Sunday, November 3, 2019

This Week In Comics: 11/6


Another New Comic Book Day is upon us! It’s time to plan a trip to your local comic shop and take a look at this week’s new comics! Hit the jump to check out reviews of my favorite comics coming out this week.

Disclaimer: I received advance copies of all comics featured this week courtesy of their individual publishers.
Opinions are my own.


Wasted Space #11 (Vault Comics)
Michael Moreci, Hayden Sherman, Jason Wordie, Jim Campbell

The Space WastersTM are back! Billy, Molly, Dust, and Rex are fresh off of their sorta victory from the previous arc and ready for another adventure in Moreci's 87th and best comic space opera.

This arc kicks off in the best way possible. The heroes, well... our heroes invade a killer robot space station which Billy says should only take a couple hours. This is followed by a massive title card that reads THREE MONTHS LATER and all of a sudden we're at the tail end of a completely different arc which is casually swept away to restore the status quo and get back to the main story. It feels like twenty issues of story are just hand-waved away in less than 3 pages - I could not stop laughing about that.

After pretending like three months of space adventure didn't just happen, Billy and the gang proceed to talk about their feelings. The main "narrator" this chapter is Molly, a nice introspective into her recent life changes that haven't seen much of so far. Her whole life was pulled out from under her and she finally has a moment to breathe and process it all.

The new story in question details the Space WastersTM on their quest to find Earth which of course is going to go perfectly smoothly since they have to travel through a pink wormhole thingy to get there. Nothing bad ever happens in those things. Moreci's thoughtful writing is once again aided by amazing art by Sherman and Wordie - God does this book have some cool page/panel layouts. This is how you start a new arc!

Click here to order your copy of Wasted Space Vol. 1 and click here to grab the second one while you're at it.


Heist, Or How To Steal A Planet #1 (Vault Comics)
Paul Tobin, Arjuna Susini, Vittorio Astone, Saida Temofonte

Space operas are taking over the comics industry lately. I do not mind. It's the best genre ever and there's only like 10 space opera movies ever so the more the better. Although it does seem like anyone making a space opera comic is trying too hard to be Star Wars, Star Trek, or both.

This new series stands out in a vast sea of starships and space stations because it follows a premise I'm surprised I've enver seen before: it's a heist! Duh. It's been described as Oceans Eleven in space and that's how the first issue feels.

Glane Breld just got out of prison and he's already set his sight on his next big job: he's gonna steal an entire planet. In addition to being the title of the book and the premise in a nutshell, Heist is also the name of the planet in question. It feels more like The Incal than Mos Eisley, artists Susini and Vittorio have birthed a beautifully disgusting hive of villainy.

Space criminals are nothing new, but this premiere issue promises a fun take the genre. It really feels like space is the backdrop, an atmosphere for a different kind of story to take place in. There isn't even a single laser blast in the entire issue! It's a real sign of talent to do over 30 pages on an alien planet and not fire off a single laser.

Heist #1 hits your local comic shop this Wednesday.


Die #9 (Image Comics)
Kieron Gillen, Stephanie Hans

In 1991, six teenagers disappeared into a fantasy role-playing game. Only five returned. In 2018, they're all dragged back in. They can't go home until six agree. They don't. The Party splits.

Way back in Die #3, Gillen paid tribute to Tolkien - the father of modern fantasy storytelling. With this issue, readers are given a reimagined look at another literary figure while also finally exploring some of the origins of the fantasy world of Die. And this one will blow your mind... if you're a fan of Jane Eyre.

My wife was an English major and we even own one of those fancy Barnes & Noble editions of Jane Eyre that I personally bought for them. When Charlotte Brontë showed up and the Party was all "OMG!" I was like "Who?" I certainly wasn't expecting a full issue of real-world fan fiction that makes way to much sense the more you think about it.

As far as including literary figures goes, Tolkien was a obvious choice. Charlotte Brontë - who is the author of Jane Eyre if that wasn't clear - isn't exactly known to fans of WoW or D&D. However, Charlotte and her siblings (all of them writers) spent much of their childhoods writing together in a shared universe. If you're in the venn diagram of Die readers and Brontë sibling historiaphans than you may have already noticed that several locations within the comic's d20-shaped world are based on the fictional lands created by the Brontë children.

Damn. Gillen has put his heart and soul into this one. This arc is set to end with the following issue and there is a promise of one more historical figure per arc but... can we please just get more of the Brontë kids creating Gondal and Angria? Who knew an alternate history about something that isn't even that well documented could fit so well smack in the middle of a fantasy comic.

Die #9 hits your local comic shop this Wednesday, but you can click here to get caught up on Vol. 1 or click here to read my review of the first arc.


Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Shattered Grid Deluxe Edition (BOOM! Studios)
Kyle Higgins, Ryan Parrott, Daniele di Nicuolo, Diego Galindo, Dan Mora, Jonas Scharf, Huang Danlan, Joana Lafuente, Walter Baiamonte, Raúl Angulo, Marcelo Costa, Ed Dukeshire

Quite possibly the greatest Power Rangers story ever told collected in one glorious hardcover.

Lord Drakkon, an alternate reality version of Tommy Oliver that stayed evil, has shattered the Morphin Grid and is out to eliminate every Ranger across time, space, even dimensions. This 25th anniversary event features Rangers from every Power Rangers series in the biggest crossover even the series has ever seen. It's the story every Power Rangers fan should read.

Collects Mighty Morphin Power Rangers issues #24-30, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers 2018 Annual #1, Go Go Power Rangers #9-12, the 2018 Free Comic Book Day Special, and an all new short story from writer Ryan Parrott and artist Huang Danlan.

That exclusive new story is a 10-page short called "A Promise to Keep" and depicts Coinless Trini and Bearded Bulk encountering a newly brainwashed Coinless Kim before she becomes Drakkon's Ranger Slayer. It's a nice character story, especially when Kim calls out Trini for being the least-developed character on the show. But unlike last year's Psycho Green origin I doubt this story is going to drive fans crazy when this hardcover inevitably because impossible to find for a reasonable price.

Click here to pre-order a copy. This is one of those limited runs that always end up on eBay for $300 so if you want it hurry up!

Steven Universe: Welcome to Beach City (BOOM! Studios)

Steven Universe and the fine folks of Beach City get in all sorts of fun hijinks in this fun collection of shorts. Greg imparts some valuable life lessons on Steven and the Crystal Gems by showing them how he can be a hero. Then, it’s time to chow down on the Big Donut’s best offerings as everyone around Beach City gets in on the epic donut eating contest.

This is an anthology featuring shorts from Cara McGee (Black Canary: Ignite), Ayme Sotuyo (Lumberjanes), Chrystin Garland (Adventure Time™) and more each depicting various adventures across Beach City. Click here to pre-order a copy, or pick one up at your local comic shop this Wednesday.

What comics are you picking up this week? Let me know down in the comments below!