The Summer of Comics
We're sliding into summer and here's part 1 of my list of books to check out!
The summer months are just around the corner and there’s nothing better than kicking back in the shade with a sweaty ice cold glass of ice tea and a good comic to read. Here’s part 1 of my list of books I plan to either pick or catch up on as well as a couple of Kickstarters to check out. No better time than now to fill up that library!
1. Something is Killing the Children #37
This one is one for the catch up category. SIKTC is a series by James Tynion IV and Werther Dell’Edera that I dove head first into. The story and art has always delivered throughout this series. This issue came out back on May 22nd and I haven’t had a chance to check it out but it’s on my list for the summer. If you somehow haven’t heard of this one, it’s about world plagued by children eating monsters and a woman named Erica Slaughter that hunts them. The reason I want to catch up? Coming this September, Tynion is taking us back to the beginning with SIKTC #0!
2. The Nice House on the Lake
It’s going to be a Tynion summer apparently! This one is by James Tynion IV and art by Álvaro Martínez Bueno. Tynion is dominating the horror genre and for good reason. The Nice House on the Lake is about a mysterious character named Walter who invites twelve of his friends to an idyllic house in the countryside, only to witness the end of the world. To make things worst, they’re not allowed to leave. Also there’s some weird things about Walter but I don’t want to ruin it for you. Why is Tynion so good at horror? Well, as he shares in his interview with the Hollywood Reporter, he focuses on terrifying an audience of one…his therapist. Why am I catching up on this one now? Well, I must admit I’ve been very busy getting my own comics out lately that some of these titles had snuck by me. I knew of them but haven’t had a chance to chase them down. Also, coming July 24, Tynion is coming back with a sequel cycle titled The Nice House by the Sea!
3. The Blood Brothers Mother
Time to shake off the horror genre, although I could make a list entirely on horror comics! Time to drift into the Western genre and see what DSTLRY is bringing us with writer Brian Azzarello and artist Eduardo Risso. This is a new series that debuted back in May by the same team that brought the series 100 Bullets. Western comics are proving their strength as a genre lately and I’ve been seeing some big names helming some pretty big titles. This one is a tale of revenge as three children set off across the frontier to rescue their mother that was taken by outlaws that gunned down their father. This one is touted as one to read if you’re a fan of 1883, Blood Meridian or The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
4. Where the Body Was
As the list goes on…I realize I’ve so far chosen some pretty heavy reading so my next list will have to lighten up a bit. Where the Body Was is by the legendary writer Ed Brubaker and artist Sean Philips and published by Image Comics. Where the Body was is a murder mystery, crime thriller set in a small quiet town. Brubaker does his usual depth of writing in which he explores the rich lives of the characters and how they connect. I’ve heard the final reveals in this one are things of legend so I’m really looking forward to picking it up!
5. Dead Romans
Why not just keep with the heavy stories for this list. The last book on part 1 of my summer list is Dead Romans from Image Comics written by fellow Canadian Fred Kennedy and artist Nick Marinkovich. Dead Roman’s is a new historical fiction adventure that follows Arminius, a Germanic prince raised in Rome that is determined to get vengeance on the Empire that kills his people and in the process make the woman he loves a Queen. It’s a brutal tale of love and war with some incredible artwork!
Kickstarter Must Sees!
ARKS 1-5
ARKS is one of those science fiction books that has the potential to become something huge. ARKS is a series about the concept of panspermia, seeding planets with microorganisms as a means of interstellar travel. There’s no light speed, warp drives or stargates…just some good old fashioned bacteria and an A.I. to spread humanity to the edges of known space.
Created by Rory Collins, this book has some great story telling with wild twists and turns and artwork the begs you to turn the page to see what happens next. The things coming out of Kickstarter these days is a testament to creativity and this one has some Ridley Scott level sci-fi that you need to check out. The campaign is only live until Tuesday June 18th and is killing it right now! Get in on the story now and catch up on the other issues by clicking here!
MONSTER MATADOR: ONCE UPON SOME MONSTERS IN MEXICO #1-3
Steven Prince has been turning out Kickstarters for about as long as I have and he’s been doing one thing and doing it well, Monster Matador. Monster Matador is written by Steven Prince, art by Fabio Alves and colors by Alex Zief. Monster Matador is a an over-the-top Kaiju comic with throwbacks to Mad Max and Santo. What could be cooler than a Kaiju slaying Matador? Not much! This one also ends on Tuesday so check it out here!
Lastly, a little Shameless Self-Promotion…ALICE #2!
ALICE #2 is coming later this summer and I’ve been scouting some awesome talent for some brand new variant covers! These are some names you may have heard before so it’s a must see. Help show your excitement for the project by following the prelaunch page here!
Let me know what you have on your summer reading list by leaving a comment!