The last Wednesday of May is a bit slim in terms of sheer quantity of comics, but that doesn’t mean the quality of those books is lacking. DC Comics has a huge week with the prelude to its next big Superman event. We also see the return of an often delayed miniseries, reminding readers that it’s always worth the wait. And DC’s Black Label imprint launches a new Batman comics unlike anything we’ve ever seen.
Marvel Comics has a strong showing with a new issue from the brilliant mind of Ed Piskor, and the return of one of the best superhero horror comics on the stands today. Quantity doesn’t matter, when the good stuff is this good.
5 Batman: The Last Knight on Earth #1
By: Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion, FCO Placencia, and Tom Napolitano
See The Price Comixology
Batman: The Last Knight on Earth #1 is basically the film A Boy and His Dog but somehow even weirder (which makes sense seeing as how the leads of the story are Bruce Wayne and the Joker’s severed head in a jar). DC Comics’ Black Label imprint has another wild one on their hands with a story so out of left field no one saw it coming.
Batman superstar team Scott Snyder and Greg Gapullo (Dark Nights: Metal) reunite to deliver a story starring the Dark Knight unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. This post-apocalyptic take on the Batman mythos is dark, dangerous, and bizarrely funny.
4 Doomsday Clock #10
By: Geoff Johns, Gary Frank
See The Price Comixology
The sequel to Watchmen is back with another stellar issue. Despite the delays between releases, this comic hasn’t lost a bit of momentum. While each issue is incredibly dense and often feels strangely isolated, the scope of the story Geoff Johns and Gary Frank are trying to tell widens by focuses on very small, personal stories that define heroes.
Doomsday Clock #10 is a lot of buildup, but it’s tense, well-written and beautifully illustrated buildup which is leading to a moment that could potentially change the DC Universe forever and how we view storytelling in the graphic medium.
3 Superman: Leviathan Rising #1
By: Brian Michael Bendis, Greg Rucka, Matt Fraction, Marc Andreyko, Yanick Paquette, Mike Perkins, Steve Lieber, Eduardo Pansica, Julio Ferrera, Nathan Fairbairn, paul Mounts, FCO Plascencia, Dave Sharpe, Simon Bowland, Clayton Cowles, Tom Napolitano, and ALW's Troy Peteri
See The Price Comixology
The mysterious organization known as Leviathan has slithered into every corner of the DC Comics Universe, but just how powerful is it? If unwittingly kidnapping Superman is an indication, it’s pretty darn powerful. Superman: Leviathan Rising #1 is the prelude to DC’s next massive event and is filled with plenty of surprising moments and some solid comedy of errors.
Even if you haven’t been keeping up with the whole Leviathan ordeal in the pages of Adventure Comics, Superman: Leviathan Rising #1 is a pretty solid introduction to what’s on the horizon. You may not have been on the case with Lois and Clark, but this issue shows how far they’ve come and the creative team behind it is simply stellar.
2 Immortal Hulk #18
By: Al Ewing, Joe Bennett, Ruy Jose, Paul Mounts, VC's Cory Petit, and Alex Ross
See The Price Comixology
Immortal Hulk is a horror comic masquerading as a superhero title. And while it buries its lead deeper than other genre-bending titles like The Saga of Swamp Thing and The Vision, the existential dread and body horror elements are just as pronounced for Marvel Comics’ own big, green guy. It’s a Dr. Jekyll story with multiple Hydes.
In Immortal Hulk #18, we get a little insight regarding the Hulk’s uncanny knack not to completely destroy every person in his vicinity, and how Banner deals with the multiple levels of Hulk-ness that rise to the surface. Al Ewing and Joe Bennett have produced another fantastic issue in what’s shaping up to be one of the best superhero horror comic ever.
1 X-Men: Grand Design - X-Tinction #1
By: Ed Piskor
See The Price Comixology
The way Ed Piskor can distill a decade’s worth of X-Men story in a single issue without losing any of its charm is simply incredible. This time around, Piskor sets his sights at stories like Mutant Massacre and The Fall of the Mutants, two defining arcs in ‘80s X-Men comic history, in X-Men: Grand Design – X-Tinction #1.
This series has been the equivalent of X-Men CliffsNotes, only way more entertaining. His concise storytelling takes the long-winded narration of writers like Chris Claremont (who pretty much defined what the X-Men are today) and produces page after page of gloriously engaging story beats and stark characterizations. Even if you don’t have working knowledge of X-Men history, this comic is a blast to read. Having a point of reference only makes it better.
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.