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.
Anthony
Top Pick: Island #8 (Image Comics) – Island has been a great ride from the beginning featuring a very wide, eclectic array of comic creators in this anthology series. Each issue has some stories that continue in segments with some one shot shorts as well that are brilliantly organized and curated by creators Brandon Graham and Emma Rios. Island has yet to disappoint with content that can be eye-popping visually, psychologically provoking, and socially relevant. This issue features stories from Johnnie Christmas and Simon Roy.
Empress #3 (Icon/Marvel) – Mark Millar, hate him or love him, has always released some titles with a refreshing perspective and some gorgeous artwork in this sci-fi based story of a man that has taken on the task of helping a wife and her three children escape from an overzealous husband/leader. This time around, Stuart Immonen has been killing it on pencils with some added detailing on inks by Wade von Grawbadger and expressive colouring by Ive Svorcina. The second issue really kicked up the action a notch and ended with quite the cliffhanger. It will be exciting to see what kind of adventures the group gets into this time around and will hopefully have some calming periods to get to know a bit more on the characters as well.
The Fix #3 (Image Comics) – The Fix is one of the funniest comics put out in 2016 that should be no surprise to fans of the creative team of Nick Spencer and Steve Lieber. Adding colourist Ryan Hill to the mix has really created this neo-noir vibe with a dash of anti-hero douchebaggery and a tinge of unexpected splashes of violence. This series has sold out of both the first two issues (with this week releasing the third printing of Issue #1) so it has proven itself to be a pleaser thus far that is sure to continue its hilarity and ridiculousness. Corrupt cops Ray and Mac have found themselves in quite the junction of scenarios so one can only imagine what will happen now that a police dog named Pretzels has been thrown in the mix.
The Wicked + The Divine #20 (Image Comics) – The Gods have been consistently fighting against one another over the last few issues ever since Laura has come back and it appears as if the buildup will keep getting higher and higher. Deaths are abound for sure. Wic Div has one of the most impressive creative teams for Image that keeps the readers guessing as to what exactly is going to happen next. As long as Kieron Gillen, Jamie McKelvie and Matt Wilson grace the cover and interiors (with the occasional striking guests) Wic Div should be on your monthly pull list.
Wolf #8 (Image Comics) – Ales Kot is one of the most intriguing, complex, labyrinthian writers working in comics today. Wolf has been a bit of an up and down ride but the last issue really put the train back onto the tracks. The artwork by Ricardo Lopez Ortiz and colours by Lee Loughridge‘s give this title a real punk edge to it and will hopefully push the limits after the ending to Issue #7.
Alex
Top Pick: Voracious #4 (Action Lab: Danger Zone) – Man discovers he can travel through time. Instead of using it to become rich with gambling, he decides to become a dinosaur hunter and open a restaurant. This is why I love comics; because this actually works.
4001 A.D.: Bloodshot #1 (Valiant) – 4001 A.D. has been a brilliant event so far, but the stand alone tie ins from Valiant can always be hit or miss depending on how big a fan of the specific character you are. I’m a middling fan of Bloodshot, so this should be interesting.
Howard the Duck #8 (Marvel) – One of the more fun series that Marvel is putting out these days (at least that I’m reading), this is usually a snark filled comic that usually one of the best I read in the week it’s released.
Mr. H
Top Pick: The Flash: Rebirth #1 (DC Comics) – Yes, yes, yes the real West is back! I have been so pumped and still coming off the high that was the Rebirth special. My conduit to comics is back in full force. I don’t care where this goes. I just want to be in the fast lane for it!
Action Comics #957 (DC Comics) – Like Wally returning so has the real Kal-El. I am thrilled for this and who says you can’t have family in comics? I am intrigued on where Lex will fit, will they try to keep him a true Man of Steel or is he plotting the one true Superman’s downfall.
Detective Comics #934 (DC Comics) – The road to the mega epic #1000 starts here! Truth be told I’m not on fire about this title but it has enough solicited elements to pique my interest. A new Bat-Team could be what Gotham ordered. However with a title like Detective Comics I’d rather see Ralph Dibney on the billing, but hey time will tell…
Brett
Top Pick: Sheriff of Babylon #7 (Vertigo) – One of the best comics on the market right now. Absolutely amazing storytelling that’s a murder mystery set in modern Iraq. There’s actually not as much politics as you’d think, just fantastic pacing and subtle details that add to the complete package.
Green Lantern: Edge of Oblivion #6 (DC Comics) – This miniseries wraps up and I can’t wait to see how it ends, especially since its been a veiled allegory about modern day terrorism and religious extremism. Plus… who gets back to modern times and how!?
Lumberjanes/Gotham Academy #1 (BOOM! Box/DC Comics) – The first issue is a cute combination of the two series as the groups come together to solve a mystery. There’s a weird “Scooby Doo” vibe about it all, but the first issue works really well and this should be a fun miniseries.
Prometheus: Life and Death #1 (Dark Horse) – I’m a fan of Dark Horse’s new Alien/Predator/Prometheus universe and their intertwining miniseries have been fantastic. This one has been an interesting build so far and with this first issue, we finally get the beginning of the last piece of the puzzle.
Star Wars: Poe Dameron #3 (Marvel) – If you enjoyed Star Wars: The Force Awakens and want to get even more of the story about Poe, this is the comic for you. It peals back the curtain a bit on this newer aspect of the Star Wars universe, and answers some questions left dangling by the film.
Paul
Top Pick: All-New X-Men #10 (Marvel) – I’ve been enjoying this Apocalypse War storyline running through the X books, and I am looking forward to seeing Evan, now in the past, coming face to face with En Sabah Nur, who will one day become Apocalypse. Can Evan change the past, and stop Apocalypse from ever being? Will this take Evan down the path to becoming the next Apocalypse? Can I possibly use the word Apocalypse anymore in this blurb? I am looking forward to seeing where this leads.
The Vision #8 (Marvel) – Uh oh…the Avengers know everything that has happened with Vision and his family; the violence, the deaths and the lies. And now they’re coming to find some answers. I don’t see this going very well, but as with every issue in this series, I’m sure it’s going to be a hell of a read.
Wacky Raceland #1 (DC Comics) – Do you remember the Wacky Racers from Saturday morning cartoons? I do too…and this is not them! The world has gone to hell and racers trek across the remains of their word for survival. It’s Death Race meets Hannah-Barbera and I for one will be strapping in for this crazy ride. Just check out Muttly on the cover! This is NOT the cartoon I remember.
To help meet the fan demand, DC Comics is issuing second printings for many of its Rebirth titles as numerous first issues have sold out within hours of hitting shelves. The announcement comes with the news that the special one-off DC Universe: Rebirth #1 will enter a third printing.
It was new comic book day. What’d everyone get? What were you excited for? Sound off in comments!
This one shot feels like an echo of that miniseries in some way. It too focuses on the murder of a woman where her husband is the prime suspect. I love Williamson’s writing and originality in such series as Nailbiter, Birthright and Illuminati, and unlike those series, this issue just doesn’t have that originality or interesting twist I was expecting and hoping for. The issue to me feels like a retread of not just the DC Universe: Rebirth one shot, but also the previous The Flash: Rebirth miniseries. While the tone of the comic is solid, there’s just not a whole lot that’s new, it’s more a repeat and a catch-up that illuminates some things in the one-shot that kicked this initiative off. Illuminates, but not enough that it’s a must read.
