Titan Comics PUBWATCH: December 2022/January 2023

Titan Pubwatch Banner from Shades Of Magic: The Steel Prince #2

Happy New Year! Titan PUBWATCH is back for 2023 and it’s looking to be a great year of comics coming from across the pond.

This first installment of the New Year takes a look at two new series: the newest Blade Runner installment and one of Titan’s first titles from their new manga imprint!

Titan Comics News and Announcements

January and February 2023 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 2023

    • Kamen Rider Zero-One #2: January 11th
    • Blade Runner 2039 #2: January 11th
    • Kamen Rider Kuuga Vol. 2: January 24th
    • Simpsons Comics #58: January 26th

February 2023

    • Blade Runner 2039 #3: February 8th
    • Bloodborne: Lady of the Lanterns #4: February 8th
    • Blade Runner Black Lotus: Leaving L.A. Vol. 1: February 21st
    • ATOM: The Beginning Vol. 3: February 21st
    • Moriarty: Clockwork Empire #1 : February 22nd

Titan Comics’s Free Comic Book Day Titles Announced

Titan will have two titles available at comic shops to celebrate Free Comic Book Day 2023. And both will set up their newest series that kick off later in the year.

The first will be an installment of the new Conan the Barbarian series, a prequel to the upcoming July ongoing series.  Created by the same team that will be on the ongoing series, the issue will take us to a story from Conan’s younger days.   Conan of Cimmeria dreams of bigger and better things past his village, and this story starts him on the path that will make him the Hyborian hero he is destined to be.  Jim Zub describes the installment as “big, bold and bloody and I can’t wait for all of you to see it.”

The second issue comes from Titan’s new partnership with Jagex, creators of RuneScape.  Like the Conan Free Comic Book Day title. the issue will lead directly into the new miniseries RuneScape: Untold Tales of the God Wars.   Written by Fearscape scribe Ryan O’Sullivan, the issue will explore the world of Gielinor and promises to be an issue both fans of the game and newcomers will love.

Free Comic Book Day will take place on May 6, 2023.

First Look at the Michael Moorcock Library Omnibus

A male warrior holds a sword and stares at the reader. He is surrounded by various elements, including other people and planets.
The cover to the upcoming The Michael Moorcock Library: Multiverse Vol. 1

If you’re a fan of Titan’s Michael Moorcock series, you now have an opportunity to enhance your bookshelf with a new hardcover collection.  Coming in July 2023, The Michael Moorcock Library: Multiverse Vol. 1 will include artwork by Walt Simonson, John Ridgway and Mark Reeve, with a script by Moorcock himself that crosses multiverses.   We have a look at the cover of this new collection above, which you can preorder now for a delivery date of July 12, 2023.

The Open Source World of Nouns DAO Comes to Comics

Several creatures walk through a museum with a white haired man, who then turns, aims, and fires a gun at them.
A preview page from the upcoming Nouns: Nountown, by David Leach and Danny Schlitz

Titan’s latest venture dips into the world of open source with Nouns DAO coming this spring in Nouns: Nountown.

What are Nouns?  They are online tokens that allow anyone to propose and vote for projects paid for by their treasury.  Nouns have appeared in the Super Bowl and most recently in this year’s Tournament of Roses Parade.  Activities funded by Nouns include beach cleanup and glasses for children in need. And these are just two of the over 550 projects and $22 million funded by Nouns.

Written by David Leach (Psycho Gran) with art by Danny Schlitz (William Shakespeare’s Avengers: The Complete Works), the series is a coming of age drama that Leach describes as “the Marx Brothers meets Hellzapoppin’ meets Apocalypse Now meets Death in Venice, if Venice was an insane theme-park designed by Sid and Marty Krofft.” In other words, expect plenty of humor, manic fun, and crazy ideas.

You can take a look at some of the interior art from Nouns: Nountown above, coming to comic shops in April 2023.

A Hip-Hop Pioneer Has His Story Told

A Black man stands in a crosswalk behind several city buildings and cars.
The cover of the upcoming graphic novel In Search of Gil Scott-Heron, by Thomas Maucéri and Sébastien Piquet.

Hip-hop legend Gil Scott-Heron is often called the ‘Godfather of Rap.’  And to celebrate 50 years of hip-hop, Titan will publish a new graphic novel on his life in the summer titled In Search of Gil Scott-Heron. 

Using the promise of an interview that never seems to happen, writer and documentarian Thomas Maucéri and artist Sébastien Piquet explore both the life of Heron and the American culture that shaped him into the musical visionary we know today.  In Search of Gil Scott-Heron will also include a bonus prose essay exploring Heron’s career and legacy.

