6/26/19
J.R.’s Picks
Justice League Dark #12: The best kind of ending to the best kind of story. This one’s greatest strength has been its pacing since its inception a year ago and this ending to the Lords of Order’s struggle to exterminate magic highlights that all the more. The JLD, or more correctly Wonder Woman, takes a huge gamble by letting the forces of chaos and the might of Mordru flow into her teammates to create the Lords of Chaos. That’s right, transformation sequences for magical girl anime fans out there! Some bad ass fights and monologues follow which all highlight the theme of this arc: the true destructive and callous power of order.
Ascender #3: The world built by Lemire and Nguyen continues to be astoundingly good even if it’s magic over tech. Turns out after the events of Descender, Effie and Andy made it back to Andy’s home planetoid of Dirishu-6. They tried to raise Mila there in secret as the rest of the cosmos crumbled under Mother’s rule but to no avail. The fate of Effie is revealed and it’s a heartbreaker in ways you don’t know yet. Meanwhile in the present, Mila and her dad must outrun Mother’s forces wherein Bandit unleashes an ability that would’ve been hella good to have helped Tim. Something’s going on with that dog and signs point to some upgrading influence.
Thanos #3: It’s honestly weird that this series is called Thanos rather than Poppa Thanos. The continued perspective of Thanos as seen through Gamora’s eyes makes for a very interesting read. As her Stockholm Syndrome grows more and more, so does Thanos’ love of life rather than Death. Sure, the specter of her still appears but even in this issue the crew comments on how he is now less about ritual sacrifice than he previously was. Gamora’s over eagerness to impress him leads her down some wild paths and she loses a lot of herself literally but ever closer do her and Thanos become. Weird misstep where Black Maw talks about his plan to fuck over Thanos and Gamora in front of them aside, this was a great read all around.
The Goon #3: If you have the incredible human ability to feel amusement and thus laugh, you are doing yourself the greatest of disservices by not picking up The Goon. Fuck, it’s just funny as hell. Powell manages to take the classic idea of a mummy’s curse and flip it on the head of a British explorer, sorry thief, in the form of Seti the Southside Mummy. Then there’s just the dynamic between Franky and the Goon which has always shone so bright. There’s a point in which the two debate the logistics of drowning a boxful of kittens for some kids or otherwise the old lady who runs the orphanage will beat them. Genius. GENIUS!!!
Angel #2: It’s honestly weird and relieving to me how good the Buffyverse comics are right now. The second issue of this series continues down the dark look at humanity’s vanity through the lens of social media. Yes, this is a topic tackled many times over but the supernatural twists and feelings of real human fragility really drive this plot forward. Not to mention the flashes of Angel’s past as Angelus who utters the ultra smooth line to a slayer he turned: “Walk with me and murder the world.” *swoons* Sunnydale starts to unravel more as young people try to murder themselves but it seems oddly enough that Lilith is pointing Angel in the right direction to stop it.
The Spider-Man Annual Peter Porker, The Spectacular Spider-Ham #1: Yeah, this should be a regular series. If you are a fan of animal puns then this issue delivers in droves. If you’re a fan of existential realization brought upon by a giant cosmic joke, this one’s also for you. Spider-Ham foils the Ringmaster by sending him and a host of his animal baddies to a different dimension, who he has to fight later with the help of Spider-Guin after feeling the burnout of living a mundane life. Then in the last story by the creators of Enter the Spider-verse and Jason Latour, the titular pig and Howard the Duck discuss existence in a constantly rebooting fictional universe over drinks. Seriously, the issues tackled in this issue are much bigger than the childlike presence of his cartoon self denotes; check this one out for sure.
