It’s a bit light this New Comic Book Day, but there’s plenty of great books on the stands. What took No. 1?
1) The Sheriff of Babylon #4
Tom King and Mitch Gerads continue to add to the moral complexity of their Iraq War drama. What’s great about this book is how carefully it undermines stereotypes. The Iraqis are just that: Iraqis, people of a different country and culture struggling through a series of disasters so brutal it seems impossible to recover. Christopher, our nominal hero, is little more than an observer to their struggles, a tourist who will eventually leave. But they’ll still be there.
2) The Violent #3
Ed Brisson and Adam Gorham’s hard-luck, hard-edged noir delivers some of the best crime stories on the stands right now. The story of Mason and Becky, two people who screwed up and are trying just to put it back together, works so well, not least because neither of them are villains. Screw-ups, sure. Capable of bad choices, absolutely. But in the end, they’re parents who want a chance to raise their daughter, and more and more, that looks like it’s not going to happen. A smart, tough read and a great noir.
3) Unfollow #5
Rob Williams and Michael Dowling zig when you expect them to zag here; you think they’re setting up Battle Royale when, instead, they’re up to something much different. We won’t ruin it here, except to say that Williams appears to be playing on a much more expansive canvas, and Dowling smartly grounds the weirder aspects of the book, like a talking jaguar, with careful realistic art. The result is a thoughtful, unnerving thriller you need to be reading.
4) Black Widow #1
Mark Waid and Chris Samnee, fresh off their brilliant run on Daredevil, start Black Widow’s relaunch with a massive fight and chase that puts the Widow’s cinematic adventures to shame. And yes, we know that’s not easy, but this book is pure action right down to the intriguing final splash panel. We have no idea where this book might be headed next, but it’s such a great ride we’ll go wherever it takes us.
5) Omega Men #9
Kyle Rayner, confronted with the horror of the Citadel, attempts to find a third way between the Omega Men and a political machine willing to murder seven billion people for leverage over other planets. Guess how that works out! The brilliant thing about Tom King and Barnaby Bagenda’s work here is that King commits to his characters; the Omega Men were never going to accept a “third way,” and Bagenda’s art both delivers gorgeous space opera and intimate emotions in equal measure. As usual, it’s a superb read, and one of DC’s best books.
6) Giant Days #12
John Allison and Max Sarin take our British collegiate heroines to the one place that fills them with dread: Camping. Allison’s gentle, insightful humor gives this book a lot of heart, and Sarin’s artwork gives the physical comedy an added edge even as he subtly drives up the drama in certain places. One of the best comedies in comics, and a must-read.
7) Saints #6
Sean Lewis and Benjamin Mackey pay off six issues of setup with, well, war. What’s welcome about Lewis and Mackey is that they’re not interested in preaching, whether its about the good or evil of religion. It’s about the characters and the mantle thrust on them that most of them don’t want and not many of them even believe in. Ultimately they’re not fighting because their religion tells them to, but because no one else will. It’s a smart idea and it makes for an excellent book.
8) Darth Vader #17
On the one hand, this book setting aside its noir tone for space opera would feel disappointing. But on the other, Kieron Gillen and Salvador Larroca are just having too much fun here. Larocca especially runs with the opportunity to get weird; a chunk of this book takes place on a submarine in a pool of lava. Which Vader sinks. It’s a good insight into Vader, military commander, and it sets up a broader question: Are Vader’s attacks useful to the Empire? Or just theatrics?
9) Midnighter #10
Midnighter meets the Suicide Squad, which quickly learns the hard way that having a fight computer in his brain is just the start of Midnighter’s capabilities. Steve Orlando, Hugo Petrus, and Aco take an odd sort of breather here, letting this gleefully mean book be, well, gleefully mean. Orlando also pulls off the neat trick of writing a story that works with Midnighter while also being a great Suicide Squad story. This is one of the most fun, most unusual superhero books in comics, and if you want something different, this will fit the bill.
10) Avengers Standoff: Assault on Pleasant Hill Alpha #1
Maria Hill has a grand plan to turn supervillains into decent, God-fearing Americans. Yeah, take a guess how well that goes. Nick Spencer and Jesus Saiz have a heck of a lot of fun with the concept of angry supervillains shaking off mind control, while introducing a few plot elements that make this more complicated than just a fight. A great read with some wonderful art, and if you’re in the mood for some Cap action, this will be a winner.
