Tradewaiting – July 24th, 2019 Releases: World Builders, World Breakers

So, without further ado, here’s what’s coming to the bookshelves of your LCS this fine week of July 24 2019.

HIGHLIGHTS

Self/Made

Self/Made is not one thing.

It’s a fantasy story, an urban sci-fi story, a space opera, a cyberpunk tale. It’s a look at entitlement, a question of humanity, a meditation on god, a chase narrative. It’s all of that and it’s good comics, too.

With each issue coming at the central questions of the story from a different angle, Self/Made follows Amala Citlali, a noble warrior of Arcadia, as she undertakes a quest to protect her home from an ancient prophesy, only to discover that everything she knows is a lie. From there, the chase is on as Amala struggles against those who see her as nothing more than property and her own hopes and fears about the nature of reality. It’s big, thoughtful SF that never slows down to navel gazing or purely hypothetical concerns.

For a debut series, Self/Made makes me very excited to see what’s to come in writer Mat Groom‘s future. One thing I love about this book is how flawed all the characters are. They all have their own goals and dreams and they all have horrible things they’re willing to excuse to get to them. But the trick is that Self/Made doesn’t take that all the way to nihilism, but instead decides that that’s human and encourages you to sympathize with all of them. The greatest lessons of Self/Made are simple but necessary, and everything else is dense and fascinating. With the decisive lines of Eduardo Ferigato and the bold colors of Marcello Costa to bring Self/Made‘s worlds to life, the series strikes hard and fast.

It’s not quite the Image vol. 1 price, but at $16.99 for six issues, there’s never been a better time to try out this series. Those looking for an assurance of quality can look to the presence of Power Rangers and Nightwing writer Kyle Higgins in his editorial debut, while those excited about something fresh and intelligent can trust that Groom and co. bring the best parts of a young creative team without slipping into their pitfalls. I devoured this series in a single sitting and, now, you can too.

Go-Bots

The Go-Bots were a serious hit in the mid-80s, one of the biggest toy brands of their time and the second biggest transforming robot brand on toy store shelves. Perhaps then its not surprising that after spelunking into the strange and forgotten crevasses of Hasbro’s biggest ‘boy’ brands, Tom Scioli would turn his sights on the Go-Bots.

Go-Bots, Scioli tells us, began not as the extraterrestrial visitors that fans of the brand might remember, but as a man-made solution to parking problems. From these humble beginnings the Go-Bots rise to wage war on humanity and eachother, with the story quickly evolving in wild and unexpected ways.

Though the lack of breadth and familiarity with the lore leaves this a less engaging series than Scioli’s Transformers vs. G.I. Joe, that frees Scioli up considerably, still making for an incredibly unique and enjoyable ride. Go-Bots has all the bizarre twists and dramatic reinterpretations of the highest of high concept reboots with some real weight underneath to back it up, and, of course with Scioli writing and drawing, it has style to spare. The toyetic retro-inspired aesthetic from Transfomers vs. G.I. Joe returns and proves highly effective here as well.

There’s something entrancing about Scioli’s work and Go-Bots is no exception. Go-Bot and Transformers fans will find much to love here, but there’s plenty for anyone who loves the strange and brilliant. At $17.99 for the full five issue series, it’s appropriately priced and exactly what a certain, specific comic reader has been waiting for. The intentionally old-fashioned storytelling and unusually grim outlook of the series make it a poor choice for the Go-Bot’s original demographic but that never stopped kids back in the Silver or Bronze Age and adult fans will likely be surprised by just how wonderful and stylish these bootleg Transformers can be.

*****

Those were my favorites this week, but they’re only the smallest sampling of what’s out. Whether you’re looking for trades, collections, manga, or OGNs Diamond’s complete listings should provide ample options.

IMAGE COMICS

SELF MADE TP (MR) $16.99

Dark Horse Comics

EROMANGA SENSEI TP VOL 03 $11.99
EXTRAORDINARY TP STORY OF ORDINARY PRINCESS $12.99
HARROW COUNTY LIBRARY EDITION HC VOL 03 $39.99
MOB PSYCHO 100 TP VOL 03 (MR) $11.99
TOM CLANCYS DIVISION HC EXTREMIS MALIS $14.99
TOMB RAIDER OMNIBUS TP VOL 01 $29.99
WILLIAM GIBSON ALIEN 3 HC $19.99

