Each week, CBR has your guide to navigating Wednesday's new and recent comic releases, specials, collected editions and reissues, and we're committed to helping you choose those that are worth your hard-earned cash. It's a little slice of CBR we like to call Major Issues.
If you feel so inclined, you can buy our recommendations directly on comiXology with the links provided. We'll even supply links to the books we're not so hot on, just in case you don't want to take our word for it. Don't forget to let us know what you think of the books this week in the comments! And as always, SPOILERS AHEAD!
Over the years, Batman has spent plenty of time outside of Gotham City as a globe-trotting hero. However, there's still something a little novel about seeing the Dark Knight really dig into a case abroad, as he does in Tom Taylor, Andy Kubert, Brad Anderson and Clem Robins' Batman: The Detective #1.
This non-canon miniseries sees Batman travel to investigate a plane crash where all of the victims are people he once saved. This intriguing first issue sets up that smart central mystery well and brings back the charming fan-favorite duo of Knight and Squire. Kubert and Anderson's work is typically strong, with strong panel design, dynamic action and a fun redesign that brings out the monster lurking underneath a classic DC villain.
Even though Al Ewing, Juan Frigeri, Federico Blee and Cory Petit's Guardians of the Galaxy #13 isn't a #1 issue, it feels like the definitive start of a new era for Marvel's cosmic heroes. Now the officially sanctioned defenders of the universe, the Guardians count over a dozen members among their ranks, including characters like Quasar, who haven't had a spotlight in years.
The script and art are both strong enough to manage this massive cast well, largely by splitting the group into two teams with two concurrent missions. Where one team uncovers a conspiracy that seems set to be a major threat, the other stars in some stand-out action sequences that culminate in a compelling last page reveal.
Batman was never Gotham City's only detective, and The Joker #2 shows how smart Gotham's how ex-Commissioner Gordon was better at keeping up with the Dark Knight than anyone realized. As the Joker rests in paradise, James Tynion IV, Guillem March, Arif Prianto and Tom Napolitano's story sees Gordon make a surprising revelation about a Bat-Family secret. The fallout from that stats-quo-changing event dominates the rest of the issue, giving the story a human heart as some well-designed new villains gather on the story's periphery.
This issue also includes a Punchline back-up by Tynion, Sam Johns, Mirka Andolfo, Romulo Fajardo Jr and Ariana Maher that focuses that sees Harper Row and the Queen of Spades get ready for their respective battles with the Joker's new sidekick in an upcoming battle.
IDW Publishing's Locke & Key and DC's The Sandman are two of the most beloved, imaginative worlds in mainstream comics, and those worlds collide in Joe Hill, Gabriel Rodriguez, Jay Fotos and Shawn Lee's Locke & Key/The Sandman Universe: Hell & Gone #1. Thanks to the similar ethereal tones of both worlds, sublime detailed art and Hill's deft script, the two franchises fit together perfectly well, almost as though they were always meant to be.
Still, this is primarily a Locke & Key story, which sees Mary Locke open up doors into the world of the Dreaming as she searches for her late brother. While a base familiarity with both series is enough to make this book comprehendible, it's packed with artistic Easter eggs and narrative nods for the eagle-eyed fans of both worlds.
With Spider-Man: Spider's Shadow #1, Chip Zdarsky, Pasqual Ferry, Matt Hollingsworth and Joe Caramagna usher in a new era for Marvel's iconic What If…? franchise focused on miniseries instead of one-off issues. Although this approach limits the overall number of alternate reality stories that can be told, it gives creators the chance to tell deeper, richer stories, like this deep dive into a world where Spider-Man never gave up his Venom symbiote costume.
This dark, horror-tinged story is the kind of haunting, cautionary tale that produced some of What If's finest moments. While the bulk of the issue compellingly sets up its premise with strong character voices and appropriately moody art, the final pages of the comic realize the bloody potential of an uncontrollable Spider-Man with a tragic ending.
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