3/25/20
J.R.’s Picks
Giant-Size X-Men: Nightcrawler #1 DX – Man, what an awesome read. With Alan Davis returning to pencils, this one felt just like it was a comic straight from the eighties. Nightcrawler leads a team of mutants on an exploratory mission to the heart of the old X-Mansion. Something with a mutant-like presence had been trying to access the Krakoan gate placed there for weeks but couldn’t get through. It’s up to Nightcrawler, Magik, Cypher, Eye-Boy and Lockheed to see what’s up. What’s up though seems to be ghostly images of long-dead friends…and super secrets from Cypher and an old New Mutants fave! The giant-size shorts continue to be great with this eclectic team.
Hellions #1 DX – YES YES YES. TONS of Mr. Sinister action in this book pulls the entire brunt of my excitement. After Havok tries to melt some human racists, he and a few others who are prone to violent acts are put before the Quiet Council to be judged. While the heads of court argue for a minute, Mr. Sinister of all people speaks up with a solution. What if these ne’er-do-wells were more aptly applied to situations that fit their mutations? Redemption in the face of mutations that negatively affect them presented as a solution. Psylocke is placed in command as a handler and the Hellions are born! A great and fun read for anyone looking for a mutant suicide squad.
Wolverine #2 DX – Soooo Logan murdered all his teammates on X-Force due to a telepath getting inside his mind which is tough to come back from. Turns out he wasn’t alone though as the Marauder and Bishop were hit with psychic influence as well leading to their entire cargo of petals being stolen. Jeff Bannister, the CIA agent investigating the Flower Cartel, reaches out to Wolverine and he knows they can’t take down these petal stealers without mutant and human cooperation. Bannister has a grudge against mutants which is resolved during a “we’re not so different, you and I” moment while him and Logan drinks beers. They set off together and things get dicey…the plot is ramping up on this one, get in now!
X-Men #9 DX – Intergalactic intrigue abound in this one! The King Egg idiotically stolen by the New Mutants is revealed to have a dark and sinister past. 8,000 years ago, Kree scientists manipulated the contents of it so they could weaponize the entire brood race to wipe out the Shi’ar Empire. Racing into Shi’ar space, the X-Men bring the King Egg with them to lead the Brood away from Earth. Gladiator arrives on the scene where the Starjammers are imprisoned and quickly dispatches the Kree accuser there in a most satisfying way. With all these galactic systems colliding though, what’s it mean for the mutants caught in the middle? Lots of great questions arise for the X-books in this one once again.
Far Sector #5 – FINALLY! Lantern Jo’s background is revealed! Exceptionally told by Jemisin, Campbell does an incredible job of taking her words and capturing the painful struggle of trying to find justice in a corrupt world. Jo went from the army to Princeton to the NYPD trying to find a niche where truly she could help those in need. Everywhere she went though, she was met with a wall crafted by society or otherwise found the institutions she tried to trust only hurt her. That craving for justice though led her to be personally recruited by a Guardian of the Green Lantern Corps. And that’s not even talking about the sci-fi noir mystery in the heart of this book! Seriously CATCH UP if you’re not reading this series because it’s absolutely amazing.
Batman Curse of the White Knight #8 – Yup. Sean Gordon Murphy just made the best Elseworlds Batman story. Sorry, everyone else. At the beginning of the issue, Batman is tracking down Azrael with an assault rifle and full intent to kill sword-wielding bad guy after everything he has done. The two clash with Az-Bats getting away but Batman is stopped by Nightwing. Dick chews him out for trying to kill the guy and then, with tears streaming down his face, tells him that his father (you know, Batman) cannot kill ever. So, after a heartfelt father-son moment that barely ever happens, Batman runs back to Wayne Manor to grab rapiers and take Azrael down Zorro-style. It’s amazing. The conclusion of this story is one you won’t want to miss as it sets up future books taking place in the “White Knight” timeline. SO GOOD.
