It´s a Wednesday as I write this newsletter and the WCS team is facing one of those summer days that makes you want to look for the first flight to Reykjavík or hide underground, preferably with a good story to read set in the polar circles. At the moment fans end up being our only allies, and I find myself thinking that this newsletter may be my legacy before I totally liquefy - but even though stories among the ice are scarce in this week's FOCs there are instead several comics with a darker tone that caught my attention.
Birds Of Prey By Gail Simone Omnibus Vol. 1 HC
If, like me, you are reading the Uncanny X-Men written by Gail Simone, you don't need to have read anything else to know how good the writer is at building groups with deep relationships and how she knows how to make characters grow over time.
Gail Simone’s run is always recommended to me, often called the best series about the group and one of the strongest takes on Black Canary. But don’t just take my word for it: Matheus wrote a great piece on Beyond the Panels that dives into Simone’s work. It’s super helpful and a fun read. Don’t miss it!
I won’t hide from you that I also really like Huntress’s presence in the team. She’s one of the characters I love most in the Bat-family, even though she doesn’t always get the space she deserves. In this run, she finally has a fundamental role. It’s one of the DC Omnibuses I’m most looking forward to this year, and given how beloved the trade paperback format of this run is, I’m sure the Omnibus will sell out fast.
Birds Of Prey By Gail Simone Omnibus Vol. 1 HC *PRE-ORDER*
€94,99
€125,00
From legendary writer Gail Simone (Deadpool, Secret Six), joined by celebrated artists Ed Benes (Justice League of America, Gen 13), Joe Bennett (The Immortal Hulk, Teen Titans), and more, comes the groundbreaking Birds of Prey saga! Collects BIRDS OF PREY… read more
The Ghost Compendium Volume 1 TP
Maybe it’s because I grew up watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer during endless summer reruns and reading Mignola’s comics, but there’s something about the ’90s that resonates deeply with my imagination; especially when it comes to dark or mysterious stories.
Dark Horse is publishing the compendium of Ghost, a character who didn’t get as lucky as some of her ’90s peers, but still became one of those niche cult names you inevitably stumble across once you start digging beneath the mainstream surface.
The first time I came across this character, my brain needed a few minutes to process the combination of elements: Elisa Cameron is murdered in cold blood, and the one investigating her murder is… Elisa Cameron. The reporter returns to the world of the living as a ghost, armed with a .45 and a “costume” as simple as it is intriguing. This is one of those series that blends classic vigilante action with the psychological depth of crime fiction, and honestly, that’s all I need.
What I love most about this series is the character design and Adam Hughes’s pages. He manages to create a world full of dark hues, yet with a soul that echoes the elegance of art deco.
The Ghost Compendium Volume 1 TP *PRE-ORDER*
€48,99
€59,99
For the first time, collect the definitive saga of Ghost in two oversized trade paperback graphic novel collections.Elisa Cameron is dead—murdered in cold blood. One intrepid reporter will not stop until she finds the perpetrator, even if it means crawling… read more
My Favorite Thing Is Monsters TP Box Set Book One & Two
You could talk about Emil Ferris’s work for days. Just the genesis of it deserves an in-depth study. From the years it took her to finish the book, to her incredible personal story, the issues with the publisher, and even a misadventure with the delivery of the first print run that almost prevented the release of volume one, there’s enough material for a whole “making of” book. But for me, what doesn’t get talked about enough is how, above all, this comic is, first and foremost, a beautiful story, uniquely and expertly written.
You only have to open one of the two volumes to see how unique Ferris’s style is - but you really have to read it to understand her skill. Despite the peculiar style and the heavy amount of text, the reading flows effortlessly: never confusing, never boring. Not once, even on pages where the text weaves between tiny panels and full-page spreads, did I have to go back out of confusion. For me, it’s a perfect machine.
It may be that I even identified with Karen Reyes, the little protagonist, and her passion for horror, but for me, this was the best thing I read last year.
My Favorite Thing Is Monsters TP Box Set Book One & Two *PRE-ORDER*
€75,99
€79,99
2025 Whiting Award WINNER in FictionKirkus Reviews Best 100 Books of the Century (So Far)New York Times Notable Books of 2024Chicago Public Library Favorite Books of 2024Kirkus Reviews Best Fiction Books of 2024NPR Books We Love 2024Forbes Top Ten Graphic Novels… read more
