Heat Seeker: Combustion #2 Preview

Cover A: Derrick Chew

  

Due to sickness and circumstances beyond my control I've fallen behind this week. I hope to get back to my regular posting soon. Conan The Barbarian #17 and Heat Seeker: Combustion #2 arrives in comic shops. Here's a preview of Heat Seeker: Combustion #2. But be warned: as with any title from Hard Case Crime, it's hot stuff, and for Mature Audiences Only!

 

Heat Seeker: Combustion A Gun Honey Series #2

(W) Charles Ardai

(A) Ace Continuado

Publisher: Hard Case Crime (Titan Comics imprint)

FC, 32pp, $3.99, On sale: Dec 11, 2024

 

THE BEST-SELLING GUN HONEY SPIN-OFF IS BACK!

 

Set in the GUN HONEY universe, starring the fiery ex-girlfriend of Gun Honey Joanna Tan - a master of disguise and deception!

 

A biological weapon that could kill millions...a scientist's daughter who needs to disappear...and HEAT SEEKER Dahlia Racers is on the job! But can she beat a beautiful mercenary unable to feel heat, cold, fatigue, or pain?

 

"THE FINEST KIND OF PULP NOIR." ED BRUBAKER

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

Here are some more cover options:

Cover B: Jay Anacleto

Cover C: Ace Continuado

Cover D: Photo

Cover E: Thaddeus Robeck

 

Cover F: Thaddeus Robeck (Nude Variant)

Cover G: BRÄO

Cover H: Derrick Chew Foil Variant

Cover I: Jay Anacleto (Nude Variant)

Cover K: BRÄO Blind Bag Variant

Cover L: Photo

Thanks to Titan Comics for sharing this preview with us!

To look inside Heat Seeker: Combustion #1 see my preview.

Doctor Strange: Dimension War Solicitation

  

I enjoyed the two Doctor Strange movies. Unfortunately, the good doctor is dead in Marvel Comics right now. But while his spirit survives on the astral plane, Spider-Man inherits one of his obligations in Amazing Spider-Man. 

Here's all the info from Titan Books on this retelling of Doctor Strange's origins: 

 

DOCTOR STRANGE: DIMENSION WAR

(W) James Lovegrove

Publisher: Titan Books

SC, 304pp, $17.99, On Sale February 12, 2025

 

THE MIND-BENDING ORIGINAL ADVENTURES OF DOCTOR STRANGE, THE SORCERER SUPREME, ARE BROUGHT TO LIFE FOR A NEW ERA BY NEW YORK TIMES-BESTSELLING AUTHOR JAMES LOVEGROVE.

 

Stephen Strange, one of the best surgeons in the country survives a horrific car crash but at a great cost: his hands are irreparably damaged, and he can no longer perform surgery.

 

When no doctor can help him, he seeks out mystic help from the Ancient One, a man rumored to possess unearthly talents. So begins the journey of Doctor Strange, The Sorcerer Supreme!

Conan The Barbarian #17 Preview

Cover A: Roberto De La Torre

 

This is a charming story that starts off slow, but grows toward a rousing finish. The art reminds me of the 1980s Marvel Comics I grew up with. It's an enjoyable adventure with Conan and Bêlit in the Shemite city of Kyro. And if you missed out on the earlier stories, don't worry. Jim Zub gives you a flashback revealing how Conan met Bêlit, and sets everything up for this new story arc. 

Here's all the info from Titan Comics:

Conan The Barbarian #17 (Ongoing)

(W) Jim Zub

(A) Danica Brine, Joao Canola

Publisher: Heroic Signatures & Titan Comics

FC, 32pp, $3.99, On sale: Dec 11, 2024

 

A NEW CONAN THE BARBARIAN ARC BEGINS! WITH NEW CONAN ARTIST DANICA BRINE (CHEF'S KISS)!

 

Conan the Cimmerian and Bêlit, Pirate Queen of the Black Coast, are in their prime, enjoying a life of decadence and debauchery, but a flagrant flash of wealth brings unwelcome attention from thieves with a taste for danger and agents from Stygia on a dark mission for their serpent god.

