krisis

Krisis has been creating Crushing Krisis since 2000, writing songs since 1996, and reading comics since 1991. He is a Customer Success and Digital Brand Strategy executive, serial organizer, parent, and feminist, among other things. Based in Philly through 2017, he now resides in Wellington, NZ.

New Comics & Collected Editions Releases: DC Comics – January 8 2025

January 3, 2025 by krisis

Next week is the 2nd new comic book day of 2025! This post covers DC Comics January 8 2025 new releases. Missed this week’s releases? Check out last week’s post covering DC Comics January 1 2025 new releases.

This week in DC Comics: A shocking Aquaman collection, a hunk of Ellis Stormwatch, a new superstar run on Action Comics, creepy Dark Patterns for Batman, a Fractured Spectrum of Lanterns, and more!

The Krisis Pick of the Week: Batman: Dark Patterns (2024) #2! I cannot get the first issue of this Dan Watters & Hayden Sherman comic out of my head. Sherman’s page layouts were mind-blowing, as was the final page twist in both art and story. More about why I’m so excited below.

This post includes every comic out from DC this week, plus collected editions in omnibus, hardcover, paperback, and digest-sized formats. This isn’t the typical comic releases post you can find on other sites. Why? I explain each collection and review every in-continuity series with a new issue out this week. Plus, for most new releases, I’ll point you to a personally-curated guide within the Crushing Comics Guide to DC Comics to find out how to collect that title in full! There’s no other website on the internet that can claim that.

And now, onto DC Comics January 8 2025 new releases!

DC Comics January 8 2025 Collected Editions

The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries Vol. 5
(2025 paperback, ISBN 978-1779528582 / digital)
Collects The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries (2024) #1-6. These stories are more or less standalone, so you don’t have to worry about picking up Volumes 1-4.

Birds of Prey Vol. 2: Worlds Without End
(2025 paperback, ISBN 978-1779528575 / digital)
See Guides to Birds of Prey. This is very much the epic conclusion to the set-up in Volume 1, so I would not recommend starting here! This is easily one of the most-binge-able books of the past year full of action, humor, and tremendous colors from Jordie Bellaire. You can read more of my thoughts on the run in last week’s DC New Releases post.

DC Finest – Aquaman: King of Atlantis (DC Finest, Silver Age Vol. 1)
(2025 paperback, ISBN 978-1779529893 / digital TBA)
See Guide to Aquaman. This is the most interesting DC Finest volume yet! Not only does it collect material in color for the first time, but it does something I don’t think anyone would have predicted!

Generally, DC has always treated Adventure Comics (1938) #260 from May 1959 as the beginning of Silver Age stories for Aquaman and their collections have reflected that. An old Showcase collection starts there. Issue #260 is collected with “origins” collections and Aquaman’s anniversary collections.

Yet, this book reaches back to begin with Adventure Comics (1938) #229-259, which began in October 1956 – the same month Barry Allen debuted as Flash in Showcase (1956) #4.

Generally, the beginning of the Silver Age at DC Comics isn’t treated as something that happened all at once. Flash got things started in an obvious way because he was a brand new character (as was Hal Jordan as Green Lantern), but the start of the Silver Age for the Trinity and Aquaman tends to have more to do with when their origins were redefined to their definitive Earth-1 pre-Crisis versions.

As DC Silver Age collections go, this is a pretty wild development! All of the other various breakpoints between Golden, Silver, Bronze, and Post-Crisis ages are well-defined down to the issue. I had to change elements of my guide to reflect this new break point.

I am SO EXCITED to own and read this material in color!!! This is one of the books that nudged me over the line to start picking up DC Finest Collections despite having a relatively slim collection of physical DC Comics outside of Wonder Woman. [Read more…] about New Comics & Collected Editions Releases: DC Comics – January 8 2025

Announcing Marvel April 2025 Collected Edition Solicits – Live on Near Mint Condition

January 2, 2025 by krisis

Join me and the Near Mint Condition Crew as we exclusively announce the Marvel April 2025 Collected Edition Solicits.

