HOT FIVE(ish): Week Of August 15, 2018

Welcome to Comicosity’s Hot Five(ish). Hot Five(ish) is a short 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 #53
Written by Tom King
Art by Lee Weeks
Published by DC Comics – $3.99

“Cold Days” continues! The jury in the Mr. Freeze trial is hopelessly deadlocked because one man won’t vote guilty-and that man is Bruce Wayne. Freeze’s defense is that Batman used excessive force, making his arrest illegal, and Bruce is the one man who actually knows for sure what went down between Batman and his ice-cold nemesis. And if Bruce is right, that means everything he’s devoted himself to as the Caped Crusader is a lie; he is hurting more than helping. With Dick Grayson putting the Batsuit back on to keep Gotham City safe while Bruce is sequestered, could this be the out Bruce needs to discard the cape and cowl forever?

The Eisner Award-nominated team of Tom King and Lee Weeks reexamine the relationship between hero and foe, as Batman relives not just that one violent night when he took down the King of Cold, but every time the two have come to blows.

Why It’s Hot: Tom King provides one of the greatest introspective looks that th character or Bruce Wayne has ever given to his alter ego of Batman. When it’s all said and done it’s issues like this with moments like these that will remind us why this run is one of the very best ever to feature The Dark Knight.

BATWOMAN #18
Written by Marguerite Bennett
Art by Fernando Blanco (Pencils) & John Rauch (Colors)
Published by DC Comics – $3.99

It’s the series finale, and there’s a lot of drama to resolve for Kate Kane, both in and out of costume. As Batwoman, she teams with Renee Montoya to thwart Clock King’s latest time-bending enterprise: selling a drug that allows criminals to know if their crime will be successful-before it’s committed. But Batwoman’s facing a quandary to boot: Take this drug off the street, or use it herself to stop crime? The only fight tougher is the personal one: Should Kate and Renee give their relationship another chance?

Why It’s Hot: This past week we learned that Ruby Rose would be taking on the role of Kate Kane for the DCTV’s Arrowverse, and a whole bunch of new interest has been heaped upon the character of Batwoman. Despite “popular” belief among the not so educated out there Kate isn’t a genderswapped lesbian Bruce Wayne, but rather a fully fleshed out character whose current incarnation has been around the better part of a decade. For fans of the character this issue marks the end of another fantastic volume. I dare you to find a character over the past ten years or so whose solo comic has been consistently good as the different volumes of Batwoman. I’d say maybe Thor, Daredevil, and Batman? That’s not bad company to be in, and with her live action debut incoming I’m willing to venture we will get a relaunch to continue that trend sooner rather than later. For those new to the character use this issue to get a taste, and then go back to the beginning (Greg Rucka and JH Williams’ brilliant Elegy arc of Detective Comics) to see why a lot of us are so excited for a live action Kate Kane.

CROWDED #1
Written by Christopher Sebela
Art by Ro Stein, Ted Brandt, Triona Farrell
Published by Image Comics – $3.99

SERIES PREMIERE! Ten minutes in the future, the world runs on an economy of job shares and apps, including Reapr: a crowdfunding platform to fund assassinations. Charlie Ellison leads a quiet, normal life until she’s suddenly targeted by a million-dollar Reapr campaign. Hunted by all of Los Angeles, Charlie hires Vita, the lowest-rated bodyguard on the Dfend app. As the campaign picks up speed, they’ll have to figure out who wants Charlie dead before the campaign’s 30 days-or their lives-are over.
From Eisner-nominated writer CHRISTOPHER SEBELA (Heartthrob, We(l)come Back, Harley Quinn), RO STEIN & TED BRANDT (Captain Marvel, Raven: The Pirate Princess), TRIONA FARRELL (Runaways, Mech Cadet Yu), and CARDINAL RAE (BINGO LOVE, ROSE).

Why It’s Hot: This is an exciting, high profile launch from Image Comics. You may have heard rumblings about this comic when it was optioned by Rebel Wilson to star and produce the movie adaptation. Now we all get to find out ourselves what the buzz is about, and why Wilson was drawn to this story. With that level of buzz, and a creative team that doesn’t disappoint Crowded is arguably the biggest release of the week!

EXTERMINATION #1
Written by Ed Brisson
Art by Pepe Larraz (Pencils) & Marte Gracia (Colors)
Published by Marvel Comics – $4.99

Cyclops. Iceman. Angel. Beast. Marvel Girl. The original team of teen mutants brought together by Professor Charles Xavier many years ago have been shunted through time to find a world they barely recognize but were determined to help. Now, finding themselves targeted for death, the future of mutantkind lies squarely in the hands of its past. Writer Ed Brisson (OLD MAN LOGAN, CABLE) and artist Pepe Larraz (UNCANNY AVENGERS, AVENGERS: NO SURRENDER) answer the biggest question of all: can the fate of the X-Men be changed?

