Top Comics to Buy for January 16, 2019
By Zack Quaintance — This was an interesting week for comics, in that many of the best creator-owned books coming out were well into their runs or midway into their first arcs. There are, of course, some interesting new #1 titles (there always as are, as that’s where the money is at, and all), including Adventure Time: Simon and Marcy, Black Widow, and Invaders. There’s also Marvel Comics Presents #1, which is the one I’m personally most interested in.
Still, great creator-owned books like Black Badge, Gideon Falls, Lodger, and Wic + Div all seem to be caught mid-arc. So, we’ve done what any good comics recommender would...read the issues and sorted them out and come up with some recommendations—even if there aren’t any good jumping on points to be had, except for Isola (more on that in a moment). We hope you’ll find it all helpful!
And now, onward to the comics!
Top Comics to Buy for January 16, 2019
*PICK OF THE WEEK*
Babyteeth #14
Writer: Donny Cates
Artist: Garry Brown
Colorist: Mark Englert
Letterer: Taylor Esposito
Publisher: AfterShock Comics
Price: $3.99
So, hey, welcome back, folks. How about that issue 13, huh? I told you it was bananas. Anyway, look, I'd like to be able to tell you this one is easier or nicer somehow, but real-ly...have any issues of this book not been insane and weird? Would you even believe me If I said it was? No. You wouldn't. So, yeah, this issue is more of all that. Plus: BETRAYAL! (Dramatic music cue!)
Why It’s Cool: This issue really teases out writer Donny Cates’ abilities as a humor writer, which were last seen this directly during his first Marvel work on Doctor Strange and Thanos. Meanwhile, artist Garry Brown also gets some great chances to shine here in what is the first issue back after a bit of a break, using his design skills to also get in on the humor tip. It’s not all laughs though—this issue also raises some pretty stark questions about the devil and God, and, by extension, about our concepts of good and evil. Basically, this is the first issue in a while that really makes good on the immense promise Babyteeth had at launch way back when, so much so it makes me absolutely elated I stuck with this series.
Black Panther #8
Writer: Ta-Nehisi Coates
Artist: Kev Walker
Colorist: Stephane Paitreau
Letterer: VC’s Joe Sabino
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price: $3.99
"THE INTERGALACTIC EMPIRE OF WAKANDA: THE GATHERING OF MY NAME" Part 2 For years, the Maroons have lain dormant, planning the next stage of their rebellion. At last, it is time to strike - with a treasure hunt for unstable Vibranium! And with the Black Panther once again in their ranks, they're certain of victory. But what will victory cost? When the chips are down, will the Maroons rise to heroism, or are they doomed by the trauma of their past?
Why It’s Cool: Writer Ta-Nehisi Coates just keeps getting better and better at the comics game, and while his best work may be taking place over in Captain America, his current bonkers intergalactic arc on Black Panther is really no slouch. It’s a bit hard to make out what exactly is going on here—my guess is something funny with a wormhole...thank you to the Shuri title for the tip—but the imagination involved with the story is absolutely off the charts. Kev Walker also returns for another issue, which I’m all about because I thought Black Panther #7 was stunning.
Electric Warriors #3
Writer: Steve Orlando
Artist: Travel Foreman
Colorist: Hi-Fi
Letterer: Travis Lanham
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $3.99
The revolution starts now! Inceptor accidentally digs too far into the memories of the Electric Warrior from Gil'Dishpan and uncovers a conspiracy at the heart of the Covenant. The planet games are meant to bring profit and keep the various peoples across the galaxies in check, rather than encourage peace and cooperation. If Inceptor can convince the other Warriors of what he's learned, it might just spark the revolution that will free a galaxy.
Why It’s Cool: Simply put, Electric Warriors is the Big 2 comic right now that not enough people are talking about. It’s an impeccably-told future-set tale with a savage sci-fi concept. This issue pushes that concept a step further by—well, I won’t tip into spoiler territory but I will tell you that you should without question be reading this book. Especially if you fancy yourself any sort of DC Comics continuity buff, or even a hardcore DC fan.
Isola #6
Writers: Brendan Fletcher / Karl Kerschl
Artists: Karl Kerschl / Msassyk
Letterer: Aditya Bidikar
Publisher: Image Comics
Price: $3.99
Olwyn has returned from the land of the dead, but did she return alone? The journey to Isola continues...NOW BI-MONTHLY!
