For this week’s Top Comics to Buy for December 11, I found myself sorting through no less than four (four!) Christmas and/or winter-themed horror anthology books, which made me wonder if a decent percentage of comics creators were spending their July or August deep in holiday head mode. But I digress. You can find my five favorite books for the week below, along with the usual set of release lists … enjoy!
Top Comics to Buy for December 11, 2024
Dread the Halls #1
Writers: Jordan Hart and Chris Ryall
Artists: Lee Ferguson, Jimmy Kucaj, Walter Pax, and Fabio Veras
Letterers and Colors: Jordan Hart
Publisher: Image Comics – Syzygy Publishing
The perfect holiday stocking stuffer-a collection of horror tales to read curled up by the light of the Yule log “Be of Good Fear!” Long before Americans celebrated horror on Halloween, the Victorians did it gathered around a fireplace on Christmas Eve. Dread theHalls honors this macabre tradition by wishing you and yours “Happy Holidays” with stories of ghosts, ghastly abominations, and vile creatures. Covers by red-hot artists Maria The Wolf, Marguerite Sauvage, wrapping-paper variant by Jordan Hart, and a holiday homage cover by Lee Ferguson, will allow you to spread the dread this season in horrifically festive style!
Why It’s Cool: Of the holiday-themed anthologies that hit this week, this one was my favorite. There’s just a palpable sense of madcap joy to it. I mean, just look at the cover by Maria Wolf. Yes, there’s a big scary monster, but more hilariously is the gingerbread man (and his facial expression) caught in the monster’s clutches, and I found that sort of cheeky, unabashed seasonal hijinx ran through this entire book. The stories were all penned by Chris Ryall and Jordan Hart, which gave the one-shot a nice coherence as it bounced between artists, characters and concepts. Overall, I had a blast, and highly recommend this one.
Price: $5.99
FML #2
Writer: Kelly Sue DeConnick
Artist: David López
Colorist: Cris Peter
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
As Portland smolders, an airplane door falls from the sky, flinging Riley’s Mom into a trauma-induced reverie. This leads to a bizarre encounter with physicist Richard Feynman and ends with a gathering of middle-aged riot grrrls united to solve the murder that haunts them all. Meanwhile, the school conducts a dystopian shooter drill and Riley’s monstrous form shields his peers, casting a ludicrous light on modern horror.
Why It’s Cool: Happy to report that after an absolutely stellar first issue, this book gets even better with issue #2. FML in this second issue feels like a wonderfully personal story told with charming art and perfectly-timed flourishes of the fantastic. I can’t wait for more.
Price: $4.99
In Bloom #1
Writer: Michael W. Conrad
Artist: John J. Pearson
Art Assists: Lola Bonato
Letters: Pat Brosseau
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
In this revolutionary new world, Agent Spears finds herself investigating a series of mysterious murders, a chain of violence that leads her to a terrifying question on which the fate of every living being rests.
Why It’s Cool: I think I’ve had the first issue of every recent comic John J. Pearson has drawn on this list. Pearson’s work just has such an excellent sense of storytelling to it. And in this new book, it’s deployed with an excellent script by Michael W. Conrad and a fantastic high concept. It’s the global floral body horror murder mystery that you won’t want to miss.
Price: $4.99
Ultimate Universe – One Year In #1
Writer: Deniz Camp, with back-up by Chris Condon
Artist: Jonas Scharf, with back-up by Alessandro Cappuccio
Colorist: Mattia Iacono, with back-up by Bryan Valenza
Letterer: Travis Lanham
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Deniz Camp flips the narrative on ULTIMATES and takes us inside the Maker’s Council! The heroes of the Ultimate Universe aren’t the only ones who have been preparing for the return of the Maker, and the clock is ticking down…This unique one-shot sets the stage for the second year of the Ultimate line and includes the debut of the Ultimate versions of two major Marvel characters!
Why It’s Cool: This comic is a really entertaining way to remind readers about what’s happening in the new Ultimate Universe. It’s a fun stand-alone story with a twist (which I won’t spoil here), but within that, it’s also a great catch-up issue. I have found one of the strengths of these books to be how tight and streamlined they are, and an issue like this isn’t possible without that. I really enjoyed it, both as an individual comic and as part of a wider set of books that are really working well.
Price: $5.99
Warm Fusion #1
Writer: Scott Hoffman
Artist: Alberto Ponticelli
Colorist: Lee Loughridge
Letterer: Steve Wands
Publisher: DSTLRY
New York City, over two decades into the future, has been devastated by crime, ongoing storms, radiation from a terrorist incident in Times Square and the genetic mutations caused by a life-saving “cure.” After a series of murders rip through the city’s brothels, an escort named Vin Young, who cosplays as Snow White- and is one of the generation of deformed victims – decides to help find the killer, or killers, responsible, reluctantly joining forces with Jarrod Hannover, the lone cop assigned to the case.
Why It’s Cool: I absolutely love Alberto Ponticelli’s work, and any new Ponticelli book is a must-read for me. I found this one to be engrossing, stylish, and a bit technosleazy in really interesting ways. Also, between this and the above pick, I think it’s clear that I am nothing if not a sucker for body horror murder mysteries.
Price: $8.99
Other Books I Enjoyed
Action Comics #1079- Incredible Hulk #20
- Kaya #23
- Minor Arcana #4
- Space Ghost #8
- Toxic Avenger #3
- Transformers #15
- Ultimate X-Men #10
New #1s and One-Shots
Alien Paradiso #1- Assassin’s Apprentice III #1
- Batman: Dark Patterns #1
- City Beneath Her Feet #1
- Creepshow Holiday Special 2024 #1 (one-shot)
- Doll Parts – A Lovesick Tale #1
- From the World of Minor Threats – The Brood #1
- Gotham City Sirens Uncovered #1 (one-shot)
- Holiday Special – Through the Boughs – A Yuletide Offering #1 (one-shot)
- Infinity Watch #1
- Laura Kinney – Wolverine #1
- Parliament of Rooks #1
- PetPool PoolParty #1 (one-shot)
- Rick and Morty Presents – Maximum Coda #1 (one-shot)
- Shiver Suspenstories #1 (one-shot)
- Superwoman Special #1 (one-shot)
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – Best of Mondo Gecko #1 (one-shot)
- Ultimate Universe – One Year In #1 (one-shot)
- Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #1
Graphic Novels and Trade Collections
3D Anomaly TP- DC Finest – Events: Zero Hour Part 1 TP
- DC Finest – Legion of Super-Heroes: Zap Goes the Legion TP
- Death and Return of Superman 30th Anniversary Collection TP
- Disney Comics Around the World – In One Hundred Years Deluxe Edition HC
- Gatchaman Vol. 1 TP
- Golgotha Motor Mountain TP
- Harvey Kurtzman’s Marley’s Ghost GN
- Killadelphia Vol. 6 TP
- The One Hand and Six Fingers TP
- Space Circus HC
- Star Trek – Defiant: Vol. 3 Hell Is Only a Word HC
- Suicide Squad Dream Team TP
Read past editions of the Top Comics to Buy!
