Babyteeth #18 is the calm before battle as our team takes a moment to reflect, relax, and assess where things stand.
Story: Donny Cates Art: Garry Brown Color: Mark Englert Letterer: Taylor Esposito
Get your copy in comic shops! To find a comic shop near you, visit http://www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook or digitally and online with the links below.
AfterShock Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, we’ll receive a percentage of the sale. Graphic Policy does purchase items from this site. Making purchases through these links helps support the site
AfterShock Media has announced that Jim Mickle will direct the film adaptation of Donny Cates‘ comic series God Country. Cates adapted the screenplay for the film. Lee Kramer and Jon Kramer from AfterShock Media will produce along with Jim Mickle and Linda Moran.
God Country was originally published in 2017 by Image Comics to critical acclaim. The first issue immediately sold out and had to be reprinted four times before being collected in trade paperback.
In God Country, Emmett Quinlan is an elderly widower rattled by dementia. Emmett isn’t just a problem for his children–his violent outbursts are more than the local cops can handle. When a tornado levels his home–as well as the surrounding West Texas town–a restored Quinlan rises from the wreckage. An enchanted sword at the eye of the storm gives him not just a sound mind and body, but phenomenal power. He’s now the only man who can face the otherworldly creatures the sword has drawn down to the Lone Star State in a film that will bring a Western aesthetic to the superhero genre.
Writer: Donny Cates Artist: Garry Brown Colorist: Mark Englert Letterer: Taylor Esposito Cover: Garry Brown and Mark Englert $3.99 / 32 pages / Full Color / ON SALE 07.07.21
The penultimate issue!
The only thing Sadie has left is family. So, what happens when Heather heads out into the apocalypse to get revenge alone? Time is running out for the Ritter clan.
The comic book event of the summer is almost here and Image and Skybound revealed rare new variant covers to all five issues of Skybound X. The weekly series features the first appearances of Clementine (the star of the bestselling video game series TELLTALE’S THE WALKING DEAD), Everyday Hero Machine Boy and Sea Serpent’s Heir along with the return of fan-favorite “Rick Grimes 2000”! Join the most-superstar-packed lineup in comics as Robert Kirkman, Ryan Ottley, Tillie Walden, Donny Cates, Joshua Williamson, Chip Zdarsky, James Harren, and Daniel Warren Johnson celebrate the past, present, and future of the Skybound beginning Wednesday, July 7.
The newly revealed incentive variant covers feature stunning black and white versions of the previously announced covers to Skybound X, with extra rare versions of the main cover art featuring “Rick Grimes 2000” and the most shocking vision of The Walking Dead you’ve ever seen!
Skybound X #1 will be available at comic book shops and digital platforms including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, comiXology, and Google Play on Wednesday, July 7 with subsequent issues releasing weekly.
On-Sale Wednesday, July 7, 2021:
Skybound X #1 Cover A by Ryan Ottley (Diamond Code MAY210037)
Skybound X #1 Cover B by James Harren (Diamond Code MAY210038)
Skybound X #1 Cover C by Tillie Walden (Diamond Code MAY210039)
Skybound X #1 Cover D by Charlie Adlard (Diamond Code MAY210040)
Skybound X #1 Cover E Blank Sketch Cover (Diamond Code MAY210041)
Skybound X #1 Cover F 1:10 Incentive Cover by James Harren (Diamond Code APR219065)
Skybound X #1 Cover G 1:10 Incentive Cover by Tillie Walden (Diamond Code APR219066)
Skybound X #1 Cover H 1:10 Incentive Cover by Charlie Adlard (Diamond Code APR219067)
Skybound X #1 Cover I 1:25 Incentive Cover by Ryan Ottley (Diamond Code APR219068)
