Each week, CBR has your guide to navigating Wednesday's new and recent comic releases, specials, collected editions and reissues, and we're 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: THE ADVENTURES CONTINUE SEASON II #1 (DC)
The legacy of Batman: The Animated Series still looms large over the DC Universe, and Batman: The Adventures Continue Season II #1 keeps that world alive in style. Like the first Adventures Continue, the story sees Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, Ty Templeton, Monica Kubina and Josh Reed return to the DC Animated Universe. In this debut issue, this Batman faces the mysterious Court of Owls and a Talon for the first time with a little help from Deadman.
This creative team perfectly captures the DCAU’s signature, timeless style, with these veteran creators firing on all cylinders. While the first long-awaited encounter between this Batman and a Court of Owls member is worth the wait on its own, the murder of a classic BTAS character proves that the DCAU still has some surprises hidden within.
MARAUDERS #21 (MARVEL)
After months of build-up, the“Hellfire Gala” event has finally started across Marvel’s X-Men titles. With Marauders #21, Gerry Duggan, Matteo Lolli, Edgar Delgado, VC’s Cory Petit and Tom Muller kick off the event, which sees Marvel’s mutants bring Marvel’s leaders and heroes together for a massive celebration and a mysterious announcement.
While each issue of the event will cover a different portion of the night, this issue sets the stage for the rest of the proceedings well. With such a massive array of characters in the same location, “Hellfire Gala” offers ample opportunity to push unlikely groups of characters together or reunite old friends, which this issue does to great effect. And of course, the X-Men’s fashion-forward Hellfire Gala outfits remain highlights on every page they appear, smartly showing what mutantkind thinks of itself.
NICE HOUSE ON THE LAKE #1 (DC)
From Swamp Thing to Vertigo and the Hill House imprint, DC has a rich history of publishing some of the best horror comics in mainstream comics history. And with The Nice House on the Lake #1, James Tynion IV, Alvaro Martinez Bueno, Jordie Bellaire and Andworld Design carry that tradition on. In this comic, several friends and loose acquaintances are called together by their old friend Walter at an impossibly nice house. However, they all get far more than they bargained for when Walter’s secrets are revealed.
Without giving away the book’s truly jaw-dropping final twist, this book is a masterclass in comics storytelling in introducing personable characters and subtly amping up the tension until its explosive, haunting finale. Bueno and Bellaire deliver gorgeous, eerie artwork that perfectly captures the horror of the house’s residents. The Nice House on the Lake #1 is an astounding debut issue that kicks off what’s certain to be one of the year’s best new series.
HEROES REBORN #5 (MARVEL)
Although the core of Marvel’s Heroes Reborn crossover is a fairly standard alternate reality tale where the Squadron Supreme replaced the Avengers in history, the event is built around deep dives into this bizarre world that revel in its sheer novelty. And with Heroes Reborn #5, Jason Aaron, reunites with Scalped collaborators R.M. Guera and Giulia Brusco for a story starring Nighthawk, the Squadron’s Batman-esque superhero.
While this story intentionally mirrors parts of Batman and Spider-Man history, this isn’t simply a story that replaces those characters with Nighthawk. Instead, it offers a harsh portrayal of a morally complex character with brutal, gritty art. While it makes a jarring contrast with Aaron, Ed McGuinness, Mark Morales, Matthew Wilson and Cory Petit’s back-up inches the overarching plot of the event along while showing how narratively flexible Nighthawk is.
IMMORTAL HULK #47 (MARVEL)
Over the past few years, Immortal Hulk has taken its titular hero to stunning creative heights by embracing the latent cosmic horror of the Marvel icon. And as the series nears its planned conclusion, Al Ewing, Joe Bennett, Ruy Jose, Belardino Brabo, Paul Mounts and Cory Petit filter the Avengers through this lens in Immortal Hulk #47.
While the Hulk has faced off against the Avengers plenty of times, their battles have rarely been as brutal – or as gruesomely depicted – as they are here. The horrors that have befallen the Hulk and his supporting cast stand out in jarring contrast to the colorful superheroes of the Avengers, an effect that’s only amplified by the well-executed artwork. While Immortal Hulk is very much stepping into its endgame, now is the time to catch up on one of the best Marvel series of the modern era.
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