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:
“Blackwood” #1 ($3.99)— This is tentatively set in the same universe as Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson’s “Beasts of Burden,” I believe. That said, “Blackwood” is tonally very different, but just like “Beasts of Burden” very, very good. Veronica Fish’s artwork immediately pulled me into the world. The open sequence in the Dean’s office is full of details that inform who the character is without outright stating it, and she does this all through the book. You learn so much about this world simply from its locations. I’m hooked on this already. I can’t recommend it enough.
“Harrow County” #31 ($3.99)— There’s so much going on in this issue that I love, but the thing that really stands out to me are the colors. Tyler Crook is doing absolutely phenomenal work here, taking this issue to a whole other place.
“Barrier” #5 ($3.99)— Last one!
“Royal City” #11 ($3.99)— The series starts its third and final arc, and somewhat unexpectedly… and not just for us. Lemire admits he’d expected to be writing “Royal City” for years, but as he wrote an ending formed in his mind, and prolonging the series would weaken it. I’m happy the series is ending on its own terms.
“Lazarus” #28 ($3.99)— The last of the monthly issues. Starting with #29, this series is shifting to a larger quarterly format, similar to what “Head Lopper” does. I’m pretty excited to see what the series does with the extra pages as we head into year X +68.
Total: $19.95.
Kevin’s Picks:
“Justice League: No Justice” #4 ($3.99) – The middle of this event felt a little bloated to me, and it probably would’ve been great to use the “DC Nation” issue for more than teaser, but I trust Snyder, Tynion, Williamson, and Manapul to stick this landing. And, with everything coming after at DC, this seems a must.
“Man of Steel” #1 ($3.99) – DC is killing it with the weekly series game this summer. Now this is a Bendis comic, and it’s six issues, so I’m not expecting anything crazy to happen in this issue, but if anything Bendis can build worlds. And I expect that through this series and I’m excited for Metropolis to feel like an entity for the first time in a long time. Bendis is here.
“Royal City” #11 ($3.99) – This series has been my favorite non-superhero comic. Only four more issues left and I’m ready to bawl my way to the end. There’s no way everyone winds up happy.
“Harbinger Wars 2” #1 ($3.99) – I think at this point I’m more curious than anything about the future of Valiant. This seems like it’ll be the last big event of the old regime, and I’m both cautiously optimistic about its quality and interested (and invested) in the future.
“Marvel Two-in-One” #6 ($3.99) – You’re about to get two Jim Cheung books, two weeks in a row, from two different companies. This will never happen again so take advantage!
Total: $19.95. Now these are just the comics, but if you have more splurge money (or if you don’t) the Image Comics “Where We Live Anthology” is also out this week supporting the families and victims of the Las Vegas shooting. Most of your favorite creators contributed so go pick it up!
Justin Beeson’s Picks:
Abbott #5 ($3.99) – This has been a really solid mini-series from Saladin Ahmed and Sami Kivela. I’m excited to see how they wrap the story up, and look forward to hopefully returning to this world someday in the future.
Continued belowDoomsday Clock #5 ($4.99) – You know what? We’re now more than a third of the way through this maxi-series and I think I’m comfortable saying that this is not good. However, I do want to see what happens since it has been building since “DC Universe: Rebirth” #1, so I’m picking it up anyways.
Heathen #8 ($3.99) – Vault Comics has really taken off lately, but I feel like “Heathen” still flies under the radar even though it was one of their first books. Natasha Alterici is crafting something special with this series, so it’s always a must-read.
Justice League: No Justice #4 ($3.99) – I was skeptical about this mini-event, but it’s really good. And now I’m even more excited for the new Justice League titles.
X-Men: Red Annual #1 ($3.99) – Tom Taylor has quickly elevated “X-Men: Red” to the top of all the current X-Books. I haven’t been this invested in the X-Men since Bendis left.
Total: $20.95. I wish we could just pay a dollar less for “Doomsday Clock” and skip all the backmatter.
Vince’s Picks:
Abbott #5 ($3.99) – One of the biggest surprise books of the last few years, though maybe it shouldn’t have been? I already knew Saladin Ahmed was a superlative writing talent, which is what got me to check this out in the first place. What began looking like a simple hard-boiled crime story became something much weirder, and it knocked me off my feet. So too did the art of Sami Kivela, who deftly transitions from classic detective stuff into the supernatural and back. Kivelä has arrived with this one.
Blackwood #1 ($3.99) – The hilarious Evan Dorkin and the stunning pop art of Veronica Fish drawing occult stuff? I’m in all day on this one.
Man of Steel #1 ($3.99) – Well, guys and gals, Bendisman is upon us in earnest now, and I think it might be…good? If you listen to our DC3cast podcast with any regularity, you may have heard me say that I’m prepared to be fooled by BMB for like the hundredth time, but I’ve liked what we’ve seen from him on the big blue boyscout so far.
Black Lightning/Hong Kong Phooey Special #1 ($4.99) – Let me be very clear: I don’t really recommend any of these Hanna-Barbera DCU crossovers. It’s a nice idea, but they’re way too long, too expensive, and their hit rate is extremely low as far as how many of them are actually good. But if I had to pick one that was going to turn out to be good, I would strongly throw my chips in at the Black Lightning/Hong Kong Phooey crossover. Now, the prospect of Hong Kong Phooey having a new story come out in the year 2018 is a dicey one, but I think the pitch for this comic is pretty good: it’s basically DC’s “Heroes for Hire.” Bryan Hill is a tremendous writer and the art team of Bill Sienkiewicz & Denys Cowan was responsible for that great Black Racer/Shilo Norman special last year.
Total: $16.96
Kate’s Pick:
Where We Live ($19.99) – I live not far from Newtown, CT, site of the Sandy Hook shooting in 2012. I will never forget going to the mall in Danbury, CT that weekend (about a 20 minute drive from Newtown) for Christmas shopping and pausing by the Old Navy (that’s a clothing store for the non-US folks) to see pictures in the store window of those who had died just a few days ago, with angel wings drawn on them. I sat down and had a good cry for a few minutes. While it seems like death by gun violence is becoming more rule than exception in this nation, and solutions don’t seem to be coming, I’m hopeful that this anthology – – with proceeds going to help survivors of the October 2017 Las Vegas shooting – – makes a statement that makes more and more of us stand up and say, “No more.”
Total: $19.99. There’s so much more I had on this list – – “Grass Kings” #15, “Star Wars Lando Double or Nothing” #1 – – but if I have limited funds, I want them to help this world be a better place any way I can.
