Each week, a massive number of comics are released. Determining which titles are worth checking out can be a daunting task, especially if you're trying to keep your spending under a certain limit. We've gone through the list to help you decide which books you need to read on Wednesday, March 2.
Tony's Picks
Deadly Class #19
Written by Rick Remender
Art by Wesley Craig
You would think attending a school for assassins could be hectic and crazy at times. Imagine discovering the final exams entail the upper-class students having to kill the lower-class ones. This is what Marcus Lopez is dealing with. Students that come from a legacy of families that have attended the school now have to kill their fellow classmates in order to earn a passing grade. Marcus and a couple of his friends have managed to survive and leave the campus. The action will spill onto the streets of San Francisco. Rick Remender and Wes Craig have kept this series going at a frantic pace. The series doesn't let you down.
Midnighter #10
Written by Steve Orlando
Art by Aco
Steve Orlando has been killing it on Midnighter. The more we see of him, the more he feels like he truly fits into the DC Universe. We've seen Midnighter as an unstoppable force since he has a computer in his brain that allows him to calculate every move an opponent might unleash upon him. He's finally met his match with a new member of the Suicide Squad. This guy can see five seconds into the future. That means he knows what moves Midnighter will make before he makes them. If things weren't bad enough, we're going to see Parasite enter the fight.
Avengers Standoff: Assault on Pleasant Hill Alpha #1
Written by Nick Spencer
Art by Jesus Saiz
We sometimes see people complain about comic book events. When executed properly, it can be incredibly fun when our favorite characters cross over with each other. The Pleasant Hill prologue was interesting. We have what appears to be the perfect quiet little town. No real surprise, there's a darker secret to the creation and purpose of the town. If the purpose of the town is getting out to the Avengers, things are going to get pretty ugly in the Marvel Universe. Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson are teaming up to get to the bottom of things, and they'll need help from the rest of the Avengers. It doesn't look like a huge story on the surface. It does feel like there is something bubbling under the surface which could give us some explosive results.
Black Widow #1
Written by Chris Samnee, Mark Waid
Art by Chris Samnee
Black Widow is back in her own series once again. This time, it's Mark Waid and Chris Samnee taking control. The two Eisner Award winners have recently wrapped up a long run on Daredevil. Black Widow stories are always interesting when creators delve into her dark past. We've seen her on the run before, and it looks like her past is coming back to haunt her again. If you've been hungering for some great espionage action and adventure, this will be the series for you.
Invincible Iron Man #7
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by Mike Deodato
If we're being honest, the biggest draw here is finding out how Mary Jane Watson will fit into an Iron Man book. We saw her introduced a couple issues ago, and Tony Stark offered her a job. What makes this interesting is Tony Stark has a small rivalry going on with Peter Parker now due to Peter's recent success in business (with Parker Industries) and Stark's recent little set back with his company. Mary Jane also dated Spider-Man for some time and knows his world very well. This is something that's now apparently unknown to Stark. The big question is how big of a role will she have in the book. The other question is what sort of hints will there actually be dealing with the upcoming Civil War II story arc?
Tokyo Ghost Volume 1
Written by Rick Remender
Art by Sean Murphy
Rick Remender and Sean Murphy have come with a crazy and chaotic world in Tokyo Ghost. Set in a future world where people are obsessed with technology, we've seen how easily the bad guys can manipulate this to their advantage. If you're at all familiar with Murphy's art, you know how jaw-dropping his scenes can be. There's a great contrast in the two different areas we see introduced (Lost Angeles and Tokyo) as the lead characters make a move to a land free from technology. Of course, they'll find plenty of trouble in this supposed paradise.
Mat's Picks
Green Lantern #50
Written by Robert Venditti
Art by Billy Tan, Mark Irwin
This issue of Green Lantern is a super-sized one, celebrating the 50th issue of the series, since comic book series rarely make it past issue 20 nowadays. What's big about this issue is that this series has been building up to something big: the return of Hal Jordan Parallax, the creature who destroyed Coast City and part of the Green Lantern Corps. This is a Hal Jordan from another universe, so how is the current "renegade" Hal Jordan going to react to this? This is the story fans have been waiting for, for months, and there is no one better than Robert Venditti and Billy Tan leading the way.
Predator: Life and Death #1
Written by Dan Abnett
Art by Brian Thies
Dark Horse Comics is the place to go for anything revolving around Aliens or Predators. The publisher has been doing a lot of cool things with the Predator property over the past couple of years, including the "Fire and Stone" event back in 2014. What makes this a book to keep your eye on is the fact Dan Abnett is writing. He recently breathed some new life into Aquaman over at DC and Abnett has had some experience working with the Alien and Predator properties at Dark Horse in the past. However, the reason you really are going to read this is to watch a group of people get hunted down, one by one.
Unfollow #5
Written by Rob Williams
Art by Michael Dowling
Vertigo Comics has been putting out a slew of fantastic new books. On the top of the pile is Unfollow from Rob Williams and Michael Dowling, which has been a slow and steady setup. For those who aren't familiar with the book, Unfollow is about a dying social media mogul who leaves his fortune to 140 random people that use his Twitter-like platform. When someone dies, their inheritance gets split between everyone else. You can probably guess where it goes from there, and chances are you'd be 100% correct. However, there's a lot more to Unfollow than that, and it's certainly worth checking out.
Darth Vader #17
Written by Kieron Gillen
Art by Salvador Larroca
Darth Vader has come out guns blazing after the "Vader Down" crossover a few months back. This story picks up right afterward and deals with Vader sending bounty hunters after his captured companion, Doctor Aphra, and Vader moving onto bigger things. What makes this series worth the read is that it truly solidifies Vader as a ruthless villain. It's his way or the highway, no matter who is in charge, and that's one of the coolest things about this series. Plus, Salvador Larroca is putting out some dynamite art on this series. This is currently the best Star Wars book Marvel has to offer.
Old Man Logan #3
Written by Jeff Lemire
Art by Andrea Sorrentino, Marcelo Maiolo
Jeff Lemire, Andrea Sorrentino, and Marcelo Maiolo are currently the best creative team in comics. Their work on Green Arrow is one of, if not the, best run with that character, and many fans are hoping that they'll do the same thing on Old Man Logan. Thus far, this has been a great series, seeing this Logan, who is from another universe, try to right the wrongs he committed in his timeline. Lemire is crafting an interesting story that engages the reader and the art team of Sorrentino and Maiolo provides some of the most stunning art in contemporary comics.
Spider-Man #2
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by Sara Pichelli
There were some high expectations for the first issue of Spider-Man. Mile Morales, the Ultimate Spider-Man, was a well-regarded character and fans expected quite a bit. While the opening issue did not live up to those expectations, it was still a good read. The world and characters have been set up for new readers, and now, Bendis and Pichelli can really get into the story. Miles has to stand on his own here and take on a monstrous villain, so we'll get to see if he rises to the occasion.
What are you looking forward to this week?