Diarra’s Picks
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #40 – So apparently last issue the Rangers ‘shattered the grid’, which I’ve gathered involves timey wimey things. They also have three new members, who are still getting the hang of balancing being a youth and having to fight crime (I’m still unsure if that has anything to do with the time travel). The former Rangers facetime the gang from what looks like Tatooine? Hopefully that call had some useful information because Zeed is not screwing around and has gotten some help. (I’ve never read Power Rangers, so that’s my 0 context review)
Killer Groove #2 – Last issue we watched as Jonny went from being an aspiring musician to a hit-man in training. While Iggy is showing Jonny the ropes, Jackie is still working her missing person case. She cracks the case, but the results aren’t what anyone hoped. Her Uncle is in town making the bad news a bit better, but he might be more trouble than she thinks.
The Crow: Hack/Slash #1 – Everyone loves a good crossover! So far we have Cassandra and Vlad on the hunt for a killer with an eerie calling card. They find a witness, but Cassandra isn’t too trusting based on the witness drug filled past (and present). Nevertheless, Vlad convinces her to let the witness stay with them, to keep her safe. Unfortunately, they can’t keep her safe because A she doesn’t listen and B. somebody wants her eyeballs real bad. When things start getting hairy for Cassandra here comes The Crow, from the shadows and shirtless.
Rick and Morty #51 – Pretty anticlimactic issue considering. Morty has a new BFF and Rick isn’t too sure about him. Rick is convinced he is an alien, but he is only half right. Of course, Rick ruins everything, leaving Morty without a friend (and maybe his friend in danger!). And that’s the way the news goes…
Juan’s Picks
Peter Porker The Spectacular Spider-Ham One Shot – Can we get a regular Peter Porker series please? It’s funny and light hearted and now that he’s been a movie I think it’s the book that people deserve. I need more puns and Ducktor Doom. Plus, you can read the entire thing in John Mulaney’s voice and it makes the book even better.
Star Wars Age of Rebellion Darth Vader – This is my new favorite Age of Rebellion one shot. Vader is the ultimate passive aggressive, sarcastic badass and I love it. Imperial Governors/Generals always try to play Vader but Vader always gets his and always in style. The way Vader gets his sweet sweet revenge in this book is possibly one of my favorites.
Conan the Barbarian #7 – Here I am again, alone in my love for ultimate male fantasy macho man, Conan. As enjoyable as this issue was, like they have all been, I really need this Jason Aaron to speed things up. We are now on issue 7 and this whole thing with the witch woman and her little death god kids is moving at a snail’s pace with the end of each issue always showing that Conan is still being held captive and all these individual romps are just feeding some god. But I just want to know who this god is, that’s all I want. Plz Jason Aaron. Just tell me.
Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge #3 – The best comic written about a theme park ever continues with this star-studded third issue. If you consume Star Wars lore/media as much as I do, you’ll be razzled and dazzled by all of the cameos. Hondo from Clone Wars/Rebels! Chirrut Imwe from Rogue One! Doctor Aphra from…..Doctor Aphra! That DJ droid from the Star Tours at Disneyland! This book continues to be not that bad for a massive tie-in to a theme park, not that there’s a really high barrier of entry for this super niche sub genre.
6/19/19
J.R.’s Picks
Hellboy and the BPRD Beast of Vargu: Wow oh wow oh wow. This is Mignola at his best on a Hellboy short backed up by Fegredo’s superb visuals. The first story involves the classic Hellboy set-up: man sells soul to the devil, man comes back as beast which devours humans. Hellboy goes up against said beast and gets his ass royally handed to him. Two roma women discover him on the side of the road, nurse him back to health and proceed to help him defeat the beast in the most amazing way. The twist is glaringly good and worth a read by anyone with magical sensibilities. The second story recounts an old God of the Roma and presents a rather funny little parable that anyone who appreciates the best of storytelling will enjoy. I cannot recommend this book enough, especially as a self-contained one-shot. This is a masterclass in how to make one.
Guardians of the Galaxy #6: All hail Cates, emperor of the Marvel cosmos. Seriously though, it seems he can do know wrong when it comes to the Marvel cosmic universe. The newest issue heralded a fantastic wrap-up to the series’s first storyline and definitely leaves you excited for things to come. The Guardians team-up with Eros’s hit squad to take down Hela’s Black Order and put a stop to Thanos’s resurrection. Glorious splash panels of team fighting ensues to spectacular effect and most quips land rather easily. Once the dust settles, some of the plot threads (like how most everyone was trying to kill everyone else) tie up real quick but if it keeps this team dynamic together, I’m here for it.
