Welcome to The Beat’s Wednesday Pulse!
This series will check in with what’s coming out in comic stores each and every week, offering insight to some of the most anticipated releases on the stands. In the end, we’re hoping to shine a spotlight on things you might not know you’d enjoy… and hope to offer a space for you to share what you are excited for this week.
Please note: our opinions are ours, and yours are yours – and while we encourage you to share your likes, this is not a forum to discourage others for enjoying what they enjoy. Comics are for everyone.
PREMIERE PUBLISHERS
AVATAR TSU TEYS PATH #1
(Dark Horse Comics)
(Cover by Doug Wheatley)
THE PUBLISHER SAYS // Tsu’tey, proud warrior of the Omatikaya clan, betrothed to Neyteri, has his life turned upside down by the arrival of Jake Sully of the Sky People. Reveals events only hinted at in James Cameron’s Avatar! James Cameron’s masterpiece comes to comics! Written by award-winning novelist Sherri L. Smith!
THE BEAT SAYS // A quiet prelude of sorts to the return of Avatar to the movie theatres. It will be interesting to see this translated to comics, and if folks who enjoyed the movie will check these out – either in single issue format, or the collections when they’re released.
ISOLA #6
(Image Comics)
(Cover by Karl Kerschl)
THE PUBLISHER SAYS // NEW STORY ARC! Olwyn has returned from the land of the dead, but did she return alone? The journey to Isola continues… NOW BI-MONTHLY!
THE BEAT SAYS // This marks the start of the second story arc for the series, and it’s notable for a few reasons. First off, comic shops will be getting free copies of the Isola Prologue that ran as a back up in Motor Crush as a stand alone comic, equal to their orders of this issue. This story was not collected in the first issues, or regular collected edition, and so this is your chance to nab this. Check to see how your shop is releasing these if you want the full story.
Second: this series will be going bi-monthly, which means a longer wait between instalments… but should also mean less of a wait in between story arcs. Will this idea work out? Certainly, it means the work in each issue will continue to look stunning as always, with more time to work on the story.
TMNT SHREDDER IN HELL #1
(IDW Publishing)
(Cover by Mateus Santolouco)
THE PUBLISHER SAYS // Abandon all hope…The Shredder returns in this brand-new mini-series! Oroku Saki’s death is just the beginning, and his journey through the depths of the underworld proves to be anything but a divine comedy. How much of Shredder’s soul will remain after he’s faced the horrors of hell? Fan-favorite artist Mateus Santolouco returns to the world of TMNT as both writer and artist! The most infamous villain in the TMNT universe gets his own mini-series.
THE BEAT SAYS // The Shredder is dead? Somehow we doubt this is good for hell. This is all part of TMNT’s run to their 100th issue, a feat rarely seen in the modern comic industry, and the creators know it – so they’re going all out building up something monumental. If you’re a curious TMNT fan, dropping in now will get you in before things start getting too wild.
BLACK WIDOW #1
(Marvel Comics)
(Cover by Clayton Crain)
THE PUBLISHER SAYS // …AND HELL FOLLOWED WITH HER. Natasha Romanoff was trained to kill. For years now she’s tried to overcome that programming, to side with the angels…to be a hero. And where’d that get her? Killed. By one of the few true friends she allowed herself to have. Now she’s back from the dead, angry as hell and finding those better angels harder and harder to hear. Jen and Sylvia Soska – the Twisted Twins of horror – join rising artist Flaviano to weave a web of vice, violence and vengeance that will net Natasha the biggest bad men she’s ever faced…or put her back in the ground for good.
THE BEAT SAYS // The Soska sisters are known for some dark and twisted movies, and so we should be in for a Black Widow story that we haven’t seen before, digging into dark and strange corners of the Marvel U.
INVADERS #1
(Marvel Comics)
(Cover by Butch Guice)
THE PUBLISHER SAYS // THE GREATEST GENERATION OF MARVEL HEROES IS BACK – TO STOP ONE OF THEIR OWN!
