Looking back at 2017: the five monthly comic series I'm still reading

2017 came with a lot of changes for myself and my family. I have seriously pushed back on my expenditures this year after years of being a hundred dollar plus a month comic reader. I am picking up a lot less material these days in a monthly format and pretty much everything I do grab is through the online juggernaut Comixology.

Here's the five comics I still get in single issue format as the year dawns!

1. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe
   
   

   

   Image credit: IDW/Comixology/Sophie Campbell.

   IDW is a strange publisher that for reasons completely foreign to me charges more for their trade paperback collections than single issues. While I have not found this secondary Turtles universe series nearly as strong as the main title over the years, it's still a very solid read. Having a place to focus on supporting cast members and other mutants is always a good thing for a universe as wide and interesting as the Turtles seem to foster.
   
   
2. Uber: Invasion
   
   Kieron Gillen remains a favorite writer of mine. While The Wicked + The Divine has moved into trade-waiting for yours truly, his epic Avatar series is still a must buy. While Avatar's weird publishing strategy often means I buy it in chunks rather than as single issues, the continuance of the alternate universe vision of a World War II extended by super powered beings is easily one of the most interesting things on the market today. Expertly researched and impeccably crafted by Gillen and artist Daniel Gete, this is one I have to read to its conclusion.
   
   
3. Rockstars
   
   

   

   Image credit: Image Comics/Comixology/
   Megan Hutchinson.

   Joe Harris is a writer I've enjoyed since the late 90s days of Slingers, but his new Image title may be his best work yet. It brings out a world of rock and magic where aging musicians may very well have sold their souls to the devil. Built on the framework of every weird urban legend from music history, Harris has crafted a fascinating new mythology in just a few issues. I am not sure how long this one is planned to last, but it looks like a fun ride ahead.
   
   
4. Gold Digger
   
   Fred Perry may be one of the most creative and talented men in any field, but barely anyone knows his name. Gold Digger is a one man masterpiece stretching over 200 issues and multiple universes. While this book is often completely insane, it's a marvel to behold month in and month out.
   
   
5. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
   
   

   

   Image credit: IDW/Comixology/Cory T. Smith. 

   Still written by Tom Waltz and co-plotter Kevin Eastman, the Ninja Turtles' ongoing at IDW has consistently made it into my top comics list for years. With a rotating cast of artists lead by Mateus Santolouco, the book is a nonstop tour in pure awesomeness. While a few of the digressions this year weren't as strong as last year's run, I cannot think of another book as consistently strong month after month as this one. Even as a lifelong Turtle-maniac, Waltz has honed the multiple mythologies of the character into a new ultimate universe for the ages. Check this one out if you haven't already.