Yes, this is technically week 7 of quarantine reading, so let’s see what books we have on the docket this time. And if you aren’t doing a “quarantine” reading, we hope it’s because you’re an essential worker and need to be out and about. If that’s the case, we wish you good health and safety in these times. Anyways, on to the books!
DC One Million
(w) Grant Morrison, various (a) Val Semeiks, various
Is picking an event controversial, especially after recently lamenting modern events with excessive tie-ins? Probably, but that does not change the fact that DC One Million is an achievement, and arguably DC’s greatest event of the modern era. Not only does it lay the foundation for ideas that can be found in Morrison’s latter works (All Star Superman, Final Crisis, The Multiversity), but the story itself is just pure, superhero fun that makes for a worthy extension of the writer’s acclaimed JLA. Val Semeiks does a serviceable job on the core miniseries’ art, providing enough bombastic visuals and expressive characterizations to effectively bring Morrison’s scripts to life. But things really get interesting when you dive into the tie-ins, featuring less mainstream titles such as James Robinson’s Starman or Abnett and Lanning’s Resurrection Man, both of which offer a taste of DC’s willingness to experiment with cape comic tropes. — Dan Gehen
Invincible
(w) Robert Kirkman (a) Cory Walker, Ryan Ottley
So, I originally was going to say Amazing Spider-Man: Maximum Carnage for this week, but that changed. Once I started reading it on Sunday I was having so much fun that I couldn’t put it down. That in mind, I’ve always wanted to read Invincible. Back in February I read the first 13 issues and enjoyed it quite a lot. But, for some reason, I never carried on. I have all three compendiums as I got them dirt cheap a few months back from Amazon deals. I should really start reading more of my backlog! Nonetheless, I’ve heard great things about the series, and it seems like one plenty of people recommend. — Jason Jeffords Jr
Postal
(w) Matt Hawkins, Bryan Hill (a) Isaac Goodhardt (c) K. Michael Russell
What if criminals were sentenced to live out their days in a self-regulating town in the middle of nowhere? The result is Postal, the crown jewel of Top Cow’s “Edenverse” alongside Think Tank and The Tithe. Following Mark, the son of the town’s ruthless leader, Postal weaves mystery and intrigue with hyper-violence. Matt Hawkins and Bryan Hill’s writing is excellent, which is wonderfully brought to life by Isaac Goodhardt and K. Michael Russell. While the series has seen a second life in the pages of the ongoing Postal: Deliverance, the original series runs a solid 25 issues and was recently released in an omnibus format, but not one of those insanely oversized omnibuses that are uncomfortable to read. Or you could pick up the trades. Or buy it digitally. Or if you have a library card, you might be able to “borrow” it digitally through Hoopla or similar services. — Dan Gehen
Other Books
DC has some new books coming out for Cinco de Mayo, so let’s highlight a couple worth checking out.
- The Flash #753
- The Green Lantern: Season 2 #3