Amazing Spider-Man: Gang War: First Strike #1: The super-crime landscape of New York has been on edge. This issue, they jump over that edge. What incites the war?! Who hired Shotgun and took out Tombstone? What, if anything, can Spider-Man do about it? Has there been a good or engaging Spider-man crossover since “Maximum Carnage”? Written by Zeb Wells and drawn by Joey Vazquez. ($5.99) Previously, in Spider-Man …
Austin’s pick: X-Men Blue Origins #1: This comic purports to be a retelling of Nightcrawler’s origin. If it’s anything but Mystique’s his dad and Destiny’s his mom we riot. Written by Si Spurrier and drawn by Wilton Santos and Marcus To. ($5.99) Nightcrawler should swashbuckle more.
Rasmus’ pick: Howard the Duck #1: Meet Howard. He’s a hard-boiled P.I. with problems by the duckload. But a cosmic, all-seeing friend known as the Peeper is giving him a chance to see what his life could be. The joys he could have. All the ways his life could suck way less than it does now. In other words: “Whaugh If?” A special 50th anniversary issue featuring stories written by Chip Zdarsky, Daniel Kibblesmith, Merritt Kopas and Jason Loo and drawn by Joe Quinones, Derek Charm, Annie Wu and Will Robson. ($5.99) We interviewed Will Robson a bit ago.
Tony’s pick: Spider-Woman #1: The Web of Destiny restored Spider-Woman’s life, but even Captain Marvel and Madame Web can tell something’s changed. Now, Spider-Man wants to recruit her for a new team because Viper has engineered a deadly union between Hydra and Diamondback that’s about to tear the city apart, bringing forth a powerful new foe while burning Spider-Woman’s world to the ground. Written by Steve Foxe (Dark X-Men) and drawn by Carola Borelli. ($4.99) Flash back to the last time we reviewed a Spider-Woman #1.
Matt’s pick: Batman ‘89: Echoes #1: After Harvey Dent’s crusade against Gotham and Batman, the Caped Crusader has disappeared without a trace. In his place, ordinary citizens have taken to the streets to root out crime. As innocents get hurt, the question on everyone’s mind is the same: Where is Batman? Written by Sam Hamm and drawn by Joe Quinones. ($3.99) Listen to Matt and Will rank the first Batman ‘89 series on BatChat.
Armaan’s pick: Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant #4: With Orchis hot on her heels, Ms. Marvel is faced with the reality of what it means to be a mutant. Is being an X-man a dream come true or a nightmare come to life? Find out as the newest mutant’s inaugural X-series comes to a close. Written by Sabir Pirzada and Iman Vellani and drawn by Carlos Gomez. ($3.99) Check out a preview.
Dan’s pick: Excalibur Epic Collection: You Are Cordially Invited: The first volume of Excalibur ends as Captain Britain and Meggan get married. Plus: In a special tale from Excalibur’s past, Kitty Pryde and Rachel Summers are thrown back in time and must decide whether to save one friend or the lives of millions. And as Captain Britain takes on a new role, Psylocke and the Black Knight join the fray for swords and sorcery in Otherworld. Collecting Excalibur (1988) #116-125, X-Men Unlimited (1993) #19, X-Men: True Friends #1-3 and Excalibur Vol. 2 (2001) #1-4. ($49.99) Go back to the beginning with our essay on Excalibur: The Sword Is Drawn.
Mark’s pick: Cat Kid Comic Club: Influencers: The Cat Kid Comic Club is in crisis! After learning that one of their comics will be published, the baby frogs are filled with anxiety and doubt. How will they get their creative groove back? Will Naomi or Melvin emerge as a leader? Will Flippy convince them to finally straighten up and fly right? Featuring mini-comics “Frogzilla vs. Mechafrogzilla,” “I Am Dr. Fredric Wertham,” “Two Birds” and “RoboChubbs.” By Dav Pilkey for bags of money. ($12.99)
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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 WMQ&A: 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.
