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Jul 26, 2023

Comics Should Be Cheap (8/30/23)

Buying comics can be an expensive hobby. A lot of fans simply can’t afford everything they’re interested in, due to rising prices and the over-saturation of the market with superhero titles. That’s

Buying comics can be an expensive hobby. A lot of fans simply can’t afford everything they’re interested in, due to rising prices and the over-saturation of the market with superhero titles.

That’s why we’re here. Every week, the Multiversity staff is asked “What would you buy this week if you couldn’t go over $20?” and shares their reasons why, in order to help others who might have similar tastes make their own decisions in buying comics on a budget. Be sure to leave your own picks in the comments!

Kate’s Pick:

Funny Things: A Comic Strip Biography of Charles M. Schulz ($39.99): There are certain books worth blowing the budget on, and this is one of them. Using the medium that made him famous, we learn about the man who gave us Charlie Brown, his little red-haired girl, and a dog with a very vivid imagination. His characters are noted for their timeless innocence, but in many ways they disrupted the social fabric of what comics and children should be, making it for the better. This is also not a linear biography, jumping between past and present to make those vital connections between life events – and when this is done right (see: Greta Gerwig’s Little Women) you receive the fullest picture of a life that you can see. It’s been nearly 25 years since Schulz left this mortal coil, but those of us who saw another Gerwig film (Barbie) know: “Humans only have one ending. Ideas live forever.”

Total: $39.99 – with apologies to the boss for not following instructions, but it’s worth every cent.

Johnny’s Picks:

Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant #1 ($4.99): So stoked to see Ms. Marvel herself, actor Iman Vellani, step into the role of writer for this brand new series! Vellani has always worn her love for Ms. Marvel and the Marvel *COMICS* Universe on her sleeve, so it’s exciting for fans of the show, the actor, and most importantly the character to witness this perfect amalgamation on the page. I haven’t followed the character for a hot second, so it will be interesting to catch up on Khan, seeing as how she’s now…a mutant?! Sounds fun!

The Hunger and the Dusk #2 ($3.99): G. Willow Wilson’s imprint is all over my pull list this week, as the creator of Kamala Khan and also this terrific fantasy series from Dark Horse. While the epic fantasy-meets-“Romeo and Juliet” trope is well worn, Wilson and artist Christian Wildgoose have created a book that bubbles over with luscious visuals, terrifying violence, and haunting villains. I loved the first issue, and can’t wait to dive further into this world.

Black Hammer: The End #1 ($3.99): What makes Jeff Lemire’s “The World of Black Hammer” so appealing is not the re-configuring or re-invention of older characters/tropes/storylines first envisioned by the Big Two (but Lemire’s concoctions are, generally speaking, pretty amazing), but Lemire’s choice of artists to pair with each series: following original artist Dean Ormston, Lemire has teamed up with the likes of Tonči Zonjić, Caitlin Yarsky, Max Fiumara, and here with brilliant cartoonist Malachi Ward (to name just a few!). Ward first popped up on my radar during Brandon Graham’s trippy revival of “Prophet” from Image Comics, and his contributions to anthologies here and there have always been eye-catching, but his work within the World of Black Hammer has been nothing short of spectacular. Can’t wait to see what the pair has in store for this six-issue miniseries!

Total: $12.97 – Way under, but there are a couple books from Fantagraphics out this week – “A Book To Make Friends With” by Lukas Verstraete and “Eden II” by Kenny Wroten that both look tremendous (but are also quite expensive!) and worth a shot if you have the coin!

Christopher’s Pick:

Avatar: The Last Airbender – Imbalance Omnibus ($24.99): Not much more to say here other than I’m continuing to collect the post-TV adventures of Aang and friends in omnibus format for me and any young (or young at heart) ones in my life.

Total: $24.99 – welp, but then again I did sit out the past few weeks, enough that I could probably also choose “Blade Runner 2039” Vol. 1 (which is listed as August 16 on PreviewsWorld for some reason.)

Mark’s Pick:

Den – Volume 1: Neverwhere ($34.99): From the late great Richard Corben, this new edition is of “Den” not only puts a book back into circulation that has been out of print for far too long, but it’s also a new presentation of the material, rescanning the original art, capturing detail that was never in previous printings. I’ve been following the restoration work by José Villarrubia on his Instagram account and and Nate Piekos’s relettering on his Facebook, and it has been fascinating to see little glimpses of this book coming together. I’m looking forward to finally seeing the finished piece.

Total: $34.99. Yes, I blew the budget too. It’s just one of those weeks.

We are the Multiversity Staff, and we love you very much.