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

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #1
(Boom! Studios)

(Cover by Kevin Wada)

THE PUBLISHER SAYS // Go back to the beginning as the critically acclaimed pop culture phenomenon Buffy The Vampire Slayer is reimagined under the guidance of series creator Joss Whedon. This is the Buffy Summers you know, who wants what every average teenager wants: friends at her new school, decent grades, and to escape her imposed destiny as the next in a long line of vampire slayers tasked with defeating the forces of evil. But her world looks a lot more like the one outside your window, as Eisner Award-Nominated writer Jordie Bellaire (Redlands) and Russ Manning Award-Winner Dan Mora (Saban’s Go Go Power Rangers) bring Buffy into a new era with new challenges, new friends…and a few enemies you might already recognize. But the more things change, the more they stay the same, as the Gang faces brand new Big Bads, and the threat lurking beneath the perfectly manicured exterior of Sunnydale High confirms what every teenager has always known: high school truly is hell.

THE BEAT SAYS // This creative team is a stroke of genius for this property, and there are few concepts more perfect for a re-invention in this era. We had a chance to read the first issue, and it keeps the core, while learning from past mistakes, and bringing the concept into the 21st Century in a great way.

NAOMI #1
(DC Comics)

(Cover by Jamal Campbell)

THE PUBLISHER SAYS // DC’s biggest, newest mystery starts here! When a fight between Superman and Mongul crashes into a small Northwestern town, Naomi (last name?) begins a quest to uncover the last time a super-powered person visited her home-and how that might tie into her own origins and adoption. Follow Naomi’s journey on a quest that will take her to the heart of the DC Universe and unfold a universe of ideas and stories that have never been seen before. Join writers Brian Michael Bendis, David Walker and breakout artist Jamal Campbell in Wonder Comics’ massively ambitious new series and star… NAOMI.

THE BEAT SAYS // This is a fairly ambitious project, but if anyone can make a go of a completely fresh character helming a new ongoing in the DCU, it’s probably Bendis and Walker. More to the point, folks all around the comics industry are calling this Jamal Campbell’s best work – a project perfectly matched with a creator who is hitting it out of the park.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #1
(Marvel Comics)

(Cover by David Marquez)

THE PUBLISHER SAYS // WHO WILL STAND. The universe is on fire. Hundreds of worlds are at war. Never has there been such hatred and division across the cosmos. And in spite of all this, Thanos of Titan is still dead…or is he? Now, more than ever, the cosmos need the Guardians of the Galaxy…but in the aftermath of the Infinity Wars, who is left to answer the call? Featuring every cosmic super hero in the known universe by the THANOS WINS creative team of Donny Cates and Geoff Shaw!

THE BEAT SAYS // The creative team behind the Thanos run that brought us Cosmic Ghost Rider takes over the Guardians. Both of these creators are on incredible hot streaks, dating back to their work on God Country for Image, and Cates’ fresh takes on old Marvel characters really seems to be resonating with readers.

MORE FROM PREMIERE PUBLISHERS

BOOM! STUDIOS

AVANT-GUARDS #1 (OF 12) // From the publisher: “Giant Days meets Check, Please, from the creator of Heavy Vinyl! Welcome to the Georgia O’Keeffe College of Arts and Subtle Dramatics, an historically all-female school whose population is decidedly more drama geek than jock. Liv, aspiring actor and basketball enthusiast, doesn’t understand why she can’t be both, but she seems alone in that belief… until Charlie. Charlie is a recent transfer, a star basketball player, and the answer to all of Liv’s problems. She’ll stop at nothing to get Charlie to join the ragtag group of misfits that make up their fledgling basketball team. Carly Usdin (Heavy Vinyl) and Noah Hayes (Goldie Vance) present a touching tale about finding what you’fre looking for… on and off the court.
JIM HENSON BENEATH DARK CRYSTAL #6 (OF 12)
LOW ROAD WEST #5 (OF 5)
OVER GARDEN WALL HOLLOW TOWN #5 (OF 5)
SMOOTH CRIMINALS #3 (OF 12)
STEVEN UNIVERSE ONGOING #24

NUCLEAR WINTER ORIGINAL GN VOL 02
SONS OF ANARCHY LEGACY ED TP VOL 01 (MR)

DARK HORSE COMICS

ALIENS RESISTANCE #1
HELLBOY AND BPRD 1956 #3 (OF 5)
LIGHTSTEP #3 (OF 5)
STARCRAFT SOLDIERS #1 (OF 4)
WITCHER #2 OF FLESH & FLAME

