Top Comics to Buy for April 20, 2022
By Zack Quaintance — The Top Comics to Buy for April 20, 2022 list is a sort of rare thing, wherein four of our five books come from the Big 2. That just isn’t usually the case around here, but when you have series coming out like Catwoman - Lonely City and The Nice House on the Lake (both on our Best DC Comics of 2022 so far list), you have to pay them respect. You can find those, along with the rest of our picks, below…
Enjoy!
Top Comics to Buy for April 20, 2022
PICK OF THE WEEK
Catwoman: Lonely City #3
Writer/Artist/Letterer: Cliff Chiang
Publisher: DC Comics - Black Label
Catwoman had assembled the crew of a lifetime for her heist of the Batcave, and everything was going to plan-until it wasn't. When tragedy and disaster strike, she's got to find a way to land on her feet...but as her need for answers grows stronger and more desperate, she might be prepared to make a deal with the Devil himself...
Why It’s Cool: Simply put, this is the best comic that DC is publishing right now, a visionary take on Gotham City that makes it feel like a real, fully-realized place, albeit one set 10 years past any recognizable Batman story lines. Throw in an approach that I’ve been likening to The Dark Knight Returns, but for Catwoman and a wider cast of Bat-villains, all told by one of the best superhero creators in the industry, Cliff Chiang, and you’ve got just an incredible series. Catwoman — Lonely City #3 might be the best issue yet. I’ll have a full review up on the site tomorrow detailing why, but for now just trust me — you don’t want to miss this book.
Price: $6.99
Buy It Here: Digital
Read our review of Catwoman - Lonely City #1!
Batman and Superman: World’s Finest #2
Writer: Mark Waid
Artist: Dan Mora
Colorist: Tamra Bonvillain
Letterer: Aditya Bidikar
Publisher: DC Comics
The Man of Steel and the Dark Knight have arrived at the compound of Niles Caulder-the Chief in charge of that strange band of misfits known as the Doom Patrol-but all is not as it seems. While Batman works with Niles to cure Superman of his freakish transformations, a side mission to track a mysterious figure known as "the Demon" attracts the Dark Knight's attention...and moreover, it could have some connection to Superman's poisoning at the hands of Metallo! It's danger, intrigue, and the surprise appearance of Deadman in chapter two of World's Finest!
Why It’s Cool: Artist Dan Mora and colorist Tamra Bonvillain are just an outstanding team, and they’re perfectly suited to take up the grandiosity of a Batman and Superman team-up. They’re work — as precise as it is shiny — alternates perfectly between the bright motif of the Man of Tomorrow and the brooding of the Caped Crusader. Mark Waid’s scripting is also a blast in this second issue, playing up the know-it-all contest between Batman and Doom Patrol leader Niles Caulder (as well as an awkward relationship between Supergirl and Robin) for big laughs.
Price: $3.99
Buy It Here: Digital
Read our review of Batman and Superman - World’s Finest #1!
Captain America #0
Writers: Tochi Onyebuchi, Jackson Lanzing, and Colllin Kelly
Artist: Mattia De Iulis
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Publisher: Marvel Comics
When Arnim Zola launches a catastrophic attack on New York City, he meets his match - in Sam Wilson and Steve Rogers! In the explosive battle that follows, two Captain Americas prove better than one, and Sam and Steve decide they might just keep a good thing going...
Tochi Onyebuchi (BLACK PANTHER LEGENDS), Jackson Lanzing & Collin Kelly (KANG THE CONQUEROR) and Mattia De Iulis (THE MIGHTY VALKYRIES, INVISIBLE WOMAN) kick off an incredible new CAPTAIN AMERICA saga, and you won't want to miss what comes next!
Why It’s Cool: There’s always a special sort of energy in a prelude issue for a well-known Big 2 superhero’s next era, and this issue certainly captures that. It goes big, delivers a fun standalone adventure (heroes trounce villains), and at the same time manages to incorporate the thematic AND plot interests for not one but two series that are launching soon starring one of the two Captains America. It’s great stuff, and I enjoyed it quite a bit.
Price: $4.99
Buy It Here: Digital
Jonna and the Unpossible Monsters #9
Writers: Chris and Laura Samnee
Artist: Chris Samnee
Colorist: Matthew Wilson
Letterer: Crank!
Publisher: Oni Press
A new arc begins! After the incredible cliffhanger reveal from last issue, Rainbow and Jonna are reeling-what does it all mean?! The two sisters have come so very far in their search for their father, only to be met with lots of questions...and, as always, giant monsters! Can the girls escape the strange goopy tunnels they are in and find their dad? Plus: The secret origin of Gor and Nomi!
Why It’s Cool: This book has just been a kinetic, action-adventure comics storytelling feasts from its first issue on, and Jonna and the Unpossible Monsters #9 is no exception. It’s one of the chapters of this run so far that I think goes bigger on its visuals than the rest, and it’s an almost silent story where the visual storytelling does all the heavy lifting. It’s great stuff. This is also the start of a new arc, perfect if you’ve been reading the book in trade and want to jump to the single issues.
Price: $3.99
Buy It Here: Digital
The Nice House on the Lake #8
Writer: James Tynion IV
Artist: Álvaro Martínez Bueno
Colorist: Jordie Bellaire
Letterer: Andworld Design
Publisher: DC Comics - Black Label
With Walter living among his friends in the house, has the impossible happened? Have their lives actually...improved? Perhaps for some-but how are things going for the one housemate whose place Walter took?
Why It’s Cool: As regular readers of this site are no doubt aware, The Nice House on the Lake is one of my favorite comics, even taking home the title of my favorite book of 2021. This second arc has started off on an intentionally disorienting foot with The Nice House on the Lake #7. This issue clarifies things a bit, and it is, unsurprisingly, an excellent read that I continue to fervently recommend.
Price: $3.99
Buy It Here: Digital / Physical First Trade
Others Receiving Votes
Arrowsmith: Behind Enemy Lines #4
Batman: The Knight #4
Black Hammer Reborn #11
Blue and Gold #8
Earth Prime #2
The Flash #781
The Good Asian #10
Home Sick Pilots #14
Ice Cream Man #29
Land of the Living Gods #3
Refrigerator Full of Heads #6
Shang-Chi #11
Trail of the Amazons: Wonder Girl #2
Wolverine #20
New #1s and One-Shots
Collector Unit 731 #1
Doctor Strange: Nexus of Nightmares #1
John Carter of Mars #1
Magic: Hidden Planeswalker #1
The Secret History of the War on Weed #1
Star Trek: Ferengi One-Shot
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Armageddon Game Pre-Game #1 One-Shot
Transformers Beast Wars Vol. 2 Annual 2022
The Vampire Slayer #1
Trade Collections and Graphic Novels of Note
Another Castle TP New Edition
Black Panther Shuri & TChalla Into The Heartlands TP
Dune House Atreides Vol 3 HC
Ether Omnibus TP
Inferno HC
Infinite Frontier HC
Judge Dredd Blaze Of Glory TP
Projector And Elephant HC
We Only Kill Each Other TP
Windmaker Vol. 1 TP
Read more great graphic novel and comics reviews!
Zack Quaintance is a tech reporter by day and freelance writer by night/weekend. He has written about comics for The Beat and NPR Books, among others. He Tweets compulsively about storytelling and comics as Comics Bookcase.