Rob's Picks:

Absolute Batman #1 - Scott Snyder shakes up the Batman mythos for DC’s Absolute line, offering a fresh take on the familiar. Gotham City remains a place besieged by crime, where beleaguered public servant Jim Gordon fights a losing battle against a gang of masked killers. Bruce Wayne is still a man whose trauma fuels a lifelong quest for justice, but what differentiates Absolute Batman lies in the details. This Bruce is just as intelligent and capable but lacks the resources of Millionaire Bruce Wayne™—no mansion, no butler, no cave. Just two fists and an array of handcrafted gadgets. There are some twists on Batman's signature gear, with the cape receiving some very cool upgrades. Nick Dragotta gives Batman a hulking frame that Frank Miller would approve of while also capturing his speed and agility in combat. Our first taste of this Batman in action is a thrilling slugfest with some surprisingly brutal moments. To say more would spoil the surprise; you need to see how this new constellation of characters has been reordered.

Blade: Red Band #1 - The Daywalker returns in an extra-bloody new series. Following the world-shaking events of Bloodhunt, Blade has retreated from society, wrestling with his guilt in solitude. The vampire god Varnae has shattered the order of the supernatural world, leading new factions to emerge from the chaos. One such group calls on Blade to eliminate a new vampiric threat, but after being possessed by Varnae, he’s not eager to become anyone's weapon. Writer Bryan Hill (Ultimate Black Panther) made the last Blade series one of the best runs in the character's history, and it’s clear from this first issue that he’s aiming even higher with this limited run. The Red Band treatment gives artist Carlos Fabian Villa the chance to add a sharper edge to the action and horror-inspired grotesquerie, and it will be interesting to see just how far this team pushes the envelope.

Sentinels #1 - Few things in the X-Men universe are as iconic as the Sentinels, the giant robotic enforcers of mutant oppression. They continue to exist in the post-Krakoa era, but now Lawrence Trask—the mutant son of their original inventor—commands them. Still working with the government to maintain the divide between humans and mutants, Trask doesn’t see himself as a hypocrite but rather as someone willing to play the villain to prevent both sides from destroying each other. To this end, he has abandoned the traditional giant robots, experimenting instead with merging Sentinel tech with human bodies. The strengths and weaknesses of this merger are revealed when a new squad of cyborgs is deployed against the deadly Omega Red. The new X-books have been arriving quickly, and it seems like each creative team is on a mission to outdo the others each week. This book almost feels like a companion to the new X-Factor, offering a thoughtful story about the intersection of power, privilege, and politics—alongside plenty of explosive action.

Solomon's Picks:

Absolute Batman #1 - The brand-new take on Batman by Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta arrived this week, and it’s phenomenal! This is DC’s first attempt at something akin to Marvel’s Ultimate Universe, and let me be the first to say: They nailed it. I was initially hesitant, as too often teams promise "something you haven’t seen before" only to deliver the same old story. However, with this Absolute take, it genuinely felt like a breath of fresh air, and I was amazed at how new these characters felt. Alfred and Bruce are the central focus of this issue, and trust me—you will love Alfred in this book. The story leans heavily into his military background, creating a dynamic between the two that is extremely interesting. We've only been "introduced" to a handful of characters, but the changes are drastic, and I guarantee you’ve never read a Batman book like this. Bruce Wayne is possibly the only character who feels somewhat the same, but due to the significant changes in his origin and the reimagining of other characters, the story has room to explore Bruce from a fresh angle.

Seance In The Asylum #1 - A promising debut from Clay Mcleod Chapman and Leonardo Marcello Grassi! Set in the late 1800s, the story follows famed spirit medium Ms. Wilkinson, who is hired by Dr. Templeton to test his theories on mental health and the supernatural. With the setting being an asylum, you might expect typical tropes, but this creative team avoids the cliché of “mentally ill people are scary.” Instead, they let the supernatural elements carry the horror. The story seems poised to explore themes of doubt and guilt, mainly through the main character, though I hope that the named patients will also have their stories explored in depth. The snippets we get about them are intriguing and worth further exploration. Grassi’s art is wonderful, and the blocky style enhances the book’s eerie tone and atmosphere. I'm definitely interested to see where this story leads, as the first issue did an excellent job of keeping my attention. Pick it up today!

Blade #1 - Blade returns with another solo run, and it’s shaping up to be a great one with this extra-bloody debut! The story finds Blade purposefully isolated in a forest on Lupui Island after the events of Blood Hunt. He’s content with his solitude until a representative of The Spellguard, a new magical order, arrives to request his aid. Blade reluctantly agrees and finds himself in a strange temple, where he learns about the cruel new magic discovered by a small sect of vampires. The pacing in this book is fantastic—there wasn’t a moment where I found myself bored. My favorite part was definitely the fight sequence near the end, which lived up to the “bloody” promises implied by the Red Band label. Blade has had an excellent year so far, and this book keeps the momentum going. Definitely give this one a grab today!