Have you gone to see The Wolverine yet? Or 2 Guns? If not, what are you waiting for? It’s Comic Book Day in the cinemas right now in addition to your local comic book stores, so let’s get some synergy going. And while you’re waiting in line to get into your film, why not bring along one of the brand spankin’ new selections from this week’s pull list? With new offerings from Jeff Lemire, J. Michael Straczynski, Matt Fraction, and more, there’s an awful lot to be excited about this Wednesday. So, let’s cut to the chase and get to this week’s books!
Top Picks
Trillium #1 | Jeff Lemire
Although I’ve been absolutely loving Jeff Lemire playing with other people’s toys on titles like Animal Man and in the various “Trinity War” titles so far, the talented writer-artist is at his best when he’s by himself, handling both narrative and artistic duties. His latest work through Vertigo, Trillium, is no exception.
Described as his “most ambitious work yet,” Trillium is a sweeping sci-fi romance that takes us from the far reaches of futuristic space to the trenches of World War I in the span of a single issue. The plot revolves around a mysterious temple and a long-forgotten flower that could be the key to saving the future of mankind from a deadly, adaptive virus and finds two single-minded, obsessive explorers – botanist Nika Temsmith from the year 3797, and English explorer William Pike from the year 1921 – who are bound by fate to fall in love even as reality begins to unravel around them. The book is a heady, dreamlike experience, propelled by fits and bursts of explosive violence and action which keep the story moving at a steady clip. Even the artwork is an ambitious undertaking, as half of it is rendered digitally while the other half, the futuristic side, is entirely in hand-painted watercolors, which lends an ethereal beauty to the otherworldly scenes. Lemire has done quite a bit of table setting for what’s to come, and I, for one, cannot wait for the next course.
Lady Rawhide #1 | Eric Trautmann and Milton Estevam
Don’t let the scarlet bondage get-up on the cover scare you away; Lady Rawhide is far more than a mere cheesecake pinup. Originally positioned as one of Zorro’s villains, Lady Rawhide has long occupied a sort of Catwoman-to-Zorro’s-Batman kind of role, even to the point where she fights against injustice rather for her own less altruistic ends. Eric Trautmann, who you may remember from Flash Gordon: Zeitgeist and Red Sonja, gives Lady Rawhide her due, setting up a terrific villain for the series and giving her an origin that makes sense within the world she’s occupying. This isn’t just your run-of-the-mill “hot girl fights crime” book. Lady Rawhide seems like a well developed, fully rounded character who just happens to kick ass, take names, and look good while doing so. Estevam’s artwork and panel layouts make for a thrilling first issue as he manages to capture a certain kinetic energy to the action that makes it come alive. All in all, this is an auspicious start for Dynamite’s newest female-driven series, and definitely one worth looking into.
Sidekick #1 | J. Michael Straczynski, Tom Mandrake and Brian Miller
Even down to the artwork, J. Michael Straczynski’s Sidekick evokes similarly cynical fare like The Boys, but the venerable veteran writer takes the trope and makes it entirely his own is this terrific first issue. The new creator-owned series through Image Comics and his own Joe’s Comics imprint offers up a bleak view of superheroism and takes us through a “modern hero’s fall from grace.” Our heroes are the crimefighting duo of The Cowl and Flyboy, defenders of Sol City and generally beloved by its fair citizens, who are a regular Captain America and Bucky until The Cowl is unceremoniously assassinated in a motorcade parade that eerily evokes the JFK assassination. What follows is a series of increasingly hard knocks for Flyboy who, though desperate to step out of The Cowl’s shadow, cannot seem to get his life together – in and out of the spandex. It’s an unflinching look at how masked vigilantism can chew you up and spit you out, and JMS doesn’t offer up any sugar to make the medicine go down easier. His gritty, jaded tone, coupled with Tom Mandrake and Brian Miller’s bright, vibrant artwork, make the narrative gut-punches hit harder, thanks to the seeming tonal dissonance between the too. Thankfully, this is a welcome dissonance, which serves as a breath of fresh air in a market dominated by superhero stories. Get in on the ground floor, folks, because Sidekick is something to be witnessed first-hand.
