New Series Roundup 2

 Alright gang, it's time for another installment of the 2019 new series roundup. I tend not to do these so close together, but 2019 is simply putting out so many new titles back to back and I honestly can't complain because there are so many new wonderful stories to fall in love with. So let's not dilly dally and jump right into it!

Assassin Nation -  Kyle Starks & Erica Henderson - Not to be confused with the movie Assassination Nation, Assassin Nation is a new five-issue mini-series from Image comics. Though it may seem premature, I'm already calling Assassin Nation my favorite new title of 2019. This is the one title I look forward to every gosh dang month I just love it that much! When an assassin turned crime boss has a price on his head, he'll call in old friends and colleges to protect him. With twenty of the greatest killers in one room, chaos ensues in this fast-paced, violent comedy.  What I love about Assassin Nation is that it starts you off with this engaging splash page score board, ranking all of our key players, allowing you to connect and potentially even choose a favorite even before the story really begins. And boy are there so many diverse characters to love. From the sexually ambiguous Fuck Terrington to the mysterious Mamba Twins, to David Bowie Knife, each character is unique and colorfully designed. Despite its serious nature this book is just so much fun, and both Stark and Henderson take that joyous fun and they run with it. Given its premise, it would be easy to go for a gritty and grim tone, but that's not the case with Assassin Nation. Stark's humor is delightful with laugh out loud lines such as "We climbed a mountain and fucked the sun, my friend. We got the sun burnt dicks to prove it." Most of you might find that gross, but I for one think it's hilarious, and the book is just filled with quirky and hilarious one-liners all throughout. And I gotta say it's refreshing to see Erica Henderson on such a violent book. Her cartoonish and often exaggerated style works with these characters and their actions which are equally outrageous. I cant stress enough how amazing Assassin Nation is and I for sure plan on doing a full scale review at the end of the series. If you love witty humor, whirlwind action, diverse characters or a combination of the three you're definitely gonna wanna check out Assassin Nation. [Comixology]

Faithless - Brian Azzarello & Maria Lllovet - Man I am so on the fence with how I feel about Faithless. Faithless from Boom comics is a new erotic horror book from comic vetern Briana Azzerello and comic newcomer Maria Llovet. This genre isn't something we see very often so of course, I got very excited for a book like this. From personal experience, it seems Boom doesn't often take on a lot of mature series, and I feel like over the years they've ended up with the title of the kid-friendly publisher, so it's a surprise that they would be willing to take on a book of this nature. Faithless claims to be it's own take on Dante's famous Divine Comedy but done in the style of lesbian erotic horror. There's sex, there's demons, there's a cult maybe??? You get the gist. I'm just gonna start off saying that Maria Llovet's art is absolutey stunning throughout the entirety of the book and as the tone of the series gets stranger and stranger I'm excited to watch her style evolve with it. No doubt about it she nailed everything about this series, and that goes for Daniel Semanas on colors too! Now let's talk about Brian Azzarello. As a queer woman, there's just something about a straight man writing other queer women that just always feels offputting. This goes for Stjepan Sejic on Sunstone as well, and I freaking love that book!  There are moments throughtout Faithless that feel very stereotyped, and that's even going beyond the queer content, as this same feeling arises with a woc in the story's opening. For a mature book, there was a lot of dialogue that just felt childish and overly simple. I'm not saying we need the overextending vocabulary of the original Divine Comedy, but if you're trying to compare youreself to such an iconic scripture, you could spice it up a little. Despite all my criticims, this book is on my comic subscription list at least to see where the story goes, because that last page left me oh so curious. I also feel the STRONG need to support Faithless if not just for the story itself but for the niche genre in the hopes that we'll get more stories like this. [Comixology]

