Each week, ComicsXF staff offer their recommendations for what to read. New DC books come out Tuesdays, everything else Wednesdays.
Mark’s pick: Universal Monsters: Dracula #1: When Dr. John Seward admits a strange new patient into his asylum, the madman tells stories of a demon who has taken residence next door. But as Dr. Seward attempts to apply logic to the impossible, his surrogate daughter Lucy begins to fall under the spell of the twisted Count Dracula. Written by James Tynion IV and drawn by Martin Simmonds (Department of Truth) for Image/Skybound. ($4.99) Last year’s WMQ&A Halloween Special was all about Dracula.
Rasmus’ pick: Hallows’ Eve: The Big Night #1: It’s Oct. 31 at Empire State University, so you know what that means: A Halloween party won’t go as planned and a bunch of powerless kids will be in a lot of trouble. Hallows’ Eve was once powerless and was once a victim. Now she’s anything but. Her magical masks give her the ability to help — but Eve isn’t a hero, is she? Written by Erica Schultz and drawn by Michael Dowling. ($4.99)
Dan’s pick: Dark Spaces: Dungeon #1: A family moves from the rustle and bustle of the Big Apple to Upstate New York. However, their father’s dream of a quiet rural life is shattered when he discovers a dungeon underneath their land filled with torture devices, weapons and a threatening message on the wall that reads, “TELL NO ONE.” Paranoia sets in rapidly as the father realizes anyone in his new hometown could be the dungeon master. Whom can he trust? And how will he keep this secret from his family while keeping them safe? Written by Scott Snyder and drawn by Hayden Sherman (Dark Spaces: Wildfire) for IDW. ($4.99) Listen for an interview with Sherman on this week’s WMQ&A New York Comic Con special.
Matt’s pick: The Wrong Earth: We Could Be Heroes #1: With Dragonflyman, Dragonfly and the rest of the masked crime-fighters trapped elsewhere in the multiverse, Earth-Alpha’s police, government and banks are taken over by dastardly villains. New heroes emerge, but can they prevail? Written by Tom Peyer and drawn by Jamal Igle, with a new chapter of the AHOY fifth anniversary prose serial by Mark Russell. ($3.99)
Chris’ pick: Power Girl #2: As a Kryptonian virus rapidly spreads along the coast, Power Girl departs Metropolis looking to redeem herself for her catastrophic mistakes. It’s not easy being a part of the Super-Family, but Paige has never let the pressure get to her before. She just needs something to punch. And she’s found her target in space pirate and hater of all who hail from Krypton: Amalak. Written by Leah Williams and drawn by Eduardo Pansica. ($3.99)
Sean’s pick: Rare Flavours #2: Rubin and Mo journey deep into the scorching Rajasthan desert in search of a mythical pepper, but supernatural detectives Dilshan and Dilkush are hot on their trail. Meanwhile, their driver, Manish, takes them on a historical journey concerning those who ferry the peppers through the fiery landscape. Written by Ram V and drawn by Filipe Andrade. ($4.99)
Adam’s pick: Jean Grey #3: One of the greatest battles in Marvel Comics history, Jean Grey vs. Madelyne Pryor reshaped the world of the X-Men and set bombs that are still going off today. But Jean is not the woman she used to be, and neither is the Phoenix power that has so manipulated both her and her clone. Lost in a mad world and separated from her every ally, what desperate move will Jean make to restore the balance? Written by Louise Simonson and drawn by Bernard Chang. ($3.99) Previously, in Jean Grey …
Tony’s pick: Star Trek #13: Captain Benjamin Sisko’s quest to defeat the killer of gods is at an end, and the Prophets beckon him home to the Celestial Temple. He’s earned his rest, but when Starfleet requests his help to stop a familiar foe, the Tzenkethi Coalition, from launching the largest fleet in their history, Sisko and the Theseus’ crew set out once again to save the galaxy. But there’s a reason this species of spiritually rich, reptilian lizard birds has twice defeated Starfleet in battle. They’re xenophobic, ruthless and innovative, and confronting them on their home turf, a planet thought to be an organism itself, is as good a death sentence as any. Written by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly and drawn by Angel Unzueta for IDW. ($4.99) Previously, in Trek Talks …
Anna’s pick: Marvel Masterworks: Tomb of Dracula Vol. 3 HC: Dracula’s daughter, Lilith, is revealed, and while she doesn’t get along with dear old undead dad, she still carries on the bloodsucking family tradition. That means extra trouble for vampire hunters Rachel Van Helsing, Quincy Harker, Frank Drake, Taj Nital and Blade. Speaking of Blade, he goes one on one with the Lord of the Vampires, who has perhaps found a corner in his dark heart for a human woman. Plus: Hannibal King, a private detective with a biting secret, takes the stage. All this and Lilith’s complete solo saga from Marvel’s black-and-white magazines. Collects Tomb of Dracula (1972) #23-30; Giant-Size Chillers #1; Giant-Size Dracula #2-3; and material from Vampire Tales #6, Dracula Lives #10-11 and Marvel Preview #12 and #16. ($75)
Austin’s pick: The Claremont Run: Subverting Gender in the X-Men: By the time Chris Claremont’s run as author of Uncanny X-Men ended in 1991, he had changed comic books forever. During his 16 years writing the series, Claremont revitalized a franchise on the verge of collapse, shaping the X-Men who appear in today’s Hollywood blockbusters. But, more than that, he told a new kind of story, using his growing platform to articulate transgressive ideas about gender nonconformity, toxic masculinity and female empowerment. The Claremont Run compares several hundred issues of Uncanny X-Men with a thousand other Marvel comics to provide a comprehensive account of Claremont’s sophisticated and progressive gender politics. Written by Dr. J. Andrew Deman for University of Texas Press. ($45) Listen to Deman on the next episode of ComicsXF’s monthly Patreon bonus podcast, Our Son Pete.
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Dan Grote is the editor-in-chief of ComicsXF, having won the site by ritual combat. By day, he’s a newspaper editor, and by night, he’s … also an editor. He co-hosts The ComicsXF Interview Podcast with Matt Lazorwitz. He lives in New Jersey with his wife, two kids and two miniature dachshunds, and his third, fictional son, Peter Winston Wisdom.
