Some of the best artists in the industry have new books this week

I was absolutely thrilled this week to find out I was going to have artwork by Marcos Martín to put on this week’s Top Comics to Buy for April 9. Martín, who as is often the case is colored by his frequent collaborator Munsta Vicente, is one of my favorite artists in comics, and I don’t pay close enough attention to previews to be aware that he’s drawing a two-part fill-in arc on Absolute Batman. But boy am I glad it’s here.

And I’m also glad that it’s not the only book this week featuring some of my favorite working artists. The excellent month-long G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero silent series has an issue drawn by Dani with colors by Brad Simpson, while moody weirdo highway horror book Phantom Road is back with more Gabriel Walda, colored by Jordie Bellaire. It’s not as packed as most of the weeks in March were, but there’s a lot of fine art to enjoy. You can find my full sets of recommendations and release lists below!

Top Comics to Buy for April 9, 2025

Absolute Batman #7
Writer: Scott Snyder
Artist: Marcos Martín
Colorist: Munsta Vicente
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Publisher: DC Comics
It’s about to get icy cold in Gotham City…as we reveal the connections between a young, up-and-coming scientist named Victor Fries, his history with the Ark M experiment, and what it all has to do with the mysterious Joker. A bombastic two-parter with a guest artist, the one and only super-star Marcos Mart n, starts here!
Why It’s Cool: One of my favorite things about DC’s new line of Absolute comics is the way it has empowered some of the most interesting artists in comics to do high-profile superhero storytelling. In Absolute Batman #7, that trend continues, with the guest team of artist Marcos Martín and colorist Munsta Vicente coming aboard for a two-part arc about Mr. Freeze. This duo is among my favorites in all of comics, and they’re given a surprising story by writer Scott Snyder to work on here. It’s tough to fill-in for a main artist as interesting as Nick Dragotta, but they pull it off with a stellar issue here.
Price: $4.99

Amazing Spider-Man #1
Writer: Joe Kelly
Artist: Pepe Larraz, with John Romita Jr. (inked by Scott Hanna)
Colorist: Marte Gracia, with Marcio Menyz
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Publisher: Marvel Comics
The next era of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN has arrived! Peter is, shockingly, without a job and looking for gainful employment, but his job search is interrupted by a RAMPAGING RHINO who is but the tip of a sinister iceberg. What major Spider-Villain is working behind the scenes weaponizing other Spider-Villains including one we haven’t seen in OVER SEVEN YEARS?! Also, what is that Goblin-free Norman Osborn up to anyway?
Why It’s Cool: Recommending a new Amazing Spider-Man #1 is tricky business, because new runs on this book (arguably Marvel’s marquee title) has a way of starting strong and then wearing down with its relentless twice-a-month release schedule. That’s why I really didn’t want to recommend this comic, and probably gave it a higher bar to clear than other titles might have. But the artwork by Pepe Larraz and Marte Gracia is relentless charming, and writer Joe Kelly seems to have a story he’s wanted to tell for a long while. It’s also a dense read, that seems a decent value for the $5.99 price tag. So yes, I thought this comic was good, even though I came into it with reservations, and I’m going to give this new run a shot.
Price: $5.99

Batman – Dark Patterns #5
Writer: Dan Watters
Artist: Hayden Sherman
Colorist: Triona Farrell
Letterer: Frank Cvetkovic
Publisher: DC Comics
Case 02: The Voice of the Tower–Part II As tensions rise between the inhabitants of Scarface Tower and the GCPD, Batman finds himself confronted by the tower’s immune system–an armed mob wearing the face of Scarface. With the puppet mastermind’s voice ringing through the building like the voice of God, Batman is confronted with a bizarre mystery…one which is further challenged by a startling and violent development.
Why It’s Cool: This is yet another book bringing S-tier artwork — by Hayden Sherman and Triona Farrell — to this list of Top Comics to Buy for April 9. I’ve heaped praise on this book ahead of every issue, and I’m happy to say that I regret none of it: this book is actually getting better as it goes. Not only does it look great, but Dan Watters is penning a moody, odd-in-a-good-way Batman story that goes well beyond the usual set of familiar villians. This book is essential reading for Bat-fans.
Price: $4.99

G.I. Joe – A Real American Hero – Silent Missions – Jinx
Writer: Dan Watters
Artist: Dani
Colorist: Brad Simpson
Publisher: Image Comics – Skybound
The face of comic books changed forever when G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #21 introduced fans to the “Silent Interlude,” an action-packed story with no dialogue. Now, in a standalone silent issue, the chart-topping team of Dani (Arkham City: The Order of the World) and Dan Watters (Destro) puts the iconic G.I. Joe ninja Jinx in the most dangerous mission of her life. She has 20 seconds-and 20 pages of real-time action-to escape a Cobra base on snowy mountain of death.
Why It’s Cool: I’m loving this month’s series of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero silent one-shots, wherein some of the best artists in comics pay homage to the classic G.I. Joe #21 silent issue. This week we get Dani (with colors by Brad Simpson and a script by Dan Watters) focusing on Jinx. This issue looks great (this art team never disappoints), and it also has a cool real-time plot construction. This is a fun series for casual readers and an absolutely essentially one for comics craft sickos.
Price: $3.99

Phantom Road #11
Writer: Jeff Lemire
Artist: Gabriel H. Walta
Colorist: Jordie Bellaire
Letterer: Steve Wands
Publisher: Image Comics
Back in 1997, Theresa Weaver’s father, Agent Donald Weaver, was called out to Wisconsin to investigate a case connected to Project Jackknife. Partnered with the unconventional Agent Jimmy Harold, Weaver discovers a trail of gruesome clues that will uncover the connections between the mysterious leylines, the Billy Bear truck stops, and the hideous roadside murders.
Why It’s Cool: Phantom Road, a moody Twin Peaks-highway horror comic, is back this week with a new arc, and it’s a stunner. In fact Phantom Road #11 might be my favorite issue of this series since the debut, revealing as it does much more about what’s going on while grounding us in the story of a new character charged with investigating it.
Price: $3.99