Brace your wallets! A flood of tempting comics is coming! Yet another Wednesday approaches where there's a whole lot of issues we can't wait to check out. We here at Comic Vine have reviewed the list of new comics coming out this week and we've each highlighted a few that we're really, really, reaaaally excited for. Once you're done seeing what we can't wait to read, be sure to share your own list of essential comics, too.
Tony 'G-Man' Guerrero's picks
BATMAN AND ROBIN #23.3 RA'S AL GHUL
Villains Month continues and of course Ra's al Ghul is deserving of his own issue. Some may question the need for an origin story for the character but it appears we will be getting more than that from James Tynion IV.
Ra's ah Ghul hasn't been overly active in the New 52. Part of that has been due to the carry over of Talia's scheme against Batman and Damian with her Leviathan project. We have seen some glimpses and with Tynion turning his focus on the League of Assassins in RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS, Ra's is reclaiming his place in the Batman universe.
For a man like Ra's, it will be extremely interesting to see what his take on the Secret Society of Super Villains would be as well as the Crime Syndicate. That gives more reason to play close attention to this issue in order to try to get an idea what might be set up for future stories involving Ra's.
Jorge Lucas did a great job on the COURT OF OWLS book last week and it'll be a treat to see what he's done for this story.
SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #18
Dan Slott and Ryan Stegman delivered a great issue bringing Spider-Man 2099 into the present. We've seen time travel stories often but the how and why made sense in this context and the fact that Slott managed to sneak in a more personal reason for the trip caught me off guard.
Besides the two Spider-characters having some similar powers, it will also be interesting to see if either will use their claws, something Slott used to play a joke in leading readers to believe Miguel would become the SUPERIOR Spider-Man. Although, some have question whether or not we will see a changing of the guard in future issues. Yet another reason to check this issue out.
The solicit also teases "secrets uncovered in time." Sounds like one more reason to pick this issue up.
DAREDEVIL #31
Mark Waid and Chris Samnee is pretty much all the reason you need to pick up this issue. We've been getting fascinating Daredevil stories during Waid's run and it's great to see that even though the stories have taken a smaller scope compared to the huge ongoing arc in the first twenty-something issues, we are seeing Waid using these stories to build another big story. Seeing tiny repercussions carry into subsequent issues shows how thought out the stories can be.
With the Jester returning in an apparently more serious fashion along with more Hank Pym, we're bound to have another fun and exciting issue. Exactly what we've come to expect from this volume of DAREDEVIL.
ZERO #1
Ales Kot and Michael Walsh team up to deliver a new spy story at Image. This is far from your typical spy story. Put away your preconceived notions. This isn't about a fancy-dressed guy using a bunch of gadgets to get the job done.
With a different artist for each mission (something that will be interesting to see how it all fits together), Kot starts up the action and intrigue from the very first page. There is no shortage of action or storytelling and you'll want to see what happens next.
Check out Tony's early review HERE.
Honorable Mentions: THE FLASH #23.3 THE ROGUES, GREEN LANTERN #23.3 BLACK HAND, THE X-FILES SEASON 10 #4
Mat 'Inferiorego' Elfring's picks
X-O MANOWAR #17
I'm getting so pumped for UNITY. I can't wait to see Aric take on the rest of the Valiant Universe. Better yet, I'm loving the build-up to UNITY here in X-O MANOWAR. In the last issue, things between Aric and Gilad got a bit physical as the one-time student seemingly became the teacher. Now that Gilad knows there's no way to reason with him and the rest of the Visigoths, tensions are going to get higher and things are going to get a bit more messy.
It may not be a great place for brand new readers to jump on, but if you're interested in the upcoming event, UNITY, you should probably jump on now. Robert Venditti is doing some fantastic stuff with this character. I never really cared for X-O Manowar as a character or a series before the relaunch but Venditti has put together a solid run with a character I enjoy reading. It's really cool to not agree with what the main character of a series is doing. It's a first for me, and it's an interesting direction to take the book. I have one more thing to say about this book that will make you want to read it...
PAFF PAFF
UNWRITTEN: TOMMY TAYLOR AND THE SHIP THAT SANK TWICE
If you've been listening to the Comic Vine podcast, then you know I'm a fan of this book; however, I stopped reading around issue 16, but continued to buy it because I wanted to read the series all in one sitting. Well, I jumped back on UNWRITTEN, from the beginning, last weekend, and I still love it, and that's what makes me so excited for this original graphic novel coming out this week. The series is this great blend of classic (and contemporary) literature and Vertigo-style storytelling. And now, UNWRITTEN gets its own original graphic novel.
What's really cool about this OGN is that it seems like a great place for new readers to jump on. This book goes over Tommy Taylor as a young lad and is said to be both a prequel and a parallel story to the main series, which is currently involved in a crossover with FABLES. I've really been enjoying Peter Gross' art on this series, and Mike Carey is stellar at putting together some brilliant and sometimes, overly bizarre stories, like the Choose Your Own Adventure issue. It's a really interesting series, and it's good to see that there's an OGN which will be very new reader accessible.
Honorable Mention: ULTIMATE COMICS X-MEN #31
Gregg 'k4tz' Katzman's picks
VENOM #41
I can't believe the penultimate issue of VENOM is almost here. This has been Venom's longest series and the ride has been consistently solid. It's depressing to see it go, but on the other hand, it looks like writer Cullen Bunn is going to leave the symbiote's series with a rather massive story revolving around Mania.
