Solstice: ACHIEVED. Now we’ve got three months of awesome comics before the autumnal equinox. Here are some things we’re looking forward to…
June 30:
Batwoman: Elegy
The deluxe hardcover collection of Greg Rucka and J.H. Williams III’s remarkable serial. (Look for an interview with Williams here next week!)
Wonder Woman #600
Gail Simone says goodbye, J. Michael Straczynski says hi, and Geoff Johns and George Pérez drop by.
Sometime in July:
The Wild Kingdom
Kevin Huizenga’s spectacular, nearly (but not quite) free-associative Glenn Ganges story, which appeared in its initial form in Or Else.
More on Techland: Techland’s Summer TV Guide
July 7:
Batman: Odyssey #1
Neal Adams returns to Batman in this long-awaited miniseries.
Blackest Night, Blackest Night: Green Lantern and Blackest Night: Green Lantern Corps
The core titles of Geoff Johns and company’s best-selling sci-fi superhero zombie crossover epic, all collected in hardcover. (Four more collections later in the month wrap up the tie-in miniseries and a few other significant issues.)
Casanova #1
The return of Matt Fraction, Gabriel Bá and Fabio Moon’s career-making series, now in color and with extra material.
Scarlet #1
A new creator-owned series by Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev.
July 14:
Judge Death: Death Lives!
An American edition of some kick-ass early Judge Dredd stories, many of them drawn by Brian Bolland.
The Playwright
I don’t know much about this Eddie Campbell/Daren White collaboration about a lonely man’s sex life, but everything Campbell draws is worth looking at.
Revolver
Matt Kindt’s original graphic novel about a man caught between two worlds looks pretty promising.
July 20:
Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour
Yes, the sixth and final volume of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s fantastic series will be in comics stores on a Tuesday. Monday at midnight, in some cases.
More on Techland: DC Comics Partners With comiXology and PlayStation
July 21:
Amazing Spider-Man #638
Just in time for Comic-Con, Joe Quesada and Paolo Rivera’s long-anticipated “One Moment In Time” storyline begins, with a backup by Stan Lee and Marcos Martin.
B.P.R.D. Vol. 13: 1947
Anything Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba draw is worth a look.
DC Universe Legacies #3
Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez doesn’t draw a lot of comics these days, but he and Dave Gibbons are doing this issue and the next of this Len Wein-written miniseries. Which means they’ll be gorgeous.
Werewolves of Montpellier
It’s a new graphic novel by the Scandinavian artist Jason. It has werewolves in it. It is, as usual, hilarious.
July 28:
Ex Machina #50
The conclusion of Brian K. Vaughan and Tony Harris’s political superhero thriller.
Sometime in August:
AX (Vol. 1): A Collection of Alternative Manga
There’s been buzz about this Sean Michael Wilson-edited anthology for what seems like years; it’s finally due out this summer.
August 4:
Cinderella: From Fabletown with Love
The collection of this thoroughly entertaining Chris Roberson/Shawn McManus miniseries (a Fables spinoff) about secret agent Cinderella.
Daredevil: Black and White
A one-shot featuring new Daredevil stories by, among others, Ann Nocenti and David Aja, whose collaboration “3 Jacks” was one of the best superhero stories of the past few years.
More on Techland: Marvel Muscles Into Pixar’s Territory? Oh Dear
Deadpool #1000
Yes: Peter Bagge is doing a Deadpool story. Tremble, humanity.
August 11:
Rand Holmes: The Artist Himself
Patrick Rosenkranz’s biography and retrospective of the Canadian underground cartoonist’s work also includes two of Holmes’ graphic novels, Wings Over Tijuana and Hitler’s Cocaine.
Set to Sea
A collection of Drew Weing’s rollicking nautical web-comic.
August 18:
Superman/Batman #75
DC seems to be pushing to make this one of their flagship titles again, and they’re piling on the star-power for this anniversary issue–Adam Hughes, David Finch and Billy Tucci are all contributing interior artwork, and Frank Quitely’s drawing the cover.
August 25:
Superman: Secret Origin
Geoff Johns and Gary Frank’s charming look at the Man of Steel’s earliest years, collected as a hardcover.
More on Techland: Superman: All the Anniversaries
September 1:
The Night Bookmobile
An original graphic novel written and drawn by Audrey Niffenegger, of The Time Traveler’s Wife fame.
Wolverine #1
The first issue of a new relaunch by Jason Aaron and Renato Guedes.
September 8:
A Drunken Dream and Other Stories
Fantagraphics brings Moto Hagio’s shojo manga work to America.
Cuba: My Revolution
A semiautobiographical graphic novel written by Inverna Lockpez and drawn by Dean Haspiel.
Love and Rockets: New Stories, vol. 3
Jaime and Gilbert Hernandez’s now-annual series is always an event.
Polly And Her Pals: Complete Sunday Comics 1925-1927
Cliff Sterrett’s classic comic strip, collected.
Weird War Tales
The pick of DC’s one-off revivals of their old war comics–mostly because Darwyn Cooke is doing the cover and one of the interior stories.
September 15:
Special Exits
A graphic memoir by Joyce Farmer about her parents’ old age.
September 22:
The Complete Ballad of Halo Jones
Alan Moore and Ian Gibson’s splendid, never-completed sci-fi project comes back into print every few years; here’s another chance to read it.
The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec, Vol. 1
There’s a Luc Besson film adaptation of Jacques Tardi’s series in the works, so it’s nice to have it available in English.
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Up, Up and Away: 10 Non-Superman Supermen