The Top of the Pile
By: Chris “DOC” Bushley
This is the weekly “quick pick” of the best 5 comics to hit the shelves! Whether they are riddled with action, have the best dramatic sequences, blast you with a bevy of shock and awe or make you feel like a child again, these are the books EVERYONE should be reading! This “DOC’s” prescription for having the best week possible — begins with these Top 5 books! (In no particular order!)
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1. Green Lantern #20 (DC): So, we may already know the final outcome due to a “shipping issue,” but this is book isn’t just about the end of the “Wrath of the First Lantern” crossover. This is the final farewell to writer, Geoff Johns! The man who brought Hal Jordan back from the dead, created the rainbow rings, dredged up Nekron from the depths of mediocrity and gave fans THE best run on GL in decades! This issue will touch on everything Johns has brought to the book from day one and will leave fans clamoring for more! As he paves the way for Robert Venditti to take over the book, fans cannot help but feel a bit melancholy over his departure. Geoff Johns has become synonymous with Green Lantern and he will be sorely missed. Thanks Geoff, it’s been a hell of a ride!
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2. Occupy Comics #1 (Black Mask Comics): A collaboration of more than fifty of the best writers and artists in the business, this artistic tribute and sponsor of the Occupy Movement is more than just a comic — it is a record of modern history as it happens! A volunteer based anthology of prose, art and true comic form, Occupy Comics, was funded by a Kickstarter program last year and will eventually be turned into a hardcover edition. With ground-breaking creators like Alan Moore (Watchmen), Ben Templesmith (30 Days of Night), David Lloyd (V for Vendetta), Mike Allred (Madman) and David Mack (Kabuki) at the reigns, this is a veritable “who’s who” of the beset of the best! So, let your money speak for something more and get Occupy Comics #1!
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3. Half Past Danger #1 (IDW): You want to know what this comic is all about? It would actually be easier to tell you what it isn’t about! This is Stephen Mooney’s epic pulp noir tale that includes everything a comic fan could want! Protagonist, Tommy ‘Irish’ Flynn must keep his troops alive through a tour of the South Pacific in 1943, but it isn’t just the German army that is a threat. They need to look out for DAMES – DINOSAURS – and – DANGER – as this yarn completely blows you away! A fantastic read that will remind you of great comics from the past!
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4. Daredevil #26 (Marvel): Mark Waid has been turning the screws on Matt Murdock as of late, but it is the story he has been telling about Foggy Nelson that has been riveting! Foggy, DD’s best friend and confidant, has been diagnosed with cancer and no amount of super powers can help him. It is the soul searching and the bravery he finds in the faces and minds of children in the hospital that truly gives him a fighting chance. Waid breathes reality into the comic world as we empathize with these characters and we, and Foggy, are stronger for it! Plus, we finally find out the TRUE fate of a classic DD villain! No spoilers — I think you can “hit the mark” all on your own!
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5. Lobster Johnson: Satan Smells A Rat (Dark Horse): Yes, I LOVE pulp noir stories and you should too! Mike Mignola returns to his justice branding vigilante in this new one-shot revolving around the murders of skid row bums. It is up to Hellboy’s boyhood idol to find the diabolical fiend that’s been dumping bodies and slap them with the burning claw of justice! Buy it for the name, love it for the all out zaniness!