Best comiXology sales: Weekend of May 15, 2020
By Zack Quaintance — It’s another week of quarantine, at least where I live in Washington, D.C., where the curve of new COVID-19 infections is yet to really start flattening. As a result, our full shelter-in-place order has now been extended through June 8. So, that’s an unpleasant bit of business. But the good news is that there’s another great set of comiXology sales available this weekend! And we’ve once again combed through them to pick some of the best values and overlooked hidden gems…
Enjoy!
Best comiXology Sales - Weekend of May 15
Batman: Ego and Other Tails Deluxe Edition
Writer: Darwyn Cooke
Artist: Darwyn Cooke
Publisher: DC Comics
A collection of pulse-pounding stories of the Dark Knight, Catwoman and more of Gotham’s finest. Featuring Darwyn Cooke’s unique visions of Batman and Catwoman, now available as a Deluxe Edition hardcover!
Why It’s Cool: Yesterday marked the four-year anniversary of the passing of legendary comics writer/artist Darwyn Cooke, one of the greatest creators to ever tell stories in the industry. At the same time, Cooke’s work Batman: Ego is on sale now, making now the perfect time to bliss out on Cooke’s work while honoring the legacy of the late-great creator. This volume has Batman on the cover (always a shrewd marketing move), but the book features stories about other as well, including Catwoman, who is a signature character among Cooke’s DC Comics work.
Price: $6.79
Link: Click here!
Conan The Barbarian Vol. 1: The Life and Death of Conan Book One
Writer: Jason Aaron
Artist: Mahmud A. Asrar
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Collects Conan the Barbarian (2019) #1-6. The greatest sword-and-sorcery hero of all returns to Marvel! From an age undreamed…hither came Conan the Cimmerian, black-haired, sullen-eyed, sword in hand, a thief, a reaver, a slayer, with gigantic melancholies and gigantic mirth, to tread the jeweled thrones of the Earth under his sandaled feet. Conan's travels have brought him to the far reaches of the unknown, from his birthplace in Cimmeria to the kingdom of Aquilonia and all in between. But as his fighting prowess lets him carve his way through life, so too does it attract the forces of death! And few are more deadly than the Crimson Witch. Robert E. Howard's legendary barbarian stars in an all-new ages-spanning saga as the destiny of Conan — and King Conan — are forever changed!
Why It’s Cool: Marvel Comics recently reacquired the license to make Conan The Barbarian comics, and they handed the keys of the classic character to writer Jason Aaron, who himself has recently concluded an all-time great run on another fearsome character, Thor. The first volume of Aaron’s Conan run is now on-sale this week, enabling readers who missed out in singles (including myself) to catch up for less than the price of a new issue.
Price: $3.39
Link: Click here!
Daredevil by Chip Zdarsky Vol. 1: Know Fear
Writer: Chip Zdarsky
Artist: Marco Checchetto
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Collects Daredevil (2019) #1-5. The next chapter in the ever-surprising saga of Daredevil! After a brush with death, Matt Murdock must piece together his shattered life — and that includes returning to action as Daredevil! But years of trauma have taken their toll, and becoming the guardian of Hell's Kitchen he once was won't be easy. Mistakes will be made along the way — and this time, one might actually prove to be the end of him. Because when a criminal dies, and Daredevil takes the blame, Matt must go on the run in a desperate bid to clear his name! But even he can't outrun judgment forever. And with DD's absence from Hell's Kitchen, the real devils can come out to play.
Why It’s Cool: So yes, as mentioned above new comics are coming back. Both DC and Marvel have had new digital releases of late (and DC has even shipped some new physical books for the few shops that are open and able to order). By the end of the month, most publishers will be shipping new product again as they roll toward reaching full strength in June. This is all a means of pointing out that if you’ve been sleeping on some great current runs, now is a good time to catch up, and you could do a whole lot worse than getting into Chip Zdarsky and Marco Checchetto’s current Daredevil run, which is just excellent. For $2.54, you can read the first six issues now.
Price: $2.54
Link: Click here!