Fairlady #3: Kind of a bummer of a missed shot, really. Unlike the previous two issues, this mystery does not wrap up nor does it look like it will continue. It just kind of stands and stands badly at that. At third rate barbarian is killed while he is pretending to be a much more famous one. Jenner tracks down the famous one by using information she gained from his former lover that’s not in the issue. It’s referenced later that she mentioned him raising chickens on a farm but the dialogue bubble is missing from the panel in question. You can see the character talking, but no words. What’s more is even if it was included, the ending makes little sense as a conclusion to the short. Hopefully this was just one misstep because I look forward to this series as it’s hard to find a fantasy private investigator book.
War of the Realms Journey Into Mystery #5: The conclusion to the weirdest superhero road trip is upon us! The team tracks down Ares’s truck to save Laussa from a terrible trip to Muspelheim. A fight ensues after that crash into said truck and the heroes manage to wrestle the baby from his clutches. It turns out though that on every leg on their journey someone has been leading them from place to place, crafting their adventure for one singular purpose. Jokes abound are in this one once again and there is an implication that this team may continue in some shape or form after the WoR event. Fingers crossed on that one, people.
Usagi Yojimbo #1: STAN SAKAI IS BACK. The nicest guy in comics returns with the deadliest hare in comics. Usagi stops by a small town to watch a bunraku troupe or Japanese puppet show. The puppeteers are masters of the craft and Usagi stays for tea with their showrunner to discuss the intricacies of their craft. When Usagi’s friend Sasuke shows up, however, he knows then that evil lurks behind some unknown corner. The touchstones of every good Usagi Yojimbo story are here: meticulous attention to Japan’s cultural history and Sakai’s signature style. Very good week to see one of the most renowned creators return to their character.
Excellence #2: Another entry into an already incredible series two issues in. Spencer is going off book to save his GG’s life whether the Aegis likes it or not. Breaking into the spatial realm where they house elevators (hell yes), he sneaks aboard one carrying a distinguished sorcerer. There he gets the source codes to go ever deeper and find the healing stave usually reserved only for patrons and not the magic users themselves. The only thing standing in his way: Aaron, who’s sympathetic to Spencer’s plight until an even greater threat appears. The metaphors in this one tear society a new one so don’t miss out on the magic that is this book.
Diarra’s Picks
Faithless #3 – Since Faith was a little girl, she felt as though, what she willed always seemed to come true. We all got that in the last issue when she dealt with a group of cat callers like a boss. Poppy has questions, and Faith is more than happy to try and explain. She doesn’t have all the answers, but she never really had anyone to talk about all this with until Poppy. Before they can really dive into the convo, Poppy is on her way out the door on a pre-planned trip to Italy. Faith agrees to watch her cat while she is away, and the DILF from the last issue shows up. Not all things are going well for Faith. She has been seeing bad omens, and there might be some terrible repercussions for her good fortune.
Drawing Blood #2 – I wasn’t even aware this series was beginning when it dropped last month, but I’m glad I gave it a shot. Although this is fiction series, it deals with the all too familiar “life after comics” that illustrators/authors famous (and not so famous) have to endure. Shane ‘Books’ Bookman created the well known Radically Rearranged Ronin Ragdolls, but after all the popularity and fandom was built, he and his co-creator decided to sell all the rights (clearly Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle inspired). Books is trying to move past that part of his life, and has next big project is a screenplay. He has thrown all he has into this project, financially and emotionally. But when his mentor passes away, Books inherits his debt (these are gambling debts to bad guys, so they don’t care where they get their money from). Books needs a bunch of cash in a little time, and looks to Ragdoll once again for a payout.
