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So Long and Thank For The Fish, Man #102: Doomed

So Long and Thank For The Fish, Man #102: Doomed

Posted on by Marc Alan Fishman

I am writing this article on Sunday, January 11th, 2026 (likely it’ll be posted in a couple days, so, don’t worry. I just like to work a bit ahead, if you will indulge me). In three-hundred forty-one days, Marvel Studios will unleash Avengers: Doomsday. Folks? I’m already sick of hearing about the movie. 

A literal year to the day of the release Marvel officially dropped the first of what I will assume is 176,962 teasers for the flick. We got to find out Steve Rogers would return. Yay.

Rest assured my TikTok feed was choked several days early with bootlegged versions that I swiped away from, in fear of AI slop. And somewhere around the seventeen-zillionth time I had to see the teaser reposted, or frame-by-frame broken down by the tidal wave of content creators, or otherwise speculated on… I waved the white flag.

And then the Thor trailer dropped.

And then the X-men trailer dropped.

I admit it. Yes, each time I’d wait to catch them on an official Marvel channel (again, to ensure that it wasn’t someone just using AI to fan-birth their own dumbass ideas), I would watch these teases… and to myself… speculate about plot points and things to come. I’d start getting hyped about the continuation of stories for these characters I’ve enjoyed across 37 films (!), and then it’d all come crashing down when I’d realized the movie isn’t coming out for eleven more months!

If this year-long trickle of teases are the Russo’s malevolent punishment to the world writ large that consumes information by the nano-second? I applaud the Doom-level villainy. I suspect, however, it’s the larger marketing machine itself still licking the wounds of Eternals flopping. 

Since the announcement that Robert Downey Jr. would be playing the titular ne’er-do-well, I’ve personally held a short-but-growing list of things I’d want to see occur when the movie makes way to the multi-plex. I’ll spare you a listicle to summarize it down to a singular point:

I need to know if the RDJ Doom is the Victor Von Doom of the movie 616 — and if so? There’s a metric ton of story that better pay it off. If what we’re getting is merely a variant? Then things are easily explained, and I’ll assume the focus is less on the how and more on the why.  Continue reading “So Long and Thank For The Fish, Man #102: Doomed” →

New Number Ones: New Comics Series and Specials Coming the Week of 3/27/2024

New Number Ones: New Comics Series and Specials Coming the Week of 3/27/2024

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 week. Check below for our PCS NOTES to find out what we just have to tell you about the new comics in question.

This is a list of great books that we have been talking about for a while. We have books on this week’s list from: DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Dark Horse Comics, Image Comics, Drawn & Quarterly, Fantagraphic Books, Mad Cave Studios, and Boom! Studios.

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 

Batman: Dark Age #1
DC Comics
Written by Mark Russell
Art by Michael Allred & Laura Allred
Letters by Dave Sharpe
Cover Art by Allred & Allred

THE EISNER-NOMINATED SUPERMAN: SPACE AGE TEAM, MARK RUSSELL AND MIKE ALLRED, TAKE ON THE DARK KNIGHT!

Meet Bruce Wayne, Gotham’s favorite delinquent son. In an origin story like no other, witness the boy become a dark knight shaped by a city in turmoil as it marches towards its prophesied doom. Set against the backdrop of actual historical events, Gotham comes alive, filled with the iconic characters who’ve loved and hated Batman over the years like you’ve never seen them before. Spinning out of the Eisner-nominated Superman: Space Age, Mark Russell and Mike Allred return to give audiences a look at Batman as a figure in American history fighting for justice in a world gone mad.

Release Date: March 26, 2024

PCS NOTES: We are super excited for this series. We thoroughly enjoyed the Superman: Space Age series and are hopeful of that excellent storytelling will continue in this series. You can check out our SquadCast Episode with Mark Russell talking about this series and more, here.

