H5*: HOT FIVE (ish): Week Of December 12, 2018

Welcome to Comicosity’s Hot Five(ish), a.k.a. The Flagship Of H5*. Hot Five(ish) is a short(ish) list of the top books we think you’ll want to be checking out. Be they new title launches, key issues or just continuing stories from some of the industry’s most acclaimed books, this list is your guaranteed gold in the comic market

Note: I apologize for the lack of a column last week. A family emergency forced me to miss my first week in over five years of doing this column. The streak may be over, but a new one begins on this very Bat-heavy week.

BATMAN ANNUAL #3
Written by Tom Taylor
Art by Otto Schmidt
Published by DC Comics – $4.99

“THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PENNY!” Alfred Pennyworth has been Batman’s most trusted ally and confidant since the Dark Knight first hit the streets of Gotham City. Now, witness Batman’s battle for justice from Alfred’s perspective and learn how harrowing that journey has been as Batman experiences one of the worst nights Gotham City has ever seen-a night that will push Alfred to the breaking point! Best-selling writer Tom Taylor presents an epic tale that promises to be one of the most Alfred stories ever told!

Why It’s Hot: Tom Taylor has done a lot of work for DC over the years has he shepherded the alternate universe Injustice: Gods Among Us from digital first video game adaptation into one of the very best stories DC has done over the past few years. Now he gets to play in THE DC Universe with this issue. Considering the last annual was one heralded as an instant classic Batman story there’s a lot to live up to with this one. A story about Alfred with art from the extremely talented Otto Schmidt could very well get the job done.

BATMAN WHO LAUGHS #1
Written by Scott Snyder
Art by Jock
Published by DC Comics – $4.99

Left rattled by the events of DARK NIGHTS: METAL, Bruce Wayne must come face to face with the nightmares spawned from the Dark Multiverse. But even though evil devoured evil in the collapse of Challengers Mountain, the Dark Knight still has his doubts. He discovers that the Batman Who Laughs not only survived the fight with The Joker at the end of METAL, but now he is enacting a sinister plan across the Multiverse-something both terrifying and oddly familiar. But when Bruce Wayne realizes the only way to stop this madman is to kill him, he must consider violating the very rule Batman won’t break…the same rule that created this insatiable villain-the Batman Who Laughs!

Why It’s Hot: The Batman Who Laughs was the breakout character of Dark Nights Metal, and after his recent return in the pages of Justice League he is getting his own series. That’s cool and all, but the main attraction here is that Scott Snyder and Jock are back together again. One of the best creative duos of the past decade working on a character that fits their style as well as possible. There are a lot of Batman books on the market (just look at this article), but this is one that comic fans everywhere should be excited for, because of the names attached.

DETECTIVE COMICS #994
Written by Pete Tomasi
Art by Doug Mahnke (Pencils), Jaime Mendoza (Inks), David Baron (Colors)
Published by DC Comics – $3.99

Batman’s strangest case begins as the new creative team of writer Peter J. Tomasi and artist Doug Mahnke take over DETECTIVE COMICS!

Commissioner Gordon calls in the Dark Knight Detective when there’s a murder at the Gotham City Aquarium-staged to look exactly like Thomas and Martha Wayne’s crime scene, right down to the Playbill and pearls. How does this bizarre homicide tie into the shadowy monster that attacks Dr. Leslie Thompkins? This creature looks to wage a war on Batman-and it’s using Joker Gas to do it!

Why It’s Hot: The march to issue #1000 is on, as both Pete Tomasi and Doug Mahnke return to working on the Dark Knight with a new run on Detective Comics. Both writer and artist have arguably been among the most underrated and consistent creators in all of comics, and almost assuredly so for DC Comics. They aren’t flashy, but they deliver each and every time out, and that’s going to make these next few months before the big anniversary issue a whole lot of fun to read.

HELLBOY WINTER SPECIAL 2018
Written by Mike Mignola, Gabriel Ba, Tonci Zonjic
Art by Ben Stenbeck, Fabio Moon, Tonci Zonjic (Pencils) & Dave Stewart (Colors)
Published by Dark Horse Comics – $3.99

Three wintry tales featuring a Mike Mignola and Ben Stenbeck team-up for a New Year’s Eve séance gone wrong when Hellboy visits a family’s English home, Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá revisit B.P.R.D.: Vampire with a new tie-in story, and Tonci Zonjic returns to write and draw Lobster Johnson.

