What Comics To Buy 5/21/14

Hello, and welcome to another What Comics to Buy segment.  We decided to change up the format of the operation slightly, as there is a ridiculous amount of books shipping each week from every single publisher in the industry.  To compensate, we are not going to cover the entire Diamond shipping list.  Here are the books we are counting down to every Wednesday.

Dark Horse

Brain Boy: The Men from G.E.S.T.A.L.T.  #1

Fred Van Lente and company just came up with a very fun, little Free Comic Book Day storyline where Brain Boy teams up with Captain Midnight.  Black Sky is coming to all of these books; these are just the first steps.  The new take on the art by Freddie Williams and the new mini-series has us more excited than ever to really dig beneath the surface of Brain Boy.  With Lente’s writing, readers should be in for a very exciting story filled with fun new revelations and sharp Freddie Williams’ artwork. 

DC Comics

Batwoman #31

The Marc Andreyko take on Batwoman is wildly different from the prior J. H. Williams and W. Haden Blackman penned storyline.  However, the series seems to have found its voice a little better in the past few issues.  Instead of keeping Kate in the dark place she was in previously, Andreyko put her somewhere in the middle ground with the Wolf Spider threat.  Jeremy Haun’s artwork also established some much needed clarity within the story itself.  As a penciller, he has slowly been getting better and better over the past couple of issues.

Forever Evil #7

It’s been a long time coming, but Geoff Johns and David Finch are finally going to wrap up Forever Evil.  Unfortunately, I am not as excited for this series as I likely should be.  Forever Evil has been a good book, but not great.  Due to some of the uneven shipping with the series, it is hard to get a hold of what is happening from week to week; and the tension overall feels deflated.  Initially, it was marketed as the big DC event book, but Future’s End seems to have taken over that role.  This is still a good story that would read better in a collected edition.  The last issue will likely shake up the whole line.

Justice League #30

Joe Prado, Ivan Reis, and Geoff Johns are cooking up something good in Justice League #30.  With Lex Luthor presumably saving the day from the Syndicate in Forever Evil, the villain is heading to the Justice League.  This is ripe with story potential and interpersonal drama.  Justice League kind of moves from crossover to crossover and lost some steam with the Trinity War insanity.  Hopefully the series can gain back some steam.  Reis will more than likely make sure each page is beautiful.  

Sinestro #2 and Magneto #4

The first issue of Sinestro was better than it had any right to be, and Magneto is simply wonderful thus far.  Master of the modern anti-hero, Cullen Bunn has been writing both protagonists with such refined elegance that both these individuals pop right off of the page.  Bunn has such slick internal voices for each one, which would come off as an elongated cartoon from a lesser creator.  Eaglesham and Walta build such unique voices for their characters that it is hard to not get sucked into the world masterfully crafted by each individual.  This should be a study in how to write an established anti-hero with a strong backbone.

Wonder Woman #31 

This wonderful ensemble cast littered throughout Wonder Woman is a strong presence in the book that may not be around much longer.  Azzarello has stated this series may not be around forever, and fans should really enjoy the incredible world that the team has built here.  Goran Sudzuka has fit well in the style of the book, and he is able to fit the whole team on the screen at any given time.  This book has been building towards a massive confrontation for a long time.  Watching all the dominoes fall will serve to be a climactic ending scene.

Dynamite

Magnus Robot Fighter #3 

Magnus Robot Fighter is one of the best books in the Dynamite Gold Key line.  The books have all been strong, but this title, in particular, has been the crown jewel.  The setup has been very intriguing, pitting Magnus in an unknown world fighting against a group of evil robots that he doesn't know.  This book is slowly developing a strong foundation for itself in the form of Cory Smith’s excellent pencils.  The artist has been growing his book with a stronger style reflected in each titled issue that hits the stands.

Image Comics

East of West #12

While I wish it was shipping more consistently, East of West continues to be the dense incredible read Jonathan Hickman has been seeding for several years now.  Hopefully, this series can go as long as it needs to.  There is a world that is being crafted with such an imaginative and wild premise, and I want to see each and every nook of Hickman’s psyche examined in this series.  It doesn’t help that Nick Dragotta’s work is awe-inspiring and incredibly lovely to look at when every issue hits the stands.  Together, the two craft an abstract sci-fi universe blending the east and west eternally.

Saga #12

Saga has been missing from my life for too long, but rushing perfection from Staples and Vaughan is likely a bad idea.  Many will likely have forgotten what has previously happened.  Thankfully this coming issue is marketed like a new jumping on point for fans, and Image has been printing collections of this series fast and furiously.  Believe the hype people, this is one of the strongest creator-owned comics that is being printed by anyone in the industry right now.

Marvel

Miracle Man #6 Garry Leach & Alan Davis

I almost get the feeling people are not reading Miracle Man in this new collected edition format.  The price is steep, and hopefully soft covers will come out soon.  Marvel is still printing them fairly consistently, and the book is still great.  However, people do not seem to be checking this title out.  The Alan Moore penned Miracle Man likely does not need an introduction, but the author takes the established I.P. and spins it in a number of new directions that continue to unfold with each issue.  Leach and Davis’ artwork is incredibly dynamic and enjoyable to look at.  Their pencils are extremely creative, and like nothing else on the current comic book market.

Thor: God of Thunder #22

Lately, when Jason Aaron writes a story there is a 99 percent chance it is going to be fantastic.  The author has had one of the best track records for great comics in the entire industry.  It helps that the cerebral pencils of Esad Ribic make it seem as though Aaron is crafting epic Shakespeare-esque drama.  This new tale about corporate interference and the struggle that the future Thor has with Galactus is filled with such beautiful personality.  Fans have not been talking about this series since The God Butcher storyline, but they likely have no idea that one of the best landmark runs on the character is happening right now.

Valiant

X-O Manowar #25 

X-O Manowar has been a solid title from the very first issue of the series.  Venditti is clearly planning this story out for the long term, and has something big in mind for Aric during the Armor Wars. While I hope this anniversary issue can stand alone to a certain degree, I hope it can also celebrate the mythos with all the different artists as well as setup the coming stories in the title.  It’s exciting that Valiant's first book is still being published two years later, with the line remaining alive and strong.  Celebrate the momentous occasion with the publisher, even if you haven’t read any other Valiant stories.  You won’t be disappointed.

Wow, that was a lot of comics! We didn’t even cover the whole list!  Head over to your local shop next Wednesday, and pick up some great books!