Diarra’s Picks
Hellions #1 – As we all know, Krakoa is a safe haven for all mutants. Enemies will have to learn to put their problems aside island, and all must follow the laws of the land. So when the council is having trouble deciding what to do with mutants who have trouble playing by the rules, Sinister proses a purpose for this especially loony bunch. Sinister will lead a team compiled of Empath, Wild Child, Orphan-Maker, Scalphunter, and Psylocke (she is just to make sure the team leader doesn’t get too…well sinister). The overall mission is help these mutants “express themselves” in hopes to find “healing” for their narcissism/feral ways/blood lust, etc. . Mission number one, go to bum fuck Nebraska to destroy one of Sinister’s old clone farms. Psylocke is sure Sinister is withholding some details, but all they can do is hope this madness comes to good use!
TMNT: Jennika – Since making the human to mutant turtle transformation, Jennika has wished she could change things. When she runs into her ex, Silas (who is now also a mutant), she is less than pleased to see him. That is until he tells Jennika he knows where to get a cure that will return them to their human form. Jennika learned not to trust Silas in the past, but recent events involving a certain hot hockey playing vigilante, are making her miss being human even more. Of course, Silas’s plan ends up having a few hitches, and they run into Ivan (a big time jerk from their past). Still, there might be hope when Ivan shows Jennika a video of someone transforming from mutant animal back to human. Ivan is a grade A scum bag, but does Jennika really want to turn back to a human that badly she is willing to work for him? That’s a total yes, btw.
Wolverine #2 – So this book follows the events in X-Force where Logan went coo-coo crazy and killed his friends on Krakoa. Mind control was obviously in play, and we all know Logan has had enough of that crap in his life. Turns out this is the work of Pale Girl, who appears to be working for the people producing drugs from the Krakoa plant. After a Hellfire Trading ship is attacked in a similar fashion, Wolverine decides to get to the bottom of this. He sets off with Jeff Banister to put a stop to this abuse of the mutant plant. All is going well as they sail around as decoys in hopes to get boarded by the thieves, but Logan might not have shaken Pale Girl’s effects after all. The rough water won’t be the only thing our crew has to fear on this trip!
Sex Criminals #28 – We’ve been selling heaps of these graphic novels lately so if you aren’t caught up, now is a good time to binge this series (we also have tons of back issue naughty covers if you’re a collector)! I was sure the series was over after the last arc, but there seems to something wrong with one of our sex travelers. Suze is has gone to seek help from the last person anyone would expect, so much so, she is keeping it a secret from everyone. After meeting others who have the same time altering sexual abilities, it looks like someone has been doing more than having fun with their gift. Their goal is to go back in time, and change reality as we know it. Suze knows this is wrong, but will she leave this secret meeting unscathed or will her gut prove right?
3/18/20
J.R.’s Picks
X-Ray Robot #1 – The Allreds bring that Silver Age flair to a story of existential pain and nightmare! Dr. Max Wilding is an inter-dimensional research scientist on the brink of discovering the existence of multiple realities existing alongside one another. His solution for breaching them? Create a robotic humanoid to send through time and space, gazing at the newly discovered worlds through its perspectives. The only thing he didn’t count on were the robot’s perspective and his own merging into one. Campy art alongside a campy start mask the dark implications of inter-dimensional travel in this extremely excellent beginning to the new series!
The Resistance #1 – Hooooo man. I can’t decide if this was a timely release or unfortunate considering what’s happening in the world around us. Keep in mind, this book was created months ago…the world in the start of this story is hit with a horrific global pandemic involving a virus with an extremely high fatality rate. Yup. Only 5% of those who are infected survive. Millions die because of the partisan bickering of governments. Then as the onset of the destruction of society commences, the virus somehow goes completely dormant. What awakens are powers in those who were resistant thus forming the Resistance. A good read even if it’s a bit unsettling when looking out the window.
Spider-Woman #1 – You wanna see Jessica Drew be an absolute boss on a boat? I highly recommend this one then. Spider-Woman signs up for what she thought would be a cushy protection job: guarding a pharmaceutical CEO’s daughter on her sweet 16 on a private yacht. The only problem is that the kidnappers who were threatening her weren’t just blowing smoke. They descend on the ship and the unsuspecting teens but Jessica handily dispatches them with some epic hero work. All in a dope new costume too! The mystery deepens at the end and Spider-Fans everywhere won’t want to miss where it goes.