Invisible Kingdom - G Willow Wilson & Christian Ward - There was a lot of hype behind Invisible Kingdom. After all it was a fresh new creator series from G Willow Wilson and Christian Ward who were both heavy hitters over at Marvel. While I was excited, I wasn't excited (if that makes any sense at all) and I honestly considered glancing over the first issue, and picking it up in it's completion. Boy am I glad I changed my mind. That first issue alone is too good to pass up and issue two only extends to that goodness. Invisible Kingdom fills the void in my heart Saga left behind while it goes on it's hiatus. Set in an exotically beautiful futuristic universe the story follows the path of two women each with their own diverging paths. Grix, the first character we're introduced to is a hardened and badass freighter pilot for a universe domineering corporation (sup Amazon). Vess, who we meet later in the first issue, is a mere girl from a dying planet, who has abandoned her home in search of her place in the world, in the form of a religious disciple. The two will come together, as things slowly crumble and things not seen before are suddenly revealed. There's gorgeous commentary on both sides of the story, and Ward creates these gorgeous splash pages that contrast our main character's wildly different origins while seemingly blending them together. The colors are bright and eyecatching giving the world of Invisible Kingdom even more life to it's pages. While I admit that G Willow Wilson isn't exactly one of my favorite writers, I acknowledge all the work she's done for comics. But her work on Invisible Kingdom has this beautiful sophisticated style, without being overly complex and I'm just loving it. Willow Wilson and Ward are a match made in heaven, the two of them are crafting a beautiful story that will be awe-inspiring to follow along from start to finish. [Comixology]

Orphan Age -  Ted Anderson & Nuno Plati - Post Apocalyptic books are my god damn jam. It's my absolute favorite genre, and when done right it can become an endless land of absolute opportunity. This is also my shameless plug yet again for a list of some of my favorite end of the world comics, and I'll continue to plug it because there are just some fantastic books on there you should be reading! Alright now back to Orphan Age! In a world where all adults have been wiped from the Earth, the children left in the wake of what's left are forced to structure a new world from the remains of one they barely knew or understood. Set twenty-some years later we'll be introduced to what they've made of said world. Except the problem with Orphan Age's world-building in the first issue, is that it doesn't exactly feel all that different. Things feel the same as any other apocalypse, and considering its a world built by children, I expected some creativity to an oversaturated genre. The most exciting part about the Orphan Age so far is the introduction of the series' antagonist, the New Church, a religious cult following, slightly reminiscent of white supremacists. While they don't do a whole lot in those final pages, I'm sure they'll be the driving force of Orphan Age's conflict. And therein lies the problem. There's a foundation there, but it's an extremely slow start. The creative team has created a very simple base for what could could turn into a complex narrative, and Nuno Plati's art ist just absolutely stunning, however I'm worried that with such a slow start most readers will simply wait for a trade collection. Maybe I'm just being a little harsh, but this series was one of my most anticipated new titles of 2019 and I just feel overly disappointed. Compared to Animosity, another post-apocalyptic series in the genre and also from Aftershock comics, Orphan Age just falls flat. [Comixology]

Ronin Island - Greg Pak & Giannis Milonogiannis - This book almost flew under my radar and I am so upset about it because it's just so good! We need more culturally diverse fantasy stories, and Ronin Island delivers that and more. Set in historic Japan this new series follows two young up and coming warriors. There's Kenichi, the son of a fabled samurai warrior, and Hana, a Korean orphan who while despite having nothing, not even a title to her name, has all the skills to make her a great warrior. Given their wildly contrasting personalities and backgrounds, Kenichi and Hana work as a foil to one another as both vie for the same goal in being their island's champion. Despite its historical background, there's a beautiful blend of fabled monsters and creatures that help drive the story forward. This book wears the influence of both Princess Mononoke and Avatar The Last Airbender on its sleeve, both with the help of Pak's storytelling and Milonongiannis' expressive art and characters. Hell, the first issue almost beautifully parallels the second episode of ATLA. Unlike a lot of series firsts, which are often bogged down with world building and exposition, Ronin Island's premier issue jumps right into the action, giving readers a fast-paced issue, with a world and backstories to be desired. Pak expertly crafts these answers into future issues, while still continuing to carry out the story in an engaging and action filled way. I'm personally a huge fan of Greg Pak, loving books like Planet Hulk, Batman/Superman and Mech Cadet Yu, and he's known for creating these diverse fantasies filled with representation, that everyone can see themselves in. Ronin's Island is just a fantastic treat of a new series wether you just want a great historical fantasy or if you're a fan of such series as ATLA or Studio Ghibli. Ronin Island is a wonderful all-ages story for the modern age. [Comixology]

