By Zack Quaintance — So, I didn’t realize this until I sat down with my advanced review comics, but this week has what are probably my two favorite ongoing monthly comics right now (although that’s liable to change by the hour): Saga (naturally…even when it hurts me), and my pick for one of the two best comics last year, The Department of Truth. That’s a pretty excellent duo to start a week with, but that’s not all that’s on the Top Comics to Buy for March 23, 2022 list (obviously)…as always, you can find the full set of recommendations below.

Enjoy!

Top Comics to Buy for March 23, 2022

PICK OF THE WEEK
The Department of Truth #17
Writer: James Tynion IV
Artist: Jorge Fornes
Colorist: Jordie Bellaire
Letterer: Aditya Bidikar
Publisher: Image Comics
END OF STORY ARC
The third arc of Eisner-nominated THE DEPARTMENT OF TRUTH concludes here, as breakout star JORGE FORNES (Rorschach) joins the team to reveal the long-awaited secrets behind one of the biggest conspiracy theories of all time. Strap in, folks: Richard Nixon has a moon landing to fake.
Why It’s Cool: I absolutely love regular series artist Martin Simmonds’ work on this book, but this current art — which is all guest artists — has certainly been no slouch. This last issue, in fact, has one of my favorite artists in all of comics right now: Jorge Fornes (colored to perfection by Jordie Bellaire). This deep-run issue does a great job of reminding/clarifying the central concept of this book, which still remains a vibrant framework for great stories. Also, the final two pages here? Just superb, a reminder (that I really didn’t need because I haven’t forgot) of why this is one of the best books in comics.
Price: $3.99
Buy It Here: Digital

Ghost Cage #1
Writers: Caleb Goellner & Nick Dragotta
Artist: Nick Dragotta
Letterer/Designer: Rus Wooton
Publisher: Image Comics
The highly anticipated follow-up project from critically lauded EAST OF WEST artist NICK DRAGOTTA!This ALL-NEW, EXTRA-LENGTH LIMITED SERIES teams artistic dynamo DRAGOTTA with rising-star writer CALEB GOELLNER (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: New Animated Adventures). When his megacorp power plant falls under attack by terrorists, the super-scientist who revolutionized and controls all energy on Earth sends his ultimate creation (and an adequate employee) in to destroy his most monstrous secrets.
Why It’s Cool: If you haven’t read Keigen Rea’s full review of this one yet (link below), please do. It’s all covered in there. As Keigen writes, “Nick Dragotta is a witch and Ghost Cage #1 is magic.” It’s all true. The book is incredibly clever and charming and probably funnier than you expect. Oh, and the art is just phenomenal.
Price: $5.99
Buy It Here: Digital
Read our full review!

Human Target #6
Writer: Tom King
Artist: Greg Smallwood
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Publisher: DC Comics
"The most acclaimed book of the year continues!
After a tragic confrontation leaves a Justice Leaguer dead, Christopher Chance, the Human Target, is one step closer to solving his own murder...but also one step closer to his own grave. With only six days left, can he find the truth through webs of lies?"
Why It’s Cool: One of the most gorgeous comics on the stand, Human Target has seen artist Greg Smallwood using a pop art, noir pastiche to tell a really compelling mystery story in comics, scripted by Tom King, who is deploying a fantastic proxy of an Old Hollywood hard-boiled detective narrative voice. The first half of the book concludes here (with a break between now and I believe October), and boy does it wrap up with one hell of a big reveal.
Price: $4.99
Buy It Here: Digital

Rogues #1
Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artist: Leomacs
Colorist: Matheus Lopes
Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Publisher: DC Comics - Black Label
Ten years ago, the Rogues disbanded and went their separate ways. But time hasn’t been kind to the former blue-collar super-criminals. Caught in an endless cycle of prison, rehab, dead-end jobs, broken relationships, probation, and endless restitution fees, the Rogues are sick of paying for their crimes. Luckily, Captain Cold has a plan. One last job that will leave them all richer than their wildest dreams and free from their past…if they can survive. This is the Rogues as you’ve never seen them before, reimagined by the incredible talents of master storytellers Leomacs (Basketful of Heads) and Joshua Williamson (Batman, The Flash, Infinite Frontier). DC Black Label presents Rogues, a neo-noir heist that will make your blood run cold.
Why It’s Cool: Look, one thing I just love is when people use tropes from other genres to tell excellent stories with familiar superhero characters. This book is to a crew heist as Human Target is to a hard-boiled noir. And like Human Target, it’s found the pitch-perfect artist to capture its themes and tones, with Leomacs loose, sort of worn style a perfect choice for this tale about the Flash’s rogues. Where this book stands apart, though, is that the characterization will feel familiar to fans of DC continuity. Whereas something like Human Target takes liberties with its starring characters, this one features versions of Captain Cold, Gold Glider, etc., fitting the genre around them. I enjoyed it quite a bit, and it makes me hopeful we’ll see more DC books via Black Label that have obscure starring characters.
Price: $6.99
Buy It Here: Digital

Saga #57
Writer: Brian K. Vaughan
Artist: Fiona Staples
Letterer: Fonografiks
Publisher: Image Comics
Long-term relationships are easy? LYING.
Why It’s Cool: Finally, we get to my favorite comic, Saga. As I’ve written in my reviews (links below), I’ve really enjoyed the return of the book, at least the first two parts of the new arc anyway. It just seems to me like, oh hey they took so long to bring this back because they wanted to make sure it was good. What a concept. Anyway, with a cover that features The Will (I hate that guy) and Lying Cat, we may be in for a different sort of focus in this issue, although they will almost certainly pick right up from the cliffhanger at the end of Saga #56.
Price: $2.99
Buy It Here: Digital
Read my Saga #55 review!
Read my Saga #56 review!

Others Receiving Votes

Action Comics #1041
Aquaman/Green Arrow - Deep Target #6
Black Hammer Reborn #10
Detective Comics #1058
Devil’s Reign: X-Men #3
Hyperthick #3
Iron Man #18
Joy Operations #5
Killadelphia #20
Lion and the Eagle #2
Monstress #38
My Bad #5
Robin #12
Shang-Chi #10
Task Force Z #6

New #1s and One-Shots

Armorclads #1
Beyond the Beyond #1
Count Crowley Amateur Midnight Monster Hunter #1
Demon Days: Blood Feud #1
Fantastic Four: Reckoning War Alpha #1 (One-Shot)
Godzilla vs. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #1
Stranger Things Kamchatka #1
Trial of the Amazons: Wonder Girl #1
Venom: Lethal Protector #1
We Have Demons #1 (read our review!)
Wolverine Patch #1

Trade Collections and Original Graphic Novels

The Batman Box Set
BPRD Hell On Earth Vol 4 TP
Chivalry HC
Daredevil By Chip Zdarsky To Heaven Through Hell Vol 2 HC
EC Archives Tales From The Crypt Vol 2 TP
My Badly Drawn Life HC
Our Little Secret HC
Sort Of Super TP
Usagi Yojimbo (IDW) Vol 3 Tengu War 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.