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Comics Should Be Cheap! (12/6/2017)

By | December 5th, 2017
Posted in Columns | % Comments

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:

“Sleepless” #1 ($3.99) — This first issue pulled me in. You know when you pick up a book and the world around you fades away until you hit the last page… That was “Sleepless.” There’s this thing that first issues often do, over stuffing them to the point that the story has no flow to it. That’s not a problem here. If I were to single out the best part of “Sleepless” it would be its pacing and flow. Sarah Vaughn, Leila Del Duca, you have my attention.

“Giant Days” #33 ($3.99) — Max Sarin continues to astonish on this book. When she originally replaced Lissa Treiman after the first six issues, I was a little nervous because Treiman’s cartooning was such a huge draw for me. My concerns are baffling in retrospect. Both Treiman and Sarin have a gift for not only stylizing their characters and emotions, but the quality of movement on the page too. It’s why the transition between artists was so seamless. And “Giant Days” is full of physical comedy―if the reader can’t feel those drawings move, the book falls flat (and it’s never fallen flat). Part of the joy I find in the comic has been in watching Sarin grow as an artist over these last twenty-seven issues.

This is a truly great series. There’s a reason I recommend it every single time.

“Rasputin: The Voice of the Dragon” #2 ($3.99) — I’m really enjoying this book. I know some people were a little annoyed that it isn’t actually about Rasputin, but frankly, Trevor Bruttenholm’s a much more interesting character and Rasputin always works best when we only see glimpses of him. Christopher Mitten and Dave Stewart make for a hell of an art team, so I’m thoroughly enjoying seeing them working together again. Hopefully Mitten’ll be a regular artist on Mignola’s books. He fits the Hellboy Universe perfectly and always brings something extra to the book he works on.

“Paper Girls ” #18 ($3.99) — I’m never up to date with the singles, but based on the strength of the latest trade, I’m pretty damn confident in recommending this one. That and I never seem to tire of Cliff Chang’s art work.

Total: $15.96.

Matt Lune’s Picks:

Klaus and the Crisis in Xmasville ($7.99) – You may notice a theme in my list this week, and that’s all because of this issue. The original mini-series from two years ago blew me away and Morrison and Mora have returned to the character once a year since with these one-shot specials. They’ve become an annual treat for me and all fans of what is essentially “Santa Claus Year One mixed with Doctor Who,” and this one looks to be suitably mad, as Klaus takes on the Pola-Cola corp for the fate of Santa’s legacy.

Faith’s Winter Wonderland Special #1 ($3.99) – Is there any character in current comics that embodies the spirit of the festive season as much as Faith Herbert? It makes perfect sense that the eternally optimistic, World’s Geekiest Superhero that is Zephyr would receive her own festive special, so I’m looking forward to reading this.

DC Universe Holiday Special 2017 #1 ($9.99) – This pushes my total price a little over budget, but I had to pick it to round out my holiday-themed trilogy this week. I’m a sucker for a Marvel or DC holiday special, and there have been some fantastic ones released in the past so I have high hopes for this one. I may be putting too much faith in one issue, but hey, it’s Christmas!

Continued below

Total: $21.97 – Marvel and DC are also releasing some fantastic omnibuses (omnibi?) this week, with the “X-Men Classic Omnibus” collecting all those excellent backup tales, and “Jack Kirby’s Fourth World Omnibus” bringing all of those amazing comics back into print.

Kent’s Picks

Klaus and the Crisis in Xmasville /1 ($7.99) – Grant Morrison and Dan Mora return with another tale of All-Star Santa Claus. This one stacks the Xmas barbarian against a cola corporation whose only concern is the commodification of the holiday. This is the type of one-shot I’ve been waiting since the series proper ended. ‘Tis the season.

Deathstroke #26 ($3.99) – Christopher Priest is still killing it.

Justice League #34 ($2.99) – Christopher Priest brings his special kind of magic over to DC’s heaviest hitters. It’s impossible not to get on board with this. And Pete Woods brings a fluid, classic cartooning style along for the ride. This could very much be the Justice League we’ve been hoping for.

Extremity #9 ($3.99) – Daniel Warren Johnson’s salty, sci-fi epic rumbles along. It’s vicious, vibrant, and vital.

Total: $18.96 – Image makes things tough this week, as that last pick could easily have been “Rock Candy Mountain” #6 ($3.99), “Black Cloud” #6 ($3.99), or “Gravediggers Union” #2 ($3.99).

Kate’s Picks:

Shirtless Bear-Fighter TP ($16.99) – This is in my top 5 of favorite books for 2017, if not the top choice. He’s shirtless. He fights bears. He eats flapjacks (don’t you dare call them pancakes). He also reluctantly wears pants. If you want something that is just laugh out loud fun, you’ll want “Shirtless Bear-Fighter”. Also makes a great Secret Santa/White Elephant/Yankee Swap gift! (Check out the Don’t Miss This column on this title, written by yours truly.)

Doctor Who The Twelfth Doctor Year Three #10 ($3.99) – I have a love/hate relationship with the Doctor Who comics. I love the property, but have had so much trouble getting into the comics for sequencing reasons: I choose to jump on at the wrong time, or the reading order for the series bewilders me to no end (looking at you, “The Lost Dimension” series). The previous issue started a new (and rather fun) story that I enjoyed and (more importantly) wasn’t left confused. I think we’re going to try the next issue and see what happens.

Total: $20.98.

Brian’s Picks:

Justice League #34 ($2.99) – “Justice League” has been a lackluster title for far too long now, and DC has rectified this by giving us Christopher Priest and Pete Woods on the book. This is incredibly exciting, as both creators are doing some of the best work of their storied careers right now, and both will shake the doldrums out of this (supposed) flagship book.

Mighty Crusaders #1 ($3.99) – Archie has tried to get its shared superhero universe off the ground a number of times in the past decade – here’s hoping this is the one that sticks.

Rocco’s Modern Life #1 ($3.99) – As a kid who grew up on NickToons, this is nostalgia bait for me, but I think it can be something more. The characters are really odd – especially for the era that the show debuted – and should translate nicely to comics. Plus, BOOM! knows how to handle a license – I think they’ll knock this out of the park.

Faith’s Winter Wonderland Special #1 ($3.99) – Everyone needs a little holiday cheer, right?

Total: $14.96


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