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Ablaze Reveals its February 2022 Releases

LIFE ZERO #1

by writer Stefano Vietti & artist Marco Checchetto · MSRP: $3.99 · Release Date: February 9, 2022

From the artist of Marvel Comics’ Devil’s Reign & Daredevil, Marco Checchetto, comes a thrilling new adventure!

Where were you when the cloud arrived? Where were you when the world changed forever? Where were you when people started dying? ABLAZE is proud to present LIFE ZERO by Stefano Vietti (Dragonero) and Marco Checchetto (Daredevil, Avengers, Old Man Hawkeye, Wolverine), with colors by Andres Mossa (Wolverine, Avengers, Secret Wars 2099). At the limits between science fiction, action and horror is LIFE ZERO!

FORGET MY NAME HC Edition

by Zerocalcare · MSRP: $19.99 ·  Release Date: March 9, 2022

FORGET MY NAME HC Edition

When the last vestiges of his childhood are taken from him, Zerocalcare discovers unsuspected secrets about his family. Torn between the soothing numbness of the innocence of youth and the impossibility to elude society’s ever-expanding control over people’s lives, he’ll have to understand where he really comes from before he understands where he is going.

A story that was shortlisted for Italy’s prestigious Strega literary award, an honor that was bestowed on a graphic novel only twice in the award’s history. This is the book that has broken down the barrier between “real book” readers and graphic novel enthusiasts in Europe, having sold over 150,000 copies so far.  Also don’t miss the premiere of Zerocalcare’s first original animated series, “Tear Along the Dotted Line,” on Netflix WORLDWIDE November 17th!

ANIMAL CASTLE #3

by Xavier Dorison and Felix Delep · MSRP: $3.99 · Release Date: February 16, 2022

On the Farm, all animals were equal.  In the Castle, some are more equal than others. 

With the animals in full revolt, will Miss B. be able to keep her children safe while also trying to provide for them a future in which they can thrive instead of under the hoof of the privileged in power? Or will it all come crashing down as the powerful use their material advantages against those who do the work?

For fans of the bestselling Stray Dogs and the Eisner Award winning Beasts of Burden comes an animal fable at once familiar and surprising!   You may think you know the story but set aside your assumptions, this animal uprising is unlike any you have read! 

ANIMAL CASTLE #3

CRUELER THAN DEAD Vol 2

by Tsukasa Saimura and Kozo Takahashi · MSRP: $12.99 · Release Date: February 23, 2022

After a grueling and dangerous trip, Maki and Shota finally make it to the Tokyo Dome, the largest refugee camp in the entire Kanto region and one of the last places to survive the zombie outbreak that has overwhelmed the whole world.

Maki, who brings with her the remaining doses of the vaccine developed at the Gunma Pharmaceutical Center where she woke up in the first volume, is taken care of by the people in power in the Dome, where a handful of privileged people under the leadership of Colonel Shimamoto live in luxury, while most of the survivors are forced to survive in appalling conditions. Shota and Miura are thrust into the difficult daily lives of survivors who do not have the chance to be privileged. Miura is assigned to a work team while Shota befriends the leader of a gang of children…

CRUELER THAN DEAD Vol 2

VERSUS FIGHTING STORY Vol 2

by Izu, Madd, and Kalon · MSRP: $12.99 · Release Date: February 23, 2022

The first manga dedicated to the world of e-sports competition!  As Issue 2 opens, the world of Versus Fighting is facing an unprecedented struggle! On the one hand, e-sports magnate Eric Volta wants to professionalize the sector with millions of dollars.

On the other hand, Max Volta, his own nephew, was recruited by Inés, a former player of the Versus Dojo arcade who fights to preserve the passion of the fighting game culture and its players. To help him, the legendary TKO the Destroyer will have to come out of his retirement to train his team… And in the middle of it all, there is a surprise guest: Mr. Judeau, a talented player of obscure games that no one else plays. Is the man who gets paid in kebab the Chosen One who will help all these people come together?

VERSUS FIGHTING STORY Vol 2

Ablaze Reveals 2 Manga Titles for August and September

VERSUS FIGHTING STORY

by writer Izu and artists, Madd and Kalo
Releases August 18th

The first manga dedicated to the world of e-sports competition!

Whether you’re a beginner or a combat game specialist, you’ll enjoy taking a dive into the heart of the competition in this humorous adventure and its gallery of colorful characters!
Officially endorsed by Capcom and the fighting game community, featuring genuine Street Fighter characters, and produced in the vein of the best sports shonen, readers are invited to discover the e-sport spirit as they have never seen it before.

