Paperback in Action

Venom and Hulk have been big hits In 2018, Marvel Comics managed to generate some buzz around two particular antiheroes by trying something a little different and long overdue. Both Venom and the Hulk were given fresh starts in the form of new first volumes and creative teams, each of which accentuated the horror elements of their respective titular characters. There's no doubt that both of these new series are good, but the question stands: which is Marvel's best horror comic? Art by Ryan Stegman and Frank Martin Venom: Rex by Donny Cates & Ryan Stegman "Something is...wrong with my symbiote.  For the first time in a long time...it...it scares me." You probably know at least the basic premise of Venom: Spider-Man-villain-turned-antihero made up of a disgraced journalist and an alien parasite. In the new series, writer Donny Cates decides that the relationship between Eddie Brock and his other has become a little too smooth, so he awakens an ancie...

Art by Jim Cheung and Laura Martin Since Justice League hit the silver screen in late 2017, fans have been campaigning for the 'Snyder cut': a supposedly sacred version of the film with more characters and a better story, directed solely by Zack Snyder. While Zack's magnum opus has yet to be uncovered, a Justice League story from another Snyder has recently hit the shelves - and it might be better than the hidden director's cut could ever be. Hot off the heels of Scott Snyder's world-shattering Metal and No Justice events, The Totality kicks off a new saga for the League full of high stakes, world building and character development. The first volume of the new Justice League comic book series pits a new iteration of the all-star team against their greatest foes when "the concentrated essence of the secret source of all things" lands on Earth. It's just as crazy as it sounds, and it's a lot of fun. Snyder introduces us to the Hall of Ju...

Art by Ivan Reis and Alex Sinclair Right now, the world of Spider-Man is being transformed by the incredible Into the Spider-Verse , starring Miles Morales. The new Kid Arachnid's creator, Brian Michael Bendis, recently wrapped up his 18-year-long Spidey saga and moved to DC Comics with aspirations of revolutionising the world's most iconic hero: Superman. Bendis' Superman run begins with The Man of Steel , inspired by the 1986 rebooted origin story of the same name. However, rather than flipping over the chess board entirely, Bendis shakes the table and places a few new pieces down for good measure. Over the course of the book's six chapters (plus material from Action Comics #1000 and DC Nation ), we are introduced to three key plot threads: a series of arson attacks in Metropolis, the disappearance of Clark's family and the arrival of a brand-new super-villain. Internal monologues highlight Clark's connection to Metropolis The main thing Bendis b...

Art by Francis Manapul In 2018, DC brought down the curtain on its Rebirth line of comics with Dark Nights: Metal , an epic event book that ended with the destruction and reconstruction of the universe itself. Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV and Joshua Williamson (the brains behind the   event) followed this up with No Justice , a four-part miniseries addressing the current state of the DCU. This might all sound a bit too continuity-heavy for new readers, but don't worry - No Justice is in fact an excellent jumping-on point. As well as starring the Justice League, No Justice also features the Teen Titans and a handful of fan-favourite villains. These characters have been brought together by classic Superman villain Brainiac and sorted into four rag-tag teams to counter new threats that have surfaced in the wake of Metal. Regardless of your level of DC knowledge, you'll find at least a few recognisable heroes in this book and maybe even be introduced to some new favouri...