New comics are the best reason to get out of bed on a Wednesday morning, and this week has no shortage of great releases. DC Comics wraps up two very unique story arcs from a pair of flagship titles, both of which push their heroes out of their comfort zones.
Marvel is no slouch this week either. We get an old school mutant hero versus villain showdown, things get even weirder in a hit miniseries, and the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen locks horns with a long time frienemy. And BOOM! Studios gives everyone’s favorite teenage vampire hunter a night off, but evil never rests… and neither does a social life.
6 Buffy the Vampire Slayer #4
By Jordie Bellaire, Dan Mora, Raul Angulo, Ed Dukeshire, and Matthew Taylor
SEE THE PRICE COMIXOLOGY
Jordie Bellaire and Dan Mora’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer #4 does a fantastic job of diving into the heavy work load of your average teenager, even if there weren’t the emending threat of vampires sinking their teeth into the their necks around every corner.
After finally being granted a night off from vampire patrols and grueling training, Buffy decides to loosen up and enjoy some free time with her friends. However, some of those friends might be in dire trouble as they fall into the trap of a pair of devilishly devious antagonists. With smart, quirky dialogue and stellar art work, this series continues to be worthy reimagining of a cult icon.
5 Aquaman #47
By Kelly Sue DeConnick, Robson Rocha, Daniel Henriques, Sunny Cho, Clayton Cowles, and Alex Sinclair
SEE THE PRICE COMIXOLOGY
It’s always interesting to see how blockbuster superhero movies can influence the source material on which it’s based. In the case of Aquaman #47, the final chapter of Kelly Sue DeConnick and Robson Rocha’s first story arc on the series, a lot of the bleed over from the 2018 smash-hit film is mostly cosmetic (you’ll see what we mean), for the most part.
The mix of tones and genres that was used in the film have made their way to this most recent jumping on point, but they are told poetically. Aquaman #47 has a lyrical quality, which makes the undersea gods feel a large and powerful as they appear on the page.
4 Batman #69
By Tom King, Yanick Paquette, Francesco Mattina, and Clayton Cowles
SEE THE PRICE COMIXOLOGY
After a series of fever dreams and dark introspective explorations, Bruce Wayne’s “Knightmares” finally come to an end in Tom King and Yanick Paquette’s Batman #69. After facing off against some of his biggest insecurities, Batman stares lovingly into the eyes of his deepest fear and asks the question, “Why?”
The “Knightmares” story arc has had some ups and downs, and has been a bit divisive among fans of the series, but the creative team sticks the landing, delivering readers a poignant and bittersweet finale. All the technical jargon about what’s really going on plays second fiddle to the emotional resonance of this issue, and its tune is beautiful.
3 Daredevil #4
By Chip Zdarsky, Marco Checchetto, Sunny Gho, VC;s Clayton Cowles, and Julian Totino Tedesco
SEE THE PRICE COMIXOLOGY
Despite it being one of the cornerstones of superhero stories, the moral conundrum of being a costumed vigilante is always fun to explore. Daredevil #4 zooms in on this by putting a spotlight on one of the best shaky alliances in all of comic books.
When confronted with the morality of dressing up like a devil and beating street criminals to a pulp by the Punisher, Matt Murdock goes full lawyer mode by arguing for the tenants of his own faith. But of course when diplomacy fails, Daredevil goes on the offensive, which leads to a fantastic showdown. This series just keeps getting better with every new issue that this creative team puts together.
2 Major X #2
By Rob Liefeld, Brent Peeples, Scott Hanna, Romulo Fajardo Jr., and VC's Joe Sabino
SEE THE PRICE COMIXOLOGY
Oh, boy, this title just can't help itself from getting weirder and weirder. Rob Liefeld's latest contribution to the X-Men Universe is a very special gift to comic book fans. It's kind of like getting an ugly sweater from that one aunt you only see during the holiday, but it's too weird to regift or turn your nose up at.
With Brent Peeples taking over art duties from Mr. Liefeld, Major X #2 is jam-packed with plenty of X-Men hallmarks: dark and/or alternate versions of existing characters (how many Beasts are there now?), giant robots, a stark vision of the future, and Wolverine being unnecessarily skeptical. You would think he’d be used to this level of craziness by this point, but things just seem to get weirder for him (and us).
1 Uncanny X-Men #16
By Matthew Rosenberg, Salvador Larroca, Guru-eFX, VC's Joe Caramagno, and Rachelle Rosenberg
SEE THE PRICE COMIXOLOGY
Uncanny X-Men #16 leans into the pure glee of seeing a good ol’ fashion mutant battle take place. Magneto’s Brotherhood of Evil Mutants go toe-to-toe with the worst for the wear X-Men for the bulk of this issue, and it’s pretty much glorious. Seeing long-absent heroes in their classic costumes fighting some of their oldest villains is comic book bliss.
But what really elevates this issue is the bizarre twists and turns it takes. Nothing is what it seems in this series, which is a breath of fresh air for readers who have felt like X-Men comics have been treading water. Writer Matthew Rosenberg and artist Salvador Larroca do a wonderful job of subverting the familiar in proper X-Men fashion.
We hope you like the items we recommend! Comic Book Resources has affiliate partnerships, so we receive a share of the revenue from your purchase. This won’t affect the price you pay and helps us offer the best product recommendations.