Fairlady -  Brian Schirmer & Claudia Balboni - FairLady is another series who's first issue I almost passed up on and now am glad I didn't. After a long tiring war is over what left is there for a soldier? Enter Jenner Faulds, a mercenary turned private detective as the world's first and only FairLady. Stuck with the case's no one else wants she'll be sent on a path of action and mystery. What I really like about Fairlady is that while there's an ongoing enigma and character buildup for our main heroine, each issue at its core is individualized and self-contained into its own story. This makes it great for both new and casual readers considering you could pick up an issue at any time and still follow along and enjoy it to the fullest. It honestly feels like watching an old-world fantasy version of Law and Order. The first page and how it blends beautifully into the title spread on the following pages was enough to grab me in. There's a lot of wonderful and unique pages, creatively crafted by Claudia, Balboni, including a full-fledged aerial crime scene investigation. Each page was just a joy to look at and while there were several methods of storytelling featured throughout the book, they blended together seamlessly without feeling counterproductive. The beautiful fantasy world of Feld, and the creatures and characters that inhabit it remind me a lot of Rat Queens. While I love Jenner, and how witty and badass she is all my love right now goes towards her partner who is literally this giant cat. He acts as her muscle and brute force in certain situations with a temper of his own and I just love him so gosh dang much. Either way thanks to both Schirmer and Balboni we've got some pretty fantastic leading characters. I can't wait to see more of their adventures in future issues of FairLady! [Comixology]

Heads Will Roll - Clankillers #1 [Early] Review

  I've been on a warrior woman kick lately. I mean I'm always on a kick with warrior women, but lately, I've spent a lot of time with series like Vault's Heathen, Dark Horse's Sword Daughter, and Dynamite's Red Sonja. So seeing as Clankillers #1 was being advertised as another young warrior girl on the run and out for revenge I knew I had to put the first issue on my reading list. Of course I have to give out a huge thanks to Sean Lewis and the Aftershock team for sending ya girl an early review copy. You guys are seriously the best!

Clankillers tells the tale of teenage rebellion, set amidst the harsh landscape of historical Ireland. Blaming the death of her mother, and the descent of father's madness on the Goddess Balor, Princess Finola decides that she alone will take down the holy deity. But in order to come face to face with the goddess herself, Finola will have to kill the Four Clans of Ireland, including the one belonging to her own kin.

There's a lot of potential in this first issue. Lewis and Fuso have really laid out the groundwork, setting up both the characters and story quite nicely. Why is Finola seemedly her father's favorite daughter, what was the king like before insanity took over, and of course why did the Goddess Balor need to kill the Queen? These are all questions I NEED answered and why I'll be continuing to read this series.  It gives readers enough to be invested without blowing it all away with the first issue. We've also got some really great characters on our hands. Of course I love Finola, she's got the spirit and strength to conquer through anything taking the impossible feat of claiming a goddess' head, head on. (Pun totally intended) But who I'm really enjoying is King Padraig the Grotesque, As his name states, he's a man of pure evil. Padraig is the comic book equivalent of Tywin Lannister and its shown throughout the issue through his own actions and dialogue why he's so hated by his daughter and feared by those around him. He's a tortured scumbag and those are my favorite kind of characters.

Now Antonio Fuso's art is rough, but given the mood and style of Clankiller's, that's not a bad thing. In fact, it's what really helps to bring the story together. The colors are dark and murky, really helping to set the brutal tone of feudal Ireland. The world is shit, and while dialogue can take that feeling so far, Fuso's art brings us that much farther, truly showcasing the hardships in which these people are forced to face.

