Tag: Archie Comics

Pop Culture Squad > Archie Comics
New Number Ones: New Comics Releasing the Week of September 20, 2023

New Number Ones: New Comics Releasing the Week of September 20, 2023

Posted on by Bob Harrison

Welcome to the New Number Ones!

Each week we bring you the list of new series and special editions coming this week. We are highlighting what you need to put in your cart at the comic shop or digital marketplace.

We have an alphabetical list with cover art and the official solicitation text from the publishers of some of the cool new comics that are coming out this month. Check below for our PCS NOTES to find out what we just have to tell you about the new comics in question.

This week is full of strong debuts for new series, and make sure to check the One-Shots and Special Editions for some really cool archival comic material this week.

We have books on the list from: Marvel Comics,  DC Comics, Archie Comics, Dark Horse Comics, Titan Books, Humanoids, Inc., AWA Studios, Image Comics, and Boom! Studios.

One thing to remember, we continue to measure the “comic week” as Wednesday. #NCBD is Wednesday.

We will bring you reviews of these debut issues as they come out, and don’t forget to use the comments section to let us know what you think of this list.

New Series
New One-Shots and Special Editions

New Series This Week 

Captain America #1
Marvel Comics
Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Art by Jesus Saiz & Matt Hollingsworth
Cover Art by Saiz

WHAT FUTURE AWAITS THE MAN OUT OF TIME? Decades ago, Steve Rogers changed the world forever. Now powerful and insidious forces are assembling to ensure he never does it again. Past, present and future collide as the man out of time reckons with an existential threat determined to set the world on a darker path at any cost… Esteemed creators J. Michael Straczynski and Jesús Saiz embark on an exhilarating new journey for CAPTAIN AMERICA!

Release Date: September 20, 2023

PCS NOTES: Looks like a good jumping on point for Cap fans.

Green Lantern: War Journal #1
DC Comics
Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson
Art by Montos & Adriano Lucas
Cover Art by Taj Tenfold

JOHN STEWART RETURNS IN AN EPIC NEW SERIES FROM THE PAGES OF GREEN LANTERN!

John Stewart’s time as a Green Lantern has come to an end…or so he thinks. A family tragedy calls him back home, and as John begins to reclaim the career he once left behind, he tries to embrace a peaceful post-superhero life. But when a terrifying and contagious force with a mysterious connection to Oa appears on Earth, the last Green Lantern of another Universe comes seeking the only warrior to face this threat and win: the immortal “Guardian and Builder,” John Stewart himself! Can this brilliant but brash young Lantern help John discover the qualities that made him one of the greatest Lanterns of the entire Multiverse? Featuring the first appearance of an iconic and terrifying new villain!

Release Date: September 19, 2023

PCS NOTES: I always enjoy Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s take on John Stewart. Continue reading “New Number Ones: New Comics Releasing the Week of September 20, 2023” →

New Number Ones: New Comics Releasing for the Week of September 6, 2023

New Number Ones: New Comics Releasing for the Week of September 6, 2023

Posted on by Bob Harrison

Welcome to the New Number Ones!

Each week we bring you the list of new series and special editions coming this week. We are highlighting what you need to put in your cart at the comic shop or digital marketplace.

We have an alphabetical list with cover art and the official solicitation text from the publishers of some of the cool new comics that are coming out this month. Check below for our PCS NOTES to find out what we just have to tell you about the new comics in question.

DC Comics has had a quiet summer publishing its Knight Terrors event, but they are coming out the gate strong in September with a few definite adds to the pull list.

This week, we have books on the list from: Marvel Comics,  Image Comics, Mad Cave Studios, Archie Comics, Dark Horse Comics, and Boom! Studios.

One thing to remember, we continue to measure the “comic week” as Wednesday. #NCBD is Wednesday.

We will bring you reviews of these debut issues as they come out, and don’t forget to use the comments section to let us know what you think of this list.

New Series
New One-Shots and Special Editions

New Series This Week 

Birds of Prey #1
DC Comics
Written by Kelly Thompson
Art by Leonardo Romero & Jordie Bellaire
Cover Art by Romero & Bellaire

BREAKING HEARTS AND FACES—THE BIRDS OF PREY ARE BACK!