DANGANRONPA 2 TP VOL 02 ULTIMATE LUCK AND HOPE AND DESPAIR (MR)
EMPOWERED & SISTAH SPOOKYS HIGH SCHOOL HELL TP
POLAR HC VOL 01 CAME FROM THE COLD SECOND EDITION
PROBLEM OF SUSAN AND OTHER STORIES HC

DC COMICS

AMERICAN CARNAGE #3 (MR)
AQUAMAN #44
BATMAN #63
COVER #5 (OF 6) (MR)
CURSE OF BRIMSTONE ANNUAL #1
FREEDOM FIGHTERS #2 (OF 12)
JUSTICE LEAGUE #16
LUCIFER #4 (MR)
PEARL #6 (MR)
SHAZAM #2
SIDEWAYS #12
TEEN TITANS #26
TEEN TITANS GO #32
WILD STORM #19

ABSOLUTE FLASHPOINT HC
BATMAN BRAVE & BOLD BRONZE AGE OMNIBUS TP VOL 02
DARK NIGHTS METAL TP
LOBO BY KEITH GIFFEN & ALAN GRANT TP VOL 02
NIGHTWING REBIRTH DLX COLL HC BOOK 03
SANDMAN TP VOL 04 SEASON OF MISTS 30TH ANNIV ED (MR)

DYNAMITE

GAME OF THRONES CLASH OF KINGS #15 (MR)
KISS BLOOD STARDUST #4
MARS ATTACKS #4

IDW PUBLISHING

DUCKTALES #17
GI JOE A REAL AMERICAN HERO SILENT OPTION #3 (OF 4)
GO-BOTS #3
JEM AND HOLOGRAMS IDW 2020
MY LITTLE PONY FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC #74
MY LITTLE PONY IDW 2020
RISE OF THE TMNT #4
ROAD OF THE DEAD HIGHWAY TO HELL #3
SPIDER KING FROSTBITE ONE-SHOT
STAR TREK TNG TERRA INCOGNITA #6
SUKEBAN TURBO #3 (OF 4)
TMNT ONGOING #90

MICKEY MOUSE FIRE EYE OF ATLANTIS

IMAGE COMICS

BEAUTY #26 (MR)
DIE DIE DIE #7 (MR)
EXORSISTERS #4
HARDCORE #2 (MR)
MIDDLEWEST #1 3RD PTG (MR)
MONSTRESS #19 (MR)
OLIVER #1 // From the publisher: “Award-winning screenwriter GARY WHITTA (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, The Book Of Eli) teams with celebrated artist DARICK ROBERTSON (Transmetropolitan, HAPPY!, The Boys) for a new take on a literary classic-with a futuristic twist. OLIVER re-imagines Charles Dickens’ most famous orphan as a post-apocalyptic superhero fighting to liberate a war-ravaged England while searching for the truth about his own mysterious origins.”
OUTCAST BY KIRKMAN & AZACETA #38 (MR)
REGRESSION #15 (MR)

BATTLEPUG COMPUGDIUM HC // The complete collection of the Conan-meets-pugs style webstrip!
COYOTES TP VOL 02 (MR)
PROXIMA CENTAURI TP (MR)

MARVEL COMICS

AVENGERS #13
CRYPT OF SHADOWS #1 // A brand new horror one shot from Immortal Hulk writer Al Ewing. From the publisher: “For Marvel’s 80th Anniversary we’ve gone into the vaults to bring back some classic titles from the Marvel of yesteryear…but maybe some vaults should stay closed! Something terrifying has broken free and crawled forth from one of the most terrifying corners of Marvel-dom, the CRYPT OF SHADOWS! Prepare for terror! The shadows are deeper than you think, and horrors lurk within…”
FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN #2
IMMORTAL HULK #12
MAN WITHOUT FEAR #4
MOON GIRL AND DEVIL DINOSAUR #39
SHURI #4
SILVER SURFER #14 FACSIMILE EDITION
STAR WARS #60
SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #2
TRUE BELIEVERS CONAN SECRET OF SKULL RIVER #1
TRUE BELIEVERS KING CONAN #1
UNCANNY X-MEN ANNUAL #1
WAR IS HELL #1

BEN REILLY SCARLET SPIDER TP VOL 05
BLACK PANTHER TP BOOK 06 INTERGALACTIC EMPIRE OF WAKANDA PT 01
COSMIC GHOST RIDER TP BABY THANOS MUST DIE
DAREDEVIL BACK IN BLACK TP VOL 08 DEATH OF DAREDEVIL
EXTERMINATION TP
MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE TP VOL 02 NEXT OF KIN
NEW MUTANTS ABNETT LANNING TP VOL 01 COMPLETE COLLECTION
UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL HC VOL 04

