By Zack Quaintance — February was a solid month for comics, albeit one where many of the highlights were stories that had gained momentum through the end of last year and were paying off bigger pieces of their narrative puzzles this month. I’m thinking specifically here of X-Men #7 and Black Stars Above #4, which I’ll elaborate on more below.

In addition to those books, we also got a pair of satisfying endings for comics we’d been following with Going to the Chapel #4 and Superman Smashes the Klan #3, along with a delightful burst of formalist experimentation with Terrifics #25. All in all, not a bad month to read monthly comics!

Let’s check out the 10 books that landed in our Quick Hits section, followed by our choices for the Best Comics of February 2020...

Quick Hits

I absolutely loved Butcher of Paris #3, a great example of a book that just keeps getting better.

Armed with Tonci Zonjic, Skulldigger and Skeleton Boy #3 just might be the best looking comic right now.

Wonder Twins #12 was a satisfying ending to a series that has been an utter treat. Can’t wait to see what ludicrous old property Mark Russell and his talented collaborators do their thing with next.

With Immortal Hulk #31, this book continues to be the best superhero comic on the market, mining the Hulk’s deepest history to double down on some themes while also taking us in new directions.

I’m super happy that Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky have returned to Sex Criminals, and issues like this month’s Sex Criminal #27 are the reason why. They really can do anything with this title: get personal, be weird, and cover intimate topics better than any other book on the market.

In terms of near misses for our Top 5 this month, Monstress #26 tops the list. This engrossing comic book fantasy epic continues to be an utter storytelling feat.

Speaking of storytelling feats, Ice Cream Man #18 was another formalist experiment that probes the nature of and comments upon modern life.

So happy that Heathen #9 marked the return of the unbelievable series that first put us on to Vault Comics.

Speaking of Vault Comics, Wasted Space #14 was just another great issue. This book is really something special, and while the novelty has perhaps worn off a bit for some readers, we are more than happy to keep talking about it.

Finally, New Mutants #7. I’ve loved the Jonathan Hickman, Rod Reis issues of this book, and the first few pages of this one shows why. The sense of humor is dead on for me. Superhero comics are inherently ridiculous and absurd, and it’s a lot of when the storytelling is clearly aware of that. I also like that it yielded (yet another) plot point for these new X-Men comics to explore in the near future.

Best Comics February 2020

5. Terrifics #25
Writer: Gene Luen Yang
Artist: Dan Mora
Colorist: Ivan Plascencia
Letterer: Tom Napolitano
Publisher: DC Comics
Choose your fate, choose your action, choose your destiny! In this special extra-sized 25th issue, Michael Holt has dis-covered a deadly hidden enemy, and only a series of life-or-death simulations can bring the threat to the forefront! But when Mr. Terrific lies to his team, how can they trust him again? Don't miss this epic multi-path journey that puts you, the reader, in charge of the story! Pick your ending, but choose wisely! The Terrifics team hangs in the balance!
Why We Liked It: From our Top Comics to Buy For February 12…. “I’ll be blunt — I was concerned about this comic surviving a transition from writer Jeff Lemire to writer Gene Luen Yang. I’m a huge fan of both, but such hand-offs are always tricky business, often foreshadowing a coming cancellation. That concern, thankfully, has proven unfounded. The Terrifics has remained one of DC Comics weirdest and most unlikely regular series, succeeding with a great mix of interesting deep cut DC characters and fun storytelling concepts. This one is definitely a fun experiment in storytelling, one that hems along the lines of those old Choose Your Own Adventure novels from grade school. Oh, and all of it is illustrated by Dan Mora, who is just a massive talent and turns in impeccably clean linework throughout here. Even if you’re not reading this series, or don’t especially like superheroes, this issue is still worth picking up.”

