We went through the 1,000+ December catalog items to pick out the potentially best and brightest comics. Take a look below to see what is on tap:
Some cool new series, including some new Absolute comics. A couple of book worth watching, and Mark Spears has a lot of work published this month.
New Series
Absolute Flash #1
Jeff Lemire writing
Without the mentor…without the family…without the Speed Force, what’s left is the Absolute Scarlet Speedster!
Absolute Green Lantern #1
Al Ewing writing
Without the Corps…without the ring…without the willpower, what’s left is the Absolute Green Lantern!
Beyond Mars…beyond physical form…beyond Human Understanding…all that’s left is the ultimate alien: the Absolute Martian Manhunter!
Amazing Spider-Man #1
Amazing Spider-Man relaunches again.
The next era of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN has arrived! Peter is, shockingly, without a job and looking for gainful employment, but his job search isinterrupted by a RAMPAGING RHINO who is but the tip of a sinister iceberg. What major Spider-Villain is working behind the scenes weaponizing other Spider-Villains including one we haven’t seen in OVER SEVEN YEARS?! Also, what is that Goblin-free Norman Osborn up to anyway?
Bitter Root the Next Movement #1
A new chapter for Sanford Greene’s hit series.
Two brothers locked in a sibling rivalry wrestle for command of a massive nuclear submarine, The Absolution, in a near future irrevocably altered by climate change. Chief Science Officer Liana Pearson finds herself not only caught between the Wilder brothers but drowning in her fear of the surface world. When something alien infiltrates The Absolution and upends the balance of power, Liana is left with only two deadly options–reaching the toxic surface world or steering the sub into the unforgiving abyss and crush depth-Breathe Deep!
Hooky Hidalgo, adventurist and popular live streamer, has gone missing while climbing Mt. Denali in Alaska! When his girlfriend, Becca, arrives at the base of the mountain to retrace his steps, she soon discovers something beyond the dreamy and impressive landscape. There’s a conspiracy deep within the heart of Denali itself-a dark pyramid, silent, waiting. Becca-and the scores of Hooky fans determined to either find him or find some fun-will face death, avalanches .and monsters to find the truth.
Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe III #1
Deadpool kills the Marvel universe again, again.
In 1982, a tranquil town becomes the backdrop for a series of eerie and unsettling events. During a routine evening patrol, Sheriff Depero encounters a chilling scene: a blood-soaked woman dashes toward him, screaming that her life is in danger. Horror stands at the gates of the city!
Ghost Man #1
Super cool looking indy book.
Is he alive or dead? Hero or Demon? With the ability to walk through walls and conjure weapons at will, Ghost Man makes vengeance scary. 44 mind blowing pages on newsprint!
THE BATTLE OF THE CENTURY STARTS HERE! The start of six sensational, action-packed issues with MARVEL HEROES battling THE KING OF THE MONSTERS from its many different eras! How will GODZILLA’S lore mix with the MIGHT MARVEL UNIVERSE? Find out as history is twisted when icons like the FANTASTIC FOUR, SPIDER-MAN, HULK, X-MEN and THOR go face off against one of the greatest monsters of all time! This issue, witness a threat never before seen as KING GHIDORAH descends upon the Earth with the POWER COSMIC as GALACTUS’ newest HERALD! Can the FANTASTIC FOUR stop him from destroying New York along with the rest of the planet? It’s a CITY SMASHING SPECTACULAR as GODZILLA with the help of the SILVER SURFER join forces to stop the world from certain annihilation! A must for MARVEL and GODZILLA FANS! ROUND 1 IN A SERIES OF 6 ONE-SHOT THROWDOWNS!
Gold Key Select Boris Karloff Thriller #1
Retro Gold Key Throwback!
Step into the shadows with Gold Key Select, where eerie tales of yesteryear await. Ghostly apparitions and spine-chilling mysteries entwine in this masterful collection. Let Karloff’s haunting voice lead you through a realm of suspense and supernatural dread. Are you prepared to embrace the lurking darkness?
Invincible Universe Battle Beast #1
New series based in the Invincible Universe.
Every parent thinks their kids grow up too quickly… but not like this. In one bewildering, terrifying instant, every child below the age of one disappears-to be replaced by creatures beyond their mothers & fathers’ understanding. What happened to the kids? Who are these deranged, hyper-violent adults who’ve taken their places? One horrified couple do their best to solve the nightmarish puzzle-but before they can find the answers they seek, they must survive the night… From the Eisner Award-winning writer Garth Ennis and artist Dalibor Talajic comes this horrific, twisted tale of every parent’s nightmare! From Ninth Circle, bringing you the best horror each month by the industry’s top creative talent.