VERSUS FIGHTING STORY

CRUELER THAN DEAD

by Tsukasa Saimura and Kozo Takahashi
Releases September 29th

Inspired by Katsuhiro Otomo (Akira), The Walking Dead, Romero classics, and new zombie films like 24 Hours LaterCrueler Than Dead delights in the meticulous detail of decomposed flesh, with a wicked and hungry eye…evoking a modern vision of a zombie world that is terrifying and tension filled.

CRUELER THAN DEAD

There’s 14 New Digital Comics to Choose from on ComiXology

Today’s a rather packed Thursday for comiXology with 14 new comics to choose from. You can get new comics from Marvel, Yen Press, Harlequin, Les Humanoïdes Associés, and Humanoids. Start shopping now or check out the issues below!

Barbarella: Intégrale numérique

Written by Jean-Claude Forest
Art by Jean-Claude Forest
Purchase

Les aventures de l’affriolante Barbarella, terrienne en exil qui explore les planètes les plus éloignées de la galaxie. 1 VOLUME PARU – HISTOIRES INDÉPENDANTES. L’oeuvre mythique des années 60 enfin rééditée ! Créée en 1964, Barbarella bouleverse le monde de la bande dessinée et scandalise dès sa parution. Fer de lance de la bande dessinée adulte et de genre, l’oeuvre est censurée. À l’heure de la libération sexuelle, les traits sensuels et l’érotisme que dégage l’héroïne éponyme ne laissent en effet aucun lecteur indifférent. L’image de la femme dans la bande dessinée, jusqu’alors le plus souvent cantonnée à des rôles de figurante asexuée, explose donc avec Barbarella, qui ouvre la voie vers une bande dessinée adulte et libérée. Rapidement devenu une référence, l’oeuvre était introuvable depuis de nombreuses années.

Barbarella: Intégrale numérique

Captain America Vol. 3: Ice

Written by Chuck Austen, John Ney Rieber
Art by Jae Lee
Cover by John Cassaday
Purchase

Collects Captain America (2002) #12-16.

For decades World War 2 super-soldier Captain America lay in frozen suspended animation, encased in ice, until he was revived in the modern world to again take his post as protector of the Red, White and Blue. But when a mysterious package arrives at his door and he crosses paths with a shadowy new villain named The Interrogator, Captain America learns everything about his past, his memories, and himself may not be what it seems!

Captain America Vol. 3: Ice

Captain America Vol. 4: Captain America Lives Again

Written by Dave Gibbons
Art by Lee Weeks
Cover by Gene Ha
Purchase

Collects Captain America (2002) #17-20, Tales of Suspense #66.

WATCHMEN’s Dave Gibbons writes this special story in classic Cap fashion – featuring two-fisted adventure, wall-to-wall action and scheming Nazis! Captain America finds himself in a nightmare New York City renamed “New Berlin,” following the Nazis victory in WWII. Joining brave resistance fighters with strange but familiar faces like Ben Grimm, Peter Parker and Professor Reed Richards, Cap must find out how history has been altered and the world changed from everything he once knew to everything he’s fought against, and what does the Nazis’ mysterious & terrifying ultimate weapon have to do with it?

Captain America Vol. 4: Captain America Lives Again

Captain America Vol. 5: Homeland

Written by Robert Morales
Art by Chris Bachalo
Cover by Dave Johnson
Purchase

Collects Captain America (2002) #21-28.

In a story ripped from today’s headlines, the U.S. government taps Cap to embark on what might be his most life-changing mission ever – to serve on a military tribunal being held for a foreign antiwar activist charged with supporting terrorist actions against the U.S.! Cap’s involvement leads him to discover the existence of militant fringe groups planning a legislative overthrow of the United States government. But an even more startling discovery for this true American patriot is millions of disenfranchised citizens who feel abandoned and neglected by both major political parties.

Captain America Vol. 5: Homeland

Captain Marvel Vol. 1: Nothing To Lose

Written by Peter David
Art by ChrisCross, Paco Medina, Ivan Reis
Cover by ChrisCross
Purchase

Collects Captain Marvel (2002) #1-6.

He is the son of Mar-Vell, once the greatest warrior the galaxy had ever known. Spawned in a test tube and prematurely aged to maturity, Genis now struggles to fill the boots of his late father–the boots of Captain Marvel. Therein lies the problem. For Genis has inherited his father’s greatest gift, the ability of Cosmic Awareness, a oneness with the universe that allows him to know what will happen, what may happen, and what should happen to every living thing in the universe. You might think such knowledge would drive a person mad… and you’d be right.

