For variety’s sake, I always enjoy a week where the highlights include new #1s, mid-run comics, and finales, and that’s exactly what we get this week, leading to a very strong Top Comics to Buy for March 15. DC Comics continues a strong year — for my taste anyway — and two of my favorites — Greg Rucka and Mike Henderson — launch a new creator owned.
You can find the usual sets of recommendations below…enjoy!
Top Comics to Buy for March 15, 2023
Danger Street #4
Writer: Tom King
Artist: Jorge Fornes
Colorist: Dave Stewart
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Publisher: DC Comics
The hunt for the murderers continues as Lady Cop prepares herself to take down some superhero suspects. But as the case develops, a true killer, Manhunter, emerges as a faithful servant to the Green Team and their quest for power. Only the Creeper seems to be on to these “innocent” kids and starts to uncover a conspiracy. It all begins with a single question: Who are the Outsiders?
Why It’s Cool: The further this series goes, the more I like it. It’s just mashing up so many ludicrous and obscure superhero concepts into a really complex and interesting story. It’s juggling a huge cast and several different storylines, all while looking incredible doing it.
Price: $4.99
The Forged #1
Writers: Greg Rucka and Eric Trautmann
Artist: Mike Henderson
Colorist: Nolan Woodard
Letterer: Ariana Maher
Publisher: Image Comics
In the 11th Millennium of the rule of the Eternal Empress, a squad of planet-smashing super soldiers find their routine mission to be anything but. These are the Forged. They take no prisoners.
Why It’s Cool: The Forged #1 is, simply put, an over-sized burst of sci-fi action comics excellence. It’s tempting to compare it to other beloved sci-fi franchises — it has that sort of grandiosity — but I’ll resist, and just note that this first issue strikes basically the perfect balance between hard sci-fi and space opera action-heavy theatrics. It also feels like a bit of a departure for each of the accomplished creators involved here, which is fun to take in in its own right. I just can’t give this book a stronger recommendation — I absolutely loved it. The $6 price tag for 64 pages of comics plus backmatter also feels like a nice value.
Price: $5.99
Hellcat #1
Writer: Christopher Cantwell
Artist: Alex Lins
Colorist: K.J. Diaz
Letterer: Ariana Maher
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Leaping from the pages of CHRISTOPHER CANTWELL’S IRON MAN run, Hellcat is back! Patsy is back on the west coast, living in a demon house haunted by the ghost of her mother! When someone close to Patsy’s inner circle is murdered, Hellcat becomes the prime suspect! Now Patsy must prove her innocence and evade both the police and the supernatural Sleepwalkers. To add to the perils she faces, her demonic ex Daimon Hellstrom shows up and that’s never a good thing. A supernatural, superhero murder mystery!
Why It’s Cool: I absolutely loved the Iron Man run that this five-issue miniseries is spinning out of, so it’s been on top of my most-anticipated list for a while — and I’m happy to report this week that the first issue does not disappoint. It blends the supernatural so well with a murder mystery, doing so with a pitch-perfect pace and a fitting blend of grit with pulp from both the script and the visuals. Also, my love for the Iron Man run aside, I think this series can be picked up and enjoyed by any readers. This book gets my full recommendation. Just strap in and get ready, because this one seems bound to have some twists, presumably of the fearsome variety.
Price: $4.99
Spy Superb #3
Writer/Artist: Matt Kindt
Colorist: Sharlene Kindt
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Jay is the perfect spy. A spy so perfect he doesn’t even realize he is a spy and that he’s on a mission. But now he’s on the run, surrounded by dead agents, and with a beautiful woman who tells him everything-including that he’s unfortunately just a useful idiot.
Why It’s Cool: We have been loving this series since its debut, and the momentum has continued through all three over-sized issues, right up to this week’s excellent finale. The concept lends itself to laughs, espionage action sequences, and, perhaps best of all, emotional honesty about the creative process. It’s a really accessible and satisfying comic, one that seems likely to give rise to more Spy Superb series in the future.
Price: $7.99
Superman: Lost #1
Writer: Christopher Priest
Artist: Carlo Pagulayan
Inker: Jason Paz
Colorist: Jeromy Cox
Letterer: Willie Schubert
Publisher: DC Comics
SUPERMAN’S ODYSSEY OF SOLITUDE! After Superman is called away on a routine Justice League mission, Lois Lane awakens to find a complete stranger standing in her living room. The Man of Steel, home much sooner than expected, reveals he has, in fact, been lost in space for 20 years. Nothing and no one seem familiar to him anymore, and the timeless bond between them has been severed…or has it? Can love conquer all?
Why It’s Cool: This is really starting to feel like the year of Superman at DC Comics, with a great new Superman main title, as well as really interesting story ideas in Action Comics and The Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent #1. And now Superman is getting what feels like an out-of-continuity prestige series with this week’s Superman: Lost #1, an intriguing and very well-done debut for a 10-issue series. This one was a really easy pick for this week’s Top Comics to Buy for March 15.
Price: $4.99
Others Receiving Votes
All Against All #4- Art Brut #4
- Avengers Forever #15
- Behold Behemoth #2
- Billionaire Island: Cult of Dogs #5
- Captain America: Symbol of Truth #11
- Gold Goblin #5
- Harrower #2
- Monarch #2
- Nocterra #12
- Pandora #3
- Secret Invasion #5
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – The Armageddon Game #6
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – The Last Ronin – The Lost Years #2
- WildCATs #5
New #1s and One-Shots
- Ancient Enemies – The Djinni #1 (one-shot)
- Hellcat #1
- Lazarus Planet: Revenge of the Gods #1
- Multiversity: Harley Screws Up the DCU #1
- No One #1
- Star Trek: Defiant #1
- X-Cellent #1
Trade Collections and Graphic Novels
Adam Strange: Between Two Worlds Deluxe Edition HC- Bruce Wayne: Not Super TP
- Dark Ride Vol. 1 TP
- Deathstroke Inc. Vol. 2 – Year One HC
- Hidden Systems GN
- House on Fire TP
- Kill Lock – Artisan Wraith TP
- Lastman Vol. 2 TP
- Mimosa HC
- Ms. Davis HC
- Parker Girls Vol. 1 Dead Quiet TP
- Variants TP
- X-Men Red By Al Ewing Vol. 2 TP
Read past editions of the Top Comics to Buy!
