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One thing about comics is that many are on a schedule so certain books from Marvel and DC tend to come out simultaneously. Because of that, this has become one of my favorite weeks of each month because so many of my favorite books are coming out. Part of that makes this list easy because I know a good amount of books that will be on this list, but it also makes it difficult to fit everything I want on it. Not sure if you know this about Top 10 Lists but you can’t have more than ten. One day I’ll find a way around that.
For now onto this week’s list.
(Editor’s Note: Solicitations are provided by Respected Publishers)
10. Star Wars: Visions – Takashi Okazaki #1
Writer/Artist: Takashi Okazaki
Publisher: Marvel
Solicitation: TAKASHI OKAZAKI RETURNS TO THE WORLD OF THE RONIN ONCE MORE! We’ve seen THE RONIN as a Sith slayer… but who was the Ronin before? See the early history of THE RONIN and his SITH origins in this one-of-a-kind VISIONS special! Featuring THE RONIN from the first season of the hit Disney+ series, STAR WARS: VISIONS!
Why it Made the List: As I write this, I am looking at my Funko of The Ronin and The Droid from season one of Star Wars: Visions. So you can say that I am a fan. Not just of Takashi Okazaki’s work within the Star Wars universe, but the entire concept of Star Wars: Visions. Allowing talented creators to put their spin on the world of Star Wars is an excellent idea. I loved the cartoon series so I am a fan of bringing it to comics to keep it going. I know it is unlikely but an entire series focused on the character of The Ronin would be ideal. Seems like the character you could do a lot of one-and-done stories with. For now, I am just anticipating this week’s installment.
9. Bloodshot Unleashed: Reloaded #1
Writer: Deniz Camp
Artist: Mauro Mantella
Publisher: Valiant
Solicitation: Bloodshot is back and bloodier than ever. Hit the street with Bloodshot as he tries to hang onto his sanity and humanity while monsters from his past hunt him down.
Why it Made the List: More Bloodshot! Always happy to see that. I very much want Valiant to succeed as a publisher. They have a great universe going for quite a while but things got a bit shaky these last few years as titles got canceled and cut short. The failure of the Bloodshot film certainly did not help things. Bloodshot is a much better character than the movie made him appear. So if you allow it to deter you from reading this series I would advise you to look past it. Deniz Camp has done some solid work on Bloodshot in the past with the previous series so happy to see him keep his story going. Plus he was the writer of one of the best comics I have read in some time with 20th Century Men. If this can be half as good we will have a quality comic on our hands.
Writer: Pornsak Pichetshote
Artist: Jesse Lonergan
Publisher: Boom! Studios
Solicitation: Homeward Bound on an alien world, MAN’S BEST follows three emotional support pets living on the Starship Horizon–a spacecraft searching for a new home to house a humanity compromised by bad decisions and corporate greed.
But after the ship crashes and the crew is captured, these loyal pets are their owner’s only hope. Outfitted in outrageous tech, these three best friends must traverse a hostile world to rescue their owners–leaving them the only hope for a humanity that might not be worth saving. In a harrowing adventure, the pets are faced with challenges that threaten to destroy their most valuable treasure: their friendship.
Why it Made the List: Homeward Bound on an alien world is a tagline I can instantly get behind. One of my favorite movies as a kid and the idea of pets trying to find their way home will always tug at the right heartstrings. I am also a big fan of the work of Pornsak Pichetshote. Nothing I have read from him is quite like this though. Comics like Infidel or The Good Asian have a much more dire tone. Infidel is a rather disturbing horror tale and The Good Asian lives within the noir genre. One thing both of those comics have in common though is they center on the idea of the infectious nature of xenophobia and the dire consequences it can lead to within society. I can see how similar themes could be utilized within this concept, but perhaps he is simply telling a different story this time. It would be fine either way.
Writer: Ed Brisson
Artist: Luca Casalanguida
Publisher: BOOM! STUDIOS
Solicitation: The survivors of the Oshawa, Ontario disappearance are few and far between, and those that don’t stick together continue to vanish without a trance. Down to a final 12, what will the remaining desperate group do to survive in a world where by all verifiable means… they don’t exist?
Why it Made the List: One thing about doing this list is that sometimes I can completely miss books. There are hundreds of books that get released each week and I only have ten choices. I completely missed The Displaced #1 and I probably should not have. I have enjoyed the work of both Ed Brisson and Luca Casalanguida in the past. I simply glossed over the premise and did not go deeper. Part of that is because the concept does not make full sense until you see it in action. It sounds a bit convoluted on paper but in execution, it worked quite well. It gave me a similar feeling I get from watching reruns of Twilight Zon episodes. A lot of mystery builds up as an entire town has disappeared and no one seems to realize it happened. I believe that the biggest goal of any first issue is to build intrigue. Issue one of this series did exactly that so I had to include issue two on this week’s list.
Writer: Ryan K. Lindsay
Artist: Sami Kivelä
Publisher: Madcave
Solicitation: Bucky chases a new headline while attempting to settle a score with an old nemesis. With backyard fisticuffs, a rescue mission road trip, and a little voyeuristic murder of the things that go bump in the night, it’s just the story he was looking for.
BUCK-le up for the exciting conclusion of our favorite anthropomorphic editor’s story! Deer Editor is perfect for fans of Blacksad and Chinatown.
Why it Made the List: If you read my review of issue two of this series you will see that I was not a choice of the direction this story took, but I could not deny how well it worked. It’s that balance of objective vs subjective when it comes to measuring how well a book functions. I hoped this would be a straightforward crime story just starting a deer. (I understand that is a weird thing to hope for) Based on this week’s cover you could probably assess that is not the case. Despite it going in that direction I am still very much looking forward to how this story ends. My only concern now is how they are going to wrap up this entire series within this issue. There seems to be a lot of story to be told. Maybe that means this is only the end for now. I would not be against that one bit.
