Posted in: Comics, Thank FOC It's Friday | Tagged: Comics, FOC

All Your Racial Problems Thank FOC It's Sunday, 11th of September

Published Sun, 11 Sep 2022 11:58:14 -0500

Thank FOC It's Sunday – Planned to coincide and cover the demands of Final Order Cut Off at Diamond Comic Distributors on Monday. And now Lunar Distribution and Penguin Random House on Sunday as well. So here's this week's comics product coming through that may need adjusting as demand slips and slides with the emerging economic bubble. Or some such. Traditionally FOC is the date when retailers have a last chance to amend their advance orders for comic books without penalty. A final opportunity for publishers to promote books while orders can still be added. A time for credits to be amends, new covers to be revealed, and a final push given. This is an attempt to sift through them all and find the most relevant items.

What's FOC-ing this weekend?

Fragmentation is a new hardcover graphic novel from Arrowverse creator Marc Guggenheim and Beni Lobel from Dark Horse Comics, up for FOC this weekend. "When pieces of history from some of the world's most traumatic and horrible events start appearing as fragments of time invading our world, it threatens all of human existence. One family discovers that their personal tragedy is at the center of everything, making them the only people who can help put an end to the Fragmentations. A mind-bending original graphic novel!"

Bill And Ted give Death a one-shot from Opus Comics by Erik Burnham, John Barber, Federica Manfredi, and Wayne Nichols with 1:5 and 1:10 variant covers for FOC. "The Duke of Spook, the Doc of Shock, The Man with No Tan, please say hello to Death himself, the Grim Reaper, in this special one-shot featuring Bill & Ted's co-star in Bogus Journey. So, Death, Beethoven, Death, and a hell beast go to a rock concert… Tell me if you've heard this one before. Plus, Death comes for Rufus!"

Sonic The Hedgehog gets a Scapnik Island #1 spinoff with a 1@10 tiered cover for FOC. By Daniel Barnes and Jack Lawrence, "It was a dark and stormy night. Harsh rain from an unnatural storm fell upon Sonic the Hedgehog and Miles "Tails" Prower as they flew above the sea in the Tornado. Lightning strikes, causing the plane to spiral downward into a crash landing on an uncharted island. What Sonic and Tails will soon learn is that the island is no island at all, but the floating remains of the Death Egg. Scrapped, rusted, and malfunctioning Badniks call this place home. Can the friends survive isolation on an island of robots programmed to destroy them?"

3Keys #1 by David Messina launches from Image Comics with a 1:25 action figure variant for FOC. "Han Solo artist DAVID MESSINA invites you to explore the mysterious world of 3KEYS! Did the inhabitants of another dimension flee into our reality to save themselves from the terrible wrath of the Great Old Ones…or to help prepare us for a final devastating invasion? And what if humanity's only chance against these Great Old Ones is an impetuous, mischievous young woman and her sardonic, furry, and surprisingly violent mentor? All questions are asked and answered in this five-part introduction to writer and artist DAVID MESSINA's epic, apocalyptic universe, featuring 27 full story pages!"

Legacy Of Violence #1 is a big launch from Mad Cave Studios from the A-List team of Cullen Bunn and Andrea Mutti which "follows Dr. Nick Shaw; an honest doctor just trying to help people. But one day, when a patient gets out of control, Nick suddenly begins recalling past memories he had kept hidden away. That's when he decides to join Doctors Without Borders and heads straight for Central America. But his past still comes calling. With a serial killer on the loose in the small town of Disante, Honduras, Nick's flashbacks begin to intensify-and become clearer. Was Nick meant to go to Honduras? Is this all part of the killer's plan? Find out what Nick has been repressing all these years and why."

Dark Ride #1 by Joshua Williamson, Andrei Bressan and Adriano Lucas launches from Image Comics with a 1:25 cover. "WELCOME TO THE SCARIEST PLACE ON EARTH! Devil Land has been the world's premiere horror-themed amusement park for over 50 years, home to the scariest ride ever created-the Devil's Due. But when lifelong fan Owen Seasons begins his first day on the job, he will discover the true horrors happening behind the scenes, the truth about the park's reclusive creator Arthur Dante, and that the job of his dreams might just be a living nightmare. JOSHUA WILLIAMSON (NAILBITER, Batman) and ANDREI BRESSAN (BIRTHRIGHT) reunite for a thrilling plunge into murder, mayhem, and sinister family secrets in this all-new Skybound original series.

