Each and every week, I, “Wing Zero” Henchman21, and “Deathscythe Hell Custom” Empress Eve read a lot of comics. Seriously you guys, a lot of comics. Maybe too many comics. I mean, it is possible”¦ theoretically. Naturally, we look forward to some more than others. I mean, who doesn’t? So, let’s take a look into the depths of our pull lists, grab some comics, and we’ll let YOU know what the top books to look forward to are for the week of July 17, 2013. Single issues and trades, they’re all here.

The prodigal son, MK2Fac3, returns for this week’s installment, and surprise! – he’s talking about Batman. Plus, the Empress and I make our journey out to San Diego for a certain comic convention. As it happens, it looks like it’s a DC heavy week this time, because there are a ton of awesome comics from them this week and very few of them deal with Pandora or Trinities or anything like that. And, don’t forget Red Sonja #1 by Gail Simone, which we’re all looking forward to. There’s going to be plenty of comic news coming out of the convention, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have time for The GoD List!

Henchman 21

Savage Wolverine #7 (Marvel Comics – $3.99) Remember when Zeb Wells and Joe Madureira teamed up for the first arc of Avenging Spider-Man? Well, they’re back together to work on the second arc of Savage Wolverine, which may or may not have been envisioned as the second arc of Avenging Spider-Man. In the issue, Wolverine teams up with Elektra to stab the crap out of some stuff. Wells and Madureira have proven to be a good team in the past, and we know that Joe Mad is only good for a certain number of issues a year, so if you want to see his art, this will be your chance.

Justice League Of Americas Vibe #6 (DC Comics – $2.99) Yeah, so this is one of the last DC books that I’m still buying. Why? Because it’s awesome and it’s set in Detroit. That’s pretty much all I need. Is this the best book DC is releasing? Probably not, but it is fun to see new hero Vibe get caught up in multi-dimensional espionage and intrigue. There’s not nearly enough dancing for my tastes, but eh, beggars can’t be choosers.

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe #4 (DC Comics – $2.99) Why should you buy this? Because it’s awesome, that’s why. It’s He-Man and crew verses Despara and her horde of evil. Who will win? I’m gonna guess He-Man, but you never know. This is He-Man, not rocket science, what do you think’s going to happen? This is all about the execution by Keith Giffen and Pop Mhan, which has been awesome so far. DC has done a lot of good with the Masters of the Universe license so far, so don’t miss out what they’ve been doing.

MK2Fac3

Batman ’66 #1 (DC Comics – $3.99) Jeff Parker and Jonathan Case are doing something that I never thought I’d see as a comic book fan by bringing the 1966 Batman TV series back to life. Now, there are several reasons why I thought I’d never see this happen including the fact that DC Comics, over the past several years/decades, has seemingly done everything in their power to distance themselves from everything that had to do with kitschy, campy fun in comics and the era that embodied that attitude was the 1960s with the dominance of the silver age of comics and Batmania that was running rampant during the decade thanks in no small part to the absolutely ridiculously amazing television series starring Adam West and Burt Ward as Batman and Robin, respectively. The show didn’t take itself seriously, and the Batman ’66 comic does a wonderful job of showcasing the attitude that the television program so amazingly produced. This is a digital first comic, which has already seen the first two issues come out, which are reproduced in this physical copy, and having already read them, I can tell you that Batman ’66 is perfect. Everything I loved about the show is here in the pages, but the modern sensibility from the creators definitely doesn’t leave you feeling like you read something from almost 60 years ago, so it’s a perfect marriage of the humor and fun of the 1966 television series and a modern day comic book. There are a lot of small parts that will leave fans and non-fans of the show laughing, but you are also connected and interested with the story. There’s even a small cameo from a certain horror icon that sets a path for a future storyline, and if that happens, I see no way this comic book could ever be beaten in awesomeness. You have to check this out either physically, or digitally. Digitally, the book is $.99 cents, so you know, no excuses. I love this comic, and I will definitely be reading it for its duration.

Thanos Rising #4 (of 5) (Marvel – $3.99) Turning to the completely opposite side of the spectrum, there’s Thanos Rising from Jason Aaron and Simone Bianchi. The solicitation for this comic book says it all, “Thanos kills a lot of people.” While comic books centering around villains have always had a certain blandness to them in part to the writers making the characters sympathetic or relatable, the end result is that most readers just don’t care. You’re given a double-edged sword when this happens, because if the villain is too sympathetic, you end up rooting for the bad guy, and if you don’t, no one will want to read a comic about a character they don’t care about. Jason Aaron has seemingly bypassed this downfall, however, by creating a comic about a truly evil character that has been somewhat sympathetic due to his previous appearances. By making Thanos a reluctant murderer when his destiny all along was to be a monster, it’s added a layer to the character that makes the book interesting, but the book never strays from the message than Thanos, at his core, is an evil monster. It’s shown throughout the series and especially in the absentee father role in which Thanos has been placed by Aaron. The character is evil, and in the last pages of issue #3, we get to see just how evil and the character that is making him realize his monstrous birthright. It’s exciting and refreshing to see such a well thought out comic with a villain as the main character. Jason Aaron is making a case for one of the most interesting comics being published this year, and he’s being helped along beautifully by Simone Bianchi.

