A whole bunch of brand new comic books are going on sale this Wednesday and there's bound to be something for everyone. From gritty street level stories to cosmic craziness, there's plenty of variety. In fact, there's so many being released that it may be a little difficult to decide how to distribute your budget. Well, there's no need to worry because the Comic Vine staff has your back! We've reviewed the latest list of new releases and each of us will tell you what we're excited to read and why. Once you're all set seeing what we recommend, go ahead and post your own list of essential comics below. You just may convince someone else to check out a new comic!
Tony "G-Man" Guerrero's picks
LADY KILLER #1
LADY KILLER is a series that snuck up on me. Getting a chance to read the first issue early and talking to writer Joëlle Jones about it, I started looking forward to the New Year. We all have our favorite ongoing series but it’s extremely refreshing to be able to read a brand new comic with new characters.
Taking place in the 60s, this series looks to capture the essence of the period while also hitting you upside the head with some dark situations. Basically, the lead character is your average 60s housewife except…she’s also a trained killer for hire. Joëlle Jones’s art with Laura Allred’s colors will blow your mind.
Don’t miss out on this series, especially if you’re looking for something a little different.
DEADLY CLASS #10
DEADLY CLASS was one of my favorite new series of 2014. It’s great to start off the first week of 2015 with a new issue. Last issue we saw some of Maria’s past and Marcus is playing a dangerous game by getting involved with Saya. We’ve seen plenty of stories with a lot of teen drama but when the teens in questions all go to a school for assassins, it takes things to a completely different level.
This issue looks like it’ll show us what a ‘day off’ is like for a couple of the kids in the streets of San Francisco in the 80s. Of course if Marcus is hitting the town with Maria, what happens if she finds out about him and Saya? There’s a good chance we’ll see plenty of action and violence as the world these characters live in never lets up. Rick Remender and Wesley Craig always have something cooking in this book.
BUCKY BARNES: THE WINTER SOLDIER #3
When Bucky Barnes was given a new role in the Marvel Universe after the events of ORIGINAL SIN, I was really skeptical. Being an “intergalactic protector” isn’t the direction I wanted to see for the character. The thing is, Ales Kot is really making me come around to the idea.
We’ve seen some really crazy things so far in just the first two issues courtesy of Kot and Marco Rudy. It’s one of those, you-never-know-what-to-expect situations. Having Daisy Johnson in the book is an added bonus. A big added bonus. Last issue we had a little time travel involved (and Loki). Now it looks like there’s more time travel (Bucky from the future?) and a space queen? There really is no telling what is going to happen. That’s what makes this so fun and exciting.
ANGELA: ASGARD'S ASSASSIN #2
Angela was an interesting character when first introduced. It seemed like we never really got to know her. From what I recall, she only really cared about one thing, hunting and killing Spawns. Having the character arrive in the Marvel Universe was a curious decision. The more I see her these days, the more I become intrigued with her character.
In the first issue, Kieron Gillen and Marguerite Bennett started showing us a little more of Angela and what she’s about. With a big confrontation and cliffhanger, there’s no way we could miss this issue. The combined art of Phil Jimenez and Stephanie Hans in the different scenes was pretty fantastic and I can’t wait to see how it continues in this issue.
DETECTIVE COMICS #38
Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato are back on DETECTIVE COMICS and last month we saw the first part of their Anarky arc. This version of Anarky isn’t messing around and we had a bit of a cliffhanger as well. Could we have seen the last of Batman and Harvey Bullock? Of course not. That being said, we can’t wait to see more of these two butting heads, trying to stop this new menace that has hit Gotham City.
Manapul and Buccellato are great storytellers, combining interesting situations with gorgeous visuals. Having them on this title makes you happy to be a Batman fan.
Visit Nerdist for one more preview page.
Honorable Mention: NAILBITER #9
Mat "Inferiorego" Elfring's picks
ANT-MAN #1
While SUPERIOR FOES OF SPIDER-MAN is no more, and my heart is still broken, the recent preview of ANT-MAN #1 seems like a great place for fans of FOES to transition to. ANT-MAN didn't seem as comical as FOES, but it still had that great sense of humor Nick Spencer originally brought to the book with a little bit more of a serious tone, like we've seen Spencer bring to other books. Frankly, I'm an Ant-Man fan (more Eric O'Grady than anything else, but I'll take some Scott Lang as well) and I cannot wait to see what this issue has to offer. Plus, the opening features Superior Iron Man, another character I'm a huge fan of right now. This book seems like it's full of win. In addition, G-Man gave it 5 stars in an early review, so that's pretty rad as well.
GREEN LANTERN #38
Godhead was one fantastic event and one of the best cross-over stories of 2014. A lot happened in that final issue and now, Hal Jordan is off for some R&R. I'm really excited to see how all of this weighs down on Hal. With the creatures from the Source Wall back to life, mainly Relic, and knowing there's a force out there, the New Gods, who still could be friend or foe, how will Hal handle all of this? Also, Hal did just find out that Carol and Kyle are now an item, and while he seemed cool with it in the issue, how will he react to that afterwards? I can't wait to see what Robert Venditti has in store for readers this week.
Check out Robot 6 for an extra preview page.
