Comic Chat: New Releases 11/11/2015

Today is Wednesday and comic book fans will know what that means: New Comic Book Day! New comic books are released every Wednesday, and starting today I will be writing a new comic book article every Wednesday.

This week I headed into my local comic book shop to pick up some new comics - Travelling Man in Manchester, I highly recommend popping in if you're in the area. Check out spoiler-free reviews of my picks of the day below.

If you're thinking of getting stuck into some Marvel books, now's the time to jump in as the publisher is just coming out of a reboot which means a lot of number ones are popping up. Number ones are always the start of a new story or series, ideal for jumping in!

All-New Wolverine #1 (Marvel)

The Wolverine is dead! Long live the Wolverine! That's right - if you haven't been keeping up with the Marvel universe, the news is that Logan - the original Wolverine - is dead. That transpired in the 2014 comic 'Death of Wolverine', but there's no need to read that comic first - I certainly haven't! The new Wolverine is Laura Kinney, a.k.a. X-23, a.k.a. Logan's younger female clone (long story, you don't need to know it, all you need to know is that she's like a daughter to Logan).

The story dives straight into the action with Wolverine on a mission and a story that's already got me intrigued. I love the Laura Kinney character and the 2010-2012 'X-23' series remains one of my favourite comics (check it out if you have time, but it's not necessary reading for 'All-New Wolverine'), so I'm pleased to see the character get her own solo series again and be treated so right. Self-discovery, a sense of identity, and the fight against your worst instincts are common themes with Laura, and the writer Tom Taylor is keeping them going.

Finally, it would be wrong not to mention the gorgeous artwork of David Lopez and David Navarrot. The facial acting of the characters is superb and I love how distinctive and recognisable each character looks, and I love how Laura looks especially - powerful and confident, and not at all sexualised. Just look at that full body shot! Jump on this train now, true believers, you're in for one hell of a ride.

Rating: 9.2/10

Ultimates #1 (Marvel)

The ultimate team to solve the ultimate problems! Two things immediately grabbed me about this series: the art and the characters. The art is by Kenneth Rocafort with colours by Dan Brown and it is, simply put, stunning. Rocafort and Brown give a stunning sense of physicality and depth to the book - I feel like I could reach in and swirl my hands about the cosmic dust clouds or feel Blue Marvel's chiseled face. Which brings me to the characters.

The Ultimates are a team of some of Marvel's heaviest heavy-hitters. Literally the smartest and most powerful heroes Marvel has to offer: Black Panther, Spectrum, Blue Marvel, Ms America, and Captain Marvel. Don't worry if you've never heard of some or any of them, this book does some of the best and quickest team-member-introductions I have ever seen. Three fifths of the team is female. Four fifths of the team is non-white. Literally the smartest and most powerful heroes Marvel has to offer. This makes me very happy.

Al Ewing has proven himself a terrific writer and this series has me pumped. Brilliant and diverse characters using their brains as well as their muscles to solve problems which does not always but still sometimes involves punching things? Sign me up. Sign yourself up. I am so excited for this book.

Rating: 9.8/10

Spider-Gwen #1 and #2 (Marvel)

Spider-Gwen, Spider-Gwen, does whatever Gwen Stacy can! 'Spider-Gwen' takes place in an alternate universe so it's really easy to read and not worry about having to read other comics. 'Spider-Gwen' takes place in an alternate universe where Gwen Stacy got bit by a radioactive spider, not Peter Parker, and became Spider-Woman. 'Spider-Gwen' features some of the best costume and character design you'll see in comics today - I'll post pictures of my Spider-Gwen hoody some day soon.

'Spider-Gwen' relaunches with a brand new #1 and Jason Latour and Robbi Rodriguez continue to kill it on the break out hit. The story ramps up and we're introduced to the Captain America of Spider-Gwen's universe - and she kicks ass! #2 reveals this Captain America's origins and, without giving it away, it really fits in with the spirit of Spider-Gwen's reality. I never got round to reading the first volume of 'Spider-Gwen', but I never felt alienated for it when reading these two issues. If you're unsure about whether or not to jump in, do it! The water's fine.

Rating: 7.6/10

The Wicked + The Divine #16 (Image)

"You were always best at the game." 'The Wicked + The Divine' (WicDiv for short) is probably my favourite comic book at the moment, and soon it will be yours too! If you're not familiar with the premise: "Every ninety years twelve gods return as young people. They are loved. They are hated. In two years, they are all dead. It's happening now. It's happening again." Think big metaphors about life and death, creators and gods. Think Game of Thrones with Kanye West, Kate Bush, and Daft Punk facsimiles.

Feel like checking out the book? I highly recommend you do. Volume 1 collects issues 1-5 and volume 2 collects issues 6-11. Volume 3 will eventually collect issues 12-17. Pick up physical issues at your local comics book shop, or grab them digitally at Comixology.

If you are familiar with the premise and you've been following the series until now: writer Kieron Gillen wrote earlier today "I suspect the issue will not be quite what people expected." This issue was not quite what I expected. There's a lot of teen angst - goth angst in particular - of which folk who know me will know I am a BIG fan. This issue was a bit more melancholic, a bit more raw and biographical than I expected. Guest artist Leila Del Duca is great fit for the flashbacks. The tone of the writing meant it took me a little longer to process it than usual. It was different. It was good. I have a lot to say about this book. Annotations are all the rage with books like this, WicDiv especially, so I expect I will start doing annotations of WicDiv soon.

Rating: 8.0/10