We’re taking a look at twelve great new series set to arrive in May 2016!
The original Sentinel of Liberty returns with a new shield, a new team, and a new mission in Captain America: Steve Rogers, written by Nick Spencer! Cap’s got a new costume designed by Daniel Acuna and a new shield! Artist Jesus Saiz spoke to Newsarama about the upgrade: “It’s shape is similar to the original shield Cap had back in the 1940’s, the pointy one, but this one has two main innovations: it’s tip can deploy an ‘energy blade’ so Cap can cut into things, and the shield can be divided in two, so Steve can use both halves, one with each arm. Both modifications will help us see a completely different set of moves for Captain America, moves that we [have] never seen Steve use before, in terms of hand-to-hand combat.”
Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill are teaming up, along with some of the finest comic creators around, for their first major new project together since The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen, called Cinema Purgatorio! It’s an ongoing monthly anthology with a strong focus on the stunning black and white artwork and the writing talent gathered together for the series. The works are long-form and there are no collections planned before 2018, so you might want to get in on this one from the beginning. If past glories are anything to go by, Cinema Purgatorio will be well worth a read!
Hit TV show Penny Dreadful is that latest licence to be snapped up by Titan Comics, and their prequel series penned by screen-writer Krysty Wilson-Cairns with artwork from Heavy Metal artist Louie De Martinis arrives in May. Revealing the terrifying events that led Vanessa to try and find her childhood friend, Mina Harker, the series exposes the true nature of the vampiric monsters infesting Victorian London!
DC’s Hanna-Barbera line kicks off with Scooby: Apocalypse, a new take on the classic TV show set, this time, in the apocalyptic badlands of the near-future. Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy and their dog, Scooby-Doo face genuine creatures of the night in this new monthly series taking the gang to a whole new level. Look out for the character redesigns by comics superstar Jim Lee!
As well as hitting the cinema screens soon in Captain America: Civil War, The Winter Soldier is now leading the Thunderbolts into a new comic book series rising from the ashes of Avengers: Standoff. Written by Jim Zub with Jon Malin on art duties, the series will have the Thunderbolts questioning their purpose as they rampage across the Marvel Universe under the direction of Bucky Barnes!
Writer Becky Cloonan tackles The Punisher for the first time, with some help from veteran Punisher artist and legend Steve Dillon. The horrible fallout from a presumed by-the-numbers drug bust threatens to send the Punisher into the heart of darkness as he tracks a new street drug that grants abililties similar to Captain America’s Super Soldier Serum. Cloonan had this to say to ComicBook: “We are going to strip away some of his layers, and push him right to the limit. I want to see how far he’ll go to accomplish his goals. A few people have said some of the stuff we are planning is reminiscent of Punisher MAX, which is nothing but the highest of compliments!”
And speaking of brutal Marvel characters, Squadron Supreme’s Nighthawk, one of the most brutal super heroes of all, is also starring in a new ongoing series of his own. Written by David Walker, the book sees Chicago’s dark protector questioning his commitment when a number of the city’s shadiest power brokers turn up murdered in gristly ways. Does this predator deserve to be caught? Who is the killer? And what does he want from Nighthawk?
Future Quest features a whole host of your favourite Hanna-Barbera characters including Johnny Quest and Space Ghost working together to save the galaxy from a mysterious and dangerous villain. Jeff Parker writes, Evan Shaner draws and comics superstar Darwyn Cooke redesigns the characters in this new, monthly book!
Brian Michael Bendis is flexing his ‘epic crossover event’ muscles for Marvel’s Civil War II, the eight issue sequel to Mark Millar’s legendary original story. He spoke to Marvel.com: “The original Civil War is one of the most important Marvel comics ever, and we are all very excited to have come up with what we hope is a story worthy of the title. If you are scared of earth shattering Marvel events where no one is safe… be afraid, be very afraid!”
Back To The Future co-creator Bob Gale is working with Erik Burnham and artist Alan Robinson on Back To The Future: Citizen Brown, a new miniseries adapting the hit video game Back To The Future: The Game. The time-traveling DeLorean arrives passengerless in 1986 and Marty McFly must return to the past to once again to save Doc Brown and the time-space continuum!
Following on from the success of 21st Century Tank Girl, series creator Alan Martin is writing a new calamitous chapter for the feisty, foul-mouthed, fun-loving female titled Two Girls, One Tank! Is this world really big enough for two Tank Girls? We think it’ll be a blast finding out!
Rounding off our batch of the best new books is Daredevil / Punisher, a four-issue affair from writer Charles Soule and artist Szymon Kudranski. Soule spoke with Comic Book Resources about the series: “Frank thinks Daredevil doesn’t go far enough, and Murdock thinks Punisher goes way, way too far … I think there might be some respect on a technical level for the others’ abilities, but that’s about it … It’s a Daredevil-centric story and we see it through his P.O.V., but that doesn’t mean the Punisher is the ‘villain’. As always when Frank Castle gets involved, things get complicated very quickly.” And you don’t need to know their history: “The story is designed from top to bottom to be open for people who’ve never read a Daredevil or Punisher story before to be able to jump right in … Working on this series has been a blast. It feels to me a little like a great ’80s movie; really simple premise, and then it’s all action from there on out. Two characters with understandable viewpoints that are completely irreconcilable. You can’t beat it!”
Find more information on each of the series below…