FEATURED TITLES FROM OTHER PUBLISHERS

2000 AD DIGEST ZOMBO TP
(2000AD / Rebellion)

(Cover by Henry Flint)

THE PUBLISHER SAYS // An all-new digest sized edition of the riotous and hilarious sci-fi horror comedy about a polite bio-weapon zombie! When flight 303 crash-lands on the lethal deathworld known as chronos, all is not looking well for the surviving passengers. Enter zombo; a top secret government experiment – part zombie, part human ghoul, with a taste for living flesh and aspirations of pop stardom! Written by Marvel superstar Al Ewing (The Incredible Hulk, Loki: Agent Of Asgard, Mighty Avengers).

THE BEAT SAYS // Zombo is one of the funniest, razor sharp satires to come out from 2000AD for years. The story synthesis between Al Ewing and Henry Flint is something else, gore and psychedelia splattering on the canvas of pop culture commentary.

BLOSSOMS 666 #1
(Archie Comics)

(Cover by Vic Malhotra)

THE PUBLISHER SAYS // BRAND NEW SERIES! Cheryl and Jason Blossom are a pair of seemingly normal kids in Riverdale. They’re wealthy, popular and likeable-but they also harbor a deep, dark secret-one of the Blossom Twins is the Anti-Christ. Both want the title, and no one in Riverdale is safe.

THE BEAT SAYS // Another trip into the darker end of Archie, as the Blossoms go on a bit of a murder spree. Cullen Bunn is a good choice to explore this territory, what with books like Harrow County under his belt, and Laura Braga is going to provide some stunning visuals.

HILDA & GREAT PARADE MOVIE TIE IN NOVEL
(Nobrow – Flying Eye Books)

(Cover by Seaerra Miller)

THE PUBLISHER SAYS // Book two in the Hilda Netflix TV tie-in series offers new never-before-read content in this illustrated chapter book, picking up where Hilda and The Hidden People left off. It’s tough moving and changing neighborhoods. In this book, Hilda faces new challenges as she moves from the wilderness to the city of Trolberg! As Hilda starts at her new school, she has to adapt to a whole new way of life and make new friends, humans as well as other creatures. Hilda faces all kinds of surprises as she explores the city and faces hordes of people, and learns to find her own space within the crowds.

THE BEAT SAYS // Since appearing on Netflix, Hilda has blossomed in comic shops around the world, with folks hoovering up everything available. These illustrated chapter books are great for early readers, or night time stories, while we all wait for more of the graphic novels and TV show.

MONICA ADVENTURES VOL 01 + 02
(Charmz / Papercutz)

(Cover by Mauricio De Sousa)

THE PUBLISHER SAYS // One of the world’s bestselling series finally in America! Like Archie but for today’s tweens! Monica and her friends Maggy, Smudge, and J-Five had a great beach vacation… until Tony crashed their party and made things awkward between Monica and J-Five- who’s childhood rivalry has matured to crush status. Now, back at school again, the four friends want to catch a new movie together but money is tight for the teens. They will need to do some odd jobs first! Monica will try  dog walking, Maggy will be a cat sitter, and J-Five and Smudge will try to sell their old comics. Will Monica and J-Five have their romantic moment at the cinema?

THE BEAT SAYS // Archie Comics is so ubiquitous in the North American market, it is easy to forget that the characters aren’t well known around the world – and that people’s first true experience with them has been the Riverdale television show. Monica is quite similar, in that it is one of the most popular strips in the world, and they’re finally coming over to a North American market. These should be quite interesting to read!

OFF SEASON HC (MR)
(Drawn & Quarterly)

(Cover by James Strum)

THE PUBLISHER SAYS // James Sturm’s riveting graphic novel charts one couple’s divisive separation through the fall of 2016, during Bernie’s loss to Hillary, Hillary’s loss to Trump, and the disorienting months that followed. We see a father navigating life as a single parent and coping with the disintegration of a life-defining relationship. Amid the upheaval are tender moments with his kids-a sleeping child being carried in from the car, Christmas morning anticipation, a late-night cookie after a temper tantrum-and fallible humans drenched in palpable feelings of grief, rage, loss, and overwhelming love. Off Season is unaffected and raw, steeped in the specificity of its time while speaking to a larger cultural moment.

THE BEAT SAYS // Small and large emotional moments, set against the recent political landscape. Strum has always been great at both providing a sense of time and place, as well as digging into the depths of human emotion, and tackling very fresh versions of this might make this a bit harder to read than something further removed from here and now.