The sequel to Sumerian’s best-selling OGN ‘Osaka Mime’. A shapeshifting mime prowled the streets of Osaka, leaving a trail of terror by claiming its victims and their identities. The city trembled as the creature moved undetected, blending seamlessly into the lives it stole. After a relentless pursuit, the Osaka Supernatural Police Department confronted the monster in a rain-soaked alley, where one detective made the ultimate sacrifice, and another faced the nightmare head-on to end its reign. But that was just one chapter in the city’s dark, supernatural history. Each week, the Osaka Supernatural Police Department takes on the impossible, chasing nightmares no one else dares to face. In the Nation’s Kitchen, no one knows what horror will strike next-but the Osaka S.P.D. will always be there to stand against the darkness
Born from one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of the 20th century, this taut and breathtaking original limited series launches with a double-sized, 48-page debut from Eisner Award-nominated writer Christopher Cantwell (Plastic Man No More, Briar) and Eisner Award-nominated illustrator Tyler Crook (Harrow County, The Lonesome Hunters)! Convicts Frank Morris and Clarence Anglin have washed ashore in San Francisco after surviving their infamous escape from Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary in June 1962. They soon meet their gruff and disappointed handler, a mysterious young woman who’s also running from something, and hope to quickly get their way north to the border-if they can even make it out of Modesto alive. As a dogged federal manhunt and chance encounters threaten the desperate convicts, everyone involved is about to discover the same bloodstained truth: life on the run is an even more hellish prison than Alcatraz could have ever been
Pooluminati #1
THE ELITE ‘POOLS ASSEMBLE! There are those who hold power, and those who hold the secret power in the world. Those who shape the world around us, who pull the strings, unseen. They are… the POOLUMINATI. Or, wait, no, that’s the Illuminati, so what the heck does the Pooluminati do? It’s TOO SECRET… but WADE WILSON is ABOUT TO FIND OUT! The most elite DEADPOOLs across the Multiverse assemble, and they need the 616’s Deadpools. But will Wade (with Ellie’s help) prove himself worthy of the Pooluminati? And even if he does…will the conspiracy theory they uncover spell disaster for ‘Pools everywhere?
Secret Six #1
WHO WILL CONTROL THE SECRETS OF THE DC UNIVERSE? In the wake of Absolute Power, the Justice League has returned, the war criminal Amanda Waller is in prison, and things are finally getting back to normal…that is, until Dreamer, Jon Kent, and Jay Nakamura discover that Waller has somehow vanished into thin air from her cell! With seemingly no leads and nothing but questions (and enough trauma to fill a swimming pool), our three heroes are forced to team up with the bad guys–Deadshot, Catman, and Black Alice–to track down Waller, reclaim the infinite trove of secrets in her head, and uncover what the deal is with all these freakin’ chess pieces they keep seeing around…all without letting their own individual secrets tear them apart from the inside.
WHO OR WHAT IS THE SPIRIT OF VIOLENCE?! For weeks, Johnny Blaze has been on the trail of a mysterious and dangerous new entity: THE SPIRIT OF VIOLENCE! Born of an ancient curse from forgotten magiks, the Spirit of Violence feeds on fear, blood and death – and it’s got a bone to pick with GHOST RIDER!
Thundercats Lost #1
An all new Thundercats team
After being shot down in the middle of a war zone, five Thunderan warriors are fighting for their lives. Together they face a horde of heavily armored soldiers, and the team’s only hope is to somehow break through their lines to reach the wreckage of their ship. Such overwhelming odds will strain their abilities to the absolute limit. But even if Pumyra, Lynx-0, Shen, Ligon, and their hammer-wielding commander Bengali make it out alive, will they still be able to complete their mission? And even more important: who is the mysterious antagonist who is hunting them and what is his connection to the Book of Omens?
Universal Monsters the Mummy #1
a stunning new vision of the seminal horror film like you’ve never seen before. Helen Grosvenor is a woman born to two worlds and belonging in neither, forever haunted by a cursed encounter as a child. When unknown voices bring her back to an Egyptian dig site from her past, Helen will unknowingly play an unexpected role in the rise of a monster known only as…THE MUMMY!
Vatican City #1
Mark Millar!
The world has been overrun by a vampire apocalypse, every man, woman and child dead except the two thousand tourists safe behind the walls and holy relics of Vatican City. But as the vampires gather in their millions outside, how long can they hold out? Because the monsters can wait forever.
Spider-Man and his spider-compatriots across the Spider-Verse are the guardians of the Web of Life and Destiny…but they are heading for a confrontation with the OTHER Arachnid-Multiverse of the symbiote variety when they come into conflict with the VENOMVERSE! In the buildup to that 8-fisted confrontation, meet three new Spider-Versers to see who has what it takes to fight in the web wars! Could it be Count Parker? Spider-Prowler? Or maybe Spider-Hulk? Find out inside!
Youll Do Bad Things #1
It’s been ten years since the release of He Came in with a Smile, the true crime smash hit that chronicled the brutal murders committed by the Nursery Rhyme Killer. But in the decade since its release, its author Seth Holms hasn’t produced another title. He wants to write a story with a happy ending, but every time his fingers clack across the keyboard it always ends in his character’s death. Worse yet? These tales of blood and barbarity that flow so freely from Seth’s mind are starting to happen in real life.
Mark Spears Spotlight
Mark Spears Monsters hits its fourth issue.
