Another Wednesday, another mountain of new comics to read. Most of us out there don't have access to Bruce Wayne's bank account, so deciding how to make use of a limited budget is no easy task. So, we here at Comic Vine want to help you out. We all have completely different taste, so hopefully a few of these recommendations will tickle your fancy. Don't forget to sound off with your own "essential comics" in the comments section below.
Gregg Katzman's picks
THE LEGEND OF LUTHER STRODE #5
If you have a craving for an over the top book, look no further than Justin Jordan's comic over at Image. If you ever wondered what would happen if The Raid: Redemption and Kick-Ass ever had a baby, this would pretty much be it. Jordan's insane action sequences are perfectly complimented by Tradd Moore's ridiculously unique and animated art. A must read for action fans.
Visit CBR for the final preview pages. And yes, there's graphic language.
BLOODSHOT #11
Harbinger Wars is off to a terrific start and -- while BLOODSHOT's technically behind on the timeline -- it gives us the opportunity to see the most spectacular events unfold from a whole new perspective. The fight between Toyo and Bloodshot was amazing and #11 let's us witness it from an all-new angle: Bloodshot's head.
Tony 'G-Man' Guerrero's picks
FF #7
This comic is a great example of how fun reading them can be. Matt Fraction manages to squeeze in humor, action, suspense and tragedy all in one series. We also have the return of Mike Allred on art. With this eclectic group of characters brought together to fill in for the Fantastic Four while they're away on an adventure, Fraction's been slowly building up the mysteries. With the possibility of more loss and betrayal, there's no telling what might happen next. Whenever FF comes out, it soars to the top of my read list.
NOVA #4
NOVA is another series proving to be a fun read each issue. Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness have taken a character I wasn't too crazy about (based on the Ultimate Spider-Man animated series) and turned him into one you really care about. There's is a sense of innocence in charm when a young character has great powers bestowed upon them. We've been seeing a great learning curve when it comes to Sam Alexander trying to figure out how to use his new powers and the new role thrusted upon him. Ed McGuinness' art and Marte Gracia's colors make the overall experience that much more enjoyable.
Sam is about to find out if he has what it takes possess the power of Nova when he finds himself up against the Chitauri.
Mat 'Inferiorego' Elfring's picks
NIGHTWING #20
Nightwing has entered a brave new world where the local police don't take kindly to his folk (masked vigilantes): Chicago. The last issue was amazing as Dick settles down in the Windy City. We got to see the revamp of the Superman villain The Prankster, and the design was pretty awesome.
Writer Kyle Higgins is killing it on this book, and I'm anxious to see this all come together in the next issue, especially with Brett Booth doing some amazing things in the art department.
Go to UPROXX for the rest of the preview.
X-O MANOWAR #13
I will continue telling you how great this book is until it is on your pull list. I will come to your house and take you out to tea if it will persuade you. The Planet Death story arc has been a blast (PAFF PAFF).
With the conclusion of issue #12, we saw that destroying the Vine on Loam won't be as easy as Aric originally thought it would. It looks like his mission of death and destruction may have also turned into a rescue mission. This is brutality and brilliant storytelling at its best.
Sara 'Babs' Lima's picks
WONDER WOMAN #20
The last two story arcs have dealt with the concept of trust and who in Diana's inner circle can actually be trusted. That trust will once more be testing in WONDER WOMAN #20 and it is one issue I am definitely looking forward to reading. This series has continued to be one of my absolute favorites, and I think issue #20 holds a whole lot of promise. If I had to guess I think we will soon be seeing a confrontation between Diana and the God of War, but I guess we will have to wait and see!
Check out Nerdist for the rest of the preview.
B.P.R.D.: HELL ON EARTH: WASTELAND #1
What sounds like a good recipe for solid B.P.R.D. issue? A mysterious mission to find and rescue missing B.P.R.D. agents in Chicago, Ogdru Hem and humans that have been transformed into monsters -- yup. These are only some of the things promised to us in the upcoming issue of B.P.R.D.: HELL ON EARTH: WASTELAND #1. Johann leads the team in what will likely be a rather interesting B.P.R.D. story, and I for one am really looking forward to it. Issue #1 means it is the first issue in the short series, but also a continuation of the previous story. Chances are the issue will be a good jumping on point for new readers, and that's promising.
Jen 'MissJ' Aprahamian's picks
FATALE #14
Brubaker & Phillips have been consistently amazing me with the dark, beautiful tale they've been spinning in FATALE. I credit this book with my newfound interest in gritty noir stories, and this one just keeps getting better.
I'm especially a fan of the recent done-in-one flashback issues. #14 is the last of these historical standalone issues, and I'm certain that it will be as captivating and tragic as the ones before. This time, Jo's up against Nazi cultists; I'm expecting something a little bit like Indiana Jones, if Indy were the star of a horror series.
CBR has the rest of the preview.
MY LITTLE PONY FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC #7
My pull list is about 80% superheroes, and 19% weird, dark Image books. But that last little slice? PONIES. This series is as smart as it is cute, and the storytelling is true to the animated series without recycling plots.Issue #7 brings us a big reveal with the new Nightmare Moon, and our pony pals are in a precarious situation. I love big villain stories, and Nightmare is THE pony villain.
This issue also features gorgeous variant covers, including some beautiful watercolor work by Agnes Garbowska (I suddenly feel compelled to become a collector!).
Gregg Katzman is a freelance writer for Comic Vine and IGN Entertainment. This is the part where he shamelessly plugs his Google+ and Twitter page in hopes of getting a new follower or two.