Hi guys! 

We've gathered together the cancellations and delays from some of our offered publishers and listed the below for ease. Take a quick look to see if anything you've subscribed to may be affected. ☺️

Cancelled

AFAR TP GALLEY
AGE OF BRONZE TP VOL 01 A THOUSAND SHIPS
ALICE ADV IN WONDERLAND ILLUS BY JENNY FRISON TP
BALSAMIC SKETCHBOOK & ART COLL HC
FOUR POINTS #6
GIANTKILLERS TP
GUNNING FOR RAMIREZ SILENT AS A GRAVE TP
HUNTER S THOMPSON FEAR & LOATHING BAT COUNTRY B&W HC
J T KRUL LOST SPARK NOVEL MASKS AND MONSTERS
KEVIN EASTMAN RONINBEBOP TP
KID SAVAGE TP GALLEY
MICRONAUTS INTO THE MICROSPACE TP
POSTAL TP VOL 1 - 5 SET
RIVERDALE #14 
TRUE BELIEVERS FANTASTIC FOUR MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE #1

Delayed

ANGEL TP VOL 01
ART OF ASSASSINS CREED ORIGINS HC
ART OF TROLLHUNTERS HC
ASSASSINS CREED REFLECTIONS TP VOL 01
ASSASSINS CREED TP VOL 02 SETTING SUN
ASSIGNMENT TP
CAPTAIN CANUCK 2017 ONGOING #3
CAPTAIN CANUCK 2017 ONGOING #4
DAN DARE PILOTS O/T FUTURE HC TRIP TO TROUBLE
DOCTOR WHO 8TH TP MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH
DOCTOR WHO 10TH TP VOL 02 WEEPING ANGELS OF MONS
FALLEN SUNS #4
FANTOMAH SEASON 2 #1
FIGHTING AMERICAN TP
FREELANCE SEASON 2 #1 
NORTHGUARD SEASON 2 #3
NORTHGUARD SEASON 2 #4
TRIGGERMAN TP
WARHAMMER 40000 TP VOL 01 WILL OF IRON
ZOOHUNTERS #4
ZOOHUNTERS #5

Adventures in Podcasting: New Releases for 23/05/2018

It's that time again.  Peter, Derek and Emma go through this week's new releases, picking out their favourites and trying not to let Derek see what's happening as they flick through the pages.

This week's highlights include Iron Man reaching that landmark 600th issue and trying to remember which celebrity faces have been included in some classic comic books.

To subscribe to the podcast, click here.  Remember, you can always check out our special editions including our Infinity War Review, the Road to Infinity War and what to read if you need more Avengers in your life.

This week's new releases can be delivered straight to your door by clicking right here.

Review: Flavor #1

Flavor #1

Writer: Joseph Keatinge
Artist: Wook Jin Clark
Colorist: Tamnra Bonvillain
Letterer: Ariana Maher

SYNOPSIS:

Within a strange walled city, an unlicensed chef discovers a mystery that threatens to end it all. Join JOSEPH KEATINGE (GLORY, SHUTTER) and WOOK JIN CLARK (Adventure Time: The Flip Side) on this culinary epic adventure-FLAVOR-where chefs are the ultimate celebrity and food is the most valued commodity. The high-stakes competition of Hunger Games collides with the lush, MIYAZAKI-esque worldbuilding in this delectable new ongoing series featuring culinary consulting and bonus content by ALI BOUZARI, renowned food scientist and author of the IACP Award-winning cookbook Ingredient: Unveiling the Essential Elements of Food.

REVIEW:

May saw the release of Flavor, a brand new Image Comics title about Xoo, an enthusiastic young chef with a lot on her plate.  Her parents are struggling with severe health issues and she's missed out on school.  Now, to make things even worse, her uncle has been assigned as her new guardian.  But she's not going to let that stop her chasing her true passion: cooking.

Flavor is nothing short of adorable.  Between its animated characters, beautiful colours and a very cute dog, it has found its niche and settled in comfortably.  The initial solicitation likened it to the work of Studio Ghibli films and the influence can be seen throughout.  Not just on the visuals (where it can be seen to have made a major impact) but also on the characters themselves who seem like individuals conflicted between their own familial obligations and their own desires.