Cover A Dracula
Cover B Hexy the Witch
Cover C Pecos Bill
Cover D ASM #300 Homage
Cover E Killing Joke Homage
Cover F Holoflip Variant
Cover G Frankenstein Metal Cover
Listen up, undead-heads! Return of the Living Dead is back and bolder than ever in this brain-chomping, Trioxin-flavored, run-for-your-lives comic book series serving up another dose of dark horror comedy for the hungry masses! The two groups of survivors fight their way through an amusement park full of brain craving zombies, knowing that the only way to survive is to join forces. That won’t stop the Melted Chick and her minions from getting their final revenge as the undead inhabitants of the park continue to rise and join the ranks of the growing army of corpses. And just when the night seems at its darkest, a surprise savoir comes forward with one last hope of getting off the island before they all become a feast for the undead hordes!
Silverhawks #3 (Cover A – Spears)
Silverhawks, beloved 80’s cartoon and towline relaunches with a Mark Spears cover.
Also available in:
Silverhawks #3 (Cover H – Spears Foil)
Silverhawks #3 (Cover I – Spears Foil Virgin)
Silverhawks #3 (Cover J – Spears Metal Premium)
Silverhawks #3 (Cover K – Spears LTD Virgin)
Also launching is a Space Ghost Jonny Quest Crossover with Spears covers.
Space Ghost Jonny Quest Space Quest #1 (Cover A – Spears)
Space Ghost Jonny Quest Space Quest #1 (Cover F – Spears Foil)
Space Ghost Jonny Quest Space Quest #1 (Cover G – Spears Foil Vir)
Thundercats Apex #1 Cover Zf De Spears Virgin Premium Metal
The Ultra popular Mark Spears Thundercats book gets a metal variants.
Vampirella #1 (Cover C – Spears)
This one makes sense to me.
Ones to Watch
Batman #158
The Hush sequel kicks off this issue.
Daredevil Unleash Hell Red Band #3
Seems that there is going to be a new, female, Muse
A new serial killer is terrorizing New York! With a macabre and miserable fascination with DAREDEVIL, the crime scenes all point to a single terrifying explanation: the return of MUSE! But how could that be possible?! And what other sick and twisted happenings will follow the killer’s return?!
Tales of the Bizarre #11
Back issues of this series have been quietly going up in price. May not be a bad idea to grab them if you see them or pre-order them if you can.
Notable Reprints
Batman Adventures #12 Facsimile Edition
First appearance of Harley Quinn gets reprinted in facsimile form. Also available in a foil variant and an action figure variant.
Brave and the Bold #30 Facsimile Edition
First appearance of Amazo.
Fantastic Four #3 Facsimile Ed
Fantastic Four adopt the iconic blue uniforms.
Limited Collectors Edition #59 Batmans Strangest Cases Facsimile Edition
EXPERIENCE BATMAN’S STRANGEST CASES! Thrill as Batman fights to save a young boy’s life in a haunted Scottish castle! Gasp as he matches might with the mysterious Swamp Thing! Tremble as the Dark Knight takes on a coven of demon-worshipping warlocks! These are Batman’s strangest cases yet!
Marvel Fanfare #15 Facsimile Ed
Just in time for April Fools’ Day, enjoy the First Family dynamic of the Human Torch pranking the heck out of the Thing! Johnny Storm has always known exactly how to get Ben Grimm hot under the collar, but he’s risking a clobberin’ like never before in this jape-filled classic written and illustrated by the legendary Barry Windsor-Smith! Plus: Hell’s Kitchen is burning, and Daredevil wants to know why! But as the Man Without Fear investigates a string of arsons, he’s shocked by a face from his past! It’s one of the all-time great Marvel comic books, boldly re-presented in its original form, ads and all!
Wolverine lashes out – and the Hellfire Club bears the brunt – in a vital chapter of the Phoenix Saga! Logan may be the last X-Man standing, but he’s the best there is for a reason – and he’s about to prove it. But with his teammates held captive and Jean Grey having switched sides and becoming the Hellfire Club’s new Black Queen, things look bleak for the X-Men. Even if Logan can find his imprisoned teammates, he has an army of Hellfire Club soldiers to fight his way through. Meanwhile, Cyclops wages a psychic battle to free Jean from the mental dominion of Mastermind. Scott Summers will give everything he’s got to save the woman he loves, even if it kills him! It’s one of the all-time great Marvel comic books, boldly re-presented in its original form, ads and all! Reprinting X-MEN (1963) #133.
For the Cover
Batman Superman Worlds Finest #37 (Cover D – Dan Mora Guy Fieri Cameo Card Stock Variant)
We have seen previous celebrity covers do well in the past.
GI Joe #5 (Cover C – Ryan Sook Variant)
I do like a good Baroness cover.
Psylocke #5 (Ben Harvey Psylocke Variant)
Nice looking Ben Harvey cover.
IN THE HANDS OF THE TAXONOMIST! Psylocke has been poisoned and captured by a deadly new threat! Can she escape the Taxonomist’s twisted museum alive? And if she does, what will she do to the man who caged her like a butterfly?
Rogue the Savage Land #3 (of 5) (Lucas Werneck Variant)
The purpose of this series is to showcase Rogue in one of the fan favorite costumes. This ones does it well.
Something Completely Different
Grommets Skateboard Decks
Great mercy idea for the best 80’s skateboarding comic. 3 different designs.