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!
Johnny’s Picks:
True Crime Funnies #1 ($10.00): From the self-publishing arena, cartoonist and all-around design extraordinaire Jim Rugg is hitting us with a solid outing, three non-fiction stories that are sure to weave in and out of styles, mediums, and genres to astonish and entertain. Rugg has been a longtime favorite in this household, an astoundingly talented creator with a deep and abiding love for so many facets of comic making and self-publishing, and it’s so incredibly cool to watch him bounce from project to project, trying new methods of comic creating, and truly appreciating the comic book as an artifact, as much as it is a vessel for the story. I also kinda just love the silly title, tbh.
Dungeons & Dragons: Saturday Morning Adventures #4 ($3.99): Maybe this series was written just for me and folks of my generation, so what!? Let me have this!! Really, though, this series has been a real blast, bringing to life some great characters from the past and turning them loose on some (hopefully!) new audiences. Artist George Kambadais has such an appealing style that really livens up the proceedings.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles / Usagi Yojimbo WhereWhen #4 ($4.99): Ninja Turtles. Samurai Rabbit. The greatest living cartoonist. I’m pretty sure that’s all that needs to be said. Another solid outing from Stan Sakai. The man does not miss!
Total: $18.98 – but if ya got the extra cash, make sure and check out “The Planetoid & Other Stories” – a great collection of sci-fi comic strips from comics legends Joe Orlando and Al Feldstein while working for EC Comics in the 1950’s.
Kate’s Picks:
My Little Pony Bridlewoodstock #1 ($5.99): Whether you’ve been to Lilith Fair, Bonnaroo, Glastonbury, Blue Ridge Rock Fest, or the (dearly departed) HFSTival, you don’t need to be a My Little Pony fan to relate to any of these stories. Happy Music Festival season everyone, and please enjoy your music safely!
Sweet Valley Twins The Graphic Novel: Teacher’s Pet ($13.99): Continuing on my nostalgia train, Sweet Valley High (and all its related spinoffs, such as Sweet Valley Twins) is a series I would love to see come back more in graphic novel form. Team Elizabeth Wakefield FOR LIFE.
Total: $19.98. Honorable mention to “Nudism Comes to Connecticut” from Fantagraphics based on that title alone…and apparently it’s a true story.
Mark’s Picks:
Ember and Island of Lost Creatures ($15.99): If you missed Jason Pamment’s debut graphic novel “Treasure in the Lake,” then you missed a great book for middle grade readers. There’s a palpable sense of wonder to the “Treasure in the Lake” world, capturing the feeling of exploring as a child. With a title like “Ember and Island of Lost Creatures,” it seems this element will carry over to his next book too. There’s a delightful trailer for the book online with animation by Pamment (I love that his books have animated trailers) which conveys the tone of his work beautifully.
The Oddly Pedestrian Life of Christopher Chaos #1 # ($4.99): I didn’t catch this on James Tynion IV’s Substack, but I’m looking forward to catching it in print. The hook for me is actually Tate Brombal, whose work I’ve really been enjoying over the past year. and who has a great working relationship with Tynion already, as evidenced by “House of Slaughter.” I’m not familiar with Isaac Goodhart’s work, and I’m kind of avoiding reading anymore so I can go into the book knowing as little as possible, so I am recommending this somewhat blind. Oh, I should point out that while this is more expensive than the average issue, it’s also got 34 pages of story versus Dark Horse’s usual 20–22 pages.
Total: $20.98. Slightly over, but worth it.
