Hello and welcome to Multiversity’s look at the “Best of the Rest” of what’s coming your way in the now-available May 2016 Previews catalog. Having already taken a look at what Marvel, Dark Horse, DC, and Image have lined up for us, it’s now time to check out the other 75% of the catalog. Before we jump into the things you should keep an eye out for, a quick reminder:
And second, as one-half of the Robots From Tomorrow podcast, I go through the whole Previews catalog each and every month with co-host Mike Romeo, talking about things that catch our eye and quicken our pulse. If you listen to those episodes, you should still read this column because there will not be a 100% overlap, and if you don’t listen to those episodes, they are a great way to hear Mike & I go into further detail about some of the things I’ve spotlighted here.
That said, let’s dive in!
10. MLJ? A-OK!
The first of 2.5 Archie appearances on this month’s list, this Twomorrows book (the .5 portion of that number) covers every iteration of Archie’s line of superheroes. The MLJ characters are as old, or in some cases older, than most Golden Age characters from the Big Two, but never seemed to grab the spotlight those other characters enjoyed, though not for lack of trying. Thanks to Twomorrows, you can now impress friends & neighbors alike with your knowledge of this unsung yet undefeatable group of heroes.
THE MLJ COMPANION
Written by Rik Offenberger and Paul Castiglia
Illustrated by Various
Published by Twomorrows PublishingTHE MLJ COMPANION documents the complete history of Archie Comics’ super-hero characters known as the “Mighty Crusaders”—The Shield, Black Hood, Steel Sterling, Hangman, Mr. Justice, The Fly, and many others. It features in-depth examinations of each era of the characters’ extensive history: The Golden Age (beginning with the Shield, the first patriotic super-hero, who pre-dated Captain America by a full year), the Silver Age (spotlighting those offbeat, campy Mighty Comics issues, and The Fly and Jaguar), the Bronze Age (with the Red Circle line, and the !mpact imprint published by DC Comics), up to the Modern Age, with its Dark Circle imprint (featuring such fan-favorites series as “The Fox” by Mark Waid and Dean Haspiel). Plus: Learn what “MLJ” stands for! Uncover such rarities as the Mighty Crusaders board game, and the Shadow’s short-lived career as a spandex-clad superhero! Discover the ill-fated Spectrum line of comics, that was abruptly halted due to its violent content! See where the super-heroes crossed over into Archie, Betty, and Veronica’s world! And read interviews with Irv Novick, Dick Ayers, Rich Buckler, Bill DuBay, Steve Englehart, Jim Valentino, Jimmy Palmiotti, Kelly Jones, Michael Uslan, and others who chronicled the Mighty Crusaders’ exploits from the 1940s to today! By Rik Offenberger and Paul Castiglia, with a cover by Irv Novick and Joe Rubinstein. INCLUDES 64 FULL-COLOR PAGES OF KEY MLJ STORIES!
9. NOT-SO SWEET SIXTEEN!
“Afterlife With Archie” has gotten the lionshare of buzz for the Archie Horror line, but the next book on this month’s list is just as good as that title, or maybe even better. Sharing the same writer certainly helps keep the books operating at the same level of quality. Now that this collection is out, do yourself a favor & compare them for yourself!
THE CHILLING ADVENTURES OF SABRINA VOLUME 1 TPB
Written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
Illustrated by Robert Hack
Published by Archie ComicsOn the eve of her sixteenth birthday, the young sorceress Sabrina Spellman finds herself at a crossroads, having to choose between an unearthly destiny and her mortal boyfriend, Harvey. But a foe from her family’s past has arrived in Greendale, Madame Satan, and she has her own deadly agenda. Archie Comics’ latest horror sensation starts here! Compiles the first five issues of the ongoing comic book series Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. For TEEN+ readers.
8. ROM ROM ROM ROM ROM!
I can’t imagine what seeing this book on the stands will feel like for Chris Ryall, publisher of IDW and ROM fan extraordinaire. Sure these new adventures won’t be steeped in the Marvel Universe like the Spaceknight’s earlier run, but if you think Ryall & company are going to use that as an excuse to put out crappy ROMics just for licensing bucks, you are SORELY mistaken. ROM is back, and he’s looking for some shapeshifting aliens to shoot. They might be your leaders, your coworkers, your neighbors, maybe even…YOU?!?!
Continued belowROM #1
Written by Chris Ryall & Christos Gage
Illustrated by David Messina
Published by IDW PublicationsWE’VE BEEN INVADED AND ONLY A SPACE KNIGHT CAN SAVE US! First there was his epic return in this year’s FCBD #0, and now the ongoing tale of ROM begins in earnest! Christos Gage, Chris Ryall, and David Messina kick off the wildest new series of the year as Rom’s war with the DIRE WRAITHS hits close to home in “Earthfall, part 1!”
