We make our way through this week's hot new releases and select our favorites.
Top of the Hump is our weekly column where we select our favorite comics of the week. This Wednesday, we're kickin' shell with TMNT, getting lost with Helen of Wyndhorn, testing the infinite with Man's Best, and more. Behold, the Best Comics 6-19-24.
We're rapidly approaching the halfway point in the year. It's time to start considering the Best Comics of 2024 So Far; many are hitting the shops this month. Our fave number one of the week comes once again from the Energon Universe. A few are waiting for that franchise to drop the ball, but given the talent Skybound keeps assigning to the books, the chance of such failure seems slim, if not downright impossible.
With the fortieth anniversary on the line, IDW Publishing is putting its all into Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and we are loving them for it. They've got two quality books out this week, but one of them does it for us in such a specific way. The wait between Black, White, and Green issues is getting increasingly anxious. And the other selections below come from three industry GOATs. Readers rarely eat this well.
Best Comics 6-19-24: Destro 1
In the tune of Lil John: "BATS! BATS! BATS! BATS! BATS! EVERYBODY!" Y'all have already seen the preview pages, right? Destro claims control of Darklonia by airdropping his B.A.T.S, charged with Cobra Commander's Energon, and establishing his cousin as the new Prime Minister. Writer Dan Watters is clearly the kid who always chose Cobra and Decepticon toys over Joes and Autobots, wickedly relishing the villainy potential in the latest Energon Universe mini-series.
Meanwhile, artist Andrei Bressan supplies the best Battle Android Trooper action we've ever seen, and yes, we do remember Tom Reilly's epic B.A.T. beatdown in the previous Duke series. We're finally getting into the complicated and antagonistic partnership between G.I. Joe's most nefarious antagonists, and already, it's a damn treat. The quiet parts aren't being said out loud just yet, but it's clear that Destro and Cobra Commander hate each other, and their relationship will only last until one can find the exact moment to stab the other in the back. The Energon Universe continues to be appointment reading.
Best Comics 6-19-24: Helen of Wyndhorn 3
With the third issue, we go through the looking glass. Helen returns from the trek to return the Flyune with her grandfather, which operates as a tour through a fantastical land so massive we only catch glimpses of it through Bilquis Evely's ever-increasingly astonishing panels. Honestly, right when you think you've acclimated to her wizardry, Evely (and colorist Matheus Lopes) pulls off another epic feat of imagination. Never have we slowed down so much when reading a comic, not wanting to miss a single line or strand of ink.
Tom King has cooked up a feast for Evely and Lopes to go off, but like Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, the various character dynamics construct an addictive compulsion to turn the next page. Aiding in that obsession is the mystery behind Helen's father, how this fantasy world relates to ours, and the writer scrambling to make sense of Lilith's absurd tale. Stories within stories within stories. Nom nom nom. There is so much going on in Helen of Wyndhorn, and it's all so ridiculously readable.
Best Comics 6-19-24: Man's Best 4
Following her scent, Athos, Porthos, and Lovey think they may have tracked down Doc's location. Getting there has already proven catastrophic, both physically and mentally. But what happens when they reach their destination? Is victory truly a victory? The question itself is the answer.
Pornsak Pichetshote and Jesse Lonergan gave us one of the most majestically trippy comics last month, but they're not done melting minds just yet. As our canine heroes get closer to their destination, we travel through realms and meet characters that challenge perception. The comic is beyond the infinite, and we'd rather sit in that psychedelic space than uncover the dark truths ahead. The fifth issue is ready to break hearts. And maybe bodies.
Best Comics 6-19-24: Spectregraph 2
Best Comics 6-19-24: TMNT - Black, White, and Green 2
After reading the first issue, we said, "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Black, White, and Green was the most exciting TMNT comic in years." After reading the second issue, we're only more sure of that statement. This time, we have three expressions of pure cartooning from Gavin Smith, Tyler Boss, and Javier Rodríguez. Plus, an extremely enjoyable collaboration between writer Mikey Way and artist Nikola Čižmešija.
With "Buddycount," Gavin Smith gives us a cheeky twist on the iconic Bodycount mini-series. Casey Jones teams up with, nope, not Raphael, but Michaelangelo. The Viper Gang is snatching up snakes and plotting some nasty mutagen mayhem. Smith goes wild with the action, delivers the obvious creature feature ending, and puts a twist on it while also escalating the threat. Our fave story of the issue.
The rest are bangers, though. Tyer Boss crafts a pizza mystery, leaning heavily into noir comedy but not skimping on the desired aesthetic. Javier Rodríguez puts a lifetime of TMNT fandom into his eight pages, supplying a radical brawl including Shredder, Beebop, Rocksteady, and the Foot. And Way and Čižmešija's climactic "Deadly Delivery" goes full Kaiju but in a very TMNT manner. Each Black, White, and Green issue is a challenge of one-upmanship for the next batch of artists. Bring it on.
Best Comics 6-19-24: The Best of The Rest
Batman 149
Feral 4
Joy Operations 2 - 1
Nightwing 152
The One Hand 5
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin II - Re: Evolution 2
Titans 12
Wonder Woman 10