in 2016). This was THE book of the year for me without question; although the first issue felt a lot slower than I expected, this quickly morphed into the one series I couldn’t wait to read. Robert Venditti has crafted fourteen of the most exciting, and compelling, issues about Valiant‘s immortal soldier I have ever read as he finds a way to have Gilad deal with death – and failure – in a way I haven’t seen anywhere before.
Venditti also built this series in layers as he dropped lines of dialogue and exposition in one comic that you’d be forgiven for missing, but once the inevitable pay off happened it was something special. For an action comic, Wrath Of The Eternal Warrior made you think quite a bit, and I loved every fucking moment (even the first issue after a reread six months later).
Honourable Mentions:
Voracious (Action Lab) I could tell you so many reasons why you should read this emotional tale about a time traveling chef who hunts dinosaurs, whether it’s Markisan Naso’s fantastic dialogue (and his recipes) or the wonderful artwork by Jason Muhr and colourist Andrei Tabacaru. I could tell you that comics like this are the reason you should pay attention to indie comics publishers, because if you don’t you’ll be missing out on some of the best stories the year. But I won’t; instead I’ll tell you tell you all the reasons why you shouldn’t read this:
Honourable Mentions:
There’s no honourable mentions because there was nothing remotely close to Faith #3: (Valiant) for me this year. That’s #3 from the Hollywood And Vine miniseries, not the currently ongoing series
There was never a question of this comic not being the best single issue of 2016, and its almost entirely down to the scene where Faith literally bursts from a closet. Everything about that sequence, from her internal monologue to the character’s reactions were just perfect. I still think about that moment nearly a year later, and it still sends chills down my spine.
Robert Venditti (Flash, Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps, Wrath Of The Eternal Warrior, X-O Manowar)
I didn’t read a bad comic written by this man all year. Obviously, some were better than others, and I didn’t read everything that Venditti put out, but what I did read was always fantastic – and you’ve probably already noticed my love for Venditti earlier on this list.
Meghan Hetrick (Red Thorn, Faith)
In a year with some truly amazing artists putting out some beautiful work, from Juan Jose Ryp, Doug Braithwaite and Robert Gill for Valiant, to David Finch, Rafa Sandoval and Patrick Gleason for DC, it was relative newcomer Meghan Hetrick who made my jaw drop with every issue and cover that she drew. Her work on Faith is what sealed her in as my top artist of the year, although her cover to the 4001 A.D. Shadowman tie in is also superb, not to mention Red Thorn. There are few artists whose work I’ll buy regardless of the writer, but Meghan Hetrick is one.
Jordie Bellaire (Pretty Much Everything)
If you read more than one comic a month this year then you have probably read a comic with Jordie Bellaire’s work. She is one of the most prolific colourists around, and yet her versatility shines with each and every comic. When Jordie Bellaire’s name is on a comic, then you know it’s going to look awesome – regardless of who drew it.
Red Thorn (Vertigo)
Every year comics are canceled prematurely, but Red Thorn The series was great, but sadly the sales figures just weren’t there. Treat yourself when you have a chance and go check this out. You’ll find a wonderfully illustrated tale steeped in Scottish mythology quite unlike almost anything you’ll read this year.
The Vision (Marvel)
I have heard nothing but great things about the twelve or so issues of Vision, and yet for some reason, I haven’t picked it up even though I’ve heard it said that this is Tom King’s finest work from 2016. but it was never on my radar because of the characters and setting involved. Maybe I’ll check out the trades at some point.
I) Ben Affleck Was A Fantastic Batman
I hoped going into the movie that Affleck would be decent, and I suspected he would be, but I never expected him to turn in a performance that went right into my top three Batman performances – that took me completely by surprise. The theatrical cut of Batman v Superman wasn’t quite as good as Affleck’s Batman, but because of his acting (and Gal Gadot) I left the theater feeling I’d got my money’s worth.
II) Marvel Actually Finished Civil War II
After the amount of delays this series suffered, I wouldn’t have been surprised had Marvel just quietly shuffled the final issue or two off their publishing schedule. When the next event (and it’s prequel) Inhumans Vs X-Men unintentionally start before your Big Summer Event is over, you have to ask yourself whether anybody still cares about said summer even .
