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
BLACKWOOD TP
(DARK HORSE COMICS)
(Cover by Veronica Fish)
THE PUBLISHER SAYS // When four teenagers with haunted pasts enroll in Blackwood College-a school that trains students in the occult-their desire to enhance their supernatural abilities and bond with others is hampered by an undead dean’s curse, ghosts in their dorm, a mischievous two-headed mummy-chimp, a plague of mutant insects, and the discovery of an ancient evil that forces our heroes to undergo a crash course in the occult for the sake of the world. Collects issues #1-#4 of the series, a bonus sketchbook section, pinups by Becky Cloonan, Tyler Crook, Stacey Lee, and Declan Shalvey & Jordie Bellaire!
“Blackwood is like Harry Potter mixed with Deadly Class. It keeps all the supernatural elements and ups the danger factor considerably.” -Horror Talk
THE BEAT SAYS // One of our favourite books of the year. It is a touch of Harry Potter, but if the magical elements of that property had a decidedly more “horror” bent. The characters leap off the page, and the story digs deep into the soul, with a sense of foreboding that doesn’t lift after the story is over. Here’s hoping for many more stories from this world.
BATMAN WHO LAUGHS #1 (OF 6)
(DC COMICS)
(Cover by Jock)
THE PUBLISHER SAYS // Left rattled by the events of DARK NIGHTS: METAL, Bruce Wayne must come face to face with the nightmares spawned from the Dark Multiverse. But even though evil devoured evil in the collapse of Challengers Mountain, the Dark Knight still has his doubts. He discovers that the Batman Who Laughs not only survived the fight with The Joker at the end of METAL, but now he is enacting a sinister plan across the Multiverse-something both terrifying and oddly familiar. But when Bruce Wayne realizes the only way to stop this madman is to kill him, he must consider violating the very rule Batman won’t break…the same rule that created this insatiable villain-the Batman Who Laughs!
THE BEAT SAYS // The break out character from DC’s big Metal event returns here to wreak more havoc on the DC Universe – and he’s brought along Scott Snyder and Jock along with him. Both of these creators bring out the best in each other, and seeing them tackle the “Batman never kills” rule in personification should be interesting.
GODDESS MODE #1 (MR)
(DC COMICS / VERTIGO)
(Cover by Robbi Rodriguez)
THE PUBLISHER SAYS // Don’t miss the start of a new series by Hugo Award nominee Zoë Quinn and Spider-Gwen co-creator Robbi Rodriguez!
In a near future where humanity’s needs are provided for by a godlike A.I., it’s one young woman’s horrible job to do tech support on it. But Cassandra Price’s life changes forever when she discovers a hidden digital world beneath our own, one where a group of super-powered women are locked in a secret war for the cheat codes to reality.
THE BEAT SAYS // We’ve been able to read this issue in advance, and it continues the stretch of vibrant new Vertigo releases that hit on culturally relevant topics. Quinn’s past experiences are bundled in with a story about a society where technology has essentially obtained it’s own godhood. The only problem? Programming is always based off of human input – and that input is flawed. Gaming, technology and societal inequality all swirl together in the story, creating a brave and terrifying new neon coloured world to explore – and we can’t wait to see more.
FANTASTIC FOUR WEDDING SPECIAL #1
(MARVEL COMICS)
(Cover by Carlos Pacheco)
THE PUBLISHER SAYS // Come and celebrate the impending nuptials of the Thing and Alicia Masters with a Ladies Night Out as only the First Family of Comics can do it! Guest-starring She-Hulk, Medusa, Crystal and more, it’s the bachelorette party Alicia never expected-and one whose ribaldry will be interrupted by the arrival of a Surprise Super Villain! (And no, we don’t mean Johnny Storm!) Meanwhile, the Thing has an unexpected meeting with his future father-in-law, the Puppet Master! Plus, Hembeck! The Fantastic Four family tree! And more! R.S.V.P. at your local comics retailer this December, and don’t forget to kiss the bride!
