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Each week, CBR has your guide to navigating Wednesday’s new and recent comic releases, specials, collected editions and reissues, and we’re committed to helping you choose those that are worth your hard-earned cash. It’s a little slice of CBR we like to call Major Issues.
If you feel so inclined, you can buy our recommendations directly on comiXology with the links provided. We’ll even supply links to the books we’re not so hot on, just in case you don’t want to take our word for it. Don’t forget to let us know what you think of the books this week in the comments! And as always, SPOILERS AHEAD!
AVENGERS FORVER #1 (MARVEL)
COMIXOLOGY
After Marvel introduced the Multiversal Masters of Evil earlier this month in Avengers #50, Avengers Forever #1 chronicles their wrath as Ghost Rider, Deathlok and the Ant-Man of a dead world confront those alternate reality villains. This debut issue sees Jason Aaron, Aaron Kuder, Cam Smith, Jason Keith, Triona Farrell and Cory Petit dive into the most devastated corners of the multiverse with the macabre glee that permeates through Marvel’s darkest What If…? tales.
This issue is almost entirely dedicated to chronicling the devastation the Masters left in their wake through the weary, neurotic eyes of Earth-818’s Ant-Man and the fiery rebellion of Robbie Reyes’ Spirit of Vengeance. While those Ghost Rider fight scenes are especially impressive and a last-page reveal ties this into Aaron’s Thor run, this issue only scratches the surface on the potential multiversal heights of this promising series.
NIGHTWING #87 (DC)
COMIXOLOGY
Over the past several months, Bruno Redondo’s sleek art and Adriano Lucas’ colors have been one of Nightwing’s strongest selling points, and they both take center stage in the ambitious and delightful Nightwing #87. This issue — by Tom Taylor, Redondo, Lucas and Wes Abbott — is structured as one continuous image of Dick Grayson fighting hitmen and trying to save his dog against the Bludhaven cityscape.
As a feat of narrative engineering, Nightwing #87 is a marvel. While the full image can be assembled in full without multiple copies of the comic, it’s still a joy to behold. In addition to offering the most painstakingly detailed take on Nightwing’s adopted city ever put to page, this ingenious comic delivers a granular look at Nightwing in action with the same infectious optimism that’s defined this series.
CATWOMAN: LONELY CITY #2 (DC)
COMIXOLOGY
In Catwoman: Lonely City #2, Cliff Chiang continues his masterful DC Black Label miniseries about an aged Selina Kyle trying to pull off a few final missions in Gotham City’s future. With Batman long dead, this issue sees Catwoman reconnect with his surviving rogues’ gallery and her remaining allies in a smart, evocative story that gives some of Gotham’s most famous faces surprising second acts.
With this issue, Chiang continues to deliver some of the best work of his career in one of the sharpest-looking DC books out there. Every page is packed with elegant details and has a sleek style that makes this a must-read for any fan of Catwoman, Batman or any of Gotham City’s other caped crusaders.
X-MEN: THE TRIAL OF MAGNETO #5 (MARVEL)
COMIXOLOGY
Before most of Marvel’s X-Men titles relaunch next year, X-Men: The Trial of Magneto #5, brings several long-gestating X-Men plot points to an understated but satisfying end. In this issue, Leah Williams, Lucas Werneck, Edgar Delgado and Clayton Cowles end the story of the Scarlet Witch’s death and resurrection with a surprising twist that could have massive implications for the X-Men’s wider world.
Although Magneto almost feels like an afterthought here, the comic ably covers a lot of ground well. Werneck and Delgado capture the mystic oddity of the book’s stranger moments well, and the entire creative team treats the surprise return of another major X-Man with the quiet grandeur it deserves. Most impressively, The Trial of Magneto sets the Scarlet Witch up with a sustainable new status quo after spending years in relative comic book limbo.
BATMAN: ONE DARK KNIGHT #1 (DC)
COMIXOLOGY
In Batman: One Dark Knight #1, veteran Batman artist Jock teams up with letterer Clem Robins for a gritty Black Label tale about one violent night in Gotham City. This stand-alone miniseries follows Batman as he deals with a metahuman prison transport through Gotham goes awry, all of Gotham’s gangs and a city in a complete blackout.
Jock’s gritty take on Batman and Gotham City looks as good as ever, and the story moves along with the propulsive pace of a ‘90s action movie. With a surprising amount of attention paid to Gotham police politics, this issue really only sets up the premise for the rest of the series, but it’s still an absolute thrill-ride from start to finish.
WASTELANDERS: HAWKEYE #1 (MARVEL)
COMIXOLOGY
With Wastelanders: Hawkeye #1, Ethan Sacks, Ibraim Roberson, Dijjo Lima and Cory Petit return to the world of Old Man Logan to explore what happened to some other fan-favorite characters after Marvel’s villains won. In the second of Marvel’s podcast-inspired one-shots, an aged Clint Barton continues to adjust to living without sight as he takes on a mission for his mentor Stick, this world’s white-haired Matt Murdock.
With a surprisingly sweet story at its core, this accessible one-shot explores a compelling idea that was only teased in the Old Man Hawkeye miniseries. While there’s nothing really revolutionary here, Wastelanders: Hawkeye is a fun alternate reality story with some impressively illustrated action sequences. With a surprisingly sweet sentiment at its core, this may be the most charming story to emerge from one of Marvel’s darkest worlds.
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