***Shameless Plug*** If this concept sounds intriguing, the creators of Criminal are doing an offshoot of their main story. Here they’ll be visiting Hal Crane, a Golden/Silver age comic creator, who has dealt with under appreciation and straight up idea theft. Hal knows he hasn’t gotten the credit he deserves, and is currently on the hunt for an old print of his. He is willing to do anything for it, but why is this piece so special? Beats me…Bad Weekend comes out in July!!
Little Bird #4 – 👏🏾Read👏🏾This👏🏾Book👏🏾 The Bishop has Little Bird, the Axe is dead, and all hope may be lost for our resistance. While imprisoned, Little Bird gets to spend time with her brother, who was raised by the Bishop. After spending time with his sister, the boy realizes he is, in a way, a prisoner to the Bishop as well. Outside the palace walls, indigenous villages are being wiped out. In the midst of a waning resistance, we find a lone ally heading out in the desert, to find what/who might be out last hope.
Assassin Nation #4 – Oh, man. If you like good times and senseless violence, this is the book for you. Our assassins have been double crossed. In this issue the hunters has become the hunted. What will the team do when they find out they’ve been hired to kill themselves?
Juan’s Picks
Crucified #1 – In this alternate future, the black and Hispanic (specifically the mexicans) hate each others guts so much for some odd reason, that they are killing the shit out of each other. So the mayor calls up a person named “The Christ” who has many a follower to tell everyone to basically “be cool” and they do. But some shadowy groups, as they are want to do, are not to happy about that and want him to DIE which is very un-christ-like. The art was ok. A LOT of horizontal grid panels. I’d more than likely read the second issue because I’m down for books about alternative christs and so far this is our only option, but by no means did this book blow my mind or anything.
Faithless #3 – This book continues to add spooky erotic horror and I can’t get enough of it. The only thing that sucks about reading this book is finishing it and then having to wait another 30 days to read the next chapter.
Superman Year One #1 – Frank Miller has written a comic that isn’t bat shit crazy right from the jump. That doesn’t mean it won’t get crazy later, he could just be lulling us all into a false sense of security. As for the book itself, it’s…ok? I’m not a huge Superman fan so I MAY be a bit biased, but if you enjoy Superman and his early years, you could dig this I think. Although a few things stood out for me; Baby Clark Kent is oddly hyper cognizant of Krypton exploding and being sent away in his space crib pod. He also is wildly aware of everything as a baby and his parents thoughts and feelings to the point where it’s actually kind of creepy. Clark Kent has to deal with a real intense bullying problem in school. Like, these are some next level bullies where criminal charges should probably be brought up but everyone in Smallville seems totally helpless and incapable of doing anything to stop them. There’s a weird almost rape scene involving Lana and those bullies that seems a little….extra? I guess you could chop that up to your one cRaZy Frank Miller moment. And Clark joins the navy to see the world when this man CAN FLY!? What is that about? To make Superman the ULTIMATE Boy Scout? It’s weird and I don’t understand. All Clark talks about is wanting to see the world but it’s like he’s never heard of just going on vacation before. JRJR’s art is also fine from him, but I’ve def seen better from other books of his like Kick-Ass.
Savage Sword of Conan #6 – here we have a one shot in with a new creative team before a new different creative team does the next arc and if all this Conan stuff is new to you than you’ll be entertained. If you’ve read mucho Conan before though, this particular story will seem pretty familiar/tropey but entertaining regardless. The art is particularly well done though.
6/12/19
J.R.’s Picks
Umbrella Academy Hotel Oblivion #7: The conclusion to the latest entry into Gerard Way’s series is finally here! At lot of loose ends were tied up along with some more unraveling *in a good way*. We find out what Mom’s been up to and the new family she wants to usher Vanya into. Space Boy goes head to head with Medusa’s head as Perseus seemingly switches sides at the very last minute. Murder Magician finally owns up to his misdeeds and helps propel Rumor to find the right words. Number Five runs out of bullets and well, once again doesn’t come close to his past iterations of a man who’s lived multiple lives. Things are really going to go places in the next installment with this kind of ending, hopefully it won’t take another 10 years. Pray those MCR reunion rumors are just rumors: we need him for these comics!!!
