Hello Titan PUBWATCH readers! Beginning with this column, the Titan PUBWATCH will move to an every-other-month schedule so that we can ensure that we have a robust amount of news and reviews for you from one of the top comics and book publishers across the pond! So you can look for Titan PUBWATCHes at WWAC now in January, March, May, July, September, and November.
For this installment, we wrap up two series (Life is Strange: Settling Dust and Doctor Who: Empire of the Wolf), see if Cowboy Bebop continues the strong momentum from its debut in issue #2, and check out Mother Nature, the new graphic novel from Jamie Lee Curtis.
Titan Comics News and Announcements
March and April 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.
March 2022
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- Horizon Zero Dawn Vol. 2 Liberation Vol. 2: March 1st
- Robotech Archives: The Sentinels Vol. 2: March 1st
- Azimut: March 2nd
- Cowboy Bebop #2: March 2nd
- Life is Strange: Settling Dust #4: March 9th
- Blade Runner: Origins #10: March 16th
- Blade Runner: Origins Vol 2: Scrap: March 22nd
- The Man Who Shot Chris Kyle: An American Legend: March 22nd
- Minions Mini Boss #1: March 30th
- Cowboy Bebop #3: March 30th
April 2022
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- Michael Moorcock’s Elric Vol. 4: The Dreaming City: April 5th
- Gun Honey Vol. 1: April 12th
- The Junction: April 12th
- Hen Kai Pan: April 12th
- Blade Runner: Origins #11: April 2oth
- Cowboy Bebop #4: April 27th
A David Bowie Classic Becomes a Graphic Novel
The 1976 cult classic David Bowie film, The Man Who Fell to Earth, has its roots in literature, based on Walter Tevis’s prose novel. Now, in addition to a new Showtime TV series this spring, the story of Thomas Jerome Newton’s quest for water for his dying planet returns to its literary roots with a new graphic novel. “Home Sick Pilot” writer Dan Watters and “Dune House Atreides” artist Dev Pramanik will adapt the story to the graphic novel medium, with release set for Fall 2022.
According to writer Dan Watters, “The Man Who Fell to Earth is a masterpiece of a film with an awful lot to say; about men, about the Earth, and lots of things in between. There are ideas in the film, about climate crises and corporate greed, that are more relevant now than they were when Nicolas Roeg set out to make it. And now here we are. I think it’s high time to look at the world through Thomas Newton’s mismatched eyes all over again. Perhaps he’ll see something we’ve been missing.”
You can check out a preview of one of the interior pages above, and look for the graphic novel in your favorite comic book shop this autumn.
Cover Reveal for Bloodborne Free Comic Book Day
Following up on the success of Titan’s Horizon Zero Dawn comic series, the video game Bloodborne returns to comics with a new series in May 2022. The series kicks off with a Free Comic Book Day story on May 7th. We have a look at the cover for that issue, drawn by Piotr Kowalski and Brad Simpson. The story draws an interesting parallel to our current times, as new hunters will be taking to the streets to fight a “cruel and unusual epidemic” that promises to test families and faith.
Jamie Lee Curtis’s Graphic Novel Debut
Acclaimed actress Jamie Lee Curtis (Halloween, Knives Out) takes on the timely topic of climate change in her eco-horror graphic novel debut, Mother Nature. Based on an idea Curtis had at the age of 19, the story centers on Nova Terrell, a young woman taking on the corporation that controls her town. Her pursuit of sabotage against the Cobalt Corporation, motivated by the death of her father, reveals some secrets about company projects that could destroy the world.
“I’ve always been aware of the very unbalanced relationship between humans and nature,” Curtis said, “and even though I was young, I always knew that, inevitably, nature would win.”
Filmmaker Russell Goldman joins Curtis on writing credits. The New Yorker cartoonist and artist Karl Stevens will provide artwork. We have a preview of one of the pages of the graphic novel above. Mother Nature, debuting in November, is also in pre-production as a film, to be directed by Curtis.
