By Zack Quaintance — Oddly enough, the Top Comics to Buy for May 26, 2021 list is one that I’ve been excited to write for some time, basically dating back to the day I had a chance to read The Blue Flame #1. This new book — from Christopher Cantwell and Adam Gorham — is one of the best new #1 comics I’ve read all year, unlike any other story I’ve experienced of late. I’m excited to write this list to hopefully direct other people to it, and I’m excited for release day to come because it gets us closer to the next issue.

Learn a bit more (full review coming later this week!) about why I like the book below, alongside the write-ups of my other favorite comics for Wednesday…enjoy!

Top Comics to Buy for May 26, 2021

PICK OF THE WEEK
The Blue Flame #1
Writer: Christopher Cantwell
Artist: Adam Gorham
Colorist: Kurt Michael Russell
Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Publisher: Vault Comics
THE BLUE FLAME is a cosmic hero. The Blue Flame is a DIY vigilante that fights crime on the streets of Milwaukee. The Blue Flame is a blue collar HVAC repairman named SAM BRAUSAM. In the wake of a horrific tragedy, the boundaries of the Blue Flame’s identity blur even further. Now, before a universal trial, the Blue Flame must prove that humanity is worth saving. But in order to do that, Sam Brausam has to save himself. Can he?
Why It’s Cool: As I said above, I’m going to have a full review of this comic later in the week (so check back!), but I can tell you now that it will be getting the first 10/10 score that we’ve awarded all year. It really is that good, equal parts immersive and mysterious, this first issue is a complex read in which the creative team expertly wields ambiance and tone. It also has the best ending of any new #1 comic that I’ve read all year, and I haven’t stopped thinking about what comes next since I put it down more than a month ago. Just stellar work by all involved.
Price: $3.99
Buy It Here: The Blue Flame #1

Black Panther #25
Writer: Ta-Nehisi Coates
Artists: Daniel Acuña and Brian Steelfreeze
Colorists: Daniel Acuña and Laura Martin
Letterer: Joe Sabino
Publisher: Marvel Comics
THE FINAL ISSUE OF TA-NEHISI COATES' LANDMARK RUN! It's the end of an era for the Black Panther as renowned writer Ta-Nehisi Coates concludes his Wakandan epic! Over four years, Coates has taken the Black Panther to hell and back and expanded Wakanda into the distant stars. Now, in his final issue, he brings T'Challa full circle, back to the home he left behind - and the crown he has never fully accepted. This is the story of a king who sought to be a hero, a hero who was reduced to a slave, a slave who advanced into legend - and the man who has struggled to hold up an empire in his bare hands. The journey will conclude, but the legend remains. Don't miss the close of a historic epoch in comic history!
Why It’s Cool: Throughout writer Ta-Nehisi Coates’ run on Black Panther, the stories have had an almost mythical, abstract quality to them, a sense of complex allegory. This has been especially true of the book’s most recent storytelling that has seen T’Challa plunged into deep space, complete with galactic warfare and afro-futurism. Now, the entire narrative comes to an end in this over-sized finale, which sees artist Brian Steelfreeze return to the book after drawing the first issue as well as the first year’s covers.
Price: $5.99
Buy It Here: Black Panther #25

Haha #5
Writer: W. Maxwell Prince
Artist: Gabriel Hernandez Walta
Letterer: Good Old Neon
Publisher: Image Comics
“POUND FOOLISH MAKES A CASSEROLE”
Every house is a haunted house, from the kitchen to the attic.
This funny-haha anthology of dejected jesters takes a trip to the grocery store, with art by Eisner winner GABRIEL WALTA.
Why It’s Cool: This book has been amazing since it started, but I think this might be its best issue yet. Haha #5 is a comic that works both as a standalone, self-contained story about a young boy trying to fit in and retired circus clown reflecting on her life, as well as another piece of the larger mosaic that this book and its sister series Ice Cream Man have been painting around the fear and loneliness that has become inherent to modern life. And it’s all illustrated by Gabriel Hernandez Walta, one of the towering talents in monthly comics. I recommend picking this book up even if you’ve never before read an issue of Ice Cream Man or Haha.
Price: $3.99
Buy It Here: Haha #5

Made In Korea #1
Writer: Jeremy Holt
Artist: George Schall
Letterer: Adam Wollet
Publisher: Image Comics
A QUICKSTART GUIDE FOR YOUR PROXY
STEP 1: Remove box.
STEP 2: Power on.
STEP 3: Raise your child.
For Jesse, the world’s first true A.I. system, growing up means learning to think outside the box. This exciting new six-issue miniseries will redefine what it means to be a family in an age when biological parenthood is no longer a reality.
Why It’s Cool: I looked at the name and the cover art of this book, and decided to go in blind without reading anything about its concept or looking at a single preview. I came away absolutely enthralled with this book, a character-driven contemplation of parenthood, artificial intelligence, and the trajectory of humanity as a species. With a manageable six-issue length, I’m very excited to follow this series and all that it has to say about the above.
Price: $3.99
Buy It Here: Made in Korea #1

Milestone Returns: Infinite Edition #0
Writer: Reginald Hudlin
Artists: ChrisCross, Denys Cowan, Jim Lee, Nikolas Draper-Ivey, and more
Colorists: Nikolas Draper-Ivy, Chris Sotomayor, and more
Letterer: Andworld Design
Publisher: DC Comics - Milestone
At long last - the return of the legendary Milestone Comics imprint has kicked into high gear! This jumping-on point one-shot features twenty-four all-new pages chronicling the events of the Big Bang - the police-brutality protest gone wrong that changed the face of the city of Dakota forever, by unleashing a wave of superpowers across its population! As the world watches, a bullied teenager will become the hero known as STATIC… a framed scientist will go on the run as the superweapon HARDWARE… and a stranded alien will meet an ambitious young woman who will transform his life, and remake the pair as the all-powerful ICON & ROCKET!
Why It’s Cool: The return of Milestone at DC Comics has been simmering forever, but it’s finally here. And it is excellent. This teaser for the line has been available digitally for a while, with a physical edition finally hitting shops this week. It’s essentially a sampling of the various books that will make up the Milestone line, brought forth mostly by the artists (new and returning) who will be making them. It’s a great read on its own, made even better by the 2021 vision laid out for these stories.
Price: $4.99
Buy It Here: Milestone Returns - Infinite Edition #0

Others Receiving Votes

Action Comics #1031
Batman Superman #18
Beta Ray Bill #3
Bitter Root #13
Department of Truth #9
Detective Comics #1036
Harley Quinn #3
Helm Greycastle #2
I Breathed A Body #5
Monstress #34
Old Guard: Tales Through Time #2
Robin #2
Two Moons #4
Witchblood #3
X-Men #20

New #1s and One-Shots

Heroes Reborn: Magneto and the Mutant Force #1
Heroes Reborn: Siege Society #1
Heroes Reborn: Young Squadron #1
Mister Miracle: The Source of Freedom #1
Reptil #1
Stargirl: Spring Break Special #1
Star Wars Adventures: Weapon of a Jedi #1
Taarna Vol. 2, #1
Witcher: Witch’s Lament #1
Zig Zag One-Shot

Graphic Novels and Trade Collections of Note

Chartwell Manor GN
Dawn of X TP Vol. 16
Fictional Father TP
Finder: Chase The Lady TP
Onion Skin GN
Sprite and the Gardener HC

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.