5 graphic novels out this week for your weekend reading list!
HEATHEN Vol. 1
Aydis is a viking, a warrior, an outcast, and a self-proclaimed heathen. Aydis is friend to the talking horse Saga, rescuer of the immortal Valkyrie Brynhild, and battler of demons and fantastic monsters. Aydis is a woman. Born into a time of warfare, suffering, and subjugation of women, she is on a mission to end the oppressive reign of the god-king Odin.
TRANSFORMERS: Till All Are One Vol. 2
Epic space-opera action continues as the dramatic TRANSFORMERS continuity leads on to new and explosive revelations! REVOLUTION is over but the danger isn’t! A wave of undead TITANS threatens CYBERTRON! STARSCREAM will need more than secret police to stop the oncoming horde, but our Fearless Leader finds himself short on friends and firepower. Who can be called upon–and why aren’t they stepping up to the plate? Collects issues #5–9.
TRISH TRASH Vol. 2: Rollergirl of Mars
Seven-year-old (fifteen in Earth years) Mars girl, Trish Trash, is still excited about her big contract to the roller derby team, but changes are afoot. She has added a new member to the household: Qiqi, an alien she found clinging to life in the untouched part of Mars. Together with her working class aunt and uncle, the family rehabilitates her to health. Meanwhile, life on Mars is getting harder and Qiqi’s presence brings a new financial burden. Trish’s contract with the roller derby team is at risk as she needs to help provide for her family. Will Trish respond with her normal move of speeding away?
GWEENPOOL, THE UNBELIEVABLE Vol. 3: Totally In Continuity
Collects Gwenpool, The Unbelievable #11-15 and material from Gwenpool Holiday Special: Merry Mix-Up #1.
Gwen Poole continues to make friends and influence people across the Marvel Universe! But what will some of Marvel’s greatest heroes make of Gwen and her bizarre perspective on the world they live in? Whatever happens, it’ll be Unbelievable!
BATMAN/TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES ADVENTURES
The animated worlds of the current Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Nickelodeon cartoon and Batman: The Animated Series collide in this outstanding mini-series featuring fan-favorite characters from both universes! Villains start to mysteriously escape Arkham and Batman seeks to track them down, but he discovers that they have left Gotham completely… and gone to the New York City of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! Collects issues #1-6!
HEATHEN #5
Once again Aydis finds herself alone. Now she must journey to the elusive place known as Heimdall, the living gateway to the land of the gods. To get there, she must brave the treacherous waters of the Northern Sea. But hiring a ship proves trickier than she imagined.
Review: Vault’s Heathen #4 Has Loss, Bravery, Hope, and Queer Love →
Tia Vasiliou, aka “Lou” from the comiXologist podcast crew, recommends Natasha Alterici’s HEATHEN #4 from Vault Comics this month for @themarysue
558 | Parchie →
Primary topic this episode: this week’s comics! Other topics include Riverdale, Archie’s abs, podcast burning man, feeling bad if you date Archie, FAVE COVERS OF THE WEEK, Matty Byzantine, underboss surgery, meat suit, farm-boy Luke, loving Todd, fake DD news, angry Swampy, and your letters!
Did you know you can pre-order and subscribe to your favorite series so you’ll never miss an issue? Check out our picks for 5/17!
HEATHEN #4
As they set out to free Aydis from the goddess Freya’s grasp, Brynhild and Sigurd find trouble brewing in a rural village. Brynhild feels compelled to intervene. Meanwhile, with the help of a quiet ally, Aydis strikes a crucial blow against the enemy.
THE FLASH #22
“THE BUTTON” part four! The cataclysmic events of DC UNIVERSE: REBIRTH #1 continue here! The Dark Knight and The Fastest Man Alive, the two greatest detectives on any world, unite to explore the mystery behind a certain blood-stained smiley button embedded in the Batcave wall. What starts as a simple investigation turns deadly when the secrets of the button prove irresistible to an unwelcome third party—and it’s not who anyone suspects! It’s a mystery woven through time, and the ticking clock starts here!
THE WICKED + THE DIVINE: 455 AD
“CITY OF GOD”
Nothing lives forever, be it man, god, or empire, but that doesn’t mean you have to go quietly. Join us as Lucifer refuses to fiddle while the Roman Empire burns. The critically acclaimed THE WICKED + THE DIVINE inevitably vandalizes history as it turns to the Sack of Rome. Showcasing the epic art of ANDRÉ LIMA ARAÚJO (Avengers AI, Man Plus), the special is NOT included in the forthcoming fifth volume of THE WICKED + THE DIVINE.