(Watch on YouTube)

New Comics & Collected Editions Releases: Marvel Comics – January 8 2025

January 2, 2025 by krisis

Next week is the 2nd new comic book day of 2025! This post covers Marvel Comics January 8 2025 new releases. Missed this week’s releases? Check out last week’s post covering Marvel Comics January 1 2025 new releases.

This week in Marvel Comics: Sam Wilson’s saga, Epic Guardians, a Venomous mystery, Elektra unleashes hell, X-Men are Magik again, New Champions, Ultimate Panther vs. Moon Knight, The End of Marvel, and more!

The Krisis Pick of the Week: Magik (2025) #1! Magik scores her first ongoing series and it’s by a relatively new comic writer, Ashley Allen. Can Allen make magic with Magik and turn her into the newest X-Men solo star? I can’t wait to find out!

This post includes every comic out from Marvel this week, plus collected editions in omnibus, hardcover, paperback, and digest-sized formats. This isn’t the typical comic releases post you can find on other sites. Why? I explain each collection and review every series with a new issue out this week. Plus, for every new release, I’ll point you to a personally-curated guide within the Crushing Comics Guide to Marvel Comics to find out how to collect that title in full! There’s no other website on the internet that can claim that.

And now, onto Marvel Comics January 8 2025 new releases!

Marvel Comics January 8 2025 Collected Editions

Captain America: The Saga of Sam Wilson
(2025 paperback, ISBN 978-1302956639 / digital)
See Guide to Sam Wilson – Falcon & Captain America. This isn’t a “best of” collection like some Saga trades, and isn’t even all material of Sam Wilson as Cap. But, it’s all pretty good!

This collects Sam’s debut as Cap, his initial 2015 single-arc series by Rick Remender from before Secret Wars, his 2016 return to being Falcon in Marvel Legacy (which I think got slept on), and the one-shot showing off his seemingly permanent return to being Cap alongside Steve as Cap from 2023.

Why collect that disparate group of material separated by two years of comics? It skips over a lot of other material of Sam as Cap, including his entire 2016 series from Nick Spencer. However, that’s all collected in Complete Collections, so it makes sense to collect around it with this book. The one thing that’s critically missing is All-New Captain America: Fear Him (2014), a digital series that was actually his first run with the stars and stripes.

Guardians of the Galaxy, Modern Era Epic Collection Vol. 2: War of Kings
(2025 paperback, ISBN 978-1302959968 / digital)
See Guide to Guardians of the Galaxy. While some Modern Era Epics are just reskinned Complete Collections, this one actually improves on the existing Guardians of the Galaxy by Abnett & Lanning: Complete Collection, Vol. 2 by collecting the back half of their series and adding in Thanos Imperative: Ignition (2010) #1, and Thanos Imperative (2010) #1-6. That’s really the climax of Abnett & Lanning’s original Guardians run, so it makes sense to include it here.

I’d really recommend starting with Volume 1, because the circumstances that form this team continue to play out through the remainder of the run.

I do think it’s odd that this isn’t also solicited to include Thanos Imperative: Devastation (2010) #1, unless it pops up in the indicia when the digital version releases next week. I suppose they could be saving it for a follow-up, since the conclusion of Thanos Imperative has a strong link to how Bendis’s run begins.

That means the speculated Volume 3 would likely be Devastation #1, Annihilators (2010) #1-4, Annihilators: Earthfall (2011) #1-4, and inito Bendis’s Guardians of the Galaxy #0.1 & 1-10. That would leave a solid Vol. 4 to take us through Secret Wars. [Read more…] about New Comics & Collected Editions Releases: Marvel Comics – January 8 2025

Guide to Kraven The Hunter (New For Patrons!)

January 1, 2025 by krisis

Happy New Year, comic fans! I’m kicking off the year with a new Marvel Comics reading order for Patrons of CK. Sometimes I make a reading order because I love a character. Other times I launch a guide because a character has so many series and appearances. And, occasionally, I make a guide just because a character will be starring in a movie with a hunky actor, not realizing that film will be one of the biggest super-flops of all time! Of course, that means today I am sharing a Guide to Kraven the Hunter!