Feral #1
Image Comics
Written by Tony Fleecs
Art by Trish Forstner, Tone Rodriguez, & Brad Simpson
Cover Art by Fleecs & Forstner

SERIES PREMIERE

A NEW HORROR FROM THE CREATORS OF STRAY DOGS!

Meet Elsie, Lord Fluffy Britches, and Patch, three indoor cats lost in the not-so-great outdoors during a nightmarish rabies outbreak.

Without their humans to protect them, the cats rush to find their way home before they’re eaten by the forest full of rabid beasts on their tails.

Don’t get bit.

Don’t get scratched.

Don’t become…FERAL.

Release Date: March 27, 2024

PCS NOTES: This is the NEW NUMBER ONE OF THE WEEK! We spoke to Tony Fleecs about this book last month on the SquadCast and have been excited for the public to get their hands on it. Check out the interview, here. Continue reading “New Number Ones: New Comics Series and Specials Coming the Week of 3/27/2024” →

New Number Ones: New Comics Series and Specials Coming for the Week of 1/3/24

New Number Ones: New Comics Series and Specials Coming for the Week of 1/3/24

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 week. Check below for our PCS NOTES to find out what we just have to tell you about the new comics in question.

The New Year has come. I only wrote the wrong year three times below before going back to correct it. As we enter the new year we are bringing you new graphics to this column. We hope you like them and remember the same quality comic selections and book notes will be here for you regardless of the new images.

We have books on this week’s list from: DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Dark Horse Comics, and Boom! Studios. It is definitely a light week of new number ones. Publishers will be ramping up new series and OGNs as the month moves on; so, stay tuned to this column for updates.

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 

The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries #1
DC Comics
Written by Sholly Fisch
Art by Dario Brizuela & Franco Riesco
Letters by Saida Temofonte
Cover Art by Brizuela & Riesco

BECAUSE YOU DEMANDED IT: NOW AN ONGOING SERIES! A new ongoing series teams up Gotham’s greatest detectives with Crystal Cove’s teen sleuths! The big top’s the place for thrills and chills—even more so when a traveling circus is haunted! But even Scooby and the gang don’t realize just how chilling it is for Nightwing…because this is Haly’s Circus, Dick Grayson’s childhood home!

Release Date: January 2, 2024

PCS NOTES: These type of comics are so important, and we are excited for the fun that will be inside this book.

Beware the Planet of the Apes #1
Marvel Comics
Written by Marc Guggenheim
Art by Álvaro López
Cover Art by Taurin Clarke

INTO THE FORBIDDEN ZONE! In a hostile world run by aggressive gorillas, scientists Cornelius and Zira are the only apes alive who see value in the mute, dumb human race—but even they know human capabilities have severe limits. So when their nephew Lucius goes missing, it is with great trepidation that they turn to a human ally, a young woman who will someday earn the moniker “Nova”… Steeped in a love for the classic tales, Marc Guggenheim and Álvaro López’s series will take the Planet of the Apes legacy to explosive new heights—and it all starts here!

Release Date: January 3, 2024

PCS NOTES: With the trailer for the latest installment of the film franchise fresh in everyone’s mind, it feels like a great time to visit with this property, and we are confident that Marc Guggenheim and Álvaro López will deliver high quality stories. Continue reading “New Number Ones: New Comics Series and Specials Coming for the Week of 1/3/24” →

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” →

Brainiac On Banjo: How Does Tom Brevoort Relax?

Brainiac On Banjo: How Does Tom Brevoort Relax?

Posted on by Mike Gold

No place to hide… no place to run. The mutant age has now begun! Magneto’s hordes are on their way to pillage, burn and plunder, but there’s one team that will not yield, the team that strikes like thunder! — Theme song for Pryde of the X-Men (unsold 1989 television pilot) written by Robert J. Walsh.

It just so happens I have a lot of respect for Tom Brevoort. He’s been editing over at Marvel Comics since they were published on papyrus scrolls, and he’s been doing a damn good job.

