Welcome back to Conskipper’s New Comic Day Picks for the week of December 30, 2020!
The last new comic day of the year brings a wild 2020 to a close. At least comics were there for fans to help navigate all of the problems and gave us a legitimate excuse to stay home and overindulge in the medium. This week’s picks include a real mixed bag of titles and series, with a few house-hold names and others that should be house-hold names (or may be in the future).
–Colonel Weird: Cosmagog #3 (Dark Horse Comics): Before you pick up this odd, trippy, and endlessly entertaining collaboration between Jeff Lemire and Tyler Crook, if you have never read a Black Hammer comic book, immediately head to your local comic shop and purchase the first four volumes of the series. One of our happiest moments of 2020 was the discovery of Lemire’s classic and realistic take on the superhero genre, which like Colonel Weird’s perception of reality, seemed to somehow elude our notice. Luckily, we had a moment of clarity and understood why the series won an Eisner Award in 2017 (Hey, we get lost like the Colonel sometimes too).
Colonel Weird: Cosmagog is the sci-fi adventure origin story of the oddest of the Black Hammer bunch. Part Doctor Strange, part Adam Strange, the Colonel’s experiences with forces beyond our understanding have taken a hefty toll on the hero. In this issue, Colonel Weird wanders through the counter-culture scene of the 1960s, seeking clues about his past and origins, sifting through the convoluted patterns of the past, future, and present. Lemire and Crook are on top of their game in this series, so don’t wait like we did to experience the world of Black Hammer.
-Jinny Hex Special #1 (DC Comics): Young Justice’s Jinny Hex stars in her first solo adventure and she’s ready to take on not only the Wild West, but the universe if need be! Hex was one of the breakout characters from the series and we hope that this Special is not the last we see of her in her own book. Jinny Hex is written by Magdalene Visaggio and drawn by Gleb Melnikov and the two form a perfect combination in telling Jinny’s story (which just may include a visit from an old family member). Taking the concept of the Western hero and placing them in a modern and multiversal setting has worked for DC before (anyone remember the Mad Max-inspired Hex from 1985?) so if you like new takes on legacy characters, and aren’t afraid of a little change, seek Jinny Hex out.
-Wolverine #8 (Marvel Comics): Although this is issue #8 in the most recent Wolverine series, the beautiful cover by Adam Kubert clearly shouts out that the character has just reached 350 solo issues. For those that picked up the original mini-series by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller in 1982, the thought of Wolverine reaching 350 solo issues was something, even with the character’s immense popularity, that seemed unreachable. This giant size issue by writer Benjamin Percy, interior artists Kubert and Viktor Bogdanovic, colorists Antonio Fabela and Matt Wilson, and letter Cory Petit brings back one of Logan’s old “buddies” Maverick (as evidenced by the cover) and is another jumping on opportunity with the start of a new story arc. This anniversary issue also comes with ten distinct covers, so if you are a collector, I hope you saved up!
–Werewolf By Night #3 (Marvel Comics): Two 1970s staples Red Wolf and Werewolf by Night collide in the third issue of the new Werewolf by Night mini-series. This updated take on both characters by writers Taboo and Benjamin Jackendoff and artists Scot Eaton, Jeff Veregge, and Scott Hanna explore Native South Western legends, Marvel history, and the insidious Life Pharmaceuticals in the second to last issue in the series. Coupled with another exciting cover by Mike McKone, for those looking for a new thrill (as well as timely social commentary), check out the new Wolf in town.
-King in Black: Iron Man and Doctor Doom #1 (Marvel Comics): Writer Christopher Cantwell gets to team up the two characters that he is most associated with in this King in Black tie-in which oddly enough also serves as a Christmas special. Cantwell just wrapped up his excellent Doctor Doom series and he is also drawing rave reviews for his new Iron Man series, so putting these two armored characters together is a no-brainer. Cantwell is joined by his Doctor Doom partner Salvador Larroca (who has made a career of drawing mechanical suits) for this one-shot, in which Tony Stark tries to save Eddie Brock and is joined by a suspicious ally in the form of Doctor Doom. For those who have been following King in Black, this is an essential piece of the puzzle. For those that haven’t, the issue reads as a surprisingly funny and insightful look at two lynchpins of the Marvel Universe.
That’s it for this week. From all of us at Conskipper, we wish you a happy new year, and one that hopefully includes a number of great comics!