Guide to Kraven the Hunter

I knew virtually nothing about Kraven The Hunter before working on this guide. I mean, yeah, I knew had a penchant for animal prints, but that also describes Michelle Visage. I was often puzzled by his appearances in the past six years of Spider-Man comics, where he was himself, but also undead, but also his own son, but also a clone?

Well, now I finally get it, and so can you.

Kraven began his life as one of Spider-Man’s signature villains in Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #14. However, the thing I quickly realized about the original Sergei Kravinoff and all of the subsequent Kravens is they really aren’t typical Marvel villains, except for some recreational poaching and coming from a family of Russian oligarchs.

No. Kraven would have been perfectly content to continue his endless safari in the plains of Serengeti if it wasn’t for the emergence of American superheroes – especially animal-themed heroes. After all, Kraven is a hunter, and what is more dangerous game than man with a superhero costume themed after a beast? [Read more…] about Guide to Kraven The Hunter (New For Patrons!)

New Comics & Collected Editions Releases: Image Comics – January 1 2025

December 28, 2024 by krisis

What’s this? An Image Comics new releases post?! Indeed – we’re going to give this a try for a few weeks and see how it goes. Do you care? Do I? Let’s find out with my first ever Image Comics releases post, covering Image Comics January 1 2025 releases.

This week in Image Comics: The Massive-Verses’s multiversal saga, Samurai vs. Dragons, the penultimate issue of Saga Season 2, Walking Dead kicks off “What Comes After” in color, and more!

I have barely read any Image series in the past two years, so these posts will give me a chance to re-orient myself to what Image has been up to while I’ve been focused almost-entirely on catching up on Marvel.

I’ll say that this post in particular covers an entire slate of books I don’t particularly enjoy, but I sure do know a lot about them! I’ll try not to go too negative. I’m more excited for future weeks that include more new series rather than this line-up of mostly venerable entries.

The Krisis Pick of the Week: Saga (2012) #71! It’s a big deal that Season 2 is wrapping up later this month, and it makes a great time to binge on what you’ve missed.

This post includes every comic out from Image Comics this week, plus collected editions. This isn’t the typical comic releases post you can find on other sites. Why? I explain each collection and comment on every series with a new issue out this week to help you figure out if they’re for you. Plus, for some long-running series, I’ll point you to a personally-curated guide within the Crushing Comics Guide to Indie Comics to find out how to collect that title in full! There’s no other website on the internet that can claim that.

And now, onto Image Comics January 1 2025 new releases!

Image Comics January 1 2025 Collected Editions

Note: Image Comics collections hit the direct market 2-3 weeks prior to when they ship to the book market, so if you order these books today from a traditional bookseller they will still be pre-orders.

Invincible Vol. 7 [New Edition]
(2025 paperback, ISBN 978-1534375062)
This new line of slim paperback editions of Invincible (2003) have now fully departed from the mapping of the originals. The original Vol. 7 collected Invincible (2003) #31-35 and this new edition collects Invincible (2003) #35-41.

That means they’re slightly more efficient at collecting the series than the original paperbacks, but there are so many collection options for Invincible that these still are one of the least efficient ways to pick it up.

Are there so many options that I need a Guide to Invincible? Sound off in the comments if I should add it to my list of guides for 2025!

Radiant Black Vol. 6: The Catalyst War – Infinite Earths
(2025 paperback, ISBN 978-1534397248 / digital)
The Massive-Verse flagship title has an innovative take on a multiverse story, with this paperback collecting both the A and B versions of Radiant Black (2021)#28-30 (the “B” versions are numbered as “.5” issues) to wrap up “The Catalyst War” storyline.

The B issues come out on the same date as the A issues, are titled the same, and tell the same story in the same time period beginning from the same splash page – but in different realities!

I fell off of this book early on, but I’m impressed that what started out as “loser stumbles into superhero technology” has escalated all the way to multiverse shenanigans in just 30 issues.

Do I need to add a Guide to the Massive-Verse to my collection of indie guides? We all know my weakness for shared universes, so it’s definitely tempting!

Read on for a summary of all of the Image Comics January 1 2025 single issue releases! [Read more…] about New Comics & Collected Editions Releases: Image Comics – January 1 2025