This week’s new comic books came with a plethora of themes. It wasn’t all fighting and flying. For example, the best is about one dark hero and what they do when they aren’t arresting killer clowns. Meanwhile, on the Marvel Comics side, a classic character shows their life outside of being a cat burglar.
Let’s not delay the list. Here are the must-read new comic books of last week, starting with the best of the week.
Best of the week: Black Cat No. 1
- Writer: G. Willow Wilson
- Artist: Gleb Melnikov
- Colors: Brian Reber
G. Willow Wilson is killing it in DC Comics’ Poison Ivy by making Pamela Isley more than an eco terrorist. It’s easy to expect her to make Felicia Hardy (Black Cat) more than a burglar. It may be one issue in, but it looks like that will be the case.
One issue in and we see that Felicia’s life isn’t as glamorous as it looks. Not only do readers see her get badly injured in her fight with the Lizard, but she also explains how living her life is a full-time job, outside of robbing the rich.
Detective Comics No. 1100
- Writers: Dan Watters, Greg Rucka, Mariko Tamaki, Tom Taylor
- Artists: Álvaro Martínez Bueno, Bill Sienkiewicz, Mikel Janin, Amancay Nahuelpan
- Colors: Giovanna Niro, Bill Sienkiewicz, Arif Prianto, Mikel Janin
A milestone like this deserves special treatment, and that’s what DC Comics gave readers. This issue showed more than the fighting of Batman. We see how he feels about what he does as the Dark Knight and Bruce Wayne, and the heroic things he does around Gotham City that don’t involve punching people.
Whether you love Batman or you’re a casual fan, this is a comic book you'll enjoy. Each creator put different stories together to show why the Caped Crusader is one of the greatest characters ever. This is a ten-out-of-ten for sure.
Invincible Universe: Battle Beast No. 4
- Writer: Robert Kirkman
- Artist: Ryan Ottley
- Colors: Annalisa Leoni
The first three issues of this comic have Battle Beast running through his competition like a bad night of food poisoning. Here, two major things happened that were unlike him.
First, he took a loss. That only happened once in the entire Invincible series. Second, despite his personality, Battle Beast shows a caring side for animals and later for his captor. These are examples of growth needed for this series to continue.
Absolute Batman No. 11
- Writer: Scott Snyder
- Artist: Clay Mann
- Colors: Clay Mann
This was a horror story, plain and simple. Scott Snyder told the tale of Bane of the Absolute Universe, and he was more terrifying than the original. Some can call him an abomination, but I saw something else. I saw an apex predator who can make John Wick poop his pants.
Justice League Red No. 1
- Writer: Saladin Ahmed
- Artist: Clayton Henry
- Colors: Arif Prianto
Red Tornado is putting a team together to prevent the destruction of all life on Earth. However, on Green Lantern Simon Baez and Power Girl’s first mission, they learn that something is up with Red Tornado. If that isn't bad enough, Black Adam shows up.
All of this in just the first issue is a great way to start the series. You’re brought in with the mystery of preventing an extinction-level event, only to wonder if you can trust Red Tornado and his predictions.
Absolute Flash No. 6
- Writer: Jeff Lemire
- Artist: Nick Robles
- Colors: Adriano Lucas
Each of DC’s Absolute Universe comic books has done an origin of some kind. This issue of Absolute Flash did it the best. In one issue, you understand what’s going on with the Rogues. In some ways, you may feel bad for their circumstances.
Terminator No. 10
- Writer: Declan Shalvey
- Artist: Luke Sparrow
- Colors: Colin Cracker
In this issue, readers are given a new piece of the puzzle regarding characters from the Terminator franchise after the robot apocalypse. This is on top of a cliffhanger regarding things pre-Judgment Day. This is why Declan Shalvey's series continues to expand the Terminator's lore better than most movies and shows. A must-read if you're a fan of any of the Terminator projects.
Amazing Spider-Man No. 10
- Writer: Joe Kelly
- Artists: Michael Dowling and John Romita Jr.
- Colors: Marcio Menyz
If you’ve ever wondered what it would look like if Spider-Man went brutal, here it is. This isn’t like Superior Spider-Man where Otto had something to prove. This Peter Parker is around to hurt people in and out of costume. However, not everything is what it seems.
G.I. Joe No. 10
- Writer: Joshua Williamson
- Artist: Andrea Milana
- Colors: Lee Loughridge
This issue of G.I. Joe is the best representation of the series. It had enough action to satisfy fans, but even the fights helped move the storyline along. And like each of the comics before this one, it ended with more reasons to keep reading as we inch closer to the Transformers crossover we’ve waited for.
Superman Unlimited No. 4
- Writer: Dan Slott
- Artists: Lucas Meyer and Rafael Albuquerque
- Colors: Matt Herms and Marcelo Maiolo
Writer Dan Slott showed that villains aren’t the only people with Green Kryptonite. Superman is hurt after saving someone with Greek-K jewelry and lipstick. This may seem silly, but it’s truly brilliant. Now, Clark Kent will be forced to be more aware of things, even during routine saves.
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