PREVIEWSworld's Gems of the Month for May 2019

DC Comics and Dark Horse Comics present the ultimate superhero crossover event of 2019!  

A strange man arrives simultaneously on Black Hammer Farm and in Metropolis, and both worlds are warped as Starro attacks! Batman, Green Lantern, Flash, Wonder Woman, Superman, and more crossover with Golden Gail, Colonel Weird, and the rest of the Black Hammer gang!

"LOST IN THE WILDS OF HEAVEN," Part One: Being a space trucker sounds like a cool job, but in reality, it can be boring as hell. So when recently widowed Gil gets a long-haul gig across the universe, he figures it's safe enough to bring his young son Kadyn along for the ride-that is, until their "big rig" gets bitten in half by a gigantic Space Leviathan! Now separated from his son-with a breached suit that's venting oxygen at an alarming rate-Gil must defy the odds and stay alive long enough to rescue Kadyn. But meanwhile, Kadyn seems to be getting all the help he needs from a talking Space Monkey riding a Space Dolphin... or maybe it's the strange powers he's suddenly manifesting?! From the writing duo of JASON AARON (SOUTHERN BASTARDS, Thor) and DENNIS HALLUM (Cloak & Dagger, Vader: Dark Visions), with dazzling art by STEPHEN GREEN (Hellboy and the B.P.R.D.) and cosmic colors by RICO RENZI (Spider-Gwen), comes a brand-new science fiction series with all the scope and heart of the The Neverending Story crossed with the imaginative weirdness of Miyazaki-an intense, galaxy-spanning adventure that's suitable for fans of all ages!

SERIES PREMIERE! When a flesh-warping disease ravages a remote village in Mexico, a scientific task force travels to the inhospitable area to investigate the contamination. Tracing the source of the disease to a nearby cave system, the team discovers a bizarre, hostile ecosystem and a supernatural revelation from which they may never escape. This new subterranean nightmare is brought to you by writers CULLEN BUNN (REGRESSION) and KYLE STRAHM (SPREAD), and rising-star artist BALDEMAR RIVAS!

The unlikely heroes of Vox Machina are back in action! Join familiar faces from Critical Role's smash-hit first campaign as their escapades in Stilben lead them toward new adventure-and a dire threat to Grog when he goes missing in the night. Tracking him down will see the party lose one member, gain another, and reveal parts of Grog's secret past. But first, his friends have to actually find him. From award-nominated writer Jody Houser (Orphan Black, Stranger Things) and first series author Olivia Samson, with colorist Msassyk (Isola, Gotham Academy) and letterer Ariana Maher (James Bond, Xena)!

In this explosive sequel to the critically acclaimed blockbuster BATMAN: WHITE KNIGHT from writer/artist Sean Murphy, The Joker recruits Azrael to help him expose a shocking secret from the Wayne family's legacy-and to run Gotham City into the ground! As Batman rushes to protect the city and his loved ones from danger, the mystery of his ancestry unravels, dealing a devastating blow to the Dark Knight. Exciting new villains and unexpected allies will clash in this unforgettable chapter of the White Knight saga-and the truth about the blood they shed will shake Gotham to its core!

All hail the Supreme Shape! Gerard Way and the World's Strangest Superheroes return in an all-new series that takes them beyond the borders of time and space! Featuring artwork by acclaimed cartoonist James Harvey, this issue finds the Doom Patrol facing off against the fanatical fitness fiends of planet Orbius and the Marathon Eternal! Meanwhile, Cliff Steele, formerly known as Robotman, must come to terms with his new body of flesh and bone...yet the real test turns out to be something far more frightening: his mom.

Tangle the Lemur's got a problem: there's not enough action in her life! Whisper the Wolf's also got a problem: she's hunting down an incredibly dangerous enemy named Sonic the Hedgehog! Can Tangle and Whisper help each other solve their problems, or will they just make things worse? A new mini-series featuring two of the most popular new Sonic the Hedgehog characters! Tangle & Whisper are a classic odd-couple in this adventurous team-up!

ONE MAN. TEN REALMS. TOTAL WAR!
* During the War of the Realms, Frank Castle made a promise of vengeance, and Frank Castle keeps his promises.
* A van full of orphans is about to make that promise a lot more complicated.
* How does a man kill gods and monsters?
Parental Advisory

"City of Bane" begins! Bane's minions have moved into Gotham City, taken control and are ruling with an iron fist-including rounding up any villain who refuses to sign onto Bane's program-and Batman is nowhere to be found. At least not the Batman anyone knows. It's like someone has replaced the real Gotham City with a twisted funhouse-mirror version of it. Meanwhile, the real Bruce Wayne is on a spiritual quest to regain his fighting spirit after his showdown with his father in the desert. Can the people of Gotham hold on until their protector is strong enough to come to their rescue? Plus, what does Lex Luthor's scheming mean for Gotham City when Bane and the villains are already in control? This extra-sized anniversary issue kicks off a new multi-part storyline that ties together all the threads of the first 74 issues of Tom King's epic BATMAN run!

In July 1969, the world was first introduced to Vampirella.  50 years later, she doesn't look a day older!!!!  Now, to celebrate her gold anniversary, Dynamite is launching a brand-new, ongoing series featuring the talents of Christopher Priest (Black Panther, Deathstroke, Quantum & Woody, Justice League) and European star/American star-in-the-making, Ergün Gündüz (Tales of the Great War, Taxi Tales)!  You'll experience the first, mysterious taste of things to come in Vampirella Free Comic Book Day #0, and the story continues here!!!

Best-selling author R.L. Stine ( Goosebumps, Fear Street ) comes to BOOM! Studios in this Dogman era with a new four-volume middle-grade supernatural horror series; Just Beyond ! In this first volume R.L. Stine partners with artists Kelly & Nichole Matthews ( Pandora's Legacy ) to bring his signature horror to an all-new generation! WELCOME TO THE SCARE SCHOOL. Middle school feels like the worst place imaginable, but for Jess, Josh, and Marco, their school may actually be the worst place in this world...or any other! After a chance encounter with a deadly creature stalking the school halls, these three unsuspecting students are whisked away to a horrifying realm beyond the school boiler room where they must unravel a terrifying mystery. Can they save the kids they find there and escape themselves, or will they be forever trapped Just
Beyond?