Junkyard Joe #1 from Geoff Johns and Gary Frank launch from Image Comics in both a black and white and colour edition. "By the critically acclaimed team of GEOFF JOHNS, GARY FRANK & BRAD ANDERSON! Throughout history, unlikely and strange heroes have risen and fallen, their identities and lives a secret. But for a Great Evil to be stopped, their stories must be told. They are The Unnamed fighting The Unknown War. From the explosive pages of GEIGER comes JUNKYARD JOE! The world knows him as the comic strip by cartoonist Muddy Davis, but the truth stretches back to the Vietnam War. This is their story of sacrifice and brotherhood."

Kaya #1 by Wes Craig launches from Image Comics with a 1:50 tiered cover for FOC. "A jam-packed series premiere with 31 gorgeous story pages, plus bonus material and a Jack Kirby-inspired variant cover by DEADLY CLASS co-creator WES CRAIG! After the destruction of their village, a young girl with a magic arm and a fighting spirit is tasked with delivering her little brother to a faraway safe haven. There, he's destined to discover the secret to overthrowing the all-powerful empire that destroyed their home. From writer and artist WES CRAIG (DEADLY CLASS, GRAVEDIGGERS UNION) comes an astonishing new ongoing fantasy-adventure series about siblings surviving in a world of monsters and mutants."

And finally a fourth launch from Image with Revolvers #1 by John Zuur Platten, Christian Dibari, and Simon Gough. "Hampton Wales, a Detroit homicide detective, finds himself trapped in a mysterious and violent reality, only to find himself dead while attempting to solve a seemingly average and routine homicide. Confronted by an immortal tormenter known as La Piton (the Python), Hampton begins a dark and twisted quest to find out why and how he died. To do so, he must face off against a legion of gun-toting, deceased Revolvers within the Moratorium, a hellish version of Puragatory. Hampton will need to "kill of be killed" to have enough time to unravel his demise and discover it was by his own hand, someone else, or something more sinister."

Marvel has two Judgment Day launches for AXE Eternals and AXE X-Men which are meant to be essentila to the event.

Daredevil #4 is clearly meant to be important as the 1:100 and 1:200 J. Scott Campbell variants suggest shops buy lots. "A PERILOUS TREK! For months, Elektra Natchios has been developing a plan to save the world from the violent and ruthless HAND by rebuilding its opposite equal – the FIST. And with the world at large believing he's dead, Matt Murdock has become her most trusted ally. But Elektra needs more than just an ally – she needs a partner. And in this issue, Matt and Elektra will grow closer than ever before… Rated T+

Marvel is also launching a new Namor: Conquered Shores #1 to come out alongside the Black Panther movie, by Christopher Cantwell and Pasqual Ferry. "A century into the future, not much land remains on Earth. A combination of a worsening climate and a devastating war with the Kree has left the surface of the planet mostly inhospitable, with an ever-dwindling population of air-breathers and a profound lack of super heroes to protect them. Enter NAMOR, who these many years on is no longer King of Atlantis…but ruler of the entire world. Rated T+"

Punisher War Journal returns with Brother #1 with the current version of the Punisher, by Torunn Gronbekk and Rafael Pimentel. "OLD FRIENDS DIE HARD! Lady Bullseye failed. Lord Deathstrike failed. Every assassin sent to kill Frank fails. The leaders of the underworld – crime bosses, heads of terrorist organizations, and even a corrupt government or two come together to solve the growing problem of Frank Castle. Sharing intel, resources, and money, a collective underworld puts out a contract to kill Frank – eligible for anyone: assassins, mercenaries or smalltown crooks. The news ripples through the shadows of the world: $500 million to the person who takes down the Punisher. But there's one face from his past…who's in this hunt for more than money. Parental Advisory"

Star Wars gets a new High Republic #1 relaunch and a 1:50 tiered cover for FOC as well, by Cavan Scott and Ario Anindito, "A NEW CHAPTER BEGINS FOR STAR WARS: THE HIGH REPUBLIC! One hundred and fifty years before the fall of Starlight, another beacon burns bright in the galaxy, a beacon of faith and spirituality. Jedha. The Pilgrim Moon. The Kyber Heart. But tensions are rising in the holy city and dark days are to come. Jedi Vildar Mac, a Jedi safe and secure in who he is and what he could be, arrives as Jedha's fragile peace begins to crumble.. But a nightmare awaits…a nameless terror that will become the stuff of legend… Rated T"

And there's a new series Star Wars Visions #1 mostly in black and white by Takashi Okazaki. "FROM THE CREATIVE MIND BEHIND THE STAR WARS: VISIONS EPISODE "THE DUEL" COMES THE SEQUEL: RONIN AND THE BLIND! TAKASHI OKAZAKI (Afro Samurai) is continuing his storytelling from the acclaimed STAR WARS: VISIONS episode "THE DUEL," featuring the Ronin! The mythology of STAR WARS infused with elements of Feudal Japan makes this issue a MUST READ for STAR WARS and MANGA fans alike!"

