This week’s Top Comics to Buy for July 17, 2024 is a solid bunch of comics that run the gamut from gritty to deeply weird. Actually, most of them are gritty, while Paranoid Gardens takes the title of most deeply weird (a compliment). You can find the five books I liked best this week below, along with the usual set of new releases … enjoy!
Top Comics to Buy for July 17
Briar #7
Writer: Christopher Cantwell
Artist: Alex Lins
Colorist: Luis NCT w/Mar Silvestre
Letterer: AndWorld Design
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
In the penultimate issue of the second arc of Briar, our heroine and Spider find themselves in chains at the dreaded Crane Island prison, and a secret Spider has kept from Briar behind hushed lips will finally make itself known!
This new revelation causes a crisis for Briar, who will have to contend with the fearsome warden and the walls surrounding her and Spider… and also the wall between them.
Why It’s Cool: Now on its penultimate issue, one of the best fantasy comics we have is heading toward its ending. The good news, though, is that it’s just as great as it has been from the start.
Price: $3.99
Destro #2
Writer: Dan Watters
Artist: Andrei Bressan
Colorist: Adriano Lucas
Letterer: Rus Wooton
Publisher: Image Comics – Skybound
The world is changing-and Destro means to come out on top! But with Cobra Commander breathing down his neck and mercenaries Xamot and Tomax seeking to dethrone him as the world’s premier weapons manufacturer, he’ll have to survive the future in order to build it.
Why It’s Cool: The coolest thing in monthly comics continues this week with a new issue of Destro, building out the Energon Universe further as we speed toward a brand-new G.I. Joe #1 set in the same continuity as Transformers and Void Rivals.
Price: $3.99
Heartpiercer #3
Writer: Rich Douek
Artist: Gavin Smith
Colorist: Nicholas Burgdorf
Letterer: Justin Birch
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
As the werewolves wear down Briarglen’s defenses, Atala will go to every length to hold back the forces of the night. But it will all be in vain if she cannot overcome their fear and show them victory is possible. With the monstrous Howler himself bearing down on the village however, it seems increasingly unlikely.
Why It’s Cool: I’ve really enjoyed this series from the start, but this issue breaks out in an all out action set piece, and it levels the whole thing up even further. Stop sleeping on this one.
Price: $3.99
John Constantine – Hellblazer: Dead in America #7
Writer: Simon Spurrier
Artist: Aaron Campbell
Colorist: Jordie Bellaire
Letterer: Steve Wands
Publisher: DC Comics – Black Label
John is lost…not just ask for directions lost, either. He’s lucky if he can even identify what plane of existence he’s on. With the enigmatic hitchhiker as his guide, John will have to find his way back to Nat and Noah. But when he does, he’s finally going to have to explain that he’s a walking corpse…
Why It’s Cool: I say this every time a new issue of this series comes out, but this might be my favorite issue yet. Maybe. If you are a Sandman obsessive, you can’t miss this one.
Price: $4.99
Paranoid Gardens #1
Writers: Gerard Way and Shaun Simon
Artist: Chris Weston
Colorist: Dave Stewart
Letterer: Nate Piekos
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Loo is a nurse at the most bizarre care-center in the universe. The staff are not entirely human, and the cases downright unearthly. Aliens, ghosts, superheroes, and more creatures plague its hallways as both doctors and patients and the hospital itself seems to be somewhat self-aware. Loo believes that despite a recent failure at her job she’s been given some sort of higher calling in this mysterious place, and decides to rise to the challenge. Along the way she must fight her way through corrupt staff members, powerful theme park cults, and her own personal demons and trauma to meet this challenge and discover what secrets the gardens hold.
Why It’s Cool: To start, Chris Weston is one of my favorite comics artists, and he’s colored here to perfection by Dave Stewart. This book looks amazing. On top of that, Gerard Way and Shaun Simon deliver a script that I can only describe as that good weird shit. It’s fantastic. More comics like this one please.
Price: $4.99
Others to Check Out
Batman/Superman – Worlds Finest #29- Fishflies #7
- Into the Unbeing Part 1 #2
- Man’s Best #5
- My Bad – Escape From Peculiar Island #3
- Napalm Lullaby #5
- Nightwing #116
- Superman #16
- Ultimate X-Men #5
- Usagi Yojimbo – The Crow #4
New #1s and One-Shots
Biker Mice From Mars #1- Chilling Adventures Presents – Truth or Dare #1 (one-shot)
- Daredevil – Woman Without Fear #1
- Dark Knights of Steel – Allwinter #1
- Immortal Thor Annual #1
- Last Wardens #1
- Namor #1
- Phoenix #1
- Powerpuff Girls #1
- Rocketeer Breaks Free #1
- Star Trek Annual 2024 #1
- Witchblade #1
- X-Men – Blood Hunt: Laura Kinney The Wolverine #1 (one-shot)
Graphic Novel and Trade Collections
2000AD vs. Battle Action – Comics Collide TP- Absolute Batman & Son By Grant Morrison HC
- Across the Massive-Verse Vol. 1 TP
- Antarctica Vol. 2 TP
- Census TP
- Devil That Wears My Face TP
- EC Archives – Weird Fantasy Vol. 4 TP
- Fatale Compendium TP
- Goblin Vol. 2 – The Wolf and The Well TP
- Human Target Book 2 TP
- Legacy of Violence, Vol. 3 TP
- Moomin Adventures Book 1 GN
- Peach Momokos – Demon Saga – Demon Days GN
- Sergio Argones – Louder Than Words Actions Speak GN
- Shang-Chi by Gene Luen Yang TP
- Somna – A Bedtime Story HC
- Space Usagi – Death & Honor TP
- Sparks Vol. 1 – Portals GN
- Superman by Kurt Busiek Book 1 HC
Read past editions of the Top Comics to Buy!
