Let’s open up proceedings with some indie titles this week, as we pour one out for one of the best ongoing series of the current era of comics. Wicked & Divine: Okay (Kieron Gillen, Jamie McKelvie) is the final trade is this five year long tale of gods and monstrous humans. Speaking of epics, there is also Walking Dead Compendium vol 4 (Robert Kirkman, Stefani Guadiano, Cliff Rathburn, Dave Stewart) with over 1000 pages of zombie goodness.
New publisher Ablaze bring us the first work from Charlie Adlard since he finished his run on Walking Dead with Vampire State Building #1
Image comics bring us a new ongoing series of Copra #1 (Michel Fiffe),a Suicide Squad revenge tale, as well as Dead Eyes #1 (Gerry Duggan, John McCrea), proving that even cancellation can’t keep a good comic down with an oversized reprinting of this tale of that one last job you can’t turn down... If you prefer your indie comics to have some ‘fantasy’ in their ‘urban’, check out Nomen Omen (Marco B Bucci, Jacopo Camagni), a tale of witchcraft, tales and secrets.
You can join the search for a new home for humanity in Grendel: Devils Odyssey (Matt Wagner), and there is a a tale of dementia allowing old secrets out in Ruby Falls #1 (Ann Nocenti, Flavia Biondi). If you’re after a nostalgic gaming kick there is also Sonic The Hedgehog (Ian Flynn, Tracy Yardley, Jim Amash, Bob Smith) who has a Halloween special, as does pin-princess Bettie Page (David Avallone, Erica Schultz, Roy Allen Martinez, Fernando Ruiz). Speaking of pin-ups, we are also welcoming Vampirella (Christoper Priest, Ervin Gunduz) in a reprint of a previously digital-only title.
There is a new vigilante on the streets in the form of Black Terror #1 (Max Bemis, Matt Gaudio). Speaking of mean streets, there is also new Cold War spy tale Strange Skies Over East Berlin (Jeff Loveness, Lisandro Estherren), and finally for the new indie singles we have WWE Smackdown #1 (Kevin Panetta, Kendall Goode, Serg Acuña).
The Mind MGMT Omnibus vol. 3 (Matt Kindt) hits shelves this week, continuing the story of espionage, conspiracy and weaponized amnesia. Collecting ten never before seen short stories is Deep Breaths (Chris Gooch). Investigating a murder takes a bad turn for a new journalist in Burying The Lede (Gaby Dunn, Claire Doe), and the third year of university arrives for the girls of Giant Days (John Allison, Max Sarin). There is also a Netflix animated series tie-in with Over The Garden Wall: Circus Friends OGN (Jonathan Case, John Golden).
Heading over to the big two, Marvel are continuing their event with Absolute Carnage: Immortal Hulk #1 (Al Ewing, Filipe Andrade). They are continuing their 80th anniversary celebrations with Marvel Comics #1001 (al Ewing, Audrey Loeb, Amanda Conner, Declan Shalvey) and Bizarre Adventures #1 (Jed MacKay, Michael Conrad, Becky Cloonan, Sebastian Garner, Francesco Manna,Chris Mooneyham) featuring such classic characters as Shang-Chi, Ulysses Bloodstone and... Dracula! The weirdness continues in Cosmic Ghost Rider Destroys Marvel History (Paul Scheer, Nick Giovannetti, Gerardo Sandoval, Todd Zanuck, Nathan Stockman) which let’s face it is a fairly self-explanatory title. There is also a new title for the Blaze brothers in the form of Ghost Rider #1 (Ed Brisson, Aaron Kuder). This week also sees the return of Miles Morales in Spider-Verse #1 (Jed MacKay, Juan Frigeri, Art Adams), and there is also a new threat that only New York’s greatest heroes can fend off in Contagion #1 (Ed Bristol, Roge Antonio, Stephen Segovia).
We also have Thanos: Infinity Ending HC (Jim Starlin, Alana Davis) which concludes the Mad Titans epic trilogy, and the Lord of Pouches returns to the Marvel universe with Marvel Universe by Rob Liefeld HC (Rob Liefeld, Louise Simonson, Jim Valentino) and Major X TP (Rob Liefeld, Brent Peeples, Whilce Portacio). We also have some classic Marvel for you in the form of Man-Wolf Complete Collection TP (Marv Wolfman, Gerry Conway, Gil Kane, Ross Andru) and Namur Sub-Mariner Omnibus HC (John Byrne, Joey Cavaleri, Jae Lee).
Finally we turn to DC, who are offering up a super shiny Absolute Batman: Arkham Asylum 30th Anniversary Edition HC (Grant Morrison, Dave McKean) reprinting one of the greatest Batman stories ever told, in a new slipcover edition. There is also Batwoman: Haunted Tides TP (JH Williams, Haden Blackman, Amy Reeder, Trevor McCarthy, Rob Hunter, Richard Friend, Pere Perez), and the Batman & The Justice League manga vol. 3 (Shiori Teshirogi) and the Young Justice The Animated Series book 1: The Early Missions (Art Baltazar, Frank, Greg Wiseman, Kevin Hopps, Christopher Jones, Dan David, John Stanisci, Luciano Vecchio) taking this weeks award for longest title!
The crossover clock is ticking in Doomsday Clock HC Part 1 (Geoff Johns, Gary Frank), and the princess of pandemonium is back in Harley Quinn Omnibus HC vol. 3 (Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti, Frank Tieri, Chad Hardin, John Tim’s, Inaki Miranda). We also have the Very DC Halloween TP (basically everyone ever) which sees our heroes take on monsters and madness