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!
Brian’s Picks:
Old Haunts #1 ($3.99) – There are some creators whose past work means that their new work gets picked up, regardless of what the book is. Laurence Campbell became that type of creator for me with his work on “B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth.” Add in Rob Williams, and this ‘mafia haunted by ghosts’ book gets a pull, even if the premise isn’t necessarily something that speaks to me. Trust your creators, folks.
Legion of Super-Heroes $6 ($3.99) – The one thing the Legion doesn’t need is a new batch of characters, yet here we are, and I’m recommending an issue where a bunch of prospective Legionnaires are introduced. But a new Doctor Fate? A Gold Lantern? C’mon, you’re expecting a DC hound like me to not dig into this? Plus, for the DC3cast I’ve been reading a lot of Legion-adjacent books, and it’s reignited my love for the characters.
Excalibur #10 ($3.99) – With new comics being released in drips and drabs, it’s nice to see the ‘Dawn of X’ books return. I’m just getting caught up now, and it’s a pretty fun place to return to after all this time.
Total: $11.97
Jason’s Picks:
Faithless II #1 ($3.99) – Like some of my other favorite comic creators, anytime I see Maria Llovet’s name attached to something I buy it. She may only be handling the art side, but that doesn’t matter. If her name is on it I’ll buy it!
Total: $3.99. Weirdly enough I only had one comic for this week. Looking at a few different sites I had a couple coming out this week I wanted, but alas they got pushed back. Oh well, my wallet at least will love me.
Vince’s Picks:
Excalibur #10 ($3.99) – After a long, grueling few months, my favorite X-title is back on the stands. “London is burning!” is the tagline for this one, which seems more than a little appropriate for the present day.
Adventureman #1 ($3.99) – Matt Fraction and the Dodsons is a winning combination no matter the premise, but a fictional pulp hero gone unremembered by everyone except the main characters is a fun foundation for a story in the comic book medium. The Dodsons in particular really up their game for this one, as I’m not sure their work has ever looked this fluid and dynamic. This one goes to the top of the pile this week.
Amethyst #3 ($3.99) – Amy Reeder’s art is some of my favorite in all of comics, but pay attention to Marissa Louise’s colors on this one. She puts a lot of careful consideration to the color schemes across the many different factions and worlds of Amethyst, and it really ties the book together. For my money, one of the very best-looking books on the stands.
Total: $11.97
Christopher Chiu-Tabet’s Pick:
“Steam” ($14.99) – Dark Horse have a lot of great paperbacks out this week, but my number one pick is going to be this all-ages steampunk adventure, which seems to a timeless premise of a boy escaping abusive guardians to another world, and topical themes of corporate greed, environmental abuse, and exploitation of indigenous people – fight the power kids!
Total: $14.99
Kate’s Picks:
Lois Lane #11 ($3.99) – As I watched members of the press get attacked by police during recent coverage of the George Floyd civil unrest here in the US, I can’t help but feel just how eerily prescient this series is, and how dangerous the membership in the fourth estate truly can be.
Continued belowIce Cream Man #19 ($3.99) – For when you’ve run out of new hobbies to pursue in quarantine, here’s a new one: how to be a ghost!
Snowpiercer Vol. 1: The Escape ($14.99) – Watching the TV series? Seen the movie? Now read the book that started it all.
Total: $22.97. I recently calculated that since working from home in mid-March, I’m saving around $400 – $500 a month in costs. (Most of that is a monthly rail pass for commuter rail into Manhattan from my home in the ‘burbs.) So I guess two weeks in a row slightly over budget isn’t a bad thing.
Johnny’s Picks:
Adventureman #1 ($3.99) – In this house we stan Matt Fraction. And Terry and Rachel Dodson. And, wouldn’t ya know it, they teamed up and made a book. From the solicits it reads like “Tom Strong by way of Casanova.” Guess we’ll all just have to see how far off I am with that reading, won’t we?
Bitter Root #8 ($3.99) – I’m not sure where I first ran across Sanford Greene’s art- probably some tumblr reblog of a sketch of his, but his art immediately hit me like a ton of bricks. Dynamic line work, and larger-than-life caricatures- a bold animated style that made his work pop off the page. I’ve been a fan ever since. His dynamism is on full display in “Bitter Root,” a “Harlem Renaissance” period piece monster story full of fun visuals, only enriched by Rico Renzi’s colors. If you’re not already hip to the series, skip BOTH of my picks this week and track down “Bitter Root Vol. 1 Family Business” to stay within your budget and have a hell of a time doing so!
Total: $7.98
Mark’s Pick:
“Bitter Root” #8 ($3.99) – I’m yet to start on this arc, but the first arc and the Red Summer Special make this a must-get.
Total: $3.99.
