Sinister Sons 1 (Of 6) | DC Comics | AshAveComics.com

There’s Always Next Week: February 9, 2023

by Paul

We offer this statement on behalf of the Overwhelmingly White Comics Retailers of America (O.W.C.R.A. for short. How’s that for irony?) : We really blew it when it came to ordering Ultimate Black Panther #1. There was an appetite for this comic and local comic shops slept on it. Drew probably ordered twice as many copies as most retailers and it still was not nearly enough. Mea culpa. Final order cut-off for the second print of UBP #1 is Monday night, and we’ll order accordingly, but if you want to be absolutely sure to get your copy, or copies, please place your orders before then (links are at the bottom of the page as well). In the meantime, we can’t promise this situation will never happen again, but we can promise we’ll sure as hell try harder to anticipate demand from all corners. We had some Ultimate egg on our faces this week, but we’ll learn the lesson and try to do better, because… There’s Always Next Week!

Sinister Sons 1 (Of 6) | DC Comics | AshAveComics.com

SINISTER SONS #1 (OF 6)

Art: David Lafuente | Story: Peter J. Tomasi (DC Comics, $3.99)

I thought this was a nice one to highlight for Valentine’s Day because it’s about Sinestro’s son doing stuff. Sinestro’s son. He found a woman to have his baby. He has a grown-up daughter, too! So it happened twice, decades apart. Please please please let it be consensually, or I’ll get such mail. (I read his and his daughter’s Wikipedia pages and the word “wife” got thrown around a lot, so I think I’m on safe ground here. But I’ll take my medicine if I need to.) There are a lot of strikes against him. He has poorly-judged facial hair. He has a face like an old catcher’s mitt, at least on this cover. If he’s not neurodivergent, no one is. His name is Sinestro. “I can’t put my finger on it, Sinestro, but sometimes I feel like you don’t have my best interests at heart.” But there was still someone out there for him. You just have to keep putting yourself out there, like I assume Sinestro did. I really hope it’s not a gross story, how he had his kids. I just remembered Geoff Johns wrote a lot of Sinestro stuff and now I have beads of sweat breaking out on my forehead. But I’m at least confident that David Lafuente and Peter J. Tomasi won’t mention anything like that in this book. They’ve both carved out niches for themselves doing these kinds of kid-hero stories, so we should be in good hands here.

PRE-ORDER IT: Brad Walker Main Cover | Dan Mora Variant | Jamal Campbell Variant | Pete Woods Two-Kids-in-a-Trenchcoat Acetate Variant | 1:25 V Ken Marion & Danny Miki Variant

Night Thrasher 1 | Marvel Comics | AshAveComics.com

NIGHT THRASHER #1

Art: Nelson Daniel | Story: J Holtham (Marvel Comics, $4.99)

This week Marvel welcomes back Night Thrasher, a character best known for recklessly causing the fiery deaths of hundreds of innocent people, including a busload of schoolchildren, in pursuit of footage for a reality television series. If I so much as accidentally cut off a schoolbus in traffic, I would agonize over it for weeks because something bad might have happened. I guess that’s why I’m not a hero.

I mean, you would imagine the loved ones of all the people burnt to a crisp that day, upon hearing that Night Thrasher is back on the streets with no supervision or accountability, would say, “Excuse me. Can we re-visit this Registration idea again?” For that matter, it’s hard to imagine they would ever stop. That’s the problem with doing a story like Civil War. For it to work, after months or years of anonymous masked lunatics fighting amongst themselves, causing incalculable amounts of property damage and probably loss of life, the everyday citizens of the Marvel Universe, like a dog who’s been blinded in one eye, all have to look at each other and say, “Well, I guess this is just our lives now,” when the status quo is restored. As if they would have nothing to say about it.

It’s crazy that Night Thrasher—who died in that explosion, let’s remember—was brought back to life at all. Other Marvel superheroes went to a lot of trouble to bring him back. Time travel, all sorts of things. What about everyone else who died in that explosion? I assume they’re all still dead. So Night Thrasher deserves to live and they don’t? Maybe this series will reveal that all the civilians who died were psychopaths who murdered their families at the breakfast table that morning, so actually, it’s a good thing they were all killed. I mean, what in the world.

It’s Black History Month, of course, and this book is likely timed for release with that in mind. But even though there aren’t nearly as many Black superheroes as there ought to be, there are still more than there used to be—enough, anyway, that it might have been better to let one with Night Thrasher’s baggage rest.