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are more cover options:

 

Cover B: Dean Kotz

 

Cover C: Ace Continuado

 

Cover D: Denis Medri

Cover E: Stephanie Lavaud

Cover FOC: Roberto De La Torre B&W Virgin Variant

Cover FOC: Roberto De La Torre Virgin Variant

 

Thanks to Titan Comics for sharing this preview with us!

Rivers Of London: Stray Cat Blues TP Review

 

Writer: Andrew Cartmel

Creator: Ben Aaronovitch

Penciler: José María Beroy

Inker: David Cabeza

Colorist: Jordi Escuin Llorach

Letterer: Jim Campbell

Cover Artist: VV Glass

Publisher: Titan Comics

Price: $17.99

Release Date: December 4, 2024

 

Kitty distributed homegrown marijuana along the river. But after getting busted, Kitty looks after her bedridden Uncle Jake and does community service at Her Haven women’s shelter. One day, her uncle’s neighbor calls with a problem. Gina Penlaw has heard reports of foxes attacking cats and is worried about her canal boat pet. But before Kitty can visit her former accountant, Gina photographs someone tangling with foxes on her boat. Who is this Cat Protector? And who will protect the foxes from her wrath? Let’s sink our claws into the Rivers Of London: Stray Cat Blues TP and find out!

 

Story

Kitty Butchart led an exciting life as the notorious Hoodette. While confined to her wheelchair, Gina helped Kitty with her finances. Now, instead of growing marijuana in the hull of Jake's canal boat, Kitty grows organic tomatoes using her uncle’s magical light. Things are tighter now, as she must pay for Jake’s medical care. Still, Gina’s photo intrigues her.

 

The foxes of London also need help in the Rivers Of London: Stray Cat Blues TP. Lately, a Cat Woman has stopped them from chasing cats away from the trash bins in their territories. When the Cat Woman follows two foxes to Gina's canal boat, she is also drawn there by Uncle Jake's magical light. But then, Stephanie is an enchanted creature. Even if Kitty is fulfilling community service at Her Haven, she understands the plight of endangered and traumatized women.

 

The agents of the Folly know all about Martin Chorley, the magic practitioner who operated The Strip Club Of Doctor Moreau. He created Human-Animal Chimeras like Stephanie to entertain his customers. Now, a gangster and his blind mother hold Stephanie’s sisters captive. The Cat Woman needs help to set them free. What the agents don’t realize is that the foxes have enlisted one of their students to help Stephanie’s sisters escape from the high-security compound of a gangster and his blind mother.

 

In Andrew Cartmel's story, Gina and bedridden Uncle Jake are among those who have traded expensive flats and houses for life along the river. Kitty looks out for her economically and physically challenged friends in the Rivers Of London: Stray Cat Blues TP. How can Kitty say No when Stephanie requests her help, especially when a teenage magician offers to help the Hoodette rescue Cat Women trapped in a life of sexual slavery?

 

Art

A boardwalk covers the towpath where Gina Penlaw and Uncle Jake have tied up. Both have lined their boats with windows to enjoy the daylight and surrounding greenery. Uncle Jake has expanded his boat with a rectangular modernist design in Rivers Of London: Stray Cat Blues TP. The taller boat allows people to care for him in his hospital bed, surrounded by framed Bob Dylan posters. During her visits, Kitty descends a circular staircase to tend tomatoes in wooden beds in the hold.

 

Jordi Escuin Llorach fills José María Beroy and David Cabeza's art with vibrant color. When an orange Fox confronts a tiger-striped cat, an orange and red highlighted purple arm tosses it off the boat. The movement traces red, yellow, and orange through the air before the fox climbs from a river streaked with white, greenish-blue, and purple. After Abigail leaves the white and brown building, she kneels to speak with the foxes while people walk past the wrought iron fencing for a residents-only garden. As the moon shines in a dark blue sky, the pink street reflects the red doubledecker bus as Abigail and the foxes travel toward Gina's green boat.

 

Jim Campbell conjures black uppercase letters into white dialogue balloons and colored narrative boxes. The sparse sound effects help us hear the Hoodette extend her baton and a (Fantastic Mr) fox enjoy his cheese puffs. Thanks to Titan Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

A former drug trafficker and a young magician join forces to help Human Feline hybrids escape a life of sexual slavery. The Rivers Of London: Stray Cat Blues TP tackles the criminalization of drug use, the human trafficking that flourishes in "civilized" society, and the socioeconomic factors that push the poor and disadvantaged out of economically prosperous areas.