Series from Aftershock comics seem to be hit or miss. Animosity and Insexts both from Marguerite Bennett are among my favorites from Aftershock but I think that Clankillers makes a great new addition to the publisher. I'm really excited to see where this series will go as Finola cuts her way through the four clans to her goal. Given that we've already seen talk of Goddess' and some magic I'm hoping that the creative team will pull even further from Irish mythology. Give me all the banshees, kelpies and changelings, please!

Clankillers #1 hits the shelves of your local comic shop this Wednesday, July 18th, as well as digitally over on Comixolgy.

For fans of Sword Daughter & Head Lopper.

Embracing The Apocalypse: A Post Apocalyptic Reading List

 The apocalypse. Whether it be for movies, books and even comics it's an oversaturated market. Which is a damn shame because it's an interesting topic of study, given the very real future an apocalypse might bring. Sometimes its flesh-eating zombies, other times it's a cataclysmic event that's never fully explained. There are almost endless possibilities for the end of the world as we know it. From a frozen wasteland to a city overrun by manic superheroes, here are six comics that manage to rise above a stale genre.

Animosity -  Marguerite Benett & Mike Marts

I consider Marguerite Bennett the girl gang writer of comics. She's most famous for her loud and proud works for DC and Marvel, including A-Force, Batwoman, and DC Bombshells. Outside of her work with the big two Bennett tends to go a lot darker with her creator-owned series, often times showcasing the darker sides of humanity. Personally, I think these stories are where she thrives as a writer. Animosity is a prime example. When animals suddenly gain human consciousness and begin thirsting for revenge, chaos ensues. In a world, where humans are no longer the alpha predator, Animosity handles the complex struggle of dealing with this newly realized threat. The story follows Jesse and her fiercely loyal dog Sandor, as the two take the trip across the country in search of Jesse's brother. There are two sides to every story and Bennett handles that beautifully, showcasing the animals newfound awareness, and what they do with that power, as well as humanity trying to adjust to this new world.

[Comixology] [Amazon] 

Apocalyptigirl - Andrew MaClean

Apocalyptigirl is one of the more lighthearted and whimsical stories for the genre. Written an illustrated by Andrew MacClean, this standalone graphic novel from Darkhorse is one of my personal favorites. Apocalyptigirl tells the story of a young woman, and her cat  Jellybean as they wander through the abandoned ruins of our futuristic planet in search  of a way to return "home." It's beautiful, simplistic and delightfully poetic, weaving old world mythology with that of a millennial calamity. MaClean has crafted a story that feels like a wonderful blend of Adventure Time, The Last of Us and a Miyazaki film. It's unique style both in the art and in the way the story is presented, sets itself apart from a lot of other comics, let alone the dystopian genre. It's brightly colored and uniquely stylized, something that isn't often seen among the colorless and often times dreary apocalypse. Even if you're not a fan of this kind of setting, I still can't recommend Apocalyptigirl enough. It's one of those few books that I recommend to both comic and non comic readers alike. And at a price point of only $9.99, it's impossible to pass up on such a beautiful book.

[Comixology] [Amazon]

 

Frostbite - Joshua Williamson & Jason Shawn Alexander

Frostbite is definitely the most unique book on this list, in terms of setting. There are very few stories that have done the frozen wasteland apocalypse take, but Frostbite from Vertigo comics manages to do it well. Frostbite has taken ahold of this world, a  now dangerous and infectious, widespread disease that may be more dangerous than the icy badlands that now shape our world. The story is simple, an outbreak has taken over the world, and it's an escort mission for our protagonist and the only person who has the cure. Yeah, the story isn't anything we aren't familiar with, but the setting and the creativity behind how humanity has adapted is what makes it different. Williamson and Alexander have crafted this exotic wasteland amidst the new ice age, and that combined with some unexpected turns in the story keeps the narrative fresh and exciting. Frostbite features not only one, but two female lead characters, one of which being a WOC. While I'm used to seeing at least one badass woman fight her way through the apocalypse, we're spoiled with another equally badass survivalist in this one. There's also some underlying queerness here which I'm totally digging. I featured Frostbite as one of my favorite books in 2016 and have been painfully waiting for it to make it's return ever since.

