Welcome folks to our next-to-last look ahead for 2023! November reviews and recommendations are here, and just in time for November. Take a peak at some of these new upcoming titles, and see which ones are for you.
Looking for Image’s November Previews? I know it’s been a little weird since they stopped showing up in the main preview catalogue. Don’t worry your pretty little head about it though, you can find them right here:
Sina Grace Signing Heads Up!
Comic creator Sina Grace will be joining us this November to sign copies of his newest book - Superman: the Harvests of Youth. Interested? Details on the signing, including date, time, and other details are here!
Reviews and Recommendations
Friendly reminder that these reviews are courtesy of Nick & Sloane this month. If you do see something you want to order just reach out to us via the subscription update form.
Batman x Santa Claus: Silent Knight
DC Comics
By Jeff Parker (writer) and Michele Bandini (artist)
Batman teams up in this book with his (former mentor) Santa Klaus to solve a grisly murder in Gotham in the days leading up to Christmas. As if the premise itself wasn’t absurd enough, the DC universe version of Santa is hard-boiled and gritty – think Grant Morrison’s Klaus. This is the beginning of a gonzo four part mini series coming out in the weeks leading up to Christmas that pits our festive duo against a horde of monsters, including vampires, harpies, and finally the villainous Krampus.
While it has a veneer of macho, tough guy aesthetics, this book is mostly just doing to be dumb. This book is going to be so fricking dumb. But, to be fair, that’s probably a good thing? There’s something to be said for goofy, silver-age style antics in an age where comics are dominated by horror books, and a dozen overly-serious comics about Batman and his rogues gallery each month. We could all use something fun, especially in the months leading up to the holidays, and this book oozes fun. What’s not to love about Santa and Batman punching monsters together?
– Sloane
There’s going to be a ‘Rub and Smell’ variant cover (Scratch ‘n’ Sniff is a copyrighted term so they had to call it something different) featuring Santa Claus’s bruised and battered face. We’re going to have a couple in the store so make sure to ask about those. What does Santa smell like? Christmas cookies? Sugarplums? Vengeance!? We’ll find out soon enough. [Editor's Note: Cover below.]
Holy Roller #1
Image Comics
By Andy Samberg, Rick Remender, and Joe Trohman (writers) alongside Roland Boschi (artist)
Speaking of dumb books, I’ve got one for you. SNL / Brooklyn 99 comedian Andy Samberg and Rick Remender have teamed up with Joe Trohman to bring you a comic book about bowling for Nazis. Or smashing their faces with a bowling ball? Billed in the preview catalogue as Kingpin meets Inglorious Bastards meets Batman, the ad copy alone for this book had me excited to read it. I mean, who doesn’t want to read a story about neo-nazis getting the @$#! kicked out of them by some guy with a bunch of trick bowling ball in the year of our lord 2023?
Answer: not me! I definitely want to read this book. I’m really curious as to how Samberg’s sense of humor is going to translate into the comic form, and Rick is a strong enough writer on his own to write this book. And to top it off they’ve got the illustrator from Scumbag and Wolverine, Roland Boschi, on hand to vividly illustrate how badly those Nazis are @%#*ed.
- Nick
Outsiders #1
DC Comics
By Jackson Lanzig (writer), Collin Kelly (writer), and Robert Carey (artist)
If you recognize the cover this first issue is an homage to, you know why I’m excited. Outsiders is applying the ideas and concepts that made Warren Ellis’ Planetary one of my favorite comics to read (and reread…and reread some more). For those of you who haven’t read it or don’t want to given Ellis’ known issues at this point, here’s the gist - this version of the Outsiders heralds the return of comic book archaeology. Banding together as a team of 3 (probably 4 before too long), they’ll dig into the forgotten corners of the history of the DC universe to preserve, record, and better understand the multiverse.
What I love is that this sets up a book that can take a very serialized approach to comics as a medium. Planetary told fantastic 1-2 issue long stories that linked together over the course of the whole run. I’m really hoping Outsiders holds to that, but hey if all I get area some fun Luke Fox / Batwoman stories I’m okay with that too!
- Nick
Somna #1
Dstlry
By Becky Cloonan (writer) and Tula Lotay (artist)
DSTLRY is continuing to make waves in the comic book community. Last month they released a short anthology to highlight a bunch of their upcoming creator owned works that were on the docket for release. This month we get the first one - Somna. Becky Cloonan of By Chance Or Providence and Wonder Woman fame teams up with Tula Lotay, the artist behind Barnstormers to bring us a 17th century tale of witches, erotic horror, and murder! Lotay’s art is already a perfect pairing to the genre and time frame.
The story itself follows Ingrid, wife of the town’s bailiff and chief witch hunter as she tries to keep her head down and avoid suspicion from her husband while pursuing a murderer. Along the way we’ll discover that Ingrid is pursued herself by a shadowy figure that she feels irresistably drawn to. Who knows if this figure holds the key to Ingrid’s murder investigation, or her eternal damnation?
