Top Comics to Buy for July 8, 2020
By Zack Quaintance — With the holiday weekend behind us, many publishers are back this week with a full slate of books, or as close as a full slate as has been possible during this post-distribution stoppage COVID-19 era. That means a nice mix on our Top Comics to Buy for July 8, 2020, including a superhero book, a big creator-owned release from a pair of top-tier creators, and some new books from our favorite indie publishers.
We’ve got a full list of the top picks for the week below…enjoy!
Top Comics to Buy for July 8, 2020
PICK OF THE WEEK
Adventureman #2
Writer: Matt Fraction
Artist: Terry Dodson
Inker: Rachel Dodson
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Publisher: Image Comics
Price: $3.99
The mysterious disappearance of the original Adventureman gets a little more complicated when, in the modern era, single mom Claire Connell stumbles into his legacy. But with the adventuremantle come untold dangers from those who would seek to destroy it!
Why It’s Cool: Matt Fraction and Terry Dodson are a pair of truly top-tier monthly comics creators, and they’re teaming here to give us an ongoing series that blends metafiction with a mystery born out of homages to bygone pulp stories. What results is an intriguing and striking series, that lands in our top slot as the PICK OF THE WEEK with its second issue.
Buy It Digitally: Adventureman #2
Ash & Thorn #2
Writer: Mariah McCourt
Artist: Soo Lee
Colorist: Pippa Bowland
Letterer: Rob Steen
Publisher: Ahoy Comics
Price: $3.99
Continuing the epic tale of two little old ladies vs. the apocalypse! Now that Lottie has accepted her fate, she has to do what all Champions do: train to stop the demons that threaten to take over the Earth. By Mariah McCourt and Soo Lee with covers by Jill Thompson.
Why It’s Cool: I absolutely loved the first issue of Ash & Thorn, enjoying everything from the sense of humor to the concept to the way the book seemed to determine to both engage with and subvert tropes about the roles of older women in adventure stories. The book really continues to evolve in this second issue, setting into a comfortable and entertaining groove that deserves to find a large audience. Simply put, make sure you are reading this comic!
Buy It Digitally: Ash & Thorn
Doom Patrol: Weight of the Worlds #7
Writers: Gerard Way and Jeremy Lambert
Artist: Nick Derington
Inker: Michael Allred and Nick Derington
Colorist: Tamra Villain
Letterer: Simon Bowland
Publisher: DC Comics - Young Animal
Price: $3.99
Everyone needs to be held like a baby. Bundle yourself up, slide into the loving arms of a friend, and strap yourself in for the thrilling conclusion to Doom Patrol: Weight of the Worlds.
Why It’s Cool: With the big breaks between releases, it was easy to forget about Doom Patrol: Weight of the Worlds, until it crept up on us this week with a giant finale for a run that started all the way back in 2016 with Doom Patrol #1 and the launch of the Young Animal imprint. This issue is beautiful, bringing back the original series artists Nick Derington and Tamra Bonvillain, with some additional inks by all-time-great Michael Allred. Who knows when we’ll get another monthly Doom Patrol comic (if ever!), but it sure is nice to have these 20-some pages to enjoy this week.
Buy It Digitally: Doom Patrol Weight of the Worlds #7
Money Shot #6
Writer: Tim Seeley and Sarah Beattie
Artist: Rebekah Isaacs
Colorist: Kurt Michael Russell
Letterer: Crank!
Publisher: Vault Comics
Price: $3.99
The XXX-plorers embark on their second mission to a naughty world (that may have inspired the biblical Hell...or at the very least ripped it off). But whips, chains and spanks have nothing on the torture of STD testing! Meanwhile, a powerful romance rocks an alien empire to its core, with intimate consequences for our scientists-turned-porn-stars!
Why It’s Cool: Well, it’s happening — Vault Comics smutty sci-fi space adventure is back, bringing back its crew of XXX-plorers for a second mission (story arch!) after a first arc that elevated this book to among the most novel and singular in all of comics. The first volume of this series was so good, that it easily propels this start of the second arc to our Top Comics to Buy for July 8, 2020.
