SETH’S PICK :: CAPTAIN VICTORY AND THE GALACTIC RANGERS #1: One of Jack Kirby’s last great series gets a shot of new energy this week. It’s written by Joe Casey, who wrote one of my favorite series in recent history, Dark Horse’s Catalyst Comix. Similarly to that book, Captain Victory teams Casey with a variety of talented artists to tell an offbeat sci-fi superhero story. This time around Casey teams up with Nathan Fox, Jim Rugg, Ulises Farinas, Ben Marra, Farel Dalrymple, Michel Fiffe and more, all creators who happen to make some of today’s most consistently inventive comics.  The preview pages suggest that these artists brought plenty of joy and enthusiasm to Kirby’s world, and I can’t wait to see their work on this underrated property.

SETH’S PICK :: CATALYST COMIX #4: This has been one of my favorite go-to sleeper series in recent months.  Joe Casey has brought new life to some of Dark Horse’s old super hero properties from the nineties.    His writing alone warrants a read, but the biggest selling point for me is that each issue features three different stories following three sets of protagonists.  The artists who bring this triad to life are top notch creators like Dan McDaid, Ulises Farinas, and Paul Maybury.  This combination produces bright, colorful, kinetic super hero comics, and best of all, you don’t need to have read any of the lackluster nineties stories to follow what’s going on here.  And if that wasn’t enough for you, the cover artists in regular rotation are Paul Pope, Raphael Grampa, and Brendan McCarthy, all of whom are perfect fits for this fun, bizarre super hero series. 

RICO’S PICK :: CATALYST COMIX #1: For this relaunch of Dark Horse’s superhero anthology the company has gone with a formula similar to what worked so well for Image Comics’ Prophet. I love the creative team they’ve assembled and I hope the book finds it’s audience because this is just the type of thing that people complain about not being able to find on the shelves. Here it is people, Joe Casey writing superheroes drawn by Dan McDaid, Paul Maybury, Ulises Farinas, and Rafael Grampá! Weird action awaits!

JUSTIN’S PICK :: SEX #1: Joe Casey is an author with a flair for both compelling high-concept and creative characterization. He also takes great care to pair his unique projects with artists that absolutely suit them, and his new Image title, Sex, is no exception. Newcomer Piotr Kowalski employs a bold, open style reminiscent of talents such as Tonci Zonjic or Ben Stenbeck, offset by a bright and punchy color palette. As the unfeasibility of the superhero lifestyle becomes more and more apparent in today’s staggering, event-driven market, Sex asks the question: what would a hero do without all that great responsibility?