Every mission matters. Every life saved is a miracle. But this time, it’s personal. Dinah Lance is one of the DCU’s most elite fighters, and combined with her sonic scream, she’s a fearsome foe in any scenario…but sometimes even the Black Canary needs help. Faced with a personal mission brought to her by a mysterious new ally, and up against near-impossible odds, she re-forms the Birds of Prey with an unrivaled group of badasses—Cassandra Cain, Big Barda, Zealot, and Harley Quinn—and only one goal: extraction without bloodshed. What could possibly go wrong? Kelly Thompson (Captain Marvel, Black Widow) makes her long-awaited DC Universe writing debut, and is joined by her Hawkeye partners-in-crime Leonardo Romero (BATMAN) and Jordie Bellaire (WONDER WOMAN) to debut an all-new, all-deadly Birds of Prey series…still breaking hearts and faces after all these years!

Release Date: September 5, 2023

PCS NOTES: Kelly Thompson writing the book is a win for me. People may question the lineup but I will give her the benefit of the doubt in being able to make it work.

Blue Beetle #1
DC Comics
Written by Josh Trujillo
Art by Adrian Gutierrez & Wil Quintana
Cover Art by Gutierrez & Luis Guerrrero

Jaime Reyes’s graduation is over, but his new life in Palmera City and as the Blue Beetle has only just begun! With two new Beetles to train in Dynastes and Nitida, Jaime has his hands full navigating being a leader. Thankfully, he has Paco and Brenda by his side as they settle in at Palmera State University. But what lurks in the shadows of Blue Beetle’s new home and what does it mean for the Blue Beetle legacy?

Release Date: September 5, 2023

PCS NOTES: Anyone who has seen the Blue Beetle movie will be eager to jump into this new series. Continue reading “New Number Ones: New Comics Releasing for the Week of September 6, 2023” →

With Further Ado #262: The Joys of Going Coverless

With Further Ado #262: The Joys of Going Coverless

Posted on by Ed Catto

I love going barefoot in the summer and wearing shorts. In a way, the fall ritual of wearing pants every day seems like I’ve done a poor job negotiating my terms of surrender to the cruel reality of the change in season. It’s tragic – to be sure – but it’s still a little ways off, isn’t it? Can’t I just enjoy the end of August and still consider it summer?

And along the lines of that whole idea of less is more, can I make a case for the joys of coverless comics? They are so carefree, so fun. When I read an old comic without a cover, I’m not worried about the condition of the comic, and certainly not worried that anything I do will deflate the value. In today’s grade-conscious comics work, it’s invigorating to read a comic like a kid again: to curl the cover back on the spine and maybe even to drip a little ice cream onto it.

(But my wife not set her coffee mug on them, nonetheless!)

I enjoyed a few coverless (and ¾ cover) comics this summer. As many of you know, in the old days, newsstands could return unsold comics to the distributor and get their money back. But after a short while, folks realized that sending the whole comic (or magazine) back was costly and inefficient. What if instead, they just ripped the covers off, sent them into the distributor as “proof” and then destroyed the comic? Or maybe they could just send in the logo of the cover for credit. That was the idea, but thankfully – so many “valiantly unscrupulous” newsstand dealers just didn’t have the heart to destroy the comics. So, they’d re-sell the coverless comics at a discount to other venues. Continue reading “With Further Ado #262: The Joys of Going Coverless” →

New Number Ones: New Comics Releasing for the Week of August 16, 2023

New Number Ones: New Comics Releasing for the Week of August 16, 2023

Posted on by Bob Harrison

Welcome to the New Number Ones!

Each Wednesday we bring you the list of new series and special editions in a post highlighting what you need to put in your cart at the comic shop or digital marketplace.

In this week’s column, we have an alphabetical list with cover art and the official solicitation text from the publishers of some of the cool new comics that are coming out this month. Check below for our PCS NOTES to find out what we just have to tell you about the new comics in question.

The fallout of last month’s Hellfire Gala will have effects on the rest of the Marvel universe; so keep an eye out for those new books.

This week, we have books on the list from: Marvel Comics,  Image Comics, IDW Publishing, Archie Comics, Dynamite Entertainment, and First Second Books.

One thing to remember, we continue to measure the “comic week” as Wednesday. #NCBD is Wednesday.

We will bring you reviews of these debut issues as they come out, and don’t forget to use the comments section to let us know what you think of this list.

New Series
New One-Shots and Special Editions

New Series This Week 

Alpha Flight #1
Marvel Comics
Written by Ed Brisson
Art by Scott Godlewski & Matt Milla
Cover Art by Leonard Kirk & Edgar Delgado

SAVING CANADA…FROM THE MUTANT MENACE?!

