Happy Spring Comic Shop Friends! A few little things before we get into the comics:

We will be closed next Sunday the 31st for Easter. Enjoy your egg hunts!

The next Late Nite Comics will be Thursday, April 18th!

And we’re six weeks out from Free Comic Book Day! Saturday, May 4th! The day before my birthday! And you get the gifts! Free comics! More announcements are coming soon!

As always, we’re working on getting more back issues out, and new boxes are labeled with the date, so come check those out.

John also just did a big manga restock, and I alphabetized all of those so it’s super easy to find what you’re looking for! The cat manga is under “C” and is marked, and Junji Ito is under “J” and marked as well!

The big news is – It’s Goon Week! I updated my Rec row with all Eric Powell to mark the occasion of the return of The Goon for the 25th anniversary. That means my Goon tattoo is fifteen years old now, and it’s probably time for another one. Skip to the end of the email to get the scoop on the new Goon mini-series, and stop in the shop and I’ll recommend a Powell book for you! There are even ones for kids!

MARVEL COMICS

One gets the luck of the draw with random powers; one makes her own luck. Jackpot and Black Cat don’t have much in common, besides a certain ex, but they’ve worked together to pull off a heist against Tombstone, and to defend New York against the demons of Limbo. MJ hasn’t seen much of Felicia since then, but now the women are teaming up against a blackmailer in Celeste Bronfman and Emilio Laiso’s new limited series. A new app is forcing people to do its bidding by threatening loved ones, and Black Cat is one of the victims. When Jackpot tries to help her, she becomes the next target. Can the duo figure out who is behind the threats before it’s too late? It may be a classic Spider-Man villain…

Everybody’s been talking about the new X-Men ’97 show, (I’ve seen a lot about Gambit’s crop top.) and this is the official prelude! Writer Steve Foxe and artist Salva Espin collaborated with the showrunners on this series which shows us what the ‘90s team has been up to after the end of the original cartoon run. Cyclops and Wolverine tension! Rogue and Gambit shopping! Storm’s new look! Dazzler gets kidnapped before a big benefit show! The U.N. is working with the President toward a more sympathetic stance on mutants! Jean has a tummy ache! Those last two are definitely more than they appear! Have some fun with an X-Men book!

This issue has the debut of Spooky-Man! Gluemy is the new kid at Spider High and things are pretty gloomy at the school that shares the grounds with a cemetery. A spooky school with the legend of Spooky-Man. When bullies lock Gluemy in the boiler room, he learns it isn’t just a legend, and it’s up to the new duo to stop The Sinnerster Six from sacrificing the entire student body! Dr. Krakenpus! Mystery-O! Craving! Sandsman! Gobelin! Elektroplasm! It’s classic Tim Burton-y vibes from writer Kaare Andrews and artist Bob Quinn.

Next, Cyborg Spider-Man is back and facing off against The Cy-nister Six! Electro, the Living Circuit! The Silicon Man! Mysteri/o! Steel Vulture! Dr. Octoplex! Cybergoblin! For fans of Clippy! (Are there any fans of Clippy?) Webby just wants to help, but “It looks like you’re about to fight…” Written by Rich Douek with art by Edgar Salazar.

DC COMICS

Spinning out of Superman: Space Age, Mark Russell and Mike Allred return with a Batman origin story with the backdrop of American history in the 60s, with the Dark Knight fighting for justice in a world gone mad. It’s 1963 and Bruce Wayne is Gotham’s favorite delinquent son. After the death of his parents, Wayne Enterprises elects a standing president until Bruce turns eighteen. The False Face Society wants him dead, and the boy is using all his privilege to get away with disorderly conduct, so he may not even make it to adulthood. Alfred is trying his best to keep young Master Wayne alive and instill the Wayne family values into him. “No matter how rich you become…the world doesn’t belong to you. It’s just the place where you work.”

SMALL PRESS COMICS

From the creators of Stray Dogs, it’s the new horror animal-ploitation ongoing series, Feral! Three indoor cats, Elsie, Patch, and Lord Fluffy Britches, find themselves lost in the woods after the truck carrying them and other cats crashes. Why were they separated from their people? Where are they? Can they find their way home? Can they make it back before the rabid wild beasts get them? “Don’t get bit. Don’t get scratched. Don’t become…FERAL.”

Taking place between the Afterlife and Frozen Empire movies, writer David M. Booher and artist Blue Delliquanti head back to where it all began: New York City! Moving into the old firehouse, Callie, Gary, Trevor, and Phoebe are ready to restart the Spengler family business. But between the kids getting used to new schools, being away from their friends, and everyone dealing with all the old building’s issues, the family dynamics and ghostbusting go awry. And one paranormal force is going to use that to its advantage. With lots of Winston Zeddemore! Phoebe has a flip phone like John Shearer!

But none of those other books matter this week, because Goon is back! To celebrate the 25th anniversary of The Goon, Eric Powell has a brand-new four issue mini-series! This is my pick of the week, but you know I’m biased. It’s business as usual for Goon and Franky, fighting vampires, drinking beers at Norton’s Pub, and getting mixed up in some sort of shenanigans. All the humor and violence you’ve come to expect, plus sex and drugs! And a new threat! The kid with the duck? What sort of evil is he trying to unleash? Good thing he picked up the Zombie Priest’s hat off the street! Jump in here, or pick up one of the trades! Or do both!