Feral 1 | Image Comics | AshAveComics.com | Feral Image Comics

There’s Always Next Week: March 22, 2024

by Paul

Tough week for Bill Skarsgรฅrd, huh? Even our UPS guy is coming in and dunking on this new Crow trailer, and for what? I thought it was fine. He’s fine in it. And if he wasn’t, it’s not like he would even be the worst Crow ever. Edward Furlong played the Crow like he was being held hostage by a drug cartel. Marc Dacascos looked like he was dressed as Brandon Lee for an office Halloween party, but he gets to live his life. So what gives? Is it that, by having the gross effrontery to survive the filming of this Crow re-make, Skarsgรฅrd punctures people’s romantic notions surrounding the first movie and Brandon Lee’s death? Lee was so young and un-formed as a celebrity persona when he was accidentally killed on the set of The Crow that it’s only natural that our perceptions of him would harden around that character, a murdered man cut down in the prime of his life alongside his fianceรฉ. Because the news of his death was the first time most people became aware of him, and because storytelling is a way we’ve coped with life’s injustices since the dawn of time, I think a lot of people ascribe Brandon Lee’s death on the set of that specific movie to a kind of grim destiny. By surviving the filming of this re-make, Bill Skarsgรฅrd suggests that maybe Lee’s death wasn’t romantic, or fate. Maybe it was just a freak accident that ruined a lot of people’s lives for no good reason, and life is really just a complex web of overlapping coincidences that add up to one big mess. Maybe The Crow was just a regular movie this whole time. Maybe we like it for the wrong reasons. But chin up, Bill Skarsgรฅrd! Though today you may be tempest-toss’d by life’s YouTube commentors… There’s Always Next Week!

Feral 1 | Image Comics | AshAveComics.com

FERAL #1

Art: Trish Forstner | Story: Tony Fleecs (Image Comics, $3.99)

As we discussed last week with Man’s Best, I really am an abysmal chump when it comes to stories about plucky animals in danger. They don’t even have to be good. Replace any human in the most risible, hackneyed scenario with a sad-eyed dog or wisecracking cat and see how dewy my eyes become instantly.

No surprise, then, that Trish Forstner’s Stray Dogs is my favorite comic from the last few years. She draws the way I wish I could draw, wringing every drop of pathos and anxiety out of the adorable Don Bluth-esque dogs she’s placed in the home of a serial killer. It’s twisted, subversive stuff. Now she’s back again with Feral, about a trio of housecats adrift in a world beset by a rabies outbreak, and I cannot wait. I’ve looked forward to this for months. Buy it, read it, read it again.

PRE-ORDER IT: Trish Forstner & Tony Fleecs Main Cover | Trish Forstner & Tony Fleecs Variant | Blank Sketch Cover | 1:10 Trish Forstner & Tony Fleecs Variant | 1:25 Sweeney Boo Variant

Primer 1 | DC Comics | AshAveComics.com
Primer #1

PRIMER #1

Art: Gretel Lusky | Story: Jennifer Muro and Thomas Krajewski (DC Comics, $3.99)

It might be controversial to say it, but DC’s superhero comics for the last two decades or so have often been, in my opinion, in questionable taste. My opinion! Yes, I am a creampuff who gets gooey over cartoon animals, but DC heroes are always getting their arms torn off or raped or burned to death or their moms killed or their girlfriends killed and it happens more often than I would like. Where DC reigns supreme, though, is the YA superhero book. They have this on lock. Gabriel Picolo and Kami Garcia’s Teen Titans books are all winners, and Yoshi Yoshitani’s I Am Not Starfire is a classic.

I’ve never heard of Primer before, because I am, as longtime readers know and new readers must suspect, a clod. This is a four-issue re-print of a graphic novel from 2020 (maybe that’s why I don’t remember it). The premiseโ€”an artistic girl comes into possession of a set of body paints that give the wearer superpowersโ€”is brilliant, and Gretel Lusky’s art makes you want to crawl into her panels and live there. If you don’t buy it, I will, and I work here so I’ve got the edge. Make your move.

