New comic book day is right around the corner and we want to make sure you're prepared for it! This Wednesday, a flood of brand new comics will go on sale and we know narrowing down the options can be pretty difficult. Well, we're here to help you out! We've reviewed the latest list of releases and each of us have picked some issues and we'll even tell you why we're excited for them. Once you're all set seeing what we're anxious to read, go ahead and share your own list of "essential comics" in the comments below.
Tony "G-Man" Guerrero's picks
MULTIVERSITY #1
MULTIVERSITY is finally here. We’ve been waiting and now we’ll get to see what Grant Morrison has been working on.
There’s something about seeing alternate versions of familiar characters. Who better to explore some of these other worlds that have only been whispered about than Morrison? Morrison is taking some characters we haven’t seen for some time and bringing them together to take on a big threat. Composed of six different adventures with two bookend issues, there’s no telling what might happen here.
If that wasn’t incentive enough, this first book will feature art by Ivan Reis and Joe Prado. You can also check out our interview with Grant from SDCC if you missed it before: http://www.comicvine.com/videos/sdcc-2014-grant-morrison-multiversity-interview/2300-2674/
If you have any interest in the other worlds of DC’s Multiverse, you won’t want to miss this.
Check out Wired for more.
THE FADE OUT #1
It’s a new series by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. Do you need any other reason to check this out? I could just stop writing here, right?
Brubaker and Phillips are taking us to Hollywood in 1948. If you can’t get enough of noir comics filled with a murder mystery and twists, you’ll want to check this out. There’s a reason Image Comics has given Brubaker and Phillips free reign in putting out whatever comics they want. And let’s not forget, there’s some amazing colors by Elizabeth Breitweiser as well. It’s a great story with great art. What more could you ask for?
Visit A.V. Club for extra pages. You can also read our early review here.
Honorable Mention: STORM #2
Mat "Inferiorego" Elfring's picks
NOVA #20
I can't wait to see some more Nova and Rocket Raccoon teaming up! I never thought I'd actually say or write that. Sure, it's been a tad disappointing that we still don't know what's going on, fully, with Sam's dad, but adding Rocket to this book was an awesome idea.
It looks like this is going to deal a lot with the all the secrets that were revealed in the last issue, as well as Sam having to run errands for someone else. This series is a ton of fun though, so I can't wait to see what this issue has in store.
MANIFEST DESTINY #9
There's not much else I can say about this book that hasn't already been said. Do you like the history of America when we were exploring this brave, new world? Yes? Do you like it filled with fictional monsters? Yes? Then you should be reading this. There's tons of weird creatures trying to eat our heroes at every corner and they're all drawn beautifully. MANIFEST DESTINY is an incredibly impressive series that is a ton of fun and worth every penny.
Gregg "k4tz" Katzman's picks
ELEKTRA #5
The search for Cape Crow is over and now it's time to see what makes this fellow such an infamous assassin. As you can see in the preview below, writer Haden Blackman and artist Michael Del Mundo are about to hit us with a ton of intense action and absolutely gorgeous panels and layouts. They've yet to disappoint at all with this series and continue to make it a thrilling and delightfully engaging journey.
You could have literally zero interest in Elektra going into this and I'd be willing to bet that Blackman's script and Del Mundo's stunning visuals will win you over. Seriously, do yourself a favor and check out the preview.
BATMAN AND ROBIN #34
Peter Tomasi, Patrick Gleason, John Kalisz and Mick Gray continue to hook my interest with BATMAN AND ROBIN. Not only will we see more of Batman's struggle to get his son back and how this will put him at odds with the new Justice League, but the preview reveals we'll also get a little bit of follow-up to Death of the Family's conclusion (as well as how Batman acted after his son's death). It's great to see they're not just moving forward and forgetting about, you know, that big thing that happened to the relationship many characters have with Batman.
Tomasi's been delivering a tight script and Gleason's pencils have proven to be a fantastic fit for this book's tone. Even though the series hit a bit of a rough spot with some of its middle stories, it's looking like it's back on track and this upcoming chapter is something I can't wait to read.
