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Graphic Policy’s Top Comic Picks this Week!

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death-of-x-2Wednesdays 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.

Shay

Top Pick: Harley Quinn #6 (DC Comics) – The punk scene and Harley are a match made in anarchist heaven! This issue will give you life!

Wynonna Earp Vol 1 TP (IDW Publishing) – This reboot/re-imagining of Wynonna Earp will bring TV fans and die-hard fans from the OG comics when she was still blonde and buxom together under one accord. Wynonna is one hell of a bad ass and her story deserves to be told. Get semi caught up with this trade paperback and enjoy yourself. It’s a great jump off point to get to know the new Wynonna, meet her for the first time or, discover some of the things that you wish you

Black Panther #7 (Marvel) – Black Panther gets more than by with a little help from his friends! This issue has everything you need and want, a lot of action, some serious double crossing, a nice spirit walk , funny and clever quips ,a dash of blaxploitation fire and , some killer cameos!

Spell on Wheels #1 (Dark Horse) – Girl powered road trip! But, the girls are witches on the trail of the thief that stole their powers.

Death of X #2 (Marvel) – It’s going DOWN! two more issues then we have IvX! This is the bridge to cover that gap and set the stage for one hell of a fight. Without giving away too much lets just say that the X-men, especially Cyclops should “Beware when fighting monsters, you yourself do not become one.” Because where the Inhumans are concerned he’s starting to sound an awful lot like the humans who came for the X-men and the other mutants.

 

Joe

Top Pick: Dept. H #7 (Dark Horse) – This has been such a good series so far by Matt and Sharlene Kindt. The underwater claustrophobia continues as Mia searches for who killed her father while trying to stay alive. The combination of the pencils and watercolor is just beautiful in this book and you should definitely check it out.

Black Hammer #4 (Dark Horse) – Such an original series. I always have liked what Lemire does, but this is so weird and silly and yet has such a great story. The characters are somehow relatable while still being so over the top. The way it pokes at superhero tropes is hilarious and refreshing. I also love the classic style art in this book, it really fits well.

Batman #9 (DC Comics) – Now that we are done with “Night of The Monster Men,” we can get back to a more focused story I hope. I love what Tom King was doing with this book, and am excited to see what this “I Am Suicide” arc is all about. King has made Batman very vulnerable so far, and I want to see how far he takes The Dark Knight, and how far DC is willing to let him.

Death of X #2 (Marvel) – I love Aaron Kuder’s art. It’s a breath of fresh air for Marvel. I also liked the first issue and want to see what Soule and Lemire do here since they are both writing this series. I’ve been intrigued by this title, and as a kid who grew up with The X-books being my favorites, I want to see what Marvel is really planning for them.

Infamous Iron Man #1 (Marvel) – Who doesn’t want to see Victor Von Doom as Iron Man? I’m so curious to see what Bendis will do here. I am sure everyone is. Is Victor truly redeemed post-Secret Wars? What will he think of Riri? Where the hell is Tony? There are tons of questions, and I am very hopeful for this series.

 

Alex

Top Pick: Faith #4 (Valiant) – Alex looking forward to a Valiant comic? Hardly a surprise, really, but this issue that has Faith, Archer and Faith (yes, really) attending a comic book convention is going to be an absolute blast to read.

Batman #9 (DC Comics) – At last the crossover story is done, so hopefully now we get to something that’s just flat out better.

Black Hammer #4 (Dark Horse) – A story about forgotten, or lost, heroes trapped for some reason in a town that most of them don’t want to be in. It’s a brilliant story, and one I was fortunate enough to read the first two issues in one go – absolutely worth your time.

Green Lanterns #9 (DC Comics) – After eight issues, I’ve found that I’ve become rather fond of the Green Lantern property post-Rebirth, and a large part of that new found fandom is because of this comic. It’s fairly similar in tone to Faith, and seeing as how that’s one of my favourite series right now, it stands to reason that this would also be pretty high on my list.

Ninjak #20 (Valiant) – I’m still not as excited about this comic as I want to be, but it’s still more enticing to me than almost anything that Marvel are publishing this week. I don’t know whether that says more about Valiant’s consistent high quality or Marvel’s lack of anything interesting.

 

Brett

Top Pick: Infamous Iron Man #1 (Marvel) – Doctor Doom as Iron Man is an intriguing concept and we get the details as to why and how here. If you don’t want Civil War II spoiled, you might want to avoid this comic, but, it gives us our first hint as to what the hell goes down at the end of that event. Beyond that, Doom as hero is actually really interesting and something I want to see.

Death of X #2 (Marvel) – The first issue was a bit mixed for me, but I really want to see what happened between Mutants and Inhumans and the fate of a lot of characters. Marvel has teased things, and I want the details.

The Black Hood Season 2 #1 (Dark Circle) – Archie’s “superhero” series gets a second volume. The first was brutal, dark, and really great to read. Can’t wait to see what’s next.

Cave Carson Has a Cybernetic Eye #1 (DC’s Young Animal) – This new line of comics from DC has been really interesting and the latest release is an interesting one with a rather obscure character. I have no idea what to expect, but it’s one that’s high on my list to find out.

