Yes, obvious, we know, but too good to pass up. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Dimension X. We’ll let IDW explain it: “The brothers make an interstellar journey to different planets in Dimension X to save key witnesses in the Trial of Krang from assassination! Weird new characters, places, and events abound! This mini-series introduces an all-new villain, Hakk-R, into the world of the TMNT, directly affecting the events of the main ongoing series in this dimension-altering adventure.” The army of creators for this new mini-series includes writers Paul Allor, Devin Grayson, Ulises Farinas, Erick Freitas, Ryan Ferrier, and Aubrey Sitterson; with art by Pablo Tunica, Michal Dialynas, Khary Randolph, Chris Johnson, and Craig Rousseau. The comic mini-series is out already, and the trade paperback collection is coming later in January.
Comic Book News
Monster Fight Monsters Too
[Heading out of 2017, and wishing you all a happy and safe New Year in 2018. Stay Furry!]
In case you haven’t caught word of it yet: Trollhunters, created by none other than Guillermo Del Toro for Dreamworks TV and Netflix, is coming off a very successful and award-winning year. Now Dark Horse Comics have announced a new full-color tie-in graphic novel. Trollhunters: The Secret History of Trollkind is written by Richard Hamilton and Marc Guggenheim with art by Timothy Green II and Wes Dzioba. “Trollhunters: The Secret History of Trollkind explores Jim’s journey as the first human Trollhunter — defender of good trolls. The secrets of the great troll warriors of the past are crucial tools for the new Trollhunter, and the time has come for Jim to appreciate the battles of Kanjigar the Courageous, who through his own struggles, triumphs, and failures lead the trolls after the Battle of Killahead Bridge through unknown territory, across oceans and continents, and past fearsome foes! With his friends by his side, Jim continues the fight against the Gumm-Gumms and their allies!” SyFy Wire has a detailed article about it. Look for it this February.
All White Now…
“A polar bear falls in love with a seal, but the seal thinks the polar bear is trying to eat it!” You can’t get a much more straight-forward explanation for A Polar Bear In Love — a new black & white manga from the artist Koromo. Now Yen Press have collected Volume 1 into a trade paperback. Long-running cartoon adventures have come from far less…
Jurassic Teens
Well this came out of nowhere… Manosaurs Volume 1: Walk Like A Manosaur is a new full-color graphic novel for kids that’s available now from Papercutz. “Leo ‘the Doc’ Jeffries is down on his luck with his run down Dynamic Dino Display until he unearths a box of bonafide dinosaur eggs! The eggs hatch four talking dinosaurs who rapidly adapt and grow into their new environment… the twenty-first century! Now, Tri, Rex, Ptor, and Pterry must navigate life after extinction and defend their new family from forces of the dreaded Armaggedon who would like to make sure these powerful reptiles stay extinct.” Got that? It’s written by Stefan Petrucha and available in trade paperback or hardcover editions.
Animals by Disney, Book by Joe
Okay, so here’s this: The Disney Animal Journeys Comics Treasury, a new massive (more than 700 pages!) trade paperback from Joe Books. We got this from Previews: “Rumble through the jungle, soar through the sky, and dive into the sea with this giant comic collection of Disney animal stories! Revisiting the adventures of your favorite Disney animals – from timeless Disney Bambi, Disney The Lion King, and Disney•Pixar A Bug’s Life to Disney•Pixar Finding Dory and Disney Zootopia — this treasury will provide hours of entertainment for all ages and species!” It’s available now.
So Who Gets To Be The Pretty Lady…?
And the great comic book crossover festival continues: Kong on the Planet of the Apes. What more can we say? Well this is how Boom! Studios has it: “Following the events of the first Planet of the Apes film (1968), Dr. Zaius and General Ursus lead a small group of soldiers to the Forbidden Zone to destroy any remaining evidence of Taylor’s time among them. To their surprise, they discover… A Kong! Now they must venture to Skull Island with Cornelius and Zira to discover the truth, but they may not survive the deadliest journey of their lives!” Written by Ryan Ferrier and illustrated by Carlos Magno (with a cover by Mike Huddleston), this 6-issue full-color mini-series just hit the shelves this month. Empire Online has an interview with Mr. Ferrier about the whole thing.
Defender of the Rainbow Bunnies
Do you recall the Hanazuki cartoon short that ran in front of My Little Pony — The Movie this last summer? It was based on a popular on-line animated series created by Titmouse. Well now IDW Publishing have gotten into the act, bringing out a new Hanazuki: Full Of Treasures full-color comic book series. “Based on the hit animated series, Hanazuki the Moonflower comes to life in this hilarious, action-packed origin tale. See her first encounter with the lovable, pet-able (and only sometimes sassy) Hemkas! Watch her grow her first treasure trees! Witness her run ‘afowl’ of the Chicken-Plant! Enjoy as Hanazuki learns how to harness her emotions to affect real change and save her moon from the forces of darkness!” Got all that? Look for it before the end of December.
Cats With Hats
No, not that one. Cats With Hats is a new full-color independent comic book series written and illustrated by Aynsley King from British Columbia. After a successful Kickstarter campaign, the first issue is out and available now in paper or digital form. “Five cats: Viva, Jinx, Olive, Purrche and Soots. They don’t remember who they are, or why they have hats that grant them the power to change into the animals with powers they wouldn’t have otherwise. Together, these strangers must work together using their new hat powers to piece together their shared mystery all while uncovering the conspiracies in Catsopolis…” That’s what the official web site says. Go check it out!
The Ape You Fear The Most
2018 marks the 50th anniversary of the release of the original Planet of the Apes movie. (“You blew it up!”) You can bet there will be plenty of media celebrating that milestone. Possibly first out of the gate, BOOM! Studios has a new full-color series: “BOOM! Studios and Twentieth Century Consumer Products are excited to announce Planet of the Apes: Ursus, a comic book series launching in January 2018 about the classic franchise’s most notorious villain. Written by David F. Walker (Power Man & Iron Fist, War for the Planet of the Apes) and illustrated by Christopher Mooneyham (Five Ghosts) — both longtime fans of the franchise — the series will follow the rise through the ranks of the ape who has hated (and feared) mankind the most, including what first brought him to the Forbidden Zone. This is the first project from BOOM! Studios in 2018 as part of their yearlong celebration of the franchise’s 50th anniversary.” Previews has an extensive interview with Mr. Walker about bringing the series to life.