Alienated #2 – Aw man, this series got dark and FAST. Last issue, our intrepid teen heroes accidentally vaporized a school bully who was the worst of the worst. The alien they found in the woods sent some of his memories into Samuel and turns out that bully Leon was about to take a gun into school that day. This radicalizes Samuel and he manipulates Samir and Samantha into teaching another kid at their school a lesson. Shielding his thoughts from theirs after they think they pull an innocent prank, he allows the alien to feed on some thoughts. Well, ALL the thoughts. This book is going places quickly, get into the story while you can!
X-Force #9 DX – Jungle adventure! Sorta…Terra Verde, the country destabilized because of X-Force intervention earlier in the series, has now gone completely dark. Beast sends Wolverine, Domino and Kid Omega through a portal which puts them on edge a little. Why did he circumvent the other members of the intelligence branch, Sage and Jean? They don’t have much time to think about it though as the reasons for Terra Verde’s darkness have become abundantly clear: the telefloronic cult has completely taken over the island with its botanical badness. The layers of this series are coming together and I’m still entrenched in this storyline.
Excalibur #9 DX – Hells yes! The mystical madness of Marvel is further dived into and developed in the latest Excalibur offering. Something has been weighing heavy on Betsy’s mind ever since she took the mantle of Captain Britain from her brother. The Starlight Citadel, a sort of meeting place between dimensions for all interconnected magical realities, has not made its presence known to her as it should seeing as she’s the new Captain Britain and protector of Otherworld. Apocalypse, being the great guy he is, assembles Excalibur to meet with the Citadel’s leader Opal Luna Saturnyne. Obviously things don’t go according to plan and start an all new arc which looks to be incredibly engrossing!
Diarra’s Picks
Wicked Things #1 – Lottie is young girl whose always been drawn to mystery. She loves solving local cases for family and friends, and plans on making this her career when she gets older. Being small time, Lottie couldn’t believe when she was nominated for “Teen Detective of the Year” after her best bud sent them her name. So Lottie and her bff, Claire, are off to the National Solver Magazine Awards! Lottie is nervous, and the other nominees are kinda jerks so she spends most of her time with Claire. That’s when she runs into Kendo Miyamoto, the greatest detective in Japan. Claire is star struck, but due to the language barrier their conversation is cut short. Flash forward, it’s the night of the awards and Claire is there, but Lottie is nowhere to be found! Miyamoto’s assistant invited Lottie to his room, claiming he wanted to apologize for the other night and he needed her help on a case. It was an easy choice, go to some award show with people she didn’t like or get to solve a case with her idol! She arrives in the hotel room and as a young aspiring detective does, she begins to snoop. That’s when she finds Miyamoto dead in the room! His assistant returns and the police are called, and the arrest Lottie. Now we have to wait and see if she can crack this case and clear her name!
Artemis and the Assassins #1 – Some things are meant to be, and others are made to be. Maya is apart of the organization that makes things happen. She travels time to make sure history is as we know it. That takes us to Vichy, France in 1944 where the Allied forces are planning their attack on Normandy. This, as we all know, was a turning point in World War II. Just as they begin to discuss the plans Maya arrives and appears to want to change history! Although Maya is a pro, she might’ve underestimated her opponent.
Unkillables #2 – If you followed the DCeased series and loved it, you are in for a treat. We get to do it all over again from the eyes of a few villains. Issue one left many taking refuge on Vandal Savage’s private island. Who would’ve guessed Savage was back stabbing them? He tries to dissect Slade in order to gain a cure for the fast acting virus that’s taking over the world. But it’s fine because zombie Wonder Woman shows up and murders him. Through mirror magic and a toxic mother/daughter relationship some of the villains (Bane, Cheetah, and more) end up taking refuge with Commissioner Gordon and Nightwing in a school. Things are going well until they are infiltrated by an infected villain and things quickly start falling apart. We watched the good guys lose hard in DCeased, maybe the villains can do a better job!
