There are a lot of good comics this month, including some great series that are heading for conclusions. But none of that matters. “The Wicked + The Divine” is ending. It’s one of those comics that inspires- and inspires confusion. It influences other books and reminds you what the medium is capable of. And. It. Is. Ending. But there are a bunch of other fun comics too!
Including more than we can discuss here. Check them all out at the Image Comics website.
10. And on his farm he had some limbs
This is a gross book, but it’s a good book too. Beneath all that grim and bile though, is a pretty neat sci-fi story. That means high concepts and hypothetical technologies, but that also means a story about a family and their legacy. It means evil businesses and shady operatives. This issue, “Farmhand” is getting deep into the thriller side of things.
FARMHAND #9
WRITER: Rob Guillory
ARTIST: Rob Guillory, Taylor Wells
COVER A: Taylor Wells, Rob Guillory
JUNE 19 / 32 pages / FC/ M / $3.99Many vultures gather to dine on the corpse of the Jenkins Family Farm.
9. There’s something about Mindy
Turning “Hit-Girl” into an anthology was a great move. Kevin Smith not only gave the character a new lease on life, he turned in his best comic script in over ten years. So next up we have… Daniel Way!? I will admit that Way was not my favorite Marvel writer (his “Deadpool” had its moments, his “Thunderbolts” did not) but I would have also told you that Kevin Smith isn’t a great comics writer and the last four issues of this series were lots of fun. So maybe there’s something about Mindy that brings out the best in people. Maybe Way’s Image debut will be the comeback he needs.
HIT-GIRL SEASON TWO #5
WRITER: Daniel Way
ARTIST / COVER A / COVER B: Goran Parlov
COVER C: Matteo Scalera
JUNE 19 / 32 pages / FC/ M / $3.99HIT-GIRL’S IN HONG KONG. Her mission: to destroy a bloodthirsty gang that’s responsible for drug trafficking, money laundering, and brutal massacres across Asia. Big Daddy had plans for taking down the Liu triad, but only Mindy can take these monsters out for good.
8. What remains of the list
This solicit makes reference to “our surviving hitmen.” That’s because issue #1 was a bloodbath like nothing I’ve ever seen. Two dozen memorable characters and now by Issue #4, less than half remain. That’s ballsy. That’s gutsy. I like it. Erica Henderson doing rampant violence is the icing on top of this murder cake.
ASSASSIN NATION #4
WRITER: Kyle Starks
ARTIST / COVER A: Erica Henderson
JUNE 19 / 32 pages / FC/ M / $3.99In this issue, all our surviving hitmen-turned-bodyguards have to do is storm the tower fortress of a rival crime syndicate, defeat their literal army of sword-wielding maniac teenagers, and kill their leader. Wait. Was that an army of sword-wielding maniacs? Yikes.
7. Mad as a hatter
I don’t usually include reissues on this list, but “Heavy Liquid” is worth mentioning. The original Paul Pope comic came out in 2001 and really feels like a product of its era. This was the era of “Transmetropolitan.” Grant Morrison is about to introduce Xorn to the X-Men. “Preacher” wrapped up a few years before. I guess that makes “Heavy Liquid” like the Nirvana of comics. It simultaneously is trapped in the era it was made, but is quality enough to be timeless. An underrated classic. Check it out!
Continued belowHEAVY LIQUID TP
WRITER / ARTIST / COVER A: Paul Pope
JUNE 19 / 264 pages / FC/ T / $24.99Celebrate the 20th anniversary of PAUL POPE’s (Battling Boy, Batman: Year 100) Eisner-nominated sci-fi/cyberpunk classic with this new edition. Time Magazine listed HEAVY LIQUID among the 100 most important science fiction graphic novels of the decade when it originally debuted in the 2000s, and its relevance and influence has only increased since it was first published. In a future where New York has evolved into a sci-fi metropolis, a man named S becomes entwined in a mystery that’s littered with love and drugs—and in particular, an addictive substance called heavy liquid that’s both a drug and an art form. In his search for the one artist skilled enough to render heavy liquid into a perfect sculpture, S finds himself battling deadly psychopathic foes as well as the inner demons of addiction. If he can survive these physical and mental trials, S just might discover the shocking secret behind heavy liquid, and a love he thought lost forever. Collects HEAVY LIQUID #1-5
6. Don’t watch the trees
I’ve said a lot about the wonderful tone of “Middlewest,” and I’m not the only one. An American fairy tale, uniquely positioned to deal with if not the issues of the day, the feelings of the day. As the series keeps on keeping on, the focus expands out from being just about Abel and his fox pal and his awful dad, and really starts to explore this magical world. That’s the mark of a good fantasy comic. This is a world full of characters that are worth exploring.
MIDDLEWEST #8
WRITER: Skottie Young
ARTIST / COVER A: Jorge Corona
JUNE 19 / 32 pages / FC/ M / $3.99Maggie’s band of nomads try to pick themselves up after a break in the storm. Meanwhile, Abel and the fox discover the forest they’ve been wandering in has been watching.