That says a lot — looking at the history of our beloved medium, comics have had a tendency to eat up editors and spit them out due to our incessant squirming. The job takes knowledge, skill, and perseverance to keep straight all those characters, and Tom’s job for the past quarter-century has been to oversee the surfeit of Avengers titles.

The last time I counted, that means Brevoort had to keep track of enough costumed characters to squeeze out the population of Chongqing. Yeah, look it up.

I can understand why he’d be interested in doing something new. Sure, I’ve got a short attention span, but what the hell, he’s earned the right to kick back and try a few “new” characters on for size.

You know, like taking oversight over the X-Men titles. Continue reading “Brainiac On Banjo: How Does Tom Brevoort Relax?” →

Brainiac On Banjo: The Birds of Clay

Brainiac On Banjo: The Birds of Clay

Posted on by Mike Gold

A pretty little raven at the bird bandstand taught him how to do the bop and it was grand. They started goin’ steady and bless my soul, he out-bopped the buzzard and the oriole! — Rockin’ Robin, written by Leon René.

Proliferate: increase rapidly in numbers; multiply: the science fiction magazines that proliferated in the 1920s. (Apple Dictionary)

Make Room, Make Room: Harry Harrison’s 1966 novel about the overpopulation of Earth so massive that people had to live in stairwells. The story was set in 1999. The book was made into a movie titled “Soylent Green” after the artificial food substance manufactured to feed the teaming masses. Spoiler Alert: “Soylent Green is people.”

If you chart the growth of Robins in the DC universe, it won’t be long before there are more of those obnoxious little buggers than there are Elvis impersonators. Indeed, the way things have been going lately there will be more Robins on Earth than there are Green Lanterns in the universe.

This is not a good thing.

Mind you, even as a kid long, long ago, I disliked Robin. He was, at best, unnecessary. The idea of a child that young being trained as a superhero was not a good example of child-rearing. I mean, sure, take a kid whose mind and body was not nearly developed, put him barelegged in tight shorts and a yellow cape and toss him into action against The Joker. Hell, at that time I was barely allowed to cross the street. Even Bruce Wayne’s megabucks wouldn’t protect him from Child Protective Services. It barely protected Batman and Robin from Dr. Frederic Wertham. Continue reading “Brainiac On Banjo: The Birds of Clay” →

Brainiac On Banjo: Hell Is For Whom?

Brainiac On Banjo: Hell Is For Whom?

Posted on by Mike Gold

They cry in the dark so you can’t see their tears. They hide in the light, so you can’t see their fears. Forgive and forget, all the while, love and pain become one and the same in the eyes of a wounded child. Because hell — hell is for children. “Hell Is For Children” written by Neil Giraldo, Roger Capps, and Pat Benatar.

Quick: What did Pat Robertson have in common with Marv Wolfman, George Pérez, Chris Claremont and Brent Anderson — and, evidently, not with Howard Chaykin?

No, no. I mean, besides that.

Back when he was alive, Pat Robertson hosted a cable teevee funfest called “The 700 Club.” I gather this offensive and bigoted daily video scree will continue despite Robertson being declared dead formally. What the hell, had Pat not been born in the first place, religious and sexual hatred would have lived on unabated. In that sense, Pat Robertson was superfluous. Continue reading “Brainiac On Banjo: Hell Is For Whom?” →

New Number Ones: Comics Series Coming in March 2022

New Number Ones: Comics Series Coming in March 2022

Posted on by Bob Harrison

For March, we have compiled 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 month we spotlight books from the usual suspects: AfterShock Comics, DC Comics, Vault Comics, Image Comics, Marvel Comics, Valiant Entertainment, Oni Press, AWA/Upshot Studios, and Dark Horse Comics.

This month we have five Wednesdays which means five #NCBD celebrations.

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.

You will find the books listed below in the order of when they are released.

