Welcome to July, Comic Shop Friends! I hope you’re all staying cool with this heatwave, and if you need something to read while you’re hunkered down in the A/C, we got you!

First, a couple of updates:

Saturday July 4th we will be open 10am to 2pm, so our staff can enjoy their Independence Day! I like to enjoy the day by enjoying Jeff Goldblum in glasses.

Late Nite Comics is Thursday the 16th! Dollar stock! 50% off back issues! You know the drill, come out and get some deals!

And we’ll have more details soon, but get ready for our summer sale at the end of the month for those of you not at San Diego Comic Con!

MARVEL COMICS

Challenges of Doom is a series of bimonthly one-shots focusing on pivotal confrontations in Doctor Doom’s life! First, Al Ewing and Mike Henderson dive into the rivalry between Doom and Reed Richards! Witness the events that ignited their legendary feud after their first meeting, and take a glimpse into young Victor Von Doom’s life after his father’s death. Follow Doom through his relentless pursuit of power, as a new light is shed on the triumph and torment that led him to become the man he is!

It’s not just pin-ups! This summer’s Marvel Swimsuit Special has four new stories! And according to the solicit they made this one “SEXIER THAN EVER!” From the Captain America pin-up alone, I’d say that’s accurate! Namor hosts a party bringing land and sea together in Daniel Kibblesmith and Alessandro Miracolo’s “Beach Bashed!” The X-Men have a pool day in Rainbow Rowell and Phil Noto’s “Pool Beast”, and the X ladies are looking respectfully at the guys’ X bods! It’s “Danger by the Lake” when Peter, MJ, and Johnny Storm try to have a beach day in Anthony Oliveira and Pablo Collar’s story. Dan Schkade presents the many swim looks for the many guises of Moon Knight in “Moon Nights.” Hulk and She-Hulk show off those “Gamma Glutes” when they go on a relaxation retreat in Cody Ziglar and David Baldeon’s tale! Super summer fun! I genuinely enjoyed this one and giggled at a few jokes, and I’d say it’s perfect summer reading!

Writer Alex Paknadel and artist Cafu ask “What if the Ultimate Universe survived the Secret Wars?” Our Marvel Universe’s Peter Parker is trapped in the Ultimate Universe with no way home. Fury tells him the portal has been destroyed in order to prevent the world from collapsing, and recruits him as an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.! But for all the similarities to Peter’s home, some things are very different, and our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is forced to survive in a not so friendly world. A small group of allies may have a last chance effort to get Peter back where he belongs before it’s too late. What becomes of the original Ultimate Universe in a post Secret Wars landscape?

DC COMICS

Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso return to Vertigo’s greatest crime saga, 100 Bullets! This new chapter is presented in black and white, but the story is anything but. Lono’s back in the United States and he’s on a hunt that will take him through a network of militias, megachurches, millionaires, and madmen. Welcome to the US of Anger, full of riots, racists, crime, and corruption! And it’s looking to get a lot worse! Happy 250th America!

A satisfying ending to a satisfying series. We’re sad to see it end, but Absolute Martian Manhunter has been an excellent twelve issue series. This is the Absolute series that’s using the comic book medium in the most inventive ways, and the storytelling from Deniz Camp and Javier Rodriguez is top notch. Everything comes together here as life and death, despair and hope, free will and fate all go head-to-head. It is an ending and a beginning. If you didn’t read this series, take our recommendation and pick up the trade paperbacks.

I wish I would have recorded Ben reading this issue, so you could hear his reactions to what was happening. Lots of “Oh $#!*” and “Oh my god” exclamations! Al Ewing and Sid Kotian are taking this series into some dark and unexpected places, the conflict with the Blackstars and Mogo is building, and with Sinestro and a new antagonist showing up, this is not going to end well for anyone. I know not a lot of Absolute Universe readers have been keeping up with Absolute Green Lantern, but this is an interesting sci-fi horror take on the Lanterns, so give it a shot.

SMALL PRESS COMICS

Creators Julio Anta and Daniel Irizarri bring the legend of el Chupacabra to life in the new True Weird five-issue mini-series presented by Tiny Onion. Loli is an activist fighting the overdevelopment of Puerto Rico by outside investors. When the protest she organized at the ground breaking ceremony for a new resort is interrupted by an accident, she discovers that the stories she knew of el Chupacabra aren’t just stories, but that the creature is a protector, with a history extending back to the indigenous people of the island. Myth mixes with real life environmental and cultural destruction, and Loli is about to discover the horrors firsthand! Plus, this issue features a backup story, “Seven Gates”, from Justin Jordan and Tony Akins.

The new IDW Crime series is here, and it’s perfect for true crime and serial killer fans! Kylie is an aspiring true crime podcaster, stuck at a small town newspaper. Forced to write ads, she wants to report on the real story happening in Eden: the fourteen people who have gone missing. Melvin is a steel worker with a secret. He’s the serial killer that Kylie has dubbed the Devil of Eden. His murders have gone unconnected, because he’s so methodical and efficient. But Melvin can’t help but troll Kylie, commenting and bragging about being the killer, which leads to Kylie tracking him down. Melvin isn’t going to let her reveal his identity, and the two realize they can work together so they each get what they want. Kylie will help Melvin craft a killer identity to become the icon he wants to be, and Melvin will feed her information on his murders to grow her influence online. What could go wrong? This pact will make their dreams come true, but it may destroy both their lives in the process. Writer Joey Esposito and artist Valeria Burzo introduce the next great serial killer thriller!

This summer’s hottest rom-com isn’t in the theaters, it’s the new title from Ignition! Gemma’s a former veterinarian student working at a flower shop, and running her own dogsitting service. Her favorite canine client belongs to a high-level executive, Portia, who lives next to the flower shop, and who has taken Gemma on as her own pet project. Gemma’s days are pretty much the same, filled with regular shifts and lots of puppy time, but when she goes to a vet student party, she meets someone that will shake things up. Her casual fling is going to lead to a transactional love triangle that could become more tangled than a dog pack of leashes! Written by Jamie S. Rich, with art by Megan Levens, and with variant covers featuring the cover artist’s real-life dogs!