Welcome back to Conskipper’s New Comic Day Picks for the week of June 2, 2021!
This week’s picks may look like a fall crop of horror goodness, but then again, we are only five months away from October!
–Family Tree #12 (Image Comics): Jeff Lemire and Phil Hester’s final issue of Family Tree arrives this week, wrapping up the arduous journey of family coping with a horrifying transformation. Lemire’s work in the horror genre, like his other work in super hero tales and science fiction, always bring the tragedy and tension home to readers and Hester’s style is well-suited for capturing the emotions of the family members, as well as the sadistic forces that they are forced to cope with. If you haven’t given Family Tree a try, now is the time to track down the previous issues and initial trade before they disappear.
-Young Hellboy: The Hidden Land #4 (Dark Horse Comics): The final issue of the pulp-era Young Hellboy: The Hidden Land also wraps up this week and it is time for a final showdown with the vampire queen Vesperra. And who better to oppose an ancient vampire than an ancient ape-god? Young Hellboy provides all of the fun, excitement, and heart one expects from a collaboration between Mike Mignola, Tom Sniegoski, Craig Rousseau, and Dave Stewart. And if you’d like to know a little more about the series, be sure to check out our review of the first issue and our interview with Sniegoski.
-The Conjuring: The Lover #1 (DC Comics): DC Comics debuts their new horror line with the tie-in to Friday’s The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It sequel called The Lover. Since Vertigo closed up shop a few year’s ago, DC Comics hasn’t had a proper place for horror fans to get their fix, and a Conjuring series is the perfect way to bring attention to the new imprint. The story by Conjuring screenwriter David L. Johnson-McGoldrick, Rex Ogle, and Garry Brown (along with a classic Bill Sienkiewicz cover) provides some background for the upcoming film, telling the story of Jessica, a freshman in college with bigger problems than a bad roommate. The new series should bring some lapsed horror comic fans into local stores this week, so be sure to show them all of the fine horror titles that they may have missed, along with this new, high profile series.
-Iron Man Annual #1 (Marvel Comics): I have always been a sucker for annuals and summer crossover events and this issue satisfies both cravings! Iron Man Annual #1 by Jed MacKay and Ibraim Roberson is the first chapter in Infinite Destinies, Marvel’s update on where the Infinity Stones have been hiding and a platform to debut some new protagonists. The energy-filled Quantum arrives to challenge ole’ shell-head, and the issue also includes Part 1 (of 8) of “Infinite Fury”, a quest that ties into the Infinite Destinies storyline.
-Swamp Thing #4 (DC Comics): Ram V and Mike Perkins continue their excellent new chapter in the Swamp Thing legacy in issue four, which finds our cast of character still trapped within the Green. The new Swamp Thing, Levi Kamei, along with Poison Ivy and Jennifer attempt to uncover what is going wrong with The Green and how the disastrous effects can be reversed. Many great writers and artists have worked on Swamp Thing over the years, and V and Perkins’ contribution to the mythos is another horror-filled, psychological addition to an impressive back catalogue.
That’s it for this week. Be sure to keep supporting your local comic shop in a safe and responsible fashion.