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Top 10 Most Anticipated Comics for 1/22/2025

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With this month having five Wednesdays I was ready for another week of little choices when it came to this top ten. So far since the first Wednesday of the month that has not been the case. This is shaping up to be another good week of books. So let’s see what makes this week’s Top 10

(Editor’s Note: Solicitation are provided by the Respected Publishers)

10. Huge Detective #4

Writer: Adam Rose

Artist: Magenta King

Publisher: Titan Comics

Solicitation: AN ALL-NEW DETECTIVE NOIR OF GIGANTIC PROPORTIONS! CHINATOWN MEETS THE BFG IN AN ORIGINAL SERIES

WHEN A STRING OF MURDERS AND DISAPPEARANCES SWEEP THE UNITED STATES, A HUMAN AND A GIANT WITH SIZABLE DETECTIVE SKILLS ARE ON THE CASE!

After a race of giants emerged from deep sleep beneath the earth, a bloody conflict ensued in what became known as THE OMEGA EVENT. Eventually, a treaty is resolved and the state of Brobdingnag is created, allowing humans and giants to co-exist harmoniously.

Yet tragedy threatens to shatter the peace, and an unlikely partnership is formed between Detectives Tamaki and GYANT.

As the pair attempt to stop the criminal AT LARGE, they find themselves involved in a mystery BIGGER than either could imagine.

Why it Made the List: I like crime. The genre, not the act. Well, at least in most cases. The thing about the crime or noir genre though is you are often getting a lot of similar stories that utilize very common tropes. So how can you change that? Well Huge Detective they added a literal huge detective. As the name indicates this takes place in a world where giants exist among humans. There have been some moments of tension but eventually, things got better until some recent murders.

This story has seen the ultimate dynamic duo as a regular-sized human team up with an actual giant to solve those murders. What this series has done very well is balancing worldbuilding with narrative. For example, having Giants speak to others telepathically helps fill out this world, but also ties into the hidden conflict we do not fully know yet. There’s much more surreal going on here than you may think, and fitting as the world lost the great David Lynch does feel elements of his work within this.


9. Ultimate Spider-Man #13

Writer: Jonathan Hickman

Artist: Marco Checchetto

Publisher: Marvel

Solicitation: KRAVEN’S MOST DANGEROUS GAME! The Sinister Six are all hunting Spider-Man and the Green Goblin for their ringleader, Kingpin — and this time, Kraven has the upper hand in this love letter to “Kraven’s Last Hunt”!

Why it Made the List: Hey it’s Kraven! I believe he had a movie or something come out recently. No, that can’t be right. What a crazy thought. Anyway, as we enter into year two of Ultimate Spider-Man I wonder what Hickman has in store for us. So far they have taken their time with this world focusing more on the characters in this book and allowing The Ultimates series and others to build up the grander world. The benefit of this is we have seen a different side of Hickman.

Now we get some focus on Kraven who of course gave us one of the greatest Spider-Man stories of all time. Can this live up to that? The thing is it does not have to to at least be good. I understand the need to reference “Kraven’s Last Hunt” but I assume this story will be nothing like it. It’s always great to see Marco Checchetto on art duties as well. This series is always at its best when he is on it.


8. Deadly Tales of the Gunslinger Spawn #2

Writer: Jimmy Palmiotti

Artist: Patric Reynolds

Publisher: Image Comics

Solicitation: The journey of the Gunslinger continues, but he is not alone. While his transformation is complete, there are those who are hunting him, looking to steal his power.

Why it Made the List: I have been doing this article for some time now, and even before this for other sites and social platforms. This is the first time I ever had a Spawn book show up on one of my lists. I have dipped my toe into the Spawn world here and there but I could never get fully into it. Nothing against the book there are sometimes things that do not click with you. Hey, I did go see the movie in theaters if that helps at all. So why am I excited for this? Well, because I completely missed what this was when it first came out. This is Jimmy Palmiotti doing a Western story that just happens to exist in the world of Spawn.

If you haven’t you really need to read his and Just Gray’s run on Jonah Hex because it is everything great about the genre. Now he is taking all those tools and using them for this title. If we cannot get an actual Jonah Hex title this is the next best thing. So if you are like me and love Westerns but are not a big Spawn fan still give this a chance. If you are a Spawn fan will you enjoy it? I have no idea. Clearly I do not know how you think. That $2.99 price point should make anyone happy though.


