Here are my recommendations on #comics and other items you should consider pre-ordering from the October 2018 issue of Previews for items normally shipping in December of 2018. If you would like additional buying recommendations, then search for #campuscomicscast on your favorite podcast app. Our episode discussing this Previews catalog should be online by October 12, 2018.
I would love to hear about the books you are reading on a regular basis as well. Let me know in the comments.
DC
I am not sure if any of the DC books this month are Black Label. After all the hullaballoo over Batman: Damned, you would think DC would clearly mark the books shipping under the Black Label brand. Unfortunately, as far as I can tell, they are not.
1 - The Batman Who Laughs starts a new series with issue 1. Pretty impressive team on this book with Scott Snyder writing and Jock as the artist.
2 - Batman and the Outsiders 1. DC needed to find a home for Black Lightning based on the quality and success of the CW series. Looks like this will be the spot for awhile.
3 - Robert Vendetti of The Surrogates brings back the Freedom Fighters of Earth-X in a 12-issue limited series. This
appears to be a bit of a play on the success of the Amazon/Phillip K. Dick series "The Man from High Castle". In this storyline, the Nazis occupy the US.
4 - Goddess Mode 1. New series about an IT technician who has to provide tech support for an all-powerful AI.
5 - The Martian Manhunter gets a new 12 issue limited series.
6 - New Talent Showcase 2018 1 - If you are the kind who likes to see the first published work of new artists and writers, then this is probably the book for you.
11 - Batman issues 60 and 61. If you are only reading one DC book, this is probably the one you should be reading. Tom King has been almost perfect on this run and in issue 61 he teams back up with Mitch Gerads. More about this team-up later.
19 - Christopher Priest continues his solid run on Deathstroke with issue 38. Looks like Slade will be going up against Two-Face as he continues his stay in Arkham.
20 - Not necessarily recommending this title currently, but Detective Comics is soliciting issue 994, so expect to see the push to issue 1000 starting real soon.
50 - A new printing of Alan Moore's run on Swamp Thing is available this month as the hardcover Absolute Swamp Thing by Alan Moore Volume 1.
62 - The Mister Miracle trade paperback by Tom King and Mitch Gerads is resolicited this month. Cancelled once for delays, hopefully we will see this in December.
Marvel
1 - X-Men: The Exterminated 1. It looks like Cable is dead. Let's see how long that lasts.
2 - Fantastic Four 5. So, with all the fake weddings a few months ago from both Marvel and DC, will the marriage of Ben Grimm and Alicia Masters actually happen? Read the 650th issue of FF (legacy numbering) to find out. From the text of the solicit: "No bait. No switch. Not a dream. Not a hoax. And we swear, not a single Skrull around. This is really happening!" We will have to wait and see.
4 - Fantastic Four: Wedding Special 1. I know a few people who buy #comics with wedding covers, so hear is one with a couple of variants you should check out if that is your "Thing." HAHA, pun intended. :)
5 - A new X-Force #1. Again, in the wake of the death of Cable, a new team of mutants. AND, we have a Rob Liefeld cover where he draws at least one pair of feet.
12 - I am surprised this took so long. With the success of the Black Panther movie and Killmonger, here comes a 5 issue limited series about Erik Killmonger. And, for the Michael B. Jordan fans, a photo variant cover as well.
16 to 23 - Defenders fans unite. 4 one-shot #comics of Namor, Silver Surfer, Hulk, and Dr. strange leading into a Defenders series. So, we now have two Marvel teams using the Defenders as their name.
34 - This month's Infinity Warp includes the mash-up of the White Queen and Wolverine as Diamond Patch. Kamala Khan and Kang merge into Kamala Kang, and I am assuming the offspring of Frank Castle combine with Power Pack to create, The Punisher Pack.
47 - Captain America 6. The first Ta-Nehisi Coates story arc, "Winter in America" wraps up.
62- Punisher 5. I still enjoy reading this character. The Punisher is still dealing with the ramifications of events from Secret Empire.
63 - Black Panther 7. Ta-Nehisi Coates continues his run on the character. A very solid book for Marvel.
71 - Iron Fist: Phantom Limb Marvel Premiere Graphic Novel.
108 - Decades. Marvel in the '40s. marvel is going to begin releasing a monthly set of stories highlighting characters from each decade back to the 40s. The 1940s book features the Submariner and the Human Torch. The 50s will focus on Captain America. The 60s on Spiderman meeting the rest of the Marvel Universe. The 70s on some of the monster stories.
120 - Avengers: Kree/Skrull War TPB. Now that Disney/Marvel own the rights to Fantastic Four and with the upcoming Captain Marvel movie, I expect that the Marvel Cinematic Universe will move towards the Kree/Skrull War after the conclusion of the Thanos story arc. So if you are not familiar with this storyline, this would be a good book to pick up.
Previews - Side One
26 - Previews. Don't forget to get your own copy so you can play along each month.
40 - Die 1. A group of adults must deal with an event from their time as role-playing kids. But Kieron Gillen is normally a very solid writer.
46 - The Freeze 1 - Imagine if everyone else in the world were frozen and you get to decide who to unfreeze.
60 - Stellar TPB - Really beautiful artwork. I read the first issue of this sci-fi story and thought it was solid. I plan to pick up this trade at some point.
106 - Alien 3 2. In case you missed it, Dark Horse is putting in print William Gibson's screenplay for a third Alien movie.
145 - Rocketeer Reborn 1 - Well, I was wrong about the Rocketeer teaser last month. IDW is putting out a new series set in the current time. I want to like this book, but the art just does not hold up to the Dave Stevens stuff.
200 - Firefly 2. Greg Pak writes for the Serenity universe. If you miss Firefly, then here is your chance to return to the 'Verse.
201 - Firefly Legacy Edition Book Two. And if you missed out on the Dark Horse stories from a few years ago, here is your chance to catch up.
232 - Rachel Rising Omnibus softcover. One of my all-time favorite stories. A truly great supernatural story brought to you by Terry Moore.
279 - Game of Thrones hardcovers volumes 3 and 4 - Reprints the Dynamite story with tremendous pencils by Tommy Patterson. These have been released before.
295 - Dynamic Forces is offering Batman: Damned autographed copies for $70 signed by Brian Azzarello and $300 signed by Jim Lee. If you missed out on the buzz for this book, then this might be your chance to pick up a copy for less than what they are selling them for on eBay. Expect there to be allocations, so get in your order soon with your local comic shop.
356 - Doctor Who: The Thirteenth Doctor 3. After finishing this write-up, I am going to watch the first episode for Jodie Whittaker as the first female Doctor. I am really looking forward to this series and I am going to try the comic for a while as well.
363 - Captain Victory: Graphite Edition. This is an offered again book, so I am not sure how long ago it was solicited. The graphite version of Silver Star was really good. Sometimes Kirby's work looks better as pencils than when someone has inked it.
Previews Side Two
127 - Hellboy: The Board Game. A cooperative board game for 1 to 4 players.
130 to 131 - If you are looking for a new beanie to keep your head warm this winter, Several are currently available or coming soon including Iron Fist, Guardians of the Galaxy, Hawkeye, Daredevil, Hydra, STAR Labs, Botham City PD, and the Red Hood.
Blank Covers
Titles with blank covers for those interested include:
The Batman Who Laughs 1
Batman and the Outsiders 1
Martian Manhunter 1
X-force 1
Hack/Slash vs Chaos 1
Livewire 1
Prodigy 1
Stargate Atlantis: Back to Pegasus 1
Stargate Atlantis: Gateways 1
This was a slow month for blanks. :(