Week of 3/2/22
Week of 3/9/22
Week of 3/16/22
Week of 3/23/22
Week of 3/30/22

Week of March 2

Batman: Killing Time #1
DC Comics
Written by Tom King
Art by David Marquez & Alejandro Sanchez
Cover Art by Marquez & Sanchez

Three villains, one Dark Knight, and a deadly heist gone wrong. Catwoman, the Riddler, and the Penguin join forces to pull off the greatest robbery in the history of Gotham City. And their prize? A mysterious and priceless artifact in the secret possession of Bruce Wayne! But, as the events unfold, what fun is a heist without a bloody double cross or two?

Release Date: March 1, 2022

PCS NOTES: Tom King returns to Batman with a limited series and fantastic artist in tow. This looks fun and we expect plenty of “Hmmm” quotes.

Chef’s Kiss TP
Oni Press
Written By Jarrett Melendez
Art by Danica Brine & Hank Jones
Cover art by Kevin Wada

Watch things start to really heat up in the kitchen in this sweet, queer, new adult graphic novel!

Now that college is over, English graduate Ben Cook is on the job hunt looking for something…anything…related to his passion for reading and writing. But interview after interview, hiring committee after hiring committee, Ben soon learns getting the dream job won’t be as easy as he thought. Proofreading? Journalism? Copywriting? Not enough experience. It turns out he doesn’t even have enough experience to be a garbage collector! But when Ben stumbles upon a “Now Hiring—No Experience Necessary” sign outside a restaurant, he jumps at the chance to land his first job. Plus, he can keep looking for a writing job in the meantime. He’s actually not so bad in the kitchen, but he will have to pass a series of cooking tests to prove he’s got the culinary skills to stay on full-time. But it’s only temporary…right?

When Ben begins developing a crush on Liam, one of the other super dreamy chefs at the restaurant, and when he starts ditching his old college friends and his old writing job plans, his career path starts to become much less clear

Release Date: March 2, 2022

PCS NOTES: I have been waiting for this book for a long time. I have had a chance to read it already and it is possibly the best original graphic novel that I have ever read. It is lovely in art, sentiment, and tone. It reaches emotional notes that catch you off guard. We don’t typically include trade paperbacks in this column but this one requires an exception. Don’t miss this book!!

Loaded Bible: Blood of My Blood #1
Image Comics
Written by Tim Seeley & Steve Orlando
Art by Giuseppe Carafo
Cover Art by Mirka Andolfo

Decades after the events of the original cult series, Jesus’ vampire-hunting clone is a bigger outlaw than ever, and now, he has to face a threat like no other. The church has cut a deal with the vampire nations to unite under their cloned savior – Dracula. A 6-part monthly miniseries starting on Ash Wednesday!

Release Date: March 2, 2022

PCS NOTES: Despite not having read the original series of one shots for Loaded Bible, we are totally in on this. The insanity potential with Tim Seeley and Steve Orlando is something that is surely not to be missed.

Radio Spaceman #1
Dark Horse Comics
Written by Mike Mignola
Art by Greg Hinkle & Dave Stewart
Cover Art by Mignola

When a ship crashes and lands on a mysterious planet and some of the surviving crew go missing, the mysterious mechanical hero Radio Spaceman is called to investigate. But the planet hides much more than the missing crew, and Radio Spaceman may be stumbling into more than even he can handle.

Release Date: March 2, 2022

PCS NOTES: We are really looking forward to this new effort from Mike Mignola and Greg Hinkle. 

Red Room: Trigger Warnings #1
Fantagraphics Books
Written by Ed Piskor
Art by Piskor
Cover Art by Piskor

The best selling, most talked about series of 2020 kicks off its second four-issue “season” with another self-contained mini-masterpiece of monthly comics storytelling. In this issue, the Decimator presents… The Rat Queens! And unfortunately for them, they are front and center in his most horrific red room broadcast yet! As seen on the YouTube channel sensation, Cartoonist Kayfabe, from the creator of X-Men: Grand Design and Hip Hop Family Tree!

Release Date: March 2, 2022

PCS NOTES: The first series was remarkable and this has the same potential. 

