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Friday 1 January 2016

The 10 Most Anticipated Comics of 2016


There’s some interesting comics coming out this year, some delayed from last year, some planned for 2016, some that might not even come out this year still! Anyway, these are just the tip of what 2016 has to offer for comics fans. 

10. American Monster

Starting this month, Brian Azzarello and Juan Doe tell the story of US military vet Theo Montclare who returns home scarred physically and mentally from what he’s seen and done. It looks to be an interesting discussion of how vets are treated post-service and I’m looking forward to Azzarello moving away from capes and masks at least for one book. 

9. Wonder Woman: Earth One
Grant Morrison and Yanick Paquette take a look at the most iconic female superhero of them all, Wonder Woman. It’s Morrison, so it’ll be thoughtful, and it’s Paquette, so it’ll be gorge - I’m in! 

8. Angel Catbird

Canadian novelist Margaret Atwood writes her first comic! Published by Dark Horse with art by Johnnie Christmas, Angel Catbird is about a superhero who’s part cat and part bird. Margaret Atwood writing a superhero comic. I’ll definitely check this one out for the novelty alone! 

7. Heartless
The team behind Supreme: Blue Rose, Warren Ellis and Tula Lotay, return for a rural horror about a female musician in North England reliving her past. Ooo! It’s Warren Ellis, so I’m in no matter what. 

6. Snot Girl
Lottie is an energetic fashion blogger whose online persona is “flawless and fun” in sharp contrast to her actual offline self. Scott Pilgrim creator Bryan Lee O’Malley writes his first monthly ongoing with art from Leslie Hung - it’s described as a “dark comedy” (it’d have to be with that title!) and looks to be highly original and entertaining. 

5. Patience
Dan Clowes returns with his first new work since 2011’s The Death Ray with Patience, a romantic sci-fi murder mystery! Our protagonist Jack Barlow returns home to discover his pregnant girlfriend Patience murdered. He remains haunted by the death years later and decides to use time travel tech to go back in time and find Patience’s killer. Sounds grim and melancholic, ie. typical Clowes, to me! 

4. Star Wars 
The only new Star Wars comic on the Marvel slate right now is Obi-Wan and Anakin which begins next week. While it’s written by Charles Soule who I like, his Marvel output has been very low quality even if the artist on this title, Marco Checchetto, has proven himself to be an outstanding Star Wars artist on Shattered Empire. 

The main Star Wars and Darth Vader ongoings continue with Kanan coming to an end shortly, but what interests me is what we’ll see published post-Force Awakens. Backstory on some of the older, classic characters, or some of the new ones introduced? There’s a lot of potential for great comics in the new universe - here’s hoping Marvel bring the goods! 

3. Jeff Lemire
2016 is going to be the year of Lemire (Lemyear?) - he has so many projects going on, you’re not gonna escape this guy! Besides Extraordinary X-Men and All-New Hawkeye over at Marvel, Descender and Plutona over at Image, AND his Valiant work, Lemire will also be relaunching Moon Knight with artist Greg Smallwood (who worked on Brian Wood’s Moon Knight, Vol 2: Dead Will Rise).

His graphic novel, Roughneck, sees Lemire returning to his Essex County-esque roots with the story of a hockey player - this was intended to be published in 2015 but got delayed. Also delayed was his Dark Horse series, Black Hammer, about a mysterious town populated with written out of continuity superheroes following a major Event. The artist Dean Ormston suffered a cerebral haemorrhage in March 2015 so publication has been put on hold while he recovers. It looks like a superhero deconstruction-type comic which could be awesome. 

Lemire’s also illustrating Scott Snyder’s AD: After Death graphic novel, set in a future where death has been “cured”. Jeff Lemire looks to be challenging Charles Soule as the most prolific creator in comics! 

2. Black Panther
2016 is Black Panther’s big relaunch as he makes his first appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Captain America: Civil War and he gets a new ongoing comic written by MacArthur “Genius” Grant winner Ta-Nahisi Coates. Really excited for this one! 

1.Dark Night
Paul Dini returns to Batman - that’s all I need to hear! This time he writes a very personal story from the early 90s when he was brutally mugged and nearly killed. He details his difficult recovery with Batman and Joker acting as a Greek chorus - it sounds amazing, I can’t wait! 

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Also on the way (but doesn’t have me as excited) is the relaunched Captain Marvel with a new creative team, Bryan and Mary Talbot’s The Red Virgin, Rick Remender’s Dynamite series Devolution, The Flash: Earth One by JMS and Aquaman: Earth One by Francis Manapul, and Geoff Johns returns to Aquaman. 

What’re you looking forward to in 2016?

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