The Bunker #19 (Oni Press) – The time traveling mind trip comes to an end with this issue which feels like it has so much to wrap up. It’s been one hell of a ride, so how this all ends is something I really want to know and can’t wait to find out.

 

Anthony

Secret Path: Confronting the past is something that often requires dealing with controversial subject matter, looking outward to return inward in the present time, reflecting and hoping a light is shone on what is often ignored. Secret Path tells the story of a young boy named Chanie Wenjack whom died trying to find his way home, 400 miles away, after escaping from the often brutal conditions that many Aboriginal people faced in Residential Schools. Gord Downie, lead singer of The Tragically Hip and long time activist for Aboriginal rights, and artist Jeff Lemire, present a story in which Canada must come face to face with their own past reality.

Black Hammer #4 (Dark Horse) – The team of Black Hammer continues to flesh out some very thought provoking, emotional, and deconstructive stories/images on the superhero genre as a whole. This issue looks to focus on Abraham Slam’s past, intermingling with the present time.

Black Panther #7 (Marvel) – Chris Sprouse has been doing a solid job penciling the last few issues after Brian Stelfreeze’s first four issues and looks to continue expanding the wide range of characters and places with Ta-Nehisi Coates’s scripts and Laura Martin’s wide-ranging colours. It looks like the creative team will be re-introducing ‘The Crew’ with the new set of members looking like Black Panther, Misty Knight, Storm and Luke Cage.

Black Widow #7 (Marvel) – Black Widow returns and looks to confront the very person that has been screwing around with her life: Weeping Lion. Chris Samnee, Mark Waid, and Matt Wilson have created a wonderfully balanced series, showing the power of visual storytelling alongside scripts that don’t really rely too heavily on exposition.

Faith #4 (Valiant) – Faith and Archer decide to spend some much needed time together by going to the local comic convention, away from the hustle and bustle of being a superhero. But, sometimes you just can’t escape that. The two have found themselves about to face off against a group of people trying to invade on the fun to be had at nerdvana.

 

Jason

Top Pick: Cave Carson Has a Cybernetic Eye #1 (DC’s Young Animal) – Even a few titles in, Gerard Way’s ‘Young Animals’ is already proving to be a shot in the arm for DC’s comics line, with the My Chemical Romance frontman and his team embracing the weird and cherry picking the most obscure and weird characters from the company’s vaults.They don’t come any more obscure than Cave Carson, the one with the cybernetic eye, first appearing in four issues of the ‘Brave and the Bold’ in the 60’s before making his way onto the aptly named “Forgotten Heroes” along with Animal Man in the 80’s.

“Inspired by the visionary work of DC’s experimental past, but shaped and focused on the absurdity of today” is the imprints mission statement and it would seem that Way and Rivera are taking the spelunking hero down a psychedelic, self exploratory path as he struggles with his grip on reality after his wife’s death.

Infamous Iron Man #1 (Marvel) – Following in the footsteps of Doctor Octopus as Superior Spider-man, this month Iron Man becomes infamous as the leader of Latveria dons Stark’s armor. One of two characters taking over the Iron Man Mantle along with Riri Williams it remains to be seen if Bendis and Maleev’s Victor is truly on a path to redemption or working an angle to a new devious master plan.

While his last big plan saw Doom elevate himself to the status of God of the newly formed battleworld, can one of the biggest and most complex villains of the Marvel Universe really step up and become a true hero? With the series’ second issue featuring long time adversary and sure to be skeptical Ben Grimm, it’s sure going to be an interesting look into an already layered character.

The Tragically Hip’s Gord Downie Announces Secret Path with Graphic Novel by Jeff Lemire & CBC Film Special

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secretpath-bookGord Downie began Secret Path as ten poems, incited by the story of Chanie Wenjack, a twelve year-old boy who died in flight from the Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School near Kenora, Ontario, fifty years ago, walking home to the family he was taken from over 400 miles away. Gord was introduced to Chanie Wenjack (miscalled “Charlie” by his teachers) by Mike Downie, his brother, who shared with him Ian Adams’ Maclean’s story from February 6, 1967, “The Lonely Death of Charlie Wenjack.”

The stories Gord’s poems tell were fleshed into the ten songs of Secret Path with producers Kevin Drew and Dave Hamelin. Recording took place over two sessions at The Bathouse Recording Studios in Bath, Ontario, November and December 2013. The music features Downie on vocals and guitars, with Drew and Hamelin playing all other instruments. Guest musicians include Charles Spearin (bass), Ohad Benchetrit (lap steel/guitar), Kevin Hearn (piano), and Dave “Billy Ray” Koster (drums).

In winter 2014, Gord and Mike brought the recently finished Secret Path music to graphic novelist Jeff Lemire for his help illustrating Chanie Wenjack’s story, bringing him and the many children like him to life.

The ten song album will be released by Arts & Crafts accompanied by Lemire’s eighty-eight page graphic novel published by Simon & Schuster Canada. Secret Path will arrive on October 18, 2016, in a deluxe vinyl and book edition, and as a book with album download.