In commemoration of Marvel’s 80th anniversary and springing from events in the pages of AVENGERS and THE BEST DEFENSE, the Marvel Universe’s first super-team is back! CAPTAIN AMERICA. THE HUMAN TORCH. THE WINTER SOLDIER. NAMOR. They fought in WORLD WAR II together as THE INVADERS. But now NAMOR is the enemy, a global threat more powerful than ever. His deadly plans are as deep and far-reaching as the ocean and REVELATIONS about his past could THREATEN the MARVEL UNIVERSE! It’s up to his old teammates to stop him, but what chance do they have against the man who knows their every move? “War Ghost” begins here!
THE BEAT SAYS // Series writer Chip Zdarsky has talked about how every Marvel writer wants to write a Namor book, because he’s such an interesting character – and that his pitch for this was a thinly veiled way to get a chance to write him. While this will undoubtably be a “smaller” scale Marvel book, often the combination of the creators’ passion and a general lack of larger universe connective tissue make for some of the very best stories. This definitely stands a chance to be one of those books.
MORE FROM PREMIERE PUBLISHERS
BOOM! STUDIOS
ADVENTURE TIME MARCY & SIMON #1 (OF 6)
BLACK BADGE #6
FIREFLY #3
LUMBERJANES #58
AMAZING WORLD GUMBALL ORIGINAL GN VOL 06 MIDSUMMER NIGHTMARE
JIM HENSON LABYRINTH SC NOVEL
MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS ARCHIVE TP VOL 02
DARK HORSE COMICS
BLACK HAMMER #1 DIRECTORS CUT
DEATH ORB #4
DISNEY FROZEN TP BREAKING BOUNDARIES
HALO HC COLLATERAL DAMAGE
WANDERING ISLAND TP VOL 02
WORLD OF TANKS TP CITADEL
DC COMICS
BATMAN WHO LAUGHS #2 (OF 6)
CATWOMAN #7
DETECTIVE COMICS #996
ELECTRIC WARRIORS #3 (OF 6)
FLASH #62
GODDESS MODE #2 (MR)
GREEN LANTERN #1 2ND PTG
HAWKMAN #8
HEROES IN CRISIS #2 (OF 9) 2ND PTG
HOUSE OF WHISPERS #5 (MR)
JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #7
RED HOOD OUTLAW #30
SCOOBY APOCALYPSE #33
SUICIDE SQUAD #50
SUPERGIRL #26
SUPERMAN #7
TITANS #33
WONDER WOMAN #62
A VERY DC VALENTINES DAY TP
BATWOMAN TP VOL 03 FALL OF THE HOUSE OF KANE
DEATHSTROKE THE TERMINATOR TP VOL 05 WORLD TOUR
FLASH ROGUES REVERSE FLASH TP
SCOOBY DOO TEAM UP TP VOL 06
SUPERGIRL TP VOL 05 THE HUNT FOR REACTRON
DYNAMITE
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA CLASSIC #3
ELVIRA MISTRESS OF DARK #4
JAMES BOND ORIGIN #5
AGENT 47 GN VOL 01 BIRTH OF HITMAN
SHERLOCK HOLMES VANISHING MAN TP
SWASHBUCKLERS SAGA CONTINUES TP
IDW PUBLISHING
DICK TRACY DEAD OR ALIVE #3 (OF 4)
FROM HELL MASTER EDITION #3 (MR)
GHOSTBUSTERS IDW 2020
JUDGE DREDD TOXIC #3
LODGER #3
MY LITTLE PONY NIGHTMARE KNIGHTS #4
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #12
STAR TREK VS TRANSFORMERS #4 (OF 4)
TMNT IDW 2020
TRANSFORMERS HISTORIA
UNCLE SCROOGE MY FIRST MILLIONS #4 (OF 4)
HAUNTED HORROR HC CRY FROM THE COFFIN
LOST GIRLS HC EXPANDED ED (MR)
RICK VEITCH THE ONE HC
SUPERS TP VOL 01
IMAGE COMICS
BURNOUTS #5 (MR)
DAYS OF HATE #12 (OF 12) (MR)
