The Seeds, Infinity Wars & More in Required Reading: Comics for 8/1/2018

Infinity Wars #1
Writer: Gerry Duggan
Artist: Mike Deodato Jr.
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Not to be confused with the similarly named film that came out earlier this year, Marvel’s Infinity Wars is the publisher’s event comic for this summer. This issue kicks off the “official” start of the series that began in last week’s Infinity Wars Prime #1 and built throughout the Infinity Countdown title that launched this February. Infinity Wars stars many of the same characters featured in the Infinity War film, and also revolves around a fight for the Infinity Stones and the threat of Thanos. Gerry Duggan has been at the helm of this story since its inception, so despite a change in artists from Aaron Kuder and Mike Hawthorne to Mike Deodato Jr., there’s an overarching sense of continuity as familiar faces and new characters alike begin their infinite fight against cosmic threats. With the potentially confusing title sequence and a relatively high cover price of $5.99 for 38 pages, Infinity Wars has some hurdles to success. But Duggan and Deodato Jr. are some of the most recognizable names at Marvel, with Duggan helming a long run on Deadpool and Deodato Jr. contributing to the celebrated Old Man Logan, among many other series. There are at least five tie-in titles to this central story, so fans who want to dive in to the upcoming mash-up versions of some of Marvel’s most popular heroes should definitely start here. Caitlin Rosberg

Justice League #5
Writer: James Tynion IV
Artist: Doug Manhke
Publisher: DC Comics
No, DC didn’t launch a Legion of Doom title—they’re just getting rascally with the cover art for Justice League #5. Former Scott Snyder student James Tynion IV steps up to the plate for this issue spotlighting Lex Luthor’s return to villainy, and he’s joined by one of DC’s premiere artists, Doug Mahnke. Mahnke has storied runs on books like Green Lantern, Frankenstein and Black Adam under his belt, making him one of the best possible picks for an aside starring DC’s darker denizens. In addition to reveling in the despicableness of it all, Justice League #5 goes a long way toward explaining how the Lex Luthor seen in Dan Jurgens’ Action Comics became the classically evil Luthor menacing Snyder’s Justice League. Wicked fingers crossed that Tynion IV and Mahnke reunite for future villain-centric one-offs. Steve Foxe

Leviathan #1
Writer: John Layman
Artist: Nick Pitarra
Publisher: Image Comics
It’s a big summer for the former creative team of Chew: first illustrator Rob Guillory launches his solo series Farmhand, and now writer John Layman teams with The Manhattan Projects artist Nick Pitarra for Leviathan, a raunchy kaiju comedy from Image Comics. Leviathan is a draw for Pitarra’s expert lines alone; a disciple of the Mobius/Quitely/Darrow lineage of comic art, Pitarra excels at the kind of scale required of a book about a giant hell-beast. Layman’s bawdy, bro-ish humor in the series may be more of an acquired taste, but fans of Chew will likely feel right at home with this brand of comedy, despite the wildly different premises. Steve Foxe

Project Superpowers #1
Writer: Rob Williams
Artist: Sergio Davila
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
When it comes to superhero comics, DC and Marvel seem to completely dominate the market. But Valiant has been ramping up their superhero lineup in the last few years, and now Dynamite is pulling some of the oldest super-powered heroes ever off the bench and back into the spotlight. Echoing the first Project Superpowers title that launched in 2008 with Jim Krueger and Alex Ross, this newest iteration stars characters like the Spirit of the American Flag and The Death Defying Devil. Writer Rob Williams has a lot of experience writing stories that question the role of heroism in times like these, from Suicide Squad to Judge Dredd, and artist Sergio Davila is a veteran of old-school hero art, having worked on Swords of Sorrow and Conan the Slayer. He’s got an appropriately detailed style that’s a little bit retro, rooted in big biceps and bulging veins. What remains to be seen is if Project Superpowers and these deep-cut public domain characters can resonate with audiences the same way they did 10 years ago, let alone when they were created the better part of a century in the past. Caitlin Rosberg

The Seeds #1
Writer: Ann Nocenti
Artist: David Aja
Publisher: Berger Books/ Dark Horse Comics
First announced as a launch title for Dark Horse’s Berger Books imprint, then pushed back several months, The Seeds marks the return of both David Aja and Ann Nocenti to print comics; Aja’s interior work hasn’t been seen much since the end of his celebrated Hawkeye run with Matt Fraction, and Nocenti last contributed to Catwoman and Klarion a few years ago. Alone, Aja and Nocenti each have established fanbases, but working together, and under founding Vertigo editor Karen Berger no less, creates very high expectations. The Seeds focuses on journalism, the nature of truth and the way nature impacts humans as a journalist struggles to get out in front of a big story—and an even bigger lie. This is precisely the kind of story at which Aja and Nocenti should excel, and Berger is exactly the kind of editor who will know when to get out of their way. Free of the constraints of other people’s intellectual property, these two can let their skills run wild, and it will be fascinating to see where it takes them. Berger Books has the potential to usher in a new age of creativity at Dark Horse, just like Berger did with DC Comics, and The Seeds may be the next big step. Caitlin Rosberg

Steven Universe: Harmony #1
Writer: Shane-Michael Vidaurri
Artist: Mollie Rose
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Listen, we’re not all caught up on Steven Universe, and some of us are extremely wary of spoiling any heart-wrenching queer space-rock developments. Why is Sadie so distraught? Where is Lars? What is a Diamond Authority Harmony Core and what kind of threat does it pose to Beach City? We literally don’t know, but we can’t wait to find out…after we binge a few more episodes. Writer Shame-Michael Vidaurri is the fan-favorite cartoonist behind Iscariot, Iron: Or, The War After and contributions to Adventure Time Comics, among other anthologies. Artist Mollie Rose, like many BOOM! contributors, appears to be new to print comics, but early preview pages show a firm grasp of storytelling basics and the Steven Universe aesthetic. Fans who are up to date on Steven and the gang shouldn’t miss this latest sequential-art adventure. Steve Foxe

X-Men Gold Annual #2
Writer: Seanan McGuire
Artist: Marco Failla
Publisher: Marvel Comics
It’s been a rough year or two for Kitty Pryde. X-Men Gold never lived up to its flagship potential, and Kitty, as team leader, often got the brunt of that book’s characterization stumbles, leading up to Kitty phasing through Colossus’ wedding ring in front of their gathered friends and family—cold move, Pryde. X-Men Gold Annual #2 takes a leap back to simpler times for Kitty, as the 14-year-old newly minted Xavier pupil ships off to summer camp in an attempt to recapture feelings of youthful normalcy. It’s a cute done-in-one issue with a moral message, ably drawn by Marco Failla, but the real draw is getting to know writer Seanan McGuire. Popular on Twitter and a mainstay in paranormal and supernatural series fiction, McGuire is a fast-rising talent at Marvel, with an upcoming contribution to the X-Men Black anthology on the books alongside the launch of Spider-Gwen: Ghost Spider, the new ongoing series starring the popular alternate-reality Gwen Stacy. If you’re not familiar with McGuire’s prose work, X-Men Gold Annual #2 is a delightful opportunity to become acquainted with McGuire. Steve Foxe