Tradewaiting – January 10th, 2018 Releases: Walt Simonson’s Thor, Tom King’s The Vision, & More

A lot of comics come out every week. It’s easy to get lost in the sea of #1s and dramatic new status quos as they crash. That’s why I’m here. Whether you said you’d revisit checking that series out when it was collected in trade, or you simply never noticed the announcement of that awesome OGN, whether you’re just waiting for that hardcover to come out in trade, or have been longing for a collection of your favorite stories since childhood, Tradewaiting is here for you, with the complete Diamond list of graphic novels and collections as well as some recommendations to scoop up.

So, without further ado, here’s what’s coming to the bookshelves of your LCS this fine week of January 10th, 2018.

HIGHLIGHTS

Thor by Walter Simonson vol. 2

Some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice. Walter Simonson said both, and, in doing so crafted the gem in the crown of a run so iconic that it ranks among character defining legends like Wolfman’s Teen Titans, Miller’s Daredevil, Johns’ Green Lantern, and Claremont’s X-Men. This second volume of Walt Simonson’s Thor collects what is traditionally known as the Surtur Saga, an epic battle for Asgard and all of creation that remains the blueprint for nearly every incarnation of Marvel’s Ragnarok, up to and including the god of thunder’s latest motion picture outing.
Malekith the Accursed, ruler of the Dark Elves, continues his hunt for the Casket of Ancient Winters, forcing Thor to protect both the Casket’s guardian and his deceptive new love interest, Melodi, as well. Malekith’s meddling would prove enough to involve the Avengers and the Fantastic Four, but it is all merely a prelude to the true threat, Surtur, the primordial fire giant and the prophesied bringer of Ragnarok.
Simonson has attributed the success of his run to his willingness to not only take the subject matter seriously, but to invite the reader to believe in the story as much or more than the writing itself. It’s a potent strategy that provides the arc with its trademark blend of wild imagination, retro charm, and fist-pumping epic. But of course, there’s more to it than just that. Simonson’s love for mythology provides a fantastic foundation for the story that his thoughtful and efficient character writing brings to fruition. And one cannot forget how beautiful his art is, even by today’s standards.
This softcover collection of the Surtur Saga is another chance to get your hands on one of the greatest Thor stories ever written. Traditionalists might scoff at the recolored artwork by Steve Oliff, but the new colors were overseen by Simonson himself and seemingly praised by fans upon their original release. If you won’t stand for anything but the originals, you may have to look elsewhere, but you can decide for yourself. Whatever your opinion, this printing of the classic story returns to the shelves this week, retailing for a fairly reasonable $24.99. Whether you’re looking to continue reading Simonson’s run, picking up this acclaimed arc, looking to try some classic Thor, or just looking for a relatable story to survive the recent cold with, Thor by Walter Simonson Vol. 2 will certainly do the job.

The Vision Hardcover

It’s not often that a comic more than defines a character, but truly uses one to tell a story that exceeds them and stands out as a great piece of fiction in any medium or genre. It’s not often, except that Tom King seems to churn out one every year or so, and, among them, The Vision is possibly the best and almost certainly the most literary of his superhero output.
After a disastrous mission causes him to delete the emotional context of his memories, the Vision decides to explore what it means to be normal and how it differs from being human. To this end he moves to Washington D.C., builds his dream family, and decides to integrate the all-human neighborhood. The results are horrific only so much as they are oddly relatable. Before long the Vision’s old life catches up with him, and, when it collides with the new life he’s all too literally built for himself, it starts a chain reaction that may decide whether he is remembered as one of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes or the most dangerous Avenger to walk the Earth.
Examining, race, family, destiny, gender, personal history, humanity, and more is an impressive undertaking for any work, but The Vision undertakes all of it over its twelve issue run and does so without getting distracted from its true goal: to tell one of Marvel’s greatest tragedies in a way that only a Marvel book could. Honestly, there’s so much depth and texture running through Tom King’s script that it’s easy to feel as though you’re talking to the Vision himself, especially the beautifully smarmy version that King presents here, it can truly feel as though the human mind is not enough to appreciate it all at once.
And I haven’t even had time to touch on the art, which is incredible. Gabriel Hernandez Walta and Jordie Bellaire make for one of the most striking art teams in modern capes and they bring their best to the book with impressive consistency. Bellaire is, bar none, the biggest coloring talent in the industry today and Walta brings out both the grounded qualities of the story as well as the ominous fuzzy reality that emerges out of this strange fairy tale. Honestly, the worst you can say about Walta’s art is that his characters sometimes lack an authentic feeling of life, but here that becomes a powerful strength as his characters, human and synthezoid, combine relatable vitality and far-away normalcy.
Collected in its completeness for the first time with over a hundred pages of interviews, development material, letters from the creative team, and more, The Vision Hardcover Collection makes for an impressive way to experience the Eisner Award-winning series, whether for the first time or in growing appreciation. The book will run you $39.99, but, especially compared to the two $17.99 softcover editions you’d need prior to this release, it’s a fair price for what will no doubt be an honored addition to any comic collection.
*****
It was a good week for Marvel, but they’re hardly the only one with collections to offer. DC’s got your back if you’re planning to check out Black Lightning this week and there are new collections for more than one fan favorite Image series. Here’s Diamond’s complete listing of collections and graphic novels for this week.

