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.
Brett
Top Pick: Bitch Planet #2 (Image Comics) – The first issue was the best debut of 2014, mixing action, entertainment, and political/societal commentary wrapped up in a women’s prison exploitation story. The second issue has been one of my most anticipated reads since.
The Dying and The Dead #1 (Image Comics) – A new series from writer Jonathan Hickman is a western meets revenge story. The look fits his previous work, especially East of West. The first issue is more than enough to make me want to return for the second issue, especially knowing Hickman is a master at long storytelling.
Find #1 (Comixtribe) – This one shot is absolutely magical, evoking the wonderment I felt as a child. Just a perfect all-ages title and the best debut of 2015 so far.
Munchkin #1 (BOOM! Box/BOOM! Studios) – If you’ve ever played the game this comic is based off of, you’ll know why it’s on the list. It also doesn’t hurt there’s an exclusive card for the game available in each issue’s first printing.
Quantum and Woody Must Die #1 (Valiant) – Valiant consistently knocks it out of the park, and this first issue is the insanity I expected. Just pure action and humor as only Quantum and Woody can deliver.
Edward
Top Pick: Grimm Fairy Tales Presents: The Jungle Book: Fall of the Wild #2 (Zenescope) – The first miniseries in this trilogy was a standout, the second less so. The first issue of this third series looks like it might recapture some of what made the first series so good.
Gotham Academy #4 (DC Comics) – This series was one of the biggest surprises of 2014 and although ostensibly aimed at teens, is an all-ages read, and should be on a lot more pull lists.
He-Man Eternity War #2 (DC Comics) – This series has been below most people’s radar, but this isn’t your childhood He-Man. The writers continue to use the traditional characters as a base for a new and exciting take on fantasy and sci-fi.
Inhuman #11 (Marvel) – Marvel’s focus on Inhumans in comics and on the big screen continues here. This series has been unexpectedly gripping with its diaspora theme and well written characters
Thor #4 (Marvel) – There are surely those that are still holding out for the return of male Thor (who has never really been gone yet), but the new direction in this series has been fun so far.
Matt
Top Pick: Batman #38 (DC Comics) – The “Endgame” arc in Batman has been stupendously creepy and expertly done thus far, and there is absolutely no reason to believe this next issue won’t be more of that. Snyder and Capullo understand the comics craft more than a lot of creative teams doing work today.
Bitch Planet #2 (Image Comics) – The first issue of Bitch Planet received loads of critical praise focused mainly on its elegant yet ridiculous take on feminism within the context of female prison exploitation fiction. A second issue to flesh out the characters and larger conflict comes highly anticipated.
Harley Quinn #14 (DC Comics) – The three issue arc focusing upon a team-up with Powergirl that just concluded in Harley Quinn dragged on for way too long despite all of the fun it brought to the table. A fresh storyline sounds great, which is what this issue promises: one about a new love interest for Harley, to boot.
Multiversity Guidebook #1 (DC Comics) – Despite what our esteemed editor in chief would have you believe, Multiversity kicks ass thanks to Grant Morrison’s expert knowledge of both DC Universe continuity and superhero worship. An expansive guide to the vast multiverse of DC from him, along with some bonus narrative, should be a real treat.
Sex Criminals #10 (Image Comics) – The delays for Sex Criminals have been absolutely brutal, but the end result of the effort put into each issue has been consistently fantastic. This issue marks the end of the second arc, leading into a third that will hopefully release on a reasonable schedule.
Nevada
Top Pick: Betty Page: Queen of Curves (Rizzoli) – This fabulous collection of Bunny Yeager’s photographs of the iconic Betty Page is a coffee table book for the ages. I love coffee, books, and Betty’s classic look on the cover–along with a leopard, no less, so this will have a place of honor in my living room.
Cisco Kid TP Vol. I 1951-1953 (Classic Comics Press) – I’m a fan of this golden era of Westerns and used to watch the Cisco Kid TV show featuring the excellent actor Leo Carillo as Pancho (Mr. Carillo had also worked as a cartoonist). Love the classic look of the drawings here and looking forward to more!
Film Fax #139 (Film Fax) – Any volume that contains news of Bela Lugosi and Bobby Rydell between the same two covers has me at first glance. Add to that the 1950’s robot history included here and Miss NASA 1960’s and I’m in retro pop-culture heaven!
New York Burlesque: Photos by Roy Kemp (Schiffer Publishing) – With today’s renaissance of burlesque as an art form from New Orleans to New York City, where this timely volume is set, Mr. Kemp’s photographs will provide a historical context that’s as informative as it is sexy and fun.
Sleepy Hollow #4 (Boom! Studios) – I’ve watched the show since the very beginning and am new to the comics, so I have bit of catching up to do here. As someone who loves an archaic turn of phrase and obscure expressions, Ichabod’s mid-eighteenth century lamentations on modern society make me swoon.
There have been a few notable successes thus far in the publication history of Zenescope with its Grimm Fairy Tales imprint, and their foray into the Jungle Book has more or less been one of them. Although the sequel miniseries to the original was not as well conceived as the original, it was still an entertaining entry. The question was therefore about the third of the series, whether it would equal the quality of the first series or that of the second. For the first four issue of the end of the trilogy it seemed as though it would be treading somewhere between the two, and with the conclusion to the series it remains there.