Dreadstar: The Beginning
Writer: Jim Starlin
Artist: Jim Starlin
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Jim Starlin's Magnum Opus - Dreadstar - goes back to the beginning as three complete masterpieces are collected here for the very first time! Containing Metamorphosis Odyssey, The Price and Dreadstar: the Graphic Novel - all fully painted by Starlin - are presented here in one definitive collection - fully re-mastered and ready to command a new legion of fans! The Metamorphosis Odyssey was first published in Epic Illustrated #1-9 (initially in black and white, later transitioning into full color) in the late 1970s and told the story of an immortal mystic named Aknaton, whose Osirosian race was the ancestor of all humanoid life in the Milky Way galaxy. The second part of the Metamorphosis Odyssey was originally an Eclipse graphic novel called The Price that told the story of the magician-priest Syzygy Darklock and his rise to power within the Church of the Instrumentality. The third part of the Metamorphosis Odyssey was the Marvel graphic novel Dreadstar originally published in 1982 and featured the return of Vanth Dreadstar! Now, all three parts are combined into one volume.
Why It’s Cool: Jim Starlin has made some of the best cosmic comics of all time. I mean, the man created Thanos, who currently is the world’s favorite giant purple space villain. With impressive as his resume has been at the Big 2, his opus is really another, perhaps lesser-known character — Dreadstar. And you know what? Dreadstar is getting a new book on Kickstarter now. At the same time, the start of the character’s story is on-sale right now, and there’s never been a better time to check it out.
Price: $6.74
Link: Click here!
One-Punch Man Vol. 1
Writer: ONE
Artist: Yusuke Murata
Publisher: Viz
Nothing about Saitama passes the eyeball test when it comes to superheroes, from his lifeless expression to his bald head to his unimpressive physique. However, this average-looking guy has a not-so-average problem-he just can't seem to find an opponent strong enough to take on! Every time a promising villain appears, he beats the snot out of 'em with one punch! Can Saitama finally find an opponent who can go toe-to-toe with him and give his life some meaning? Or is he doomed to a life of superpowered boredom?
Why It’s Cool: It’s hard to occupy any sort of comics or comics adjacent space without having heard of One Punch Man, a manga and anime that is essentially a parody of whole giant subsect of magna and anime, perhaps most famously Dragonball Z. In short, this is a fun manga about giant city-shaking fights, given a hilarious ennui energy for a main character who’s just too darned powerful. It’s a fun one to check out, whether you’re experienced with manga or looking for a way in.
Price: $4.99
Link: Click here!
Sheriff of Babylon: Deluxe Edition
Writer: Tom King
Artist: Mitch Gerads
Publisher: DC Comics - Vertigo
Inspired by his real-life experiences as a CIA operations officer in Iraq, writer Tom King teams with artist Mitch Gerads—the creative team behind the critically acclaimed Mister Miracle—to deliver a wartime crime thriller like no other. THE SHERIFF OF BABYLON: THE DELUXE EDITION collects all 12 issues of the groundbreaking Vertigo series. This special hardcover volume also features a new introduction by King and afterword by Gerads, as well as a gallery of preliminary artwork from Gerads and cover artist John Paul Leon.
Why It’s Cool: One of the last great series to be published by DC Comics’ iconic Vertigo imprint, Sheriff of Babylon is written by Tom King, who has now risen up to become a superstar comic book writer with his work on Mister Miracle and Batman. At the time this was published, however, King was still just an ex-CIA agent who was rising in comics. Just. This is perhaps his most autobiographical comic, telling similar stories to those he has translated through a superhero lens, but doing so within the context of reality. It also sees King team for the first time with artist Mitch Gerads, who has since gone on to become King’s most frequent and critically-lauded collaborator. Also, I recommend reading this one now, because it really feels like there could be a TV/film announcement related to this comic any day now…
Price: $6.79
Link: Click here!
Superman: Secret Identity
Writer: Kurt Busiek
Artist: Stuart Immonen
Publisher: DC Comics
In this critically acclaimed work from writer Kurt Busiek (ASTRO CITY) and artist Stuart Immonen (Ultimate X-Men), an alternate "Clark Kent" encounters complications the real Superman never had to handle: a career, a wife, children-a real life. Despite his iconic name, Clark Kent from Picketsville, Kansas, is just a normal kid whose parents thought they were being clever. He can't fly, or see through walls, or shrug off speeding bullets-that is, until the day he can. And it's all much harder than it looks in the comics. Follow Clark across the decades as this man with powers tries to prove he can make the world a safer place without sacrificing everything.
Why It’s Cool: This is a Superman story set in our real world, where a main character who just happens to be named Clark Kent has grown up reading Superman comics…and then he starts to experience them in his real life. This is perhaps the most accessible Superman story ever told. It’s the one I tend to give any of my friends, even those who don’t especially enjoy superhero comics. For anyone who does, it’s also a must-read, foundational story from two of the greatest creators in the industry.
Price: $5.09
Link: Click here!
Also, checkout the Best Comics 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.