Hello and welcome to Multiversity’s look at the “Best of the Rest” of what’s coming your way in the now-available February 2023 Previews catalog. I’m excited to help you navigate the vast majority of what Diamond is offering via your LCS for the month of April 2023. Having already taken a look at what Marvel, DC, Image, and the Manga/Purple Previews sections have lined up for us, it’s now time to check out the other 75% of the catalog.
Let’s dive in!
10. Once More, With Feeling…
Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo may be back at Dark Horse, but that’s not stopping him from doing another crossover with his anthropomorphic warriors brethren from another publisher. I don’t know how I missed mentioning the first issue of this, but I’m definitely not going to fail to bring the second to your attention. My love for Sakai and his work is WELL-documented, and he never fails to make these Turtles crossovers (of which there have been at least three major ones in the last 30 years) a treat for fans of either franchise.
TMNT/USAGI YOJIMBO: WHEREWHEN #2
Written & Illustrated by Stan Sakai
Published by IDW Publishing
In Shops: May 03, 2023
SRP: $4.99
Sent back in time to feudal Japan, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles immediately face a fight for their lives against Yukichi and Jotaro! Mistaking the Turtles for the violent kappa terrorizing a nearby village, the long-eared samurai descend upon the Turtles with swords brandished. Can the TMNT convince Usagi’s allies to aid in their mission to stop Dr. WhereWhen from changing the future? Or will the larger threat prevail while Lord Noriyuki’s forces march into the final battle with the Dark Lord Hikiji?
9. Expanding The Story From TV to the Novels
I’m a few seasons behind on The Expanse (through no fault of the show itself) but have thoroughly enjoyed the four-plus seasons I’ve seen so far. It looks like I’ll need to plow through the rest of the series before picking this up, as it bridges the gap between the series’ end and the seventh novel. Thankfully, this maxi-series is not only vetted by the franchise creators, it’s also written by Andy Diggle, a sharp writer who’s no stranger to smart science fiction himself (*cough* 2000AD *cough*).
THE EXPANSE: THE DRAGON TOOTH #1 (OF 12)
BOOM! STUDIOS
Written by Andy Diggle
Art by Rubine
Cover by Christian Ward
Published by BOOM! Studios
In Shops: Apr 05, 2023
SRP: $4.99
- Picking up after the final season of the acclaimed and beloved sci-fi series and filling in the missing years between The Expanse: Babylon’s Ashes and The Expanse: Persepolis Rising, the secret history of your favorite characters are revealed for the first time!
- Everything comes together in this epic 12-issue story, tying together the threads of the show and answering lingering questions that will bring readers and viewers alike far beyond the stellar horizon.
- Across this monumental maxi-series, superstar comics writer Andy Diggle (Green Lanterns, James Bond) and artist Rubine (Voltron: Legendary Defender) broadens The Expanse universe in ways that will change how fans view the entire series forever!
8. Jodorowsky Is A G*d***n Madman
And I sincerely mean that as high praise. He has built a career, nay… a following, by consistently pursuing a muse that fills his head with impossible images and demands he share them with the world. Luckily for us, he has collaborated with a legion of “spirit warriors” (his term) to bring those visions to us on screen and page. His work with Moebius is literally the stuff of legend, but Ladrönn is a master in his own right. I’m not sure why this series isn’t coming out from Humanoids instead of BOOM! Studios (probably a rights issue with whomever owns the El Topo rights having a deal with them rather than Jodorowsky’s usual publisher), but I’m just glad we’re getting to see this at all.
Continued belowSONS OF EL TOPO v3: CAIN & ABEL HC
Written by Alejandro Jodorowsky
Art by Ladrönn
Published by BOOM! Studios
In Shops: Jun 21, 2023
SRP: $19.99
- While Abel travels the arid West in the company of Lilith and bows to her desires, the men of the terrible Colonel capture them, because the Colonel demands punishment before returning to the Holy Island…
- Meanwhile, Cain, on a desperate quest to heal a young girl from a strange evil, realizes that the only hope to save her is also back on the island where the two brothers are reunited and forced to confront the darkest parts of themselves.
- Filmmaker and writer Alejandro Jodorowsky concludes his mystical saga, inspired by his beloved cult film El Topo (1970), with illustrator José Ladrönn (Future State: The Next Batman), immersing us in a surreal and spiritual western, where fate will bring the two sons of El Topo together for a final journey, one driven by hate, the other by love…
7. More Moorcock!
Titan Comics’ promise to bring all of sci-fi writer Michael Moorcock’s comics work back into print continues to be fulfilled. Until now, their releases have been of material adapted into comics by other writers like Roy Thomas or P. Craig Russell. But Moorcock’s Multiverse was written by Moorcock himself in the late 90s and originally published by DC’s Helix Comics imprint (think sci-fi Vertigo). And unlike most novelists taking a crack at writing comics, Moorcock’s early career experience as a comics writer/editor serves him well here. Of course, it doesn’t hurt when your script is being handled by artists of this caliber. I’m the least familiar with Mark Reeve’s work, but Ridgeway and Simonson are definitely worth the price of admission.
