Welcome back to 10 Comics to Buy This Week. As you're probably well aware, there are a metric crap-ton of comic books hitting shelves every single week. And for the common consumer, it's financially impossible to pick up everything. That's where this column steps in like your superhero savior, drawing your attention to 10 books worth your hard-earned dollars during any given week.
We not only going to spotlight tights and capes books, but also some indie titles off the beaten path, which, if all goes well, will broaden your reading horizons.
Amazing Spider-Man #687
It’s part 6 of the latest Spider-Man epic. Doctor Octopus is still wreaking havoc on Spidey's life, this time coming after ol’ webhead with a new Sinister Six – the Avengers!
Spidey will have to face the ultimate test in this issue – does he sacrifice one life to save millions?
American Vampire: Lords of Nightmare #1
Oh happy day! Scott Snyder begins a brand-new American Vampire mini-series, entitled “Lords of Nightmare.” Dustin Nguyen will be drawing this new series, which will continue to shed light on the Vassals of the Morning Star and, more specifically, Felicia Book.
If you’re a new reader to American Vampire (seriously?!), then you’ll be happy to learn Lords of Nightmare can be read without any prior knowledge of the American Vampire mythos. However, if you’re a regular AV reader, this series will further expand upon the brilliant universe Scott Snyder has meticulously crafted.
Batman #10
The penultimate chapter of Night of the Owls has arrived. Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo ratchet things up to 11 with this issue.
Pick up Batman #10 if you want some answers to who runs the Court of Owls and what they’re intentions truly are. The book’s cliffhanger will also leave you gasping for air. Promise.
Before Watchmen: Silk Spectre #1
Darwyn Cooke, with the help of artist Amanda Connor, continues the Before Watchmen train with Silk Spectre #1 this week.
We got a chance to check out the first issue of Silk Spectre at the DC offices in mid May and came away impressed. Expect a lot of insight into the mother/daughter relationship between two generations of Silk Spectre. It's also worth nothing that Amanda Connor’s artwork is fantastic.
Additionally, this issue comes with the second chapter of Len Wein’s Crimson Corsair backup.
Here’s hoping Silk Spectre #1 is as solid as Minutemen #1.
Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #10
New writer Matt Kindt takes over for Jeff Lemire with Frankenstein, kicking off a new storyline called “Satan’s Ring.”
Kindt is joined by series regular artist Alberto Ponticelli for a tale that seems perfectly fitting for this series – Frankenstein and the Creature Commandos investigate potential double agents within SHADE by visiting “Untropolis,” an exact copy of Metropolis that floats upside down above Smallville, Kansas.
It’s ideas like that that make us love this series.
The Massive #1
Brian Wood and artist Kristian Donaldson introduce a series centered on the search for a missing ship, The Massive. In a lot of ways, Massive feels like a spiritual sequel to Wood’s DMZ, with a heavy emphasis on environmental consciousness.
Specifically, Massive takes place in a “post-everything world” as the environmental-action trawler Kapital sets out to find its sister ship, The Massive. The Kapital’s captain, Callum Israel, will have to ask himself the hard questions, like what’s it mean to be an environmentalist when the whole world has already gone to hell in a hand basket.
Planetoid #1
Written and drawn by Ken Garing, Planetoid follows an ex-soldier-turned-space-pirate, named Silas, as he attempts to escape an alien world full of dangerous mechanical creatures, cyborg militias and a bounty on his head.
Image Comics has been on a roll lately, so we’re willing to give any new series they pump out a shot. Planetoid looks like something interesting, so let’s hope it’s worth our hard-earned duckets this week.
Shade #9
James Robinson is joined by artist Fraver Irving for the beginning of the end for this series. The Shade returns to his hometown of London to investigate who tried to have him whacked.
The Shade, as a series, has been great thus far, so we see no reason why you shouldn’t pick up this issue.
Spider-Men #1
The Marvel 616 and Ultimate universes collide for the first time. Peter Parker of Earth 616 will meet Miles Morales of the Ultimate universe for a little Spidey team-up action.
We were understandably nervous about this crossover, wondering if it would feel forced or not, but we’re happy to say Brian Michael Bendis provides a plausible and entertaining reason for this tale to happen. And with the help of artist Sara Pichelli, Spider-Men #1 is a beautiful book.
Lay those fears to rest; Spider-Men is a crossover definitely worth checking out.
Uncanny X-Force #26
Wolverine, AoA Nightcrawler and Deadpool square off against the Omegas. Meanwhile, Psylocke heads to the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning to visit her amnesia-suffering boy toy, Angel. You know this isn’t going to turn out well for anyone involved.
Get pumped for more black ops X-Men action courtesy of Rick Remender and artist Mike McKone.