Comics

It’s the happiest day of the week–WEDNESDAY! That’s right, new books from your favorite publishers are lining the walls, waiting for you to find your escape for the week.  What awaits you in your pullbox?

THIS WEEKS AND NEXT WEEK’S BOOKS

Here are the links for this week’s books…..

http://www.comiclist.com/index.php/newreleases/this-week

And next week’s books……

http://www.comiclist.com/index.php/newreleases/next-week

If you see something on either list that isn’t on your subscription and you want to ensure that you have it in your box, just give us a call at 301-663-3039 and we’ll set is aside for you.

LOOKING FURTHER OUT

Also, just so you can keep an eye further out for what is coming your way two months from now, be sure to check out the following link to see what all of the publishers are printing for November.  The comic industry is definitely upping their game to ensure you have a quality entertainment experience.  Don’t miss out on anything.

https://previewsworld.com/Catalog

PULLBOX

Are you a comic reader but don’t have a subscription with Brainstorm Comics and Gaming?  Then you losing money and no one wants that!  A subscription at Brainstorm Comics and Gaming is absolutely free with no minimum to buy.  All we need is your name, phone number and a list of books you want us to hold for you.  The understanding is that you’ll come into the store at least once a month to pick up the requested books.  So why become a subscriber?  Outside of guaranteeing you get that new hot book (like today’s Thanos Legacy #1 by Donny Cates), you’ll also get the following benefits:

20% off new issues (those on your list and not)

20% off graphic novels

20% off back issues

10% off graded books

10% off board games

With theses savings you can either get more awesome books or save a few dollars.  You definitely don’t want to miss out!

LOCAL COMIC ARTISTS

We need YOUR help!  Not only are we doing an art show throughout the month of October, but we are doing a charity raffle for one of a kind covers.

If you are interested in displaying your original horror themed art work in the art show, contact us at [email protected]  You can either have it simply as a display or for sale.

Then for the comic book raffle, we are looking for artists to do an original horror themed piece on some select blank cover comics that we have.  All of the proceeds will go to the charity of the artist’s choice (nothing political, please).  If you are interested in participating, contact us at [email protected] so we can get you hooked up with the comic you want to do the cover for.

TOP OF THE STACK

And now we are to the Top of the Stack portion of our program.  Here John counts down to what he is most interested in reading this week.  Some people arrange their comics so that they save the one they’re most anticipating until last.  John is not that person.  He prefers to have his dessert first.  Without further hesitation, let’s see what sits on Top of the Stack….

NUMBER ONES

Here are the new series and/or mini-series hitting the wall this week.

5) War Bears #1

Margaret Atwood is delving deep into the Golden Age of comics with this series, exploring that time period.  I’m hoping this is done in the same vein as Kavalier and Clay.  Here is the solicity from Dark Horse:

From the Booker Prize-winning author of The Handmaid’s Tale, comes this historical fiction graphic novel tracing the Golden Age of comic books. 

Oursonette, a fictional Nazi-fighting superheroine, is created at the peak of World War II by comic book creator Al Zurakowski who dreams of making it big in the early world of comics publishing.

A story that follows the early days of comics in Toronto, a brutal war that greatly strains Al personally and professionally, and how the rise of post-war American comics puts an end to his dreams.

International and New York Times best-selling novelist Margaret Atwood and acclaimed artist Ken Steacy collaborate for one of the most highly anticipated comic book and literary events!

 

4) Asgardians of the Galaxy #1

Infinity Wars has been an entertaining read and I’m a Cullen Bunn fan, so I’m interested to see what he has in store for this series.  This book spins out of hte aforementioned miniseries, Angela makes her reappearance along with Throg!  They are on a mission to stop Nebula from taking over the Galaxy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3) Cover #1

This book has an interesting hook–a comic creator is employed as a secret agent.  Always on the move, they move from country to country, gathering intelligence.  As if the hook weren’t interesting enough, it’s also brought to us by Brian Michael Bendis and David Mack.

 

 

 

 

 

 

2) The Dreaming #1

When the Sandman Universe line of comics were announced, my ears definitely perked up.  There have been few non-superhero book (or even including superhero books for that matter) as influential on the medium as Neil Gaiman’s opus.  Simon Spurrier takes the reins for this take on Gaiman’s work.  Here is the solicit from DC:

From the upheaval of THE SANDMAN UNIVERSE #1 rises THE DREAMING—a kingdom in chaos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is the happiest day of the week–WEDNESDAY!  The day when new books hit the shelves and give us a variety of worlds to choose from to visit.