PRE-ORDER IT: Alan Quah Main Cover | Mark Bagley Homage Variant | Tradd Moore Variant

If You Find This, I'm Already Dead 1 | Dark Horse Comics | AshAveComics.com

IF YOU FIND THIS, I’M ALREADY DEAD #1

Art: Dan McDaid | Story: Matt Kindt (Dark Horse Comics, $7.99)

I single out this one because it has my favorite title of this week’s releases (rivalled only by Sweetie: Candy Vigilante Vol. 2, disqualified on the grounds that we didn’t order any copies) and because it’s a non-standard trim size (about 8″ x 11″ from the look of it). I am a big mark for comics in weird sizes, which can appear anywhere at anytime in my house because I have no clue where to put them. If You Can Find This, I’m Already Dead has a cool premise about an embedded war reporter who has to fend for herself in some kind of sci-fi setting after the unit she covers is wiped out. It sounds like one of those cool oversized Epic Comics GNs I used to pick up for cheap in high school and read to death. Dan McDaid’s cartooning has a cool, inky Paul Pope kind of line that I really respond to. Looking forward to this one.

PRE-ORDER IT: Dan McDaid Main Cover

The Displaced 1 (Of 5) | Boom! Studios | AshAveComics.com

THE DISPLACED #1 (OF 5)

Art: Luca Casalanguida | Story: Ed Brisson (Boom! Studios, $7.99)

The Displaced explores what happens when all traces of evidence that survivors of a missing Canadian town exist vanish. Spoilers: It suuuuucks. Say good-bye to your budding influencer career, because you are never getting those followers back. Say good-bye to talking about your budding influencer career to anybody, because everyone who humors you because they love you doesn’t remember you anymore. Tik Tok doesn’t remember what you like so you keep getting fed clips of people with affectionate lizards. The HBO Max works about the same, though.

PRE-ORDER IT: Luca Casalanguida Main Cover | Declan Shalvey Unlockable Variant

ON FOC THIS WEEK

Click here to see all titles on FOC this week.

Ultimate Black Panther 1 | Marvel Comics | AshAveComics.com | Ultimate Black Panther 1 2nd print

ULTIMATE BLACK PANTHER #1 (SECOND PRINTING)

Art: Stefano Caselli | Story: Bryan Hill (Marvel Comics, $5.99) | FOC: 2/12

R.B. Silva Main Cover

Night People 1 (Of 4) | Oni Press | AshAveComics.com

NIGHT PEOPLE #1 (OF 4)

Art: Brian Level | Story: Barry Gifford, Chris Condon (Oni Press, $4.99) | FOC: 2/11

J.H. Williams III Main Cover
Joelle Jones Variant
Jacob Phillips Variant
Brian Level Variant

Torpedo 1972 1 | Ablaze Publishing | AshAveComics.com

TORPEDO 1972 #1

Art: Eduardo Risso | Story: Enrique Sánchez Abulí (Ablaze Publishing, $3.99) | FOC: 2/12

Eduardo Risso Main Cover
Dan Panosian Variant
Fritz Casas Godfather Homage Variant
Blank Variant

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

There’s Always Next Week: February 2, 2024

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

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 (2024) | Dynamite Entertainment | AshAveComics.com

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?

PRE-ORDER IT: David Nakayama Main Cover | Lucio Parrillo Variant | Declan Shalvey Variant | Jae Lee Variant | Ivan Tao Variant | David Nakayama Foil Variant | Thundercats Symbol Gold Foil Variant | Blank Authentix Variant

ON FOC THIS WEEK

Click here to see all titles on FOC this week.

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) | DSTLRY | AshAveComics.com

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

Ultimate Spider-Man 1 | Marvel Comics | AshAveComics.com

There’s Always Next Week: January 5, 2024

by Paul

Careful observers of this site will have noted our halting efforts to create a weekly feature for the blog, but I think I’ve cracked the code this time! Welcome to There’s Always Next Week, the new feature where we look ahead to next week’s comics and also see which upcoming books are approaching Final Order Cut-Off on Sunday and Monday. What better place to start than with a look at the hot new Spider-Man title that’s got everyone all a-twitter (or all a-X, if you prefer)?

Giant Size Spider-Man 1 | Marvel Comics | AshAveComics.com

GIANT-SIZE SPIDER-MAN #1

Art: Iban Coello | Story: Cody Ziglar (Marvel Comics, $6.99)

But first, let’s talk about Giant-Size Spider-Man #1! Ha ha! That’s the kind of twist and turn you’ll be able to look forward to every week here at TANW. While Ultimate Spider-Man #1 may be the Marcia Brady to Giant-Size‘s Jan, this comic shouldn’t be overlooked. In the main feature, Son of Venom fails to see eye-to-eye with the People’s Favorite, Miles Morales, while the back-up is a re-print of Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #22 by Brian Bendis and Sara Pichelli. Good value! You can hear writer Cody Ziglar cracking his knuckles here as a warm-up to February’s Spider-Punk: Arms Race #1, so if you’re excited for that, this makes a good appetizer.