TMNT ANNUAL 2014
This annual has a scary price on its cover ($7.99), but it's over 40 pages of TMNT illustrated by the franchise's co-creator, Kevin Eastman! That alone should have any fan finding a way to work this one into their budget, but if that isn't reason enough, the story sounds legitimately fun! Eastman and Tom Waltz are bringing back Renet (which leads into the latest limited series TURTLES IN TIME) and somehow, the heroes in a half shell will end up taking part in a tournament that includes the galaxy's best fighters. Eastman's classic visuals and a whole lot of action? Yeah, this sounds like it'll be a good time!
BLACK MARKET #2
How far would you go for the greater good? And are you really doing it to help everyone else or is it really to benefit your own life? In a world where a superhero's blood has the potential to cure countless diseases, could you justify kidnapping them and taking their blood from them against their will? Writer Frank J. Barbiere and artist Victor Santos' BLACK MARKET is all about moral dilemmas and how this mentality can impact an individual. The first chapter thoroughly impressed, sporting dark yet classic-ish visuals and a gripping and character-driven narrative. This tale most definitely has me intrigued and I'm excited to see where this story will go.
Newsarama has the preview.
Honorable Mentions: DEADPOOL VS. X-FORCE #3, ARMOR HUNTERS: BLOODSHOT #2
Jen "MissJ" Aprahamian's picks
THE WICKED & THE DIVINE #3
#WICDIV is bold, intriguing, and constantly serving up unexpected turns, and it's one of my absolute must-pulls lately. Gillen/McKelvie/Wilson take things goth-goth-gothity-goth this month, as Laura has to go underground in her search for answers, and we get to know a little bit more about the world and its walking deities. This is an essential pick if you loved PHONOGRAM (or love music, really) or enjoy in-your-face rich story environments.
THE LIFE AFTER #2
The Matrix meets The Divine Comedy in the latest from Joshua Hale Fialkov and Gabo, and if the wild, purgatory-centered premise isn't enough to pique your interest, our hero's companion is Ernest Hemingway. THE LIFE AFTER isn't for the faint of heart, but the reward for dropping by is an engaging story that hits at all levels. It's an essential for fans of THE BUNKER and books that make you expand your horizons.
Corey "Undeadpool" Schroeder's picks
NEW AVENGERS #23
After last issue's cover-to-cover emotional (and physical) trauma, the question of where the Illuminati goes from here is foremost on my mind, and apparently Jonathan Hickman aims to answer that question. After one of the most dramatic, character-driven storylines in the book's history, it'll be interesting to see the members of the Illuminati, most of whom have extensive lives and networks outside of what they do here, try to piece their lives back together. Oh and there's ANOTHER incursion on the way. By the way, Kev Walker proved last issue that he's got the chops to handle a story of this scope, so I'm sure whatever he brings to this next issue will be absolutely fantastic.
DAREDEVIL #7
We still don't know the details of Matt Murdock'sOriginal Sin revelation, but that's been seemingly put on the backburner so that he can get his mother out of one of the strangest political predicaments I've ever seen a street-level hero get tangled up in. I don't normally like the kind of retcon that this looks like it's going for, but I've also learnt that trusting Mark Waid to tell an amazing, unique story is something I can readily do, so whether or not this changes who Battlin' Jack Murdock was or not, I'm sure it'll be well worth reading. Javier Rodriguez's work last issue was worth the cover price alone, so I can't wait to see what he has in store for Murdock's latest location change this time around.
MS. MARVEL #7
It used to be a bad joke that Wolverine's secondary mutation was the ability to bi-locate as Marvel would just throw him on any cover, have him join any team, or have him team-up with any solo star who needed a boost. G. Willow Wilson, however, has integrated the world's grumpiest Canadian into the pages of Ms. Marvel seamlessly, using him as both tutor and object of fangirl glee for Kamala, so if this issue brings us more of that, I couldn't be happier about it. We also got a shocking (strange, hilarious) reveal about her newest antagonist and I'm JUST as anxious to see how all that plays out. Jake Wyatt returns to artistic duties and, after he proved himself able to handle the bizarre, whimsical tone and action of the book in the previous issue, I think he'll be more than up to the challenge this time around. His style is different from Adrian Alphona, but it's certainly not a bad thing to get a new perspective on a hero that still feels this fresh.
Honorable Mention: GREEN LANTERN: NEW GUARDIANS #34
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