THE BEAT SAYS // There’s a little something for everyone here, with a visit from comic book satirist Fred Hembeck as well as contributions from main series writer Dan Slott and the incomparable Gail Simone!
HEX VET WITCHES IN TRAINING ORIGINAL GN VOL 01
(Boom! Studios)
(Cover by Sam Davies)
THE PUBLISHER SAYS // Have you ever wondered where witches’ cats go when they pull a claw? Or what you do with a pygmy phoenix with a case of bird flu? Nan and Clarion have you covered. They’re the best veterinarian witches of all time-or at least they’re trying to be.
When an injured rabbit with strange eyes stumbles into their lives, Nan and Clarion have to put down their enchanted potions and face the biggest test of their magical, medical careers.
Hex Vet: Witches in Training is an original graphic novel suitable for kids of all ages! From popular web cartoonist Sam Davies (Stutterhug), this book explores a truly spellbinding story about sticking together and helping animals at all costs. Perfect for fans of The Tea Dragon Society and Steven Universe!
THE BEAT SAYS // This book is a complete joy. Great for all ages story and perfect for anyone who loves a big of cuddly magic in their lives.
MORE FROM PREMIERE PUBLISHERS
BOOM STUDIOS
ADVENTURE TIME SEASON 11 #1 (2ND PTG)
ADVENTURE TIME SEASON 11 #3
BY NIGHT #6 (OF 12)
EMPTY MAN #2
FIREFLY #1 2ND PTG
GIANT DAYS #45
GO GO POWER RANGERS #15
JIM HENSON BENEATH DARK CRYSTAL #5 (OF 12)
MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS #31 SG (2ND PTG)
PLANET OF APES SIMIAN AGE #1 ALLRED VAR
SMOOTH CRIMINALS #2
GIANT DAYS EARLY REGISTRATION TP // Before the ongoing Boom!Box series began, the Giant Days characters appeared digitally – and now, these stories are available in a collection that no Giant Days fan will want to miss.
GO GO POWER RANGERS TP VOL 02
I MOVED TO LOS ANGELES WORK ANIMATION ORIGINAL GN (MR)
SONS OF EL TOPO ORIGINAL GN HC VOL 01 CAIN
DARK HORSE COMICS
BLACK HAMMER CTHU-LOUISE
DRAGON AGE DECEPTION #3
GOD OF WAR #2 (OF 4)
HELLBOY WINTER SPECIAL 2018 // In what now seems to be a yearly tradition, the Hellboy universe brings new stories to light, just in time for the holidays. From the publisher: “Three wintry tales featuring a Mike Mignola and Ben Stenbeck team-up for a New Year’s Eve séance gone wrong when Hellboy visits a family’s English home, Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá revisit B.P.R.D.: Vampire with a new tie-in story, and Tonci Zonjic returns to write and draw Lobster Johnson.”
JOE GOLEM #4 (OF 5) THE DROWNING CITY
MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 #3
QUANTUM AGE FROM THE WORLD OF BLACK HAMMER #5
WAR BEARS #3 (OF 3)
WILLIAM GIBSON ALIEN 3 #2
BTVS SEASON 12 TP THE RECKONING
DANGANRONPA 2 VOL 01 ULTIMATE LUCK HOPE DESPAIR TP
DRAGON AGE HC THE CALLING DLX ED
FLUTTER COLLECTION TP // From the publisher: “Fifteen year-old Lily shape-shifts into a boy to get the girl. Chaos ensues from pretending to be someone she’s not. While coming to terms with who she really is and what she’s done, Lily learns that life as a boy is just as difficult.”
PREDATOR TP ESSENTIAL COMICS
DC COMICS
BATMAN ANNUAL #3
BATMAN DAMNED #2 (OF 3) (MR)
DETECTIVE COMICS #994 // A brand new era of Detective Comics begins here, with Peter Tomasi and Doug Manke, as the Dark Knight takes on one of his darkest cases ever.