Pull List
DARK HORSE COMICS JUN130028 ABE SAPIEN #5 $3.50 JUN130038 CATALYST COMIX #2 (MR) $2.99 MAR130075 FAGIN THE JEW 10TH ANNIVERSARY HC $19.99 DEC120116 GAME OF THRONES JON SNOW & GHOST STATUE $349.99 JAN130139 GAME OF THRONES PIN SHIELD LANNISTER $14.99 NOV120094 GAME OF THRONES PIN SHIELD RENLY $14.99 MAR130088 HELLBOY 5 INCH MINI QEE BPRD $19.99 MAR130087 HELLBOY 5 INCH MINI QEE GLOW IN DARK $19.99 MAR130086 HELLBOY 5 INCH MINI QEE RED $19.99 APR130078 LONE WOLF & CUB OMNIBUS TP VOL 02 $19.99 JUN130040 MICHAEL AVON OEMINGS VICTORIES #4 TRANSHUMAN (MR) $3.99 MAR130022 ORCHID TP VOL 03 (MR) $17.99 APR130016 TREKKER OMNIBUS TP $24.99 DC COMICS JUN130186 ACTION COMICS #23 $3.99 JUN130188 ACTION COMICS #23 COMBO PACK $4.99 JUN130248 AME COMI GIRLS #6 $3.99 APR130226 BATMAN ARKHAM UNHINGED HC VOL 02 $22.99 MAY130229 BATMAN ARKHAM UNHINGED TP VOL 01 $14.99 JUN130214 BATWING #23 $2.99 JUN130204 DETECTIVE COMICS #23 $3.99 JUN130206 DETECTIVE COMICS #23 COMBO PACK $4.99 JUN130235 DIAL H #15 (NOTE PRICE) $4.99 MAY130245 DISTURBINGLY AWFUL MAD TP $12.99 JUN130173 EARTH 2 #15 $2.99 JUN130288 FAIREST #18 (MR) $2.99 JUN130165 GREEN ARROW #23 $2.99 JUN130218 GREEN LANTERN #23 $2.99 JUN130220 GREEN LANTERN #23 COMBO PACK $3.99 FEB130220 IN THE DAYS OF THE MOB HC $39.99 JUN130254 LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT #11 $3.99 JUN130280 LOONEY TUNES #214 $2.99 JUN130233 MOVEMENT #4 $2.99 MAY130259 SAUCER COUNTRY TP VOL 02 RETICULAN CANDIDATE (MR) $16.99 JUN130281 SCOOBY DOO WHERE ARE YOU #36 $2.99 JUN130237 STORMWATCH #23 $2.99 JUN130238 SWAMP THING #23 $2.99 JUN130285 TRILLIUM #1 (MR) $2.99 MAY138357 TRINITY OF SIN PANDORA #1 2ND PTG $2.99 JUN130161 TRINITY OF SIN THE PHANTOM STRANGER #11 (TRINITY) $2.99 DC COMICS/DC COLLECTIBLES MAY130274 BATMAN ARKHAM CITY SOLOMON GRUNDY DLX AF $89.95 MAY130270 DC COMICS SUPER VILLAINS CAPTAIN COLD AF $24.95 APR130270 INJUSTICE AQUAMAN VS BLACK ADAM 2 PACK AF $29.95 APR130269 INJUSTICE NIGHTWING VS SUPERMAN 2 PACK AF $29.95 IDW PUBLISHING JUN130361 DUNGEONS & 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SATELLITE SAM #1 2ND PTG (MR) $3.50 JUN130558 SATELLITE SAM #2 (MR) [DIG] $3.50 JUN130561 SHELTERED #2 [DIG] $2.99 JUN130425 SIDEKICK #1 CVR A MANDRAKE (MR) [DIG] $2.99 JUN130426 SIDEKICK #1 CVR B ADLARD (MR) $2.99 JUN130565 TEN GRAND #4 (MR) [DIG] $2.99 JUN130497 TODD THE UGLIEST KID ON EARTH TP VOL 