Welcome to The AV Club’s monthly comics preview, where we recommend new books to check out over the next few weeks. This month we have five exciting recommendations, including a new translation from Charles Burns, a Lobo cancellation special, and a collection of graphic short stories from Laura Pérez.
Final cut – Charles Burns (September 24)
Final cut (Pantheon)
Since completing his Last look trilogy in 2014, so it’s shocking to see two new Burns projects appear within months of each other this year. In July, Fantagraphics released Burns’ Commixa captivating creative experiment in which he created 80 original covers for comics that never existed, to emphasize the narrative power of a single illustration. This month, U.S. readers finally get the English translation of Burns’ French graphic novel series, Dédalescollected in a single edition. Final cut (Pantheon, in stores September 24) is Burns’ ode to classic science fiction and horror films. It tells the story of aspiring filmmaker Brian and his friends who travel to a remote cabin in the woods to create an homage to The body snatchers are coming. As Brian’s romantic feelings for his reluctant muse remain unrequited, the line between his dreams and reality blurs in classic Burns fashion, giving rise to a wave of surreal imagery that blends the strangeness of the natural world with the cinematic imagery of his beloved genre films. Following the extreme psychedelic fantasy of Last lookit’s nice that Burns tells a more grounded story with human characters you can identify with, even if they’ll probably suffer considerably in the end.
The Horizon Experiment: The Manchurian #1 – Pornsak Pichetshote, Terry and Rachel Dodson (25 September)
The Horizon Experiment: The Manchurian #1 (Image Comics)
In the late 2000s and early 2010s, Top Cow Productions ran an annual “Pilot Season” contest. The publisher released a selection of first issues that readers could vote on with their money, and the best-selling book would continue as a series. The spirit of “Pilot Season” lives on in Image Comics’ new Horizon Experiment, an initiative spearheaded by Eisner Award-winning writer and former Vertigo Comics editor Pornsak Pichetshote. Five new first issues will be released over the next few months, featuring a mix of industry veterans and emerging talent, starting with The Horizon Experiment: The Manchurian #1 (Image Comics, in stores September 25) by Pichetshote and artists Terry and Rachel Dodson. Each Horizon Experiment title offers a fresh take on a familiar genre, following characters whose marginalized backgrounds take the stories in new directions, and The Manchurian spotlights a sexy Chinese superspy, James Bond-style. Future one-shots will explore horror, fantasy and pulp adventure, and The Horizon Experiment is particularly exciting because Pichetshote uses his editorial skills to create a List of creators The aim is to bring new perspectives to the site.
Lobo Cancellation Special #1 – Kyle Starks, Kyle Hotz, Dan Brown (September 25)
Lobo Cancellation Special No. 1 (DC Comics)
Kyle Starks has been on a real success course in recent years with licensed and original comics and brings his exaggerated comedic sense to one of the most ridiculous superheroes with Lobo Cancellation Special #1 (DC Comics, on sale September 25). The single issue is being billed as “the filthiest comic book this side of Uranus” and “the most skull-crushing, crotch-punching, asteroid-filled comic of the year,” which is exactly what a Lobo comic should be. Starks manages to create compelling characters amidst all the filth, and he has the perfect partners in artist Kyle Hotz and colorist Dan Brown, masters of atmospheric horror, bloody violence, and character portrayal that explodes off the page. Lobo is all about exaggeration, giving Hotz free reign to go wild with character expressions and physicality while also showing off his design skills as “The Main Man” slashes his way through alien terrain. Starks fans should also look out for Where monsters lurk: Dead end #1 next month, the sequel to his slasher horror comic Dark Horse with gruesomely detailed illustrations by Piotr Kowalski and Vladimir Popov.
occultism – Laura Pérez (September 17)
occultism (Fantagraphics)
As the spooky season approaches, readers seeking an unconventional journey into the supernatural should take a look at Laura Pérez’ occultism (Fantagraphics, available September 17), a collection of graphic short stories about how the occult affects our lives. You may not know Pérez’s name, but you have seen the Spanish artist’s work if you have Only murders in the buildingwhich earned her an Emmy nomination for Best Title Design in 2022. (She was also responsible for the mural that Selena Gomez’s character painted in the first season.) Her art combines delicate lines with strong graphic design in her use of color, shadows and geometric shapes, and the English translation of her graphic novel from last year, totemshowed how this visual dynamic influences her dreamy narrative feel. occultism continues to take up the macabre spirituality totem However, in short form, the individual stories give Pérez more opportunity to experiment with images and plot.
Tokyo These Days Vol. 3 – Taiyō Matsumoto (September 17)
Tokyo These Days Vol. 3 (Viz Media)
Taiyō Matsumoto is a manga artist known for his amazing versatility and craftsmanship. He has a career spanning decades and has incorporated his extensive industry knowledge into his latest works. Tokyo These Days Vol. 3 (Viz Media, in stores September 17) concludes Matsumoto’s series about recently retired manga editor Shiozawa and his various colleagues, exploring the challenges of being an artist and managing it. While the story is not entirely autobiographical, it is clearly shaped by the people and experiences Matsumoto has encountered over the years, giving readers an insider’s look at the ambitions and pressures of those who have dedicated their lives to art. The final volume has expanded the scope of the narrative to spend more time with the artists and editors around Shiozawa, capturing the richness of this community and their unique personalities. Matsumoto’s expressive linework brings the emotional core of his characters to the surface, and he draws the titular city with great love, emphasizing its vibrancy and beauty as the seasons change.
