Share this
This week is stacked with books. I debated doing a Top 20 this week because I had ten more books that could have easily made this Top 10 including From the DC Vault: Death in the Family – Robin Lives #1, Crocodile Black #3, Precious Metal #2, and The Domain #1 just to name a few. After many hours of thought, I was finally able to put these ten together.
(Editor’s Note: Soliciotns are provided by the respected Publishers)
Writer: Gail Simone
Artist: Eddy Barrows
Publisher: DC Comics
Solicitation: GAIL SIMONE RETURNS TO SUPERMAN FOR A THREE-PART ARC DRAWN BY SUPERSTAR ARTIST EDDY BARROWS! SUPERMAN AND THE CHALLENGE FROM THE STARS! SUPERMAN FIGHTS FOR TWO WORLDS! When a massively powerful alien race makes EARTH their ARENA, Superman must stand ALONE against impossible challenges that threaten locations all around the world AND the lives of those he loves! A not-to-be-missed EPIC tale of Superman’s STRENGTH, WIT, and RESOURCEFULNESS in an early stage of his public career! Plus, New York Times bestselling author RAINBOW ROWELL makes her DC debut and takes on the most powerful woman in Superman’s life… LOIS LANE!
Why it Made the List: It is Gail Simone’s world and we are just living in it. Coming soon she will be trying her best with the X-Men but before that, she gets to write for another iconic character. With Absolute Power going strong in DC right now I am glad we are still getting books like Action Comics that can just do their own thing off to the side. Action Comics this year has been about bringing big names onto the book and so far it has worked. Rather enjoyed Jason Aaron’s run and then the Brianiac event that followed. Looking forward to seeing what Gail Simone has planned for Superman and his family. If you were ever thinking about jumping into a Superman book this feels like an ideal time to do just that.
Writer: Tim Daniel, David Andry
Artist: Marco Finnegan
Publisher: Mad Cave
Solicitation: The flame still burns! Jolene Garrett has at last found her son, Charlie. And all the Charlies have found her too. Beneath the black canopy of Big Sky stars, without her father’s once steadying influence, a lost and desperate Marabeth must recall Nathan’s lessons and learn to fend for herself.
Why it Made the List: We have made it to the penultimate issue of Morning Star and it feels like it has gotten here just at the right time. The last issue was by far the most surreal of the series thus far as it appeared reality was slowly fading away into this hybrid of worlds where the laws of physics no longer applied. The heart of this story has been this family trying to come to terms with the passing of their father but it has gone in some rather unexpected directions. Usually not knowing fully what I am reading will bother me, but I feel like there’s enough foundation built that the strange sequences have purpose and meaning. I have mentioned it before talking about this series but major credit should go to Jason Wordie’s colors because they do a lot to establish the personality and atmosphere of this series.
Writer: Alex Paknadel
Artist: Troy Little
Publisher: Oni Press
Solicitation: Rejoice! The hit video game from Devolver Digital and Massive Monster is now a full-blown comics phenomenon . . . and acclaimed creators Alex Paknadel (Red Goblin, All Against All) and Troy Little (Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons & Dragons) shall reap the Lamb’s vengeance! The Lamb settles into their new role as Wearer of the Red Crown and Magnanimous Leader, and along with new follower Nana, begins to build living quarters and, most importantly, the shrine where the quickly growing cult will feed the fervor of the Lamb’s new power. Elsewhere, the Bishops of the Old Faith feel fresh pain in old wounds as the One Who Waits declares a new earthly vessel, and Leshy is instructed to put an end to this new threat before the Lamb’s sway over the land and its people can grow.
Why it Made the List: I read the first issue of Cult of the Lamb and had no idea it was tied to a video game franchise. If I had known that ahead of time it may have hindered me from giving it a shot because comics tied to video games tend not to be all that good. Well, this is doing everything it can to change that. First and foremost it reads like a comic. It doesn’t try to force references to the game or treat the reader like they know everything about this world before the story begins. It is the classic juxtaposition of a cute-looking animal doing horrific things like chopping people in half. Troy Little’s art style is perfect for this as it has a cartoony execution to make that concept come together. A good combination of fun and frightful.
