The calendar still says summer for a few more weeks. But there’s a chill in the air, Pumpkin Spice everything is back on shelves, and kids are back in school. Onward to autumn!
Our latest Titan PUBWATCH installment continues our look at Doctor Who: Origins with a double dose of reviews and more of the adventures of Rivers of London: Deadly Ever After.
Titan Comics News and Announcements
September and October 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.
September 2022
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- Marvel’s Deadpool: The First 30 Years: September 6th
- Blade Runner Black Lotus #2: September 7th
- Sherlock: A Scandal in Belgravia Vol. 2 #2: September 14th
- Bloodborne: Lady of the Lanterns #2: September 14th
- Rivers of London Deadly Ever After #4: September 21st
- Over My Dead Body Vol. 1: September 22nd
- Gun Honey Blood for Blood #2: September 28th
October 2022
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- Blade Runner Origins Vol. 3: October 4th
- Minions Vol 1 – 4 Boxed Set: October 4th
- Minions Mini Boss Vol. 6: October 4th
- Ms. Tree Deadline Vol. 4: October 5th
- Blade Runner Black Lotus #3: October 5th
- Life Is Strange Coloring Book: October 11th
- Peanuts Boxed Set: October 11th
- Blade Runner 2029 Vol. 1-3 Boxed Set: October 11th
- ATOM: The Beginning Vol. 1: October 11th
- The Official Horizon Zero Dawn Peach Momoko Poster Portfolio: October 11th
- Sherlock: A Scandal in Belgravia Vol. 2 #3: October 12th
- The Night Eaters: She Eats The Night (Book 1): October 12th
- Vuzz Vol. 1: October 18th
- Tank Girl: King Tank Girl: October 18th
- Tank Girl Colour Classics Trilogy (1988-1995) Boxed Set: October 18th
- Cowboy Bebop: Supernova Swing Vol. 1: October 18th
- Bloodborne: Lady of the Lanterns #3: October 19th
- The Man Who Fell To Earth: The Official Movie Adaptation Vol. 1: October 25th
- Snoopy Boxed Set: October 25th
- Peanuts: And A Woodstock In a Birch Tree Vol. 14: October 25th
- Gun Honey Blood for Blood #3: October 26th
An International NBA Superstar Makes His Comics Debut
French NBA superstar Rudy Gobert (Minnesota Timberwolves, Utah Jazz) is adding comic book writer to his resume. Gobert will make his debut next February with the graphic novel BASH!, a story for young readers that combines basketball and space. Featuring art by Vince Serrano, BASH! is the story of the young Rudy of the planet Nelilia, who has big dreams of making the big time in the sport of BASH. But just as his star starts rising, something sinister is going to try to derail his dreams.
“This was surely a crazy feat when we started it,” Gobert says. “I wanted to tell a story that bolsters dedication and courage, which were so essential to my own personal journey. I hope that it will encourage readers to overcome their challenges and pursue their dreams.”
BASH! also launches Titan’s new middle grade and young adult imprint Titan Nova, which will cater to readers aged 8-16, as well as “curious minds of all ages.”
The title arrives in bookstores, comic shops, and digital platforms right at the heart of the 2022-2023 NBA season on February 14, 2023.
The Development of Kamen Rider Zero-One
It’s an exciting time for manga at Titan Comics, with the launch of their manga imprint (Titan Manga) and the expansion of the world of Kamen Rider. In this exclusive interview from io9, readers can go behind the scenes with the creative team and find out how they adapted this Japanese hero to the Western world.
Behind the Scenes with the Black Lotus
The latest entry in the world of Blade Runner comics is Blade Runner: Black Lotus, following up after the events of the anime series of the same name. The creative team behind the comic – writer Nancy Collins and artist Enid Balám – take us behind the scenes of Elle’s world in this interview with Forbidden Planet.
Discover Titan’s Rich Back Catalog
In the waning days and weeks of summer, Titan’s Twitter feed has been putting some of their older titles in the spotlight. With a packed release schedule for October that you see above, now is a great time to discover some of the new titles from Titan’s back catalog, such as Minky Woodcock: The Girl Who Handcuffed Houdini, the Shades of Magic series (perfect if you’re enjoying House of the Dragon) the graphic novel Wika (perfect for those who are loving The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power), and much more!
What I’m Reading
It’s a double dose of Doctor Who: Origins with our look at both the second and third issue, as well as the latest from Rivers of London: Deadly Ever After #3.
(Note that our reviews may contain spoilers, so proceed carefully!)
Doctor Who: Origins #2
Comicraft’s Jimmy Betancourt (letterer), Jody Houser (writer), Roberta Ingranata (artist), Warnia K. Sahadewa (colorist), Richard Starkings (letterer)
July 6, 2022
The Fugitive Doctor and Taslo find themselves on the planet of Kreb, on a mission to prevent the destruction of Gallifrey – – and at a party. They’re both still adjusting to the mission and their new working relationship, and now they have to play politics instead of playing destruction. The Fugitive Doctor is ready for negotiation and learning more about this planet, while Taslo would rather cut to the more violent chase. And Taslo does go for that violent means to meet their end, much to the chagrin of the Fugitive Doctor.
But to both their surprise, the alien they attempted to kill regenerates: they are a Time Lord! Their mission done, finding that Kreb is a peaceful place with a peaceful people. Taslo has a hard time adjusting to some of the realities of this kind of work, disillusioned with her role. But the Doctor has a plan: and it’s ditch the original plan.
