Each week, CBR has your guide to navigating Wednesday’s new and recent comic releases, specials, collected editions and reissues, and we’re committed to helping you choose those that are worth your hard-earned cash. It’s a little slice of CBR we like to call Major Issues.
If you feel so inclined, you can buy our recommendations directly on comiXology with the links provided. We’ll even supply links to the books we’re not so hot on, just in case you don’t want to take our word for it. Don’t forget to let us know what you think of the books this week in the comments! And as always, SPOILERS AHEAD!
CAPTAIN CARTER #1 (MARVEL)
After becoming the breakout star of Marvel’s What If… animated series, super-soldier Peggy Carter steps out into her first dedicated comic book series with Captain Carter #1, by Jamie McKelvie, Marika Cresta, Erick Arciniega and Clayton Cowles. As her world’s version of Captain America, Captain Carter emerges out of the Arctic and into the modern world in this issue, which sets up her status quo and a supporting cast that includes some new and familiar Marvel characters.
Although Captain Carter has a strong voice and solid art throughout, this issue still works best in concert with What If…, which focused on her WWII-era exploits. Even with the conceptual overlap between this comic’s hero and the Disney+ series’ Carter, Captain Carter offers a quiet, more introspective take on Carter and starts building out her world in some intriguing ways.
SUPERMAN: SON OF KAL-EL #9 (DC)
BUY SUPERMAN: SON OF KAL-EL #9
Following up on last month’s Nightwing #89, Superman: Son of Kal-El #9 features the second half of Jon Kent’s team-up with Dick Grayson by Tom Taylor, Bruno Redondo, Wade Von Grawbadger, Adriano Lucas and Wes Abbott. While investigating the death of a Teen Titan, this issue leads Superman and Nightwing into an explosive confrontation that puts the Man of Steel face-to-face with some harsh truths.
Even though this is technically a Superman comic, Nightwing steals the show in this sensational issue, which effectively plays out like another must-read entry in the acclaimed ongoing Nightwing series. With sleek superhero action and inventive use of graphic design, this is a sharp-looking comic book with an invigorating modern sensibility. The relationship between Batman and the original Superman positioned Nightwing and Jon Kent as a natural pair, but this issue turns that narrative potential into a compelling, deeply human friendship.
PUNISHER #1 (MARVEL)
After spending years in other corners of the Marvel Universe, Frank Castle finally returns in his own solo series in Punisher #1, by Jason Aaron, Jesus Saiz, Paul Azaceta, Dave Stewart and Cory Petit. This issue sets up a more supernatural status quo for the Punisher — with a novel final reveal — and officially introduces his new Punisher costume, which replaces his famous skull logo with a new design.
While the Punisher has infamously dabbled with the more fantastic elements of the Marvel Universe in the past, this evolution of the Punisher is a comparatively tame transformation that feels relatively more natural than his time as an avenging angel. Even with the Marvel hero’s somewhat ill-fitting status, this issue is full of the Punisher’s signature fury, with the art team bringing Castle’s bloody, brutal battles to life in all their gory glory.
TRIAL OF THE AMAZONS #1 (DC)
Over the past year, DC has done a lot to build out out Wonder Woman’s corner of the DC Universe through multiple series starring Amazon heroes. Now, all of those story threads have come to a head in Trial of the Amazons #1, by Stephanie Williams, Vita Ayala, Joelle Jones, Michael Conrad, Becky Cloonan, Laura Braga, Skylar Patridge, Elena Casagrande, Romulo Fajardo Jr., Jordie Bellaire and Pat Brosseau. As a resurrected Wonder Woman returns home, this issue sees DC’s Amazon tribes assemble for a ceremonial contest that also brings Yara Flor’s Wonder Girl and the Esquecidas to Themyscira.
With its huge roster of creators, Trial of the Amazons presents an impressively unified vision for the Wonder Woman family of DC’s titles, even with the variety of artistic styles on display here. More than most crossovers, this feels like a natural culmination of the various storylines from around DC’s Wonder Woman titles. While that deep link to recent continuity doesn’t make this the most approachable comic, Trial of the Amazons still sets up an intriguing crossover.
LITTLE MONSTERS #1 (IMAGE)
In Little Monsters #1, several roving vampire children are the apparent last residents of an utterly destroyed, post-apocalyptic Earth. With that novel premise, Jeff Lemire, Dustin Nguyen and Steve Wands’ new series kicks off with a haunting, thoughtful debut from Image Comics. This debut issue confidently introduces the series’ core cast and imbues each character with lived-in qualities that carry the weight of eternity.
Nguyen has always excelled at drawing younger characters, and the youthful charm of Little Monsters outshines its potentially bleak premise. Still, the book’s limited color palette brings the horrorific realities of this world and the waning luster of an eternal childhood to life perfectly. Fueled by a strong original concept and characters, Little Monsters looks to be a strong follow-up series from the Descender team.
X-MEN LEGENDS #12 (MARVEL)
With veteran Marvel creators returning to tell unseen stories from the X-Men’s past, X-Men Legends is an intentionally nostalgic flashback to another era of Marvel’s mutants. However, the old-school charms of the series have rarely been as evident as they are in X-Men Legends #12, by Chris Claremont, Scot Eaton, Lorenzo Ruggiero, Rachelle Rosenberg and Joe Caramagna. Set shortly before the formation of Excalibur, this issue sees Nightcrawler and Kitty Pryde try to save Forge from an assassination attempt by Mystique.
Having guided the X-Men for the better part of two decades, Claremont’s handle on the voices of these X-Men is as strong as ever. Eaton’s classical style is a good match for this throwback story, which is deftly maneuvered into an open spot of continuity. While there’s nothing earth-shattering here, this is still a charming retro tale from one of the X-Men’s formative creators.
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