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!
Mark’s Picks:
Mazebook #2 ($3.99) – Looks like it’s a Jeff Lemire week, so let’s kick this off with the book he’s both writing and drawing. In the first issue Lemire used various mazes to lay the foundation, but in the second issue a singular maze emerges, and Lemire takes the time to redraw its characteristic turns in every panel it pops up in. That may seem like a ridiculous detail to some, but the key distinctive turns are what give a maze its character, and since “Mazebook” is the title of the comic, obviously the character of the maze matters. Also, considering this is a book where repeated imagery matters, I appreciate Lemire’s commitment to redrawing the same maze time and time again over the course of a two-hundred-page comic. There’s also a “Frogcatcher” reference in this issue, which was nice.
Black Hammer: Reborn #4 ($3.99) – Looking back, “Black Hammer” #1 was a very neat first issue with its entire premise locked in by the final page. But since then “Black Hammer” has become “the world of Black Hammer,” and with that growth has come a certain amount of messiness. Going into “Black Hammer: Reborn,” there’s a lot of groundwork to lay down. It had to cover the last twenty years of Lucy’s life, and frame it all in the context of a new threat in Spiral City, so that it’s only here, at the end of the fourth issue, does the premise properly emerge. However, this is messy by design. When Lucy was a twenty-year-old, things were simple. As a forty-year-old, things have undeniably gotten messy. I also have to mention Caitlin Yarsky. She’s been excellent on this title. So much of this story rests on the dynamics of Lucy’s family, and she’s great at digging into this aspect. ‘Reborn’ wouldn’t work without it. I’ve enjoyed her run on #1–4 and look forward to her return for #9–12.
The Unbelievable Unteens #3 ($3.99) – The third and last Jeff Lemire title on my list for the week. We finally get to meet Snapdragon. . . and the White Wraith.
Norse Mythology II #5 ($3.99) – Yes, I am aware this week’s list is skewing heavily towards Dark Horse, but I’ve been following the development of this (and the next) issue of “Norse Mythology” for a while, through glimpses shared by Gabriel Hernández Walta on his instagram. The artwork alone hooked me long before I even knew what book it was even for.
Six Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton #5 ($3.99) – From Kyle Starks and Chris Schweizer. I’ve stopped reading each issue as it comes out at this point so I can binge it when the arc is complete. That’s a sign that I’m really enjoying the comic and you should check it out.
Total: $19.95. I also recommend “Compass” #5, “Mooncakes,” and “Sheets,” but that would push me $54 over budget. . .
Kate’s Picks:
Mazebook #2 ($5.99):If anyone could give a master class in writing a story centered on the fluidity of the human condition, it’s Jeff Lemire (exhibit A: “Frogcatchers.”) And the use of a puzzle as metaphor for hero’s journey seems too easy, but he takes this simple metaphor and expands on it beautifully.
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina #9 ($3.99): Just in time for the spooky season, Greendale’s favorite witch is back!
Marvel Tales: Ms. Marvel #1 ($7.99): While you wait for her series to drop on Disney+ (now sometime early next year), catch up on all your favorite Kamala Khan stories.
Total: $17.97
Continued below
Brian’s Picks:
Clear #1 ($3.99) – Scott Snyder is rolling out books with a bunch of artists, but this one, illustrated by Francis Manapul, seems to have the most unique vision of being a digital comic. I’m excited to see how successful it is.
Superman and the Authority #4 ($4.99) – A wonderful finale to a painfully short miniseries. I want this injected into my veins.
Star Wars: War of the Bounty Hunters #5 ($4.99) – This is over, and that’s worth celebrating. It’s not that this was bad, it just went on for a long, long time.
Total: $13.97
Johnny’s Picks:
Ka-Zar Lord of the Savage Land #2 ($3.99) – I haven’t read Ka-Zar since Waid and Kubert tackled the character oh so many, many moons ago, but what artist German Garcia and colorist Matheus Lopes are doing on this book is compelling me to read. With Garcia’s simple yet beautiful line work and Lopes’ pastel palette choices, it brings to mind the great adventure stories of Alex Toth. Writer Zac Thompson also seems game to channel that spirit, and the result is pure, pulpy fun.
X-Men #4 ($3.99) – A neatly timed Halloween issue, the guest-villain (not to be spoiled by me, dear reader) allows for some interesting psychoanalysis of some of my favorite mutants. While I remain apprehensive at the notion of the immediate post-Hickman era of the X-Men, this issue did put me at more ease.
Total: $7.98. Passing the savings on to you!
Christopher’s Picks:
Salt Magic ($14.99) – I’ve always meant to get round to reading Hope Larson and Rebecca Mock’s previous graphic novels (I know, I’m such a fake geek guy), but I’ll still pick up their latest, which appears to be a magical realist story set in the aftermath of WWI. It certainly should be beautiful.
Life is Strange: Settling Dust #1 ($3.99) – It’s the beginning of the end for Max and Chloe’s story, and I’m genuinely not ready to say goodbye after so many years of the comics providing a reprieve from the finality of the game they debuted in. But read it I will.
Total: $18.98
