H5*: HOT FIVE (ish) – Week Of January 9, 2019

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.

BATMAN #62
Written by Tom King
Art by Mitch Gerads
Published by DC Comics – $3.99

The Eisner-winning creative team behind MISTER MIRACLE is back together as artist Mitch Gerads rejoins the Bat team for a special issue! Professor Pyg is loose in Gotham, and you know that means things are going to get weird… and bloody!

Why It’s Hot: Tom King and Mitch Gerads are back for their first collaboration since the recently concluded, instant classic Mister Miracle. These two bring out the best in one another, and have more than earned their reputation as one of the best creative teams in all of comics. Professor Pyg is back to haunt Batman, and he’s never been as terrifying as he is in this comic.

CAPTAIN MARVEL #1
Written by Kelly Thompson
Art by Carmen Carnero (Pencils) & Tamra Bonvillain (Colors)
Published by Marvel Comics – $4.99

ALL THE STARS ALIGN AS KELLY THOMPSON AND CARMEN CARNERO TAKE ON MARVEL’S PREMIER FEMALE SUPER HERO!

As Captain Marvel, Carol Danvers has spent months in space protecting Earth from alien threats big and small, but now it’s time for Earth’s mightiest hero to come home. New York City has never looked so good. But every re-entry comes with the unexpected, and Carol is about to hit a whole lot of unexpected. It’s a fresh start and an oversized, star-studded welcome home for a hero who’s been punching the glass ceiling since the 1970s – and just in time for the first female-led film from Marvel Studios! The next 50 years of Captain Marvel starts here!

Why It’s Hot: Two days following the new movie trailer airing during the NCAA College Football Playoff Championship Game, and two months before the movie hits theaters around the world the new comic book era for Captain Marvel begin this week! Marvel has enlisted one of their newly minted superstar writers in the amazing Kelly Thompson and a star in the making Carmen Carnero to take charge of Carol Danvers at a time where she is more well known than at any point in the character’s history. Whether you’re a long time fan of Carol’s, or looking to get to know her before she makes her Marvel Cinematic Universe debut, this is a comic you will want to be reading this week.

CRIMINAL #1
Written by Ed Brubaker
Art by Sean Phillips
Published by Image Comics – $3.99

SERIES PREMIERE! THE RETURN OF THE MOST ACCLAIMED CRIME COMIC OF THE 21ST CENTURY! Hot off their bestselling series KILL OR BE KILLED and their original graphic novel MY HEROES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN JUNKIES, crime comic masters ED BRUBAKER and SEAN PHILLIPS finally return to their most-demanded title-as a new MONTHLY SERIES!

In this double-sized (at no additional cost!) debut issue, Teeg Lawless is back in town. But he finds himself in more trouble than ever, thanks to his delinquent teenage son-and this time, fists and bullets may not be enough to solve his problems.

A perfect introduction to CRIMINAL and its dark, exciting world, this series will also include back page art and articles to bring readers more fully into the noir experience.

Why It’s Hot: Speaking of great creative teams, Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips continue their years long partnership by going back to the classics. That’s right, one of the best titles ever to be published by Image Comics has returned, and it’s monthly. If you’ve never read Criminal there’s no better time than the present. The solicitation isn’t lying when it calls the series “… the most acclaimed crime comic of the 21st century” and I’m pretty sure that’s not going to change he anytime soon.

DIE #2
Written by Kieron Gillen
Art by Stephanie Hans
Published by Image Comics – $3.99

“FANTASY HEARTBREAKER,” Part Two
Remember last time, when we said “Goth Jumanji”? As the bleak, austere fantasy-horror ramps up, we start underlining the word “Goth” in black marker until we cut a hole through the page.

Why It’s Hot: Gillen and Hans’ debut issue of their role playing fantasy adventure came in at the wire to be one of the absolute best first issues of last year. This comic is sophisticated, beautiful, and a complete package in ways that very few comics are this early into their runs. As we embark on the journey that is 2019 there won’t be many creator owned comics as good as this one, so if you aren’t reading just go take a look at that stunning Stephanie Hans art and pick up both issues when you grab your comics this week.

FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN #1
Written by Tom Taylor
Art by Juann Cabal (Pencils)
Published by Marvel Comics – $4.99

Spider-Man is the worst neighbor EVER! There are always crazy villains and property damage and drama and…and he CATCHES the villains. And he tries to fix the damage and he helps carry your groceries and actually that property damage keeps the rents down. You know what? Spider-Man is the best neighbor ever and this book will give you a closer look at Spider-Man’s (and Peter Parker’s) neighborhood than any book ever. Also, it wouldn’t be a Spider-Man adventure without a threat that could destroy not only Spider-Man, but all his neighbors. Superstar writer TOM TAYLOR (X-MEN RED, ALL-NEW WOLVERINE, Injustice) and rising art star JUANN CABAL (ALL-NEW WOLVERINE, X-23) give you the most local Spider-Man ever!

Why It’s Hot: Tom Taylor is writing Spider-Man. I think that about sums up why this is one of the week’s HOTTEST comics. I can go on about Taylor developing into one of the best writers in the industry over the past few years, or how Spidey is a perfect match for his style of storytelling. I don’t think I need to though.

THE GREEN LANTERN #3
Written by Grant Morrison
Art by Liam Sharp (Pencils) & Steve Oliff (Colors)
Published by DC Comics- $3.99

When the Earth goes up for sale on the alien black market, it’s up to the Green Lantern Corps to bust up “The Slave Lords of the Stars” in the latest space saga from Grant Morrison (MULTIVERSITY) and Liam Sharp (WONDER WOMAN)! With the Justice League frozen by Gamma Gong tech, Earth ends up on the auction block, and Volgar Zo hosts a menagerie of the universe’s deadliest despots and criminals: Steppenwolf, Queen Bee, the Dominators and much, much worse. Hal Jordan leads a squad of Lanterns into the fray-and someone’s going to pay the ultimate price before this case gets closed.

