Putting together this week’s list of the Top Comics to Buy for September 18 was an absolutely brutal endeavor. The problem? Too many excellent comics, with the artwork especially shining this week. I swear, I must have reconfigured my five recommendations a dozen times this week — and I’m sure I’ll want to change them again after this goes live. But what can you do? Check out my picks below, along with the usual set of release lists…enjoy!

Top Comics to Buy for September 18, 2024

Babs #2
Writer: Garth Ennis
Artist: Jacen Burrows
Colorist: Andy Troy and Lee Loughridge
Letterer: Rob Steen
Publisher: AHOY Comics
Garth Ennis and Jacen Burrows’ sword-and-satire epic thickens as the barbarian thief Babs is forced into an awkward confrontation with the skeletal Lord of the Undead and his equally un-deceased queen! Meanwhile, a mysogynist goblin schemes to get revenge on Babs.
Why It’s Cool: This is the funniest comic of the year, and the second issue continued to build on the ideas of the first. It’s 2024 American populism by way of high fantasy, plus dick enlargement jokes, and it just works.
Price: $3.99

The Moon Is Following Us #1
Writer: Daniel Warren Johnson
Artist: Riley Rossmo
Colorist: Mike Spicer
Letterer: Shawn Lee
Publisher: Image Comics
Sam and Duncan LaMarr love their six-year-old daughter, Penny, more than anything in the whole world. But half a year ago, she was taken by the Cascade, an evil force they barely understand. Now, Sam and Duncan must fight side by side with the magical beings Penny cherished to try and get her back from her… before she’s gone forever.
Why It’s Cool: It’s kind of a portal reality series with a heartrending core, but what really elevates is the Riley Rossmo and Mike Spicer art. This is just a perfect fit for Rossmo’s aesthetic and visual storytelling approach.
Price: $3.99

Paranoid Gardens #3
Writers: Gerard Way and Shaun Simon
Artist: Chris Weston
Colorist: Dave Stewart
Letterer: Nate Piekos
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Loo and the care center staff are troubled when they discover the living gardens they reside on is dying. As she desperately hunts for a cure, a mysterious spy employed by a bizarre amusement park gets in her way to keep the gardens from healing.
Why It’s Cool: The deeper we get into this book with its mysteries and absurdist artwork, the more I’m enjoying it. This issue has some of the best perplexing sequences yet, landing it in my Top Comics to Buy for September 18. Don’t miss this series. It’s so strange and so good.
Price: $4.99

The Power Fantasy #2
Writer: Kieron Gillen
Artist: Caspar Wijngaard
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Publisher: Image Comics
There are six people who can save the world. They save the world every day they don’t use their powers. Yesterday, one used their gift. The world is still here. Have we been lucky, or has the fuse to end us all been lit?
Why It’s Cool: The first issue of this book was excellent, and the second issue is a worthy enough follow-up. This story seems to be a deep dive into global questions of mutually-assured destruction played out through the decades-long personal relationships between superheroes. And if that wasn’t enough, it’s got top-tier artwork from Caspar Wijngaard.
Price: $3.99

Ultramega #5
Writer/Artist/Letterer: James Harren
Colorist: Dave Stewart
Publisher: Image Comics – Skybound
When Kaiju invaded Earth, three humans were granted the power of Ultramega to save humanity… They failed. Now, a new Ultramega has risen in this brutal world without heroes or hope. But the Kaiju Queen isn’t the only challenge he must face. Deep in the stars, they gather. Psychotic. Cold. A World of Ultramega.
Why It’s Cool: Ultramega’s first four issues were the grittiest and most bonkers take on kaiju fiction that I’d ever seen…and now it’s back, with the foot squarely to the pedal. Get ready to be shocked and disturbed as these big fellas battle for the fate of our planet.
Price: $7.99