ROYAL CITY #3
JEFF LEMIRE’s ambitious new graphic novel continues as Tara Pike awakens, lost in a strange other world that may hold the secrets to her unhappiness. Meanwhile, the Pike brothers reunite with disastrous consequences.
DARTH VADER #1
The most fearsome villain of all time returns with an all-new series! When Anakin Skywalker fell, both to the pull of the dark side and to the blade of Obi-Wan Kenobi, he rose back up, more machine than man. Having lost everything that was once dear to him, the former chosen one must take his first steps into a darker world…as Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith!
Keep up with your new favs, here are some 2nd issues out this week!
HEATHEN #2
The viking warrior Aydis crosses hellfire to reach the Valkyrie Brynhild, only to discover that was the easy part. Actually setting Brynhild free from Odin’s curse is a whole other story. Meanwhile her talking horse Saga confronts the mystical wolves who will end the world.
THE WILD STORM #2
All Angela Spica did was save someone’s life. And now hers is over. The rogue engineer lies bleeding in a place she hopes nobody will find - but she’s wrong. The people embedded in the secret power structures of the world are tracking her. Skywatch. Halo. International Operations. A covert operative called Grifter.
If only she hadn’t unknowingly foiled an assassination planned by her boss. If only her boss wasn’t the one person more interested in the Engineer’s transhuman implants than in her life.
It’s all going very wrong, very quickly. There’s going to be more blood.
DEATH BE DAMNED #2
Miranda wakes in the Underneath, caught between the living and dead, and learns that even if she can’t die, she may be running out of time to get her revenge.
DARKNESS VISIBLE #2
When the demons came, humanity reluctantly learned to share the world with another sentient race. Eighty years later, this uneasy co-existence has spawned an endless terrorist conflict. Detective Daniel Aston, charged with being the thin blue line between the two sides, is tested to the limit when a demon sets up house inside his soul. But to save his daughter, he’ll pay any price—including genocide.
SUPER SONS #2
“When I Grow Up” part two! Robin and Superboy—in the clutches of Lex Luthor! The boys are in big trouble! How exactly are they supposed to explain what’s happened to Superman and Batman? Plus, Kid Amazo’s power grows, and this tyrant in the making is about to make life miserable for the Super Sons!
547 | Beauty Mask →
In this podcast episode Lou returns from her walkabout to talk comics AND LOGAN.
Primary topic this episode: the books we read this week! Other topics include Lou returning to the podcast, her trip to Emerald City Comic Con (ECCC) for funsies, face products, Emerald Moments, lesbian Vikings, watercolors to make you drool, FAVE COVERS OF THE WEEK, pointy ears and red hair, Werewolves, YouTube Kids rabbit hole, seeing LOGAN separately as people, #tweetsofDOOM, and reporting Lou to the police!
Check out the Indie LGBTQ Pride sale, featuring the acclaimed Fresh Romance @rosypress, Smut Peddler @ironcircuscomics, Heathen by Natasha Alterici and dozens more!
A comiXologist Recommends (a Viking odyssey)
Creator - Natasha Alterici
Vikings, Immortals, and forbidden love are the driving forces of this new independent release from comiXology Submit. Heathen tells the story of a lonely Viking warrior named Aydis, who has been exiled from her home for her differences and is on a quest to prove her love and true courage above all others. It really is so sweet. And that can be meant in the different ways “sweet” can be taken. The ending of Volume 1 left me feeling both “warm & fuzzy” and outright “pumped up” for violence.
Aydis is a warrior who was driven from her home by prejudice and small-minded leadership. Her loving father was given a choice to kill her or marry her off.
He chose to kill her, because marrying her off would essentially enslave her to someone Aydis can’t actually love completely, if at all. Aydis is a lesbian, of which her father is aware, and instead of killing her he simply made it look like he had! In order to redeem her honor, Aydis set off on a quest to free the Valkyrie queen, Brynhild. With her trusty steed Saga, Aydis will not be prevented from her destiny.
Alterici’s book sets the stage for a very violent conflict with the Viking God Odin. The conclusion of Volume 1 filled my heart with a pitter-patter I usually get when I watch extremely well choreographed violence. I read the last page of Volume 1 a couple of days ago, and I’m still geeking out about Aydis. She is a badass. I just want to talk about the last page of this book so bad!
