If there’s a pattern in this week’s top comics to buy for February 5 — and, really, within recent releases more generally — it seems to be coating our horrors in bright, almost jovial imagery and tones. This was perhaps most notably done with a pair of horror comics from last year, those being Dwellings and Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees. But it’s a trend that has continued into 2025, with last week’s debut issue of The Seasons. Books that do it to varying degrees this week are The Sacrificers, Batman, and Snotgirl.
I don’t think it’s super hard to understand this. Each book is different, of course, and each creator (or creators) surely have complex, individual reasons for using the colors and aesthetics they do. But I think you can draw a metaphor between what’s happening in the world, and the way so many of us spend our time: trading goofy memes, watching streaming TV, or scrolling endless reels of people doing inherently silly things for attention. Many of us are, to some extent, spending our time lost in frivolity as threats to stability seem to gain more power. What else can we do?
Anyway! Just a thought…as always, you can find the usual set of comics recommendations and release lists below…enjoy!
Top Comics to Buy for February 5
Batman: Off-World #6
Writer: Jason Aaron
Pencils: Doug Mahnke
Inks: Jamie Mendoza, w/Doug Mehnke
Colors: David Baron
Letters: Troy Peteri
Publisher: DC Comics
Batman is ready to return to Gotham City to apply all that he’s learned from his unbelievable adventure in the farthest reaches of the cosmos–but unfortunately, the Blakksun Twins still have one last lesson for him…a lesson in exploring the final frontiers of pain! It’s the brutal, surprising finale to Jason Aaron and Doug Mahnke’s Batman epic!
Why It’s Cool: On the surface, I don’t like the idea of Batman going to space. But this comic is so well-drawn and well-told, that I enjoyed it quite a bit anyway. And this finale is suitably epic, delivering a satsifying conclusion that makes great use of the series themes. Plus, Batman beats up aliens.
Price: $3.99
Poison Ivy #30
Writer: G. Willow Wilson
Artist: Marcio Takara
Colorist: Arif Prianto
Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Publisher: DC Comics
Grievously injured after her encounter with the Order of the Green Knight’s master, Poison Ivy finds herself wandering a strange liminal zone inhabited by The Grey. Meanwhile, Janet, on a search for answers about the mysterious town of Marshview, finds herself lost amongst The Green. As the two friends attempt to find their way home to each other, they’re confronted by strange forces beyond either of their reckoning. Across their journeys, the question begins to shift from can they return to each other to who will they each be by the time they find one another again.
Why It’s Cool: One thing I like is when a long run that’s done great work building rich character dynamics and a narrative with actual ideas decides to mix things up and play with form a bit. Now, that moment is upon us with the Poison Ivy flip book issue. And it’s very well-done. This run is just so reliably-good.
Price: $3.99
The Sacrificers #14
Writer: Rick Remender
Artist: Max Fiumara
Colorist: Dave McCaig
Letterer: Rus Wooton
Publisher: Image Comics – Giant Generator
When making a choice of who to trust in a life-or-death situation, do you choose what you’ve seen with your own eyes or what you feel in your heart?
Why It’s Cool: If you read my intro, this is one of the books I’m talking about that dresses its horrors in bright colors and imagery — to great effect. The Sacrificers has been one of the most visually-interesting monthly comics we have since it launched, and this issue still stands out from all that came before it. It’s not quite self-contained, but there is a sort of universality to the cheery darkness of this single issue.
Price: $3.99
Snotgirl #18
Writer: Bryan Lee O’Malley
Artist: Leslie Hung
Colorist: Rachel Cohen
Letterer: Iasmin Omar Ata
Publisher: Image Comics
It’s the sequel to “Weekend,” a plotline we definitely remember! This time, Lottie and Caroline take a weekend trip to a remote inn & spa, with chaos sure to follow. Meanwhile, back in LA, Sunny’s ongoing investigation of Virgil leads to a team-up no one asked for.
Why It’s Cool: This is the best issue yet of the newly-revived Snotgirl (Snotgirl – The Return?), and it’s one of the best issues of the book period. This issue is just packed with interesting plot developments, playful storytelling devices, fun secrets about almost every character, and a great mystery. I chuckled more than a few times.
Price: $3.99
The Ultimates #9
Writer: Deniz Camp
Artist: Juan Frigeri
Colorist: Federico Blee
Letterer: Travis Lanham
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Juan Frigeri joins Deniz Camp to bring us the history and the future of Luke Cage! Spider-Man isn’t the only success story of Ultimates 1.0…meet the man who has been quietly sabotaging the Maker’s Council from behind bars!
Why It’s Cool: There’s a lot to love about this series, but lately it’s been doing a great job showing us what familiar characters are up to in this Maker-controlled, new Ultimate world. Last month we got Guardians of the Galaxy, and now it’s Luke Cage. Great stuff.
Price: $4.99
Others I Enjoyed
- Absolute Superman #4
- Batgirl #4
- Batman #157
- Cruel Kingdom #2
- Grim #21
- Kaya #25
- Two-Face #3
- When I Lay My Vengeance Upon Thee #2
New #1s and One-Shots
- Archie’s Valentine’s Spectacular #1 (one-shot)
- Bronze Faces #1
- Frankenstein – New World: The Sea of Forever #1
- Gatchaman – Only One Earth #1
- Power Man – Timeless #1
- Savage Tales – Winter 2025 Special #1 (one-shot)
- Star Wars – Legacy of Vader #1
Graphic Novels and Trade Collections
Absolute Power HC- Absolute Power Origins TP
- Absolute Power Task Force VII TP
- Batman ’89 TP
- Batman and Robin by Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason Book 2 TP
- Black Panther – A Nation Under Our Feet TP (Marvel Premier Collection)
- Black Panther by Ta-Nehisi Coates The Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda TP
- Blake Laser Vol. 1 TP
- Daredevil Born Again TP (Marvel Premier Collection)
- Daredevil Mayor Fisk TP
- Dark Web Omnibus HC
- DC Finest – Teen Titans: The Judas Contract TP
- Department of Truth Vol. 5 TP
- Detective Stanley and the Mystery at the Museum TP
- Flash by Mark Waid Omnibus Vol. 2 HC
- Geiger Vol. 2 TP
- Give Me Liberty – A Revised History of the American Revolution TP
- Godzilla vs Mighty Morphin Power Rangers II TP
I Shall Never Fall in Love TP- Jim Henson’s Labyrinth Original Motion Picture Adaptation HC
- Marvel Age Treasury Edition TP
- Other Side of Tomorrow TP
- Prince Valiant Vol 29 1993-1994 HC
- Public Domain Vol. 2 Build Something New TP
- Raised by Ghosts TP
- Retirement Party GN
- Rick and Morty – Maximum Trip TP
- Ronin Island Complete Collection TP
- Secret Wars by Jonathan Hickman Omnibus HC
- Snips Vol. 1 – A Bad Buzz Day HC
- Snowcat Prince HC
- Thief of the Heights TP
- The Ultimates by Deniz Camp Vol 1 Fix the World TP
- Vampire Cousins GN
- What’s the Furthest Place From Here Vol. 4 TP
Read past editions of the Top Comics to Buy!
And check out the Beat’s most recent comics reviews!
