By Zack Quaintance — Ah, hear that? It’s the sound of me being significantly less stressed now that my Kickstarter campaign for Next Door has ended and I’ve had an entire three-day weekend to decompress, go hiking, and even read comics for the better part of an entire day. It’s been a nice recovery process. Now, I’m back with the Top Comics to Buy for September 9, 2020, which is essentially a set of superhero books (unusual for this feature) along with my favorite comic period, Ice Cream Man.

Enjoy!

Top Comics to Buy for September 9, 2020

PICK OF THE WEEK
Ice Cream Man - Quarantine Comix #1
Writers: W. Maxwell Prince, Al Ewing, Christopher Cantwell, Deniz Camp
Artists: Martin Morazzo, Artyom Topilin, Declan Shalvey, Eoin Marron, PJ Holden, and more
Colorist: Christopher O’Halloran
Letterer: Aditya Bidikar
Publisher: Image Comics
In the early days of the pandemic, the team behind ICE CREAM MAN launched an online-only series of mini-comics set in the ICM universe. The project was called, predictably, QUARANTINE COMIX. These strange little ditties were meant to tide folks over while the industry was on pause—and also raise money for struggling comic shops, with 50 percent of all proceeds donated to Comicbook United Fund/BINC. Collected are all six issues of QUARANTINE COMIX, featuring brand-new cover art and bonus stories by guest creators. And, as before, 50 percent of Image's creator profits will go to Comicbook United to help stores get back on their feet—because comic shops are sweet.
Why It’s Cool: We read these comics as they came out originally during the quarantine, when they were coming out weekly and sending money to charities that support comic shops and independent bookstores. Now, those stories have been compiled into this anthology, with proceeds continuing to go toward charities. Oh, and all of the stories within this book are set with the sensibilities of my favorite ongoing comic book right now — Ice Cream Man.
Price: $5.99
Buy It Here: Ice Cream Man - Quarantine Comix Special #1

Dark Nights: Death Metal - Trinity Crisis #1
Writer: Scott Snyder
Artist: Francis Manapul
Colorist: Ian Herring
Letterer: Tom Napolitano
Publisher: DC Comics
With Superman freed from his New Apokolips prison, the classic Trinity lineup is reunited and ready to rock! Wonder Woman, Batman, and Superman amp up their power to launch an assault on Castle Bat, and that’s just the warm-up act! Three walking nightmares are hidden deep inside the fortress-but these Dark Multiverse versions of the Anti-Monitor, Superboy Prime, and Darkseid hold the key to humanity’s survival. The Justice League have to face down their old nemeses, but will round two be the end for our heroes?
Why It’s Cool: I’ve been pretty into Dark Nights: Death Metal from the start, and one of the big reasons why is because it’s been teasing an idea about the big DC Comics heroes exploring something called Crisis Energy. Well, not to give too much away here, but this is the issue where we start to directly dive further into that, and there’s also plenty of the breakout Justice League character of recent memory — Jarro.
Price: $5.99
Buy It Here: Dark Nights - Death Metal Trinity Crisis #1

Empyre Aftermath: Avengers #1
Writer: Al Ewing
Artist: Valerio Schiti
Colorist: Marte Gracia
Letterer: Ariana Maher
Publisher: Marvel Comics
The end of EMPYRE begins a new age for the Marvel Universe! In the aftermath of the cosmic conflict, the forces gather one last time... but why? And at whose bidding? New bonds will be forged, new families will be founded, and there’s a new role waiting for Earth... but new destinies bring new dangers – and new enemies! Welcome to the new Marvel Space Age, true believer – hope you survive the experience!
Why It’s Cool: Sometimes I feel like I’d be cool just skipping to the aftermath of a Big 2 event story, although Empyre has had some really fun crossovers. Anyway! Now we get the aftermath issue, one of those books in comics that sort of takes stock of what just happened in a giant story, looks at where it left everyone, and then drops some seeds for what is to come next. This one turned out really well, a nice thing to savor before moving on to X of Swords, the Marvel thing I’m looking forward to the most this year.
Price: $4.99
Buy It Here: Empyre Aftermath - Avengers #1