DEADLY CLASS #36 (MR)
EVOLUTION #13 (MR)
GIDEON FALLS #10 (MR)
MIDDLEWEST #3 (MR)
OUTPOST ZERO #6
SPAWN KILLS EVERYONE TOO #2 (OF 4)
WARNING #3 (MR)
WICKED & DIVINE #41 (MR)
FARMHAND TP VOL 01 (MR)
NEW WORLD TP (MR)
STELLAR TP
MARVEL COMICS
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #13
ASGARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #5
BLACK PANTHER #8
CONAN THE BARBARIAN #2
DEAD MAN LOGAN #1 (OF 12) 2ND PTG HENDERSON VAR
DEFENDERS DOCTOR STRANGE #1 2ND PTG SMALLWOOD VAR
DEFENDERS IMMORTAL HULK #1 2ND PTG DI MEO VAR
DEFENDERS NAMOR #1 2ND PTG MAGNO VAR
DEFENDERS SILVER SURFER #1 2ND PTG LATOUR VAR
FANTASTIC FOUR #4 2ND PTG CASELLI VAR
FANTASTIC FOUR #6
IMMORTAL HULK #10 2ND PTG BENNETT VAR
IMMORTAL HULK #9 2ND PTG BENNETT VAR
IRONHEART #2
KILLMONGER #1 (OF 5) 2ND PTG FERREYRA VAR
MAN WITHOUT FEAR #3
MARVEL COMICS PRESENTS #1
MARVEL TALES VENOM #1
MILES MORALES SPIDER-MAN #1 2ND PTG GARRON VAR
RETURN OF WOLVERINE #4 (OF 5)
SPIDER-MAN DEADPOOL #44
STAR WARS AGE REPUBLIC QUI-GON JINN #1 2ND PTG SMITH
STAR WARS AOR SPECIAL #1
TRUE BELIEVERS CONAN CURSE OF GOLDEN SKULL #1
TRUE BELIEVERS CONAN QUEEN OF BLACK COAST #1
UNCANNY X-MEN #10
UNCANNY X-MEN #2 2ND PTG SILVA VAR
UNCANNY X-MEN #3 2ND PTG CINAR VAR
VENOM #10
CHAMPIONS TP VOL 05 WEIRD WAR ONE
CONAN THE BARBARIAN OMNIBUS HC VOL 01
DECADES MARVEL IN 40S TP HUMAN TORCH VS SUB-MARINER
INCREDIBLE HULK EPIC COLLECTION TP GHOSTS FUTURE
LIFE OF CAPTAIN MARVEL TP
MMW UNCANNY X-MEN HC VOL 11
WHAT IF? CLASSIC TP COMPLETE COLLECTION VOL 01
FEATURED TITLES FROM OTHER PUBLISHERS
CREEPY CREATIONS HC VOL 01
(2000 AD/Rebellion)
(Cover by Ken Reid)
THE PUBLISHER SAYS // Beware all ye who open this book! The creatures contained within, are some of the most bizarre, hilarious and hideous ever to haunt the pages of a comic! For the first time ever, marvel at The Many-Headed Monster from Monmouth! Tremble at the sight of Terry the Tellible! Recoil in horror from The Fork-Eating Spaghetti Spook! And much more besides! A testament to Ken Reid’s artistic genius and his hugely creative imagination, these illustrations have been collected and lovingly restored in all their (creepy) glory.
THE BEAT SAYS // Rebellion’s commitment to digging through the history of British comics (or at least, the content that they have purchased the rights to) continues here, with this strange and wonderful book.
ETERNAUT HC (CURR PTG)
(Fantagraphics)
(Cover by Francisco Solano Lopez)
THE PUBLISHER SAYS // Now published for the first time in English, this seminal 1950s Latin-American science-fiction graphic novel has it all- Cold War tensions, aliens, and time-travel. Illustrated in a gritty, realistic style and rich with historical and political commentary, The Eternaut is an allegory based upon contemporary global events. The lasting power of the story of Juan Salvo’s fight to save Argentina has proved a potent symbol of the endless struggle against oppression.
