Comics I’m Picking Up the Week of February 19, 2020

Here are the books I’m looking forward to seeing at my local comic store the week of February 19, 2020.

Plunge

Publisher: DC/Hill House Comics
Words/Story: Joe Hill
Art/Colors: Stuart Immonen

“In the aftermath of a devastating tsunami, an exploration vessel known as the Derleth begins sending an automated distress signal from a remote atoll in the Bering Strait. The only problem is that the Derleth has been missing for 40 years. Marine biologist Moriah Lamb joins the Carpenter Salvage team to recover the Derleth‘s dead . . . only to find that in this remote part of the Arctic Circle the dead have plenty to say to the living . . .”

Category: Tried and True Creators

Why I’m Excited: I haven’t seen a Stuart Immonen book in a while, so I hope he’s been enjoying the break and is well rested for the onslaught of deadlines that a monthly series demands. I’m so happy to have him back. This looks like such a great stew of horror ingredients. You have the arctic setting (The Thing), the ship the world thought lost and then found (Event Horizon, an all-time favorite of mine), and hint science encountering something it can’t understand (season 1, episode 4 of The Strain; played it for laughs, but it’s as classic as fennel with seafood).

DC Comics/Hill House Comics

Canopus

Publisher: Scout Comics
Words/Story: Dave Chisholm
Art/Colors: Dave Chisholm

“Helen wakes up marooned on a lifeless alien planet 300 light years from Earth with no memories beyond a hazy sense of extinction-level urgency to return to Earth. Joined by Arther, her strange robot companion, she explores the planet to find materials necessary to repair her ship. However, circumstances are not as straightforward as they seem. Along the way, Helen’s most painful memories return as monstrous manifestations hell-bent on her destruction. Canopus is Castaway meets Annihilation, with a healthy dose of ‘Phillip K. Dick’ thrown in for good measure!”

Category: Support Emerging Creators

Why I’m Excited: There is a long list of musicians who are writing comics and an even longer list of bands known for their support of  visual artists—think of the Fillmore posters of the late ’60s, and countless works of album artwork that put a tune in your head from just a glance. Dave Chisholm is a jazz-ish trumpet performer in one life and cartoonist in another (because when synesthesia hits you can’t help but get it into the world. I also love that many comics now have their own playlists on Spotify. Thank you to users Greyrabbit and MissAdaLovelace, who turned me on to this phenomenon.

Scout Comics

Archie Meets the B-52s

Publisher: Archie
Words/Story: Alex Segura, Matt Rosenberg
Art/Colors: Dan Parent

“It’s a rock and roll adventure for the ages as Archie and his friends cross paths with a real rock lobster—the B-52s! Co-written by Alex Segura and Matthew Rosenberg (Archie Meets Ramones, The Archies), with art from the legendary Dan Parent (Archie Meets KISS), this epic crossover one-shot brings the B-52 gang into Riverdale in all their new-wave glory—but can Archie get his band back together in time to jam with these legends, or will in-fighting and musical drama leave them in the dust? There’s only one way to find out!”

Category: Return to a Beloved World

Why I’m Excited: So Archie’s met KISS, Chvrches, the Monkees, Tegan &and Sara, Blondie, Rthe amones, Speedy Ortiz and the cast of Glee over the last few years. Now the timeless Gen X wedding party band (and gay icons) is added to that list.  These one-shots are such fun that Wednesday night I just might roam on down to my tin-roofed local store and make sure it’s not a “Deadbeat Club” and take some books back to my own “Private Idaho” or “Planet Claire.” (I can’t be the only one suffering from earworms.)

Archie Comics

No Romance in Hell

Publisher: Silver Sprocket
Words/Story: Hyena Hell
Art/Colors: Hyena Hell

“Disappointed with her romantic prospects in Hell, a demon ascends to Earth’s surface on a quest for loving tenderness from human men. Disappointment, disintegration, and hilarity ensue in this brimstone-infused roasting of modern romance!”

Category: Support Emerging Creators

Why I’m Excited: Recently it was pointed out to me that the most recent movie version of Little Women was the first adaptation to use a scene in which ” Jo and her mother, Marmee, are talking about Jo’s temper. “But you’re never angry,” Jo says to her seemingly calm and upbeat mother. Marmee responds: “I’m angry nearly every day of my life.” ” So yeah! Anger is an emotion – we all have it, but sadly only some are “allowed” to express or even acknowledge it. And with the world bringing more anger inducing news every day what better way to channel that than into a funny-book about what a joke dating life can be. Likely not a work of great literature like these but fun to read on the bus home from work.

Silver Sprocket

Wolverine #1

Publisher: Marvel
Words/Story: Benjamin Percy
Art/Colors: Viktor Bogdanovic

“Wolverine’s been through a lot. He’s been a loner. He’s been a killer. He’s been a hero. He’s been an Avenger. He’s been to hell and back. Now, as the nation of Krakoa brings together all Mutantkind, he can finally be . . . happy? With his family all together and safe, Wolverine has everything he ever wanted . . . and everything to lose. ”

Category: Like They Need My Help

Why I’m Excited: So our best “Bub” is back. He was gone longer than I thought he would be back in 2014, but I suppose the “House of Ideas” had enough to do with Laura (AKA. X-23, Wolverine) and Old Man Logan that they were occupied for a while, and he was part of the Rosenberg Uncanny storyline that focused more on Cyclops’s return to the land of the “living” comics pages. I wonder now that all mutants are essentially unkillable (not that we ever think anyone is really dead in superhero comics) what tricks will Minnesota writer Benjamin Percy throw at us to get us to believe in the stakes of the story. Or maybe it’ll be just some laughing around like the Skottie Young cover below.

Marvel Comics

See you at the racks!