What is Top of the Stack?  John gives a recount of the titles that came out today and the book he is most eagerly anticipating, the book that sits on…..Top of the Stack!

Before we get to that, though, we have some store news to handle.  Be sure to read everything as we have some great events and changes coming up rapidly.  So let’s get started….

APOLOGIES

First, I want to apologize for not doing one of these in quite a while.  My wife and I were getting ready for this little guy, Avery Cooper Frazier….

I will do my best to make sure this feature returns to be a weekly occurrence, but I can’t make any promises.

 

 

 

 

 

 

SALE! SALE! SALE!

We know many of our customers are getting ready for their Labor Day weekend.  Many of you will be going to the beach so we want to make sure you have some beach reading.  Many of you will be hanging out with your friends so we want to make sure you have some fun games to break out.

From today August 29th through Monday September 3rd, we will have the following sale going on…..

30% off Graphic Novels/trade paperbacks

30% off back issues (non-slabbed books)

15% off board games

Let your friends know it’s time to stock up on some reading and games!

SUBSCRIPTIONS

And of course, don’t forget, by becoming a Brainstorm Comics and Gaming subscriber, you save every day!  It’s absolutely free to become a subscriber–we just need your name, phone number and the books you want us to hold for you.  The expectation is that you stop by at least once a month, but if you let us know of some special circumstances you have, we can work on that with you as well.  So what does being a Brainstorm Comics and Gaming subscriber get you?  These great benefits….

20% off new releases

20% off back issues (non-slabbed)

10% off graded books

10% off board games

We have our books out and ready on the wall every Wednesday at 10 am.  See why the Brainstorm Comics and Gaming has won the Best of Frederick award for comic shops for 6 years in a row.

NEW LOGO?

Yes, we are going to have a new logo very soon and you guys are going to be a part of it!  On Monday, we will post the many different logos that we are deciding from.  Several artists have given us their interpretations of what it should be, so we are going to open it up to you guys and gals to vote.  More details will be available on Monday.  It will be a two week process, though.  The first week we will narrow it down to the top 3, then have another vote the following week.

OCTOBER ART SHOW!

From October 1st through October 31st, we will be holding an art show at Brainstorm Comics and Gaming. But we need your help! We know our subscribers have some awesome artistic talents that they love to share with their fellow comic fans. The theme, since it will be during the Halloween season, is horror. Obviously, we want to maintain our family friendly environment, so keep that in mind for the pieces. If you like, you can also have your pieces for sale. Just contact Brainstorm Comics and Gaming at [email protected] if you are interested.

Also available for our artistic minded customers, we are looking for a few artists so that we can do another charity cover raffle. We raised over $400 for three charities during our Free Comic Book Day raffle. We are hoping to do ever better for our ComicFest one. So, if you’re interested in contributing a cover, get in contact with John at [email protected] We will provide the comics for you to do the art on.

THE WEBSITE!

With our new point of sales system firmly in place now, we’ve been able to create some cool new features we didn’t have available to us previously.  The staff has been feverishly entering the inventory (we still have a little more to go, but we promise it will be fully completed soon) to make the Brainstorm Comics and Gaming shopping experience the best possible.

But there’s a bonus to this!  If you go to our website http://brainstormcomics.com and click on the “shop” link near the top of the page, you will be able to see the categories of products we carry.  Click on the category you’re most interested in and you’ll see the items we carry in our store.  Then, to see if we currently have the item in stock, simply click on the item.

That’s right, you can now check to see if we have that must-have item you’ve been looking for!  We have disabled the shopping function for right now until we get a process in place to deal with online orders.

We won’t be including single issue comics at this time with the exception of slabbed books and variant covers.  Pictures will also be added over the course of the next month or so to make it more attractive.  We do apologize for its lack of pictures right now.

Let us know what you think of this new feature, though!

Okay, I’ve thrown a lot of information at you guys and gals, so let’s get to the fun stuff!  What will sit on Top of the Stack this week?

TOP OF THE STACK

I am changing the format a little bit with this post.  It may become the regular layout or may just be a one-off.  We will see.  So first, I’m going to let you know what number ones are hitting the shelves today and why I am interested in them.  After that, I’ll give a couple of books that may have slipped under your radar.  And finally, we will reveal the Top of the Stack!