The Resistance #1 – Whew, talk about triggered! This story focuses around a pandemic dubbed the XV1N1. The media and public reactions are eerily similar to what we are seeing today, but this isn’t some Boomer Killer flu, XV1N1 is a bit more intense. I’m talking about liquefying organs and days to live. While we still search for a cure they are relieved of the burden when suddenly the virus goes dormant! With more than half the population already dead, the world is an entirely different place. A new president is elected on a platform that probably wouldn’t work in the old world, but the American people might not be prepared for his radical changes. No one ever answered how the virus stopped or why, but it might have to do with something not from this world.
Stone’s Picks
Spider-Woman #1 – Jessica Drew has been a lot of things, and now she can add security guard to that list. While protecting a billionaire and his daughter at her sweet sixteen party, they are attacked by men dressed in Donald Duck’s wardrobe of choice, and French mercenaries. The ending was weird, but I don’t know enough about the character to know if it was anything of importance. Gave issue 1 a try, but I won’t be rushing back unless something big ends up happening throughout the story.
Dceased Unkillables #2 – With all that’s currently happening in the world involving viral infections and pandemic level threats, what better way to remind you of the possibility of an apocalyptic catastrophe? Dive into the zombie-infested pages of Unkillables! Heroes and villains alike team up in an orphanage to survive the horrible events playing out in the world, but is it so easy to forgive past transgressions? In an apocalypse, the answer is yes. As days turn to months rivals turn to allies and a strange new family is formed that will do what it needs to survive. Solid read.
Bang #2 – James Bond, Ethan Hunt, and John McClane all in one. That’s who John Shaw is. A barefoot guardian that relies on the use of drugs that enhance his perception, strength, and speed. This guy’s life is something out of an action novel, literally. How would you react to find that your greatest triumphs were someone else’s imagination? An action-packed comic that plays to its strength of having a protagonist that can seemingly do anything. No matter the situation, John Shaw has a plan and he executes it with a Bang!
Artemis & The Assassins #1 – Time traveling assassins whose job it is to eliminate threats throughout history. A woman named Maya was taken in as a little girl by a man named Isak. As she grew up, she was taught how to use a bow to kill her adversaries. Now she travels through time taking on missions that see her coming face to face with some of the most brutal people in history. What is the overall purpose of Maya’s work and what bigger purpose does it serve? Aftershock continues to deliver with amazing stories, and this is a series I will be keeping an eye on.
3/11/20
J.R.’s Picks
Decorum #1 – YES, IT’S FINALLY HERE!! Hickman and Huddleston have knocked it out of the park, y’all. This one starts off with some epic worldbuilding, of course, which is so truly awesome to see in Huddleston’s hands. Panels go from inked to painted as robotic conquistadors do battle with island natives shooting massive, magic rods. From here the story moves to follow a courier in the future put up to do some by things by a seedy mobster. Then, the meat of the issue arrives in the form of the most well-mannered assassin, Imogen Smith-Morley. She’s bad ass as all hell on every single level and just wait until you see her fighting style. This book is utter perfection and you’re a bad person if you don’t check it out.
Cable #1 DX – Cable returns! The now super young, super telekinetic mutant first takes on his Uncle Logan in a sort of gladiator arena. This is different than the one shown in the last issue of X-Men too…is this all the mutants have to entertain themselves? After winning a little too easily, Cable helps some younger mutants whose friends were lost on the part of the island with huge monsters. Someone REALLY should be looking into that on Krakoa. Cable, Pixie, and Armor find the kid but he’s of course being chased by a giant dog beast. Cable goes full “Lion and the Mouse” as something is stuck in its paw, a certain something that triggers a whole mess of cosmic events. A really fun start to a new series!
X-Men #8 DX – I mean what can I say? This book just continues to be great pulp superhero action. After returning from space, the New Mutants can’t help but to bring trouble with them. This time, it’s in the form of a King Egg, an immensely important object to the life cycle of everyone’s favorite multiplying, parasitic race: the Brood. When a bunch of dead space whales whose carcasses are infested with them crash land in Krakoa, the mutants must act fast to stem the tide of loss. Meanwhile, the Starjammers are effed as that King Egg was stolen from them and their client who just happens to be a Kree Accuser. Cosmic things are going down in the main X-book too! Check them out before they get ahead of you.
