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:
Monstress #46 ($3.99): Sana Takeda took home another Eisner this weekend for Best Painter/Digital Artist, so it’s a bit of a no-brainer to recommend “Monstress.” Looking at her work, it’s easy to see why she keeps taking home this award (this is her third win in the category, and the fourth time she’s been nominated in seven years), but I encourage you to look closer because, while her pages are certainly gorgeous to look at, it’s her storytelling on those pages that keeps me riveted. The world of “Monstress” has so much history to it in its architecture and its costuming. And yet, even though the grand scale of the fantasy world is ever present, it never drowns out the intimate character work at its heart.
The Bone Orchard Mythos: Tenement #2 ($3.99): My friend James Dowling thinks highly of this latest story in Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino’s “The Bone Orchard Mythos,” so if there was any doubt at all (there wasn’t) then I can rest assured I’ll enjoy this series when I sit down with the eventual collection. Also, if you follow Sorrentino on any of his social media accounts, it’s pretty hard not to get swept up in his excitement for ‘Tenement.’ (This is a little off topic, but I also have to say just how stunned I am that Lemire and Sorrentino are working so far ahead of schedule that this ten-issue miniseries is already complete and Sorrentino’s like forty pages into the next story, ‘Starseed.’)
Fire Power #25 ($4.99): I feel like I blinked and suddenly “Fire Power” is at twenty-five issues. The series debuted three years ago this month, so the math checks out. And since “Jonna and the Unpossible Monsters” has ended, this is now my only source of new Chris Samnee art, so there’s no way I’m missing it.
Total: $12.97. Clearly, it’s an Image week for me (but not really since I read all these titles in their collections).
Johnny’s Pick:
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles / Usagi Yojimbo: WhereWhen #5 ($4.99): A little pricey, but this mini-series has been pretty great! Sakai is a true legend, able to evoke strong storytelling visuals while maintaining his distinct style and wonderful worldbuilding chops. This book is a perfect primer if you’re as stoked as me for the new TMNT movie coming out soon!
Total: $4.99 – just one book this week – I’m sure I’ll be back to bust your wallets again next time!
Christopher’s Pick:
Thor Quest: Hammer of the Gods ($14.99): Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly, and Billy Yong’s new children’s book reimagines the youth of Marvel’s Thor, Loki, Sif and Fandral. I’ve always been a sucker for stories set in this time period (I’ve always thought it’d be ideal fodder for an MCU prequel movie or show), and think it would be an ideal gift for any of the budding Marvel and/or Norse mythology nerds in the family. Plus, the synopsis teases robot dinosaurs.
Total: $14.99
Kate’s Picks:
Alice Never After #1 ($4.99): Alice in Wonderland remains one of my favorite classic books, and while there have been all sorts of reimaginings of the story over the years, this one is something just a bit different: asking the question: what if Alice stayed in Wonderland and never came home? (By the way, if you want the best cinematic adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s tale, it’s not Tim Burton or the 1950s Disney animated classic – seek out this one and thank me later.)
Murder by Mail #1 ($4.99): During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, we discovered the Hunt a Killer subscription box game, which is just what the title of this comic says: a murder (mystery) by mail. And as a child weaned on the Choose Your Own Adventure books, I’m sold.
Rivers of London Here Be Dragons #1 ($3.99): A dangerous monster is loose in London, and no, it’s not a bunch of angry Tottenham fans. (Sorry. I’m an Arsenal fan. I had to. 🙂 Apparently Jimi Hendrix may also have something to do with this, which sounds utterly bizarre but for the world of Rivers of London, really isn’t.
Total: $13.97. But definitely put extra aside for the graphic novel “We Survived The Holocaust The Bluma & Felix Goldberg Story,” a story in 2023 that needs to be read, discussed, and reflected upon as we stand on the precipice of history repeating itself.
