The Comic Lounge's Picks of the Week (11/20)

Hey everyone!! Happy Monday, The Comic Lounge crew is back with some great picks for you. We have a great mix of books and even included some great collected editions. Make sure to give these books a try , they're all Comic Lounge approved.

RYAN'S PICKS

QUESTION: THE DEATHS OF VIC SAGE #1

It's finally here!!! The book I've been most excited to read since it was first announced. Lemire and Cowan are bringing Vic Sage back in his own book. This is sure to be the best book this week.

Here's the solicit:

For years, Vic Sage has worn the faceless mask of the Question to clean up the streets of Hub City by sheer force of will. He knows right from wrong. He knows black from white. But what happens when he is drawn into a conspiracy that reaches from the heights of Hub City power to the depths of its underground tunnels? What happens when things stop being black-and-white and start getting a little gray? And what happens when, in a secret chamber deep beneath the city, Vic Sage meets his own end...and his new beginning? Eisner-winning writer Jeff Lemire joins forces with the legendary art team of Denys Cowan and Bill Sienkiewicz to resurrect Vic Sage, only to destroy him all over again...and again...

OLYMPIA #1

That cover. That's what drew me in. The story was great and the art was fantastic. This was such a surprise when I first read it, because I hadn't even read the solicit. I highly recommend trying the first issue out.

Here's the solicit:

Elon is a latchkey kid who spends his days alone reading comic books-until his favorite superhero, Olympian, comes crashing off the page and into reality! But as he nurses his wounded and delirious hero back to health, he discovers Olympian isn't the only thing that came through... something evil followed him. A comedic yet heartfelt love letter to the comics medium, OLYMPIA is also a meditation on hope and loss, conceived by CURT PIRES (Wyrd) and his father, TONY PIRES, while Tony was undergoing treatment for cancer.

EXCELLENCE TP VOL 01

You already know how we feel about this amazing series over at The Comic Lounge Well at least how myself and Dylan feel, haha. But this is hands down one of my favorite Image books, I love the series so much I had to pick the first volume as one of my weekly picks as well. If you haven't had a chance to check this series out, now is the perfect time.

Here's the solicit:

Spencer Dales was born into a world of magic. His father belongs to the Aegis, a secret society of black magicians tasked with bettering the lives of others-with higher potential-but never themselves. Now it's time for Spencer to follow in his father's footsteps, but all he sees is a broken system in need of someone with the wand and the will to change it. But who will stand beside him in this fight for a better future? KHARY RANDOLPH and BRANDON THOMAS ignite a generational war in this action-fantasy series, made entirely by creators of color, and committed to one truth above all others-Excellence is Real. Collects EXCELLENCE #1-6.

KILL OR BE KILLED DLX ED HC

Brubaker and Phillips is my favorite creative team and this is one of my favorite books from them. So even though I own every issue, you know I have to go out and get thus DLX HC. I know this might be pricey, but if you haven't checked this book out this is the perfect edition to buy. It collects the whole series, plus it'll look great on your shelf.

Here's the solicit:

Grad student Dylan must kill one person-who deserves it-every month. And the longer this goes on, the more he realizes just how many people deserve to be killed. Catcher in the Rye meets Death Wish in this dark take on the vigilante genre that quickly became a cracked reflection of the world around us.   This deluxe hardcover edition contains the entire bestselling KILL OR BE KILLED series, as well as behind-the-scenes extras and artwork, from the award-winning team of ED BRUBAKER and SEAN PHILLIPS.

GENEVIEVE'S PICKS

LITTLE BIRD HC

I wrote two reviews of this mini series for the blog. That’s how much I liked it. So if you missed it, this hardcover is your chance to discover one of the most beautiful, gory, politically sensitive series of the year. The art is breathtakingly gorgeous. The white cover is magnifically contrasting with the dark story inside. One of my favorite picks of the month.