Thor #4 – This new Cates Thor continues to surprise in the absolute best of ways! After an all-out brawl between Beta Ray Bill and the new Herald of Thunder last issue, Lady Sif steps in to stop Thor from actually killing Bill. He says that won’t stop him and chucks his hammer at her face, forcing her to use the Rainbow Bridge to send Mjolnir to the far reaches of Jotunheim. It’s there that the most bonkers person who could never lift Mjolnir before picks it up: Loki, the newly christened king of Jotunheim. That’s not even the craziest thing to happen!!! Watch Thor help Galactus nom more planets in this excellent book.
Star Wars Darth Vader #2 – Darth Vader is SHOOK in a way not normally associated with the Sith lord. After breaking into a rebel bunker he sees the face of the person who unknowingly sent him on the darkest of paths with her love: Padme Amidala. Unsurprisingly, she’s not happy to see him and fires of some blaster shots in his general direction. He does his usual go-to move in this circumstance and force chokes her until his emotions get the better of him. There’s no time to dawdle though, as giant man-eating land squids come through the fronts doors for the two of them. You have to wonder though: who is she? Why is Vader helpless against her? What will the two do together? Pick this up and find out!
Star Wars Bounty Hunters #1 – Ok, yeah. This was a very Marvel-heavy week for me, so sue me. Years ago Boba Fett, Bossk (that lizard guy who stands by Fett in Empire), and Valance all worked the same job together but were double-crossed by Valance’s mentor, Nakano Lash. Now, yeas later, as Boba Fett is taking in Han Solo, he gets a transmission that Lash has popped up again and is off on her bounty for free. Similarly, all the other bounty hunters hear about her resurface and are off for some good, sweet revenge. Some classic Star Wars action to turn the heads of any space conflict fan, along with a guest appearance from the best Star Wars character: Doctor Aphra! Read on, sci-fi fans!
Diarra’s Picks
Jim Henson’s The StoryTeller: Ghosts #1 – Welp, that was depressing, entertaining, but quite sad. When a servant girl delivers her master’s son’s twins, they try to keep it a secret. The master finds out and due to lack of food (and I’m sure classism) he demands the infants be put to death. So in order to not give the master the satisfaction, the servant girl leaves the babies in the woods in the winter to die because that is more humane (said no one ever). Luckily a kind woman stumbled upon them and decides to save them. Unfortunately, one baby is already dead so she leaves him there. They go on to travel and live a happy life, while the other child’s ghost haunts the town. Ghosts of dead babies are called “Mylings”. The living twin grows to adulthood and decides to seek out his brother (which he knows is a dead baby in the woods). What really gets me about this whole thing is the moral of it all. The storyteller’s dog was begging for a bone and the storyteller told him he was crying like a myling so he explained the words origin. So this dog’s begging reminded you of the cries of dead ghost babies? Cool. Now we are all sad.
Stealth #1 – I heard about this book earlier in the week, and have been pumped to read it. It did not disappoint! Just the concept alone makes you wonder. What if one of our caped crusaders go dementia?! All that power and skill unable to tell reality from fiction of his sick mind. Stealth is the city’s hero, but citizens are confused by his recent actions. Another tricky issue is Stealth, like most heroes, has an assumed identity and his family doesn’t know he is a hero. So when his son notices his dad is developing early signs of Alzheimer’s he decides to take some time off work to keep an eye on him. He gets home to find his dad in a delusional state and (much to his surprise) donning a Stealth suit. Things get a little hairy but Stealth finally gets lucid and realizes his son now knows his big secret. There might be more to this hero’s story and away to cure this incurable disease wrapped in Stealth’s origin.
Decorum #1 – Hickman brought the graph game back in this three chapter single issue! This society is made of Galactic Sectors including empires, alliances, etc. With all these private and very unique sectors, couriers are extremely important which is where Neha comes in. She is one of these couriers and just got hired to deliver a package. Normal everyday business until the package she delivers is intercepted and intended recipients killed. Imogen Smith-Morley is one of the greatest assassins alive, and prides herself on her decorum. After killing her targets with the contents of the package she had to decide what to do with Neha. I’m unsure what she’ll do next, but I’m sure it will be classy as fuck.