Natasha Alterici is my new favorite writer/creator with this first trade. Her writing of her heroine Aydis sets a nice standard to which writers of female protagonists should always aspire to: Make ALL your protagonists well-rounded people. Her use of the Norse mythology is just spectacular and is used in a way that sort of skews how we normally view most of it. I hate having to leave things short, but much more detail or analysis and there won’t be much book left to read.
Give this one a pass and you’ll be missing one of the best new independent titles of the new year. I on the other hand will be waiting with wide (impatient) eyes to know what becomes of Aydis in the next installment.
(Check out our preview of Heathen here)
Matthew Burbridge is a Digital Editor at comiXology. He was planning on playing his annual play-through of LoZ: Ocarina of Time but he found a copy of The Minish Cap for GBA, so he’s probably gonna do that first. But he isn’t certain yet, so don’t expect him to know what you’re talking about if it has to do with The Minish Cap.
Unless you want to talk about the art direction. Minish Cap art direction is the cutest thing ever.
A comiXologist Recommends (their favorite comics of 2015)
Mike R’s picks
Favorite Issues:
Constantine: The Hellblazer #6
I was incredibly hesitant about this series from the get go, but issue one sold me and #6 ended up being one of the best comics I read all year. This issue in specific was a perfect combination of comedy, internal strife, monsters from within the shadows, and a wonderful bearded man—which is something very hard to come by in most comics, as far as I’m concerned. Constantine: The Hellblazer #6 is wonderful in art and writing and a perfect topper to the first arc of this series and one of the best comics of 2015.
Heathen #1
This book hit me like a ton of bricks. The cover, alone, was something to drool over, and reading the first few pages, it only gets better. A story about a Norse warrior cast out from her family who looks to redeem herself by saving a princess trapped on a mountain is a story I can get behind any day, and this book delivers a great end that hooks you immediately. This is one of those books I will buy until the day I die—and I hope it is published for that long. Natasha Alterici is a one-person-machine of brilliance, and this book is proof of her fantastic work.
Favorite Series that ended:
Iron Fist: The Living Weapon
There isn’t much to say here other than: This book was epic.
Zero
This book had a very satisfying end and I have to credit the MANY creators (specifically artists) who worked on this series for developing an incredible story over 18 issues. Special high-fives go out to Jordie Bellaire who colored the whole series.
Favorite Mini-series:
Godzilla in Hell
Godzilla goes to Hell and fights everything. What more do you need to know?
Favorite New Series:
Archie
Have you ever needed a breath of fresh air? Try the new Archie series. It’s happy and fun and angsty, but mostly fun and happy.
Paybacks
The question of, “Where do super heroes/villains get their money from?” is the basis of this new Dark Horse series, and boy does it deliver. Who lends the money? We don’t know. Who collects the money? Well, the Paybacks, of course—a mix bag of heroes and villains who owe a debt. A perfect mix of action and comedy (with a dash of mystery, because that’s cool too) drives this series and, well, it’s just plain fun. (editor’s note- this series is colored by Lauren Affe, a former comiXologist, so you know it’s good)
Favorite Covers:
Mike Rapin is a web developer at comiXology living in Queens with his girlfriend and two (sadistic and needy) cats—Twix and KitKat. He is also the host of the I Read Comic Books podcast—a weekly podcast about, you guessed it, comic books.
ComiXology @ New York Comic Con 2015
Limited edition comiXology Submit variant comics to be given away at NYCC 2015 in celebration of Artist Alley sponsorship
Limited edition variants of comiXology Submit digital hits include Fresh Romance, Gamma, Revenger, Heathen and Aw Yeah! Comics
Weekend schedule also includes signings with Submit creators, panels, giveaways and a Saturday night party open to all!
October 8th – 11th
Artist Alley B11 – B14
October 5th, 2015 – New York, NY – ComiXology Submit is sponsoring Artist Alley at this week’s New York Comic Con, October 8th – 11th at the Javits Center. To celebrate, comiXology is giving away special limited edition print variants of hit comiXology Submit comics each day during creator signings in Artist Alley tables B11 – B14. In addition, comiXology will host panels and giveaways throughout the weekend and a Saturday night party open to all.
The limited edition comiXology Submit variant comics include Janelle Asselin’s anthology Fresh Romance #1 with cover by Kevin Wada, Ulises Farinas & Erick Freitas’ Gamma #1 with cover by Ulises Farinas, Charles Forsman’s Revenger #1 with cover by Charles Forsman, Natasha Alterici’s Heathen #1 with cover by Natasha Alterici and Art Balthazar and Franco’s Aw Yeah Comics #1 with cover by Faith Erin Hicks. These special comiXology Submit edition comic giveaways are limited to 500 copies, and will be handed out on a first come, first served basis.