ELECTRIC WARRIORS #2 (OF 6)
FLASH #60
HAWKMAN #7
HOUSE OF WHISPERS #4 (MR)
JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #6
NEW TALENT SHOWCASE 2018 #1
SASQUATCH DETECTIVE #1 // From the publisher: “Before Tonya Lightfoot became Los Angeles’ most decorated detective, she was a wee sasquatch roaming the Appalachian mountains, fed a steady diet of tennis and golf (as both of her parents are pros at the local country club) and CSI episodes. But her idyllic life of pranking campers and squatching around the local golf course hits a bump in the fire road when Bigfoot hunters come to the dense forest. Would Tonya back down in the face of adversity? Not yeti! But experiencing this abominable anti-sasquatch sentiment gives her the determination to leave her home behind-she heads to the dangers of the city. After all, it’s hard to fight un-conscious bias, but crime is something America’s sassiest sasquatch is ready to tackle.”
SCOOBY APOCALYPSE #32
SIDEWAYS #11
SUICIDE SQUAD #49
SUPERGIRL #25
SUPERMAN #6
TITANS #31
WONDER WOMAN #60
ANIMAL MAN BY GRANT MORRISON HC BOOK 01 30TH ANNIV DLX ED
AQUAMAN TP VOL 06 KINGSLAYER
CAVE CARSON HAS AN INTERSTELLAR EYE TP (MR)
CURSE OF BRIMSTONE TP VOL 01 INFERNO
FLASH TP VOL 08 FLASH WAR
HARLEY LOVES JOKER BY PAUL DINI HC
SANDMAN TP VOL 03 DREAM COUNTRY 30TH ANNIV ED (MR)
SCARLET TP BOOK 02 (MR)
SUPERMAN SHAZAM FIRST THUNDER DLX ED HC
WONDER WOMAN THE GOLDEN AGE TP VOL 02
DYNAMITE
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA CLASSIC #2
BETTIE PAGE #1 BLACK BAG PHOTO VAR (MR)
JAMES BOND ORIGIN #4
LONE RANGER VOL 3 #3
RED SONJA HOLIDAY SPECIAL
RED SONJA TARZAN #6
VAMPIRELLA REANIMATOR #1
BOYS DEFINITIVE ED HC VOL 01 ROBERTSON SGN ED (MR)
BOYS DEFINITIVE ED HC VOL 02 ROBERTSON SGN ED (MR)
BOYS HC LTD ED VOL 03 GOOD FOR THE SOUL ROBERTSON SGN ED (MR)
BOYS HC LTD ED VOL 05 HEROGASM ROBERTSON SGN ED (MR)
BOYS HC LTD ED VOL 06 SELF-PRESERVATION SOCIETY ROBERTSON SG
IDW PUBLISHING
DISNEY COMICS AND STORIES #2
DUCKTALES #15
FROM HELL MASTER EDITION #2 (MR)
JINGLE BELLE HOMEMADES TALE
MAGIC THE GATHERING CHANDRA #1
MICKEY AND DONALD CHRISTMAS PARADE #4
MY LITTLE PONY NIGHTMARE KNIGHTS #3
STAR TREK WAYPOINT SPECIAL #1 // Tales from across the Star Trek timeline converge here! From the publisher: “The anthology series spanning 50 years of Star Trek returns in this oversized annual! These weird and wonderful stories-set during the Original Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and more-expand on rarely explored corners of the universe or provide closure for long-forgotten plot threads. But they all remind us of why we love Trek. This volume features your favorite characters, including Data, Q, and Ezri Dax, handled by the top creators of today and the future!”
