Welcome back to 10 Comics to Buy This Week. As you're probably well aware, there are a metric crap-ton of comic books hitting shelves every single week. And for the common consumer, it's financially impossible to pick up everything. That's where this column steps in like your superhero savior, drawing your attention to 10 books worth your hard-earned dollars during any given week.
We not only going to spotlight tights and capes books, but also some indie titles off the beaten path, which, if all goes well, will broaden your reading horizons.
Batman #0
Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo travel back in time to Batman’s not-so-humble beginnings to detail how young Bruce Wayne got all his wonderful toys -- stuff like the costume, the bat cave, the batmobile and the gadgets. This is supposedly going to be a secret origin that sheds a whole new light on the early years of the Caped Crusader.
Creep #1
A month ago we told you to pick up John Arcudi and Jonathan Case’s Creep #0. Now, the series is finally kicking off with its official “#1” issue. Follow along as a disfigured private eye investigates the alleged suicide of a pair of teenagers. And how is this case connected to his haunted past?
Doctor Strange Season One HC
Admittedly, Marvel’s Season One books have not been too memorable (I hear good things about Hulk, though). That said, Doctor Strange Season One is the one I’ve been looking forward to most. Writer Greg Pak is joined by artist Emma Rios to detail the origins of Marvel’s Sorcerer Supreme. If there was ever a Season One book to pay attention to, this is it, whether you’re a Doctor Strange fan or not.
Manhattan Projects #6
If you aren’t caught up on Jonathan Hickman and Nick Pitarra’s Manhattan Projects, then pick up the series’ first trade paperback collecting issues #1-5 that released last week. Then, pick up this week’s issue #6.
Manhattan Projects is one of those series that could only come from the mind of Jonathan Hickman, taking real historical events and adding that patented Hickman high concept flavor to concoct a series that is spectacularly off the wall. In this month’s installment: find out the secret history of the Russian science machine!
Punk Rock Jesus #3
Sean Murphy’s Punk Rock Jesus has been a delightful surprise. While it’s definitely a tough concept for some to back, the ongoing plot, characters and beautiful black and white artwork make this series one of Vertigo’s best right now. Punk Rock Jesus isn’t for the faint of heart, but anyone willing to take the dive on such a blasphemous story will find a truly engrossing reading experience that doesn’t come off as overly preachy. Surprising, I know.
Rocketeer: Cargo of Doom #2
Mark Waid and Chris Samnee return with more Rocketeer goodness. As expected, the first issue of Rocketeer: Cargo of Doom was fantastic, with the perfect mix of excellent character work from Waid and fluid, visually striking artwork by Samnee. The Rocketeer doesn’t get much better. Now, for their second issue, Waid and Samnee plan to expose Cliff’s secret identity to someone outside his immediate circle of trusted friends. This should be interesting.
Team 7 #0
Up and coming writer Justin Jordan (The Strange Talents of Luther Strode) is joined by artist Jesus Merino for the start of Team 7 – a government-sanctioned force created to oppose the emerging supers should they ever go rogue. The team consists of Dinah Lance, Amanda Waller, Wonder Woman’s favorite punching bag, Steve Trevor, John Lynch, Alex Fairchild, Cole Cash and Deathstroke. With a rag-tag group such as this, how could things ever go wrong?
Uncanny X-Force #31
Is it just me or does it feel like a new issue of Uncanny X-Force is hitting shelves every other week? Granted, I’m not complaining. Rick Remender’s Uncanny X-Force continues to be one of the best things coming out of Marvel, so I’ll take all I can get. With the new Brotherhood of Evil Mutants trying to crack Evan and make him accept his fate as the new Apocalypse, the X-Force must mount a counterstrike that will hopefully rid the world of the Brotherhood once and for all.
Wolverine and the X-Men #16
We are finally back to "normal" business at the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning now that the AvX tie-ins are over. But that doesn’t mean everything will be peachy for the students and faculty of Wolverine’s mutant school. The newly reformed Hellfire Club has an axe to grind and they’re coming after the X-Men in the wake of AvX.
X-O Manowar #5
It’s the start of a new story arc in X-O Manowar, including the introduction of Ninjak to Valiant’s relaunched universe. The question remains: why is there a bounty placed on the head of Aric, and will he be able to survive his first encounter with Ninjak while still wet behind the ears with the Manowar armor?
Erik Norris is a freelance writer for sites such as ComicVine, IGN and CraveOnline.com. You can stalk him on Twitter @Regular_Erik.