The Top Comics to Buy for October 2 features some really great books — you’re already buying Battle Action #1, right? — but overall, it’s a week dominated by DC Comics, which is wrapping up its big summer event and launching an ambitious new publishing line all on the same Wednesday. As such, I’ve got DC picks all over my recommendations, which, as always, you can find below, along with the usual lists … enjoy!
Top Comics to Buy for October 2, 2024
Absolute Power #4
Writer: Mark Waid
Artist: Dan Mora
Colorist: Alejandro Sanchez
Letterer: Ariana Maher
Publisher: DC Comics
As the last remaining resistance fighters fight tooth and nail on the bloody island of Gamorra, Batman and Superman find themselves at bitter odds! Amanda Waller has come too far to give up now–it’s time to call in the reinforcements…from beyond the multiversal veil?! The fate of our heroes–and the future of the DC Universe–will forever be changed in this shocking grand finale to the Absolute Power saga as, from the ashes, justice is reborn…
Why It’s Cool: This issue marks the end of DC Comics big summer event. With these stories, you know from the start the heroes will ultimately win, but the question is what will the status quo look like when they do? And man, it feels like this event has done some really interesting things with the DC Universe status quo, but I won’t spoil any of that here! We’ll have a full roundtable chat about this one up in the DC Round-Up space tomorrow.
Price: $4.99
Battle Action #1
Writers: Garth Ennis and Brian K. Vaughan
Artists: Keith Burns and Chris Burnham
Colorists: Jason Wordie and Len O’Grady
Letterer: Rob Steen
Publisher: Rebellion
Garth Ennis and Keith Burns reunite for a 10-issue maxi-series which tells the final story of Johnny Red, aerial ace! Johnny Redburn’s battle against the German Luftwaffe continues into the final year of the Second World War – but Johnny’s long war has taken a toll on him, and his bravery now edges towards recklessness. Will he make through the last months of the war? Then! In a guest feature, writer Brian K. Vaughan makes his Battle Action debut, joined by artist Chris Burnham for a shocking post-apocalyptic fable! In a hostile future London where Kids Rule, a young American boy runs for his life from a mob of xenophobic British Punks – but he has a secret weapon they aren’t expecting…
Why It’s Cool: The new 10-issue Battle Action maxi-series launches this year, and it is a very star-studded affair. There’s two stories in this book, the first of which is by Garth Ennis with artwork by Keith Burns. The second is by Brian K. Vaughan with art by Chris Burnham, marking the former’s first work-for-hire comics in a good long while. Simply put, you do not want to miss this comic. Check back to the Wednesday Comics column for a full review of the issue.
Price: $7.99
DC All In Special #1
Writers: Joshua Williamson and Scott Snyder
Artists: Daniel Sampere and Wes Craig
Colorists: Alejandro Sanchez and Mike Spicer
Letterer: Steve Wands
Center Spread: Dan Mora and Tamra Bonvillain
Publisher: DC Comics
Following the events of DC’s blockbuster storyline Absolute Power, the heroes of the core DC Universe have fought against the deep divisions in the world around them to usher in a new era of unity. And it’s just in time, too–because Darkseid has returned. Superman must gather every hero on Earth to hold the line against a very different version of the Lord of Apokolips, as they raise our cosmic defenses and prepare for war…and when the first blows land, the shock waves will ripple into every series in the DCU and shake the nature of their reality to its core! But little do they know…the greater threat is still to come. For there is another Earth: the Absolute Universe. Here, DC’s biggest icons are coming of age with fewer advantages and facing greater opposition than ever before…while miraculously retaining the immutable heroism that has inspired fans for decades. But can they really protect the light that shines inside them when the world in which they live is hurtling toward a terrible destiny?
Why It’s Cool: This is one of those massive DC one-shots that tells a story and sets up a linewide publishing revamp. And it does both very well. This comic is a good read on its own merits, but even moreso if you’ve just finished Absolute Power and/or plan to read any of the new DC Absolute books. Plus, the art rules.
Price: $4.99
Get Fury #6
Writer: Garth Ennis
Artist: Jacen Burrows
Colorist: Nolan Woodard
Letterer: Rob Steen
Publisher: Marvel Comics – MAX
You thought things were looking bleak and rough last issue. You were right, but things get worse for our “heroes.”
Why It’s Cool: This is the finale for what has been an excellent and brutal war comic, and as one might expect from writer Garth Ennis, it turns our notions of heroism over, asking us who the real heroes are in this story. It’s blood and brutal and awful, and another fantastic addition to Ennis long list of classic war comics AND Punisher stories.
Price: $3.99
Plastic Man No More #2
Writer: Christopher Cantwell
Artist: Alex Lins, with Jacob Edgar
Colorist: Marcelo Maiolo
Letterer: Becca Carey
Publisher: DC Comics – Black Label
The Justice League won’t listen to him, his wife and kid want nothing to do with him…but Plastic Man doesn’t need a single one of them to pull off his grand plan to cheat death. And it all starts with, uh…kidnapping the Metal Men. It’s for a good cause! He swears!
Why It’s Cool: I really loved this series’ first issue, and I enjoyed the second issue just as much. This is such a well-done superhero character study. Also, as you can see from the cover, it brings the Metal Men into the narrative, a great choice. I don’t know how much more plainly I can say it — don’t miss this comic.
Price: $4.99
Other New Comics I Enjoyed
Batman #153- Birds of Prey #14
- Cruel Universe #3
- Cult of the Lamb #4
- The Deviant #8
- Poison Ivy #26
- SHAZAM! #16
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Nightwatcher #2
- Ultimate Black Panther #9
New #1s and One-Shots
- Barbarella #1
- Creeping Below #1
- DC Horror Presents Creature Commandos #1
- DC’s I Know What You Did Last Crisis #1 (one-shot)
- Ghost Rider: Robbie Reyes Special #1 (one-shot)
- Godzilla Rivals: Mechagodzilla vs. King Ghidorah #1 (one-shot)
- Hyde Street #1
- Skin Police #1
- Star Wars: Battle of Jakku – Insurgency Rising #1
- Storm #1
Graphic Novels and Trade Collections
Aliens – What If TP- American Vampire Vol. 1 TP (DC Compact Comics Edition)
- Animal Man by Grant Morrison and Chaz Truog Compendium TP
- Blacking Out HC
- Catwoman: Trail of the Catwoman TP (DC Compact Comics Edition)
- Cormac McCarthy’s – The Road: A Graphic Novel Adaptation HC
- Department of Truth: The Complete Conspiracy Wild Fictions HC
- Drafted HC
- Fantasy Sports Vol. 3 – Green King TP
- The Filth (2024 Edition)
- Godzilla – The Marvel Years Omnibus HC
- Hellboy and the BPRD 1952 – 1954 TP
- Lonesome Hunters Library Edition Vol. 1 TP
- Lore Olympus Vol. 7 HC
- Midnight Mass TP
- MrBallen Presents – Strange Dark & Mysterious – The Graphic Stories HC
- Satan’s Swarm TP
- Scrapbook of Life and Death GN
- Speed Force TP
- The Midnight Shadows TP
- This Land Is Our Land: A Blue Beetle Story TP
- Ultimate Black Panther by Bryan Hill Vol. 1 – Peace and War TP
Read past editions of the Top Comics to Buy!
