Mike Maillaro
- BATMAN/TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #1 – How did it take so long for this to happen??? Back in the 90’s, it seemed like everyone was crossing over, and this was always one of my dream crossovers. I am glad that it’s finally happening. And that is has such a huge creative team. James Tynion IV and Freddie Williams II should really crush this one.
- ROBIN WAR – Man…can’t they have spread this crossover out a little better? We get four issues this week. Detective Comics, Gotham Academy, Grayson, and Red Hood. When I am sitting down to type up these picks, I haven’t read last week’s Robin War 1 yet, but I have been looking forward to this crossover. I read just about all these books normally anyway (only one I don’t read is Gotham Academy).
- NEW ROMANCER #1 – I honestly don’t know why I am picking this one up. I do like Peter Milligan’s work most of the time, but he’s not someone I rush out to buy usually. And the concept of the book (Lord Byron seems to be reincarnated and attempting to take over dating sites) isn’t something that would usually appeal to me. But just something about this combo convinced me to give it a shot. If nothing else, it’s different and that always gets extra points from me.
- PRECINCT #1 – Dynamite’s newest steampunk experiment. I will admit, I was kind of hoping for more LEGENDERRY, but this title still looks great. I am actually working on getting a preview copy of it right now. Dynamite is usually pretty good with that kind of thing.
- SYMMETRY #1 – Another new book from Image. I complain a lot that every future in comics seems to be a dystopia. Symmetry goes a slightly different route. We see a future utopia…but there is something problematic going on behind the scenes. The preview pages for this book really caught my eye. And Image puts out a lot of great new books, so I really am curious about this one.
- TROOP #1 – As you can see, there are a lot of new books coming out this week that I am interested in. TROOP is from Titan and is supposed to present us with a new take on superpowers. But, to be honest, I am pretty much 90% buying it just because it’s written by Noel Clarke. I always liked him as an actor, and I’ve heard nothing but rave reviews about his work as a writer and director. So I have to check this one out.
- SECRET WARS #8 – At least! The last issue of Secret Wars is here. It’s taken forever, but….wait. What do you mean they extended this to 9 issues? Are you serious? The long national nightmare will never end. My grandkids will still be waiting for this dull series to wrap up. Which is ironic, because Marvel will have relaunched their books at least 25 more times by then…
- UNITY #25 – I can’t believe they are ending Unity. I give Valiant some credit for not spreading themselves thin by publishing too many titles at once. But it still bugs me when they end series I really enjoy. Unity was the center of the Valiant universe for me with so many books and characters intersecting here. And the story arcs were some of my favorite in comics. Definitely will miss this one.
- ALL-NEW HAWKEYE #2 – I know a lot of people loved Matt Fraction’s Hawkeye series, but I got tired of it real quick. I really enjoyed Lemire’s brief run on Hawkeye last year, and the relaunch/continuation of it has been real brilliant. It takes place a few years in the future so shows both Hawkeyes dealing with the long term ramifications of the terrible things that happened in the end of the last series. Lemire can be a little hit or miss for me, but Hawkeye is a great fit for him.
John Babos
- Batman #47 – Continuing the march to #50. I’m not as enamored by this titles as I have been in the past. Best arc is still the Court of Owls arc from years ago.
- Earth 2 Society #7 – I love these characters and the energy that radiates in and from the book.
- Green Arrow #47 – I really was hoping for a title that captures the tone of the TV series, CW’s Arrow, but charts its own path. This channels the vibe of the classic Green Lantern / Green Arrow “relevance” run which is also compelling.
- Justice League: Darkseid War: Lex Luthor #1 – Is this late? For some reason I thought these one-shots should have been wrapped up by now. Anyhow, intrigued by this one in particular.
- New Suicide Squad #15 – Love those team and concept. New creative team coming. Am curious how book will change.
- Ninjak #10 – Love this espionage title. The back-up tales from the past have also been compelling.
- Secret Wars #8 – Finally. “Nuff said.
- Star Trek / Green Lantern #6 – The end of an unexpected mini-series. IDW has done a great job with their Trek/DC x-over mini’s. This has been no different.
- Suicide Squad TPB Volume 2: The Nightshade Odyssey – The classic 1980’s run continues to be collected! Worth getting, even if you have the originals, as this TPB is on better paper with better coloring. This arc is highly recommended! Penguin joins the team for a mission to Moscow!
