Welcome to the November IDW Pubwatch! It’s been a busy month at IDW and I’ve got all the interesting news coming out of the publishing house as well as tons of IDW comic book reviews. Plus, I have a selection of my favourite covers from this month!
News and Announcements
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon® Breakpoint: Blind Prophets Comic Series Coming January 2020
IDW Publishing have announced that a new limited prequel series called Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon® Breakpoint: Blind Prophets will be released in January 2020. The story will follow the elite US Special Operations Forces featured in Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon game for Ubisoft, and will see Nomad and Colonel Cole D. Walker questioning what they know about the Ghosts. The series is set to be written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and illustrated by Paco Diaz.
IDW Launches The Beauty of Horror Tarot Card Set Kickstarter
If you love adult colouring books, you are going to love the new Tarot card set based on The Beauty of Horror colouring book, now on Kickstarter. Fans can buy two versions of the Alan Robert-illustrated card set. The Fear Your Future deck is pre-coloured by Jay Fotos, while the Color Your Destiny deck is black-and-white and can be coloured by buyers. Visit the Kickstarter page for more information.
IDW Announces New Series from John Layman and Nick Bradshaw
A new comic series, Bermuda, written by award-winning creator John Layman and drawn by Nick Bradshaw, is slated for release in 2020. The story follows a sixteen-year-old adventurer who lives in an alternate dimension full of dinosaurs and pirates.
Executive Changes at IDW in 2019
IDW made sweeping changes among their staff in October 2019, including some key additions and returns. Rebekah Cahalin returned to the fold as General Manager/Head of Operations, with Tara McCrillis joining as Director of Design & Production, and Jud Meyers taking over the role of Sales Director. You can read about the appointments on the IDW website.
Featured Comics
The Children of Aramar
Frank Cvetkovic (letters), Jos (writer), Sonia Moruno (artist), Anna Rosenwong (translation)
October 2, 2019
Ludna and her friends are all set to make an important rite of passage into adulthood, but return home to find that their village, along with several others, has been attacked. The four children will have to use their intelligence and skill to bring peace to the lands.
This was an extremely fun little book that will appeal to children and adults alike. I love the mix of fantasy with action and adventure. There’s an almost Alice in Wonderland quality to parts of the story that make it so engaging. A very enjoyable read with quirky and fun art. I hope there will be a sequel!
Deep Breaths
Chris Gooch (writer and artist)
October 2, 2019
A series of short comics dealing with violence, bullying, mental health issues, existential crises, and more. This book is a fascinating exercise in storytelling and showcases the vast imagination of the writer.
As immersive as this book was, there was a moment of fat-shaming that I really could have done without. The rest of the book is so insightful and to throw the fat community under the bus for a cheap gag is disingenuous.
Otherwise, a really good read.
Star Wars Adventures: Return to Vader’s Castle
Andworld Design (letters), Francesco Francavilla (artist and colours), Charlie Kirchoff (colours), Megan Levens (artist), Cavan Scott (writer)
October 2, 2019
Are you ready for a spooky Star Wars story? I sure am! On Mustafar, in Darth Vader’s lair, a minion shares a terrifying tale of a scavenger crew who come face to face with a red devil, one that will be very familiar to fans. This story has a happy ending for some, and a very unhappy ending for others.
I enjoyed this first story! Everyone loves a haunted house tale, and a Star Wars version is perfect for getting you ready for the Halloween spirit.
The art is gorgeous, the pacing is great—you get all the goodness of a horror story with a healthy dose of Star Wars fun. What more can you ask for?
Cobra Kai: The Karate Kid Continues #1
Luis Antonio Delgado (colours), Kagan McLeod (artist), Denton J. Tipton (writer), Neil Uyetake (letters)
October 9, 2019
Johnny Lawrence, the infamous bad boy from The Karate Kid, is looking for redemption by running a new dojo for bullied kids—but is his version of that championship back in 1984 even true?
Based on the YouTube Premium series, Cobra Kai, which took off some thirty years after the film, this miniseries gives readers a closer look into Lawrence’s life and his motivation.
This is definitely a series for fans of the film and show (which I must say I haven’t watched). However, I did love the ’80s aesthetic and the fact that the protagonist has learned some lessons from his past.
The first issue is very much about the setup, but it is interesting to get the bad guy’s point of view on events. Whether he is a reliable narrator or not, I don’t yet know. It should make for intriguing reading.
Cosmoknights
Hannah Templer (writer and artist)
October 23, 2019
What a delightfully gay book! In a universe where cosmic gladiators joust to win princesses for their sponsors, a small group of women form a resistance to fight back. I loved it!
The characters are great and the story is so feminist—who doesn’t love a story about women fighting the patriarchy from the inside?
I do wish the characters of colour had more to do, though. Tara disappears at the end of the first chapter, and Harrier is little more than a plus one to Cass. This bothers me even though I do love the story.
I really hope the next book is more diverse because this story is amazing.
Gramercy Park
Christian Cailleaux (artist and colours), Timothée de Fombelle (writer)
October 23, 2019
I could not get into this book at all. I have no idea what was happening and why. Characters were introduced willy-nilly with no obvious connection made between them. The art was so spare that I struggled to understand any details. A solid miss, in my opinion.
Amber Blake TPB
Dan Brown (wolours), Butch Guice (artist), Jade Lagardére (writer), Christa Miesner (letters), Mike Perkins (artist), Robbie Robbins (letters)
October 30, 2019
Yet another spy thriller where the female protagonist is sexually abused (multiple times) and then is saved by a man to become the best assassin ever. This book is like Alias and Nikita except it’s a decade too old in its sensibilities. Not a good read at all.
Dick Tracy Forever TPB
Shawn Lee (letters), Michael Avon Oeming (writer and artist), Taki Soma (colours)
October 30, 2019
This was quite a fun book! I haven’t read Dick Tracy or watched the classic film but you immediately get the noir vibe in this book. The plots are fairly simple and quite fun—the appeal is in Tracy’s quips. I liked the old school atmosphere of the early stories but the modern ones had more Tess in them, so I’m partial to those.
I think the art fits the style but it wasn’t to my liking—however, that’s purely a personal choice. Otherwise, a fun read.
Best Covers
Honourable Mentions
Ghosts: Classic Monsters of Pre-Code Horror Comics
My Little Pony: Spirit of the Forest
Thanks for joining me on this IDW Pubwatch!
