New comic book day is almost here and we here at Comic Vine want to make sure you're prepared for the big day. This Wednesday, dozens of new issues will go on sale and choosing which ones are worthy of your attention can be a huge challenge, especially if you're working with a limited budget. We've reviewed the latest list of new releases and each of us have picked some issues that we're really excited to check out. We'll explain why we're looking forward to them and we hope that'll make narrowing down the choices a little easier for you this Wednesday. After you've seen what we selected, feel free to share your own list of "essential" comics.
*Some previews may be in reverse order*
Tony "G-Man" Guerrero's picks
ORIGINAL SIN #2
It might be another comic book event but this one definitely had us hooked from the beginning. It also appears you won’t have to read the various tie-in issues since they will contain separate stories about the characters in the title they appear in.
It’s crazy to think of someone killing the Watcher. It’s pretty gross to think they took his eyes. The fact that possessing his eyes will reveal the biggest secrets in the Marvel Universe is pretty crazy as well. We all love a good mystery and we can’t wait for more clues as to who the heck could have pulled off a murder like this. Jason Aaron has assembled some extremely interesting teams to take on different parts of the investigation and with Mike Deodato Jr drawing it all, it’s going to be a blast to see.
ELEKTRA #2
Elektra is a great and complex character. We’ve seen many different versions of her over the years as some writers have struggled a little with her. Haden Blackman appears to have a great grasp on her so far.
With Elektra being an assassin, how do you feature her going on a mission without making readers realize they’re rooting for a killer? You have her go after another deadly killer. Who is this Cape Crow fella? We’re going to find out as Elektra travels to freakin’ Monster Island. You know that’s going to be insane. Especially with Michael Del Mundo’s insanely beautiful artwork.
HARLEY QUINN #6
With some comics, you can expect the face of their comic book universe to be deeply impacted but the events in the issue. Let’s be honest, HARLEY QUINN isn’t going to shake up the DC Universe. The honest truth is, when you read HARLEY QUINN, you don’t care about the rest of the DC Universe. Month after month, Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti have delivered a funny and entertaining comic. This is the type of comic we need more of. It’s wacky but not over-the-top wacky that can pull you out of the comic. Harley is not the nicest or most innocent character around but you can’t help but find her adorable.
Every month, I’m loving Chad Hardin’s art more and more. He makes a perfect fit on the book with Conner and Palmiotti. What it comes down to is, if you’re looking for a great comic that you will enjoy reading and have a good time, this is the series for you.
Newsarama has an exclusive preview.
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #2
Peter Parker is back. It’s not just a matter of switching the adjective on the cover. Doc Ock’s time as the SUPERIOR Spider-Man is still being felt. Peter has a lot of adjusting to do and a lot of people he’ll have to answer to. Spider-Man’s been in some tricky situations before but not like this. He’ll need to figure out how to proceed in certain areas while still try to catch up on everything that’s been going on since he’s been gone. Having an over-powered Electro show up won’t make things any easier.
If you read the last issue, you know Dan Slott is getting ready to throw a lot more than just Electro at Spider-Man. There’s been a bunch of story threads set up and Peter just might wish he was still away for a little bit longer.
JUSTICE LEAGUE #30
The latest issue of JUSTICE LEAGUE is finally here. With FOREVER EVIL just coming to an end, it’s time to see how that will change the League. The League has gone up against evil versions of themselves and found some strange new allies in Lex Luthor, Captain Cold, and other villains. Now it appears some of those villains will somehow be joining the Justice League? This is a team that was super-strict about letting anyone join for the first five years they were together. And it sounds like there’s a new threat coming their way because letting them sit back, rest, and recuperate would make a kind of boring issue.
What it comes down to is this is where we start to see the payout from FOREVER EVIL. Geoff Johns had a story mapped out and it’s always fun to see the aftermath from a big event rather than have it swept under the rug. It’ll be fun seeing what Joe Prado and Ivan Reis are cooking up with the new team.
Honorable Mention: VELVET #5
Mat "Inferiorego" Elfring's picks
WONDER WOMAN #31
Why aren't you reading this?! Azzarello's WONDER WOMAN is the best Wonder Woman run I've ever read, and I'm saying that before it concludes. He and artist Cliff Chiang have really put their stamp on this book and the past few issues have really been building to something awesome. Diana has finally accepted her mantle as the God of War and she is on a collision course with First Born, who recently killed Apollo. The Battle of Olympus is coming! You're going to want to read this book!
