By Zack Quaintance — In any given week, I usually try to check out about 30 comics before I write this piece, give or take a few. This week, however, is somewhat of a monster. The reason is that Christmas is on a Tuesday this year, which makes that Wednesday a less than ideal day to put new comics into the world. So, many publishers have an outsized set of releases this week, especially the Big 2, Marvel and DC.

What this means for me is that in order to prep for this Top Comics to Buy For December 18 piece, our committee (of one) had to read something like 60 comics this weekend. 60 comics! It was insane, and the end result was that I had a really tough time pairing down the final selections for our list of five selections to go on here. There were a ton of books that got really careful consideration — Folklords #2, Invaders #12, and Doomsday Clock #12 — chief among them. But in the end, this is what we landed on — and two of the books are about sex, albeit very different takes on the matter.

Anyway, here are our picks for an absolutely stacked week of new comics!

Top Comics to Buy for December 18, 2019

*PICK OF THE WEEK*
King Thor #4
Writer: Jason Aaron
Artist: Esad Ribic
Colorist: Ive Svorcina
Letterer: Joe Sabino
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price: $5.99
THE FINAL CHAPTER OF THE YEARS-SPANNING, AWARD-WINNING SAGA! The sun has gone black. Midgard isn't far behind. The entire Multiverse is dying - and with it, the last of the gods. A millennium ago, the God of Thunder heard a whisper: "Gorr was right." Now Gorr the God of God-Butchers ascends to his final murder: the All-Father of all existence. Plus, a who's who of Jason's past THOR collaborators and a few surprise guests help close out the story in thunderous style!
Why It’s Cool: Jason Aaron’s run on Thor is currently the longest and arguably most significant long-form run being done on any major superhero character, and this issue marks the end of it. Aaron has given Thor, a character who is already disproportionately rich with great runs, another all-time stretch of issues. He’s told his story over years, jumped around in time (both forward and back), and really looked at the implications of what it means to be an avenging space god. And the results have been one hell of a ride. No way we’d miss this ending. We’re so excited for it, that it lands a well-earned spot as our PICK OF THE WEEK during this stacked Wednesday.

Black Stars Above #2
Writer: Lonnie Nadler
Artist: Jenna Cha
Colorist: Brad Simpson
Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Publisher: Vault Comics
Price: $3.99
The storm continues to gestate. Lost in a wilderness known as The Green Ribbon, Eulalie is faced with an impossible decision: return home to a family that has forsaken her, or finish her journey to the northern town to deliver the mysterious package. She must decide wisely, for threats lurk behind every tree and the snow has an appetite of its own.
Why It’s Cool: Black Stars Above made quite an impression with its first issue, which built a rich framework that enabled its creators to do a story that involves both cosmic horror and historical fiction. That kind of genre juggling is no easy feat. With the framework solidly established, this second issue really gives both writer Lonnie Nadler and artist Jenna Cha a chance to shine with the craft. It’s an issue in which there’s a great deal of interiority, and Nadler especially impresses here with the poetic flourishes of the narrative prose. Chan’s artwork (colored by Brad Simpson) is no less impressive, turning the icy Canadian wilderness into a place where any manner of ominous feature looks right at home. This book was engaging in its first issue, and now in its second chapter it’s turning into a bit of a class on expert comics craft.

Legion of Super-Heroes #2
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Ryan Sook
Inker: Wade Von Grawbadger
Colorist: Jordie Bellaire
Letterer: Dave Sharpe
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $3.99
It's been one thousand years since anyone has seen the oceans of the Earth, but with Aquaman's original trident recently discovered, a chase to control Earth's future tears across the galaxy. All this and the reunion you'd never thought you'd see! Another DC sci-fi epic into the far-flung future like you've never seen before!
Why It’s Cool: Bendis has written some fun stories in his relatively brief time at DC (brief compared to his two-decade stint at Marvel). Our committee (of one) has a favorite, though, and that’s the expert run on Superman, where the stakes escalate and escalate and escalate — ultimately leading to the re-manifestation of the Legion of Superheros, one of our all-time favorite superhero concepts. Well, in this second issue, it’s apparent that Bendis loves them too; the pithy dialogue and futuristic plot points all speak to a deep understanding of this concept and why it works so well. It’s almost like Bendis’ entire goal in coming to write Superman stories was so he could get a proper crack at The Legion. And that’s just fine, because his pithy David Mamet-esque dialouge-style lends itself so perfectly to writing scenes with dozens of teen heroes from the future. This book is only in its second issue, but it already seems like we’ve landed on one magical combination of property and creator. Oh! And Ryan Sook (inked here by Wade Von Grawbader and colored by Jordie Bellaire) puts out intricate art that just feels like a gift.

