Each week, Xavier Files staff offer their recommendations for what to read. New DC comics come out Tuesdays, everything else Wednesdays.
DAN’S PICK: Chu #1: Tony Chu’s criminal sister Saffron steals the spotlight – and other stuff – in the debut issue of this prequel to John Layman and Rob Guillory’s classic Image series “Chew.” Dan Boultwood joins Layman on art. ($3.99) CHECK OUT THE LATEST FROM DAN
ARI’S PICK: Bliss #1: A young man agrees to become a hitman for three gods in a desperate bid to support his family in a new Image series that bills itself as Breaking Bad meets The Sandman. Written by Sean Lewis (Thumbs) and drawn by Caitlin Yarsky (Coyotes). ($3.99) CHECK OUT THE LATEST FROM ARI
CORI’S PICK: Joker/Harley: Criminal Sanity Secret Files #1: Go a little bit deeper into this DC Black Label tale of when Harley met Joker, featuring analysis by an actual psychiatrist. Written by Kami Garcia and Dr. Ed Kurz with art by David Mack, Jason Badower and more. ($5.99) CHECK OUT THE LATEST FROM CORI
ZACK’S PICK: Hellions #2: Can this ragtag team of mutant misfits, including Wild Child, the Marauder John Greycrow and Empath the worst Hellion, get along? Can Havok get his act together? Will Sinister win that epaulet-off against Exodus? Maybe we’ll find out in the second issue of this pre-pandemic X-Men spin-off by writer Zeb Wells (New Mutants) and artist Stephen Segovia. ($3.99) CHECK OUT THE LATEST FROM ZACK
CHRIS’ PICK: Billionaire Island #3: What’s going on on this cover, and what does it have to do with the journalist trying to expose the truth about Freedom Unlimited, or the other guy who’s come to the island seeking revenge? No idea! I haven’t read it yet! But I’m looking forward to it. Written by Mark Russell and drawn by Steve Pugh for AHOY Comics. ($3.99) CHECK OUT THE LATEST FROM CHRIS
ANDREA’S PICK: Die #12: Designer Sid Meier described games as a series of interesting decisions. “May you live in interesting times” is a curse. Both things are true, and both are true here. Oh, Kieron Gillen, your cryptic solicitations are a delight. Drawn by Stephanie Hans for Image. ($3.99) CHECK OUT THE LATEST FROM ANDREA
TONY’S PICK: Middlewest #18: The missteps of the past meet an uncertain future as the roving monster that Dale has been confronts the ruinous behemoth that Abel has become. Skottie Young and Jorge Corona’s Image series draws to a close. ($3.99) CHECK OUT THE LATEST FROM TONY
ROB’S PICK: World of Archie Jumbo Comics Digest #100: Archie takes a nap only to be awakened by someone pounding on his door. To his surprise, it’s his best friend Jughead — but not the Jughead he recognizes. This one belongs to something called the Time Police, and he comes with a warning: all the Archie space time continuum will soon be collapsed into one reality. Oh snap, this one’s not messing around! ($7.99) CHECK OUT THE LATEST FROM ROB
MATT’S PICK: Blacksad: The Collected Stories: A hard-boiled detective/anthropomorphic cat daddy solves crimes and gets screwed over in this collection of stories by creators Juan Diaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido, from Dark Horse. ($29.99) CHECK OUT THE LATEST FROM MATT
RITESH’S PICK: Space Bear: An adventurous ursine astronaut learns compassion for all sentient life in a wordless, all-ages BOOM Studios graphic novel by cartoonist Ethan Young. ($14.99) CHECK OUT THE LATEST FROM RITESH
Dan Grote is the editor-in-chief of ComicsXF, having won the site by ritual combat. By day, he’s a newspaper editor, and by night, he’s … also an editor. He co-hosts The ComicsXF Interview Podcast with Matt Lazorwitz. He lives in New Jersey with his wife, two kids and two miniature dachshunds, and his third, fictional son, Peter Winston Wisdom.
