It’s another New Comic Book Day, and there’s plenty of great stuff on the shelves. But what made it to the top 20?
1) Astro City #32
Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson made the gutsy choice to revisit their classic arc about Steeljack — an ex-con and ex-villain trying to do the right thing and get by — and, in doing so, find some new territory to explore. It turns out Steeljack has a soft heart, especially for an old friend, and Busiek and Anderson handle the shift to Dashiell Hammett with ease, losing none of the human spirit that makes this book such a stone-cold classic month in and month out.
2) Silver Surfer #2
Dan Slott and Michael Allred have been enjoying the heck out of themselves in this playful, funny book that pokes into the Surfer’s fundamental humanity and how even cosmic entities can be utterly clueless about relating to people. That comes to the fore in this issue, which has a few surprising twists and an absolutely hilarious scene where the Surfer learns that you should explain to your girlfriend that you’re visiting your ex.
3) Sex Criminals #14
Yes, Image’s sex comedy is back, and much of it is concerned with metacomedy. As usual, Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky are concerned more about our motives behind the act rather than the act itself, but the book is so packed with jokes — including a hilarious punchline to a rather self-indulgent bit in the middle of the book that I won’t ruin here — that you’ll be laughing too hard to notice.
4) The Black Hood #9
Greg Hettinger is falling apart. He’s addicted, not to drugs, but to being the Black Hood. And that’s about to hurt him, in ways that reflect a certain member of Greg’s Kensington neighborhood who has the facts, but tragically not the faculties to put them together. Duane Swierczynski’s script is a tragedy in small scale, and smartly balances the drama with the action, while Greg Scott captures Philadelphia with a grit and care that gives the book a unique feel.
5) Big Trouble In Little China #21
After nearly two years of ridiculous adventures and Jack discovering that the 21st century isn’t all the ’80s made it out to be, Jack goes back and does it again, this time to 1848 and a very, ah, different Little China. It’s a clever direction Fred Van Lente and Victor Santos are heading in to give this book a big finish, and a welcome one, to boot. If you want a fun read or are a fan of the movie, give it a shot.
6) Bitch Planet #7
I confess, I’ve respected Kelly Sue DeConnick and Valentine DeLandro’s comic book about a prison planet for “non-compliant” women more than I’ve enjoyed it. While one can hardly fault DeConnick for dropping anvils, that doesn’t mean the landings make for subtle music. That said, as this book has gone on, the characters have developed a rich texture that’s pushed the book further and made it more than a protest. And this new arc — which explores the misuse of prison labor and how working for a system that hates you never ends well — is the book at its smartest and most engaging.
7) The Wrath Of The Eternal Warrior #4
Robert Venditti, Raul Allen and Patricia Martin dig deep into what drives a man who dies and is reborn over and over again. And then they kick the supports out from under the story in the last few pages. Allen and Martin deliver some gorgeous fantasy art, here, but Venditti’s script has plenty of clever tricks as well, making this one of the smarter fantasy books on the stands.
8) Spider-Woman #4
In case you felt the need to argue that maybe Jessica Drew isn’t a terrifying badass, Dennis Hopeless and Javier Rodriguez would like to gently correct you. What makes this book most compelling is that it’s not Jessica’s powers that are front and center, it’s her training and ability. Oh, and her baby’s adorable, even if the last page acknowledges that the kid’s never going to have a normal life.
Rodriguez stands out here in particular, shifting the book from action to medical drama back to action to quiet character moments with aplomb and beautifully clean line work, and once again this book is one of Marvel’s best.
9) Jim Henson’s The Storyteller: Dragons #3
Hannah Christensen of Mouse Guard fame tackles a Ukrainian legend about respecting others and table manners. Christensen’s flowing art has a strong watercolor feel to it that helps the book step past the occasionally stiff narration. As always, this is a tasteful, stately book perfect for all ages and for teaching a little folklore to go along with the cartoons.
10) Huck #4
Mark Millar and Rafael Albuquerque explore a very different kind of Super-man in their series. What’s nice about this book is the title character really is everything some people argue a superhero should be, but Millar doesn’t take a dump on the guy or make him out to be a rube while simultaneously acknowledging a truly decent guy who believes the best in everybody will still be taken advantage of. It’s a clever exploration of a superheroic archetype that can be as heartbreaking as it is sweet.