 

Rating 9.2/10

 

To look inside see my preview at The Dragon's Cache.

Star Wars Insider #230 Solicitation

COVER: NEWSSTAND - DEC240413

Star Wars was the first movie I saw in the cinema. That makes the golden droid the first person I saw speak on the silver screen. It's always great to see him grace the cover of a magazine!

Here's all the info from Titan Magazines:

STAR WARS INSIDER #230

SC, 84pp, $9.99, On Sale March 27, 2025

 

FEATURING: INTERVIEWS - ANTHONY DANIELS talks about his long association with Star Wars concerts, and the power of John Williams’ music. Plus, ROGER CHRISTIAN: How to Decorate a Set.

 

FEATURES - KELNACCA KAOS Joonas Suotamo talks about the Wookiee Jedi's spectacular fight sequence in Star Wars: The Acolyte.

 

THE STAR WARS PLAYBOOKS - Insider revisits the novels from the 1990s and early 2000s that expanded on Star Wars tabletop and videogame storytelling.

 

Here are two more cover options:

 

 

COVER: PX EDITION - DEC240411

 

 

COVER: FOIL ($19.99) - DEC240412

Amazing Spider-Man #62 Review

 

Writer: Joe Kelly

Penciler: Ed McGuinness

Inkers: Cliff Rathburn, Mark Farmer & Wade Von Grawbadger

Colorists: Marcio Menyz & Erick Arciniega

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Ed McGuinness & Marcio Menyz; Gleb Melnikov; Gleb Melnikov & Dean White; Alex Saviuk & Rachelle Rosenberg; Francesco Mobili & Frank Martin; Skottie Young

Editors: Kaitlyn Lindtvedt, Tom Groneman, Nick Lowe & C B Cebulski

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $4.99

Release Date: November 27, 2024

 

Everyone wants some of Peter Parker’s time. Is he Earth’s Champion or its punching bag? All Peter knows is Doctor Doom wants Spider-Man to fight his battles for him. If any of the eight children of Cyttorak defeat him, Earth will succumb to the dark god’s rule. Can the ghost of Doctor Strange help Spider-Man defeat a second ambitious godling while avoiding another painful death like Spaghettification? Let's thwip into Amazing Spider-Man #62 and find out!

 

Story

Peter's new suit helped him access the mystical universe and cast a spell when fighting Cyntros. Still, Peter knows more about science than magic. After Doctor Strange becomes his astral advisor, he helps Spider-Man and Black Cat bypass the Sanctum Sanctorum's safeguards and retrieve a magic tome. But days of coffee and cramming won’t make Peter the next sorcerer supreme.

 

As Peter studies Doctor Strange’s book, real life intrudes in Amazing Spider-Man #62. The fallout over Peter's recent actions continues, as the Green Goblin's death prompts Norman Osborn to rethink his life. Like Rick Jones, Norman knows a thing or two about death. Doctor Strange briefed Peter on his previous bouts with Cyttorak’s children, but life prevents Norman from imparting helpful advice. 

 

 

 

Joe Kelly’s story focuses on the relationships that define us. After her relationship with Amelia fizzles, Felicia reevaluates her days with Peter. But Peter is prioritizing his romance with Shay while starting a freelance photography career with Randy, training Spider-Boy, helping Aunt May at FEAST, and looking for a new job. Even his new friend Kevin, who helped Peter battle Burnout, has a better handle on his life. But then, Doctor Doom claimed Peter lacked focus, didn't he?

 

As Peter combines his limited knowledge of magic with his deep understanding of physics to fight another champion, Amazing Spider-Man #62 also contemplates the dynamics of dysfunctional families. Cyttorak does little but sit on his throne and watch his children squabble. The god arranged these periodic challenges with Doctor Strange for his amusement. Instead of training his children to succeed him, each enjoys power but feels little responsibility.