GUARDIAN, PUCK, SNOWBIRD and SHAMAN return, as a terrestrial ALPHA FLIGHT bursts onto the scene! But what schism will pit these heroes against their former teammates AURORA, NORTHSTAR and NEMESIS, as well as Aurora’s beau, FANG? The FALL OF X has changed the game, and will Alpha Flight soar to new heights…or be crushed under the weight of an impossible mission?

Release Date: August 16, 2023

PCS NOTES: Alpha Flight written by Ed Brisson is one of the great gifts that the comic gods could grant this summer. Continue reading “New Number Ones: New Comics Releasing for the Week of August 16, 2023” →

Rapid Reviews: New Comics for the Week of 5/17/23

Rapid Reviews: New Comics for the Week of 5/17/23

Posted on by Bob Harrison

Welcome to our latest Rapid Reviews column.

This week we have some debut issues and some middle issues to discuss. Both Marvel and DC relaunched major team books this week and we have reviews of both of those as well as some excellent smaller books that we think you should check out.

For all the New Number Ones and Special Issues for May check out our monthly rundowns on Here and Here.

Our reviews are spoiler free and focus on the positive aspects of comic storytelling in each issue. You can find all of these books at your Local Comic Shop now or wherever you get your comics.

Avengers #1
Marvel Comics
Written by Jed MacKay
Art by C.F. Villa
Colors by Federico Blee
Letters by Cory Petit
Cover Art by Stuart Immonen

As the cover indicates, the Avengers are looking up. This reset and new beginning to Earth’s Mightiest Heroes is encouraging. The debut issue to this volume is a well crafted jumping on point. It is accessible for new readers and establishes the rollcall through the use of structured flashbacks.

It is clearly a Carol Danvers story, and Jed MacKay has a good handle on the characters in this book. C.F. Villa delivers gorgeous and dynamic visuals and Federico Blee’s work adds an excellent mix of light and shadow that accentuates the important aspects of each page. It is a fun and exciting story that has me eager for the next issue.

Chilling Adventures Presents: Jinx, A Cursed Life #1
Archie Comics
Written by Magdalene Visaggio
Art by Craig Cermak
Colors by Ellie Wright
Letters by Jack Morelli
Cover Art by Cermak

This book is a rocking good time. Mags Visaggio crafted a fun one-and-done story with interesting personal dynamics and fun dialogue. Craig Cermak and Ellie Wright created a beautiful and engaging visual narrative. I will second the comments of editor Jamie Lee Rotante from the Letters column in that I love Visaggio writing the Jinx character. Continue reading “Rapid Reviews: New Comics for the Week of 5/17/23” →

New Number Ones: One-Shots and Special Editions for May 2023

New Number Ones: One-Shots and Special Editions for May 2023

Posted on by Bob Harrison

Welcome to our New Number Ones: One-Shots & Specials for May 2023.

In this regular column, we collect the one-shot books, special anthologies, and original graphic novels that are being released this month. You can check out our regular New Number Ones column for the month here.

There is an alphabetical list of these special books below by release date, and don’t forget to check for our PCS NOTES to find out what we just have to tell you about these comics.

There are books on the list from: DC Comics, Dark Horse Comics, Marvel Comics, Archie Comics, Image Comics, Fair Square Comics, Avery Hill, Boom! Studios, Living the Line, and A Wave Blue World.

Dawn of DC: We Are Legends Special Edition #1
DC Comics
Written by Greg Pak, Ram V., Alyssa Wong
Art by Haining, Minkyu Jung, Lalit Kumar Sharma, Rain Beredo, Sunny Gho, & Sebastain Cheng

ONE-SHOT SPECIAL

We Are Legends, part of the year-long Dawn of DC storytelling initiative, is set to make a major impact on the comics industry this May, with the launch of three six-issue series: Spirit World, The Vigil, and City Boy. Each feature new characters of AAPI heritage, as leads of their own books! Earlier this year, these heroes first made their presence known across the DC Universe in the Lazarus Planet epic. In the newly announced Dawn of DC: We Are Legends Special Edition promotional comic book, you can meet City Boy in a story that first appeared in Lazarus Planet: Legends Reborn, get to know Xanthe and their unique mission in a Spirit World tale from Lazarus Planet: Dark Fate, and receive intel on the mysterious organization known as the Vigil in an excerpt from Lazarus Planet: Next Evolution. All three short stories are included in this comic, providing everything readers need to know to jump on board Spirit World, The Vigil, and City Boy starting in May. This promotional comic will be made available free to retailers.