7. Life #4

Writer: Brian Azzarello, Stephanie Phillips

Artist: Danijel Žeželj

Publisher: DSTLRY

Solicitation: Bobby and his crew are determined to get off the planet at any cost, but the thieves aren’t leaving without their score. As Jax leads a team into the prison compound to find the vault, Bobby will be waiting for her. The two sides violently collide as alliances are formed, traitors are revealed, and the limits of immortality are tested. Each issue of LIFE is a flip book, housing one story from two different points of view. A prison break and a heist both offer interlocking narratives, creating an immersive experience that will challenge your perceptions of justice while begging the immortal question, Who really wants to live forever?

Why it Made the List: You should check out Ken M’s review of Life #1 to get a great sense of what this series is like. Although that is not my review I agree with a great deal with what was said. Flip books are not something super common in the world of comics today but with this LIfe series, you can see the benefit they bring. Here you have two separate stories that both tell one overall tale. The great thing is you can read them on their own and you would have everything you need. Not sure why you would do that since everything is in the same package, but you do you. Brian Azzarello and Stephanie Phillips work really well together.

If Veritgo were to exist in its heyday as it did when Brian Azzarello was working for them I think Stephanie Phillips would have worked wonders in that world. In fact this feels like the exact type of comic Verigto would go for which is a pretty high compliment for me with the respect I have for Veritgo. I am enjoying the Danijel Žeželj art as well as Lee Loughridge’s colors. This is a dark and mysterious world and they represent that well.


6. The Tin Can Society #5

Writer: Peter Warren

Artist: Francesco Mobili

Publisher: Image Comics

Solicitation: The TCS gang goes up against Caliburn in a deadly showdown, ready to come face to face with the shocking monster behind the mask. But, as our brilliant Val knows all too well, sometimes it’s just when you think you know the answer that you find out you were asking the wrong question all along.

Why it Made the List: I found it astounding this is Peter Warren’s first comic. He has a strong command for the language of comics already. Clearly having Rick Remender in his corner has helped him out. Another thing Remender knows how to do is pick out great artists and Francesco Mobili is drawing the hell out of this book. You have this murder mystery inside a superhero story that feels a bit like a modern version of The Big Chill except this time their friend in the coffin is the Tony Stark of their world. Every issue has given us a new development that has made this mystery more engaging. It is getting better and better as the story continues which is another sign these people know exactly what they are doing.


5. Fantastic Four #28

Writer: Ryan North

Artist: Steven Cummings

Publisher: Marvel

Solicitation: It’s been months since Doctor Doom became Sorcerer Supreme — and disappeared. Reed Richards, the smartest man on the planet, has spent that time trying to find a way to understand magic, so he can find and stop Doom… and he’s failed. But when Sue suggests there is another man who holds both a graduate degree in physics and an understanding of magic — Dane Whitman, the Black Knight! — Reed and Sue decide to see if he can offer any insights. Dane’s help sends Reed and Sue’s minds back in time — to possess the bodies of two people in the past, where, without their powers, they search for the one magical item that can cut through Doom’s illusions! But the Black Knight has motivations of his own… and the past isn’t what it used to be.

Why it Made the List: My favorite Marvel comic is finally back. This is the first issue this year we have seen with the ‘One World Under Doom’ label which is set to be their first event this year. I get people who are tired of events as I feel that fatigue myself. However, when an Event can be good it is a special thing.

Ryan North will be the person leading the event and considering how great he has done with Fantastic Four thus far I hope this one will be one of the good ones. Looking at this specific issue we are also getting Blck Knight! Love me some Black Knight and we do not get enough of him. If that is giving us a sense of the tone and direction of where this is heading I am already a major fan. Please Marvel do not ruin the best you have going.


4. Hyde Street #3

Writer: Geoff Johns

Artist: Ivan Reis

Publisher: Image Comics

Solicitation: The Blackest Night and Aquaman team of GEOFF JOHNS and IVAN REIS continue their epic horror series! Picture, if you will, a holiday season filled not with joy or cheer, but with shadows and secrets. Enter a man known only as Mr. X-Ray. His journey is a desperate one, seeking escape from the inescapable. Standing in his way, an innocent malevolence: Pranky, a boy scout who lives not to serve his fellow man, but to serve the dark power that presides over Hyde Street. Yet, during this strange Christmas tale, these two unlikely figures may find common ground… or not.

Why it Made the List: It may be unfair to compare this to the other Ghost Machine books since we have only gotten two issues thus far but right now it is my favorite from the imprint. As a major fan of The Twilight Zone, this gives me similar feelings to that show but with a much more twisted execution. Also, my goodness is Ivan Reis reminding us why he became such a superstar artist. I thought maybe we would get more issues focused on different characters but it appears we are going back to Mr. X-Ray. I do not mind as I really liked his origin. Seems like we are just getting started with his story.

