It’s crazy to try to talk about upcoming comics right now. Who knows if the comics industry we know will still be around by August? Who knows if the United States will be around by August? Nonetheless, Previews and Diamond are placing their bets things will come back. They’re also hoping you put a dent in that to-read stack of books that have accumulated over the years, so you can go ahead and fill it back up again.
If you need a mental health break, if you need to let yourself cool down because you’re justifiably angry about the world, then why not take a minute and take a look at some of the titles coming out this August? Having even something small, something trivial to look forward to sometimes is enough to get us through the day.
10. Unlock More of Lovecraft
Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez revisit the world of “Locke & Key” in a prequel comic that explores a piece of Chamberlin Locke’s lore. This is part of “The Golden Age” line, a spin-off of the “World War Key” spin-off. As readers and fans of “Locke & Key” can tell you: nothing ever really ends, nor does it ever truly go away.
Locke & Key: In Pale Battalions Go #1
Written by Joe Hill
Illustrated by Gabriel Rodriguez
Published by IDWThe impossible, reality-bending keys of Keyhouse have always been weapons of war. In the spring of 1915, Chamberlin Locke’s oldest son, John, is desperate to be a part of the greatest war of all… and never mind that he’s too young to enlist. He means to use the power of the keys to turn the tide, and will tell any lie, and try any manipulation, to have his way. Prepare to open a door onto one of the grimmest battlefields of the 20th century, whose darkness might even strike fear into an army of supernatural shadows.
9. Mysteries of the Pacific Northwest
Get your Lovecraftian horror fix satiated with this title from Scout Comics. A lot of this is giving me “mature Gravity Falls” vibes, but the promise of a weird Pacific northwest tale is intriguing. Consider me especially taken with the moody, minimalistic cover.
Atlantis Wasn’t Built for Tourists #1
Written by Eric Palicki
Illustrated by Wendell Cavalcanti
Published by Scout ComicsLovecraft meets Sergio Leone in a modern tale of corruption, family legacies, and nightmarish dread. Lucas Lewis drifts into Atlantis County, Oregon wanting nothing more than a hot meal and a soft bed for the night. What he finds instead is a small town in thrall to eldritch creatures lurking in the surrounding wilderness, possibly guided by an even more sinister force. Lucas becomes determined to eradicate all Atlantis’s demons, but these monsters are not what they seem. Unfortunately for the monsters, neither is Lucas.
8. Unlock the Mystery Box
Secret societies, secret weapons, secret prophecies, secret wonders…. This structure is a common shorthand because it offers so much room to explore, unwind a narrative, to have fun. (Think spy stories. Think the John Wick movies. Think Harry Potter.) Daniele Di Nicuolo and Tom Taylor have teamed up for this series and with the Boom! push behind them, they’ll turn out something worth flipping through.
Continued belowSeven Secrets #1
Written by Tom Taylor
Illustrated by Daniele Di Nicuolo
Published by BOOM! StudiosFor fans of Once & Future and Undiscovered Country comes an all-new original series from #1 New York Times best-selling author Tom Taylor (DCeased) and artist Daniele di Nicuolo (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers) about seven powerful secrets-words, wonders, weapons, and worse-with the power to change the world..
For centuries, the Order has trusted in Keepers and Holders to guard the Secrets in seven briefcases against all harm, but when their stronghold is attacked and the secrets put in peril, the entire Order must face their greatest fear-an enemy who knows too much and is willing to kill to get what he wants.
Now, the Order’s newest member, Caspar, must discover the truth of the Secrets before the enemy does, or risk losing everything.
7. A Visit from the Goon Squad
Victoria Ying turns in a thriller aimed at younger readers in a story that’s bristling with imagination and invention. Ying is a chameleon with her artwork, and that adaptive style could lend itself to something wonderful.
City of Secrets
Written and Illustrated by Victoria Ying
Published by Viking Books for Young ReadersEver Barnes is a shy orphan who lives in a puzzle-box building (think an architectural Transformer) that is also a multi level switchboard center, the communications hub of his city. He’s the last of a family that’s guarded a precious safe, contents unknown, for generations. All Ever knows is that what’s in that safe protects the city and that his father was killed because he wouldn’t give up the secret of the safe. Ever’s lonely existence is upended by when Hannah, the daughter of the building’s owner, shows up and spots the orphan in hiding. Hannah is determined to befriend Ever. His avoidance and her pursuit set off an unexpected series of events. Two things quickly become very clear: someone else knows Ever’s secret and wants in on it. And having a friend is a very good thing when a whole whole evil goon squad is after you!
6. Can You Tell Me How to Get to the Yellow Street?
Drawn & Quarterly has found this old picture book from Frank Asch and Mark Alan Stamaty. These pages are loaded with intricate designs and meticulous illustrative work, absorbing and immersive. They stand as further proof that often the most interesting and innovative illustrations come between the pages of a children’s picture book.
Yellow Yellow
Written by Frank Asch
Illustrated by Mark Alan Stamaty
Published by Drawn & QuarterlyYellow Yellow is a charmingly simple story of a child whose playground is a gritty urban cityscape. With no parent in sight, the boy wanders the sidewalks to find a yellow construction hat which quickly becomes his favorite belonging; earning him many compliments from strangers on nearby stoops. Eventually the boy meets the owner of the hat and must return it, leading the child to make his own yellow hat. Yet the story comes alive via the visual feast of urban oddities that the Who Needs Donuts? cartoonist Stamaty packs in the background of this rediscovered children’s classic.
