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Comic Books

The Senses of a Dog

Here’s an interesting new hardcover graphic novel from Boom! Studios. Simply called Bear, it’s actually based on scientific research into the brains of animals.  “Bear is a service dog who would do anything for his owner and best friend Patrick who is blind. But when Bear suddenly loses his vision, he worries he’s lost his purpose in life—protecting Patrick! Following the misguided advice from some self-serving raccoons, Bear embarks on a transformative journey to regain his eyesight. Out of both necessity and survival, he learns to tap into his other senses and begins to see the world from a new perspective that is at times more rich and colorful than the world he’s always known.” Written by Ben Queen (Disney/Pixar’s Cars 2 and Cars 3) and illustrated by Joe Todd-Stanton (A Mouse Called Julian), Bear is available now from Simon & Schuster.

image c. 2020 Boom! Studios

Friendship is High-Caliber

Remember the comic series Franklin and Ghost from last year? Well now from the same universe — and the busy busy mind of writer/creator Garrett Gunn — comes the new one-shot Warcorns: Combat Unicorns For Hire. Now there’s a title you’re gonna notice! Here’s what they say in Previews: “After having successfully evaded two complete dispatches of Retrieval Bots from Defilion, Franklin and Ghost are sent by their female accomplice, Delilah, to retrieve a rare weapon that is instrumental to the destruction of Defilion. Warcorns Special Forces Group Alpha is dispatched, at the behest of General Erich Badguey, to intercept Franklin and Ghost and return them to Defilion dead or alive.” Illustrated by Kevin Stokes and Nicolas Touris, Warcorns should be available at comic book stores and sites any time now.

image c. 2020 Source Point Press

And They Thought This Would Be Easy

Woo, here’s a complicated set-up! Listen to the pitch for Hyperbreed, a new full-color science fiction comic from Storm King Productions: “Byrr, Fext and Cammo: Hyperbreed human-animal ‘splices’. They’ve been given a cushy assignment: Board an ancient freighter, transport valuable Explosive Ore to a mining colony, and earn a large delivery bonus. But when they drop out of spacefold, Mak pirates — robot monsters wearing the body parts of vanquished enemies — attack. Fighting against cruel odds, with Mak Yik crystals infesting their ship, our heroes begin to suspect that their lucky break is really a setup for annihilation.” Written by Louise Simonson and illustrated by Guy Dorian, the whole series is overseen by horror great John Carpenter. Issues are available now.

image c. 2020 Storm King Productions

No He’s Not a Ninja

Loggerhead is a new apocalyptic monster comic by Bryan Silverbax. “The world as we knew it changed after the last of the great wars leaving a large portion of North America a dead wasteland. It’s in that wasteland that tales of a monster only known as Loggerhead exist. Within this wasteland valuable elements and minerals have been unearthed creating a hotbed of illegal mining and overrun with scavengers. When some children find themselves endangered while witnessing an illegal scavenger mineral hunt, a protector rises from the murky depths of the wasteland to exact retribution.” Issues (and other merch!) are available now from Scout Comics. There’s a preview video up on YouTube also.

image c. 2020 Scout Comics

Mommy’s Not Amuzed

Xira is a new full-color science fiction comic series written by Mauro Mantella, with art by Diego Giribaldi. Check it out over at Bleeding Cool: “Xira has been experimented on her entire life to help mankind create the perfect astronaut, making her smarter, faster, stronger. When Xira is allowed to have a baby who will also be experimented on Xira has had enough and will do whatever it takes to get herself and her child to freedom.” The first issue should be comic to comic book stores soon from Red 5 Comics.

image c. 2020 Red 5 Comics

Samurai Rabbit in Space?

In the about-damn-time department, word is spreading fast that Stan Sakai’s iconic furry comic Usagi Yojimbo is being adapted into a new animated TV series for Netflix of all places… but, with a twist. Here’s how Comics Beat put it: “Variety reports that Netflix and Gaumont Animation are teaming to create a CGI animated series based on the character. The series will be executive produced by Sakai, titled Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles, along with a handful of others including Mike Richardson of Dark Horse Entertainment and James Wan. According to Variety, the series won’t be a straight adaptation of Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo series, but will use the comics as lore for a series set in the far future. The story will follow Rabbit Samurai Yuichi, a descendant of Miyamoto Usagi, and ‘a ragtag team of misfit heroes’ who accompany him on his quest to live up to his ancestor’s legacy.” Stay tooned for more news about a release date.

image c. 2020 by Stan Sakai

Free from the Zoo to You

If you haven’t heard yet: Free Comic Book Day is on this year — but in a different way. Now it’s Free Comic Book Summer, where the samplers will be passed out in batches over several weeks, rather than all at once, as a way to prevent crowding at comic book stores. And here’s one we found right off the bat… Brett Bean is an illustrator and character designer who is a “frequent face” at comic book convention artist alleys. Well now he’s come out with his own series of full-color graphic novels called Zoo Patrol Squad. “The lion has gone missing? The king cobra has vanished? Sounds like a job for the Zoo Patrol Squad! Timid Fennlock Fox and outgoing Penny the Pig team up for their first adventure as they look for clues to track down the missing animals in their usually peaceful zoo.” The free Zoo Patrol Squad sampler is available now at a comic shop near you (wear a mask and visit safely!) and the first graphic novel in the series, Kingdom Caper, is available for order on line. Oh, and visit Brett’s web site to see more of what he’s worked on too.

image c. 2020 Penguin Workshop

Stilton Goes Strange

It’s the internationally famous mouse investigator Geronimo Stilton — like you’ve never seen him before, thanks to Tom Angleberger and The Sewer Rat Stink.  From the Cheshire Public Library review: “Angleberger, best known for his Origami Yoda series, adapts the escapades about the renowned rat reporter into a graphic novel. A horrible stench has invaded New Mouse City, and citizens are leaving in droves. So Geronimo and his old pal private detective Hercule Poirat venture into the smelly sewers of Mouse Island, where they discover a secret society of rats plotting to take over the world.” With an original story by Elisabetta Dami, The Sewer Rat Stink is available now in hardcover.

image c. 2020 Scholastic, Inc.

Lizard in a Zoot Suit

Once again, they keep giving us titles that we just can’t top! Lizard In A Zoot Suit is a new full-color graphic novel written and illustrated by Marco Finnegan. “Los Angeles, 1943. It’s the era of the Zoot Suit Riots, and Flaca and Cuata have a problem. It’s bigger than being grounded by their strict mother. It’s bigger than tensions with the soldiers stationed nearby. And it’s shaped like a five-foot-tall lizard. When a lost member of an unknown underground species needs help, the sisters must scramble to keep their new friend away from a corrupt military scientist—but they’ll do it in style.” Lizard is available now from Lerner Publishing.

image c. 2020 Lerner Publishing