This is an issue that uses the plot of Kreb as a means to an end to develop the relationship between the Doctor and Taslo, as well as give us insight into Taslo’s character. We see her impatience, her recklessness, her passion: all in the course of these pages and all in contrast to the Doctor’s cool, cool, considerate style. (Bonus points if you know that musical reference.) She is a complex woman who both wants to impress her superiors, but also starts to see the cracks in the larger organization that is such an integral part of her life. It provides the prime opportunity for the Doctor to sweep in as mentor and show her that she can operate within and outside of the rules of the Division. Indeed, these are typical storytelling tropes, but they’re done in a “show not tell” style, which elevates them above the norm.
In interviews about previous Doctor Who series, Roberta Ingranata expresses joy at creating fantastical worlds and characters out of her imagination. And you can see that front and center in the environment of Kreb. It’s soft, it’s lush, it’s organic. Abundant in life, both in its people and fauna. Light linework and a pastel color palette set this tone perfectly. With yellows and purples that contrast the bright blue of the TARDIS, you certainly get the sense that this is not a planet of violence, and join Taslo in her struggle to understand just what brought them there. This is one of those times art and scrip work effectively hand in hand to set tone.
Just like Taslo, we have no clue just what the Doctor has in her plans. But we trust her to steer the course.
Doctor Who: Origins #3
Comicraft’s Jimmy Betancourt (letterer), Jody Houser (writer), Roberta Ingranata (artist), Warnia K. Sahadewa (colorist), Richard Starkings (letterer)
August 3, 2022
A tableau of mission visits to handle temporal bombardments and find out the exact threat to Gallifrey opens up the third issue. Each visit revealing that the threat they were sent to detect proves to be anything but. Poor Taslo remains still confused, and that prompts the Doctor to make a decision: she has to handle this mission on her own. It’s now time for a trip to Gallifrey, where the Doctor finds a member of the High Council that seems to be pulling the strings of this entire mission. What is his end goal, and is it something that the Doctor can stop in time – – especially with a twist she didn’t see coming?
Doctor Who has its roots in an educational program, and this story is turning into a lesson on racism, genocide, and the manipulation of good people to do bad things. Thankfully, it is not preachy, save for a moment of fine advice from the Doctor: “There’s always a choice, Taslo. Don’t ever forget that.” The wisest advice I think I have heard any Doctor, television or comics, give. There’s just the right amount of tension to build throughout the issue, even as you’re able to figure out just what is coming, and perhaps just how the final issue will end. (We will, of course, look at that issue in our next PUBWATCH).
Ingranata shows artistic versatility in this style, when compared to the previous issue. There’s darker lines and more angular faces as the tone shifts to serious and (for the Doctor) dangerous for the majority of this issue. There’s warm colors as everyone converges on Gallifrey to bring the action to a head, but the yellows, oranges, and golds we see provide both a sense of regality and a sense of alarm.
The Doctor knows she’s walking into danger. And no doubt she had a sixth sense of just what that danger was, and who was behind it. It will be fun to see just how she resolves this danger next time.
Rivers of London: Deadly Ever After #3
Ben Aaronovitch (creator), Jose Maria Beroy (penciler), Celeste Bronfman (writer), David Cabeza (inker), Jim Campbell (letterer), Andrew Cartmel (script editor), Jordi Escuin Llorach (colorist)
August 10, 2022
We get to know Phoebe more in this issue after her chase with Chelsea and Olympia through Kensington Gardens. And by meeting Phoebe, we also get to learn more about the story of these dangerous fairytales. And it’s a family one for Phoebe: it was her great-grandfather who believed in magic. One day, to his surprise, the fairies of his dreams came to life . . . but also took him away to their world, leaving his daughter Rose (Phoebe’s grandmother) an orphan. And all Phoebe wants to do is reunite her family again, hence her return to the forest after Chelsea and Olympia opened the magical portal once more. She’s able to resurrect her great-grandfather, but as we always know: magic comes with a price. That means the relative she idolized isn’t the person she made him out to be. And he’s out to get his happy ending at any cost.
This is positively a breakneck issue, giving necessary backstory and setting up the conflict that will steer the rest of this series. As a result, it’s rather text heavy. This is typical for a Rivers of London comic, but for a series that positions itself as one specific for new readers, this may be a mistake. There could have been a bit less of the fairytales gone amok, or even Chelsea and Olympia’s witty banter. Another aspect that’s also missing from this series is some character development for the twins. What was it that Chelsea and Olympia had that allows them to open the portal to magic? It’s hinted that these twins are special, but there hasn’t been anything further than those hints. This could be setting up another series starring them where we will get that backstory, but without that known, it’s a major plot hole.
I do also wish at this point there was a little more artistic risk. There’s amazing fantastical moments throughout this issue that could lead to some wonderful experimentation to make that magic jump off the page – the return of Jeter, for example. It’s something I saw in other Rivers of London stories, so I know the potential is there to include it. What we get instead in these moments is low-key artistic rendition of magic. Is it inexperience of the artist, or a deliberate choice to show how much that line between reality and fairy tale remains blurred in this world?
If there is any fault of Rivers of London stories, it is that they can be too high concept, which doesn’t allow room for creative risk. Deadly Ever After is starting to fall into this trap. Let’s hope it can right the ship for the final issue.