Why It’s Hot: Look at the names of these creators. Okay, now look again. Do I need to say anything else?

MILES MORALES: SPIDER-MAN #1
Written by Saladin Ahmed
Art by Javier Garron (Pencils), David Curiel (Colors)
Published by Marvel Comics – $3.99

Balancing his normal life, school, parents, etc…and super-heroing has never been easy, but when the Rhino and a cadre of mysterious criminals start plaguing Brooklyn, things take a dark turn. And Miles doesn’t even know the half of it yet. Eisner Award-winner Saladin Ahmed (BLACK BOLT) and Young Gun Javier Garr n (ANT-MAN & THE WASP) bring you the latest incarnation of the coolest character in the Marvel Universe!

Why It’s Hot: For the first time in the character’s history, a writer not named Bendis will be writing the solo adventures of Miles Morales. That’s a big milestone for Marvel Comics, and the continuing development of Miles as a property that will be around for a long, long time. You know what else is a big deal for Miles? That little universally acclaimed movie opening this week that will introduce millions of people to this Spider-Man for the very first time. It helps that fans both new and old will have this comic to dive into afterwards. Ahmed is one of Marvel’s very best writers, and Garron just keeps getting better and better with every issue that has his name on the cover. Don’t be surprised when this ends up as one of the best selling comics of December.

SILVER SURFER: THE BEST DEFENSE #1
Written by Jason Latour
Art by Jason Latour
Published by Marvel Comics – $4.99

“THE BEST DEFENSE” PART FOUR!
• Shall not the Judge of All the Earths do right?
• Norrin Radd is not so certain.
• But it falls to him who is the Silver Surfer to decide which planets will live…and which will feed the unending hunger of the world-devouring Galactus!
• A single honest person can tip the balance…if only the Surfer can find one in time!
• And the Train rolls on…

Why It’s Hot: The Best Defense one shots have all been great so far. They feature stellar creators at the top of their game working with classic Marvel characters. That description cannot be any more apt than it is for this issue. Jason Latour has proven himself as an amazing writer and artist multiple times over, and this may be one of his best single issues ever. This comic is absolutely beautiful.

X-MEN RED #11
Written by Tom Taylor
Art by Roge Antonia (Pencils) & Rain Beredo (Colors)
Published by Marvel Comics – $3.99

The X-Men have battled valiantly against their powerful psychic foe, Cassandra Nova, since the moment she framed Jean Grey for murder on the world stage. They have been hunted. They have been hated. And now…they can fight no more.

Why It’s Hot: With the relaunch of Uncanny X-Men last month this series has essentially been a lame duck series. With that said, the book’s status hasn’t stopped it from being one of the very best X-Men comics in years. Now it’s time to say goodbye as the team’s series long battle against Cassandra Nova comes to an end along with the comic itself.

ALSO AVAILABLE THIS WEEK:

* Amazing Spider-Man #11
* Avengers #11
* Bitter Root #2
* The Black Order #2
* Black Panther #7
* Cemetery Beach #4
* Doctor Strange: The Best Defense #1
* Electric Warriors #2
* Empty Man #2
* Fantastic Four Wedding Special #1
* The Flash #60
* God Of War #2
* Goddess Mode #1
* Hawkman #7
* House Of Whispers #4
* Infinite Dark #3
* James Bond Origin #4
* The Magic Order #5
* Mr. & Mrs. X #6
* Murder Falcon #3
* Outer Darkness #2
* Red Sonja/Tarzan #6
* Redlands #9
* Sasquatch Detective #1
* Shadowman #10
* Sleepless #10
* Smooth Criminals #2
* Spider-Force #3
* Spider-Girls #3
* Spider-Gwen: Ghost Spider #3
* Supergirl #25
* Superman #6
* Typhoid Fever: Iron Fist #1
* Uncanny X-Men #5
* Unstoppable Wasp #3
* Wonder Woman #60
* X-23 #7

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