4. Going to the Chapel #4
Writer: David Pepose
Artist: Gavin Guidry
Colorist: Liz Kramer
Letterer: Ariana Maher
Publisher: Action Lab
It's time to bride or die! With the police about to storm the chapel, Emily must choose her allegiances and her own uncertain future. Can Emily face her fears of lifelong commitment, or will her anxieties be dashed by a runaway bullet? Find out here in this thrilling finale!
Why We Liked It: “Underneath the madcap heist story exterior, Going to the Chapel #4 finally reveals the sweet beating heart of plot about committed romantic love that had been powering this thing all along.” Click here to read our full review!

3. Black Stars Above #4
Writer: Lonnie Nadler
Artist: Jenna Cha
Colorist: Brad Simpson
Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Publisher: Vault
A frozen death searches for Eulalio in the neverending wilderness. While the northern town is nearer than ever, the infant child under her care is changing, and she must decide if it is a being she can trust, of it it will only bring her closer to the ruins of reality.
Why We Liked It: “The transcendent nature of how this story is told ties in beautifully with the theme and process of transcendence in the story itself. Nadler, Cha, Simpson, and Otsmane-Elhaou work magic in Black Stars Above #4.” Click here to read our full review!

2. Superman Smashes the Klan #3
Writer: Gene Luen Yang
Artist: Gurihiru
Letterer: Janice Chang
Publisher: DC Comics
The Daily Planet is under attack! When the Klan invades the newspaper's office, they kidnap Lois Lane, Perry White, and Inspector Henderson. The Klan's attacks have separated our heroes, forcing Roberta and Jimmy Olsen to step up and help save the Daily Planet staff.
But the Klan has one more surprise to reveal. In order to save his friends and stop the Klan once and for all, Superman must face his own identity to unleash his full potential and ultimately accept who he really is. Inspired by the 1940s Superman radio serial "Clan of the Fiery Cross," New York Times bestselling author Gene Luen Yang (American Born Chinese, Boxers and Saints, The Terrifics, New Super-Man) concludes his personal retelling of the adventures of the Lee family as they team up with Superman to smash the Klan.
Why We Liked It: From our Top Comics to Buy for February 19 … “I’ve made no secret of the fact that I think Superman Smashes the Klan is one of the best comics that DC has published in recent memory, and I’m happy to report that in this third and final installment, it absolutely sticks the landing. What’s been so great about this book is how well it blends real history based on the Superman radio seriel with lessons that have (unfortunately) become relevant again today. This comic is, in effect, a walk through our favorite Metropolis characters, a look at the treatment of the immigrant in America (past and present), and a history lesson about the time fictional Superman made a major and tangible difference in the real world. It’s an undeniably smart comic that stands apart from your typical capes and tights offerings.”

1. X-Men #7
Writer: Jonathan Hickman
Artist: Leinil Francis Yu
Colorist: Sunny Gho
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Publisher: Marvel Comics
MUTANTS ARE FOREVER! The Resurrection Protocols have changed everything for Mutantkind. NO MORE can humans' hate and fear take their lives from them. But... what ELSE has it changed?
Why We Liked It: Every so often, writer Jonathan Hickman has to remind readers that what he’s building here with the rebooted X-Men franchise is essentially an unprecedented high-concept framework capable of reaching the utmost heights of superhero grandiosity. X-Men #7 was one of those issues, featuring as it did a concept called Crucible. This is an all-time great X-Men issue that we are almost certain to look back on years from now as the Crucible Issue, the one in which the utopian ideas inherent to the Krakoa/immortality concept is put into a gritter, more brutal focus. There are hints in this issue of ambition, sacrifice, body issues, religion, societal bloodlust, and the list of powerful concepts goes on. Illustrated by Leinil Francis Yu with colors by Sunny Gho, this was an easy pick for our top comic of February 2020.

Read this week’s comic book reviews here!

Zack Quaintance is a tech reporter by day and freelance writer by night/weekend. He Tweets compulsively about storytelling and comics as Comics Bookcase.