Gun Honey Returns for a Sequel
Weapons smuggler Joanna Tan is back for more less-than-legal adventures. Gun Honey, which debuted last year, gets a sequel later this year. In Gun Honey: Blood For Blood #1, Joanna is taking some time to recover after her last job. But recovery does not last long as Joanna ends up framed for murder. It becomes a race against time for Joanna — not just to clear her name, but to stay alive.
“The response from readers and collectors to the first Gun Honey story arc was just tremendous,” says writer Charles Ardai, “and I couldn’t be more excited to bring Joanna back for a new adventure that will push her to the very limit of her abilities.”
While you wait for the next installment of Gun Honey (also in development as a TV series), you can pick up the first volume of the series on April 5th.
A New Blade Runner Series follows the Black Lotus
Titan’s Blade Runner universe continues to expand with a spinoff series from the anime Blade Runner: Black Lotus. Set after the conclusion of the Crunchyroll/Adult Swim series, the series will continue the story of the Black Lotus (Elle) as she tries to move on with her life. But she’s doing this in a world that still hunts and fears replicants. Basic existence comes with a high risk.
Series writer Nancy Collins is no stranger to comics, having written Swamp Thing and Vampirella. Artist Enid Balám is a name Titan readers will recognize, having recently done work on V.E. Schwab’s Extraordinary.
We have a look at the main cover for the series debut from Junggeun Yoon. Blade Runner: Black Lotus will be available at your comic shop on June 1, 2022.
What I’m Reading
We bid two series farewell, and check in with another series to see if it can hold our interest after a very strong debut.
(Note that our reviews may contain spoilers, so proceed carefully!)
Doctor Who: Empire of the Wolf #4
Jody Houser (writer), Roberta Ingranata (artist), Warnia K. Sahadewa (colorist), Comicraft’s Richard Starkings (letterer)
February 9, 2022
The Sontarans are here to kick ass, take names, and chew gum. And they’re all out of gum. Is there a plan B for the Eighth Doctor and friends to stop this invasion? Well… maybe. You just have to wait for one to come along, which may not be the best of strategies. But in this case, it works because that plan does come along: a TARDIS with the Eleventh Doctor and Rose, dressed as the Empress. The bait-and-switch plan of one Rose dressed as another doesn’t fool our alien foes, though. Oops, there goes an intergalactic coup! But lucky for everyone involved, another plan swoops in to save the day, proving two heads are literally better than one. And once that’s sorted, there is the dilemma of putting each Rose in its rightful universe.
I love seeing the Doctors be clever and putting logic together from all their experiences to solve a larger problem, especially when they acknowledge the paradox that they caused could also be the solution to bring one Rose back to her proper time. What’s also fun is the interplay between different doctors of different eras, which has been a hallmark of this Titan Doctor Who reboot. However, the Eighth Doctor isn’t as front and center as I expected him to be in this 25th-anniversary celebration. It’s a shame because this was a wonderful opportunity for readers to get to know a Doctor that had the shortest on-screen time. For future issues, there should be better balance between all its headline stars.
There’s one star that needs extra praise, and that’s artist Roberta Ingranata. I’ve said before that it’s no easy feat translating three-dimensional characters to a two-dimensional space. But her added challenge throughout this series is drawing the same character twice and giving each iteration its own appearance and personality. And it’s a challenge she does well. She also creates some beautiful pages that show the cosmic power of the paradox, and provides settings and supporting characters with intense detail. And finally, she shifts between art styles, from harsher inks to softer inks, to show the change in dimensions. The crossed timelines present a lot of information for readers to absorb. And subtle changes like this help to organize it.
There will be a bit of a break from the Houser era of Doctor Who stories, as Dan Watters comes on board for a special this spring. Let’s not hope it’s too long of a break, for this team continues to create something special.