MORE TITLES FROM OTHER PUBLISHERS

B & V FRIENDS JUMBO COMICS DIGEST #267
BETTY & VERONICA FRIENDS FOREVER GO TO WORK
DIE KITTY DIE HEAVEN AND HELL #4
DISSENSION WAR ETERNAL #5
DOLLMAN KILLS THE FULL MOON UNIVERSE #6 (OF 6)
GRIMM FAIRY TALES 2019 ANNUAL #1 (OF 1)
GRUMBLE #3
HELLICIOUS #6 (OF 6) (MR)
HEROES AT LARGE #1 (MR)
HIGH HEAVEN #5 (MR)
JUNIOR HIGH HORRORS #3
KAIJUMAX SEASON 4 #4 (OF 6) (MR)
LADY DEATH HELLRAIDERS #1 (OF 1) (MR)
LIVEWIRE #2
LONG LOST PART TWO #6
LOVE TOWN #2
MALL #3
MEGA GHOST #2 (OF 5)
NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS ZEROS JOURNEY #6
PUNCHLINE #3
QUINCREDIBLE #3
SINK #7 (MR)
SOLAR FLARE SEASON THREE #4
SOULFIRE VOL 7 #7
STARGATE ATLANTIS UNIVERSE ANTHOLOGY ONGOING #3
TANK GIRL ACTION ALLEY #2
TEAM MOBILE #2
TURNBUCKLE TITANS #1 NIKOLAI VOLKOFF
WILLIAM THE LAST #4
WORN TUFF ELBOW #2
X-O MANOWAR (2017) #23

10 DANCE GN VOL 01 (MR)
AOHARU X MACHINEGUN VOL 14
ARCHIE MODERN CLASSICS TP VOL 01
CHAIR TP (MR)
COLLECTED TOPPI HC VOL 01 ENCHANTED WORLD
DELINQUENT HOUSEWIFE GN VOL 03
EC JACK KAMEN AL FELDSTEIN MARTIAN MONSTER HC
EXO LEGEND OF WALE WILLIAMS GN VOL 03
FISTFUL OF DRAWINGS SC
HIGH SCHOOL PRODIGIES HAVE IT EASY ANOTHER WORLD GN VOL 02
HITORIJIME MY HERO GN VOL 01 (MR)
HOLLOW FIELDS COLOR ED GN VOL 03
IF ANTHOLOGY HORROR #1 (MR)
INCIDENTALS TP VOL 03 CITY OF DEMONS
JUGHEAD HUNGER TP VOL 02 (MR)
KINIRO MOSAIC GN VOL 08
LOUD HOUSE GN VOL 05 AFTER DARK
MODESTY BLAISE COMPANION EXPANDED EDITION SC
MONICA ADVENTURES HC + SC VOL 01 WHO CAN AFFORD THE PRICE OF FRIENDS
MONICA ADVENTURES HC + SC VOL 02 WE FOUGHT EACH OTHER AS KIDS NOW
NARWHAL GN VOL 03 PEANUT BUTTER & JELLY
NEW LIFE GN (MR)
OLYMPIANS HC GN VOL 11 HEPHAISTOS GOD OF FIRE
RIPLEYS BELIEVE IT OR NOT TP
RIPTIDE TP
SMURFS THE VILLAGE BEHIND THE WALL HC VOL 02
WAITING FOR SPRING GN VOL 10
WILDCAT TP VOL 01 TURBO JONES
X-O MANOWAR (2017) TP VOL 06 AGENT
YURI IS MY JOB GN VOL 01

MAGAZINES

007 MAGAZINE #57
CINEMA RETRO #43 (MR)
COMIC SHOP NEWS [90CT BUNDLE] #1649
CREEPS #17 (MR)
G FAN #122
HI FRUCTOSE MAGAZINE QUARTERLY #50
ILLUSTRATORS MAGAZINE #24
MEGAMI NOVEMBER 2018
MEGAMI OCTOBER 2018
NEWTYPE NOVEMBER 2018
NEWTYPE OCTOBER 2018
ROLLED AND TOLD #5
SCREAM MAGAZINE #52 (MR)

BOOKS

DOCTOR WHO COMP HIST HC VOL 87 11TH DOCTOR STORIES 221- 223
FAST ENOUGH BESSIE STRINGFIELDS FIRST RIDE HC STORY BOOK
LOG HORIZON LIGHT NOVEL SC VOL 11
SHADOW DOUBLE NOVEL VOL 138 MURDER MANSION YOUNG MEN DEATH

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