MICHAEL MOORCOCK LIBRARY: MOORCOCK’S MULTIVERSE v1 HC
Written by Michael Moorcock
Art by John Ridgeway, Mark Reeve, and Walt Simonson
Cover by Walt Simonson
Published by Titan Comics
In Shops: Jul 12, 2023
SRP: $29.99MICHAEL MOORCOCK’S MOST CELEBRATED CHARACTERS COLLIDE IN THIS MULTIVERSAL SAGA!
COMBINING THREE UNIQUE AND SEPARATE STORYLINES FROM THE ETERNAL CHAMPION NOVELS INTO ONE CENTURIES SPANNING EPIC STORY!
With reality under threat from the criminal mastermind, Silverskin, it is up to heroes from across Moorcock’s sprawling multiverse to maintain balance.
Collects Michael Moorcock’s Multiverse #1-6.
6. A Journey of Musical Discovery
I’m recommending a musician biographic novel for this column, so everyone playing along at home needs to take a drink. (But don’t finish it off, because there’s another one coming.)
I recognize the name Gil Scott-Heron but I couldn’t really tell you a thing about him other than he gets namedropped by folks I do know and admire. It seems Titan wants to change that by bringing this book out. Given how much I like comics and Titan’s taste in material (see the above pick), how can I say no?
IN SEARCH OF GIL SCOTT-HERON HC
Written by Thomas Maucéri
Art by Seb Piquet
Published by Titan Comics
In Shops: Jul 26, 2023
SRP: $29.99CELEBRATING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF HIP HOP! DISCOVER THE GODFATHER OF RAP!
Singer, poet and writer; considered to be the godfather of rap, Gil Scott-Heron is a myth and legend in the Afro-American music scene. Through his personal experiences, Thomas Maucéri discovers the life of this genius, alongside the complex past and present of the America that Scott-Heron lived in.
5. Never Too Much Of A Good Thing
Too Much Coffee Man is one of those series that you see namechecked when folks talk about 90’s comics that were actually good; paired with other indie titles like Scud: The Disposable Assassin or Bone or Hepcats. It’s also one of those series I’ve been meaning to catch up with, but have never done so. (I’d add that phrase to the column drinking game, but I don’t want to kill anyone with alcohol poisoning.) I have, however, seen other works by Shannon Wheeler and can attest to him being a hilarious cartoonist. He’s so good, I didn’t even take offense to the SPX badge he drew for press attendees one year that had a nameless ‘journalist’ saying “I do a podcast no one listens to. Can I have a free copy of your book that’s taken you years to draw and tons of money to print?” He’s also collaborated with Mark Russell on the God Is Disappointed In You duology, so he’s got THAT going for him as well. But this is where he started, and this is the hole in my Shannon Wheeler appreciation that I’m looking forward to filling.
Continued belowTOO MUCH COFFEE MAN: THE ORIGINAL COMICS
Written and Drawn by Shannon Wheeler
Published by Adhesive Comics
In Shops: Apr 26, 2023
SRP: $17.00Eisner Award winner! The original Too Much Coffee Man comic books, 1-9 how Shannon Wheeler intended. This book appeals to the nostalgic readers of the comics as well as a new generation of caffeine heads. It includes additional introductions by Wheeler to each each giving context, history, and personal anecdotes. He reveals secrets behind the Japanese Bootleg shirt, animation cels, and shooting comics with guns. It’s of its time and timeless. Find out why it won the Eisner. A must for anyone and everyone. All initial orders are signed by Shannon Wheeler.
4. Stone Cold Cartooning
Steve Mannion is a throwback cartoonist, and that’s a good thing. Not that cartooning styles have expiration dates; they certainly don’t. But he’s pulling from sources that seem to be slipping out of the lexicon as we go forward in comics. The good news about Mannion is that he hasn’t hitched his artistic wagon to a flash-in-the-pan style, but rather one that should make a reader think “they don’t make comics like this much anymore . . . but they should!”
FEARLESS DAWN: COLD OS
Written and Drawn by Steve Mannion
Published by Asylum Press
In Shops: Apr 26, 2023
SRP: $4.99
After the Battle of Alamo Prison (FD Chibi Finale), Fearless Dawn finds herself in a cold and desperate land. Events literally and figuratively go sideways in this latest installment of Fearless Dawn… and you should see what happens to One Eyed Hans! Fans of Dave Stevens, Betty Page, The Goon, and Good Girl/Bad Girl comics will love this book! Written and drawn in “landscape” format by artist and creator Steve Mannion. All told in glorious Black and White!