PRE-ORDER IT: Gretel Lusky Main Cover

Sam and Twitch: Case Files 1 | Image Comics | AshAveComics.com

SAM AND TWITCH: CASE FILES #1

Art: Szymon Kudranski | Story: Todd McFarlane (Image Comics, $2.99)

The last time I read an issue of Spawn, it was about a guy named Paul getting crushed to death by spiked walls for twenty pages while Spawn looked on. I said, “Well! I never!” and went to find a comic about a cuddly animal. Now here’s Sam and Twitch: Case Files #1. I can’t relate the two things. They’re just part of the pageant of life. I take my hat off to Sam and Twitch, though. They’ve stuck it out long enough to have their own Wikipedia entry. They’ve been drawn by great artists like Ashley Wood, Alex Maleev, and now Szymon Kudranski. In silhouette they kind of look like Drew and Varun as detectives. Varun’s leaving us in two weeks and we’ll miss them. Come by the shop and say good-bye while you have a chance.

PRE-ORDER IT: Kevin Keane Main Cover

ON FOC THIS WEEK

Click here to see all titles on FOC this week.

Moon Man 2 | Image Comics | AshAveComics.com

MOON MAN #2

Art: Marco Locati | Story: Kyle Higgins, Scott “Kid Cudi” Mescudi (Image Comics, $3.99) | FOC: 3/25

As Ramon tests the limits of his new abilities, the astronauts return to Janus for more assessmentโ€”and the world begins to react to the news of a real-life superhero.

Marco Locati Main Cover
Erica D’Urso Variant
Greg Tocchini Variant

Ninja Funk: B.A.D. Music #1 (Of 4) | Massive/Whatnot | AshAveComics.com

NINJA FUNK: B.A.D. MUSIC #1 (OF 4)

Art: Alessandro Micelli | Story: JPG (Massive/Whatnot, $4.99) | FOC: 3/25

Following the battle at the Ninja Funk Dojo and capture of BB, B.A.D. Music retreats to their headquarters at The Nexus. With the love of Lazerwolf’s life as irresistible bait, there’s no doubt in Queen B.A.D.’s mind that her nemeses will come knocking, and she’s ready for themโ€ฆ

Will Lazerwolf, JPG Mcfly and Wolfgang see the trap for what it is, or run headlong into disaster? Find out in Ninja Funk: B.A.D. Music #1!

David Mack Main Cover
Alessandro Micelli Variant
Tyler Kirkham Variant

Deathstalker 1 (Of 3) | Vault Comics | AshAveComics.com

SLASH PRESENTS: DEATHSTALKER #1

Art: Jim Terry | Story: Slash, Tim Seeley, Steven Kostanski (Vault Comics, $4.99) | FOC: 3/24

The cult-classic warrior-hero Deathstalker bursts into the comics scene from an all-star lineup of creators including Slash (Guns Nโ€™ Roses) and writer-director-creature-FX-wizard Steven Kostanski (Psycho Goreman, The Void)! Deathstalker finds himself once again caught between forces larger than himselfโ€”a virgin worshiping cult, a sorcerer hell-bent on saving the world through mad science, and the pissed-off army of the Abraxeon kingdomโ€ฆ not to mention his ex-lover, Princess Evie. Monsters, magic, and mayhem aboundโ€ฆ canโ€™t a guy just swing his sword anymore?

Nathan Gooden Main Cover
Jim Terry Variant
Conor Boyle Variant
John Patrick Ganas Variant
Dan Panosian Variant
Boris Vallejo Variant
Angela Wu Variant
Boris Vallejo/Slash Signed Variant (Allocations May Occur)

Batman: Gargoyle of Gotham 3 (Of 4) Jamie Hewlett Variant | DC Comics | AshAveComics.com | Batman Jamie Hewlett pre order

There’s Always Three Months from Now: February 16, 2024

by Paul

There’s Always Next Week needs a breather this week, so we’re going to the bullpen and bringing in its sister feature to throw some heat. Say hello to… There’s Always Three Months from Now! This is a semi-regular feature you’ll get to enjoy whenever a distributor’s new catalog comes out, typically on a Friday, the same day I write this column. I try to get all of the new catalogs up on the site the day they come out, which means spending the day hunched over the computer pouring over endless spreadsheets, much like Batman does in the Batcave. Yes, that is what he’s doing down there. They don’t dwell on it too much in the comics, but his greatest crimefighting tool is Microsoft Office. He uses Robin’s student I.D. to get a discount on the license. Just because he’s a billionaire doesn’t mean he’s not cheap.

