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 Pick:
Monica GN ($30): Only one pick for me this week, and as it explodes our $20 budget I’ll just say that many of the other books recommended by the staff are great, but only one book has my attention. Debuting at CXC (Cartoon Crossroads Columbus – one of the coolest cons in the midwest) this past weekend to an amazing crowd of fans comes the newest offering from Daniel Clowes, a graphic novel five years in the making, Calling upon a lifetime of comic book genre influences and inspirations, “Monica” is a series of interconnected narratives combining to tell the story of our titular character’s life. Clowes is never not impressive, and fans like me have been waiting patiently for something new to dig into. A master of deftly written characters and smart dialogue, and a brilliant cartoonist whose pages ooze nostalgic form but with contemporary insight, any Daniel Clowes offering is an opportunity to celebrate! Surely to be on many “Best of 2023” lists in a couple months time, head to your shops Wednesday for your first chance to find out why.
Total: $30 – I can’t imagine a more worthy week to blow the cap!
Christopher’s Pick:
Lost Time ($13.99): I love dinosaurs, but that pesky 65 million year gap means you always gotta bring them into the modern world to interact with humans. Newcomer Tas Mukanik’s middle-grade graphic novel, described by publisher Razorbill as a cross between Jurassic Park and How to Train Your Dragon (both personal favorites), follows a girl who’s transported back into the Mesozoic and befriends a flying reptile, and now all I want to know is if this premise lives up to its promise, as well as to nurture it like Mukanik’s heroine and her pterosaur.
Total: $13.99. I would’ve picked Sina Grace’s “Superman: The Harvests of Youth,” which offers a truly contemporaneous take on Clark’s adolescence, as well, but rules are rules.
Kate’s Picks:
G.O.D.S. #1 ($9.99): The mystery around this title alone has me wondering just what Jonathan Hickman has up his sleeve, and just how sexy he’ll make it.
The Midnite Show #1 ($3.99): It’s spooky season, so we must have at least one spooky read on the CSBC list. And what better spooky read than one that pays tribute to the 1930s Universal horror movies that sometimes can be so bad that they’re so good? Pair this with the “Count Crowley” series and you have your own little Svengoolie episode on demand.
Birds of Prey #2 ($3.99): The first was so good, let’s see if Thompson and company can keep up the momentum.
Total: $18.97. And I’ll be making a list of all the amazing graphic novels coming out this week, like “Be That Way,” “Born Again,” “Hour of Need,” and a graphic novel retelling of Agatha Christie’s “Murder on the Orient Express,” to check out of the local library.
Mark’s Picks:
The Midnite Show #1 ($3.99): I am so ready for this book. Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt teaming up is always an immediate must-buy for me, but throwing in this love-letter-to-classic-horror-movies element takes it to a whole other level. Cullen’s told me I should be reading this one with a bucket of popcorn. Personally, the idea of popcorn anywhere near my comics curdles my blood—but I’ll certainly be reading with the spirit of popcorn entertainment.
Be That Way ($22.99): A new graphic novel from Hope Larson. Somehow I totally missed this one until I looked at the comics for this week. This is kind of mixed media—part comic, part diary—and a coming-of-age story in the mid ’90s. It’s the kind of story that lives or dies by the strength of its character work, and it just so happens I really love Larson’s character work.
Total: $26.99. OK, I blew the budget, but truthfully, I was a paragon of restraint. There are so many great comics out this week; “The Night Eaters – Book 2: Her Little Reapers” (I need this book), “Ghostlore” #5 with Naomi Franquiz as the guest artist (I love her work), Alex de Campi and Erica Henderson reunite for “Parasocial” (and after “Dracula, Motherfucker!” that obviously makes it a must-get book), Faith Erin Hicks’s “Hockey Girl Loves Drama Boy” (all her books are absolute must-buys for me and this is no exception), Rachel Smythe’s “Lore Olympus – Volume 5” (I’ll be picking it up in hardcover), Karmome Shirahama’s “Witch Hat Atelier – Volume 11” (seriously, more people need to be reading this), “Cosmic Detective” from Jeff Lemire, Matt Kindt, and David Rubín (OK, I have this already from the Kickstarter, but I mention it anyway because you should have it too), and Tillie Walden’s “Clementine – Book Two.” Like I said, a paragon or restraint. It’s a hell of a Wednesday.