- Telos #3 – Was not expecting to like this book. However, the revelation that he’s really Arak and with pre-Flashpoint / post-Convergence Parallax waiting the wings, color me intrigued.
- Ultimates #2 – I thought issue #1 was slow, but am intrigued by Galactus and LOVE Kenneth Rocafort art!
- Unity #25 – Series finale. Humor issue. Not sure what to expect, but its Valiant; they have the best line in comics so I’m sure it’ll be solid on story and art.
James Fulton
- The Massive: Ninth Wave #1 – I really liked Brian Wood’s The Massive, and am excited about this prequel series, which focuses on the direct action taken by the Ninth Wave group. As the main series became more mystical in nature, I started missing it’s more environmentally-driven arcs; this should satisfy that craving.
- No Mercy #5 – The first four issues of this comic about teenagers lost in a South American desert, and hunted by coyotes and a drug cartel were excellent. I am very happy it’s back, and can’t wait to see where it heads.
- Trees #13 – Trees is one of my favourite Image comics, but it’s fallen behind its schedule (not a Warren Ellis comic – imagine that!). I’m glad to see it coming back again.
- Violent #1 – Ed Brisson is a master at writing crime comics. This should be good, especially with the excellent Adam Gorham drawing.
- We Can Never Go Home TP – This is a Black Mask comic that caught my eye, but by the time it did, the first two issues were impossible to find. Happily, this is a $10 trade, so not only do I save myself a hunt, it’s cheaper than buying the original comics!
Phil Allen
- Batman / Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 – DC seems to have a few crossover events going recently (see Green Lantern/Star Trek listed below as well as the upcoming Batman ‘66 Meets The Man from U.N.C.L.E.) and I hope it doesn’t stop.
- Gwenpool Special #1 – I haven’t jumped on the Spider-Gwen train yet (mostly because I’m not a Spider-Man fan) but I can’t pass up on this issue that’s part Gwen-Pool and part Marvel Universe holiday special.
- Snow Blind #1 – Sounds like an interesting premise, and I’m certainly willing to read more from Ollie Masters after The Kitchen, so I’m in.
- Star Wars Annual #1 – The Star Wars books, including the flagship series, Darth Vader, and the other mini-series released, have been some of the most consistently enjoyable books in my list lately. Maybe it’s the nostalgia, but there’s no way I’m missing this annual. While annuals tend to cost another buck or two, the extra pages and (sometimes) bonus material make it worth it.
- A few other issues I’m looking forward to:
- Batman #47
- Batman and Robin Eternal #10
- Birthright #12 (Bressan & Lucas Cover)
- Catwoman #47
- Detective Comics #47
- Fables: The Wolf Among Us #12
- Gotham Academy #13
- Green Arrow #47
- Star Trek / Green Lantern #6
- We Stand On Guard #6
Paul Miranda
- BAD MOON RISING #3 (of 6)
- HUMBUG #1 (of 5)
451 Media launches its fifth title for the foreseeable future. It’s no coincidence that this launches two weeks before the festive season. Scrooge is my anti-hero!!
- JUST ANOTHER SHEEP #2 (of 5)
Despite being born in the 70’s, this title has me interested enough in the 60’s. The twist is that the protagonist is an ultra-powerful telepath now has been strong armed into working for a secret society.
- inSEXts #1
Aftershock releases the second of four new books this month. Marguerite Bennett is ablaze with her creative mind. The Victorian era will soon witness metahumans firsthand. Plus, given the nascency of this publisher, these number ones will go for big bucks, and are already buzz-worthy.
- WE CAN NEVER GO HOME TP
Too late to jump on the bandwagon. I didn’t bother with the single issues. Luckily, there’s a super-affordable trade with all five books. $10 for the complete set makes it half the price of each individual issue!!
- SNOW BLIND #1 (of 4)
BOOM! books are fairly new to me even though they are a decade old. The only recent purchase and perusal for me was KLAUS #1. The rundown behind this title has me at full attention! Secret, lies, and dysfunctional family in the heart of the wilderness!!