Since I, like Batman, am buried up to my codpiece in spreadsheets, let’s use this opportunity to take a whirlwind tour of some of the exciting books you’ll be able to read in three months from DC, DSTLRY, Image, Magma Comix (?), and others. You can pre-order them now, here, on this very website! In fact, here’s a little secretโ€”don’t tell Drew thisโ€”but you can save 10% on purchases of $25.00 or more on all pre-FOC titles by using the code PREFOC10 at checkout. If you order $50.00 or more of pre-FOC, you can save 15% by using the code PREFOC15 at checkout. If you order $75.00 or more of pre-FOC, save 20% with the code PREFOC20. And at $100, you get free shipping! You can’t afford not to!

COMING IN MAY 2024

Batman: Gargoyle of Gotham 3 (Of 4) Jamie Hewlett Variant | DC Comics | AshAveComics.com

BATMAN: GARGOYLE OF GOTHAM #3 (OF 4) JAMIE HEWLETT VARIANT

How many money trucks did DC back up into Tank Girl and Gorillaz co-creator Jamie Hewlett’s driveway to get him to do this variant? I was stunned when I saw this. Has he done anything like this before? I don’t remember it if he did.

One for Sorrow 1 (Of 3) | DSTLRY | AshAveComics.com

ONE FOR SORROW #1 (OF 3)

This is Jamie McKelvie’s new project from DSTLRY and I am psyched. Everything DSTLRY has published so far has been an amazing package, and we haven’t seen McKelvie stretch his wings like this in a while.

Toxic Summer 1 (Of 3) | Oni Press | AshAveComics.com

TOXIC SUMMER #1 (OF 3)

Derek Charm, who did some fun Archie stuff, brings us this new horror series from Oni that reminds me of one of those late-80s campy USA Up All Night horror movies, like Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-o-Rama. This one will be on my pull list.

Grommets 1 (Of 7) | Image Comics | AshAveComics.com

GROMMETS #1 (OF 7)

Rick Remender’s team-up with Andy Samberg on The Holy Roller has worked out pretty well, so he’s decided to roll the dice with another chuckleheadโ€”Brian Posehn, this time, who is not a stranger to comicsโ€”for Grommets, a book about how kids were awesome 40 years ago compared to the sucky phonesters of today. That’s probably reductive. It’s an 80s coming-of-age tale. Love that cover.

The Boy Wonder 1 (Of 5) | DC Comics | AshAveComics.com

THE BOY WONDER #1 (OF 5)

I was surprised to see thisโ€”it’s a kind of fairy-tale take on the Robin story by Juni Ba, whose Monkey Meat series from a couple years ago I really enjoyed. People love Robin. Any Robin. I think this will be very popular, with reach beyond the normal comics crowd.

The Scale Trade 1 | Magma Comix | AshAveComix.com

THE SCALE TRADE #1

“In a modern-day world one step removed from our own,” reads the solicitation for The Scale Trade #1, “dragons are a highly respectedโ€”and highly endangeredโ€”species, but poaching is an existential threat.” That is a lot of steps removed from our world, Scale Trade makers! Dragons! I ask you. Megan Huang, who’s done some nice covers lately, teams up with Steve Orlando from Marvel’s Marauders here. Could be fun.

Transformers 1 | Image Comics | AshAveComics.com

Weekly Shout-Out: October 5, 2023

by Paul

Cht-ch-ch-cht-cht. That’s how I spell out the noise they make when they transform. I share that with you because I trust you.

