By Zack Quaintance — This week, comiXology’s small press mega sale continued, giving us another chance to spotlight some of the best indie books of recent years. And we’re not talking Dark Horse or Image Comics indie. No. We’re talking the indie-est of the indie, and we couldn’t be more thrilled. There has rarely been a better time to pick up your tablet and dive into some interesting, medium-pushing comics concepts.

Enjoy!

Best comiXology Sales: August 14, 2020

PICK OF THE WEEK
Second Coming, Vol. 1
Writer: Mark Russell
Artists: Richard Pace and Leonard Kirk
Publisher: Ahoy Comics
The book everyone's talking about, by award-winning writer Mark Russell (Wonder Twins, The Flintstones) and artist Richard Pace (Pitt, New Warriors) ...now in one volume! God commands Earth's mightiest superhero, Sunstar, to accept Jesus as his roommate and teach him how to use power more forcefully. Jesus, shocked at the way humans have twisted his message over two millennia, vows to straighten them out. With an Introduction by Patton Oswalt. Collects Second Coming #1-6.
Why It’s Cool: The writer of this book, Mark Russell, is the best satirist in all of comics, and in this book, he and his collaborators turn their attention to a pair of dual interests. This is a book about Jesus returning to Earth and becoming roommates with a Superman analog. Jesus must grapple with mankind co-opting the messages of his teaching in ways that make him essentially an outsider to the church…while at the same time he must impress upon our Superman character that you can’t just punch away every problem. Poignant, hilarious, and relentlessly smart, Second Coming is a must-read comic.
Price: $9.99
Buy It Here: Second Coming, Vol. 1

Batman/Elmer Fudd Special #1
Writer: Tom King
Artist: Lee Weeks and Bryon Vaughns
Publisher: DC Comics
After a chance meeting with billionaire Bruce Wayne, Elmer Fudd’s obsession quickly escalates into stalking Batman through the dark alleys and high-class social settings of Gotham City. Welcome to Bat Season! And the bonus Looney Tunes backup story features DC characters written by Tom King and artwork by Byron Vaughns.
Why It’s Cool: DC Comics publishes a lot of Batman comics, and a good many of them just kind of roll off the mind, never to be thought of again. As wild as it sounds, 2017’s Batman/Elmer Fudd Special #1 is not one of those comics. Repurposing the classic Looney Tunes hunter into a denizen of Gotham City, this book takes its absurd premise so seriously that it transcends absurdism and becomes one of the best stand-alone Batman comic books in I don’t know how long. It’s a wonderful read that somehow combines two disparate franchises in a way that makes sense, creating as it does a standout story.
Price: $.84
Buy It Here: Batman/Elmer Fudd Special #1

No Longer Human, Vol. 1
Writers: Junji Ito and Osamu Dazai (original novel)
Artist: Junji Ito
Publisher: Viz
Mine has been a life of much shame. I can't even guess myself what it must be to live the life of a human being. Plagued by a maddening anxiety, the terrible disconnect between his own concept of happiness and the joy of the rest of the world, Yozo Oba plays the clown in his dissolute life, holding up a mask for those around him as he spirals ever downward, locked arm-in-arm with death. Osamu Dazai's immortal -- and supposedly autobiographical -- work of Japanese literature, is perfectly adapted here into a manga by Junji Ito. The imagery wrenches open the text of the novel one line at a time to sublimate Yozo's mental landscape into something even more delicate and grotesque. This is the ultimate in art by Ito, proof that nothing can surpass the terror of the human psyche.
Why It’s Cool: This book was actually on our recently-concluded Extra Eisner Reading List, on which we had critics and comics journalist from throughout the industry spotlight comics they thought deserved recognition this year, despite not having been nominated for an Eisner. Justin Patridge wrote about why this book was so worthy of more attention. Justin wrote, “Though this novel has been adapted a few times, across a few mediums now, I am absolutely comfortable with calling Ito’s version the superior one. It digs its claws into you and never once allows you to pause, taking you deeper and deeper into Oba’s feverish mind and deadly disconnection from humanity and reality. I might be a neophyte, but I know great, powerful art when I see it and No Longer Human is great, powerful, terrifying art.”
Price: $10.99
Buy It Here: No Longer Human, Vol. 1

Show’s End, Vol. 1
Writer: Anthony Cleveland
Artist: Jeferson Sadzinski
Publisher: Mad Cave Studios
Equal parts brutal and beautiful, Show's End takes place in Georgia during the 1920s and follows Loralye, a 12-year-old runaway seeking refuge with a traveling group of freak show performers. At first, she isn't welcomed for being too "ordinary." But what her newfound family doesn't know, is that Loralye is hiding a secret more freakish than anyone could ever imagine! Collects issues #1-5.
Why It’s Cool: Mad Cave Studios is a strong rising publisher and a favorite of ours around here, and one of its standout books so far has been Show’s End, a surprising and fascinating take on freak show performers in Georgia in the early 1900s. There are secrets and plot twists courtesy of writer Anthony Cleveland (who has another big book coming out soon via Mad Cave, Stargazer), and there is fantastic freak show art courtesy of artist Jeferson Sadzinski. If you’re looking for an entry point into what Mad Cave Studios is putting out, this book is a great chance to find that.
Price: $4.99
Buy It Here: Show’s End, Vol. 1

The Wrong Earth, Vol. 1
Writer: Tom Peyer
Artist: Jamal Igle
Publisher: Ahoy Comics
Collecting the smash-hit miniseries that launched AHOY Comics! On dark, gritty Earth-Omega, masked vigilante Dragonfly punishes evil maniacs and evades corrupt authorities. On sun-splashed Earth-Alpha, costumed crook-catcher Dragonflyman upholds the letter of the law. Now they're trapped on each other's worlds, where even the good guys don't share their values! This volume also collects all the original Stinger and Dragonflyman backup stories, plus extra behind-the-scenes features.
Why It’s Cool: I love the concept of this comic so much. Essentially, two different versions of the same superhero — one from a campy 1960s era, and another from a gritty 1980s deconstructionist era — switch earths, taking their opposite tones to differing environments. It’s a great take on superheroics that gets close to being satire or parody while at the same time preserving the joy and excitement inherent to the genre. If you haven’t read this book yet, now is your chance to change that, and you’re going to love it, I guarantee.
Price: $9.99
Buy It Here: Wrong Earth, Vol. 1

You can find our picks for the best books on comiXology Unlimited!

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