It's time to see what this week has in store for comic book readers! This week marks the start of SECRET WARS! In addition, it's also the #2 issues for the first wave of Convergence books.It's essentially summer blockbuster time for the big two, so what do we think is essential reading for the week? You're about to find out!
Tony's Picks
SECRET WARS #1
(MARVEL)
This is the big one from Marvel. If you have any interest in the characters or universe, you won’t want to miss this series. Jonathan Hickman has been planting the seeds for this for some time now. There’s a lot riding on this “event.” Fans have been speculating what will come out of this. We know the different worlds have been facing “incursion” with each other which is resulting in less alternate realities. Now we’re down to the final two worlds. The big questions are, who or what will possibly survive all this? What will the Marvel Universe look like when the dust settles?
Jonathan Hickman is no slouch when it comes to his writing. It’s pretty much a give he has something big planned. With art by Esad Ribic, we can expect some great visuals, even if that means different versions of our favorite characters fighting each other as the bigger story unfolds.
Click here for the solicit. The preview is below.
BATMAN EARTH ONE Volume 2
(DC/OGN)
It feels like it was a while since we saw the first volume of BATMAN EARTH ONE by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank. As with the other Earth One books, this is a bit of a re-imagining of the characters we’ve read about for years. Easily accessible to anyone, these are more than just books for new readers. It’s a chance to look at the characters in a new light. Geoff Johns isn’t necessarily re-inventing Batman, but he’s giving us a different look at a familiar concept. It’s these differences that make the entire story fascinating. How often are we able to read a Batman story and not be quite sure where everyone stands or what they’ll do next?
The addition of Gary Frank’s art makes a great book even better. It’s always a pleasure to see Frank’s depiction of characters. With the Earth One book, he also gets a chance to re-invent the characters. This is not the Batman we knew before. Seeing his take on the other characters is fascinating as well.
AFTERLIFE WITH ARCHIE #8
(ARCHIE)
AFTERLIFE WITH ARCHIE is back! While it’s unfortunate that it’s been a few months since we’ve had the last issue, the good news is we will soon have this new issue in our hands. The story of Archie and a group of survivors from Riverdale trying to escape a zombie outbreak has been a crazy and intense story. This different take on the Archie characters has been made to work in ways we never believed or knew were possible. Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Francesco Francavilla are giving us a story that is worth the wait (but hopefully the wait won’t be too long for the next one).
This current story arc is entitled “Betty R.I.P.” Is that a big spoiler or could there (hopefully) be something more and less obvious about the title? Perhaps we’ll get some answers in this issue. Either way, you won’t want to miss this issue for the aftermath of last issue’s violent death.
Click here for the solicit. The preview is below.
DESCENDER #3
(IMAGE)
The futuristic sci-fi action and adventure continues. Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen have given us a new comic book universe to explore with a story starting after a devastating attack by giant robots known as the Harvesters. As a result, all the robot used have been destroyed and outlawed by the United Galactic Council. But what about poor Tim-21, a robot boy that was left dormant for the last ten years after the attack?
With a connection discovered to the Harvesters, the Council has called in the Tim creator to help recover the newly awakened robot in order to get the answers they need. Problem is, there are other robot hunters on the case as well.
Click here for the solicit. Preview is below.
Honorable Mention: KANAN THE LAST PADAWAN #2
Mat's Picks
CONVERGENCE THE QUESTION #2
(DC)
It's part two of two of Greg Rucka's return to the Question. More importantly, Renee Montoya as the Question. The first issue did a solid job at setting up the world and we got to see Two-Face kick some major butt. It all left off with Batwoman joining the fight as well.
This book didn't follow the Convergence formula as much as everything else, and Rucka really kept this story about these characters and the tough times they've had stuck under the dome for a year.
Finally, Cully Hamner and Dave McCaig did a wonderful job on the art in the first issue and I'm really looking forward to what they bring to this issue. This is the creative team I want to see on a book about Renee Montoya.
ANT-MAN #5
(MARVEL)
This has been one fantastic opening to this new series. Sure, it's super-duper sad SUPERIOR FOES OF SPIDER-MAN is gone, but this is a pretty excellent replacement and easily one of Marvel's most underrated books on the shelves right now.
The series has a great sense of humor to it but keeps the book relatively serious as it's about an ex-con trying to get his life back on track, all thanks to the writing of Nick Spencer. The book is a lot of fun and is really building towards something utterly fantastic. This is the final issue of the arc, so I'm excited to see where this leads to next.... DARREN CROSS! Actually, I'm not that excited for Cross to come back, but I like the fact he's being used.
Artist Ramon Rosanas' art is fabulous and Jordan Boyd delivers some great colors as well. These two do an awesome job with the book, but more importantly, they draw Grizzly in the most fantastic way.
Click here for the solicit. The preview is below.
NAILBITER #12
(IMAGE)
This book is a delightful romp about a family living together in a San Francisco house and learning to live, laugh, and love while all sharing laughs in quite the full house. Wait... I'm obviously thinking of Hogan's Heroes.
NAILBITER is... well... disturbing. Don't worry, it's the good kind of disturbing and every issue is engaging and gripping. Issue #11 marked the start of a new arc, so I'm excited to see what's coming next, especially with that's going on with Edward Charles Warren, that lovable, horrible serial killer.
Are we going to learn what the heck is up with the town of Buckaroo, Oregon in this issue and why there's so many murders there?
There's one thing we know for sure. It's going to look awesome as artist Mike Henderson and colorist Adam Guzowski do an amazing job every issue.
Corey's Picks
SPIDER-GWEN #4
(MARVEL)
So far so good on the unexpected breakout hit from Spider-Verse. After a legitimately hilarious April Fool's Day prank that left some scratching their heads for far too long (I said SOME...not me, I immediately saw through it...) it seems that we'll finally get to fill in some backstory on the day that Peter Parker decided he wasn't good enough and tried to match Gwen on his own terms. It didn't go great.
So far Jason Latour and Robbie Rodriguez have given us some incredible, establishing stories that give a great voice to Gwen without making her too beholden to simply being "a female version of Spider-Man," so the notion of her confronting the event that shaped her actions is an intriguing one.
Click here for the solicit. The preview is below.
SPIDER-WOMAN #7
(MARVEL)
Spider-Woman's well into her new storytelling framework, and it's some of the best stuff I've read of hers since...ever. Post-Spider-Verse has been kind to her, and it looks to continue to be so with Ben Urich helping her uncover one of the more interesting low-level mysteries of the Marvel Universe as Jessica Drew continues to uncover who's blackmailing these poor, low-level villains.
Dennis Hopeless has always been a writer known for pushing the envelope and putting characters in new and interesting positions, including making low level super-villains much, much more sympathetic while Javier Rodriguez provides his usual amazing, compelling visuals for the whole thing.
Click here for the solicit. The preview is below.
CONVERGENCE: NIGHTWING/ORACLE #2
(DC)
Gail Simone returns to the relationship that she made famous, and helps produce one of the most high-quality Convergence titles as we get more of Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon. Two of the most human heroes must contend with two of the most vicious participants in the gladiatorial combat, but while Grayson fights on the front lines, Simone has already shown that Babs has plenty of plans for what will come and THAT'S the most interesting bit of anticipation for what's to come, particularly as we get the returns of Jan Duursema and Dan Parsons on art.
Honorable Mention: CONVERGENCE: HARLEY QUINN #2
That's it for this week's edition of Essential Comics. Let us know what your books you're super-duper excited for this week in the comment section below!