Comic book best picks of the week: 11/24/21

It might be a holiday week in the United States, but that doesn’t mean that doesn’t mean that comic books will stop their weekly releases.

From vampires to metaphysical realms of life and death, readers should be thankful for the comic books that were released this past week.

Best comic book releases this week:

DC vs. Vampires #2

Written by James Tynion IV and Matthew Rosenberg, Art and Colors by Otto Schmidt

Superheroes and vampires, that’s always a fun mix right? Well, maybe not, but it always has the potential to be a lot of fun and two issues into DC vs. Vampires and this one has all the makings of an incredibly fun series. There’s a lot of great stuff happening in this issue, and a surprising amount of humor, but even amidst all of that, the issue does a great job of making you feel uneasy and untrusting as you turn each page.

Much of this issue focuses on the Bat-Family and Batman’s attempts to sus out whether any of them, who are ironically often thought of as vampires, have been turned yet. This makes for a very fun time that makes you think that it will turn to disaster any second, which is great and perfect for a series like this. And the final few pages, between a vampire Hal Jordan and normal Barry Allen, are just absolutely brutal.

Detective Comics #1045

Written by Mariko Tamaki, Art by Dan Mora, Colors by Jordie Bellaire; Back-up written by Stephanie Phillips, Art by David Lapham, Colors by Trish Mulvhill

“Fear State” is over but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the tie-ins are done with the event. But honestly though, Detective Comics has had the “Fear State” branding for the past several issues and it really had nothing to do with the event at all. In fact, this issue takes place right before it really even started, which is very much for the better. Detective Comics has been consistently great lately and this issue is no different. It’s creepy, gross, and a whole lot of fun.

Really, since Tamaki and Mora took over the series back in March, Detective Comics has often been much closer to a horror book than it is a superhero book, which is definitely a compliment. This issue is no different in the grand scheme as it continues that consistency. There’s a great dynamic between Mayor Nakano and Batman. The extended Bat-Family gets a lot of time to shine, which is as it should be in Detective Comics. And it also manages to flesh out Gotham even more, which is always nice.

Wonder Woman: Black & Gold #6

Written by Various, Art by Various

Anthology series are often hit or miss when it comes to every issue. Some issues could have all amazing stories. All of them could be duds. Usually its somewhere in between. But this final issue of Wonder Woman: Black & Gold is probably the best of the entire series. Every story is great for different reasons and all feel different from the rest in great ways.

My two personal favorites were the stories by Liam Sharp and Michael W. Conrad & Noah Bailey. Sharp’s story is incredibly different from any story in any issue as it is based on a dream of his and he breaks the fourth wall and puts himself into the story. It’s pretty great. It’s surreal and feels entirely like a dream and his artwork is absolutely stunning. As for Conrad & Bailey’s story, it’s about a feeling that everyone can probably relate to. It’s about not living up to perceived expectations and falling into self-destruction. It’s a story that’s perfect for Wonder Woman and it ends beautifully.

Hulk #1

Written by Donny Cates, Art by Ryan Ottley, Colors by Frank Martin

It’s an unenviable task to follow-up one of the best Hulk runs, and one of the best comics in general of the past several years, so Donny Cates and Ryan Ottley have a large hill to climb ahead of them. What’s great about this first issue though is that it does two things. Firstly, it acknowledges Immortal Hulk while not trying to retcon anything. Secondly, it doesn’t just try to recreate Immortal Hulk. It does its own thing while still using some of the mythos that was created in Immortal Hulk.

With all that said though, it’s hard to tell right now whether this run will work out in the long run. This first issue was a lot of fun with some great action, but it’s also just completely ridiculous at points. It feels like a comic that would’ve come out in the mid-90s. Some will absolutely be stoked about it, and while it worked for this issue, hopefully the entire run won’t feel like that.

Radiant Black #10

Written by Kyle Higgins, Art by Marcelo Costa, Colors by Igor Monti

Radiant Black is a series that doesn’t get talked about as much as it should be. It’s been pretty great from the beginning, but the past arc has really made it into something spectacular and this week’s issue is as close to perfect as a comic can get. Not bad for what initially seems like a Power Rangers knock-off right?

For all the crazy, wonky metaphysical stuff going on in this issue, at the end of the day, it’s all about someone going through hell to save their friend and discovering the truth about themselves along the way. Yes, this is a story that has been told thousands of times at this point, but when executed well, it still packs a punch. And here? It’s executed to perfection. This is an incredible issue that works well because of the writing and art, but truly ascends because of how excellent the coloring is, which is absolutely phenomenal in every way.

Have you been reading any good comic book stories lately? Tell us your best comic book picks below!