NUMBER ONES

NIGHTWING ANNUAL #1

I ready the solicit for this one and was immediately interested.  Bludhaven has become a more advanced city in the DCU with a technological turn.  Plus, it appears have a 1st appearance of a villain that sounds pretty interesting.  I haven’t been keeping up with the monthly, so I need to go back and catch up.  Here is the solicit that got me interested:

The smart city overhaul of Blüdhaven was just the beginning—a single battle in a larger cyberwar that Nightwing is only starting to understand. But now the story of the Dark Web organization begins to expand as Grayson travels to Gotham City and partners up with Vicki Vale. We live in an era of fake news, alternative facts, disinformation. The gatekeepers of truth can’t be trusted anymore, and sometimes elections, businesses and even lives are at stake. Nightwing faces off against the first of three lieutenants in the army of the Dark Web: Vire, the psychic embodiment of malware who can unearth your darkest secrets.

 

 

HUNT FOR WOLVERINE DEAD ENDS #1

Wolverine has been largely absent from the Marvel U for the last several years.  Now the four mini-series leading up to his full return to action have concluded and the mystery surrounding his return is being resolved.  While the build-up has been a little longer than most would have preferred, the most recognizable mutant is about to make his presence known.  Plus, Charles Soule is writing it, so that’s a win in my book since I’m loving his Daredevil run.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SILENCER ANNUAL #1

First off, let me say, that cover is amazing.  Kirkham did an amazing job on it.  But a great cover isn’t the reason I’m interested in this book.  Nope.  Silencer visits Gotham City in this issue and runs across Batman.  According to the solicit, Bruce and her have some history, so I’m looking forward to seeing how DC incorporates her deeper into its history.

 

 

DAREDEVIL ANNUAL #1

Marvel is getting crime writer Erica Schultz to tell a story from when Misty Knight and Daredevil first cross paths.  In this time period, Misty is a police officer who puts the Man Without Fear at the scene of a crime.  Charles Soule’s run on Daredevil has been awesome, so I’m reading everything with him in it.  The character is back to the level when Bendis and Brubaker had back-to-back amazing runs.  If you aren’t reading it, you’re missing out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BEYONDERS #1

As we’ve covered in the past, I can’t resist conspiracy books or television shows.  I just can’t.  In this book, a young boy who is obsessed with the traditional tabloid fodder (crop circles, alien abductions, etc) discovers its all true.  My hope is that this is something like X-Files meets Stranger Things.  The publisher Aftershock has been putting out some very compelling titles, so I’m very interested.  Here is the exact solicit for the book….

A young boy obsessed with crop circles and cryptography finds his boring life turned upside-down when he discovers that all of his conspiracy theories are true, sending him on the ultimate treasure hunt for an ancient secret spanning thousands of years. What is the connection between a lost mountaineer, an indecipherable manuscript, and the lost library of Alexandria? How is this connected to a one-eyed, flatulent Welsh Corgi and endless plates of corned beef sandwiches? Find out in…Beyonders!
From Paul Jenkins (ALTERS, Wolverine: Origin, Sentry) and Wesley St. Claire (FU JITSU, Teen Titans) comes the mystery series that HAD to be told at AFTERSHOCK!

 

HOUSE AMOK #1

This book is going to be intense and dark.  If you were a fan of Kill or Be Killed, this book may be the one you’re looking for to fill the void.  Ten year old Dylan Sandifer has a family that suffers from a mental condition called folie a deux.  She’s starting to question their actions and stability.  From reading the solicits, I think IDW has a winner with this one.  Here is the solicit so you can get a sense as to why I’m enthusiastic about this one….

Ten-year-old fraternal twin Dylan Sandifer and her family have fallen down a rabbit hole full of secret implants, conspiracy theories, Mandela effects, extradimensional invaders, and organ thieves. As the attacks against them intensify, the Sandifers light out on a cross-country search for answers and salvation, blazing a bloody path of torture,  arson and murder.  Can young Dylan save her family from these delusions… or is this ornate conspiracy actually true?
“The Sandifers are experiencing a mental condition known as folie a deux, a shared madness that will drive them to kidnap and torture strangers, burn down secret safe houses, and do whatever it takes to stay alive.”
-Christopher Sebela, Eisner-nominated writer
It’s a summer vacation the Sandifers will never forget, evoking Natural Born Killers and The X-Files for fans of Paper Girls and Locke & Key.

LOONEY TUNES / DC CROSSOVERS

CATWOMAN/TWEETY & SYLVESTER #1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE JOKER/DAFFY DUCK #1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LEX LUTHOR/PORKY PIG #1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HARLEY QUINN/GOSSAMER#1

DC revisits the crossovers between their DCU characters and the beloved Looney Tunes ones.  Last year had the surprise hit of Batman/Elmer Fudd.  I’m going to read all of these but the two that particularly stand out are the Catwoman/Tweety & Sylvester one-shot and The Joker/Daffy Duck one.  Every once in a while, you just need some titles that aren’t bogged down in continuity or high stakes.

