Welcome back to Conskipper’s New Comic Day Picks for the week of February 17, 2021!
Once again, this was a very difficult task this week with a number of excellent choices from just about every publisher. We had to narrow down our list to the comics that stood out the most and that brought the most joy to us as long-time reader and fans of the medium, so many genres and titles are represented, and we assure you that at least one of the below picks is bound to make your new comic book day!
–Young Hellboy: The Hidden Land #1 (Dark Horse Comics): Hellboy is back and he’s younger than ever! Mike Mignola returns to the character he created in the new mini-series Young Hellboy: The Hidden Land and he is joined by co-writer Tom Sniegoski, artist Craig Rousseau, and colorist Dave Stewart for a wild ride through an uncharted land. Many Hellboy stories from different eras take place over the character’s long publication history, but we’ve never seen an entire series dedicated to Hellboy at this age. Religious zealots, plane crashes, over-sized creatures, and of course, a lot of apes, makes this story (as detailed in our recent review) “…a love note to Mignola’s characters and the pulp storytelling that initially inspired the original Hellboy tales.” If you’re looking for pure fun, this is the comic to pick up this week.
-Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin #2 (IDW): Turtle fans have been anxiously awaiting the second issue in The Last Ronin, unquestioningly the most high profile TMNT series in decades. Writer Tom Waltz, artist Esau Escorza, and the original Turtle creators Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman continue to spin a dystopian tale of Turtle revenge in the second over-sized issue of this series. Pieces of the mystery begin to be clarified in the second installment, and The Last Ronin even teams up with an unexpected new ally. The Last Ronin is the perfect comic for those that haven’t read a Turtle comic since the mid-80s as well as anyone who grew up on the cartoon version that wants to experience the gritty storytelling that originally brought the title to prominence.
-Immortal Hulk: Flatline #1 (Marvel Comics): Writer/artist Declan Shalvey tackles the Immortal Hulk in this tale that captures the vibe of Al Ewing’s critically acclaimed reimagining of the Hulk, while at the same time allowing Shalvey’s noir sensibilities to shine through. Flatline explores the mysterious places that Bruce Banner wakes up to in the morning, making Banner wonder if his alter-ego is in fact leaving subconscious clues for him. Banner doesn’t have long to think about this possibility before he is confronted with yet another gamma-irradiated menace. Shalvey lets loose in this one shot, and his signature detailed artwork has never looked better (and if you’d like to learn more about this comic, check out our recent interview with Shalvey).
-Black Widow #5 (Marvel Comics): Kelly Thompson and Elena Cassagrande wrap up their first story arc in this issue of Black Widow, as Natasha finally comes to her senses and turns the tables on her enemies. The results are life-changing for the long-time Marvel character, and fans will be impressed and surprised with all of the twists (well, she is a spy after all!). I know we have all had to wait longer than expected for a the first Black Widow solo film, but as we have been saving over the past few months, if you are jonesing for a Black Widow fix, and you haven’t picked up this series, we don’t know what to tell you.
-X-Men Legends #1 (Marvel Comics): Comic anthologies are all the rage these days, so it was only a matter of time before the X-Men got their very own anthology once again. X-Men Legends takes a bit of a different path in terms of the in-continuity story approach to the series, and it is a welcome change of pace, as well as a chance to return to some of the most memorable mutant eras from the past. The first story brings us back to the 1990s version of Professor Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, and these kids are ready to break all the rules! Fabian Nicieza returns to characters that he wrote in the same era and he is joined by one of the breakout image artists of the 1990s, Brett Booth (with the help of Adelso Corona). This issue brings together Cyclops and Havok just as the Shi’ar return to Earth in search of the Forsaken One. For those looking for a little mutant nostalgia, I think you’ve come to the right place.
That’s it for this week, so be sure to continue to support your local comic shop in a safe manner.