Wakanda #1 jucks off from Evan Narcisse, Stephanie Williams, Paco Medina, and Natacha Bustos. "THE BLACK PANTHER IS NO LONGER WELCOME IN WAKANDA! Who is this proud nation without its king? This exciting new miniseries answers that question as each issue spotlights a different fan-favorite Wakandan character. First up: Shuri proves that being without the Black Panther doesn't mean Wakanda is without heroes to protect it – and that there is a reason she too once wielded the power. Plus, part one of the "History of the Black Panthers" backup story, providing for the first time anywhere a definitive overview of every Wakandan who has ever held the mantle of the Black Panther!
Rated T+" With 1:25 and 1:100 tiered variants for FOC.

Year Zero gets a prequel series from Daniel Kraus and Goran Sudzuka at AWA and a promotional 75% discount for retailers. "In this action-packed prelude to the hit series, acclaimed horror writer Daniel Kraus (George Romero's The Living Dead, The Autumnal) unveils four globe-spanning tales from the earliest days of the zombie apocalypse when even the wildest rumors couldn't measure up to the horror to come. A streetwise Russian cop patrols the back alleys of the opportunistic black market that emerges in response to the crisis…a North Korean soldier observes strange happenings on the DMZ…An E.R. nurse in the rural South fights to protect her hospital from threats without and within…A transgender flight attendant who has observed disturbing clues as she crisscrosses the globe keeps a wary eye on the passenger in seat 23C."

Approach #1 launches from Boom Studios from Jeremy Haun, Jason A. Hurley and Jesus Hervas. "a storm is coming that's bringing more than bad weather. When airport employees Mac and Abigail find themselves snowed in after a blizzard, they witness a terrible plane crash. After pulling a survivor from the wreckage, they realize a terrifying truth: this plane has been missing for 27 years! The nightmare has only just begun though, as the people trapped in the airport soon find themselves confronted by what this plane actually brought back…. For those with a fear of flying… it's not the sky that deserves dread, but what lies beyond it…" With 1:25 and 1:50 variants for FOC.

I'm Still Alive launches as an original graphic novel hardcover by Roberto Saviano and Asaf Hanuka from Boom Studios. "When world-renowned Italian journalist Roberto Saviano put pen to paper at age 26, he'd change laws, expose widespread corruption, put his own life at risk, and save countless others… Gomorrah, his groundbreaking international bestseller and NYT Notable Book of the Year, exposed the inner workings of the Italian mafia and placed Saviano under direct threat which has necessitated 24-hour police protection to this day. Joined by award-winning cartoonist Asaf Hanuka (The Realist, The Divine), Saviano shares his deepest thoughts and experience of life in Naples, where he witnessed the power and violence of the mafia firsthand."

All Your Racial Problems Will Soon End is a graphic novel hardcover by Dr Charles Johnson from New York Review Comics. "Before Charles Johnson found fame as a novelist and won the National Book Award for Middle Passage in 1991, he was a cartoonist, and a very good one. Taught via mail correspondence course by the comics editor Lawrence Lariar, mentored by the New Yorker cartoonist Charles Barsotti, and inspired by the call of poet Amiri Baraka to celebrate and depict Black life in America, Johnson crafted some of the fiercest and funniest cartoons of the twentieth century. This collection brings together work from across his career: college newspaper gags, selections from his books Black Humor and Half-Past Nation Time, his unpublished manuscript Lumps in the Melting Pot, and uncollected pieces."

DC Comics launch Dark Crisis: The Deadly Green #1 oneshot by Joshua Williamson, Dan Watters, Ram V, Daniel Bayliss and more. "During the original Crisis on Infinite Earths, Swamp Thing encountered and formed a truce with the Great Darkness, but this ancient force has been awakened by Pariah and now its influence is felt across the Multiverse. Now the Avatar of the Green must work together with new allies to investigate how far it's spread and why it would work with Pariah. If they want to stop the Great Darkness from swallowing the Green, they need some extra help… ENTER: SUPER SWAMP THING."

