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:
Lady Baltimore: The Witch Queens #1 ($3.99) – Right from the initial announcement, this series was wish fulfilment for me. Sofia Valk was my favorite character from “Baltimore” and it’s fantastic to see her get her own title. Writer Christopher Golden and artist Bridgit Connell work fantastically well together. After I’d read the first issue, I saw an interview with Golden talking about how close their collaboration has been and it really shows on the page. I hope to continue enjoying issues of “Lady Baltmore” for a long time to come.
Barbalien: Red Planet #5 ($3.99) – Comics Should Be Cheap is structured around singles, but this story really deserves the deluxe presentation. When the library edition comes out in June, be sure to check it out. Gabriel Hernández Walta’s art will look fantastic in the larger format. “Barbalien: Red Planet” may technically be a spinoff title, but it’s among the very best the World of Black Hammer has to offer. Hopefully we’ll see Tate Brombal writing Mark Markz again soon. I feel like there’s still so much he could do with the character.
Bitter Root #11 ($3.99) – The series kicks off a new arc, ‘Legacy.’ I’ve got to say, I like that they’re still doing the connected covers for each arc. It’s a nice touch.
Total: $11.97.
Kate’s Picks:
Lady Baltimore The Witch Queens #1 ($3.99): Back when I joined Multiversity, one of my personal resolutions was to read more Mignola books. That was in 2018. There’s no better time to start than the present, though, and give me a story that’s a period piece and with a woman at its core, and I will be all over it.
Harley Quinn #1 ($4.99): Because I’m all about the strong women in comics. I love how Harley has become such a feminist icon in the past two years.
The Comic Book History of Animation #4 ($3.99): Now we’re in an era that I know and love fondly: Saturday morning cartoons. Bring me that nostalgia that is going to be fun but make me feel old because it’s now nostalgia.
Total: $12.97
Brian’s Picks:
Teen Titans Academy #1 ($3.99) – If you were to create a comic for me in a lab, it would be “Teen Titans Academy.” I’m a legacy whore, and this book celebrates DC’s legacy across multiple generations, in ways spoken and unspoken, and gives a pipeline for new characters to enter the DC mainstream. Tim Sheridan and Rafa Sandoval are doing such interesting stuff in this title, I can’t wait for y’all to read it.
Batman/Superman #16 ($3.99) – No DC issue has been this cleverly constructed in quite some time. Gene Luen Yang has a laser-focused vision of what comics do well, and here he combines that vision with knowledge of the earliest screen adaptations of both Superman and Batman and presents them, alongside artist Ivan Reis, as ‘classic,’ but skewed, versions of the World’s Finest. Trust me, do not sleep on this issue.
Comic Book History of Animation #4 ($3.99) – The finest teachers in all of comics are Ryan Dunlavey and Fred Van Lente; let us enjoy them taking us to school.
Total: $11.97
