Buying comics can be an expensive hobby. A lot of fans simply can’t afford everything they’re interested in, due to rising prices and the over-saturation of the market with superhero titles.
That’s why we’re here. Every week, the Multiversity staff is asked “What would you buy this week if you couldn’t go over $20?” and shares their reasons why, in order to help others who might have similar tastes make their own decisions in buying comics on a budget. Be sure to leave your own picks in the comments!
Kate’s Picks:
Cowboy Bebop #1 ($3.99): The Netflix live-action series was not without its faults, but did bring a fresh look at this anime classic. Let’s see if it can have a second life in comic form.
Ice Cream Man #28 ($3.99): The cover for this issue intrigues me as to what’s inside, which is the joy of this entire series: you have no idea what to expect.
Batman/Catwoman Special #1 ($9.99): Don’t let the Christmas-themed cover fool you, this is going to be a dual love story, so it’s perfect for Valentine’s Day. The first is between Batman and Catwoman, naturally. The second is between the late John Paul Leon and the comics community, who come together to help finish his story and pay tribute to one of the finest artists of a generation.
Total: $17.97
Johnny’s Picks:
Saga #55 ($3.99) – Let me just echo the chorus of hails for the return of one of one of the most well-regarded series of the past decade – Fiona Staples and Brian K. Vaughan’s relentlessly exciting “Saga.” A wonderful mix of down-to-earth familial drama heightened by a brutally violent war between alien races that threatens to tear the family at the center apart. A tale, really, about familial bonds, both blood and found, expressed in a way that only the supremely talented and imaginative pens of Staples and Vaughan can produce. Vaughan’s greatest strength lies in his ability to tell a story that works just as well via single issues as it does in arc, and I can’t be alone in chomping at the bit to jump back into a story whose absence has been felt these past three years.
Black Hammer: Reborn #8 ($3.99) – This series has been fine, but I’m recommending this issue in particular based on the presence of collaborator Rich Tommasso doing a guest spot. Tommasso is such a great cartoonist, and his quirky mix of Allred, Hergé, and Clowes is my catnip.
The Human Target #4 ($3.99) – I get the sense that King kinda did Guy Gardner, a character I have no particular affinity for in general, a little dirty with his characterization in the previous issue. I get that Gardner is often a jerk, but here he’s a weirdly obsessive and dangerous jerk that fits the motif of the detective genre this story is trying to tell more so than who Guy Gardner actually is. So, despite my misgivings about that, I’m still generally enjoying this story, but mostly due to Greg Smallwood absolutely running a clinic with his art.
Total: $11.97 – Definitely over the $20 limit here, but if you don’t have it or haven’t read it, Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely’s “All-Star Superman” gets a reissue this week for $34.99, and represents, in my mind, the best Superman story ever told. An absolutely stunning achievement by two modern masters.
Mark’s Picks:
Monstress #36 ($3.99) – I’m of the opinion that each new arc of Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda’s “Monstress” is better than the last, so my hopes are obviously very high for this one, which kicks off the seventh arc.
Saga #55 ($2.99) – This is gonna be on everyone’s list this week, right? To be honest, I’m probably not going to read this until the series is complete. I know that’s many, many years away, but “Saga” is something I really want to savor.
Two Moons #9 ($3.99) – If you enjoyed “B.P.R.D.,” you should absolutely check out John Arcudi and Valerio Giangiordano’s supernatural western.
Continued belowBlack Hammer: Reborn #8 ($3.99) – I’m recommending this with a caveat. Do you remember the three-part opening to season two of Lost as the characters discovered what was inside the hatch? There’s a bit of doubling back in the story, and if you can’t enjoy the mystery of it, you might feel frustrated by the apparent lack of plot progression. Personally, I loved it, but if you know this is something that bugs you, maybe hold off for the collection where you can read it all in one sitting.
Hellboy: The Silver Lantern Club #4 ($3.99) – This is the most drunken issue yet. Enjoy!
Total: $18.95.
Christopher’s Picks:
Blade Runner 2029 TP Vol. 2: Echoes ($17.99) – I recently checked out the Blade Runner: Black Lotus anime, which actually does a good job of capturing the films’ slowburn vibe, and reminded me, I’m behind on our favorite licensed comic of 2021, so I need to catch up — and I shall!
Total: $17.99
