This was a huge week for new monthly comics releases, which presented some challenges in narrowing down the list of Top Comics to Buy for December 7. I went back and forth on a number of books, with incredibly worthy titles like Gargoyles #1 and The Blue Flame #10 being especially painful to cut (although, be sure to check tomorrow’s Wednesday Comics column for more about those titles…). Today, though, I’ve got the usual list of top highlights, others receiving votes, new #1s, and more below…enjoy!
Top Comics to Buy for December 7, 2022
Do A Powerbomb! #7
Writer/Artist: Daniel Warren Johnson
Colorist: Mike Spicer
Letterer: Rus Wooton
Publisher: Image Comics
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, INTRODUCING THE FINAL ISSUE OF THIS SERIES!!! Lona Steelrose and Cobrasun must face the ultimate challenge on their path to resurrecting Lona’s mother! Will they be successful?
Why It’s Cool: This series has just been fantastic since its start, blending elements of a traditional wrestling comic with touches of sci-fi while putting a tragic and compelling story at its heart. The finale is a great example of how to stick the landing with a monthly book. Just a great comic all around, and a no-brainer addition to the comics to buy for December 7.
Price: $3.99
Fantastic Four #2
Writer: Ryan North
Artist: Iban Coello
Colorist: Jesus Aburtov
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Reed and Sue are on the run from – well, a lot of things, actually! Things are not going great for the Fantastic Four. But they find themselves in even more trouble when they stop in a small town with a terrible secret! That terrible secret is revealed literally on the second page of this issue, and Reed and Sue spend the rest of the issue trying to survive it, but stop reading here if you don’t want it spoiled… Yep, it’s Reed and Sue versus a town full of killer Doombots.
Why It’s Cool: I heaped praise upon this creative team’s Fantastic Four #1 last month, for it being a relatively contained and timeless (heh) Fantastic Four story that really doubled down on all the things that have long made the franchise great. That issue was focused on Ben Grim. Well, this month we get a story that has all those same strengths, but now the focus is on Reed and Sue. The end results, though, are just as excellent.
Price: $3.99
Gotham City: Year One #3
Writer: Tom King
Pencils: Phil Hester
Inks: Eric Gapstur
Colors: Jordie Bellaire
Letters: Clayton Cowles
Publisher: DC Comics
Slam Bradley has been one step behind the kidnappers the entire time…can he turn the tables in time to save the infant heiress to the Wayne fortune? Is this hardened private investigator prepared to deal with a dark, deadly twist that will define Gotham City for generations to come?
Why It’s Cool: I’ve long enjoyed the noir touches that writer Tom King has put into his superhero comics. Now, in this book it feels like he’s gone from touches to all-in on noir, and the result is fantastic. Pair that with the artwork of Phil Hester, Eric Gapstur, and Jordie Bellaire, and what results is one of my favorite DC Comics right now. Now at the halfway mark, this book just continues to sink its hooks into me as the mystery and the characters deepen.
Price: $4.99
The Ones #2
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Jacob Edgar
Colorist: K.J. Diaz
Letterer: Joshua Reed
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics – Jinxworld
The Ones have been gathered just like the prophecy foretold, but they didn’t stop the apocalypse from happening, even a little. Oh my god, all that happened in issue one of these oversized issues of this brand-new supergroup!? So what now? Good question! And for the cost of a measly cover price this brand-new creator-owned extravaganza will not only show you who is behind the apocalypse, but how the prophecies of the whole entire reality came to be! Find out why the ones are the ones to stop the one. All this with page after page of blisteringly awesome Jacob Edgar comics art.
Why It’s Cool: This might be the funniest comic I’ve read all year. It’s relentlessly clever in both concept and execution, and it’s the type of near-parody superhero book that only a veteran of superhero books like Brian Michael Bendis could write. Plus, artist Jacob Edgar is finally getting a star turn that (in my opinion) has been long due. Just great stuff all around in The Ones.
Price: $3.99
The Variants #5
Writer: Gail Simone
Artist: Phil Noto
Letterer: Cory Petit
Publisher: Marvel Comics
In this heart-stopping conclusion, Jessica discovers who is actually BEHIND the appearance of the VARIANTS who have been ruining her life…but it may be too late to stop them from destroying the Multiverse!
Why It’s Cool: With The Variants #5, we get another series that week that absolutely sticks the landing after an entertaining run. I’ve written this before, but for whatever reason, Jessica Jones is a character that works super well with multiverse hijinks, especially when those hijinks look as great as they do with Phil Noto’s artwork. Another thing I appreciated about this series is that Jones is a relatively young Marvel Universe character, and it’s nice to see her get new character-defining stories that are as well-done as this one.
Price: $3.99
Others Receiving Votes
- Avengers #63
- Batman and The Joker: The Deadly Duo #2
- Batman #130
- Behold Behemoth #2
- The Blue Flame #10
- Castle Full of Blackbirds #3
- Daredevil #6
- Hellboy in Love #2
- Night of the Ghoul #3
- Poison Ivy #7
- Punisher #8
- Secret Invasion #2
- Sword of Azrael #5
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #135
- That Texas Blood #20
New #1s and One-Shots
- All Against All #1
- Archie Christmas Spectacular #1
- Dahlia in the Dark #1
- Dark Crisis: War Zone #1
- Dark Web #1 (one-shot)
- Family Time #1
- Frank Miller’s Pandora #1
- Gargoyles #1
- Hexware #1
- It’s Only Teenage Wasteland #1
- Know Your Station #1
- Miles Morales: Spider-Man, Vol. 2 #1
- Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, Vol. 2 #1
- Nocterra: Val Special #1 (one-shot)
- Radiant Pink #1
- Rick and Morty vs. Cthulu #1
- Thanos: Death Notes #1 (one-shot)
- Transformers: Best of Windblade #1 (one-shot)
- X-Treme X-Men, Vol. 3 #1
Trade Collections and Graphic Novels
- Absolute Multiversity HC
- Black Panther by Christopher Priest Omnibus HC
- Gwar, In the Duoverse of Absurdity TP
- Immortal Hulk, Vol. 5 HC
- Inferno TP
- The Invisible Frontier GN
- Lazarus Vol. 7 Fracture
- Monstress Book 2 HC
- Punisher, Vol. 1 The King of Killers Book One TP
- Radiant Red, Vol. 1 Crime and Punishment TP
- Rogue’s Gallery, Vol. 1 TP
Read past editions of the Top Comics to Buy!