Ten Forward: September 2017

Every month we spend an evening scouring the pages of the latest issue of Previews and pick the ten titles we are looking forward to the most. This month it's the July issue which includes comics scheduled to ship in September 2017.

MARVEL LEGACY #1

Writer: Jason Aaron

Art: Esad Ribic

Marvel $5.99

Matt C: I’m still not entirely sure what the purpose of this ‘Legacy’ initiative is, aside from placing emphasis back on the original iterations of the most iconic characters in Marvel’s pantheon. There’s the short term gain, maybe, but where does this take us in the long term? Then I remember that I’ve been reading Marvel comics for over three decades now, I’m familiar with the constant change-vs-illusion-of-change paradigm, and I’m really too old to get worked up about these things anymore. I don’t like a certain direction they're taking with a specific character? Fine, I’ll let it run its course and be back when they do something that connects with me again. But anyway, regardless of whether this new push by the House of Ideas connects this time around, this issue has the creative team of Jason Aaron and Esad Ribic, one of the very best partnerships you can get from Marvel’s current roster of creatives, so at the very least it’ll be smartly written, beautiful to look at and worth picking up, whether the whole concept ultimately sticks or not. In this case, I’m erring on the side of optimism.

Ten Forward: August 2017

Every month we spend an evening scouring the pages of the latest issue of Previews and pick the ten titles we are looking forward to the most. This month it's the June issue which includes comics scheduled to ship in August 2017.

MISTER MIRACLE #1

Writer: Tom King

Art: Mitch Gerads

DC $3.99

James R: Even if this title was called 'Captain Dullard and the Unremarkable Wednesday' I would still be picking it up. The creative team of Tom King and Mitch Gerads is simply too good to ignore. Their Vertigo series, Sheriff Of Babylon, was one of my highlights of 2016, and I have no doubt whatsoever that they'll be bringing the same level of quality, intelligence and invention to the adventures of Scott Free, DC's Mister Miracle. Tom King has already demonstrated that he has a knack for making second-tier superheroes essential reading; if this series is half as good as his run on The Vision, we're in for something special. The outstanding book of the month for me, and I'm hoping one of the books of the year.

Ten Forward: July 2017

Every month we spend an evening scouring the pages of the latest issue of Previews and pick the ten titles we are looking forward to the most. This month it's the May issue which includes comics scheduled to ship in July 2017.

AMERICAN WAY: THOSE ABOVE AND THOSE BELOW #1

Writer: John Ridley

Art: George Jeanty

DC/Vertigo $3.99

Matt C: It’s over a decade ago now, and my memory of it fades with each passing year, but I do recall the original American Way series being particularly excellent, with the US government staging fake superhero battles against the backdrop of the Civil Rights era. Writer John Ridley will be more familiar to most for his film and TV work (12 Years A Slave, American Crime, the recent Guerilla) but if he and original artist George Jeanty can match the quality of the first series, this will be an essential purchase. Of course, it’s not too late for you to read the original story, and it’s not too late for me to re-read it either!

Ten Forward: June 2017

Every month we spend an evening scouring the pages of the latest issue of Previews and pick the ten titles we are looking forward to the most. This month it's the April issue which includes comics scheduled to ship in June 2017.

WINNEBAGO GRAVEYARD #1

Writer: Steve Niles

Art: Alison Sampson, Stephane Paitreau, Jordie Bellaire & Aditya Bidikar

Image $3.99

Simon M: The first thing that grabbed my attention about this book in Previews was the title. I mean come on: Winnebago Graveyard, how can you not be intrigued! Once you get past the name and see that one of the modern masters of horror comics is writing this tale, then it’s time to seriously take note. Steve Niles (30 Days Of Night) is responsible for getting me back into the horror genre. The story revolves around a family on vacation that gets stuck in a small American town with a dark secret. The premise of the book reminds me a lot of the Jack Starrett film, Race With The Devil from 1975. Now that film scared the you-know-what out of me as a 10 year-old kid and therefore it left an indelible mark on my memory. If Niles can remind me of that feeling even a little bit, then it’s money well spent. There is quite a lot of preview art available and it all looks suitably dark and disturbing. Alison Sampson has done a fantastic job creating the atmosphere that is needed to make this book work. So, load up the RV and let’s head out on the highway to horror!

Ten Forward: May 2017

Every month we spend an evening scouring the pages of the latest issue of Previews and pick the ten titles we are looking forward to the most. This month it's the March issue which includes comics scheduled to ship in May 2017.

