For some, Monday means returning to yet another busy week of work or classes. But for Comic Viners, Mondays are worth celebrating because it can only mean one thing: preparing for glorious new comics! Every week, the Comic Vine staff will feast their eyes on the absurdly long list of new releases and we'll each pick a few that we're really excited to check out. We'll do our best to sell you on 'em and, if possible, we'll attach previews as well.
Are you picking up any of the following issues or is your list totally different? Let us know below. If it's not on our list, go ahead and say why you're stoked for it. Your praise just may inspire a fellow Viner or two to give the book a shot.
Tony 'G-Man' Guerrero's picks
BATMAN #25
Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo blew us away with the first act of Zero Year and now it's time to see what happens next. Batman's confrontation with the Red Hood Leader ended but Riddler is still on the loose and has just unleashed his plan. Sending all of Gotham into darkness may not sound like a big deal but shutting down a major city is bound to have big repercussions. While Batman will likely try to stop Riddler, he'll also have to deal with the GCPD who likely won't be too keen on his assistance.
You may think you know Batman's full history and origin but Snyder and Capullo are showing us a chapter in Gotham's history that we were unaware existed. Word is we'll also be seeing the Batmobile for the first time.
Check out The Hollywood Reporter for one more page.
ALL-NEW X-MEN #18
Battle of the Atom has ended and we were left with a new status quo for the original X-Men. Kitty made a pretty bold decision and while I can't say I fully agree, you have to admit this is going to shake things up a bit and should prove interesting.
The dynamic between Wolverine and Cyclops has had readers stand on either side, in terms of support. This could be a way to look at it from a different angle. I can't help but wonder if perhaps there is more to Kitty's decision that there appears to be? Having Kitty at Illyana's side once again should be interesting as well. Their deep friendship is one that has been ignored or forgotten for far too long.
SUPERMAN/WONDER WOMAN #2
Some may love the two together while others are hating it but Charles Soule showed us he can make a series focusing on these two iconic characters work. The first issue reinforced just how rich the two characters' supporting cast can be. It's great to see that this won't just be a series focusing on action with the two. We will be seeing more about them as characters and their backstories.
Tony Daniel's art knocked us off our feet. He captured both the essence of the characters along with the action that built up as the issue went along.
And how about that last page? This issue is going to get pretty crazy.
Visit USA Today for one more preview page.
Honorable Mentions: NIGHTWING #25, JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #9
Gregg 'k4tz' Katzman's picks
DEADPOOL #19
The final chapter of the immensely powerful story, "The Good, The Bad & The Ugly" is almost here. Co-writers Gerry Duggan and Brian Posehn have been doing a staggeringly good job creating a story for Wade that's soaking in darkness and emotion. It's a huge shock since everything else has been full of laughs and while there's still some laughs to be found, this has a gripping experience. How will it all end? Will Deadpool get the revenge he deserves? What'll happen with Wolverine and Captain America in the picture? This story has been nothing short of great and I can't wait to get my hands on the conclusion.
If you seriously need another reason: Declan Shalvey's been killing it on the gritty visuals. His style with this specific narrative has made for a beyond immersive read. I've said it before and I still stand by it: this is easily one of Deadpool's best stories.
FOREVER EVIL: ARKHAM WAR #2
There's a lot going on in FOREVER EVIL, but my highlight has to be the madness that's going down over in Gotham. With Batman not in the city, the villains are making the place quite a mess. In one corner, we have Bane, his experiments and the former prisoners of Blackgate. In the other, we have a collection of familiar faces from Batman's rogues gallery, including the likes of Scarecrow, Man-Bat, Killer Croc and more.
Now that the war is underway, it's time to dive into all of the dirty details and see how it'll all play out. Scarecrow's team has some big names, but Bane's looking to even the odds by getting the deadly Talons on his side. You definitely have a good hook on me with this one, Peter J. Tomasi.
CBR has another preview page for your eyes.
INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US ANNUAL #1
The wait is finally over, friends. TOM TAYLOR'SINJUSTICE IS BACK!!! Okay, it's technically just back for only one issue right now (ongoing retuns in January), but still, it's an annual-sized return of the alternate universe and that's worth celebrating.
By now, you probably know why this series has been a hit and now Taylor's throwing the first DLC character, Lobo, into all of the chaos. To make matters even more exciting, the Main Man's heading after Harley Quinn. If you read the series, then you definitely know the writer does a superb job handling the villain and she was disputably one of the most entertaining aspects of the series. So, it should go without saying that this one's sure to be a blast.
Honorable Mentions: UNITY #1, HARBINGER #18, SAVAGE WOLVERINE #11
Corey 'Undeadpool' Schroeder's picks
MARS ATTACKS JUDGE DREDD #3
Al Ewing and John McCrea cross the halfway point and finally get the rest of the Judges involved. This is the issue I've been waiting for when the book goes large-scale and we get to see the Judges marshal their forces against the martians. There's also the matter of that mysterious, metal orb and apparently we'll get some answers on that. This book has not disappointed one iota so far, blending both throwback sci-fi satires seamlessly and turning it into a bizarre battle of 50s VS 80s, and in that battle the winner is most assuredly the reader.
Bloody Disgusting landed the exclusive preview for this one.
GREEN LANTEN CORPS #25
I feel that DC has been real hit-or-miss with their integration of Batman: Zero Year into titles that aren't directly connected to the Caped Crusader, but at the very least the quality of the books hasn't wavered, and that's why I'm looking forward to FINALLY getting an issue that explores the backstory of John Stewart. And it's even being produced by series regulars Van Jensen, Robert Venditti and Bernard Chang, which should ensure another quality product. Having him as part of a military/disaster relief response actually seems like an organic way to get Stewart into Gotham, and we'll see what these guys have in store for him from there.
Newsarama has an exclusive preview.
STAR WARS #11
Not to be confused with THE Star Wars, Brian Wood's tale between episodes IV and V remains on course as one of the absolute greatest character studies of a pre-existing property on the shelf today. Not just content to plug plot holes, as so many of these "expanded universe" titles are, Wood is giving the characters emotional depth and maturity beyond what even the movies could accomplish (be it Luke mourning his aunt and uncle, who're never even mentioned again in A New Hope, let alone later, or Leia grieving her ENTIRE PLANET...also never brought up again). This issue ALSO marks the return of series original artist Carlos D'Anda, and as much as I've come around on the new artist, the original is still, in my mind, the one who set the tone so amazingly and I can't wait to see what else he brings to the table.
Honorable Mention: SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #21
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