New Challengers #6 (of 6)
(W) Scott Snyder, Aaron Gillespie (A/CA) V Kenneth Marion, Sandu Florea
In Shops: Oct 17, 2018
SRP: $2.99
Final issue! Now that they’ve uncovered the face of their true enemy, the New Challengers must band together to stop the unstoppable-a reawakened space god with unlimited power, weaponized to tear reality apart! Their borrowed time is just about up-will our team of heroes be able to save the very fabric of reality as we know it?
New Challengers #5
(W) Scott Snyder, Aaron Gillespie (A/CA) V Kenneth Marion, Sandu Florea
In Shops: Sep 19, 2018
SRP: $2.99
The team returns to Challengers Mountain, only to find it completely obliterated! And without the mountain to replenish their borrowed time, it looks like they’re out of second chances. But for the Challengers to live to fight another day, they’ll need to use a power with a consequence that spells certain doom!
New Challengers #4
(W) Scott Snyder, Aaron Gillespie (A/CA) V Kenneth Marion
In Shops: Aug 15, 2018
SRP: $2.99
The Challengers tackle undead barbarians and a zombie-dinosaur stampede way down under in otherworldly Skartaris. Good thing they find that flock of pterodactyls, too-turns out to be handy against rogue agents setting up a super-weapon! Unfortunately, the Challengers also find their HQ destroyed and their predecessors missing. Plus, their borrowed time might be up, because the hourglass tattoos are on the fritz. All in a day’s work for the Challengers! (Face palm!)
New Challengers #3
(W) Scott Snyder, Aaron Gillespie (A) Klaus Janson (A/CA) Andy Kubert
In Shops: Jul 18, 2018
SRP: $2.99
It’s the New Challengers versus the Old Challengers! The original Challengers infiltrate Challengers Mountain to uncover the identity of the professor who’s been manipulating both teams! As dark matter leaks from the Dark Multiverse, the New Challengers travel to the prehistoric underworld of Skartaris, stomping grounds of Travis Morgan, the Warlord!
New Challengers #2
(W) Scott Snyder, Aaron Gillespie (A) Klaus Janson (A/CA) Andy Kubert
In Shops: Jun 20, 2018
SRP: $2.99
The Challengers of the Unknown venture on their first mission for the Professor… to the bottom of the ocean! But when the ancient artifact they have to collect turns out to be far more dangerous than expected, the new teammates realize they might not all make it out alive!
It’s new comic book day! What’s everyone getting? What are you excite for? Sound off in the comments below. While you wait for comic shops to open, here’s some comic news and reviews from around the web.
Los Angeles Times – Comic book valued at $500 among those reportedly taken by thief at Burbank store – Booo. If anyone knows anything, please help out.
CBR – Damon Lindelof Says ‘Sacred’ Watchmen Comics Will Be Remixed, Not Retread – Interesting.
ICv2 – Lionsgate Wins Bidding War to Adapt Gerry Duggan’s ‘Analog’ – What comics aren’t being adapted?
The Outhouse – Diamond Estimates 1.5 Million Free Comic Book Day Attendees – That’s a solid amount of people.
Reviews
Comic Attack – New Challengers #1
Newsarama – Skyward #2
Talking Comics – The Mighty Thor: Gates of Valhalla
Challengers Mountain has returned to the DC Universe and chosen a new team of explorers! Five misfit strangers are given a second chance at life, but only if they obey the orders of the mysterious Professor and execute deadly missions in the most unexplored corners of the multiverse! And if the new Challengers of the Unknown fail…it will be more than just their own lives that hang in the balance!
Going in to this first issue, I knew very little about Challengers of the Unknown, the classic Jack Kirby creation that has been around for over 60 years. I’ve read the recent reboots which have been forgettable and with their recent role in Dark Nights: Metal, I was interested in seeing where this series would go. After the first issue, that interest is a big deflated.
With a story from Scott Snyder and Aaron Gillespie the first issue is the gathering of the team laying out the concept of the series. The concept though it something we’ve seen numerous times. A group of misfits are brought together and have a failsafe put in that forces them to comply and do dangerous and crazy missions. It’s basically the same concept of Suicide Squad. And beyond that set up, there doesn’t feel like there’s a lot else in this first issue.
We meet the characters and get just a dip of who they are and why we should care. We get a little bit of their personalities and how they might clash. And they have a mission that’s so much of a mystery it’s hard to completely care. It’s almost too much set up and not enough action and plot progression. This would be the part of the movie where we get the flash sequences of the various characters and then they’re pitched the deadly mission. Even how they’re brought in to line is rather cookie cutter, been there material.
The art by Andy Kubert with ink by Klaus Janson and color by Brad Anderson is good. There’s a bit of a throwback style to it and that style matches a rather dragged out plot. When we get to the end we see where things pick up and get interesting. The visuals shift and get entertaining, the WTF moments come a bit late.
The series has a lot of potential. With a team that can go anywhere and experience anything there’s so much that can be done part of the fun will be to see where it all goes. There’s also the mystery of the team mention in Metal that’s a mystery. The concepts are there. The mystery is good. The canvass on which it can all be painted is impressive. The delivery though is a bit lacking. This very well could be a case where the overall package is better than the individual issue but with just one that’s a bit difficult to tell. As is, this is one I’ll read but the excitement has waned.
Story: Scott Snyder, Aaron Gillespie Art: Andy Kubert
Ink: Klaus Janson Color: Brad Anderson Lettering: Deron Bennett
Group Editor: Marie Javins Editor: Rebecca Taylor
Story: 6.0 Art: 7.0 Overall: 7.0 Recommendation: Read
DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
New Challengers #1
(W) Scott Snyder, Aaron Gillespie (A) Klaus Janson (A/CA) Andy Kubert
In Shops: May 16, 2018
SRP: $2.99
From the pages of DARK NIGHTS: METAL! Challengers Mountain has returned to the DC Universe and chosen a new team of explorers! Five misfit strangers are given a second chance at life, but only if they obey the orders of the mysterious Professor and execute deadly missions in the most unexplored corners of the multiverse! And if the new Challengers of the Unknown fail…it will be more than just their own lives that hang in the balance!
The DC Universe is getting bigger when the new Age of Heroes launches this January. DC has released an eight page guide that provides a sneak peek of what we can expect when it comes to shelves in 2018.
The New Age of DC HeroesDC Comics has been knocking it out of the park this San Diego Comic-Con with exciting reveals that all feel like a mix of old and new. At a panel at the convention, the publisher surprised even more with even more news.
From the panel, Publisher Dan Didio said “Dark Days leads to Dark Nights, and Dark Nights leads to Dark Matter.”
Characters and stories from each of the Dark Matter books will be plotted throughout Metal, which Scott Snyder has described as “if Frazetta and Jack Kirby had a baby to a heavy metal soundtrack, Metal is that event. Battle armor, dinosaurs, robots. It’s really meant to be a celebration of comics and is a thank you to you the fans, honestly. We’re going all out.”
During the panel DiDio revealed that, in addition to the titles announced earlier this year at C2E2, DC would be publishing additional titles under the upcoming Dark Matter banner. New artwork for Brimstone and The Terrifics was shown, in addition to key artwork for The Silencer, Sideways, Immortal Men, Damage, and New Challengers.
At the panel DiDio pulled a surprise guest, writer Jeff Lemire, on stage to join the panelists. Lemire will make his return to DC with the title in 2018.