“ComiXology Submit continues to be the place for fans worldwide to sample the widest array of self published comics in the world,” said John D. Roberts, comiXology co-founder and Director of Submit. “It’s so much fun to offer some of our top digital hits in print via these limited edition comiXology Submit editions.”
ComiXology Submit will also host a number of creators whose work is sold on the platform throughout the convention.
In conjunction with Amazon Video, Ted Naifeh will be at the comiXology Artist Alley tables signing his special limited edition posters for the Amazon Original Series The Man in the High Castle, available November, 20th on Amazon Video.
On Saturday October 10th, comiXology invites all fans to come to The comiXologist Podcast Party hosted by Matt and Kara from the comiXologist podcast. The party kicks off at 8pm at Tir na nÓg, 315 West 39th St., New York, NY 10018 and goes on until midnight with an open bar and appetizers available to all who stop by. Attendees will receive limited edition giveaways at the door while supplies last. Matt and Kara will be podcasting live from the event. ComiXology and WACOM will also be raffling off prizes throughout the evening.
ComiXology Submit, comiXology’s digital self-publishing portal, enables comic creators and cartoonists the ability to easily reach comiXology’s global audience of comic, graphic novel, and manga fans.
Those interested in submitting work to comiXology Submit should visit submit.comixology.com.
Comic book, graphic novel, and manga fans interested in finding works available through comiXology Submit can visit www.comixology.com/submit.
Read below for all the details of comiXology’s location and events at this week’s New York Comic Con:
Artist Alley: Tables B11 – B14
Panels:
ComiXology: Ask Me Anything
Date: Thursday, 10/8/2015
Time: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Location: Room 1A18
ComiXology spills the beans on everything you’ve ever wanted to know about digital comics, publishing, & more! From how to publish your own comic on comiXology Submit to how to begin your own successful start up, just like comiXology co-founders & panelists David Steinberger (comiXology CEO) & John D. Roberts (director of comiXology Submit). Moderated by comiXology’s marketing maven Chip Mosher, this panel will answer all your burning curiosities in a no-holds-barred Q&A of epic proportions!Comics 101: Where to Begin?
Date: Friday, 10/9/2015
Time: 12:15 PM - 1:15 PM
Location: Room 1A01Just getting into comics but not sure where to start? We’re here to help! Join some of the industry’s biggest professionals as they impart their vast comic knowledge and personally recommend series just right for you! ComiXology co-founder and CEO David Steinberger is joined by Marcus “djWHEAT” Graham (Twitch Director of Programing), Aroop Sanakkayala (co-founder & COO, Strange Turn Entertainment), Jen Vaughn (cartoonist), Kara Szamborski (co-host, The comiXologist Podcast), Matt Kolowski (co-host, The comiXologist Podcast), as they become your guides through the awesome world of comics! Moderated by Ivan Salazar (comiXology).
ComiXology Submit: The Future of Self-Publishing
Date: Saturday, 10/10/2015
Time: 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Location: Room 1A18To date comiXology Submit has released over 5,000 independent comic books, graphic novels & manga from celebrated indie creators like Shannon Wheeler, Becky Cloonan and more. Join John D. Roberts (comiXology co-founder & director of Submit) along with self-publishing greats & breakout Submit superstars like Jimmy Palmiotti (Abbandon, Denver), Natasha Alterici (Heathen), Jody Houser (Cupcake POW!), Eric Palicki (Orphans), Joe Glass (The Pride,Stiffs), and Hope Nicholson (Publisher, Brok Windsor) for a tell-all discussion on how you too can create, submit, and reach the ranks of comiXology Submit stardom! Moderated by comiXology’s marketing maven Chip Mosher.
Artist Alley Creator Signings & Giveaways:
Thursday, October 8th
11:00am - 12:00pm — Submit Creator Signing — Eric Palicki (Orphans, Red Angel Dragnet, Corduroy Road) @ AA Table B13
1:00pm - 2:00pm — Submit Creator Signing — Lonnie Mann (Thoughts from Iceland) @ AA Table B13|1:00pm - 2:00pm — Submit Creator Signing — Jerome Walford (Nowhere Man) @ AA Table B14.