Why It’s Cool: Isola is the best-looking comic coming out today (with apologies to The Dreaming), and this is the start of a new arc. The first trade is out there at the super reasonable $9.99 Image introductory price. It’s also a fairly decompressed comic, which means that with $10 and an afternoon, you can get caught up for this new jumping on point. And trust me when I tell you it’s very much worth. Not only is the art absolutely stunning, but the world is well-built and the characters compelling. The narrative is also paced with a rewarding rate of revelation, doling out enough to stay interesting without ever tipping into overly wordy dumping of exposition.
Superman #7
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artists: Ivan Reis, Brandon Peterson, and Jason Fabok
Inker: Oclair Albert
Colorist: Alex Sinclair
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $3.99
It's the moment you've been waiting for: the shocking return of the son of Superman! A year spent traveling the stars changed Jon Kent. Are parents Clark and Lois ready for the all-new, all-different Superboy? Secrets are revealed, a new look debuts and Superman's world is changed forever!
Why It’s Cool: There’s a reason that Brian Michael Bendis dueling runs on Action Comics and Superman made our Top 5 Comics of 2018: they’re both really really good. Action grabbed me right away, but I must admit it took just a tiny bit longer for Superman to really reel me in. Now that it has, however, I just can’t get enough of this book. Superman #7 is another fantastic installment with top-tier art and a plot that keeps the pages turning. It also has something that Bendis is proving himself impressively adept at: a new iconic moment largely shaped by logical ways in which the rest of the city, Earth, or galaxy would come to view someone as powerful and benevolent as our guy Clark Kent. These are exciting and special superhero comics, and I feel lucky to be reading them in real time as they come out.
Top New #1 Comics
Adventure Time: Simon and Marcy #1
Black Hammer Director’s Cut #1
Black Widow #1
Invaders #1
Marvel Comics Presents #1
Others Receiving Votes
A Walk Through Hell #7
Amazing Spider-Man #13
Black Badge #6
Catwoman #7
Conan the Barbarian #2
Detective Comics #996
Gideon Falls #10
Hawkman #8
Ironheart #2
Lodger #3
Middlewest #3
Supergirl #26
Venom #10
Warning #3
Wicked + Divine #41
See our past top comics to buy here, and check our 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.
Top Comics to Buy for November 28, 2018
By Zack Quaintance — Ohhhh, my stomach, I ate too much turkey and can’t write a proper intro for this Top Comics to Buy for November 28, 2018 piece. Just kidding. I’m actually writing this the night before Thanksgiving because I’ll be traveling tomorrow through Sunday, and likely won’t have any other time to complete it. Anyway, shifting gears...wake yourselves up from all that overeating, because there is (as always) another new wave of comics to discuss!
This week sees the conclusion of some story arcs we’ve really enjoyed in 2018, from Black Panther to Come Into Me, both of which have so expertly built to these finales, that we can’t wait to see what happens. We heap just a bit more praise on the Bendis Superman run, which is one of our favorite things happening right now at DC, and we also get to talk yet again about some of our favorite indie gems. All in all, this post-holiday week stands to be a good one!
Now, let’s get to those comics!
Top Comics to Buy for November 28, 2018
*PICK OF THE WEEK*
Black Panther #6
Writer: Ta-Nehisi Coates
Artist: Jen Bartel
Colorist: Triona Farrell
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price: $3.99
T'Challa and the Maroons renew their war against the Empire. But N'Jadaka is watching - and he knows exactly how dangerous the Black Panther can be. Witness at last the rise of Emperor N'Jadaka and the Exalted Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda!
Why It’s Cool: There’s a lot happening at Marvel right now, and as a result, Black Panther has flown a bit under the radar...even though it’s written by the winner of a National Book Award and carrying the same name as one of the highest-grossing superhero movies ever. This issue marks the conclusion of the relaunched comics’ best arc yet, at least under Ta-Nehisi Coates’ stewardship. Coates was a newcomer to comics when he started this run in early 2016, but he’s caught on fast. Simply put, this comic keeps getting better and better, and the scope of ideas in this first arc is nearly unmatched within mainstream superhero comics. Don’t miss it!
Action Comics #1005
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Ryan Sook
Colorist: Brad Anderson
Letterer: Josh Reed
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $3.99
The murderous mystery of the Red Cloud uncovered! Clark Kent draws closer to revealing a secret crime family that has operated for years in Metropolis, but the family's enforcer-the mysterious Red Cloud-proves she's a match for even the Man of Steel with an attack that leaves Superman breathless. Don't miss the last-page shocker as we reveal the true face of the Red Cloud!
Why It’s Cool: We’ve been loving Bendis’ run on Superman, which has been grandiose and cosmic in the pages of Superman and more grounded in Metropolis in this title. This issue also features Ryan Sook, one of our favorites, and so we are absolutely there for it, especially after what he did in Action Comics #1004.
