The Gosh! Authority 06.11.24

Hey folks!

Slightly late this week as I was basking in the Italian sun over the weekend, having attended the Lucca Comics and Games festival where the entire medieval walled city is taken over by exhibitors and many, many, many people. Well worth checking out, if you're looking for a comics-related excuse to visit Italy! But that little jolly has left me short on time, so expect brevity...

Our old friend Alison Sampson will be here this Wednesday, 6-7pm, to celebrate the release of the wonderfully remastered hardcover of Sleeping Beauties, her collaboration with Owen and Stephen King! Details here.

Then we've got the launch of extra-snazzy video games magazine A Profound Waste of Time on Friday evening, 7-9pm! Details here.

And lastly, the ever-extraordinary Jamie McKelvie will be in store on Saturday, 1-2pm, to sign copies of his new DSTLRY title One For Sorrow! Get the details on that one here.

Meanwhile, Jamie's old compadre Kieron Gillen's new collaboration with Stephanie Hans officially hits shelves this week after a sneak preview at the launch party last Thursday. We've not got many left of our exclusive bookplate - what's on the shelves is it - so grab one quick!

On with the comics!

HIGHLIGHTS THIS WEEK

• ONE FOR SORROW #1 - Not much that could pip Absolute Superman at the post this week, but this qualifies! I mean, we're doing a launch party, so you know we've got faith in it. Jamie handles writing and art duties on this Edwardian thriller which follows a medium, a barmaid and a detective as they unravel the secrets of a mysterious killer tearing apart the London underworld. Jamie's really underrated as a writer, and obviously the art will be stunning, so grab it (and get it signed on Saturday!) 

• ABSOLUTE SUPERMAN #1 - The final part of the absolute Trinity is here at last, written by Jason Aaron with art by Rafa Sandoval. The first issue spends a lot of time on Aaron & Sandoval's vision of Krypton, and they play some interesting variations on the Superman myth, as well as introducing us to this new Kal El in the present day. Not going to lie, this was probably the one I was looking forward to the least, but it's a really solid first issue that has me looking forward to more.

• JSA #1 - Hot on the heels of Geoff Johns finally finishing his run, Jeff Lemire and Diego Olortegui kick off a new era for DCs Golden Age good guys. But maybe their old-fashioned ideals are a bit out of touch these days? I think they'll find that punching baddies never goes out of style, but I guess this is there journey of discovery, not mine! Anyway, nice to see Lemire back on a mainstream hero book!

• FML #1 - KellySue DeConnick and David López, the classic Captain Marvel team, reunite for a fun-looking tale of teenage outcasts and the supernatural horrors they manage to stir up. Not to mention that the world around them is struggling through the chaos of a pandemic. This looks like a real charmer.

• BATGIRL #1 - Cassandra Cain is back in her own solo series at last! She's forced to team up with mummy dearest - Lady Shiva - after assassins attack. Tate Brombal andTakeshi Miyazawa take the most leathery of Bat-people on an adventure!

• LITTLE BATMAN MONTH ONE #1 - A mini-series spin-off of the entertaining Merry Little Batman animated film, where Damian Wayne takes up the mantle of Little Batman after being left alone at Christmas. It's New Year's Eve, and Bruce has insisted Damian put the cape down. But then who's going to stop a mysterious intruder at Wayne Manor? Original writer Morgan Evans is joined by artist Jon Mikel. 

• DUCKTALES #1 - So there's this duck, right? And he's like a miserly billionaire, and keeps all his money in a gigantic vault, and he likes to swim around in it and stuff. And he takes his nephews around the world on crazy adventures. And there's another duck with a plane, because I guess maybe none of these ducks can fly? I dunno, all sounds a bit bizarre to me. Maybe Brandon Montclare and Tommaso Ronda should get themselves a proper job instead of doing this. Maybe a trade or something.

• NEGASONIC TEENAGE WARHEAD #1 - Everyone's favourite Deadpool movie sidekick gets a one-shot (that technically reprints a web series, but never mind about all that) that sees her taking on the TVA. She's been accused of a crime she's yet to commit, so she goes on the run to stop herself, and also maybe have a snog with the love of her life whom she's yet to meet. Time stuff, eh? Gosh customer of old Andrew Wheeler is joined by artist Carola Borelli.

• ROME ETERNAL #1 - I'm quite intrigued by this. In a world where the Roman Empire never fell, a group of enigmatic terrorists have their sights set on the Emperor. Homero Rios and Diego Yapur paint a picture of an alternate history where the classical world meets the new.

• FADE #1 - Popular RPG streamer Aabria Iyengar teams up with artist Mari Costa for a new fantasy series. As they dream, people begin to pass between worlds into The Fade, a faerie realm. Among them are Jeannie and her friend Arno, who quickly discover that what at first feels like a place to find purpose might actually be more dangerous than it seems. 

• CARLYLE SCHOOL FOR KINGS #1 - Halloween is over and it appears to be fantasy time! A young woman whose family has been vilified as traitors still has as her birthright the chance to rule the kingdom. She just has to survive and thrive in the Carlysle School for Kings, a testing ground from which the future ruler will be chosen. Nelson Greaves and Davide Castelluccio are behind this one.

• LIVING HELL #1 - It feels like Dark Horse have gone a bit mad with new releases lately! Caitlin Yarsky writes and draws her first creator-owned series featuring an escaped demon who is determined to hide amongst us living a normal life with his daughter. That plan is upended after an encounter with one of Hell's bounty hunters.

And that's that! See you next time, when I'll be feeling a little more compos mentis.

Andrew.