Superheroes new and old headline the week

This week’s Top Comics to Buy for May 17 is a nice mix. There’s a creator-owned horror comic, a new series from IDW originals, the return of a classic superhero comics title as well as the debut of a new superhero team. On top of that, there’s a new character debuting in the Hellboy Universe — so, yes, there’s quite a bit going on. And you can find our all our top picks, along with the usual lists, below…enjoy!

Top Comics to Buy for May 17, 2023

Batman: The Brave and The Bold #1
Writers: Tom King, Ed Brisson, Christopher Cantwell, Dan Mora
Artists: Mitch Gerads, Jeff Spokes, Javier Rodriguez, Dan Mora
Colorists: Gerads, Spokes, Rodriguez, Mora
Letterers: Clayton Cowles, Saida Temofonte, Simon Bowland, Tom Napolitano
Publisher: DC Comics
Tom King and Mitch Gerads reunite for a horrifying four-part retelling of the first bloody clash between The Joker and the Batman. A tale of loathing, lies, and laughter, this may be the most frightening Joker story in a generation. Everyone is going to be shocked. Everyone is going to be talking about it. The Justice League may be gone, but its enemies aren’t. Who’ll protect the world from the worst of the worst? Ed Brisson and Jeff Spokes pick up the story started in the Wildstorm 30th Anniversary Special as Director Bones and his new covert StormWatch team travel the globe on black-ops missions to take super-powered weapons of mass destruction off the board. But this is StormWatch, and as always, not all is as it seems. Down with the Kings starts here! Superstar artist Dan Mora makes his writing debut kicking off a new series of Batman Black & White short stories. In a Gotham City overrun by the cybernetic henchmen of The Joker, the only person who can save us is the mysterious motorcycle-riding, bat-costumed hero of urban legend… In The Order of the Black Lamp-Part I, from writer Christopher Cantwell and artist Javier Rodriguez, Superman finds a decoder ring with a secret message- Save me -which sends him on a quest to solve a mystery with ties to the Man of Steel’s past.
Why It’s Cool: The four collected stories in this book are all strong, armed with top tier creators doing bold work. Some are new concepts, while others pick up plot threads that have been left elsewhere — but they’re all uniformly excellent, featuring some of DC’s biggest and most interesting characters, from Batman to Superman to even Stormwatch. Readers who keep up with the wider DC Universe really need to pick this one up.
Price: $7.99

Dark Ride #6
Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artist: Andrei Bressan
Colorist: Adriano Lucas
Letterer: Pat Brosseau
Publisher: Image Comics – Skybound
Halloween makes her move to become the killer queen of Devil Land and gives the park-loving fiends exactly what they crave.
Why It’s Cool: Because this is the issue where we learn that the horror theme park at the center of this one has a ride called Tunnel of Lovecraft, but moreover this issue continues to ratchet up the family drama within great horror storytelling, complete with an aging axe-wielding maniac in a very gross situation (that I won’t spoil here). Any and all horror fans really should be reading this one if they aren’t already.
Price: $3.99

Dark Spaces: Good Deeds #1
Writer: Che Grayson
Artist: Kelsey Ramsay
Colorist: Ronda Pattison
Letterer: Shawn Lee
Publisher: IDW Publishing
In search of a fresh start, teenager Cheyenne Collins and her mother, Rebecca, move to St. Augustine, Florida, where they cross paths with Jean McKnight, a disgraced big-city journalist determined to pay her dues and rebuild her career, starting with a fluff piece on the town’s upcoming 450th anniversary celebration.
When the quaint community’s festivities give way to bloodshed and Cheyenne is the sole witness, Jean begins an investigation and the women find themselves at the heart of a supernatural conspiracy linked to St. Augustine’s colonial past. Together, they vow to expose the town’s historical sins, but the deeper Jean digs, the less clear it becomes: Who is Cheyenne Collins, and when does a quest for truth become a thirst for vengeance?
Why It’s Cool: This is a complex comic in the best way, a book that juggles multiple interesting characters as they start moving closer to each other. Like the Scott Snyder, Hayden Sherman book that kicked off the Dark Spaces series, this is a grounded book that is no less compelling for it, using great characters and an ominous tone to capture readers.
Price: $3.99

Miss Truesdale and the Fall of Hyperborea #1
Writer: Mike Mignola
Artist: Jesse Lonergan
Letterer: Clem Robins
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
One of the last followers of a failing Heliopic Brotherhood of Ra, the unassuming Miss Truesdale, finds herself on the receiving end of Brotherhood leader Tefnut Trionus’s final vision. Connecting her life in Victorian London to a young gladiator’s in ancient Hyperborea, Truesdale discovers she now has the chance to change the future by altering the bygone past.
Why It’s Cool: This new series in the Hellboy Universe is illustrated by Jesse Lonergan, who has been doing absolutely great storytelling work in comics for some time. The fit with Lonergan’s art, Mignola’s script, and the Hellboy Universe is a natural one, and this first issue comic — featuring a new Hellboy Universe character is fantastic, an easy addition to our Top Comics to Buy for May 17.
Price: $3.99

The Vigil #1
Writer: Ram V.
Artist: Lalit Kumar Sharma
Colorist: Rain Beredo
Letterer: Dave Sharpe
Publisher: DC Comics
/…/ /Who Are The Vigil? The shipping vessel Eastwind was taken captive by pirates off the coast of Thailand. 24 hours after the crew had been taken hostage, before communications had been established or any demands made, the crew reported an intervention by a group of unknown individuals. Amid other bizarre claims by the crew, are reports of an individual who changed his appearance at will and a woman who seemingly dodged bullets. Once the pirates were taken out, no attempts were made at rescuing the crew. There have long been rumors rogue metahumans targeting weaponized illegal technology. With some hinting that they call themselves The Vigil. What were they after? Why did they intervene? Are there metas among us? Stay tuned for more/ /…/ /you are being watched./
Why It’s Cool: I’ve read my share of new superhero concepts in my time in comics, and this one feels like it might have legs. It’s basically a perfectly-crafted superhero team concept. Each character has interesting and fresh powers (not an easy thing to do), and the overarching concept has several compelling qualities. Plus, the writing is great and the art is fantastic. Do yourself a favor and take a chance on this one, an easy pick for the Top Comics to Buy for May 17.
Price: $3.99