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!
Bedlam #6 ($3.50) – Alright, Spencer. I have been enjoying this book a lot, but a large portion of it has been because of Riley Rossmo. Ryan Browne is great and all — scratch great, he’s fantastic — but if Spencer doesn’t wow me with his writing in this issue, it may be leaving the list. I really don’t want it to, because it really has been a entertainingly mad ride, but I have bills to pay, Nick.
(Dramatics aside, I highly doubt I will drop this)
Uber #0 ($3.99) – Superhero comics as we know them are very much the product of World War II, which is why they keep coming back to that globe-shaking world. That said, these comics are usually either written by Americans, from the American point of view, or both. So how about if it was written by a Brit about Nazi super…beings. Definitely looking forward to this one, and since it’s published by Avatar, my delicate constitution can rest easy knowing there probably isn’t much blood or violence.
Abe Sapien Dark and Terrible #1 ($3.50) – Fun fact: our esteemed Editor in Chief has told us that if we don’t put this on our list after promoting the book for a month, our daily amount of synthetic rations now has to last us a week.
Snapshot #3 ($2.99) You could buy Andy Diggle’s first and last issue of “Action Comics,” and continue to show DC that you don’t care about the games they play with their creators. Or you could get the next issue of his gorgeous black and white collaboration with his buddy Jock. Decisions sure are hard!
All-New X-Men #10 ($3.99) – Normally “All-New X-Men” doesn’t make my list. I like it a lot, but it’s hard to justify paying four bucks for a comic that reads so quickly half the time. However, it’s a light week, and things are getting really hot, so why not?
Total: $17.97
Locke & Key Omega #4 ($3.99) – I shouldn’t have to explain this buy. If you aren’t reading “Locke & Key”, buy the first trade this week and thank me later.
Thanos Rising #1 ($3.99) – Marvel’s cosmic relaunch hasn’t been as great as I hoped, but I’m giving this mini a shot. Thanos’ origin hasn’t been examined since Starlin’s “Silver Surfer” run back in the early 1990s, and there’s a lot of potential for expansion.
Bleach Vol 56 ($9.99) – The final arc of the series is kicking off, and I fully expect Tite Kubo to deliver a big payoff. Here’s hoping he ties up all his loose ends.
Dial H #11 ($2.99) – Repping this book hard until they shut the lights off on it. Woe is me, I’m a “Dial H” man in an “Age of Ultron” world.
Fashion Beast #8 ($3.99) – I love superheroes as much as the next guy. My cracks about “Age of Ultron” reflect my feelings toward the execution of that awful event book and not my feelings toward cape books or mainstream superheroes, obviously. But everything runs in cycles, right? Even characters and concepts that I enjoy can eventually become tiring if I’m feeling that I’m getting too much of the same thing. “Fashion Beast” has been so gloriously different from anything else I’m reading that I find it on top of my pile each month, beating every other comic out for my attentions.
Polarity #1 ($3.99) – I really want this book to be good, because I want there to be more honest depictions of mental health issues in comics. I enjoyed a Say Anything album or two in my time, but it’s been years. Can’t wait to see what Max Bemis has been up to. The previews assure us that it will be handled with humor, but I hope it’s handled with a good amount of subtlety too.
Continued belowÜber #0 ($3.99) – Nazi superheroes. Oh boy, here we go.
Abe Sapien #1 ($3.50) – What would “31 Days of Abe” from Multiversity Comics be without a hearty recommendation for you to pick up the new series we’ve been touting all this time? I’ll admit that I’ve not read as much Mignolaverse stuff as I should have in recent years, but the chance to read a series all about Abe Sapien still seems long overdue. I can’t wait to rediscover this world!
Total: $17.46
Abe Sapien #1 ($3.50) – I’ve spent the last two months working on letting people know how great this book is going to be, so it would be downright irresponsible of me to quit now, when we’re so close to the home stretch! Pick this book up, damn it!
Earth 2 #11 ($2.99) – Dr. Fate and Mr. Miracle in the same book? Yup.
Action Comics #19 ($3.99) – Anyone else really excited for Andy Diggle’s one shot fill in issue of “Action?”
Winter Soldier #17 ($2.99) – One of the most underrated books of the moment, written by the great Jason Latour. Espionage goodness.
Harbinger Wars #1 ($3.99) – Valiant’s first big event is shaping up to be pretty awesome. Anything with “Harbinger” on the cover is worth buying!
Total: $17.46 – Use your change from last week and this week to pick up “B.P.R.D.: Vampire” – my favorite book from last week that I totally forgot to put on my list!
Mind the Gap #9 ($2.99) – I always forget to CSBC this title, despite the fact that I’m annotating it these days, and also happen to really really love it. This is a whodunit with all kinds of Easter Eggs and tantalizing little details to mull over, not to mention gorgeous Esquejo art – and if you like interesting stylistic tricks, this issue in particular happens to be entirely without dialogue. What’s not to love?
Godzilla: Half-Century War #5 ($3.99) – This is the last issue of a miniseries that should, by all rights, have been searing your corneas and blowing your mind ever since the first issue, back in August. But for the love of Mothra, if you haven’t been reading this, please check out the trade. It’s insane and brilliant and totally true to the man-in-a-rubber-suit spirit of the thing, while still being its own (awesome) entity. Stokoe, we love you.
Bedlam #6 ($3.50) – I’m honestly not entirely sold on the direction that this story is going, but it’s still Nick Spencer, so it’s still liable to be brilliant. This is also the last issue with Rossmo on art, which is a damn shame, but Ryan Browne’s work looks promising too. Basically, I think this title still has a lot of potential, and is worth keeping up with for the moment.
Abe Sapien: Dark and Terrible #1 ($3.50) – So we’ve been collectively bursting with anticipation in regards to this fishy little mini. I think you’ve gotten the point by now. ABE ABE ABE.
Total: $13.98. Or, get yourself the Punk Rock Jesus trade!
Fantastic Four Vol. 1: New Departures, New Arrivals ($15.99) – This week sucks for me so I’m going to recommend my first collection. Fraction’s F4/FF have been two of the most fun Marvel NOW! series that I’ve read and collecting both in the same book is great. You should check this out.
Thanos Rising #1 ($3.99) – Oh, yeah, and this is happening. Aaron is easily my favourite of the ‘Architects’ so I’m checking this out, but I still don’t see the whole point of a new Thanos origin retelling. Maybe this’ll surprise me.
Total: $19.98
Polarity #1 ($3.99) – I’ll admit that I was really hesitant to be excited about this comic. For what it’s worth, the other comics I’ve read from musicians who think they can do a book has been fairly lackluster overall. But after talking with Bemis about the book for the site, I’ll admit: his excitement is contagious. And I’m very interested in seeing what he can do. And Jorge Coehlo? No brainer that this book is going to look great.
Continued belowThanos Rising #1 ($3.99) – The other book I’m most excited for this week, Jason Aaron and Simone Bianchi take on Thanos. Sure, it seems like its only existence is because of the movie, but if anybody can make it work its Aaron and Bianchi. VERY excited to see what the duo have prepared for this book.
Abe Sapien: Dark and Terrible #1 ($3.50) – We just spent a month promoting this book. I think if I don’t put it in my pull this week I get automatically fired.
Bedlam #6 ($3.50) – Riley’s last issue of the book and the finale of the first arc. I’m expecting something horrible to happen.
Locke and Key: Omega #4 ($3.99) – Never miss an issue. Not this late in the game. You don’t dare.
Total: $18.97
