November’s Best of Marvel NOW! 2016

November’s Best of Marvel NOW! 2016

There’s a trend happening that I’ve been hearing too often lately in my local comic shop, Cosmic Comics! in Las Vegas, and it centers around Marvel. Many readers just aren’t interested in what Marvel is dishing out right now, and since I’m kind of the “Marvel” reader there I found this as odd as it was compelling since I’m currently reading and have been reading a lot of great Marvel books as of late.

So I’ve taken it upon myself, with the guidance of some more knowledgeable comic buffs to highlight some of the best hopping on points of the new Marvel NOW! 2016 lineups. Much like DC Comic’s Rebirth was very overwhelming to me, since I’m not much a DC reader, I understand how overwhelming the Marvel NOW! lineup can appear. I mean, their numbers are all jacked up, stories don’t really match up since the Civil War event isn’t even complete yet, and those are just some of the pieces to the puzzle that is the Marvel NOW! 2016 lineup.

So without explaining this any further, here’s my November’s best of Marvel NOW! 2016 list:

Champions #1 (Vol 2)

Ok, so Champions actually came out in October but so what, it’s still a great book, and it’s almost one of my favorites of the Marvel NOW! 2016 lineup. It’s a book that I expected nothing from and came out thoroughly enjoying. Mark Waid writes a very smart and very fresh book. The millennials Avengers if you will, the group of young heroes tired of fighting for things they don’t believe in, and it’s just so good, it all works so well. If you’re looking for an intelligent book with empathy, feeling, and fresh comedy, Mark Waid and Humberto Ramos’ Champions is the book you need to read.

Avengers #1 (Vol 7)

Well looky here, another Mark Waid book, except this time he’s joined by one of my favorite artists, “deadly” Michael Del Mundo. Let’s all be real here for a second, does anyone really want to read a book full of an Avengers team made up of Falcon (Captain America), Spider-Man, Thor (Jane Foster), Wasp, Vision, and Hercules? Ok, so after I say it like that, yes, I want to see that team, and yes, they work so well. Coincidentally this book ties very closely to Champions, and yes, that works so well too.

Follow this Avengers team as they face off against a Kang the Conqueror who’s more powerful than ever, shits about to get weird, and Waid and Del Mundo are the best team to give it to you.

Thanos #1 (Vol 2)

I’ll admit, this one was hard to put on my November’s best of Marvel NOW! 2016 list, I just don’t really know that much about Thanos, and honestly, I’ve never really cared that much for him either, but Jeff Lemire with Mike Deodato Jr managed to suck me in, and by the last page, oh boy, that last page, I was hooked. For Thanos, I can only say it like Sesame Street tells my kid to eat certain foods, “try it, you’ll like it”.

The Unworthy Thor #1

I saved the best for last, Jason Aaron’s Unworthy Thor. Still trying to find his way since Original Sin, (everyone remember that event?) where with just a whisper Thor became unworthy and could no longer wield the powerful hammer, Mjolnir. I’ve been reading the Jane Foster Mighty Thor since she was chosen by Mjolnir on the moon way back then, a book that is also written by Jason Aaron, a book that is always so so good, and if you haven’t been reading it I urge you to pick up the trades, or at least Mighty Thor #12 that tells the amazing tale of how Mjolnir was born/forged.

Jason Aaron is joined by another one of my favorite artists, Olivier Coipel, where they spin a magnificent story around the unworthy Thor Odinson and his search for old Asgard. Aaron with Coipel create a visceral world worthy of the gods, oh, and Odinson rides a flying god/space goat, so that’s just another reason to read this awesome title.

So there you have it, if you think Marvel has nothing good in their library right now, I say “nay”, just look above in my November’s best of Marvel NOW! 2016 list for four worthy books.