* The long-beloved and even longer absent space hero returns at long last!
* First, we brought back MICRONAUTS! And Now… ROM!
* As if Rom’s return wasn’t enough, wait’ll you see how this one ends!
* 24-page kick-off story plus interviews, bonus sketch material and more!
7. THEY DIDN’T SAY IT WAS MONTHLY, DID THEY?
Anybody trying to hold this book, one that Adam Hughes will write & draw, to any kind of schedule is probably fooling themselves. Not that he’ll blow deadlines, but Hughes is not known for being the fastest sequential artist. But I think it’s safe to say his reputation as an interior artist is an underrated one. That’s bound to change once this series starts hitting shelves because the dude has skills. And while I’m not familiar with any comics he’s written, from the interviews of his I’ve read, he seems like someone who would ‘get’ this book like few others.
BETTY & VERONICA #1
Written & Illustrated by Adam Hughes
Published by Archie ComicsIt’s Betty vs. Veronica! The most highly-anticipated debut in comics history is here! Betty and Veronica are America’s sweethearts – until they turn on each other! Pops’ Chocklit Shoppe is being taken over by a huge coffee company. When Betty and Veronica go head-to-head over the issue, all bets are off! Friendships will shatter. Cities will burn. Nails will be broken. Betty and Veronica are back in this all-new #1 from comics legend Adam Hughes (Wonder Woman, Catwoman, Before Watchmen: Dr. Manhattan)!
6. DUCK AMOK!
I’d never heard of Dirty Duck until seeing it in Previews a few minutes ago. I figured Howard the Duck was the primary alt take on Disney’s male mallard. I would be wrong, and cannot wait to dig into these strips. do yourself a favor and look up Air Pirate Funnies to get a sense of just how many holds are gonna be barred in London’s stories & cartooning (spoilers: not a one).
BOBBY LONDON’S DIRTY DUCK HC
Written & Illustrated by Bobby London
Published by IDW PublishingBobby London’s legendary career as an underground cartoonist has spanned decades. London created his most enduring character, the outrageous and irrepressible Dirty Duck in 1971. He was a founding member of the infamous Air Pirates, and produced strips for National Lampoon during the heyday of that massively influential magazine. After departing the Lampoon, the cigar-chomping Dirty Duck and his creator found a home at Playboy. He wrote and drew the syndicated Popeye newspaper strip for six years until a major controversy ended his tenure on Segar’s sailor.
This oversized volume will collect nearly all of London’s influential Dirty Duck strips, from Air Pirates Funnies, National Lampoon, Playboy and other publications. Many of the strips have been scanned from the original art in the artist’s vast personal archives, including rare and unpublished preliminary drawings. A contemporary of Gilbert Shelton, R. Crumb and the ZAP crew, London’s legacy is a major piece of history in the great American art form. In 1978 London was awarded the prestigious Yellow Kid Award for best writer/artist at the Lucca Comics Festival for his work on Dirty Duck.
Bullet points:
* Introduction by Drew Friedman.
5. BONE IS BACK!
Even if the publisher themselves are calling this new story superfluous (seriously, just look below), thats not going to stop the stampede of people running to comic shops to pick up this book. NEW BONE!!!!!!! Plus a newly illustrated version of “The Bone Companion”!!!!! but also…NEW BONE!!!!!!!
Continued belowBONE:CODA 25TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL TPB
Written & Illustrated by Jeff Smith
Published by Cartoon BooksTwenty-five years after the first black & white issue of the self-published comic book Bone appeared on comic shop shelves, and over a decade since the concluding chapter comes a new (and completely superfluous!) adventure featuring the Bone cousins! Ride along with the boys and their friend Bartleby the Rat Creature as they brave the dangerous journey across the desert back toward Boneville in their rickety cow cart. Creator Jeff Smith is back for another laugh with Fone Bone, Phoney Bone, and Smiley! Also included is the complete text of The Bone Companion fully illustrated for the first time! Plus rare behind the scenes photos and memories, and an afterword by the author thanking the comics community and the readers.
4. ANOTHER BRANCH ON THE FAMILY TREE
The next volume in Ed Piskor’s nonfiction opus is about to drop! Covering 1984-1985, this book will not only also be available in a two-book slipcase with Volume 3, it will be done up in the same retro-Treasury Edition style that made the first three books so enticing and gave Piskor’s cartooning such a broad canvas to do its thing. And if that weren’t enough, this month’s issue of the “Hip Hop Family Tree” ongoing series includes a flexi-disc! Awesome!
HIP HOP FAMILY TREE VOL. 4 1984-1985
Written & Illustrated by Ed Piskor
Published by Fantagraphics BooksIn the latest volume of the history of hip-hop told in graphic novel form, we are introduced to characters such as Dr. Dre, Will Smith, Salt-N-Peppa (some of whom were featured in the hit summer movie, Straight Out of Compton), and many more.
