Every Monday, your local comic book shop finalizes orders for comics that are about five weeks from publication. This is your last chance to guarantee a pre-ordered copy for these comics. Here are my preemptive picks for this week’s FOC items having not read any of them. You can see the complete list of final order comics from our friends at Death Ray Comics.
Ant-Man #5
Marvel Comics
(W) Nick Spencer (A) Ramon Rosanas (CA) Mark Brooks
On The Rack: 5/6/2015
MSRP: $3.99
Publisher Synopsis:
The explosive first arc finale! There aren’t actually any explosions – but there IS a big showdown with our poorly lit villain, and plenty of heartbreak to go around. Nothing will be the same again! Except you’re still aging. That’s not going anywhere.
Preemptive Pick:
Yesterday, Marvel released an Ant-Man trailer teaser. Yes, that’s right, a prevue teasing a trailer. If you haven’t been reading Spencer’s “Ant-Man,” this teaser should get you excited for the trailer/movie, and then push you to read one of my favorite marvel titles right now.
Arcadia #1
Boom! Studios
(W) Alex Paknadel (A) Eric Scott Pfeiffer (CA) Matt Taylor
On The Rack: 5/6/2015
MSRP: $3.99
Publisher Synopsis:
Our long tradition of breaking new talent-like Rafael Albuquerque (The Savage Brothers, American Vampire), Emma Rios (Hexed, Pretty Deadly), and Declan Shalvey (28 Days Later, Moon Knight)-continues with the debut of Alex Paknadel and Eric Scott Pfeiffer, two new creators whose extensive world-building in the sci-fi thriller Arcadia evokes comparisons to epics like Game of Thrones, The Matrix, and Astro City.
When 99% of humankind is wiped out by a pandemic, four billion people are “saved” by being digitized at the brink of death and uploaded into Arcadia, a utopian simulation in the cloud. But when Arcadia begins to rapidly deplete the energy resources upon which the handful of survivors in the real world (aka “The Meat”) depends, how long will The Meat be able-and willing-to help? Featuring the first of five connecting covers by Matt Taylor.
Preemptive Pick:
It sounds like “Outbreak” meets “The Matrix.” Sign me up. Boom! has a great history of stewarding new talent into the big arena of publishing. Let’s see if new meat, Paknadel and Pfeiffer, will make the cut.
Baltimore Cult of the Red King #1 (OF 5)
Dark Horse Comics
(W) Mike Mignola, Christopher Golden (A) Peter Bergting (CA) Ben Stenbeck
On The Rack: 5/6/2015
MSRP: $3.99
Publisher Synopsis:
The Red King is legendary. But is he the stuff of myth-or the ultimate adversary of the human race? In this series, Lord Baltimore discovers the truth about an ancient evil that threatens to destroy the world.
Click for a free PDF preview.
Preemptive Pick:
Another addition to the “Mignola-verse.” This is the sixth volume of the Lord Baltimore series that Mignola and Golden have crafted. This five issue mini-series has the exact same creative team as did “The Witch of Harju” (half of volume 5). If you’ve enjoyed the other “Baltimore” stories, there is no reason not to enjoy this series.
Dead Drop #1 (OF 4)
Valiant Entertainment LLC
(W) Ales Kot (A) Adam Gorham (CA) Raul Allen
On The Rack: 5/6/2015
MSRP: $3.99
Publisher Synopsis:
Four issues. Four stories. One ticking clock! Red-hot writer Ales Kot (Bucky Barnes: The Winter Soldier) and rising star Adam Gorham (Zero) start the countdown to DEAD DROP as an unlikely cast of superhuman operators fall in deep for an undercover conspiracy action thriller in the darkest corners of the Valiant Universe…
There is a secret black market in New York. It is hidden in plain sight – in our streets, trains, restaurants. Those who know how to navigate it exchange secrets of extraordinary nature. But when the secret in circulation is a biological weapon derived from Vine technology, the gloves are off – and the most extraordinary agents are released to stop the disaster before it occurs. Otherwise, in less than thirty minutes, there will be no world to come back to.
X-O Manowar, Archer, Neville Alcott, Detective Cejudo and Betamax are ready to save the world.
Click for free PDF prevue!
Preemptive Pick:
Ales Kot, his name alone evokes meme-worth allusions to Mugatu’s “So hot right now.” A fairly new player in the big leagues, he’s been crushing hits out of the park: “Secret Avengers,” “Bucky Barnes: Winter Soldier,” and – along with Gorham – “Zero.” I see him making his own path, aligned closely to that of Ed Brubaker. So, if you like thrilling, down to “cut the red or blue wire” type stories, I don’t think this will let down.
Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #5
Marvel Comics
(W) Ryan North (A/CA) Erica Henderson
On The Rack: 5/6/2015
Publisher Synopsis:
The breakout character of 2015 continues her one-woman crusade against injustice and jerks in this standalone issue, a perfect jumping-on point for new readers! These TAILS of the Squirrel Girl will show you the Marvel Universe’s most powerful super hero from a bunch of brand-new perspectives, several of them QUITE ASTONISHING. This comic is actually a bunch of minicomics in one, giving it definitely the #1 most-comics-per-actual-physical-comic value in stores today!
Preemptive Pick:
If you haven’t picked up an issue of “Squirrel Girl” yet, I feel bad for you. Do yourself a favor and just start with this issue. This issue will resemble an annual issue as it has many minicomics bunched together. You’ll see why it’s funny, smart, and the comic book that fandom needs.
Trent Hunsaker is a podcaster and popculturalist. Podcasting for Kevin Smith’s SModcast Internet Radio and the A Part of Him Podcast Network, he also operates Death Ray Comics, sweats, and reads comics – but mostly just sweats.