Hi there folks! Welcome to our December look ahead blog. In the interest of helping folks stay up on new comic series and happenings well before they hit the shelves, we're delving into the catalogues each month to put forth reviews and recommendations, as well as notifications about new series for popular franchises and tie-ins for big crossovers. So if you were wondering what's new and fun coming out next month, read on and find out more!

Reviews and Recommendations

Looking for a new series or two to follow? Here are a few recommendations for new series courtesy of Team Phoenix! This month we've got reviews from Sloane and Nick just for you.  

Gargoyles

Dynamite Entertainment

By Greg Weisman (writer) and George Kambadais (artist)

Okay so by writing this review I’m dating myself, but I can’t help it. For those of you who missed this as a part of your childhood, here’s the rundown. A thousand years ago, a clan of gargoyles defended a castle alongside its human defenders. Stone by day, warriors by night, they worked together until a betrayal and misunderstanding led them to being trapped in stone. Fast forward to the 90s and they awaken to their castle atop a skyscraper courtesy of one David Xanatos (of the TV Tropes Xanatos Gambit fame). And now they’re back, 25 years later, written by the same writer responsible for the vast majority of the animated series (and more recently also responsible for the writing on the last couple of seasons of Young Justice).

In spite of all this backstory, you don’t need to be heavily into the lore of Gargoyles to like the series. Expect themes similar to an x-book - heroes defending a world that doesn’t understand and/or hates and fears them, not to mention themes of culture shock / people out of time. And if you did happen to see the TV show or have just bing watched it based on this recommendation - hey bonus! I think you’re in for a treat.

- Nick

Danger Street

DC Black Label

by Tom King (writer) and Jorge Fornés (artist)

Getting the creative dream team from Rorschach back together for a new series, Danger Street is shaping up to be a classic Tom King story. In typical fashion, King is bringing back an obscure ‘70s title and putting his own spin on the characters. As part of a bid to prove themselves worthy of joining the Justice League, a team of C-list superheroes including Starman, Metamorpho, and Warlord hatches a harebrained scheme: they’re going to show that they’re ready for the big leagues by summoning to earth and then defeating Darkseid.  As you might anticipate, it doesn’t go quite as well as they think it will. 

Think across between Fargo and the recent Black Label title Rogues. The series promises silly humor, off-beat characters – including “the Creeper,” who’s part-Joker, part-late night news host, and “Lady Cop” who’s, well… a lady cop – and a healthy dose of cynicism. King is as always interested in exploring the darker, less often considered corners of the DC universe. Given how good his recent superhero-meets-50’s-detective-novel series Human Target is, this one seems worth checking out even if you’re not totally sold on the premise. King has an uncanny ability to draw you into the sometimes out-there worlds of his works and get you emotionally invested in characters and ideas that sound strange on paper, but make perfect sense in the world of the story. By the end of the first issue you just might find yourself hooked.

- Sloane

Know Your Station

Boom! Studios

by Sarah Gailey (writer) and Liana Kangas (artist)

Writer Sarah Gailey’s acclaimed debut comic series, Eat The Rich, tackled income inequality and the lifestyles of the ultra wealthy. This sophomore series seems to be tackling similar themes but with a sci-fi, mystery twist. In the not too distant future, the hyper-rich have abandoned the earth to live in space, leaving most of humanity to die as the climate crisis makes most of the planet uninhabitable. However, life on these space habitats isn't perfect. A series of murders targetting the upper echelons of society causes the Avulsion Corporation to send a detective to get to the bottom of things. High concept sci-fi, a mystery to solve, AND someone sticking it to the billionaire elite? What more could you ask for in a book? 

- Sloane

Crossovers & Tie Ins

If Spider-Man or X-Men are your things you'll want to have a look at the upcoming Dark Web crossover event. This crossover brings a fan favorite pair of clones (Ben Reilly and Madelyne Pryor) together into an Inferno homage that’s going to drag the X-Men, Spider-Man, and Venom into a big old complicated morasse. Expect this crossover to run through December and January, with the finale hitting early February. If you’re looking to snag the whole thing, here are the books that you’ll need to order or subscribe to:

• Dark Web #1 (Dusk)
• Amazing Spider-Man #15-18
• Dark Web: X-Men #1-2
• Dark Web: Ms Marvel #1-2
• Mary Jane & Black Cat #1-2
• Gold Goblin #2-3
• Venom #14-16
• Dark Web Finale #1 (Dawn)

Batman Spawn #1

DC Comics / Image Comics

By Todd McFarlane (writer) and Greg Capullo (art)

Because it had to happen I guess? Look, I’m not pretending this is going to be anything other than a who-would-win-in-a-fight book. I’m mentioning it because A) there are people out there who want this and don’t know about this, and B) it could be a fun misunderstanding-based-superhero-fight. We aren’t planning on pulling this for either Batman or Spawn subscribers, so if you want it please let us know!

Fun One-Shots and Nice-To-Haves

 Sloane and I each found a thing to be excited about this month! We've a pair of one-shots for you to peak at this time round.

Batman One Bad Day: Catwoman

DC Comics

by G Willow Wilson (writer) and Jamie McKelvia (artist)

Broadly the One Bad Day series have been extremely well received. This one though stands a head and shoulders above the rest. You’ve got G Willow Wilson in the midst of her run on Poison Ivy and Jamie McKelvie, an artist I adore from the Wicked + the Divine. Done. Sold. Sign me up! I trust in Willow’s writing implicitly, and the preview pages that I’ve seen so far from Jamie have been absolutely fantastic. I’m really looking forward to this!

-Nick

Book of Slaughter

Boom! Studios

by James Tynion III (writer) and Werther Dell’Edera (artist)

It’s pretty well known by everyone who works at the store that Something is Killing the Children is one of my favorite comics currently being published. The melancholy tone, the impeccable dialogue, and the intricate slow burn world-building of the series put it head and shoulders above most other horror titles out there right now. James Tynion’s writing is a perfect match for the sparse-yet-expressive linework of Werther Dell’Edera, and the creative team knocks it out of the park for an exquisitely paced, cinematic whole that draws heavily from classic horror like Stephen King’s It. 

Book of Slaughter follows the success of another SIKTC side story, House of Slaughter. Billed as an entry point to the series’ universe for new readers, as well as a treat for longtime fans of the series, this one-shot includes both a new side story that informs both series going forward about white mask Maxine Slaughter and where her loyalties lie, as well as a guidebook to the series’ universe that unveils never-before-printed information about the order of St. George. If you’re hungry for more of a series you already love, or just want a brooding, atmospheric one-shot to pass the time with this winter, this one’s for you.

- Sloane

And that's it for this, our final look ahead of 2022! We'll be back early next month for a look at what's in store for you comics fans at the top of the year in January 2023. In the meantime, if you'd like to subscribe to any of these books, we've got you covered! Follow this link and let us know which comics you'd like to add to your pull list, or if you don't have one going yet, you can also start up a pull list in that very same link. For more details about our subscription policy, head over here.