Wednesdays are new comic book day! Each week hundreds of comics are released, and that can be pretty daunting to go over and choose what to buy. That’s where we come in!
We’re bringing back something we haven’t done for a while, what the team thinks. Our contributors are choosing up to five books each week and why they’re choosing the books.
Find out what folks think below, and what comics you should be looking out for this Wednesday.
Alex
It was stupidly difficult to choose a top pick this week, between both Valiant books, All-Star Batman and Kill Or Be Killed. Any one of these books could have easily found themselves atop the list; the only reason behind the the top pick is because it was the last one I wrote…
Top Pick: Wrath Of The Eternal Warrior #12 (Valiant) – I heard a rumour that I haven’t verified yet that this series will be ending soon. That’s an incredible shame, because the past eleven issues have combined to form one of the best consecutive runs from any publisher over the past year. If this is the last, or second to last issue, then I’ll be sad to see this go. If not, then my favourite ongoing comic will continue and I’ll be happy.
All-Star Batman #3 (DC Comics) – This has been such a brilliant series so far (yes, I know we’re only two issues in), and getting to watch how Scott Snyder is treating two face is fantastic. I’ve never been happier to see Batman be this resourceful before. It’s a brilliant dose of the Dark Knight out of his element: the countryside in the day.
Britannia #2 (Valiant) – Valiant’s prestige style miniseries are often printed on a higher quality paper, which gives the pages a nice glossy feeling, which is in total juxtaposition to the story itself. Britannia is a bloody, no holds barred tale set in a violent time in Rome, and Britain’s, history. Peter Milligan and Juan Jose Ryp gave us a brilliant first issue, so I’m looking forward to the second quite a bit.
Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #6 (DC Comics) – Both Green Lantern titles have been excellent since Rebirth, but it’s this one that’s taken me by surprise most of all: normally stories set in space aren’t my forte, but for some reason I can’t get enough of this story.
Howard The Duck #11 (Marvel) – The final issue in the current run may (or may not) be bigger than a normal issue, and may (or may not) have a guest appearance from Spider-Man. It’ll be a shame to see this series go, but the ride was a fantastic one while it lasted. Here’s hoping it goes out with a bang.
Kill Or Be Killed #3 (Image Comics) – Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips reunite for this story about a man who must kill bad people, or his life will take a drastic turn for the worse. It’s a gripping story, and one that delves deeper than the typical superhero/vigilante fare. Highly recommended.
Honourable mentions: Action Comics #965, Old Man Logan #12, Red Hood and the Outlaws #3, and Revolution #3
Mr. H
Top Pick: All-Star Batman # 3 (DC Comics) – I have enjoyed this title far beyond what I thought I would. The mix of Grindhouse and Gotham story telling has me on the edge of my seat. I think JR JR is turning in some of his best work in a high octane environment. Scott Snyder has officially taking the top of the mountain as the all time greatest Batman scribe. No only is the main story a joy but the back up tale by Snyder and Shevley is a thrill as well. I’m loving the development of Duke Thomas. This title can do no wrong in my eyes.
The Clone Conspiracy # 1 (Marvel Comics) – Well though this subject matter could be an absolute disaster I have more than enough faith that Dan Slott can make this a must see comic. I’m loving the rebirth of The Jackal under this Annubis motif and he’s not coming across truly evil. (Well not yet) Spidey has been so fun the past couple years and I don’t expect the party to stop here.
Shay
Top Pick: The Lost Boys #1 (DC Comics) – The hunt for Star is on as her “sisters” the Blood Belles search for her and the Frog Brothers & the Emerson Brothers try and keep the blood suckers at bay. I like throwbacks and a good horror comic and , it can’t be any worse than those gawd awful sequels.
Black Monday Murders #1, #2 & #3 (Image Comics) – This week you can get all caught up with the series thanks to the reprinting. Who doens’t like a tale of dirty money, corporate badies & the rebels who try and keep them at bay?
Belladonna #1 (Boundless) – A woman leading a troop of Warrior women. Sounds like all the girl power and I want to dig right in!
Batgirl & The Birls of Prey #3 (DC Comics) – The new Oracle is a superior bad ass and Gothams normal badies aren’t up to the task of running defense. in this next installment of the “Who is Oracle” the ladies face off against some of the most dangerous villains yet.
