Hi all –

It’s been a while since we discussed the hot new comics that y’all should be excited about. But, with all the COVID nonsense largely behind us (fingers crossed), we’re back on track and ready to roll on our recurring coverage of the comic releases that we are looking forward to this week.

Black Knight: Curse Ebony Blade #3 (of 5) – Marvel Comics

Writer: Simon Spurrier, Art: Sergio Davila

Suddenly – out of nowhere – the Black Knight is hot again. On the heels of Marvel’s announcement that The Black Knight -Dane Whitman – will play a major role in the upcoming MCU movie “The Eternals”, the comics publisher is getting the character back out in front of readers.

The Black Knight recently got his own one-shot as part of Marvel’s “King in Black” crossover event – which, if you haven’t checked out, you definitely should. Writer Simon Spurrier quickly educated readers who were new to the character nimbly, explaining the character’s back story and unique power/skill-set, in that one-shot. And his expert storytelling and dry wit carry through to this title.

Casual comics fans should love the mini-series format of “Black Knight Curse Ebony Blade”. It’s both a fun introduction to a character many are not familiar with and a self-contained story that requires neither extensive background knowledge nor a commitment beyond these five issues. It should not be hard to find the first two issues of this series – which has been top-notch so far – so now is a perfect time to fall in love with Dane Whitman, his curse, and his ebony blade.

Shang-Chi #1 – Marvel Comics

by: Gene Luen Yang , Dike Ruan , Leinil Francis Yu

Here’s another character that Marvel would like you to know more about heading into an upcoming movie release.

“Shang–Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” opens on September 3, 2021. This is a hero that I don’t know a ton about, so I’m actually really excited to read this book. The solicit promises a great introduction to the charatcter:

“SHANG-CHI VS. THE MARVEL UNIVERSE! Shang-Chi and his family are back! And this time, they’re colliding head-to-head with the Marvel Universe’s biggest heroes!”

I find that one way to make a hero (and his family) more accessible to casual readers is to create friction between said hero and the other characters that readers are much more in tune with. So, this should be an excellent jumping on point for people who want to get on board with Shang Chi before the movie rolls on the big screen.

Rover Red Charlie #1 (Dog Days Variant)

Writer: Garth Ennis, Art: Michael Dipascale

Personally, I find Garth Ennis a bit hit-or-miss, but this is definitely one of the more twisted “hits” in bibliography.

The release date on this one in the solicit is confusing, so don’t be mad if you’re not seeing this on the shelves this week. This is a re-release of a comic that I read (and loved) when it was first published back in 2013 and tells the tale of three canine pals who are living through the apocalypse. When an outbreak occurs that causes all humans to erupt in violent rage, the dogs are on their own in figuring out how to navigate a world gone wild. If you can imagine “28 Days Later” told from the POV of the pets, you’re halfway there.

This appears to be some kind of deluxe edition, so hopefully there’s some bonus content for those who have read this before. Avatar Press’ website is positively awful, so I guess we’ll all find out together.

Wonder Girl #1 – DC Comics

Writer: Joelle Jones, Art: Joelle Jones

Here’s the book I’ve definitely been dying to read. In the course of wading through DC’s huge “Future State” rollout, “Wonder Woman” was definitely the standout book in a mostly “meh” lot of books. Finally Yara Flor has her own ongoing series with “Wonder Girl”.

“Yara Flor has always felt something was missing from her life – and now she is headed to Brazil to find it. Little does she know her arrival will set off a series of events that will change the world of Wonder Woman forever. Her return has been prophesied, and with that prophecy comes the undivided attention of benevolent gods from pantheons beyond. “

I absolutely LOVED Joelle Jones’ take on the Wonder Woman mythos and the introduction of Yara into the DC Universe. Jones did a magnificent job of blending our mundane reality with the fantastic world of Greek mythology, and I cannot wait to read more.

And the art is magnificent – I mean just look at that cover. I’m going to read this one and then hang it on my wall!

As the first issue in an ongoing series – featuring a brand new character, nonetheless – this is a perfect time for casual comics readers to get introduced to a book you might just fall in love with.

That’s why “Wonder Girl” #1 is the official Casual Comics Pick of the Week.

Cheers!

• CCG