The Victories: Transhuman #1
Written by Michael Avon Oeming
Illustrated by Michael Avon Oeming
Colored by Nick Filardi
Lettered by Aaron Walker
Cover by Michael Avon Oeming and Nick Filardi
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: May 1, 2013
Cover Price: $3.99

In early February, Geeks of Doom’s very own Henchman21 covered the news that Michael Avon Oeming was working on an ongoing series for Dark Horse called The Victories, based on a superhero team he had created in 2012 for a mini-series of the same name. The article also includes an interview with Oeming conducted by Henchman21 giving us inside details about what to expect from the foul-mouthed heroes introduced the year prior. The Victories: Transhuman #1 is the first of a five-part storyline within the new series and it’s already shaping up to be a bold undertaking, fiercely dismantling the archetypal superhero conventions.

The power is out. Electricity has been turned off leaving the world in a perpetual state of darkness. As confusion and panic set in and villains become unsure of what else to do, they continue to rob banks in hopes that money will eventually have value again. Meanwhile, in an attempt to keep the peace and protect a fearful humanity during a time of uncertainty, a small group of superheroes””Sai Faustus, Lady Dragon, Sleeper, D.D. Mau, and their all-powerful leader, Metatron””have banded together to form a crime fighting team known as The Victories. Told from the perspective of D.D. Mau, we quickly learn that these are not your average superheroes; The Victories are crass, take-no-prisoners champions who are dealing with deeply rooted psychological and emotional issues that could literally make or break them. With other amassing threats on the rise, will the team be able to pull themselves together?

Guardians of the Galaxy Infinite #1
Published by Marvel Comics for the Digital App
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by Michael Avon Oeming
Release date: March 6, 2013
Price: FREE

Marvel announced a new type of digital comic called Infinite last year with a few books that didn’t release on a regular basis. They were sold separately in the Marvel Comics App or came packaged with other digital books. They were promoted as the future of digital comics and in execution the format truly took advantage of reading a comic book on a tablet or similar device. The feel was cinematic but the core experience was still that of a comic book. Also, when reading these books you weren’t constantly flipping the tablet or phone from portrait to horizontal depending on the panel. Those original stories were just teasers to regular comics, but they did show a glimmer of something that could be cool. Then, there was nothing.

Finally now we get a new Infinite book featuring The Guardians of the Galaxy called Guardians of the Galaxy Infinite.

We’re back again with an exclusive first look at a bunch of covers courtesy of our friends at Dark Horse comics. First we have the regular cover for Amalia’s Blade #1 by Michael Dialynas as well as a variant cover by Guy Davis. Then we’ve got two series that wrap up in April with their fourth issues — The Answer! #4 by Mike Norton and The Black Beetle: No Way Out #4 by Francesco Francavilla.

Then we’ve got covers for four collections hitting stores in June. Check out The Victories, Volume 1 by Michael Avon Oeming, collecting the five issue superhero/sci-fi adventure miniseries. Next we have the first volume of The Original Daredevil Archives collecting the first four issues of the golden age classic. Then there’s Forbidden World Archives, Volume 2, collecting the weird and wonderful anthology of science fiction and supernatural fantasy. Finally, there’s the next in the long line of Dark Horse’s Creepy Archives, Volume 16 featuring work by Alex Toth, Wally Wood, Neal Adams, Bernie Wrightson, and Richard Corben.

All this and more can be had, and all you have to do is pre-order them with your friendly neighborhood comic book dispenser.

Now, check these covers out right here after the jump.

Blackacre #1
Written by Duffy Boudreau
Art by Wendell Cavalcanti
Cover by Michael Avon Oeming
Image Comics
Release Date: December 5th, 2012
Price: $2.99

Blackacre #1 from Image Comics is best described as a futuristic version of Apocalypse Now, and takes the apocalypse part of the title to heart. The first issue establishes the background of the titular Blackacre community, a town of the future established by a group of wealthy individuals just as the rest of society was crumbling around them. Most of the issue is spent on world building and introducing the reader to a certain Captain Hull, who by issues end is sent into the wild to find a rogue former agent of Blackacre.

Like I said, most of the issue is spent showing the reader what the nature of the world is and also who Hull is. There’s a little bit of action, but it’s more about the world building. Which is good and all, but I wonder if a bit of the world building could have been skipped or shortened. All the talking slows down the issue by a great deal and makes this a bit of a chore to read. On the other hand, some of this world building is needed, and I like a fantasy/sci-fi world that is well researched. There just needs to be more balance in the second issue.

Dark Horse Comics has provided Geeks of Doom with an exclusive first look at four amazing covers that are set to be released in the month of December, and one coming in February.

In these comics is House of Fun (one-shot) a comic that I’ve been looking forward to for some time now, from Evan Dorkin and Sarah Dwyer. Collected in this one-shot are several entries from the House of Fun run in Dark Horse Presents including new Milk and Cheese comics and some of the most hilarious comic strips that have ever been printed. Also listed below are the comics for Michael Avon Oeming‘s The Victories #5, John Ostrander‘s Star Wars mini-series Agent of the Empire: Hard Targets #3 (of 5), the final issue of Tom Morello‘s Orchid, and the cover to the new Trigun Omnibus, which is set for February.

Each one of these covers is great, and based on what I’ve previously read and the creators attached, these are all great picks for December, so make sure to get your pre-order sheets ready, because you won’t want to miss any of these comics.