TMNT MACROSERIES #4
BLACK CROWN OMNIBUS TP VOL 01
JUDGE DREDD UNDER SIEGE TP
LOAC ESSENTIALS HC VOL 12 BARON BEAN 1918
IMAGE COMICS
AUNTIE AGATHAS HOME FOR WAYWARD RABBITS #2 (OF 6)
BIRTHRIGHT #34
BITTER ROOT #1 2ND PTG (MR)
BITTER ROOT #2 (MR)
CEMETERY BEACH #4 (OF 7) (MR)
HEAD LOPPER #10 (MR)
HEY KIDS COMICS #5 (OF 5) (MR)
HIT-GIRL #11 (MR)
INFINITE DARK #3
MAGE HERO DENIED #14 (OF 15)
MAGIC ORDER #5 (OF 6) (MR)
MURDER FALCON #3
OBLIVION SONG BY KIRKMAN & DE FELICI #10 (MR)
OUTER DARKNESS #1 2ND PTG (MR)
OUTER DARKNESS #2 (MR)
REDLANDS #9 (MR)
ROSE #15
SKYWARD #9
SLEEPLESS #10
SPAWN KILLS EVERYONE TOO #1 (OF 4)
FEAR AGENT FINAL ED TP VOL 04 (MR)
ICE CREAM MAN TP VOL 02 STRANGE NEAPOLITAN (MR)
MARVEL COMICS
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #11
ASGARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #4
AVENGERS #11
BLACK ORDER #2 (OF 5)
BLACK PANTHER #4 2ND PTG ACUNA VAR
BLACK PANTHER #7
CHAMPIONS #27
DEFENDERS DOCTOR STRANGE #1
DEFENDERS SILVER SURFER #1
INFINITY WARS GHOST PANTHER #2 (OF 2)
INFINITY WARS SLEEPWALKER #4 (OF 4)
MILES MORALES SPIDER-MAN #1 // Miles Morales returns to his own ongoing series, just before the Spider-Verse movie hits this Friday! From the publisher: “Balancing his normal life, school, parents, etc…and super-heroing has never been easy, but when the Rhino and a cadre of mysterious criminals start plaguing Brooklyn, things take a dark turn. And Miles doesn’t even know the half of it yet. Eisner Award-winner Saladin Ahmed (BLACK BOLT) and Young Gun Javier Garrón (ANT-MAN & THE WASP) bring you the latest incarnation of the coolest character in the Marvel Universe!”
MR AND MRS X #6
PETER PARKER SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #313 SG
SPIDER-FORCE #3 (OF 3) SG
SPIDER-GIRLS #3 (OF 3) SG
SPIDER-GWEN GHOST SPIDER #3 SG
STAR WARS AGE REPUBLIC DARTH MAUL #1
STAR WARS DOCTOR APHRA #27
STAR WARS HAN SOLO IMPERIAL CADET #2 (OF 5)
TONY STARK IRON MAN #4 2ND PTG SCHITI VAR
TRUE BELIEVERS FANTASTIC FOUR DRAGON MAN #1
TRUE BELIEVERS FANTASTIC FOUR MOLECULE MAN #1
TRUE BELIEVERS FANTASTIC FOUR SUPER SKRULL #1
TYPHOID FEVER IRON FIST #1
UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL #39
UNCANNY X-MEN #5
UNSTOPPABLE WASP #3
WEAPON X #27
X-23 #7
X-MEN RED #11
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN TP WORLDWIDE VOL 09
CABLE TP VOL 02 LAST HOPE
CLOAK AND DAGGER MPGN TP SHADES OF GREY
MARVEL KNIGHTS PUNISHER BY ENNIS COMPLETE COLLECTION TP VOL 1
MMW AMAZING SPIDER-MAN HC VOL 20
PUNISHER EPIC COLLECTION TP CIRCLE OF BLOOD
SPIDER-MAN DEMOLITION DAYS DIGEST TP
STAR WARS TP VOL 09 HOPE DIES
X-MEN GAMBIT COMPLETE COLLECTION TP VOL 02
————
FEATURED TITLES FROM OTHER PUBLISHERS
ALL WE EVER WANTED
(A BLUE WAVE WORLD)
(Cover by Ariela Kristantina & Michael E. Wiggam)
THE PUBLISHER SAYS // An exciting new anthology filled with stories that present a brighter vision of the future featuring today’s top-level talent. No doom-and-gloom here! These sci-fi tales are meant to inspire hope and restore the belief that a better world is possible. The perfect gift to lift spirits this holiday season!
