Good morning and Happy New Comic Day, CNJ readers! I hope everyone had a lovely Valentine’s Day this week, and that if you watched the Super Bowl you were satisfied. I’m a Browns fan, and I showed up to my friend’s party wearing my Peyton Hillis jersey. While I was casually rooting for the Bengals and Joe Burrow, I also wasn’t heartbroken by the result. I’m just happy I don’t have to hear “Who Dey” for the next year. But enough sports! It’s Marvel’s week this week, with plenty of great new issues, and a new #1 introducing a brand-new character in a legacy role. You’re not going to want to miss out on what the House of Ideas has going on this week. Let’s check it out.

Marvel Comics

First off is the first book I read as soon as I could this week, it’s King Conan #3! Writer Jason Aaron really captures the tone of the character in a way only rivaled by the original Robert E. Howard himself. Aaron is a lifelong Conan fan and it truly shows. King Conan is a badass title and is arguably my favorite book going on right now. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little biased (I’m sure you’ve heard me gush about Conan enough already before). Check it out for yourselves and let me know if I’m wrong. But I’m sure I’m not!

Now for the book everybody else at the shop told me to read next, it’s Hulk #4. Donny Cates and Ryan Ottley have been delivering a truly ruthless and brutal take on the Jolly Green Giant and each issue has ramped up the action more and more from the last. And issue #4 goes beyond what any Marvel fan could expect. Fun twists are ahead for Bruce Banner and Starship Hulk on Earth-122, where President Thunderbolt Ross has absolutely no time for any nonsense. Ottley’s art hasn’t been this big since his work on Robert Kirkman’s Invincible, and the final page is a great “oh sh*t” moment that fans are going to talk about. It’s awesome.

And speaking of Cates and ramping up the action, the God of Hammers storyline in the pages of Thor has kept getting bigger and badder. Mjolnir has gone rogue and wants nothing but destruction, and it’ll take the might of Thor and a multitude of other heroes to try to stop the greatest weapon of the nine realms from destroying everything. Issue #22 this week is the penultimate issue in the storyline and ends with a bang that rivals that of Hulk this week. This week is an absolute crusher from Donny Cates.

A few months ago, writers Ram V and Al Ewing co-wrote and relaunched Venom with a brand-new direction after the Donny Cates run ended with the King in Black storyline. They set the course for both Eddie Brock and his son Dylan to forever be altered by the symbiote. I’ve only read issue #1 so far, but I picked a good time to jump back in because issue #5 this week takes place during and directly after the events of issue one, with Al Ewing taking the reign for this issue to deliver more insights and answers to what is going on with Eddie. Am I still confused? Sure, but I know big things are coming. This is certainly Venom like you’ve never seen before.

And to wrap up things from the Marvel side of the table, it’s a brand-new #1 with a new Iron Fist series! “WHO IS THE NEW IRON FIST?! After giving up his power to save the world, DANNY RAND believes he’s seen the last of the IRON FIST… …But when DEMONS begin to attack cities around the world, a MYSTERIOUS NEWCOMER in a FAMILIAR MASK appears, hands blazing with the CHI OF SHOU-LAO THE UNDYING! Who is this NEW IRON FIST? And does his power really come from the DRAGON OF K’UN-LUN… Or from something far more sinister?” Lots of mystery surrounding this title, and we’re excited to see where things kick-off.

Small Press

The big small press book this week and a new shop favorite, the final issue of the first arc of A Righteous Thirst for Vengeance is here with issue #5 this week. Things really come to a head and the series takes a turn in this issue, but I can’t say much else without ruining the surprises in store for readers. If you’re not caught up or hip to this series yet, the first volume trade paperback will be in stores next month. Let us know if you’re interested in that, you should be! We’re excited to read the whole arc in one sitting and see all the little details we may have missed so far. It’s simply a great crime noir comic that is far from predictable.

But that’s just some of the great stuff we’ve got in stores this week. DC has good books too, don’t worry, but Marvel definitely has a strong week that you won’t want to miss. Take care everyone, we’ll see you around. 

Peace, Love, and Comics

Rafael Calzada