New Releases

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

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

December 27, 2024 by krisis

You didn’t think I’d leave out DC, did you? Next week is the 1st new comic book day of the new year, and that means I’m back to cover DC’s new releases! This post covers DC Comics January 1 2025 releases.

This week in DC Comics: The Amalgam Age in Omnibus, Ram V’s Gotham Intermezzo, Aaron’s Absolute Krypton origin, DC’s Atomic trio makes a comeback, Ivy takes Seattle, Shazam family fun, and more!

The Krisis Pick of the Week: Absolute Superman (2024) #3! This book is so good I am giddy every time I see one of its pages. Check out my write-up below on why I am so overwhelmingly positive on a Jason Aaron comic (not a common occurence in these parts).

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 1 2025 new releases!

DC Comics January 1 2025 Collected Editions

52 Book 2 [2024 Edition]
(2025 paperback, ISBN 978-1779527622 / digital)
See Guide to DC Universe Events – Trinity, 52, & One Year Later. This collects the back half of DC’s weekly anthology title launched in the wake of Infinite Crisis. This features a lot of stories from many creators and different characters in several different plot threads. Note that it does not collect the “World War III” mini-event that ran alongside the end of this series.

DC Versus Marvel: The Amalgam Age Omnibus
(2025 oversize hardcover, ISBN 978-1779523266)
See Guide to DC Elseworlds – The Amalgam Age of Comics. We never thought we’d see these comics collected again, let alone in a single deluxe edition! This tome collects the entire Amalgam Age in one place – every single issue of this 1996-1997 inter-company mash-up crossover. This isn’t a book that will often (or ever) be reprinted, so you should get it now if you’re interested!

Detective Comics [by Ram V] Vol. 4: Gotham Nocturne Intermezzo – Batman, Outlaw
(2024 hardcover, ISBN 978-1779528568 / 2024 paperback, ISBN 978-1779529459 / digital)
See Guide to Detective Comics (Post-Crisis). I was struggling slightly with Ram V’s run on Detective Comics as he closed out Act II. It didn’t feel like it was going anywhere. But, this tight act-break arc cured that!

Catwoman and Gordon engineering a breakout is the kind of great Bat-Family stuff that we should be getting in ‘Tec. It’s just nice to see some of the Bat-Family doing something kinetic, even if it flattens some of the business from the first two acts into a more generic “let’s save Gotham” plot. Orgham business into a typical “save Gotham” plot.

Actually, it felt like by getting Batman out of Gotham and widening the focus to his supporting cast, this run finally became what it has always meant to be. Also, based on the credits this includes the back-up stories by Dan Watters, which were outstanding!

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

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

December 26, 2024 by krisis

Next week is the 1st new comic book day of the new year, and that means I’m back to cover Marvel’s new releases! This post covers Marvel Comics January 1 2025 releases.

This week in Marvel Comics: Ultimate Guardians of the Galaxy, Zdarsky & Checchetto’s dual Daredevils in Omnibus, Pak’s Darth Vader finale, Jed MacKay’s Moon Knight Vengeance, Black Cat vs. The Avengers, Sam Wilson vs. Red Hulk, debuts for Cable & Deadpool, and more!

I was so proud of keeping up with these posts for an entire half a year at the start of 2024. Unfortunately, life conspired to get in the way in June and July. After that, rather than leap right back to the weekly posts, I took five months to update every Marvel Comics guide on Crushing Comics. Every. Single. One.

Even small guides. Even Patrons-only guides. They’re all updated with comics and collections released through the end of 2024 and into 2025. This is the first time all of Marvel has been updated at the same time since 2024! Now that I’m feeling confident about how all of the guides look, it’s time to get back to tracking all of Marvel’s new releases.

The Krisis Pick of the Week: The Ultimates (2024) #8! Denis Camp has been on fire on this Ultimate Universe team book throughout 2024, and his choices of which 616 heroes to adapt keep getting more and more surprising.

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 1 2025 new releases!

Marvel Comics January 1 2025 Collected Editions

Daredevil by Chip Zdarsky [& Marco Checchetto] Omnibus Vol. 2
(2025 oversize hardcover, ISBN 978-1302956264 / digital)
See Guide to Daredevil. This collects the back half of the outstanding Zdarsky/Checchetoo run co-starring Daredevil and Elektra. That includes final arc of Zdarsky & Checchetto’s Daredevil (2019) series, the main Devil’s Reign (2021) event series as well as the supporting Elektra series Daredevil: Woman Without Fear (2022) #1-3, and all of the subsequent Daredevil (2022).

I could not recommend this run any more highly. It is fantastically written and voiced with spectacular artwork. This is peak Daredevil, even among the many peaks the character has enjoyed across the past 25 years of publishing.

Two things to note: First, the solicit for this series has never included Elektra #100, which is an odd omission since it contains Zdarsky content that fits into this era’s story. We’ll see if it turns up in the actual book.