Captain Marvel Vol. 1: Nothing To Lose

Crusades: Intégrale numérique

Written by Izu, Nikolavitch
Art by Zhang Xiaoyu
Purchase

Une plongée stupéfiante au temps des croisades, avec cette aventure qui mêle science-fiction, horreur et histoire. 1 VOLUME PARU – HISTOIRES INDÉPENDANTES. Vingt-cinq ans ont passé depuis l’échec de la Cinquième Croisade, anéantie par la peste en 1221. Guillaume de Sonnac, Chevalier du Temple, enquête au sein d’une Commission créée par le Pape Grégoire IX, sur les raisons réelles de l’échec des Croisés. Tout le porte à croire en effet que cette histoire de peste n’a été qu’un écran de fumée, destiné à dissimuler un drame auquel semblent mêlées d’étranges et dangereuses créatures tapies dans les catacombes de la cité. Pour percer le secret de ces « spectres aux yeux d’argent », Guillaume de Sonnac réunit quelques hommes de confiance. Ils vont découvrir une vérité qui dépassera de très loin leurs suppositions les plus folles et leurs craintes les plus irraisonnées.

Crusades: Intégrale numérique

Goblin Slayer #58

Written by Kumo Kagyu
Art by Kousuke Kurose
Purchase

This series is rated Adults Only
DISCLAIMER: graphic sexuality gore

Priestess and Wizard Boy (reluctantly) agree to team up, and a party of adventurers meet a nasty surprise… Read the next chapter of Goblin Slayer the same day as Japan!

Goblin Slayer #58

Le patron célibataire

Written by Pamela Ingrahm
Art by Masaru Urakawa
Purchase

Madalyn est une mère célibataire en recherche d’emploi. C’est Philip, le patron qui lui fait passer son premier entretien d’embauche. Un entretien avec le patron lui-même ! Face à son CV et son envie d’en découdre, Philip embauche Madalyn comme secrétaire personnelle. Il a beau avoir des allures de prince, au travail c’est un vrai démon. Il a tout de même des petites attentions pour Madalyn, qui fait de son mieux pour travailler et élever sa fille. C’est ce caractère doux, en plus de son apparence séduisante, qui va faire chavirer le coeur de Madalyn, qui ne connait pas la vraie raison de son embauche…

Le patron célibataire

Rendezvous With Revenge

Written by Miranda Lee
Art by Mayu Takayama
Purchase

Abby works as a receptionist at a clinic for an orthopedic surgeon named Ethan. Being betrayed by a former lover has given her a distrust towards men, but for some reason, Ethan also holds a disgust towards women. One day, he asks her to accompany her on a trip…and offers to pay her to pretend to be his lover. Without thinking, she instinctively turns him down. However, something unforeseen happens. Her beloved teacher is the victim of a robbery and has lost a huge sum of money. Her desire to help leads her to her decision. She will accept Ethan’s offer. She never thought that she would have her heart stolen once again…

Rendezvous With Revenge

Hinowa ga CRUSH! #40

Written by Takahiro
Art by Strelka
Purchase

This series is rated Adults Only
DISCLAIMER: graphic sexuality

Hinowa’s best efforts to recruit Rugyou aren’t going well. Will she be able to find the key to persuade him…? Read the next chapter of Hinowa ga CRUSH! the same day as Japan!

Hinowa ga CRUSH! #40

Jaemon: Intégrale numérique

Written by Alain Paris
Art by Notaro, Val, Saverio Tenuta
Purchase

Une saga d’héroic fantasy dans le territoire mythique d’Antarcie, avant la période glaciaire. 1 VOLUME PARU – HISTOIRES INDÉPENDANTES. Douze mille ans avant notre ère, sur le continent Antarctique encore libre de glaces, une civilisation florissante, à la fois barbare et raffinée est soumise aux règles de la magie. Jaemon, le bâtard du roi et d’une favorite, porte la Marque des Atlantes. Lorsque la Première Dame le condamne à mort, un étrange personnage, Sozer, déjoue le complot et emporte l’enfant…. L’ALBUM : L’intégrale de la série, en édition limitée et à prix réduit, à l’occasion des 40 ans des Humanoïdes Associés.