Come Into Me #4
Writers: Zac Thompson and Lonnie Nadler
Artist: Piotr Kowalski
Colorist: Niko Guardia
Letterer: Ryan Ferrier
Publisher: Black Mask Studios
Price: $3.99
Part 4 of 4. The body degenerates, memories blur, and the flesh overloads.
Why It’s Cool: Writers Zac Thompson and Lonnie Nadler have rapidly established themselves as two of the foremost purveyors of body horror in all of comics in the past 18 months, and although they’ve done great work all around, Come Into Me stands out as one of their best titles. This week’s issues sees the duo concluding this story.
House Amok #3
Writer: Christopher Sebela
Artist: Shawn McManus
Colorist: Lee Loughridge
Letterer: Aditya Bidikar
Publisher: IDW - Black Crown
Price: $3.99
Dylan and her family have all fallen down the rabbit hole of madness together, aiming their campaign to save the world at a brand new target and collecting more bodies and hidden microchips along the way. But as Dylan is plagued with the flu and the family's first grand move leads them down a nightmare road full of the dreaded ReArrangers, the Sandifers will stare conspiracy right in the face and hope it blinks before they do.
Why It’s Cool: This is a comic about a family plunging into shared madness together, which is a great (and surprisingly new) concept. It’s also being executed to perfection by rising writer Christopher Sebela and veteran artist Shawn McManus.
These Savage Shores #2
Writer: Ram V
Artist: Sumit Kumar
Colorist: Vittorio Astone
Letterer: Aditya Bidikar
Publisher: Vault Comics
Price: $3.99
The untimely demise of a nobleman gives the East India a new angle in negotiations to build their trade route. A vampire hunter finds bigger prey than he had bargained for, deep within the royal reserve. Along These Savage Shores, where the hunt is eternal, and hunter and hunted move in shadow.
Why It’s Cool: After one hell of a debut issue with These Savage Shores #1, we’ve been dying to continue this story for over a month now. Finally, the second issue is set to arrive. This is a story that deals in heady themes and sinister tones. After an expert bit of misdirection in the first issue, we can’t wait to see where this one takes us next.
Top New #1 Comics
Dead Man Logan #1
Hellboy and the B.P.R.D. 1956 #1
Ironheart #1
Jim Henson’s Labyrinth: Under the Spell #1
Quincredible #1
Warning #1
Others Receiving Votes
Amazing Spider-Man #10
Archie 1941 #3
Aquaman Justice League Drowned Earth #1
Catalyst Prime: Kino #11
DC Nuclear Winter Special #1
Die! Die! DIe! #5
Fantastic Four #4
Heroes in Crisis #3
High Heaven #3
Justice League Odyssey #3
Man-Eaters #3
Redneck #17
Stray Bullets: Sunshine and Roses #40
Uncanny X-Men #3
Wonder Woman #59
See our past top comics to buy here, and check our 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. He also writes comics and is currently working hard to complete one.
Best New #1 Comics of July 2018
The new comics fireworks started July 4th and just kept coming. Groan, I know. But anyway, the most impressive thing about this month’s new #1 was the wide variety of stories they told. So many boxes got checked by these books: New Orleans plus horror and drugs? CHECK. Encouraging new direction for Amazing Spider-Man? CHECK. Ethereal exploration of death that reads like literary magical realism in graphic format? Somehow also CHECK.
July’s variety of #1 comics speaks to a major change in the industry: a broader and expanding audience is fostering broader and expanding demand. You know what that means? That’s right—broader and expanding supply. Or, more and weirder comics. With this in mind, it’s easy to be bullish on comics right now, and the entries on our list today re-enforce why.
Let’s do it!
Quick Hits
The Long Con #1 came out the Wednesday after SDCC, telling a story about a never-ending apocalyptic con. Its timing was perfect and its concept sharp. Read our full review.
Cliche alert! Catwoman #1 was a (fancy?) feast for the eyes. The story and art—both by Joelle Jones—were phenomenal. Most importantly, though, Jones gets Selina...the aesthetic, narration, villain...nigh-perfect.
I saw Donny Cates at SDCC on a panel about Image Comics. Someone was late...so Cates, obviously, put Pantera on his phone and growled into his mic, WELCOME TO IMAGE. This is also the aesthetic of his latest Marvel #1s: Cosmic Ghost Rider and Death of Inhumans, which are both madcap and grandiose.
Mariko Tamaki and Juan Cabal had to follow Tom Taylor’s excellent 3-year run on All New Wolverine. Tough challenge. In X-23 #1, however, the team meets it, preserving the best of Taylor’s work (the heart) while also heading in a horror-tinged new direction.