Buzzfeed has two more preview pages.
FOREVER EVIL #7
I've been a very big critic of FOREVER EVIL since the start for a plethora of reasons I won't repeat here because said reasons would fill a large book; however, this is still an important book to pick up because we're finally going to get some answers. The rest of the DCU is past FE, at this point, so it would be nice to see what actually happened with Dick Grayson, Lex Luthor, and a whole slew of other characters.
GHOSTED #10
I think, within my reviews, I've called like three different books from Image "my favorite Image books." It's really hard to choose, but it's easy for me to say that GHOSTED has my favorite concept, with NAILBITER following closely behind it. The second arc of this book has been quite a thrill featuring deadly cults, ghost animals, and books made of human skin. This book reminds me a lot of Scooby Doo, without all the zaniness. It's an adventure the characters have little control over. The story really drags them along whether they like it or not. That's what makes this a great series.
Honorable Mention: SAGA #19
Gregg "k4tz" Katzman's picks
TMNT 30TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL
IDW's celebrating TMNT's 30th anniversary in a very big way. Not only will this special issue gently grab your hand and take you on a stroll down memory lane, but it'll also have new stories that are based on the styles of each classic TMNT series we've seen over the years.
Yes, the price tag is scarier than Shredder's wrist blades, but we're talking about 48 pages of reflecting on the franchise's history and all-new stories by Kevin Eastman and others. The dose of nostalgia this will deliver is sure to be priceless, too. This is looking like it'll be a mandatory purchase for TMNT fans and I can't wait to see what it'll offer us.
DARTH MAUL: SON OF DATHOMIR #1
The Clone Wars did a solid job bringing Darth Maul back, but it left us on a note that made his story feel incomplete. Now, Dark Horse is revealing more of this tale and I'm beyond excited to see where it'll go. If Darth Maul commanding Mandalorians doesn't pique your interest, then I just don't know what would.
Last but most definitely not least, how could anyone possibly resist checking out this issue after getting a glimpse of Chris Scalf's awesome cover?! It's good to have you back, Maul.
THOR: GOD OF THUNDER #22
Jason Aaron's time with Thor has been -- get ready for it -- magical. Terrible, terrible wordplay aside, Aaron's run has seriously turned me into a Thor fan and honestly, I didn't care all that much for the character before giving this volume a shot.
The writer's time with the God of Thunder continues to be delightfully clever, filling each issue with laughs, a sense of awe, and glorious action. Then there's Esad Ribic's art which serves as the best possible compliment to Aaron's script. There's some epic panels that your eyes will want to gaze at for quite some time and his work is consistently impressive. Oh, and did I mention this issue also implies there's a big fight with Ulik the troll? This is one of Marvel's best books, so do yourself a favor and pick it up.
DEADPOOL ANNUAL #2
The latest Deadpool series has yet to disappoint and the last annual issue had me laughing hysterically. With this issue, Christopher Hastings is tasked with bringing the funny, and while I haven't read his other work, the preview makes it clear this will be a thoroughly entertaining read. The premise alone has my interest and whenever Deadpool "teams up" with Spider-Man, you know you're in for a good time. Plus, Jacopo Camagni's artwork looks like it's a stellar fit for the book's lighthearted tone.
Honorable Mention: UNITY #7
Jen "MissJ" Aprahamian's picks
TRANSLUCID #2
The first issue of TRANSLUCID, the brainchild of Claudio Sanchez and Chondra Echert, took us on a weird, wild trip to corners of the superhero genre that we don't always see. The core of the story -- the long-running relationship between superhero and supervillain -- is something we've seen before, but it's being examined in new and exciting ways, and the firs issue was loaded with possibilities. With stunning illustrations by Daniel Bayliss, TRANSLUCID was one of my very favorite books to look at, and the story is curious and compelling enough to lock this one onto my pull list.
Visit Comic Book Resources for more pages.
UNDERTOW #4
Six-issue miniseries are my jam right now, and UNDERTOW is near the top of that list. It's so different and so interesting, and I'm really enjoying this take on Atlantis. It's pulpy, it's rich in lore, and the world is just really, really cool. Artyom Trakhanov's art is mesmerizingly beautiful; it's a fantastic blend of rough and crafted, and I love looking at every page. UNDERTOW brings a very different flavor of action and adventure to the medium, and it's worth picking up in single issues (I know I can't wait for the trade!).
Honorable Mention: FLASH GORDON #2