Matt's top 10 comic-book reads, May 2023

Plus: Remembering a legend

Before we get into the list, I felt I should note at the top of the newsletter the death of John Romita, one of the legends of the comic-book art form. The artist followed Steve Ditko on “Amazing Spider-Man” and Jack Kirby on “Fantastic Four,” and had a hand in much of the rest of Marvel’s Silver Age and beyond. More at Marvel.com: 

https://www.marvel.com/articles/comics/marvel-mourns-john-romita-sr

On to the top 10 list. 

May was a busy month, as it often is with Free Comic Book Day! Let’s look back at May 2023 for my picks for my favorites of the comics I read. This is an adaptation of an idea from my friend the Food Dude. Each month, I’ll select from the comics that I’ve read during the past month, whether they be old, new, or whatever, included or excluded as I see fit at the time. 

Here are my top 10 for May 2023!

10. Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #15 

Batman, Superman and Metamorpho must take on “Ultra-Morpho” in the latest issue of this team-up title from writer Mark Waid and artist Dan Mora.  

9. Warlock: Rebirth #2

Gamora, Pip and Genis-Vell seek help from Doctor Strange as Adam Warlock has fallen into a coma and lost his Infinity Gem. Ron Marz and Ron Lim continue a series that feels like it could have been part and parcel of the 1990s series. 

8. Shadowman Darque Legacy (FCBD) 

Bob Hall returns to the character he helped make famous, or a version thereof, in a Free Comic Book Day prequel to a new video game. Hall crafts a new version of the origin that gives a taste of what makes the character compelling. 

7. Saga #64

Petrichor returns home; Hazel and Squire get into mischief. Meanwhile, Alana may have found a new refuge for the family. Brian K. Vaughan writes and Fiona Staples draws. 

5. Conan the Barbarian #0 (FCBD) 

Jim Zub, Roberto De La Torre and José Villarrubia are the creative team for this one-shot preceding the new “Conan” series from Titan. This primer on the Cimmerian warrior should appeal to fans of the character new and old.  

4. Fantastic Four #1 (2022)

The Thing and his wife, blind sculptor Alicia Masters, stumble upon a town that appears to be caught in a “Groundhog Day” situation, with each day the residents awake unaware of the previous day’s events, as it continues to be a day in the late 1940s, over and over again. Writer Ryan North and artist Iban Coello craft a witty story that would fit well stylistically in the John Byrne “Fantastic Four” era. 

4. Superman #4 

Joshua Williamson and Jamal Campbell continue a classic modern Superman run; Nick Dragotta provides art for a Luthor flashback in his early days in Metropolis. 

3. No/One #3

Kyle Higgins and Brian Buccellato write this superhero noir mystery; Geraldo Borges provides the cinematic, moody art. Issue #3 continues to explore the Roe murders and the mystery of who is the vigilante No/One. Reporter Julia tries to find the truth through her podcast despite competing narratives without and within; the police get antagonistic with Ben, the former police higher-up whose son is a suspect. Meanwhile, despite the continuing killings, Lieutenant McGarrity is more interested in the vigilante No/One than the killer. 

2. Local Man #4

The former hero Crossjack continues to hunt clues to the murder of his former archenemy, as more is revealed about the situation that led Crossjack to be removed from the Third Gen team. Tim Seeley and Tony Fleecs bring this story to life, rooted in the 1990s Image Comics boom with a modern twist.  

1. Shazam #1

The “World’s Finest” team of Mark Waid and Dan Mora take on the World’s Mightiest Mortal here and do so with a fun, action-packed comic that was my favorite of the month, which means this creative team is bookending our top 10 at either end. 

Matthew Price, matthew@matthewlprice.com, has written about the comics industry for more than two decades. He is the co-owner of Speeding Bullet Comics in Norman.