SECRET EMPIRE #1

Writer: Nick Spencer

Art: Steve McNiven

Marvel $4.99

Matt C: Back in the day I used to be an event junkie; regardless of quality, I HAD to know what happened in the ever-evolving tapestry of the Marvel Universe. These days, with notable exceptions such as Hickman's tremendous Secret Wars, I generally steer clear unless either the high concept is a blinder or the creative team fills me with unbridled confidence. I seem to have inadvertently stumbled into Secret Empire though having followed the 'Cap Is A Hydra!' agent storyline in Captain America: Steve Rogers, which now expands outwards into this miniseries. I've enjoyed the idea, and mostly the execution of it, so I'm willing to give this a go and hope for the best. Again, these days I don't have the completist bug that makes me think I need countless crossovers, but so long as I get an engaging tale that doesn't require me to pick up plot details elsewhere I'm optimistic that this, with it's core Cap/Red Skull dynamic, will be a blast.

Ten Forward: April 2017

Every month we spend an evening scouring the pages of the latest issue of Previews and pick the ten titles we are looking forward to the most. This month it's the February issue which includes comics scheduled to ship in April 2017.

ALIENS: DEAD ORBIT #1

Writer: James Stokoe

Art: James Stokoe

Dark Horse $3.99

Stewart R: If James Stokoe draws it, I am pretty much guaranteed to buy it. There are many artists out there today who get my attention when a new release arrives on the shelves with their stunning illustration lighting up the inside, but Stokoe sits at the very top of the list thanks to his unique, detailed style and the fact that he also tends to write the stories which he is depicting upon the page. Now he's getting his hands on an Aliens project. In fan-space, everyone hear me scream!! Aliens: Dead Orbit will follow the fraught situation of an engineering officer stuck on a crippled space station, being hunted by one of the most dangerous beings in the galaxy. I'm expecting high tension and a claustrophobic feel to what I'm sure will be an essential xenomorph read.

Ten Forward: March 2017

Every month we spend an evening scouring the pages of the latest issue of Previews and pick the ten titles we are looking forward to the most. This month it's the January issue which includes comics scheduled to ship in March 2017.

ROYAL CITY #1

Writer: Jeff Lemire

Art: Jeff Lemire

Image $4.99

James R: March looks like being a great month for comics, and this for me is the standout book. Jeff Lemire is not only a long-standing, firm favourite of the PCG, but he's arguably in the form of his life at the moment, writing and drawing some of the best books out there. Royal City marks a return to the lo-fi storytelling of Essex County, the book that really established him as a phenomenal talent. It centres around Patrick Pike, a fading novelist who returns to his home town and finds both his family and the town itself struggling to survive. This is the first book that Lemire has written and illustrated since the peerless Sweet Tooth and the terrific Underwater Welder. 'Fevered anticipation' doesn't begin to cover my excitement for this - it may be early days, but I feel this could be the highlight of the year.

Ten Forward: February 2017

Every month we spend an evening scouring the pages of the latest issue of Previews and pick the ten titles we are looking forward to the most. This month it's the December issue which includes comics scheduled to ship in February 2017.

FOREVER WAR #1

Writer: Joe Haldeman

Art: Marvano

Titan $3.99

Stewart R: Forever War sits easily in my Top 5 favourite books list. It is simply terrific science fiction. The story follows scientist turned interplanetary infantry man William Mandella as he battles a faraway enemy and the effects of relativity on his life and loved ones as he continuously returns home from distant battle to find a world he no longer recognises and a conflict that has morphed a hundred times during the course of one transit. Haldeman wrote the book during the 1970s as a reflective piece commenting at the time on the Vietnam War, but its insight into feelings of isolation in the face of change and progress still resonates in this 21st century landscape. The book was adapted into a graphic novel in the 1990s, but Titan will be the first to translate and publish in English so it really is time to get on board with one of the truly great sci-fi stories.

Ten Forward: January 2017

Every month we spend an evening scouring the pages of the latest issue of Previews and pick the ten titles we are looking forward to the most. This month it's the November issue which includes comics scheduled to ship in January 2017.

THE FEW #1

Writer: Sean Lewis

Art: Hayden Sherman

Image $4.99

James R: I do loves me a good post-apocalyptic tale. Some of my favourite fiction has dealt with the concept of the remnants of humanity after a cataclysm (J.G. Ballard's catastrophe novels, Cormac McCarthy's The Road, Jeff Lemire's Sweet Tooth) and so I will usually take a look at a comic that deals with the same subject matter. The Few, a new maxi-series from playwright Sean Lewis and artist Hayden Sherman, tells of two survivalist brothers finding a woman carrying a baby wearing a gas mask, and their attempts to protect them both in a broken world. The pitch alone would have got me on board, but the preview art from Sherman looks fantastic. I'm hoping The Few turns out to be Image's first win of 2017.

