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Ultimate Black Panther 1 | Marvel Comics | AshAveComics.com | Ultimate Black Panther 1 preorder

There’s Always Next Week: February 2, 2024

Posted on February 2, 2024 | by Paul

_{by Paul}

What with getting all the February pre-orders up and having some overdue dental work done, it’s an abbreviated column this week, so I don’t have time to cook up a punchy intro for you like I would have liked, but hey… THERE’S ALWAYS NEXT WEEK!

ULTIMATE BLACK PANTHER #1

Art: Stefano Caselli | Story: Bryan Hill (Marvel Comics, $5.99)

I find myself in a bit of a sticky wicket here when it comes to Ultimate Black Panther #1. On the one hand, it’s the hot book everyone wants to get their hands on next week. On the other, we’ve already sold all of the copies we set aside for the website. Which was a bunch. So I ask you: Is it fair, is it just, to dangle this coveted title over your heads only to snatch it away like the drug pusher on a Very Special Episode of an 80s sitcom? What to do? After all, it’s Black History Month, dammit, and to not acknowledge this latest commercial triumph put on the board by the good technocrats of Wakanda would be a tragic oversight.

Fortunately, Marvel has bailed us out somewhat by already going back to press with a second printing of this issue which is still available to order. Issue #2 and #3 are still available as well, so there’s no need to be discouraged if you can’t find #1 this week. Stefano Caselli and Bryan Hill have a lot of exciting stuff in store for this series, including the first appearance of Ultimate Storm next issue. This Ultimate Marvel train looks set to roll for awhile (don’t forget that Ultimate X-Men #1 is on FOC this weekend), so buckle up and try to get an aisle seat, because you’ll have to go to the bathroom sooner or later.

PRE-ORDER IT: ~~Stefano Caselli Main Cover~~ | ~~Bosslogic Ultimate Special Variant~~ | ~~Karen S. Darboe Variant~~ | ~~Travel Forman Variant~~ | R.B. Silva Second Printing Variant

THUNDERCATS #1

Art: Drew Moss | Story: Declan Shalvey (Dynamite Entertainment, $3.99)

Further developing our cat theme this week, here’s Thundercats. Three things I know about the Thundercats: 1) Like many boys and a smattering of girls my age, Cheetara awakened something in me in that first episode. 2) The paint on my Lion-O figure, the only Thundercats toy I had, rubbed off instantly and probably stunted me developmentally in some crucial way. 3) My wife, Bee Gee, always yells “SNARF SNARF SNARF” whenever our cat Monchichi runs into the kitchen to ask for dinner, and if you played a sound clip of the character from the cartoon I don’t think you would know the difference. She has accessed the Snarf Within.

They say that every writer has one great Thundercats story to tell, and Declan Shalvey is no exception, so let’s see where this goes, eh?

ON FOC THIS WEEK

Click here to see all titles on FOC this week.

ULTIMATE X-MEN #1

Art and story: Peach Momoko (Marvel Comics, $5.99) | FOC: 2/5

Peach Momoko Main Cover
InHyuk Lee Armor Variant
Betsy Cola Ultimate Special Variant
Dike Ruan Variant
Mark Brooks Variant
Peach Momoko Variant
1:10 Peach Momoko Design Variant
1:25 AKA Variant

Ultimate Spider-Man 1 Sara Pichelli 3rd Printing Variant | Marvel Comics | AshAveComics.com

ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #1 (3RD PRINTING)

Art: Marco Checchetto | Story: Jonathan Hickman (Marvel Comics, $5.99) | FOC: 2/5

Sara Pichelli Main Cover

SOMNA #3 (OF 3)

Art: Becky Cloonan, Tula Lotay | Story: Becky Cloonan, Tula Lotay (DSTLRY, $8.99) | FOC: 2/4

Becky Cloonan Main Cover
Tula Lotay Variant

Moon Man 1 | Image Comics | AshAveComics.com | Kid Cudi Comic | Kid Cudi Moon Man

