Comics Should Be Cheap. Two men enter. Two lists leave. This week it’s just me and editor-in-chief Matt, and we only agree on one title. As much as this surprises me, the titles that he picked just barely made the cut for my own list, so I’m sure he’s equally surprised in my choices. The point is, there are a good deal of great-looking comics coming out this week, so no matter what you go home with, you’ll probably pick up at least one great book.
American Vampire #13 ($2.99) – American Vampire is awesome as is. Toss in a bit of WWII flair and a the start of a new story arc, and you’ve got a comic that you’re going to want to read, whether you’ve been following the comic or not (and then you’re going to want to pick up the trades and get angry at yourself for not reading this yet). I am incredibly interested in how Scott Snyder and Rafael Albuquerque are going to keep the tone of this series in a wartime setting, but I don’t have the slightest doubt in their ability to pull it off. Even if I wasn’t already a devoted fan of the series, though, Sean Murphy’s amazing variant for this issue would probably be enough to get me interested (not that Albuquerque’s isn’t great too!), and may end up being the first variant I’ve purposefully purchased.
Detective Comics #875 ($2.99) – Three issue streak! More love for Snyder? I can’t help it. His run on Detective may be in its early stages, but it’s already shaping up to be one of my favorites – no small praise coming from me, as I’ve read more of Detective’s lengthy history than any sane man should. If this is the start of a new arc (I can never be sure, as DC is terrible when it comes to updating their solicits online), then I very much recommend that you pick up this issue. Honestly, though, you should already be buying this.
Incognito: Bad Influences #5 ($3.50) – I’m terribly sorry that the first time that the latest Incognito story makes it onto my weekly Comics Should Be Cheap list is the last issue. Somehow, every other time it rolled around I missed it, which is a damn shame because it’s leagues ahead of most superhero comics (though I suppose it’s more a superpowers comic than superhero… anyways, I digress). Brubaker and Phillips are one of those writer/artist teams that you never want to miss out on, and while Incognito isn’t as close to my heart as Criminal is, it’s still a fantastic comic that no one should miss out on.
Butcher Baker The Righteous Maker #1 ($2.99) – Okay, I won’t beat around the bush: I know Joe Casey is writing this comic. I know that it appears to be a crazy look at the superhero genre. That’s about it. Oh, and that it’s a #1 of a new series from Image. Those three facts are really all I need to know in order to give this series a try. Image has only let me down once or twice in the past year, so a new series from Image that I don’t know much about is significantly more likely to get my dollar than, say, a new Marvel or DC series that I’m unfamiliar with. Plus, the focus of the cover is a red, white and blue banana hammock. What’s not to love?
Amazing Spider-Man #657 ($3.99) – Two issue streak! Two issues ago, Dan Slott proved that he knew Spidey’s emotional side just as well as he got the more action-y side of things, penning perhaps the most well-received issue of Amazing Spider-Man in… well, perhaps ever. Knowing that, and knowing that this issue deals with Peter’s response to the death of perhaps his closest friend, you’d be a fool not to get this issue – especially if you consider yourself a Spider-Man fan. There’s one downside, though: Humberto Ramos is sharing the spotlight with Marcos Martin in this issue, and while I don’t like his artwork much to begin with, it’s going to only be that much worse if he illustrates dramatic scenes without any action. Still, Slott writes Spider-Man well enough that I can endure Ramos’s art, and if that isn’t a testament to his writing ability, then I don’t know what is.
Continued belowUndying Love #1 ($2.99) – Two Image #1s in one week? Awesome. This mini is both written and illustrated by Tomm Coker, who did a great job a while ago with Daredevil: Noir, only to step his game up to a whole new level with his artwork in the first issue of 5 Ronin. Not only that, but somehow he’s managed to present a take on vampires that has me interested – something that can be difficult to do in a post-Twilight world where vampires are everywhere (though I suppose it isn’t that difficult, considering I have two vampire-related titles on my list this week).
Total: $19.45
Matt’s Picks:
5 Ronin #5 ($2.99) – 5 Ronin so far has been a rather great weekly title of mildly intertwining stories re-imagining some of Marvel’s greatest heroes. Now it’s time to see Deadpool’s issue, and eagle eyed readers will notice that Deadpool has appeared in almost every issue of the book so far. It should be interesting seeing how things wrap-up.
Jimmy Olsen Special #1 ($5.99) – I was never a fan of the back-up features to DC’s titles, but the second I started reading the Jimmy Olsen back-up by RB Silva and Nick Spencer, I understood the light. Then DC took it away. So now it’s time to finally read the end of the story! Don’t miss it, as it also collects all the previous parts as well underneath a cute cover by Amanda Conner.
Walking Dead #83 ($2.99) – Thanks to the lovely people at Image, I have read this issue already (with a review pending). It’s with that in mind that I can say quite firmly that this is not an issue to miss. No, sir.
Action Comics #899 ($2.99) – Paul Cornell! Pete Woods! Lex Luthor! Braniac! Mayhem! Buy!
Amazing Spider-Man #657 ($3.99) – Lately I’ve been reading a lot of old issues of Spider-Man. It has reaffirmed my love of this character. Spider-Man is one of the all time greatest heroes, if not THE greatest hero. And you know what? Dan Slott is doing a killer job on the title ever since he went full time. With Marcos Martin on the book and the story acting as a eulogy for Johnny Storm, I’d say that this is definitely an issue to grab.
Total: $18.95
