2017 is set to be a huge year for comic book movies, but it might just be an even bigger one for comics and graphic novels. Comicbook sales continue to increase year on year, with big event series such as DC’s Rebirth, and Marvel’s Civil War 2 drawing a lot of attention. But, it’s not just the traditional comicbook heroes that are celebrating success. Marvel’s various Star Wars comics were repeatedly among the top-sellers charts, and this year looks to be no different.
If you’re looking to make reading more comics your 2017 resolution, these upcoming titles should be a nice place to start.
Deadpool the Duck – Marvel
Two of Marvel’s most popular smart-asses combine in a highly-anticipated and highly bizarre limited series event. Thanks to some unfortunate timing, Deadpool and Howard the Duck find themselves battling it out for control of this amalgam of a titular character with increasingly weird consequences. If you think the premise is strange, just wait until you see what actually unfolds in what is a wacky story, even by Marvel’s standards.
Release Date: January 4th 2016
Justice League of America – DC Comics
Before the Justice League make a big splash at theaters, Steve Orlando and Ivan Reis are bringing DC’s flagship superhero collective back to comicbook stores. But this ‘aint your grandpappy’s JLA. In this new series, Batman will lead a team that includes Killer Frost, Atom, and Lobo. It’s a bizarre collective, and we can’t wait to find out how it all works out. It all kicks off with Justice League of America: Rebirth, before moving onto full JLA series.
Release Date: February 8th
Darth Maul – Marvel
For a character that barely uttered a word in his only big screen appearance, Darth Maul sure did rack up a huge fanbase. When he returned to the Star Wars universe in Star Wars: Clone Wars and more recently in Star Wars Rebels, fans were obviously elated. Now, Marvel Comics is giving us a chance to explore a new part of Maul’s history. Set just before The Phantom Menace, this new series will see Maul facing off against everything from Rathtars to Jedi in an attempt to prove to his master that he’s ready for his moment in the spotlight.
Release Date: February 1st 2017
Batwoman: Rebirth – DC Comics
One of the best things to emerge from the most recent run of Detective Comics, Kate Kane’s Batwoman is being launched into prominence in DC’s post ‘New 52 Era’. In February, the one-shot comic Batwoman: Rebirth will tee up the character’s very own solo series, which is set for release in March.
Release Date: February 15th
Forever War – Titan Comics
Joe Halderman’s Hugo Award winning book, The Forever War, is one of the best pieces of military sci-fi ever created. The 1988 comic adaptation from Halderman and Marvano was pretty damn great, too. This February, Titan Comics will be reprinting this sci-fi classic for a whole new audience to enjoy. The adventures of William Mandela during humanity’s millennia-long war against the Taurans is one you simply cannot afford to miss.
Release Date: February 15th 2017
James Bond – Dynamite Comics
We’ve got a while to wait for our next fix of Bond on the big screen. Thankfully, Dynamite Comics has stepped up to make the wait a little easier with a brand new James Bond series. Well, we say brand new, but this is actually a continuation of the series that kicked off in 2015, but it’s been revamped with a new creative team including Benjamin Percy (Green Arrow, Batman).
The new story, approved by Ian Fleming’s estate, will have all the hallmarks of a great 007 story: Ski chases, casinos, and insanely sinister villains.
Release Date: March 2017
Deviations – IDW
IDW’s Deviation series are the comicbook equivalent of those discussions you have with your mates at the bar. They ask all those ‘What if?’ questions we never normally get answers to. In the past, Deviations has explored what the world would look like if the Ghostbusters weren’t able to destroy Gozer’s portal, and what might happen if it was Mulder who got abducted by aliens?
This year, Judge Dredd and Orphan Black join the Deviation series. But, it’s the Star Trek Deviation we’re really looking forward to. The new one-shot will ask what would happen if it was the Romulans who made first contact with Earth? The answer is a timeline where Earth is a penal colony, and William Riker is a bad-ass resistance fighter.
Release Date: March 2017
American Gods: Shadows – Dark Horse
What a time to be a fan of Neil Gaiman’s American Gods. Not only is there an exciting TV adaptation on the way, but there’s also a sweet comicbook series on the way, too. This is the first adaptation of Gaiman’s acclaimed fantasy title, so be sure to grab your copy before they’re all gone.
Release Date: March 15th 2017
ResurreXion – Marvel
There was a time when comic conspiracy theorists insisted that Marvel was trying to kill off The X-Men, allowing more room to focus on properties that could live within the MCU, such as The Inhumans. Such noise has quietened down recently, thanks in no small part to the announcement that 2017 will see a massive new focus on the X-Men franchise. ResurreXion will see an end to the war between the X-Men and the Inhumans, after which a ton of new X-Men series will launch in the Spring.
Release Date: Spring 2017
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story – Marvel
You’ve probably already seen Disney’s latest Star Wars hit a few times at the theater, but you’ve still not seen the entire story. In April, Marvels Rogue One adaptation will expand upon the movie, featuring deleted scenes and deeper character moments that aren’t even in the movie’s official novelization.
Release Date: April 2017
James Cameron’s Avatar – Dark Horse Comics
It was announced back at 2015’s New York Comic Con that Dark Horse Comics would be bringing the world of Pandora to their pages, but since then everything has gone rather quiet. Don’t let the silence fool you, though. This May, for Free Comic Book Day no less, you’ll get your first new glimpse at James Cameron’s Avatar universe in over 7 years. This will be the first of many issues to be released as part of a 10-year partnership between 20th Century Fox and Dark Horse Comics. That’s just the thing we need to pass the time until Cameron’s new Avatar sequels hit the big screen in the next few years.
Release Date: May 6th 2017
New Stargate Comics – American Mythology
Guess what comic script by @JCVaughn1 and yours truly got approved right before Christmas! #BackToDestiny #StargateUniverse #Stargate pic.twitter.com/3anRTcxUln
— Mark Haynes (@MarkHaynes) December 26, 2016
Just after Christmas, Mark Haynes announced that he and JC Vaughn had received approval on a new Stargate comic script. Details are thin on the ground right now, but it’s likely that 2017 will bring us new Atlantis and Universe comics.
