Every Wednesday, a whole lot of new and very tempting comics will appear in your local and digital shops. And every Monday, we here at Comic Vine want to make sure you'll be ready for 'em. Narrowing down the options can be pretty tough, so we'll aim to put some of the especially awesome looking issues are on your radar. The staff has reviewed the full list of upcoming releases and we've each selected a couple or so that piqued our interest. Once you're doing seeing what we can't wait to get our hands on, don't forget to chime in with your own list of "essential" comics.
Tony "G-Man" Guerrero's picks
ELEKTRA #1
Elektra is such a fascinating character. Especially when written with the care and attention she deserves. She can be a pretty complex character and unfortunately we’ve seen different versions of her written over the years. With a new series, you’re never quite sure what to fully expect. With Haden Blackman on board, there is the comfort in knowing his track record. Blackman’s done a great job writing characters such as Batwoman and Darth Vader. It appears that Blackman will be delving into Elektra’s past as well as who she really is and what’s going on in her mind.
Have you seen the preview pages? Michael Del Mundo’s art is sure to blow you away. It’s always a joy when you have the promise of a deep and well written series that has gorgeous and fitting art. This is a comic that’s sure to be great to read and look at.
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #14
It’s time to celebrate the Guardians of the Galaxy. Besides a movie coming up, this issue marks the 100th issue of the team. Sure, this team is not related to the original team but it’s great to see there will be some acknowledgement to them in this issue.
Flash Thompson, as Agent Venom, is joining the team. I’m pretty sure that story actually takes place in the FREE COMIC BOOK DAY issue. Either way, it’s going to pretty interesting to see how he does out in space. Hopefully with the symbiote out in space, there won’t be any problems beyond Flash’s control. The team’s dynamic continues to evolve and Bendis mixes the fun and action nicely.
There’s also some back ups but Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning. That makes this issue even more interesting. And seeing Vance Astro/Major Victory in the preview pages brought back memories.
FLASH #30
New creative teams always bring a mix of trepidation and excitement. With Robert Venditti and Van Jensen on board, it’s easier to accept a new shift. We can see that there will be some new developments in the series. Central City got pretty thrashed during FOREVER EVIL and hopefully the delay of that series won’t affect the way this issue deals with any fallout.
I dig what Brett Booth and Norm Rapmund do when they join forces. I also recall a Flash sketch Brett did a bit ago on his blog. It’s going to be exciting to see the energy he pours into his art.
And of course Wally West is being introduced to the New 52. We’ll all be paying close attention to see how DC handles this and how similar or different he’ll be to the character we knew from before.
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Honorable Mention: BATMAN: ETERNAL #3 (Stephanie Brown’s “first” appearance!)
Mat "Inferiorego" Elfring's picks
BUNKER #3
I'm not gonna lie to you guys. I already read this issue, and I loved it. I'm sure one of us will review this, but here's the reason you have to pick this issue up. Fialkov does a fantastic job at creating a really cool story but spending time building on the characters in the story. No one in this book is flat. They're fleshed-out, intriguing people that you'll become drawn to, and in some cases, you'll despise them. In addition is the amazing artwork from Joe Infurnari. It's different and fits this book so well. Pick this one up.
CBR has the extended preview.
GHOSTED #9
Tis the season for writers named Joshua. GHOSTED is currently my favorite on-going series. It's the mixture of a cool heist film that stepped in a whole pile of ghosts. This second arc is a lot better than the first, which says a lot, since the first arc was awesome. Writer Joshua Williamson keeps raising the stakes in this book as Jackson found himself in a whole jungle of ghost animals. Sound ridiculous? Yes, it does, but it works really well on the page. Try this one out.
ORIGINAL SIN #0
Growing up, Uatu the Watcher was one of my favorite characters. No, I'm not a creepy voyeur, but I loved the idea that there's this being that has to watch events unfold without interfering. When we were shown teasers that Uatu would be shot, I knew this was something I had to read and this introduction issue is where it all begins. Plus, this book deals with the secrets of characters within the Marvel universe. Maybe we'll learns some shockers in this zero issue.
