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Top Comics to Buy for August 7, 2024: A set of strong new #1s

Featuring The Pedestrian, The Power Fantasy, Red Before Black, and more!

08/06/2024 11:00 am

The Top Comics to Buy for August 7 is one of those where the new #1 issues takeover, landing all but two of the top five slots. It’s easy to over-emphasize new beginnings on a recommendation list like this one, but that aside, this is still a very interesting bunch, ranging from a nuanced take on superheroics (The Power Fantasy) to a very different type of nuanced take on superheroics (The Pedestrian). You can find my picks below, along with the usual set of lists…enjoy!

Top Comics to Buy for August 7, 2024

Cruel Universe #1
Writers: Matt Kindt, Corinna Bechko, Chris Condon, and Ben H. Winters
Artists: Kano, Caitlin Yarsky, Jonathan Case, and Artyom Topilin
Colorists: Michael Atiyeh and Brittany Peer
Letterers: Richard Starkings and Tyler Smith
Publisher: Oni Press
Compelled to OBLIVION, driven to ENTROPY, all life in our cosmos can only end in one place: COMPLETE ANNIHILATION! For the first time in 70 years, the limitless fury of EC Comics rages back to life to shred the very fabric of the universe itself-and wrench bizarre tales of time and space into our dimensional plane!
Why It’s Cool: The second anthology comic as part of the EC revival, Cruel Universe has some really interesting creators working on it, ranging from writers like Matt Kindt and Corinna Bechko, to artists like Kano and Jonathan Case, whose styles all fit this sort of book very well.
Price: $4.99

The Pedestrian #1
Writer: Joey Esposito
Artist: Sean Von Gorman
Colorist: Josh Jensen
Letterer: Shawn Lee
Publisher: Magma Comix
Behold, The Pedestrian! A strange visitor speedwalks into Summer City and silently changes the lives of its residents. But not all is quiet in this sleepy, small town-an ancient conflict linked to the secret history of street signs is brewing! DON’T WALK… RUN! In The Pedestrian, justice always has the right of way!
Why It’s Cool: I mean, exhibit A — just look at that cover. It’s oddball, it’s fun, and it grabs attention. But once the cover grabs you, the book delivers on the exact sort of intriguing eccentricity it promises. This is a smart book with a keen sense of humor, and there’s nothing else out there quite like it. What a great start.
Price: $3.99

The Power Fantasy #1
Writer: Kieron Gillen
Artist: Caspar Wijngaard
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Publisher: Image Comics
You have certain preconceptions. They’re incorrect. Here, that word has a specific technical definition. Namely, “any individual with the destructive capacity of the nuclear arsenal of the USA.” There are six such people on Earth. The planet’s survival relies on them never coming into conflict. Come dance to the ticking of the doomsday clock with Kieron Gillen (The Wicked + the Divine, Die) and Caspar Wijngaard (Home Sick Pilots, All Against All). The eternal fight against fighting starts now.
Why It’s Cool: Come for the S-tier Caspar Wijngaard artwork, stay for the high-minded philosophical dissection of not only superheroes, but super power of any sort. I thought I knew what this comic was going to be, but it exceeded even my high expectations, pushing its concept even further than I thought possible. This is a must-read.
Price: $3.99

Red Before Black #1
Writer: Stephanie Phillips
Artist: Goran Sudzuka
Colorist: Ive Svorcina
Letterer: Tom Napolitano
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
On a special assignment from the FBI, disgraced army veteran Val is sent to Florida to hunt down an infamous drug runner named Leo. But she soon finds that they have an unexpected enemy in common, turning the game of cat and mouse into something else entirely!
Why It’s Cool: Goran Sudzuka (along with colorist Ive Svorcina) has been low-key making some of the best art in monthly comics for a good long while now, frequently teaming with all-time great Garth Ennis. Now, the Sudzuka-Svorcina team is working with Stephanie Phillips … and the results are just as fantastic. Don’t miss the start of what might be your new favorite gritty crime comic.
Price: $4.99

Space Ghost #4
Writer: David Pepose
Artist: Jonathan Lau
Colorist: Andrew Dalhouse
Letterer: Taylor Esposito
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
As Space Ghost and his young allies continue to dig into the evils of Robo-Corp, a new threat is emerging – one that may prove to be deadlier than all of the galaxy’s rogue companies and space pirates put together! Breaking free from their specially designed prison, Zorak and his army of fanatical Zorathian warriors are coming to take revenge on the Guardian of the Spaceways. And as if this wasn’t bad enough, our heroes must also face the might of Titanor!
Why It’s Cool: This David Pepose/Jonathan Lau Space Ghost run has been an unabashed smash hit, and now four issues in we get perhaps Space Ghost’s most iconic villain, at least for those of us familiar with the character from Space Ghost Coast 2 Coast. But the comic treats Zorak’s arrival with the gravity it deserves (think when Joker shows up in Batman), and the result is this run’s best single issue since the debut.
Price: $4.99