 

 

 

 

 

VENOM FIRST HOST #1

Marvel has been expanding the history of everyone’s favorite symbiote Venom over the course of the last couple months.  Donny Cates has been exploring his ties to the deeper MU.  Now, we see who Venom’s First Host was and how it will impact the symbiote and Eddie Brock.  Due to what Cates has been doing on the main title, my interest in the character has been stoked to an all-time high.  While this mini-series is not written by him, it looks like its going to follow in the same direction that Cates has established.  Plus, more than likely a first appearance by a new character.

 

 

 

 

 

 

WEB OF VENOM VE’ NAM #1 –TOP OF THE STACK!

This mini-series is written by Cates!  I think this one will appeal to both Venom and Punisher fans.  Set in the Vietnam era, the US military has decided to employ a secret weapon the government found–an ancient ancestor of the Klyntar (Venom’s alien race for those unfamiliar).  Between Doctor Strange, Thanos, and Venom, Donny Cates has yet to disappoint me with his Marvel work, so I’m looking forward to this one.  It’s also why this one sits on TOP OF THE STACK!

 

 

 

FAVORITE COVERS OF THE WEEK

CATWOMAN / SYLVESTER & TWEETY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE JOKER / DAFFY DUCK

Thank you for reading this overly long post this week.  Let me know whether you prefer this format or the straight countdown to what is on Top of the Stack like before.  Also, do you want me to include the solicits for each of the books, some of the books or none of the books?  We want this feature to be helpful to you, so let us know.

Come in for the sale and save a few dollars.  If we don’t see you, have a great and safe Labor Day!

How confident are you that you can name 182 Marvel characters by sight?  What if you were limited to 15 minutes?

You will have to have fingers as quick as Quicksilver and a mind as fast as Reed Richards to meet the challenge.  Click on the link below and then let us know how Marvel-ously well you do.

We named 153 on our first go.

https://www.sporcle.com/games/MitchellGoosen/marveluniversepicturefind

It’s day 3 of our Summer Vacation Questions!

It’s New Comic Book Day! Along with all your new pick ups this week, Summer is a great time to catch up on your reading. What is on your backlog for reading this summer?

There is a new prize each week. The winner will be chosen by raffle at the end of the week.
Earn entries by doing the following:

Correct answer in the Facebook post – 1 entry
or
Correct answer in the comments section of the question on our website – 2 entries
Share the question on Facebook – 1 entry (Make sure your share is public so we can count you!)
Retweet the question on our Twitter – 1 entry
Answer daily before the next day’s post which will give you the answer. There is a new prize each week. Winners will be announced weekly!

Our prize this week is a high five from one of our staff!

It’s the happiest day of the week–WEDNESDAY!–when new comics line the shelves with the promise of escapism from the real world.  This week has a great mix of great new books from the big two and from independent companies.

This is John’s Top of the Stack, where he counts down to the book who rests atop his reading pile for the week.  Be sure to let us know what is on top of your stack as well.

Here are links to this week’s and next week’s pull list so you can see what will be awaiting you on the shelves and in your pullbox.

http://www.comiclist.com/index.php/newreleases/this-week

http://www.comiclist.com/index.php/newreleases/next-week

Wait, you don’t have a pullbox?  It’s an easy way to assure you don’t miss any of the great books that Brainstorm Comics and Gaming carries each and every week.  Not only do you have that assurance, but you only receive the following bonuses…..

20% off new comics

20% off graphic novels

20% off back issues

10% off graded books

10% off board games

Day Early access to sales

How much do all of those great benefits cost?  Absolutely nothing.  And Brainstorm Comics and Gaming only has a minimum of one monthly book for a subscription.  All we need is your name, phone number and a list of books you’d like us to hold for you.  So be sure to sign up for your subscription and begin saving money immediately!

And now, let’s begin the countdown to see what’s is King of the Mountain on this week’s edition of John’s Top of the Stack…..

12) Plastic Man #1

Plastic Man is a character that is almost always on the periphery of the DCU, but this 6 issue miniseries has two names attached that will hopefully elevate his profile a little.  The first is Gail Simone who is very well known and can bring the lighter element the character is known for (if you are new to comics or are unfamiliar with it, definitely check out her run on Secret Six). Honestly, though, the reason I’m looking forward to this book is Adriana Melo who I have always thought of as an underrated artist.  I’m looking forward to seeing what this duo produces.

 

 

 

 

11) Hawkman #1

Robert Venditti has been doing a great job on Hal Jordan, so I’m going to trust him on this one as well.  Bryan Hitch’s art looks as cinematic as always, giving the character some added gravitas.  The story for this is Carter Hall investigating his many different incarnations and the purpose of them.