Jaemon: Intégrale numérique

L’Autoroute sauvage: Intégrale numérique

Written by Mathieu Masmondet
Art by Zhang Xiaoyu
Colored by Zhang Xiaoyu
Purchase

Pour survivre aux dangers de la France post-apocalyptique, Mo a fait le choix de voyager. Seul. Mais sa route croise celle d’Hélène, une jeune femme qui cherche à atteindre Paris…. 1 VOLUME PARU – HISTOIRES INDÉPENDANTES. Le monde d’aujourd’hui n’est plus. Au milieu des décombres de notre époque, les hommes évoluent dans un environnement sauvage et menaçant, où la survie a pris le pas sur l’humanité. Certains forment de petites communautés, on les appelle les Groupés. Les autres suivent leurs chemins seuls et prennent le nom de Solitaires. C’est le cas de Mo, imposant et taciturne, qui parcourt l’autoroute au rythme des saisons. Lorsque celui-ci sauve Hélène d’une bande de pillards, tous deux poursuivent leur route ensemble, unissant leurs destinées….

L'Autoroute sauvage: Intégrale numérique

Monsieur Jean Vol. 1: Love and Concierge

Written by Charles Berberian, Philippe Dupuy
Art by Charles Berberian, Philippe Dupuy
Purchase

The charming and humorous adventures of a handsome Parisian novelist, as recounted with a uniquely European sensibility. PUBLICATION IN 5 VOLUMES – COMPLETED WORK. Monsieur Jean is a young writer whose everyday life and its inescapable existential woes are comedically told by the talented team of Dupuy & Berberian, winners of the 2008 Grand Prix de la ville d’Angoulême. Whether it’s the unexpected visit of an old friend, a trip to his in-laws, the arrival of a child, the frustrations of writer’s block, or even dealing with his moody landlady, Monsieur Jean’s life and times all share a tenderness and a dash of irony. A series full of the nostalgia and droll absurdity that invariably come with adulthood.

Monsieur Jean Vol. 1: Love and Concierge

Monsieur Jean Vol. 2: Insomnia

Written by Charles Berberian, Philippe Dupuy
Art by Charles Berberian, Philippe Dupuy
Purchase

The charming and humorous adventures of a handsome Parisian novelist, as recounted with a uniquely European sensibility. PUBLICATION IN 5 VOLUMES – COMPLETED WORK. Monsieur Jean is a young writer whose everyday life and its inescapable existential woes are comedically told by the talented team of Dupuy & Berberian, winners of the 2008 Grand Prix de la ville d’Angoulême. Whether it’s the unexpected visit of an old friend, a trip to his in-laws, the arrival of a child, the frustrations of writer’s block, or even dealing with his moody landlady, Monsieur Jean’s life and times all share a tenderness and a dash of irony. A series full of the nostalgia and droll absurdity that invariably come with adulthood.

Monsieur Jean Vol. 2: Insomnia

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Review: Lost Planet: First Colony #1

20130901-134308.jpgAs Titan Comics continues to grow, it is only a natural progression to increase the number of video game copyright permissions to ensure all corners of the market are touched. Unfortunately, as with most video game to comic book crossovers, Lost Planet: First Colony #1 fails to rise above average. Timed with the release of the Lost Planet 3 video game, this two-part digital-first series takes place 40 years before the events of the game.

As humanity clings on to the last remnants of a pollution-ravaged earth, the government launches an extensive space exploration campaign in a desperate search for natural resources. After stealing planetary data from a corporate ship, the rag-tag staff of the Crusader makes its way toward the evacuated E.D.N. III colony in search of abandoned terraforming hardware. As expected, they get more than they bargained for…

While I appreciate writer Izu‘s decision to follow a fringe crew as opposed to a predictable mining crew, he made some questionable plot decisions. First, despite the interstellar capabilities of the future, their ship lacked the weather software necessary to prevent or predict an ’emperor-class storm’ from causing a crash landing. Then, once crashed on the icebound, frozen planet, they carried on conversations without retrieving any cold weather gear first (the captain had on a t-shirt!). They eventually suited up, but too little too late for me.

Artist Massimo Dall’oglio did his best to bring out the harshness of the ice planet, but nothing in his illustrations stood out from similar comics in the genre. He failed to capitalize on what could have been gorgeous full-page illustrations, by opting instead for ubiquitous panels which stunted the pacing. Also, and this applies to the lettering, but there was no difference in color, text, or shape between the speech balloons and the location captions. The only difference was a balloon tail…very frustrating.

A successful video game to comic book transition is a rarity in this industry. Amidst a number of high quality Titan series, this one, unfortunately, missed the mark.