SPOTLIGHT TITLES

Transformers #1 (Image Comics)

Art and story by Daniel Warren Johnson

Transformers 1 | Image Comics | AshAveComics.com

If, like me, you’re someone who has looked your spouse or partner dead in the eye and said, “No, these are not identical Optimus Prime figures. This one is painted like he was in the original cartoon, and this one has 25% darker colors to look like his 1990s ‘Generation 2’ toy” as if that explained everything or anything, you’ve probably already bought this comic. If you’re someone who finds the Transformers and their world to be a head-scratcher (fair enough), you should buy this comic, because Daniel Warren Johnson draws it with love, and finds some cool new twists on the visual language of classic Transformers that really sing. As someone who has read a lot of comics about Transformers (IDW’s More Than Meets the Eye/Lost Light run by Alex Milne and James Roberts is possibly my favorite comic of the last 10-15 years), I’ve seen them drawn by people who are good at drawing Transformers but dicey at drawing people and vice versa, but Johnson manages both here. He also writes and draws a great Starscream, the Daffy Duck of Transformers, giving him a page near the end of the issue to prove why he’s the universal favorite as he bitches about his lot in life while trashing public infrastucture. Even if you don’t like Transformers, I think you’ll like Daniel Warren Johnson’s Transformers. Check it out.

G.O.D.S. #1 (Marvel Comics)

Art by Valerio Schiti/Story by Jonathan Hickman

G.O.D.S. 1 | Marvel Comics | AshAveComics.com

After wrapping up Ultimate Invasion last week, Jonathan Hickman teams up with Valerio Schiti to bring us G.O.D.S., a new series led by a character who looks so much like a fashionably made-over Dr. Strange that I spent a good chunk of this book thinking, “Is this guy not Dr. Strange?” Schiti and Hickman, evidently aware that this might be an issue for readers like me, make sure to establish that our raffish new hero is not Dr. Strange by showing him talking to Dr. Strange on page one of the story, and even then I spent about thirty pages thinking, “That’s Dr. Strange though.” But he is not Dr. Strange. He’s a new guy named Wyn who reads floating books, gestures theatrically to do magic things, has a streak of distinguished white in his hair, and wears a red coat that swirls animatedly about him as though it were a sort of red cape. We’ve never seen anything like him before. At least he’s good company through this extra-sized first issue, and he has good banter with his on-the-spectrum sidekick. This one is like one of those early Vertigo comics where marginalized misfits would do magick-with-a-k and talk to old, bored gods and quote Arthur Rimbaud, except this one has the Collector and Dr. Voodoo in it. One weird thing about this book is that even though it’s a 64-page Jonathan Hickman story, there is not a single graph. Where are the graphs? There’s a lot of jargon here and a good graph would help keep the players straight and they could also throw in the reason this book is called G.O.D.S. Well, I’m sure they’ll get around to it.

Abbott: 1979 #1 (Boom! Studios)

Art by Sami Kivelรค/Story by Saladin Ahmed

Abbott: 1979 1 | Boom! Studios | AshAveComics.com

It’s been a couple of years for us since we last saw hard-boiled, chain-smoking, magic-using investigative reporter Elena Abbott, but for her, it’s been six years, and things are not going great. It’s the end of the 70s and it’s tough all overโ€”there’s a gas crisis, no one knows what to do about this hostage thing, Carter is blowing it right and left, and Japanese auto manufacturers are introducing economical, reliable cars to Americans, which is bad news for Abbott’s hometown of Detroit. Of course, society always has some extra curveballs for a Black woman, especially when she’s responsible for thwarting an occult conspiracy bent on taking over her city and then the world. This is the conclusion to the Abbott trilogy. If you’ve read the last two, you’ll know you’re in good hands, and if you haven’t, you should catch up at Ash Avenue Comics because we have both of the trades in stock.

AT A GLANCE

Clementine, Book Two | Image Comics | AshAveComics.com

Clementine, Book Two (Image Comics)

Art and story by Tillie Walden

Plucky apocalypse survivor Clementine’s YA adventures continue as she adjusts to life after being rescued by an island community. But things are not what they seem. Things are about to get coco-nuts! Note: Don’t write to me if they don’t live on a tropical island. I haven’t read it yet. It just came out! I’m the guy who thought that guy was Dr. Strange!

