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!
STAR WARS: THE SCREAMING CITADEL #1
“THE SCREAMING CITADEL” — PART 1 Rebel pilot and rogue archaeologist wander side by side into the darkest shadows of the galaxy as Luke Skywalker reluctantly teams up with Doctor Aphra! The Doctor makes Luke an offer he can’t afford to pass up…one that leads him to a very rare gathering at the heart of the infamous Screaming Citadel. Will Luke find what he’s looking for? Can Aphra be trusted? Or will they both wind up victims of the Citadel’s Queen?
A comiXologist recommends their three favorite Marvel books you can read in comiXology Unlimited!
I don’t know if everyone’s heard, but this week we launched Marvel on Comixology Unlimited! In commemoration of this historic event this week’s staff picks will be focused on my favorite Marvel books!
STAR WARS Vol. 2: Showdown on Smuggler’s Moon
In honor of Star Wars Day, I’m going to pick Star Wars Vol. 2: Showdown on Smuggler’s Moon. It’s got a ton of things I really like about Star Wars, and follows my favorite characters. It’s got Hutts, bounty hunters, lightsaber battles, and Han Solo’s shady past, to name a few. In a way this book reads like fan fiction, since it compiles a bunch of the best elements of SW in one story. This collection also features Luke and the gang fighting gladiator style in a pit, which sounds like Episode II but feels totally different since it’s got Stuart Immonen’s amazing art doing the storytelling. To top it off there’s an epic fight scene at the end where Leia, Han and even Chewie go to battle with lightsabers of their own.
STAR WARS Darth Vader Vol. 1: Vader
In honor of today’s Revenge of the Sixth: Star Wars: Darth Vader Vol. 1: Vader. Growing up I was always a Vader guy (actually, back and forth between Luke and Vader. Today I’m more of a Han guy) so it was amazing to see my childhood hero get his own ongoing. If you’re a fan of the Force Unleashed series this particular story is pretty great. It includes a lot of the same elements (Vader sort of branching off and doing clandestine stuff while taking on a semi-apprentice). It also sees the introduction of a new ongoing character, Doctor Aphra.
THE MIGHTY THOR Vol. 1: Thunder in Her Veins
Ah, finally! A non-Star Wars book: The Mighty Thor Vol. 1: Thunder In Her Veins. I don’t know how the Thor editorial does it. From Olivier Coipel in the J. Michael Straczynski era (Vols 1-3 available in CU!), to Russell Dauterman in the Jason Aaron era, they consistently get artists who make their books look so incredibly beautiful and dynamic. The spectacle and splendor of Asgard especially pops in this volume which sees SPOILER ALERT: Dr. Jane Foster become Thor and travel around the Nine Realms meeting new species and engaging in crazy battles. I’ve been really digging this most recent run, which sees Thor team-up with a mutant, Quentin Quire (another one of my favorite characters) to do some pretty amazing things, which I won’t spoil. But to get to there you need to start here, and start soon!
Jonah Chuang is a Technical Account Manager at comiXology. He wonders if one day he will be worthy enough to lift the hammer. (Editor’s note – we believe in you, Jonah!)
555 | French-Kissing Rocket Raccoon →
Primary topic this episode: the books we read this week! Other topics include Lou calling Slim a dog, MARVEL HAS JOINED CU, some of our MARVEL CU PICKS, the last time Slim cried, Raccoon love, pulling Batman’s strings, constantly on cocaine, dead bodies in your trunk, whiny Luke, your letters, and some actual news that nearly led to real crying OK.
Marvel Entertainment joins comiXology Unlimited, Kindle Unlimited, and Prime Reading
Now there are three more ways for readers to enjoy Marvel’s acclaimed titles and characters like Guardians of the Galaxy, Spider-Man, Jessica Jones, Black Panther, Ms. Marvel and Iron Fist
May 2, 2017 – New York, NY – Marvel, comiXology, and Amazon announced today that select Marvel Comics’ titles are now available through comiXology Unlimited, Kindle Unlimited, and Prime Reading – creating three new ways for readers to enjoy Marvel Comics’ rich world of Super Heroes. Fans can now read a bestselling selection of Marvel Comics’ single issues and collections as part of their comiXology Unlimited membership featuring Super Heroes like The Avengers, Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Black Panther, Iron Fist, Guardians of the Galaxy and more. Additionally, readers can now enjoy select Marvel collections on both Kindle Unlimited and Amazon’s Prime Reading that provide perfect entry points for those new to Marvel Comics.
Some of the select bestselling Marvel Comics titles available on comiXology Unlimited today include:
All-New Wolverine (2015-) #1-#10
Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 1.1: Learning To Crawl
Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 3: Spider-Verse
America (2017-) #1
Black Panther: Who Is The Black Panther?
Black Widow (2014-2015) #1-#12
Cable & Deadpool Vol. 1: If Looks Could Kill
Civil War
Elektra (2017-) #1
Fantastic Four Special 2005 #1
Gamora (2016-) #1-#3
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1: Cosmic Avengers
Guardians of the Galaxy: New Guard Vol. 1: Emperor Quill
Invincible Iron Man (2008-2012) #1-#12
Iron Fist (2017-) #1
Ms. Marvel Vol. 1: No Normal
Rocket Raccoon (2016-) #1-#2
Runaways Vol. 1: Pride and Joy
She-Hulk Vol. 3: Time Trials
Spider-Gwen Vol. 1: Greater Power
Star Wars Vol. 1: Skywalker Strikes
Star Wars: Darth Maul (2017-) #1
Star Wars: Darth Vader Vol. 1: Vader
X-23 (2010-2012) #1-#16
X-Men Prime (2017) #1
…and many more!
