It's Monday and that can only mean one thing: new comics are approaching! There will be a sea of new material to dive into this Wednesday, but narrowing down the options can be a wee bit tough sometimes -- especially if you're working with a budget. Because of that, we here at Comic Vine will tell you every Monday which brand new comics have us beyond excited and why we're anxious to read them. We've checked out the list of new releases and we've each picked a few we simply can't wait to check out. Once you're done seeing what we're stoked for, be sure to chime in with your own list of essential comics.
Tony 'G-Man' Guerrero's picks
FOREVER EVIL #2
It's only been a month but after a month of Villains Month issues, it feels like it's been a while since we saw the beginning of this series. The Crime Syndicate has begun laying out their plans.
We've seen the story jump forward a little since the end of Trinity War. While some of the Villains Month issues did add some tiny pieces, there's still a lot we have to see and find out. What it comes down to is Geoff Johns and David Finch are ready to shake things up in a big way. We were shocked and even a little outraged over the first issue. That just means there's more to see. We need to find out how it's all going to play out.
This issue will have more shocks and possible outrage as the Teen Titans are up to deal with the Syndicate. Uh oh.
ALL-NEW X-MEN #17
We are now half way through the series. Each part has been a blast mixed with action, humor and now, a pretty big twist. Regardless if you saw the twist in the last part or not, this is changing the direction of the arc in a way.
We've had only hints of what lies in the future. We know Magik ventured there in the beginning and now she's taking young Iceman and Beast. We'll definitely need to see what's going there. This issue opens up a new can of worms and we can expect plenty more X-Men craziness.
Leave it to Brian Michael Bendis and Stuart Immonen to make a complicated time-travel mess even messier. But in a good way.
THE STAR WARS #2
So you think you know all there is to know about Star Wars, huh? That means you haven't seen THE Star Wars. Based on the original rough-draft screenplay by George Lucas, this series will take you to that galaxy far, far away only it will feel completely different.
This is a great way of experiencing Star Wars for the first time once again. There may be some confusion at first if you are determined to hold onto what you know about the characters and story. Names have changed and characters have swapped places. That's what makes this such a crazy and fun ride.
You'll want to read this comic and then read it once more, just to be sure you got everything straight. Do you remember the first time you saw or read Star Wars? Now you can do it again by reading THE Star Wars.
Check out CBR's final preview page here.
Honorable Mention: GREEN LANTERN #24 marks the beginning of a month long event across all the Lantern titles. If you're a fan of any of the series, you won't want to miss out. Things will definitely get shaken up and we'll see some major changes in the status quo.
Mat 'Inferiorego' Elfring's picks
HINTERKIND #1
If it's a series at Vertigo, I'm going to try it out. Some of my favorite comic series and graphic novels are Vertigo books, so when I saw a new series by an artist and writer I wasn't familiar with, I signed up because this imprint usually puts out some really dynamite stuff, especially recently with great series like THE WAKE, AMERICAN VAMPIRE, UNWRITTEN, TRILLIUM, and F.B.P. AKA COLLIDER.
From the looks of the solicit, HINTERKIND will take on the age old Man vs Nature theme, which seems like it will be an incredibly intriguing book. Writer Ian Edginton is no stranger to the comic industry though. He's appeared in over 250 issues of 2000 A.D. (link to appearances) as well as some issues of X-FORCE (link to appearances) and STORMWATCH P.H.D. (link to appearances). It sounds like an interesting series. I'm pretty excited.
SUPERIOR FOES OF SPIDER-MAN #4
I'm going to be honest with you, but just with you. Everyone else, look away for a minute... Ok. SUPERIOR FOES OF SPIDER-MAN is my favorite non-Ultimate book at Marvel. This is a really fun, team book, which just happens to be all about villains. This series really humanizes these B-List villains. We get to see their day-to-day lifestyle, even if a lot of the time is spent arguing with teammates in a basement somewhere.
Steve Lieber's art really gives this book a fun feel, and I don't think it could really work with any other style. Spencer's goofy story and Lieber's more animated art are the best part of this book. If you're looking for something that's more along the lines of HAWKEYE, then this is the book for you. Plus, who doesn't love the idea of super-villains having parole officers, whom are also super-villains. This books is so awesome/ridiculous/makes me warm inside.
Gregg 'k4tz' Katzman's picks
GREEN ARROW #24
A gang war in Seattle with Richard Dragon? Shado's by Green Arrow's side? More of Count Vertigo with Andrea Sorrentino and Marcelo Maiolo's artwork? Still written by Jeff Lemire? Oliver's New 52 universe continues to expand and it has all of the ingredients it requires to be so very awesome. Plus, Lemire has stated this is all leading up the 'The Outsider War,' a story with a whole lot of potential based on all of the mythos building he's been doing.