- Nick
Crossover Alert: Titans Beast World
DC’s next big crossover puts the Titans (and specifically Beast Boy) front and center. Starting in November and running through January, this book will temporarily (again) replace the main Titans series while it runs its course. Bummer, but Tom Taylor is still taking the lead here, so expect the story to not be quite as jarring a tone shift as happened during the Knight Terrors Crossover. Here’s the checklist for all you Titan fans out there:
November
- Titans: Beast World: Evolution
- Titans: Beast World #1
December
- Titans: Beast World: Waller Rising
- Titans: Beast World Tour: Metropolis
- Titans: Beast World #2
- Titans: Beast World Tour: Gotham
- Titans: Beast World Tour: Central City
- Titans: Beast World #3
January
- Titans: Beast World Tour: Atlantis
- Titans: Beast World #4
- Titans: Beast World Tour: Star City
- Titans: Beast World #5
- Titans: Beast World #6
Crossover Alert: Marvel’s Gang War
Not to be outdone by DC, Marvel is running a big spider-oriented crossover from November through to February of next year. The good news - if you’re reading Amazing Spider-Man and Miles Morales Spider-Man, you’re gonna get most of the issues. The bad news - they’ve yet again decided to start a Spider-Woman book in the middle of a crossover. But hey, they’re positioning the book such that if you want to skip the intro comics in November, you can(?). They’re calling them “Gang War First Strike,” which to me says you probably want to read them so I’m including them for completeness sake.
Also hey, bonus - they've got a trailer for it up on the old you-tubes.
November
- Amazing Spider-Man #37
- Amazing Spider-Man #38
- Miles Morales: Spider-Man #12
- Amazing Spider-Man Gang War: First Strike #1
- Spider-Woman #1
- Luke Cage: Gang War #1
December
- Amazing Spider-Man #39
- Amazing Spider-Man #40
- Miles Morales: Spider-Man #13
- Miles Morales: Spider-Man #14
- Daredevil: Gang War #1
- Spider-Woman #2
- Luke Cage: Gang War #2
- Deadly Hands of Kung-Fu Gang War #1
January
- Amazing Spider-Man #41
- Amazing Spider-Man #42
- Miles Morales: Spider-Man #15
- Daredevil: Gang War #2
- Spider-Woman #3
- Luke Cage: Gang War #3
- Deadly Hands of Kung-Fu Gang War #2
February
- Amazing Spider-Man #43
- Amazing Spider-Man #44
- Miles Morales: Spider-Man #16
- Daredevil: Gang War #3
- Spider-Woman #4
- Luke Cage: Gang War #4
- Deadly Hands of Kung-Fu: Gang War #3
March (I lied it goes into March)
- Daredevil: Gang War #4
One-Shots & Graphic Novels
This month's one-shots and graphic novels include a cookbook (cause November!), a story of transitioning from a mother's perspective, and a comic book about a duck. Truly a little something for everyone!
Cook Like Your Ancestors: An Illustrated Guide to Intuitive Cooking With Recipes From Around the World
Silver Sprocket
By Mariah-Rose Marie
The explosion of food comics in the last few years has really been a joy to see, and this one stands out as a particularly spicy treat. Artist Mariah-Rose Marie takes us with her on a journey learning to cook intuitively – taking advice from family members and learning to trust her own senses in the kitchen, as well as learning to shop and come up with recipes in more holistic ways.The book focuses less on exact measurements and more on a philosophy of how to cook, but for those who aren’t quite so confident in the kitchen yet, it also contains 20 (all vegan) recipes! Both traditional and modified, these dishes selected from around the globe are included to help reinforce the principles taught in the rest of the book. Drawn in a fun, casual style, and deeply informative, this book is a must for any foodie, or just anyone who wants to learn not just recipes, but the thinking behind traditional cooking itself.
– Sloane
Transitions: A Mother’s Journey
IDW Publishing
By Elodie Durand
People who know me know I’m always interested in queer comics that approach things from a new perspective, and this book is certainly that. When university biologist Anne Marbot finds out that her 19-year-old is a transgender man, she discovers that she’s maybe not as open minded about things as she used to think. Overwhelmed by questions like ‘Who put these ideas in your head? What if you regret it?’ and ‘How will your grandparents react?’, she soon comes to realize that the only question that matters is ‘How can I be the parent my child needs?’ A journey of self-discovery for both mother and son, this comic is based on the true story of Anne and her son Alex, which brings a grounding element to the whole book. Translator Evan McGorray says they were “brought to tears as [they] translated Alex’s letter to his mother at the end.” A treatise on growth, acceptance, and motherly love, this book promises a vibrant and moving read that brings an exciting new perspective to the world of queer comics.
– Sloane
Howard the Duck #1
Marvel Comics
By Chip Zdarsky, Daniel Kibblesmith, Merrit K and more (writers) with art by Joe Quinones, Annie Wu, and more!
It’s been 50 years since Steve Gerber made this weird cartoon duck absurdly popular (for a duck). To celebrate, we’re getting a fun little one shot anthology book of the different ways Howard’s life could have gone, courtesy of his cosmic all-seeing friend the Peeper! Okay friend is probably not the word he’s gonna be using to describe this person by the end of the issue. Especially not with veteran duck-scribes Chip Zdarsky and Daniel Kibblesmith penning stories. And hey, even former Howard the Duck comic alum Joe Quinones is getting in on the fun!
If you’re a fan of Chip’s sense of humor this book is almost certainly for you. Doubly so if you like ducks. Or what-if comics.
- Nick
And that's it for November's look aheads! Next month's look aheads should be up by Thanksgiving, and will include a double-header look at both December AND January. Thanks for reading, and if you saw something you wanted to add to your pull (or want to start a subscription for the book), use our handy little google form and submit that request!
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