New Comics Wednesday: February 24th Edition

Every Wednesday, Project-Nerd’s press partners give me the comics. I read the comics. And then I pick out the best ones and try to get you to read ‘em as well. Hopefully it works.

Here’s what I picked up this week:


Wilds End

Wild’s End: Enemy Within #6 of 6 (Boom! Studios)
written by Dan Abnett; art and letters by I.N.J. Culbard; additional material by Nik Abnett 

And with this issue, one of comics’ best collaborative efforts comes to a close, for now. This entire series has been flawless from start to finish, from Dan Abnett’s intelligent, darkly comedic dialog and engaging sci-fi plot to I.N.J Culbard’s excellent character design, rendering, and visual story telling. It’s one of the few comics that, even as a collection, demands to be read in the serialized issue format because it takes some time to digest and because the backup material absolutely needs to be read in the order presented.

All neatly punctuated by a very clever “ah-ha” moment and one last look behind the curtain of the characters’ minds—courtesy of Nik Abnett’s incredible, respectful understanding of their identities and wishes—this whole series is a must read.


Hellboy

Hellboy and the B.P.R.D. 1953: Beyond the Fences #1 (Dark Horse)
written by Mike Mignola and Chris Roberson; pencils by Paolo Rivera; inks by Joe Rivera; colors by Dave Stewart; letters by Clem Robins 

I think of Hellboy and the B.P.R.D. as Dark Horse’s answer to DC’s Detective Comics—it’s a bunch of really interesting miniseries under the umbrella of the Hellboy franchise that allows for some smaller, more personal moments that give the reader a little more appreciation of what makes the characters tick. The stories draw on things that happened in previous issues, so they’re not completely disconnected from one another—but they’re hardly dependent on the reader having prior knowledge, making each arc a good jump on point. It’s more character driven than anything else, and really accessible. If you’ve never read Hellboy, this is a good place to start that requires minimal time and money investment.

That, and any opportunity to pick up a book drawn by Paolo Rivera is something worth your time.


Blood Shot

Bloodshot Reborn #11 (Valiant)
written by Jeff Lemire; art by Lewis Larosa; colors by Brian Reber; letters by Dave Lanphear

This issue is another excellent example of how to build a bigger world from the perspective of one character. Ninjak, the James Bond of techno ninjas, spends the first nine or so pages recounting to Bloodshot exactly how the resistance fell to the rogue X-O Manowars—who are now fascist dictators of Los Angeles. It’s a well-executed recount, told exclusively through the very effective “show me, don’t tell me” method of storytelling, rather than focusing on expositional, tired dialog.

Pro-tip: When given the choice, absolutely show me your story through beautifully-drawn, vibrantly-colored action sequences instead of making me actually read someone talking about it.

This comic is essentially a very well thought out action blockbuster. It’s a road warrior, reluctant buddy-revenge flick, and it’s awesome.


Faith

Faith #2 (Valiant)
written by Jody Houser; art by Francis Portela and Marguerite Sauvage; colors by Andrew Dalhouse; letters by Dave Sharpe

This series has gotten a lot of praise for featuring a woman with a non-archetypal body as its protagonist, but it should be getting more praise for the fact that it’s simply a very good superhero book.

On the surface, there’s no reinventing of the wheel here—and that’s ok. Sometimes, all you really want is a book where someone has to overcome their insecurities and learn to be a hero. In a crowded genre that’s constantly being reshuffled, relaunched, and plagued by huge “event” crossovers between titles, Faith is a really refreshing read. She’s got some internal and external struggles to work through, she’s resourceful, and she wants to help other people.

Also, Marguerite Sauvage’s Lichtenstein-esque fantasy sequences play perfectly off of Francis Portela’s more photorealistic approach. Jump on board this book now, while the getting’s good.


Conan

Conan The Avenger #23 (Dark Horse)
written by Fred Van Lente; art by Brian Ching; colors by Michael Atiyeh; letters by Richard Starkings & Comicraft

Fred Van Lente and Brian Ching set up a really clever bait and switch to lead us towards the conclusion of “A Witch Shall Be Born.” No one draws Conan like Ching does, and Van Lente’s plot has found the perfect balance of action and character-driven plot.

Conan’s most dangerous weapon isn’t his sword or his ability to fight like a “regiment of devils.” It’s not his ability to strike fear into those that would oppose him.

Conan’s—the barbarian from Cimmeria—greatest weapon is his intellect. He knows how to set a trap, bait his prey, and when to spring it. He’s a master planner, playing both his enemies and allies like chess pieces. I’ve made the comparison before, but in this series, Conan is basically a more fun to read Batman with a giant sword. His reputation as the baddest marauder in the desert is tempered by his high standard of honor, and that’s what inspires people to follow him. When Conan the Avenger is as well done as it was this week, it’s a reminder of all these things.


Also available this week:

Alterna — Cannons in the Clouds TPB

Boom! Studios — Munchkin #14, Peanuts #31, Venus #3

Dark Horse — Death Head #6, Fight Club 2 #9, Itty Bitty Hellboy: Search for the Were-Jaguar #4, King Conan: Wolves Beyond the Border #3

Dynamite — Aliens/Vampirella #6, Frankenstein: Storm Surge #5, Pathfinder: Hollow Mountain #4, Will Eisner’s The Spirit #8

IDW — Back to the Future #5, Danger Girl: Renegade #4, Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency: A Spoon Too Short #1, Ghostbusters International #2, Haunted Horror #21, Jem and the Holograms #12, Judge Dredd #5, The Maxx Maxximized #28, Orphan Black: Helsinki #4, Skylanders Superchargers #5, Star Trek #54, Street Fighter x G.I. Joe #1, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #55, Transformers #50, Wynona Earp #1  

Valiant — Bloodshot Reborn: Analog Man Director’s Cut #1


Project-Nerd is a press partner of BOOM! Studios, Dark Horse Comics, Dynamite Entertainment, Alterna Comics, Valiant Comics, and IDW Publishing. If you would like to see your studios’ content included in our weekly release article, please contact our editors.

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