Release Date: May 2, 2023

PCS NOTES: We tend to avoid putting reprints on this list, but this book is free at your local comic shop and it is really a primer for three interesting new series coming this month. You can find out more about those books on our regular NEW NUMBER ONES column.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer: The Lost Summer #1
Boom! Studios
Written by Casey Gilly
Art by Lauren Knight
Cover Art by Mirka Andolfo

ONE-SHOT SPECIAL

Spike is determined to keep the last copy of his embarrassing poetry from being discovered, sending Buffy and the Scooby Gang on a faux-supernatural goose chase to New Orleans to cover his tracks.

At an antiques fair, the group is fascinated by The Casquette Girls’ clothes on display.

When Dawn utters a wish she most likely should have kept to herself, the gang gains a firsthand account of the sisters’ identities… beyond what they could have imagined.

Buffy, The Last Vampire Slayer writer Casey Gilly is joined by Golden Rage artist Lauren Knight, bringing fans a historically fun and frightful one-shot to sink their fangs into! Continue reading “New Number Ones: One-Shots and Special Editions for May 2023” →

New Number Ones: One-Shots and Special Editions for February 2023

New Number Ones: One-Shots and Special Editions for February 2023

Posted on by Bob Harrison

Welcome to our New Number Ones: One-Shots & Specials for February 2023 column.

In this regular column, we collect the one-shot books, special anthologies, and original graphic novels that are being released this month. You can check out our regular New Number Ones column for the month here.

There is an alphabetical list of these special books below by release date, and don’t forget to check for our PCS NOTES to find out what we just have to tell you about these comics.

A couple of notes for this list. First of all DC Comics is in the midst of an event that is not quite an event. The Lazarus Planet storyline that is re-setting some status quos across the DC Universe is in full swing, but it is being told through a series of one-shots. We noted them here, because it seems pretty important to the cohesive narrative of the DC continuity of the moment.

Also, be aware that this list is very top heavy with the first week, mostly by DC books. The DC books actually hit some stores on January 31st because of their “New on Tuesday” rule. We consider the month to start on the first Wednesday of the month, so they are included in this February list.

One more thing, February is a month with themes and holidays. As such, you will find some anthologies on this page in honor of Black History Month, and there are some Valentine’s Day specials as well.

There are books on the list from: DC Comics, Dark Horse Comics, Marvel Comics, Archie Comics, Vault Comics, Top Shelf Productions, Little Bee Books, and Oni Press.

Batman: Legends of Gotham #1
DC Comics
Written by Andy Diggle
Art by Karl Mostert & Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Cover Art by Carmine Di Giandomenico

ONE-SHOT SPECIAL

With Batman preoccupied, his deepest, darkest, most dangerous secrets are about to be auctioned off to the highest bidder. The guest list is strictly villains only, and the outlaw Red Hood fits the bill–putting him on a collision course with Batman’s deniable black-ops team, the Outsiders! With Lazarus Island spawning wild-card superpowers across the globe, the stakes could not be higher. Jason Todd, Black Lightning, and Katana will have to put aside their differences to save Batman’s legacy–and with it, the world. That’s assuming they don’t kill each other first!

Release Date: January 31, 2023

DC’s Harley Quinn Romances #1
DC Comics
Written by Ivan Cohen, Amanda Diebert, Greg Lockard, Jessica Berbey, Alexis Quasarano, Frank Allen, Zipporah Smith, Raphael Draccon, Carolina Munho`z
Art by Ig Guara, Adriana Melo, John McCrea, Fico Ossio, Will Robson, Max Sarin, Priscilla Petraites, Gulio Macaione
Cover Art by Amanda Conner

ONE-SHOT SPECIAL

STRANGER THAN FAN FICTION / HERE’S TO JACK, HERE’S TO MOLLY / POWER GIRL AND ALL-AMERICAN BOY / GRACE / DATING APP DISASTER / ACROSS THE MULTIVERSE / ONCE UPON A ROMANCE NOVEL / SPLENDOR IN THE FOAM

DC is proud to present a selection of eight stories of rapscallion romance, prodigious passion, and undulating, unbridled affection. Tension builds as Apollo and Midnighter are captured by an unknown alien species who are determined to learn the secrets of their supersoldier success. Harley Quinn gets caught in a scintillating fantasy.

Release Date: January 31, 2023 Continue reading “New Number Ones: One-Shots and Special Editions for February 2023” →

Brainiac On Banjo: Mad Archie of the North Star?

Brainiac On Banjo: Mad Archie of the North Star?