- BATMAN #47
- BATMAN and ROBIN ETERNAL #10 (of 26)
- BATMAN/TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #1 (of 6)
Outrageous as it sounds and looks, this works! The Heroes in a Half-Shell are urban legends. So is the Dark Knight. Therefore, why not combine these characters and have them collaborate?
- DARK KNIGHT III: MASTER RACE #1 (of 8) COLLECTOR’S ED.
My wallet is going to be beyond empty by the time this month is over. I haven’t even begun Christmas shopping The appeal behind this beauty is that the mini-comic is regular-sized!! Thirteen bucks isn’t that steep considering the talent and brand name recognition.
- GOTHAM ACADEMY #13
- GRAYSON #15
- RED HOOD/ARSENAL #7
“Robin War” goes into full gear!! The first part was a surprising double-sized story that made us true fans gush with glee due to some not-so-subtle foreshadowing. The youth movement has been kiboshed. Damian’s hot-headedness is bad enough but with multiple players working for or against the teens, the landscape in Gotham will change.
- JUSTICE LEAGUE: DARKSEID WAR – LEX LUTHOR
There are many reasons no one likes late books. For me, one pet peeve is that I end up forgetting about it until it’s almost too late (no pun intended). the last of the six one-shots. All the series have been relatively introspective but they haven’t made much impact on the sales chart. No matter! Lex is one of the most complex layered villains of all time. I can’t wait for him to slip back to his wicked ways.
- NEW ROMANCER #1 (of 12)
Vertigo launches its tenth of twelve titles. Modern-day dating goes back three centuries when a female coder comes across the original Don Juan: Lord Byron!!
- EMPIRE of BLOOD #3 (of 4)
- SADHU: BIRTH of the WARRIOR #6 (of 6)
Go go, Graphic India!!
- The PHANTOM #5 (of 6)
- BACK to the FUTURE #3 (of 6)
- STAR TREK/GREEN LANTERN #6 (of 6)
- BIRTHRIGHT #12
- MONSTRESS #2
- The VIOLENT #1
All Canadian content!! Ed Brisson, Adam Gorham, and Michael Garland deliver hardboiled crime fiction at its hardest!
- WE STAND on GUARD #6 (of 6)
Oh, Canada, my home and native land! BKV goes all-out in this explosive finale.
- COMING of RAGE #3 (of 5)
- SECRET WARS #8 (of 9)
The much ballyhooed book sssslllloooowwwwllllyyy inches towards the end. Why couldn’t you release #9 before the end of the year, Marvel?!? AARRGGHH!! This one is a doozy: the giant-sized Thing [natch!] pounds the snot out of Galactus!! Where was he all this time? Random!
- SCARLET WITCH #1
It’s surprising that ANADM has only one title launching this week. HHHMMM. Wanda has been trying to break free of the stigma that she is unhinged and unpredictable. A cooler, more confident and comfortable Witch wanders the world. This series will have a different artist for each issue. That makes it noteworthy IMO. David Aja’s regular cover and Kevin Wada’s variant have me salivating.
- GWENPOOL SPECIAL #1
Given that this is a one-shot (perhaps), I know it flimsily falls under the ANDAM umbrella. Much a fuss was made when she appeared in a back-up tale of HOWARD the DUCK {3rd Series} #1. She already upstaged Spider-Gwen!! Yuletide madness awaits thee.
- ALL-NEW HAWKEYE #2
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #4
- HERCULES #2
- STAR WARS ANNUAL #1
Marvel is milking their number one franchise. I for one don’t mind one bit!! Haarkon Dak gets the spotlight in this done-in-one.
- HENCHGIRL #2
The initial series and breakout sensation from Scout Comics!! Life remains more complicated than ever for Mary Posa. She has to pull off the heist of her career to remain alive!
- STREET FIGHTER UNLIMITED #1
Canadian publisher UDON releases its first new title in years. Keeping the SF franchise fresh with this latest incarnation, there are six collectible covers.
- NINJAK #10
Brand new arc. “Operation: Deadside”
- UNITY #25
Valiant’s super-team ends things on a humorous note. All the denizens of the Valiant Universe join in on the fun to celebrate and honour the last line of defense. Fred Hembeck, Elliott Kalan, Michael Kupperman, and Ty Templeton are but a few of the dignitaries in this all-star jam.