Downie’s music and Lemire’s illustrations have inspired The Secret Path, an animated film to be broadcast by CBC in an hour-long television special on Sunday, October 23, 2016, 9pm east.

The Secret Path is produced by eOne and Antica Productions Ltd. in association with CBC. The Secret Path was created, written, direction, and composed by Gord Downie, with illustrations by Jeff Lemire. The film is executive produced by Mike Downie, Patrick Downie, Gord Downie, and Sarah Polley. Jocelyn Hamilton is executive producer for eOne Television and Stuart Coxe is executive producer for Antica Productions. Justin Stephenson is director of animation.

The broadcast date marks the fiftieth anniversary of the morning Chanie’s body was found frozen beside the railroad tracks only twelve miles into his journey.

Proceeds from Secret Path will be donated to The Gord Downie Secret Path Fund for Truth and Reconciliation via The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR) at The University of Manitoba. The NCTR is dedicated to preserving the history of the residential schools in Canada, making this history known, and moving our country forward on the path of reconciliation.

Secret Path acknowledges a dark part of Canada’s history – the long-supressed mistreatment of Indigenous children and families by the residential school system – with the hope of starting our country on a road to reconciliation. Every year as we remember Chanie Wenjack, the hope for Secret Path is that it educates all Canadians young and old on this omitted part of our history, urging our entire nation to play an active role in the preservation of Indigenous lives and culture in Canada.

Jeff Lemire has released a statement about his involvement:

I first met Gord Downie and his brother Mike back in the winter of 2014. They wanted to discuss a potential project and, over coffee, they told me the story of Chanie “Charlie” Wenjack. Gord was then in the final stages of recording his incredible songs based on Chanie’s life and he shared the rough mixes with me in the hopes that I would be interested in creating a graphic novel to accompany his album. Before we left the coffee shop I knew I was going to do it. I had to. Chanie’s story is one that will not let you go once you hear it. It’s a story that can’t be ignored. And yet, somehow, it has been ignored. By nearly all of us.

Growing up white in Southern Ontario, I never learned about Chanie Wenjack or about any of the tens of thousands of other indigenous children like him who were part of Canada’s residential school system. This is such a massive part of our country’s history, yet our schools didn’t teach us about it. Why? Maybe because it’s easier to live with ourselves if we pretend stories like Chanie’s never happened. But they did happen, and still happen. Chanie Wenjack lived and died, and no one knows his story.

I’ve spent the last three years living with Chanie’s story and living inside Gord’s music. Gord’s haunting songs introduced me to Chanie Wenjack. Music is universal. It crosses languages and cultures and speaks to everyone, and I’ve always felt the medium of comics could do the same. It’s our hope that one day Secret Path will be taught in schools and that it will help to shed a light on this all too often ignored part of Canada’s past. I think, above all else, that’s what Gord and I wanted to create: something that can’t be ignored. Every Canadian should know Chanie Wenjack’s name and I hope Secret Path helps to make that a reality.

Downie released a statement as well:

STATEMENT BY GORD DOWNIE
Ogoki Post, Ontario
September 9, 2016

Mike Downie introduced me to Chanie Wenjack; he gave me the story from Ian Adams’ Maclean’s magazine story dating back to February 6, 1967, “The Lonely Death of Charlie Wenjack.”

Chanie, misnamed Charlie by his teachers, was a young boy who died on October 22, 1966, walking the railroad tracks, trying to escape from the Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School to walk home. Chanie’s home was 400 miles away. He didn’t know that. He didn’t know where it was, nor how to find it, but, like so many kids – more than anyone will be able to imagine – he tried. I never knew Chanie, but I will always love him.

Chanie haunts me. His story is Canada’s story. This is about Canada. We are not the country we thought we were. History will be re-written. We are all accountable, but this begins in the late 1800s and goes to 1996. “White” Canada knew – on somebody’s purpose – nothing about this. We weren’t taught it in school; it was hardly ever mentioned.

All of those Governments, and all of those Churches, for all of those years, misused themselves. They hurt many children. They broke up many families. They erased entire communities. It will take seven generations to fix this. Seven. Seven is not arbitrary. This is far from over. Things up north have never been harder. Canada is not Canada. We are not the country we think we are.

I am trying in this small way to help spread what Murray Sinclair said, “This is not an aboriginal problem. This is a Canadian problem. Because at the same time that aboriginal people were being demeaned in the schools and their culture and language were being taken away from them and they were being told that they were inferior, they were pagans, that they were heathens and savages and that they were unworthy of being respected – that very same message was being given to the non-aboriginal children in the public schools as well… They need to know that history includes them.” (Murray Sinclair, Ottawa Citizen, May 24, 2015)

I have always wondered why, even as a kid, I never thought of Canada as a country – It’s not a popular thought; you keep it to yourself – I never wrote of it as so. The next hundred years are going to be painful as we come to know Chanie Wenjack and thousands like him – as we find out about ourselves, about all of us – but only when we do can we truly call ourselves, “Canada.”