 

 

 

 

 

10) Flash #48

Why am I looking forward to this one?  Simple–Flash War!  Plus we are rapidly approaching issue #50 which hints of a status quo change.  Joshua Williamson has been doing a great job.

 

 

 

 

 

 

9) Domino #3

Here is that name again–Gail Simone.  She has been doing a great job of making this one of the more enjoyable reads on the stands.  When I picked up the first issue, I had a very limited knowledge of Domino.  Simone made easy to jump into and care about the character.  Plus, David Baldeon’s art is an excellent companion to the story.  If you’re looking for a fun book without any baggage or crossovers, this is probably the book you’re looking for.

 

 

 

 

8) Stellar #1

This title spins out of a Pilot Season one shot that Robert Kirkman (maybe you heard of him?) wrote a while ago.  Stellar was abducted as a child and then transformed into a weapon whose purpose was to end an intergalactic war.  Now she is looking for redemption after all she has done.  This one has some excellent art provided by Bret Blevins with the story by Joseph Keatinge.

 

 

 

 

7) The Weatherman #1

Another Image number one, but this one was written by Jody LeHeup, the creator who produced Shirtless Bear Fighter.  Nathan Bright is at the center of this story but also the center of a terrorist attack the nearly wiped out all of humanity on Earth.  However, the weatherman of Mars has amnesia and can’t remember any of that.  Was he truly responsible?  I love mysteries that unravel slowly so I’m hoping this one lives up to its potential.

 

6) The Magic Order #1

While some will come on board due to the name Mark Millar attached to this book, I’m more enticed by the other name–Olivier Coipel.  The pages in this book are amazing.  This is the first of Millar’s Netflix deal, so we already know this one will end up on there as either a series or movie.  The premise is definitely interesting as there are five magic families who protect the world from danger.  In the solicits, it is described as magic meets the mob, so it has my attention.

 

 

 

 

5) Titans Special #1

Spinning out of the events of the No Justice miniseries, Nightwing must reassemble the Titans.  There are sudden fluctuations in the metahuman powers which is threatening people around the globe.  Those who have grown up with powers are relied upon to help those with these out of control abilities.  Dan Abnett is a name that’s always trusted by me, ever since his amazing work on Legion of Super-Heroes (check out that run as it is being collected in trade paperbacks right now).

 

 

 

 

4) Thor #1

Jason Aaron continues his run on the book with grand style.  He is joined by Mike Del Mundo to provide a story that is as visually appealing as it is appealing to read.  Thor’s first challenge?  The Juggernaut!  Plus, there is a back up story by Aaron with art by Christian Ward that introduces a new character who will no doubt get people’s attention.

 

 

 

 

 

3) Oblivion Song #4

Robert Kirkman is delivering a great series about a man’s search for family in the aftermath of a terrible invasion.  While the government has given up hope, Nathan cannot and will not.  If you’re a fan of The Walking Dead, then this is definitely a book you should check out.

 

 

 

 

 

2) The Man of Steel #3

Brian Michael Bendis has been doing a great job of providing some small moments while also illuminating an unknown part of the destruction of Krypton.  I was one of those who were skeptical about him taking Big Blue, but so far he has done an admirable job.  I’m looking forward to seeing where all of this leads.

 

 

 

 

 

And, sitting on Top of the Stack this week is…..

1) Venom #2

I know, you’re shocked that a Donny Cates book is in this position.  Stegman and Cates had an amazing opening issue introducing a deeper past to the alien symbiote known as Venom. If you like horror, if you like Venom, if you like Spider-Man or if you just like great stories, definitely give this one a look.  You won’t be disappointed.

 

 

 

 

 

Covers of the Week

4) Detective #982 by Mark Brooks

I’ve been a fan of his for quite some time, starting when he was doing work on the all ages books for Marvel.  As I say all the time, I love covers that tell a story and this one does so perfectly.  Plus, it’s one of those virgin covers!

 

 

 

 

 

 

3) Old Man Logan #41 by Mike Deodato

Almost every cover that Deodato has done for this series has been stellar.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2) Hawkman #1 by Stjepan Sejic

This cover just screams the potential of the character.  After this series captures that and raises him to the next level.  And it’s another one of those virgin covers!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1) Flash #48 by Howard Porter

This one is probably going to surprise people as I think this one is superior to the Mattina B cover.  I think what truly makes this cover for me is the villains watching as the two are being judged.

That’s it for this week.  Let us know what is on Top of YOUR Stack!