One of the biggest reasons I have dug this series so far is how it can simultaneously set its foundation while preparing us for what may be coming next. Geoff Johns has been known for his foreshadowing so it makes since that element is so strong. The guy loves a page with a chart to clue us into the characters we may be seeing. With this being an original world it takes more than that, and to his and the creative team’s credit, they have delivered. Such a plethora of possibilities makes the potential of this book so high.


3. Superman #22

Writer: Joshua Williamson

Artist: Dan Mora

Publisher: DC Comics

Solicitation: SUPERMAN AND DOOMSDAY… TEAM UP? A secret alien strike team has arrived on Earth with their sights set on the greatest weapon in the universe… Doomsday. And the only person who can save the ultimate destroyer is Superman! While alien forces rain down on Metropolis, Superwoman trains with her new powers alongside an unlikely instructor… and you will not believe who it is!

Why it Made the List: Of all the DC comics to benefit the most from Absolute Power this tops the list for me. I enjoyed this run beforehand but it gave new life to this series. Lois Lane having superpowers should not work for more than an issue or two but they are making me enjoy it. Partially because we know where it is headed and the doom that awaits. It’s not just a gimmick but rather a purposeful choice that has placed this looming threat over everything that is currently happening. In the same vein, I cannot think of many good Doomsday stories that are not The Death of Superman. Writers have struggled to find different things to do with the character. Apparently Dan Mora, Joshua Williamson, and the rest of the creative team’s strategy to overcome that struggle is DO ALL THE THINGS.

We are getting a Doomsday powered by the fires of Hell and the final evolution of the character at the same time. Looking at this plot from afar it should be a case of ‘Too many hats’. That issue when there are just too many ideas happening at the same time, yet they are making it work. Beyond that, they are crafting a tale with major urgency. With each passing issue, this is working its way up the list of best DC comics out right now.


2. Absolute Wonder Woman #4

Writer: Kelly Thompson

Artist: Hayden Sherman

Publisher: DC Comics

Solicitation: DIANA MAKES THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE! The Tetracide is “The Four Killer”… and Diana has done the unthinkable to escape its fatal grasp. The move may have saved her to fight another day, but the price Diana paid is more than she can stand to lose for the fight that’s coming. She will need the help of her allies both old and new to recover what she has lost — and save Gateway City!

Why it Made the List: Speaking of DC’s best books we have Absolute Wonder Woman #4. Is this DC’s best book? Maybe, it is at least my favorite out of the Absolute books thus far, which is interesting because its differences compared to the main universe are the most nuanced. Sure there are no longer any other Amazons but as a character, Wonder Woman feels very similar. Honestly, her backstory here feels easier to get behind compared to a lot of other takes on the character in the normal DC world. So far the narrative has been rather simple. There’s this massive monster coming and Wonder Woman is trying to stop it. It’s within that conflict though we have seen who this character is as a person.

Pressure creates diamonds and she is shining as brightly as any hero taking command and coming up with creative solutions to impossible problems. Then within that conflict, we are getting flashbacks to how where got here. Nothing groundbreaking in terms of structure but that’s fine because the execution has been so strong. As stated a plethora of times on this list Hayden Sherman’s page design and ability to command a page have been put on full display. The craft here remains high on nearly every level.


1-Spectrum #2

Writer: Rick Quinn

Artist: Dave Chisholm

Publisher: Mad Cave

Solicitation: Do you ever wish your life was more normal? Ada Latimer wants to be normal. She owns a quiet little record store. She’s in love with her corny (but sweet) boyfriend. But the chance for normalcy vanished when her father Leon abandoned her as a child to search for the mythical record producer George Parker. The ramifications of Leon’s quest come back around as Echo, one of the Sustained — a being with the power to alter reality through music — shows up at Ada’s shop looking for answers. So much for “normal.”

Why it Made the List: This is exactly what the comic industry needs. For those that feel comics can often be filled with more of the same I present to you a book like Spectrum that is unlike anything I read before in recent memory. Reading issue one I saw a piece of art where the passion is palpable because it is what is driving its creation in the first place. Quickly it is apparent that both writer Rick Quinn and artist Dave Chisholm have a love for music and the power of art in general.

There is so much purpose within the craft from the script-like lettering to the distinct color palettes. A type of sympathy for the soul that will educate as well as move you. For some, it may be asking too much, but if it hits the right chord with you it’s quite a special experience.

comicconcierge
comicconcierge
A fan of all things comics and believer in, "Comic are for Everyone, the Key is Finding the Right One". I hope to help in that search which is why I dawned the moniker Comic Concierge. Find most of my stuff on TikTok.

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