New comic book day is almost here and the Comic Vine staff wants to make sure you're ready for it! We've reviewed the latest list of new releases and each of us have selected some of the upcoming issues that we believe are worth checking out. Once you're finished seeing what we recommend, we encourage you to chime in with your top choices, too. Now, let's see what the staff is excited to read!
Tony "G-Man" Guerrero's picks
ROBIN RISES OMEGA #1
Everyone knows Batman needs a Robin. But more importantly, what will this storyline mean for Damian Wayne? All eyes will be on this series to search for any clues as to who will be Robin by the end of the year and whether or not Damian will return from the dead.
This story will likely have big repercussions between Batman and Ra’s al Ghul. And why the heck does Batman have to go to Apokolips? Peter Tomasi has something big up his sleeve and the chance to see Andy Kubert’s art is not something you’d want to pass on.
ORIGINAL SIN #6
Marvel’s current big ‘event’ continues. There’s a lot of crazy things going on. This is a series about revelations and we’re waiting to see what’s coming next. Throughout the first five issues, we’ve traveled around all over the Marvel Universe. With the hunt on for the Watcher’s killer, we’ll be glued to each page to see what Jason Aaron and Mike Deodato plan on throwing at us next.
HARLEY QUINN INVADES COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL: SAN DIEGO #1
Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti have been injecting some fun and humor into the New 52 universe with their HARLEY QUINN series. Those are two things we don’t see a whole lot of in DC’s comics. There are times things get a little wacky but it’s great being able to read a series and be able to just dive in without having to worry about the bigger picture.
With this title, Amanda and Jimmy are taking their 20 years of Comic-Con experience and focusing on the positives. If you’ve ever gone to a show or seen footage from us or other places, you have an idea what to expect. We’re dying to see what their take, mixed with Harley, will be. Amanda Conner will be doing a couple pages (not the entire issue) and there will be art from Dave Johnson, Paul Pope, Damion Scott, John Timms, Stephane Roux, Marco Failla, and more.
Honorable Mention: SILVER SURFER #4, TEEN TITANS #1
Mat "Inferiorego" Elfring's picks
MANIFEST DESTINY #8
A long time ago, Lewis and Clark went to the New World and discovered it was filled with monsters and things trying to kill them at every turn. That's what MANIFEST DESTINY is all about. It's a really fun adventure story and now that we're into the second issue of the second arc, we're learning that there's a whole lot more to be afraid of in the new world. It's a really weird book, but a really weird book that I can not put down. Check out the first trade and catch up while you can.
MAGNETO #7
Cullen Bunn should be allowed to write any super-villain books he wants to. MAGNETO has been a blast, but not in a fun way, whatsoever. The past couple of issues have been pretty depressing, but well worth the read since the bad guy (Not Magneto) always gets what he deserves. And while this isn't a light-hearted or fun book that uplifts you spirits where every issue ends with a hug and a life lesson in morality, it's one of my favorite new on-going series for 2014.
THE DEVILERS #1
Back in May, I reviewed a little book from Dynamite called DEVILERS. This new creator-driven series from writer Josh Fialkov and artist Matt Triano will be a great pick for those looking for something half a step away from the super-hero genre. Basically, this is a great transitional book for those who want to try something out from a smaller company, but need a few familiar elements from superhero books to guide them along.
Visit CBR for additional preview pages. Also, CLICK HEREto read Mat's early review.
Gregg "k4tz" Katzman's picks
TMNT #36
IDW's TMNT has done an excellent job bringing the heroes in a half shell back in a familiar yet refreshingly creative way. We've seen them offer clever redesigns and new origin stories for plenty of mutants and humans, but everything that makes the franchise special is still present and then some. We've witnessed the return of quite a few familiar faces and now this latest chapter is teasing the debut of a classic villain: the Rat King.
What will make this version unique? How will he connect to the current narrative? We'll just have to wait and see, but based on this title's track record, it's more than safe to say it'll likely to be a reading experience that'll be well-worth checking out for any TMNT fan. The minds behind this story arc have also placed a strong spotlight on the human characters, so I'm anxious to see how much follow-up they receive in this upcoming issue and how these plot points will eventually intersect. Plus, you can't go wrong with more pages from Mateus Santolouco and Ronda Pattison.
