It’s only Wednesday, but it’s shaping up to be an awfully great week for comic book fans. What better way to get you excited for a new issue of Batman Eternal than with the dual reveals of the Batmobile and Ben Affleck as Batman in Batman vs. Superman? Valiant Comics also leveled up their variant cover game with some particularly crafty covers. And, to top it all off, we’ve got three pitch perfect picks for you this week to help make your pull list a thing of beauty. So, sit back, relax, and strap in because this Comic Book Day train ain’t stoppin’ for nobody.

Top Picks

Afterlife with Archie #5 | Archie Comics | Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Francesco Francavilla

Review by Dan Casey

Just when I start to feel zombie fatigue, a book like Afterlife with Archie comes along and makes the whole genre feel fresh (or, at the very least, raised from the dead) again. With issue #5, the first major arc of Afterlife with Archie, “Escape from Riverdale”, comes to a conclusion, but not before forcing our heroes to make a series of difficult decisions. Framed through a series of journal entries penned by Smithers, the Mr. Carson-like Lodge family butler, we jump back and forth between the ever-worsening present and choice memories from Smithers’ past – training as a butler under his father, rushing a pregnant Mrs. Lodge to the hospital, swearing an oath to put young Veronica’s interests and welfare above all else. It’s a simple and beautifully complicated relationship that serves as a nice, meditative counterpoint to the bursts of explosive action and mounting horror taking place just outside the Lodge compound.

Once again, Francesco Francavilla proves that he’s a living treasure with some of the best damn artwork you’ll see on store shelves. His style evokes pulp tales of yesteryear in all the right ways without coming off as stale or dated. Moody shadows and a palette awash with muted purples and oranges sets the tone for both the fuzzy warmth of nostalgic recollection and frantic fleeing from the undead. Francavilla’s style seems to be getting increasingly cinematic too. He pulls in close for tight shots on faces during tense conversations and places us just over Archie’s shoulder for some intense reveals in a way that makes us feel like we’re in the Lodge compound with them. Thank our lucky stars that we’re miles away from Jughead and his band of flesh-eating monsters.

One of the smartest things about Afterlife with Archie isn’t the novelty of bringing something as crazy as a zombie apocalypse to Riverdale, but rather the decision to deal with serious themes in a thoughtful, adult manner. Yes, the book is still rife with wry humor and hormone-charged teenage antics, but you get the palpable sense that this is a crucible of sorts through which the youthful denizens of Riverdale, especially Archie Andrews, are being forged into adults. Killing your own father with a baseball bat to protect your mother tends to have that effect on a person, after all. Whereas The Walking Dead occasionally seems to traffic in cheap thrills, each death and each difficult decision in Afterlife with Archie feels earned. A zombie kill is not a joyous occasion for fist-pumping; it is a former friend, a co-worker, a family member that they have to kill all over again. If you wanted some food for thought, Aguirre-Sacasa and Francavilla have delivered a veritable feast. All you have to do is turn the page.

Superman: Doomed #1 | DC Comics| Scott Lobdell, Charles Soule, Greg Pak, Ken Lashley

Review by Eric Diaz

Superman: Doomed #1 is the first chapter in an event set to play out over the course of the next month in the Superman family of titles, pitting Supes against the alien monster Doomsday, who killed him back in the day (or did he? I’m still not 100% sure if Superman died or not in the New 52. I’m leaning towards yes though.) In this new iteration of Doomsday, he’s not just some kind of giant brawler like he was before. Nope, this is a more dangerous and lethal version than before, and just his presence on Earth causes death and destruction. When he appears on Earth this time, he lands on a small island in the Bahamas, where just his being there burns away and eradicates all lifeforms near by, including thousands of people. It’s kind of a gnarly scene for a Superman book.

I was kind of expecting to not like this comic, frankly because I’ve always found Doomsday to be more of a gimmick than a character, going back to when he first killed Superman twenty years ago. but I found myself kind of liking this story. Writers Scott Lobdell, Charles Soule and Greg Pak are smart to utilize Doomsday as a catalyst for Superman to make some hard decisions about his own moral code. How can he not justify killing this thing when just its presence literally murders innocents? And when he tries another solution, and it fails, aren’t all those lives on his head now? A lot of the actions of this book seem to be a response from DC to the controversy over Superman killing Zod in last year’s Man of Steel. I think it’s cool for DC to acknowledge that there is a conversation to be had at least about Superman using lethal force.

The writing and plotting on this one is slightly haphazard, but it gets the job done in setting this whole event up. Less haphazard is the art by Ken Lashley, who is doing some fine work here. He’s an artist who has been around a while, but this is the best I’ve ever liked his art, even if it’s the 90’s Image throwback art that’s popular right now. While this isn’t the greatest or most original comic out right now, it’s worth a read, especially if you’re a Superman fan.

