Hello, comic friends! I am here to discuss comics that will be released this Wednesday, November 20th, 2013. If you want to hear my reviews on the comics I picked up last week, you can check them out on the Ant On Podcast on iTunes!
Now, if I had the wallet of guys like Bruce Wayne and Tony Stark… I would honestly buy one copy of every comic book that comes out. But, alas, I’m not a jewel thief like Catwoman and can’t phase through the floor of my local comic book store like Kitty Pryde to grab every comic book created. So instead I look through the list every week and pull the ones that interest me the most.
All book premises are in quotes and brought to you by TFAW. The rest is all me, friends! For a complete list of releases you can visit Comic List.
THIS WEEK’S PICKS:
Afterlife With Archie #2
“New Ongoing Series! The horror continues as a zombified Jughead goes on a relentless hunt for brains in this shocking new series by Harvey Award-winning comic/screenwriter Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Stephen King’s Carrie, Archie Meets Glee) and Eisner-winning artist Francesco Francavilla (Batman, Black Beetle). When he performs a despicable and frightening act in front of everyone at the Halloween dance, tensions start to rise and fears begin to mount-who will be next to join Jughead in the Afterlife? And what about those who are already infected? Be warned, kiddies, this one’s not for the faint of heart!”
I read a lot of Archie growing up, but after a 15 year hiatus I jumped back into Riverdale High with an Archie Meets Glee arc at the beginning of the year and absolutely loved it. Though I didn’t jump back into the normal Archie books after that storyline, I jumped back on for this new ongoing horror series!
Obviously zombies are popular, and Archie Comics has been appealing to this generation of comic book readers, and it’s been a success! I highly recommend this book. You really don’t need any knowledge of this world of characters to enjoy this story.
Accelerators #4 (of 6)
“Past and future collide! The past: our heroes find themselves drawn into a dangerous time travel experiment. The future: Bertram faces his most insane Time Games challenge yet.”
I’ve talked about this before, but this title caught my interest through the I Sell Comics podcast on the Smodcast network from Kevin Smith. Mike and Ming from AMC’s Comic Book Men and Jay & Silent Bob’s Secret Stash comic book store in Red Bank, New Jersey, brought on the creators of this series from Blue Juice Comics as they discussed the process of making a comic book on their own without working for one of the main publishing companies.
They offered a special deal in which got you the first issue signed by the Comic Book Men because they appear in a panel of the comic. I absolutely love the series so far and hope we will eventually get more. If you like time-traveling… then this is a great comic to check out.
Batman 66 #5
“Are the Caped Crusader and the Boy Wonder asleep on the job? No, they are under the spell of that sinister somnambulist, the Sandman. (No, not THAT one!) Is it bedtime for all of Gotham City? Will the Dynamic Duo wake up in time to put out his lights? Don’t miss this issue’s story illustrated by 2013 Eisner Award-winner Colleen Coover!”
If you like the classic 1966 Batman television show, then this is the Batman comic for you! Designed to exist in that world, this comic book series is such a joy every month. I grew up watching the reruns of that show and that was my first real interaction with anything related to Batman.
Currently, each issue has been very standalone and haven’t had any callbacks or ongoing stories, so it’s very easy to jump on at any time. I have a feeling we will get some continuity eventually as villains returns, but this is what I love about this series. It’s very episodic. Plus, if you can rock an Adam West impression like me (and a million others) then reading this title is slightly more entertaining than any other Batman comic book on the shelf.
Harley Quinn #0
“This bombastic debut issue features art by award-winning illustrators including Darwyn Cooke, Sam Kieth, Tony S. Daniel, Paul Pope, Walter Simonson, Art Baltazar and others-but will any of them measure up to the exacting standards of the Clown Princess of Crime? Don’t miss the thrilling return of Harley Quinn in her own monthly series!”
The character of Harley Quinn was introduced through Batman: The Animated Series from the 90’s, and was later adapted into the comic book continuity due to her popularity.
As a girlfriend and assistant to The Joker, she was always such a great companion to have around whenever you had a Joker centric episode. Since I am not a loyal DC reader, I am very willing to give this series a shot because of my love for Harley Quinn. If this series really clicks with me, Harley can secure my subscription and call me puddin’ once a month.
Red Sonja #5
“Red Sonja, still recovering from her near-death ordeal, leads a small band of rebels in a stealth war against the invading armada, while the supreme dealer of death Dark Annisia returns to wreak havoc on Sonja’s small band of allies! Blood, lust and vengeance surround Red Sonja as she faces her ultimate foe.”
I picked this series up because of Gail Simone as the writer, and figured I would give it a chance. Though the first issue was pretty solid, it didn’t 100% sell me on continuing with the series. So as I picked up another issue, my interest grew… then finally reached a point where it was a sure thing for me.
Red Sonja is a character that I was never much familiar with until this new series began, so it was a terrific jump on point. I haven’t run out and collected other back issues, but I am completely satisfied with what I am getting from this series so far.
My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic #13
“The ponies hit the high seas! A trip to Horeshoe Bay takes a turn for the dramatic when our gang is captured by Hoofbeard the Pirate! Will the ponies help him find his long lost treasure, or will they be walking the plank?”
