Raf’s Featured New Releases 11.24.21
Good morning CNJ Shoppers and Readers! It’s Turkey week, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have new comics. This time around there are a bunch of exciting new #1s! New graphic novels HIGHLY recommended by the staff and our huge Black Friday Sale and Local Comic Shop Day exclusives to cap off the holiday week.
Marvel Comics
Smashing into stores this week is the brand-new Donny Cates Hulk! We’ve been looking forward to this title for a while now and it does not disappoint. It picks up after the events of Immortal Hulk, which was a big character redefining series, but you don’t need to have read that title to be hooked (I didn’t read it). Cates’ writing is big and action-packed, and Ryan Ottley is the perfect artist for this series (he was the artist on Robert Kirkman’s Invincible and this is just as big). I could say more, but that would ruin some of the surprises. Do not miss out.
“Secrets from T’Challa’s past have come back to haunt him! Fresh from returning from his travels in space, Black Panther receives an unexpected and urgent message from a Wakandan secret agent. Now T’Challa must race the clock not only to save his agent but also to keep his true agenda under wraps. Because if the truth comes out, it could cost T’Challa everything…” This new #1 is a brand-new relaunch written by John Ridley who has been really nailing it with deep personal storytelling with titles like I Am Batman and The Other History of DC Universe. I slept on the Ta-Nehisi Coates run of Black Panther, and have been looking for a great place to jump on since. I’m stoked to read this.
Hey, have you heard they’re doing a Hawkeye Disney+ series? Just in time for that, Marvel’s got a new five-issue miniseries starring Kate Bishop. She’s moving back to New York and looking for a simple, easy mission to boost her confidence, but for superheroes, they’re never simple or easy. Otherwise, what’d be so exciting to read about that? This is a fine introduction to Kate for the uninitiated and also fun for fans who have been looking for more from her.
DC Comics
It’s a light week from DC, we all finally get a break from a new Batman miniseries this week, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t anything to be excited about. The weird and wild tale of Batman Reptilian wraps this week, the final fate of Leviathan is revealed in the last issue of Checkmate, and the color-coordinated anthology of Wonder Woman Black & Gold comes to a close, but maybe the most exciting title from DC this week is Task Force Z #2. Issue 1 was a lot of fun and had a great lineup and mission that of course went to s***, and so I’m excited to see where things pick up from there.
Small Press
Cleveland’s own Brian Michael Bendis has a new indie book this week with Joy Operations from Dark Horse. “Fifty-five years from now. Joy is an EN•VOI. A special agent of one of the JONANDO TRUST. Trusts are corporate-owned cities that are the centerpiece of modern society. She rights wrongs for the trust. She is excellent. Perfection. Hard on herself. Driven. Almost legendary in some parts. Until one day a voice pops in her head trying to get her to betray everything she has ever believed.” Bendis has some of the best dialogue and writing in comics, and being a hometown boy himself, makes this one be sure to grab this week.
And speaking of best in comics, Geiger’s first volume is finally collected in trade this week from Image Comics. From one of the best creative teams in comics, writer Geoff Johns and artist Gary Frank bring it in this post-apocalyptic superhero tale. “Out past the poisoned wasteland lives a man even the Nightcrawlers and Organ People fear. Some name him Joe Glow, others call him the Meltdown Man. But his name… is Geiger.” The guys all really love this series, and now finally I can get caught up before the series returns.
And those are some of the big titles new out this week. And in celebration of Local Comic Shop Day this Wednesday, we’ve got tons of exclusive variant covers in store for LCSD. These include special covers for House of Slaughter, Regarding the Matter of Oswald’s Body, Joy Operations, Detective Comics, The Walking Dead, and Radio Apocalypse (oh hey, a lot of my recent featured new releases). I’ve got a few I’m excited to snag this week.
Black Friday and Charity Art Show
Don’t forget that after you’ve had your fill of turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, and football (if that’s your thing) our BLACK FRIDAY sale is ON! Running from Friday through Sunday, we’ll have 50% off back issues, 10% off everything else in the store! That includes trades and figures and our dollar room open with DC and Marvel overstock. It’s shaping up to be our biggest weekend sale of the year and the perfect time to grab whichever of those killer bronze and silver age books John has been putting out at a sweet discount.
And while you’re in, don’t forget that our Charity Art Show has begun taking submissions as well. We’ve got plenty of blank covers in the shop that is just dying for your artwork on them. The theme this year is What If!?, so that could be anything, like what if Santa Claus had the Infinity Gauntlet or Darth Vader was a Holiday Caroler. Or what if Marko from Saga was in a Taco Bell commercial (seriously, that’s a thing). We’re all very excited to see what everyone comes up with. But in the meantime, stop in for Local Comic Shop Day, enjoy your friends and family this Thanksgiving, and stop by for Black Friday. Have a great week everybody.