Quantum and Woody #10 | Valiant | James Asmus and Kano

Review by Charles Webb

It’s the break up we’ve been waiting for. Ever since the mismatched pair of adoptive brothers that make up Quantum and Woody started their run at pseudo-heroism Eric has taken it more seriously than Woody. Last issue saw Eric (the responsible one) attempt to get his brother on the straight and narrow in order to prove the latter could be trusted with his half of their father’s inheritance. That didn’t go so well, and now Woody’s about that criminal life again, hooking up with his very sketchy ex Jacklean, and strolling into the Smithsonian for a little magical grand larceny.

The heist ends up making this issue of Quantum and Woody a stealth Shadowman crossover (it’s a shared universe, after all) and Asmus plays with the supernatural corner of the Valiant U (I appreciate the clash of tones here between the normally ultra-serious supernatural Valiant U and the more freewheeling sci-fi side). It’s also the second act in the Quantum/Woody breakup which will, of course, be reversed at some point, but for the moment seeing the two of them finally getting all of that pent-up anger out is cathartic (Woody definitely needs a super powered smack).

On art, Kano strikes a great balance between exaggerated cartoon action and straight up super heroics – it’s a tricky balance, but Kano’s art sells the humor and the action. He also does “gross” pretty well (see the bit when the heist goes wrong for what I’m talking about). Is Kano handling the colors here too? Because those are pretty great as well.

Pull List

DARK HORSE COMICS

MAR140083 ABE SAPIEN #12 $3.50
JAN140164 ART OF PLANTS VS ZOMBIES HC $9.99
JAN140176 ART OF WOLFENSTEIN NEW ORDER HC $39.99
JAN140208 BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL TP VOL 29 BEYOND GOOD & EVIL (MR) $19.99
MAR140086 HELLBOY IN HELL #6 $2.99
JAN140125 HELLBOY IN HELL TP VOL 01 DESCENT $17.99
MAR140054 JACK KRAKEN ONE SHOT $3.99
JAN140171 MANDALA TP $24.99
JAN140204 SAMURAI EXECUTIONER OMNIBUS TP VOL 01 $19.99
MAR140026 STAR WARS #17 2013 ONGOING $2.99
FEB140057 TERMINATOR ENEMY OF MY ENEMY #3 $3.99
MAR140046 X #13 (MR) $2.99

DC COMICS

OCT130253 ABSOLUTE SUPERMAN BATMAN HC VOL 02 $99.99
MAR140199 ACTION COMICS #31 (DOOMED) $3.99
JAN140337 AQUAMAN HC VOL 04 DEATH OF A KING (N52) $24.99
FEB140252 AQUAMAN TP VOL 03 THRONE OF ATLANTIS (N52) $16.99
JAN140347 ARROW TP VOL 02 $16.99
FEB140257 AUTHORITY TP VOL 01 $19.99
MAR140222 BATGIRL #31 $2.99
MAR140209 BATMAN ETERNAL #6 $2.99
FEB140254 BATMAN LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT TP VOL 02 $14.99
FEB140285 COFFIN HILL TP VOL 01 FOREST OF THE NIGHT (MR) $9.99
MAR140188 CONSTANTINE #14 $2.99
MAR140262 DC COMICS PRESENTS THE DEMON DRIVEN OUT #1 $9.99
FEB140286 FABLES #140 (MR) $2.99
MAR140287 FBP FEDERAL BUREAU OF PHYSICS #10 (MR) $2.99
MAR140234 GREEN LANTERN CORPS #31 (UPRISING) $2.99
JAN140343 JSA OMNIBUS HC VOL 01 $125.00
MAR140172 JUSTICE LEAGUE UNITED #1 $3.99
MAR140174 JUSTICE LEAGUE UNITED #1 COMBO PACK $4.99
MAR140166 NEW 52 FUTURES END #2 $2.99
MAR140293 ROYALS MASTERS OF WAR #4 (MR) $2.99
MAR140279 SCOOBY DOO WHERE ARE YOU #45 $2.99
MAR140247 SMALLVILLE SEASON 11 LANTERN #2 $3.99
FEB140263 SPECTRE TP VOL 01 CRIMES AND JUDGEMENTS $19.99
MAR140203 SUPERBOY #31 $2.99
MAR140169 SUPERMAN DOOMED #1 (N52) $4.99
NOV130248 SUPERMAN MAN OF TOMORROW ARCHIVES HC VOL 03 $75.00
MAR140196 SUPERMAN WONDER WOMAN #8 (DOOMED) $3.99
MAR140198 SUPERMAN WONDER WOMAN #8 COMBO PACK (DOOMED) $4.99
MAR140193 WORLDS FINEST #23 $2.99

