Each week, XavierFiles staff offer their recommendations for what to read. New DC comics come out Tuesdays, everything else Wednesdays. Check with your local comic shop to make sure they’re open or offering pickup or shipping services.
Negan Lives #1: Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard return to the world of “The Walking Dead” in a black-and-white, free-to-comic-shops book retailers can in turn sell for $4.99 as pure profit (top-notch move, Kirkman). The story follows TWD’s resident bat-wielding bad guy after he was confronted by Maggie in the since-ended series’ issue #174.
Fire Power Vol. 1: Prelude OGN: Speaking of Kirkman, the graphic novel launching his new magic-and-martial-arts series with artist Chris Samnee, colorist Matt Wilson and letterer Rus Wooton was supposed to come out last week but didn’t. Image has resolicited it for this week. The series proper will begin in August. ($9.99)
DAN’S PULL: Billionaire Island #2: In case you forgot about this AHOY Comics series from the before-times, the world’s billionaires have abandoned it to party on a lawless island in international waters, one Lois Lane-like journalist is out to uncover the truth about it, and one man is out to kill one of its residents for what his actions did to his family. Also it’s funny. Written by Mark “social commentary is kind of my thing” Russell, drawn by Steve Pugh and colored by Chris Chuckry. ($3.99)
Child Star OGN: After tackling the histories of Tetris, Andre the Giant and marijuana laws in America, cartoonist Brian “Box” Brown tells the fictional tale of a composite 1980s child actor, chronicling the very real perils of fame that comes at a young age. For First Second Books. ($19.99)
ZACK’S PULL: Nailbiter Returns #2: Alice, the daughter of the Nailbiter, comes face-to-face with a man that knows who kidnapped her mother. How much blood is she willing to shed to get answers? Find out in the sophomore issue of this Image revival series by writer Joshua Williamson (“The Flash”), artist Mike Henderson, colorist Adam Guzowski and letterer John J. Hill. ($3.99)
ARI’S PULL: Olympia #5: Writer Curt Pires’ series about a Jack Kirby’s Fourth World-style character crashing to Earth and befriending a young boy – a love letter to Pires’ late father, Tony, who shares writing credit – wraps up. Drawn by Alex Diotto, colored by Dee Cunniffe and lettered by Micah Myers for Image. ($5.99)
WILL’S PULL: King of Nowhere #3: Denis may have been mostly accepted by the strange citizens of Nowhere, but he’s not the only stranger wreaking havoc in town. When Denis gets enlisted to help with the investigation, his time in Nowhere is about to get weirder than he could ever imagine. Written by W. Maxwell Prince (“Ice Cream Man”), drawn by Tyler Jenkins and colored by Hilary Jenkins for BOOM Studios. ($3.99)
ROBERT’S PICK: Betty & Veronica Jumbo Comics Digest #283: Listen, we all need some good, wholesome goof-’em-ups in these hell times. And these collections of strips drawn in the classic Archie house style are about as good and wholesome as you can get. ($7.99)
Dan Grote is the editor-in-chief of ComicsXF, having won the site by ritual combat. By day, he’s a newspaper editor, and by night, he’s … also an editor. He co-hosts The ComicsXF Interview Podcast with Matt Lazorwitz. He lives in New Jersey with his wife, two kids and two miniature dachshunds, and his third, fictional son, Peter Winston Wisdom.
