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!
Leo’s Picks:
Deadly Class #24 ($3.99) – “Deadly Class” is a consistently good book and I think we all kinda forget that sometimes. I’m, admittedly, a couple issues behind, but I’m going to take care of that all this week.
Romulus #2 ($3.99) – Bryan Edward Hill really caught my eye with his other Image book, “Postal”. He has a way of presenting sometimes complex or big ideas and topics in ways that never muddle things and he doesn’t dumb things down for readers. His co-creator on “Romulus”, Nelson Blake, is turning in some fantastic artwork to go along with Hill’s scripts as well. It’s too early to tell if “Romulus” will get the same level of love from me as “Postal”, but it’s off to a good start.
Savage #1 ($3.99) – There are large parts of the Valiant Universe that I have no idea about, but I really like trying some of the new, weirder books that they’ve come out with recently. “Savage” looks like Valiant’s version of Kamandi or something and that sounds pretty dope to me.
Total: $11.97. A bit of a lighter week for me.
Greg’s Picks:
COPRA Round Four TPB ($19.95) – The only problem with Michel Fiffe continuing to crank out new issues of his gonzo super-antihero-deathwish-group comic is coming up with new ways to tell people how awesome it is. If you loved Ostrander et al’s late 80’s “Suicide Squad” run, this comic is for you. If you never read that but keep hearing people talk about it in hushed and reverential tones, this book is for you. If you wanted DC’s current “Suicide Squad” attempts to be something other than hot messes, this comic is for you. If you want mainstream ideas shone through an indy prism and seen through Kirby/Dirko-tinted lenses, this comic is for you. This comic is for you. So you can accept the universe giving you a perfectly sliced chunk of awesomeness for your available comix budget…
…OR you can pick up three other great comics and keep a couple of spare duckets.
Sex #33 ($3.99) – I keep expecting this book to be cancelled. Not for any lack of quality; this is a Joe Casey book, after all. But it’s spiritually in line with some of his other superhero examination books, like “Wildcats” or “Automatic Kafka”, and those books got the axe kinda quickly. Every month I expect to see the solicit say “FINAL ISSUE”…and it never does. Here’s hoping Simon Cooke and his X-rated adventures keep going for a long time to come.
Shutter #24 ($3.99) – This book will be ending soon, but due to creator intent rather than marketplace shenanigans. Keatinge & del Duca have, in “Shutter”, made a comic that throws back to the same period in comics as Fiffe’s “COPRA”, but in spirit instead of content. “Shutter” feels like the best book First Comics never published; soul sibling to the line that gave us “American Flagg!”, “Grimjack”, “Nexus”, and more. We’re in the book’s third act, so this might not be the best place to jump onboard, but I can never not tell someone to try this book. So try this book!
Black Widow #8 ($3.99) – This book suffers from the “COPRA” dilemma as well. I’m running out of ways to keep telling you Samnee is kicking ten tons of comicbooking ass on this title. Aided and abetted by Waid and Wilson (but not Wade Wilson, unless there’s a crossover I didn’t know about…), this book is so much better than a mainstream Marvel book deserves to be. Channel your bummed-ness over “Vision” ending into supporting this book. You’ll be glad you did.
Continued belowTotal: $19.95 or $11.97
Brian’s Picks:
Saga #40 ($2.99) – “Saga” suffers the fate of books that are consistently great: it can be easy to forget about them, and how wonderful they are. “Saga” has been incredibly consistent, both in its quality and in its shipping schedule which, for a creator-owned title, is incredibly hard to achieve. The fact that we sometimes forget about it is absurd, though: this is shaping up to be an all-time classic, and we need to celebrate it while it is here!
Ghost Rider #1 ($3.99) – One of the few legacy characters that Marvel is currently pushing that has a chance to stick around past the couple of years mark, Robbie Reyes is the least “Ghost Rider” Ghost Rider Marvel has had in a long time, and I’m totally cool with that. His first series was a breath of fresh air; here’s hoping Marvel can recreate that, at least a little bit.