552 | Hot Milkshake →
Primary topic this episode: the books we read this week! Other topics gut vibes, milkshakes, Lou calls Slim a slob, Adamantium guts, FAVE COVERS, Rushmore(?), Cave Carson love, pooping in your booties, Dark Crystals, Goblin Loins, Black Hammer 4 Ever, that new Star Wars teaser mmm baby, and your letters!
Five graphic novels to read this week
BATMAN Vol. 1: I AM GOTHAM
He is Gotham City’s hero, its Dark Knight, its greatest protector. He is Batman. And he is not alone.
There are two new heroes in town-a pair of masked metahumans with the powers of Superman and a devotion to preserving all that is good about this twisted city. Calling themselves Gotham and Gotham Girl, they’ve saved Batman’s life, fought by his side and learned from his example. But what happens if Gotham’s new guardians go bad? What if they blame the Dark Knight for the darkness that threatens to drown their city?
When sinister forces are unleashed that can warp the minds of men and make heroes into monsters, the time will come for Batman and his allies to decide once and for all: Is Gotham a force for good…or an engine of evil?
KILL OR BE KILLED Vol. 1
The darkly twisted story of a young man forced to kill bad people, and how he struggles to keep his secret as it slowly begins to ruin his life and the lives of his friends and loved ones. Both a thriller and a deconstruction of vigilantism, KILL OR BE KILLED is unlike anything this award-winning team has done before. Collects KILL OR BE KILLED #1-4.
STAR WARS Vol. 4: LAST FLIGHT OF THE HARBINGER
Collects Star Wars (2015) #20-25.
Marvel’s epic exploration of the Star Wars galaxy continues! Take a walk on the dark side with Sgt. Kreel and an elite group of Imperial soldiers aboard the Star Destroyer Harbinger! It’s a nigh-indestructible weapon of war. It’s also the target of the rebels’ new top-secret plan. Never afraid of defying the odds, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Leia Organa are determined to make this the Harbinger’s last flight! But Kreel and his SCAR Squad specialize in taking down rebels — hard! Let battle commence! Plus: Jabba the Hutt has a problem, and he’s hired the Wookiee bounty hunter Black Krrsantan to solve it. But a certain old hermit of the dune wastes might have a little something to say about it. Then, R2-D2 goes solo!
CHEW Vol. 12: SOUR GRAPES
The final story arc of Tony Chu, the cibopathic federal agent with the ability to get psychic impressions from what he eats. Mysteries are solved, secrets are revealed, and lives are lost. Many, many lives. This is the end of the line for the New York Times bestselling, Harvey and multiple Eisner Award-winning series about cops, crooks, cooks, cannibals, and clairvoyants. Collects CHEW #55-60 plus the smash hit spin off one shot CHEW DEMON CHICKEN POYO.
SNOW BLIND
What happens when you discover your parents aren’t the people you thought they were? For high school teen Teddy, life in a sleepy suburb in Alaska turns upside-down when he innocently posts a photo of his dad online, only to learn he and his family are in the Witness Protection Program. A man seeking revenge invades their town, followed soon after by pursuing FBI agents…but what if his dad’s reasons for going into the program aren’t as innocent as he says? Collects the complete limited series.
A comiXologist recommends…best of 2016 Star Wars edition!
2016 for Star Wars followed after a strong 2015 showing. Not only with the movies (loved Rogue One), but also with great books (my favs: Ashoka and Bloodline) and many more comics.
Focusing here just on comics for 2016, we have:
- The continuation of the main Star Wars story
- End of the 12-part Kanan series
- End of the 6-part Vader Down story arc
- 5-part Obi-Wan & Anakin miniseries
- End of the 25-part Darth Vader series
- Start of the Doctor Aphra series
- Start of the Poe Dameron series
Of those, I want to highlight two that stood out to me.
- I LOVED the Vader Down story arc. It’s one of the few times you got to see how awesome Darth Vader, the Sith Lord, actually is. Not Anakin, NOT the ”father” Darth Vader in Episode V or VI, but Darth Vader in his angry prime and why he was so feared across the galaxy.
- I’m a huge fan of the Han Solo mini-series. It started off a little slow (despite being about a race!), but it really picks up at the end. And, gives a glimpse of the smuggler/shoot-first/second character of Han Solo in Episode IV, and how he transitions into the “hero” that we know him to be in Episode V/VI.
When Star Wars was acquired, I was skeptical when they abandoned the EU (expanded universe). But over the past couple years I’ve been very happy to see how the Lucasfilm Story Group has tied ALL the media into one cohesive canon today. Can’t wait to see how the Star Wars universe continues to expand even more in 2017.
Douglas Hwang is director of product at comiXology and the human subjugate of Qwerty the cat.
ComiXology New Releases →
We used the force to make the weekly releases list this week.
(Han, you don’t know our life.)
