Vita Ayala’s New Mutants, Jesus and King in Black tie-ins Dominate Our Staff Picks for 12/16

Each week, Xavier Files staff offer their recommendations for what to read. New DC comics come out Tuesdays, everything else Wednesdays.

Zack’s Pick

Cover by Rod Reis

New Mutants #14: Things are about to get wild in the Akademos Habitat as new series writer Vita Ayala (Children of the Atom) joins the team along with new members Warlock, Warpath and the Mutant Formerly Known as Honey Badger. Rod Reis returns to art. ($3.99) Previously, in New Mutants

Matt’s Pick

Cover by Sean Phillips

Reckless: The first in a new series of graphic novels by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (Criminal) introduces protagonist Ethan Reckless. Your trouble is his business, for the right price. But when a fugitive from his student radical days reaches out for help, Ethan must face the only thing he fears: his own past. Yup, sounds like a Bru-Phil banger. ($24.99) Previously, in Brubaker and Phillips …

Dan’s Pick

Cover by Richard Pace

Second Coming: Only Begotten Son #1: Jesus and his amazing friend Sunstar are back in a new volume of the AHOY Comics mag by writer Mark Russell (Billionaire Island) and artists Richard Pace and Leonard Kirk. ($3.99) Check out our recent interview with Russell.

Zoe’s Pick

Cover by Pepe Larraz and Marte Gracia

King in Black: Black Cat #1: When the symbiote god Mark Knull interferes with one of Felicia Hardy’s heists, the Black Cat decides to get even. Written by Jed MacKay (Black Cat) and drawn by C.F. Villa and Nina Vakueya (Heavy Vinyl). ($3.99) Check out the latest from Zoe.

Vishal’s Pick

Cover by Aaron Kuder

King in Black: Immortal Hulk #1: OK, going off solicit text is always tricky business, but it sounds like Joe Fixit is going to fight a bunch of goo bois (symbiotes) so the Hulk can have a merry Christmas. Cool? Cool. Written by Al Ewing (Immortal Hulk) and drawn by Aaron Kuder. Previously, in Immortal Hulk

Cori’s Pick

Cover by David Marquez

Tales from the Dark Multiverse: Crisis on Infinite Earths #1: When the Anti-Monitor’s deadly grudge match with the multiverse was finally foiled, there was only one Earth left! But which Earth?

… OK, this one’s hurting my brain a little. If it was a Crisis on Infinite Earths and all the Earths went smashy-smashy into one, how can there be another Earth where it ended differently? Wouldn’t that be a Crisis on Infinite Multiverses? Cori, help me out here.

Cori McCreery: Well, you see, Dan, this is the DARK Multiverse, where things didn’t go smashy-smashy into one because of the Batman Who Laughs or some crap.

Dan: … Yeah, OK, fine. Written by Steve Orlando (Commanders in Crisis) and drawn by Mike Perkins. ($5.99) Listen to Orlando on WMQ&A.

Forrest’s Pick

Cover by Davide Tinto

Commanders in Crisis #3: The Crisis Command interrogates a ticking clock corpse! But how can heroes save a world without empathy? First, they have to figure out how to save it within themselves, as Nina Next, aka Frontier, takes John Doe Empathy out on the town … to discuss their secrets. Written by Steve Orlando and drawn by Davide Tinto. ($3.99) Previously, in Commanders in Crisis

Ari’s Pick

Cover by Inaki Miranda

We Live #3: Humbo and Alice have lost track of their newfound friends, Tala and Hototo. The siblings are being held prisoner and will soon discover the world hides dark corners, where screams of help are no more than fallen spirits. Meanwhile, the shuttle train to Megalopolis Mother 9 is about to depart. Written and drawn by Roy and Inaki Miranda for AfterShock. ($3.99) Check out the latest from Ari.

Tony’s Pick

Cover by Alex Ross

Immortal Hulk #41: First of all, by God, this cover is fantastic. OK, now that that’s out of the way, yes, in this issue, Al Ewing and Joe Bennett have their way with the Hulk-Thing frenemies relationship. Expect it to go not how you expect. ($3.99) Check out the latest from Tony.

Justin’s Pick

Cover by Junji Ito

Remina: Viz Media reprints Junji Ito’s 2005 graphic novel about a planet cutting a swatch of cosmic destruction on a collision course for Earth. ($22.99) Check out the latest from Justin.

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 WMQ&A: 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.