Sonata #1: A pretty good start to a seemingly by-the-book fantasy story. The planet of Ran only comes in close proximity to the lost planet of Perdita every so often but Ran sends over colonists to Perdita to save their dying world. Sonata is one such colonist who is awesome at flying local dinosaur birds. They work with the native population of Lumani to build a better future. Unfortunately for both there are a second group of Tayans from assumedly a planet called Tayan who are both warlike and racist. They’ve built a dam to block off water from all other peoples and when they’re confronted about it they’re weirdly surprised. Hopefully their dicks are taken down brutally because that seems to be the direction they’re heading.
The Batman Who Laughs #6: Another well plotted issue with some extremely good callbacks a.k.a a Scott Snyder special. Batman has nearly gone full Joker Bats which leads to some extremely poorly thought out captions to distinguish him from the BWL. Even though it’s hard to read, the set up is great with Batman prepping for his battle with BWL and Jim Gordon and his son taking on the Grim Knight with some surprising super suits. There are some particularly cool bits hidden away in this issue as Bruce meticulously breaks down how a laugh scientifically occurs while comparing it to the break down of the city under the Batman Who Laugh’s plan. You don’t want to miss this as this series begins to wrap up with the BWL sure to be a standout villain for years to come.
Silver Surfer Black #1: Holy shit. I’m not sure I’ve read a first issue that good in a very long time. Donny Cates taps into Silver Surfer’s voice in a way that seems as if he himself has floated through cosmos endlessly filled only with remorse. Tradd Moore flexes every single bit of his artistic strength in a display that’s just plain amazing to look at. Picking up from Guardians of the Galaxy #1, the Surfer flings those gathered at Thanos’s will reading to fling them out of the black hole opened by the Black Order. As for himself, he waits for years inside said hole until he lands in a place where gods are enslaved as sentries. Needless to say, everyone should read this. No seriously, stop what you’re doing. Go read this.
Event Leviathan #1: Man, Coast City gets the short end of the stick in the DCU. It’s blown up once again owing to A.R.G.U.S.’s choice of headquarters in this confusing start to DC’s newest mystery event. Batman, Lois Lane and Green Arrow interrogate Steve Trevor in the blown out basement of said building for the entire issue. I’ve read every lead up book to this one and still the pieces didn’t seem to fall in the right order but Maleev’s art as per usual was on point. Character motivations are everywhere too as the ensuing madness over why government agencies are being wiped out, including Steve Trevor’s whose whole description of events seems to either be false or poorly interpreted by the end of the issue. Here’s hoping things come a little more into focus as the mystery seems to be going in a good direction.
The Immortal Hulk #19: Everyone excited for some gamma-themed body horror? There’s a heaping helping this time around. A-Bomb and Abomination have been combined through Fortean’s horrible government program and the worst part is no one calls them A-Bombination at all. As Hulk faces the problem head-on, Betty tries out her new gamma goodness on some awful, morally-repugnant mercenaries Fortean has stationed to kill any civilians that catch a glimpse of anything. Things break real bad when the gamma hybrid pukes its digestive fluids onto the green giant and his healing stops. Once Betty fins the fight though, is she there to help? Pick this up to find out!
Diarra’s Picks
Event Leviathan #1 – On the cover we see Batman, Arrow, and Question under the tagline “The Greatest Detectives Hunt Our greatest Threat”. So what more do you need to be convinced to read this? Fine. The issue opens in a totally F’d up Coast City. Batman runs into Lois Lane, who also there trying to figure out how all this happened. Next they find Steve Trevor, mega traumatized, hiding behind a crate because he saw it all go down. Then the Arrow drops in just to try out his new taser arrow. All awhile Question is lurking in the shadows, unbeknownst to them all (+5 stealth, Question). Anyway, they are all sure Talia Al Ghul is involved, but the real question is her relationship to the Leviathan…also who or what is the Leviathan. We have to wait and seeeee…..