01 $9.99 MARVEL COMICS MAY138318 AGE OF ULTRON #10AI 2ND PTG PICHELLI VAR $3.99 JUN130641 ALL NEW X-MEN #15 $3.99 JUN130585 AVENGERS #17 INF $3.99 JUN130600 AVENGERS AI #2 $2.99 JUN130653 CABLE AND X-FORCE #12 $3.99 MAY130730 DAREDEVIL BY MARK WAID PREM HC VOL 05 $19.99 JUN130629 DAREDEVIL DARK NIGHTS #3 $2.99 MAY130673 DARK TOWER GUNSLINGER SO FELL LORD PERTH #1 $3.99 JUN130658 DEADPOOL KILLS DEADPOOL #2 $2.99 JUN130639 EMERALD CITY OF OZ #2 $3.99 MAY138320 GUARDIANS OF GALAXY #3 2ND PTG MCNIVEN VAR NOW $3.99 MAY138321 GUARDIANS OF GALAXY #4 2ND PTG PICHELLI VAR NOW $3.99 MAY138319 HAWKEYE #11 2ND AJA PTG VAR $2.99 JUN130602 HUNGER #2 $3.99 JUN130621 IRON MAN #14 $3.99 MAY130719 IRON MAN 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MAY131321 BAKUMAN TP VOL 20 $9.99 JUN131012 BLACK BAT #4 BENITEZ ART CVR $3.99 JUN131009 BLACK BAT #4 LEE CVR $3.99 MAY131254 CERTAIN SCIENTIFIC RAILGUN GN VOL 08 $12.99 JUN130797 CHARISMAGIC VOL 2 #4 DIRECT MARKET MAIN CVRS [DIG] $3.99 APR130912 CRITTER (ONGOING) #13 $3.50 MAY130895 CROSSED BADLANDS #34 (MR) $3.99 MAY130897 CROSSED BADLANDS #34 TORTURE CVR (MR) $3.99 MAY130896 CROSSED BADLANDS #34 WRAP CVR (MR) $3.99 JUN130812 CROSSED HC VOL 06 (MR) $32.99 JUN130811 CROSSED TP VOL 06 (MR) $24.99 MAY130950 DAMNED TP VOL 01 $16.99 APR131068 DAMSELS #9 $3.99 MAY131256 DANCE IN VAMPIRE BUND OMNIBUS VOL 03 (MR) $19.99 MAY131073 DARK SHADOWS #19 $3.99 MAY131327 DEVIL & HER LOVE SONG GN VOL 10 $9.99 APR131104 DF DANGER GIRL TRINITY #1 CAMPBELL EXC CVR $10.00 APR131105 DF GUARDIANS O/T GALAXY #1 EXC CVR PI MAY131101 DF IRON MAN #9 EXC CVR PI MAY131106 DF TEN GRAND #1 LEE EXC CVR $6.99 MAY131109 DF TEN GRAND #1 LEE EXC VIRGIN CVR $14.99 NOV121161 DF WARLORD OF MARS #27 RISQUE RED CVR (MR) $19.99 APR131103 DF X-FILES SEASON 10 #1 EXC CVR $6.99 JUN130737 EXPLORER SC $10.95 MAY131183 FAIRY TAIL GN VOL 28 $10.99 JUN130712 FINAL PLAGUE #2 (MR) $2.99 JAN131095 GAME OF THRONES #16 (MR) $3.99 JUN130908 GARFIELD #16 [DIG] $3.99 MAY131069 GARTH ENNIS BATTLEFIELDS TP VOL 07 GREEN FIELDS BEYOND (MR) $16.99 JUN130842 GEORGE RR MARTIN SKIN TRADE #2 (MR) $3.99 JUN130844 GEORGE RR MARTIN SKIN TRADE #2 GRISLY CVR (MR) $3.99 JUN130843 GEORGE RR MARTIN SKIN TRADE #2 WRAP CVR (MR) $3.99 MAY131373 GFT WONDERLAND DOWN RABBIT HOLE #3 A CVR SPAY $2.99 MAY131374 GFT WONDERLAND DOWN RABBIT HOLE #3 B CVR MCTEIGUE $2.99 JUN131391 GFT ZOMBIES CURSED #2 