5. Answers monsters were not meant to know
Sometimes, the mystery is better than the solution. The journey better than the destination. The story is good because it’s a good story and not because it pays off in a big way. Screw that though, this is “Monstress,” officially the best comic. If we’re being promised answered, we’re gonna get good answers.
MONSTRESS #23
WRITER: Marjorie Liu
ARTIST / COVER A: Sana Takeda
JUNE 19 / 32 pages / FC/ M / $3.99Maika is finally close to getting all the answers she ever wanted—but at what price?
4. Shrinking Violet
First issue, new creative team! I’m real excited by that. Brand new era all that, the Rat Queens are dead, long live the Rat Queens. I’m really glad Braga has been officially added to the team roster; she even made it into the new iteration of the book. But wait! I see Braga, Hannah, Betty, and Dee… where the hell is Vi? And who is that mysterious new antagonist? Wait unless Violet is… oh sh-
RAT QUEENS (2017) #16
WRITER: Ryan Ferrier
ARTIST / COVER A: Priscilla Petraites
JUNE 19 / 32 pages / FC/ M / $3.99“THE ONCE AND FUTURE KING,” Part One In the wake of great change, the Rat Queens struggle to reclaim their sisterhood—just as a mysterious force of great vengeance sets its sights on Palisade. For our incorrigible band of adventurers, it’s personal. A new chapter begins here, with the all-new ongoing creative team of RYAN FERRIER, PRISCILLA PETRAITES, and MARCO LESKO!
3. Guilt by association
Did you hear Hickman is headed back to Marvel to write “X-Men?” That’s really exciting, and something we’re gonna have to talk about over in Mutantversity. But Hickman went indie to work on a bunch of creator owned series, and “East of West” is nearly over. Well, “Black Monday Murders” was a quieter hit, but for my money the best creator-owned series Hickman has ever done. That’s wrapping up to. If you want to see a master playing with the form, this is the book to check out.
THE BLACK MONDAY MURDERS #10
WRITER: Jonathan Hickman
ARTIST / COVER A: Tomm Coker
JUNE 26 / 64 pages / FC/ M / $4.99“WE BUILD THINGS UP…” The last arc of THE BLACK MONDAY MURDERS continues as Grigoria reveals her endgame.
2. Brutal noodles
I loved “The Weatherman.” It had this “Guardians of the Galaxy” tone. An epic space opera, a sprawling cast, a universe with endless possibilities, a tone that floats somewhere in the zone of sad, funny, epic, and rad. And then it vanished for a while. Where’s the new issue? Now. The new issue is now. We’re doing a volume 2, we’re doing a #1, and I am there like Nate Bright is there on your Martian TV.
Continued belowTHE WEATHERMAN VOL. 2 #1
WRITER: Jody Leheup
ARTIST / COVER A: Nathan Fox
COVER B: Andrew Robinson
JUNE 26 / 32 pages / FC/ M / $3.99Nathan Bright has no memory of his alleged role in the terrorist attack that killed 18 billion people, but that isn’t stopping him from trying to atone for the actions of his past self. Hunted by literally everyone in the galaxy, Nathan’s quest for redemption takes him to the scene of the crime—where he discovers that Earth’s not lifeless at all… it’s monstrous! This summer, writer JODY LEHEUP (SHIRTLESS BEAR-FIGHTER!), artist NATHAN FOX (HAUNT, DMZ), and colorist MORENO DINISIO (BLACK SCIENCE) return with the hotly anticipated second chapter of their jaw-dropping, critically acclaimed sci-fi sensation!
1. Once again, we return, one last time
I’m picturing Kieron Gillen. He’s already handed in his last script for WicDiv. The hard work is over. Then they ask him for his solicit text. And he realizes this is it. These are the last words he’s ever going to write of the epic run that has been “The Wicked + The Divine,” the defining series of his career, his ultimate collaboration with his friends and loved ones. He’ll never stop trying, but this might be the pinnacle of what he gets to say as an artist, his magnum opus. Once he writes up this solicit it’s over for him, it’s really over. There’ll be cons, interviews, maybe some notes but professionally, this solicit this is the end of the line of his defining work, one of the best comics of the decade. The 80s had “Watchmen,” the 90s had “Sandman,” the 00s had “Y: The Last Man,” and the 10s have “The Wicked + the Divine.” This last solicit, and his work is complete. He writes eight words that say everything, without saying anything, and he sobs alone into his keyboard.
THE WICKED + THE DIVINE #45
WRITER: Kieron Gillen
ARTIST / COVER A: Jamie McKelvie, Matt Wilson
COVER B: Olivia Jaimes
JUNE 26 / 32 pages / FC/ M / $3.99“OKAY,” Conclusion Thanks for reading. We’ll miss you.
