Happy New Year PUBWATCH family! I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling 2022! I have a sense of optimism that hasn’t left the room just yet — perhaps it’s all the good comics on tap for this year. Let’s ride this wave as long as it lasts.
This month, we plug along with Doctor Who: Empire of the Wolf #3 and take a look at the long-awaited debut of Cowboy Bebop #1!
Titan Comics News and Announcements
January and February 2022 Release Schedule
Below is Titan’s current (as of this writing) release schedule for this month and the following month. Please note release dates are always subject to change.
January 2022
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- Blade Runner 2029 #11: January 5th
- Horizon Zero Dawn: Liberation #4: January 5th
- The Phantom of the Opera: January 11th
- Bloodborne Vol. 1 -3 (Boxed Set): January 11th
- Doctor Who: Empire of the Wolf #3: January 12th
- Simpsons Comics #46: January 13th
- Cowboy Bebop #1: January 26th
February 2022
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- The Man Who Shot Chris Kyle: An American Legend Vol. 1: February 1st
- Blade Runner 2029 #12: February 2nd
- Blade Runner 2029 Vol. 2: Echoes: February 8th
- Doctor Who: Empire of the Wolf #4: February 9th
- Life is Strange: Settling Dust #4: February 9th
- Flash Gordon Dailies: Austin Briggs: Radium Mines of Electra Vol. 8: February 15th
- Shades of Magic: The Steel Prince Vol. 1-3 (Boxed Set): February 15th
- Blade Runner: Origins #9: February 16th
- Blade Runner Origins Vol. 2: Scrap: February 16th
- Horizon Zero Dawn Vol. 2: Liberation: February 22nd
Blade Runner: Origins New Arc Art Preview
This February, Blade Runner: Origins will kick off a new arc, with Detective Cal Moreaux still on the run with an escaped replicant who knows more about the Tyrell Corporation than the Corporation would like them to know. We have a look at some interior art from the upcoming issue above, where Cal and the Replicant have to figure their way out of their latest predicament.
Blade Runner: Origins #9, which will feature variant covers by Gene Ha, Robert Hack, and series artist Fernando Dagnino, will drop on February 16th.
Doctor Who: Special 2022 Cover Reveal
Last month, we revealed the news of a new Doctor Who special written by Amazing Spider-Man writer Dan Slott, dropping in April. We now have the first look at the cover for that special above, drawn by Adam Hughes. Known for his cover work on several DC and Marvel titles, including The Amazing She-Hulk and The Dreaming, Hughes gives us a very happy Doctor and Martha . . . the two of them perhaps not knowing the trouble that is about to befall them.
You can pick up the first of Slott’s three Doctor Who specials on April 27, 2022.
The Fugitive Doctor Returns!
She was the first Black woman to pilot the TARDIS, but the introduction we had to Jo Martin’s Doctor was all too brief – – and some feared with Chris Chibnall’s departure from the show, we may never see her again. Fear not, though, for she returns this spring – – and best of all, it’s a free issue!
Titan’s Free Comic Book Day offering will spotlight the Fugitive Doctor, while setting up a new story arc that will also kick off in May 2022. More details will be coming in due course, particularly as Free Comic Book Day approaches in May. Could this be setting up the next full time occupant of the TARDIS on TV as well as in comics? (Personally speaking, I do hope so!)
What I’m Reading
We keep moving along through the parallel universes of Doctor Who: Empire of the Wolf, and then . . . 3, 2, 1, let’s jam with Cowboy Bebop #1!
(Note that our reviews may contain spoilers, so proceed carefully!)
Doctor Who: Empire of the Wolf #3
Jody Houser (writer), Roberta Ingranata (artist), Warnia K. Sahadewa (colorist), Comicraft’s Richard Starkings (letterer)
January 12, 2022
Now that we know there’s two Roses in our timeline, and one of them is thirsting for blood, it’s time for a cunning plan. And that cunning plan is . . . bringing the two Roses in the same room, where we discover they do know about each other. Because they are one and the same, the Rose that is a mom in her universe is also the empress in this one . . . which means that she controls the armed forces. A little The Parent Trap-style shenanigans just could be the key to resolving things. The Eighth Doctor goes off with Mom-Rose to look the part of an Empress, and Eleventh Doctor with Empress Rose in the TARDIS, keeping her away from her double in order to execute their plan. Of course, something has to get in the way. And that something is some Sontarans.
While there’s little to no action in this issue, there are plenty of character moments, as each Doctor and each Rose have some time to chat, making for a very dialogue-heavy issue. It is a necessary discussion, especially around the concepts of past lives, paradoxes, and parallel universes. These are topics key to the Doctor Who comic universe that haven’t been tackled too much. And while it’s all heavy for a comic, Houser keeps things light. I’ve often felt these Doctor Who comics played fast and loose with some established ideas of canon. And it’s refreshing to see the script take a moment to back things up a bit. Houser also has the challenge of writing two different personalities for the same character in Rose, which she does perfectly, not letting one voice get lost in the other.
And it’s that dialogue that helps us keep track of two people who look exactly the same. It’s no small feat for an artist to have to draw carbon copies of one person. Roberta Ingranata makes each Rose look exactly the same, but also uses small touches in wardrobe and posture to keep them distinct. And all her work on character design doesn’t mean that she skimps on setting. There are several well-done moments where Ingranata plays with depth and perspective, particularly in the palace scenes and the TARDIS.
It’s been fun seeing how this creative team makes these dual Doctor pairings work together. I almost do not want them to go back to writing a story with a single Doctor.
Cowboy Bebop #1
Comicraft’s Jimmy Betancourt (letterer), Lamar Mathurin (artist), Richard Starkings (letterer), Roman Titov (colorist), Dan Watters (writer)
January 26, 2022
It’s bittersweet reading Cowboy Bebop right now, with the knowledge that the Netflix series it’s based on has been cancelled after one season. That series wasn’t without its faults, but the Netflix adaptation brought a modern touch to the classic anime, and there is some comfort seeing it continue in comic form.
We open with the natural chaos of a Bebop mission in a casino, a plan that slips up ever so slightly in execution. And that results in losing out on the bounty. But when one door closes another one opens. And their newest bounty is the man they encountered at the casino, Melville. It’s eighty million wu to bring him in, but there’s more. Rumor has it that Melville is developing wearable technology that gives its user unlimited good luck. And luck be a lady, he’s just across town from the Bebop. Fortunes could be changing for the team.
In terms of where this comic fits in the Netflix Cowboy Bebop canon, it appears to be right in the middle of the series, since Faye and Ein are well-established members of the crew. While there is introductory material that can bring new readers up to speed, the pace of the dialogue and overall narrative does favor those familiar with the story already. Although mentioned in the introduction, Vicious is nowhere to be seen — and I’m okay with that. There’s a lot to do to set up this story right now, so there’s no need to muddle it with other characters.
The style of this comic is pure Bebop, starting with the opening panels that quote the iconic lines that start the show’s theme song as Spike’s dialogue. It’s a charming meta-joke, for sure. Lamar Mathurin leans hard into noir for the art style, relying on shading for depth and a classic Silver Age look. It’s similar to work on his creator-owned webcomic Gumbo, and fits in beautifully. But this is also a case of too much of a good thing, as shadow ends up obscuring too much, making characters hard to recognize in spots. This could prove a problem as the series progresses. My favorite of all the character looks is Melville, who looks pure steampunk, fitting in with the retro-future world of the show very well.
While we won’t have any more live-action Cowboy Bebop, this comic could prove fertile ground for more adventures.