Cowboy Bebop #2
Comicraft’s Jimmy Betancourt (letterer), Lamar Mathurin (artist), Richard Starkings (letterer), Roman Titov (colorist), Dan Watters (writer)
March 2, 2022
The hunt for the vest takes the Bebop to the wasteland of Mars. It’s not exactly the place he expects Melville (the bounty) to hide. Things continue to not make sense for the Bebop as they find a town in the wasteland of Mars. And when they land (unfortunately smack in someone’s backyard) they find quite the party. If there was an entire planet of Bourbon Street in New Orleans, it would be this. The crew’s explorations put them face to face with some undesirables, naturally — and for Jet, his Syndicate past.
The revelation of a Syndicate connection to Melville brings this case closer to home for Jet. But it also concerns me that Syndicate drama, the weakest point of the Cowboy Bebop series, will become more prominent. Though I do understand the necessity of talking Syndicate (it provides backstory for Spike for new readers), the more they can stick to the heist and less to Spike’s backstory, the better. I’m left a little lukewarm by the sights of this party planet, but perhaps that is the point. (And it’s what Spike and Faye realize when they return to Jet — the perpetually happy planet is just a little bit creepy under the surface. In spite of these script weaknesses, we do get forward momentum in the story, learning more about the history of the vest and Melville.
I love the mod color work of this series, bringing a ’60s-style punch to what are bleaker landscapes. What would be useful is some color distinctions, gradations of color to allow for an appreciation of the setting. Switching from washed-out earth tones on Mars to bright bold neon for the party scenes really underscores the difference between two worlds, particularly the scary subtext below the surface. I do love Faye’s look in this issue. Her poses show power and control with just the right touch of femininity. It’s something I wish we saw more of in the show, though that is no fault of Daniella Pineda.
There are a few stumbles here, but not enough to get things off track. See you next time, space cowboys.
Life is Strange: Settling Dust #4
Comicraft’s Jimmy Betancourt (letterer) Andrea Izzo (colorist), Claudia Leonardi (artist), Richard Starkings (letterer), Emma Vieceli (writer)
March 9, 2022
The very first Life is Strange comic debuted in November 2018. And now, three and one half years later, just as the remastered parent video game drops to give us the chance to revisit Max and Chloe and their world, the comic stories wrap up. But is there a happy ending for these time-crossed lovers?
Now the reunion itself took place back in issue #2. And in this finale, we appear to have some sort of time jump. Chloe has longer hair, and frenemy-turned-friend Victoria Chase has her own art gallery. For Victoria, there’s still some unfinished business, she has to address with Max and Chloe over coffee in the “Chase Space.” There’s apologies for her Mean Girl period, apologies for not doing more for the memorial – – it’s almost all too maudlin. (And it makes everything that happened all about Victoria, so maybe she’s not totally reformed after all.) But for now, her contribution towards healing is offering an exhibition of Max’s photos in her gallery. But Max has a caveat: no credit for her photos. There’s a pre-opening party of “We Are Arcadia Bay” that brings the gang – along with a few surprise guests – to reflect, remember, and move forward.
Closure is the name of the game here. And Vieceli does a fine job of bringing all our stories full circle. A glimpse of Max and Chloe in their alternate universe. An appearance by Tristan, Max’s guide through both worlds. But the high point of this issue is Max’s speech at the pre-opening party that focuses how grief helps you look back and look forward. This issue debuted close to the unofficial second anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic (March 11th), and her words give us a beacon for how to live as we move from one stage of pandemic to another. Max’s words show us just how much she’s grown as a person, accepting and growing around her unique gifts.
You can also see the passage of time and the themes of memory and legacy in Claudia Leonardi’s artwork: softer faces, gentler eyes, looser hair. More relaxed body language for everyone shows the closeness that they all share, how their experiences, while all unique, have a common bond. The artwork also calls back to the original video game in smaller touches, like Max’s butterfly necklace, and Victoria’s work outfit at the gallery that bears a strong resemblance to her clothes in the first Life is Strange video game. Those moments make this comic a true celebration for the fans.
Creating a purely character-driven world is no small feat. And this creative team has certainly rose to the occasion. Hopefully this is not goodbye for Arcadia Bay, but (as the end of the comic hints), it’s just a “see you later.”
