Welcome to Comicosity’s Hot Five. Hot Five 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 k books, this list is your guaranteed gold in the comic market.
CHAMPIONS #1
Written by Mark Waid
Art by Humberto Ramos
Published by Marvel Comics – $4.99
Following the fallout of CIVIL WAR II, Avengers Ms. Marvel, Nova and Spider-Man strike out on their own – joined by Cyclops, Viv Vision and the Totally Awesome Hulk! Six young heroes determined to change the world – and they’re only the beginning!
Why It’s Hot: The flagship book of Marvel NOW! is here, and the young heroes of the Marvel Universe are fed up and decided to strike out on their own. The new Marvel Trinity of Sam, Miles, and Kamala are joined by Amadeus Cho a.k.a. The Totally Awesome Hulk, the time displaced Cyclops, and The Vision’s daughter Viv (making her first appearance outside of her dad’s phenomenal solo series). Champions has potential to be awesome, and Marvel is counting on it big time, as it’s expected to be the top selling issue of the month.
DEATH OF X #1
Written by Jeff Lemire & Charles Soule
Art by Aaron Kuder
Published by Marvel Comics – $4.99
• What happened eight months ago that set the Inhumans and X-Men on a collision course? Find out here!
• The Inhumans travel to Japan where one of the Terrigen Clouds creates a shocking new Inhuman.
• The X-Men travel to Muir Island where the second Terrigen Cloud causes something truly terrible.
• When these two events collide, a war of catastrophic proportions explodes!
Rated T+
Why It’s Hot: One of the biggest questions looming over the Marvel Universe following the 8 month time jump is what the hell happened to Scott Summers. It’s about time we find out, and look at the star studded, STACKED creative team bringing us the answers. Not to mention it’s Aaron Kuder’s Marvel debut, and that will be a treat for the eyes.
JESSICA JONES #1
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by Michael Gaydos
Published by Marvel Comics – $3.99
She is back after a decade! A lot has changed in the Marvel Universe and there are still many secrets hiding in the shadows. Secrets only a special woman like Jessica Jones can hope to uncover. Discover the haunting secrets from Jessica’s past in this blistering new series. Alias Investigations is open for business.
PARENTAL ADVISORY
Why It’s Hot: Without Bendis and Gaydos there would literally be no Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage wouldn’t be the same character that he is today. The creative team of the groundbreaking Alias are back together to tell new stories featuring one of the best characters created in the past fifteen years. Can they capture lightning in a bottle twice? I sure hope so.
MIDNIGHTER & APOLLO #1
Written by Steve Orlando
Art by Fernando Blanco
Published by DC Comics – $2.99
You wanted it? You got it-six more issues of Midnighter madness! Together again after too long apart, Midnighter and Apollo take on subway pirates in Los Angeles and demons in Opal City…but their reunion is about to take a shocking turn and send them both on an epic journey beyond all belief!
Why It’s Hot: It has been well established that we were big fans of Midnighter here at Comicosity. Our editor Matt has sung its praises on every corner, and to anyone that would listen. With good reason too, as the book was one of the best being published at DC. Up and coming star Steve Orlando has brought the character back after a short break, and to the delight of most Apollo is along for the ride. One of the more iconic and groundbreaking couples in comics are back together and ready to kick all sorts of ass. This is going to be fun.
MOONSHINE #1
Written by Brian Azzarello
Art by Eduardo Risso
Published by Image Comics – $2.99
Set during Prohibition, and deep in the backwoods of Appalachia, MOONSHINE #1 tells the story of Lou Pirlo, a city-slick “torpedo” sent from New York City to negotiate a deal with the best moonshiner in West Virginia, one Hiram Holt. What Lou doesn’t figure on is that Holt is just as cunning and ruthless as any NYC crime boss. Because not only will Holt do anything to protect his illicit booze operation, he’ll stop at nothing to protect a much darker family secret…a bloody, supernatural secret that must never see the light of day… or better still, the light of the full moon.
MOONSHINE #1 marks the first time AZZARELLO and RISSO have worked together for Image Comics and reunites the Eisner Award winning creative team that defined modern crime comics with 100 Bullets… and now puts a horror-twist on a classic gangster tale. Issue #1 features a variant cover by legendary comics creator, Frank Miller!
Why It’s Hot: Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso produced an all time classic in 100 Bullets. Widely considered to be one of the best comics of the 00s, and the creative team was considered one of the best in the business during that series’ 100 issue run. Moonshine isn’t their first reunion, but it’s exciting when a creative team of this caliber gets back together to work their magic.
SHADE THE CHANGING GIRL #1
Written by Cecil Castelucci
Art by Marley Zarcone
Published by DC Comics – $2.99
There’s no such thing as a little bit of madness.
Far away on the planet Meta, Loma’s going nowhere fast. She’s dropped out of school, dumped her boyfriend, and is bored out of her mind. She longs to feel things. That’s where her idol, the lunatic poet Rac Shade, and his infamous madness coat come it. Loma steals the garment and makes a break across galaxies to take up residence in a new body: Earth girl Megan Boyer. Surely everything will be better on this passionate primitive planet with a dash of madness on her side and this human girl’s easy life. Only now that she’s here, Loma discovers being a teenaged Earth girl comes with its own challenges and Earth may not be everything she thought it’d be. Megan Boyer was a bully whom everyone was glad was almost dead, and now Loma has to survive High School and navigate the consequences of the life she didn’t live with the ever-growing and uncontrollable madness at her side. Not to mention that there are people back on her homeworld who might just want Shade’s coat back.
Written by Cecil Castellucci (THE PLAIN JANES, Moving Target: A Princess Leia Adventure), drawn by Marley Zarcone (EFFIGY) and overseen by Gerard Way, SHADE, THE CHANGING GIRL starts a whole new chapter in the story of one of comics’ most unique series.
Why It’s Hot: The first issue of Doom Patrol established the Young Animal imprint as being one of the most unique concepts in all of comics. Now Shade The Changing Girl looks to solidify that distinction. By the looks of it this book is trippy. beautiful, and a worthy addition to the Shade mythos. It would be madness for you to miss out on this series.
ALSO AVAILABLE THIS WEEK: All New Wolverine #13, Cage #1, Deadman #1, Paper Girls #10, Superman #8
