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:
Skybound X #4 ($4.99): The boss is probably tired of me saying this week after week, but here’s your reminder to get on this series as they come out since it won’t be collected in trade. (Truly, it’s a mistake that this is not being collected in a trade form – – there’s an opportunity with a trade collection to throw in some extras to make this anniversary series extra special.)
Doctor Who: Missy #4 ($3.99): The first of Titan’s Doctor Who spinoff series is quite the rousing success (as we detailed not too long ago in our Don’t Miss This column). Don’t sleep on the finale to see how it all ties together.
Dune Blood Of The Sardaukar #1 ($7.99): If the release of the first Dune trailer this week has you exclaiming “Shai-Hulud, I cannot wait for October!” perhaps this new one shot will tide you over.
Total: $16.97
Mark’s Picks:
Avatar: The Last Airbender—Suki Alone ($12.99) – I was visiting my local children’s book store when the latest shipment of books arrived, which meant most of the staff were there to unpack and geek out about books. Among the new books was a bunch of the “Avatar: The Last Airbender” omnibuses, a series the staff all soundly praised—and these people really know their books.
The last two stories in this series have been light, comedic stories, and they were a lot of fun, but ‘Suki Alone’ dives into Suki’s time as a prisoner in the Boiling Rock. She’s a great character who never quite got as much screen time as she deserved, and so having an eighty-page comic focused on her surviving this dark period of her life sounds like a thoroughly engaging comic to me. Add to that the creative team of Faith Erin Hicks (one of my favourite creators in comics) and Peter Wartman (if you haven’t already, check out his “Stonebreaker” series), this is an absolute must-get.
The Last Book You’ll Ever Read #1 ($3.99) – Olivia Kad, author of the international best seller Satyr, finds herself being hailed as a kind of prophet of the Apocalypse when the downward spiral of humanity in her book starts to unfold in the real world. Some see Kad as being a very incisive writer able to pull back the veil on the human psyche, but others think somehow the book is causing the discord. I’ve read the first issue and right away this premise had me hooked. It can go so many different directions and all of them interest me. Written by Cullen Bunn and drawn by Leila Leiz.
Total: $16.98. Frustratingly, I’ve already hit my limit. Comics really should be cheap. Anyway, I’ll also be picking up “Parasomnia” #2 and “Head Lopper” #16.
Johnny’s Picks:
Head Lopper #16 ($5.99) – I probably wouldn’t normally recommend the last chapter of an arc – but MacLean and colorist Bellaire are firing on all cylinders, delivering an amazing story, fueled by the wild fever-dream sci-fi fantasy stories of the 70’s and 80’s. Andrew MacLean doesn’t get the credit he deserves for being a tremendous storyteller.
Beta Ray Bill #5 (of 5) ($3.99) – Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer collaborated on my favorite superhero book of 2020 with “Wonder Woman: Dead Earth,” and they’ve followed up with a seriously fun outing in this miniseries. Beta Ray Bill is a fan favorite character, and that energy and love pours off the pages with Spicer’s heavy colors enriching Johnson’s art. A great series that if you missed the singles, you should definitely check out in trade.
Continued belowTotal: $9.98. For those big spenders out there, though, I can’t recommend DC’s “Bongo Comics Deluxe Edition” highly enough. Even at $50, it’s worth every penny, as an absolute murderer’s row of talent from all corners of (mostly) American comics get a chance to tell their brand of stories with the entire stable of DC characters at their disposal. One of my all-time favorite books.
Christopher’s Picks:
Horizon Zero Dawn: Liberation #1 ($3.99) – The first HZD comic was ultimately a letdown, with rushed art and lead characters who didn’t live up to game protagonist Aloy, but I’m always up for more from the Horizon universe. With Aloy and Erend taking the lead, and Elmer Damaso’s rather manga-like art, this should be a nice jaunt down memory lane at least.
Avatar: The Last Airbender—Suki Alone ($12.99) – Suki was definitely one of the coolest — and most underused — characters on the animated series, and I really enjoyed the creative team’s last graphic novel starring Toph, so I look forward to seeing them flesh out her character further. I know it’s unlikely, but I wonder if it’ll hint at her fate before The Legend of Korra.
Total: $16.98