Dark Horse Comics

HELLBOY AND THE BPRD 1954 TP

I AM A HERO OMNIBUS TP VOL 05

DC COMICS

BATMAN BEYOND TP VOL 02 RISE OF THE DEMON (REBIRTH)

BATMAN SHADOW OF THE BAT TP VOL 03

BLACK LIGHTNING YEAR ONE TP NEW ED

HARLEY QUINN TP VOL 04 SURPRISE SURPRISE (REBIRTH)

INJUSTICE GODS AMONG US YEAR THREE COMP COLL TP

SUPERGIRL TP VOL 04 DAUGHTER OF NEW KRYPTON

IDW PUBLISHING

GI JOE A REAL AMERICAN HERO TP VOL 19

JEM & THE HOLOGRAMS INFINITE TP

LIMBO LOUNGE HC

SATELLITE FALLING TP

X-FILES (2016) TP VOL 04

IMAGE COMICS

COWBOY NINJA VIKING DLX ED TP (MR)

CURSE WORDS TP VOL 02 EXPLOSIONTOWN (MR)

DESCENDER TP VOL 05 RISE OF THE ROBOTS

DIVIDED STATES OF HYSTERIA TP (MR)

MAGE TP BOOK 02 HERO DEFINED VOL 03

POSTAL TP VOL 06 (MR)

WICKED & DIVINE TP VOL 06 IMPERIAL PHASE PART 2 (MR)

MARVEL COMICS

CABLE NEMESIS CONTRACT TP

DEADPOOL BY POSEHN & DUGGAN TP VOL 01 COMPLETE COLLECTION

DOCTOR STRANGE TP VOL 05 SECRET EMPIRE

INCREDIBLE HULK EPIC COLLECTION TP FALL OF PANTHEON

MARVELS BLACK PANTHER PRELUDE TP

MMW DAREDEVIL HC VOL 12

MMW DAREDEVIL HC VOL 12 DM VAR ED 254

SHE-HULK TP VOL 02 LET THEM EAT CAKE

THOR BY WALTER SIMONSON TP VOL 02 NEW PTG

VISION HC

COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS

ASSASSINS CREED UPRISING TP VOL 02

CERTAIN SCIENTIFIC ACCELERATOR GN VOL 07

CHILDREN OF WHALES GN VOL 02

DISNEY ALICE IN WONDERLAND GN (RES)

DOCTOR WHO 10TH FACING FATE HC VOL 02 VORTEX BUTTERFLIES

DREAM OF THE BUTTERFLY GN VOL 01 RABBITS OF THE MOON

DREAMIN SUN GN VOL 05

FARSCAPE OMNIBUS SC VOL 01

FIRE PUNCH GN VOL 01 (MR)

GHOST FRIENDS FOREVER GN VOL 01

HAMMY & GERBEE YR GN VOL 01 MUMMIES AT MUSEUM

HARBINGER RENEGADE TP VOL 02 MASSACRE

HATSUNE MIKU EVERYDAY VOCALOID PARADISE GN VOL 02

HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA GN VOL 01 KAKIELAND KATASTROPHE

HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA HC VOL 01 KAKIELAND KATASTROPHE

HOWLING TP VOL 01 REVENGE WEREWOLF QUEEN

MASAMUNE KUNS REVENGE GN VOL 07

MECH CADET YU TP VOL 01 DISCOVER NOW PX

MISS KOBAYASHIS DRAGON MAID KANNA DAILY LIFE GN VOL 01

OVER GARDEN WALL ONGOING TP VOL 03

PANDORA IN THE CRIMSON SHELL GHOST URN GN VOL 09 (MR)

SPIRIT CIRCLE GN VOL 02

WORLDS GREATEST FIRST LOVE GN VOL 09 (MR)