DC New Talent Showcase #1 ($7.99) – While the pricetag is steep, especially because you’re asking for folks to shell out money for creators they may not know or like, this is a good thing. This is a fun idea for an anthology, but how much more fun would it be as a free webcomic?
DC, you have my number.
Savage #1 ($3.99) – For another few weeks, fake Kamandi will have to do.
Total: $18.96
Vince’s Picks:
Batman Annual #1 ($4.99) – Tom King’s “Batman” may not be doing it for me, but the general strength of the creative talent tabbed for this mega-sized Annual sure does. Scott Snyder, Declan Shalvey, Steve Orlando, Riley Rossmo, and Paul Dini are enough to get me to grab this one on Wednesday. It also gets back to the tradition of having 5-6 stories in an Annual, instead of one overlong story that may or may not be any good.
Tank Girl: Gold #2 ($3.99) – “Tank Girl”, conceptually, hasn’t really done it for me in a while either, but something about it always gets me to pick it up. It’s always got interesting art, for one thing. But I guess it also just reminds me of a time when I was reading offbeat Indie comics when I was far too young to understand them. Nostalgia is powerful.
Saga #40 ($2.99) – Just leaving this here to remind everyone that, yes, “Saga” is still good and you should keep reading it.
Total: $11.97
Mark’s Picks:
Serenity: No Power in the ‘Verse #2 ($3.99) — I’m so glad “Serenity” is back. A new miniseries seems to only come along once every two years or so. Hopefully they’ll start to come out a little more frequently as the story picks up momentum.
Paper Girls – Volume 2 ($12.99) — I have not read issues #6–10 yet, but I loved the first arc and I can’t wait to pick up this trade tomorrow.
Witchfinder: City of the Dead #4 ($3.99) — This is a story about Sir Edward Grey. If you know me, you know this is reason enough to pick this issue up. But since you’re not me, let me tell you why you should pick it up. Writer Chris Roberson is altering Sir Edward, finding ways to challenge him and break him down a bit. That and Roberson has an excellent sense of the character in his world. This feels like the start of something grand…
Total: $20.97.
Matthew’s Picks:
COPRA Round 4 ($19.95) – Michel Fiffe’s “COPRA” is consistently the book I most eagerly anticipate arriving in my mailbox every month. This collection features what is arguably my favorite moment in all of COPRA so far, and rounds out most of the lingering plot lines from the first 25 issues. Whether you’re new to the series or an established fan, the fourth volume comes with all the tension and terror we’ve come to expect from 2016’s preemptive winner for the Least Likely To Pull Any Punches Ever award in comics.
To reuse my own pull quote found on the back of the previous volume, “In Michel Fiffe’s ‘COPRA’, you’re lucky to get out alive—and revenge is more than just a word. It’s a mantra.” Get into it.
Continued belowTotal: $19.95 – I suppose if you really want a single issue this week you could grab the latest “Shutter”. That book’s damn fine.
Ken’s Picks:
Savage #1 ($3.99): This was the one book from the Valiant Summit that left me the most skeptical. This tale of a wild child and how he came to be could go so wrong. I’ve never read a book by B. Clay Moore but the use of two different art teams to depict different points in time is intriguing. Hopefully it pays off.
Generation Zero #4 ($3.99): Having got an early read of this issue, the book is slowly (very slowly) becoming the book I hoped it could be. Let’s see if it continues that.
Total: $6.98
Matt’s Picks:
Wuvable Oaf: Blood & Metal ($19.99) – Ed Luce’s short stories and strips starring the Wuvable Oaf have been something to see for sure. This is the second entry in Fantagraphics’s reprints of the Oaf comics, with the book now featuring color. Wrestling, metal, and queer culture all conflate into one hairy mess of awesome. It’s bombarding.
Total: $19.99. Also maybe check out “Mickey’s Craziest Adventures” from IDW this week too?