III) DC Rebirth Wasn’t A Stonking Pile Of Manure
I honestly had no faith the DC’s latest reboot would be anything other than a quick cash grab with at best mediocre titles. Thankfully, i was very wrong. While there were some average titles, good comics that weren’t for me and the occasional miss, for the most part I’ve enjoyed every comic under the “Rebirth” banner (and I’ve read them all for Graphic Policy’s Rebirth Review feature). In fact, the standouts for me came from characters I previously had no time for; Aquaman, Superman, Wonder Woman and the Green Lantern Corp
I) Bill Finger’s Byline
This was the single greatest thing to happen in the comics industry this year in my eyes; Bill Finger was finally acknowledged officially as having something to do with Batman’s creation, thanks in no small part to the efforts of Marc Tyler Nobleman.
Regardless of my thoughts on the movie, seeing Bill Finger’s name here was fantastic.
II) Interviewing Marc Tyler Nobleman
I don’t know what I expected when I reached out to the man who inspired me to write about comics, but talking to him about Bill Finger was an absolute joy.
III) Having My Reviews Quoted On Comics
This year was the first time I saw one of my reviews quoted on the cover of a comic, and it was a moment that I won’t forget anytime soon (the comic was Red Thorn #3 if you wondered). Since then I’ve seen my reviews quoted on several Valiant comics, as well. It makes me grin every time.
Well there we have it; a look back at some of the best comics that I read over the year. Agree, or disagree? Let me know!
FAITH #7
Written by JODY HOUSER
Art by JOE EISMA and MARGUERITE SAUVAGE
Cover A by KANO (NOV161951)
Cover B by DAVID LAFUENTE (NOV161952)
Cover C by PHILIP TAN (NOV161953)
Variant Cover by JEN BARTEL (NOV161954)
Variant Cover by GEOFF SHAW (NOV161955)
$3.99 | 32 pgs. | T+ | On Sale JANUARY 4 (FOC – 12/12/16)
Haunted heroics!
Faith Herbert has lost many allies throughout her life… Her mother. Her father. Even a fellow Renegade. Despite this, Los Angeles’ high-flying hero has always defined herself by more than tragedy. But what happens when Faith must literally confront the ghosts of her past? A mysterious force is wrenching the passed spirits of Faith’s most loved ones back from beyond the grave…and into our world to break her mind and spirit! Can Faith overcome her greatest fear…or will these ghosts soon make her one of their own?
Jump on board the best-selling independent superhero series of 2016 right here as rising star Jody Houser (Mother Panic) and acclaimed artists Joe Eisma (Archie) and Marguerite Sauvage (DC Comics Bombshells) push Faith into the crosshairs of a frightful new foe!
Wednesdays are new comic book day! Each week hundreds of comics are released, and that can be pretty daunting to go over and choose what to buy. That’s where we come in!
We’re bringing back something we haven’t done for a while, what the team thinks. Our contributors are choosing up to five books each week and why they’re choosing the books.
Find out what folks think below, and what comics you should be looking out for this Wednesday.
Logan
Top Pick: The Wicked + The Divine #24 (Image Comics) – Last month’s experimentalism was pretty fun and it was nice to finally see Kevin Wada do some interiors, but it will be nice to see Jamie McKelvie’s take on the brave new world for the Pantheon now that Ananke is out of the way.Motor Crush #1 (Image)- The creative team of the always fun and adorable Batgirl reunites on a creator owned title. It will be exciting to see Brenden Fletcher, Cameron Stewart, and Babs Tarr with full creative freedom in this new Image release. Plus biker gangs are cool.
Motor Crush #1 (Image Comics) – The creative team of the always fun and adorable Batgirl reunites on a creator owned title. It will be exciting to see Brenden Fletcher, Cameron Stewart, and Babs Tarr with full creative freedom in this new Image release. Plus biker gangs are cool.
