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This Week's Essential Comics: 3/17/14

These are the comics you're looking for.

As always, a large amount of brand new comic books are going on sale this Wednesday. Sometimes it easy isn't narrowing down what's worth your time and money, so Comic Vine is here to help you out. The staff has reviewed the latest list of new releases and we've each picked a couple or so that caught our eye. We'll tell you why we're excited for 'em and hopefully it'll make your decisions a little easier on Wednesday. When you're finished seeing what we've selected, feel free to chime in with your own list of "essential comics."

Tony "G-Man" Guerrero's picks

SUPERMAN UNCHAINED #6

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The series continues. Yes it’s been since January but can you deny the excitement and anticipation that’s been building as you wait. Scott Snyder and Jim Lee are giving us a pretty fun ride with Superman as he fights Ascension. And that’s not all. We also have Wraith to find out more about. Plus how cool is it seeing Lois Lane kicking butt on her own? And what the heck is Lex Luthor up to?

There’s no telling what will happen next. Each issue by Snyder and Lee have been worth the wait. It’s unfortunate that the series is apparently ending with issue #9 but I cannot wait to see how it all fits together.

ZERO #6

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ZERO returns with a new mission and a new artist. Ales Kot’s series focuses on agent Edward Zero. Each issue has featured a different mission throughout his life as well as a different artist. This issue features the amazing art of Vanessa Del Rey.

Each issue stand alone but obviously they all fit together to a much larger picture. Do yourself a favor and pick up the trade containing the first five issues, if you haven’t checked this series out. And be sure to get this issue as well.

DAREDEVIL #1

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Things have changed for Matt Murdock since the end of his previous series. What remains the same is having Mark Waid and Chris Samnee still on the title.

The new volume of DAREDEVIL finds the Man Without Fear trying to adjust to his new hometown in San Francisco. You can imagine after spending years in New York City, Daredevil could swing around with his eyes closed. Now in a new location, he’ll have to adjust to the changes and who knows what sort of villains and criminals he’ll find himself up against?

Honorable Mention: HARLEY QUINN #4

Mat "Inferiorego" Elfring's picks

WONDER WOMAN #29

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Without a doubt, some crazy things are happening in this series, and it's not just the S&M inspired return of the Minotaur, which is pretty dang awesome, actually. Some big things happened in the last issue relating to Apollo, and we're about to see the outcome of all of that. What's so cool about this book is that it's in its own little pocket in the DC universe. It's also the first time in over a decade where a Wonder Woman book has been excellent.

Visit IGN to read more.

GHOSTED #8

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What a huge shocker. GHOSTED is one my list? After you've removed your hands away from your face in shock, I'll have you know that this is one hell of a book and it's not a one trick pony. This second arc is holding up to be one awesome thrill ride. Jackson Winters is up against the Brotherhood of the Closed Books now, since the woman who he's looking for doesn't seem to want to go anywhere. What's gonna happen next? I wait on the edge of my seat until this Wednesday!

MS. MARVEL #2

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I picked up the first issue of MS. MARVEL on a whim. I've never been a real fan of the character, but since Marvel's All New Now.#1's are great campaign launched, I found myself liking a lot of what they were doing, and MS MARVEL #1 blew me away. While the ending was incredibly nutty, it's the exact kind of nutty I like and it only makes me want to read more. This is a series you need to pick up. It's like a filet mignon carried by a puppy that hugs.

Gregg "k4tz" Katzman's picks

BATMAN & AQUAMAN #29

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Ra's al Ghul has allegedly stolen Damian's body and, as you can imagine, Batman's not very pleased. How does this connect to Aquaman, you ask? According to the solicit, the Dark Knight will head to the island where his son was born and that'll allow him to intersect with Arthur Curry.

If that cast and basic premise doesn't have you curious to see what unfolds, then I guess I'll add in the fact that artist Patrick Gleason is still on the book. Gleason's sporting an impressively unique style and writer Peter J. Tomasi always gives him a chance to impress, be it a splash page (sure, consider that a pun if you want to) or the way the panels are focused.

This debut chapter absolutely has a lot of potential, so you can bet I'm anxious to see what Tomasi's story has in store for us. Plus, I can always rely on Gleason for a good looking issue. At just $2.99 and with this roster, I see no reason why any Batman fan shouldn't check this one out.

Go to Comic Book Resources to read another page.

GREEN ARROW TP VOL 04 THE KILL MACHINE

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You know how I'm always babbling about how you should check out writer Jeff Lemire and artist Andrea Sorrentino's GREEN ARROW? Well, guess what? The first trade of their run is finally going on sale this Wednesday!