Wook Jin Clark's art fills every panel to the brim and crowd scenes are particularly full of life.  Face are expressive and characters are bursting with attitude.  Similarly, Joseph Keatinge's dialogue also makes Xoo just as feisty.  Tamra Bonvillain's colours are stunning - made particularly clear with the credits in panels in the last few pages (which I particularly enjoyed).

Keatinge has created a world which the first issue has only really scraped the surface of.  The city our hero inhabits is surrounded by a wall (thus isolating the city in a sort of Hunger Games meets Attack on Titan style) and what is beyond those walls is only briefly hinted at.  But the juxtaposition of the two stories the book tells - the troubled Xoo and what's being kept out by that wall) can only mean an interesting few issues ahead.

7/10

To add this title to your subscription, click here.

Marvel's August 2018 Solicitations Sees the Return of the Fantastic Four

After an incredibly long absence, everybody's favourite super family are returning to print.  The Fantastic Four are set to launch a new title in August 2018 from Marvel Comics and we can't wait.  From writer Dan Slott and artist Sara Pichelli, the relanch is one we welcome with open arms.

August seems a very Fantastic Four-themed month with not only the new ongoing title but also a one-shot and an omnibus featuring the work of Waid and Wieringo.

Check out the solicitation information below and follow our links to add these to your subscription.

Fantastic Four #1

FOUREVER Part One

BECAUSE YOU DEMANDED IT – THE WORLD’S GREATEST COMIC MAGAZINE IS BACK!

Since the end of SECRET WARS, there’s been a gap in the Marvel Universe. A void no other team can fill. And it’s time for the world to move on. But can it? A life-changing decision by the Thing! A momentous declaration by the Human Torch! A clarion call-to-arms that summons Doctor Doom! And a signal in the sky that heralds the return of hope to the Marvel Universe! All this, and Alicia Masters adopts kittens! So cute! Plus, the Impossible Man!

AND BONUS STORIES ILLUSTRATED BY SIMONE BIANCHI AND SKOTTIE YOUNG!

IF YOU READ ONLY ONE MARVEL COMIC THIS MONTH, THIS IS THE ONE!

Fantastic Four: #1 Facsimile (one-shot)

As a fresh era begins for Marvel’s First Family, revisit the original Fantastic Four #1 in this special commemorative edition! Stan Lee and Jack Kirby changed super hero storytelling forever when they introduced Reed Richards, Ben Grimm, and Susan and Johnny Storm. 

Together, the adventurous quartet blast off on an experimental rocket flight – only to be bombarded by life-altering cosmic rays! Reed becomes the elastic Mister Fantastic! Ben transforms into the rocky Thing! Sue turns into an Invisible Girl! And Johnny flames on as the Human Torch! They’ll use their incredible powers to help mankind – starting by fending off the menace of the Mole Man! Now, the book that started it all is re-presented in full – including its original ads – alongside suitably fantastic extras! 

It’s the next best thing to buying Fantastic Four #1 off the stands back in 1961!

Fantastic Four by Waid and Wieringo Omnibus HC

Mark Waid and Mike Wieringo deliver some of the most daring and humorous adventures the Fantastic Four have ever seen! Giant bugs! Living equations! Johnny Storm, C.E.O.! Exploding unstable molecules! The secret behind the Yancy Street Gang! And Doctor Doom’s plans are truly unthinkable! Victor will push the FF beyond their limits — and when his actions lead to the death of one of their own, they’ll storm the gates of Heaven to save their beloved teammate! Plus: Spider-Man and the Human Torch take on Hydro-Man! But with the Fantastic Four’s reputation in tatters, is associating with a misunderstood wall-crawler really wise? And when Manhattan finds itself surrounded by a fleet of miles-high alien spacecraft, it’s time for the Fantastic Four to do what they do best! 

Collecting FANTASTIC FOUR (1998) #60-70, #500-524 and #500 DIRECTOR’S CUT.

For the rest of Marvel's August 2018 solicitations, click here.