BLACK MARKET #1
Writer Frank J. Barbiere's new BOOM! limited series, BLACK MARKET, looks like it'll be an interesting way of studying one man's morals and witnessing how far he'll go for "the greater good." In a world where super-powered heroes soar above regular people and only swoop down for the occasion rescue, would it be wrong to kidnap some of them and take samples of their blood if it meant potentially curing cancer and countless other diseases? That's the difficult question the writer explores in this new storyline and with a premise like this one, there's certain to be plenty of twists and turns along the way.
I'm left wondering why the government can't ask for samples. Maybe these beings have grown to distrust humanity? We'll just have to wait and see as we explore this new world and honestly, I'm very curious to see where this story will go. And based on the preview, it definitely seems like artist Victor Santos is a great fit for the book's tone.
THE LAST FALL #1
I'm a sucker for a good sci-fi adventure, and this latest project by IDW absolutely has my attention. TMNT's writer, Tom Waltz, wants to bring us into a whole new universe that has a vicious war going on between two neighboring worlds. This conflict's allegedly all about resources, but something tells me there's far more to this one than a simple battle over precious materials. Only time will tell what Waltz has in store for us with this one and you can bet I want to find out.
The concept alone has my curiosity, but the book also seems like it'll offer an interesting character study. We've all seen skilled soldiers take the lead in tales, but this protagonist has lost everything that matters to him and appears to have nothing but sheer hatred for the other side and is sporting a "nothing left to lose" mentality. I'm hoping this concept is fleshed out as we see this isn't simply a war where one side is good and one side is blatantly bad and it'll reveal just how much of a toll war can take on an individual. Surely there's much more to the enemy than "they have resources and they're in our way." There's a lot of potential here and Waltz's work on TMNT has really won me over, so I'm feeling very optimistic about this new series. Here's hoping this first chapter is loaded with worldbuilding and excitement!
Go to CBR for extra preview pages.
Honorable Mention: ELEKTRA #4, UNITY #9
Jen "MissJ" Aprahamian's picks
THE WICKED + THE DIVINE #2
The team that brought us PHONOGRAM once again fuses comics with pop culture in a big, bold way, and it's immediately a must-pull. The debut issue gave us a peek into a world where gods are pop stars, ephemeral and polarizing, and swept us up in a dangerous plot that involves Lucifer being framed. This month, we get to follow our mortal proxy, Laura, further down the rabbithole of moving in the gods' circles, and learn more about these revered, despised entities. Sharp storytelling, gorgeous pages, and a killer playlist make this one of my very favorites among Image's latest releases.
PRINCESS UGG #2
Princess Academy might not be fun for the graceless-but-spunky Ulga (aka the titular Princess Ugg), but her adventures definitely make for great reading. The barbarian princess takes on "strong female character" in a very literal interpretation -- Ugg wields an axe and has a berzerker spirit -- and her coming-of-age story has a lot of promise for readers of all ages. Ted Naifeh's illustrations are gorgeous, and the "odd couple" dynamic plays well (and suggests some eventual surprises). Ugly ducklings and refined swans alike will find something enjoyable in this series.
Corey "Undeadpool" Schroeder's picks
THE WITCHER #5
Paul Tobin and Joe Querio bring their side story of Geralt to a close this issue, and it's been quite the ride. The aura of horror that's been permeating the mini series since the very first issue has been steadily building and is set to pay off in a major, unpredictable way. And I mean that part about being unpredictable, I have no clue what's going to happen or what the explanation behind all the strangeness is going to be (if there's even going to be a full explanation), but whatever happens, I have confidence that it'll fit together in both the tone and structure of The Witcher saga.
MS. MARVEL #6
The storyline with the Inventor continues to spiral out of control and apparently there's only one person who can help: THE OMNIPRESENT WOLVERINE! He's apparently not on the cover though, so I have some confidence that this is less a grab for attention and will actually be integral to the plot. Plus C. Willow Wilson has been an absolute dynamo at making the strange, disparate parts of the Marvel U fit neatly into Kamala's narrative, so there's no cause for concern that I can see. We're getting a new artist in Jake Wyatt and while I'm not terribly familiar with him, a cursory glance at his work says to me that he'll be fitting in perfectly.
Honorable Mention: BATMAN ETERNAL #15