Money Shot #3
Writer: Tim Seeley & Sarah Beattie
Artist: Rebekah Isaacs
Colorist: Kurt Michael Russell
Letterer: Crank!
Publisher: Vault Comics
Price: $3.99
While half of the XXX-plorers search for the big-balled seer whose orgasm could power their teleporter forever, Chris and Omar must seduce the malevolent warlord of planet Dry Reef in time for the livestream. But are they ready to trade the hottest tag-team in the universe for the fate of a world? Plus, the secret origin of Team Money Shot comes to a close!
Why It’s Cool: We’ve liked this book from the start, enjoying the way the concept blends matters of sex with an anti-science future in which big thinkers are forced to get down with the extraterrestrial civilizations they wish to study for the benefit of watching audiences. We have, however, wondered a bit about the emotional impact on the principal characters. Well, this third issue is essentially dedicated entirely to that, and it’s a really immersive and rich read. The pacing in this chapter is also expert, leading us to the most exciting ending for one of these Money Shot books yet. Like many of Vault Comics series, this one continues to be a must-read.

SFSX (Safe Sex) #4
Writer: Tina Horn
Artist: Michael Dowling
Colorist: Jen Hickman
Letterer: Steve Wands
Publisher: Image Comics
Price: $3.99
"MARKS" George endures a series of torturous revelations about his detainment at the Pleasure Center. Meanwhile, the Dirty Mind crew finally puts their differences aside to plot an elaborate jailbreak that could change everything.
Why It’s Cool: Finally, our fifth book is also about sex, but as we noted in our intro, it could not be more different than Money Shot. The latter is a bit exaggerated, a bit more into sci-fi, while SFSX (Safe Sex) is thoroughly recognizable as our world, simply tinged throughout with ideas that are proudly Orwellian. After a bit of wandering in the last two chapters, this issue returns to the compelling conflict at the center of this story from its start — government versus the individual, played out by the way a husband and wife are dealing with a husband’s abduction related seemingly to control and policing of kink. This issue really takes the core questions of this book to new and interesting places, all of which is made possibly by nigh-perfect execution from the creative team.

New #1s and One-Shots

2099 Omega One-Shot
Annihilation Scourge Omega #1
Eternals Secrets From the Marvel Universe #1
Hardcore Reloaded #1
Klaus and the Life and Times of Joe Christmas #1
Low Low Woods #1
Marvel Action Classics Two-in-One
Marvel Tales Annihilation #1
Narcos #1
Old Guard: Force Multiplied #1
Project X-Mas #1
Read Only Memories #1
Revenge of the Cosmic Ghost Rider #1
Skulldigger and Skeleton Boy from the World of Black Hammer #1
Star Wars: Empire Ascendent #1
Star Wars: Rise of Kylo Ren #1
Suicide Squad #1
Tales From Harrow County: Death’s Choir #1
The Visitor #1
Wellington #1
Wonder Woman: Dead Earth #1
Year of the Villain: Hell Arisen #1

Others Receiving Votes

Aquaman #55
Basketful of Heads #3
Batman #85
Batman Last Knight on Earth #3
Cult Classic: Creature Feature #3
Daredevil #15
Doomsday Clock #12
Family Tree #2
Folklords #2
Heart Attack #2
Invaders #12
Justice League #38
Marauders #4
Middlewest #13
Once and Future #5
Shazam! #9
Superman Smashes the Klan #2
X-Force #4

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.