There’s Always Next Week: January 26, 2024

Posted on January 26, 2024 | by Paul

_{by Paul}

With last week’s bizarre feeding frenzy on the widely-mocked John Cassaday X-Force #48 variant, are we now on the cusp of a bizarre new trend in comics? Will we see publishers encourage artists to draw poorly on purpose to command attention from social media commentators and speculators? Will we see a new class of outsider artists become the kings and queens of the variant cover scene, drawing ludicrous rates for childlike renderings of beloved characters? Will we all have sobering moments of self-reckoning and reflection should we find out John Cassaday or one of his loved ones has had a catastrophic health crisis? Can we all come to grips with the simple idea that even the greatest artist might lay an egg now and then, which is why no one ever performs William Shakespeare’s King John? Shakespeare didn’t let it get him down, and neither will John Cassaday, because they knew—and now you know—There’s Always Next Week!

MOON MAN #1

Art: Marco Locati | Story: Scott “Kid Cudi” Mescudi, Kyle Higgins (Image Comics, $3.99)

Recording artists venturing into comics have a checkered history. Sometimes you get a weird misfire like the Evanescence comic from a year or two back where it was a series of, I think, short pieces illustrating song lyrics that were like comic adaptations of music videos, only without the music. Or the video. Sometimes you get goofy junk-food comics where the likes of Twiztid battle ghouls and ghosts armed with nothing but sick, sick rhymes. Once in a while—at least once, anyway—you get an acknowledged classic like Umbrella Academy. But for the most part, you’d no more want to read a musician’s vanity comic than you’d want to listen to an album called John Byrne Sings The Carpenters.

Happily, though, Moon Man, Kid Cudi’s new series from Image, looks poised to land on the Umbrella Academy end of the spectrum. Even though it’s clearly a vanity project, starring as it does a character who looks just like Cudi and shares Cudi’s middle name of Ramon, this is clearly a story he’s had gestating for a long time (he’s recorded three separate albums called Man on the Moon). He’s helped by comics pros who are really executing here, particularly Marco “Kid Cati” Locati, whose pacing and scratchy linework capture a creeping sense of dread that reminds me of Ted McKeever. I have feeling that this is a series we’ll remember when it’s time to make Best of 2024 lists. Off to a good start here.

PRE-ORDER IT: Marco Locati Main Cover | Erica D’Urso Variant | Rod Reis Variant

JILL AND THE KILLERS #1

Art: Roberta Ingranata | Story: Olivia Cuartero-Briggs (Oni Press, $6.99)

Jill and the Killers is about teenage girls who are playing one of those catch-a-killer subscription games that are always being advertised on those soul-eroding true-crime podcasts I shouldn’t be listening to all the time, but they’re just so interesting. Then they slowly begin to realize that the game is… ALL TOO REAL.

This is one of my favorite premises for a new series that I’ve heard for a long time. It’s a little bit like Only Murders in the Building if it had been made by people who hadn’t exhausted all of their real-life experience decades ago. Also, I love love love the Jill and the Killers logo. There are very few logos right now in comics that I would want a sticker of to put on my laptop or my bullet journal, and this one is at the top of the list. I have a good feeling about this book. It’s sticker-worthy.

PRE-ORDER IT: Sanya Anwar Main Cover | Marguerite Sauvage Variant | ~~Alison Sampson Variant~~

SIRENS OF THE CITY #6

Art: Khary Randolph | Story: Joanne Starer (Boom! Studios, $4.99)

If you haven’t been reading Sirens of the City I don’t know why you would start with this final issue, but I’ve been kicking myself because I forgot to put it on my Best of 2023 list so I wanted to mention it here. This is a storytelling masterclass from Khary Randolph, for my money the best cartoonist working today. This book throws a lot of characters at you fast, but Randolph stages the action so that it’s always clear who’s doing what and where. The visual conceit of this book is that it’s in black and white, but each faction of supernatural characters has their own spot color, and when they all start mixing together with Randolph’s strong blacks it’s a beautiful thing to behold.