 

Are these contests a way for Cyttorak to choose his successor? Or is the god manipulating his children so he can remain in power? Perhaps that's why Doctor Doom called Cyttorak’s bargain with Doctor Strange inefficient. But then, he said the same thing about Spider-Man.

 

 

 

Art

Ed McGuinness, Cliff Rathburn, Mark Farmer, and Wade Von Grawbadger kick off Amazing Spider-Man #62 with a high-flying heist in the Sanctum Sanctorum. Like Miles Morales, Peter sports a new, armored suit that evokes the giver. Felicia enjoys the heist and clasps the book as they leave. Afterward, Black Cat's posture mirrors Peter, while her expression echoes' Doctor Strange’s concern. When Spidey raises the Reeds to show his Get Out Of Heaven Free cards, Black Cat turns away and leaves.

 

Green energy wisps off Peter and supports the leather-bound volume as he studies. The green energy dissipates when Norman expresses disbelief, surrounding the book like a green starburst as it falls on the floor. Peter and Norman look like they belong together, clad in white, black, gray, and subdued blue. Peter's gray and brown apartment looks lifeless compared with Doctor Strange's lavishly colored Sanctum Sanctorum. Nothing speaks so powerfully as Marcio Menyz & Erick Arciniega's red Limbo-like godlings who argue in a brown asteroid spinning through black, purple, and magenta space. But then, there are the red letters adorning Norman's coffee cup, which signify another ending in this story about death and rebirth. 

 

 

 

Joe Caramagna’s uppercase black lettering in dialogue balloons and narrative boxes grows bold for inflection, swells for increased volume, and rarely shrinks in Amazing Spider-Man #62. Sound effects help us hear Spider-Man’s magic armor burn, Doctor Strange’s book hit the floor, and Aunt May text a reminder about volunteering at FEAST. Yet Black Cat sits atop brickwork adorned with red and green graffiti, reminding readers that more gods than Cyttorak control Spider-Man’s fate. Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Neither Spider-Man nor the Scions of Cyttorak conceived these contests. Yet Earth's champion and the dark god's children must play their parts in this cosmic contest. Still, one godling intends to break the cycle and use this fight to pursue a different agenda in Amazing Spider-Man #62.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch. 

 

To refresh your memories of how this story started see my review of Amazing Spider-Man #61.

Somali and the Forest Spirit Vol 2 Solicitation

 

Previewsworld Order code: DEC240418

 

Somali is an inquisitive girl, and the Golem she calls Dad is a guardian who looks after her. Imagine a less fussy C-3PO looking after a young Princess Leia, and trying to get her to maintain a low profile amid a civilization of intelligence animals opposed to her existence. The tone of the first volume is light and fun. It doesn't take long until you begin to share Somali's sense of wonder at her world. Here's all the information from Titan Manga for the second installment: 

SOMALI AND THE FOREST SPIRIT VOL. 2

(W/A) Yako Gureishi

Publisher: Titan Manga

B&W , SC , 192pp , $12.99

On Sale March 26, 2025

 

READ ALONG TO THE HIT 12-EPISODE CRUNCHYROLL ANIME!

 

THE WORLD IS RULED BY GOBLINS, SPIRITS, GOLEMS, AND ALL TYPES OF STRANGE CREATURES... BUT NOT HUMANS.

 

Somali and The Golem continue to explore the witch’s workshop to learn more about the different types of magic in the world they inhabit. But deep in the labyrinth lies a tome that foretells of a time when humans ruled the world, when humans had been the apex, and where the remaining humans may be. The search for sanctuary begins here!

 

Spider-Boy #13 Review

 

Spider-Boy #13 Review

Writers: Dan Slott

Artists: Paco Medina

Colorist: Erick Arciniega

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Paco Medina & Edgar Delgado; Chrissie Zulo (The Thing); Josemaria Casanova (Kraven); Michael Cho (Design); Todd Nauck & Rachelle Rosenberg

Designer: Adam Del Re

Editors: MR Daniel, Kaeden McGahey, Kaitlyn Lindtvedt, Tom Groneman, Ellie Pyle, Nick Lowe & CB Cebulski

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $4.99

Release Date: November 27, 2024

 

Tabitha Briggs let her son don his costume to bask in the adoration of his fans. But Daredevil ruined Spider-Boy Day by demanding Bailey return a Hellfire Club trophy. Spider-Boy’s mentor didn’t realize he was being followed until Bullseye and Spider-Girl attacked. Can Spider-Boy and Daredevil reclaim the legendary Golden Fang of the Gaping Maw from Bullseye and Spider-Girl? And who is this young girl who knows that Bailey is Spider-Boy? Let's book a flight to Madripoor, thwip into Spider-Boy #13, and find out!