Second, for the full story of the post-Devil’s-Reign plot, you’ll also want to read Jason Aaron’s Punisher (2022) #1-12. It’s an amazing series, which is not something you’ll often hear me say about Aaron or Punisher! See my Guide to Punisher for collection details.

Get Fury
(2024 paperback, ISBN 978-1302912543 / digital)
See Guide to Punisher. Yes, really! Because Get Fury (2024) #1-6 extend the story of the Punisher MAX universe with this Vietnam-era prequel as written by Garth Ennis. That means this book is NOT in Marvel-616 continuity.

Marvel Masterworks: Marvel Team-Up Vol. 8
(2024 hardcover, ISBN 978-1302955571 / digital)
See Guide to Spider-Man – Peter Parker (1963-2018). Marvel Team-Up (1972) was almost entirely Spider-Man title, with Human Torch occasionally swapping in for a team-up. This volume is notable as much for what it contains (stories by Chris Claremont & Sal Buscema) as for what it doesn’t (it skips issue #79, a team-up with Red Sonja).

Micronauts: The Original Marvel Years Omnibus Vol. 3
(2024 oversize hardcover, ISBN 978-1302957254 / digital)
Collects Micronauts (1979) #55-59 and Micronauts: The New Voyages (1984) #1-20.

Micronauts was a short-lived MEGO toy property whose continuity was vastly expanded by Marvel. The Marvel comics long outlived the toys and Marvel fully integrated the Micronauts in their 616 Universe just as they did with ROM (see Guide to ROM – Spaceknight for more on that!). Today the Micronauts are owned by Hasbro.

This omnibus completes Marvel’s recollection of the entirety of their two main ongoing Micronauts series. However, it controversially skips over the beloved The X-Men and the Micronauts (1984) mini-series by Chris Claremont, Bill Mantlo, & Butch Guice. Marvel gave no hints as to why they skipped that material while collecting similar material in their ROM omnibus line.

Will Marvel announce the mini as a standalone oversize hardcover to please both X-Men fans and Micronauts fans? It feels like a pipe-dream, but stranger things have happened with Marvel’s collections in 2024!

Spider-Man: Shadow of the Green Goblin
(2024 paperback, ISBN 978-1302957537 / digital)
See Guide to Spider-Man – Peter Parker (2018 – Present), although this J.M. DeMatteis & Michael Sta. Maria retcon series actually fits within the first year of Amazing Spider-Man (1963) with a story of the Osborn family from shortly before Norman is the Green Goblin.

You may be surprised to learn that that was one of my favorite comic books of 2024! I’m a little surprised about it myself. J.M. DeMatteis’s writing for Spidey is as impeccable as it was over 30 years ago. Plus, this retcon story feels substantial and connects several disparate plot threads from decades of existing comics, rather than shoe-horning in something unnecessary and new. Highly recommended for fans of classic Spider-Man comics! [Read more…] about New Comics & Collected Editions Releases: Marvel Comics – January 1 2025

New Comics & Collected Editions Releases: DC Comics – June 12 2024

June 8, 2024 by krisis

It’s the 24th new comic book day of the new year! This post covers DC Comics June 12 2024 releases, which actually hit comic stores on Tuesday June 11 2024. Missed last week’s releases? Check out last week’s post covering DC Comics June 5 2024 new releases.

(DC is still releasing their comics on Tuesday until the start of July, but I think most folks think of Wednesday as release day, so that’s how I’m labelling my posts until then.)

This week in DC Comics: Simone’s Secret Six in omnibus, Waid’s Year One JLA reprinted, Gaslit Gotham revisited, Hal Jordan’s lantern revolt, Batwoman outside the Outsiders, Dreamer vs. Waller, and more!

The Krisis Pick of the Week: Outsiders (2023) #8! Last issue left me speechless as a major fan of Planetary. This book has major WildStorm energy, with a pinch of Grant Morrison meta-textual commentary.

This list includes every comic and digital comic out from DC this week, plus collected editions including omnibus, hardcover, paperback, and digest-sized formats. I recap and review every new single issue. Plus, for every new release, I’ll point you to the right guide within my Crushing Comics Guide to DC Comics to find out how to collect each character in full – and, if a guide is linked from this post, that means it is updated through the present day!

DC Comics June 12 2024 Collected Editions

Batman Beyond: Neo-Gothic Vol. 1
(2024 hardcover, ISBN 978-1779525154 / digital)
This collects the complete Collin Kelly & Jackson Lanzing six-issue mini from 2023, continuing their run from a prior 2022 mini called “Neo-Year.”

JLA Year One
(2024 paperback, ISBN 978-1779525949 / digital)
See Guide to Justice League. This capitalizes on Mark Waid’s amazing resurgence in popularity at DC to reprint the 12-issue maxi-series exploring the Post-Crisis formation of the League that ran alongside his and Grant Morrison’s runs on JLA (1997).

Nightwing Vol. 3: The Battle for Blüdhaven’s Heart
(2024 paperback, ISBN 978-1779525222 / digital)
See Guide to Nightwing. This is one of the final “paperbacks of a hardcover” DC has left to release at a great delay before both formats begin to come out on the same day later this year. I really enjoyed this arc of Nightwing, which felt like one of the early peaks of the Tom Taylor’s ongoing plot.