Mania has her (massive and clawed) hands full with her assault against Lord Ogre and his forces. Up until now, she hasn't been able to lay a pointy finger on the villain. However, it finally looks like Ogre will step up to the plate instead of fading into the shadows once again. So far the big bad has been a whole lot of talk and no action, so it'll be interesting to see if he's anywhere near as intimidating as he appears. Meanwhile, Mania's oblivious to the fact that Crossbones is hunting her and she could very well become the next Devil. Throw in Flash's discovery with Damon Hellstrom and there's a heck of a lot going on in this final arc. You can definitely feel the pressure building up to the finale with this one. I just hope the end of this series won't mean the end (for now, at least) of these characters.
BLOODSHOT & THE H.A.R.D. CORPS #14
It's an all-new adventure for Bloodshot, so why not kick it off with an all-new creative team, too? Christos Gage and Joshua Dysart will co-write and Emanuela Lupacchino will illustrate the dangerous Valiant character's brand new direction.
After the crazy events in HARBINGER WARS, Bloodshot will join forces with the Harbinger Active Resistance Division -- aka H.A.R.D. Corps. This new premise is loaded with potential when it comes to delivering both a smart and action-packed story. Plus, it serves as an ideal jumping on point, so if you've ever considered giving the character a chance, this is it. If you really need something else to sell you on it, Gage describe the book as, "imagine Wolverine leading the Suicide Squad."
THOR: GOD OF THUNDER #13
When it comes to Jason Aaron's time with Thor, the theme is definitely "go big or go home." His first lengthy story with the God Butcher was a brilliant epic and before jumping into this new adventure, Aaron treated us to a rather touching intermission with the last issue. But now it's time to dive into a brand new story and this time around it'll focus on Malekith the Accursed.
Yes, it definitely seems like this character is being reintroduced to match with the release of Thor's next film, but really, who cares when it's Aaron writing it? After his God Butcher story and the last issue, I have the utmost confidence in his ability to craft a superb and grand adventure with the God of Thunder. I've never considered myself a big Thor fan, but man, Aaron does amazing work with the guy.
Honorable Mentions: HARBINGER #16, SAVAGE WOLVERINE #8, TMNT NEW ANIMATED ADVENTURES #3
Jen 'MissJ' Aprahamian's picks
CAPTAIN MARVEL #16
Captain Marvel doesn't need rescuing -- but that doesn't mean that her book isn't full of action and adventure! In this INFINITY tie-in, Carol reaches for her Binary power set, showing off some range and also showing us how serious the threat is. Carol is, of course, at the center, but we'll see how things turn out for Hawkeye, Widow, and Spider-Woman, too.
ALL NEW EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT IRIS #1
It's a fresh start for Executive Assistant Iris -- the most professional of assassins is trying to move on from her past, and finding that the future is equally dangerous. The fresh start also brings with it a new creative team, including writer Brian Buccellato, penciler Pasquale Qualano, and colorist John Starr. This one's an essential for fans of powerful and deadly leading ladies, and the all-new-ness of it means it's a great jump-on point for new readers.
MORNING GLORIES #31
Last month's issue left us with some serious revelations on the who's-secretly-related-to-whom front; this one is starkly titled "Say Goodbye." I'm expecting the usual MGA fare -- inasmuch as "usual" means more plot twists, layers of connectivity, and deepening mysteries. I'm into MORNING GLORIES the way I was into LOST -- the big story is so compelling and puzzling that I can't stop, and this feeling just gets reinforced every month.
Corey 'Undeadpool' Schroeder's picks
NEW AVENGERS #10
Hey, have I mentioned lately how much I'm enjoying Hickman's run on Marvel's titles in this event? Because I don't think I have, oh no...Mike Deodato has changed, or evolved depending on how you look at it, his style into a much sharper, more defined one that suits the darker, harder science fiction that New Avengers focuses on. The idea of both Thanos' motivations being explored, particularly after the shocking revelation of two weeks ago, AND of course it would REALLY suck if an incursion were to happen about now...so of course, that's EXACTLY what's going to happen! No one juggles multiple plot threads like Hickman, so I can't wait to see how this all plays out.
Visit CBR for one more preview page.
INFINITY #3
Jonathan Hickman's sci-fi epic continues and with art continuing under the more-than-able Jerome Opena, who's already proven himself more than capable, and on far more than this title. As someone who's keeping up with all the tie-ins and side-issues, it's been quite surprising to see how well these issues stand alone, and I'm anxious to see how this continues to play out, though with a certain amount of trepidation. When something is going THIS well with standards THIS high, there's a certain degree of tension over whether or not the bar can continued to be leaped over. It's likely no cause for alarm as both these creators have proven, and continue to prove, their mastery over the subject matter.
Check out one more preview page over at CBR.
CABLE & X-FORCE #14
This book is something of a sleeper hit for me, and much like the recent Carnage and Venom titles, if you'd told me ten years ago that Cable would not only be leading a team, but have his name on the cover, of a title that I'd read as much for its story and character development as I do for its breakneck, guns-blazing action, I'd have called you a liar and a madman, traveler from the future! But thanks to the team of Dennis Hopeless and Salvador Larroca, that's exactly what we've got. Cable's never been more compelling (even in the much-beloved, including by me, Cable & Deadpool) and rarely looked better. Larroca's coming off an amazing run on Iron Man, and this is further cementing him as the go-to guy when you need emotion, action, and razor-sharp linework in one neat little package. The fact that the title finally makes good on its Cable VS Uncanny Avengers (including his own nephew-by-way-of-another-dimension) teasing is just icing.
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