Writer: Zack Kaplan
Artist: Fico Ossio
Publisher: Dark Horse
Solicitation: Succession meets John Wick… with immortal Vikings. A thousand years ago, Viking explorer Erik the Red and his four adult children discovered a mysterious source of immortality. Now, in our modern world, they are an enigmatic billionaire family with a powerful banking empire. But when Erik’s only daughter, Frey Asvald, seeks to finally be free from her family’s influence, she must be prepared to reveal their supernatural secrets and confront her well-trained siblings in a deadly and epic struggle for power. Get ready for a bloodthirsty immortal fight like no other!
Why it Made the List: ‘Succession meets John Wick… with immortal Vikings.’ – That’s pretty much everything I need to hear to get me excited for this. To add to that you have writer Zack Kaplan whose work I have enjoyed in series like Beyond Real, Eclipse, Port of Earth, and Mindset. Fico Ossio is a veteran artist with a lot of experience and Kaplan does a good job of picking artists that fit the material of the story. Behind that you have Colorist Jordie Bellaire and Letterer Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou who are two of the best in their craft in comics today. When I see a creative team like this it tells me as a reader these are people that have faith and passion for the story they are about to tell, and as cheesy as it may sound you can tell that when reading a comic. Some comics feel like a glorified pitch to get a movie or TV show made, and then some books are made because the creators have a love of the craft. From everything I have seen thus far, this is the latter.
Writer: Daniel Warren Johnson
Artist: Jorge Corona
Publisher: Image Comics
Solicitation: **Shockwave’s plan revealed! **
Can the Autobots recover from their latest loss in time to save everyone?
Why it Made the List: Prior to issue nine this current arc was an opportunity for the characters and audience to catch their breath. That very much changed the last issue as we got one of the most epic battles of the series thus far, and with that battle came major fallout. I do wonder what Shockwave’s master plan is because I get that sense something major is about to drop before we move into act three of this current arc. I get the sense this is going to be the ascent that will leave us on the brink of a major cliffhanger as we gear up for what will no doubt be a mighty fall. Skybound has been great at keeping secrets and the benefit of that is anything can and will happen. Other publishers will announce a character’s death or status quo change months before it occurs so I appreciate the dedication to surprises. Heck, this entire universe was born out of the biggest surprises in comics thus far. That momentum has carried this to being one of the best on the shelves since it first debuted, and I say that as someone who was never the biggest Transformers fan. This has made me into one.
5. Falling in Love on the Path to Hell #2
Writer: Gerry Duggan
Artist: Garry Brown
Publisher: Image
Solicitation: It’s not love at first sight for Asami and MacRaith. The samurai & gunslinger are surrounded by the spirits of the undead and trapped on a strange island with monsters. What is the dreaded corpse tide? Who is Mohan, the strong-armed leader of the army of the damned? Can they trust him? Will they escape? You’re casually invited to your new favorite ongoing as love begins to blossom on the Beach of Bleached Bones. See you in hell!
Why it Made the List: The first issue of Falling in Love on the Path to Hell was a big surprise to me. I have enjoyed Gerry Duggan’s work but I did not know he had that in him. We got these two separate stories one existing in the Western genre and the other Samurai. Both were strong enough tales to exist on their own and before the last few pages, I wondered if it was just going to be a one-shot. That ended up just being the cold open to a much larger story focused on the afterlife. I do wish we would get more stories that did not need that additional supernatural element but considering how well that first issue was crafted I am holding out hope they will make it work. Plus considering the connections between the Samurai and Western genres meshing them into one tale makes a great deal of sense. Garry Brown also impressed me with his art in how he was able to capture the feeling of both storytelling styles so distinctly. Now I wonder what he will do moving forward.
Writer: Skottie Young
Artist: Jorge Corona
Publisher: Image Comics
Solicitation: Ryder is aboard a riverboat where she must gamble her fate against the mysterious Madam Gates. If she plays her cards right, Death will be within her sights. If not, this will be her last trip down any river.
