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.
BATMAN #33
Written by Tom King
Art by Jöelle Jones
Published by DC Comics – $2.99
“A DREAM OF ME” part 1! Following his marriage proposal to Catwoman, Batman leaves Gotham City on a quest of renewal and redemption. As he travels and fights, he encounters members of his family-each disturbed by Batman’s journey, each ready to stand in his way, each ready to push back against Batman’s stubborn determination to evolve into something better than a superhero.
Why It’s Hot: Tom King’s Batman always seems to find its way on to the Hot Five, and this week is no different. Following the game changing last page to last issue, the amazing Jöelle Jones joins the art team. Her work is as stunning as usual. Hopefully this stint on the world’s most popular superhero propels Jones to well deserved superstardom.
CABLE #150
Written by Ed Brisson
Art by Jon Malin
Published by Marvel Comics – $3.99
THE NEWER MUTANTS Part 1
The time-traveling mutant known as Cable has made it his one-man mission to preserve all of time itself. But when a disturbance in the timestream sends Cable back to the recent past, he’ll find a mutant killer he won’t be able to handle alone. Cable’s led teams of X-Men before and he’ll have to turn to some old allies and new friends to stop this deadly threat. Get ready for the newer New Mutants!
Why It’s Hot: There are a lot of great comics this week, and this pick is a bit of a personal one. When I started reading comics as an eight year old kid in 1995 Cable quickly became a favorite. Over the past two decades he continues to be one of my favorites. Now Ed Brisson is bring together some of my other all time favorite Marvel characters under the leadership of Cable? Blink, X-23, Doop? Yeah, I think Ed Brisson might have written this comic for me, and Jon Malin ‘s art is perfect for some 90s nostalgia. This has all the potential to be a lot of fun for X-fans everywhere!
KID LOBOTOMY #1
Written by Peter Milligan
Art by Tess Fowler
Published by IDW Publishing – $3.99
Kafka meets King Lear by way of Young Frankenstein in KID LOBOTOMY, a dark, demented, monthly satire that follows a dysfunctional family of hoteliers. Will sibling rivalry, seduction, and shapeshifting eventually lead to sanity or salvation?
Big Daddy is a rich hotelier who, in a cracked echo of King Lear, appoints his youngest descendant to manage The Suites, a peculiar hotel located behind the Black Crown Pub. Affectionately known as Kid, his good looks and swagger can’t hide a rough childhood of strange therapies and brain operations that have awakened inner demons and psychodramas. This of course makes him eminently qualified to perform lobotomies. A failed rockstar/successful madman gets one last change to prove his worth-and regain his sanity-by turning the hotel that was once his childhood sanctuary into a lucrative business, despite a host of obstacles-including his own sister-who would love nothing more than to see him fail miserably.
Kid Lobotomy is co-created/written by Peter Milligan (Shade, the Changing Man, Brittania, Hellblazer) and illustrated by Tess Fowler (Rat Queens) with “A” covers by Fowler, a “B” cover by Frank Quitely, and a retailer incentive cover by comics superstar Frank Quitely (Jupiter’s Legacy, We3)
Bullet points:
• Grab your cockroach! Black Crown debuts here!
• Special 23 pages of story in the first issue!
• Letter columns, creator interviews, process pages & more!
• Previews for upcoming Black Crown series!
Why It’s Hot: Shelly Bond’s Black Crown imprint is finally here! IDW gave the former Vertigo editor her own imprint to curate, and everything we’ve seen so far has made Black Crown one if the most anticipated comic projects in recent memory. Kicking things off for the new imprint is Kid Lobotomy from the great Peter Milligan, and fan favorite artist Tess Fowler. This comic is the closest thing resembling old school Vertigo on the stands right now, and that is a huge compliment. It is a weird comic featuring an extremely talented creative team handpicked by one of the best editors in the past quarter century of comics. IDW is starting something special this week, and you do not want to miss out.
THE MIGHTY THOR #700
Written by Jason Aaron
Art by Russell Dauterman, Walter Simonson, Olivier Coipel, Chris Burnham, James Harren
Published by Marvel Comics – $5.99
DEATH OF THE MIGHTY THOR Part 1
The final judgement comes as the Mangog arrives! The War Thor will meet the beast head on. But even the bloodthirst of this Ultimate Thor may pale in comparison to the might of the Mangog! The battle rages as Jane’s cancer takes a turn for the worse, and she might not have to wait for the final judgment at all. The clock is ticking, and no hammer can save her this time. It’s the beginning of the end that will lead to the most dramatic return in the Marvel Universe!
Why It’s Hot: Jason Aaron’s tales of The God Of Thunder’s adventures have resulted in one of the most consistent, and best comic book runs of the past few years. In many ways it’s all been leading up to this massive new story arc thats kicking off with a huge anniversary issue. Russell Dauterman continues to show why he’s arguably the best artist in comics today. He is joined on art duties by some new faces, and two of the best Thor artists ever. This should be real good.
RUGRATS #1
Written by Box Brown
Art by Lisa DuBois
Published by BOOM! Studios – $3.99
Hang on to your diapies, babies! We’re teaming up with Nickelodeon for all-new Rugrats adventures with the most intrepid toddlers to ever bust out of a playpen!
Tommy, Chucky, Phil and Lil have noticed something-they are being watched. Somehow their parents can see every little thing that they can do. They’re going to have to find a way to have fun while avoiding the electronic eyes of the babycam!
Why It’s Hot: BOOM! Studios continues it’s streak of awesome licensed comics. This time the all ages Kaboom imprint features the return of Rugrats, the beloved 1990s Nickelodeon cartoon. With the great Box Brown writing, and the perfectly suited Lisa DuBois on art, Tommy Pickles and friends are ready to take the comic book world by storm. Hey, NEW RUGRATS STORIES!!!
ALSO AVAILABLE THIS WEEK:
- Animosity Evolution #1: One of the best comics in Aftershock’s library gets a second ongoing series!
- Deadpool vs. Old Man Logan #1: Two of the biggest Marvel characters coming to blows would be enough to get excited about. Add Declan Shalvey writing, and Mike Henderson art to the mix? Yeah, things just got a lot more intriguing
- Descender #25: Lemire and Nguyen’s stellar creator owned series reaches its 25h issue milestone as the comic’s biggest arc yet reaches a conclusion!
- Generation Gone #4: You really should be reading this comic from Ales Kot and Andre Araujo. Of all the new Image launches in recent months this one just might be the best of the bunch.
- Incredible Hulk #709: RETURN TO PLANET HULK STARTS HERE!
- Superman #33: Superman, Lex Luthor, Superboy, and Lois Lane are all headed to Apokolips, or at least coming face to face with some of the worst the planet has to offer!
