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

Top Pick: Britannia #3 (Valiant) – The story of the first detective, a man armed with the magical powers of deductive reasoning and primitive CSI-type knowledge is facing what could be a threat from the netherworld. This is brilliant stuff, and Valiant’s prestige format publication make this comic well worth your money for a physical copy, but it’s the story and artwork that have been so utterly amazing. There’s only four issues in the miniseries, so treat yourself and read all three this week if you haven’t taken the plunge.

Amazing Spider-Man #21 (Marvel) – The only reason I’m excited for this is because Scarlet Spider is on the cover, and I can never have enough Kaine.

Black Hammer #5 (Dark Horse) – I find that Jeff Lemire can be either really good or borderline unreadable. Here, he’s utterly fantastic, and his tale of superheroes trapped in a small town and being forced to live as normal people is fascinating as he explores the former heroes lives, and how they’re reacting to their new status quo. For some, it’s akin to paradise, and others it’s a living hell. Well worth a read if you want something different from your superhero comics.

Kill Or Be Killed #4 (Image Comics) – A vigilante tale that’s part Punisher, part Ghost Rider, and every bit as awesome as you’d expect from Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips.

Old Man Logan #13 (Marvel) – Perhaps because of the trailer released this month (which I’ve seen more than I’ll admit too), but I can’t wait to get my grubby mitts on this comic. One of the few remaining Marvel books on my pull list, this is another example of Jeff Lemire at the top of his game.

 

Joe

Top Pick: Ether #1 (Dark Horse) – It’s like the amazing art work on the cover by David Rubin has been taunting me ever since I first saw it. I have been waiting for this book for what seems like forever. Matt Kindt is writing this quirky series about a scientist detective who can go between Earth and another magical world, Ether. If you love fun, quirky stories with beautiful unique art, then this is the book for you. The cast of characters are over the top, and the plot seems to be as well. This is easily my top pick this week.

Old Man Logan #13 (Marvel) – The Last Ronin storyline has been brutal, and beautiful. Sorrentino is a very underrated artist and has been killing it on this series. Lemire is no slouch here either, and I love the way he captures Logan. While people are saying they miss the Wolverine they know and love, they should be reading this. It’s Wolverine as a retired Samurai basically. He’s trying to live his life in peace, but keeps getting pulled into the darkness of the world.

Kill or Be Killed #4 (Image) – Things were really ramping up in the last issue, and with the confidence of our main character up, it is safe to say that things are going to get worse before they get better. Brubaker is no stranger to pulp crime, but there’s something more here. This is throwing the question back at the reader, what is the right or wrong thing to do? If you had to kill someone to stay alive, who would it be? And that is a very dangerous question, holding even more dangerous answers.

Reborn #2 (Image Comics) – After an awesome first issue by Millar and Capullo, I cannot wait to see more of this fantasy world that they teased in the first book. Millar and Capullo together should be enough to get people to at least check this series out. They are two heavyweights in their craft, and they really seem to have something special here. The concept is awesome, the artwork is fantastic, and there is so much mystery that I cannot wait to uncover!

Black Hammer #5 (Dark Horse) – A Colonel Weird issue! I love the character driven issues of this series. We get to see a peak at our weird groups past, and really spend time to learn who each of them are now, and who they were in much happier times. So far, Colonel Weird has been floating (literally) in and out of the first four books, but this issue dives deep into exactly why he is the way he is, and gives us a peek at the Para-Zone he often references and visits. Lemire appears on my list for the second time, and it’s no coincidence, he is doing a fantastic job on this book as well!

 

Brett

Top Pick: SLAM! #1 (BOOM! Studios) – It’s the world of Roller Derby from Pamela Ribon and Veronica Fish. Two friends get drafted by two teams and have to navigate the world of Roller Derby and its impact on their friendship. The concept sounds great and the art I’ve seen so far is fantastic. This is one that sounds like a fresh concept and an interesting world to explore.

Infamous Iron Man #2 (Marvel) – The first issue which had Doom taking over the role of Iron Man was fascinating and this one too continues his exploration of becoming a hero. I have no doubt it won’t last long, but so far it’s been intriguing.

Thanos #1 (Marvel) – Jeff Lemire is an amazing writer and I had no idea what to expect when I read this first issue. It’s really solid and returns Thanos to being the badass that he is. I have no idea where it goes from here but it feels like it’ll be an epic.

Ether #1 (Dark Horse) – Matt Kindt, nuff said. 99% of what he does is amazing and this is no exception.

Lady Killer 2 #3 (Dark Horse) – We got a bit of a break between the last issue and this one, but I’m no less excited for it. 50s housewife who’s also a contract killer. It’s as dark and twisted as it sounds and it’s awesome.

 

Anthony

Top Pick: Ether #1 (Dark Horse) – Matt Kindt (Mind MGMT, Dept. H) and David Rubin (criminally under-appreciated The Fiction, The Rise of Aurora West) look to bring an intriguing tale of a man of science into a world of fantasy and magic. At this point, anything Matt Kindt has his name attached to should swivel more than a few heads. Plus, having David Rubin provide his flowing art style as well to the series is just about as great a collaboration you could ask for.

Black Hammer #5 (Dark Horse) – Black Hammer may be the best superhero title on the stands. Each and every issue has dived into the backstory of a single character while also focusing on the present time and the various heroes’ dilemmas on being forced to be distanced from the very world they protected. This issue looks to focus on Colonel Weird.

Kill or Be Killed #4 (Image Comics) – This series has been unlike anything Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips and Elizabeth Breitweiser have done thus far and has been getting increasingly more and more intriguing as it continues forward. This issue marks the end of the first arc. Dylan is a very conflicted character that questions a lot about the world around him, observations that correlate to the anxieties of the real world outside the pages of the comic. These inklings of Dylan’s thoughts alongside the justifiable murders he must commit are what makes him such an interesting character. Kill or Be Killed is also the most playful form wise for this creative team, making each issue a treat for the eyes that really reinforces the unexpected journey that Dylan has been going on.

Sunny Vol. 6 (Viz Media) – Taiyo Matsumoto’s wonderful manga about a group of orphaned children living under the same roof comes to a conclusion in this final volume. Matsumoto has juggled with so many different voices throughout this series, allowing for each and every one of them to have a voice that matters. He displays images that provoke a sense of loneliness through the multiple characters, frustrated with their present sense of abandonment but also captures a sense of wonder and curiosity about the future ahead that is fantasized within the comfort of an abandoned car next to the children’s housing. Sunny strikes many chords and is deserving of more attention than it has already received.