3. Have You Ever Experienced Hendrix?
I may not be up to speed on Gil Scott-Heron, but I know me some Hendrix. I feel like I can hear Jimi like Wesley Snipes tells Woody Harrelson to hear Jimi. And if there is a guitarist who’s made the instrument paint more vivid mental pictures in listeners’ minds than Hendrix, I can’t think of them. This cat’s music is so hallucinatory I’m surprised (and grateful) the government hasn’t classified it as a Level I narcotic. And that music has inspired comix tributes or biographies from such varied luminaries as Bill Sienkiewicz and Moebius. I’m always up for another creator’s take on the man, the myth, the legend.
Thankfully, the Conan-loving folks over at Ablaze have decided to switch from stories about one ax-wielding fantasy character to another….
HENDRIX: ELECTRIC REQUIEM HC
Written by Gianluca MacOni and Mattia Colombara
Art by Gianluca MacOni
Published by Ablaze Publishing
In Shops: Mar 22, 2023
SRP: $24.99Hendrix: Electric Requiem explores the life, career and music of a true rock n’ roll god — Grammy-award winning musician Jimi Hendrix — who Rolling Stone ranked #1 on their Greatest Guitarists of All Time!
A compelling trip into the mind and world of Jimi Hendrix. Electric Requiem is an exhilarating ride, from Jimi’s difficult beginnings in the South, plagued by racism, through his global stardom and triumph at Woodstock, and the excessive lifestyle of a rockstar. A rockstar who, even with all his experiences, never forgot where he came from.
Skillfully illustrated by artist Gianluca Maconi, this gripping tale of music, personal demons and thirst for glory is a must-have for any Jimi Hendrix fan. Includes bonus material on Hendrix’s life. Continues Ablaze’s bio-graphic novel series of historical individuals and events.
2. Get Your Freak On!
Another case of a seminal work I know through namedrops only that I’m looking forward to exploring further. This time, the lovely folks over at Fantagraphics are hooking us all up with another definitive collection series. Pretty soon I’m gonna be all caught up on comix, right? Right?
(Probably not. But in this case it really is all about the journey, not the destination.)
Continued belowFABULOUS FURRY FREAK BROTHERS: IDIOTS ABROAD & OTHER FOLLIES HC
Published by Fantagraphics Books
Written and Drawn by Gilbert Shelton
In Shops: Mar 15, 2023
SRP: $22.99The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers are the most iconic and enduring underground comix characters ever created, having sold over 45 million comics in 16 languages. Created in 1968 by Gilbert Shelton, widely recognized as one of the funniest cartoonists who ever lived, the Freak Brothers’ rollicking and hilariously self-destructive escapades are comedic masterpieces of farce and satire.
Fantagraphics is proud to announce that it is collecting all their cannabis-fueled adventures in a new series, Freak Brothers Follies. Each deluxe hardcover will feature a special die-cut cover. The first volume leads off with “The Idiots Abroad,” a brilliant, novel-length tour de force of slapstick and screwball adventure, showcasing Shelton’s gift for weaving together an intricate plot with droll dialogue and pitch-perfect comedic timing.
Phineas, Freewheelin’ Franklin, and Fat Freddy head out with high hopes for Colombia, but (as always!) their plans go awry in the most hilariously self-destructive way possible. Scattered around the world – to Scotland, Russia, Africa, South America, and the Middle East – they manage to antagonize, offend, and otherwise annoy various groups of nuclear terrorists, human traffickers, pirates, and religious fanatics. Meanwhile, Fat Freddy’s Cat, abandoned at home, not only has his own fur-raising adventure, he even sells the story to Hollywood!
1. For Drew
Pink Lemonade is a fantastic comic and I’m thrilled Oni has kept publishing it and is now putting out the trade. But I want to take this opportunity to direct your attention to
this GoFundMe page for the late Drew Ford. Cagnetti is absolutely the creator of this book, but it was Drew Ford who took a chance on Cagnetti’s work before snyone else and started putting out Pink Lemonsde through his IT’S ALIVE publishing venture. From his days at Dover Books onwards, Drew had an incredible eye for bringing back work that had somehow and undeservedly fallen out of print. From The Puma Blues to Harlan Ellison’s Night and the Enemy to The Bozz Chronicles and so more, Drew was a real friend to comics and comics fans the world over, and we lost him to COVID last year at the tragically young age of 48. If you can do so, even if it means putting off getting this book for a while, please please please consider donating to this campaign.
PINK LEMONADE TP
Published by Oni Press Inc.
Written and Illustrated by Nick Cagnetti
In Shops: Jul 05, 2023
SRP: $24.99Mysterious past! Colorful costume! Altruistic outlook! Zippy motorcycle! And one very overactive imagination! Meet PINK LEMONADE — the new hero on the scene!
She dreams of doing big things, but ultimately, she’ll settle for just helping where she can. But when Pink Lemonade accidentally crashes into the set of the next Rex Radical blockbuster, she’ll take an unexpected leap into the spotlight…and will soon find herself confronted by a series of increasingly threatening doppelgängers, extraterrestrial fanboys, and nefarious corporate machinations.
Collecting PINK LEMONADE #1-6 in one complete volume.
Be sure to let us know what books YOU’RE excited for in the Comments section