Book 4 charts the rise of Dr. Dre and Def Jam records, and introduces new branches on the “tree”: Will Smith, Salt-N-Pepa, Rakim, and Biz Markie. This volume is also jam-packed with films Hollywood released in an attempt to cash in on the phenomenon, like Breakin’, Breakin’ 2 Electric Boogaloo, Beat Street, Krush Groove and more. Full color illustrations throughout.
3. IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN, BABY…
The Bible has to be one of the go-to sources of inspiration for cartoonists. Off the top of my head, I can think of three major alt-cartoonists who’ve taken to the Good Book: R. Crumb’s “The Book of Genesis”, Shannon Wheeler’s “God is Disappointed in You”, and now Gilbert Hernandez with “Garden of Flesh”. And in every case, the artists were pretty faithful to what was actually written on the page, even if devout followers took issue with how that ended up being portrayed. but I can’t see how anyone would take a work of Gilbert’s at anything other than face value. Can you?
GARDEN OF FLESH HC
Written & Illustrated by Gilbert Hernandez
Published by Fantagraphics BooksAs only the unfettered Id of Gilbert Hernandez could conceive, Garden of Flesh is a sexually explicit retelling of the story of Adam and Eve up to Noah’s Ark. Hernandez presents a straightforward adaptation of the Bible parable, but one that also blurs the lines between erotica and pornography, as only Hernandez can. In the Garden of Eden, where Adam and Eve are youthful and beautiful, is sex is a source of happiness, even when it’s psychologically and spiritually fraught? Leave it to Hernandez to explore the story of original Sin from a perspective you didn’t get in Sunday school. As an added bonus, longtime Love and Rockets fans will recognize some beloved characters/actors portraying key players.
2. SIGNATURE INDEED!
While Brian Stelfreeze does actually have a distinct and recognizable signature that he puts on his work, he might as well not bother, because the work itself is just as distinct as the way he signs his name. No one else has Stelfreeze’s command of fluid color and chiseled anatomy. With all the attention his work on “Black Panther” is rightfully getting, I’m thrilled to see BOOM! using this opportunity to get a slab of Stelfreeze art out into a marketplace hopefully primed to see just what they’ve been missing while chasing poorer work by lesser artists.
Continued belowTHE SIGNATURE ART OF BRIAN STELFREEZE HC
Illustrated by Brian Stelfreeze
Published by BOOM! StudiosCelebrating the career of a comics classic, Brian Stelfreeze’s art process has been the stuff of legend for decades. In this retrospective of his work, Stelfreeze’s stunning illustrations, expressive characters and cinematic layouts are documented in exquisite detail.
With never-before-seen sketches; fan favorite classic pieces, and essays and commentary from contemporaries, collaborators, and Stelfreeze himself, readers and fans get an unprecedented look at how their favorite characters and adventures were born.
Brian Stelfreeze is a painter, penciller, and comic book artist who has worked for nearly every major American comic book publisher. While Stelfreeze has been known throughout his career primarily as a cover artist, painting more than fifty cover illustrations for DC Comics’ Shadow of the Bat, he’s also produced a significant amount of sequential work, including BOOM! Studios’ Day Men and Matador for DC Comics’ Wildstorm imprint. He is one of the original members of Atlanta’s Gaijin Studios.
1. DON’T CALL ‘EM X-BABIES ANYMORE!
When IDW announces their Artist Editions (or books in that family), the comics Twitterverse takes notice. when IDW announced this book back at WonderCon, that Twitterverse lost its collective shit. If you value your safety you will preorder this bad boy and gave it shipped to your domicile, because there will be fistfights over copies of this that show up in the wilds of comic conventions. Transformative Sienkiewicz work? Collected in a complete OVER-SIZED edition? Less than a thousand copies? Oh yeah, those dealer tables are gonna be little Thunderdomes, I can see it now…
NEW MUTANTS BILL SIENKIEWICZ MARVEL ARTIST SELECT HC
Written by Chris Claremont
Illustrated by Bill Sienkiewicz
Published by IDW PublishingThe next installment of the smash-hit Marvel Artist Select Series is here! Each deluxe hardcover in this series features a collection of issues never-before released together. This oversized, limited-edition hardcover celebrates the legendary Bill Sienkiewicz’s complete run on The New Mutants and X-Men Unlimited #43. Each copy of this 999-copy limited-edition hardcover is slipcased, hand-numbered, and signed.
Bullet points:
* Signed by Bill Sienkiewicz!
* This collection of stories will only be available in this limited-edition run!
* Exclusive slipcover, cover, and bonus collectibles.
Well, that was fun! Be sure to check out the Robots From Tomorrow May 2016 Previews episode next week and hear us talk about these books and a whole lot more. And let me know what books YOU’RE excited for in the comments section.