Thor #4 – So, I started this week excited to see the outcome of the Thor v. Beta Ray Bill show down. Turns out, I missed issue 3 so I’m writing thing in a post issue 3 and 4 after glow! If you’ve been following this series you know Galactus and Thor have teamed up to fight a greater evil that threatens them both, but as soon as their journey began they are at odds. So when Beta Rat Bill arrives to fight Galactus, Thor is stuck in between is friend to defend his foe. Thor tried to explain he is fighting for the greater good, but Bill knows he and Galactus will never see eye to eye. Both friend are pitted against one another again, but Bill is no match for the God of Thunder fueled by the power of the Herald of Galactus. Mid battle brings us to issue 4 where Lady Sif (the new gate keeper of Asgard) interviews and on Bill’s behalf! She came to rescue a beaten down Bill from Thor and to remind him of the Asgardian way and the morals of Warriors Three. Sif leaves with Bill after telling Thor about himself, and off Galactus and Thor go to destroy more worlds. Planets 1 through 4 go relatively smoothly, but Thor is unable to clear the last planet’s people before Galactus begins to absorb it. Odin’s son is deeply angered by this, but has no time to mourn as the Black Winter approaches. Will Thor and Galactus be able to defeat their foe or will all this destruction be for not? Ugh! I’m so in love with this series
Stone’s Picks
Stealth #1 – How difficult must it be to be an aging superhero, with all that comes with it working against you? The story of Stealth is a story of hope and denial. Hope for both a city to get well and survive its afflictions, but denial from the man who would protect it that he may no longer be suited for the task. An entertaining story that makes you think of how hard it is to unwillingly give up something that’s a fundamental part of you. I’ll go ahead and tell you that issue #2 comes out April 15 since it was great and I’m sure you’ll be eagerly awaiting it, like me.
Star Wars Bounty Hunters #1 – In a galaxy far, far, away, if you have a problem… if no one else can help… and if you can afford them… then maybe you can hire… a bounty hunter (insert A-team theme song). After a mission on the planet Corellia that included some of the deadliest bounty hunters in the galaxy gets botched, those bounty hunters continue their careers with disdain toward each other. Later, those same bounty hunters are each given an opportunity that will lead them to cross paths once more and possibly shed some light on the reasons behind the mission’s failure all those years ago.
Amazing Spider-Man #41 – The reason for Wilson Fisk’s pursuit of Fred Myers A.K.A. Boomerang is discovered. After Hydra fell, Boomerang was gaining clout for his role in the uprising. Being a hero in the city’s eyes, a man approaches him with information that if obtained by Wilson Fisk, would give him god-like power. Boomerang spills the beans to Spider-Man and then the two of them set off on a scavenger hunt around New York to find this source of power and obtain it before Kingpin can. Their journey takes them high and low bringing them face to face with a colossal problem. While its just another day for Spider-Man, somewhere else, a group of lethal individuals have reunited and will soon fill the city with sin.
Venom #24 – After a Nuke hit the island where Eddie Brock was battling the Carnage symbiote, he awakes in a hospital many weeks later. Everything he experiences in the hospital is nothing more than a cruel joke played by the Carnage symbiote as it slowly takes over Eddie’s body. The Venom symbiote was unable to save Eddie from the Carnage symbiote and remains on the island, weakened. When Dylan uses his new powers to connect with the Venom symbiote, they team up to battle the now assimilated Eddie with a form that was the king (or Carnage) millions of years ago. The last issue before the special over-sized 25th issue and the conclusion to the Venom Island story line.
3/4/20
J.R.’s Picks
King of Nowhere #1 – An extremely trippy ride that seems to be going places fast from the writer of Ice Cream Man. Denis is a drunk who, more often than not, finds himself on the wrong side of any equation. When he wakes up in a ditch on the side of the road he feels like he’s in the same old mess he puts himself in. That is, until a deer in a jeep pulls up. He further ventures in to the town of Nowhere and finds his go-to place of solitude: a bar. Inside the bartender’s face is upside-down, a table is filled with harpies and a talking catfish-man asks Denis to buy him a drink. Denis calmly accepts he’s in a dream until he must save the fish-guy from being beaten up by a six-armed man. It only gets crazier from here and I can’t wait to see where it goes.