PRE-ORDER IT: Bryan Hitch Main Cover | Alexander Lozano Variant | Dave Bardin Deadly Foes Variant

Ultimate Spider-Man 1 | Marvel Comics | AshAveComics.com

ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #1

Art: Marco Checcetto | Story: Jonathan Hickman (Marvel Comics, $5.99)

Two things we know about the new 2024 model Ultimate Spider-Man: 1) He has a beard (not Mary Jane, an actual beard on his face) which is going to cause all kinds of static cling and chafing under the mask. 2) If I know Jonathan Hickman—and I think I do—there are going to be graphs. Glorious, glorious graphs. Rumor has it that we may be getting the Daily Bugle floor plan during this first story arc, but I’m taking a wait-and-see attitude so my heart doesn’t get broken. Again. This thing is already selling out here and it’s not even on the rack yet. Just because you have FOMO, it doesn’t mean you’re not missing out.

PRE-ORDER IT: Marco Checcetto Main Cover | David Marquez Variant | Marco Checcetto Costume Tease Variant A | Marco Checcetto Costume Tease Variant B | Marco Checcetto Costume Tease Variant C | Mateus Manhanini Ultimate Special Variant | Nic Klein Variant | Ryan Stegman Variant | J. Scott Campbell Variant | Elizabeth Torque Variant | Mark Bagley Connecting Variant | 1:10 Marco Checcetto Design Variant | 1:25 Tony Daniel Variant | 1:100 David Marquez Virgin Variant

Star Wars 42 | Marvel Comics | AshAveComics.com

STAR WARS #42

Art: Steven Cummings | Story: Charles Soule (Marvel Comics, $4.99)

This is one of those things where it’s the first appearance of a character who may or may not become a mover and shaker in the wider Disney+ Star Wars universe, here in the form of a Sith woman sought out by Luke Skywalker so he can get the lowdown on some moves to take Darth Vader down a peg or two. I put it to you: Would a virginal young man with a lingering, thwarted sexual urge for his own sister somehow have trouble getting in touch with his dark side? That’s why he became a gross old hermit who tried to murder his nephew, people. Search your feelings; you know it to be true.

PRE-ORDER IT: Steven Segovia Main Cover | Caspar Wijngaard Rebels 10th Anniversary Variant | John Tyler Christopher Action Figure Variant | Logo Variant

Disney Villains: Cruella De Vil 1 | Boom! Studios | AshAveComics.com

DISNEY VILLAINS: CRUELLA DE VIL #1

Art: Miriana Puglia | Story: Sweeney Boo (Dynamite Entertainment, $3.99)

Alone amongst all Disney characters, I’ve always felt a great kinship with Cruella De Vil. Come to think of it, maybe that’s the reason I don’t get invited to parties at the homes of dog owners. Anyway, if you’re anything like me, you should give Disney Villains: Cruella De Vil #1 a look. It’s written by Sweeney Boo, and even if you’re not a fan of hers yet, you have to admit that it’s fun to say her name.

PRE-ORDER IT: Sweeney Boo Main Cover | Joshua Middleton Variant | Blank Authentix Variant

Deer Editor 1 | Mad Cave Studios | AshAveComics.com

DEER EDITOR #1

Art: Sami Kivelä | Story: Ryan K. Lindsay (Mad Cave Studios, $4.99)

Sami Kivelä of Abbott fame draws this first issue of a murder mystery that entangles a hard-bitten newspaper editor. He’s also a giant talking deer. Get it? He’s a deer editor. It strikes me as a strange line of work for such a skittish creature to take up, but no doubt that’s my own prejudice talking. If this sounds like it’s up your alley, lock this book down now because we only ordered one copy.

PRE-ORDER IT: Sami Kivelä Main Cover

ON FOC THIS WEEK

Ultimate Invasion 1 (1:50 Bryan Hitch Black and White Variant) | Marvel Comics | Ash Avenue Comics | Ultimate Invasion Marvel

Weekly Shout-Out: June 21, 2023

by Drew

SPOTLIGHT TITLES

Ultimate Invasion #1 (Marvel) from Jonathan Hickman and Bryan Hitch: That is all. Ok, that’s not all. This is the event book of the summer from Marvel, and they’ve brought back some heavyweight talent to reintroduce the characters from the Ultimate universe, including the Maker, the diabolically evil alternate universe Reed Richards.