Red Sonja #1 (Dynamite – $3.99) I love Gail Simone. I think she’s one of the best writers in the history of comics, and if you don’t agree with me, that’s fine, but I think she’s wonderful. I’ve only read a handful of Red Sonja comics in my lifetime, but the fact that Gail Simone, a writer that is by no accounts not a feminist, a writer who is in tune, most definitely, with the abhorrent nature of many comic book writers to take a female lead, put her into situations where her clothes get torn, get tied up, or whatever way to both sex up a character while making her seem like less than a hero or warrior should be. Gail Simone is very aware of that nature of comic book, and does everything in her power to combat and destroy that image in comic books, which I think is wonderful. For the longest time, I have felt whether rightly or wrongly that Red Sonja had that stigma attached to it, which honestly kept me away from the book. So, the fact that Gail Simone is coming on a book like this has piqued my interest and has lead me to think that Red Sonja by Gail Simone could possibly be the female lead answer to the incredible Conan the Barbarian from Brian Wood and Dark Horse. I’m very excited about this book, and based on the slew of announcements Dynamite has made in regards to writers of the caliber of James Robinson, Steve Niles, and many more, I’m incredibly excited about Dynamite’s future, as well. Let’s see where this all leads, because it looks like it’s leading to the some of the best years of Dynamite’s history.

Think Tank, Vol. 2 (Top Cow/Image – $14.99) Matt Hawkins, president of Top Cow, has teamed up Rashan Ekedal to produce a very high science, and intellectually stimulating book. I haven’t read the entirety of this series thus far, but it’s always been on my radar, and I’ve always been interested by the concept. As stated, the second volume comes out this week alongside the reprint of the first volume, so if you, like me, have been wanting to pick up this book, there’s not a better time than this week. And if, for some reason, you’re on the fence, make sure to check out the first issue for absolutely free – there’s no harm in that, right? If you like the series, support the creators and buy the collections, and if not, free comic book, right? No harm, no foul. Give it a shot. If you’re into science and big adventure, you’ll probably love it. And honestly, who’s not into that sort of thing?

Empress Eve

I’m writing this week’s picks straight from the comic book mecca – San Diego Comic-Con!!! Henchman21 and I, along with a bunch of the Doom Crew, are here to cover the Con, so be on the lookout here for our coverage all this week.

Red Sonja #1 (Dynamite – $3.99) This is an exciting time for fans of the She-devil with a Sword: Gail Simone, writer of such series as Wonder Woman, Birds of Prey, and Batgirl, is now the writer for a new ongoing series, simply titled Red Sonja, and it starts right at #1. Each issue will have several covers, all done by some of today’s best female artists, such as Amanda Conner (Power Girl) and Fiona Staples (Saga), which will make selecting a cover quite difficult since so far Red Sonja #1 has some great covers. I got an advanced copy of the issue and I can say wholeheartedly that it’s awesome. Over the years, I’ve checked out many Red Sonja series, but there’s something very cool about having a women write her now and a woman as talented as Gail Simone. This title will definitely be on my pull-list.

Colonized #4 (IDW – $3.99) The final issue of The Colonized, a zombies vs. tale, is finally here. Writer Chris Ryall and Drew Moss have taken us on a real fun ride so far, so I’m looking forward to finding out how it all ends.

Quick Picks

– Aphrodite IX #3
– B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth #109: Wasteland: Part 3
– Blood Brothers #1 (of 3)
– Hellraiser Dark Watch #6
– Star Trek Ongoing #23
– Artifacts #29

Recommendations from the Doom Crew

– Red Sonja #1: Comic fans, there’s never been a better time! A new number one, a new writer, a new artist, some cover artists that have never worked on the character before….WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!?! – PS Hayes [Review]

– Ehmm Theory #2: The illustrative team of [Larkin] Ford and [Jason] Strutz continue to shine. With defined features, dark shades of reds, yellows and browns; creepy looking monsters and heroes, the duo continue to pull me into the story with their imagery.] – Maximus Prime [Review]

– Invincible #104: Robert Kirkman and crew serve up a delightful course of relational quandaries topped off with cannibalistic Invincibles from other dimensions! – Maximus Prime [Review]