This new graphic novel is available, for the first time in English, in July 2023, and you can take a look at the cover above.

Get To Know Titan’s Creators

If you’re looking to get to know some of Titan’s creators a little bit better, we have some interviews for you:

A Very Famous Afro Samurai Fan

Celebrities are just like us in that they love comics (even free comics). And there’s one very famous fan who loves Afro Samurai: Samuel L. Jackson!  Check out his love of the manga on Instagram. And maybe his wish of seeing the Fro Samurai on the big screen will someday become reality!

What I’m Reading

New Year, New Series!  We take a look at the first two issues of Blade Runner 2039 and Kamen Rider Zero-One.

(Note that our reviews may contain spoilers, so proceed carefully!)

Blade Runner 2039 #1
Mellow Brown (writer), Jim Campbell (letterer) Andres Guinaldo (artist), Mike Johnson (writer), Marco Lesko (colorist)
December 7, 2022

A white woman with brown hair in a bun is dressed in white holding a gun. In the foreground is a white woman with short cropped brown heard dressed in grey with a cane.
Blade Runner 2039 #1 by Mike Johnson, Melody Brown, and Andres Guinaldo

It’s been quite the hot minute since I dipped into the world of Blade Runner, and since then, much has changed. The Tyrell Corporation is no more, but the rise of one Niander Wallace sees the company back on its feet with a new line of Replicants. And these Replicants are ones that obey orders 100 percent without question.  One Replicant, Luv, is back at work in the LAPD looking for fugitive models.  Sound familiar?  One Ash had that task, though she’s now underground with another combat model.

It’s a whole new Blade Runner world.  And it’s certainly a more violent one, as these Replicants take no prisoners and will find their target by any means necessary.

Brown and Johnson bring us back into Blade Runner’s world and simultaneously raise its stakes.  Luv’s opening act with a Replicant has hallmark violence that we’ve seen in other series, but there’s something different this time. The fearful look on a woman’s face behind the camera tells you all you need to know about how different things now are.  These small touches allow for story progression and planting of seeds of what we could expect as this story progresses.  This is a creative team well versed in this world and how to use storytelling in just the right ways.

Luv’s look is an interesting blend of masculine and feminine: hard angles on her face, emphasized by her updo.  This is a woman made hard by the nature of her work, but there are moments where her feminine self shines through.  I’m reminded of Michelle Gomez’s Missy in her look, but she’s all business after that.  Coloring extends the idea of a very different Blade Runner Los Angeles: muted blues and greens, with a dark tint over the action.  While previous series had their bright and bold moments, the tone suggests danger and darkness to be found at every turn.

But the final panel provides a glimmer of hope: Ash.  She may be blind and broken, but she is, according to one who finds her, the Savior of Replicants.  Can the Savior restore the soul of Los Angeles?

Blade Runner 2039 #2
Mellow Brown (writer), Jim Campbell (letterer) Andres Guinaldo (artist), Mike Johnson (writer), Marco Lesko (colorist)
January 11, 2023

Ash, a woman with short black hair, looks to her left while holding a gun. A woman with long white-blond hair in a fur coat appears to be walking towards the reader with a briefcase in her right hand.
Blade Runner 2039 #2 by Mike Johnson, Melody Brown, and Andres Guinaldo

Past and present collide in this issue.  Ash has a new purpose: rescuer of Replicants.  Meawhile, Luv has to investigate Replicant past in Alexander Selwyn’s home.  Each mission has its own stakes. And the one that you may think has the best chance of success may not be what you expect.

The dual narrative of Ash and Luv’s missions allow for necessary characterization.  Ash’s trailer home shows just how far she’s gone from her Blade Runner days, but she doesn’t let that stand in her way.  Luv, on the other hand, finds herself in a lot of trouble.  She’s facing disciplinary action for actions against a fellow officer. And she’s met her match in Penelope, owner of the Selwyn estate.  Now Luv was the Replicant designed to obey at any cost.  And this issue shows the limits of that mindset, along with the trouble that comes from it.  These are fascinating philosophical questions that I hope this series takes the time to address, either here or in future series.

I love the rich detail that Guinaldo brings to his art, particularly at the Selwyn estate.  Delicate linework provides ornate details on the fountain that provides a focal point for Luv and Penelope’s confrontation. It reminds you of the power that Selwyn held and Penelope holds now – and that it is no match for Luv.  This attention to detail comes from the European tradition of comic art, and I love when it is used effectively.

The color palette in this issue, particularly outside of Los Angeles, appears brighter when compared to the first issue. It’s a fine contrast to the world of Los Angeles that we saw in the first issue, and a sign that there is hope and strength outside the city borders. Luv may be the law in Los Angeles, but she’s not the law everywhere.

