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Sometimes when I do this list the week is packed with great books it takes forever to trim it down to ten. That was not the case this week. Now, there’s plenty to be excited about but not to the level of some of the best weeks this month. Luckily though this week does include the return of one of today’s best comics so we have that to be excited about.
Now onto the list.
(Editor’s Note: Solicitations are provided by the respected publishers)
Writer: Cody Ziglar
Artist: Justin Mason
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Solicitation: ENCORE! YOU WANTED MORE! In a world without NORMAN OSBORN, SPIDER-PUNK REIGNS! This ain’t no victory lap though—as HOBIE BROWN and team try to rebuild society, JUSTIN HAMMER & DOCTOR OTTO OCTAVIUS have other plans…like introducing the world to the SPIDER-SLAYING SENTINELS! Cody Ziglar (MILES MORALES: SPIDER-MAN) & Justin Mason (SPIDER-MAN 2099: DARK GENESIS) reunite to bring the Brooklyn boy back with the whole crew you know and love! Grab your boots, your instruments, your amps and LET’S GO!
Why it Made the List: Sometimes I worry we have too many Spider people. I get many are in separate dimensions but it feels like the same version of a different story if not done well. Hobie Brown is so different than many of the other Spider characters that it helps minimize that issue. The previous volume was a joy and was the best-selling Marvel book in books stores last year. So you can see why it is getting a second volume. Also, how can you not love that cover? So much energy there. If the art inside has half that exciting design it will make for a fun read.
Writer: Amit Tishler
Artist: Bruno Frenda
Publisher: Mad Cave Studios
Solicitation: As the Russian Civil War escalates, the Ukrainian landscape becomes increasingly hostile. Trapped by the enemy that ravaged their village and killed their parents, Alex and Yuli will have to use the unpredictable powers of the Golem to defend themselves despite hesitation about its true intentions
Why it Made the List: I enjoyed the first issue of this series as you can see in my review. The good news is the second issue was even better. That is exactly what you want to see with a book. Now can it keep it going? What first attracted me to this series was the historical context. The Russian Civil War is not something we talk a great deal about in the US, and rarely do I see a comic within that setting. When you have a good story and strong art to go along with it gives you a lot to appreciate.
8. The Savage Sword of Conan #1
Writer: John Arcudi
Artist: Max Von Fafner, Patch Zircher
Publisher: Titan Books
Solicitation: HE SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN IS BACK from Heroic Signatures and Titan Comics!
Featuring a new CONAN epic from John Arcudi and Max Von Fafner, the rousing return of SOLOMON KANE written and drawn by Patch Zircher, an electric prose story from Jim Zub, spectacular art pin-ups, and more, the SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN Issue #1 heralds a new era of adrenaline-fueled adventure.
Why it Made the List: This issue has a lot of things I enjoy. I have become a big Conan fan over the years and Titan’s current ongoing series has been a blast. Now with that proven track record, we are getting another series and it is an anthology. Again something else I am a big fan of as well. Patch Zircher doing a Solomon Kane? Yes, please! Love the touch have having a prose story included as well. That goes back to the earliest routes of the character. It appears to be a rather full issue.
Writer: Victor LaValle, Benjamin Percy
Artist: Cory Smith
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Solicitation: SABRETOOTH WAR—PART 4! Death has followed LOGAN for over a century. But as the blood pools and the gravestones pile up around him, what happens when SABRETOOTH kills again? The fallout of significant mutant deaths, and a desperate tactical play by WOLVERINE and X-FORCE turns the SABRETOOTH WAR on its head!
Why it Made the List: The Sabretooth War has pushed the boundaries of what is allowed in Marvel comics. So much brutality in each issue that I keep looking for the Max label on the cover. Shockingly it has yet to appear. Maybe when it gets released in trade. Now there is a story within all that bloodshed as well and Sabretooth is doing everything he can to ruin the life of Wolverine. This shows the violent force Sabretooth can be when he has the right tools and planning. Rarely do we get stories with this amount of consequences. Here is hoping it can follow through till the end.
Writer: Chip Zdarsky
Artist: Daniel Acuña
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Solicitation: Off the shores of New York City sits THE RAFT, a government facility full of secrets and danger! Can CAPTAIN AMERICA infiltrate it before the new IRON MAN gives him the same gruesome fate as TONY STARK?