11) Star Wars #16
The Rebel Alliance has prisoners, like any other resistance movement. And it has to keep them somewhere. Somewhere, it turns out, very, very nasty. Of course, when you’ve got somebody Darth Vader is keen to keep out of the Emperor’s hands, that means nowhere is entirely safe, as this new arc proves. Jason Aaron and Leinil Francis Yu once again capture the energy and feel of the movies on the page, which is no mean feat, and it make you wish you were watching this on the big screen. If you’re a Star Wars fan, this is a must-buy.
12) Martian Manhunter #9
Rob Williams and Eddy Barrows have taken this book from sweaty paranoid thriller to over the top space opera pulp in a hard swerve, and they are making it work when it really shouldn’t. The best part is the book never loses focus on its characters, even as it makes with the giant robot fights and J’onn J’onzz pulling it out and becoming a hero.
13) Tomb Raider #1
Mariko Tamaki and Phillip Sevy deliver a fun action book that’s well worth the Croft name. That said, while Sevy’s clean art does well with action and Tamaki writes a fun Indiana Jones-esque thriller, one hopes they’ll dig into Lara’s psyche a bit more in future issues.
14) Titans Hunt #5
Somehow, combining the tropes of an amnesiac thriller with the Teen Titans is turning out to be a masterstroke. Dan Abnett navigates the Titans and the nostalgia surrounding them with aplomb while at the same time writing a book that’s genuinely enjoyable for fans and non-fans alike. It’s a fun read, and it reinvents a classic team in an unexpected, and entertaining, way.
15) Archie #6
Mark Waid and Veronica Fish playfully update Archie tropes. A feature of this series is that this is very much an Archie book, but Waid has a lot of fun writing classic Archie while giving them twists, ranging from Archie screwing up on a colossal level to Mr. Lodge’s loathing of Archie having a sensible reason for once. If you’re looking for a romantic comedy, this is absolutely perfect.
16) Avengers Standoff: Welcome To Pleasant Hill #1
Nick Spencer and Mark Bagley could treat this like yet another book setting up yet another crossover, but, wisely, they don’t. Instead, this is a concept that really does stand on its own, not least because Spencer and Bagley carefully build on the concept and don’t pretend we won’t figure out something’s up. So they choose to mislead us in other, highly entertaining, ways, and the result is a great “Oh crap” moment that promises to make this crossover highly, highly entertaining.
17) Secret Six #11
It’s strange that Gail Simone has made a violent assassin touching and adorable, but that’s Strix for you. This issue centers around the oddly childlike killer, and what makes it work so well is that Simone makes Strix’s undeniably weird situation deeply relatable in a lot of ways, not least because this team of weirdos treats her like a person, not a zoo exhibit. Dale Eaglesham in particular does some subtle work here, which isn’t to say he doesn’t get a bunch of fights to draw, because he definitely gets fights. It’s just everything else is great too, especially the final reveal.
18) Power Man And Iron Fist #1
David Walker and Sanford Greene bring back the original Heroes For Hire in a book that smartly puts family man and exceptionally patient superhero Luke Cage front and center. The book’s best moments are often the little bits of Luke, family man and hero, trying to manage Danny and avoid swearing. These are, as you might imagine, two difficult goals to reconcile, but the book’s light-hearted nature carries it well. Similarly, Walker salvages some terrible characters from Marvel’s past in some intelligent ways; who thought Tombstone would be interesting 20 years later? If you miss the original heroes, this is a must-read.
19) Superman: American Alien #4
Max Landis, it turns out, wants to tell the origin story of the Justice League, and it works. A nice touch here is that Landis gives everybody, even the biggest, most out-sized ego, a little rind of humanity; Luthor goes on an epic rant and then turns around and asks Clark if he’s got enough material for his article, Dick Grayson is sharp but still just a kid, and Ollie Queen is still a playboy, but a smarter, more mature one. With art from the incomparable Jae Lee, it makes for an incredibly entertaining retelling of a story we’ve read quite a bit over the years.
20) Bill And Ted Go To Hell #1
If you were wondering just how more absurd and manic the Bill and Ted movies could get, let me introduce the comics. Truthfully, Brian Joines’ script often teeters on the verge of collapse by being almost too ridiculous and in-jokey, but Bachan’s light, cartoony art rights the ship. If you’re a fan of the movies, or just want something light-hearted to read, it’s well worth picking up.