Another New Comic Book Day is upon us and that means it's time to hit the jump to check out some of the new comics hitting the shelves at your local comic book shop this week.
Disclaimer: I received advance copies of all comics featured this week courtesy of their individual publishers.
Opinions are my own.
Skyward #2 (Image Comics)
Gravity disappeared 20 years ago and since then an entire generation has come of age in a world where the sky can eat you alive. Willa finds out that her father was involved in the disappearance of gravity and seeks out an old acquaintance of his. This involves a trip to The Streets, the lower part of the city where the wealthy live life as normal thanks to anti-gravity shoes. We see a lot of great little details here that show the writer and artists really thought about a world with no gravity. Everyone’s hair is either pinned down or sticking straight up. Cocktails have lids. Skyward wonderfully explores a world without gravity that still feels grounded in reality. It’s good, folks!
Lumberjanes #50 (BOOM! Studios)
This special oversized issue of the super popular Lumberjanes had a lot of hype going into it. That being said: it’s just a continuation of the arc started in the previous issue with an extra short story added on. That being said, this is quickly becoming one of my favorite arcs. In the middle of a dangerous storm, the girls are forced to spend activity time inside. While April, Mal, and Ripley explore a mysterious cavern under the mess hall, Jo and Molly join the Zodiac cabin in a homemade board game that perfectly parodies modern board games with their long setups and complicated rules. It’s classic Lumberjanes; brilliantly hilarious from beginning to end. Here’s to the next fifty!
Battlecats #4 (Mad Cave Studios)
Holy world-building, Catman! Battlecats is Thundercats meats Dungeons & Dragons with a bit of Game of Thrones and this issue added some Magic: The Gathering vibes as we took a break from the main story to unload some highly imaginative backstory on the world of Valderia and the Battlecats. After being thrown into an unfamiliar world with a cast of strangers, it was nice to see a bit more of where they come from. We learn some of their ancient mythology, the history of their lands, and find out how the Battlecats came to be. I’m excited for this current arc to end next issue because I really want to start seeing more of this universe. There is so much creativity in every panel of this issue and the artwork helps craft a colorful world. This is a world I want to see many more stories from.
The Beef #4 (Image Comics)
Well. Uhm. This one is still super weird. It’s so perplexing that a strange comic about a guy who turns into a meat-Hulk and fights rednecks who are trying to rape a girl he loves even though he doesn’t know her is also the same comic with tons of social commentary about immigration, racism, and the dairy and beef industries. It used to be sorta subtle but this issue opens on four straight pages of “where does milk come from?” that’s ripped right out of a documentary you watch in high school health class. The weirdest part? It totally works. The contrast between the harsh realities of how we treat cows perfectly collides with the bizarre tale of a man who turns into a big beef tank. I shouldn’t like it, but I do. It’s so weird and strange and I want more.
What comics are you planning to pick up this week? Let me know in the comments below!