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Top 10 Most Anticipated Comics for 2/24/2021

Welcome to my Top 10 Most Anticipated Comics list. Where I count down what books I am most looking forward to coming out next week. It looks to be another solid week and narrowing it down to ten comics. With that here are some more books I am looking forward to that did not make the list.

Something Is Killing The Children #15, Wolverine #10, Black Panther #23, Batman: Black and White #3, Future State: Aquaman #2. The Scumbag #5, Marvel’s Voices: Legacy #1, The Kaiju Score #4, I Breathed A Body #2

 

 

Stray Dogs #110. Stray Dogs #1

Writer: Tony Fleecs
Artist: Trish Forstner
Publisher: Image Comics

Description: Lady and the Tramp meets Silence of the Lambs. It’s scary being the new dog. Sophie can’t remember what happened. She doesn’t know how she ended up in this house. She doesn’t recognize any of these other dogs. She knows something terrible happened, but she just… can’t…recall… WAIT! Where’s her lady?

Why it Made the List: A good tagline can go a long way. Lady and the Tramp meets Silence of the Lambs raises the eyebrows a great deal. How do you even make that work? I am excited to see them try. The creators Tony Fleecs and Trish Forstner are not creators I have a lot of experience with but I do see they have worked on a lot of My Little Pony comics, and I have heard nothing but good things about them. Plus drawing animals is hard. Drawing animals that need to emote is even harder. Having that past experience is going to be handy in making this book work.


Crimson Flower #29. Crimson Flower #2

Writer: Matt Kindt
Artist: Matt Lesniewski
Publisher: Dark Horse

Description: On the trail of her father’s killer, a young woman begins to blur the line between reality and fantasy as the folk tales from her childhood become more real than the world around her-and as she makes it one step further toward avenging her father, the line between justice and vengeance becomes equally fuzzy.

Why it Made the List: Crimson Flower #1 is an issue I appreciate more and more I think about it, and on a reread I really got the opportunity to dig into the art of Matt Lesniewski. It is a style unlike anything being published today. It still has one of my favorite panels of the year. And the story has a lot of promise as it is able to provide a new spin on the classic revenge tale. I am really excited to see how they keep this moving and what different types of fables they will incorporate within the narrative.


Two Moons #18. Two Moons #1

Writer: John Arcudi
Artist: Valerio Giangiordano
Publisher: Image Comics

Description: RUMBLE and B.P.R.D. writer JOHN ARCUDI is back at Image with rising star VALERIO GIANGIORDANO for an all-new ONGOING HORROR SERIES! This issue starts the long journey of a young Pawnee man named Virgil Morris – a.k.a. Two Moons.- fighting for the Union during the Civil War. When he is suddenly confronted with his shamanic roots, he discovers horrors far worse than combat as the ghosts of his past reveal the monstrous evil around him!

Why it Made the List: John Arcudi has been spending a lot of time in the Hellboy universe writing a number of the B.P.R.D. books. Mike Mignola is not just going to give just anyone the keys to his kingdom so you know he has some talent. Now Arcudi is getting the chance to create his own universe with this Two Moons series. As a big history fan, the idea of a series taking place during the Civil War is very exciting. Valerio Giangiordano has done a lot of great cover work as of late. Currently, his covers for the Taskmaster series have been wonderful. I hoping that will continue with his interior work as well.


Crossover #47. Crossover #4

Writer: Donny Cates
Artist: Geoff Shaw
Publisher: Image

Description: KIDS LOVE CHAINS, PART FOUR. Hey kids, time for a field trip! Journey to the strange land of magical Colorado as our intrepid team of heroes searches for a way to shatter the dome and expose the truth behind THE EVENT!! Also: Man, how about that last issue, right? Crazy.

Why it Made the List: In the last issue of Crossover we saw this series live up to its name. I know it may not be the characters people were exactly hoping for. Hey, copyrights can be tricky. As a fan of the character they teased on the final page, I am excited to see where this story will go next. Now that this issue promises to travel inside the dome where it all started. Who knows will be showing up this time? We may finally get some answers to why this is all happening. 


6. Usagi Yojimbo: Wanderer’s Road #4

Writer/Artist: Stan Sakai
Publisher: IDW

Description: “The Blade of the Gods” Seeking safety from a storm, Usagi encounters an unusual and frightening fellow ronin. The refuge turns into a dangerous trap as the ronin believes the gods want him to kill Usagi! Read the thrilling first encounter between Usagi and his most dangerous and terrifying enemy, Jei!

Why it Made the List: The last issue of Usagi Yojimbo: Wanderer’s Road showed how timeless this series remains. It is crazy when you realize it has been over thirty years since Usagi Yojimbo debuted. I know some do not love the idea of one or done stories. Personally, I believe when done well they can be some of the best comics. As someone who has only read a small portion of what Stan Sakai has done this series has been a delight. We also get a double dose of Usagi this week as the regular series is coming out as well. I am fine with that. 


