Hidey-ho, neighborinos! Welcome to Comic Book Quick Hit! Every week I’ll be writing a “Quick Hit” review piece to give some brief highlights to a handful of great comic books that have come out in the last week or two, so you can swing by your local shop and snag an issue or two while they are still hot on the shelf. I’ll also be writing “Comic Cluster” reviews, which will be focused on 3-6 consecutive issues of one specific title, so that you can get a more in-depth feel for an over-arching storyline, art, etc., to see if you’d like to commit to a specific series for a longer haul. A quick look at this week’s list shows me that three of the five entries are comics based on characters that originated in another medium (movies and novels), and the other two are “event” comics that bring together an entire company’s universe – neat! Here are your Quick Hits for the week of May 25th!
Back to the Future #8
Publisher: IDW
Release Date: May 25, 2016
Physical Cover Price: $3.99
Digital Price: $3.99
Quick Hit: As I referenced in a previous entry of this column, ‘Back to the Future’ is the best comic book series you’re not reading. Unless you are already reading it. In that case, faboo for you! But seriously, if you’re not on board with this title already – now is the time. The first five issues have just been collected into a TPB (which is good, because they are extremely hard to find now), and this issue sees the third entry into the multi-part story arc “The Continuum Conundrum!” If you’re concerned this series is a cash-grab based solely on the name of a beloved film series, allow me to set your mind at ease: it totes isn’t. Heck, original trilogy writer Bob Gale serves as a story writer and overseer of the series – how much more legit can you get than that?
Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency: A Spoon Too Short #4
Publisher: IDW
Release Date: May 25, 2016
Physical Cover Price: $3.99
Digital Price: $3.99
Quick Hit: Long-time fans of Douglas Adams are already likely aware of this character and title, but if you’re not – the time to jump on board this series was months ago! Regardless, it’s not too late, as the author best known for “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” also created the character of Dirk Gently, a detective who infamously uses “the fundamental interconnectedness of all things” to help him solve crimes and mysteries. “A Spoon Too Short” is actually IDW’s second go-around with the character; after the success of his first 4-issue limited series, ol’ Dirk is back in this five-issue set. This particular issue is just as kooky as the rest, with the British detective taking on rhino poaching in Africa whilst simultaneously trying to unravel secrets from his own childhood. If you like Adams’ other works and the dry-wit brand of British humor in general, this book is definitely worth picking up.
DC Universe Rebirth #1
Publisher: DC Entertainment
Release Date: May 25, 2016
Physical Cover Price: $2.99
Digital Price: $2.99
Quick Hit: As we here at the site noted earlier this week, DC’s Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns is so confident that you’ll enjoy this comic book that he has issued a personal money-back guarantee. So, essentially, this comic is free for you if you buy it and don’t like it – so what do you have to lose, really? It’s ginormously giant-sized – $2.99 for 80 pages is pretty darn rare these days, so you could do a lot worse with your money. DC fans will find lots to enjoy here, and if you’ve ever had an interest in finding a good jumping-on point to the DC Universe, this is by far your best opportunity!
Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor #2.6
Publisher: Titan
Release Date: May 25, 2016
Physical Cover Price: $3.99
Digital Price: $3.99
Quick Hit: I just can’t get enough of that crazy Twelfth Doctor. As a long-time ‘Doctor Who’ fan who has been watching since the days of the Seventh Doctor back in the 1980s, Twelve feels like home to me; he encompasses the best of both DW worlds, the energy of the newer “rebooted” series combined seamlessly with the crotchety-but-lovable sci-fi vibe of the classic series. Since we are in a new-‘Who’ drought this year until the Christmas Special airs in December (soooo far away, geez), the Titan comic series are the best way to get your Time Lord fix (and Titan has plenty for you to groove on, with different series focusing on Doctors Three, Four, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, and Twelve)!
Actionverse #6
Publisher: Action Lab
Release Date: May 18, 2016
Physical Cover Price: $3.99
Digital Price: $1.99 (at time of posting)
Quick Hit: This issue wraps up the crossover event for Action Lab, a unique creator-owned label that is celebrating its five-year anniversary in 2016. For this mini-series, the company’s main characters were brought together, including Stray, Molly Danger, and more – no small feat for a company that lets creators retain the rights to their individual characters! If you’re into promoting and supporting products of a more independent fare, this is a great series for you to check out in order to give you a wide range of characters and talent to peruse.
Tony Schaab created the fan film ‘Star Trek: The Humpbacks Strike Back’ in his head, but probably won’t ever shoot any footage for fear of being sued. Probably. A lover of most things sci-fi and horror, Tony is an author by day and a DJ by night. Come hang out with Tony on Facebook and Twitter to hear him spew semi-funny nonsense and get your opportunity to finally put him in his place.