Rouge Son #1
Image Comics
Written by Ryan Parrott
Art by Abel & Chris O’Halloran
Cover Art by Declan Shalvey & O’Halloran

Yesterday: New Orleans’ greatest hero, ROGUE SUN, was murdered.

Today: rebellious teenager DYLAN SIEGEL discovers that Rogue Sun was his estranged father, Marcus — and that he’s inherited his father’s mantle. Tasked with protecting our world from the forces of the supernatural — and solving his father’s murder — Dylan will be forced to come to terms with the man he’s spent the majority of his life hating.

From acclaimed writer RYAN PARROTT and rising star artist ABEL comes A SUPERNATURAL MURDER MYSTERY that explores the complicated bond between father and son and cements itself squarely in a corner of the IMAGE COMICS’ SUPERHERO UNIVERSE!

Release Date: March 2, 2022

Strange #1
Marvel Comics
Written by Jed McKay
Art by Marcelo Ferreira
Cover Art by Bjorn Barends

A NEW SORCERER SUPREME RISES! Doctor Strange is dead! And a new Sorcerer Supreme has taken the title, or should we say Sorceress? Haunted by her recently returned memories, Clea longs to bring Stephen Strange back from the dead! But when a mysterious group attacks the magical realm, Clea must rise to the duties of Sorcerer Supreme. For she is now the sole protector of Earth against magical threats. Don’t miss the twists and turns as Jed MacKay continues the story from THE DEATH OF DOCTOR STRANGE with artist Marcelo Ferreira!

Release Date: March 2, 2022

PCS NOTES: Yep. More Clea is something I am on board with.  Continue reading “New Number Ones: Comics Series Coming in March 2022” →

As Is With Mike Gold: Fuck ‘Em If They Can’t Take A Poke

As Is With Mike Gold: Fuck ‘Em If They Can’t Take A Poke

Posted on by Mike Gold

Sharpen your teeth for the family feast. Let all the hungry drool roll down your chin. Hide the human and bring out the beast. Let all the animal games begin! – Sandy Linzer and Denny Randell, Silver Spoon, 1971.

Last week, reported COVID infections went up 11%. That’s not entirely a bad thing.

Those new cases, according to published accounts, are almost entirely among the unvaccinated. 99.5%, according to the CDC, which is closer than “almost entirely.” If recent history is an indication, this particular subset of moronacy does not believe COVID infections went up 11%. Or, alternately, that COVID has ever been a problem at all. Or, on the mutant’s third hand, it’s all a Democratic Party conspiracy.

With respect to that last idea, they might have a point. Given the overwhelming refusal of many in the Confederate States to get the jab – no nanites for true American patriots! – they are killing off each other. Perhaps they believe the Democrats have bred a new strain of COVID, the Delta Variant (which is not the name of an X-Men graphic novel) that spreads much faster and with far greater efficiency than that which attacked the Atlantic northeast blue states a year and a half ago. To hell with ending gerrymandering, we Pizza Pederasts have on our side… oh, my god… SCIENCE!

The fly in that slice of paranoid pie is that the Democrats haven’t shown the ability to get their act together to organize such a feat since they ended Reconstruction with The Great Compromise of 1877. I continue to question the use of the adjective “Great,” but in those days the Republicans were what we call Democrats today and the Democrats were what we called Republicans – until the remaining, unpurged “Republicans” bent over and turned their asses towards the ex-president.

Be that as it may, all these death worshipping insurrectionists have been warned repeatedly, in every manner possible, throughout the lamestream media. No doubt they’re still busy looking for that Washington pizza parlor’s basement. It’s possible the Cult might have heard about it through their misinformation venues of choice: Twitter, Fox News, the Qanon sites, Breitbart, The Epoch Times, Infowars, Newsmax, One America News, Twitchy, the Washington Times, and a great many others. However, these ill-dressed goose-stepping Goebbels replicants seem to share a different interpretation of the word “vaccine.” They confuse it with “Zyklon B.”