Sara Lone #1 by Erik Arnoux and David Morancho launches from Sumerian Comics. "A young woman with a rough past finds herself caught in a destructive spiral after the brutal murder of her father, the owner of a modest shrimp fishery. Leaving the hot nights of New Orleans, she returns to the countryside to take over the business on her own, despite the ambient hostility around her. She is arrested during her trip back home-a murder was committed in the strip club where she worked and everything seems to point to her. Pursued by Mafia killers, she passes from police handcuffs to the hands of the Secret Service. Just who is Joy Carruthers," with 1:5, 1:20 and 1:50 tiered variants for FOC.

Leonide Vampyr Miracle At Crows Head is the latest Mike Mignola creation, drawn by Rachele Aragno from Dark Horse. "A small, coastal village is home to normal people living quiet and simple lives–until a shipwreck brings a small coffin and its smaller occupant into their midst. What begins as a miracle soon takes a turn toward the horrible in this ghostly tale from celebrated Hellboy creator Mike Mignola and artist extraordinaire Rachele Aragno (Mel the Chosen)! The first issue of a new series of stories, Leonide the Vampyr is shiveringly spectacular."

Dynamite also launch four, Garbage Pail Kids Origins #1, by Hans Rodionoff, Adam F Goldberg and Jeff Zapata, "
This all-new GPK comic book event is a bad-ass, sprawling, superhero epic; we not only learn how our GPK heroes came to be… but we also reveal to the world that Adam Bomb and his gang of good guys were instrumental in the outcome of World War II and the fate of humanity! Issue #1 starts with Adam Bomb's origin and how he begins as an unassuming, flat-footed soda jerk named Adam Baum… ultimately transforming into an All-American superhero named Adam Bomb. Thanks to an unfortunate radiation leak, Adam leads a team of other enhanced super-charged garbage humans to take down the axis of evil… led by Nasty Nick."

Siren's Gate #1 by Shannon Maer, from Dynamite. "Shannon makes his writing and interior art debut with this fiendish tale that explores the very nature of what we call reality, illuminated with the kind of stunning artwork that only he can deliver. Tara, an aspiring writer, has never thought of herself as anyone special. For better or worse, all that is about to change. When a mysterious young man extends an unexpected invitation, Tara is awed at the opportunity to meet with her literary idol, Lady Rose. This unique encounter sparks a series of events, forever thrusting her into a world of the unimaginable. What Tara once assumed to be nothing more than the imagined pages of dark fiction, slowly begins to unravel itself as the true reality."

Sweetie Candy Vigilante #1 by Suzanne Cafiero and Jeff Zornow, " In issue #1, on a snowy, icy night, Sweetie pays a visit to a NYC landmark sweet shop known as the Ice Cream Bunny, hoping to find its namesake at the helm. To her dismay, she finds the shop transformed from its once sugary splendor to a salty den of iniquity. The once-beloved store is now a front for a notorious crime syndicate, and they're not very nice at all. Sweetie uses her captivating persona and unassuming confectionary weapons to tear the place, and its gang of thugs, limb from limb – as the first step to restoring its former glory. All the while enjoying a dynamic punk rendering of the Archies' pop classic "Sugar, Sugar" on the jukebox, as heads roll – literally. This issue includes a download code for a free pop-rockin' MP3 of "Sugar, Sugar," performed by Osaka Popstar (as featured in the issue) so you can listen along while Sweetie kicks butt!"

Unbreakable Red Sonja #1 from Jim Zub and Giovanni Valletta,"As we head toward the 50th anniversary of the She-Devil With a Sword in 2023, Dynamite Entertainment is proud to present a sweeping story of sword and sorcery and high adventure by writer Jim Zub (Conan the Barbarian, Dungeons & Dragons, Avengers) and artist Giovanni Valletta (John Wick, James Bond)! In this debut issue, Red Sonja carries a hazy vision that lurks just out of reach in her memories. The answer to that mysterious moment will unlock a journey of forbidden magic and searing steel as Sonja's past and present collide in a quest beyond anything our scarlet-haired hero has faced before!with tonnes of variant covers all round."

Ghost Planet gets a one-shot from Scout Comics with 1:10 and 1:50 tiered covers for FOC. By Jeffrey Burandt and Sean Von Gorman, "A family of deep space explorers rushes to solve the mystery of Ghost Planet before their recently-dead loved ones return to kill them next! Murder birds, eye stalks and space pigs abound in this 40-page graphic novella."