Ten Forward: December 2016

Every month we spend an evening scouring the pages of the latest issue of Previews and pick the ten titles we are looking forward to the most. This month it's the October issue which includes comics scheduled to ship in December 2016.

LOCKE & KEY: SMALL WORLD

Writer: Joe Hill

Art: Gabriel Rodriguez & Jay Fotos

IDW $4.99

Simon M: Any time anyone asks me to recommend a series to get them into comics, my first suggestion will always be Hill and Rodriguez’s Locke & Key. This is one of my all-time favourite reads and I was left with a slightly empty feeling when it finished in 2013. But all is not lost, IDW have announced that a new one-shot is being released this December. The majority of the books have followed the Locke family during modern times, but Hill has given us glimpses of their history in a couple of other one-shot books (Open The Moon and Grindhouse). The writer has added in a recent interview that there is 250 years of Locke family history, so hopefully the plan is to explore this a little bit more. The Locke & Key series is essentially a supernatural horror based in Lovecraft's Massachusetts, where the Locke family have access to a number of magical keys that allow anything from taking memories from a person’s head to becoming a temporary ghost. Small World focuses on Mary Locke from the early twentieth century and a key that allows her to bring an incredible dollhouse to life. Now this is great news, but that is not all! Five years ago there was a failed TV pilot through Fox. It now looks like IDW are pushing a new pilot this time with Hill penning the script. Hopefully this time it gets off the ground and we can soon be seeing another comics series brought to life on the small screen.

Ten Forward: November 2016

Every month we spend an evening scouring the pages of the latest issue of Previews and pick the ten titles we are looking forward to the most. This month it's the September issue which includes comics scheduled to ship in November 2016.

A.D.: AFTER DEATH BOOK 1

Writer: Scott Snyder

Art: Jeff Lemire

Image $5.99

James R: One of things I am most proud of in contributing to the PCG has been championing both Jeff Lemire and Scott Snyder over the years. From Snyder's run on American Vampire and Lemire's Sweet Tooth, the pair have won my 'Book of the Week' more times than I care to mention. They've crafted some of the best comics of the decade in that time, and it's been brilliant to watch their continuing ascents to the very top of the industry. Pick of the month for me will therefore come as no surprise - the two men joining forces on an Image title = GOLD. The story revolves around a future in which humanity has found a cure for death, but to be honest, I don't care what the plot is - they could be creating a book about assembling flat-pack furniture, and I'd want to read it. I can't see this being anything less than spectacular, and one of the highlights of the year.

Ten Forward: October 2016

Every month we spend an evening scouring the pages of the latest issue of Previews and pick the ten titles we are looking forward to the most. This month it's the August issue which includes comics scheduled to ship in October 2016.

CHAMPIONS #1

Writer: Mark Waid

Art: Humberto Ramos

Marvel $4.99

Andy H: While I still have reservations about the stop/start, all new, all different, all confusing direction of Marvel, there are certain titles that will strike a chord with me. In October one of those titles could be Champions #1 which cherry-picks some of the best 'new' young characters, sticking them together to make a classic team of misfits. Leaving the Avengers after the events of Civil War II are Nova, Ms. Marvel and Miles Morales, kids still learning what it takes to be a hero. Joining them is boy out of time, Cyclops, the ‘Totally Awesome’ Hulk and Viv Vision, a real rag tag team if ever there was one. If one writer can make this team work then it has to be Mark Waid (good job it is him then!) and he's joined by Humberto Ramos, an artist that can really bring this teen-team to life.

Ten Forward: September 2016

Every month we spend an evening scouring the pages of the latest issue of Previews and pick the ten titles we are looking forward to the most. This month it's the July issue which includes comics scheduled to ship in September 2016.

DOOM PATROL #1

Writer: Gerard Way

Art: Nick Derington

DC $3.99

Kenny J: Gerard Way's succession to Grant Morrison's writerly throne is complete. The well documented protégé of the Scottish one's trademark style of comics has made it to the spiritual home penning the very same book Grant did over twenty years ago. As part of DC's new ‘Young Animal’ imprint, with many more Way stories to follow, this is the part of Rebirth that really has me interested. The former My Chemical Romance frontman has already cut his teeth on the similarly toned created-owned Umbrella Academy and the albeit less-similar-but-equally-great True Lives Of The Fabulous Killjoys at Dark Horse. This new project should hopefully invoke some of what made those so much fun as well as shooting off into the more out there ideas that have made Robotman and the other weirdos that make up the Doom Patrol such fascinating characters in the past.