I wonder. WWAR do? What would Ayn Rand do? That disgusting, lying hypocrite took social security, so perhaps she’d take the jab as well. The far right has a hard time letting philosophy get in the way of their own personal… growth. We know her fanboy eye doctor wannabe devotee Kentucky Senator Rand Paul thinks this is a prime example of government overreach. Saving people’s lives is not something in which any Right-thinking American should engage.

As a person who believes in democracy, egalitarianism, freedom of and from religion, and the American Dream, I say to these individuals “Keep on truckin’.” We’ll see if we can bury you under the statues of your favorite treasonous Confederate heroes.

And here you thought COVID was a bummer.

New Number Ones: New Comics Series Coming In July 2021

New Number Ones: New Comics Series Coming In July 2021

Posted on by Bob Harrison

This month we give our readers a list of the exciting new comic book series debuting in July. We have compiled an alphabetical list with cover art and the official solicitation text from the publishers. Check below for our PCS NOTES to find out what we just have to tell you about the new comics in question.

There are quite a few of great new and interesting series starting this month from AfterShock Comics, Ahoy Comics, IDW Publishing, Boom! Studios, DC Comics, Dark Horse Comics, Vault Comics, Image Comics, Marvel Comics, Scout Comics, Valiant Entertainment, Dynamite Entertainment, AWA/Upshot Studios, Titan Books, and Bad Idea Comics.

A very interesting nugget from this month’s list is that there are no new Batman books and two Superman books. DC is mixing it up to keep us on our toes.

We will bring you reviews of most 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.

You will find the books listed below in the order of when they are released.

Week of 7/7/21
Week of 7/14/21
Week of 7/21/21
Week of 7/28/21

Week of July 7

Black’s Myth #1
Ahoy Comics
Written by Eric Palicki
Art by Wendell Cavalcanti
Cover Art by Liana Kangas

Meet Janie “Strummer” Jones, just an ordinary werewolf PI, trying to make it on the mean streets of LA. When the case of a lifetime falls into her lap, it’s up to her and her charming djinn assistant Ben Si’lat to figure out just how many silver bullets have been used, and just where do silver bullets come from anyway? A new horror series from writer Eric Palicki and artist Wendell Cavalcanti, with lush covers by Liana Kangas. Every AHOY book comes with extra prose stories and illustrations. Issue 1 features a stunning variant cover by Jamal Igle.

Release Date: July 7, 2021

PCS NOTES: You had me at “ordinary werewolf PI”. I am up for this one!

Clans Of Belari #1
AfterShock Comics
Written by Rob Blackie & Peter Blackie
Art by Daniel Maine & Carlos Lopez
Cover Art by Andy Clarke & Jose Villarrubia

PRIMARY LAWS OF THE BELARI SYSTEM:

1.) No person or Clan may exit the system.
2.) No person or Clan may do the Designated Work of another Clan.
3.) Clans may not merge.
4.) Any person that breaks a Primary Law shall be made Outcast.

On the far side of the galaxy, an isolated branch of humanity is trapped in a feudal dystopia. Oder is maintained by a system of oppression, until an orphaned girl and her incorrigible adoptive father sow the seeds of a revolution and unite the clans against a fearsome alien threat.

From Rob Blackie and Peter Blackie (creators and writers of Netflix’s historical action-adventure series, Frontier) and artist Daniel Maine comes this vast and enthralling sci-fi adventure.

Release Date: July 7, 2021

PCS NOTES: Who doesn’t love a sci-fi epic that delves into the nature of how humanity treats itself? Looks good.

Fight Girls #1
AWA / Upshot Studios
Written by Frank Cho
Art by Cho & Sabine Rich
Cover Art by Cho

Ten hard-as-nails women face off in an ancient contest of champions where the winner truly takes all: the title of “Queen of the Galaxy.” To win the challenge each contestant must survive the hazards of the planet’s harsh landscape, the ferocious predators on and below its surface, and their fellow contestants. This edition of the contest has a twist: one of the contestants is an infiltrator who has her eye on something bigger than the prize. Who is she and what does she really want?

