This week’s Top Comics to Buy for August 9 features not one but two books that make interesting use of history with Barnstormers #2 and The Enfield Gang Massacre #1. And they’re both absolutely great comics. On top of that, the fantasy excellence that is Kaya continues this week, as does the fantastic current run of the main Superman title. It is, in other words, a great week to be reading monthly comics. You can find our usual set of recommendations and lists below…enjoy!
Top Comics to Buy for August 9, 2023
Barnstormers #2
Writer: Scott Snyder
Artist: Tula Lotay
Colorist: Dee Cunniffe
Letterer: Richard Starkings
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics – Best Jackett Press
A high-flying, WWI adventure story that’s an intimate portrait of love and war-and a meditation on the dangerous level of trust required in both romance and aviation. As Zeke and the Pinkertons continue their hunt for the runaway bride and her assumed captor, the two discuss their future… and their past…
Why It’s Cool: Fresh off a win at the Eisner’s for Best Digital Comic, Barnstormers delivers its second double-sized print issue this week, and it’s just as strong and immersive as the first. This is a really special comic, where all the elements are very well done.
Price: $4.99
The Enfield Gang Massacre #1
Writer: Chris Condon
Artist: Jacob Phillips
Color Assists: Pip Martin
Publisher: Image Comics
The THAT TEXAS BLOOD duo returns to Ambrose County, Texas with an all-new MINISERIES set 150 years in the past! Gunslinging action meets dark frontier drama in this original Western thriller, as Montgomery Enfield and his gang of outlaws find themselves in the crosshairs of an aging Texas Ranger and a newborn county that’s hungry for law.
Why It’s Cool: Just like Barnstormers before it, The Enfield Gang Massacre is set in the past. Specifically, it’s set in the past of fictional Ambrose County, Texas, home to one of our favorite comics around here, That Texas Blood. And this historical spinoff of that book is just as strong. Truly, this first issue is a doozy you don’t want to miss.
Price: $3.99
Kaya #10
Writer/Artist: Wes Craig
Colorist: Jason Wordie
Letterer: Tom Napolitano
Publisher: Image Comics
Lost in a dark and dangerous realm, Jin makes a deal to escape. But what has he promised in the bargain-and to whom? Meanwhile, Kaya continues her search for Jin with an unexpected ally while her friends fight off a Mutant ambush, and not all of them will survive! “Kaya in the Poison Lands” approaches its epic conclusion.
Why It’s Cool: Kaya is an utter treat of a fantasy comic, visually interesting and totally immersive. And it just keeps getting better. This week we get the penultimate issue of this story arc, and everything is developing well, from the character development to the action headed our way. Don’t miss this comic, an easy choice for our top comics to buy for August 9 list.
Price: $3.99
Swan Songs #2
Writer: W. Maxwell Prince
Artist: Caspar Wijngaard
Letterer: Good Old Neon
Publisher: Image Comics
“THE END OF A MARRIAGE” W. MAXWELL PRINCE’s exploration of things ending continues as another all-star artist joins the party: CASPAR WIJNGAARD of HOMESICK PILOTS! Here, two former lovers find themselves-per a stipulation of their divorce settlement-locked in eternal mortal combat! Watch the rise and fall of their doomed love…and the bloody, multi-genre aftermath!
Why It’s Cool: This exploration of endings — penned by W. Maxwell Prince and illustrated by a series of artists — has quickly established itself as a must-read comic. This week’s issue is a really intense look at relationship drama, played out through different comics genres that are used as metaphors for the way lovers quarrel. What eleveates it even further is the incredible artwork of Caspar Wijngaard.
Price: $3.99
Superman Annual 2023 #1
Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artists: Mahmud Asrar, Edwin Galmon, Caitlin Yarsky, Max Raynor, and Jack Herbert
Colorists: Dave McCaig, Edwin Galmon, and Alex Giumaraes
Letterer: Ariana Maher
Publisher: DC Comics
METROPOLIS’S SECRETS ARE REVEALED! Lois Lane is now editor-in-chief of the Daily Planet, but at heart she’ll always be an investigative reporter. And lately Metropolis has had a whole new set of secrets she must uncover. Even if it means investigating her own husband…Superman! Featuring Livewire, Parasite, and Mercy, this special issue is your next big puzzle piece leading to a massive Superman crossover in 2024! Don’t miss out!
Why It’s Cool: This Superman run started with one of the best new superhero #1s in recent memory, and it hasn’t lost any momentum. This annual is another great issue, one that advances the many interesting storylines that have made this run so compelling. If you love Superman, you really ought to be reading these comics. This is just a very satisfying book that emphasizes so many of the reasons Superman is such a lasting and beloved character.
Price: $5.99
Others Receiving Votes
- Captain Marvel – Dark Tempest #2
- Con & On #2
- Damn Them All #7
- Danger Street #8
- Ghostlore #4
- Haunt You To The End #3
- Knight Terrors #3
- Knight Terrors – The Flash #2
- Knight Terrors – Green Lantern #2
- Knight Terrors – SHAZAM! #2
- Knight Terrors – Zatanna #2
- Murder Inc. – Jagger Rose #4
- Weird Work #2
- World’s Finest – Teen Titans #2
- You’ve Been Cancelled #3
New #1s and One-Shots
- Children of the Vault #1
- Ghost Rider/Wolverine – Weapons of Vengeance Alpha #1 (one-shot)
- Killer Queens II #1
- The Madness #1
- Mech Cadets #1
- My Little Pony – Best of Pinkie Pie #1 (one-shot)
- Spider-Man Vol. 4 Annual #1
- Star Wars – Return of the Jedi – Max Rebo #1 (one-shot)
- Vampirella/Dracula – Rage #1
Trade Collections and Graphic Novels
- Avengers – War Across Time TP
- Batman Vol. 3 – Ghost Stories TP
- Damn Them All, Vol. 1 TP
- Lazarus Planet HC
- Oblivion Song By Kirkman & De Felici Compendium TP
- Shaolin Cowboy – Cruel to Be Kin HC
- Wynd Book 3 – The Throne in the Sky TP
- Vixen NYC Vol. 1 TP
Read past editions of the Top Comics to Buy!