A CVR SIQUEIRA $3.99 JUN131392 GFT ZOMBIES CURSED #2 B CVR REYES $3.99 JUN131393 GFT ZOMBIES CURSED #2 C CVR QUALANO $3.99 MAY131326 HAPPY MARRIAGE GN VOL 01 (MR) $9.99 MAY138359 HARBINGER WARS #3 2ND PTG $3.99 MAY130795 HEADSMASH GN $19.95 JUN131227 HELHEIM #6 (MR) $3.99 NOV121001 HIGHER EARTH #9 MAIN CVRS [DIG] $3.99 MAY131263 JOHN CARPENTERS ASYLUM #2 (MR) $3.99 MAY130813 JUGHEADS DOUBLE DIGEST #195 [DIG/D+] $3.99 MAY131148 KAFKA GN (NEW PTG) $16.99 MAY131328 KAMISAMA KISS TP VOL 13 $9.99 MAY131257 KANOKON GN COLL ED VOL 02 $18.99 MAY131331 KAZE HIKARU GN VOL 21 $9.99 MAY130814 KEVIN KELLER #10 REG CVR [DIG/D+] $2.99 MAY131330 KIMI NI TODOKE GN VOL 17 FROM ME TO YOU $9.99 JUN131377 KINGDOM HEARTS II TP VOL 01 $19.00 MAY130915 KNIGHTINGAIL SHADOW DIVISIONS #1 $3.99 JUN130956 LADY RAWHIDE #1 $3.99 MAY130916 LEGEND OF OZ THE WICKED WEST ONGOING #10 $3.50 MAY131329 LIBRARY WARS LOVE & WAR GN VOL 10 $9.99 JUN131195 LITTLE PRINCE GN VOL 09 PLANET O/T GIANT $7.95 JUN130943 LORDS OF MARS #1 ROSS CVR (MR) $3.99 MAY130819 MEGA MAN #28 REG CVR [DIG/D+] $2.99 MAY131322 NARUTO TP VOL 62 $9.99 MAY130756 NATHAN HALES HAZARDOUS TALES HC VOL 03 DONNER DINNER PARTY $12.95 JUN131138 NO STRAIGHT LINES QUEER COMICS TP $35.00 MAY131323 NURA RISE O/T YOKAI CLAN GN VOL 16 $9.99 JUN131315 OVER THE WALL GN $14.95 JUN131025 OWL #2 $3.99 JUN131031 PATHFINDER GOBLINS #1 $3.99 APR131178 PHASES OF THE MOON TP $12.99 JUN130898 PLANET O/T APES CATACLYSM #12 [DIG] $3.99 MAY131334 POKEMON BLACK & WHITE GN VOL 11 $4.99 JUN130711 PRINCELESS TALES OF GIRLS WHO ROCK ONE SHOT $2.99 JUN131320 QUANTUM & WOODY #2 REG SOOK $3.99 JUN130709 RACHEL RISING TP VOL 03 CEMETERY SONGS $16.99 MAY138378 RED SONJA #1 2ND PTG $3.99 APR131063 RED SONJA TP VOL 11 ECHOES OF WAR $19.99 JUN130889 ROBOCOP LAST STAND #1 (MR) [DIG] $3.99 APR130799 RUBICON HC (MR) $24.95 MAY131258 SACRED BLACKSMITH GN VOL 02 (MR) $13.99 JUN131415 SCREWED #3 A CVR KIRKHAM (MR) $2.99 JUN131416 SCREWED #3 B CVR MILLER (MR) $2.99 MAY130917 SERUSIS #2 $3.50 MAY131016 SHADOW #16 $3.99 JUN131330 SHADOWMAN #9 REG JOHNSON $3.99 JUN130710 SKYWARD #2 $2.99 MAY131340 SLAM DUNK GN VOL 29 $9.99 MAY130797 STEAM ENGINES OF OZ #2 $3.99 JUN130905 SUICIDE RISK #4 [DIG] $3.99 MAY131341 TEGAMI BACHI GN VOL 14 $9.99 MAY131319 TEZUKA TWIN KNIGHT GN VOL 01 $13.95 JUN130742 THRILLING ADVENTURE HOUR HC 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