Simone's Top 4
4 - The Ultimates #3: I'm still not impressed with the Ultimates at the moment, but this issue introduced one of my favorite characters into this Ultimate universe: She-Hulk (don't worry, no spoilers, she's on the cover!). I love how they reinvented her, and after reading the last page now... oh no, this might be a spoiler!
3 - X-Factor #1: Fun, irreverent at the right point. It was the X-Comic of this relaunch that appealed to me the least, but now it has my full attention!
2 - Hello Darkness #1: ok, the idea of a horror anthology these days isn't the most innovative... but how can I give up a story by Sarah Andersen?
1 - Uncanny X-Men #1: I loved Gail Simone's writing in this first issue: personal, it puts us inside Rogue's head without leaving the plot behind. I want more!
Gloriana's Top 5
5 - Ultimates #3: I had a hard time starting this series and had already compiled Vol. 1 to 3. But once I started it, it worked for me. Especially when I got to volume 3. Because it unapologetically tells the side of radioactive poisoning that is not talked about enough in the comic world: that it can really go wrong - who would have thought!
4 - Birds Of Prey #12: As always, a fun series balanced by more serious moments. Thompson walks the fine line very well.
3 - Masterpiece #6: The end of the Masterpiece and perhaps the tease of a new beginning? When I picked up #1 last year, I never thought it would end like this. I was expecting much more blood and violence, but I was served with intelligence and smugness.
2 - Red Before Black #1: Sometimes you read how some characters talk and you already have a perfect voice for them in your head. And kudos to #1 for being a huge, huge, huge teaser.
1 - Dark Knights of Steel: Allwinter #1: After the first few pages I knew I wanted the hardcover edition of this one. The meta use of color to tell this story had me hooked.
Cristian's Top 5
5, 4 - Rai Book of the Darque 1 & 2, Eternal Warriors #1: Whenever people ask if I'm more of a Marvel or DC guy, my answer is always the same: STAY VALIANT! Now, we’ve got Alien Booksstepping in as the fifth (?) publisher to take on the Valiant universe, but what’s exciting this time around is that they’re sticking with the continuity that kicked off with Valiant’s relaunch in 2014. And continuity matters, especially in shared universes. It’s what keeps you hooked, invested, and coming back for more. There’s no superhero/adventure experience quite like Valiant’s, which spans the whole globe (vs one city which is - or resembles – NYC) and stretches across 10,000 years of storytelling. From pre-history with the Eternal Brothers, through antiquity with Britannia and X-O Manowar, to the modern day, and right into the future with Rai and War Mother—the scope is epic. And the best part? These aren’t your typical spandex-wearing, skyscraper-leaping heroes. Valiant’s characters are as grounded and realistic as superhero stories get. Some of them are quite ambivalent in their motivations and actions. You know, like real people. Like they belong in the world we live in, and that’s always been Valiant’s edge. I’ve dived into three books from the new lineup (yes, out of the almost all that I grabbed since the relaunch), and with Fred Van Lente and Dan Abnett on board as writers, the storytelling is just as sharp and gripping as it was 10 years ago.The best superhero universe? It's still out there, still kicking ass, and it's still Valiant.
3 - Peepshow #15 by Joe Matt (Fantagraphics): I can’t say I was ever a Joe Matt fanatic. And if I’m being completely honest, his recent passing is what piqued my curiosity: What’s in this final issue,Peepshow #15? His last work… does it have something important to tell us? We don’t really know when these stories were written, but they reference events from around 2003. A huge chunk of his personal history that unfolded since then is missing. But what we do have here connects seamlessly with the Joe Matt we remember from the ’90s—obsessed with sex and women, brutally honest about his own shortcomings and darker thoughts, and driven by an insecurity that borders on self-loathing. Yet, somehow, all of this is delivered in an incredibly entertaining way. Reading this, you’re reminded of just how much of a master Joe Matt was at turning the mundane into something special. His style of everyday storytelling, capturing the banalities of life, evokes Woody Allen, Robert Crumb, maybe even Harvey Pekar. And of course, there’s the unmistakable influence of his friend Chester Brown. Matt lets us peek into his unspectacular, precarious, yet oddly cheerful existence. I have to admit, it really moved me. I was sad finishing it. Goodbye, Joe Matt.
2 - Nemesis: Rogue's Gallery #1: I have never read any Nemesis comics and frankly, don’t know about this one. It’s just… bleak. We’re talking pure nihilism here. The “hero”? More like a Luciferian figure—driven by sheer will, pure evil. Are we supposed to root for him? Because I definitely don’t. But, of course, Mark Millar being Mark Millar, I’m still hooked. It’s that weird pull where you want to see what’s next, even if it’s all spiraling into this dark, messed-up place. By the end, I’ll probably be numb to all the violence and end up praising this relentless anti-hero. Millar’s got that knack for making you question your own moral compass, and who knows, maybe morals are just way overrated? I’ll find out in the next three issues.
1 - Paranoid Gardens 1 + 2 by Gerard Way and Chris Weston: Like always, Gerard Way “lends” something from Grant Morrison and tries to make it work for himself. This time it’s Chris Weston. God, I love Chris Weston’s art! He makes everything feel REAL, even the weirdest of weird ideas. This one’s about a mental asylum, where weird creatures and people co-exist. Things are .. happening. But whatever I would try to explain here, it would either sound boring oder insane, or both, so let’s just EXPERIENCE this piece of weird fiction and be happy it exists.
