PREVIEWS Roundtable – May 2017 – Featuring Star Wars: The Screaming Citadel, The Lazarus Contract & The Return Of Dying & The Dead!

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Phil Allen

DC:

Detective Comics #957 starts a new chapter for Spoiler, who lately seems to be going rogue from the team. And while we’re still waiting for Tim to make his comeback, this is still one of my favorite Bat-books. Justice League #20 kicks off a new arc, and #21 concludes it. After JL vs Suicide Squad I thought we’d jump back into a big arc. Maybe we’re being paced into a big summer event! “The Lazarus Contract” crossover event, which spans between Titans, Teen Titans, and Deathstroke, looks pretty interesting. Bane: Conquest features the return of original Bane co-creators Chuck Dixon and Graham Nolan! The comic companion to Injustice 2 begins this month just as Ground Zero is ending; thank goodness, gotta have my Injustice fix.

Did I miss a memo, or is this the first time DC is offering free download codes? Looks like they’re in several of the Annuals this month, just in time as Marvel is changing their system. Many of these Annuals look like good jump-on points for new readers as well.

Marvel:

LOTTA new series from Marvel this month, but I’m only interested in Luke Cage by Shaft writer David F. Walker. Other than that, I think it’s just Ms. Marvel and Star-Lord for me this month, as far as Marvel Universe goes.

Star Wars: The Screaming Citadel #1 kicks off a crossover event, and I’m in for all other SW titles (except the Rogue One adaptation)

Image:

Wait…can it be real? The Dying and The Dead #4…is happening?! YEEESS!!! In case you missed the first 3 oversized issues (the final of which was released in September of 2015), a TPB collecting them will be released the same day. Fan-favorite Alex+Ada team Jonathan Luna and Sarah Vaughan reunite for Eternal Empire! Saga #43 begins a new arc, is a great jumping on point for new readers, and is only $0.25! Another Wic/Div historical one-shot, 455 A.D. (This issue will not be available in Vol. 5 TPB, so get yours!) Sina Grace’s Nothing Lasts Forever sounds interesting too, so I’m in on that.

Dark Horse:

Mignola/Golden’s Joe Golem: Occult Detective continues this month with “The Outer Dark”, and that appears to be the only new series for me! Otherwise, I’m still getting Lobster Johnson and The Visitor: How and Why He Stayed.

IDW:

I really can’t believe I’m saying this, but I just might have to get Judge Dredd: Funko Universe. I don’t usually go in for toy-to-comic series, but…he’s just kinda adorably badass looking!

Aftershock Comics:

Pestilence provides an alternate history where The Black Death was not just any ol’ virus, but the first Zombie virus! Yeah, I’m in.

James Fulton

DC:

I’m a little resentful about feeling like I have to pick up three extra comics in May because of the Lazarus Contract event that has Deathstroke, DC’s best title, crossing into Titans and Teen Titans, but since Christopher Priest is credited as a writer for all four chapters (including the one-shot special that finishes it), I can’t really turn away.

In 2017, after the interesting work done with the character by Tom King and Gail Simone, I can’t imagine wanting to read a twelve-part story about Bane written by Chuck Dixon. Maybe it will sell well with the nostalgia heads though…

I’m really tempted to check out Bug!: The Adventures of Forager, because I love when Michael Allred does obscure characters, and I have fond memories of Cosmic Odyssey, but I’m probably going to trade wait this.

IDW:

I loved Saucer Country, the Vertigo book by Paul Cornell and Ryan Kelly about a Presidential candidate who was abducted by aliens. Now it’s coming back as Saucer State, and I’m very down for it.

Image:

It looks like a good month for Image. I have no interest in yet another attempt to relaunch Youngblood (how many times is this now?), but there’s some other stuff that looks great. Regression by Cullen Bunn sounds excellent. I’m very excited about Eternal Empire by Sarah Vaughn and Jonathan Luna – their Alex + Ada was terrific. Dustin Weaver is great, so I imagine his Paklis anthology series will be very good.

I’m also happy about the return of The Dying and the Dead, one of Jonathan Hickman’s cooler ideas. I hope it sticks to a schedule now.

It’s great to see Renato Jones returning too.

Marvel:

At the moment, I want to pass completely on Secret Empire. It’s tough, because I love Nick Spencer’s Sam Wilson title, and know that this is going to mess up some of the other books I like and am still reading, but it’s probably time to quit Marvel events cold turkey (or wait a few months, and pick them up on sale).

A new Secret Warriors title, written by the writer of the incredible 4 Kids Walk Into a Bank is tempting, but it’s double-shipped in the first month, so I’m passing.

Both Al Ewing and Adam Gorham are great, so Rocket might actually be good.

Some of these new X-books sound interesting, but not with the amount of double-shipping I’m seeing. I would have given Generation X a chance otherwise.

I think it’s weird that David Walker, who has been writing the fun Power Man and Iron Fist is now going to write a more serious Luke Cage comic. It must be a difficult shift for him.

Star Wars: The Screaming Citadel should be a good event crossing between the main book and Dr. Aphra, mostly because Kieron Gillen and Jason Aaron worked well together on the last crossover.

American Mythology:

I was a big fan of Stargate Universe when it was airing, and am really tempted to check out the first issue of Back to Destiny. I kind of hate licensed books though, so I’m torn.

Black Mask:

I’m always tempted to check out every new Black Mask comic, and have a good feeling about Last Song, even though I’m not familiar with the creators. It sounds like a good book.

Calexit, a new book about a secessionist California, sounds great. It’s by Matteo Pizzolo and Amancay Nahuelpan, the creators of Young Terrorists, so I know it’s worth ordering sight unseen (even if the Trump Presidency will be over before this series is).

Valiant:

I’ve been getting a little bored with Ninjak lately, and have never liked the Deadside, so it would be dumb to get Rapture, a new book that combines these things, wouldn’t it?

Robert Venditti’s last Eternal Warrior series was good, so I’ll get the new Awakening one.

Phil started reading comics in 2008, and it has been his passion since. Enjoying titles ranging from Batman to Sex Criminals, Y: The Last Man to Samurai Jack, and The Wicked + The Divine to 100 Bullets, Phil will read just about anything. Have a recommendation? Looking for one? You can reach him on Twitter @4ColorPhil