Why it Made the List: Every time we can get more Daniel Acuña art I am a happy person. His style has worked well for these dystopian Marvel series. One of my favorite moments from the last issue was when Captain America tried to give this rousing speech to make people see the evil of the day. Thinking words from a man such as him would make a real difference. The result? Nothing as no one noticed. Felt very true to life as people need more than a speech to change their minds about anything. Honestly, you wonder if people pay much attention to anything nowadays. Now the question is what is to come now. Can they win the day or is everything too far gone?
Writer: Scott Snyder
Artist: Dan Panosian
Publisher: Dark Horse
Solicitation: All is revealed as Holt descends the mine to levels never before reached. The nightmarish truth of Canary is finally revealed in this finale. Don’t miss the heart-stopping conclusion of this gruesome Old West tale. Blending modern horror, historical fact, and Western lore, Scott Snyder and Dan Panosian have created a uniquely terrifying thriller with Canary.
Why it Made the List: It is my opinion that Scott Snyder is currency doing the best work of his career. Maybe he is not on a book the popularity of Batman, but his output and quality of books have been hugely impressive. One of the best of the bunch has been Canary. Dan Panosian draws the hell out of this book as he meshes the worlds of horror and Western into one so seamlessly. Sadly this is the end of this series, but I hope not the end of this creative team. Would be excited to see them work again even to continue what they started here.
Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artist: Tom Reilly
Publisher: Image Comics
Solicitation: Duke’s search for answers has led him to a classified holding site for America’s most dangerous prisoners. Now he’s the most wanted man in the world. Unfortunately, everyone seems to prefer him Dead over Alive.
Why it Made the List: So Duke was never one of my favorite G.I. Joe characters. He was Captain America if you take everything interesting away from Captain America. Perhaps a bit too harsh, but this series is changing my mind completely. Making him a bit more complicated and it appears using his downfall to perhaps create the G.I. Joe. I do appreciate the choice of just not starting with the G.I. Joe already established. Having this story not only fleshs out the character of Duke but also operates as a Year Zero for America’s greatest fighting force. Tom Reilly has been doing great on art duties as well especially when it comes to staging action.
Writer: Chip Zdarsky
Artist: Jacob Phillips
Publisher: Image Comics
Solicitation: The Black Castle knows everything, and death is the only solution. Ostracized and alone, it’s the end of the road for Newburn. Plus: Things are getting critical in Loaded Dice by Chase and Lelay. Roll a stealth check!
Why it Made the List: The walls are crashing in on Newburn with only two issues left of this book. Last issue we got Newburn’s origin in one of the best issues of this series thus far. Now let’s see where this goes with everything on the table. This started as several one-and-done stories, but now all those pieces are coming together. Newburn is no longer the protected man he once was with his secrets finally out. Tragedy seems inevitable at this point, however, Newburn has been proven as a person who can find a way out when no one else can. He is now faced with his ultimate test. Can he pass? Looking forward to finding out.
Writer: Ram V.
Artist: Filipe Andrade
Publisher: Boom! Studios
Solicitation: Perfection is pompous and unrealistic. Mistakes, ugly places, and even letting things burn,
As Rubin and Mo continue their travels and the work on their documentary, a Dhabha cook on a highway to Mumbai provides a delicious look into the depth in simplicity, and how the most mundane thing can turn complex through effort.
Why it Made the List: This series had a lot to live up to because I was a big fan of The Many Deaths of Laila Starr. Despite being the same creative team this has been a much different story although has a similar flavor of magical realism. Similarly, I cannot think of another comic on the shelves like this whatsoever. It examines life in a way that makes you think and appreciate the world you are in despite the existing misgivings. Filipe Andrade’s art is beautiful as always. Appears Ram V. and Filipe Andrade have another hit on their hands.
Writer: W. Maxwell Prince
Artist: Martin Morazzo
Publisher: Image Comics
Solicitation: “ESCAPE FROM GARYLAND” There seems to be something wrong with Gary No. 38…
Why it Made the List: No matter what happens this week we are getting another issue of Ice Cream Man so we have plenty to be happy about. This book has been going strong for six years now and it amazes me how consistent it has been with each installment. For those who have never read it this is similar to Twilight Zone or Tales from the Crypt where each issue is a different story. There has been some connecting tissue here and there, but for the most part, it has been a cavalcade of one-and-dones. With that, you never know what you are going to get or even what genre the story might be in. W. Maxwell Prince and Martin Morazzo have pushed so many boundaries with this series. The term groundbreaking gets overused but I would argue it fits with Ice Cream Man. Since it burst onto the scene the amount of anthology horror books has risen tremendously and many of those were written W. Maxwell Prince. The man is the master of the one-issue story. Now this is back here it can continue to build upon its legacy.