On-Sale Wednesday, July 14, 2021:
Skybound X #2 Cover A by Cliff Rathburn (Diamond Code MAY210042)
Skybound X #2 Cover B by Andrei Bressan (Diamond Code MAY210043)
Skybound X #2 Cover C by Tri Vuong & Irma Kniivila (Diamond Code MAY210044)
Skybound X #2 Cover D 1:10 Incentive Cover by Andrei Bressan (Diamond Code APR219069)
Skybound X #2 Cover E 1:10 Incentive Cover by Tri Vuong & Irma Kniivila (Diamond Code APR219070)
Skybound X #2 Cover F 1:25 Incentive Cover by Cliff Rathburn (Diamond Code APR219071)
On-Sale Wednesday, July 21, 2021:
Skybound X #3 Cover A by Arthur Adams (Diamond Code MAY210045)
Skybound X #3 Cover B by Cory Walker (Diamond Code MAY210046)
Skybound X #3 Cover C by Erica Henderson (Diamond Code MAY210047)
Skybound X #3 Cover D by Daniel Warren Johnson (Diamond Code MAY210048)
Skybound X #3 Cover E 1:10 Incentive Cover by Cory Walker (Diamond Code APR219072)
Skybound X #3 Cover F 1:10 Incentive Cover by Erica Henderson (Diamond Code APR219073)
Skybound X #3 Cover G 1:10 Incentive Cover by Daniel Warren Johnson (Diamond Code APR219074)
Skybound X #3 Cover H 1:25 Incentive Cover by Arthur Adams (Diamond Code APR219075)
On-Sale Wednesday, July 28, 2021:
Skybound X #4 Cover A by Charlie Adlard (Diamond Code MAY210049)
Skybound X #4 Cover B by Khary Randolph (Diamond Code MAY210050)
Skybound X #4 Cover C by Pablo Tunica (Diamond Code MAY210051)
Skybound X #4 Cover D 1:10 Incentive Cover by Khary Randolph (Diamond Code APR219076)
Skybound X #4 Cover E 1:10 Incentive Cover by Pablo Tunica (Diamond Code APR219077)
Skybound X #4 Cover F 1:25 Incentive Cover by Charlie Adlard (Diamond Code APR219078)
On-Sale Wednesday, August 4, 2021:
Skybound X #5 Cover A by David Finch (Diamond Code MAY210052)
Skybound X #5 Cover B by Chris Schweizer (Diamond Code MAY210053)
Skybound X #5 Cover C by Jason Howard (Diamond Code MAY210054)
Skybound X #5 Cover D 1:10 Incentive Cover by Chris Schweizer (Diamond Code APR219079)
Skybound X #5 Cover E 1:10 Incentive Cover by Jason Howard (Diamond Code APR219080)
Skybound X #5 Cover F 1:25 Incentive Cover by David Finch (Diamond Code APR219081)
Al Ewing’s groundbreaking Immortal Hulk saga will reach its climactic conclusion later this year, but the strongest there is won’t stay down for long… This November, the Hulk will return in an all-new ongoing series by acclaimed writer Donny Cates, known for his revolutionary work on Venom and Thor, and superstar artist Ryan Ottley of Amazing Spider-Man and Invincible!
This unstoppable team of some of the industry’s greatest talent will helm a bold new era of Hulk that begins when Bruce Banner discovers a radical way to control the monster within. Could this mark the final end of the green goliath? Or will the extreme solution create something new – with massive consequences? Prepare to dive deep into the very core of Hulk’s rage in this thrilling epic that will explore this iconic character’s incredible—and destructive—legacy in a way no one has dared to before.
Fans can get their first glimpse at what’s in store in this year’s Free Comic Book Day title, Free Comic Book Day 2021: Avengers/Hulk, available at participating comics shops on August 14th.
Hulk #1 comes to shelves in November featuring color by Frank Martin.
On Friday at Skybound Xpo, Image Comics and Skybound teased an early look at the first comic book appearance of Clementine (the star of the bestselling video game series Telltale’s The Walking Dead) and revealed jaw-dropping cover art from the hotly anticipated Skybound X weekly comic book event. Superstars including Robert Kirkman, Ryan Ottley, Tillie Walden, Donny Cates, Joshua Williamson, Chip Zdarsky, James Harren, and Daniel Warren Johnson will contribute stories to this five-issue limited series launching on Wednesday, July 7.