Deadman: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love #2 (DC Comics) – I can’t wait to be drawn into the wonderful Gothic world and web of relationships in Deadman #2. Plus queer love triangles are all too rare in mainstream comics.
Midnighter and Apollo #3 (DC Comics) – Midnighter fighting demons to save Apollo is the kind of romance-driven ultraviolence that I’ve come to expect from Steve Orlando’s work on the character. I’ve really been enjoying Fernando Blanco’s panel layouts too.
Conan Omnibus Vol. 1 (Dark Horse) – One of my favorite writers (Kurt Busiek) on one of fantasy fiction’s most iconic characters. I wasn’t reading comics when his original run came out, but can’t pass up this 472 page feast of blood, guts, swords, and sorcery.
Alex
Top Pick: Voracious: Feeding Time #1 (Action Lab: Danger Zone) – I’ve already read the Kickstarter reward pdf, but this week marks the first chance those who didn’t back the project get to read the comic, and I’m excited for you. The entire series has been phenomenal up until this point, and I can’t wait for you to read this comic.
Faith #6 (Valiant) – This is one of the most entertaining comics from any publisher right now, and on any other week this would be the comic that’s on top my list to read first, but this is also the week that the second Voracious miniseries begins. That being said, I fucking love Faith.
Ninjak #22 (Valiant) – A standalone story is something we’re seeing less and less in comics these days, so that’s one reason I’m looking forward to this issue of Ninjak. The other is that this will likely be the calm before the storm, and I’m curious to see what Matt Kindt has in store for us here.
Superman #12 (DC Comics) – Superman versus Frankenstein? Hell yeah!
The Unworthy Thor #2 (Marvel) – I must admit, I do enjoy a good redemption story, and the first issue was great. My only reservation on the series as a whole is that I hope Odinson doesn’t get his old hammer back.
Joe
Moon Knight #9 (Marvel) – Wow this comic is crazy. Literally. What is going on with Marc? I mean Jake? I mean… you get the idea. With each comic this series gets more and more confusing, but I am a big Lemire fan and trust his storytelling. This book is at its best when you’re not questioning it. Sit back and enjoy the trippy Egyptian ride.
The Unworthy Thor #2 (Marvel) – Odinson and Beta Ray Bill space road trip! When we last saw these two in the first issue, Odinson is given Bill’s hammer and told there is another Mjölnir out there. Also, where the heck is Asgard?!
The Wicked + The Divine #24 (Image Comics) – While I think the magazine of Pantheon was a cool idea, I am glad we will get back to the fantastic story. I feel like it has been forever since we got a regular issue and it has been too long considering what happened!
Midnighter and Apollo #3 (DC Comics) – This is a great series. Basically you get a version of Batman and Superman with the twist that they are together romantically. Their relationship is not cliche, and is believable and I love these characters. The only downside is for now this is only a miniseries that runs six issues.
Batman #12 (DC Comics) – The twist with Catwoman in the last issue has me excited to see where the fourth part of “I Am Suicide” goes. Unless he is toying with them, Batman may have just been outsmarted, at least for a moment. I love this version of Catwoman so far.
Brett
Top Pick: Motor Crush #1 (Image Comics) – The creative team of Brenden Fletcher, Cameron Stewart, and Babs Tarr alone is reason enough to get this comic. Seriously that’s all I need to see and I’m in to check out the series.
Atoll #1 (Creative Mind Energy) – This comic has had some issues with publishers and I’ve been waiting for it to finally hit shelves and folks to check it out. It feels right at home with torture porn horror in many ways, but unlike those types of films this story had me sucked in wanting to see what happens next. Writer Tim Daniel and artist Ricardo Drumond nail it with this first issue and I can’t wait to read the next.
Invisible Republic #13 (Image Comics) – The series followed a journalist seeking the truth about an uprising and this second story arc is more about the fallout concerning all of that as we get a better look at Earth and its relationship with the rest of humanity’s reach. In today’s political climate this sereis feels more relevant than ever.
Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #1 (Marvel) – The break out character is getting her own series!
Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye: Revolution #1 (IDW Publishing) – Revolution is winding down and we’re getting a better sense of how it all fits together.
