HOT FIVE: Week of March 16, 2016

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 books, this list is your guaranteed gold in the comic market!

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A+A: THE ADVENTURES OF ARCHER & ARMSTRONG #1
Written by Rafer Roberts
Art by David LaFuente
Published by Valiant Entertainment – $3.99

GET SMASHED…OR BE SMASHED! Valiant’s (somewhat) dynamic duo are going “IN THE BAG” for AN ALL-NEW ONGOING SERIES from rising star Rafer Roberts and comic book superstar David Lafuente!

Meet Armstrong: Since the ancient city of Ur, this immortal adventurer has spent the last 7,000 years drinking and carousing his way through history alongside some of the greatest merrymakers the world has ever known.

Meet Archer: A sheltered teenage martial arts master and expert marksman that was raised for a single purpose – to kill the devil incarnate. Little did he know that this undying evil was actually Armstrong (he’s actually a pretty good guy…once you get to know him) and, since hitting the road together, the two have become great friends and even better partners.

Now: Archer is about to set off on his most dangerous mission yet – a quest into the mystic reaches of Armstrong’s bottomless satchel to liberate his friend and comrade from the clutches of the mad god Bacchus! (Okay, so, Armstrong went into the satchel himself to get a bottle of whiskey that he kinda misplaced and got stuck. It’s like the Amazon warehouse of arcane treasures in there…and he doesn’t exactly have a maid service.)

Imprisoned in Armstrong’s satchel for centuries, Bacchus now commands a legion of monsters, goblins and golems bent on escaping back into the world of man and enacting revenge on their captor… Can Archer single-handedly combat the godly embodiment of intoxication himself – and rescue his best buddy – without
becoming lost amongst Armstrong’s endless repository of bizarre artifacts and historical oddities in the process?

Why It’s Hot: They’re back! Valiant’s fan favorite duo return for a brand new series. The last series was hands down one of the best comics Valiant (old or new) has ever put out, and the new creative team looks to continue the trend. You can expect a healthy mix of action, humor, and absolute craziness. If you haven’t had a chance to read any of A&A’s previous adventures, this is a perfect time to jump on board!

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EXTRAORDINARY X-MEN #8
Written by Jeff Lemire
Art by Humberto Ramos
Published by Marvel Comics – $4.99

“APOCALYPSE WARS” STARTS NOW!
Mutantkind is an endangered species once more. But what better way to ensure your people see the future…than to skip ahead right to it? As the mutant race’s last hope is jettisoned into the time stream, the Extraordinary X-Men make a startling discovery: the fate of their kind is about to fall into the hands of one of their most formidable adversaries – the immortal APOCALYPSE. Now, the X-Men race into a perilous future, desperate to reclaim what was taken from them…and completely unaware of the horrors that await them.

Why It’s Hot: After a lot of discussion over the past few years it’s clear that the X-Men are in Marvel’s good graces. Not only has the quality of the X-line been top notch lately, but for the first time in a long time (maybe ever?) the mutants are getting an event that is themed to resemble a Fox movie. Apocalypse Wars features three different stories, in three different titles. The fun kicks off in the flagship title, as Humberto Ramos returns to Extraordinary X-Men.

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INTERNATIONAL IRON MAN #1
Written by Brian Bendis
Art by Alex Maleev
Published by Marvel Comics – $3.99

Who is Tony Stark, really? Since learning that he was adopted as a baby, this question has cast a shadow over Stark’s life. Now, it is time to uncover what his legacy truly is, a journey that will carry Tony into new directions as a man and as a super hero. Alongside his strange new quasi-ally Doctor Doom, Iron Man will discover new things about the Marvel Universe he didn’t know existed before! A character deconstruction from Bendis and Maleev along the lines of their award-winning DAREDEVIL run!

Why It’s Hot: Bendis + Maleev + arguably the most popular Marvel character in the world = HOT. Did I mention one of this generation’s best creative teams being reunited? You know those guys that had that Daredevil run that was pretty good?

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LEGENDS OF TOMORROW #1
Written by Various
Art by Various
Published by DC Comics – $7.99

It’s four powerhouse tales in one colossal comic, as some of comics’ most legendary talents launch new tales of Firestorm, Metamorpho, Metal Men and Sugar and Spike-that’s right, Sugar and Spike!

FIRESTORM
Written by GERRY CONWAY
Art by EDUARDO PANSICA and ROB HUNTER
Firestorm is back! To save Jason Rausch, Firestorm will need to retrieve Danton Black’s stolen research from Professor Stein’s lab. But if Jason can’t fuse with Ronnie by the Firestorm Protocol…who can?

METAL MEN
Written by LEN WEIN
Art by YILDIRAY CINAR and TREVOR SCOTT
Doctor Will Magnus’ Metal Men may be the next step in robotics technology, but when the mysterious cyber-terrorist known only as Nameless comes after them, they may have met their match!

METAMORPHO
Written by AARON LOPRESTI
Art by AARON LOPRESTI with MATT BANNING
Metamorpho-a prisoner of millionaire industrialist Simon Stagg! Now, the only person who can save him is Stagg’s beautiful daughter, Sapphire!? But can they defeat Stagg’s prehistoric bodyguard, Java?

SUGAR & SPIKE
Written by KEITH GIFFEN
Art by BILQUIS EVELY
The last time we saw Sugar and Spike, they were still in diapers! Now, they’re grown up, and they’ve become private investigators who specialize in cleaning up embarrassing problems for the DCU’s greatest heroes. Sugar & Spike’s first assignment: retrieve a cache of Batman’s retired costumes that have been stolen by Killer Moth!

Why It’s Hot: This might not be for everyone, but $7.99 for four stories featuring classic characters, and beloved creators is pretty cool. Not to mention that we haven’t seen a lot of these characters in awhile. That makes this series something that a certain section of readers are looking forward to.

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SPIDER-WOMAN #5
Written by Dennis Hopeless
Art by Javier Rodriguez
Published by Marvel Comics – $3.99

JESSICA DREW’S BABY IS HERE!
•  Now that’s she’s back on Earth, Jess learns that she’s still got a lot of work to do when it comes to being a full-time super hero AND a full-time mom!
•  Get your first real glimpse at Jess’ new life and all the people in it right here!
•  THE NEXT CHAPTER OF JESSICA DREW’S STORY BEGINS WITH THIS CAN’T-MISS ISSUE!

Why It’s Hot: Hopeless, Rodriguez, and company have made Spider-Woman one of the absolute best comic books being published by Marvel. The first arc ended with a life altering event for Jessica, as she became a mother! She also beat the crap out of some skrulls, and it was all beautifully brought to life by one of the best artists in the business today, Javier Rodriguez. Motherhood, a new arc, and I’m sure some more kick ass adventures lie ahead.

OTHER TITLES AVAILABLE THIS WEEK:  Black Canary #9, Huck #5, Jonesy #2, Power Man & Iron Fist #2, Superman: American Alien #5

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