With the past few weeks of comics being very small and weak for the most part, it’s been tough to even find $20 worth of top notch comics. This week? Not so much, as we’re overwhelmed by a bevy of exceptional comics from a ton of big time creators (and a lot of exciting first issues). Matt, Mocle and myself make our picks, and their lists differ from each other A LOT.
Let us know what you’d pick in the comments, and make sure to consult our lists after the jump if you’re buying comics on a limited budget.
Deadpool MAX #1 ($3.99) – I’m not sure what it is about this book, but I have complete and utter faith that David Lapham and Kyle Baker are going to give us a Deadpool book that we can be proud of with Deadpool MAX. It seems like it’s going to be back to the basics – hilarious, violent and completely ridiculous – and that is something I am fully in support of. Here’s hoping I’m right, but if I’m going to be buying one of the new books this week, even with several higher profile books, it will be this one.
Taskmaster #2 ($3.99) – The first issue of this series was an impulse buy, but when I realized it was Fred Van Lente writing a character I’ve long been entertained by, I quickly realized that I simply had to get this book. And I’m glad I did, as the first issue was a remarkably entertaining book, filled with Nextwavian entertainment and some rather clever ideas from FVL (I loved the idea that Taskmaster’s memory is shot because he is filled up with so many different fighting styles). It’s an exceptional book about a third tier character from a first tier writer, and it comes highly recommended from yours truly.
Ultimate Comics Thor #1 ($3.99) – Hickman + Pacheco + Ultimate Ragnarok = awesome. It’s science, and I’m hoping in this case my math is right because this book looks damn good. Sure, it’s completely unnecessary and is likely being launched to build up to the movie, but I still am highly intrigued by it.
Uncanny X-Force #1 ($3.99) – I’m a huge Remender fan, and I think he’s going to absolutely kill with a team headed by Wolverine, Fantomex, Deadpool, Archangel and Psylocke. Jerome Opena is a high quality artist for Remender to work with (and he was my favorite artist from Remender’s Punisher run) and Apocalypse’s return is reason in itself to buy the book. My only complaint is the Uncanny in the title. Completely unnecessary I say.
Secret Six #26 ($2.99) – The last issue from Gail Simone and J. Calafiore found Scandal’s Secret Six squad and Bane’s Secret Six squad being pushed in direct conflict with each other, seemingly by Mockingbird (the character who originally brought the team together who also happened to be Lex Luthor in disguise). The intrigue of these two teams as well as their oddly star crossed leaders makes for a very exciting book for readers to pick up. Don’t miss it.
Total: $18.95
Matt’s Picks
SHIELD #4 ($2.99) – I don’t care what anyone on this site besides Mocle says – this book is PHENOMENAL. If you don’t believe me, there are three kids I know who don’t read comic books who all started by reading this book as per my recommendation. A clever complex mystery of science fiction and history, you need this book in your pull – and at $2.99 every other month, it’s a steal of a bargain.
Be on the look out for an article where David and I argue about the book in the future as well!
Ultimate Comics Thor #1 ($3.99) – The Ultimate universe has it’s ups and downs (mostly downs as of late), but Hickman is stepping in to give Thor a four issue origin. I always loved the Ultimate Thor that Millar created, so having an origin that focuses on putting Thor into place to join the Ultimates and ignoring all that weirdness Loeb brought to the character and his brother is something I approve of.
Continued belowThor: For Asgard #3 ($3.99) – I’ve been ranting and raving about this book somewhat non-stop all over the site, and I’ll be reviewing it again this week. All I’ll say is – if you LOVE Thor, then you’ll LOVE this book.
Chaos War #1 ($3.99) – Our Book of the Week, Chaos War is the final act to Fred Van Lente and Greg Pak’s epic Hercules story that brings the character back from the “dead” in order to fight Mikaboshi, who has been amassing an army since Secret Invasion. I can dig it! It’ll probably need more beer, but I’m sure it’ll be good.
Wolverine #2 ($3.99) – Jason Aaron(‘s beard) writes a helluva Wolverine, and has honestly redeemed the character from the stagnant and repetitive state he’d been stuck in for the better part of this decade. If there was ever a time to buy and actually ENJOY a Wolverine story, that time is now.
As an additional note, the latest Parker book Darwyn Cooke comes out this week, so if you have some extra money laying around (about $25, to be more precise), I’d recommend getting it.
Total: $18.95
Josh’s Picks
Uncanny X-Force #1 ($3.99) – I won’t lie to you, when I found out X-Force was rebooting under Rick Remender’s pen with Wolverine and a mostly new cast fighting Apocalypse my immediate reaction was “great! I get to knock X-Force off my list and save four bucks a month!” However, then the team was revealed and I couldn’t help but be intrigued. Jeff Parker is hitting it out of the park on Thunderbolts with a set of characters that you wouldn’t think would work well together and yet, somewhat miraculously, do. This line-up has the same vibe…I certainly would never have called an X-Force made up of Wolverine, Psylocke, Archangel, Deadpool and Fantomex back when I was a youngin’ reading the Nicieza X-Force (mostly since Fantomex didn’t exist and Angel had shed his metal wings, seemingly for good…but thats beside the point), but the team does make a weird kind of sense…and Remender hasn’t failed me yet. Granted, he hasn’t WOWED me yet either, but I figure this book is worth a shot anyway, at least for and arc.
SHIELD #4 ($2.99) – To be perfectly frank: this is one of the best books on the market (like, X-Factor level good). I share my fellow writer and enthusiast Matt’s love of Jonathan Hickman 100% as the man has been continuously creating some of my favorite graphic fiction for over a year now and shows no signs of slowing down. His combination of classic super heroics with incredibly dense historical and artistic apocrypha has made for an incredibly intriguing read. A light, quick read this book isn’t, but once you peel back the layers and really get to the meat of what Hickman is trying to say here, you will be hooked. If you don’t like to work your brain while reading comics, then stay away…but if you are interested in a book that is literally redefining not only the limits of the Marvel universe, but potentially of the medium itself, then get yourself caught up and jump right in.
Chaos War #1 ($3.99) – What? An event comic by Pak and Van Lente that primarily stars Hercules and Amadeus Cho? Tying together three years worth of Incredible Hercules plot lines and dragging the entire Marvel Universe both living and dead into an epic, knock down, drag out brawl on both the physical and metaphysical level? And with Khoi Pham on art?!?!? Sign me RIGHT up.
Sweet Tooth #14 ($2.99) – This book as not let me down since Issue #1 and I can’t possibly be more hooked. The emotional roller coaster aspect combined with the immense real world commentary make the book amazing in its own right, and when you throw in the genuine, quantifiable intrigue then you get what may become one of my favorite comics (like, ever.)
Taskmaster #2 (3.99) – Its really easy to know when Fred Van Lente is writing a book that he was mandated to write and a book he is choosing to write. Simply put: if he cares about the characters, it comes through in the writing…and love he showed Taskmaster in the first issue of this mini was something to behold. Marvel’s investment in the character over the last few years has been great, as I’ve been a huge fan of his since Gail Simone gave him a personality back in her all too brief run on Deadpool and Agent X. Now we have a mini that is dedicated to revealing his past, which even he is no longer aware of (with HIS amnesia being MUCH better explained than certain other stabby, killy characters in Marvel’s catalogue) and I can’t be more excited…plus, the cover for Issue 3 is absolutely my nomination for cover of the year and I can’t wait to see how that instance plays out within the pages of the book.
Total: $17.95