Wailing Blade #1 – Snap, that wicked cool sword on the cover does some work this issue. That sword is welded by the “Headtaker”. We can gather the Headtaker is part town “hangman”/executioner and part mercenary. Tired of living in fear, local fighters have taken up arms in attempts to slay the Headtaker. They have him surrounded and begin their attack, but he might be more than a man after all.
The Batman Who Laughs #6 – This series has had us all on the edge of our seats. Every issue hoping good will prevail, but the Bat Who Laughs has been one step ahead of us all. While our universe’s Bruce Wayne is fighting to protect his city from a chemical attack, his brain is becoming less and less of his own. This was an enjoyable end to the series. You’ll never believe who gets the last laugh!
Bronze Age Boogie #3 – When we last left our heroes were pitted against each other. Jackson and Lynda were told if they didn’t fight to the death they would kill Brita, Jackson wanted to find a resolve, but Lynda has some issues and refuses to let Brita die. So a battle to the death it is. Until they find a gift from the near future, that teleports Brita and Lynda back to Britas timeline and family, but leaves Jackson behind with the martians. Good thing Lynda didn’t kill Jackson because he might be the key to fixing all this , but will they get back to him. Best part about this series half way through is a story about a brown bear who went into space and came back speaking English. How fun is that?! He is having a pretty rough time because he is technically government property and the treat him like crap, which is extra lame with his new found sentience and all. READ THESE BOOKS. (also don’t forget to check out the back for “Oscar Nomination The Category ‘Best Film Pitched By A Child’ ” it is great )
Juan’s Picks
Silver Surfer Black #1 – Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaang, what a great first issue. Marvel is very fortunate to have plucked up Donny Cates because this dude is seriously putting the company on his shoulders. This first issue is too fun and the fact that Donny Cates ….actually, I can’t say. But if you’ve been following some of Cates other series, you will be in for a treat. But let’s not forget about Tradd Moore’s FANTASTIC art. Tradd Moore perfectly suited for Silver Surfer and the cosmos itself. The color’s are amazing and expertly psychedelic. Super stoked to read the rest of this and you should be too.
Spider-Man: Life Story #4 the 90’s – This was the best version of the clone saga ever and it was only one issue. Seriously, this series is so good, I’d have the cojones to say that this could possibly be the best Spider-Man series……EVER. Also Aunt May is finally dead which I’m extremely happy about. Not because I want her dead in any sort of malicious way mind you, but like….she’s been an old lady for like 60 years. Let’s let things go. How many possible story lines involving an old aunt could we possibly have left to tell? Oh I have one, make Aunt May the new Black Cat but she doesn’t know Peter is Spider-Man and they end up kissing some how. We could call her…Black Cougar in honor of her old age. And she has to steal to afford her vitamin supplements because her social security ran up. I would def read that. Marvel please hire me.
Sonata #1 – Decent new fantasy series and I mean that in the best way. The main characters live on a planet where they are more or less stuck on and have formed a small tribe/colony. They have made nice with the natives but have discovered that another colony that thinks the natives are primitive savages has taken all their water and are not being very nice at giving it back. Mystery seeds are planted and a classic heroes journey seems to be forming. The art is different, reminds me of the more “realistic” art you see in a lot of heavy metal/euro fantasy comics, but well done. The writing and everything in this book is solid, but it’s what they do with it that will really make or break it. But if you like fantasy stuffs and the hero journey and your classic avatar “nature vs mean old colonizers” tropes then you will enjoy this book.
Darth Vader Dark Visions #5 – The last of the Vader stories and this one is near and dear to my heart. A local barkeep gets a hold of some valuable info that Darth Vader would very much like to have for himself and let me tell you, Vader does not tip very well. Couple that with some accidental hallucinogen intake while being chased through the jungle – whoa.
