Welcome back to a new edition of the Best Comic Books of the month for 2024. August was packed with comic books kept up the industry’s hot year going through the summer. It certainly made deciding on the best comic books for the month even harder as there were so many to choose from. But finally after much deliberation I was able to put together what I found to be the best comic books for the month of August from my pull list. Find out what they were below.
ABSOLUTE POWER #2
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Mark Waid
Artist: Dan Mora
Colorist: Alejandro Sánchez
Letterer: Ariana Maher
Big events are about delivering moments and Absolute Power #2 nails that from beginning to end. Whether it’s Nightwing stepping up as the DC Universe heroes leader, Superboy turn as Amanda Waller hero-hunting android, or Dreamers save the day, this comic book is filled with hype moments. Along with all these big moments Mark Waid and Dan Mora deliver strong character progression for many characters including Batman and Superman. This character progress leads to the action once Brainiac Queen finds our heroes to be even more impactful. With all that Waid and Mora are certainly on the path of making Absolute Power one of DC Comics best modern day stories.
Click here to read full review.
ALIENS VS AVENGERS #1
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Jonathan Hickman
Artist: Esad Ribić
Colorist: Ive Svorcina
Letterer: Cory Petit
Aliens vs Avengers #1 is a comic book that I did not initially pick up the day it released. It wasn’t until the next day on recommendations that I checked out the first issue of this crossover. And boy am I glad I did pick up Aliens vs Avengers #1. This comic book fully taps into the potential of what this crossover can be. Right away Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribić nail bringing the horror tone of the Aliens into the Marvel Universe. The sense of dread that comes with the Xenomorph invasion felt very real. You really feel for how unprepared the Marvel Universe was for how game changing the Xenomorphs are. Placing this story in its own future version of the Marvel Universe added to the desperate place Marvel’s heroes are with how long they’ve been fighting the Xenomorph threat. It all led to one of the cooler Spider-Man moments we’ve had in years.
BLOW AWAY #5
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Zac Thompson
Artist: Nicola Izzo
Colorists: Francesco Segala and Gloria Martinelli
Letterer: DC Hopkins
Blow Away #5 delivers a strong conclusion to a mini-series that will be in contention for best comic book series of the year. Zac Thompson and Nicola Izzo do an excellent job at getting you right into experiencing the story through Brynne’s eyes. The time jump between the murder Brynne was trying to investigate to when she gets back home works well to frame what the narrative is in this finale. That narrative taps well into how we see so many try to use horrific events for personal gain. How Brynne combats that in her search for the truth made the conclusion rewarding for the ride Blow Away placed us on from the beginning.
Click here to read full review.
NIGHTWING #117
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Tom Taylor
Artist: Bruno Redondo
Inker: Caio Filipe
Colorist: Adriano Lucas
Letterer: Wes Abbott
Through this “Fallen Grayson” story arc Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo are testing Dick Grayson like never before. This culmination to their run, Taylor and Redondo are paying off all the character development with this final story arc. Nightwing #117, the penultimate issue to this story arc, is the best example of the great work Taylor and Redondo have done to elevate Dick Grayson’s character. By having him overcome his sudden fear of heights Dick Grayson makes discoveries that make him an even more interesting character. The way he turns this discovery as a strength to push him forward against Heartless creates greater excitement for finding out how Taylor and Redondo plan to wrap up their Nightwing creative run.
RED BEFORE BLACK #1
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Stephanie Phillips
Artist: Goran Sudžuka
Colorist: Ive Svorcina
Letterer: Tom Napolitano
Red Before Black #1 is an example of how important attention to every detail is to introducing readers to a new world. Stephanie Phillips and Goran Sudžuka bring us into a world that has had a lot of developments before we even opened Red Before Black #1. The way every character interacts with one another provides a lot of insight into what has happened. Their familiarity with those they interact with made the presentation of both Val and Leo as lead characters even more intriguing. Ones both Val and Leo meet you are fully invested once their cat and mouse game begins.
Click here to read full review.
SCARLETT #3
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Kelly Thompson
Artist: Marco Ferrari
Colorist: Lee Loughridge
Letterer: Rus Wooton
Scarlett #3 delivers exactly the payoff that the first two issues of this series have been building towards. Throughout the infiltration mission that Clan Arashikage assigns her to prove her loyalty Scarlett pull off moves that would make Ethan Hunt and John Wick jealous. In the process Marco Ferrari’s having a strong sense of action choreography is in full display throughout Scarlett #3. Kelly Thompson shows great trust in Ferrari’s artwork to be the driver of the story. It further drove home how much of a badass Scarlett is. This in turn leads to a hook ending that sets up many interesting possibilities for how this mini-series will end and set-up the upcoming GI JOE ongoing series.
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: BLACK, WHITE, & GREEN #4
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Lee Garbett, Chris Condon, Jeremy Holt, and Patrick Gleason
Artist: Lee Garbett, Carson Thorn, Sebastian Piriz, and Patrick Gleason
Letterer: Nathan Widick
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Black, White, & Green #4 showcases what makes anthology comic books so great. From exploring the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as legends or various adaptations across media, there is a lot of unique story possibilities this comic book taps into. It is to Lee Garbett, Chris Condon, Jeremy Holt, and Patrick Gleason credit as writers that they are able to capture the voices of the TMNT in their chosen story timeline/continuity. Then added int excellent detail Lee Garbett, Carson Thorn, Sebastian Piriz, and Gleason pay to bringing to the art style in utilizing the black, white, and green color palette makes this a must read for TMNT fans.
Click here to read full review.
TRANSFORMERS #11
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Daniel Warren Johnson
Artist: Jorge Corona
Colorist: Mike Spicer
Letterer: Rus Wooton
From the moment you open Transformers #11 you can’t help but be immersed in the story Daniel Warren Johnson and Jorge Corona create. There is an emotional intensity in the storytelling that is unlike any other comic book on the market. How that is carried from one issue to another is what makes Transformers #11 shine so much. You feel the momentum being carried into this issue. Everything said and done feeds well into the challenge Optimus Prime and the Autobots are having against the Shockwave-led Decepticons. It all leads to the investment in this story continuing to grow with each page you read.
Click here to read full review.
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #8
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Jonathan Hickman
Artist: Marco Checchetto
Colorist: Matthew Wilson
Letterer: Cory Petit
The appearance of Tony Stark in Ultimate Spider-Man #8 connects the series to the greater Ultimate Universe in such an interesting way. Jonathan Hickman and Marco Cecchetto utilize events going on in The Ultimates to give greater weight to the path Peter Parker and Harry Osborn are on. This opens up the way Ultimate Spider-Man can explore the world even more. That is something we immediately see in action with how the introduction to the Sinister Six is presented. Add that is with the continued show stealing appearance of the Parker Family chemistry, Ultimate Spider-Man #8 nails everything it does.
WOLVERINE: REVENGE #1
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Jonathan Hickman
Artist: Greg Capullo
Inker: Tim Townsend
Colorist: FCO Plascencia
Letterer: Cory Petit
There is no time wasted in making Wolverine: Revenge a must-read. Taking place in an alternate Marvel Universe that was sent into the dark ages after Magneto’s actions post-Asteroid M’s destruction made for such a cool setting. The sense of urgency as the classic Nick Fury recruits Wolverine, Captain America, and Winter Soldier for a world saving mission was handled well. How things are escalated by the villains that Wolverine and his allies face is executed in a brutally intriguing way. The spot Wolverine is left on gets you fully invested in what Logan will do after what the villains put him through.
Click here to read full review.
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