DC COMICS/DC COLLECTIBLES

NOV130284 DC COMICS DESIGNER SER 1 CAPULLO BATMAN AF $24.95
NOV130286 DC COMICS DESIGNER SER 1 CAPULLO NIGHTWING AF $24.95
NOV130287 DC COMICS DESIGNER SER 1 CAPULLO RIDDLER AF $24.95
NOV130285 DC COMICS DESIGNER SER 1 CAPULLO TALON AF $24.95

IDW PUBLISHING

MAR148128 24 #1 2ND PTG $3.99
MAR140384 BEN 10 TP VOL 01 $17.99
JAN140522 DEFINITIVE FLASH GORDON & JUNGLE JIM HC VOL 04 $75.00
MAR140409 GI JOE A REAL AMERICAN HERO #202 $3.99
DEC130371 JACK KIRBY NEW GODS ARTIST ED HC PI
MAR140431 JUDGE DREDD #19 $3.99
MAR140435 JUDGE DREDD (IDW) TP VOL 04 $17.99
FEB140425 JUDGE DREDD CLASSICS HC VOL 01 APOCALYPSE WAR $24.99
MAR140399 KILL SHAKESPEARE 100 PENNY PRESS ED $1.00
MAR140366 LOCKE & KEY HEAD GAMES 100 PENNY PRESS ED #1 $1.00
MAR140357 MARS ATTACKS FIRST BORN #1 $3.99
FEB140413 RED STAR TREASURY ED $9.99
MAR140429 ROGUE TROOPER CLASSICS #1 $3.99
MAR140371 STAR TREK ANNUAL 2013 2ND PTG $7.99
MAR140370 STAR TREK NEW VISIONS #1 MIRROR CRACKED $7.99
MAR140345 TMNT CLASSICS TP VOL 08 $19.99
MAR140337 TMNT NEW ANIMATED ADVENTURES #11 $3.99
MAR140418 TRANSFORMERS MORE THAN MEETS EYE #29 DAWN O/T AUTOBOTS $3.99
MAR140424 TRANSFORMERS REGENERATION ONE TP VOL 04 $19.99
MAR140449 WEIRD LOVE #1 $3.99
FEB140375 WRAITH WELCOME TO CHRISTMASLAND #6 $3.99

IMAGE COMICS

FEB140594 BOUNCE #12 (MR) $2.99
MAR140571 FIELD #2 (MR) $3.50
FEB140608 KRAMPUS #5 $2.99
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MAR140546 MANIFEST DESTINY TP VOL 01 $9.99
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MAR140582 MINIMUM WAGE #5 (MR) $3.50
MAR140596 SHUTTER #2 CVR A DEL DUCA (MR) $3.50
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MAR140606 STRAY BULLETS THE KILLERS #3 (MR) $3.50
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MAR140520 WALKING DEAD #127 (MR) $2.99

IMAGE COMICS/MCFARLANE TOYS

FEB140656 TMP MLB 2013 BOX RED SOX CHAMPIONSHIP AF 2PK PI

MARVEL COMICS

FEB140841 AGE OF ULTRON COMPANION TP $29.99
MAR140660 ALL NEW GHOST RIDER #3 ANMN $3.99
MAR140702 ALL NEW ULTIMATES #2 $3.99
MAR140734 ALL NEW X-MEN #27 $3.99
MAR140786 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #1.1 BY ROSS POSTER $8.99
FEB140856 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN TP PETER PARKER ONE AND ONLY $16.99
MAR140631 AVENGERS #29 SIN $4.99
MAR140690 AVENGERS UNDERCOVER #4 $2.99
MAR140706 CAPTAIN AMERICA #20 $3.99
MAR140709 CAPTAIN MARVEL #3 $3.99
MAR140663 DEADLY HANDS OF KUNG FU #1 ANMN $3.99
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MAR140718 IRON MAN #25 $3.99
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FEB148411 LOKI AGENT OF ASGARD #3 2ND PTG FRISON VAR ANMN $2.99
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FEB140854 MARVEL KNIGHTS X-MEN TP HAUNTED $16.99
MAR140727 MARVEL UNIVERSE AVENGERS ASSEMBLE #8 SYU $2.99
DEC130769 MMW DAREDEVIL HC VOL 08 $69.99
FEB148413 MOON KNIGHT #2 2ND PTG SHALVEY VAR ANMN $3.99
MAR140691 NEW AVENGERS #18 ANMN $3.99
MAR140667 NIGHTCRAWLER #2 ANMN $3.99
MAR140669 SECRET AVENGERS #3 ANMN $3.99
FEB140857 SHE-HULK BY SLOTT TP VOL 02 COMPLETE COLLECTION $34.99
FEB140850 TWELVE TP COMPLETE SERIES $29.99
MAR140750 UNITED STATES OF MURDER INC #1 (MR) $3.99
MAR140742 WOLVERINE #6 $3.99
MAR140733 X-FORCE #5 $3.99
MAR140787 X-MEN MARVEL 75TH ANNIV BY ROSS POSTER $8.99

COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS

MAR141453 07 GHOST GN VOL 10 $9.99
MAR140933 ACCELERATORS #6 (MR) $3.99
MAR140997 ADVENTURE TIME CANDY CAPERS TP VOL 01 $19.99
JAN141018 ADVENTURE TIME MATHEMATICAL ED HC VOL 01 ECCC EXC $49.99
JAN140865 AFTERLIFE WITH ARCHIE #5 REG FRANCAVILLA CVR $2.99
FEB141425 ALICE I/T COUNTRY OF HEARTS LOVE LABYRINTH OF THORNS GN (MR) $13.99
MAR141195 ANDRE THE GIANT LIFE & LEGEND GN $17.99
FEB141484 ARCHER & ARMSTRONG DLX HC VOL 01 $39.99
FEB140924 ARCHIE #655 REG CVR $2.99
FEB140928 ARCHIE 1000 PG COMICS BONANZA TP $14.99
MAR141120 ASH & THE ARMY OF DARKNESS #7 $3.99
MAR141121 ASH & THE ARMY OF DARKNESS #7 EXC SUBSCRIPTION CVR $3.99
MAR141299 AUTEUR #3 (MR) $3.99
NOV138196 BAD ASS #1 BLANK AUTHENTIX ED (MR) $3.99
MAR141343 BAD DREAMS #2 $3.50
MAR140984 BEE AND PUPPYCAT #1 $3.99
MAR141211 BIG NATE MR POPULARITY TP $9.99
MAR141417 BLOODSHOT & HARD CORPS #22 CVR A LAROSA $3.99
MAR141418 BLOODSHOT & HARD CORPS #22 CVR B DE LA TORRE $3.99
FEB141435 BURNE HOGARTH TARZAN HC VOL 01 IN THE CITY OF GOLD $39.95
MAR140889 CALIBAN #2 DARK MATTER CVR (MR) $9.99
DEC130822 CAVEWOMAN KARNIVAL ONE SHOT $3.75
JAN140847 CAVEWOMAN KARNIVAL ONE SHOT ROOT SP ED PI
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DEC131234 COURTNEY CRUMRIN SPEC ED HC VOL 05 $24.99
OCT138243 CRYPTOZOIC MAN #2 2ND PTG $3.99
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MAR148140 CRYPTOZOIC MAN #4 2ND PTG $3.99
FEB141111 DARWINS DIARIES GN VOL 01 EYE OF CELTS $13.95
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FEB141062 DECEIVERS #5 $3.99
DEC131141 DF NIGHT OF LIVING DEADPOOL #1 CULLEN BUNN SGN $19.91
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MAR141514 GFT DARK ONE AGE OF DARKNESS A CVR KITSON $5.99
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MAR140818 GOLD DIGGER TECH MANUAL TP $19.99
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MAR141344 HAUNTED #2 $3.50
MAR140999 HEROBEAR AND KID TP VOL 01 INHERITANCE $19.99
FEB141114 IZNOGOUD GN VOL 06 MAGIC CARPET $11.95
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JAN140875 KEVIN KELLER #13 REG CVR $2.99
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FEB140869 KYLE BAKER NAT TURNER SC NEW PTG (NOTE PRICE) $17.95
FEB141116 LAMENT OF THE LOST MOORS GN VOL 02 BLACKMORE $15.95
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MAR141284 LEGO LEGENDS OF CHIMA HC VOL 01 HIGH RISK $12.99
FEB140934 LIFE WITH ARCHIE #35 REG CVR $3.99
MAR140982 LUMBERJANES #2 $3.99
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FEB141118 PANDORA BOX GN VOL 03 GLUTTONY (MR) $11.95
JAN141264 POWER LUNCH HC VOL 02 $12.99
OCT130796 PRINCELESS SHORT STORIES TP VOL 01 $11.99
MAR141420 QUANTUM & WOODY #10 CVR A KANO $3.99
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MAR140960 RETURNING #3 $3.99
FEB148415 ROY CRANE BUZ SAWYER HC VOL 03 TYPHOONS HONEYMOONS $39.99
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MAR140962 SONS OF ANARCHY #9 (MR) $3.99
MAR141024 SPACE MOUNTAIN GN $12.99
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MAR141196 THIS ONE SUMMER GN $17.99
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JAN140855 ZOMBIE FAIRY TALES DEADLANDS ONE SHOT $3.99

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What’s on your pull list this week? Let us know in the comments below.