Story: Izu Art: Massimo Dall’oglio
Story: 5.5 Art: 5.5 Overall: 5.5 Recommendation: Read

Titan Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Titan Comics Launch Lost Planet: First Colony – The Official Comics

Today launches the first issue’s of Titan Comics Lost Planet tie-in comic, Lost Planet: First Colony. Working with Capcom, the issue was released today digitally to time with the release of Capcom’s Lost Planet 3 video game which hits shelves in North America and Europe this week. The video game series has sold over 4 million copies worldwide and has spun out into action figures, statues, clothing and more. A hardcover version of the comics will be released December 31.

Lost Planet: First Colony uncovers the dark secrets of the iceworld of E.D.N. III – the lost planet – and its deadly, indigenous Akrid!

Fans of the series will thrill to an all-new, high-stakes adventure which sheds new light on humanity’s first attempt to settle this harsh frontier.

In E.D.N. III’s icy wastes, no-one is safe – least of all the crew of the pirate vessel, Crusader, come to pillage its technology! There’s a strong chance that no-one will leave this world alive…

The comics feature art by Massimo Dall’Oglio, from a script by DmC: Devil May Cry: The Chronicles of Vergil’s Izu, aka Guillaume Dorison.

 The first of the two-part comic series is available to read today on the iPad, iPhone, Web, Android and Kindle Fire, exclusively through the comiXology app and comiXology.com.

LOST PLANET First Colony cover

 

Review: DmC: Devil May Cry: The Vergil Chronicles

Devil May Cry The Vergil Chronicles Comic #1 coverVideo games adapted to comic books and movies don’t have the greatest of records. The number of hits are far outnumbered by the number of misses. Titan Comics have released their entry into the comic book spun out of a video game world. Taking place a few months before the smash-hit re-imagining of the videogame series, DmC: Devil May Cry: The Vergil Chronicles unveils all-new aspects of Dante’s re-imagined world!

In a world controlled by demons, Dante is humanity’s last remaining hope. But Dante is lost, imprisoned far from the human world. Accompanied by Kat, a human psychic, and nearly driven insane by his inner demon, Dante’s twin brother Vergil must now attempt a rescue!

Discover the shocking secrets behind the stunning new Capcom videogame, DmC: Devil May Cry!

Here’s the good, DmC: Devil May Cry: The Vergil Chronicles is a complete story in a single volume and it’s nicely packaged in a bit oversized comic with a hard cover for $9.99. That’s the where the good begins and ends.

I’ve played the games and left reading this comic entry as fun for hardcore fans, and even then, I’m not too sure about it. The story is choppy, at times incoherent and struggles like so many video games do to create a flowing narrative. I’ve brought this up before in a previous review, but this story feels like I’m getting the narrative of a video game from the 80s or early 90s. There’s a cut scene and you play out the bridge to the next cut scene. With comics you have the ability to flesh out the story and characters and I feel like either something is lost in translation (which very well might be the case) or the writing was still geared towards a video game, where the imagery makes up for the story.

And even then, the imagery here doesn’t blow me away either. The video games the comic is based on provide much better visuals, so in the end, this entry fails to impress either way.

The better would be to have released this as a bonus for those who purchase the video or pre-order it. As a bonus it’s fine, but as a standalone comic, it falls very short.

Overall, unless you’re a diehard Devil May Cry fan, I’d steer clear of this one and put your $10 towards the next entry of the video game series.

Story: Izu Art: Patrick Pion
Story: 5.5 Art: 6.5 Overall: 5.75 Recommendation: Pass

Titan Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Titan Comics Launch DMC: Devil May Cry Tie-In Comic Series!

Titan Comics today launched DmC: Devil May Cry: The Vergil Chronicles, a comic book series based on the all-new reimagining of the Devil May Cry videogame saga. The first of two tie-in comics is available digitally from today on comiXology, coinciding with the release of new videogame installment, DmC: Devil May Cry. The two issues will hit comic stores in print from May.

The Devil May Cry series has sold over twelve million copies worldwide, spinning off into an animated series, graphic novels, manga, action figures, statuettes, clothing and more. The franchise has also just been picked up for adaptation by Screen Gems, the studio that produced the blockbusting Resident Evil movies.

The first of two comics, released digitally today, takes place before the game DmC: Devil May Cry and reveals the backstory of Vergil and Kat; with never-before-seen revelations! The comics are written by Guillaume Dorison aka Izu and illustrated by artists Robin Recht and Patrick Pion.

In print, DmC: Devil May Cry: The Vergil Chronicles #1 is on sale May 15 and #2 is on sale June 19.

DmC Devil May Cry The Vergil Chronicles Comic #1 cover