Hi Comic Shop Friends! We hope you’re all staying warm out there while these single digit temps continue. If you want to brave the cold and stock up on some reading material, we’re here to recommend our favorites, and with a ton of new comics this week!

MARVEL COMICS

Iron Man is back in a new ongoing series from Joshua Williamson and Carmen Carnero! Tony Stark’s genius saved his life when he created the Iron Man armor to survive, but what if he wasn’t the only great once-in-a-century scientific mind? Working with A.I.M., Madame Masque wants to find the next Tony Stark, and Tony has led her straight to the top contenders. Years ago, he had an idea, a “new nightmare”, and the contingencies he put into place may now be in the hands of A.I.M. Now it’s up to Iron Man to stop Madame Masque from creating the technology for the next great weapon.

With new powers comes new responsibilities, as Rapid is learning. After helping Spider-Man stop Electro and Boomerang, Peter takes the new hero under his wing to show him the ropes and offer him guidance. But their heart-to-heart is interrupted by Screwball’s Super-Doofus Speedrun! Livestreaming three back-to-back challenges, she’s ready to spread some destruction across the city, and that means Rapid’s getting pulled into some superhero job training! This main story is written by Saldin Ahmed, with art by Federico Vicentini, and then the back up story “Deal with the Devils” by Joe Kelly and Roi Mercado leads into Amazing Spider-Man #21!

DC COMICS

The first of four, yes four, Absolute titles this week! My favorite cover of the week, and part two of the first Absolute crossover! Desperate to help Waylon, Bruce calls upon Diana. There may be something mystical that can transform Waylon back, but they must travel to Hades to find it. Deep in the depths of Hell, Batman will have to face Akrolis, and defeat him. If he can survive everything in Hell that could kill him first.

We also have a new story arc, featuring Zatanna, in Absolute Wonder Woman #16, which is as beautiful and wonderful as ever. Absolute Flash #11 is part one of the War of the Flashes. Absolute Martian Manhunter #8 is another mind-bending issue, with an ending that may change everything for the human/martian duo.

This is a huge facsimile for DC! Alan Moore and Brian Bolland’s classic Batman story, the Killing Joke! One bad day. According to The Joker, that’s all that separates the sane from the psychotic. Freed once again from the confines of Arkham Asylum, he’s out to prove his deranged point–and he’s going to use Commissioner Jim Gordon and his daughter Barbara to do it. Now Batman must race to stop his archnemesis before his reign of terror claims two of the Dark Knight’s closest friends.

DC has one stand-alone one-shot tie-in for DC K.O. this week with The Kids are All Fight! The kids left on the Watchtower, Fairplay, The Boom, Cheshire Cat, and Quiz Kid, learn something is wrong on Earth. Well, something else besides Darkseid’s destruction. Granny Goodness is on the way! Now they’re tricking Jon Kent to sneak off the Watchtower and stop her. Since he’s been put in charge of them, he has to recruit some help to get them back before Arsenal and Donna Troy find out. It’s a fight filled adventure in babysitting from Jeremy Adams and Travis Mercer!

And there are three more DC K.O. tie-in issues this week: Flash #29, Justice League Unlimited #15, and Superman #34!

It’s getting closer to Valentine’s Day, so that means it’s time for eight love-filled stories in this year’s DC anthology, Supergirl Next Door!

Supergirl in “A Dream of Different Stars”: Linda bonds with classmate Allen over stargazing. She dreams of the stars of her old home, but Allen has a way to bring those dreams to life. By CRC Payne and Paulina Ganucheau.

Jay Garrick in “Running on Love”: Nothing will stop Jay from coming home to Joan, even Doctor Elemental. Written by Dorado Quick, with art by Laura Braga.

Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy in “Harl Ivy Rehabilitated”: Poison Ivy is annoyed with her new neighbor in Arkham Asylum, Harley Quinn. But Harley slowly grows on her in Nicole Maines and Sweeny Boo’s story.

Guy Gardner in “Guy Gardner: Lover”: Guy Gardner gives unsolicited dating advice to a dude in a bar, promotes his podcast, and then has a flirty run-in with an alien. Written by Nathan Fairbairn, with art by Rafael Perez.

Wonder Woman in “Runaway Romantasy”: Diana dreams of her favorite romance book, and she’s the main character! Everyone’s in love with her, but the lasso knows who’s truly meant to be together. From Sarah Kuhn and Arielle Jovellanos.

Swamp Thing in “So Long & Good Night”: Swamp Thing comes across a beautiful woman who sees the swamp like he does. It’s love at first sight. By Rosie Knight and Michael Shelfer.

Martian Manhunter in “Like Home”: A young Martian is alone on Earth, and J’onn offers an introduction with snacks and classic television, and now M’gann has a reminder of home. Written by Alex Galer, with art by Max Sarin.

Green Arrow in “I Love You, Too”: Black Canary gets knocked out, and Green Arrow isn’t stopping until he gets across town to her. No matter how many members of the Secret Society he has to fight to get there. By Dave Wielgosz and Dylan Dietrich.

SMALL PRESS COMICS

Thirty years ago there was a breach. Beings from another world can now cross over into ours, bringing their own impossible physical laws, and an ability to possess any informationally complex organism, including humans, computers, and animals. We’ve put containment protocols into place, but humans keep summoning these Mals. As our knowledge of them grows, containments are updated, forces increased to trap them, but there is no way to completely destroy them. Until a new experiment is revealed. A hybrid weapon, part human, part Mal, she may be the only thing capable of protecting humanity, if she can be controlled. A new ongoing series from writer Justin Jordan and artist John Bivens.

The Bug War wages on in this oversized one-shot that expands the lore of the Spyder Wytches of Wyrdweb! “Lair of the Fire Spiders” by Jason Aaron and artist Baldemar Rivas follows the now exiled Wysta three months after the Battle of the Mowed Lands. Hoping to earn her way back, she accepts a mission to find out what happened to the Orb of the Unblinking. The carnage she finds in the Great Hardwood leads her to the Wydow, another exile who has plans to destroy Wyrdweb and possibly the entire Yard.

“The Long Way Back” follows a lost young Spyder as he tries to make his way back home, if he can survive the Wraiders. Written by Mahmud Asrar, with art by David Messina.

The last story is set in the first days of the Slaymaker family moving into the house, as “The Webs of Fate” set the first book of Bug Wars into motion. The Wytch Spyders and the Roach Knights battle as the Wytches try to poison a slumbering Stomper. But Beetles and the Golden Webs of Fate intervene, saving Slade, Son of the Jim, who is destined to play a part in the future of the kingdom of the mytes. Written by Jason Aaron, with art by Mahmud Asrar.

There are also more notes about the Spyders from the journal of James Slaymaker, and a tale of his experience fighting a tarantula in the Yard, while missing the birth of his son, and setting the fate of his family in motion.

There’s more to come as Bug Wars returns later this year!