These freshly unveiled covers include the main cover toSkybound X #2 spotlighting “Rick Grimes 2000” by Cliff Rathburn; the main cover to Skybound X #4 by Charlie Adlard featuring the Rick Grimes vs Negan battle you never expected; and the Skybound X #5variant by Chris Schweizer bringing fans a behind-the-scenes look at The Six Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton!
If you want to know what to expect in Skybound’s next ten years, it all starts here with a celebration of the past, present… and the FUTURE! Each issue features a chapter of “Rick Grimes 2000,” the unforgettable story originally introduced in The Walking Dead #75, that reunites the Invincible team of Kirkman and Ottley! Plus, the first appearances of Everyday Hero Machine Boy, Sea Serpent’s Heir and more in this celebration of hit series like Excellence, Manifest Destiny, Ultramega, Assassin Nation, and more!
Skybound X #1 will be available at comic book shops and digital platforms including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, comiXology, and Google Play on Wednesday, July 7, with subsequent issues releasing weekly:
Skybound X #1 Cover A by Ryan Ottley (Diamond Code MAY210037)
Skybound X #1 Cover B by James Harren (Diamond Code MAY210038)
Skybound X #1 Cover C by Tillie Walden (Diamond Code MAY210039)
Skybound X #1 Cover D by Charlie Adlard (Diamond Code MAY210040)
Skybound X #1 Cover E Blank Sketch Cover (Diamond Code MAY210041)
Skybound X #2 Cover A by Cliff Rathburn (Diamond Code MAY210042)
Skybound X #2 Cover B by Andrei Bressan (Diamond Code MAY210043)
Skybound X #2 Cover C by Vuong & Kniivila (Diamond Code MAY210044)
Skybound X #3 Cover A by Arthur Adams (Diamond Code MAY210045)
Skybound X #3 Cover B by Cory Walker (Diamond Code MAY210046)
Skybound X #3 Cover C by Erica Henderson (Diamond Code MAY210047)
Skybound X #3 Cover D by Daniel Warren Johnson (Diamond Code MAY210048)
Skybound X #4 Cover A by Charlie Adlard (Diamond Code MAY210049)
Skybound X #4 Cover B by Khary Randolph (Diamond Code MAY210050)
Skybound X #4 Cover C by Pablo Tunica (Diamond Code MAY210051)
Skybound X #5 Cover A by David Finch (Diamond Code MAY210052)
Skybound X #5 Cover B by Chris Schweizer (Diamond Code MAY210053)
Skybound X #5 Cover C by Jason Howard (Diamond Code MAY210054)
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: God Country
God Country has one of the more interestingly unique concepts in comics; that of an Alzheimer’s patient who is cured when his hand touches a twelve foot sword, only to be drawn into the soap opera like world of space gods that have more than a passing resemblance to the Greco-Roman pantheons. Written by Donny Cates, who also co-wrote The Paybacks with Eliot Rahal; that series looked at the other side of superheroing with a starkly funny focus on a group of knock off characters serving as superpowered repomen (and women) struggling to emerge from the crippling debt their equipment put them in. On the surface, God Country may have little in common with The Paybacks other than half of the writing team (and Geoff Shaw‘s art), that’s certainly true on a superficial thematic level, but at their core both series focus on something quite relatable: people and their struggles against every day adversity.
There is every chance that you probably recognize Cates’ name from his work on Venom, Thor and King In Black, and I’ll admit that it feels strange to write about something Donny Cates has written as being underrated, but this is a book that I don’t see people talk about as much as they should.
Emmet Quinlan’s family have been struggling with the horror of watching a loved one slip away whilst suffering from Alzheimer’s, and their struggles are haunting – if you’ve ever had to watch a loved one slip away while suffering this horrible disease as I have, then you’ll understand immediately how hard it can be. Donny Cates treats the subject with the respect it deserves without sugar coating the emotions that Emmet’s family face.
Of course, with this being a comic book called God Country, that’s not what the comic is about.
At least not in it’s entirety. You see Emmet finds a giant sentient sword that restores his mind in its entirety. While Emmet’s disease does form the backbone of his desire to keep his hand on the sword that returned his mind, it’s the conflict with the space gods who want the sword back that provides the more immediate physical threat.