Nuclear Family #15. Nuclear Family #1

Writer: Stephanie Phillips
Artist: Tony Shasteen
Publisher: Aftershock

Description: America, 1957. Elvis dominates the airwaves and apple pie is served after every meal. But, with the dark cloud of nuclear holocaust looming, Korean War vet Tim McClean’s major concern is taking care of his family in the atomic age. When the first bomb does drop on an unexpecting Midwest city, Tim and his family find themselves plunged into a strange new world, where what’s left of the Unites States has gone underground while continuing to wage war on Russia with unthinkable tactics.

Why it Made the List: Stephanie Phillips has been killing it lately with comics like Butcher of Paris, A Man Among Ye, and the recent Harley Quinn series. She has excelled in writing a multitude of different styles and types of stories so you know she has a range as a creator. This is based on Philip K. Dick’s short story so you are also starting with a solid foundation. Not surprisingly a story focused on the conflict between Russia and the United States is timely once again. Artist Tony Shasteen is not an artist I am super familiar with but the preview images do look strongly composed.


Serial #24. Serial #2

Writer/Artist: Terry Moore
Publisher: Abstract Studio

Description: Zoe is on the hunt for a small town serial killer hiding in plain sight, living and working among the community. Fear has the people on edge and everyone has a different theory based on horror movie profiling. But Zoe has learned that looks are for deceiving and she sees something very odd in several of the town’s leading citizens, particularly the beautiful Edna Trotter with her pitbulls and bloody rare steaks.

Why it Made the List: The first issue of Serial felt like a cold open that will lead to a much bigger story. Zoe is such a fun character and we got a glimpse of that last issue. When we saw she dreamed in actual cartoons full of major violence. Also, that sequence showed how great of an artist Terry Moore continues to be. Zoe becoming a small-time detective has a lot of promise, especially if it will examine how preconceived notions can impact the way people view a major event in their town. A small-town crime tale with colorful characters is something Moore will no doubt excel at telling. 

 


Ice Cream Man #233. Ice Cream Man #23

Writer: W. Maxwell Prince
Artist: Martin Morazzo
Publisher: Image

Description: “LATE NIGHT SPLASHES”-Here, in writing, is our best attempt at describing the terrible incident that occurred on the set of Tonight, Tonight with Mack Benson.

Why it Made the List: When a monthly comic takes a month off it can feel like forever between issues. Ice Cream Man has been one of the most consistent comics since its debut. Having the episodic style gives it so much opportunity to tell different stories. You also never know what exactly you will get with each issue. The description had me searching to see if there was actually an incident on the Tonight, Tonight show. You never know. Maybe it is a reference to the story of Christine Chubbuck that was chronicled in the movie Christine. Where something awful happened live on television. Despite not being based on a real event I am sure it will be as twisted as ever. 


Skulldigger + Skeleton Boy #62. Skulldigger + Skeleton Boy #6

Writer: Jeff Lemire
Artist: Tonci Zonjic
Publisher: Dark Horse

Description: With dead bodies piling up, and a young boy’s future on the line, Skulldigger and Detective Reyes confront the psychopathic Grimjim-and each other-in a final showdown that determines the fate of Spiral City. ‘Skulldigger and Skeleton Boy is a new kind of vigilante duo fraught with all the terror and bad choices any sociopath would cherish. There is no good or bad, just before and after.’ -The Brazen Bull

Why it Made the List: Skulldigger + Skeleton Boy has been this story that asks the question of what would happen if Bruce Wayne was adopted by The Punisher. A full examination of vengeance and how it can twist your personal being. Tonci Zonjic has put on an artistic clinic with all the different styles he has used within each issue. At times having a type of a cartoon sheen while at others the darkness of reality is fully shown. This is part of the Black Hammer universe but has had the least amount to do with the previous series. It makes it a great series to jump on to if you ever wanted to dip your toe into that universe. 


Red Sonja #241. Red Sonja #24

Writer: Mark Russell
Artist: Alessandro Miracolo
Publisher: Dynamite

Description: Mark Russell’s epic run on Red Sonja comes to a close. Sonja The Red’s reign is tested as never before, and will set the stage for a new tale, in next month’s Red Sonja #25…

Why it Made the List: Mark Russell’s run on Red Sonja was the first time I ever read this character. Now it is coming to an end. Personally, endings in comics fascinate me. It is such a hard thing to do right especially when you need to leave room for the next creator. In the last issue of Red Sonja, we got some major moments that I thought would have been saved for this issue. What will Russell’s final statement on Red Sonja be? We have seen this exploration of leadership since issue one, and I wonder what will the final coda be on that theme? Those types of questions tend to interest me more than those related to the plot. The answers are far richer and more thought-provoking.

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Dan Clark

A fan of all things comics, movies, books, and whatever else I can find that pass the time. Twitter: @DXO_Dan Instagram: Comic_concierge

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