Spider-Man Noir #1 – Spider-Man Noir is back! In this Spider-Verse, Peter Parker is a hard-boiled private eye who protects the five boroughs of New York from mobster themed Spidey villains. Stohl’s adventure set up in this one is enthralling and definitely going big places. A waitress at The Black Cat speak easy is murdered and on her body in an ancient Byzantine beetle pendant. Peter tracks it back to NY’s history museum and the curator of the new Byzantine exhibit just so happens to be her sister…Meanwhile, masked men attack Aunt May’s home and MJ so someone must be on his tail. A great story even if Pete named his cat Ding-Ding. Ding-Ding? Really?
Outer Darkness/Chew #1 – Well that was weird as hell but funny as hell as well. John Layman mashes up his two defining comic works into one crazy crossover that makes no sense how it fits into either story…the editor’s note says it takes place both at the end of Chew and Chew #18? Confusing but turn your brain off for that. Captain Rigg of the Charon must entreat with an alien species that can only communicate via food and shared dining. When things go horribly wrong, the crew finds historical archives that tell of Tony Chu’s cibopathic abilities so they both him and his partner John Colby to help them out. Wild insanity ensues, including LSD laced maple syrup. Pick it up if you need a laugh!
Strange Academy #1 – Hoooo, this was a hella good first issue. Emily Bright discovered at a young age she had magical abilities, but it wasn’t until later that she found out she could do the most extreme: bring her dog who was hit by a car back to life. Then she learns that all magic comes with a price as something dark and sinister tried to kill her many times over. Luckily, Dr. Strange’s old assistant Zelma comes to her rescue and then invites to the newly formed Strange Academy. Built right off good ol’ Bourbon Street, it features students from all over the magical realms and every known magical person just so happens to be a teach there too. This one was fun, inviting and chockful of new, well-rounded characters. Really stoked to see where this goes.
Dryad #1 – From the creator of Rat Queens comes another fantasy romp, this time centered around a family. Yale and Morgan escape what is implied to be a very dangerous city in order to save raise their newly developing family. That isn’t to say that the remote village they go to isn’t dangerous: Morgan who is a bad ass protector must venture into a dungeon built beneath a little, old lady’s cottage in order to kill a giant centipede. She’s growing bored with the slow life but Yale is thriving as a history teacher of the local ruins. Their kids, now rebellious teens, venture off one night into said ruins and unleash the excitement their mom has been dying for. A great series to start for anyone into swords and sorcery.
Mercy #1 – A creepy-ass 19th century horror story from the writer of Unnatural, this one is slowly building to what will be an excellent epic. The town of Woodsburgh, WA suffered what the townsfolk think is a mine explosion years ago, but from the flashback provided at the start we know to be some sort of Eldritch demonic attack which killed a TON of people. The event haunts the memories of those who know the truth but very few do. Things are about to get worse for them though as the entity that caused it is seemingly returning, this time in the form of a beautiful mistress with a chip on her shoulder. Don’t miss this one if you want to catch some chills going down your spine.
Diarra’s Picks
Outer Darkness/ Chew #1 – Chew is one of my favorite series ever, so when I saw this crossover on the shelf I freaked! I’ve never read Outer Darkness, but I think it might be time. The crew of Outer Darkness are trying to make a diplomatic relationship with the Cibulaxian people, and have arranged a meeting with one of their representatives. The only problem is the Cibulaxian only speak through food! They try it out, but after a gross piece of pie negotiations are stalled. That’s where Tony Chu of the Chew series comes in. The crew is from the future and they find a tale of Earth’s past of an FDA agent who is cibopathic (meaning when he eats something he knows it’s history). Tony and his partner, John Colby, are working a case when they are teleported off the street and on to the ship. They are a bit taken aback, but after the Captain assures them they will be returned after helping they agree. Colby decides to do a little digging since they are in the future, and doesn’t like what he learns. Now Chu and Colby have to plan their escape from this ship and back to the past!