Secret Six by Gail Simone Omnibus Vol. 1
(2024 oversize hardcover, ISBN 978-1779525956)
After many years out of print, Gail Simon’s run on this unlikely team of heroes gets the omnibus treatment! This volume collects Villains United (2005) #1-6, Villains United: Infinite Crisis Special (2006) #1, Birds of Prey (1999) #104-109, Secret Six (2006) #1-6, Secret Six (2008) #1-16, and stories from 52 (2006) #28 and Countdown [to Final Crisis [2007] #22.

There are still another 20 issues left to collect of this run, plus a crossover with Action Comics (1938) #897, Doom Patrol (2009) #19, and the Blackest Night revival issue of Suicide Squad #67. That’s pretty slim for an omnibus, so I suspect we’ll also get the complete Secret Six (2014) #1-14, also by Simone.

Read on for a summary of all of the DC Comics June 12 2024 single issues. [Read more…] about New Comics & Collected Editions Releases: DC Comics – June 12 2024

New Comics & Collected Editions Releases: Marvel Comics – June 12 2024

June 7, 2024 by krisis

It’s the 24th new comic book day of the new year! This post covers Marvel Comics June 12 2024 releases. Missed last week’s releases? Check out last week’s post covering Marvel Comics June 5 2024 new releases.

This week in Marvel Comics: a septet of Blood Hunt issues, complete Thompson Black Widow, a Thorless Thor Epic, Krakoa’s apocalyptic epilogue, Orlando’s Scarlet Witch perseveres, the end of Hickman & Schiti’s GODS, and more!

The Krisis Pick of the Week: Scarlet Witch (2024) #1 (of 4)! Steve Orlando has been writing what might be his best comic ever with this run, and all of his art teams have been top notch. I have my fingers crossed this will get upgraded to an ongoing stories.

This list includes every comic and digital comic out from Marvel this week, plus collected editions in omnibus, hardcover, paperback, and digest-sized formats. I recap and review every new single issue. Plus, for every new release, I’ll point you to the right guide within my Crushing Comics Guide to Marvel Comics to find out how to collect each character in full – and, if a guide is linked from this post, that means it is updated through the present day!

Marvel Comics June 12 2024 Collected Editions

Black Widow by Kelly Thompson
(2024 paperback, ISBN 978-1302952662 / digital)
See Guide to Black Widow. This Eisner-Winning series from Kelly Thompson, Elena Casagrande, Jordie Bellaire, & Cory Petit is easily the best start-to-finish single read for any fan of Black Widow. It starts out by putting Natasha in a uniquely uncomfortable place and ends with her leading an unlikely team of deadly misfits.

This series looks great from start to finish and tells one big and and incredibly satisfying story that actually reads better as a binge than it did in single issues. Highly recommended!

PS: Don’t be put off by the awful cover of this collection; the interiors look nothing like this!

The Incredible Hulk Vol. 2: War Devils
(2024 paperback, ISBN 978-1302954178 / digital)
See Guide to Hulk – Bruce Banner. I think this second collection is a great place to start with Phillip J. Kennedy, Nic Klein & Danny Earls, Matthew Wilson, & Cory Petit is a fine place to begin. While I found the initial Ghost Rider story in this collection to be on the marginal side, I loved the follow-up New Orleans story.

This run leans into Hulk as one of the few weapons against the biggest horrors of the Marvel Universe, and I think that works best in 2-3 issue jaunts rather than longer arcs. It’s also a book full of page after page of stunning artwork, with a carefully curated color palette from Wilson that makes Hulk’s green really pop off the page.

Marvel Masterworks: The Avengers Vol. 2
(2024 “Remasterworks” hardcover, ISBN 978-1302951405)
See Guide to Avengers (1963 – 1996). This Masterworks collects the first true peak of early Avengers by Stan Lee, as we get the second year of their adventures together – including the iconic line-up change in issue #16!

This is a “Remasterworks” edition, meaning the linework is even more-restored than the original Masterworks edition. That restoration will be largely invisible to all but the most discerning of eyes, but if you want a prestige-format bookshelf of early Avengers comics then this is even more of a must-buy than it was before.

The Mighty Thor by Walter Simonson Omnibus
(2024 oversize hardcover, ISBN 978-1302957612 / digital)
See Guide to Thor – The Odinson. This massive brick of an omnibus continues Walt Simonson’s entire multi-year epic both writing and pencilling Thor, all with modern recolors from the 10s.

I thought the modern colors were instantly dated and they haven’t aged particularly well. However, this is the only way to pick up all of Simonson’s run easily aside from a long-since-out-of-print set of trade paperbacks. And, colors aside, this run is about as classic as you can get – it’s one of the major pillars of 80s superhero comics alongside Claremont’s Uncanny X-Men and Wolfman & Pérez’s Titans.