It’s Tuesday! Tomorrow is the big day: the arrival of Secret Wars #1! While getting the first issue of this much-anticipated Marvel event, be sure to grab these indie titles to help you recover from the excitement of Secret Wars.
1. Curb Stomp – Ryan Ferrier and Devaki Neogi
Imagine if The Warriors had focused on The Lizzies. Now, add some punk rock, some great artwork, and you’ve got a great story about an all-girl gang known as The Fever looking to protect their community from rivals with bad intentions. The gang is more than just cookie-cutter punk characters; each of these women comes with an interesting set of personal problems and obstacles that are set up succinctly in the first issue. When a routine patrol results in the death of a rival, The Fever have a new set of problems. Their major problem is rescuing fellow member Derby Girl from a rival gang known as The Wrath. Who can be trusted? What will they do? The book hits hard and kicks ass. Curb Stomp is a four-issue limited series, and the first two issues have already been released. Hurry and get them on New Comic Day! This book is perfect for anyone who likes The Warriors, The Runaways, punk rock, artwork that hits like a fist, a great story, and turning up The Ramones.
2. Pisces – Kurtis J. Wiebe and Johnnie Christmas
Have you ever picked up a comic book, not knowing exactly what to expect, and upon finishing it you think, “Yes, that’s exactly what I thought it would be?” Pisces has that effect. The first issue was released last week, and it tells the story of a Vietnam veteran who finds his dream-come-true life of a family and a career with NASA is a nightmare. The non-linear story is a surreal, psychological house of mirrors. Personally, I am excited to see what happens with issue two. This story is perfect for anyone who enjoys horror, science-fiction, fantasy horror, non-linear storytelling, and the surreal.
3. Bitch Planet – Kelly Sue DeConnick and Valentine Delandro
There’s been a lot of talk about Secret Wars, Convergence, and Avengers 2: Age of Ultron. Now let’s talk about the real greatest thing happening in comics right now: Bitch Planet. Last week, I recommended Bitch Planet, and now that I’ve read #4 (that came out last week), I will give it another shout out. In fact, I will keep recommending this book because it is so incredibly good and so overwhelmingly important. If you haven’t started the series yet, start it tomorrow. It is not too late to get into this fantastic series. This book is perfect if you like feminism, if you like great art, if you like great writing, if you are a woman who has ever been asked if you’re picking up comic books for your boyfriend, if you want to smash the patriarchy, if you have ever felt like you do not fit into society’s agreed-upon impossible standards, if you’re a woman who makes 78 cents to a man’s dollar, and if you just want to read a comic book that is powerful. Get into this series.
There are a lot of great books are hitting the shelves tomorrow, so be sure to share what indie titles you’re enjoying in the comments below!