Five awesome graphic novels new this week…
MUHAMMAD ALI by Sybille Titeux and Amazing Ameziane
The story of boxing icon Muhammad Ali!
An original graphic novel celebrating the life of the glorious athlete who metamorphosed from Cassius Clay to become a three-time heavyweight boxing legend, activist, and provocateur: Muhammad Ali. Not only a titan in the world of sports but in the world itself, he dared to be different and to challenge and defy through his refusal to be drafted to fight in Vietnam, his rejection of his “slave” name, and ultimately his final fight with his body itself through a thirty-year battle with Parkinson’s disease. Witness what made Ali different, what made him cool, what made him the Greatest.
* The critically acclaimed French graphic novel, now available for the first time in English.
* Focuses on key figures in the Civil Rights movement.
HOWARD THE DUCK VOL. 2: GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD DUCK by Chip Zdarsky, Joe Quinones, and Kevin Macguire
Here’s Howard — he’s the Duckiest! When a case takes Howard and his friend Tara to the Savage Land, they’ll need all the help they can get! But they’ll just have to make do with Spider-Man, She-Hulk, Daredevil and Steve Rogers! Then, Howard finally gets a chance to go home — but after all this time is there any such place for him? Back in New York City, Howard’s strangest case yet awaits. It’s a missing person investigation — and the client is the missing person! She’s also Lea Thompson, star of 1986’s Howard the Duck movie! WAUGH-HUH?! Plus: The person behind all of Howard’s troubles will stand revealed! Can Howard outwit fate? Can any of us? Find out as Zdarsky and Quinones close out their run! Collects Howard The Duck #7-11.
ALEX + Ada: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION by Jonathan Luna and Sarah Vaughn
The last thing in the world Alex wanted was an X5, the latest in realistic androids, but after Ada is dropped into his life, he discovers she is more than just a robot and takes a huge risk to unlock Ada so she can think for herself and explore life as a sentient android. Can they survive the consequences? This oversized hardcover collects issues #1-15.
DC COMICS/DARK HORSE JUSTICE LEAGUE CROSSOVERS
Worlds collide in DC Comics and Dark Horse’s greatest crossover events featuring the Justice League! Collects SUPERMAN VS. PREDATOR #1-3, SUPERMAN VS. THE TERMINATOR: FIGHT FOR THE FUTURE #1-4, BATMAN/HELLBOY/STARMAN #1-2 and GHOST/BATGIRL #1-4.
SHE WOLF VOL. 1 by Rich Tommaso
A surreal exploration in horror, SHE WOLF follows a teenage girl who believes she’s been bitten by a savage werewolf. Soon after she begins to experience feverish nightmares that seamlessly bleed into her everyday reality. Friends and family help to unlock the keys to her strange transformations through their own personal experiences with lycanthropy and by use of witchcraft. Collects issues #1-4.
Out this week - HOWARD THE DUCK #11
Join Chip (Zdarsky) and Joe (Quinones) as they say goodbye to Howard in a Very Special Issue that is still priced as a Regular Issue! Can Howard outwit fate? Can any of us? Or is the concept of predestination just shorthand for the near-infinite factors in play that are guided, at their core, by free will? Guest-starring Spider-Man, probably.
Thanks Chip and Joe for a fantastic, hilarious run. We’re going to miss this crazy book!
A comiXologist Recommends
Howard the Duck (1976 series) by Steve Gerber and Gene Colan
First off, let me say, for those of you who don’t read older comics, I understand. The regimentation of eras in comics history can be alienating, with the emphasis on the now for newer readers, and the sort of haughty nostalgia older readers can have for classic comics. I get it. Something that was fresh and exciting 40 years ago might not play as well today, and to be totally honest, the average Marvel Comic in 2016 is probably a lot better on many different levels than the average Marvel Comic in 1976. I would still encourage new readers to explore the back catalog, because you can find some real treasures if you do.
One such treasure is the original Howard the Duck comic. When it appeared in the 70s, there wasn’t really anything like it around, and there hasn’t been much like it in the mainstream since, though Chip Zdarsky @zdarsky and Joe Quinones’ @joequinones current Howard the Duck and Ryan North @ryannorth and Erica Henderson’s @ericafailsatlife Unbeatable Squirrel Girl are more than worthy heirs to old Howard’s stylishness and irreverence (get all of them with the marvel BOGO code- MARVEL)
The old Howard the Duck combines two of my all-time favorite creators at the top of their game. The writer, Steve Gerber, was unequaled at bringing weirdness to a standard superhero story- no one ever quite approached a dream state on the page the way he did, but he also had a knack for offbeat humor, social satire and strong characterization. Howard was a bit of a phenomenon in the 70s, and he didn’t just catch on because he was a wacky idea. Gerber gave him personality, crankiness and skepticism, tempered with a degree of tenderness, not commonly found in the hero of a mainstream comic.
Meanwhile, Gene Colan’s artwork on the series was unimpeachable. You don’t really hear about Colan as much these days because though he was one of the best, he’s not as influential as some of the other creators of his caliber from his era, because no one really aped his style, most likely because no one could. Colan blended realism and expressionism seamlessly, combining remarkably expressive facial features with a sense of shadowy otherworldliness. Though he did a great job on books like Daredevil and the Avengers back in the day, it was really in darker and stranger stories where his style truly shined, particularly in horror and noir-ish crime comics. Gerber’s dreamworld and Colan’s claustrophobic shadows blended perfectly in the absurd yet often nightmarish world of Howard the Duck. It’s a comic that feels like more than a comic- it’s an experience!
Recommended by Harris Smith (named after his grandfather Howard, appropriately enough), senior production coordinator, creator outreach and social media editor.
BOGO A GO GO
If you like The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl by Ryan North @ryannorth and Erica Henderson @ericafailsatlife, check out Howard the Duck by Chip Zdarsky @zdarsky and Joe Quinones @joequinones. They share a wild, irreverent sense of humor and fresh, contemporary sense of style, and you can buy-one-get-one-free with the checkout code MARVEL through 9/5!