Release Date: July 7, 2021

PCS NOTES: I will say that Frank Cho is a very good storyteller, and that makes me want to see what this book has in store for the reader.

Justice League Infinity #1
DC Comics
Written by J.M. DeMatteis & James Tucker
Art by Ethen Beavers
Cover Art by Francis Manapul

From Justice League Unlimited producer James Tucker and series writer J.M. DeMatteis comes an all-new season starring the World’s Greatest Heroes! There is a being wandering the universe searching for its true purpose, but what it finds out on the farthest edges of the cosmos will change not just our universe, but many! Meanwhile, the war for the throne of Apokolips arrives on Earth, and the true ruler will only be decided one way: Who can destroy the Justice League?

Release Date: July 6, 2021

PCS NOTES: This takes place in the “universe” that is very special to a lot of people, and the creative team inspires a lot of confidence that this will be a good story. Looking forward to it.

The Lot #1
Bad Idea Comics
Written by Marguerite Bennett
Art by Renato Guedes
Cover Art by Guedes

In 1970, legendary filmmaker Oliver Larsen began production on his latest horror masterpiece on the lot of Los Angeles’ famed Cloverleaf Studios. Obsessed with bringing authenticity to the genre, the director insisted on casting real-life occultists to perform a genuine Satanic ritual live on camera – until something went horribly wrong. In the bloody aftermath, the production was shut down, the footage was confiscated, and the soundstage was forever shuttered.

Until today.

On the heels of a promotion that’s just made her the youngest studio chief in decades, Aviva Copeland is planning to overhaul Cloverleaf’s fading image for the 21st century – starting with the prime piece of California real estate that’s gone unused for 50 years: the very same lost soundstage where Larsen filmed his doomed masterpiece. But, as Aviva will soon discover, this corner of the lot may have been closed for a half-century, but it’s far from empty… and the evil that lives within its haunted walls will soon seize its chance to kill again.

New York Times best-selling writer Marguerite Bennett and artist Renato Guedes present a terrifying vision of horror and Hollywood in the boldly bloody Bad Idea manner!

Release Date: July 7, 2021

PCS NOTES: A new horror story from Marguerite Bennett is not something that you let slip by. Find somewhere that Bad Idea is sold and get this book. 

Mamo #1
Boom! Studios
Written by Sas Milledge
Art by Milledge
Cover Art by Milledge

BOOM! Studios is proud to showcase the incredible artistic vision of Sas Milledge!

Can Orla O’Reilly embrace her destiny in order to bridge the divide between humanity and the faerie world?

Orla, the youngest in a long line of hedge witches, finds herself pulled back to her hometown after the death of her grandmother – Mamo.

Without Mamo managing magical relationships between the townsfolk and the fae, the seas are impossible to fish, the crops have soured… and Jo Manalo’s attic has been taken over by a poltergeist!

Now, Orla and Jo will both be pulled into worlds they never wanted to be part of. Can the two girls work together to save the town?

Sas Milledge debuts her first original series perfect for fans of The Last Witch and Sabrina The Teenage Witch that answers the question of how we all reconcile our responsibilities with our dreams for our own future.

Release Date: July 7, 2021

PCS NOTES: This solicitation and cover art got us. We are interested in meeting Orla.

Masters of the Universe: Revelation #1
Dark Horse Comics
Written by Rob David, Tim Sheridan & Kevin Smith
Art by Mindy Lee
Cover Art by Stjepan Sejic

Following a vicious Orlax attack on his father King Randor, He-Man learns the creature is linked to the origin of the sword of power. To save Randor and put an end to the chaos He-Man embarks on an epic journey that pits him against his longtime foes Skeletor and Evil-Lyn, and sees Teela take the reins of a powerful legacy.

The official prequel to the upcoming Netflix show!

Variant cover by Mike Mignola.