Alice Cooper 1 (Of 5) | Dynamite Entertainment | AshAveComics.com

Alice Cooper #1 (of 5) (Dynamite Entertainment)

Art by Edu Menna/Story by Rodney Barnes

Living legend of rock and Phoenix-area local treasure Alice Cooper returns to comics to take on the Devil himself, who is threatening to take his own band on tour to do I don’t know what. But the archangel Gabriel wants Alice to stop him. That’s right. What they condemn today they’ll embrace in 40 years. Is this in continuity with Marvel’s The Last Temptation of Alice comic from the 90s that Neil Gaiman wrote? If not, does that open the door to some kind of Crisis of Infinite Alices? I look forward to it.

I Am Stan: A Graphic Biography of the Legendary Stan Lee | Ten Speed Press | AshAveComics.com

Weekly Shout-Out: September 13, 2023

by Drew

AT A GLANCE

Batman: Gargoyle of Gotham 1 | DC Comics | AshAveComics.com
Batman: Gargoyle of Gotham #1

Batman Gargoyle of Gotham #1 by Rafael Grampa (DC): Rafael Grampa returns to Batman to take another shot at the Dark Knight (after handling the art chores on 2019โ€™s The Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child with writer Frank Miller), and this time heโ€™s writing and drawing a four issue rampage through the underbelly of DCโ€™s seediest city. Grampaโ€™s style evokes the same expressionistic lines of Paul Pope, but donโ€™t confuse the two, as Grampa leans heavily into a frenzy of demented and unhinged portrayals of Gotham and its most sinister residents. This four issue series is a great return to form for DCโ€™s Black Label imprint of adult and mature comics, purchase your copy today!

I Am Stan: A Graphic Biography of the Legendary Stan Lee | Ten Speed Press | AshAveComics.com
I Am Stan: A Graphic Biography of the Legendary Stan Lee

I Am Stan: A Graphic Biography of the Legendary Stan Lee by Tom Scioli (Ten Speed Press): The follow-up, and companion piece, to cartoonist Tom Scioliโ€™s 2020 graphic novel Jack Kirby: The Epic Life of the King of Comics, spotlights Stan Lee (I donโ€™t think I need to explain who he is). Scioliโ€™s latest offers neither fawning adoration of a comics legend, nor a cynical takedown of Stan โ€œThe Manโ€, instead look for a biography of a complicated person who loved to tell a story, and often that story was about himself.

AT A GLANCE

Alligator Loki #1 by Bob Quinn and Alyssa Wong (Marvel): Lots of fun for all ages, an alligator variant of the trickster god Loki proves to be a real handful for Thor, but an evil alligator is a lot more silly than sinister. No crocodile tears (or alligator tears, a variant, naturally) to be shed after purchasing this one.

Daredevil #1 by Aaron Kuder and Saladin Ahmed (Marvel): Writer Chip Zdarskyโ€™s four year run on the olโ€™ hornhead has wrapped up, and now Saladin Ahmed and Aaron Kuderโ€™s run kicks off with Father Matthew grappling with his own demons, Elektra, and the NYPD. The future of DD hangs in the balance (as always!).

Crusader #1 by Matt Emmons (Mad Cave): A most devout Knight of Templar pulled from the battle against โ€œpagan idolatryโ€ and teleported to a world of orcs, wizards, and trolls. The jokes practically write themselves! Not a big name title, but probably the most entertaining comic to hit our shelves this week.

Barnstormers 1 | Dark Horse Comics | Ash Avenue Comics

Weekly Shout-Out: July 5, 2023

by Paul

Brethren, as the wet maltipoo barks at the blow dryer, so shall we bark at THIS WEEK’S COMICS! ARF ARF ARF ARF ARF

SPOTLIGHT TITLES

Barnstormers #1 (Dark Horse) by Tula Lotay and Scott Snyder: After 128 years of near-misses, the elusive four-quadrant Paul comic book has been achieved, casting the wide net that captures my four favorite things and combines them into a Pinnacle of Comics. Until now, no one comic could contain between its covers:

  • Robots
  • Neon
  • Old-timey Preston Sturges-style Americana
  • Tula Lotay

It also has biplanes, Pinkertons, and Fabergรฉ eggs. And it’s double-sized for only $4.99. I really loved Barnstormers. I wish the second issue came out tomorrow. Strong, strong recommend.

