It’s another exciting week for just about anybody with a pulse as Mad Max: Fury Road kicks the summer blockbuster season into high gear. But movie screens aren’t getting all of the love, with plenty of great television and comics to keep us satisfied until Friday. With multiple finales and debuts ahead, buckle up for the biggest countdown yet. .
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5. Nimona | HarperTeen
Thanks to a dedicated following, Noelle Stevenson’s (Lumberjanes) seminal webseries will finally see print. Its titular character is a young shapeshifter living in a fantastic world filled with dragons, villainy, and magic. Stevenson infuses the fantasy tropes of the series with an irreverent sense of humor and more heart than Andre the Giant, composing a clever power ballad of imagination. Whether you read or missed Nimona on the net, then be sure to discover or re-discover it this week. The first three chapters of Nimona are still available on Stevenson’s website here, but the rest await your discovery in this delightful new volume.
4. Thor #8 | Marvel Comics
Jason Aaron and Russell Dauterman’s Thor is one of Marvel’s biggest hits within the past year, exciting the media, fans, and critics alike. It’s a fresh take on classic ideas, all of which are wrapped around a central mystery: Who is Thor? Aaron will put that question to rest this Wednesday in Thor #8 with the character’s big reveal. There are some obvious suspects (*cough* Roz Solomon *cough*), but Aaron has thrown some major curveballs in the past. With Thor and an army of Marvel’s most powerful women at her back, however, this tale is bound be a tale filled with lightning and thunder no matter who’s under the helmet.
3. Arrow, “My Name is Oliver Queen” | CW
Arrow third season finale this week promises to be the biggest one yet, as Ra’s al Ghul’s machinations boil up to a dramatic confrontation. Without the support of “Team Arrow,” Oliver’s battle against the League will find in him uncomfortable territory. With the stakes and chaos piled this high, Oliver’s victory seems anything but inevitable. On top of all that, The Flash will return for another crossover epic. His last appearance in “The Brave and The Bold” made one of this season’s best episodes, and his return bodes well for a truly epic conclusion.
2. Injection #1 | Image Comics
Declan Shalvey, Jordie Bellaire, and Warren Ellis took the comics world by storm last year with Moon Knight. In six incredible issues they left comics readers around the world with their jaws hanging, then headed off into the night. Now they’re returning with an original series at Image. Injection is a dense mystery set in England and beautifully rendered by Shalvey and Bellaire. It exhibits the same incredible talent fans have come to expect, but in a much more extensive narrative. We have already had an opportunity to check out Injection #1, and can guarantee it lives up to the hype. Be sure to check out our review here.
1. Mad Max: Fury Road | Warner Bros.
It has been 30 years since the last installment of the Mad Max series, the much maligned Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. But now visionary director George Miller has returned with a new cast, a bigger budget, and visual effects that could have only been dreamed about in 1985. With so much at his disposal, it appears that Miller has transformed his wildest dreams into a reality. You need to look no further than the first trailer to recognize that Mad Max: Fury Road is something truly special: a Hollywood blockbuster with an auteur’s touch.
The film was originally mapped out over 3,500 storyboard panels before a single word hit the page, emphasizing visual storytelling above all else. It is a wild chase filled with dynamic characters, wild cars, and stunning set pieces. In a summer filled with blockbusters, Mad Max: Fury Road appears to be something very special. Be sure to check out our review here.
What new comics, shows, and other releases are you looking forward to this week? Share in the comments below.