Why It’s Hot: Is that Hal Jordan confronting God? Oh my that’s one hell of a visual, as Morrison and Sharp begin their 2019 in style. The way in which Grant Morrison uses science fiction to make a point here shows why he just may be considered the greatest of all time while Liam Sharp and Steve Oliff are turning out some of the best artwork ever to grace the pages of any Green Lantern comic. Considering the talent that has worked with the character, especially over the last two decades, that is saying a lot.

MARTIAN MANHUNTER #2
Written by Steve Orlando
Art by Riley Rossmo (Pencils) & Ivan Plascencia (Colors)
Published by DC Comics – $3.99

Return to Mars in the days before its doom to see the love affair of J’onn and M’yri’ah…and a Martian coming-of-age ritual you’ll NEVER forget! All of these painful memories J’onn carries with him to his new life on Earth…but first he’s gotta survive the pain of a car crash, being set on fire and accidentally revealing his true form to his detective partner! Did we mention she’s heavily armed?

Why It’s Hot: If you follow me on Twitter (@jpooch21) you would know that I wasn’t blown away by the first issue of Martian Manhunter, but that was more than likely due to the astronomical, almost unfair expectations I put on it. There’s no denying that Orlando is great, and Rossmo is one of the most unique artists working on a Big 2 comic today. So, while I may have not been blown away it was easy to see just how great this comic could potentially be. All of the qualities you’d expect from a comic by this team were there, and seeing J’onn get his own evergreen origin story is a huge deal for the character. I can’t wait to see how this turns out, as it has a chance to be very special.

MILES MORALES: SPIDER-MAN #2
Written by Saladin Ahmed
Art by Javier Garron (Pencils)
Published by Marvel Comics – $3.99

• Miles is getting closer to solving the mystery of the thievery ring plaguing Brooklyn, but the Rhino has complicated matters quite a lot.
• Rhino doesn’t usually have minions preferring to charge alone. What’s behind this change of methodology?
• Plus, meet a new antagonist who may just become Miles’ most dangerous foe!

Why It’s Hot: Golden Globe winning character Miles Morales has quickly become one of the most popular fictional characters in the world. Much like what they’re doing with Captain Marvel (see above) Marvel made sure that Miles was in as good as hands possible on the comic front when his movie debuted. Now that the film is out, and has taken the world by storm fans not only have the Bendis era stuff to go back and read, but a brand new series to jump into every month that more than holds its own. If the first issue was any indication Ahmed and Garron breathed new life into Miles’ solo comic after the previous run started to feel a bit stale to many as it started to wind down. This comic more than lives up to what came before it, and fans of Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse need to be reading this, regardless of whether or not you’re caught up on the years worth of comics starring Miles that preceded it.

YOUNG JUSTICE #1
Written by Brian Bendis
Art by Patrick Gleason (Pencils) & Alejandro Sanchez (Colors)
Published by DC Comics – $3.99

Superboy! Wonder Girl! Robin! Impulse! Amethyst! They’re all united in YOUNG JUSTICE #1, the debut issue of a brand-new series that also introduces new heroes Teen Lantern and Jinny Hex! When the nightmare dimension known as Gemworld invades Metropolis, these teen heroes reunite to deal with the situation-but they’re shocked to discover the battle may be the key to the return of Conner Kent, a.k.a. Superboy! This mix of fan favorites and new legacy heroes will be the center point for some of the biggest goings-on at DC! As if that weren’t enough, Bendis reunites with all-star artist Patrick Gleason (SUPERMAN, ACTION COMICS, GREEN LANTERN CORPS) to bring the new heroes of DC’s Wonder Comics to life!

Why It’s Hot: While Young Justice aren’t getting their own movie anytime soon like Captain Marvel and the Miles Morales take on Spider-Man mentioned above, the much anticipated third season of the team’s animated series dropped last weekend. That alone would be grounds for inclusion here, but what Bendis, Gleason, and everyone involved pulls off with this first issue goes so far beyond that. I had a stupid grin on my face after reading the issue multiple times this past weekend, because the creative team brought back something that felt like it’s been missing from DC Comics over the past 7.5 years, if not longer. For the first time in a long time DC’s legacy characters and sidekicks feel like more than an afterthought, and if the title of the issue is anything to go by the story itself won’t be one either. For the first time in years it feels like the publisher doesn’t mistakenly feel like these characters needed some sort of reinvention to stay relevant. This comic feels like it could have been created during the early 2000s heyday of the original Young Justice. On top of old favorites (BART ALLEN!!!! Connor Kent!!!!) we have Bendis and Gleason seamlessly introducing some new faces (TEEN LANTERN!!), and the result is a comic that certain fans have been clamoring years for. For readers who are newer it may be easier to just say that this would have fit in perfectly if released at the start of Rebirth a few years ago. I’m going to stop professing my love so you can get on with your life, but if this is what we can expect from the Wonder Comics line we are in for a special treat.

ALSO AVAILABLE THIS WEEK:

* Adventures Of The Super Sons #6
* Avengers #12
* Barbarella/Dejah Thoris #1
* Deathstroke #39
* Doctor Who 13th #3
* Domino #10
* The Dreaming #5
* Euthanauts #5
* Faith: Dreamside #4
* Harley Quinn #57
* Iceman #5
* Justice League #15
* Laguardia #2
* Man Without Fear #2
* Murder Falcon #4
* Prodigy #2
* Sleepless #11
* Spider-Gwen: Ghost Spider #4
* Thor #9
* Uncanny X-Men #9
* Web Of Venom Unleashed #1
* X-23 #8

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