11) Predator: Life and Death #1
Dan Abnett and Brian Thies are cut loose on the Predator franchise, building off of Dark Horse’s mega-event Fire and Stone. Abnett and Thies don’t reinvent the wheel here; you’ve got Marines, Predators, bullets, and gore. But it’s the details they fill into a well-worn story that make this worth picking up.
12) Spider-Man #2
Brian Michael Bendis slyly looks at the issues surrounding having a Spider-Man of color here, which makes it worth reading just because he covers the whole spectrum; it’s a book respectful of the excitement people feel seeing more than just white guys behind the mask while simultaneously pointing out that there’s no qualifier here. Miles Morales is Spider-Man. It gives a nice dimension to Miles’ quest to earn respect, because he wants it, and earns it, on his own terms. Sara Pichelli is up to the task of delivering both character and action, here, and overall, this is a welcome twist on teenage Spider-hijinks.
13) Seduction of the Innocent #4
Ande Parks and Esteve Polls finish off their noir miniseries by going to some dark places. Honestly, this all feels a bit rushed in places, the art in particular taking a bit of a hit, but the series remains an engaging, if sad, read right up until the end. Hopefully the book will do more with its concept, which it really only touches the edges of, in a future series.
14) Joe Golem: Occult Detective #5
This book ends on an oddly open note for a miniseries, although Patric Reynolds’ ’70s-horror inspired art is always a treat. Hopefully there’s more with this book in the future; its alternate New York, sinking into the ocean, is a fascinating setting, and Joe is a great character, but it feels like more could be done, here.
15) Bob’s Burgers #9
Really this is worth reading just for Gene’s, let’s say, off-kilter take on the story of Midas. But as usual, this mythology book is hilarious and a note-perfect tribute to the show it’s based on, and a great comic to pick up and read no matter the issue number.
16) Vampirella #1
Vampirella has dealt with a lot of bloodsucking monsters in her time on Earth, but the worst might just be the vampires at TMZ. Kate Leth has a clever idea that hopefully she’ll explore in more detail, riffing on Vampirella’s, ah, more commonly known assets and social media fame. While Eman Casallos could probably stand to bring in an inker, the art’s solid, and overall, this is an amusing and clever take on the horror character
17) Johnny Red #5
Garth Ennis and Keith Burns shake it up a bit with their war comic, by putting Johnny Redburn on the ground and delivering a twist we won’t ruin here. Ennis balances the reverence he usually approaches war comics with by adding a substantial amount of action that doesn’t glorify getting shot at. Burns, though, once again delivers a superb issue, a vivid look at war and violence that’s both awful and beautiful at the same time. If you’re looking for an unusual twist on war comics, look no further.
18) Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers #1
Kyle Higgins and Hendry Prasetya offer up, well, Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers, but with just a little more maturity than you might remember. Whether the book will be satisfied delivering on the show’s concept or build to something more in an open question, but it’s off to a strong start.
19) Interceptor #3
Donny Cates manages to walk a tightrope with the script to this book; a story about a planet full of vampires and the hard-nosed woman in a mech suit sent to kick their asses could easily devolve into the silly. But Cates balances the weirder parts with a credible plot involving political machinations, mutants, and a little dose of punk rock attitude, which is why we can’t show you the cover. Dylan Burnett, meanwhile, gives it all a nice action-movie feel, augmented by Dee Cunniffe’s color work.
20) The Discipline #1
Peter Milligan and Leandro Fernandez mash up Hellblazer and Fifty Shades of Grey, and walk a tightrope they might still slip off of. The big problem with this book is that it wants to be more subversive than it actually is, and yet the first issue doesn’t really manage to transcend its Skinemax-esque plot of a bored trophy wife discovering she’s a succubus and being seduced by a demon. Melissa, our nominal heroine, doesn’t really get much character development beyond the opening few pages, and Milligan doesn’t really give us a good idea of why, precisely, her seduction is necessary in the first place. Considering Image has books like Sex Criminals on its docket, that presents a problem that might leave many readers unwilling to pick up a second issue or even finish the first.
That said, Milligan has dealt with adult themes before, in books like The Extremist, and Leandro Fernandez focuses on mood, tone, and action, not shoving boobs at us every panel. So, for now, this is at #20. Hopefully this book can find its legs and be more than just its concept.