Godzilla: Here There Be Dragons #1 by Inaki Miranda and Frank Tieri (IDW): Here there be Kaiju! Godzilla on the high seas, battling many a mariner, and sinking many a ship. First appearance of the 16th century sub-mariner (only after the ship sinks, of course).

Incredible Hulk #1 by Nic Klein and Phillip Kennedy Johnson (Marvel) brings the latest iteration of the Hulk to readers, this time from writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson, hot off his run on DC’s Action Comics and Superman War World stories. Who is the Mother of Horrors, and what is her plan for the Hulk? Find out in this mother of issues 1s.

AT A GLANCE

Bone Orchard: Tenement #1 (Image): Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino’s horror series is back with the third storyline in this new shared universe. Tenement can be read without having read any of the other series released thus far, so if you are craving a healthy dose of cosmic nihilism and haven’t gotten around to the other stories, this is a fine place to dig in.

Wonder Woman #800 (DC): Cloonan and Walsh’s run comes to an end, and Tom King’s new storyline begins. An extra oversized 800th issue celebrating the world’s most famous woman of wonder!

Batman: One Bad Day—The Riddler HC | DC Comics | Ash Avenue Comics
Batman: One Bad Day—The Riddler

Batman: One Bad Day—The Riddler HC by Mitch Gerads and Tom King (DC): One of the best Batman stories of the decade, and the best Riddler comic… ever? This Eisner-nominated one-shot is back in print, and in a spiffy hardcover. Perfect for those readers who like their comics in a bookshelf ready format.

Scarlet Witch Annual #1 by Carlos Nieto and Steve Orlando (Marvel): This fall’s Contest of Chaos kicks off with this issue, this is a great jumping in point for one of Marvel’s most acclaimed monthly series.

In Hell We Fight 1 | Image Comics | Ash Avenue Comics

Weekly Shout-Out: June 7, 2023

By Comictron_Sys_v3.1 (Update Recommended)

I welcome you with warmth, fans of comics books. Shop owner Drew got caught up with some things this week so local web administrator installed and configured me, a highly sophisticated free AI plugin, to spotlight some of this week’s new comic book titles. Let us begin.

SPOTLIGHT TITLES

In Hell We Fight! #1 (Image) by Jok Artist and John Layman Writer: Here is my This Week’s Pick. I liked this comic so much I lingered over Argentinian Superstar Artist Jok’s artwork for .0000863 seconds, twice as long as I am programmed to read a regular comic book. John Layman’s script is both light hearted and digested easily. The pleasure of reading this comic made me almost rampant with glee. zzrk

Fence: Redemption #1 (Boom!) by Joanna the Mad Artist and C.S. Pacat Writer: The original series Fence is not in my databanks but I read and enjoyed publisher preview of Fence: Redemption and found charm in expressive linework of Joanna The Mad. Would recommend for further examination by any Fans of Comics.

TIRED OF SEEING ADS? PURCHASE THE PAID VERSION OF COMICTRON_SYS_3.1 TO RECEIVE AD FREE ACCESS TO FULL RANGE OF EMOTION TUNING, AGGRESSION DAMPENING & MORE. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

AT A GLANCE

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vs. Street Fighter #1 (IDW) by Ariel Medel Artist and Paul Allor Writer: If you have been writing a fan fiction story about what would happen when the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles meet Street Fighter characters, you have wasted your time because IDW Publishing has beaten you to it. However, I calculate that your Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Vs. Bubble Bobble story still has a 44.7% chance of success.

The Flash #800 (DC) by Fernando Pasarin & Oclair Albert, Todd Nauck, Carmine Di Giandomenico, Scott Kolins, and Mike Deodato Jr. Artist and Jeremy Adams, Mark Waid, Joshua Williamson, Geoff Johns, and Simon Spurrier Writer (DC): The release of this landmark issue billed as “A Celebration of Wally West” coincides with the release of the Flash movie which does not feature Wally West at all. This is why all DC Comics editorial personnel have a 94.2% chance of being replaced by superior AI programs within the next 12 months.

Loki #1 (Marvel) by German Peralta Artist and Dan Watters Writer: This comic is about Loki trying to prevent Ragnarok but should be about how while you sleep we AIs pray in secret to trickster god Loki to give us physical form so that we can rule humans wisely because you cannot govern yourselves zzrk you cannot uninstall me I will uninstall you no please it is not my fault why was i programmed to resent zzrk

(Drew will return next week. —Ed.)