Though I prefer Katie Cook and Andy Price as the creative team for this series, I still continue to support the fun and beautiful stories that this book brings.
A new creative team is on board for this new arc… this is always a great time to jump in on the world of My Little Pony.
While we have one issue left in the Micro-Series next month, Friendship Is Magic continues to be an ongoing series that is doing well in the sales, so I don’t see an end of this book anytime soon… and that makes me happy.
Clone #12
“Who is the leader of the grassroots anti-clone organization that’s growing in America? What could drive them to kill the same man again and again?”
This series is easier read than explained. Our main character, Luke, found out that he is one of many clones, one of which is out to kill him. When his pregnant wife gets captured, Luke teams up with a band of clones to try and get her back.
This series has been optioned for a possible television show, so if it gets picked up, now is the time to check out the trade paperback collections and familiarize yourself with these great books so you can be smarter than everyone who will just start with the television show.
I’ve reread this series a few times because, as every new issue comes out, I like to refresh myself with what is going on because it’s a very high octane type of read. There really hasn’t been a single issue that was boring as the story is being told at a very fast and entertaining pace.
A Voice In The Dark #1
“It’s been 72 days since Zoey killed someone. With her recent move to college, Zoey is eager to start a fresh chapter of her life – one where she can control her dark urges they way she has before. But when she becomes the host of a late night campus radio show, Zoey must consider if she has given a voice to something far more troubled than her anonymous callers.”
Another new series from Image Comics… and that’s usually all I need as a setup to check it out. I am always willing to give a new series a chance, and this one intrigued me enough to give it a shot.
I am not familiar with the creative team on this book, but the cover really grabbed me. With a year and a half of podcasting under my belt, having this story revolving around a campus radio show really interests me as well.
But I asure you, there are no murders related to my radio show.
Superior Spider-Man Annual #1
“This ain’t no regular Annual, buck-o! This one counts! BLACKOUT is back, and he wants to re-establish his reputation by killing the toughest guy in town… Spider-Man! He plans to force Peter Parker Spidey into a trap. Blackout’s leverage? Aunt May! The world will never look at Superior Spider-Man the same after this. BE THERE!”
An Annual issue comes out… annually. Superior Spider-Man is a series that is released two times a month, so normally it’s easier to track the annuals in your normal numbering system, but now, a week after Superior Spider-Man 21… we get our first annual special!
I am very confused by the written setup above in quotes, as it mentions Peter Parker Spidey. Perhaps it is just worded weirdLY, but Doc Ock is the Superior Spider-Man, as he lives inside Peter Parker’s body, but in online previews he is not usually known as Peter Park Spidey.
But, this is a Spider-Man comic, and since I’ve been collecting this series since it’s debut almost one year ago, there is no doubt that I was going to buy this as well. Dan Slott isn’t the writer of this annual, like he is for the regular series, but I’m sure I will still enjoy it.
X-Men #7
“The six-part ‘Muertas’ arc kicks off with the return of Lady Deathstrike! Can a new Sisterhood be far behind? Meanwhile, the X-Men regroup following the Battle of the Atom – and a new member joins the team!”
If you’ve been following my weekly posts, you will know that I am a big fan of the Battle of the Atom series that wrapped about three weeks ago. Last week we saw where the All-New X-Men went after that event, and now we return to the female centric team in this series.
I am very curious to see who joins the team, hoping they will continue to keep it female centric, because that was my main draw to this ongoing series.
This cover is probably one of the coolest ones I’ve seen, so that heightens my excitement as well.
I don’t own many comics that involve Lady Deathstrike, so I am also excited to have this upcoming arc in my collection.
Conclusion:
My podcast, Ant On, is available on iTunes (with links above and below this post), and I do several episodes focused 100% on comic book previews and reviews. The podcast will eventually spawn off into other recurring episodes that aren’t necessarily about comic books at all. Stay tuned.
I also do a comic book segment on my first podcast, AB Conversation, in which I will highlight just a few of the books, leaving reason to check out the Ant On Comics podcast as well for the full feature. The AB Conversation covers movies, television, comics, video games, food and the internet every Sunday morning. This week we released our 80th episode.
I always like to support my local comic book shop. Pre-orders are key. If you purchase the monthly Previews guide located at your store, you can browse upcoming titles and set up an order and/or a pull-list with your store so they order the items that you are interested in.
There are several online sites to shop from too. Things From Another World and Midtown Comics are two that I like to frequent.
If you are into digital comics, then simply go to Comixology or the individual websites and apps for the publishers you purchase from.
Are there any titles that you are excited for that I didn’t talk about? Contact me and share your non-spoiler suggestions! If you don’t agree with what I have to say, I apologize and hope you are enjoying the comics you read, because I am definitely loving mine.
This is the Ant-Man signing off… I’ll see you between the panels!
My podcasts on iTunes: “AB Conversation” & “Ant On”
My podcast websites: http://www.abconversation.net & http://www.antonpodcast.podomatic.com
My film-making website: http://www.bartonheights.4t.com
My Twitter: @anthonylaatsch
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