By Zack Quaintance — I’m starting to be predictable, week in and week out putting the new Jonathan Hickman X-Men comic on top as our PICK OF THE WEEK. The thing is, I really feel like we’re witnessing a genuine important moment in comics here—the restoration of a once-vaunted franchise that had fallen into neglect. It’s like watching a community come to its sense and restore a gorgeous art deco theater instead of razing it and building a supermarket on top of it.

Yeah, exactly like that...okay maybe not exactly like that, but the point stands—these comics are very very good. And I do believe they will dominate our PICK OF THE WEEK until this series is over, with the new Legion of Superheroes comic looming as a possible spoiler. Anyway, the Top Comics to Buy for August 14, 2019 features the Hickman X_men still on top, plus some other books, too, obviously.

Let’s check them out!

Top Comics to Buy for

*PICK OF THE WEEK*
Powers of X #2
Writer: Jonathan Hickman
Artist: R.B. Silva
Inkers: R.B. Silva and Adriano di Benedetto
Colorist: Marte Garcia
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price: $4.99
As Xavier sows the seeds of the past, the X-Men's future blossoms into trouble for all mutantdom. Superstar writer Jonathan Hickman (NEW AVENGERS, INFINITY, FF) continues reshaping the X-Men's past, present and future with breakout artist R.B. Silva (UNCANNY X-MEN)!
Why It’s Cool: These new X-Men comics have been everything Marvel promised and more—a proper new X-Era for the first time in roughly 20 years, one capable of returning the franchise to the prominent place at the top of comics that it once held. I said this over the weekend on Twitter, but these comics have been so good that I really do think 18 to 24 months from now, it’ll be weird to think back on the two recent decades in which the X-Men weren’t the single biggest thing in all of comics.

Batman Universe #2
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Nick Darrington
Colorist: Dave Stewart
Letterer: Josh Reed
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $4.99
Available to comics shops for the first time! The quest for the secret of the stolen Fabergé egg and its buyer continues as Batman teams up with Green Arrow against the Riddler, then travels to Gorilla City. But is the egg's strange energy adversely affecting the Dark Knight's mind? These stories were originally published in BATMAN GIANT #5 and 6.
Why It’s Cool: And then there’s Batman Universe #2, which is one of those comics wherein the creators are functioning at such a high level of craft that it starts to feel like it’s easy and simple. This book is a quintessential superhero adventure comic, beautifully-rendered by one of the best artists in the business—Nick Darrington. Everyone is having a ton of fun making this comic, and it shows. These Bendis-Darrington-Stewart Batman comics are just an absolute blast.

Catwoman #14
Writer: Ram V.
Artist: Mirka Andolfo
Colorist: Arif Prianto
Letterer: Saida Temofonte
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $3.99
A secret file out-lining the ins and outs of the criminal underworld of Villa Hermosa is on the streets, and every crook is after it. Whoever possesses this info can control everything, and some of the town's hoods are even bringing in outside agents like Lock-Up and Gentleman Ghost to act as their champions-which, let's face it, you're going to need if you're going to try to outsmart Catwoman. Making things even more dangerous for Selina Kyle, there is also a price on her head. If you can capture the database and kill the Catwoman, the payoff is double!
Why It’s Cool: Ram V. and Mirka Andolfo are the type of fantasy creative team I might throw out on Twitter, noting that both are separately doing absolutely incredible work (These Savage Shores for V., as well as every book Andolfo draws ever, like Hex Wives and Unnatural), and hey, wouldn’t it be cool for them to work together? Well, now they are! And it’s an issue of Catwoman that also stars Gentlemen Ghost. This is also a rare Catwoman comic that seems to devel into the Bat-Cat relationship, rather than just sort of indirectly referencing it via mostly ignoring it. More of stuff like this would be great.

She Could Fly: Lost Pilot #5
Writer: Christopher Cantwell
Artist: Martin Morazzo
Colorist: Miroslav Mrva
Letterer: Clem Robbins
Publisher: Dark Horse - Berger Books
Price: $3.99
In the gripping finale of the second arc, Luna is fast approaching the end of her desperate quest for mental salvation . . . and the end of her rope. The lines between her and the Flying Woman blur as Luna runs out of options and edges recklessly towards desperately crucial answers. Will her support net catch her, will she free fall, or will she-finally-take off? And, more importantly . . . what will become of her afterwards?
Why It’s Cool: Through two seasons, She Could Fly has been one of my favorite creator-owned comics, a dark and expertly-rendered dive into mental health issues that takes full advantage of the storytelling capabilities that the comics medium has to offer. Well now, it seems to be getting a finale...though I wouldn’t ever count out a return. We do, however, know for pretty much sure that a television adaptation will be coming. So even if we don’t get more of this world and these sensibilities in floppy format, we may get it through AMC.

Silver Surfer: Black #3
Writer: Donny Cates
Artist: Tradd Moore
Colorist: Dave Stewart
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price: $3.99
• The Surfer's power is fading!
• Is this the end of Norrin Radd as the all-consuming darkness descends upon him?
• Or will help come in the form of an unexpected ally?
Why It’s Cool: This series so far has just been absolutely visual dynamite. Writer Donny Cates can do powerful stuff with voice, taking over the flow of any comic he has a hand in, but in this book, he’s (wisely) letting Moore’s phenomenal artwork take lead. Moore’s designs are singular, a blast of really powerful distilled creativity, and he’s joined here by veteran colorist Dave Stewart, who is my favorite in the business. Needless to say, I am loving this psychedelic journey through the power cosmic.

New #1s and One-Shots

Absolute Carnage: Scream #1
Absolute Carnage: Separation Anxiety #1
Age of Conan: Valeria #1
Conan the Barbarian: Exodus #1
Gwenpool Strikes Back #1
Omni #1
Once and Future #1
Punisher Kill Krew #1
Shows End #1
Silver Surfer: Prodigal Sun #1
Titans Burning Rage #1
White Trees #1

Others Receiving Votes

Batman and the Outsiders #4
Black Hammer / Justice League #2
Captain Marvel #9
Collapser #2
Event Leviathan #3
Flash #76
Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #10
Ghosted in LA #2
Gideon Falls #16
Life and Death of Toyo Harada #6
Road of Bones #4
Second Coming #2
Usagi Yojimbo #3
Wonder Woman #76
Xena Warrior Princess #5

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 BatmansBookcase.