The Gosh! Authority 15.11.23

Hello!

This Wednesday, 7-9pm, is Reads, the monthly graphic novel reading group! This month the book under discussion will be Mariko & Jillian Tamaki's Roaming. As ever everyone is welcome, so on come down to the store to join in the discussion! Details here.

And I'm happy to announce that this Friday will see the announcement of our Best of 2023 graphic novel lists! As usual we've banged our heads together and horse-traded our way to 20 adult and 20 kids books that we think are the best that 2023 had to offer (in our humble opinion). Keep your eyes peeled!

HIGHLIGHTS THIS WEEK

• DEVIANT #1 - Hooray, Christmas is coming! And so is a deviant Santa-themed mass murderer! Or at least he was back in 1972. Now, in the present day, a writer is interviewing the man convicted of the crimes, a man who has always pled his innocence. And 50 years on, the killings are beginning again. James Tynion IV and Joshua Hixson get festive with some gruesome gift giving!

• MONSTER FAN CLUB #1 - After a long period without, we're suddenly spoiled for Shaky Kane material, this time teaming with writer Jason T. Miles. Edge City is the latest kooky Kane co-creation, a town of monsters that's kinda like Las Vegas crashed into a classic horror archive. Trouble is afoot as the devious Lady Die makes a move on the casino business of Gary Ghoulash. As ever with Shaky, expect the unexpected! 

• OUTSIDERS #1 - Remember Planetary? Jackson Lanzing & Collin Kelly sure do, and along with artist Robert Carey they're launching a new iteration of the super-archeology team, with Batwoman front and centre (and an all-new Drummer). Lanzing & Kelly are a good team, so I'll be keen to see what they do with this somewhat different take on the Outsiders (but rather familiar take on the Secret History of Super-Heroes). 

• SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #1 - Dan Slott and Mark Bagley mark the 10th anniversary of the Superior Spidey with a series that continues on from their recent adjectiveless adventures, and ties pretty closely to what Slott is doing with Spider-Boy.

• DEADPOOL SEVEN SLAUGHTERS #1 - An anthology title following a assassination week in the life of Deadpool, with a pretty decent line-up of creators past and present. Gail Simone, Cullen Bunn, Marc Guggenheim, Cody Ziglar, Justina Ireland, Rob Liefeld, Greg Land, Whilce Portacio, Phillip Sevy & David Baldeón all contribute.

• DUTCH #0 - A collection of Joe Casey & Nathan Fox's take on the classic Extreme Studios character that featured in the Image! Anthology title. It's a decidedly blood-drenched take on Chap Yaep's super-soldier, set 30 years after those original adventures, and setting the scene for an upcoming series.

• SPEED FORCE #1 - A new Flash Family book by Jarrett Williams & Daniele Di Nicuolo that focuses on Wallace West and Avery Ho. Changes are afoot with the Speed Force, and it's up to Wallace and Avery to get to the bottom of what's going on.

• STAR WARS VISIONS PEACH MOMOKO #1 - A one-shot story set in Peach Momoko's take on the Star Wars universe. It's the story of a young cultist who becomes convinced that she is the inheritor of the legacy of the Sith, and a pair who are determined to learn the truth.

• MINISTRY OF COMPLIANCE #1 - John Ridley teams with artist Stefano Raffaele for a tale of alien invasion. Turns out Earth was secretly invaded decades ago, managed from the shadows by a group of "Ministries", which are covertly preparing us for assimilation by our alien overlords. But due to a conspiracy within the ministries, things are falling apart just as the plan is coming to a head. It's up to an agent from the Ministry of Compliance to save the day.

• GEIGER GROUND ZERO #1 - Go back to the atomic beginning, as Geoff Johns and Gary Frank deliver a two-issue origin of our glowing hero.

• GI JOE A REAL AMERICAN HERO #301 - Yo Joe! Larry Hama's now 41 year long run with G.I. Joe continues at Image, picking up from where the IDW series left off. Hama writes, Chris Mooneyham draws, and the numbers roll over!

And with that, I'm outta here!

Andrew.