2:00pm - 3:00pm — Signing & Giveaway — The Man in the High Castle Posters: Three free exclusive posters by Ted Naifeh with signing by artist @ AA Table B11
3:00pm - 4:00pm — Submit Signing & Giveaway – Heathen #1 (Exclusive Con Variant): Free exclusive variant cover by Natasha Alterici with signing by Alterici @ AA Table B11
Friday, October 9th
1:00pm - 2:00pm — Submit Creator Signing — Enrica Jang (Angel with a Bullet, The Cask of Amontillado, The House of Montresor, Killer Queen) @ AA Table B13
1:00pm - 2:00pm — Submit Creator Signing — Deron Bennett (Quixote) @ AA Table B14
2:00pm - 3:00pm — Signing & Giveaway — The Man in the High Castle Posters: Three free exclusive posters by Ted Naifeh with signing by artist @ AA Table B11
3:00pm - 4:00pm — Submit Creator Signing — Alison Wilgus (Apartment Hunting, A Stray in the Woods) @ AA Table B13
3:00pm - 4:00pm — Submit Creator Signing — Vera Greentea (Nenetl of the Forgotten Spirits, Papa) @ AA Table B14
4:00pm - 5:00pm — Submit Signing & Giveaway – Revenger #1 (Exclusive Con Variant): Free exclusive variant cover by Charles Forsman with signing by Forsman @ AA Table B11
5:00pm - 6:00pm — Submit Creator Signing — Mike Isenberg & Oliver Mertz (First Law of Mad Science) @ AA Table B13
5:00pm - 6:00pm — Submit Creator Signing — Natasha Alterici (Heathen) @ AA Table B14.
Saturday, October 10th
11:00am - 12:00pm — Submit Creator Signing — Enrica Jang (Angel with a Bullet, The Cask of Amontillado, The House of Montresor, Killer Queen) @ AA Table B13.
11:00am - 12:00pm — Submit Creator Signing — Joey Esposito (Footprints) @ AA Table B14.
1:00pm - 2:00pm — Submit Signing & Giveaway – Fresh Romance #1 (Exclusive Con Variant): Free exclusive variant cover by Kevin Wada with signing by editor Janelle Asselin and creators Kevin Wada, Sarah Vaughn, Taylor Esposito and Arielle Jovellanos @ AA Table B11.
1:00pm - 2:00pm — Submit Creator Signing — Jerome Walford (Nowhere Man) @ AA Table B13.
1:00pm - 2:00pm— Submit Creator Signing — Joe Caramagna (The Further Adventures of Wyatt Earp) @ AA Table B14.
3:00pm - 4:00pm — Signing & Giveaway — The Man in the High Castle Posters: Three free exclusive posters by Ted Naifeh with signing by artist @ AA Table B11
3:00pm - 4:00pm — Submit Creator Signing — Ray Chou & Vincenzo Ferriero (Skies of Fire) @ AA Table B13.
3:00pm - 4:00pm — Submit Creator Signing — Vera Greentea (Nenetl of the Forgotten Spirits, Papa) @ AA Table B14.
5:00pm - 6:00pm — Submit Signing & Giveaway – Gamma #1 (Exclusive Con Variant): Free exclusive variant cover by Ulises Farinas with signing by creators Ulises Farinas and Erick Freitas @ AA Table B11.
5:00pm - 6:00 pm — Submit Creator Signing — Joe Glass (The Pride, Stiffs) @ AA Table B13.
5:00pm - 6:00 pm — Submit Creator Signing — Eric Palicki (Orphans, Red Angel Dragnet, Corduroy Road) @ comiXology AA Table B14.
Sunday, October 11th
12:00pm - 1:00pm — Submit Signing & Giveaway – Aw Yeah Comics! #1 (Exclusive Con Variant): Free exclusive cover by Faith Erin Hicks with signing by creators Art Baltazar and Franco @ AA Table B11.
12:00pm - 1:00 pm — Submit Creator Signing — Rachel Ordway (Art School Adventures) @ AA Table B13.
12:00pm - 1:00 pm — Submit Creator Signing — Lonnie Mann (Thoughts from Iceland) @ AA Table B14.
2:00pm - 3:00pm — Signing & Giveaway — The Man in the High Castle Posters: Three free exclusive posters by Ted Naifeh with signing by artist @ AA Table B11
2:00pm - 3:00 pm — Submit Creator Signing — Alison Wilgus (Apartment Hunting, A Stray in the Woods) @ AA Table B13.
2:00pm - 3:00 pm — Submit Creator Signing — Mike Isenberg & Oliver Mertz (First Law of Mad Science) @ AA Table B14.
Party:
ComiXology Presents: The ComiXologist Podcast Party
When: Saturday, October 10th, from 8PM to Midnight
Where: Tir na nÓg - 315 West 39th St.,
Between 8th & 9th Ave., New York, NY 10018