 

Story

Bailey's disobedience got him into hot water with Daredevil three years ago. Spider-Boy owes his mentor for training him to fight and control the sensory information flooding his brain from his additional spider-eyes. So, when Daredevil tells him the world's fate hangs on retrieving the Golden Fang that Bailey won by crashing a cage match, Spider-Boy climbs into the cargo compartment of a jumbo jet for the nineteen-hour flight to Madripoor.

 

Like Bailey Briggs, Makawalu Akana once led a very different life. But when her abilities manifested, she wanted to push her limits. Maka drew Bullseye's attention by displaying skills that most people train for years to master. Bullseye promised the Hawaiian girl the biggest challenge of her life if she helped him defeat Spider-Boy. But that was before everyone forgot about Spider-Boy. After Spider-Man restored Bailey to the Web Of Life And Destiny, Maka and Bullseye remember why they got together. They’re making up for lost time in Spider-Boy #13.

 

As in most Spidey stories, Bailey must choose between his everyday life and his superhero career. Worse, his mother feels guilty over abandoning him for years. While Tabitha Briggs allows him to be a superhero, she won't be happy about Bailey spending more days away from school. Bailey fears she will ground him for life for his unsanctioned flight, but he accompanies his mentor anyway. Unlike Bailey, Spider-Girl exhibits little concern for others in Dan Slott's story. Her ability to master any skill effortlessly insulates her from the need to connect with others. All Maka cares about is winning.

 

 

 

Art

Paco Medina compares the lives of those who work at the expense of others with those who work on behalf of others. Bulleye tilts his champagne flute to the flight attendant, and Spider-Girl listens to tunes while eating shrimp kabobs and a strawberry sundae in Spider-Boy #13. By contrast, Daredevil and Spider-Boy sit on the floor between storage containers, with no food service or in-flight movies. As a crowd surrounds Koa Iona with adoration and cellphones, the sports champion smiles at the ladies but frowns when Maka offers him a pen and notepad. Later, she raises a trophy above her head, evoking Spider-Boy when he grabs the legendary Golden Fang of the Gaping Maw in the Hellfire Club.

 

 

 

Erick Arciniega keeps red and blue foremost of Spider-Boy #13, as the dominant red of Spider-Boy's suit seems an homage to his mentor. Yet Bullseye and Spider-Girl's first meeting seems a nod to their target, as Maka wears a red swimsuit, and Bullseye wears a blue shirt adorned with his signature target logo. The yellow of Spider-Boy's visors makes its presence felt in Maka's business suit, the flight attendants' scarves, and the famous relic displayed in Bullseye's private jet. Even an airplane's landing gear produces yellow fire, which finds its partners in a torchlit fight club. Yet green dominates the arena as the master of ceremonies and the members of the Gaping Maw gather around the green receptacle of Bullseye and Spider-Girl's Golden Fang.

 

 

 

While Erick Arciniega lavishes a loaded palette on Paco Medina's attractive characters, costumes, and settings, Joe Caramagna thwips uppercase black lettering into white dialogue balloons. Words shrink for distant or lowered voices, embolden for intonation, and swell for volume. Giant, colored dialogue expresses an airport worker’s anger and Daredevil’s concern for his charge. Sound effects help us hear a cheering crowd and enliven Spider-Boy's fight with a young green-skinned protégé. Mahalo to Marvel Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Spider-Boy #13 introduces a young Hawaiian mutant and several more superpowered youngsters. While Bailey doesn't learn how it could affect world events, he discovers the Golden Fang of the Gaping Maw's immediate purpose. After risking Tabitha Briggs' wrath, Daredevil must do something that goes against his sense of honor. Still, it's Madripoor, Daredevil. “When you’re here, anything goes!”

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.