If you enjoyed Jason Aaron’s run on Thor: God Of Thunder then you’re going to find a lot to love here, from the heavily emotional sequences in the first issue to the more operatic space god scenes in subsequent comics, this is a powerful series – indeed, without Cates wry humour that appears every so often throughout the series, then this could easily become an almost too heavy story.
Ultimately though, this story is so much more than it seems on the surface.
God Country is that rare beast that uses a well thought out high concept science fiction or fantasy premise to tell the most human of stories. It is truly a work of art that had my eyes sweaty with respect – and that doesn’t happen very often when I read comics.
Join us next week when we look at something else that is, for whatever reason, Underrated.
Babyteeth #17 has been a long time coming but it works as a jumping-on point for new readers while long-time fans will enjoy returning to the world.
Story: Donny Cates Art: Garry Brown Color: Mark Englert Letterer: Taylor Esposito
Get your copy in comic shops! To find a comic shop near you, visit http://www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook or digitally and online with the links below.
AfterShock Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, we’ll receive a percentage of the sale. Graphic Policy does purchase items from this site. Making purchases through these links helps support the site
Crossoverhas been a rather interesting series. The story has gone back and forth between a series that stands on its own and a concept that’s “spot the pop culture reference”. When it has done the former, it’s a fantastic series and concept that’s been a wild ride. When it has done the latter, the story suffers delivering a choppy reading experience that’s focused more on visuals than the flow. Unfortunately, Crossover #6 relies a bit too much on its visuals to deliver.
While the issue isn’t bad, Donny Cates focuses on the couple of tasks our group must complete. Ellie and her group have shattered the dome and are surrounded by the chaos within. And that’s where the comic also falls apart. Within pages, the comic focuses on how many characters it can squeeze into a page. It’s spot the comic character that is focused on action but the story itself is a rather thin.
There’s a lot to enjoy with the issue. The action is fierce and flies at you. But, it’s really spot the other comic characters that’s the draw. A splash page is packed with characters that pop from the page. I myself found myself falling into it and trying to see how many of the characters I could name. But, it’s a distraction from a finale to the story arc that’s rather thin. It feels like a series of events as opposed to a real story. The drama is thin. The “twists” are predictable.
As usual, the art by Geoff Shaw is amazing. The series really is impressive. With colors by Dee Cunniffe and lettering by John J. Hill the blending of the “real world” and “comic world” is a sight to be hold. There’s so much packed into so many of the pages, it’s the draw of the comic, pun sort of intended. The entertainment and enjoyment of the comic comes from those visuals.
Crossover #6 feels a bit thin for the end of the story-arc. Its emotional moments don’t hit the way they should. The reveals are pretty obvious. It does its job but doesn’t excite and takes some of the air out of the balloon. The issue relies too heavily on its visuals to bring the entertainment instead of delivering heart.
Story: Donny Cates Art: Geoff Shaw Color: Dee Cunniffe Letterer: John J. Hill Story: 7.0 Art: 8.0 Overall: 7.0 Recommendation: Read
(W) Chip Zdarsky, Donny Cates, Ram V. (A) Ram V., More (CA) Marco Checchetto (VCA) Kyle Hotz Parental Advisory In Shops: Apr 21, 2021 SRP: $4.99
• The symbiotic slaughterfest continues, in the second installment of the stomach-churning study of ultraviolence called CARNAGE: BLACK, WHITE & BLOOD! • FIRST! The DAREDEVIL team of Chip Zdarsky & Marco Checchetto lends their brutal sensibilities to an eye-popping story pitting Carnage against THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN as you’ve never seen before! • THEN! Al Ewing, who’s brought a nigh-unthinkable level of body horror to the world of the IMMORTAL HULK, lends his terrifying talents to a tale – and if you thought his HULK stuff looked painful, you ain’t ready for what he’s done with Carnage! • BUT WAIT! Because you readers out there in Mighty Marveldom deserve the best, we’ve brought comics heavyweight RAM V aboard for a story sure to make your skin crawl!
