Posted By Dan Greenfield on May 20, 2024 | 1 comment

Scott and Dan pick the comics they’re most looking forward to…

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Dan Greenfield, editor, 13th Dimension

Nightwing #114, DC. Beginning the final arc of the Eisner-winning/Eisner-nominated run written by Tom Taylor. Original artist Bruno Redondo is back for the rest of the ride, too. This is not only the best ongoing comic I’m reading right now, it’s the best Nightwing era ever. Ever. This is exactly what I imagine a grown-up Dick Grayson would be like and while I’m sad that it’s coming to an end in September, I’m thankful we’ve gotten something so wonderful.

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The Bat-Man: First Knight #3, DC. This Black Label series by Dan Jurgens and Mike Perkins that re-imagines a 1939 Batman has been superb. I daresay even better than I’d hoped. It’ll make a helluva pretty hardcover when all is said and done.

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Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #27, DC. This arc has been a hoot and this ish has the Legion of Doom-Mites! (I particularly like Lex-Mite: Be vewy, vewy quiet. He’s huntin’ Supermans…)

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Military Comics #1 Facsimile Edition, DC. The first appearance of Blackhawk, back when he was published by Quality Comics. Really looking forward to this one. Just in time for Memorial Day.

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Crisis on Infinite Earths #2 Facsimile Edition, DC. Geez, 1,000 universes have been wiped out already. Meanwhile, check out Fred Van Lente’s COMIC BOOK DEATH MATCH: Secret Wars #2 vs. Crisis #2. Click here. You’ll be glad you did!)

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The Amazing Spider-Man #50, Marvel. Hey, I’m as glad as anyone we’re getting a good ol’ Spider-Man and Green Goblin throwdown, but I have to say that other than the movies, I’m really weary of 1,000 Spider-People and 1,000 Goblins. Both of the Big Two are guilty of this and it’s really grown tiresome. OK, bitching over. On the plus side, Marv Wolfman returns to Spidey with a story in this oversize issue!

And dig John Tyler Christopher’s “negative space variant.” Fab!

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Spider-Gwen: The Ghost-Spider #1, Marvel. Then again, we do get variants like this (by David Lopez), based on one of my faves from the Bronze Age, Giant-Size Spider-Man #1.

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Jack Kirby Collector #90, TwoMorrows. Y’know, you’d think we’d run out of things to talk about where Jack Kirby’s concerned. What hasn’t been said? John Morrow, through 90 issues of Jack Kirby Collector, has proved that’s very much not the case.

Sez the solicitation copy: “This “What If Kirby…?” issue takes a trip through alternate timelines to discern what might’ve happened if Jack hadn’t been stopped cold in his attempts at revolutionizing comics. We’ll consider his ill-fated Speak-Out Series of upscale magazines, DC’s abandonment of the Fourth World, his original rejected Spider-Man presentation, Fredric Wertham’s effect on Mainline Comics, and even the CIA’s involvement with the Lord of Light project! Had things been different, how would Jack’s career and output have changed?”

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Scott Tipton, columnist, 13th Dimension

World’s Finest: Teen Titans HC, DC Comics. One of my favorite new books in recent memory.

Dan adds: This 6-ish miniseries by Mark Waid and Emanuela Lupacchino was note-perfect. A right-on-the-money take on what the original Titans would be like in modern times. Highest recommendation. Plus, I’ll beat the drum again: We need an early days Batman and Robin series by Waid and Chris Samnee (who did the covers for this series). Are you listening, DC?

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Avengers Epic Collection Vol. 11: The Evil Reborn, Marvel. Some of the best Avengers tales of the ’80s, surrounding the worst — the legendarily bad Avengers #200.

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Sensational She-Hulk #8, Marvel. Uh-oh. I hope they don’t break these two kids up.