Mercy #1 – Today is the anniversary of a terrible mine explosion, and the town has gathered to remember and pray for those lost. It’s horse and buggy time so freak accidents like this happen all the time and no one suspects foul play. We know because of a brief flashback something else was going on in those mines and they had to set off the explosion to destroy what was down there. Among those paying respects, is Lady Swanson and her children (which gets mixed reviews from onlookers). She and her husband were both in the mines that day, but she was the only one to survive. We also meet a strong willed orphan girl who still has hope she’ll make it out of her the orphanage/sweat camp, and will some how see her parents again. While this is going on two strangers are riding towards their town, and us readers get the idea they are up to no good. This town has a curfew and couple that with the weird things in the mine, you can assume there are some dark arts at play here in the town of Woodsburgh!
Strange Academy #1 – So Doctor Strange has opened a school of sorcery and magic. He may be a head master, but the students will have opportunity to take classes with mystical beings all across the Marvel universe. The students are just as unique as the teachers, from Frost Giants and humans, to fairies and Asgardians. Regardless of possible drama between their home lands, the administration has made it very clear, the students must all work together at Strange Academy! This book leaves so much room for adventure and pop up characters. I’m pretty excited for issue two.
Dryad #1 – Yale and Morgan are a human and an elf, who fell in love and started a family in the city. While the children are still young, they decide to journey to a more magical community to raise their children. It’s a rough road getting there, but 13 years later and they are still here. Yale teaches history and Morgan helps protect the village. Everything excites Yale about their new life, but this how Morgan grew up and misses the excitement of the city. The kids enjoy it, but like any teenagers they are rebellious. One night while hanging out with some friends, they decide to go explore an ancient temple. The kids end up unlocking something terrible, and I don’t think their warrior mom is going to have to worry about being bored any time soon…
Stone’s Picks
Billionaire Island #1 – As the world slowly comes to ruin, those with the financial means can escape from the harshness of the world and are granted access to Freedom Unlimited. An island that changes with the rising sea level and provides all the accommodations that may be required for those with such lavish lifestyles. Those in charge of the island are involved in some horrible tragedies that result in a man gunning for retribution. With all the current talk of the division of wealth in this country, this book is capitalizing on the ability to show where we are headed as a society. An interesting and exciting look into what one day could be a reality.
Spider-Man Noir #1 – Spider-Man Noir is back and is journeying to Europe to solve a murder case. Everyone thinks Spider-Man is dead and are surprised to see that isn’t the case. Spider-Man hears that The Black Cat (a bar) got knocked over resulting in the death of a woman who holds a clue to a bigger situation. When Spider-Man gets close to finding out what he needs, the information is taken. Spider-Man locates the murdered woman’s sister bringing new information to light to help with the case. Spidey gets the whole “Great power” shtick,which of course causes him to ponder the best course of action. The friendly neighborhood Spider-man is used to defending the five boroughs, but how will he fair across the Atlantic in the area where World War II will soon occur?
Dr. Strange Surgeon Supreme #4 – Balancing life between being the Sorcerer Supreme and one of the greatest surgeons in the world can be quite the challenge. One minute you’re fighting mystical entities and the next you’re needed to perform an emergency hemispherectomy a realm away. Steven Strange has a lot on his plate. Someone or something keeps stealing materials and items from his mystic forge. He continues to be targeted, and he has brought the danger that seeks him to the hospital where he works, putting others in jeopardy. For Strange to solve this mystery, he will need the help of another experienced magic user. The two must deal with these problems before its too late, and the secrets of the sorcerer’s forge become known to all.
Join The Future #1 – The future is everything you could want and more. No longer do you have to worry about healthcare, safety, and universal basic income. Experience the pleasures in life like cutting-edge virtual reality or watching exciting sporting events in luxurious high-end theaters. All of this can be yours just by joining a Megactiy. In the future, Megacities house millions of people and are the place to live if you want an easy life. There are others that refuse to live in these cities, rather choosing to live in small towns that have none of the luxuries of a Megacity. The goal of these Megacities is to grow larger, so they try to persuade the inhabitants of the towns to join them in the city. Those in the towns aren’t sure what the best course of action going forward would be, but the city has made clear what it wants, and it will not be dismayed by the wants of those townspeople.
