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!
Justin’s Picks:
Black Hammer #12 ($3.99) – David Rubín is filling in again for an issue that sounds like it’s going to launch the new Sherlock Frankenstein series. I can’t wait to see this world expand.
The Dying and the Dead #5 ($3.99) – I really should just wait for the trade because of it’s sporadic release schedule, but I can’t resist. This comic is so damn good. At least it has only been three months since the last issue.
Generations: The Unworthy Thor & The Mighty Thor #1 ($4.99) – I wanted to skip this whole event, but I can’t pass up a Jason Aaron issue. His Thor stories in the last few Marvel events have been some of the only highlights.
Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #27 ($2.99) – I jumped back on to this series last issue to see how it was going, and it did not disappoint. The Green Lanterns plus New Gods is off to a great start.
Nightwing: The New Order #1 ($3.99) – Kyle Higgins is writing Nightwing again, and everything is right in the world. Well, not really, but I am excited to see him return to the character in a pretty intriguing story. Dick is one of the last DC heroes I would expect to turn fascist, so I really want to see how they handle it.
Total: $19.95. DC’s aggressive pricing on “Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps” gives me some wiggle room for Marvel’s $4.99 price point, but that extra dollar is still paid under duress.
Vince’s Picks:
Hi-Fi Fight Club #1 ($3.99) – A secret underground record store fight club? I love that idea. Boom! usually has a pretty good barometer for original comic ideas like this, so I have no reservations about going in and scooping this one up sight unseen. As an aside, it’s written by Carly Usdin, who has worked on RuPaul’s Drag Race, which is the #1 social media gif producer on television.
Batgirl #14 ($3.99) – The incredible job that Hope Larson is doing with Barbara Gordon seems to be flying under the radar. I feel like she’s done one of the best jobs of adhering to the explicit promise of DC Rebirth, in that she’s crafted a version of Barbara that’s true to all of the popular versions of the character. She’s every bit the Batgirl of Burnside, but with this story appears to be going back to one of my favorite wells in her history: her relationship with Dick Grayson. I don’t have many fictional “ships” that I absolutely root for, but I can’t help it, this is one of them. I’m a sucker for…DickBabs?…GorDick?
Donald & Mickey #1 ($5.99) – A prestige format Disney comic, full of great creators and adventurous stories. These kinds of comics are timeless to me, and with Ducktales back on TV, I’m definitely looking to spend a little more time wading in the waters of Walt Disney.
Total: $13.97
Kent’s Picks
Batman/The Shadow #5 ($3.99) – The weed of crime might bear bitter fruit, but this juicy Scott Snyder-Steve Orlando joint is oh-so sweet. For anyone burnt out on the current undertakings of the Batman, there’s a vitality here that surpasses any preconceived notions you may have about the word crossover. And Riley Rossmo, he’s won a free pass to draw whatever he wants, whenever he want.
Shirtless Bear-Fighter #3 ($3.99) – Sometimes… a man comes along to punch a species you didn’t even know you didn’t like. Sometimes that species is bears. Sometimes that man is shirtless. Sometimes, comics are just supposed to be fun.
Continued belowDept. H #17 ($3.99) – It feels like this series is stuck flying under the radar – or should that be floating under the sonar (No, sorry… Bad pun. Terrible pun). The fact is, “Dept. H” is every bit as mind-melting as that other Matt Kindt Dark Horse book. As the depth gauge runs up the gutter of every issue, the stakes, scope, and intrigue keep expanding. Do not let this go over your head.
Total: $11.97 – Gotta keep some extra room on the ledger here. Dark Horse is taking the rest of my money this week: Calla Cthulhu TP ($12.99) from Evan Dorkin and The Dark Horse Book of Horror HC ($19.99) from damn-near anyone who’s ever written or drawn for Dark Horse anytime, ever.
Mark’s Picks:
“The Sixth Gun – Volume 4” Gunslinger Edition ($79.99) — OK, so I’m totally blowing the budget, not just for this week, but the entire month. But I couldn’t pass this one by. This book collects the “Not the Bullet, But the Fall” arc and the spin-off “Sons of the Gun.” The former is a major turning point in the series—the beginning of the end, I guess you could say—and the latter is a bit of a departure, setting aside the main cast, focusing instead on General Hume’s four horsemen, the antagonists from the first arc of the series. It gives us a look at the larger world of “The Sixth Gun” and a glimpse at what could befall Becky and Drake if they subcumb to the will of their guns.
I’ll rave about these editions every chance I get. Keith Wood’s book design is exceptional, and no doubt the book’ll be packed with all those extras I love so much. Plus I’m really looking forward to seeing Brian Hurtt, Tyler Crook, and Brian Churilla’s art in the over-sized format.
Total: $79.99. (Or $59.99 if you go for the deluxe hardcover instead.)
Matt Lune’s Picks:
Clueless GN ($14.99) – I’m absolutely going to buy this for my wife. Don’t get me wrong, I’m totally going to read it too, it looks like a lot of fun, but I think that my wife can quote perhaps the entire movie verbatim at this point, so she needs some new Cher material in her life.
Hi-Fi Fight Club ($3.99) – Teen Girl Vigilante Fight Club set in a record store in 1998. That’s pretty much all I need to say.
Total: $18.98 – Not much for the money this week, but some great comics nonetheless!
