What's up with this week's comic haul? New Batman , Shadowland, and Locke and Key! Also, the second installment of Marvel's Strange Tales anthology is out! This comic features a ton of indie creators reinterpreting merry Marvel weirdness.
First off, we have Star Wars - Knight Errant Aflame 1 (Dark Horse), a new series starring novice Jedi Kerra Holt. Another new hero debuts in Mark Millar's Superior 1 (Marvel), the story of a boy with multiple sclerosis and the superhero in his life. Meanwhile, Atlas Comics' Grim Ghost and Phoenix (Ardden) are reintroduced in their respective titles. An even older hero, John Carter of Mars, makes his comeback in Arvid Nelson's Warlord of Mars (Dynamite).
It's a big week for the Bat-books. Paul Cornell's Knight and Squire 1 DC hits stands; check out our interview with Cornell about this London hero here. Grant Morrison's The Return of Bruce Wayne 5 (DC) comes out, and Bruce Wayne is a hard-boiled detective in a pulp Gotham. There's also a slew of Bruce Wayne: The Road Home one-shots: Batgirl, Batman and Robin, Outsiders, Red Robin, and Catwoman. Another encyclopedic DC title is the Justice Society Of America 80-Page Giant 2010, and in the unlikely crossover department we have Tiny Titans/Little Archie (DC). Dammit, there goes my half-done spec script about Cyborg and Moose solving crime together.
The House Of Mystery Halloween Annual 2 (DC/Vertigo) delivers spooky tales from the likes of Peter Milligan and Mike Carey. For more spookiness, Ian Edginton's Victorian Undead Special 1 (DC/Wildstorm) delves into Sherlock Holmes' encounters with ghouls, and Steve Niles' Edge of Doom (IDW) is about a man who finds demons living in his garden. Joe Hill's celebrated Locke & Key: Keys To The Kingdom 2 (IDW) also comes out, as does Tim Seeley's Hack/Slash Annual 2010 Murder Messiah 1 (Image). The hardcover edition of Walking Dead Volume 6 (Image) is released as well.
Fans of Marvel's Iron Man by Design variant covers can find them all in one issue (you can check some out here and here), and the final issue of Matt Fraction's "Iron Man Resilient" arc in The Invincible Iron Man (Marvel). For more Marvel A-listers, Shadowland 4 is out, and Daredevil's recruited a new right-hand man...with impeccable aim.
MY PICK OF THE WEEK is the first issue of Marvel's Strange Tales Volume 2, which features a ton of creators like The Perry Bible Fellowship's Nicholas Gurewitch, Jeff Lemire, Dash Shaw, and Jhonen Vasquez twisting Marvel stalwarts however they see fit. Check out Jillian Tamaki's take on Dazzler as the hardest working woman in showbiz:
You can find a list of this week's releases here and the location of your friendly neighborhood comic shop here. Happy reading, gang!