Month after month, GREEN ARROW proves it's one of DC's best books. It just can't be stressed enough how much excellent work the team is doing here. Lemire clearly has ginormous plans for Oliver's world and Sorrentino/Maiolo continue to provide some truly standout art. Do yourself a favor and give this book an honest chance.
You can find the final preview page at Hero Complex.
DETECTIVE COMICS #24
Wrath's debut story in the New 52 comes to what will hopefully be an epic and action-packed conclusion. John Layman's Wrath has given Batman ample reasons to focus on him and now the villain has even kidnapped Alfred (not cool, Wrath. Not cool at all). The villain took down Batman with a surprise electric attack in the last chapter, and seeing as Wrath has so much technology at his disposal, it'll be interesting to see what other tricks he has up his armored sleeve. Plus, the preview and cover reveals the two will engage in an aerial battle and, if handled well, that holds the potential to be really, really exciting.
This story has been building and building to a huge confrontation between these two, so hopefully it'll be one for the ages and we can see why Wrath deserves being called the anti-Batman. Additionally, Jason Fabok is illustrating and the man has done remarkable work on both the characters and environments in this dark and grim storyline. Seriously, the artwork is solid and does a superb job bringing Layman's story to life.
SAVAGE WOLVERINE #9
Jock.
Does anything else really need to be said to sell this issue? The last story in SAVAGE WOLVERINE was pumping with an overwhelming amount of adrenaline thanks to Zeb Wells and Joe Madureira, and now the book is going in a whole new direction as Jock takes the wheel and drives us into the unknown. This time around, the book is going for a sci-fi vibe as Wolverine finds himself on an alien planet which is full of danger and secrets. It'll be great to see a story which thrives on Wolverine's personality and building a whole new world for him to explore and survive. SAVAGE WOLVERINE #9, you've definitely captured my attention.
Jen 'MissJ' Aprahamian's picks
TRILLIUM #3
In the first two issues of TRILLIUM, Jeff Lemire experimented with different narrative styles, but consistently kept us aware of two things: (1) Nika and William are VERY different, and (2) they're also VERY connected to each other. Finally able to communicate, the two are now rocketed apart to their various corners of space-time, and we get to look forward to their eventual reconnection. After two incredible issues, I can't wait to see the next installment, and this book is an essential for romantics, time-travel aficionados, and fans of clever, impactful storytelling.
LAZARUS #4
Last month? Forever and Joacquim got blown up, presumably by the twins and their agents. This month? If they're alive (they're probably alive) they're going to be pretty angry. And by pretty angry, I mean explosively angry, and genetically equipped/enhanced to do something serious about it. Greg Rucka has built an incredibly robust world with interesting and scary people in it, and LAZARUS is a must-pull comic right now.
You can read CBR's full preview here.
MARA #6
The series concludes! (No, not Breaking Bad....MARA!) If you've been following along with this short but spectacular series, you've probably been on the edge of your seat wondering what happens to Mara after -- well, everything. Grab the first five issues and catch up on this unique, brilliant series by Brian Wood and Ming Doyle, then pick up the finale this Wednesday. It's an essential pull for fans of super-strong ladies, sports, and dystopian future stories that are a little bit off the beaten path.
Corey 'Undeadpool' Schroeder's picks
EARTH 2 #16
James Robinson and Nicola Scott charge forward to the end of the first major story arc of one of New 52's most outstanding series. After last issue's absolutely nail-biting cliffhanger, and a month of waiting, I am ecstatic to see how the title develops and how this all comes to an end, particularly as this is Robinson's final issue on the title. That in mind, there's absolutely no reason for him to hold back, and having the woman who helped shape Earth 2 into the breakout hit that it has become is the best way to send him off.
HUNGER #3
Joshua Hale Fialkov has certainly made a giant splash in his ultimate comics debut! In the wake of Age of Ultron, 616 Galactus has not only found his way to the Ultimate Universe, but assimilated the Gah Lak Tus swarm and begun striking fear across the Ultimate U. Meanwhile Leonard Kirk continues his amazingly detailed, vivid imagery. Another reason I'm excited for this is to see what future, if any, the Ultimate Universe has. Many are declaring this the end, but I have a hard time believing it as even Previews solicitations don't go beyond the Cataclysm event that is imminent.
INVINCIBLE UNIVERSE #7
As our own Mat Rorie would say: PUPPY! PUPPY! PUUUUPPYPUPPYPUPPY!!! Maybe it's because I'm a dog person, but I love superpowered teams that feature a dog as a member and to get an issue from the consistently fantastic, regular creative team of Phil Hester and Todd Nauck that focuses on the most diminutive member of the team should be an absolute treat. See what I did there? Like a dog treat...
Follow us on Twitter: Tony, Mat, Gregg, Jen, Corey.