Dynamite also has the Stan Lee's Alliances: Orphans graphic novel that Stan Lee looked at once by Luke Lieberma, Ryan Silbert, Bill Sienkiewicz and Szymon Kudranski. "Orphans blasts readers into the heart of our galaxy alongside William Ackerson, a man lost in space on a quest to find the source of his uncanny abilities. As gravity waves ripple across reality, warping time and space, he meets the Orphans. They are each the last of their kind, all their kin having been wiped outby the alien Hive: Little Boy, their giant childlike leader; Haze, a caustic creature of pure vapor; Rascal, a self-loathing zealot with dark secrets; and Critter, a being that's equal parts monster and puppy. This ragtag group find themselves in over their heads when their space-heist is hijacked. They have a stowaway with her own agenda: Samsi, the fearsome survivor of a civilization that once ruled the galaxy. Orphans is a fast-paced, intergalactic treasure hunt that explodes the Alliances universe into the cosmos. It introduces an extraordinary band of lone survivors, that must become a family to save the very fabric of reality."

Scout Comics has Mortimer Lazy Bird launching from their Scoot kids imprint, by Brendan Deneen and Marco Antonio Cortez. "This is the story of a bird (Mortimer) and a very talkative worm (Lucius), two strangers who are supposed to be enemies but end up becoming best friends! But their adventures won't be easy-though they will be fun! Enjoy the first issue of this NON-STOP! title followed by the entire story collected soon after in one volume"

DC's Terrors Through Time by Paul Levitz, Karla Pacheco, Jeremy Haun, Tim Seeley, Zac Thompson, and others Art by Peter Nguyen, Juan Doe, Kelley Jones, Andy MacDonald, and others will be out for Hallowe'een with a 1:25 cover for FOC."October is here, and that means it's time for fables of fear, time for stories of suspense, and time for tales of…time? Join us for a terrifying tour across the ages from some of comics' top talent! Witness zombies menace the JSA in the 1940s. Experience the haunting of the Gotham City Sirens in the 1990s. Watch as Swamp Thing goes up against an irradiated monstrosity in the far future. These are just a taste of the time-hopping terrors we have in store for you in our fright-filled Halloween anthology!"

Death of Superman gets a 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition, including the recent revisit. Retailers will qualify for a bookplate signed by Dan Jurgens with every five they order.

Divide #1 by Karim Ahmad and David N. Gordillo launches from CEX. "When Salim is separated from his family and imprisoned with countless other Muslims and immigrants, he and his allies develop a plan to return home. But can they escape before this prison's supernatural secret consumes them all? Inspired by current events, this double-sized first issue of DIVIDE brings you a monstrous and heart-rending story about the toll of divisive politicking and family separation!"

Gotham City Year One #1 by Tom King, Phil Hester and Eric Gapstur launches from DC Comics with a warning about racially offensive language. "There once was a shining city on the water, a home for families, hope, and prosperity. It was Gotham and it was glorious. The story of its fall from grace, the legend that would birth the Bat, has remained untold for 80 years. That's about to change. Superstar creators Tom King and Phil Hester team up for the first time to tell the definitive origin of Gotham City: how it became the cesspool of violence and corruption it is today, and how it harbored and then unleashed the sin that led to the rise of the Dark Knight. Two generations before Batman, private investigator Slam Bradley gets tangled in the "kidnapping of the century" as the infant Wayne heir disappears in the night…and so begins a brutal, hard-boiled, epic tale of a man living on the edge and a city about to burn."

Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing by Matthew Rosenberg, Carmine Di Giandomenico and Francesco Francavilla launches with 1:10 1:25 1:50 and 1:100 tiered covers for FOC. "The world once again holds its breath as The Joker strikes again! But how far is he willing to go this time? From the twisted minds of Matthew Rosenberg (Task Force Z, What's the Furthest Place from Here?) and Carmine Di Giandomenico (Batman: The Knight) comes a violent, mind-bending new series that picks up from the cataclysmic end of The Joker and follows the mayhem across the United States. With the Clown Prince of Crime setting out on his most bizarre caper yet, will a fan-favorite vigilante be able to prevent certain tragedy? Or is he in on the joke? In the back-up–Joker's got a hot date but he's going to need a mirror to make sure he looks nice. Maybe Mirror Master can help.

Road Trip To Hell #1 by Nicole D'Andria and Monika Maccagni previously on Kickstarter, is now from Scout Comics launches with a 1:10 variant. "Francis Rhoades has had a life full of hardship, but things get even worse when he learns that his father is Satan himself. Now aware of his heritage, Francis quickly discovers his father has died—and named him the new king of Hell?! The catch? All the damned have escaped from Hell. If one of them can kill Francis before he can reach the netherworld himself, that soul will become the new leader of Hell! With the demonic legions in pursuit, Francis will need to rely on his own special power to survive… along with an angelic ally sent by God themself!"