A good amount of Comic readers out there have their weekly haul all prepared.Sometimes months ahead.
Here are five suggestions that may have passed by under your radar or you just haven’t thought to try out yet.
5. HAWKEYE – By Matt Fraction & David Aja
One of the most celebrated and best reviewed series from Marvel in a long time. It’s been hard to avoid the praise but if you have, don’t ignore it anymore.
This is a smart, funny and very well drawn comic series. This series is often about as fresh and original as any indie title.
There are two issues that are a must to check out for of an example of it’s groundbreaking nature.
Hawkeye #11 tells the story all from the perspective of a dog and Hawkeye #19 is even more ambitious because for this story Hawkeye has gone completely deaf and the issue reflects that as accurately as it can by having little to no dialogue and actually including Sign Language in it.
The artist David Aja went to great pains to make sure he showed what it was like for a deaf man trying to make sense of all the noise out there. Check this series out.
4. Django Unchained/Zorro – By Quentin Tarantino, Matt Wagner & Esteve Polls
Another diamond in the rough is a crossover most people probably didn’t see coming.
While not uncommon for Comics to provide an outlet for fan-boy type crossovers, this particular one has the distinction of having Quentin Tarantino’s name on it.
Django Unchained’s main character steps off the screen and onto the page joining forces with an older wiser, but still very cool Zorro.
This marks Tarantino’s first venture into the Comic Book world which is quite surprising considering his affection for the medium.
Helping out on writing duties is a very qualified Zorro expert and Comics legend. Matt Wagner. It’s only a mini series so it’s not quite a long investment.
Pulp style fun ready for your eyes to feast on.
3. Tooth & Claw: The Autumnlands – By Kurt Busiek & Benjamin Dewey with Jordie Bellaire
This little gem is Kurt Busiek’s first foray into the mature comics line.
The man has brought us great stories like Marvels and Astro City (Which is still good after the relaunch by the way.) so we know he can write.
What we get is something totally inventive and original with a dense cast of characters. It’s fantastical and ambitious and is gorgeous to look at thanks to Dewy’s art and Bellaire’s colors.
It’s early in the series with only three issues out but the world building and attention to detail is very apparent already. It’s been hailed as ” Conan meets Kamandi with a Game of Thrones-style storytelling experience.”
2. Batman – By Scott Snyder & Greg Capullo
Batman needs no introduction but the work Snyder & Capullo put out month after month seems to rise above a lot of other titles in the competitive superhero genre.
Similar to Marvel’s Hawkeye, Batman has been talked about for some time but if you haven’t tried it, don’t worry. The first twelve issues is the fantastic Court Of Owls story line. Among the best for this run.
Snyder and company are currently telling the Endgame story line, and frankly the less I say about that one the more epic it will be for you. If you need to pick between several Batman titles to get your fix reach for this one.
1. Injustice – By Tom Taylor & Various artists
Yes that’s right. A video game adaptation is not only good but among the best that comics has to offer.
I was on the fence about this series until I picked up the first issue and was totally hooked upon completing it. The thing I don’t think most people realize is if you played the game and read this you will notice that the story here in the Comic is actually quite different than the game. In my opinion better.
I haven’t seen such a compelling confrontation between Superman and Batman since Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns. You will cruise through issues at lightning speed because it has such a cinematic quality to it. It keeps you on the edge and wanting more.
Whereas Scott Snyder loads you with words and metaphors on Batman ( which is great and works for the book.) Tom Taylor says what he needs to say in a short, but very effective way.
My only knock is the constant array of ever changing artists. It can distract but is a minor annoyance at worst. The series is late in the game but catching up won’t be hard once you jump in.