Welcome back to our latest edition of the Best Comic Books of the Month! This time I’ve put together my list of the ten best comic books for the month of May 2024. This wasn’t an easy decision as this list could easily have doubled the number of titles that could’ve been selected. After a great amount of deliberation, I’ve put together the ten titles that were released as the best comic books in May 2024.
AIN’T NO GRAVE #1
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Skottie Young
Artist: Jorge Corona
Colorist: Jean-Francois Beaulieu
Letterer: Nate Piekos
Right out of the gate the mission statement of Ain’t No Grave was established. The entire issue is organically built around the main character, Ryder. Whether it’s the things she does or are done to her. It all shapes the way we learn how Ain’t No Grave world operates from the perspective of Ryder. #1 is a great example of how you build a world around a character. That all helps the western setting that we are all so familiar with feel unique because of how Skottie Young and Jorge Corona present Ain’t No Grave’s world. The world building made all the twist and turns leave you highly looking forward to what will happen next.
AVENGERS: TWILIGHT #6
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Chip Zdarsky
Artist: Daniel Acuña
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Avengers: Twilight #6 concluded what is easily one of the best Avengers stories of the last decade. Chip Zdarsky and Daniel Acuña maintained a high level of importance to the final battle the Avengers were having against Red Skull. Even though you go in expecting the Avengers to win the way Zdarsky and Acuña paced the story you couldn’t help but be lost in the story itself. All of the choreography was on point to make you wonder who would survive. This made the surprise appearances and decisions made to hit even harder. It all ultimately ends in a place with Avengers: Twilight creating a cool, new universe within the Marvel Multiverse.
BATMAN #147
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Chip Zdarsky
Artist: Jorge Jiménez
Colorist: Tomeu Morey
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
When Chip Zdarsky is at his best there are few writers that can match his level of story delivery. Batman #147 maximizes the page count to get over how Bruce Wayne and Zur-En-Arrh are in two very different spots. With Batman of Zur-En-Arrh the villain comes across as the biggest bad in the DC Universe right now with everything it does. That is seen with the connection to Batman of Zur-En-Arrh plot and the upcoming Absolute Power event. But it is what Batman of Zur-En-Arrh does to Damian Wayne drives home how next level villain he is. That all builds nicely into what Bruce’s journey back to Gotham City is shown to be. Who shows up to help Bruce created even more hype to see how things will go down next in the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh Saga.
Click here to read full review.
BLOW AWAY #2
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Zac Thompson
Artist: Nicola Izzo
Colorist: Francesco Segala
Letterer: DC Hopkins
Zac Thompson and Nicola Izzo have nailed how to creating a movie-like experience out of a comic book with their Blow Away series. Blow Away #2 is a great example of that as you feel like an audience member the mystery series lead, Brynne Brautigan, has found themselves in the middle of. The additional characters introduced in this issue help build up the mystery around what happened with the two hikers Brynne witnessed fighting. The way all the interactions went put into question what Brynne and us as the audience saw in the first issue. Which created greater tension for the way the hook ending left things to be picked up in the next issue of Blow Away.
GREEN LANTERN #11
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Jeremy Adams
Artist: Xermanico, Amancay Nauelpan, and Kevin Maguire
Colorist: Romulo Fajardo Jr. and Rosemary Cheetham
Letterer: Dave Sharpe
Green Lantern #11 is pure cosmic superhero fun. The impact to what Hal Jordan, Jo Mullein, and the other rebel Green Lanterns are doing keeps you on your toes. Every decision they make has a sense of urgency because one wrong move and it can all go south. That sense of danger proves how effective this storyline involving all the Lantern Corps being forcibly consolidated by the United Planets is. The new developments around Carol Ferris naturally adds a wild card element to this story. It all builds into a story that makes this Green Lantern series like a big event comic book.
THE IMMORTAL THOR #10
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Al Ewing
Artist: Carlos Magno
Colorist: Matthew Wilson
Letterer: Joe Sabino
The Immortal Thor #10 is a great example of how to make even the most chaotic comic book focused on progressing the main storyline of the series. The whole story of Thor fighting his in-universe comic book counterpart turned “real” was pure chaos. It’s a situation that both showed Thor as a badass fighter and how the villains used his greatest weakness. It is a balance that helps establish Enchantress, Minotaur, and Executioner put over as major threats. Their actions lead to an ending that turns Thor’s world upside down with what they appear to accomplish in turning the world against the God of Thunder.
MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS: THE RETURN #4
CREATIVE TEAM
Writers: Amy Jo Johnson and Matt Hotson
Artist: Nico Leon
Colorist: Dono Sanchez-Almara
Letterer: Ed Dukeshire
There isn’t a moment in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return #4 where the fan service is not felt. Through all the fan service Amy Jo Johnson, Matt Hotson, and Nico Leon create a finale, that like its preceding chapters, does a wonderful job at exploring the legacy of the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers team. From the battle between Olivia Hart and Selina Repulsa to the big return, there are so many moments that utilize legacy to create genuine character progression moments. It all leads to an ending where you can’t help but hope this isn’t the last time we visit the alternate timeline created by Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return.
Click here to read full review.
TITANS #11
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Tom Taylor
Artist: Lucas Meyer
Colorist: Adriano Lucas
Letterer: Wes Abbott
The Dark-Winged Queen direction for Raven is exactly what the character has been missing since the original Trigon storyline decades ago. Tom Taylor and Lucas Meyer have found something with this direction that has made Raven one of the most interesting characters in the DC Universe right now. Having the Dark-Winged Queen storyline told through the course of several one-shot style stories adds to this feeling like a saga. This made the introduction of a new antagonist in Titans #11 even more successful. Not only was the new antagonist given an interesting backstory and motivation to clash with the Titans but they also drove the corrupted Raven to make a possible game changing decision. It all led to the newest developments to help Dark-Winged Queen storyline reach its next level.
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: BLACK, WHITE, & GREEN #1
CREATIVE TEAM
Writers: Declan Shalvey, Dave Baker, Jesse Lonergan, Gigi Dutreix, Lorenzo Hall, Paulina Ganucheau
Artists: Declan Shalvey, Jesse Lonergan, Gigi Dutreix, and Paulina Ganucheau
Letterer: Nathan Widick
Each creative team that worked on a story in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Black, White & Green #1 shows how to maximize each page they are given. They are all able to tell a full story with their allotted page count that showcases the art of the comic book storytelling through a one-shot style. In the process we get multiple stories that exemplify what makes the characters and world of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle franchise special. The black, white, and green color palette added to how special this anthology comic book was.
TRANSFORMERS #8
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Daniel Warren Johnson
Artist: Jorge Corona
Colorist: Mike Spicer
Letterer: Rus Wooton
Daniel Warren Johnson understands readers will only take death and other tragic events as seriously as the creative does. Transformers #8 hammers home that importance with how the impact of what happened in the first story arc is carried by various characters. On the Autobots side, Arcee and Carly stole the show with the connection they build through their respective experiences. Meanwhile, on the Decepticons side, Soundwave brutal approach to operating as a leader makes the villainous group even bigger threats than they were in the first arc. It all comes together to show why this Transformers series is one of the best comic books being published right now.
Click here to read full review.
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