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:
“Martian Manhunter” #12 ($3.99) – I enjoyed this maxi-series a lot more than I expected, and I’m sad to see it go. Steve Orlando called this his dream project, thanks to his love for the character, and that love shone through on every page. Don’t be a stranger, J’onn J’onzz.
“Adler” #1 ($3.99) – The Super Bowl halftime show put me in a mood for powerful women in comics, and we’re going to have a murderer’s row of the best in science, history, and the arts alongside Irene Adler as her girl squad puts Moriarity in his (her? their?) place.
“The Man Who Effed Up Time” #1 ($4.99) – Someone obviously did not get the Doctor Who memo that while you can travel back in time, it’s not a good idea to alter it. Let’s see how these pieces get put back together. I don’t want T-Rexes on my subway commute, for one.
“Dark Agnes” #1 ($3.99) – I have yet to dip into any of the Conan books, but as I’m still in a mood for MOAR WOMEN IN COMICS, here’s my change with this Conan-adjacent story.
Total: $16.96
Kevin’s Picks:
“X-Men/Fantastic Four” #1 ($4.99) – I have been looking forward to this Dawn of X book since it was announced. Following up on one of the most “Oh shit” scenes from “House of X” is Zdarsky who has become one of Marvel’s best writers, and the acclaimed Dodsons on art. Seeing the design page for the credits done by Zdarsky modelled after Tom Muller’s pages was also perfect. This is going to be one gorgeous book.
“DC Crimes of Passion” #1 ($9.99) – Speaking of gorgeous books, DC is putting out another one of its seasonal anthology titles with a plethora of new talent, as well as artists you don’t see on a lot of regular interior work. These are always fun thematic jaunts and are the kind of stories that are cute, don’t overstay their welcome, and are just really fun. The price tag is a little heavy, but if you forgo buying flowers and chocolate next week you’re golden!
“Ant-Man” #1 ($3.99) – Lastly, this one may be coming in under most of your radars. Zeb Wells, while not new to comics, suddenly has like 4 books at Marvel and this is one of them. I’m buying this for two reasons. First, Dylan Burnett has really one me over as he’s moved into the Marvel Universe. Love his art and will check out whatever he’s one. Secondly, I am slowly coming to the realization that the miniseries Marvel has been publishing the last few years, while perhaps not big best sellers, have been solidly Marvel’s (qualitatively) best titles. This being set for five issues at the moment means it is already high up on my radar for being very good.
Total: $18.97
Brian’s Picks:
“Star Wars: Darth Vader” #1 ($4.99) – Greg Pak is one of the most adaptable writers in all of comics, so it should come as no surprise that he took to Star Wars like a fish to water. I think that Vader comics, overall, can take more chances, and so I hope that Pak finds new and exciting stories to tell in the six months between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.
“The Man Who Effed Up Time” #1 ($4.99) – John Layman + time travel = a must buy.
“Martian Manhunter” #12 ($3.99) – Riley Rossmo’s art alone makes this issue worth picking up, but the Rossmo/Steve Orlando joint has been a really wonderful look at J’onn J’onzz, who is a character that often sits in the background. Being brought to the forefront is a good look on J’onzz, and Orlando and Rossmo have continued the long tradition of great, though limited, Martian Manhunter series. Fare thee well, J’onn.
Continued below“X-Men/Fantastic Four” #1 ($4.99) – Franklin Richards will be the key to the entire Jonathan Hickman Marvel oeuvre. I feel like that will begin to become more clear in this particular issue.
Total: $18.96
James’s Picks:
”Sports is Hell” ($15.00) – This book definitely would have slipped under my radar if it wasn’t for Justin McGuire’s great review of it. Ben Passmore’s style of compact, semi-autobiographical comics toe the line perfectly between grounded realism and sardonic surrealism. His anthology, “Your Black Friend and Other Strangers” (and the animated film adapted from it) had a great assortment of socially conscious and visually creative stories crammed in, so I’m interested to see what Passmore can do with a bigger page count.
“X-Men/Fantastic Four” #1 ($4.99) –When the full slate of Dawn of X titles was released I was heartbroken that Chip Zdarsky didn’t have a book, but that’s all changing this week with Marvel’s latest X-Men (mini)series, “X-Men/Fantastic Four!” Obviously I’m looking forward to seeing what happens to Franklin Richards and where his allegiances ultimately lie, but mostly I’m excited to see what the tone of this book is going to be, are we getting something as serious as “Spider-Man: Life Story?” As off-the-rails as “Afterlift?” Or is it going to be a fun middle-ground like “Two-in-One?” Readers should also take the time to donate to Dexter Vines’s GoFundMe page, he’s an incredible inker who’s sure to knock it out of the park in this book and he’s currently fighting blood cancer, so show some support however you can.
”Daredevil” #17 ($3.99) – I’d say with total confidence, that “Daredevil” currently has the best art team of any book at Marvel. Julian Totino Tedesco, Marco Checchetto, Jorge Fornes and the rogues gallery of inkers, back-up artists and colorists have been knocking it out of the park month to month; bringing weight, emotion and kineticism to a book that lives and dies on those three factors. I’ve already gushed about Chip Zdarsky enough this week, but he’s placed Matt Murdock, Wilson Fisk and his swathe of fascinating new supporting characters into the perfect positions for a compelling comic that pushes the envelope and challenges the preconceptions behind each figure perfectly. This issue looks like the beginning of the series’s first climax as The Owl and The Kingpin go head-to-head, so if this isn’t on your pull list then you’ve gone wrong somewhere along the way.
Total: $23.98 A little over this week, but I left more than enough spare change in my CSBC last time, so hopefully it all evens out in the end.
Vince’s Picks:
Copra #5 ($3.99) – “Copra” whips hard month in and month out. To me, it’s release is always a mini-celebration of what’s possible for creators to accomplish in the comic medium with a bunch of art supplies and their imagination. It seems pie-in-the-sky for me to talk about it this way, but it’s true. It’s very heartwarming to see this book continue to build an audience.
Kaijumax: Season 5 #2 ($3.99) – “Kaijumax” kind of has the same creative spirit as “Copra”, even though the books aren’t very much alike at all. It’s just one of those “little engine that could” operations that keeps going and going. This series has become weirder as it goes along and I can’t wait to see where it comes from here.
X-Men/Fantastic Four #1 ($4.99) – Finally the Hickman X-Men relaunch looks like it’s going to pay off on the very early Franklin Richards tease. I can’t wait to see what happens when he sets foot on Krakoa.
Total: $12.97
Mark’s Picks:
“Gideon Falls” #21 ($3.99) – This issue wraps up ‘The Pentoculus’ arc with an, er, explosive finale—that’s not at all the right way to describe this issue, but I feel saying anything more accurate well be too telling. Right from its first issue, “Gideon Falls” has always had stunning art from Andrea Sorrentino and Dave Stewart, art that tells its story in ways that are often felt more than they are understood, and this approach is something they’ve pushed further and further with each arc. My god, this issue is one hell of a crescendo.
“Isola” #10 ($3.99) – This issue closes the second chapter of “Isola,” and like “Gideon Falls” it too is an explosive issue—though once again, that’s not the right way to describe it, but sometimes cliché is a useful way to convey tone while avoiding spoilers. It’s a hell of a crescendo for entirely different reasons.
Total: $7.98. This pair makes for a curious read together. Vastly different, yet both shake the worlds of their stories.