[Comixology] [Amazon]

 
Leaving Megalopolis - Gail Simone & Jim Calafiore

Ya'll know I love Gail and Jim. Their work together on Secret Six is one of my favorite all-time comics, it's dark and edgy and a book that really makes you think. Leaving Megalopolis is no stranger to any of these themes. This original graphic novel started over on Kickstarter, before being published by Darkhorse. Megalopolis is in ruins, quarantined from the rest of the rest of world as the cape crusaders have turned against the very people they swore to protect. It's a hellish game of cat and mouse as a small group of survivors attempt to escape a city that crumbles around them. Pulling from standard superhero tropes, the Speedster, the Superman these are characters we're all too familiar with and yet Simone and Calafiore manage to create a unique cast all their own. This is the "Justice League" at their very worst. It's a new take on the superhero story with a post world disaster setting. Gail Simone unleashes pure evil, with twists and turns that will make you finish this in one sitting. This is one of those reads, you'll immediately want to devour again upon finishing. Once you're done with Leaving Megalopolis, make sure you check out the six-issue sequel Surviving Megalopolis. While I'll admit it's not as good as it's predecessor, you'll definitely want to check this one out for the expansion of the Megalopolis universe and its horrifying cast of characters.

[Comixology] [Amazon]

We Stand On Guard - Brian K Vaughn & Steve Skroce

We Stand On Guard, was a title I heard people talking about for years, had only ever heard good things about, but had never had checked out myself. I changed that a couple of months ago, and my god this book made me change everything I thought about comics. Then again I shouldn't expect anything less from Brian K Vaughn considering his work on Saga. Although set 100 years in the future We Stand on Guard feels all too real when a ragtag band of Canadians turn freedom fighters against the resource hungry United States. Given some of the current politics in play, We Stand on Guard feels very close to home. This one is dark, brutal and not for the faint of heart. It's a story as heartbreaking as it is uplifting. I'll admit it can be a rough read given some of the material presented but it's so good and will immediately leave you wanting more. Most people would showcase Vaughn's Y The Last Man on a list like this, and while I'll admit its definitely worth your read, We Stand On Guard is the one for me. This is another one of those finish in one sitting books, I promise you.

 [Comixology] [Amazon]

And if you like We Stand On Guard be sure to check out Calexit from Matteo Pizzolo & Amancay Nahuelpan! [Comixology] *

 The Wilds - Vita Ayala & Emily Pearson

I feel a like I'm adding The Wilds onto this list a little preemptively considering we're only one issue in at this point, but the world and story within it is so unique that I can't help but showcase it. Vita Ayala and Emily Pearson, create a beautiful and haunting wasteland, as an organic virus transforms most of humanity into mysteriously stunning creatures. It's a new take on the zombie narrative, with the "blooming" dead being very reminiscent of the parasitic fungi monsters in the Last of Us. The first issue alone is enough to get you hooked, introducing the world of the Wild's while setting the tone and pace for what I'm sure is going to be an amazing story. While the plot focuses on a single compound runner, ironically by the name of Daisy, there's a larger world that's waiting to be revealed to us just among the first issue. The writing is solid, and the pages are just beautiful. Between the linework and the colors, this is just a book you want to look at. Did I mention that The Wild's is hella queer? Because that's always a good selling point right. This may be just the beginning for The Wilds but I have no doubt it's going to be on my best of 2018 list this year.

[Comixology]*

*Because this is an ongoing title right now there's no link for Amazon. Check out your local comic shop!