Everyone said read Bone Parish #1 by Cullen Bunn Jonas Sharf. They said it was excellent, frightening in a way I wouldn’t expect. Everyone was right. Bunn’s latest horror book (of an estimated 19) is frightening in a way you won’t expect, either. Now I’m the one urging you to read it.
Speaking of horror, check out Clankillers #1, a gritty story about gaelic mythology. Read our full review.
Ever think to yourself: I’d love to read Miami Vice meets Fast Times at Ridgemont High? Of course not, few probably have, but someone is writing it as a comic and it’s a winner. The Mall by Don Handfield, James Haick, and Rafael Loureiro is a solid debut, rich with ‘80s camp. Recommended.
James Tynion IV and Alvaro Martinez nailed Justice League Dark #1. In a summer of strong new directions for DC, this is one of the strongest, with stellar art and gleeful depictions of the publishers oft-underused bench.
Vault Comics (one of our favorites) has had a great year, and Submerged #1 is the latest book to become a part of it. Vita Ayala and Lisa Sterle craft a story with intriguing family dynamics, a natural disaster, and a potpourri of mythos.
It’s tough to evaluate Brian Michael Bendis’ debuts via Superman #1 and Action Comics #1001. Bendis is a prolific and veteran writer, a student of superhero history who thinks in eras, not in single issues. So far, he’s established tones and started unveiling his the vanguard of his plans. The full scope of his aspirations, however, largely remain to be seen.
Top Five Best #1 Comics of July 2018
Unnatural #1 by Mirka Andolfo
This book lives in an intriguing world of dystopian reproductive laws, one that has enabled Italian comic auteur Mirka Andolfo to craft a story that is at once poignant, tantalizing, and horrific. This issue is the first of 12 parts, and I knew about halfway through reading it that I was onboard for the long haul.
To quote our Unnatural #1 Review: Andolfo clearly has strong thoughts about the intersection of sex and government, but she is also well-aware that those thoughts are best served by first and foremost telling an entertaining story. As a result, Unnatural #1 is not to be missed. And we very much stand by that.
Captain America #1 by Ta-Nehisi Coates & Leinil Francis Yu
Early indications are strong for Ta-Nehisi Coates & Leinil Yu on Cap.
This debut fittingly dropped on July 4, and it’s the best single-issue Captain America story I’ve read since Ed Brubaker’s all-time great run ended. Ta-Nehisi Coates is a writer I first became aware of via his articles in The Atlantic, before then reading his non-fiction works, specifically Between the World and Me. When he came to comics in the spring of 2016 to write Black Panther, I enthusiastically added the comic to my pulllist.
And Black Panther has been decent enough, a little wordy and dull in parts as Coates struggled to reconcile the new medium with his writerly instincts. With Captain America #1, any and all growing pains are clearly behind him. Coates and collaborator Leinil Francis Yu have made a declarative statement with this book...this is going to be a dark and action-heavy take on Cap, one that will test Steve Rogers with problems that grow out of his past continuity as well as the modern state of the U.S. It won’t be heavy handed, no, on the contrary the book seems bent on making its thematic intent slow-burning and subtle. Come along if you dare. Read our full review.
Amazing Spider-Man #1 by Nick Spencer & Ryan Ottley
I think it was in one of those retailer columns on Bleeding Cool that I read about someone saying a back-to-basics well-done Amazing Spider-Man book could be the industry’s top seller. Well, we’re about to find out if that’s true. Nick Spencer and Ryan Ottley’s debut on Marvel’s flagship title is almost indisputably those two things: well-done and back-to-basics.
We here at Batman’s Bookcase, however, have now written two full pieces about why we like it, so rather than trying to find a facet of the comic we haven’t explored, we’ll just wrap up quickly here by pointing you toward our Amazing Spider-Man #1 Review and our 5-Panel Amazing Spider-Man Explainer.
This is easily one of our favorite covers in recent memory.
Euthanauts #1 by Tini Howard & Nick Robles
Remember way back at the start of this piece when I mentioned an ethereal exploration of death that reads like literary magical realism in graphic format? Well, here we are. The Euthanauts #1 is a unique comic, as self-assured as any debut issue in recent memory. It does understated and deliberate work familiarizing you with a relatable character, one who is maybe even a bit on the mundane side, before fitfully plunging you into a world where life and death intermingle.
