Here’s hoping everyone in the US is recovering from their turkey induced coma and looking forward to the best part of Thanksgiving- leftovers! Unfortunately, leftovers also seem to be the trend of this week’s post. There was very little big news coming out for the rest of the year. However, I just think that means that we can take the opportunity to make our wishlists for holiday shopping. So I’ve included my top picks for the comic fan in your life from each brand we cover!
DC
DC had announced previously that a new Poison Ivy would be joining the cast of the CW’s Batwoman, but rather than letting Pam have all the fun, the Bat team’s Mary Hamilton flipped the script and took on the role of the prickly villainess. Taking Mary, a character who has been supportive and soft-spoken and kind during all the upheaval of the show, and instead giving into this idea of feeling overlooked and undervalued and how that’s a villainous origin story really works here. It adds another layer of depth to the character and it’s clear how she has been holding all these feelings inside and letting them poison her. I’m not normally a huge fan of heel-turn villain reveals, (probably because I get way too emotionally attached and then feel overly betrayed when it turns out my hero is going to murder the planet- Yes, Richard Madden, I’m talking about you.) but in this case, Mary’s felt relatable and made things more interesting. Plus Nicole Kang looks amazing. Ten out of ten on the character design.
While Batwoman’s midseason finale focused on plants, issue six of Batman: Reptilian dropped this week, providing the finale to the Garth Ennis and Liam Sharp miniseries. The Black Label series followed Batman investigating a very strange situation with Killer Croc. It’s dark, it’s weird, and I promise, you’ll be both unsettled and totally engrossed at the same time. It very nearly made my Halloween list, so if you’re a feeling more creepy than sleepy, check this series out.
And of course, all this weekend- Black Friday to Cyber Monday- DC shop is offering free shipping for holiday orders. My top merchandise pick? This Gotham Snowglobe Sweatshirt. It also comes as a tee shirt, hoodie, or tank. Of course, we know I’m a Gotham Girl at heart, and this cute sweatshirt comes complete with tiny Batman and Bat-signal, and is the same red as the both Adam West’s Iconic Bat-phone and the classic Burt Ward Robin Sweater. (Yes, I’m biased. I admit it.) I’m in love with it.
Marvel
Marvel first took us out of the cold with a quick trip to the D23 Expo to announce the new Guardians of the Galaxy roller coaster at Epcot in the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando Florida will be opening this summer as part of Disney World’s 50th anniversary celebration. They also announced that Disneyland Paris’s version of the Avengers campus (currently only located in Anaheim) will be opening in March. The campus ties into Disneyland Paris’s Hotel New York- the Art of Marvel resort, so if you’re looking for a marvelous time, you might want to book a trip to Paris.
Disney+ also dropped the first two episodes of Hawkeye on the streaming service on Wednesday. The very heavily Christmas themed show follows Kate Bishop and Clint Barton as Kate gets them into trouble. I loved the first two episodes, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t very publicly state my frustration with the level of “inspiration” the series is taking from David Aja’s run on Hawkeye without him being compensated for it. There’s a line between a fun visual easter egg and totally basing the art style off of someone’s work and not giving them compensation.
If you’d like to see the work that David Aja put into his run on Hawkeye, as well as reading a ton of comics, my Marvel Black Friday wishlist item is the sale they’re offering on the Marvel Unlimited app. They release several digital-direct comics (including Kate and her pet, Jeff the Land Shark) and if you’re looking to read on the go, the code HOLIDAY60 gets you the first year for 60 bucks, which is a pretty solid deal.
BOOM!
BOOM! Studios actually offered a first look at a new book being released in December, titled Buffy the Last Vampire Slayer. This four issue series is revisiting the world of Buffy when she’s now fifty years old and living in a post-apocalyptic Hell mouth scape. Even though I was personally traumatized by the television series, which aired from 1997-2003, but I think that as an adult revisiting the world of Buffy, I’m going to enjoy it very much.
BOOM! Is a great place to go to if you’re trying to get someone into comic books from television shows. My wishlist suggestion from BOOM! is Saban’s Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers: Lost Chronicles. A collection of short stories based on the characters from the original Power Rangers series in the US, the blend of nostalgia, art, and new information is sure to be a hit for any fan of the television series.
Image
As Image comics prepares for their 30th anniversary, the creator-owned comic brand has complied a complete timeline comic of their covers, milestones, and all kind of neat information about the brand. The one-shot issue goes on sale February 2nd, 2022.
But if you’re looking to give Image as a gift this year, I recommend Invincible Volume One: Family Matters. This trade covers the first four issues of the series that’s been made into an incredible show on Amazon Prime. If you’re shopping for a fan of superhero comics but you don’t want to pick out Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, or Baby Groot merchandise because you know that’s all Aunt Sally will be buying them because that’s what she sees on the shelves at Target, Invincible will be a sure-fire hit.
And also, as always, my top suggestion for shopping? Your local comic shop. That’s always where I find the coolest covers, collectables, statues, stickers, and buttons. Often these stores partner with other local artists who are inspired by these fandoms and create one-of-a-kind pieces to show off how much these stories and characters mean to us. Ordering from brand sites like Marvel and DC are great, but don’t leave out your small businesses either. Happy Holidays, and I’ll see you all next week!
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