THE BEAT SAYS // This is admittedly a reprint, but one that’s been long awaited for. The work on this book is stunning, from the cover design (which features a porthole) to the story and artwork. A must have for all.
THE SEA HC VILLADSEN
(Fantagraphics)
(Cover by Rikke Villadsen)
THE PUBLISHER SAYS // Danish cartoonist Rikke Villadsen makes her English language debut with this story of a sailor that is playfully creepy and oddly beautiful. A fisherman’s life traversing the ocean is full of danger and surprise, but even the most experienced seafarer would not be ready to pull up their net after they’ve caught a newborn baby and a talking fish! Thus begins a story full of expressive pencil drawings, provocative symbolism, and a madness that doesn’t just bubble beneath the surface of the water, but drenches the sailor-and the reader-like a tidal wave.
Depicted in distinctive, and often grotesque, graphite, these unlikely shipmates trek through the thick fog, provoked by nature’s powerful siren song and perhaps something even more sinister. Revelations arise about the sailor’s perplexing childhood and the dubious birth of the mysterious baby as waves violently crash against the ship, already in a descent toward absurdity. Villadsen’s first foray into the American literary scene is ultimately about the end of one life, the beginning of another, and a man, literally and figuratively, lost at sea.
THE BEAT SAYS // Admittedly, this one is on here to see the mix of ornate storytelling with what many perceive to be a cruder use of artistic tools. Plus, say what you will about the output from Fantagraphics, their product is always interesting and prompts discussion.
DR THIRTEENTH
(Penguin Young Readers)
(Cover by Adam Hargreaves)
THE PUBLISHER SAYS // The much-anticipated Dr. Thirteenth is here! A fabulous mashup of the fantastical storytelling of Doctor Who and the whimsical humor of Roger Hargreaves, the book will to appeal to fans of both iconic brands! An all new Doctor Who adventure featuring the Thirteenth – and first female! – Doctor reimagined in the style of Roger Hargreaves. The Doctor, Graham, and Ryan try and come up with a fabulous surprise for Yaz on her birthday. And what an explosive surprise it is!
THE BEAT SAYS // A fine addition to this line, and a fine read for folks who are itching for anything and everything more from this Doctor this year, as the show takes a break until 2020.
DOG MAN GN VOL 06 BRAWL OF THE WILD
(Graphix)
(Cover by Day Pilkey)
THE PUBLISHER SAYS // Howl with laughter with Dog Man, the #1 New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestseller! Is Dog Man bad to the bone? The heroic hound is sent to the pound for a crime he didn’t commit! While his pals work to prove his innocence, Dog Man struggles to find his place among dogs and people. Being a part of both worlds, will he ever fully fit in with one?
THE BEAT SAYS // The most popular modern comic series in North America returns to comic shops! While many have already received copies, as this was officially released through book store channels on December 24th, this is the first time Diamond is shipping the book to comic shops, so those who have been waiting, will have to wait no longer. Oh, and what do we mean by “most popular modern comic series”? This volume received an initial print run of 5 million copies, up from the previous volume’s 3 million initial print run. If you want to know where the future of the industry is? It is in all ages graphic novels, where higher print runs are becoming more and more common.
MORE TITLES FROM OTHER PUBLISHERS
ALBERT EINSTEIN TIME MASON #4
APAMA THE UNDISCOVERED ANIMAL #7
APPALACHIAN APOCALYPSE #1 // From the publisher: “After the ancient staff of Lilith, mother of the damned, reanimates the dead, country boy J.B. and his estranged upper-crust wife Anne must come together to stop the zombie hordes and save the people of Appalachia!”