Brett
Top Pick: Sheriff of Babylon #11 (Vertigo) – Seriously, this is one of, if not THE, best comic on the market right now. It’s absolutely gripping and there’s one more issue to go in this story arc. We’re about to figure out all of the dirt in what is a murder mystery full of terrorists, crooked US operatives, and taking place in the Iraqi Green Zone.
Mosaic #1 (Marvel) – I’m intrigued, not going to lie. I want to see what Marvel does with this new character and to see how it all plays out.
Solarman #2 (Scout Comics) – The first issue was solid and I can’t wait to sit down and read the second. The classic character has been updated for modern times and it’s something that’s needed more of in comics.
Warhammer 40,000: Will of Iron #1 (Titan Comics) – I’ve been a Games Workshop and 40K fan for over 20 years at this point. So, a new comic having me excited is not a shock.
Warlords of Appalachia #1 (BOOM! Studios) – I’ve read the first issue and it’s solid with a solid premise, great art, and enough of a hook that I want to see what happens next. I think what impressed me most was that the first issue is a well thought out world with tons of small details including actual music you can play.
Anthony
Top Pick: Monstress #7 (Image Comics) – Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda’s Monstress is a stunningly gorgeous series, rich in both art (with an aesthetic that combines traditional Japanese woodblock prints and a art-deco style) and the world being created. This new arc follows a violent clash with Maika’s captors as she and her companions Kippa and Master Ren, continue their journey to discover the true nature of the discovery that Maika’s mother made in the distant past.
The Fix #6 (Image Comics) – Roy and Mac are just two awful individuals living in a world surrounded by debauchery, lies and mindless violence. There is something about The Fix that makes it one of the best titles out there, combining this anti-hero dynamic with buckets of laughter each and every issue. With every new push in the story and characters introduced, it feels like the creative team still has plenty of potential ideas to work with, which is definitely a very, very good thing.
The Fade Out Deluxe Hardcover (Image Comics) – Collected here in one large tome is the excellent, Golden Age of Hollywood, alcohol infused, Eisner award winning noir series from the same team of Kill or Be Killed, Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips and Elizabeth Breitweiser. If you missed the series, this looks to be the best bet collection wise as it contains all the back matter from the single issues and a ton of extra material.
Glitterbomb #2 (Image Comics) – Speaking of Hollywood, the first issue of Glitterbomb introduced us to Farrah and the harsh reality she faces trying to make a living as an actress in the sleazy, male-ego driven world. Jim Zub’s scripts are consistently packed with surprises, introducing a supernatural twist to Farrah. Djibirl Morisette-Phan and K. Michael Russell bring the scripts to life through some confident line work and dreamy use of colours, enhancing the emotion and dread especially when there aren’t any words on the page.
Kill or Be Killed #3 (Image Comics) – Dylan has just killed the first person he has deemed justifiable in the act. Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips and Elizabeth Breitweiser have been crafting a fantastic tale, challenging the notions of morality, how our past shapes who we are and whether we can truly change as time passes by.
Dispatched to the remote outpost of Britannia by Rome’s highest power, the ancient world’s first detective – veteran legionnaire Antonius Axia – has found himself on a horrifying journey that will challenge everything he knows about death, destiny, and the limits of reality itself. But in this wild and pagan land, far removed from Nero’s control and influence, how will he grapple with the witches, demons and deities that lurk just out of sight? These are aberrations beyond the comprehension of a citizen of history’s most civilized empire…and, as Axia searches for the truth behind their making, he must first ask himself: Are these monsters truly creatures of myth… or creations of his own mind?
The weekend is almost here! We’ll be spending it relaxing, at the National Book Festival, and getting ready for New York Comic Con which is in just a few short weeks.
In Nero’s Rome in the first century, battle-scarred centurion Antonius Axia finds himself restored to health by the mysterious cult of the Vestal Virgins and imbued with the secrets of human psychology – making him the one truly sane man in an insane world governed by gods, fates, and superstitions. Now, as the world’s first detective, he will find himself dispatched to the remote Roman colony of Britannia to investigate strange attacks on the legions guarding the frontier… But what he finds there will lead him to question everything he thought he knew about the true order of our world…and the monsters that lurk just beyond its bounds.
