A big week for DC Comics

For this week’s Top Comics to Buy for September 4, I was impressed by just how versitle the releases from DC Comics were. On one hand, you had books like Absolute Power #3, which continue to advance DC’s big summer event in interesting ways. On the other, you had idiosyncratic character-driven releases from Black Label, including two of the entries on my top 5. It was, simply put, a good week for DC. You can find all my recommendations below, along with the usual release lists … enjoy!

Top Comics to Buy for September 4, 2024

The Boy Wonder #5
Writer/Artist: Juni Ba
Colorist: Chris O’Halloran
Letterer: Aditya Bidikar
Publisher: DC Comics – Black Label
The Robins have united to battle their way out of the stronghold of the Demon’s Head, but Damian cutting his family ties to Ra’s al Ghul isn’t just a matter of punching his way through ninjas. Could this fairy tale possibly have a happy ending? Or is the story of Damian Wayne an inescapable tragedy?
Why It’s Cool: This stellar take on what it means to be Damian Wayne comes to an end in just the absolute perfect fashion this week. This series has been everything you’d want from a Black Label book — character-driven, creatively daring, and impossible to turn away from — and the ending might be the best issue yet.
Price: $5.99

Dawnrunner #5
Writer: Ram V.
Artist: Evan Cagle
Colorist: Francesco Segala
Color Flats: Gloria Martinelli
Letterer: Aditya Bidikar
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
All things must evolve! Anita and Dawnrunner, driven by their stories, have changed into something unforeseen as they make their stand against The Prime. But in their transcendence lies the potential for both hope and despair. As the true motivation of monsters both alien and homegrown comes to light, sacrifices must be made to protect the ones you love.
Why It’s Cool: I think this might be the best-looking comic of the year. Seriously, the team of Evan Cagle and Francesco Segala is just too stylish and too good. What a visual feat they accomplished over the course of these five issues.
Price: $4.99

Get Fury #5
Writer: Garth Ennis
Penciler: Jacen Burrows
Inker: Guillermo Ortego
Colorist: Nolan Woodard
Letterer: Rob Steen
Publisher: Marvel Comics
You thought things were looking bleak and rough last issue. You were right, but things get worse for our “heroes.”
Why It’s Cool: Regular readers of this column know that I’m a fan of writer Garth Ennis, and think he has been doing some fantastic work of late, from hilarious romps like Babs or Marjorie Finnegan to chilling stories like A Walk Through Hell or Ribbon Queen. Well, he’s also re-teaming with regular collaborator Jacen Burrows to return to Frank Castle stories, and the result has been the excellent miniseries, Get Fury. This penultimate issue really ratchets up the tension here.
Price: $3.99

Minor Arcana #1
Writer/Artist: Jeff Lemire
Letterer: Steve Wands
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Theresa, the daughter of a small-town “psychic” fraud, returns home to care for her ailing mother, however begrudgingly. But when Theresa discovers that there may be more to the magic than she originally believed, she’ll find herself caught up in a town that desperately needs her help…
Why It’s Cool: This book immediately has shades of my two all-time favorite Jeff Lemire comics — Essex County and Royal City. But aside from the pitch-perfect forlorn small-town vibes, it’s definitely a book all its own. Put simply, you want this on your pull list, for sure…it has the makings of another Lemire classic.
Price: $4.99

Plastic Man No More #1
Writer: Christopher Cantwell
Artists: Alex Lins, with Jacob Edgar
Colorist: Marcelo Maiolo
Letterer: Becca Carey
Publisher: DC Comics – Black Label
Eel O’Brian might be a superhero now–but before he was anything else, he was a crook. Until the accident that turned him into the pliable Plastic Man, Eel was bad to the bone…and just because he no longer has bones doesn’t mean that’s not still true. When an incident on a Justice League mission leads to catastrophic cellular damage, Plastic Man discovers he just might be out of time to make amends for the past he’s tried hard to outrun–or to save the soul of his son, who (unfortunately for him) might have inherited more from dear old Dad than just his superpowers…
Why It’s Cool: This is basically the perfect Plastic Man comic. I love comics that take a serious look at what it means to be a back bench superhero, and this book does it with the best of them (reminding me in its first issue of the recent-classic from Marvel, The Vision). It’s sad and gritty and not without laughs, using a two artist system that lends itself perfectly to the narrative. I love it, and can’t wait for the rest of this series.
Price: $4.99