Captain Carter #1
- Written by Jamie McKelvie
- Art by Marika Cresta
- Colors by Erick Arciniega
- Letters by Clayton Cowles
- Published by Marvel Comics
If you’re like me and are a big Peggy Carter fan and have been absolutely obsessed with even the idea of Captain Carter after Marvel’s What If…? then you’ll want to get your hands on Captain Carter #1. The book is set in a world where it’s Peggy who became the Super Soldier instead of Steve Rogers and focuses on Peggy’s adventures after returning from being MIA for 70+ years. It’s a fun twist on the Captain America narrative and it’s poised to be a fun one. This might be the book I was most looking forward to this week so I am absolutely here to tell everyone to check it out as well. — Nicole Drum
Green Arrow: Stranded
- Written by Brendan Deneen
- Art by Bell Hosalla
- Published by DC Comics
Green Arrow’s origin story has been recounted and remixed countless times over the years, from Jack Kirby’s Silver Age rewrite to the modern context of The CW’s Arrow. This week’s Green Arrow: Stranded, which is part of DC’s ever-growing young adult lines, brings the latest take on that story, with Oliver Queen’s past crash-landing on an island and developing a penchant for archery being told in a younger and scrappier context. I’m incredibly excited to see what writer Brendan Deneen and artist Bell Hosalla bring to Oliver’s world, especially with the latter’s lushly-constructed cartoony art. Stranded is definitely going to be a must-read for any Green Arrow fan — or any reader who wants a one-of-a-kind adventure. — Jenna Anderson
The Kill Lock: The Artisan Wraith #1
- Writing, art, and colors by Livio Ramondelli
- Letters by Shawn Lee
- Published by IDW Publishing
The Kill Lock delivered a bold and brilliant new sci-fi series in 2020 with a devilish premise at its heart – four artificial intelligences, each found guilty of an unpardonable crime, are bound together by a “Kill Lock” which ensures that if one of them dies then all of them will die. This concept delivered a story that served as both an intense character study and a ranging consideration of crime, punishment, and responsibility. The original series certainly stuck its landing (just check out our reviews), but Livio Ramondelli’s creation demanded more investigation by fans lucky enough to discover the series on its initial outing. The Artisan Wraith provides that much-anticipated sequel following up on the events of the original series while expanding the story’s scope to consider other events and ramifications surrounding the Kill Lock device. It’s evident to anyone who read The Kill Lock that this is a comic book with tremendous potential and The Artisan Wraith promises to unlock even more of it; whether you’re returning to the series or just discovering it, this is a comic that demands to be read. — Chase Magnett
Little Monsters #1
- Written by Jeff Lemire
- Art by Dustin Nguyen
- Letters by Steve Wands
- Published by Image Comics
Every once in a while, mainstream comics produce a writer/artist pairing that takes on an identity of its own: Gillen/McKelvie, Brubaker/Phillips, Ennis/Dillon, Morrison/Quitely. Writer Jeff Lemire and artist Dustin Nguyen extending their collaboration past the end of their Descender/Ascender epic suggest that their partnership is reaching a similar point. Their new Image Comics series, Little Monsters, is a vampire story that wonders what happens when undead children are all that’s left of life on Earth. Or are they? Little Monster begins with the vampires idling away after years, possibly centuries of boredom when something unexpected happens. It’s also a fascinating experiment for Nguyen, as watercolors typically characterize his style, as seen on the cover. But on the interiors, he goes for a stripped-down, sharper, black-and-white (with splashes of blood red) look in Little Monsters to emphasize the listlessness of the series’ characters. Little Monsters looks to be an exciting new venture from one of comics’ best duos. — Jamie Lovett
Naomi Season Two #1
- Written by Brian Michael Bendis and David F. Walker
- Art by Jamal Campbell
- Letters by Wes Abbott
- Published by DC Comics
Naomi is the biggest gift writer Brian Michael Bendis has delivered to DC Comics readers amidst runs on Superman, Justice League, and The Legion of Super-Heroes filled with bright spots. She represents the positivity and youth that Bendis’ DC work has emphasized and offered a shining new star amongst a pantheon filled with heroes. While her presence in Justice League has been a delight, the return of her own original series for a second outing is all the more exciting. And that’s before you even consider the other creators involved, including the constantly humorous and clever writing of David F. Walker and Jamal Campbell’s wondrous depictions of sci-fi concepts. Naomi was one of the best new series to debut at DC Comics in years and Naomi Season Two promises to continue everything that made its predecessor excellent and build upon that foundation. — Chase Magnett
Superman: Son of Kal-El #9
- Written by Tom Taylor
- Pencils by Bruno Redondo
- Inks by Bruno Redondo and Wade Von Grawbadger
- Colors by Adriano Lucas
- Letters by Wes Abbott
- Published by DC Comics
Jon teams up with Nightwing in this issue and honestly, that should be all I have to say to get you hyped for this issue because it’s a heck of a team-up. But given how beautifully Tom Taylor has handled the Superman: Son of Kal-El series more broadly, this isn’t just a cool team-up but a genuinely thoughtful comic that is honestly one of the best this year. Just trust me: Superman Jon Kent and Nightwing working together to find a murderer is a brilliant team-up story and you need to read it. — Nicole Drum
Women of Marvel #1
- Written by Various
- Art by Various
- Published by Marvel Comics
Technically the second one-shot of its kind in as many years, Women of Marvel is back this week to spotlight some of the best female characters in the Marvel universe — and the female creators responsible for telling their stories. This edition runs the gamut in terms of team-ups and premises, from Squirrel Girl and Black Widow joining forces to a spotlight on Shanna the She-Devil and Silver Sable. With a star-studded creative team working behind the scenes, including Mirka Andolfo, Jordie Bellaire, Jen Bartel, and more, this issue might be one of the best single showcases of stellar comic storytelling that you can pick up this week. — Jenna Anderson
X-Men: Legends #12
- Written by Chris Claremont
- Art by Scot Eaton
- Inks by Lorenzo Ruggiero
- Colors by Rachelle Rosenberg
- Letters by Joe Caramagna
- Published by Marvel Comics
X-Men: Legends‘ first volume may have saved its best for last. Chris Claremont famously defined the X-Men during his 16-year run writing Uncanny X-Men with stints launching most of the growing X-line’s spinoff titles. While his previous attempts at long-term returns to the X-Men haven’t been as celebrated, and even some of his recent one-shots have been a bit shaky, there’s always something special about seeing Claremont’s name on an X-Men cover. Here, the premise of X-Men Legends plays to Claremont’s strengths. Rather than asking him to mesh his style and the version of the characters that exist in his head with the decades of continuity that followed him, the retro X-Men series allows him to write a story set during his original run. In this case, he’s teaming with stellar artist Scot Eaton to write two of his favorite characters — Nightcrawler and Kitty Pryde — during the period between the X-Men’s apparent deaths in “Fall of the Mutants” and the founding of Excalibur. It should be a real treat for classic X-Men fans. — Jamie Lovett
