Greetings ghouls and werewolves, and welcome to Comic Book Quick Hits! Every week I’ll be writing a “Quick Hits” 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. Here are your Quick Hits for the week of June 8!
Sherlock: A Study in Pink #1
Publisher: Titan Comics
Release Date: June 8, 2016
Physical Cover Price: $4.99
Digital Price: $3.99
Quick Hit: The appeal of this book is multi-fold. First and foremost, if you’ve been enjoying the ‘Sherlock’ series on BBC starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, then you’ll want to check out this book, because this is an adaptation of their take on the timeless character. Second – and perhaps most intriguingly – it’s MANGA, the Japanese anime-ish art form. I’m not sure that Sherlock Holmes has ever been legitimately done as manga, so this book is definitely a unique entry into the market. At 52 pages long and in black-and-white, the book is created in true manga form, so it reads right-to-left instead of the “American” left-to-right that we’re normally used to. Be prepared – if you start at the “beginning” that you normally know, you’ll be spoiling the story for yourself!
4001 AD: Bloodshot #1
Publisher: Valiant
Release Date: June 8, 2016
Physical Cover Price: $3.99
Digital Price: $3.99
Quick Hit: Valiant is putting their huge summer crossover event in full swing now, and the nanite-infested Ray Garrison, aka Bloodshot, is officially entering the futuristic fray! Even though Garrison himself is long-gone by the 41st Century, his little robotic friends the nanites are ready to bless a new host with the rejuvenating powers of Bloodshot. A Valiant all-star team of writer Jeff Lemire and artist Doug Braithwaite bring the heat to this futuristic version of the company’s classic character, and so far for me, the world of 4001 does not disappoint.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Pink #1
Publisher: Boom! Studios
Release Date: June 1, 2016
Physical Cover Price: $3.99
Digital Price: $3.99
Quick Hit: The start of a six-issue miniseries, “Pink” tells a bit of an origin story for original Pink Power Ranger Kimberly Hart. With Power Ranger Fever starting to peak again as retro-nostalgia makes everything old new again, Boom! has plans to do miniseries for each Ranger – and of course, you can’t forget about the upcoming MMPR “reboot” film heading our way soon! The visuals on this series are very well done, so special kudos to issue artist Daniele DiNicuolo for making the Pink Power Ranger come to life on the inked pages.
Amber Atoms #2
Publisher: Artist Alley Comics
Release Date: June 8, 2016
Physical Cover Price:
Digital Price: $0.99 (at time of posting)
Quick Hit: A bit of a highlight from a more independent publisher, ‘Amber Atoms’ was originally published by Image Comics back in 2009 but appears to be back in the hands of creator Kelly Yates now. It’s a fun read and is reminiscent of the pulpy days of classic sci-fi goodness, as it features Amber and her desire to escape her humdrum life working for her parents. She gets her wish, sort of, when aliens show up and begin ransacking the Atoms’ home looking for something very specific! If you’re a fan of Flash Gordon, 1950s and ’60s B-movies, and other old-school-style science fiction, this series is worth checking out, especially if you’re a digital reader, as you can currently find issues on the ultra-cheap!
Norman #1
Publisher: Titan Comics
Release Date: June 8, 2016
Physical Cover Price: $3.99
Digital Price: $3.99
Quick Hit: Listen, here’s the thing: horror comics (and movies and books and TV shows) are cool. Comedy, in all forms, is cool. Put them together and do it right, and you’ve got more than a winning combination. Such is the case with ‘Norman,’ the cute little tale of the titular character as a young boy, who also happens to be a psychopathic murderer. Other than that, he’s a fairly normal kid – he rides bikes, plays sports… oh, and his uncle is a zombie. But other than that, he’s a fairly normal kid! This is a highly entertaining read from writer/artist/creator Stan Silas – definitely worth checking out if you haven’t experienced it yet.
Tony Schaab yearns to see the deleted scene from the ‘Thundercats’ cartoon in which Snarf is forced to do his monthly cleaning of the giant litterbox behind the Cat’s Lair. 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.