Here’s the solicit:

With the limitless scope of Star Wars and EAST OF WEST paired with the sociopolitical explorations of A Handmaid’s Tale and MONSTRESS, LITTLE BIRD tells the story of a young resistance fighter battling against an oppressive American Empire while searching for her own identity in a world on fire. A gorgeously illustrated epic from Award-winning filmmaker DARCY VAN POELGEEST and Angoulême-nominated artist IAN BERTRAM in which one girl risks everything to save her people, their land, and the freedom they so desperately deserve. 

MIDDLEWEST TP BOOK 02

Although I collected every single numbers of this series, I still need this second volume to complete my collection. Middlewest is a beautiful piece by Skottie Young, as much in art as in writing. Reading it in single is not the same as reading it in volumes, you need to keep up with the flow to be able to fully absorb the feelings in it. Great pick of the week.

Here’s the solicit:

Abel’s journey to deal with his family legacy continues as his newfound sense of stability slips through his fingers. Writer SKOTTIE YOUNG (I HATE FAIRYLAND, Deadpool) and artist JORGE CORONA (NO. 1 WITH A BULLET, Feathers) take Abel and his companion, Fox, to a few familiar places, and to others that are both wild and new. The journey across Middlewest has shown these travelers that their homeland has more hidden away than they could have ever thought. Collects MIDDLEWEST #7-12

SHAH'S PICK

TWO DEAD

I've been a fan of Nate Powell's for years. He and Van Jensen put together a complex, must read crime period-piece taking place in the American South. I already got to read it. It's vocal and hits hard. Highly recommend.

Here's the solicit:

After World War II, tensions rise in a Southern city ruled by organized crime, touching countless residents as they struggle to make sense of the new world. A sudden act of violence sets off a series of bloody events between the police and mafia as they lash out against one another. As the violence worsens, desperation grows to stop it, by any means necessary. Told in multiple perspectives—from a seemingly untouchable mafia don, to a gun-happy seasoned detective succumbing to the depths of his schizophrenia, to a newly minted police lieutenant haunted by his recent service in the war, and two African-American brothers, one mired in corruption and the other leading a local militia in an effort to see that justice is served—Two Dead is at once a white-knuckled and unputdownable thriller, a roman à clef inspired by true events, and a book about post-traumatic stress disorder and the underlying social traumas of how war and segregation affect their survivors on all fronts.

TREVOR'S PICKS

AQUAMAN #54

It's time for a Manta family reunion! With Aquaman finally reunited with his love Mera, all that's left to do now is square off against his greatest villain. I can't wait!

Here's the solicit:

Black Manta and Mech Manta invade Amnesty Bay with one target in mind-Aqualad! Can Aquaman save his protégé from his deadly lineage? Or will the combined might of the Mantas finally be Arthur Curry's undoing?

DEADPOOL #1

Kelly Thompson has been became a fast favorite writer of mine after reading some of her work. With Captain Marvel already being outstanding, I can't wait to see what she does for the merch with a mouth.

Here's the solicit:

Deadpool's newest mercenary job has him going after the King of Monsters, who has claimed a new kingdom for his monstrous subjects...on Staten Island! But you know what they say, when you come at the king, you better not miss! The Merc with a Mouth finds himself neck deep in political intrigue, monster law, and a monster hunter out for blood! It's like The Crown but with even more swords and monsters! Can Deadpool's smooth charisma and deft diplomacy allow him to keep his head, or will he be royally screwed?

CAPTAIN MARVEL #12

Look who's evil now? I've become such a big fan of hero of Captain Marvel recently and now it's time to see her become my favorite villian I guess in this new arc that has got me eagerly awaiting to read the first issue and answer my questions of what is going to happen to Carol.

Here's the solicit:

CAPTAIN MARVEL VERSUS THE AVENGERS! THE LAST AVENGER! Captain Marvel has fought off alien hordes. Rescued X-Men. Punched Thanos in the face. Literally saved the world. She now faces her greatest challenge: kill the Avengers. Has one of the world's most powerful heroes gone dark? But why? And what does this mean for Carol...for the world? Life on earth will never be the same. Kelly Thompson teams up with Eisner-nominated artist Lee Garbett for a brand-new arc - and a bold new direction!