Why It’s Hot: The time displaced Original Five X-Men have reached the end of the line. This is it, as upcoming Uncanny X-Men writer Ed Brisson and the ever dependable big issue artist Pepe Larraz kick off the story that will decide the kids’ final fate. What hasn’t been said about this issue is that it features several big scenes where blood is spilled, and revelations made. The O5 are a controversial bunch, but even if you don’t like them this is a must read for X-Men fans everywhere! At the very least use this as another example of why Brisson was a great choice to join Rosenberg and Thompson on the return of the flagship X-Men book this November.

INFINITY WARS #2
Written by Gerry Duggan
Art by Mike Deodato Jr. (Pencils) & Frank Martin (Colors)
Published by Marvel Comics – $4.99

As the Infinity Stones come to Earth, so too comes the war for control over them. But none who wield the stones know the truth about the power they contain…or what it would take to bring them to their END. The nature of the universe itself hangs in the balance as we learn the answer to the question on everyone’s lips since “Infinity Wars Prime”: WHO IS REQUIEM? Gerry Duggan (DEADPOOL, INFINITY COUNTDOWN) and Mike Deodato Jr. (ORIGINAL SIN, OLD MAN LOGAN) look into the Infinite and bring the truth to light!

Why It’s Hot: It’s the combined forces of the Infinity Watch taking on newly unmasked Requiem with the fate of the Infinity Stones on the line, and when the dust settles what role will Loki have to play in all of this? Not only will there be action, but payoff to a long running story thread, as the event that way too many people are sleeping on gets kicked up yet another notch.

JUSTICE LEAGUE #6
Written by Scott Snyder
Art by Jorge Jimenez (Pencils) & Alejandro Sanchez (Colors)
Published by DC Comics – $3.99

Did you read the write-up on issue #5? Do you really think anything’s gotten better for the Justice League in the past two weeks? Still Force? Still a thing! Ultraviolet Galaxy Lantern? Keeps attacking! Sinestro? Total garbage! Lex Luthor and Joker? Beating everyone to the Source Wall piece. If that happens? You don’t wanna know.

Why It’s Hot: There will be an open spot for Justice League here on the Hot Five(ish) as long as Scott Snyder and company keep delivering the epic, bombastic, awesome, large scale storytelling that this comic has quickly become known for. This is THE prime example of a team comic series at its absolute best. If you aren’t reading this it’s not too late to jump on board and find out why I keep raving about this comic every other week.

MULTIPLE MAN #3
Written by Matthew Rosenberg
Art by Andy MacDonald (Pencils) & Tamra Bonvillain (Colors)
Published by Marvel Comics – $3.99

THE WAR FOR THE FUTURE IS NOW!

BECAUSE WE’RE IN THE FUTURE!

Jamie Madrox – the X-Man you tell people is your favorite to seem cool – is trapped and his allies are dropping like flies! With the enemy closing in, Jamie has time to make one last desperate move… But he’ll need Forge’s help to evade a familiar new villain that threatens the future, the present and the past of the Marvel Universe!

Why It’s Hot: This comic book is just straight up bananas, and I mean that in the absolute best way. I don’t think there has ever been an in continuity superhero comic quite like this one, and definitely not one featuring Madrox. This series has taken the interesting power set of Jamie’s and turned them up to eleven. The end result is a refreshing new take that serves as yet another example of Rosenberg’s love for these characters, and why he was a perfect choice to be one of the three writers entrusted with the future of Marvel’s mutants in relaunching Uncanny X-Men come November.

PEARL #1
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by Michael Gaydos
Published by DC Comics – $3.99

From the Peabody Award-winning creators of Jessica Jones comes a brand-new creation. PEARL is the story of an exceptional tattoo artist and accidental assassin for one of the modern-day San Francisco Yakuza.

She was born into one life, but another is calling to her. When Pearl accidentally meets one of her peers, her doppelgänger from another clan, she starts to dream of a better life. But Pearl has a very special ability that keeps pulling her back into the violent world she is desperate to escape.

PEARL is a major series launch from writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Michael Gaydos that features their first brand-new original character since Jessica Jones. Fans of the Jessica Jones comic and TV show will be thrilled and delighted by this bold new direction the creative team has taken.

Why It’s Hot: Bendis’ Jinxworld imprint makes its way over to DC Comics with a brand new series featuring a brand new character with art from frequent Bendis collaborator, the great Michael Gaydos. These guys have quite the track record having created one of the most popular new characters of the 21st century in Jessica Jones. With all of that said, the bar is set extremely high for this series, and there’s only one way to find out if they can leap high enough to clear the lofty expectations.

ALSO AVAILABLE THIS WEEK:

* Analog #5
* Archie Meets Batman ’66 #2
* Astonishing X-Men Annual #1
* Batgirl #25
* Cable & Deadpool Annual #1
* Edge Of Spider-Geddon #1
* Flavor #4
* Gideon Falls #6
* Harley Quinn #48
* Ice Cream Man #6
* The Magic Order #3
* NINJA-K #10
* Star Wars: Beckett #1
* TMNT: Beebop & Rocksteady Hit The Road #3
* Thor #4
* Tony Stark: Iron Man #3
* Vagrant Queen #3
* Volition #1
* The Weatherman #3
* The Wicked + The Divine #38

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