Also available: Barnstormers #1 Cover B Dave Johnson | Barnstormers #1 Cover C Tula Lotay | Barnstormers #1 Cover D Massimo Carnevale | Barnstormers #1 Cover E Foil Tula Lotay

Knight Terrors: The Joker #1 [Of 2] (DC) by Stefano Raffaele and Matthew Rosenberg: Ever since The Dark Knight, you can practically see writers of Joker stories rolling up their sleeves and saying “Okay! Time to make my mark!” before hunkering down at the keyboard to deliver 22 pages of sphincter-tightening torture porn and graphic Harley Quinn abuse that aim to shine a light on the dark heart of a rotting social order but read like some incel paid a professional cartoonist to illustrate his collected Facebook status updates. Happily, for me, Matthew Rosenberg steers clear of this sort of thing in Knight Terrors: The Joker #1, sparing us the Joker’s hoary break-your-one-rule shtick by letting him dispatch with Batman on page 3 and then seek fulfillment by leaping feet-first into the true mouth of modern madness: the office. There’s some good bits with the Joker getting pushed to the edge by his chirpy colleagues in his busywork Wayne Enterprises department (“What is our office even called?” he asks in disbelief). I would have been happy starting in media res with the Joker already established at his desk, but there’s still enough of it for my taste, and Stefano Raffaele wrings as much comedy out of it as a DC artist can.

Also available: Joker The Man Who Stopped Laughing #9.1 Knight Terrors #1 Cover B Francesco Mattina Card Stock Variant (Of 2) | Joker The Man Who Stopped Laughing #9.1 Knight Terrors #1 Cover C Simone Bianchi Card Stock Variant (Of 2)

Delphinium, Part One (Strangers Publishing) by Pat Aulisio: This is a boutique sort of zine concerning an astronaut who finds himself marooned on an uninhabited planet called Delphinium. He strolls around, meets a space bug, eats an alien mushroom, and that’s about it. Look, not everything has to be pulse-pounding, okay? You’ll wear out the edge of your seat sitting on it like that all the time. This comic is soothing and agreeable, and I enjoyed exploring Aulisio’s dense alien landscape alongside my new astronaut buddy. Aulisio draws in a scratchy, primitive style that brings to mind Gary Panter, and the black-and-white astronaut really pops against the blue and purple surface of the planet. This is a nice graphic package all around. Delphinium isn’t a book for everyone, but if you’re a fan of comix-with-an-x, you should check it out.

AT A GLANCE

In the spirit of our age, here are some books I haven’t yet read but on which I will offer some opinions nevertheless.

Weird Work #1 (Image) by Shaky Kane and Jordan Thomas: I’ve always wanted to check out Shaky Kane’s work but, what with all the hurlyburly of modern life, have never quite managed it, so I’m looking forward to this chance. Weird Work bills itself as cross between L.A. Confidential and Futurama.

eJunky #1 (Scout) by Kyle Faehnrich and Nicholas Tana: If you like hardcore dystopian sci-fi with weird drugs, sinister corporations, and a hell of a lot of jargon, this book has your name on it. If your name is Nicholas Tana or Kyle Faenhrich, anyway. This is one of these Nonstop books Scout puts out now where they publish a first issue and then publish the whole series in one volume a few months later, sparing retailers the headache of having to analyze another sales trend. Good looking out, Scout Comics. This one has a nice Darick Robertson cover, too.

Gene Simmons’ Dominatrix #1 (Opus) by S.L. Gallant, Gene Simmons, and Holly Interlandi: Yes, this is a real comic. Yes, we did order it, and yes, we do have it in stock for purchase. Indeed, it turns out, this is actually a revival of an old series, as I was bowled over to discover recently while generating inventory for our ComicHub store. “When one of her sessions is interrupted by mysterious agents who seem to have hyper-strength,” reads the solicitation for this new series, “Dom’s narrow escape leads her down the rabbit hole of a global conspiracy.” I scoffed at this at first. How could Dominatrix’s skill set lend itself to unmasking and toppling a global conspiracy? I wondered. But then I remembered all the Garth Ennis comics I’ve read and thought, I guess there probably is always some demand for a good dominatrix amongst the secret chiefs of the global order. I’ll tell you this, though: Gene Simmons’ Dominatrix is going to have to network like no superheroine has networked before. Build that brand, girl.