Buy It Digitally: Money Shot #6
No One’s Rose #3
Writers: Zac Thompson & Emily Horn
Artist: Alberto Albuquerque
Colorist: Raul Angulo
Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Publisher: Vault Comics
Price: $3.99
A snarled black blight takes root within the Green Zone. Dissent eats away at the Eco-Utopia and time is in decay. As the city they call home descends into chaos, siblings Tenn and Seren are both confronted with a monumental choice. Tenn grows desperate to reshape the past, while Seren tries to usher in a new future. But neither consider the devastating cost of change.
Why It’s Cool: Speaking of Vault Comics, No One’s Rose is one of our favorite new Vault books this year, combining as it does the dire circumstances of our ongoing climate crisis through a hopeful Solar Punk lens, creating a world and a story that are as complex and immersive as any book on the shelves today. What we especially like about this series so far is how the story has such a clear sense of building momentum, and we can’t wait to see where it’s all headed throughout the rest of this story arc.
Buy It Digitally: No One’s Rose #3
Other Comics Receiving Votes
Alienated #4
Archangel 8 #3
Batman: The Adventures Continue #2
Bitter Root #9
Detective Comics #1023
Finger Guns #3
Join the Future #3
Lois Lane #12
Oblivion Song #25
Something is Killing the Children #8
Stealth #3
Strange Academy #2
Usagi Yojimbo Color Classics #4
X-Force #10
Young Justice #12
New #1 Comics
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Willow #1
DCeased: Dead Planet #1
X-Men: God Loves Man Kills Extended Cut #1
Trade Paperbacks and Graphic Novels
Immortal Hulk, Vol. 2 HC
Writer: Al Ewing
Artist: Joe Bennett
Inker: Ruy Jose
Colorist: Paul Mounts
Letterer: Cory Petit
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price: $34.99
The Green Door is completely open and Hell has ascended in New Mexico. Now the ruler of Hell has come to collect. It whispers through many mouths. It destroys with many hands. Its only weapon is hate. It wears human souls like masks to work its will. But in the lowest hell, underneath all others, all the masks come off - and The One Below All is finally revealed! Bruce Banner belongs to him. But the Hulk...not even Hell is strong enough to stop his horrific anger. In another life Rick Jones was the Hulk's best friend. He was there on the fateful day the Hulk was born. When the Hulk was a mindless brute, Rick was the only one who believed in him. But now Rick is dead and his body has been exhumed and stolen! And the Immortal Hulk wants to know why. To find the answers he seeks, Bruce Banner will have to face roaming gamma experiments and a ruthless assassin out for his blood. And when the Immortal Hulk is depowered it may be time for the return of Joe Fix-It! The fan-favorite run that's redefining Hulk mythos gets even more intense! Collecting IMMORTAL HULK (2018) #11-20.
Why It’s Cool: If you’re read this website frequently or if you follow me on Twitter, you know that Immortal Hulk is the single best thing happening in all of superhero comics. Now, it’s getting its second hardcover collection for your shelf, collecting the series #11 - #20. Obviously, the comics in this volume are excellent, but the question becomes…what format do you want to own these comics in? There’s almost certainly going to be an omnibus at some point, but for my money, these 10-issue hardcovers are the best and most manageable format, and so I can’t recommend this book more.
Buy It Digitally: Immortal Hulk Collections
Eight-Lane Runaways HC (read our review!)
Flash #750 Deluxe Edition HC
Justice League of America by Brad Meltzer Deluxe Edition HC
Killadelphia Vol. 1 TP
Marauders Vol. 1 TP
Supergirl: Being Super TP New Edition
Time 01 HC
Undiscovered Country Vol. 1 TP
See our past top comics to buy here, and check out our reviews archive here.
Zack Quaintance is a tech reporter by day and freelance writer by night/weekend. He Tweets compulsively about storytelling and comics as Comics Bookcase.