BIRTHRIGHT #4
You'd be birthwrong for not reading this! Wait... did I just get fired? I still love what's going on in BIRTHRIGHT. The family is on the run now, after a little incident at the police station and we're still learning more and more about what's going on in this world and the fantasy world as well. BIRTHRIGHT has been not only a lot of fun but a brand new take on a familiar concept.
The creative team on this book is just killing it since the beginning. Joshua Williamson is pacing this book out exceptionally well, even with it being juggled between two stories/worlds. The art from Andrei Bressan and Adriano Lucas is utterly breathtaking and this is a book you should check out.
Gregg "k4tz" Katzman's picks
THE PUNISHER #14
Do you like seeing Punisher being amazingly badass? If so, you need to buy this series. Seriously, this could be your very first issue of this run and, based on the thrilling preview, the odds seem pretty good it'll win you over. I mean, just take some time to really analyze the preview and you'll see this isn't just the gazillionth scene of Frank Castle taking out goons. Yeah, the situation is something we've seen countless times before, but writer Nathan Edmondson and Mitch Gerads fill it with so much creativity. These aren't your generic panels that don't leave an impact or stick in your mind. They pull you right into the scene and make it feel amazingly cinematic. From the use of angles and perspective to the vivid colors, this is looking like it'll be one hell of a ride as Punisher takes on gangs in Los Angeles. See, that sounds so generic, but the creative team is executing it in such a refreshing way.
How can you not get pumped after they handle something as simple as Punisher exiting an elevator and taking aim in such a cool way? Really, spend some time enjoying the preview and hopefully you'll agree they're going all-out with this one. And yes, Frank decided to toss a grenade at dudes who were already destined to fall and splat against the ground. How insane yet awesome and brutal is that?
ROBOCOP #7
Speaking of insane yet awesome and brutal, the second pick is another series that focuses on a protagonist who has no problem putting a bullet in a bad guy. The classic RoboCop has returned and the franchise is in very good hands. Joshua Williamson and Carlos Magno's BOOM! Studios' series has been one big love letter to the franchise. It picks up right after the first film and has been non-stop craziness. There's a proper villain that brings out the worst in this world, the atmosphere feels right, the supporting cast is being fleshed out, and RoboCop finally has some upgrades. Based on the preview, it's looking like an upgraded RoboCop is going to be a ridiculously fun to witness. I never thought I'd see RoboCop punt a dude's head off, but there you have it.
DEATH OF WOLVERINE HC
When a character's death is announced in advance, there tends to be an understandable amount of skepticism. How can they make a death powerful if we see it coming a mile away? Is it a blatant cash grab just because they know many people will be curious about how a popular character dies? Thankfully, Charles Soule and Steve McNiven's DEATH OF WOLVERINE isn't just good, it's one of the more memorable stories from last year. The combination of McNiven's phenomenal artwork and Soule's understanding and appreciation of the iconic character made this a terrific albeit short journey. The ending caught, well, just about everyone off-guard, but I think it was an appropriate way to conclude Logan's journey (for now). It's one of those endings that you may not immediately like, but when you really give it a good amount of thought, you just may fall in love with it. If not, oh well. At least the rest of the story is awesome, right?
This beautiful and exciting story embraced Logan's history and, even though there's a development that I wasn't a fan of (one of Wolvie's lesser-known villains is once again dead), this is still a great read and something every Wolverine fan needs to check out.
Honorable Mention: GREEN ARROW #38 (Hal and Ollie team-up!)
Corey "Undeadpool" Schroeder's picks
WOLVERINES #1
Who knows how long Wolverine's death will last, but the fact remains that the event itself was fantastically entertaining and had some great emotional impact, even if the pacing was a bit compressed at times. Now series architect Charles Soule brings us back to the scene of the crime and, amidst the numerous follow-ups, we get our first official sequel AND we get to see Soule further delve into what seems to be fast becoming his specialty: taking B-list characters, especially villains to interesting, unexplored and perhaps even underutilized. Deathstrike, X-23 (the sole hero of the bunch), Daken and even Sabretooth all in the same book? Possibly forming some kind of team? Nick Bradshaw on the art? The book is pure potential.
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #12
Spider-Verse's core title has, perhaps by virtue of the tie-ins filling in a lot of the background story, advanced at an absolutely thrilling, almost breakneck pace but one that still leaves room for characterization and development. Apparently this issue will be a knock-down, drag-out slugfest the likes of which we have not been privy to and I can't wait to see what further stops Dan Slott will pull out. We've also got series regular artist Giuseppe Camuncoli making his return, and his visuals always have a more dark, brooding, hard-edged flair than a lot of the artists on this series, which sounds like this issue will call for.
WOLF MOON #2
It's always struck me as odd that, for how overdone vampires are in the current pop culture mindset, werewolves languish as Syfy Original or direct-to-DVD/VOD movie monsters, so when a piece of media comes along that takes a new spin on the creature, it feels like it has even more impact as it's overcoming more baggage. That is the roundabout way to say that Cullen Bunn has found a truly interesting take on the oldest of werewolf formulas where the curse of the wolf causes a full-moon transformation in a seemingly random person. It's a small change, but one that fundamentally shifts the entire focus and point of the story and that first issue proved that it's also incredibly compelling, especially with Jeremy Haun's graphic, gory visuals.
Robot 6 has an extra preview page.
Honorable Mention: SPIDER-MAN 2099 #7