Welcome back to Conskipper’s New Comic Day Picks for the week of June 30, 2021!
The days are getting hotter and the Fourth of July is right around the corner and before you know it, the store shelves will be filled with backpacks and pencils for a return to school. If you want to keep the summer going, just visit your local comic shop where the shelves have no reminders of Back-to-School sales. School is out, so let’s all enjoy some comics!
–The United States of Captain America #1 (Marvel Comics): What could be a more appropriate release for the week of July 4th than a series that brings together new and old shield bearers in The United States of Captain America. Christopher Cantwell and Dale Eaglesham celebrate Captain America’s 80th Anniversary with this star-spangled mini-series and will also be joined by a rotating series of creative teams that will introduce a whole slew of heroes inspired by Steve Rogers to take up their own shields. In the first issue, the shield has been stolen, so Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson set out on a classic American tradition: the road trip across America to find the missing symbol of liberty. With a stunning cover by Alex Ross featuring Steve, Sam, Bucky, and John Walker, how can you pass this one up.
–Green Arrow 80th Anniversary 100 Page Super Spectacular #1 (DC Comics): Speaking of anniversaries, it is time to congratulate DC’s Emerald Archer on 80 years of arrow-slinging action. Green Arrow and friends such as Black Canary, Connor Hawke, Arsenal, Red Arrow, Speedy, and more all appear in this over-sized anniversary issue, which reflects on the past and present and looks towards the future of Oliver Queen in a number of stories by top creative talent. Some of the writers and artists include Mike Grell, Jeff Lemire, Phil Hester, Otto Schmidt, Ben Percy, Tom Taylor, Devin Grayson, Stephanie Phillips, Mariko Tamaki, Ram V, Vita Ayala, Nicola Scott, Chris Mitten, Laura Braga, Max Fiumara, and Brandon Thomas, making for a star-studded tribute to the hard travelling hero.
–Daredevil #31 (Marvel Comics): Chip Zdarsky has been knocking it out of the park on his run on Daredevil and this issue introduces a brand new story arc called “Lockdown”. Zdarsky and artists Mike Hawthorne and Adriano Di Benedetto have somehow managed to incorporate all of the classic Daredevil friends and foes in this issue and place them in unique situations that is bound to please even the most jaded old-school fan. This one also boasts another great Marco Checchetto cover, who has done most of the interior artwork on Zdarsky’s stint on the title. If you haven’t been reading this run, and you love the Man Without Fear, you owe it to yourself to track down these back issues or trades.
–Parasomnia #1 (Dark Horse Comics): Cullen Bunn returns to his horror roots in this new series from Dark Horse Comics, and he is joined by artist Andrea Mutti for a dark fantasy tale about two supernatural worlds and those caught in between them. With scares and mystery in the “real world” and the strange dream-like world of Parasomnia, Bunn and Mutti deliver an intelligent and frightening slice of comic horror. Fans of Bunn’s work on Harrow County will enjoy Parasomia and will be in for the additional treat of Mutti’s realistic and detailed art style.
–Black Cat Annual #1 (Marvel Comics): Jed MacKay and Joey Vazquez continue Marvel’s old-school annual crossover event (anyone remember Atlantic Attacks?) called Infinite Destinies in Black Cat Annual #1. MacKay’s work on Black Cat has been top-notch (and you can read our interview with him right here) and Vazquez’s art style is perfect at capturing the action and espionage in this issue. New villains are the order of the day for Infinite Destinies and Black Cat Annual doesn;t disappoint, as the hunt for the Infinity Stones heats up. This issue also includes Part 3 (of 8) of “Infinite Fury”, so if you missed out on last week’s Captain America Annual, be sure to track that one down as well.
That’s it for this week. Be sure to keep supporting your local comic shop in a safe manner.