Each week, CBR's Mike Fugere is your guide to navigating Wednesday's new and recent comic releases, specials, collected editions and reissues, and he's committed to helping you choose those that are worth your hard-earned cash. It's a little slice of CBR we like to call Major Issues.
If you feel so inclined, you can buy our recommendations directly on comiXology with the links provided. We'll even supply links to the books we're not so hot on, just in case you don't want to take our word for it. Don't forget to let us know what you think of the books this week in the comments! And as always, SPOILERS AHEAD!
Batman Universe (DC)
Can Batman be funny? If that Brian Michael Bendis (Superman) and Nick Derington (Doom Patrol) have anything to say about it, he certainly can be. And they prove just how bright the Dark Knight can be in Batman: Universe #1-6, which is a blast from start to finish.
Over the course of its 12 chapters, Batman: Universe follows the Dark Knight as he hoofs across time and space, chasing after a mysterious McGuffin. Despite a plethora of great cameos and hilarious situational comedy, Batman remains as grim and matter-of-fact as ever in any circumstance. This series is an absolute delight for both new readers and old. It wonderfully blends the fun camp of yesteryear, the gritty all-too-real aspects of the character and the more ostentatious aspects of Batman as a modern-day superhero in a visually stunning package. Verdict: Buy
Doctor Doom Vol. 1: Pottersville (Marvel)
Doctor Doom by Christopher Cantwell (Everything) and Salvador Larroca (Star Wars: Darth Vader, Uncanny X-Men) is one of the best hidden gems of Marvel's current output. While Doom is usually defined by the ornate trappings of his power, this story about on-the-run Doctor Doom trying to clear his name for a terrorist attack he had nothing to do with is filled with crackerjack ideas.
Doom encounters a slew of heroes and villains as he reaches out to the most unlikely of “friends” to help set things right. Each of these encounters grows wilder as the stakes grow larger. Even for fans who aren't familiar with the character or his history, the plotting and dialogue are sharp enough to make anyone feel like they’ve been obsessed with the metal-faced madman for decades. Collecting Doctor Doom# 1-5, Doctor Doom Vol. 1: Pottersville is pure escapist bliss. Verdict: Buy
Justice League: Origin Deluxe Edition (DC)
DC’s New 52 had a little bit of everything. Some titles like Azzarello and Chiang’s Wonder Woman or Snyder and Capullo’s Batman are still seen as watermark moments for their respective Justice League members, and for good reason. However, a lot of what came spiraling out of the New 52 isn’t always viewed through the most forgiving of prisms. Justice League: Origin Deluxe Edition, which collects the first 12 issues of the flagship title’s New 52 relaunch, provides an interesting snapshot of the time.
While the final legacy of the stories in this collection still isn't clear, it’s easy to draw the line between the titular story arc by Geoff Johns and Jim Lee to what viewers saw in the 2017 film Justice League. With Johns and Lee at the peak of their creative powers, this collection might be the closest DC fans will ever get to experiencing the “Snyder Cut.” Verdict: Buy
Sabrina the Teenage Witch: Something Wicked #1 (Archie)
Writer Kelly Thompson (Deadpool) and artist Veronica Fish (Spider-Woman, Archie) have returned with a brand new chapter in the life of the world’s most beloved high school occultist with Sabrina the Teenage Witch: Something Wicked #1. Despite the debut issue numbering on its cover, this is by no means a comic to start with, and we'd recommend you check out Thompson and Fish’s previous Sabrina volume, which just wrapped up last summer.
This issue picks up with Sabrina acclimated to her social life at Greendale High while trying to keep her witchcraft a secret to her fellow students and keeping those who know under lock and key. This comic is bursting with charm and creativity, and it's abundantly clear that Thompson has a talent for writing dialogue for Salem, Sabrina’s famous talking cat. Verdict: Buy
Judge Dredd 100-Page Giant (IDW)
IDW's Judge Dredd 100-Page Giant offers a great bang-for-your buck, and it’s a pretty solid jumping-on point for readers who may not be terribly familiar with the decades of Judge Dredd history. This anthology book is more of a mixtape than a “best of” collection, however. It provides samples of other Dredd comics by Ulises Farinas, Erick Freitas and Dan McDaid’s excellent Judge Dredd: Mega-City Zero. It also has previews for new titles like Judge Dredd: False Witness, which is also quite good.
Released last month, Judge Dredd 100-Page Giant is a perfect entryway into the world of Dredd for anyone who isn't quite ready to start picking up 2000 AD yet. This massive special has plenty of camp and outlandish violence, and it throws tons of satirical shade at polite society and pop culture in the way that only Dredd can. Verdict: Buy
Batman: Creature of the Night (DC)
Legendary comic scribe Kurt Busiek (Astro City, Marvels) teamed up with the amazing artist John Paul Leon (Earth X) to produce one of the most provocative and emotionally challenging Batman stories in years with Batman: Creature of the Night. Utilizing metatextual discourse and ever-shifting graphic medium techniques, Busiek and Leon tell the story of a young man named Bruce Wainwright, who has lost his parents in a violent altercation.
However, this young Master Bruce does not don the cape and cowl like his idol, Batman. Instead he internalizes his trauma, which produces a dark specter representing the Caped Crusader’s most horrific justice-seeking tendencies. Collecting Batman: Creature of the Night #1–4, this story is bold, heartbreaking and is a perfect example of the literally depths comic books can reach. Verdict: Buy
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