ARCHIE AND ME COMICS DIGEST #14
BABYTEETH #14 (MR)
BREAKNECK #2 (OF 5)
CAPTAIN GINGER #4
CATALYST PRIME SUMMIT #12
CATALYST PRIME SUPERB #16
DARK ARK #13
DELLEC VOL 2 #4
ENCOUNTER #10 $3.99
NOV181784
FEARSCAPE #1 (3RD PTG) (MR)
GFT TALES OF TERROR VOL 4 #11
INFINITY 8 #9 (MR)
KNIGHTS OF THE GOLDEN SUN #3
MAE VOL 2 #5
MEN OF MYSTERY #110
PINK PANTHER PINK WINTER SPECIAL #1
PRINCELESS FIND YOURSELF #4
ROBOTECH #16
SHADES OF MAGIC #4 (OF 4)
SHADOWMAN (2018) #11
THESE SAVAGE SHORES #1 (3RD PTG) (MR)
WALK THROUGH HELL #7
WHITE WIDOW #1
APOSIMZ GN VOL 02
BELLE BEAST HUNTER TP
BLACK BUTLER GN VOL 27
BTOOOM GN VOL 23 (MR)
CASE STUDY OF VANITAS GN VOL 05
CERTAIN MAGICAL INDEX GN VOL 16 MANGA
CHILDREN OF WHALES GN VOL 08
CLOCKWORK PLANET GN VOL 09
DEAD DEAD DEMONS DEDEDEDE DESTRUCTION GN VOL 04 (MR)
DEATH MARCH PARALLEL WORLD RHAPSODY GN VOL 06 MANGA
DIE WERGELDER GN VOL 02 (MR)
DIOSAMANTE GN (MR) // From the publisher: “Diosamante, the beautiful, egotistical queen falls passionately in love with a king. To prove herself worthy, she begins a long journey in search of self-perfection. The Kingdom of Arhas is clenched in the iron fist of Queen Diosamante. The pitiless ruler is known as much for her cruelty as for her incredible beauty, causing countless mighty warriors to throw themselves into fatal combat. One day, the glowing reputation of Urbal de Sarabba challenges the pride of the young queen, as this king is said to be wiser, more powerful, and loved by his people. Furious, the intrepid beauty goes in search of this man who dares cast a shadow over her. When she arrives at his palace, however, their meeting takes an unexpected turn when the two sovereigns fall madly in love.”
DIVE GN VOL 01
FIRE PUNCH GN VOL 05 (MR)
I WANT TO EAT YOUR PANCREAS GN // From the publisher: “The manga version of the coming-of-age tearjerker that inspired two films! Also known as Let Me Eat Your Pancreas, this deeply moving first-person story is about a high school boy who finds the diary of his classmate-and discovers that she’s dying. Yamauchi Sakura has been silently suffering from a pancreatic disease in school, and now exactly one person outside her family knows. He swears to her that he won’t tell anyone what he learned, and the shared secret brings them closer together. The two have very little in common, but they find themselves drawn to each other in Sakura’s final months to live.”
IAN GN VOL 02 LESSONS OF DARKNESS
INFINI-T FORCE GN VOL 04
IS WRONG PICK UP GIRLS DUNGEON GN VOL 10
IS WRONG PICK UP GIRLS DUNGEON SWORD ORATORIA GN VOL 06
JUDGE DREDD COMP CASE FILES TP VOL 32
KAKEGURUI COMPULSIVE GAMBLER GN VOL 08
KIRBY & LEE STUF SAID // From the publisher: “For its 75th issue, the Jack Kirby Collector magazine presents this first-of-its-kind examination of the creators of the Marvel Universe, in an oversize book! It looks back at their own words, in chronological order, from fanzine, magazine, radio, and television interviews, to paint a picture of Jack Kirby and Stan Lee’s relationship, why it succeeded, where it deteriorated, and when it eventually failed. Also here are recollections from Steve Ditko, Wallace Wood, John Romita Sr., and more Marvel Bullpen stalwarts who worked with both Kirby and Lee. Rounding out this book is a study of the duo’s careers after they parted ways as collaborators, including Kirby’s difficulties at Marvel Comics in the 1970s, his last hurrah with Lee on the Silver Surfer Graphic Novel, and his exhausting battle to get back his original art – and creator credit – from Marvel.”