THE BEAT SAYS // What a lovely idea for an anthology. Especially in this era.
EL MESTIZO HC (MR)
(2000 AD / REBELLION)
(Cover by Carlos Ezquerra)
THE PUBLISHER SAYS // The gun-slingin’ face of fury! 1862, a time of great turmoil. As the American Civil War tears a nation in two, dangerous men prosper through bloodshed. El Mestizo was once a slave who managed to escape to Mexico. Now he’s come back over the border, a mercenary for hire. But is he really allied to neither side? High-octane revenge Western from the co-creator of Judge Dredd. Perfect for fans of Moebius’s Blueberry and the motion picture Django Unchained.
THE BEAT SAYS // We have a soft spot for characters in the 2000 AD – especially when they are takes on American future or “folklore”. The decidedly British take on America is incredibly fascinating, and often uncovers truth from a distance.
MEGA GHOST #1 (OF 5)
(ALBATROSS FUNNYBOOKS)
(Cover by Gideon Kendall)
THE PUBLISHER SAYS // Can life get any weirder for junior occultist Martin Magus? Living in the haunted city of Dunwich Heights is strange enough for a kid investigating the unknown, but when he comes into possession of a bewitched ring, he discovers that he now has the power to summon Megaghost, a giant supernatural robot sworn to defend the world against the creepy things that go smash in the night!
THE BEAT SAYS // The Albatross Funnybooks line has long been the place to discover some great undiscovered or under-appreciated talents working on incredible books – remember back in the day when they published Rebecca Sugar’s Pug Davis before she went on to create Steven Universe? There’s an eye for talent in this line, and there always has been – which means we’ll always be checking these books out.
WALLY WOOD CHRISTMAS BOOK HC
(VANGUARD PRODUCTIONS)
(Cover by Wallace Wood)
THE PUBLISHER SAYS // A charming instant classic for all ages. For the first time ever, years of Hall of Fame creator Wally Wood’s never-published personal Christmas card art plus Wood’s rare Christmas cartoons and comic strips collected into one precious, little quality book; a gem, sure to be prized by generations of comics fans and the uninitiated alike. A classic!
THE BEAT SAYS // Anytime we can get a hold of more Wally Wood work is a good time.
DOCTOR WHO ROAD TO 13TH DOCTOR TP
(TITAN COMICS)
(Cover by Robert Hack)
THE PUBLISHER SAYS // Walk the road to the Thirteenth Doctor in the shows of the Tenth, Eleventh, and Twelfth, with three new stories from James Peaty (Supergirl)! A haunted spaceship? 1800s cyber San Francisco? Pterodactyls loose in Piccadilly Circus?! Plus an exclusive short story from the team behind the new ongoing series Doctor Who: The Thirteenth Doctor!
THE BEAT SAYS // With the show just having wrapped up for the season, you can revisit some old Doctors as a bit of a prelude of sorts to the 13th.