#6 may not be where you want to jump in, but fortunately you can pre-order the collected edition here. In fact, I’m such a believer in this book that, now through February 12, we’ll sell it to you at a discount of $16.99, $3.00 off the cover price. Take a chance on this one.

PRE-ORDER IT: Khary Randolph Main Cover | Vanesa R. Del Rey Variant | Collected Edition

ON FOC THIS WEEK

Click here to see all titles on FOC this week.

GHOST RIDER: FINAL VENGEANCE #1

Art: Danny Kim | Story: Benjamin Percy (Marvel Comics, $4.99) | FOC: 1/29

Juan Ferreyra Main Cover
Greg Capullo Variant
Ben Su Foil Variant
Chad Hardin Variant
Mark Texeira Variant

SPAWN #350

Art: Brett Booth, Carlo Barberi | Story: Rory McConville, Todd McFarlane (Image Comics, $4.99) | FOC: 1/29

Puppeteer Lee Main Cover
Todd McFarlane Variant (Color)
Ryan Stegman Variant
Brett Booth Variant
Jonathan Glapion Variant
Todd McFarlane Variant (Black and White)

WOMEN OF MARVEL (2024) #1

Art: Various | Story: Gail Simone et al (Marvel Comics, $5.99) | FOC: 1/29

Carmen Carnero Main Cover
Jan Bazaldua Variant
Elena Casagrande Women of Marvel Variant
Zu Orzu Variant

Shockwave | Transformers | Energon Universe | Skybound

Welcome to the Energon Universe—Wave 2 trailer from Skybound!

Posted on January 22, 2024 | by Paul

The people have spoken—Skybound’s Energon Universe featuring the Transformers, G.I Joe, and brand-new characters like the Void Rivals (they don’t call themselves that but it’s such a cool name) is a huge success! Now, with all the players established, Skybound has released this teaser video for Wave 2 of the Energon Universe… and you might say that it teases the return of someone guaranteed to send “Shockwaves” through every single title! In fact, you might even say that Shockwave, the popular Transformers character, appears prominently in the video!

Ghost Machine 1 (Gary Frank Foil Variant) | Image Comics | AshAveComics.com

There’s Always Next Week: January 19, 2024

Posted on January 19, 2024 | by Paul

_{by Paul}

After a week spent communicating entirely in Nanalan’ clips, I worry that the language center of my brain has become too shrivelled to write a coherent column for you. Will I be able to write about Grand Admiral Thrawn without using the phrase “What a glorious gentleman!”? It might be a bumpy ride this week, gang, but don’t worry… There’s Always Next Week!

GHOST MACHINE #1

Art: Gary Frank, Bryan Hitch, Jason Fabok, Francis Manapul | Story: Geoff Johns, Peter J. Tomasi, Brad Meltzer, Lamont Magee, Maytal Zchut (Image Comics, $4.99)

One thing Gary Frank does that really made an impression on me early on is capture everyday body language. There’s a panel in one of his Incredible Hulk issues—during the Asgard story, I think, I tried to find the panel for you but no such luck—where Betty Banner and Marlo are talking to one of Marvel’s goofs and he draws them making that kind of “round-the-bend” gesture you make to indicate someone is nuts. You know, where you hold your index finger in the air and twirl it around. It’s such a quotidian gesture that you never think about it when you see it in day-to-day life but is really hard to describe, let alone capture in a static comic book panel. Frank does gesture with the best of them. It’s amazing to think how long it took him to catch on as a superstar. Even though he’s obviously improved since those Hulk days, he was so terrific to start that it’s a wonder he wasn’t snapped up by Image to draw some short-lived project that would have paid him enough royalties to retire. He is, to me, the star attraction of Ghost Machine #1, which at 64 pages for $4.99 is a hell of a good value in addition to being choc-a-bloc with superstar talent (Bryan Hitch, Jason Fabok, and Francis Manapul are also present). This looks to have the rat-a-tat 2000 A.D. anthology rhythm that I always find satisfying. This one is top-of-the-stack for me next week.