Ten Forward: August 2016

Every month we spend an evening scouring the pages of the latest issue of Previews and pick the ten titles we are looking forward to the most. This month it's the June issue which includes comics scheduled to ship in August 2016.

SUICIDE SQUAD: REBIRTH #1

Writer: Rob Williams

Art: Philip Tan & Jonathan Glapion

DC $2.99

Kenny J: It's a double bill of Suicide Squad this month but it's best to start at the beginning with Suicide Squad: Rebirth setting out where DC’s group of reluctant antiheroes will be going in the near future. If one thing is certain it's that this latest version of the squad will be very similar to that being teased for their upcoming cinematic outing as Jack Flagg heads up the other crew but not necessarily leads them. With that gorgeous Jonathan Glapion and Philip Tan cover depicting the now essential Harley Quinn, holding Polaroids of Killer Croc, Deadshot and Katana, Flagg will have his work cut out trying to control this slew of villains making up the team under the writing stewardship of Rob Williams. Very much a solid DC writer and with the cast soon to be everywhere it remains to be see what surprises Williams has up his sleeve. Let's just say we haven't seen a ‘rebirthed’ Joker yet.

Ten Forward: July 2016

Every month we spend an evening scouring the pages of the latest issue of Previews and pick the ten titles we are looking forward to the most. This month it's the May issue which includes comics scheduled to ship in July 2016.

RED TEAM: DOUBLE TAP, CENTER MASS #1

Writer: Garth Ennis

Art: Craig Cermak

Dynamite Entertainment $3.99

Simon M: The original volume of Red Team followed a hardnosed, no-nonsense team from the NYPD that was willing to do whatever it takes to keep the streets of New York City free from the low life criminal element that plagues its underbelly. Following on from the explosive conclusion of the first series, Red Team: Double Tap, Center Mass brings back the two remaining members of the unit: Eddie Mellinger and Trudy Giroux. The story takes place one year later and these two are still struggling to come to terms with the consequences of their actions. Considered a liability, the team has been kept on small scale cases by their suspicious commanding officer. A chance encounter gives them the opportunity to get back in the game, but only if they are willing to take the risks that almost got them killed last time round. Cermak, who did the art on the first volume, is back again to team up with Ennis. His style is a perfect fit for this book and the pair seem to work well as a team. Ennis is a master storyteller and has had some of the most influential runs in modern comics history. If you like the dark and gritty, this will be worth picking up.

Ten Forward: June 2016

Every month we spend an evening scouring the pages of the latest issue of Previews and pick the ten titles we are looking forward to the most. This month it's the April issue which includes comics scheduled to ship in June 2016.

SUPERMAN #1

Writer: Peter J. Tomasi

Art: Patrick Gleason & Mick Gray

DC $2.99

Stewart R: Words and art, art and words. First it was beckoning me into their world of Green Lantern Corps and keeping me there. Then it was dragging my eyes and heart willingly through Batman And Robin's emotional father/son drama as they explored Bruce, Damian and Alfred's relationship. So yes, without hesitation, I will be buying and reading Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason's Superman come this new 'Rebirth' as this creative combo have delivered the most consistent and gloriously high calibre DC superhero experiences to me since I've been reading works from the publisher. Doug Mahnke is joining in on the fun as a regular artist (to keep up with DC's challenging/punishing schedule) in tandem with Gleason and that should be a reasonable fit for visual consistency. Tomasi is currently dealing with the mortality of Superman in the current volume so we shall see what sort of rollercoaster he inevitably delivers when the Last Son of Krypton is reborn this June.

Ten Forward: May 2016

Every month we spend an evening scouring the pages of the latest issue of Previews and pick the ten titles we are looking forward to the most. This month it's the March issue which includes comics scheduled to ship in May 2016.

