The first few weeks of my return to reading comics offered some pretty solid reads, but this week was the best yet.  A lot of really great titles that I managed to narrow down to a Top 10.  But it wasn’t easy.

Nevertheless here are MY Top 10 Comic Book Reads of the Week.  (My daily coronavirus-related news update appears at the bottom of this entry, if you’re interested).

#10. X-Ray Robot (Mike Allred, Laura Allred)

Max is a family man seeking a more interesting life. While conducting a new experiment at work, the fabric of his reality is torn before his eyes, and a robotic figure appears, claiming to be his 277-year-old self. The robot is able to ”X-Ray” multiple dimensions and battles a nihilistic entity from another dimension who wants to take all life to its ”Pre-Big Bang” status. Max and the robot embark on an interdimensional roadtrip through past and future to take down the ”Nihilist” and save the universe!

A pretty wacky sci-fi opener from the always atypical Mike Allred.  This one promises to be a lot of fun.

#9. The Red Mother (Jeremy Haun, Danny Luckert)

As Daisy works to unravel the secrets behind her fiance’s disappearance and her own horrifying visions, she is approached by the mysterious Leland Black, a too-charming entrepreneur with an intriguing proposition. As Daisy struggles to keep both feet in reality, Leland Black might be the tipping point… one way or another.

Jeremy Haun (The Beauty) excels at the type of creeping horror that gets under your skin.  An unnervingly suspenseful slow burn.

#8. Starship Down (Justin Giampaoli, Andrea Mutti, Vladimir Popov)

Mankind discovers its startling origin! A cultural anthropologist consults with US Naval Intelligence to investigate the discovery of an extraterrestrial ship buried under the ice for thousands of years in Siberia. The meddling Russians, Vatican officials, the international media spotlight, and her own insecurities all threaten her efforts to keep the fabric of society from crumbling.

Smart sci-fi with echoes of The Thing and The Arrival and an closing image that left me asking: “Wut?”

#7. Middlewest (Skottie Young, Jean-Francois Beaulieu, Jorge Corona)

Nicolas Raider’s operation is a reflection of the man himself: backbreaking work, ruthless kidnapping and mistreatment of children, the cruelty of the guards—all characteristic of and authorized by him. Everything will need to go precisely according to plan if Abel and his crew hope to make it out alive. 

It’s Cool Hand Luke meets Lord of the Flies amidst a fantasyland backdrop.

#6. Jimmy Olsen #9 (Matt Fraction, Steve Lieber, Nathan Fairbairn)

Jimmy and Jix are on the run, pursued by an intergalactic death force that wants to break up their marriage by any means necessary. If they succeed in offing Jimmy, their prince regent plans to marry Jix and unite their warring empires…but Jimmy Olsen’s still busy trying to solve his own murder! (Or rather, his decoy corpse’s murder.) It’s a typical day for Superman’s pal… 

This one gets the prize for the most off-the-wall entry of the week.  It’s a little DC of yore, a little James Bond, and a lot of Peanuts.  No, really.

#5. Guardians of the Galaxy #3 (Al Ewing, Juann Cabal, Belen Ortega, Chris Sprouse, Nina Vaqueva)

The Guardians saved the Galaxy – at great and terrible cost. And now, they have to break the news… to the Guardians. Four artists tell three stories of two bonds broken, one born again…and the birth of the West Spiral Arm Guardians!

If Al Ewing’s Guardians of the Galaxy run was a television series, I’d kill to work on it.

#4. Tartarus #2 (Johnnie Christmas, Jack Cole)

Tilde’s on the run from an empire. Klinzu has a date in a war zone. Their plan, a fiery escape to the most dangerous place in the galaxy: Tartarus.

Very intriguing character and world-building in this relatively new sci-fi entry.

#3. Spider-Woman #1 (Karla Pacheco, Pere Perez, Jung-Geun Yoon)

When the angry, irritable, and unwell Spider-Woman takes a simple security gig to help get back on her feet, she finds herself besieged by unknown forces out to destroy everything around her. What’s wrong with Jessica? Just how DID she get this job? And who are these violent lunatics who keep trying to blow her up? WHO CARES? Does Spider-Woman have someone to punch? THAT’S ALL THAT MATTERS.

Well, this was the surprise of the week.  Great humor.  And action, of course.

#2. Bang #2 (Matt Kindt, Wilfred Torres, Nayoung Kim)

A constant stream of terrorist attacks follows John Shaw, and the only thing that keeps him one step ahead is a collection of power-giving inhalers and a hatred of shoes. When he’s once again caught in the middle of a terrorist plot, Shaw finds that these random attacks may not be so random—and the fabric of reality may be at stake.

Mark Millar said it best:”‘Skip dinner and buy this book”

#1. DCeased: Unkillables #2 (Tom Taylor, Karl Mostert, Neil Edwards, Trevor Scott, Rex Lokus)

With the world ending around them, Red Hood and Batgirl take shelter in the most unlikely place: an orphanage full of children! Will they be able to protect the kids from the impending hordes of the infected streaming out of Gotham City and Blüdhaven? And elsewhere, Deathstroke, Vandal Savage, and some of DC’s worst villains battle the apocalypse out as an “Anti-Suicide Squad.” But a certain wondrous woman may not let them have it their own way!

It’s The Walking Dead meets, well, DC Comics – with a focus on the villains.  Win win win!

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