RESURRECTION OF MAGNETO #1

Art: Luciano Vecchio | Story: Al Ewing (Marvel Comics, $5.99)

X-readers will recall that Magneto’s very specific request upon his death was, “I would like to stay dead. Look, I deleted myself from the back-to-life machine. No resurrection of me, please.” So here comes Storm to resurrect Magneto in this new series titled Resurrection of Magneto.

This has got to be very frustrating for Magneto. Personally, as someone wired to be distracted and dazed by the least little thing, I find this whole premise triggering. It’s like Magneto locked the door to his office so he can finally concentrate and get some work done, and then Storm comes around and taps on the window to ask him to use his magnet powers to open a stubborn jar of tomato sauce. She’s like Dennis the Menace going over to Mr. Wilson’s house all the time. X-Men Red is consistently neck-and-neck with Immortal X-Men for the best-selling X-title at the shop, so I’m sure Al Ewing has something much more exciting and thought-provoking in store than Storm running around Magneto’s ghost house going, “What’s this do?” But Storm, you’ve been around for almost fifty years now. Learn how to open your own jars.

PRE-ORDER IT: Stefano Caselli Main Cover | David Baldeon Foil Variant | Insignia Variant | John Christopher Tyler Negative Space Variant | ~~Nic Klein Stormbreakers Variant~~

STAR WARS: THRAWN—ALLIANCES #1

Art: Andrea Di Vito | Story: Jody Houser, Timothy Zahn (Marvel Comics, $5.99)

Here comes Grand Admiral Thrawn again in this, Marvel’s adaptation of Timothy Zahn’s novel sequel to their adaptation of Timothy Zahn’s first Thrawn novel, if I’ve got my facts straight. Thrawn, if I recall correctly from the Heir to the Empire books I read when I was a young’n, is one of those 4-D chess-player dudes who has a plan for every contingency and thinks of everything. He even came with a stooge who would always think, “Boy, Thrawn sure is smart,” whenever Thrawn did something smart. Thrawn is, in short, the best at everything, a real charmer, and can’t be beat, and Star Wars fans everywhere celebrate him for it. But then when it’s Daisy Ridley doing it…

PRE-ORDER IT: Rod Reis Main Cover | Promo Variant | ~~Taurin Clarke Variant~~

JUSTICE DUCKS #1

Art: Carlo Lauro | Story: Roger Langridge (Dynamite Entertainment, $3.99)

Welcome back to Talking Animal Corner, where every week I spotlight a comic featuring talking animals. You’ll recall that last week we looked at Sonic the Hedgehog: Fang the Hunter #1, and this week, Justice Ducks #1 really fits the bill. While I haven’t been privy to a preview due to Dynamite’s strict no-Peking policy, Roger Langridge has a solid track record in the talking-animal genre, so he can be counted on not to lay an egg here. Prepare to quack up as these various Disney ducks form a strong pond with each other as they battle villains who’ve run a-fowl of the law. This was a mistake. I promise I’ll never do this again. R.I.P. Talking Animal Corner, January 12, 2024-January 19, 2024.

PRE-ORDER IT: Mirka Andolfo Main Cover | Francesco Tomaselli Variant | Roger Langridge Variant | Trish Forstner Negative Space Variant | Blank Authentix Variant

ON FOC THIS WEEK

THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MEN #1

Art: Humberto Ramos | Story: Greg Weisman (Marvel Comics, $4.99) | FOC: 1/22

Humberto Ramos Main Cover
David Marquez Foil Variant
Blank Cover Variant
Dike Ruan Variant
Sean Galloway Variant
Todd Nauck Homage Peter Parker Variant

