Happy New Year! We're jumping into 2024 with a new batch of comic book highlights for you. So if you're looking to start your new year off with a new series, read on. We've got you covered with a bunch of titles, all hitting the shelves this month.

January Comic Book Highlights

Not gonna lie - January snuck up on us. So rather than ignore talking about what is really a promising and fun month for comical books, we've instead decided to highlight a bunch of titles hitting the shelves this month that we think are pretty keen. Sloane and Elise both had things they wanted to talk about this month, and there's so much on Marvel's plate that Nick's got quite a bit to talk about there too. 

Action Comics #1061 (New Writer)

DC Comics

By Jason Aaron (writer) and John Timms (artist)

Normally I don't highlight an ongoing series as venerable as Action Comics. I mean - it's Superman. If you want Superman, it's kinda your go-to series. But - Jason Aaron on writing is always a thing that piques my interest. His runs on Thor and the Avengers are the stuff of legends, and his recent foray into a Batman sci-fi series (Batman: Off World) has been fun, and has all the hallmarks of his writing style. So if you're in the mood for a man-of-steel style pick me up, maybe give Aaron's run a try? It hits the shelves for us on January 10!

- Nick

Pine and Merrimac

Boom! Studios

By Kyle Starks (writer) and Fran Galán (artist)

Holy moly! It’s a new Kyle Starks series! He really made an impression here at the store last year with I Hate This Place (a.k.a. F*** This Place) and has been impressing us ever since with books like Where Monsters Lie and Peacemaker Tries Hard. That’s right, he’s so good at writing comics that he even managed to do a Peacemaker book that we all agreed was fun – those are some serious chops! His writing reminds me often of Ryan North’s tenure on one of my favorite comic series of all time, Squirrel Girl – it’s witty, zany, and fun. In other words, exactly what I want out of a comic.

Pine and Merrimac is about an ex-homicide detective striking it out on her own to start a new life as a P.I. in a small town with her husband. The pair quickly discovers that small town life isn’t quite the quiet retirement they had hoped it would be. Behind the quaint cast of colorful characters, their new home hides a sinister force behind the scenes pulling the strings. As serious as that sounds, Pine and Merriman maintains Stark’s signature levity, backed up by charming, masterful art by Fran Galán. The first issue was a joy to read and I look forward to the rest of the series as it comes out.

– Sloane

Animal Pound 

Boom Studios 

By Tom King (writer) and Peter Gross (artist)

I know this book hit the shelves in December, but hear me out - December didn't have a lot of new series, and I wanted to make sure this book got called out. It's really good, a rendition of Orwell's Animal Farm a la Tom King, set in an Animal Pound. Tom's signature love of 9-panel grids present, but muted. It's a book about revolution, the carceral state, and the foibles of animal (human) nature. Honestly I don't know what else I could really say beyond all of that. This four issue mini-series is set to be a roughly monthly book, and like I said at the top, the first issue's already here.

- Nick

Marvel Highlights

This month Marvel has so many new books that it would be hard to go over them all and not have this post drag on forever. So instead Nick has put together an abbreviated run-down about the new titles coming your way!

Ultimate Spider-Man

By Jonathan Hickman (writer) and Marco Checchetto (artist)

It's back! Hickman brought the ultimate universe back to life this past fall, so it was only a matter of time til Marvel brought back the book that originated the line over twenty years ago (yes, for those of you like me who now feel very old - Ultimate Spider-man #1 was twenty three years ago).

Avengers Twilight

By Chip Zdarsky (writer) and Daniel Acuna (artist)

Captain America vs dystopian Avengers! As of this writing we haven't seen the full issue yet, but Daniel Acuna is really giving it his all here in the few pages of previews that are out there. If you're a fan of Chip's style of action writing, give this a try!

Fall of the House of X / Rise of the Powers of X

By Gerry Duggan (writer of Fall), Lucas Wreck (artist of Fall), Kieron Gillen (writer of Rise) and R.B. Silva (artist of Rise)

A reminder to all you X-Fans out there! If you're not down for ANY other x-titles, please make sure you're down for these!  We've already seen Fall of the House of X #1 so far, and big changes are afoot. So if you're interested in what the new status quo is shaping up to be, get these books on your pull list pronto.

Cable

By Fabian Nicieza (writer) and Scott Eaton (artist)

I'm pretty sure this is a time-traveler team up series. Where both of the time travelers are named Cable. It's gonna be a 4-issue mini series by x-veteran Fabian Nicieza, so this should be really fun.

Dead X-Men 

By Steve Foxe (writer), Vincenzo Carratu, Bernard Change, & Jonas Scharf (artists)

Cannonball, Prodigy, Jubilee, Dazzler, Frenzy - they were supposed to be on the new roster of the X-Men. And that all changed when Nimrod came crashing down on their heads (literally). Now they're dead, but they're still X-Men.

Resurrection of Magneto

By Al Ewing (writer) and Luciano Vecchio (artist)

Magneto's coming back, and Al Ewing is the perfect steward for this story. If you read his death during AXE, and how meaningful he made it feel, then you know why. Trust in Al. He got this!

One Shots and Graphic Novels

Alright you made it! January highlights are almost over. We've got a couple of really fun one-shots and graphic novels coming to us this month courtesy of Sloane & Elise!

The Marble Queen

Dark Horse

By Anna Kopp (writer) and Gabrielle Kari (artist)

When my coworkers need to put my name on a new book on the wall each Wednesday, they tend to assume that whatever cute new young adult book is out is what I will want to read (and they’re usually right). When I saw The Marble Queen described as The Prince and the Dressmaker meets Nimona, it immediately caught my eye. The Marble Queen is an #OwnVoices, sapphic young adult fantasy described by the author as being, “... full of queers with swords”. The book centers on Princess Amelia who agrees to a political marriage of alliance with a mysterious kingdom who offers her own kingdom aid in a time of crisis. However, when she arrives in this new kingdom to marry the young prince, she discovers that her hand has in fact been promised to the prince’s sister, Queen Salira. As Amelia struggles against her heart and own mental illness she must prepare herself for the war that threatens both her own kingdom and that of her new wife. This book promises pirates, a magical island of sword wielding queers, and a tender romance filled with self discovery and finding the strength to over- come your demons.

- Elise

Monster Crush 

Dark Horse 

By Ellie Franey

For anyone who loved Hollow a few years ago by Shannon Watters, here’s another super cute queer coming of age story for you. High schooler Ruby Reid has been having a hard time fitting in since her parents split up. However, when new girl Ella Mooney comes to town, the two become fast friends, fighting off bullies together until Ruby realizes that Ella is a little… different than the other kids. (She sometimes grows fangs and a tail, for one.) Soon the two find themselves on the run from a mysterious group that wants to capture Ella and her whole family! Author/artist Ellie Franey has been writing comics online for years (Gender Turbulence, Henk and I), and is excited to serve up this debut full length OGN chock full of cute moments and queer joy. 

– Sloane

And that's a wrap! Give us a couple of weeks and tune back in for some frosty new look aheads for books coming your way in February! And as a friendly reminder - if you saw anything you need to add to your pull list, don't forget to head over to our pull modification form and fill it out!