This week in comics, we’ve got blasphemy, history, Star Wars, and of course, superheroes. What made the Top 25 this week?
1) The Goddamned #1
If you’re one of the handful of people upset Starbucks left Santa off their cups, maybe don’t read Jason Aaron and R.M. Guera’s brutal reinterpretation of the Bible. Let’s just say Aaron and Guera are curious what the world was like before the Biblical Flood, and leave it at that. Bold, violent, intelligent, and highly recommended.
2) Harrow County #7
Cullen Bunn and Tyler Crook continue to mix together Faulkner and Lovecraft into a potent witches’ brew. What stands out in this issue in particular is Crook’s understated and disturbing creature design. He draws some stuff that will churn your stomach, but presents it casually, in daylight, as if nothing is horribly wrong. As always, a superb horror comic and a must-read.
3) Lantern City #7
What’s great about this book from Matthew Daley, Mairghread Scott and Carlos Magno is that it’s packed full of plot twists, but every single one of those plot twists is tied to characters changing as people, not external events. Sander, our hero, gets two really sharp emotional blows here that completely change the plot of the book, once again cementing this as one of the best-written comics on the stands right now.
4) Darth Vader #12
This book wraps up its arc by showing that Vader, for all his formidable physical power, is just as dangerous a manipulator and improviser. This mashup of space opera and noir is a must read even if you’ve never seen a Star Wars movie.
5) Constantine: The Hellblazer #6
John Constantine has lost his ghosts, and he’s dealing with it the most terrifying way we know how: Finding freelance jobs, getting out, and meeting people. Well, demons. The thrust of James Tynion IV’s and Ming Doyle’s script is that John tends to get people killed, and he’s sick of it. That said, this takes a lighter tone and Riley Rossmo being asked to stretch his legs beyond the body horror and gore he’s usually tasked with shows off a side I’d like to see more.
6) All-New Hawkeye #1
All is not well with Team Hawkeye in the first of a new run of issues from Jeff Lemire and Ramon Perez. After a mission goes south, Clint and Kate are barely speaking and certainly not functioning as a team, and flash-forward sequences ominously speak to a fractured future for the two. While it must be hard working in the shadow of Matt Fraction’s stellar Hawkeye run, Lemire and Perez are doing a good job creating something that is a seamless continuation while also being fresh. Old man Barton’s ponytail and a glimpse at a classic Marvel villain makes this issue one to pick up. — Alyssa Fikse
7) Southern Bastards #12
Jason Aaron and Jason Latour’s hard-edged Southern noir takes a turn for the supernatural in this issue, but it’s a well-done, creepy-crawly one that highlights why this book is one of the best on the stands.
8) Rebels #8
Brian Wood, Andrea Mutti, and Ariela Kristantina begin broadening out this book, set during the American Revolution, and it makes for some fascinating reading as we following the biracial Puritan Silence Bright and Seth Abbott as he finds that freedom, for some men, is more complicated than he realized. A thoughtful, yet action-packed, book, and great reading.
9) Descender #7
Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen kick off a new arc in their galaxy-spanning story of a little boy robot looking for his brother. Lemire has a superb facility with space opera, but it’s Nguyen’s gorgeous, textured watercolors that make this book unique. If you want a grand story with great art, this is the book to get.
10) The Twilight Children #2
Gilbert Hernandez is being a wee bit inscrutable with his plot at the moment, but Darwyn Cooke’s wistful art and Hernandez’s razor-sharp bits of character make up for the plot’s lack of focus.
11) Last Sons of America #1
Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Matthew Dow Smith ask a simple question; if the United States was attacked with a contraceptive weapon… how would it react? The short answer? There’s a huge market for kids, and it’s even uglier than the reality. Johnson and Smith cleverly keep the focus on our protagonists, mildly sleazy adoption agents who are looking for kids in a depressed Mexican town… and one of them screws up. Badly. A great little thriller and highly recommended.
12) The Wicked + The Divine #16
In the latest issue of this tale of gods and pop stars, the focus is on The Morrigan and her thrall, Baphomet. Fleshing out her pre-god state as Marion, a goth in love with Cameron, a self-proclaimed vampire lord. While it is disappointing that the Morrigan’s trigger is being scorned in love, she is one of the more intriguing of our gods, so any focus on her is a welcome one. Plus, communication via condiment is as oddly funny as you’d expect. Guest artist Leila del Luca takes a bit of getting used to, and while this issue lacks the polished edge of the previous ones, the rougher lines fit the Morrigan’s unfocused energy, and it is her story, after all. –Alyssa Fikse
13) Slash and Burn #1
Si Spencer and Max Dunbar don’t quite give away where they’re going with this book just yet, but the hints surrounding a young firefighter with an uncanny knack to spot arson are intriguing. A nice change of pace for Vertigo, and a promising book.
14) Americatown #4
Daniel Izirrari’s art continues to feel a bit sloppy and rushed, but this book, about a world where America is destroyed by climate change and Americans must emigrate, sometimes illegally, to other countries, is still a surprisingly compelling read. Worth a shot, especially for alternate history and political thriller fans.
15) Imperium #10
We get a little history lesson about the secret of an alien race, the Vine, and their attempts to kill Toyo Harada. We also get to discover just how dangerous LV-99, the Vine killing machine Harada enslaved, truly is. Joshua Dysart’s script is genuinely creepy in places, and Cafu and Juan Jose Ryp both deliver killer art in this supervillain book. This well-executed thriller continues to please, and will be great for fans who want a little more out of their superheroics.
16) Back to the Future #2
More of a lighthearted diversion than anything else, watching Bob Gale play with his ideas is a lot of fun, and Marcelo Ferreira and Chris Madden have fun, cartoony styles that match the tone quite well. A great book for those who fondly remember the movie.