Review: Aquaman Vol. 4 - Underworld TP

Aquaman Vol. 4 - Underworld TP

Writer: Dan Abnett
Artist: Stjepan Sejic
Letterer: Steve Wands

SYNOPSIS:

Enraged by rumors of Arthur's survival in the slums of Atlantis, the ruthless King Rath orders the use of ancient Atlantean techno-magic to track down the Aquaman at all costs! But the ex-king Arthur can't hide for long when his fate collides with that of a mysterious young woman on the run from Rath's own secret police. Her name: Dolphin. Collects AQUAMAN #25-30.

REVIEW:

As a non-Aquaman reader, this is the first time I have ever been drawn to the King of Atlantis.  And trying something new paid off entirely.  If, like me, this was the member of Justice League who garnered the least interest from you, now is the time to find a new favourite.

Arthur, presumed dead, has been lurking in the slums of Atlantis.  Meanwhile, King Rath has created something of a police state, turning on anyone who once supported Arthur and anyone whom he does not consider a "true Atlantean".  Arthur must join forces with a woman named Dolphin and find a way to bring Aquaman back to his former self.

In this volume of five issues, Abnett has crafted a whole world and a situation that echoes some of the injustices faced in our own world above sea level.  A tyrant determined to root out anyone who does not agree with or fully support him.  Furthermore, stripping Arthur of his rank and forcing him into the streets of Atlantis means that this gives new comers a perfect chance to jump in here and we can watch him climb his way back up to becoming Aquaman again.

Abnett has been working on the series since the beginning of the Rebirth so long-time fans can expect more of what they have seen before.  New readers may be a tad confused by the early pages but this quickly fades away as you are drawn into the story.

But the real spark that ignites this issue and makes it one you must pick up is Sejic's art. Coming to the series for the first time, Sejic brings the same kind of charm that fans of his other works (Ravine, Death Vigil, Sunstone) will be familiar with.  He tackles both sprawling Atlantean cityscapes and intimate conversations with the same level of finesse and attention-to-detail.

Expressions and mannerisms have always been a strength of Sejic's and he conveys both subtle and intense emotions with ease.  The is particularly relevant with the character of Dolphin, who is mute.  Abnett's script captures Aquaman's frustrations and concerns with his words but just a few panels of Sejic's interpretation of Dolphin and we know exactly how she's feeling and what she's trying to say.  It captures the great partnership between writer and artist here and works brilliantly.

All in all, Aquaman is a fantastic read and a perfect way in for new readers of the series.  Abnett brings an exciting take on rebuilding Aquaman while Sejic is clearly having a blast at bringing the Atlanteans to life.

9/10.

Adventures in Podcasting: New Releases for 24/1/18

It's new comic book day and Peter and Derek are here to get you caught up with what's out this week.  The guys pick out their favourite comics and graphic novels and share that trademark banter that we know you've all come to cherish.

To keep up to date with our podcast, follow us on SoundCloud or subscribe via iTunes.

To order any of this week's new releases, you can find the whole selection right here.

Dark Horse April 2018 Solicitations Brings New 300 Title

The Dark Horse solicitations for April 2018 have been announced and there are some great titles in there.  Here are just three of our highlights, all of which are returns to old favourites.

Xerxes: The Fall of the House of Darius and the Rise of Alexander #1 (of 5)

Frank Miller (W/A/Cover) and Alex Sinclair (C)

Return to the world of the 300 with this brand new title from series creator, Frank Miller.  Miller brought the wow back to his Dark Knight trilogy last year with DKIII: The Master Race so we're expecting big things from this new 5 part series, written and drawn by the man himself.

Order here.

Black Hammer: Age of Doom #1

Jeff Lemire (W), Dean Ormston (A/Cover), Dave Stewart (C)

The Black Hammer saga picks up exactly where it left off with this next part of the story.  Another gem from Jeff Lemire which is a must-read if you've been enjoying the series so far.

Order here

Aliens: Dust to Dust #1 (of 4)

Gabriel Hardman (W/A/Cover)

A twelve year old and his mother are making a desperate attempt to evacuate the colony inhabit but there are some pesky xenomorphs determined to keep them right where they are.

A mini-series that will help fill that Alien-shaped void in our lives since the last series and the Predator/Judge Dredd crossovers finished.

Order here.

For more Dark Horse solicitations coming this April, check out the full list here.