Cape and Cowl's New Comic Book Day Reviews! February 12th, 2020!

Every week we go home on Tuesday night and read a bunch of comics to be ready for New Comic Book Day. Sometimes we write up little blurbs about them to put out in the shop so people know what’s what. In case you can’t make it in or just want to have a game plan before you visit, check out this week’s reviews!

TARTARUS #1

This might be the best new sci-fi comic we’ve read in a while. There are serious Blade Runner, Fifth Element, Star Wars, and Akira vibes here and we are feeling it! A young soldier finds out she’s the daughter of one of the worst criminals the world has ever known. Unfortunately for her, her superiors find out at the same time. Now she’s considered a threat and has some big, big decisions to make! We’re kinda hoping she goes into the family business, tbh.

BATMAN: PENNYWORTH R.I.P. #1

Okay DC, we’re willing to give you a mulligan here. Just bring Alred back and we can all just pretend none of this ever happened. Deal? Please? Alfred Pennyworth was the glue that held the Bat-Family together. Now that he’s gone, what chance does this collection of sad and angry people have of remaining a family? In this issue they get together for what very well may be the last time to share stories and toast the greatest butler in comics history.

ALIENATED #1

Three teenage outcasts named Sam stumble across something mysterious and powerful in the woods. This encounter immediately changes them, but they quickly figure out there’s a lot more power there than they could have imagined. The thing is, these aren’t the teenagers that are going to turn into superheroes or something. Who knows what kind of trouble these bunch of angst-burgers are going to get themselves into?

SUPERMAN: HEROES #1

Superman revealed his secret identity to the world and this issue gives us a glimpse into how those closest to him took the news. Everyone from Jimmy Olsen to Swamp Thing has an opinion and there are some really beautiful character moments here. These personal touches are really what make this particular Superman story interesting and we hope there is more to come.

THOR #3

You know that feeling when you make a kinda bad choice and get caught by your friends afterwards? That’s basically what we have here as Beta Ray Bill drops in to interrupt Thor’s walk of shame after becoming Galactus’ new herald in order to help stop the dreaded Black Winter. Don’t worry, Thor. We’ve all been there.

UNDONE BY BLOOD #1

Ethel is on a mission. She’s back to her hometown and she’s going to kill the man who murdered her family. Unfortunately, she quickly finds out real life doesn’t quite work out the way she reads in her beloved western pulp novels. The chances of her exacting revenge and riding off into the sunset seem pretty slim based off of how this story starts.

HARLEY QUINN & THE BIRDS OF PREY #1

Well, if this isn’t perfect timing we don’t know what is. That super sweet Birds of Prey movie just came out and now we have a super sweet comic by the same name. What a time to be alive! The superstar team of Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti return to Harley and really get to cut loose because this is a Black Label jam and it’s super fun!

X-MEN #6

Krakoa is for lovers... unless your lover is a precog! Mystique would do anything for love. But running mission after mission while Xavier dangles her prize just out of reach? She won’t do that! And can she be trusted with an ORCHIS-related revelation that could spell disaster?

X-FORCE #7

Luck be a lady! But is it still Domino? After being skinned alive by terrorist organization XENO, her mutant-born luck hasn’t been kicking in... while an assassin targets pro-mutant figureheads with near-impossible effectiveness. Coincidence? We think not! Time to roll the dice!

EXCALIBUR #7

Jamie Braddock is king of Avalon, so naturally all is right in Otherworld... right? Meanwhile, Apocalypse sends our party of adventurers out with a morbid shopping list that will reunite them with familiar foes. But when all is said and done, just WHO is doing the hunting here?!