IDW Publishing

COMPLETE CHESTER GOULD DICK TRACY HC VOL 26 $44.99
GO BOTS TP VOL 01 $17.99
LODGER TP VOL 01 $17.99
RED PANDA & MOON BEAR TP VOL 01 $14.99
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG TP VOL 03 BATTLE FOR ANGEL ISLAND $15.99
STAR WARS ADVENTURES TP VOL 06 FLIGHT OF FALCON $9.99
TANGLED THE SERIES HAIR RAISING ADVENTURES TP $9.99

DC Comics

BATMAN BEYOND TP VOL 05 THE FINAL JOKE $16.99
DC UNIVERSE BRONZE AGE OMNIBUS BY JACK KIRBY HC $150.00
HELLBLAZER TP VOL 21 THE LAUGHING MAGICIAN (MR) $24.99
HOUSE OF WHISPERS TP VOL 01 THE POWER DIVIDED (MR) $16.99

Marvel Comics

BLACK PANTHER TP BOOK 07 INTERG EMPIRE WAKANDA PT 02 $17.99
CONAN THE BARBARIAN ORIGINAL MARVEL YEARS OMNIBUS HC VOL 02 $125.00
CONAN THE BARBARIAN ORIGINAL MARVEL YEARS OMNIBUS HC VOL 02 $125.00
HULK TP WORLD WAR HULK NEW PTG $24.99
MARVEL VISIONARIES TP ROY THOMAS $34.99
MILES MORALES GN TP SPIDER-MAN $12.99
PUNISHER TP RETURN TO BIG NOTHING $24.99
SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN TP VOL 01 CULT OF KOGA THUN $17.99
SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN TP VOL 01 CULT OF KOGA THUN B&W DM VAR $17.99
THOR OF REALMS TP $29.99

DYNAMITE

ALTERED CARBON DOWNLOAD BLUES HC SGN ED $39.99
JAMES BOND ORIGIN HC VOL 01 $24.99
MARS ATTACKS TP $19.99
PATHFINDER GOBLINS TP $19.99

BOOM! Studios

LUMBERJANES TP VOL 12 $14.99
SONS OF ANARCHY LEGACY ED TP VOL 03 $29.99

Comics & Graphic Novels

ABERRANT SEASON 2 TP (MR) $14.99
AKISSI MORE TALES OF MISCHIEF GN $14.95
ARCHIE & ME TP VOL 02 $10.99
CASE CLOSED GN VOL 71 $9.99
INTERSPECIES REVIEWERS GN VOL 02 (MR) $13.00
LETTER 44 DLX HC VOL 03 (MR) $59.99
LIVE DIE RELOAD GN VOL 01 $12.99
MAKING FRIENDS GN VOL 02 BACK TO DRAWING BOARD $12.99
MAKING FRIENDS HC GN VOL 02 BACK TO DRAWING BOARD $24.99
RADIANT GN VOL 06 $9.99
RETURN TO ISLE OF THE LOST GN $12.99
RETURN TO ISLE OF THE LOST HC GN $21.99
SABRETOOTH DAN TP VOL 01 (RES) $12.99
SACRIFICIAL PRINCESS & KING BEASTS GN VOL 06 $13.00
SCOTT PILGRIM COLOR COLLECTION TP BOX SET $89.99
SCOTT PILGRIM COLOR COLLECTION TP VOL 01 $29.99
SCOTT PILGRIM COLOR COLLECTION TP VOL 02 $29.99
SCOTT PILGRIM COLOR COLLECTION TP VOL 03 $29.99
SECRETLY IVE BEEN SUFFERING ABOUT BEING SEXLESS GN $15.00
SEEKER IDENTITY CRISIS VOL 01 $14.99
SKIP GN $22.95
SKULL-FACE BOOKSELLER HONDA-SAN GN VOL 01 $15.00
STARGATE UNIVERSE TP VOL 01 LTD ED PHOTO CVR $24.99
SURVIVED ALCHEMIST DREAM QUIET TOWN LIFE GN VOL 01 $13.00
TO TAKE AN ENEMYS HEART GN VOL 05 (MR) $12.99
TO TAKE AN ENEMYS HEART GN VOL 06 (MR) $12.99
TONTA HC LOVE & ROCKETS (MR) $19.99
TORTURE PRINCESS FREMD TORTURCHEN COMPLETE MANGA OMNIBUS (MR $30.00
WOOF WOOF STORY GN VOL 01 PAMPERED POOCH NOT FENRIR $13.00
YOKAI GIRLS GN VOL 08 (MR) $12.99
ZO ZO ZOMBIE GN VOL 04 $12.00