this week in comics

New Things in Comics

Comics Last Month...

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Tiana Feb 4, 2014

So, first off, boy oh boy have we been behind. We are expecting a new shipment of about three weeks worth of books from Diamond this week. Wednesday afternoon if all goes well. So IF you have a subscription be expecting a call from me informing the arrival of your new library.

With that said, I have done my homework and found some of the books I felt you all would be interested in.

Knight of the Living Deadpool #1

Deadpool and Zombies, need I say more?

Writer Cullen Bunn's had plenty of experience with the Mec with a Mouth as of late (not to mention he's also behind the upcoming DEADPOOL VS. CARNAGE) and now he gets to throw Wade into the zombie apocalypse. If you're a fan of Deadpool, there's quite literally no reason why this shouldn't get your attention.Deadpool's no stranger to zombies (he fought all of the United States' dead Presidents in vol. 4's opening story, after all), but one key element that'll set this apart is the way it looks. To give it more of a Night of the Living Dead and even THE WALKING DEAD vibe, artist Ramon Rosanas is making the limited series primarily black and white (although Deadpool's red and his dialogue boxes are of course yellow). All we know is Deadpool just woke up from a coma and he's in the zombie apocalypse. Beyond that, I have no idea what else to expect and, honestly, that's more than enough to pique my curiosity. Bring on the laughs and zombie killing, Bunn!

COFFIN HILL #4

COFFIN HILL has been building up creepy, dramatic tension since Issue #1, and with this fourth installment, we're going to see some payoff. Remember that super tragic stuff that went down in the woods ten years ago? It's answer time; Mel is back, and we're going to see just how strong her memory is. Call COFFIN HILL an essential for horror/supernatural fans and readers who are into good-old-fashioned YA drama.

JUSTICE LEAGUE 3000 #2

One of the MOST polarizing books of last month, it feels like you either loved it for the breath of fresh air it imbued the characters with, or hated the walls of text and not-quite-right characterization. Now it's well documented that I'm not normally a fan of a ton of text in my comics, but in this case I'm willing to make an exception because Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis have done something truly daring here in distancing this title SO MUCH from the mainline DCU time that a lot of exposition actually becomes necessary. It's also got a great, wry sense of humor that I find utterly charming. Howard Porter's visuals were pitch-perfect for the grimy cyberpunk cartoon that last issue presented, so I can't wait to see what he brings to the table next.

BATMAN #27

Zero Year continues.

Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo have been delivering the goods each month and it's a safe bet that they will continue to do so with this issue. We may not have seen the Riddler much recently (most likely he'll show up in the final arc of Zero Year), but we are feeling the affects of his plot against Gotham City. As if dealing with the affects of all the power in Gotham taken away, Batman has to deal with the entire GCPD gunning for him and let's not forget Doctor Death is running around as well.

Of course that's not all. Synder's also been giving us glimpses into other defining moments from Bruce's past. Throughout the main story we've been getting bits and pieces about another moment and hopefully we'll find out more.

DEADLY CLASS #1

Image has another new series coming out this week so it's easy to assume it's going to be yet another awesome new series. If the Image brand alone wasn't enough, DEADLY CLASS is written by Rick Remender. It takes place in the 80s and involves a school for assassins. Have you called your favorite local comic shop yet begging them to hold a copy for you? (hint hint, nudge nudge, shameless plug)

Wes Craig's art is great on the issue and Lee Loughridge's colors wrap it all up with a very pretty bow.

The first issue introduces you to one of the main characters. This allows you to get to know him as well as this world. It's all set up nicely and you'll buy into the concept.

HARLEY QUINN #2

SPEAKING of bright spots, Harley Quinn #1 maintained the series' bright palette, courtesy of Chad Hardin, and darkly comedic tone, courtesy of Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti. Even though the humor leans dark for its laughs, there's something to be said for ANY kind of comedy among the grim, gritty tone that most New-52 books strike, and seeing Harley reel it in slightly from the Deadpool-ish 4th wall breaks of #0 was a positive development. Ultimately, I'm just happy to have ANY book that can bring a smile to my face and still tell an interesting story. And interesting will be the word of the day with Poison Ivy and, apparently, a puppy/kitten heist.

SERENITY: LEAVES ON THE WIND #1

Fans of Serenity/Firefly will definitely be all over this issue. It's always a bummer when an underrated television show is canceled before it had a chance to tell all the stories it deserved to tell. With a new series picking up after the events of the film and scripted by Zack Whedon with art by Georges Jeanty, it's hard to argue against picking this up.

While fans may be happy to see the return of these beloved characters, it's not a good time for them. With the crew in hiding, everyone is looking for them. The government wants to shut them down and the new movement that has begun wants Malcolm Reynolds as their leader.

If you've been craving more of the story and wanted to know what comes next, you won't want to miss this series.

DEAD BOY DETECTIVES #2

Chances are when Vertigo launches a new series, you know it's going to be a great one.

The Dead Boy Detectives go back to the early days of Neil Gaiman's SANDMAN. That being said, you don't need to have read any of their prior appearances in order to jump into this series. The first issue did debut around the holidays last month but hopefully you had a chance to pick it up. If you didn't, you'll want to pick it up either at your local comic shop or digitally.

This issue is taking us back to where it all began for the Boys. Back to St. Hilarions. Let's just say it's not the nicest place. With new character Crystal headed there herself, the Boys will be following her to keep an eye on things. This is pretty much everything you'd expect and want from a Vertigo title. You should really check out what Toby Litt and Mark Buckingham are up to.

SAGA #18

SAGA is so consistently good that it almost seems redundant to include it in my picks EVERY SINGLE TIME, but I'm still going for it. Fan-favorite Lying Cat gets some serious panel time this issue, and things appear to be heating up in a big way. Vaughan and Staples know how to tell a spectacular story with deep, unique characters and wild worlds; if this isn't already anchoring your pull list, give it a shot.