Now you'll be able to see firsthand why I think these two are a dream team for Oliver Queen. You'll witness how Lemire begins to plant the seeds for a whole new mythos while also keeping the read full of excitement and incorporates a solid supporting cast. And your eyes will soak in all of the greatness that is Sorrentino's (along with colorist Marcelo Maiolo's) wonderfully creative and immesive artwork. Even if you've already bought the single issues, I think many of us can agree this is a story that's definitely worthy of a double dip. This is a trade that will be an excellent edition to your bookshelf.

THOR: GOD OF THUNDER #20

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Who in their right mind could resist the possibility of King Thor standing against Galactus? Seriously, take a minute to just gaze at that cover. Let it sink in and then try to tell me you honestly have zero interest in the issue. Fine, I'm sure it doesn't appeal to all of you, but for everyone else, that's a tough prospect to resist.

Not only has writer Jason Aaron dropped an equal amount of intrigue in both the modern and future timelines for Thor, but this story also marks Esad Ribic's return to the series. I could go on and on about his work, but I'd much rather simply tell you to check out the preview and let the work speak for itself. So, do your eyes a favor and check the preview below.

Honorable Mention: TMNT: UTROM EMPIRE #3

Jen "MissJ" Aprahamian's picks

AMERICAN VAMPIRE: SECOND CYCLE #1

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Back. Bloody. Barreling towards adventure. AMERICAN VAMPIRE is on the shelves again, and ready for us to sink our teeth into. Framed by its creators as both a satisfying continuation of the AV goodness we've seen so far and a solid jumping-on point for new readers (and frankly, with the great vampy stories they've delivered so far, who are we to disagree?) SECOND CYCLE sounds like a must-pull this week.

FUSE #2

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Space. Crimes. After a thoroughly engaging debut, THE FUSE is about to drag us deeper into a world we don't really know (with problems we know all too well). Between its classic cop-team interactions, hints at class warfare, and fascinating imagining of the not-so-far-off future, it's a captivating thriller off to a great start.

Honorable Mention: LAZARUS #7

Corey "Undeadpool" Schroeder's picks

AVENGERS WORLD #4

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Last issue of Avengers World was a shockingly tragic character story about the oft-overlooked Shang-Chi. After that issue made me incredibly invested in a character I couldn't have cared less about before, I knew I was hooked. Jonathan Hickman proves that he's more than just "epic, cerebral sci-fi guy," and in a book called Avengers WORLD, no less. It's the last title you'd expect to focus on individual characters, but it seems like that's going to continue as this issue focuses on Starbrand and OH YEAH! He accidentally KILLED all those people when his powers emerged!...oops? You couldn't get me more interested in this title if Stefano Caselli was on the art!... wait, he IS?! Okay, I was wrong. Caselli's ability to mesh exaggeration and realism along with detail and the STRANGEST (yet most appropriate) facial expressions marks this as a book to watch for.

THE WITCHER #1

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I am an absolute, unabashed Witcher fanboy. It's the game that kickstarted the emphasis on moral gray areas in RPGs, and it's based on a series of AMAZING novels, so there was no chance I wasn't going to at least check out the comic. Paul Tobin takes the helm writing the standalone tale of Geralt de Rivia, and his previous works actually mark him as a good pick, most especially Adventure Time. No, seriously, that's a series that embraces and loves breaking down fantasy tropes, and the Witcher's been doing that since 1994. Joe Querio's not a name I'm familiar with, but a cursory look over his past work shows that he's more than qualified to bring this dark, morally gray fantasy world to life with credits like Lobster Johnson, Concrete and Alien.

NEW AVENGERS #15

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Jonathan Hickman, may I call you "Johnny Hicks?"...I may not?...No, no, don't call the cops! All I want are the scripts for the next few issues of this title! Last issue left off on an amazing cliffhanger with Doctor Strange pledging something very near and dear in order to rekindle his incredible power, and I cannot even imagine what the consequences will be. We also FINALLY get a glimpse of the Mapmakers, the horrors only hinted at over the last two years and after Infinity, I am READY to go on this journey. Simone Bianchi's surreal, smooth visuals will, apparently, be my tour guide on said journey and I couldn't ask for a better guide.

Comic Book Resources has an extra preview page.

UNCANNY X-MEN #19.NOW

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There's a new Uncanny X-Men issue? From Brian Bendis and Chris Bachalo? Sign ME up!...no, seriously, sign me up for this, it sounds incredible. We've had some great team building and some stellar character building over the last few issues, so I'm thrilled to see the book take on a more proactive, actiony stance as Cyclops, apparently, has a bone to pick with S.H.I.E.L.D. and their handling of the last few incidents of mutant emergence. This is, apparently, a jumping-on point and I'm fine with that as a longtime reader as I've never been given reason to NOT be entertained by this creative team, but if you're looking to see Cyclops be more interesting than he's ever been, here might be a good place to start.

Follow us on Twitter: CV, Tony, Mat, Gregg, Jen, Corey.

71 Comments

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Squalleon

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Edited By Squalleon

Finally an Unchained issue!
As good as this series is, it makes it so hard to follow it. I am looking forward to it though.

