Welcome back to Conskipper’s New Comic Day Picks for the week of August 18, 2021!
This week brings a number of new series, new story arcs, and the ending of one much-loved one. Check out the racks at your local store thoroughly this week, as there are a wide variety of reading options available.
–Ascender #18 (Image Comics): The bitter sweet conclusion of Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen’s Ascender arrives this week, brining the story that began in Descender many years ago to a close. The series has been a perfect blend of sci-fi and fantasy, with all of the heart one can expect from Lemire’s scripting and Nguyen’s expressive artwork. Ascender is an excellent comic to show off to friends who don’t read comics (or those that haven’t in a number of years), as it highlights some of the best storytelling that is taking place in the medium and one that is outside of the superhero genre. For those that want more from the creative team of Lemire and Nguyen, look for their upcoming Robin and Batman series in November.
–Kang the Conqueror #1 (Marvel Comics): Long-time Marvel fans are very familiar with Kang the Conqueror and will identify him as possibly the chief nemesis of the Avengers. With the recent ending of the Loki series on Disney+, many casual comic fans have been asking a lot of questions about him, so now is the perfect time for a Kang origin story by writers Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing and artist Carlos Magno.
And while Kang has been an ever-present thorn in the side of the Avengers, his exploits and various identities do get confusing, even for the most devout Marvel fan. The first issue of the new series goes a long way in establishing what has come before and takes him “into the future”. Kelly and Lanzing handle the story in a way that will please those old-school fans and will also entertain the less experienced and Magno’s art is equally up to par. With a stunning cover by Mike del Mundo, this is a hard one to pass up.
–X-Men: The Trial of Magneto #1 (Marvel Comics): The X-Men line has been “killing it” as of late, and now we have a murder mystery to uncover, featuring the reported death of the Scarlet Witch! Leah Williams continues the excellent work she has been delivering on a monthly basis over in X-Factor with a tale that involves not only the residents of Krakoa. Lucas Werneck handles the art on the series, and visually communicates the investigation pieces, as well as the action scenes, with an updated, classic style. If you haven’t tried one of the new X-Men books, this is a good place to start.
-Killer Queens #1 (Dark Horse Comics): David M. Booher and Claudia Balboni’s sci-fi series arrives this week from Dark Horse Comics, adding some much needed variety to the comic racks. As we described the series in our interview with Booher and Balboni, “Killer Queens is part homage/part parody of all of those classic 1950’s sci-fi tropes, with a modern LGBTQ+ sensibility that puts a new coat of paint on concepts and scenarios we have all seen before in comics and films of the future that never was.” So if you enjoy irreverent humor and drive-in style action, Killer Queens may be the comic you are looking for.
-Moon Knight #2 (Marvel Comics): Jed MacKay and Alessandro Cappucio are off to a great start on Moon Knight, who may have the biggest cult following in the Marvel pantheon. MacKay and Cappucio’s iteration of the character gives a nod to his past and is also highly accessible to the uninitiated. The focus on the Midnight Mission in this series allows for all sorts of adventures for the Knight and keeps the unhinged aesthetic intact.
That’s it for this week. Be sure to continue to support your local comic shop in a safe manner.