MORE TITLES FROM OTHER PUBLISHERS
ALBERT EINSTEIN TIME MASON #3
ANIMOSITY EVOLUTION #9 (MR)
ARCHIE AND ME COMICS DIGEST #13
ARCHIES CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR #1
BELLE BEAST HUNTER #6 (OF 6)
CAPTAIN GINGER #3
CATALYST PRIME ACCELL #16
CATALYST PRIME ASTONISHER #13
DEAD KINGS #2
DOLLMAN KILLS THE FULL MOON UNIVERSE #5 (OF 6)
FEARSCAPE #3 (MR)
FEMFORCE #184
GOLD DIGGER #258
GRIMM FAIRY TALES 2018 HOLIDAY SPECIAL
HOW THE TRUMP STOLE CHRISTMAS (ONE SHOT) GREEN FOIL ED
JUNGLE FANTASY SECRETS #4 (MR)
LAND THAT TIME FORGOT #1
LIFE IS STRANGE #1 2ND PTG
MINIONS VIVA LE BOSS #2
NORAH #4 (OF 4) (MR)
OBLIV18N #4
PATIENCE CONVICTION REVENGE #4
PEEK #2 THE SECOND (MR)
PUNCHLINE #2
REM 8 #1 WINTER CLASSICS (MR)
REM 8 #2 WINTER CLASSICS (MR)
ROBOTECH #15
SHADOWMAN (2018) #10
SINK #6 (MR)
SOLAR FLARE SEASON THREE #3
STARS END #2
TEAM MOBILE #1
VAMPIRONICA #5
WILLIAM THE LAST #3
ZORRO SWORDS OF HELL #2
AGAIN GN VOL 06 (MR)
BRITANNIA TP VOL 03 LOST EAGLES OF ROME
BUNGO STRAY DOGS GN VOL 09
CITY GN VOL 04
DEADWORLD ARCHIVES BOOK 04 (MR)
DOCTOR WHO TP PHANTOM PIPER
ELASTICATOR COMPLETE EDITION TP
HAGANAI I DONT HAVE MANY FRIENDS GN VOL 16 (MR)
HILLBILLY TP VOL 03
IMMORTAL VOL 02 (OF 8) (MR)
INFERNOCT TP
MAGI GN VOL 33
MELOWY GN VOL 02 FASHION CLUB OF COLORS
MIKE HAMMER TP NIGHT I DIED (MR)
MONSTER MUSUME GN VOL 14 (MR)
MUSHOKU TENSEI JOBLESS REINCARNATION GN VOL 08
MY MONSTER SECRET GN VOL 14
NORAGAMI STRAY GOD GN VOL 19
PHANTOM COMP DAILIES HC VOL 14 1956 -1957
PHANTOM COMP SUNDAYS HC VOL 05 1953-1957
POKEMON THE MOVIE I CHOOSE YOU GN
PRAGUE COUP HC
PRE CODE CLASSICS MISTER MYSTERY SLIPCASE ED VOL 02
SPLATOON MANGA GN VOL 05
TANK GIRL COLOR CLASSICS HC VOL 01 1988-1990
TRISH TRASH ROLLERGIRL OF MARS HC VOL 03
MAGAZINES
CARTOONS MAGAZINE #18
COMIC SHOP NEWS #1643
DOCTOR WHO MAGAZINE #532
JUDGE DREDD MEGAZINE #402
BOOKS
ACCEL WORLD LIGHT NOVEL VOL 16
ANCIENT MAGUS BRIDE GOLDEN YARN NOVEL VOL 01
ARIFURETA FROM COMMONPLACE LIGHT NOVEL VOL 04 (MR)
BACCANO LIGHT NOVEL HC VOL 09
DC SUPER HEROES SUPER HEROES SAY PLEASE BOARD BOOK
DOCTOR WHO COMP HIST HC VOL 84 12TH DOCTOR STORIES 264-265
DRAGON QUEST ILLUSTRATIONS 30TH ANNIV ED HC
GRUMPY CAT LITTLE GOLDEN BOOK FAVORITES
IRREGULAR AT MAGIC HIGH SCHOOL LIGHT NOVEL VOL 10
KAGEROU DAZE LIGHT NOVEL SC VOL 08
KIDS STICK TOGETHER HC
MARVEL CONTEST OF CHAMPIONS ART OF BATTLEREALM HC
NTR NETSUZOU TRAP GN VOL 06 (MR)
REBORN VENDING MACHINE I NOW WANDER DUNGEON NOVEL SC VOL 03
STAR WAS LAST JEDI ULT SOUVENIR GUIDE SC
STOLEN SHARPIE REVOLUTION SC DIY RESOURCE FOR ZINES (MR)
SWORD ART ONLINE NOVEL SC VOL 15
TALES OF THE SLAYER VOL 1 & 2 SC
ULTIMATE GUIDE TO GI JOE 1982 – 1994 3RD ED HC
