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SDCC COVERAGE SPONSORED BY MAD CAVE
This week’s Top Comics to Buy for July 16 is absolutely packed. We’ve got a new issue of arguably the biggest book in comics right now with Absolute Batman, a loud and raucous new comic debut with Big Rig, and some really excellent mid-run books as well. It’s a lot. And so without any more preamble, I’m just going to jump right into my recommendations.
You can find my five favorites below, along with the usual release lists…enjoy!
Top Comics to Buy for July 16
Absolute Batman #10
Writer: Scott Snyder
Artist: Nick Dragotta
Colorist: Frank Martin
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Publisher: DC Comics
Bruce Wayne is trapped within the horrors of Ark M as his best friend Waylon Jones endures unimaginable tortures…but what awaits Batman is far more terrifying than anything either has faced…the true form of Bane is revealed. But it’s how Bane plans to break Batman that will have you, our dear readers, bending over backward.
Why It’s Cool: This is one of the most horrifying issues yet of Absolute Batman, truly scary, but it also is relentlessly paced in a way that means you’ll blow right through it and set id own needing to see what comes next. Loving this book, and it’s now essentially a mainstay on our list.
Price: $4.99
Be Not Afraid #2
Writer: Jude Ellison S. Doyle
Artist: Lisandro Estherren
Colorist: Francesco Segala, with assistance by Gloria Martinelli
Letterer: Simon Bowland
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
“Is Cora a victim of God’s wrath or the cause?
Cora’s childhood in Enoch wasn’t easy. A fraught relationship with her mother and a challenging journey to her faith in God has left her jaded in adulthood.
Cora’s last encounter with a visitor led to her downfall and unleashed Jordy’s evil on the world-how can she trust that Mr. Phim won’t lead her into more danger?”
Why It’s Cool: I loved the first issue of this comic, and I’m happy to report that the second issue is just as well-done…and haunting…and sort of forlornly-gorgeous to look at. There’s really not another book even a little bit like this one on the shelves right now, and that’s much to its credit. Be Not Afraid takes an interesting set of thematic ingredients, and does a perfect job exploring what’s interesting about all of them, from mother-child relationships to religion to smalltown horrors. It’s not as flashy as some of the other books on this week’s list, but it’s one you really should have on your pull list.
Price: $4.99
Phantom Road #14
Writer: Jeff Lemire
Artist: Gabriel Hernandez Walta
Colorist: Jordie Bellaire
Letterer: Steve Wands
Publisher: Image Comics
The vicious Hugo Hamm wields the ultimate bargaining chip against Agent Donald Weaver in an attempt to retrieve the artifact: he kidnaps young Theresa Weaver. But during the exchange, both sides realize they are not in control in the slightest.
Why It’s Cool: Regular readers of this column know I’ve been loving this book’s current The Horrormen storyline, which feels to me like it grasps a narrative truth that David Lynch and Twin Peaks knew well — mashing up FBI casework and bizarre phenomenon just works. This issue is a tense white-knuckler, firing on all cylinders, making it an easy choice for this list of the Top Comics to Buy for July 16.
Price: $3.99
Star Trek: Red Shirts #1
Writer: Christopher Cantwell
Artist: Megan Levens
Colorist: Charlie Kirchoff
Letterer: Jodie Troutman
Publisher: IDW Publishing
The start of an all-new heartrending Star Trek five-issue miniseries by writer Christopher Cantwell (Star Trek: Defiant) and artist Megan Levens (Star Trek), featuring Starfleet’s most intrepid and doomed crewmembers: red shirts. Now, finally, they get their own story. Led by an experienced officer embedded on the snow-ridden planet Arkonia 89, the crew of the U.S.S. Warren has a small window in which to pin down spies seeking to steal classified secrets and keep Starfleet data out of their nefarious hands. They face threats not only from their faceless enemies but from the brutalizing elements and wildlife of a planet far from home. The red shirts’ lives and Starfleet’s sanctity are on the line…and no one is safe.
Why It’s Cool: I mean, this concept is just so good. It’s a humanizing, up-close look at the red shirt security crew characters who have been killed off across various Star Trek properties for longer than many of us have even been alive. And the first issue is just perfectly executed, the type of new number one comic that hooks you for the duration of this story.
Price: $4.99
Post Malone’s Big Rig #1
Created By: Post Malone
Writers: Post Malone and Adrian Wassel
Artist: Nathan Gooden
Colorist: Der-Shing Helmer
Letterer: Jim Campbell
Publisher: Vault Comics
The Dark Ages…Demon hordes plague Europe as Hell invades Earth. The Six Petals, a secret sect of The Knights Templar, are in desperate need of a means to drive back the scourge and turn the tide of the onslaught. What crashes to earth is The Rig, a fully loaded tractor trailer. In the aftermath of its arrival, the only man left standing is an enigmatic former priest excommunicated from The Six Petals. He will become Trucker and lead the fight against Hell behind the wheel of a demon-slaying machine.
Why It’s Cool: Long-time readers of this space know that I absolutely love Nathan Gooden’s artwork. So, a 48-page comic drawn by Gooden? I mean, just count me on based on that. This book is also a great distillation of a few things that are hot in comics right now: celebrity co-writers, gigantic concepts, and giant-sized first issues. Make sure you’re in the cab with Big Rig if that sounds fun to you — because it is.
Price: $9.99
Other Comics I Enjoyed
Batman and Robin: Year One #9- Benjamin #2
- The Blood Brothers Mother #4
- Death of the Silver Surfer #2
- Imperial #2
- I Was a Fashion School Serial Killer #4
- Marvel Knights – The World to Come #2
- New Gods #8
- Nightwing #128
- Red Before Black #6
- Superman Unlimited #3
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #10
New #1s and One-Shots
- Bring on the Bad Guys – Abomination #1 (one-shot)
- Catacomb of Torment #1
- Dread the Hall H #1 (one-shot)
- Gargoyles Demona #1
- Ghost Pepper #1
- Giant-Size House of M #1 (one-shot)
- Godzilla Destroys the Marvel Universe #1
- Red Sonja Noir #1
- This Ends Tonight #1
- Wolverine – Red Band – Black and White Edition #1
- Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon Nemesis #1
Graphic Novels and Trade Collections
Read past editions of the Top Comics to Buy!
And check out the Beat’s most recent comics reviews!
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