6/5/19
J.R.’s Picks
Buffy the Vampire Slayer #5: Bellaire continues a great run on this all new Buffyverse as the “stakes” get higher. I’m so terribly sorry for that. As it turns out Xander’s vamp heel turn hasn’t fully gone through and Buffy just has to go to Anya’s secret curio shop to buy the McGu-I mean, the soul-tie stone so as to keep Xander’s being/soul anchored to the mortal plane. Dru and Spike continue to bicker as well but her plan to create an army of enthralled men seems to be moving ever closer. Kinda rooting for her. The downside to this issue is the artist change-up: some reaction shots come out meme-worthy in their bug-eyed weirdness. Doesn’t stop a good story though as I still can’t wait to see how all this shake-up plays out.
War of the Realms Journey Into Mystery #4: The book will a ton of words and a ton of creators continues to be one of the funniest on the stands. Turns out their bundle of joy they’ve been escorting across America is also packing a little demon blood in her courtesy of Surtur since her parents Odin and Freyja conceived her in the realm in-between. Doesn’t deter our heroes as they try to hide out in a henchmen convention to duck away from their pursuer. Too bad Ares is already here…come for the laughs, stay for the excellent team composition of a group you’d never expect to find together.
Guardians of the Galaxy Annual #1: The return of the most goodest boy in the Marvel Universe: Cosmo the talking Russian dog! Lockjaw last issue, now Cosmo- hope they keep it up with the doggos. Cosmo is working with a mysterious cloaked figure to track down all the cosmic figures who were sucked into the black hole after the events of the first issue of the series. This leads to a series of vignettes which give a little “where are they now?” answers about some of the heavy-hitters. Nova and Quasar walk into a bar! Adam Warlock finds Gods! Darkhawk discovers his inner child! Another great entry into the cosmic comics that Donny Cates continues to groom so well.
Green Lantern #8: I think Grant Morrison accidentally sent Sharp his Buckaroo Banzai fan-fic instead of the next Green Lantern script. Seriously, things have gotten beyond weird now in his quest to reference every Silver Age comic that everyone wants to forget. The good news here is that in that quest he’s stumbled back to Green Lantern and Green Arrow teaming up to fight modern corruption. This time specifically the rapidly expanding drug market and our government’s hand in helping it grow. All this would have been fantastic what with aliens sporting chest lasers, giant horse guns and GA grounding Hal back to Earth; if the crux of it all didn’t depend on Xeen Arrow and Xeen Lantern who are stretched versions of our heroes that speak telepathically. Right…
The Incredible Hulk Last Call #1: Peter David and Dale Keown return for another tale about the jolly green giant. This one doesn’t start out too jolly though as it begins with Bruce Banner calling in to a suicide hotline on Christmas. He’s hired a mercenary to attempt to kill him and when he gives the signal, it’s lights out Hulk. What ensues is Banner talking to one of Betty Banner’s old friends who he knew worked there about the life he and Betty tried to live together and how hers was taken far too soon because of his condition. A wonderful issue that dives into moving forward after loss and forgiving your past so you can better see your future.
Thumbs #1: Man, everyone’s trying to be Black Mirror. The classic sci-fi “Should we?” question plays out further in this new series from Image. Thumbs is a kid who grew up in a trailer park seemingly devoid of adults. This is because most kids are raised by an artificial intelligence which is projected into the home to take care of their schooling and needs while their parents toil onward for society. At the same time, kids participate in a Fortnite style augmented reality game wherein if you become the best, you’re taken into an elite gaming academy. A lot of people frown on this though, as you can get reported to local authorities for playing and locked up. Weird system honestly, since it seems like they would just be able to just shut down their servers. The story kicks off in a wild direction once it begins so I’m pretty invested in seeing how this one plays out.
Diarra’s Picks
Criminal #5 – This new arc focuses around Dan Farraday, a private investigator who is having mixed emotions about his newest case. He was hired by a married man to find his mistress, Jane, in attempts to win her back. Dan didn’t typically take cases of men with too much money and power to accept no for an answer, but times were tough. During his hunt to track down Jane he learns more about her past, and finds himself wanting to help her more than his client. Unfortunately for Dan, Jane isn’t in a trusting mood.
