Welcome back to Conskipper’s New Comic Day Picks for the week of November 4, 2020!
The presidential election between Joe Biden and Donald Trump may be too close to call, but Conskipper had no trouble picking this week’s top five! This week is heavy on the “Big Two” but even among the Marvel and DC titles, there is a ton of variety for all ages to enjoy. Hopefully your trip to the comic shop is less contentious than the current national debate, so be sure to give all the new titles an equal chance!
–Avengers #38 (Marvel Comics): Jason Aaron and fan favorite artist Ed McGuinness (along with inker Mark Morales) continue their wild ride through the far reaches of the universe, bringing the Avengers into new territory each month. After last month’s wrap-up of the Moon Knight-lead
“Age of Khonshu”, this issue kicks off the next epic tale: “Enter the Phoenix”. The Avengers are ready to face another traditionally X-Men-related cosmic threat and if that’s not enough, the threat of Mephisto lingers on, with a glimpse at the Devil’s previous interactions and legacy with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. If you like big, bombastic story-telling and high octane artwork, The Avengers is the series for you.
-Thor #9 (Marvel Comics): Speaking of bombastic Avengers…Donny Cates and Nic Klein have also been bringing the golden-haired Avenger into different regions than he is used to over the last year or so, but this issue brings back a classic Thor character in the form of Thor’s original alter-ego, Doctor Donald Blake. The “Prey” story arc starts here and turns the searchlight on the man with the cane that used to become the God of Thunder. Old school fans have always asked questions about what ever became of Blake, and Cates and Klein are sure to have some unique answers at the start of this new tale.
-Young Justice #20 (DC Comics): unfortunately, Brian Michael Bendis, David F. Walker, and Scott Godlewski wrap up their fine series with this issue, which brings together all of the members for a Wonder Comics blowout! Not only are all of the usual suspects back for the last issue, but the titanic battle also stars the Wonder Twins, Dial H for Hero, and Naomi (and some other surprises). The only good thing about this being the last issue is that if you have missed any issues in the series up to now, it won’t be difficult to sit back and catch up on all 20 issues. This was a fun title that appealed to all ages and generations of fans, so let’s hope it is not the last we see of them (or this creative team).
–Wolverine: Black, White, and Red #1 (Marvel Comics): Anthology comics can be hit or miss, but when the title character is one of the most popular comic heroes ever created and the talent assembled is this good, you would be hard pressed to pass up on this title. This mature readers title is filled with stories from every era of Wolverine’s exsistence and also features many of his frequent friends and foes. The debut issue sees Gerry Duggan and Adam Kubert return to the Weapon X program, Matthew Rosenberg and Joshua Cassara detail a bloody spy mission with Nick Fury along for the ride and writer/artist Declan Shalvey places Logan in the middle of a deadly trap. The rest of the series also promises some excellent talent, but what a start!
-The Dreaming Waking Hours #4 (DC Comics-Black Label): If you love The Sandman and the work of Neil Gaiman, and you are not reading G. Willow Wilson and Nick Robles’ exploration of the Sandman Universe, you must be in a catatonic state. The Dreaming Waking Hours picks up story threads from Gaiman’s original landmark series and explores hidden corners of the Dreaming, to the great satisfcation of all who read it. In this issue, Ruin travels to Worlds’ End seeking help from the citizens of the Dreaming who set unleashed him, and he just happens to have been followed by Brute and Glob. The search for the “true” Shakespeare also continues, again incorporating the Bard into the Sandman mythos. This is a fanciful, well-written story and one of the best comic’s for a mature audience currently on the shelves.
That’s it for this week. We’ll see you again next week for more picks!