BOOM! Bar: 2018 in Licences Vs Creator-Owned Comics

BOOM! Studios logo 2017

A short week to ease us back in! Yes, friends, foes, readers—it’s been a while. I took a Christmas break that became a year-start break. I feel much better. I’m ready. I’m prepared. Let’s begin.

The last week of January sees BOOM! birth six releases: three single issues, two softcover collections, and one hardcover. Of the single issues, we have one reprint (Armoury Wars: Good Apollo I’m Burning #10 of 12), one license (Big Trouble in Little China: Old Man Jack #5), and one creator-owned original series (Lazaretto #5, which ends the series). Likewise in collection releases, one softcover is the Spurrier/Goonface Godshaper, which collects the full six-issue series, the other is Regular Show volume ten (#37-40) by Mad Rupert and Laura Howell, and the hardcover is a Gunnerkrigg Court volume, the sixth print volume of Thomas Siddell’s webcomic (still available in its original format online).

Lazaretto #5 (of 5) Publisher: BOOM! Studios Writer: Clay McLeod Chapman Artist: Jey Levang Cover Artist: Ignacio Valicenti

In the weeks we missed since last BOOM! Bar, the numbers look like this:

  • Licensed releases: twenty-nine
  • Creator-owned: seventeen, including two reprints of older published work (Perez’s Sirens, Ploog’s Stardust Kid)

Abbott began, scripted by Fantasy author and Marvel freelancer Saladin Ahmed. Artist Sami Kivelä’s work on Beautiful Canvas (Black Mask) is less well-known but has been drawing in positivity from various review sites. Here’s WWAC’s Ardo Omer with a review of their first issue.

WWE comics and Giant Days both saw second volume releases; software for the former, hard for the latter.

Mech Cadet Yu’s “discover now” softcover release, fast-tracked due to early single-issue popularity, was released in the second week of January; eager readers can pick up the collection of issues 1-4 at the same time as they grab issue #5, should they be so inclined. Eugenic finished with #3, as did the Adventure Time/Regular Show crossover miniseries at #6. Judas and Fence both continue young serialisations—one for the biblically inclined and one for the boys’ romance fans.

Power Rangers had four releases during our hiatus: Mighty Morphin #22, Saban’s Go Go #5, Mighty Morphin #23, and Saban’s Go Go #6. That’s two issues each, per time period (remember: Go Go is pre-White Ranger, Mighty Morphin’ is post-White Ranger. As far as I can tell, they are within the same story continuity but neither is required reading for enjoyment of the other).

BOOM’s pastel rainbow palette of preference continues to dominate their cover array.

My don’t-miss-it pick of the last month is Judas (currently on #2), with Mech Cadet Yu (currently on #5) a close second (I’m just not the target audience any more). Here’s WWAC’s Zora Gilbert on Mech Cadet Yu #1-4.

Judas #2 Publisher: BOOM! Studios Writer: Jeff Loveness Artist: Jakub Rebelka Cover Artist: Jakub Rebelka

Bear in mind Giant Days advocacy, to my mind, goes without saying.

Back to today, Lazaretto’s final issue is full of dreamy watercolour violence and face-ripping. Our protagonist pair make it out of college alive, but only just. We will have an Old Man Jack long form review for you soon. Godshaper is an Eisner award-nominated book with many proponents and more than one visible cosplayer; for a creator-owned miniseries, that says a lot.

Godshaper SC Publisher: BOOM! Studios Writer: Simon Spurrier Artist: Jonas Goonface Letterer: Colin Bell Cover Artist: Jonas Goonface

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Claire Napier

Claire Napier

Critic, ex-Editor in Chief at WWAC, independent comics editor; the rock that drops on your head. Find me at clairenapierclairenapier@gmail.com and give me lots of money

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