Posted on by Mike Gold

Given current population statistics, if you live in a comic book, and you do not happen to be a Green Lantern or a Flash, chances are you are a Hulk or a Spider-Person. Add the Batman, Shazam and X-Men families, and the odds are overwhelming you belong to a personality cult.

Or… you can be an Archie. There’s a lot of them, too. Forget about the teevee show — forget about all of these characters media madness; I’m only talking about comic books here. Action Comics #1051, which dropped last week, gave us the bird’s eye lowdown on the 21st Century-of-the-week Superman family: there’s now about a million characters with the big S on their chests. The words “unique” and “special” have been replaced, as far as comics are concerned, with “redundant” and, stripped of that which makes these chapters distinctive, “boring.”

Except for Archie. There’s only one Archie, but he and his supporting cast members exist simultaneously in at least a dozen different forms. Amusingly, the creators manage to keep these varieties both unique and interesting. For example, we’ve had the New Look Archie, the married Archie (to both Betty and to Veronica, but separately — for better or worse), the Archie(s) that are more or less in the vein of the Riverdale teevee show, the Archie horror line stocked full of vampires, werewolves and other Universal movie ex-pats, and the Archies from both previous as well as future eras. Continue reading “Brainiac On Banjo: Mad Archie of the North Star?” →

Preview Reviews for 1/25/23: Archie VS The World #1 & Bulls of Beacon Hill #1

Preview Reviews for 1/25/23: Archie VS The World #1 & Bulls of Beacon Hill #1

Posted on by Bob Harrison

Welcome to the latest installment of Preview Reviews.

This week we have a couple of New Number Ones for you. We were able to review Archie VS The World #1 from Archie Comics and Bulls of Beacon Hill #1 from AfterShock Comics.

You can find this book at your LCS or wherever you buy books on January 25, 2023.

Also the rest of the #NewNumberOnes for January are here.

Archie VS The World #1
Archie Comics
Written by Aubrey Sitterson
Art by Jed Dougherty
Colors by Matt Herms & Doug Garbark
Letters by Jack Morelli
Cover Art by Dougherty

Original Solicitation:

In a post-apocalyptic future, our hero Archie Andrews is cursed to walk the world alone-well, alone with his souped-up jalopy. But Archie can defend himself-in fact, he’s the master of a brutal, deadly form of martial arts and must use his skills when he comes face-to-face with his rival and evil mirror image, Reggie. This action-packed one-shot is equal parts Mad Max: Fury Road and The Fist of the North Star, and reunites the Jughead the Burgarian team from 2022’s smash-hit comic THE BEST ARCHIE COMIC EVER!

PCS Review: Continue reading “Preview Reviews for 1/25/23: Archie VS The World #1 & Bulls of Beacon Hill #1” →

New Number Ones: One-Shots and Special Editions for January 2023

New Number Ones: One-Shots and Special Editions for January 2023

Posted on by Bob Harrison

This is the first column of the year for our fan-favorite New Number Ones: One-Shots & Specials column.

In this regular column, we collect the one-shot books, special anthologies, and original graphic novels that are being released this month. You can check out our regular New Number Ones column for the month here.

There is an alphabetical list of these special books below by release date, and don’t forget to check for our PCS NOTES to find out what we just have to tell you about these comics.

There are books on the list from: First Second Books, DC Comics, Image Comics, Dark Horse Comics, Marvel Comics, Archie Comics, and Oni Press.

Now Let Me Fly: A Portrait of Eugene Bullard HC
First Second Books
Written by Ronald Wimberly
Art by Brahm Revel
Cover Art by Revel

ORIGINAL GRAPHIC NOVEL

From author Ronald Wimberly, creator of the viral comic Lighten Up, comes a soaring graphic biography that casts new light on the first African-American fighter pilot.

On the eve of World War I, Eugene Bullard was a refugee of the Jim Crow South who was determined to find a place where a Black man would be treated as a fellow human being. His search took him from rural Georgia to the streets of Paris, from the vaudeville stage to the boxing ring, and finally, from the muddy trenches to the open skies. In 1914, Bullard joined the fight to defend France—and made history as the world’s first African American fighter pilot.

In this candid but sensitive portrait of Bullard, author Ronald Wimberly balances the personal and the historical to interrogate concepts of cynicism, idealism, fear, glory, and the pervasiveness of anti-Black racism.

Release Date: January 3. 2023

PCS NOTES: This is the kind of important content that needs to be seen in the comic form. Continue reading “New Number Ones: One-Shots and Special Editions for January 2023” →