5. Batman / Superman: World’s Finest #25
Writer: Mark Waid
Artist: Steve Pugh, Dan Mora
Publisher: DC Comics
Solicitation: WITNESS THE FIRST MEETING BETWEEN THE JOKER AND LEX LUTHOR! Join Batman and Superman as the World’s Finest team celebrates 25 issues of World’s Finest! This oversized special issue takes our heroes around the DCU and beyond—with a special lead story that will at last showcase the first meeting between The Joker and Lex Luthor. The World’s Finest villains form an unholy alliance and will send chills down the spines of the DCU Heroes forevermore! PLUS: Spinning out of the events of the World’s Finest Annual, Doom-Mite strikes and points the way to the next World’s Finest epic!
Why it Made the List: So The Kingdom Come Arc has concluded just in time for a twenty-fifth issue special. Twenty-five issues may not seem like a lot but in today’s market, we rarely get this far without reverting back to number one. Having consistent creators with Mark Waid and Dan Mora for the majority of the run increases the rarity even more. Here’s hoping this is just the beginning. Previously in this run, there was a retelling of the first time Batman and Superman met. It took an idea we have seen many times before and told it refreshingly for today’s audience. Now they take on the infamous meeting between two of DC’s greatest villains. I have a feeling it will be just as good this time as well. This book has been a reminder of why superhero storytelling can still be great.
Writer: Ryan North
Artist: Carlos Gómez
Publisher: Marvel
Solicitation: THE SECRET OF FRANKLIN RICHARDS! Franklin Richards has been an immortal, a god, an Omega-level mutant — and more. He’s created life, entire universes, and been worshipped for it. He’s ended life and been cussed out with just as much sincerity. But there’s something else Franklin Richards has done — and is doing — that nobody else in the universe knows about. Also in this issue: An invisible asteroid threatening all life on Earth and the all-new S.H.I.E.L.D.!
Why it Made the List: I doubt it is on purpose but I love that DC and Marvel have their current best ongoing series come out in the same week. Fantastic Four and World’s Finest have been this consistent force within comics for some time now and it makes doing this list even easier. Unless they take a major down step they are making it every week. Both also have that throwback feel as if they could exist in any era. I especially love how so many of The Fantastic Four issues are one-and-done stories. Franklin Richards hasn’t been in this series much so I wonder what Ryan North’s take will be on him. He is a character that can easily be written poorly but have faith in North’s ability.
3. John Constantine, Hellblazer: Dead in America #3
Writer: Simon Spurrier
Artist: Aaron Campbell
Publisher: DC Comics
Solicitation: John and crew find themselves traveling west and contending with some of the tall tales that permeate the American frontier. It’s here that John probes an ailing Clarice about her past run-ins with Dream’s power. The sands have caused quite a stir, but just how far have they lodged themselves in the heart of the American dream?
Why it Made the List: I am so glad this book exists! I had high hopes for it when it was announced Simon Spurrier and Aaron Campbell were turning to the character of John Constantine and it has yet to let me down. This time around they are also diving deep into the history of Hellblazer and Vertigo bringing in characters from The Dreaming, Swamp Thing, and Clarice has become a major part of this story based on last issue. If you are new to this world or haven’t read the last installment I could see it being a bit challenging to dive into. However, hopefully, it prompts more people to go back to those classic books and the last volume because they represent some of the best DC comics has to offer. Not to deter away from picking this up because there’s enough there so you understand the major points.
Writer: Tom King
Artist: Guillem March
Publisher: DC Comics
Solicitation: A SPECIAL ISSUE WRITTEN BY TOM KING WITH ART BY GUILLEM MARCH! For the Batman who has everything! Amidst their adventures as Superman and Wonder Woman, Clark and Diana take a thrilling journey into space to get a birthday gift for their dear friend Bruce.
Why it Made the List: I mentioned that World’s Finest is the best ongoing DC book right now. So why is this higher? Mostly due to the power of the last issue. I have not loved everything about this run so far but I am extremely fascinated by it. Part of that fascination comes from several questions I still have about what is going on with some major characters who have not been fully revealed. The last issue did not have much story as it focused on an attempt to take out Wonder Woman. Not much more than a prolonged fight that was executed so well. Thanks largely to the art of Daniel Sampere who is doing Eisner-level work with this series. It does bum me out that he’s off this issue, however, Guillem March is a great fill-in. Plus one of Tom King’s strengths is writing for his artists so perhaps this specific section of the story better suits the art of March. We shall see.
1.Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees #4
Writer/Artist: Patrick Horvath
Publisher: IDW PUBLISHING
Solicitation: “So now the stage is set, and Sam has ID’d her foe
But this town’s not big enough for both, so one of them must go
But first, there’s a meeting, where they’ll come face-to-face
If they can’t work it out, there will be a gruesome race
But it’s not quite that simple, and for once, Sam is scared
This foe knows quite a bit about her, and the things of which she cares”
Why it Made the List: This week had some heavy hitters but picking number one was honestly an easy choice. Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees is one of those special books that has set itself apart from pretty much everything on the shelves. It’s that great combination of a well-thought-out concept, pristine craftsmanship, and well-executed storytelling. Most importantly it keeps getting better. The last issue got me. I fully thought we were learning who the other serial killer was going to be only for things to not be as they appear. Not to jump ahead but Patrick Horvath announced himself with this series and I look forward to whatever he does next. If it is more from this world I am all for it, but if he wants to go in another direction that works too. For now I am just going to enjoy what has become one of today’s best books.
