Tradewaiting – June 19th, 2019 Releases: New Beginnings

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 be published as a 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 June 19, 2019.

HIGHLIGHTS

Low Road West

In an America betrayed and ruined, the Low Road West is a door to a new life, a highway system transporting carefully selected refugees from the war-torn east coast to safety in California. Here five children, five strangers, find themselves abandoned again when their bus driver strands them in the desert that was the American heartland.

The characters are all top notch and react like competent but frightened teenagers would. The stakes grow even higher when the government sends its best agent after one of the kids and they take refuge inside what seems to be a haunted mansion.

It is safe to say that Low Road West was not what I was expecting when I opened the first issue. This series goes all over the place, held fast by its strong characterization and haunting and mysterious visuals.

I don’t know how much truth there is to this, but it feels like people are kind of sleeping on Phillip Kennedy Johnson. It feels like every time he puts out a new book it’s a tense and enjoyable look at a character and their home. Low Road West is certainly weird, but it balances showcasing Johnson’s traditional strengths and giving you something new and unexpected very well. It doesn’t hurt that Flaviano and Miquel Muerto deliver some wild visuals grounded by a flat but stylish aesthetic.

As of this week, the series is collected in trade for an easy $19.99. Admittedly I would have liked to see a slightly lower price, but it won’t run you any more than the original issues would have. Especially if you’re into broad reaching, magical realism or sci-fi, Low Road West is a fascinating series that you might have missed that last time around. Correct that at your leisure.

Marvel Action: Spider-Man – Book 1: A New Beginning

Ever notice how hard it is to parse a comic title? When a book announces that it’s Captain America vol. 1 collecting Captain America #1-6, you still have to ask which Captain America vol. 1. collecting which Captain America #1-6. Its the exhausting way that comics are. So it’s rare and blessed when a comic tells you exactly what to expect on the cover and this one does: a new beginning for Spider-Man from the Marvel Action line.

Marvel Action is Marvel’s latest approach to bringing their characters to readers of all ages, outsourcing production to IDW, the people who have been producing the Star Wars Adventures series for them. The first book of the line, Marvel Action: Spider-Man presents an introduction to Spider-Man that’s a lot more familiar to most people today than the traditional Amazing Fantasy telling.

Superheroing doesn’t come with an instruction manual and so Peter Parker takes a journalism internship in order to meet the sponsor, Tony Stark! Mr. Stark is the only superhero Peter knows how to get in touch with and he could really use his help because he’s the one and only amazing Spider-Man, or so he thinks until he meets Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy. This first collected volume sees the three Spiders learning that they’re not alone and coming together to halt an invasion of half-lizard mutant dogs that’s plaguing Manhattan. It’s a short, sweet dive into the core of the characters that’s perfect for young readers and charming to the older fan as well.

This first trade collects the initial three issue arc by Delilah S. Dawson and Fico Ossio for only $9.99. It’s a steal, especially for an easy, kid friendly entry point into comics and one of their most popular heroes.

Ms. Marvel: Metamorphosis

Kamala Khan is one of Marvel’s biggest success stories since at least Deadpool and Marvel wants you to have every opportunity to read her adventures. To that end, they’re offering some of Ms. Marvel’s earliest adventures at the best price yet in this vaguely titled but impressively complete volume.

Following from February’s Ms. Marvel: Kamala Khan, Kamala has defeated her first real nemesis and Jersey City is back to normal. But of course that’s a relative definition of normal and now the city’s got a super stretchy heroine to attract all manner of intrigue. This volume sees Kamala tangle with the god of lies, get entangled in an Inhuman plot, suffer her first broken heart, and stare down the end of the world itself!

The back half of G. Willow Wilson‘s acclaimed first volume of Ms. Marvel is fully collected, along with the supplimentary stories from S.H.I.E.L.D. (Issue #2) and The Amazing Spider-Man (Issues 7 & 8, a “Spider-Verse” tie-in) found in the first Ms. Marvel Omnibus. This is also Takeshi Miyazawa‘s entry to Ms. Marvel, drawing the first arc of the collection while Adrian Alphona returns to see Kamala’s first series off.

Perhaps what’s most impressive about this release is the price point. While its slightly downsized dimensions might put off some buyers, there’s no denying that its $12.99 is a better deal than the $75.00 omnibus it collects half of or the two volumes it adds an issue to that sell for a combined $34.00! If you’re looking to enjoy one of Marvel’s best characters from the beginning or eager to introduce a friend or family member to Kamala Khan, there’s never been an easier way than this.

*****

That’s hardly all there is thought. There’re plenty of trades, collections, manga, and OGNs to consider this week, so, if you didn’t find the perfect book to scratch whatever itch you got, here’s Diamond’s complete listing of collections and graphic novels for this week.

IMAGE COMICS