This Wednesday bring a new batch of comic books to hungry fans. From BOOM! Studios comes the next instalment of a brilliant miniseries shines a light on ancient evil. DC Comics has not one, but two wonderful displays of art by John Romita Jr. in a pair of books that couldn’t be any more wildly different.
Image Comics kicks off a new fantasy series from some talented industry veterans with a double-sized debut issue. And Marvel Comics kicks of “Dawn of X” with the continuation of Jonathan Hickman’s X-Men relaunch. And if that wasn’t enough, J.J. Abrams continues his collaboration with his son, Henry in a wonderful new take on the everyone’s favorite web-head.
6 Once & Future #3
By: Kieron Gillen, Dan Mora, Tamara Bonvillain, and Ed Dukeshire
Duncan’s grandmother is not the kindly elderly woman she appears to be. She is from a line of badass monster-hunters and has gotten her deer grandson way over his head. Once & Future #3 finds our heroes facing off a slumbering evil that has awaken and isn’t too happy about the current state of things.
With gorgeous art by Dan Mora (Klaus) and a razor sharp script by Kieron Gillen (Die), Once & Future #3 is a wild ride and a reminder that this miniseries might be the best comic book on the shelf not enough people are reading.
5 Batman #81
By: Tom King, John Romita Jr., Klaus Janson, Mitch Gerads, Tomeu Morey, and Clayton Cowles
The Bat and The Cat march through Gotham City right toward the heart of all the chaos. Along the way they reveal hidden allies and secret plans. Tom King and John Romita Jr. bring the next exciting chapter of “City of Bane” to life in the excellent Batman #81.
Despite not getting to that big showdown between our formerly exiled vigilantes and Bane, this issue is packed with action and wild revelations. “City of Bane” has evolved into the blockbuster superhero story we’ve all been hoping for, and it’s glorious.
4 Superman: Year One #3
By: Frank Miller, John Romita Jr., Danny Miki, Alex Sinclair, and John Workman
Frank Miller and John Romita Jr. really are two peas in a pod, aren’t they? Their revisionist history of the Man of Steel has come to a close (for now) in Superman: Year One #3, an over-sized celebration of the big, bold, and often super weird Dark Knight Universe created by Miller decades ago.
Superman: Year One #3 sees iconic character in both the primary DC Universe and Miller’s dark vision come into the fold in exciting ways. Romita is doing pretty solid work here, especially in the larger splash pages. This final issue will leave you wanting more if Miller’s take on the DC Universe is your cup of tea.
3 The Marked #1
By: David Hine, Brian Haberlin, Geirrod Van Dyke, and Francis Takenaga
The Marked #1 from writer David Hine and co-writer/artist Brian Haberlin the debut of a new dark fantasy world where magic is tied to the flesh as much as it’s bound to the will of those who wield it. With gorgeous art and a truly interesting world, The Marked #1 might be the start of something special.
Haberlin’s art work is the real stand out in this issue. The way magic works on the page is simply stunning and the big splashy panels make for a truly aesthetically pleasing book.
2 Spider-Man #2
By: J.J. Abrams, Henry Abrams, Sara Pichelli, Elisabetta D'Amico, Dave Stewart, VC's Joe Caramagna, and Olivier Coipel
Father and son writing duo J.J. Abrams and Henry Abrams, along with the incredible Sara Pichelli have crafted a wonderful inter-generational about the sins of the father being passed down to the son, but those sins are from a place of heroism.
With a pitch perfect sense of humor and plenty of heart, Spider-Man #2 is a fantastic exploration of what it means to be a hero and how that heroism can honor the past. It also asks how far one family is willing to take that heroism. Simply a wonderful comic for everyone. Even if you’ve never picked up a Spidey comic in your life, you will instantly click with this book.
1 X-Men #1
By: Jonathan Hickman, Leinil Francis Yu, Gerry Alanguilan, Sunny Gho, VC's Clayton Cowles, and Tom Muller
House of X and Powers of X have come to end, but it was only the beginning. What acted as a 12-issue prologue to a much larger story is finally kicking off in earnest in the page of Jonathan Hickman and Leinil Francis Yu’s much anticipated X-Men #1.
Xavier’s new dream is quickly becoming a reality, but at what cost. While there’s nothing explicit in this first issue, the potential pitfalls of the nation mutants have put together feel like they’re right around the corner. With strong characterizations and powerful dialogue, X-Men #1 is the start of something truly special.
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