SCOOBY APOCALYPSE #1

Writers: Keith Giffen & J.M. DeMatteis

Art: Howard Porter

DC $3.99

Andy H: I don't think any comic has left me feeling so conflicted as this one. Scooby Doo has been a part of my life growing up. It's my 'go to' cartoon. So, will this be a brave move on the part of DC and propel this classic to new heights or be the biggest travesty to hit the world of comics? The new look finds Scooby, Shaggy, Daphne, Velma and Fred fighting to survive in a post-apocalyptic future. Along with this new status quo is a redesign for the gang courtesy of Jim Lee. Written by Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis, who are no strangers to comic weirdness, and art by Howard Porter, this is bursting with creative talent. Will it be enough? Or will it be a case of those meddling kids being too much for DC to change? At best this could be a blast, at worst I guess we could consider it a weird 'Elseworlds' story. Until then, I'm really on the fence with this one.

Ten Forward: April 2016

Every month we spend an evening scouring the pages of the latest issue of Previews and pick the ten titles we are looking forward to the most. This month it's the February issue which includes comics scheduled to ship in April 2016.

STAR WARS: POE DAMERON #1

Writer: Charles Soule

Art: Phil Noto

Marvel $4.99

James R: He may have been given slightly short shrift in The Force Awakens, but the Resistance's best pilot has certainly gained some traction in the world of comics. Firstly, we learned all about his parents in Greg Rucka's Shattered Empire series, and now it's Charles Soule's turn to tell us about Poe Dameron's adventures right before the events of Episode VII. With luscious art from Phil Noto, this was an immediate 'Yes' for me as a rabid Star Wars fan. Given the track records of the creators in both comics and the Marvel Star Wars books, this looks like another successful addition to a line of titles that's quickly established itself as the market leaders in the mainstream.

Ten Forward: March 2016

Every month we spend an evening scouring the pages of the latest issue of Previews and pick the ten titles we are looking forward to the most. This month it's the January issue which includes comics scheduled to ship in March 2016.

BLACK WIDOW #1

Writer: Chris Samnee & Mark Waid

Art: Chris Samnee

Marvel $3.99

Stewart R: I quite enjoyed Nathan Edmondson and Phil Noto's recent Black Widow series (though some of the later issues remain in that growing pile of unread comics presently), but the prospect of Waid and Samnee picking up Natasha's story after their incredible run on Daredevil is just a reader's dream. It certainly appears that following Scarlett Johansson's successful portrayal of Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the publisher are keen to push the character's profile ever more to the fore - something we can expect of Janet(Hope) Van Dyne in the next few years too I imagine - and from an interview with the pair over at CBR last year it seems that they have a fairly open plan with very few constraints. The interesting thing for me is that where Waid really got to the heart of who Matt Murdock was in Daredevil it seems that Natasha has always been a more mysterious, enigmatic character and I'm excited to see this master writer tackle her motives and emotions.

Ten Forward: February 2016

Every month we spend an evening scouring the pages of the latest issue of Previews and pick the ten titles we are looking forward to the most. This month it's the December issue which includes comics scheduled to ship in February 2016.

SPIDER-MAN #1

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis

Art: Sara Pichelli

Marvel $3.99

Billy P: Those who read the PGC regularly will know I have made no secret of my chagrin about Marvel’s ‘All-New, All-Different’ initiative. Today, you find me less cynical – well, not really, but less negative, certainly. Tom King’s The Vision and Jason Aaron’s Doctor Strange have been firmly solidified on my pull-list, so it’s not all bad. And despite my newfound distaste for relaunches, especially those that continue as if Secret Wars hadn’t happened, I am truly pleased that Miles Morales now inhabits the 616. More than that, I am happy that Brian Michael Bendis returns as writer; but, even more than that, I am ecstatic that Sara Pichelli is back on pencils! I honestly believe that Miles Morales is a wonderful creation, especially given that the Marvel multiverse is populated by numerous so-called ‘Spider-Totems,’ within which Miles is but one of many. But where the Ultimate Universe succeeded in many ways was to scribble in the margins of the main Marvel Universe without affecting the sacrosanctity of continuity. Of course, Peter Parker will always be THE Spider-Man, but the introduction of Morales – a young, Hispanic web-slinger – to replace a deceased Parker as the Spider-Man of Earth-1610 was a spectacular coup de théâtre. But despite Bendis remaining as writer throughout the character’s career since his inauguration in 2011, I found myself jumping-off once Pichelli left the book. I used to believe that a good writer could save bad art, and that the converse was untrue. However, Pichelli forced me to change this viewpoint. Will it be ‘all-new,’ or ‘all-different’? It certainly has the potential: after all, this is a new canvas for Morales, both literally and figuratively. Given my disappointment with the Amazing Spider-Man relaunch and my belief that it is time for Dan Slott to move onto newer pastures – with thanks for his services – Miles Morales may be the Spider-Man I am looking for.