ALIEN: BLACK, WHITE & BLOOD #1

Art: Various | Story: Various (Marvel Comics, $5.99) | FOC: 1/22

Ryan Stegman Main Cover
David Aja Variant
Elena Casagrande Variant

AVATAR: FRONTIERS OF PANDORA—SO’LEK’S JOURNEY #1

Art: Gabriel Guzman | Story: Ray Fawkes (Dark Horse Comics, $3.99) | FOC: 1/22

Gabriel Guzman Main Cover

Cobra Commander kicking a dog | AshAveComics.com

There’s Always Next Week: January 12, 2024

Posted on January 12, 2024 | by Paul

_{by Paul}

With the overwhelming, three-roll blockbuster¹ success of last week’s Ultimate Spider-Man #1, what lessons will Marvel take away? Was it the beard (not Mary Jane, the beard of hair on his face)? Will bearded superheroes become the next hot trend in comics? Sure, you’ve seen Batman fight the Joker a million times… but you’ve never seen him do it with a beard! Be on the lookout for the first bearded cover appearance of your favorite characters and get ready to sit on them until Key Collector sounds the Slab Alert. In the meantime… there’s always next week!

AVENGERS: TWILIGHT #1

Art: Daniel Acuña | Story: Chip Zdarsky (Marvel Comics, $5.99)

In the weird world of tomorrow’s Marvel Universe, an aging but still clean-shaven Steve Rogers (who would definitely have been drawn with a beard if this had been commissioned a few months later) struggles to find his place in a world that hates and fears him. (TBD if anyone calls him out for this mutant appropriation.) The preview I read looks like an Old Man Logan-style story crossed with the mall scene from Minority Report, so who knows where it will lead? There’s a lot of buzz around this book because readers are hip to Chip and Alex Ross is providing covers, so get in on the ground floor here at Ash Ave Comics.

JOHN CONSTANTINE: HELLBLAZER—DEAD IN AMERICA #1

Art: Aaron Campbell | Story: Si Spurrier (DC Comics, $4.99)

I didn’t realize until I went to fetch the updated cover art with the trade dress that this was a Sandman Universe thing. No doubt DC is hewing to the comics industry superstition, dating back to the 20s (when Krazy Kat Presents: World of Krazy Kat—Mrs. Kwakk Wakk’s Revenge [The Death of Officer Pupp] bombed and tanked the circulation of dozens of Hearst papers), that a book with three titles is box office but a book with four titles is commercial suicide. Campbell and Spurrier bring John Constantine here to America to tell us what’s what (or, more accurately, wot’s wot) and rub elbows with some of his Vertigo buddies from the old days like Sandman and Swamp Thing. They had the magic (or should I say magick) touch with Hellblazer a few years ago so it seems a cinch they’ll do it again.

PRE-ORDER IT: Aaron Campbell Main Cover | Jock Variant | ~~Sean Phillips Variant~~

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG: FANG THE HUNTER #1

Art: Mauro Fonseca | Story: Ian Flynn (IDW Publishing, $3.99)

I was a Nintendo kid so I only ever played Sonic the Hedgehog when I went to visit my cousin, who was brand-loyal to Sega for one reason or another and had both the Sega Master System and the Genesis. It was always like visiting a parallel universe where the guy who invented Super Mario went into greeting cards or something instead, setting in motion a chain of events leading to Sega dominating the earth. I relate this to you because the only two things I know about Sonic the Hedgehog are that my cousin had his game (and I was terrible at it), and we sell the 1:10 Sonic incentive cover every month like clockwork. There is a dedicated audience for this series, and if you’re part of it, we at Ash Avenue Comics salute you. This Fang the Hunter spin-off bills itself as “the first Classic-era Sonic the Hedgehog miniseries from IDW” (which I take to mean it’s related to his Archie Comics days and stars a fedora-wearing jerboa, a thing I never heard of before that looks like a cute little pocket-sized kangaroo and is probably an absolute terror. Jerboas, your ship has come in.