And then another woman mysteriously enters the fray: Cleo. Who is she? What connection could she have to our current protagonists? We’ll find out next issue.

Kamen Rider Zero-One #1
Andworld Design’s Jame (letterer), David Clarke (story and original characters), Brandon Easton (writer), Hendry Prasetya (artist), Bryan Valenza (colorist)
November 23, 2022

Two robotic bug-like creatures clash in battle.
Kamen Rider Zero-One #1 by Brandon Easton and Hendry Prasetya

Get ready for some adventures in artificial intelligence! The Kamen Rider Zero-One franchise can be best explained as “Ant-Man flirts with the singularity.” Insectile robots from Hiden Intelligence work to protect the people of Japan from those that wish to attack the humanoid Humagears – rather, just one robot: CEO Aruto Hiden, grandson of the company’s founder.  He’s CEO by day, Kamen Rider Zero-One by night.  But, Aruto/Kamen Rider may have met their match in Ragnarok.  And this is not going to be just a test of brute strength for Aruto, but a test of self.

If you’re not familiar with the Kamen Rider world, there’s thankfully enough dialogue throughout to set up the universe.  But it’s scattered throughout the issue, which means you’re picking up pieces of worldbuilding here and there that may not be the right place for the information. (I ended up having the Wikipedia page for the anime open while reading to fill in gaps.)  It’s no easy feat for an issue that has to cater to existing fans and new readers alike, but it’s done decently here.  Perhaps an issue #0 would have served this series better, particularly for new readers.

That artwork has one role to serve here: set up big fights.  And it does that well!  Hendry Prasetya uses his experience on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers to its fullest, bringing kicks and punches with power.  His linework is crisp and complete, starting and following through on every movement.  And those kicks and punches only land as effectively as they do thanks to the letter work of Andworld Design’s Jame.  Jame’s action bubbles, in their size and shape, emphasize that power. Colorwork from Bryan Valenza completes the trifecta, leaning hard into the anime roots.

While I wish the issue was a little more new-reader friendly, what is provided here sets the stage rather well.

Kamen Rider Zero-One #2
Andworld Design’s Jame (letterer), David Clarke (story and original characters), Brandon Easton (writer), Hendry Prasetya (artist), Bryan Valenza (colorist)
January 11, 2023

Three robotic bug-like creatures engage in battle in a cityscape against a red, cloaked robotic creature.
Kamen Rider Zero-One #2 by Brandon Easton and Hendry Prasetya

If you ever wondered what an evil robot Thor would look like, look no further than Ragnarok.  He’s here and he’s ready to kill, starting with Aruto Hiden/Kamen Rider Zero-One.  While Ragnarok’s intent is certainly to kill Aruto in body, little by little each fight kills Aruto in spirit.  He’s left questioning if he has the internal strength to be both Kamen Rider Zero-One and Aruto Hiden, CEO of Hiden Intelligence.

Aruto’s internal struggle provides a fine moment for characterization, both in flashback to young Aruto with his father and with Izu, his Humagear personal assistant that serves as Greek chorus to the reader in their conversations. While the artwork in the last issue leaned hard into the anime influence of the parent series (and continues to do so here), the dialogue also takes that role in this issue.  The hero’s journey to discover one’s true self is classic storytelling trope, and does come across here in that stereotypical doubting Thomas style.  But it doesn’t seem too contrived or cloying. Could that be because the reader expects this from this type of story? Perhaps.

While the big fight action we had in the first issue takes a backseat here for that characterization, it’s certainly not dialed down.  There’s still plenty of punching and kicking. And some Kamen Rider team-ups that have a Power Rangers flavor to them. (As mentioned in the review above, artist Hendry Prasetya did work on Power Rangers comics, so this should come as no surprise.  The intense attention to detail on Ragnarok and our Kamen Riders has that extreme 90s comics aesthetic look to it.  The combination works surprisingly well.

Is Aruto in over his head? It certainly seems like it as Ragnarok and his partisans – including one that looks a bit like an evil Iron Man – join the fray. You may have a sense how this story will eventually end. But without a doubt, it’s going to be a wild ride to get there.

Advertisements
Kate Kosturski

Kate Kosturski

Science publishing nerd (and librarian) by day, comics nerd by day and by night. Also published at Geeks OUT and Multiversity Comics (where she is also the social media manager for the site). Originally from New Jersey, now of Connecticut and New York City. Raging feminist your mother probably warned you about. Body positivity and LGBTQ+ advocate. Lover of good whiskey, football (American and otherwise), baseball (New York Mets in particular), Doctor Who, Lego, Funko Pops, and knitting. Find her on twitter at @librarian_kate

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Close
Menu