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:
Home #1 ($3.99) – Julio Anta and Anna Wieszczyk’s “Home” is the standout title of the week for me, exploring the inhumane way asylum seekers are treated. I don’t really want to colour your expectations with my thoughts―it’s best you go and discover this one for yourself.
Black Hammer: Visions #3 ($3.99) – When “Black Hammer: Visions” was first announced, there were a few creators on board that really jumped out because I felt like they could genuinely bring something exciting to the page that fit with this world Jeff Lemire and Dean Ormston created. Chip Zdarsky was one of those creators. Like Lemire, he plays with the language of superhero comics, while understanding that’s not what the comics are really about.
Young Hellboy: The Hidden Land #3 ($3.99) – I enjoyed ‘The Hidden Land’ #2, but in the weeks after I read it, I found myself thinking about it a lot just because I had so much fun with it. This isn’t your standard Hellboy title―it’s much lighter by design, but that’s also its charm. I find myself looking forward not just to the rest of ‘The Hidden Land,’ but to more “Young Hellboy” in the future.
Proctor Valley Road #2 ($3.99) – Any book with Naomi Franquiz’s name on it is worth picking up.
Sweet Tooth: The Return #6 ($3.99) – Now that this story is complete, I can actually start reading it!
Total: $19.95. “Locke & Key / Sandman: Hell & Gone” #1 would be on the list, but I’m so burnt out on crossovers at the moment, I can’t even begin to think about reading it.
Christopher’s Picks:
Locke & Key/Sandman: Hell & Gone #1 ($6.99) – I’m not familiar with “Locke & Key” outside of watching the Netflix series (which was… alright), but I love “The Sandman,” I’m always keen to see how it keeps expanding, so hopefully this will be an accessible jumping on point.
Guardians of the Galaxy #13 ($4.99) – I think Al Ewing’s Guardians run has been fine, with occasional issues of brilliance, but on the whole it’s felt surprisingly gloomy for a GOTG series – I’m interested to know, entering its second year, how its tone will adjust as the roster grows to add Wiccan, Hulkling, and DOOM!
Thor and Loki: Double Trouble #2 ($3.99) – This is a really fun, kid-friendly series, so much so I’m surprised Marvel’s publishing it instead of IDW. I love Gurihiru’s art, and their take on young Thor is somehow cartoony and imposing – can they take over the main series after this?
Avatar: The Last Shadow #4 ($3.99) – Well here we are, ’til next year! (Unless DH releases another miniseries in the meantime, or Avatar 2 gets delayed again.
Total: $19.96. I’ll use the money saved from my previous weeks off to purchase the complete “G.I. Joe: World on Fire” ($29.99) collection as well.
Kate’s Picks:
Doctor Who: Missy #1 ($3.99): With all due respect to all the other actors that came before (and the current face of the Master, Sacha Dhawan), the demented Mary Poppins that was Michelle Gomez’s Missy was the freshest, most engaging take on The Doctor’s classic enemy. So it’s no surprise she gets her own series. (And if there is any surprise, it is: why did it take this long?)
Thor and Loki: Double Trouble #2 ($3.99): Kids are going to be keen to see Loki on the screen in June with “Loki” on Disney+, so this all-ages series is a great way to introduce them to the characters. (Unrelated: every time I hear this title, this song starts running through my head.)
Continued belowLocke & Key/Sandman: Hell & Gone #1 ($6.99): This feels like a match made in heaven.
Total: $14.97
Johnny’s Picks:
Heaven No Hell ($21.95) – Just one pick from me this week, but with good reason (other than busting the budget cap right away)! Michael DeForge is simply one of the strongest, most insightful storytellers working in comics. His ideas and thoughts on society are often told in strange, dynamic and incredibly inventive ways that thrill and please me in a way that few other creators can do. And when Drawn + Quarterly comes around once or twice a year and collects his stories into a beautiful hardcover, I’m generally first in line to pony up some cash to get my hands on it. There might be other comics out this week, but I’ll be devoting most of my free time to reading this one.
Total: $21.95 (but yeah, maybe also gimme that new Tom Taylor Batman!)
Vince’s Picks:
The Joker #2 ($5.99) – I cannot believe that I am recommending a Joker comic in the year of our lord 2021, but this is legitimately one of the very best comics DC is putting out right now. Guillem March’s art continues to be a madcap revelation in pushing the boundaries of exaggerated form in such mainstream superhero comics. I kind of can’t believe they let him get this uncoiled in such high profile books. It’s very refreshing. James Tynion IV continues to be on the kind of winning streak where he can seemingly make no wrong move, all while juggling one of the most complex metanarratives DC has attempted in a while. It’s remarkable stuff.
Jenny Zero #1 ($3.99) – I’m here for a tokusatsu comic drawn by Magenta King, absolutely.
Total: $9.98