The Flash #761
Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artist: Howard Porter
Colorist: Hi-Fi
Letterer: Steve Wands
Publisher: DC Comics
“Finish Line” part three! It’s the Flash Family versus the Legion of Zoom! Witness the biggest battle in Flash history as the two sides go head-to-head for the fate of the future! Can the Flash stop the unstoppable Reverse-Flash from dragging him down into a personal hell Barry Allen can never escape?!
Why It’s Cool: Quite frankly, writer Joshua Williamson and his artist collaborators have just been killing the run-up to the finale of his long run on The Flash, pulling in so many pieces of the characters mythos as it weaves together so many story beats that have been inconspicuously sprinkled in these comics throughout the years. I don’t want to give too much away here (even though the book is out today), but fans of The Flash Family will continue to be very pleased by what they’re getting in this book.
Price: $3.99
Buy It Here: The Flash #761

Join the Future #5
Writer: Zack Kaplan
Artist: Piotr Kowalski
Colorist: Brad Simpson
Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Publisher: AfterShock Comics
The Future. A high noon showdown between country vs city, independence vs technology, and individual vs society. Clementine is the sole remaining resident of Franklin, and the only thing standing in the way of its decimation. Armed only with a revolver, her wits and her unwavering willpower, she will have to draw against the futuristic lawmen of the region. Will she finally get her revenge or die in heroic glory?
Why It’s Cool: This is another book that has flown a bit under the radar as of late, but it has become an excellent questioning book about something I think about a lot — why do so many people want to live in the same seven (estimated) mega cities? There’s quite a bit more to this book than that — it’s about freedom, conformity, and exploitation of fear as well — but to me the central question is one about compartmentalization of non-urban life, which is timely as all get out.
Price: $3.99
Buy It Here: Join the Future #5

Others Receiving Votes

• Ash & Thorn #5

• Green Lantern Season 2 #7

• Hawkman #27

• Magnificient Ms. Marvel #14

• Marauders #12

• Oblivion Song #27

• Something is Killing the Children #10

• Stealth #5

• Superman #25

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #109

• Usagi Yojimbo Color Classics #7

• Vampire the Masquerade #2

• Wonder Woman #762

• X-Factor #3

• X-Force #12

New #1s

• Bill and Ted Are Doomed #1

• Cyberpunk 2077 Trauma Team #1

• Dry Foot #1

• Stargazer #1

• Ultraman: Rise of Ultraman #1

• Web of Venom: Wraith #1

Trades and Graphic Novels of Note

PICK OF THE WEEK
Basketful of Heads HC
Writer: Joe Hill
Artist: Leomacs
Publisher: DC Comics - Hill House
Joe Hill, the horror mastermind behind NOS4A2 and Locke & Key, arrives at DC with the twisted tale of June Branch-trapped with four cunning criminals who have snatched her boyfriend for deranged reasons of their own. Now she must fight for her life with the help of an impossible 8th-century Viking axe that can pass through a man’s neck in a single swipe-and leave the severed head still conscious and capable of supernatural speech. Each disembodied head has a malevolent story of its own to tell, and it isn’t long before June finds herself in a desperate struggle to hack through their lies and manipulations...racing to save the man she loves before time runs out. But is June Branch a woman fighting for her life-or a deranged axe murderer with a basketful of paranoid fantasies? The truth is even more horrifying than a basketful of heads. Collects Basketful of Heads #1-7.
Why It’s Cool: For my money, DC Comics’ Hill House imprint has been one of the most underrated things happening in comics of late, with just a fantastic jaunt through pulpy horror comics of many different varieties. The lead title from that line was Basketful of Heads…which is exactly what it sounds like, and now the book is out in a collected hardcover, hopefully for more widespread consumption.
Price: $16.99
Buy It Here: Basketful of Heads HC

• Heathen Vol. 3 TP

• Heroes Reborn Omnibus HC

• Legends of Korra: Ruins of the Empire Library Edition HC

• Nobody is in Control TP

• Outer Darkness Chew Fusion Cuisine TP

• Thoreau & Me GN

• Wasted Space Vol. 3 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.