Gregg "k4tz" Katzman's picks
TMNT #33
IDW's TMNT has been consistently full of awesome, so it should come as no surprise this series regularly earns a spot for me in this segment. However, there's 3 big reasons why this is a particularly tempting issue.
First and foremost, it marks the return of Mateus Santolouco. Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird may have established the signature look for the Ninja Turtles, but this man absolutely has set the standard for the franchise's latest incarnation -- and that's huge praise considering how many talented artists have provided pages for the series. Secondly, the group is now back in New York and working as a team once more. Considering Shredder has essentially taken over, this has the potential to be full of action and seriously cheer-worthy material. Last and not least, this is a jumping on spot! If you've been considering leaping into the latest TMNT comic, then this is a must purchase for you.
DEAD BODY ROAD #5
Justin Jordan and Matteo Scalera's DEAD BODY ROAD is a mighty fine dose of badassery. Even when he's dishing out exposition, Jordan makes sure the book is completely thrilling and packed with moments that'll keep a tight grip on your attention. Seriously, the pacing here has been ridiculously fast and each issue has left me beyond anxious for the next chapter. Meanwhile, Scalera's artwork is brilliant. He's honestly the perfect compliment to Jordan's vicious script and the artist does an exceptional job making these scenes feel every bit as energetic and savage as they should. Action junkies, you shouldn't miss this series.
Honorable Mentions: ETERNAL WARRIOR #8
Corey "Undeadpool" Schroeder's picks
RED LANTERNS #30
Is there any power in the universe that can stop the Five Star Mustache? The record seems to indicate that there is NOT. We'll see the ultra-vicious Dex-Starr as the next combatant lined up to take on Gardner's Lanterns. Charles Soule continues his Most Improved Series run on Red Lanterns with several pieces of the last few issues falling into place. Now that Kara has ensconced herself firmly in the team roster, she gets exposed to her first real trial-by-fire-and-acid-blood as we finally see Atrocitus make his presence felt. Alessandro Vitti on visuals means that, whatever goes down, it's bound to look sharp and defined.
THE WALKING DEAD #126
This is a series that is never far from my mind, despite rarely making it into my write-ups, but this issue feels like it's going to be too big to disregard. The end to the epic All-Out War storyline has been fast-tracked, so we've gotten twelve issues over six months and that was a brilliant move because it's kept up the frantic, breakneck pace of a modern ground war too fast to keep track of. Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard have given the series a real shot in the arm by finally breaking the mold of arriving, adapting, fleeing, repeating that the group has gone through for quite some time now, with a few bumps in the road. This is far, far more than a bump, particularly after last issue's jaw-dropping cliffhanger and feels like it's the start of something massive
AVENGERS UNDERCOVER #3
ARCADE REVEALED! They're popping the cork on this one awfully early, but I doubt it'll be this easy unless there's something bigger waiting in the wings. In Avengers Arena, Dennis Hopeless told a story of brutality and survival with a very measured, deliberate pace, so for him to go this far this fast seems unlikely, but either way will probably be entertaining to read about. Timothy Green's stepping in on art and has a very interesting style that I'm somewhat hot-and-cold on, so it should definitely be interesting, at the very least, to see his interpretation of the events that unfold as, at the very least, he's got a great sense of motion.
DAREDEVIL #2
SPEAKING of great sense of motion: Chris Samnee! Maybe it's because it's the place I've called home for the last 10 years, but I'm happy to see San Francisco emerge as a kind of "secondary location" in the Marvel U. Mark Waid's debut issue proved that the City isn't going to just be window-dressing for a copy-pasting story, but that he's going to take the Man Without Fear to some interestingly unexplored territory. If we get more of Daredevil: World's Greatest Detective, then I'm in for the long-haul...I mean more in than I already am for it.
Honorable Mention: THUNDERBOLTS #25
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