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RaggedScarecrow

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Just Batman and Aquaman #29 and Uncanny X-Men #19 from the listed, but I'm also gonna grab:

  • Trinity of Sin: Pandora #9
  • X-Men #12
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Jonny_Anonymous

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@scouts1998: that = canceled otherwise another writer would have taken over. A writer can't decided end a book, they can only end their run, therefore it was DC that decided to end the book.

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redwingx

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It's Animal Man's last issue, no honourable mention or something D:

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Fallschirmjager

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I'm gonna read it anyway, but that Aquaman looks whack. He looks like he was back in the 2005/6 years. Bleh.

Gotta too used to Reis' and Pelletier's work.

Also, I wish DD would get a new artist.

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bladewolf

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How is X-O Manowar not only this list? :P

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kennybaese

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@eldestrisk said:

@cantdance93 said:

It's Animal Man's last issue, no honourable mention or something D:

Well, I know @inferiorego was the real cheerleader for this book, but he hasn't liked it as much lately for some reason. I can only assume it's because he hates superhero books and is a bad person in general.

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inferiorego

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inferiorego  Staff

@eldestrisk said:

@cantdance93 said:

It's Animal Man's last issue, no honourable mention or something D:

Well, I know @inferiorego was the real cheerleader for this book, but he hasn't liked it as much lately for some reason. I can only assume it's because he hates superhero books and is a bad person in general.

The space arc really bugged me, but I will be reviewing it.

And yes.... superheroes are the worst and I want everyone to suffer under my power.

BANS 4 EVERY1!

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k4tzm4n

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k4tzm4n  Moderator

How is X-O Manowar not only this list? :P

Honestly, I'm behind on that book.

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Lvenger

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It's a small but big week for me in terms of comics. And they've all made pick of the week here:

  • Superman Unchained #6 - FINALLY! Another issue of this series is out! :D The delays have made the wait for this series unbearable but for me, it's because of the great quality writing and art delivered by Snyder and Lee. And this issue looks set to ramp up the action and stakes what with every nuke on the planet having been fired by Ascension and Superman going toe to toe with Wraith. I hope this issue will be worth the wait!
  • Thor God of Thunder #20 - King Thor vs Old Galactus = Epic fight! Cannot wait to see how this future battle plays out as well as the present plot with Roxxon and Agent Solomon.
  • Wonder Woman #29 - So excited to see how Azzarello will conclude his penultimate arc. The last arc brought changes to the table but this seems like it'll throw even more spanners in the works. Azzarello and Chiang have consistently impressed me issue after issue and even though the concluding issue of the last arc was my favourite yet, I think this will still be something special.
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kennybaese

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@kennyshat said:

@eldestrisk said:

@cantdance93 said:

It's Animal Man's last issue, no honourable mention or something D:

Well, I know @inferiorego was the real cheerleader for this book, but he hasn't liked it as much lately for some reason. I can only assume it's because he hates superhero books and is a bad person in general.

The space arc really bugged me, but I will be reviewing it.

And yes.... superheroes are the worst and I want everyone to suffer under my power.

BANS 4 EVERY1!

I will agree that the space stuff was a little... out of left field, but it tied in with everything well enough that it didn't really bother me. Going to space isn't any less crazy than going to "The Red", just more cosmic in tone. Which, now that I think about it, might be why you didn't like it so much.

I almost wonder if introducing, what was he called, the Bridgewalker or something? I wonder if Lemire made that sideways cosmic-y shift as set up for Justice League United. With a character like Adam Strange on the team, it makes more sense to deal with the fallout from the end of Animal Man in the new Justice League book if it happens in space rather than The Red.

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ColaNicole

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Finally an Unchained issue!

As good as this series is, it makes it so hard to follow it. I am looking forward to it though.

I had to re-read just so I knew what was going on.

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detective38

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Edited By detective38

Glad to see DD back in san diego maybe he'll get back wit black widow too

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DCWarFan73

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Out this week that I plan on picking up

All-New Invaders 3

Avengers World 4

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TheBlackHood

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Batman and Aquaman! I can only hope that Aquaman shouts: "We'll call this adventure, the time that we rescued your son's corpse!"

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yo_yo_fun

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For me this week: Lazarus #7, Rocket Girl #4 and Ms. Marvel #2.

And maybe Daredevil #1.

I will definitely get the Green Arrow Vol. 4 trade...some day.

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oldnightcrawler

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scouts1998

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Edited By scouts1998
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Jonny_Anonymous

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Billy Batson

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@scouts1998: That's entirely different

No, it's not.

DC has let the writers to end a series before: Ostrander and The Spectre; Ennis and Hitman; Robinson and Starman.

BB

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EnigmaLantern

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Thor God of Thunder and Superman Unchained are definitely on my pull-list without a doubt, anything else this week is just a bonus

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