Each week, ComicsXF staff offer their recommendations for what to read. New DC books come out Tuesdays (for now), everything else Wednesdays.
Tony’s pick: X-Men: Blood Hunt: Magik #1: After the Fall of the House of X, Illyana Rasputina has returned to her homeland to search her soul and steel it for what comes next. But how will she protect her first home when a vampire army descends on Russia, seeking to turn it into a living hell? She may have been forged in the fires of Limbo, but has it prepared her for the Blood Hunt? Written by Ashley Allen and drawn by Jesus Hervas. ($3.99) Check out these Magik redesigns. | Buy it here.
Scott’s pick: Zatanna: Bring Down the House #1: Since a devastating instance of magic gone wrong that forever changed the course of her childhood, Zatanna would much rather live out her days as a top-hat-and-fishnets-wearing sleight-of-hand stage act than bother with real magic. These days, she doesn’t think much of the past at all. That is, until an interdimensional vortex cracks open during Zatanna’s act, and a terrifying demon crawls out to kill her. If she hopes to survive the horrors that follow it, she’ll need to take herself and her power seriously for the first time in a long time. Written by Mariko Tamaki and drawn by Javier Rodriguez for DC Black Label. ($5.99) Buy it here.
Matt’s pick: Anansi Boys #1: “Fat” Charlie Nancy leads a boring life as a boring Londoner, until he discovers two things: that his recently deceased father was, in fact, Anansi the Spider, the trickster god of African folklore, and that he has a twin brother he’s never met. Which kicks off a reality-spanning odyssey of sibling rivalry, jealous deities and one poor soul who’ll realize what it means to be a god. Written by Neil Gaiman and Marc Bernardin and drawn by Shawn Martinbrough, adapted from Gaiman’s novel, for Dark Horse. ($3.99) Buy it here.
Dan’s pick: Rare Flavours #6: Against all odds, Rubin and Mo’s documentary seems like it will finally be finished, but with Rubin nowhere to be found, just what exactly is he intending? Written by Ram V and drawn by Filipe Andrade for BOOM Studios. ($4.99) Buy it here.
Rasmus’ pick: The Flash #10: As the Arc Angles bring the Crown of Thawnes into The Gallery, Wally West has to pull himself together to face some old Rogues. Amanda Waller’s Task Force raids Terrifictech, and brings some shocking backup to keep any speedsters in line. Written by Si Spurrier and drawn by Ramon Perez. ($3.99) Buy it here.
Mark’s pick: Department of Truth #23: Confronted with an enemy intent on exposing their secrets to the world, the Department of Truth makes a shocking choice — go public first. But to understand Lee Harvey Oswald’s risky gambit, we have to return to where it all started: Dallas, 1963, as President John F. Kennedy’s motorcade passed the grassy knoll. Written by James Tynion IV and drawn by Martin Simmonds for Image. ($3.99) Buy it here.
Jake’s pick: Detective Comics #1,086: An unexpected villain has made an appearance in Gotham, trailing chaos, destruction and horror in their wake. Now, as chaos tears a bloody gash through the sinister order of the Orghams’ Gotham, Batman is the city’s only hope for salvation. But is the city too far gone for even the Dark Knight to save it? Written by Ram V and drawn by Stefano Raffaele, with a backup by Alex Paknadel and Lisandro Estherren. ($4.99) Previously, in BatChat … | Buy it here.
Austin’s pick: New X-Men Modern Era Epic Collection: E Is for Extinction: Cassandra Nova will stop at nothing to see all mutants exterminated. Her wild Sentinels’ first strike on Genosha brings death and horror beyond belief, but she has far more personal plans for the X-Men! Meanwhile, joined by telepath Emma Frost and mysterious powerhouse Xorn, the X-Men go public and expand Xavier’s school to train a new generation of mutants. Collecting New X-Men (2001) #114-126 and Annual 2001. Written by Grant Morrison and drawn by Frank Quitely and more. ($44.99) We reread the Morrison run. | Buy it here.
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, ComicsXF may earn from qualifying purchases.
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.