Why it Made the List: Two western comics in one week? Not very often that has occurred with this list. Maybe Westerns are making a bit of a comeback. Also, two books drawn by Jorge Corona are on this week’s list. That is even more impressive. It is one thing when a writer has multiple books out. An artist’s ability to accomplish that feat is awe-inspiring. One would assume some major planning was done to get ahead with this series or Transformers because Corona’s art has not lost a step. This may be the best book he has drawn yet. His storytelling has jumped up another level and I find myself just staring in awe at what he is doing with this series. They are making Ryder into the ultimate badass but I do worry if they are taking her transgressions too far to the point where she will no longer be redeemable. She did some truly horrible things last issue. To be fair she said it was for her daughter but that may be enough to justify her actions. Perhaps that is the point. Either way, I wish to know how this journey moves forward and if she can truly outlast Death.
3. The Hunger and the Dusk: Book Two #1
Writer: G. Willow Wilson
Artist: Christian Wildgoose
Publisher: IDW
Solicitation: After the falling out between Cal and Tara, love is lost and the fragile human-orc alliance has ripped at the seams. The Last Men Standing are sitting ducks without their healer… and their enemies have multiplied. As ruthless Vangol and rogue orc dynasties stoke the flames of war, Tara could be civilization’s last hope for peace — but she may become a distant memory when a fresh face joins the battlefield.
Why it Made the List: I am so happy this series is making its return. I was rather concerned we had seen the last of it with some of the issues IDW was facing, but it appears the support was strong enough to bring it back for another volume. As mentioned on this list a few times fantasy seems to be the genre of choice with comics right now. We have had some good, bad, and everything in between. The Hunger and the Dusk has stood at one of the best for me in how it crafts an intriguing tale that has an epic scope but focuses on character and story first. You can certainly see the allegory as these factions trying to form and manipulate alliances to survive in what appears to be a dying world. The drama with the characters is strong as you have a major juggling of a multitude of relationships yet it is never hard to follow. Well crafted from top to bottom. If you are a fantasy fan I would put this at the top of the reading pile.
Writer: Jed MacKay
Artist: Ryan Stegman
Publisher: Marvel
Solicitation: FROM THE ASHES! Krakoa is gone, ORCHIS has fallen… but the X-Men remain, always. Cyclops leads, because that is what he does. Beast builds, because that is what he does. And from their new home in Alaska, the X-Men raise a flag of defiance. Mutant business is their business. Join CYCLOPS, BEAST, MAGNETO, PSYLOCKE, KID OMEGA, TEMPER, MAGIK and JUGGERNAUT as new forces in the world move into position, battling for the destiny and philosophy of the mutant species.
Why it Made the List: I am one of the few people apparently who rather enjoyed the Krakoa era but felt it was ending at nearly the right time. With that said this new start has a lot to live up to considering what it is following. Jed MacKay appears to be the new heir apparent as he is leading the current Blood Hunt event and starting this new line of X-Men comics. Can’t think of the last time someone was writing The Avengers and The X-Men at the same time. I do worry he is stretching himself too thing but I have enjoyed his work overall. I am the most excited to see what Ryan Stegman can do in a book like this. Stegman hit a new level when he was put on Venom with Donny Cates so hoping he can bring a similar feeling to the X-Men world. The team makeup is a bit strange but happy to see Beast back on the team and I hope he’s back to being his normal self again.
Writer: W. Maxwell Prince
Artist: Martin Morazzo
Publisher: Image Comics
Solicitation: “DECOMPRESSION IN A WRECK,” Part Two
In this second part of our story (one need not read part one), two truck drivers die in five seconds and 28-or-so pages.
Why it Made the List: So in a massive week with some big events and happenings what ends up topping the list? Ice Cream Man of course. When you look over the landscape of current comics and those series that have had a major impact on the industry this is certainly one of them. This helped bring back the idea of the horror anthology as its success led to many other similar comics. Issue thirty-nine of Ice Cream Man was one of the best issues I read this entire year. The way W. Maxwell Prince and Martin Morazzo pushed the concept of Decompressed storytelling to the ultimate extreme was a work of genius. This series has long played with the language and rules of comics in fun and inventive ways and by forty issues you would think they would have run out of ideas instead it just keeps getting stronger. So despite there being bigger and perhaps more important comics coming out this week, this series is the one I am most anticipating.