Someone on Twitter asked me recently if this comic was good, and I told them yes, very good, but pretty abstract and best consumed in a way where it just sort of washes over you—read twice for good measure. That’s how I read it, and it has been haunting me ever since. I can’t wait to see what this creative team has in store for this story. Oh, and I should also note that as mesmerizing as Tini Howard’s ideas are, this without question seems to be one of those ideal books wherein her and artist Nick Robles lift each other, both seemingly poised to do career best work. Read our full review.
Relay #1 by Zac Thompson, Eric Bromberg, Donny Cates, & Andy Clarke
While reading Relay #1, I got a feeling I’ve maybe only previously had while emerging from a classic sci-fi novel. Basically, this comic reads like layered and complex sci-fi being doled out by an engaging plot line, one with evident shades of the masters of its genre, namely Philip K. Dick and Ursula K. Le Guin.
I really dug Relay #1, to the point when someone recently asked me what books I was reading (always a difficult question to answer on the spot), I stumbled around for a moment before just blurting out: Relay. For more on why I enjoyed the first issue of this book so much...that’s right...read our full review here.
Thanks as always for reading, and make sure to come back this week for our Best Comics of July 2018, period.
Check out more of our monthly lists here.
Zack Quaintance is a journalist who also writes fiction and makes comics. Find him on Twitter at @zackquaintance. He lives in Sacramento, California.
REVIEW: Captain America #1 by Ta-Nehisi Coates, Leinil Francis Yu, Gerry Alanguilan, & Sunny Cho
Captain America #1 is easily Ta-Nehisi Coates' best single issue yet.
By Zack Quaintance — Ta-Nehisi Coates is most well-known for Between the World and Me, a heartrending book about racist violence in America, written as a letter from Coates’ to his teenage son. It came out in July 2015, raising Coates literary profile to nigh-mainstream levels and giving the author his pick of follow up projects...which he used to start writing comics.
A lifelong comics fan, Coates launched a new Black Panther book for Marvel in March 2016, even going so far as to answer letters and construct maps of Wakanda for the book’s back matter. There were hiccups in his first arc, times when Coates mishandled T’Challa’s characterization, overwrote captions, didn’t consider visuals, etc. Eventually though, Coates grew into the work, learning quickly, and ultimately combining his love of the medium with his abilities as a writer. And this week Coates has written his best comic yet: Captain America #1, illustrated by Leinil Francis Yu, with Gerry Alanguilan and Sunny Cho.
Captain America #1’s art shines, starting with an action-heavy intro that returns an old villain for Cap to presumably later battle. Throughout, the book features large panels allowing its artists to play up Cap’s iconic visage, winged cowl, flag shield, and grave focus. We see Cap charge into battle on a full page, stand over a foe who subverted his values, and carry a first responder, the two of them laid over Americans working together following an outbreak of random violence (an all too common real world image these days).
Coates picks up on some interesting ideas left dangling after Marvel's Secret Empire event.
Coates plotting is expert, building on ideas left dangling after Nick Spencer’s recent event Secret Empire, in which a Steve Rogers imposter joins Hydra and torments the planet. I’ve complained elsewhere that Marvel glazed over that fallout, but I was too hasty—we get it here from Coates, who uses those threads, making this comic relevant to our national climate without feeling too heavy-handed (a complaint I had with Spencer’s recently-concluded run). Make no mistake, this comic is foremost an entertaining read.
Take the intro, for example: a convoy of Hydra henchmen transport a woman and are ambushed by Russian partisans as said woman cooly remarks This is Russia. Graveyard of Hitler’s horde. Bane of Napoleon and his imperial French. You can read deeply into that, or you can hurry to the next panel and watch a Hydra henchman's skeletal corpse crack the windshield of the prison truck. This is a layered story that gives its readers both options.
This powerful image shows Captain America and Bucky helping in the aftermath of a mass shooting event.
And that’s a challenge at the heart of all narrative writing: how to share intriguing nuanced ideas while also telling a well-paced and entertaining story. Whereas Coates may have leaned too far toward the former on his early Black Panther run, he’s obviously learned and improved. The result is a new Captain America arc that has me excited about the character in a way I haven’t been since Ed Brubaker concluded the most recent all-time great Cap run a few years back.
Overall: This is Ta-Nehisi Coates' best comic yet, layered and nuanced, but also well-paced and entertaining. This book plays up Captain America as a former icon while addressing his tarnished status following Secret Empire. It’s so good that one issue in, this run already has must-read status. 9.5/10
Zack Quaintance is a journalist who also writes fiction and makes comics. Find him on Twitter at @zackquaintance. He lives in Sacramento, California.
SPECIAL NOTE: Listen to our friends WMQ Comics discuss all things Cap on this week's WMQ&A Podcast!