Dceased #2 – Oh. Snap. Although Darkseid is an idiot, but phase one of his poorly executed plan is going well. Besides most of the world quickly being infected by this “techno virus”, it’s managed to infect two members of the Justice League. With everyone turning into murderous rage monster, the last thing we need is the loss of our heroes.
Thumbs #1 – I read the preview for Thumbs awhile back, and I’m excited we are carrying it so I can finish the series. It left off with one of those ‘super long coma. oh shit, what year it it?!’ scenarios.
Meet the Skulls #5 – This issue wraps up the Skrull mini series. I think the Captain Marvel movie created a new sense of Skrull sympathy, and the creators of these books jumped on the opportunity. Throughout this series you see the Warner family doing whatever they can to help their people. From having the children attend an Earth school to getting a job at Stark Industries, they are risking their safety for the survival of the Skrull. Like any family, the Warners have their issues, but that just ‘”humanized” them to the reader. Watching the daughters go through the struggle to fit in at school, and the parents unsure how to connect with their coming of age girls, made you realize Skrulls aren’t so different. Even when they are fighting against Earth, you can’t help but rooting for the Skrulls here.
Category Zero #1 – This universe has a different meaning for the term ‘one percent’. Here the Strix Virus infects everyone on Earth, but only one percent carry the gene that causes symptoms. These symptoms can be anything from flu-esque to strange abilities (i.e. mind control). Some of these people are sent to the Sanaxus Facility, where a cure is in the works. We are learning there are more people with this gene who are not at the facility, and are unable to control their abilities. I’m interested in seeing if any cool heroes/villains come out of all this.
Juan’s Picks
Star Wars Age of Rebellion Luke Skywalker – Not my favorite of the bunch so far. Luke has to deal with Palpatine attacking his mind while he fantasizes about living a boring rural life building houses for humanity. Luke’s captain buddy def looks like the inquisitor from the Rebels show, so either that’s a race of people now or someone isn’t doing their job keeping all these things together.
Savage Avengers #2 – The savageness continues and we’re still in team building mode. We get very slight back story on Koga Thun’s number #1 best acolyte. Conan shows how much he hates wizards and how incredible his finger strength is. And even though Punisher was teased last issue, he’s more or less teased again here, and guess what? He wants to avenge his family…again. I still want to like this book simply for the fact that I have a boner for Conan and him being in the Marvel universe AND on an Avengers team is still kind of crazy to me, but this book needs to pick up the pace.
Thumbs #1 – This book reminded me of that movie “Gamer” with Gerard Butler (and Ludacris) but with kids who play Fortnite (or APEX if you like actual good battle royale games since Fortnite is for babies). Some spooky tech company gives out a video game to the young impressionable youth in this future dystopia and uses it to assess their l33t skills and picks the top players for their own little secret army. One of these players is a kid named Charley Fellows, also known as “Thumbs” which to me is a terrible nick name/gamer tag but whatever. Charley and his kid sister live in some poor trailer park where they are raised by a MOM which is some fancy AI nanny because they’re parents I guess realized they didn’t want to be parents anymore. I guess the US Government has caught wind of this private kid army and does not enjoy it very much as they consider it “treason” and send some troops to shut that shit down. Charley’s sister is taken and now he’s on a mission to get her and his gamer BFF back. Interesting premise and I’ll def read more, but what i REALLY liked is the art. Hayden Sherman has a super unique visual style using mostly grey/dark tones with various shades of red/pink to highlight certain objects/panels which makes the interior really pop. I enjoyed looking at it very much. This is only going to be a 5 issue mini series and this debut issue was entertaining enough to make me check out issue 2 for sure and maybe the rest of the series.
DCeased #2 – Dang, what a second issue. Everyone has a chance at getting killed in this series it seems, which makes it even MORE exciting. Also, tell me why these little one off events are more fun than anything DC does in their regular plain jane universe? I hope that they can low key keep this series going somehow after the main event is over, kind of like what they did with Injustice, which is the other great non main canon DC book. If you aren’t reading this book currently, you need to hop on board the zombie train.