KORD & HARLEY HC (MR)
LADY S GN VOL 06 SECOND OF ETERNITY
LARGO WINCH GN VOL 17 MORNING STAR
LEGENDLORE REALM CHRONICLES TP VOL 04
LOST CITY EXPLORERS TP VOL 01 ODYSSEY
LUCKY LUKE TP VOL 71 COWBOY IN PARIS
MAGICAL GIRL SPECIAL OPS ASUKA GN VOL 05 (MR)
MERMAID PROJECT GN VOL 01 EPISODE 1
MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM WING GLORY OF THE LOSERS GN VOL 10
MONSTER WRESTLING VOL 01
MONTHLY GIRLS NOZAKI KUN GN VOL 10
MURCIELAGO GN VOL 09 (MR)
NOW LOADING GN VOL 01
NYANKEES GN VOL 01
OLYMPIANS GN VOL 11 HEPHAISTOS GOD OF FIRE
PENNY DREADFUL HC VOL 1 THE AWAKENING ARTIST ED
PRE CODE CLASSICS TALES OF HORROR HC VOL 01
PRE CODE CLASSICS TALES OF HORROR SLIPCASE ED VOL 01
PRE CODE CLASSICS WEB OF MYSTERY HC VOL 04
PRE CODE CLASSICS WEB OF MYSTERY SLIPCASE ED VOL 04
PS ARTBOOKS PRESENTS AUTHENTIC POLICE CASES HC VOL 01
PS ARTBOOKS PRESENTS AUTHENTIC POLICE CASES SLIPCASE ED VOL 01
SACRIFICIAL PRINCESS & KING BEASTS GN VOL 04
SAGA OF TANYA EVIL GN VOL 05
SECOND COMING OF KRENT ABLE GN
SEKIREI GN VOL 07 (MR)
SIMON BISLEY SKETCHBOOK 2018 TP #1 (OF 1)
SWEETNESS & LIGHTNING GN VOL 11
TEASING MASTER TAKAGI SAN GN VOL 03
THORGAL GN VOL 20 KRISS OF VALNOR
TODAY CERBERUS GN VOL 11
ULTRA KAIJU ANTHROPOMORPHIC PROJECT GN VOL 02
VOYNICH HOTEL GN VOL 03 (MR)
WIRES AND NERVE SC GN VOL 01 (OF 2)
WIRES AND NERVE SC GN VOL 02 (OF 2)
WITCH PT 5 BOOK OF ELEMENTS GN VOL 01
WITCH PT 5 BOOK OF ELEMENTS GN VOL 02
WITCHS HOUSE DIARY OF ELLEN GN VOL 01
WRATH OF GOD (MR)
YAMADA KUN & SEVEN WITCHES GN VOL 17
ZO ZO ZOMBIE GN VOL 02
MAGAZINES
007 MAGAZINE OMNIBUS VOL 02
2000 AD PACK NOVEMBER 2018
2000 AD PROG #2110
2000 AD PROG #2111 2018 XMAS SPECIAL
BACK ISSUE #110
COMIC SHOP NEWS [90CT BUNDLE] #1648
DOCTOR WHO MAGAZINE #533
FANGORIA VOL 2 #2
HOBBY JAPAN DECEMBER 2018
HOBBY JAPAN NOVEMBER 2018
JUDGE DREDD MEGAZINE #403
LOCUS #696
BOOKS
DEATH MARCH PARALLEL WORLD RHAPSODY NOVEL SC VOL 07
DOCTOR WHO COMP HIST HC VOL 86 12TH DOCTOR STORIES 269-271
FINAL FANTASY VII LATERAL BIOGRAPHY TURKS LIGHT NOVEL SC
GOBLIN SLAYER LIGHT NOVEL SC VOL 06
HOW REALIST HERO REBUILT KINGDOM LIGHT NOVEL VOL 02
LIFE & TIMES WARD KIMBALL MAVERICK OF DISNEY ANIMATION
OVERLORD LIGHT NOVEL HC VOL 09
SISTERS ALL YOU NEED LIGHT NOVEL SC VOL 03
STRIKE THE BLOOD LIGHT NOVEL SC VOL 11