PRE-ORDER IT: Aaron Hammerstrom Main Cover | Mark Hughes Variant | 1:10 Mauro Fonseca Variant

COLONIZED (ONE-SHOT)

Art: Drew Moss | Story: Chris Ryall (Image Comics, $9.99)

This caught my eye because it’s a spin-off of Zombies Vs. Robots, the Ashley Wood book that was written by Chris Ryall that I was really into about 15-20 years ago. This time it’s zombies vs. aliens, a struggle in which I don’t have any particular rooting interest (aliens, I guess), but it may be wise to read this in the event that a real-life zombie/alien conflict ever breaks out. I mean, knock on wood. I pray to god it never happens.

PRE-ORDER IT: Francesco Francavilla Main Cover

COBRA COMMANDER #1 (OF 5)

Art: Andrea Milana | Story: Joshua Williamson (Image Comics, $4.99)

For my money, Cobra Commander was the best comic book villain when I was a kid. Sure, maybe your Magnetos or your Doctor Dooms had more sympathetic back stories or convincing reasons for their evildoing, but they didn’t make me laugh. In supervillainy, as in so many other things, that goes a long way. He also features in one of my favorite comic panels of all time:

Now that is one evil chap. I have doubts that CC will be funny this time around. In fact, I suspect we’ll probably see him wreak some kind of sensational ultra-violence in the name of Seriousness and Sophistication. But all the other Energon Universe books have been winners so far to one degree or another, so this one deserves a look too.

JACKPOT #1

Art: Joey Vasquez | Story: Celeste Bronfman (Marvel Comics, $4.99)

Can we all be happy that Ultimate Spider-Man is here to band-aid that Spider-Man marriage wound for people? This way we get to see mainstream Mary Jane do stuff like this or Betty and Veronica around with Black Cat, while Ultimate Mary Jane can sit at home with the rolling pin when Spider-Man stays out too late or have Mary Worth-style subplots that interrupt the main action, which are the two things I remember her doing when I was a kid. Also, point of interest: Is writer Celeste Bronfman related to the Bronfman heiresses who were in the thick of the NXIVM cult we all read about in the news a few years ago? Is that a tasteless question to ask? I’m just saying, if she is, we might be seeing Mary Jane say and do some things we’ve never seen her say and do before. If you want my advice, my friends, you should buy this comic and find out.

PRE-ORDER IT: Pablo Villalobos Main Cover | Ejikure Jackpot Variant | Elizabeth Torque Variant | Nicoletta Baldari Variant

ON FOC THIS WEEK

THUNDERCATS #1

Art: Drew Moss | Story: Declan Shalvey (Dynamite Entertainment, $3.99) | FOC: 1/15

David Nakayama Main Cover
Lucio Parrillo Variant
Declan Shalvey Variant
Jae Lee Variant
Ivan Tao Variant
Action Figure Variant
David Nakayama Foil Variant
Lucio Parrillo Foil Variant
Thundercats Symbol Foil Gold Variant
Blank Authentix Variant
David Nakayama Foil Virgin Variant
Lucio Parrillo Foil Virgin Variant
Shalvey & Moss Signed Atlas Edition Variant
David Nakayama Metal Premium Variant
David Nakayama Limited Edition Virgin Variant

SPIDER-PUNK: ARMS RACE #1

Art: Justin Mason | Story: Cody Ziglar (Marvel Comics, $4.99) | FOC: 1/15

Takasi Okazaki Main Cover
Ian Bertram Foil Variant
Kaare Andrews Variant
Olivier Coipel Variant
Todd Nauck Windowshades Variant

MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS: THE RETURN #1

Art: Nico Leon | Story: Amy Jo Johnson & Matt Hotson (Boom! Studios, $4.99) | FOC: 1/15

Goni Montes Main Cover
Dan Mora Variant
Dan Mora Unlockable Variant

A three-roll blockbuster is what we boys of the comics-by-mail game call a book for which we needed three rolls of packing tape to wrap up all the orders we shipped out. ↩︎