It’s a new decade, and we are kicking it off with some great comic books! Check out the Sequential Team’s favorite comics from January 2020.

Marcus Orchard – Quantum and Woody #1

Quantum and Woody have been some of my favorite comic book characters since Valiant relaunched. The hilarious duo sucks at being superheroes, and yet they are still so easy to love. Quantum and Woody #1 bring back them back with hilarious writing by Christopher Hastings. Ryan Browne’s style was made for this book, bringing an insane amount of life and charm to Quantum and Woody #1. Whether you have checked out the characters before or not, this is a great issue to pick up if you some laughs.

Ethan Maddux – Hawkeye: Freefall #2

Here’s the thing, Otto Schmidt is being weirdly typecast as the “guy who draws archer books,” but he’s clearly much more than that. He does specifically draw archers well, yes, but that’s because he draws everything well. His style is distinct and refreshing in a sea of house-style artists. It’s full of energy and personality and brings out the best in any script he’s given. This issue is a perfect example of that. He nails physical comedy, action, expressive dialogue between dudes in masks, and pretty much anything else that’s asked of him. Meanwhile, Matthew Rosenberg delivers a razor-sharp script that’s genuinely compelling on top of being consistently funny. There are jokes and quips flying from all directions, but it never feels like too much because the amount of them that land is just so high. This team elegantly steps out of the shadow of one of the greatest comics of all time, and that’s no small feat.

Casey Woods – Age Matters Episodes 82-85

Every update of Age Matters since January started has kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next. The pacing has been absolutely phenomenal. Each episode has given me just enough information to answer my initial questions while creating a few more to take their place. Our main character Rose has just gained a little bit of self confidence, and is beginning to admit her feelings for her boss, and friend, Daniel Yoon. Meanwhile, she gets caught up in a special event for celebrities and even ends up standing in for a model named Cindy, who was hurt on set and rushed to the hospital. In the middle of all of the commotion and chaos, the man responsible for hurting the model is still lurking around, and Cindy wasn’t his intended target. These past few episodes of Age Matters have been absolutely full of suspense, and I’ve loved every moment of it. The artwork is still beautiful, but the way Rose was drawn in recent updates is even more amazing than before. Not to mention that all of the character’s expressions have been spot on. It truly has been a great month for Age Matters, and that is why it is my pick for January!

I couldn’t resist picking what was for me the most relief and satisfaction I’ve felt with a beloved comic book character in a long while. After years of hiatus, and then trying to bring him back and then a hiatus again, our dear John Constantine finally got a worthy story and a promising series. This issue concluded the first story arc of DC Black Label’s new Hellblazer and it was amazing! Not only the artwork by Aaron Campbell and Jordie Belaire was mesmerizing and reflected the mysticism of the story so well, but Simon Spurrier’s writing was sublime and brought forth a classic Con Job tale which should please any fan of the wizard. The mystery, the weird characters and the conclusion with John using magic, of course, but mostly his wits and smarts to figure himself out of a life-threatening situation. This series got a great first arc and promises to bring a lot more to the table.

I’m not content with fantastical stories. Never have been. I want fantastical stories that also ask the biggest questions. Who has power and why? Are individual actions meaningful? Is it in human nature to be good, bad, or somewhere in the middle? The list goes on. I’m lucky Michael Moreci feels the same way, or else Wasted Space wouldn’t exist. The latest issue is one of those perfect blends of action, character development, and philosophical musings that keep you entertained without feeling like escapism. In a genre and medium that is constantly derided for being such, Wasted Space pushes back against the pretension that genre and comics can’t address the biggest and most pressing questions of today. I can’t wait until it’s fully collected so I can get my hands on an omnibus because, in an age of digital access to the graphic form, I want this baby to be on my shelf.

Did Gillen and Mora stick the landing and make the first arc of Once & Future something truly memorable and, in the vein of the old Arthurian tales, something worthy of a knight?

The answer is yes.

Alexander Cole – The Incredible Hulk by Peter David Omnibus Volume 1

This is a masterpiece. There haven’t been a lot of great runs on the Hulk over the decades and that’s sad since he’s such a popular character. Fortunately, this is the big one. Peter David re-invented the Hulk and led to a twelve-year run focusing on the psychology of the character and the multiple personalities within Bruce Banner. It redefined ol’ jade jaws and gave so much potential to a character that was fairly tired by that point. Even now you can see the influence of Peter’s run in books like “The Immortal Hulk”. In this 1000+ page tome, we see the birth of this epic run along with some fantastic early art from Todd Macfarlane as the Hulk takes on most of his major rogues as well as clashing with a number of other major Marvel characters. On top of this, the quality of this hardcover is astounding. Its cover art and the beautiful sewn binding make it my pick for the best comic release of January by a mile.

Aftershock Comics’ crazed look at a world of consumerism run amok has reached a turning point. Homicidal loss prevention fanatic Nussbaum might rediscover his humanity in the subterranean anti-capitalist society he stumbled upon. Assuming he survives their internal power struggles. Patrick Kindlon’s writing and Stefan Simeone’s art continue to make a tale of mass-market suicide “aids” and gun-toting loss prevention specialists into something not only darkly comedic and very timely but even heartbreaking.

Steven Martinez – Guardians of the Galaxy #1

One of the first stories in comics that I read and got obsessed with is the Abnett and Lanning Guardians of the Galaxy from the late 2000s. That whole cosmic saga is a masterpiece, but the Guardians run is a particular favorite. They weren’t a group of “we’re criminals who do good more than anything remotely criminal” like we’ve seen them for the past few years. They were protecting the Galaxy because no one else was doing it, and someone had to. That’s exactly the same spirit Al Ewing brings to this new series, along with awesome art and character designs from Juan Cabal, and I’m excited to see where it goes.

Pashtrik Maloki – Immortal Hulk #30

Joe Bennett delivers his A-game with Immortal Hulk #30. This action-packed issue allowed him to go wild with the various Roxxon monsters and gamma-heroes in elaborate action sequences. It’s not just the artwork that makes this issue such a great one, though – Ewing’s storytelling and character work shine as bright as the colours. I am constantly amazed at the level of quality these two have been delivering with the Immortal Hulk.

What are your favorite January books? Let us know in the comments!

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