This week’s picks for the top comics to buy for February 12 are illustrative of something that happens in the direct market from time to time. If you’ll notice, in my recommendations section, I’ve picked The Hive #1 as a favorite…and then further down in the new #1s section, we also have Bug Wars #1. One week, two creator-owned comics titles that have something to do with bugs. And all this just a few weeks after Kill Train #1 and Blood Train #1 hit on the same day.
To be clear, all of these books are very different once you start reading them…but there must have been something in the air when they were being titled and marketed that landed the folks involved on similar pages. It’s not the first time (or two), and won’t be the last. Just kind of funny when things line up that way. But that’s not all that came out this week, obviously, and as such, I’ve got my full set of recommendations and release lists below…enjoy!
Top Comics to Buy for February 12, 2025
Absolute Batman #5
Writer: Scott Snyder
Artist: Nick Dragotta
Colorist: Frank Martin
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Publisher: DC Comics
With his friends lives at stake, will a broken, beaten, and ultimately defeated Bruce Wayne finally compromise and give up both himself and his morals to Black Mask? Or does he have something even BIGGER than himself to help? And what does this have to do with Mayor James Gordon and his relationship with a young Bruce Wayne?
Why It’s Cool: In this penultimate issue of Absolute Batman’s first arc, artist Nick Dragotta (colored by Frank Martin) continues to deliver stunning page after stunning page after stunning page. This is one of the best-looking and most-kinetic superhero comic books in years, and I’m enjoying the hell out of it.
Price: $4.99
Batman: Dark Patterns #3
Writer: Dan Watters
Artist: Hayden Sherman
Colorist: Triona Farrell
Letterer: Frank Cvetkovic
Publisher: DC Comics
We Are Wounded–Part III Batman is in the dark now, amid the accumulated devastation and suffering at the root of Wound Man’s grotesque reign of terror. Can the Dark Knight bring it all to an end before the twisted killer claims another life? Don’t miss the end of We Are Wounded!
Why It’s Cool: And now for a different kind of Batman that is no less visually-stunning — Batman: Dark Patterns #3, featuring moody and disturbing artwork by Hayden Sherman (their first of two titles I recommend this week) colored by Triona Farrell. If Absolute Batman is a strong punch to the face kind of comic, this one is a slow-stunner, a drip of disturbing dark-night-of-soul detective storytelling. But the thing that unites them (Batman aside) is they are both must-reads.
Price: $4.99
Death of Copra #2
Cartoonist: Michel Fiffe
Publisher: Image Comics
Things are falling apart, secrets are being revealed, and rivalries are at a boiling point. How’s COPRA coping with all of it? Sneaking demigod junkies out of rehab, one-night stands from hell, and a trail of broken bones. In other words: magnificently. Stiff and split upper lips all around!
Why It’s Cool: If you’re going to kill/end your long-running black-ops superhero comic series, you’re going to do with revelations that shake the characters to their cores — and that’s what we get in this issue. Moreover, Copra just continues to feel like such a well-crafted, singular vision in a comics landscape crowded with similar books. I love it.
Price: $3.99
The Hive #1
Writer: A.J. Lieberman
Artist: Mike Henderson
Colorist/Letterer: Inaki Azpiazu
Publisher: Image Comics
Sex. Violence. And Bees. Welcome to The Hive.
Why It’s Cool: Welp. When a book tells you what it’s about, you’d do well to listen. And that’s certainly the case with this one and the preview copy (see above). Sex. Violence. And Bees. That’s what’s for sale here, but it’s also all drawn by one of my favorite comics artist, Mike Henderson (colored here by Inaki Azpiazu), who brings such great tone-setting visuals to everything he works on, from Nailbiter to The Forged to Cable: Love and Chrome (the second issue of which is out this week). I don’t really know what’s going on in this book just yet, but it’s evocative of the sort of late ’90s Golden Era Vertigo Comics that made you feel like you were reading something you shouldn’t be when you were a teenager. Pick this one up if you are so inclined.
Price: $3.99
Into the Unbeing Part 2 #1
Writer: Zac Thompson
Artist: Hayden Sherman
Letterer: Jim Campbell
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Their expedition team thought they were walking into a cave for cover from a storm, but really they were entering something far beyond their understanding. As they go deeper, more horrors are uncovered, revealing the truth: they are far from the first scientists to be lost within the massive body.
Why It’s Cool: While this book does have a #1 on its title, it’s really the first issue of a second story arc — and it’s also this series’ best issue yet. In this issue, this book (which has been a visual stunner from the start) transcends some of its obvious inspirations to become something stranger, darker, and more intriguing. I was already hooked on this series, but after this week’s chapter, now I can’t wait to see how it ends.
Price: $3.99
Other Books I Enjoyed
Aquaman #2- Cable: Love and Chrome #2
- Lucky Devils #2
- The Moon Is Following Us #5
- Star Trek: Lower Decks #4
- Those Not Afraid #2
- Transformers #17
- Where Monsters Lie: Cull-De-Sac #4
New #1s and One-Shots
Bug Wars #1- CamGirl #1 (one-shot)
- Creepshow In Love #1 (one-shot)
- Cyberpunk 2077: Psycho Squad #1
- Dick Tracy – Valentine’s Day Special #1 (one-shot)
- Eddie Brock – Carnage #1
- Green Lantern Corps #1
- Lenore, The Time War #1
- Marvel Mutts #1 (one-shot)
- Midst Ripples #1 (one-shot)
- Mine Is a Long Lonesome Grave #1
- One World Under Doom #1
- Powerpuff Girls: Valentine’s Mwah Mwah Kissy Face Special #1 (one-shot)
- Star Wars: The Bad Batch – Ghost Agents #1
Graphic Novels and Trade Collections
- Acme Novelty Datebook Vol. 3 HC
- Amazing Spider-Man Omnibus Vol. 6 HC
- Batman and Robin Vol. 2 Growing Pains TP
- Beyond the Pale TP
- Born in the USA – The Story of Immigration and Belonging HC
- The Boy Wonder HC
- Bring Me the Head of Susan Lomond GN
- Chickenpox TP
- Critical Role Vol. 2 – Chronicles of Exandria – The Mighty Nein HC
- Curse Pirate Girl Malodious Mutiny TP
- Daredevil by Saladin Ahmed Vol. 3 – Living Hell TP
- DC Finest: Doom Patrol – The World’s Strangest Heroes TP
Den Vol. 5 – Prince of Memories HC (review coming soon!)- Dog Trouble HC
- Far Sector – The Deluxe Edition HC
- Forever Evil Omnibus HC
- I Hate Fairyland Deluxe Edition Book 3 HC
- Kill or Be Killed Compendium TP
- Lawful Vol. 1 TP
- Leap TP
- Mighty Morphin Power Rangers – The Eltarian War TP
- Mixed-Up TP
- Monster Locker Vol. 1 TP
- My Vampire Vs. Your Werewolf TP
- The Power Fantasy Vol. 1 – The Superpowers (review!)
- The Punisher Kills The Marvel Universe TP
- Secrets of a Lost Diary TP
- Self Help Vol. 1 TP
- Shadowplay Vol. 1 – Midnight School GN
- Silverlake TP
- Simulation Theory TP
- Song of a Blackbird TP
- Superman – Action Comics Vol. 3 – Revenge of the Demon TP
- Tooth TP
- True Weird TP
- Visitations TP
Read past editions of the Top Comics to Buy!
And check out the Beat’s most recent comics reviews! And if you want to look ahead even further, our Wednesday Comics Review column now has a new section for advanced reviews, called FOC Watch: check it out here!
