By Stefania Rudd, Matthew C. Brown, and Jarrod Jones. Comics that challenge us, slay us, beguile us — the comics we simply can’t wait to devour. That’s DoomRocket’s Staff Picks. Here’s what has set our hearts ablaze this week.
Sandman Special #1
DC Comics/$4.99
Written by Dan Jurgens and Steve Orlando.
Art by John Bogdanove and Rick Leonardi.
Inks by Dan Green.
Colors by Madpencil and Steve Buccellato.
Letters by Willie Schubert and Wes Abbott.
JJ: Let me be the thousandth person to say that DC Comics’ tribute specials to Jack Kirby have been absolutely wonderful. They’re thoughtful valentines to a legend, long gone but always near.
What sets The Sandman Special #1 apart is the considerable might of its creative team. In “The King of Dreams!” former Superman partners in crime Dan Jurgens and Jon Bogdanove dive head first into the Kirby toy box and come out with the likes of Glob and Brute, not to mention Kirby’s incarnation of The Sandman. (Side note: Can Jon Bogdanove get on a DC monthly again? Please?)
In “Caravan of Crisis”, it’s Steve Orlando, Rick Leonardi, and Dan Green’s turn to craft a tribute to The King with a tale pitting The Master of Nightmares against the nefarious Psycho-Pomp. Top it all off with a Kirby original story — “Strange Stories of the D.N.A. Project!!” — and you have one heck of a mighty good read before you.
Magnus #3
Dynamite/$3.99
Written by Kyle Higgins.
Art by Jorge Fornés.
Colors by Chris O’Halloran.
Letters by Taylor Esposito.
MCB: In Magnus, a new vision has begun, one that is already extremely compelling. The discussion of A.I. and the pitfalls of subservient machines is updated for our present day understanding of artificial intelligence. The plot is entirely based around the concept of a “cloud world” where an A.I. can upload its consciousness and live a real life outside of its physical body, a concept that would not have been as easy to conceive of when this comic started in the 1960s.
Magnus, an A.I. psychologist, is torn between her desire to help A.I. and her role as an operative trying to track down the robot killer of the two creators of the largest A.I. company on the planet. As the story progresses Magnus sees clear ideological lines being drawn — a conflict forming between A.I. and their human masters.
Magnus has consistently drawn me in as the complexity of its world deepens from issue to issue.
Rick and Morty: Pocket Like You Stole It #2
Oni Press/$3.99
Written by Tini Howard.
Art by Marc Ellerby.
Colors by Katy Farina.
Letters by Crank!
SR: And the insanity continues in the second installment of Rick and Morty: Pocket Like You Stole It, this five issue series spinoff surrounding the popular, Pokémon-esque mobile game. (You can collect Mortys and have them fight each other! Don’t pretend you don’t already have it.)
In this issue the original Morty stumbles upon Crazy Cat Rick’s den of Mortys, who are treated very much like how cats are treated (which is to say, overfed and forced to wear cute hats). Morty finds a guide-friend who helps him blend in for the time being.
I look forward to seeing how this all plays out with Tini Howard’s witty and snark-filled banter set against Marc Ellerby and Kary Farina’s vivid artwork. And, of course, I’m really curious to know which collectible and playable Morty cards will be featured in the back of the issue. Gotta catch ’em all!
Rockstars #6
Image Comics/$3.99
Written by Joe Harris.
Art by Megan Hutchison.
Colors by Kelly Fitzpatrick.
Letters by Michael David Thomas.
JJ: If its the more sinister things you crave, look no further than Rockstars. Whether you’re late to the game, or you’ve been patiently waiting for the next issue of this killer new series, you’re in luck: the next arc of Joe Harris and Megan Hutchison’s tome of conspiracy and fucking great music begins here.
“Children of the Beast” finds “rock ‘n’ roll investigators” Jackie Mayer and Dorothy Buell looking into the too-good-to-be-true persona of rock goddess Dani Dangerous, and her connection to legends long thought lost. Who is Dani? Where did she get those boots? Why is my skin tingling? Jackie and Dorothy are on the case. Rockstars is back, so it’s only appropriate to let the good times roll. Jump on, tune in, transcend.
What book are YOU looking forward to reading this week? Sound off in the comments below.
