By Zack Quaintance — The Top Comics to Buy for February 23 have a great set of non-superhero comics leading the way, starting (for my money) with Saga #56. I’ll elaborate on this tomorrow in my Saga #56 review, but I remain just so happy that this book is back. It’s a tentpole monthly comic for me, one that keeps me coming back to my LCS each week. But it’s far from the only great title on the list this week.

Check out all our selections below…enjoy!

Top Comics to Buy for February 23, 2022

PICK OF THE WEEK
Saga #56
Writer: Brian K. Vaughan
Artist: Fiona Staples
Letterer: Fonografiks
Publisher: Image Comics
Everyone mourns in their own way. The most emotional epic in comics continues.
Why It’s Cool: Like I say all the time, Saga is my favorite comic, and I thought that Saga #55 was just an absolutely perfect return for the series (read my full Saga #55 review). After waiting three years and change for the first new issue of this book in I don’t know how long, it hadn’t really sunk in last month that we’d be getting new issues monthly. Yet, here we are. Saga remains back, capturing once again my pick of the week designation.
Price: $2.99
Buy It Here: Saga #56
Get Caught Up: Three Ways to Read Saga

Department of Truth #16
Writer: James Tynion IV
Artist: Alison Sampson
Colorist: Jordie Bellaire
Letterer: Aditya Bidikar
Publisher: Image Comics
Turn on, tune in, and drop out as ALISON SAMPSON (HIT-GIRL IN INDIA) enlists with the Department of Truth for a mind-altering dive into designer hallucinogens, MKUltra, and Lee Harvey Oswald’s true motivations behind unlocking the hidden power of the human mind. The Eisner-nominated series continues its history-shattering guest arc here!
Why It’s Cool: Guest artist Alison Sampson does an amazing Ralph Steadman homage in this issue that fittingly deals with the culture and tumult of the late 1960s and early 1970s. I remain consistently impressed with how this series is using guest artists not just to spell Martin Simmonds but to actually enhance in places the content of the individual chapters. Really well done, and this issue is no exception.
Price: $3.99
Buy It Here: Department of Truth #16

Ghost Rider #1
Writer: Benjamin Percy
Artist: Cory Smith
Colorist: Bryan Valenza
Letterer: Travis Lanham
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Johnny Blaze has the perfect life: a wife and two kids, a job at an auto repair shop and a small-town community that supports him... But Johnny isn't doing well. He has nightmares of monsters when he sleeps. And he sees bloody visions when he's awake. This life is beginning to feel like a prison. And there's a spirit in him that's begging to break out! Benjamin Percy (WOLVERINE, X-FORCE) and Cory Smith (CONAN THE BARBARIAN, CAPTAIN MARVEL) are going back to basics with the Spirit of Vengeance in this extra-sized first issue!
Why It’s Cool: I’ll be totally honest here, I didn’t have high expectations for this book going into it. I don’t know why, I enjoy the work of the creators involved, but recent takes on Ghost Rider have just felt somewhat devoid of anything new or interesting. This comic, however, really blew me away, and by the time I was done reading it, I was wondering if we weren’t due for some kind of new Marvel imprint, maybe one that uses this issue as a blueprint for horror-based superhero storytelling.
Price: $5.99
Buy It Here: Ghost Rider #1

Radio Apocalypse #2
Writer: Ram V.
Artist: Anand RK
Colorist: Anisha
Letterer: Aditya Bidikar
Publisher: Vault Comics
As refugees from Kinscreek seek to undertake the perilous journey to the settlement at Bakers Town, The Daytripper must carry their missives while daylight still lingers in the sky. But the wastelands that lie in between can be a dangerous place. So come traverse the desolate places with Rufus and Crow on a two-wheel road-trip with Radio Apocalypse for company.
Why It’s Cool: At this point, any comics that Ram V. and Anand RK make are must-buys for me, and as I wrote when it came out, Radio Apocalypse #1 was absolutely electric. The most stylish ending of the world continues here in this second chapter, and it’s an absolute must-read comic.
Price: $3.99
Buy It Here: Radio Apocalypse #2

Step By Bloody Step #1
Writer: Si Spurrier
Artist: Matías Bergara
Colorist: Matheus Lopes
Graphic Design: Emma Price
Publisher: Image Comics
An armored giant and a helpless child. Together they cross an astonishing world brimming with beasts, bandits, and—deadliest by far—civilizations… If they stop walking, the earth itself forces them onwards. WHY? The child can’t ask. She and her guardian have no language, no memory, nothing—except each other. Multiple-Eisner nominees SI SPURRIER (X-Men), MATÍAS BERGARA (Coda), and MATHEUS LOPES (Supergirl) present a watershed moment in modern comics: four double-length chapters of a bittersweet fantasy opus, completely text free.
Let’s take a walk.
Why It’s Cool: For a full run down on this book’s coolness, check out Steve Baxi’s advanced review of Step By Bloody Step #1. But basically, this is a silent fantasy comic that impresses on all levels, from the stunning artwork to the storytelling chops to the designs of the interesting characters. This one is a must-buy.
Price: $4.99
Buy It Here: Step by Bloody Step #1

Others Receiving Votes

Action Comics #1040
Aquaman / Green Arrow Deep Target #5
Black Hammer Reborn #9
Dark Ages #5
Dark Interlude #3
House of Slaughter #5
Human Target #5
Iron Man #17
Joy Operations #4
Killadelphia #19
Monstress #37
The Rush #4
Two Moons #10
Usagi Yojimbo: Lone Goat and Kid #2
We Ride Titans #2

New #1s and One-Shots

All-New Firefly #1
Aquamen #1
Carnage Forever #1 (One-Shot)
Heathen Vault Reserve Edition #1
Killer Affairs of State #1
Rockstar and Soft Boy #1
Supermassive #1
Transformers War’s End #1

Trade Collections and Graphic Novels of Note

Batman: The Imposter HC
Blacks Myth TP
Eve TP
Ice Cream Man Vol. 7 Certain Descents TP
Not All Robots TP
Olympia HC
Putin’s Russia: Rise of a Dictator GN
Quiet Thoughts HC
Reign of X Vol. 9 TP
Snow Angels 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 Tweets compulsively about storytelling and comics as Comics Bookcase.