In midcentury America, the world’s greatest superheroes triumph in their public battles, while struggling with private ones. Social and political unrest take a personal toll: one member joins the counterculture movement, others grapple with personal demons, and suspicion and betrayal cast a shadow over the most trusted friendships.
Jabba the Hutt lives to negotiate, and the art of the deal is his only discipline. But the goods he trades are the lives of others, and in that line of business you can’t lose your head. In this self-contained story, Jabba finds himself bartering with Gaar Suppoon, rumored to be an absolute devil at the negotiating table. There’s a valuable lesson to be learned here: In a deal with the devil, you can always refuse. In a deal with Jabba, it’s not advised.
American Flagg, which ran 50 issues (Oct. 1983 – March 1988), was one of the first titles to be published by First Comics, an early alternative press comics company founded in Evanston, Illinois in 1983. Unusually for the time, the company offered its freelance writers and artists creator rights, including ownership of their creations.Regardless, writer-artist Howard Chaykin, then living in New York City, felt trepidation when First Comics approached him to do a project. He recalled in 2010,
“My concern had all and everything to do with the fact that this was a brand new company, located in [a suburb of] Chicago. I’d always worked for companies I’d visited and had day-to-day-dealings with. [But they talked about a financial plan that would make it possible for me to get out from under the debt I had accrued working for [publisher] Byron Preiss[illustrating early graphic novels]. It was encouraging, so I went home and concocted a scenario, a pitch document, and that was it.”
Chaykin devised a series set in 2031, a high-tech but spiritually empty, consumerist world in which the American government has relocated to Mars, leaving what remains of the U.S. to be governed by the all-encompassing corporation the Plex. The series star is Reuben Flagg, a former TV star drafted into the Plexus Rangers and posted as a deputy in Chicago, Illinois.
The first 12 issues, running through cover-date September 1984, consisted of four interlocking, three-issue story arcs. Chaykin recalled his difficulty in producing 28 pages of art and script monthly. “I was still a smoker and a drinker at the time. And [the output was such that] I’d never done anything like that before, and it was insane. It just devoured my life I had no assistants. I didn’t how to work with an assistant at that point, and it was a very difficult process. … I was trying to do a fairly high-quality product and I didn’t want to slough it off.”
Eight months after the events of Secret Wars and the restoration of Earth, Deadpool is seen working for Steve Rogers. After stealing some potentially life-saving chemicals needed by an ailing Rogue, he is offered membership in the Avengers Unity Squad.
In the course of the following months, Deadpool’s popularity skyrocketed after the mercenary Solo impersonated him to piggyback on Deadpool’s reputation and take jobs at a higher pay rate. One of Solo’s jobs in Washington, D.C. had Deadpool’s public opinion drastically change for the better when he saved an ambassador from his telepathically-manipulated agents. After learning of Solo’s impersonation, Deadpool came up with the idea to form a group of mercenaries called the Mercs for Money to extend his reach across the globe. However, Deadpool’s newfound popularity forced him to leave his family behind, fearing his enemies could endanger them. Deadpool additionally joined the Avengers Unity Division and used his popularity as a means of funding the team, with the profit from merchandise.
On October 17, 2012, Top Cow debuted the fourth volume of the series. This was a rebooted Cyber Force as part of the company’s “Top Cow Rebirth” initiative. Funded through a Kickstarter campaign, the first five issues were released for free. Silvestri provided cyberpunk-influenced art for the rebooted series, while Khoi Pham was brought aboard as illustrator after five years of exclusive work for Marvel Comics. The first issue received a positive review from Benjamin Bailey of IGN, who described the post-apocalyptic setting as both interesting and genuine.
Legends of the Dark Knight 100-Page Super Spectacular was an ongoing comic book featuring Batman stories by many different creative teams. All the stories were intended to be “continuity free” and do not fit into the canon of any of the mainstream DC universes (Prime Earth, New Earth, Earth-One or Earth-Two). This series was digital first, meaning the stories were first available online, and then later published on paper in this series.
Eight months after the Ultimatum Wave, The Defenders, having recently acquired superpowers, attack Iron Man and Hawkeye at the Triskelion facility. After a brief fight, Captain America, Zarda, and Valkyrie arrive to help. The Defenders then teleport away, stealing the great Mjöllnir from Valkyrie in the process. Meanwhile in Central Park, Shanna, Ka-Zar, and the Black Panther encounter Loki as he returns to Earth with the Enchantress and a swarm of monsters. At the same time, Hela offers Thor a return to Earth from Valhalla in exchange for a son. It is also revealed that Tony Stark and Carol Danvers, director of S.H.I.E.L.D., have become romantically involved.
When Krakoa opened their doors to all mutants and forgave all past crimes (here’s to you, Apocalypse), they might have known they’d have to accept some of their worst foes into the fold—but they didn’t plan for what to do with them. Not to worry—Mister Sinister knows exactly what to do with the troublemakers. Meet his new Hellions: Greycrow, Wild Child, Empath, Nanny, Orphan-Maker, Psylocke—and Havok?! Under Sinister’s direction, they are sure to become productive members of mutant society…. right?
Devil’s Due Comics and Trailer Park Boys have inked a big fancy partnership to debut the Canadian trio from Sunnyvale Trailer Park in their debut comic book series! Featuring a a sh** ton of creators and short stories personally approved by “the boys.” This wicked anthology series stars Ricky, Julian, and Bubbles in a mix of original shorts that feel plucked right from the TV show, as well as some fantastical tales that can’t be done on TV.
Worldwide, ancient gods suddenly begin trying to destroy the Earth and each other. While the ancient Roman gods wage war with the Olympian gods, the Egyptian, African, Norse, Babylonian and Thanagarian gods each want to recreate the world in their own images, and attack the superheroes who stand in their way. Unknown to them, it is in fact the sorceress Circe who has led each of them to wage war on each other, so she can destroy the Earth goddess Gaea. With the threat of Wonder Woman stopping her, Circe makes sure she has her hands busy fighting Captain Marvel, under the influence of the Roman Gods, before he destroys the Greek Gods.
EHT Comics 