I was really struck by the cover art of the books this week when I was compiling the banner image (above!) for this list of Top Comics to Buy for January 21. It feels striking across the board, yet still varied. In particular, Assorted Crisis Events #8 has a nice retro comics cover that does a great job conveying the meta interests of the story within. But more on that below.
As always, you can find my five favorite books of the week here, along with the usual set of release lists … enjoy!
Top Comics to Buy for January 21, 2026
Assorted Crisis Events #8
Writer: Deniz Camp
Artist: Eric Zawadzki
Colorist: Jordie Bellaire
Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Publisher: Image Comics
LIFE IN THE GUTTER! A homeless comic book artist falls into the gutters — literally! Can Wally find his way back to life and reality, or is he lost in the blank white space between panels forever?
Why It’s Cool: When this anthology series hits, it really hits, as was the case with this week’s issue. In fact, I think this is my favorite issue of the book since Assorted Crisis Events #3, and the two comics could not be more different. This issue is a personal story of a comics creator whose troubled life impacted and influenced his work, and vis versa, and it makes use of comics gutters to drive home the feelings rising from its plot. Both the writing and the art are fantastic, as they need to be to realize the potential of the concept. Even if you’re not reading this book (which you should be), don’t miss this excellent standalone single issue.
Price: $4.99
The Beauty #3
Writers: Jeremy Haun and Jason A. Hurley
Artist: Emanuela Lupacchino
Colorist: Leonardo Paciarotti
Letterer: Andworld Design
Publisher: Ignition Press
Agent Crayton can’t outrun his past, not as long as The Abernathy knows what he did and holds him in their grip. Is the price they are attempting to extract from him too high, or can he live with the harm helping them will do to the people around him?
Why It’s Cool: The Beauty has been great since it’s return, powered by a great new story arc along with the art of Emanuela Lupacchino, colored by Leonardo Paciarotti. With a new TV show starting this month, there has likely never been so many eyes on this comic, and the creative team is delivering a great book.
Price: $4.99
Exquisite Corpses #9
Writers: Tyler Boss with James Tynion IV
Artist: Valentine De Landro with Michael Walsh
Colorist: Jordie Bellaire
Letterer: Becca Carey
The Groundskeeper’s job is to keep order in the playing field. Killers must be kept in bounds, and civilians under control. But the survivors of Oak Valley have no intention of making the Groundkeeper’s job easy…
Why It’s Cool: This is the tensest and (to my memory) most action-packed issue of Exquisite Corpses yet, which makes sense, because the battle tournament foundation of this book very much lends itself to a sprint to the finish. There’s some real heady stuff in this issue too about who trusts who in America these days, and why — I dug it.
Price: $4.99
Miss Truesdale and the Rise of Man #2
Writer: Mike Mignola
Artist: Jesse Lonergan
Letterer: Clem Robins
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Anum Yassa manages to evade defeat once, but only until another tries to intervene in her destiny.
Why It’s Cool: If you read my writing on The Beat, you might be aware that Jesse Lonergan is one of my favorite cartoonist in comics, whether he’s drawing his own books or collaborating with Mike Mignola (this is the second time out for that). So, any time we get a new single issue from him, it’s predisposed to land on this list. That said, this might be my favorite issue of Miss Truesdale yet, as it uses some neat visual tricks to show links between what’s happening in this story and the wider Hellboy Universe. It’s a nice treat for long-time readers of Mignola’s comics, for sure.
Price: $4.99
Powers 25 #5
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Michael Avon Oeming
Colorist: Nick Filardi
Letterer: Joshua Reed
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
With Detective Kutter tackling the interrogation of super-science super-genius Archie Gates, rookie Detective Moon teams up with veteran Powers all-star Deena Pilgrim to solve the case before it gets taken away from Powers by higher ups of the government. There is a cover-up. They can feel it. Now they have to prove it.
Why It’s Cool: Regular readers of this space will also know that this return arc of the classic superhero procedural, Powers, has really been working for me, and this week’s issue is no exception. Part of why it’s working is that the new detectives we’re following are up against a fantastic villain, and that’s really on full display in this issue, which was a no-brainer selection for this week’s list of comics to buy for January 21.
Price: $4.99
10 Other Comics I Enjoyed This Week
Briar – Night’s Terror #2- Death to Pachuco #4
- Love and Rockets #17
- Murder Podcast #4
- Nightwing #134
- Nights #17
- Superman Unlimited #9
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – Battle Nexus #3
- Terrorbytes #4
- Ultimate Black Panther #24
Briar – Night’s Terror #2New #1s and One-Shots
- Bloodland #1
- DC K.O. – Green Lantern Galactic Slam #1 (one-shot)
- Gatchaman Jinpei Henshin #1 (one-shot)
- Inglorious X-Force #1
- Psylocke Ninja #1
- Rogue #1
- Touched By a Demon #1
Bloodland #1Graphic Novels and Trade Collections
DON’T MISS: -Altamont HC -I Am Their Silence HC -The Pass HC -Plague House GN -The Thing – The King of Yancy Street TP
- A Mighty Marvel Team-Up Spider-Man Quantum Quest GN
- Altamont HC (review coming soon!)
- Batman: Gotham by Gaslight TP (DC Compact Comics Edition)
- The Beauty Book 1 TP
- Bytchcraft TP
- DC Finest – The Doom Patrol – The Death of the Doom Patrol TP
- Disney Masters Collectors Box Set 23 & 24 HC
- Dune House of Harkonnen Vol 2 TP
- Green Lantern by Robert Venditti Omnibus Vol 2 HC
- Hulk Modern Era Epic Collection Vol 7 Code Red TP
I Am Their Silence HC (read our full review!)- Incredible Hulk Vol 6 Monster Road TP
- Invisibles Compendium TP
- Kaya Book 5 TP
- Michael Recycle TP
- New History of the DC Universe HC
- Nightwing Vol 2 Death Traps HC/TP
- The Pass HC (read our full review!)
- Plague House GN
- Resurrection Man Quantum Karma TP
- Rick and Morty 10th Anniversary Omnibus Vol 2 HC
- Spider-Man & Wolverine Vol 1 The Janus Directory TP
- Star Trek – Shax’s Best (And Worst) Day TP
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – Best of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Collection Vol. 6 TP
- The Thing – The King of Yancy Street TP
- Ultimate X-Men Omnibus Vol 3 HC
- The Unchosen Vol. 1 The Tower TP
- Vanishing Point TP
- Vision and the Scarlet Witch Fear the Reaper TP
- Young Justice Omnibus Vol 2 HC
A Mighty Marvel Team-Up Spider-Man Quantum Quest GN
I Am Their Silence HC (
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – Best of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Collection Vol. 6 TPRead past editions of the Top Comics to Buy!
And check out the Beat’s most recent comics reviews!