Release Date: July 7, 2021

PCS NOTES: Are you excited for the new Netlfix He-Man series. We are, and this book looks to be a good introduction to the series if you need a refresh on the world of Eternia.

Ordinary Gods #1
Image Comics
Written by Kyle Higgins
Art by Felipe Watanabe
Cover Art by Watanabe

For fans of THE OLD GUARD and GOD COUNTRY comes the extra-length first issue of a centuries-spanning action epic from writer KYLE HIGGINS and artist FELIPE WATANABE!

The Luminary. The Prodigy. The Brute. The Trickster. The Innovator. Five gods from a realm beyond our own, leaders in the “War of Immortals.” Aleast, they were – before they were trapped, sent to a planet made into a prison, forced into an endless cycle of human death and reincarnation. Christopher is 22. He’s got two loving parents and a 12-year-old sister. He works at a paint store. He’s in therapy. He’s one of the Five. Which means, in order to save everyone he cares about, Christopher will have to reconnect with his past lives and do the unthinkable: become a god again.

Release Date: July 7, 2021

PCS NOTES: I like the concept behind this story and am intrigued to see how they pull it off.

Red Sonja: Black, White, Red #1
Dynamite Comics
Written by Kurt Busiek, Amanda Diebert, & Mark Russell
Art by Benjamin Dewey, Cat Staggs, & Bob Q
Cover Art by Lucio Parrillo

Dynamite proudly presents a prestige project by the world’s greatest storytellers! Red Sonja, like you’ve NEVER seen before…all presented in beautiful black, white, and red!

KURT BUSIEK and BENJAMIN DEWEY  take you to The Mountains Of Night, a foreboding haunt where the She-Devil With A Sword seeks a precious, priceless item…

AMANDA DEIBERT and CAT STAGGS wind you through a mysterious adventure of crimson and ebony…

MARK RUSSELL and BOB Q return to put their final stamp on their classic Red Sonja series, with a coda that will leave you breathless…

Release Date: July 7, 2021

PCS NOTES: Yes another limited pallet anthology series, BUT try to convince me that Dynamite could come up with a better lineup of talent for the first issue of this offering. You can’t. Just get the book and enjoy.

Skybound X #1
Image Comics
Written by Various
Art by Various
Cover Art by Ryan Ottley

Celebrate a sensational 10 years of Skybound with a cavalcade of your favorite creators for all-new stories of your favorite series past, present and future! Each issue of this oversized, weekly series will kick off with a new chapter of a serialized THE WALKING DEAD story—RICK GRIMES 2000—by Robert Kirkman & Ryan Ottley!

In addition, we’ll be debuting all-new series and characters every issue, starting with the First Appearance of the most requested WALKING DEAD character of all-time: Clementine, star of the bestselling Telltale’s The Walking Dead video game series!

Did we mention new ULTRAMEGA and MANIFEST DESTINY stories?! If you want to know what to expect in Skybound’s next 10 years, it all starts here!

Release Date: July 7, 2021

PCS NOTES: Not much to add to the solicitation for this book.

X-Men #1
Marvel Comics
Written by Gerry Duggan
Art by Pepe Larraz & Marte Gracia
Cover Art by Larraz & Gracia

THESE X-MEN ARE…FEARLESS! The heroes of Krakoa are here to save the planet! Things might be complicated between the nation of Krakoa and the rest of the world, but to the X-MEN, things are simple—you do what’s right, you protect those who need protecting and you save the world we all share. Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Sunfire, Rogue, Wolverine, Synch and Polaris are the chosen champions of mutantkind, and they will not shrink from any battle for their home planet. Writer Gerry Duggan reteams with superstar artist Pepe Larraz to chart the course of the X-Men in a world of the Reign of X!

Release Date: July 7, 2021

PCS NOTES: It’s time for a new X-Men #1. Let’s be honest some of the best storytelling at Marvel is coming from the X-office. We will be on-board with this new number one for sure. Continue reading “New Number Ones: New Comics Series Coming In July 2021” →