5. Double Dead
Ben Sears’s “Double +” comics have been nothing but a treat. Looks like he’s reaching for a wider audience with this one, which teams him with Christopher Sebela and Oni Press. From the concept to the creators, this book seems like it’s going to be a ride.
Dead Dudes
Written by Christopher Sebela
Illustrated by Ben Sears
Published by Oni PressTrev, Kent, and Brian are allegedly friends, but are best known as the backbiting hosts of the popular ghost hunting show, Ghost Bros. With ratings falling and competition rising, they gamble it all on the Chernobyl of haunted locations: Edgeway Penitentiary, where the Ghostbros find conclusive proof of the afterlife… After they die and come back as ghosts themselves, trapped there with the angry ghosts who killed them!
Now that they’re deceased, the Ghostbros have to be the best DEAD DUDES they can be, prove to the world that ghosts exist, and save the lives of their most hated rivals (Oh yeah-and to save the living from a ghostly armageddon, but whatever).
4. The Boy Detectives
Nathan Page and Drew Shannon take in many of the popular tropes and conventions of contemporary and classic young adult and children’s literature, and just chuck them into a blender. So there’s magic, shrouded family secrets, weird distant locations, and two plucky detective brothers. What really gives this book a push is Drew Shannon’s art. His work pops, bursts with color and energy and vibrancy. Form what I’ve seen, Shannon has done a lot of illustrative work, so I can’t wait to see how he handles the sequentials.
Continued belowThe Montague Twins: The Witch’s Hand
Written by Nathan Page
Illustrated by Drew Shannon
Published by KnopfBrothers. Detectives. Witches? Pete and Alastair Montague are just a couple of mystery-solving twins, living an ordinary life. Or so they thought. After a strange storm erupts on a visit to the beach, they discover there is more to their detective skills than they had thought. Their guardian, David Faber, has been keeping secrets about their parents. At the same time, three girls go missing after casting a mysterious spell, which sets in motion a chain of events that takes their small town down an unexpected path. With the help of David’s daughter, Charlie, they discover there are forces at work that they never could have imagined!
3. The Man Who Wasn’t There
With a strong sense of design and esoteric style, Spanish artist Rayco Pulido gives us this twisty, turny, and altogether engrossing thriller. There’s gangsters and double-crosses and private detectives, there’s a balance of humor and noir that nods toward the Coen Brothers’ best work. Comics like this simply grab you and you won’t realize it’s over until you close the back cover.With a strong sense of design and esoteric style, Spanish artist Rayco Pulido gives us this twisty, turny, and altogether engrossing thriller. There’s gangsters and double-crosses and private detectives, there’s a balance of humor and noir that nods toward the Coen Brothers’ best work. Comics like this simply grab you and you won’t realize it’s over until you close the back cover.
Ghostwriter
Written and Illustrated by Rayco Pulido
Published by FantagraphicsSet in 1940’s Barcelona, Ghostwriter is a riveting detective story about a young housewife who turns to an unconventional private eye to help find her missing husband. But it soon it becomes apparent that there may be more to this unassuming housewife than meets the eye. Masterfully paced and filled with pitch-black humor, Ghostwriter takes the reader on a wild ride full of twists and turns right through to its thrilling – and shocking – conclusion.
2. Come Back to the Five and Dime
Originally published in 2008 under the title, “The War at Ellsmere,” Faith Erin Hicks’s comic follows a girl who gets a scholarship to a prestigious prep school. Amidst the usual *Mean Girls*-like battles — the petty fights and squabbles, the unrelenting pressure of high academics — our hero Juniper also has to deal with a monster running around the nearby woods. Faith Erin Hicks re-inks and colors this new edition, from First Second.
One Year at Ellsmere
Written and Illustrated by Faith Erin Hicks
Published by First SecondWith revamped art and now in full color, One Year at Ellsmere is an endearing middle-grade friendship story from Faith Erin Hicks! Was boarding school supposed to be this hard? When studious thirteen-year-old Juniper wins a scholarship to the prestigious Ellsmere Academy, she expects to find a scholastic utopia. But living at Ellsmere is far from ideal: She is labeled a “special project,” Ellsmere’s queen bee is out to destroy her, and it’s rumored that a mythical beast roams the forest next to the school. Available in softcover and hardcover editions.
1. At Last, All Collected and All Here
At last, we have the comic adaptation of the Gaymers subreddit. Steve Foxe and Daryl Toh (credited here as Daz) weave a story about a long-term couple going through a rough patch. One of them ends up getting sucked into his video game library, Pagemaster-style, where he meets a bunch of hunky characters who are all ready to bone him. But he has to get out before he glitches from existence. Along the way, there promises to be plenty of erotic and steamy encounters, which all tribes of sexy men. Toh’s artwork is versatile and animated. Foxe writes with flair and energy. It’s a book that can’t be held back.
Cheat(er) Code
Written by S. A. Foxe
Illustrated by Daz
Published by Limerence PressAn erotic graphic novel that pushes all the right buttons, “Cheat(er) Code” is a hilarious, sexy, and surprisingly tender story about navigating heartbreak and rediscovering your own confidence. When Kennedy is transported into his video game console after a relationship-changing fight with his boyfriend, he’ll need to confront his biggest fears to get back to reality before the game glitches him out of existence. Thankfully, his favorite video game characters are there to help him rebound, and sometimes, the unexpected (and unexpectedly hot) is just what you need to hit the reset button.
Well, that was fun. Be sure to let us know what you’re excited for in the comments.
And never forget, black lives matter.