17) King Tiger #4
Randy Strandley and Doug Whately wrap up their wonderful neo-pulp kung-fu comic in grand style. I really hope there’s more to this minute; the lighthearted tone and gorgeous art make for a delightful, breezy read.
18) Mythic #5
Phil Hester and John McCrea have way too much fun delivering a smart-assed take on the mythologies of the world, which are now united as a major corporation keeping the gears of the planet turning. Honestly, it’s worth reading just for the laughs, but Hester and McCrea are surprisingly thoughtful in how they mix together, and hilariously undercut, various creation myths and beliefs.
19) The Shadow #4
Cullen Bunn’s deliberately purple dialogue does go a bit too far, covering over Giovanni Timpano and Marco Lesko’s gorgeous art. But really, it’s a pulp story; purple is what we’re all about here, and it’s a fun read to say the least.
20) Spider-Gwen #2
While an AU where Gwen Stacy was the one who got bitten by the radioactive spider instead of Peter Parker is a pretty stellar idea, the execution has yet to be more than just okay. However, this issue is an improvement over #1, thanks to the introduction of Samantha Wilson as Captain America, an eye patch-wearing Peggy Carter as the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., and more clues about what the hell happened to Peter Parker. Still, I’m ready for this series to find its own voice instead of just recycling the Spider-Man narrative. — Alyssa Fikse
21) Justice League: The Darkseid War: Green Lantern
Tom King and Evan Shaner do a one-shot about what drives Hal Jordan, especially as he faces his greatest weakness: His desire to put everything right. Or right as he sees it. It’s a smart, insightful take on a classic DC character, and a one-shot worth picking up if you want to get to know Green Lantern.
22) All-New All-Different Avengers #1
Mark Waid has a lot of fun here, but it says something this book needs two separate stories to get more than one or two members of the team onto the page. Still, both stories are fun reads, with the latter being a hilarious look at how superpowers can’t solve the problem of being a teenager, and this book has promise.
23) Batman & Robin Eternal #6:
This Batman book continues to be a lot of fun, but I question why it couldn’t be a crossover. Still, it’s the kind of Bat-story that really shines, burrowing into continuity and character, and making for a fun, plot-heavy superhero read.
24) Marvel’s Jessica Jones #1
This issue serves as an introduction to the Jessica Jones that we’ll be seeing in the Netflix series and not much else. Setting the stage for life as a PI in Hell’s Kitchen, we get a hint of what’s to come with our hardened heroine. The art is a bit chaotic and hard to follow, but it fits the setting. Plus, we get a glimpse of Daredevil himself, giving viewers hope that the Devil in Hell’s Kitchen (or Matt Murdock himself) will make an appearance in the new Netflix series. So, if you’re super psyched to binge Jessica Jones when it’s released on November 20, this comic will get you started. However, it’s little more than an appetizer. — Alyssa Fikse
25) Assassin’s Creed #2
Anthony Del Col & Conor McCreery are still not being used to their full potential here, yet, but the book is engaging enough that it’s worth a read for fans of the franchise. You almost wish it was playable, which we can hope for, certainly.
This Week’s Other Notable Books:
BOOM! Studios:
Sleepy Hollow: Providence #4: Eric Carrasco and Victor Santos wrap up a great adaptation of the TV series.
Dark Horse:
Zodiac Starforce #3: A slight but funny riff on “magical girl”-type animes, but it needs a little more to truly stand out.
Mirror’s Edge: Exordium #3: Beautiful, kinetic art can’t really do much to give this book any real depth.
DC:
Teen Titans #13: Manchester Black getting his butt kicked never gets old.
Starfire #6: This book has finally settled into a goofy vibe that actually clicks a bit better than it has in the past.
Batman Beyond #6: Tim Drake wraps up his time in the future in a thrilling, but not very original, way.
Catwoman #46: The “Catwoman as mob boss” arc wraps up in style.
Batman/Superman #26: This book takes an amusing turn for the pulpy as we learn just how far some supervillains will plan ahead.
Batman #46: While the Mr. Bloom arc here is fun, I’m noticing a trend where Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo are taking entirely too long to wrap up arcs.
Justice League: The Darkseid War: Shazam Steve Orlando has a clever idea, of Shazam swapping gods, that he doesn’t do quite enough with.
Justice League United #15: Or, “Every DC war book in one spacetime anomaly.” A lot of fun for DC nerds, but new readers may be a little lost.
Red Hood/Arsenal #6: You know, DC, I get the appeal of having a second Harley Quinn, but stop trying to make the Joker’s Daughter happen.
Dynamite:
Grumpy Cat #2: This book is a little cutesy, but hey, it is aimed at kids.
Pathfinder: Hollow Mountain #1: An amusing, if exposition-heavy, fantasy comic.
Image:
Faster Than Light #3: A book in the grand tradition of space horror, with great art and a sturdy, if conventional, story.
Limbo #1: It’s a little too grounded to deliver the weird vibe and a little too weird to deliver the grounded vibe, and as a result the mysteries are less intriguing than they could be.
Codename Baboushka #2: After the delicious dirty martini of Velvet, this martini spy fiction feels a bit slight coming from Image.
Marvel:
Chewbacca #3: Chewie’s character moments are a lot of fun here, giving the walking carpet some dimension, but that’s the main draw.
All-New Wolverine #1: X-23 has a new suit, but nothing else has changed, really.
Carnage #1: Remember when Carnage was forced by Axis to be a good guy? They dumped that angle far too soon.
Illuminati #1: A fun, but conventional, supervillain story.
Ultimates #1
Web Warriors #1: Spider-people hopping multiverses is silly fun, but I’ve got to wonder how long this book can hold momentum.
Valiant:
Unity #24: A thrilling if conventional conclusion for Valiant’s gritty team book.