January 11th, 2023
Caroline's Picks:
Know Your Station #2 - Elise’s situation just keeps going from bad to worse. Between the memory loss from her drug use and the violent deaths she keeps stumbling upon on board the station it’s no wonder St. Brigid gave her something to flush out her system. So with a new day upon her & no ‘Blue’ in her system Elise is going to solve the murder of Sergeant Pritchard, the missing video logs, and hopefully the gaps in her memory. But Elise is probably the most unreliable narrator, she barely remembers getting home last night. And the more time she spends awake and sober the worse she’s starting to feel, both mentally and physically. Despite being offered help from the station counselor she really just wants to be left alone. While attempting her rest we see her awareness switching between her own reality and what's actually happening in her room and the holograms she’s asking St. Brigid to show her as she works her way through the mystery and her waves of sobriety. But the missing gaps in Elise’s memory, and lack of video confirmation of her own whereabouts is starting to cause more concern for her own safety than anything else.
Black Cloak #1 - This is a jam packed first issue but boy does it deliver. Set in a high fantasy world with modern but magical technology. Post almost world-ending war all of civilization now lives in one massive city, Kiros. A towering stronghold where class and status in society is determined by how high up you live. Of course with so many being all in one place without a common enemy infighting and murders are bound to happen. But today's murders aren’t like the others. The heir to the throne, an elven woman, and a mermaid have all been found dead within hours of each other. Detective Phaedra Essex has been tasked with solving the case with her partner Pax. And the more we get to know her the more intertwined her history with these victims becomes. She’s an exile of the royal class, the ex-fiancé of the now dead prince. She’s the only one who can even begin to uncover the clues into what exactly happened and why and time is of the essence. No pressure or anything.
Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur #2 - Another exciting issue for Lunella and the SAD Sacks. The team has met back up at the rink for practice and Lunellas explanation for why Olivia is missing sounds like a stretch to the rest of the team: a secret alien scientist sent to take control of all the Inhumans? That's a big responsibility for anyone, let alone a kid. So if her team wants proof then Lunella is going to get it, she just needs a sample of Olivia’s latest product to show the nanobots being used to control innocent people. Some hijinks ensue, some potential kidnapping happens, and things just keep getting worse from there. The SAD Sacks do have a big moment of group bonding and helping each other to love themselves for who they are. Then Devil Dinosaur eats the product sample and things go from wholesome to dangerous real fast. But the SAD Sacks aren’t going to leave Lunella alone to save DD, they’re a team and together they’re going to save everyone from Olivia’s mind control.
Ms. Marvel Dark Web #2 - This little mini-arc for Ms. Marvel has been such an enjoyable read. I feel like the writers must’ve seen the meme about being so annoying that your kidnappers send you back because the way Ms. Marvel gets herself out of Limbo is exactly that. While smashing all the demons she can find Ms. Marvel simply starts talking, and talking, and talking. And wouldn’t you know it but they’re so annoyed by her commentary and threats they send her back to Earth almost immediately. Easy fix right. Unfortunately getting home isn’t the only thing she has to worry about tonight. Like a scene out of a Godzilla movie the Jersey City Mosque is on the move! And if that wasn’t enough there's a group of bird-inventors looking to take her out. Thankfully Miles spots Ms. Marvel’s precarious situation and swings in for some last minute assistance. After they wrap things up on the hero side they have a nice little heart to heart. As two characters who constantly feel like they have the weight of their community on their shoulders it was really nice to see them have a wholesome moment and support each other as friends too. Now I'm just keeping my fingers crossed for some more team-ups from them in the future.
Diarra's Picks:
Danger Street #2 - I’ve raved on Tom King’s ability to bring life to less mainstream/forgotten heroes, and I think this series is the coolest yet (and that’s from someone who just finished King’s Human Target #10, where Christopher Chance and G’nort the Green Lantern team up!). Issue one we meet up with Starman, Metamorpho, and Warlord in a diner outside a small town, as they lay out a half-cocked plan to ensure their admission to the Justice League. Nearby, in said small town, lies Danger Street so you know the Dingbats won’t be far and these guys are just as rambunctious as when Jack Kirby first drew them in 1975! The Dingbats are comprised of Good Looks, Krunch, Non-Fat, and Bananas, four young boys that give what I can only be described as “4 Kids Walk into a Bank by Matthew Rosenberg” energy. They may just be a couple of pals having fun, but when kids begin disturbing the peace Lady Cop is called to restore order. That’s right, another 1975 debut makes an appearance with the return of Liza Warner aka Lady Cop, and when one of the Dingbat boys is found dead she is determined to solve this case (and don’t think the Dingbats are sitting this one out). If all these awesome heroes aren’t blowing your mind you should know, all the while, the rich brats that make up ‘The Green Team’ are causing chaos from the shadows with the help of Manhunter’s rage and reporter Jack Ryder’s gullibility. With only 12 issues there is no reason not to give this jam packed blast from the past, and I personally can’t wait to see what happens next!
Swamp Thing: Green Hell #1 - This might seem like deja vu because this #1 first hit the shelves back in December 2021 but despite only being three issues long, the series was canceled. Which, if I can be frank, was a real bummer…but let’s hope this time we get the whole shebang and in a timely fashion! Jeff Lemire always delivers heartfelt story lines in the midst of unusual sci-fi settings, so I knew he would crush a Black Label Swamp Thing tale. So let’s revisit this new world, one ravaged by mankind's greed. Earth’s lands are mostly water and as the sea level steadily rises, anarchy rules as humanity counts their days. In the sea below one of the remaining civilizations, the Parliaments of the Green, the Red, and Rot watch as their resources are also being destroyed and decide the only way to restore order is a clean slate. This means eliminating the remaining humans, and the Green whips up a few swampy creations to do the job. What they don’t know is bad boy summoner, John Constantine, has been spending his retirement lying low here. Too bad John isn’t a young hooligan anymore or he’d handle this himself, but this old man still has a few tricks up his sleeve. Alec Holland has been dead for years so he is pretty pissed when his old pal Constantine resurrects him, but only Swamp Thing can defeat the Green’s growing army!
Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur #2 - This all ages series is off to a great start, not only is it full of laughs and adventure, but you can tell the creators want to make something culturally significant (and the little black girl inside me is really enjoying it). Lunella Lafayette aka Moon Girl promised her parents she’d stop crime fighting so to help with this new life switch, Lunella develops a roller derby team with some of her fellow teen Inhumans. Even this attempt at a normal life fails when team member and obnoxious teen influencer, OMG Olivia, reveals herself to Lunella as a Kree spy and asks Moon Girl to join in her evil plot. Moon Girl sends Olivia packing knowing this isn’t the last she’ll be seeing her, but she is having a hard time convincing her fellow Inhumans this threat is real. That is until one by one, the town starts getting brainwashed into joining OMG Olivia’s cult. Before it was tech in roller skates, but now she has created a mind control device that is administered through beauty products. Moon Girl finally gets her hands on a sample of the product, but before she can run tests/develop an antidote Devil Dinosaur mistakes it for a snack. Not only is the sample lost, but now Moon Girl’s BFF, Devil Dinosaur is under OMG Olivia’s influence too!
K's Picks:
Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur #2 - The Sad Sacks are back and on the move! I'm a Lunella fanboy at heart. I enjoy her clear emotional distance from every other kid, her being a girl genius. It's a detail that really characterizes her as someone who sees things in a more analytical light. Can we please get more back story on the kids? I want to know more about them and a tad bit more about what they can and can't do. I don't know if I expressed it before but I really want to understand what makes each of them Inhuman again. This all comes from a place of the Bird Kid being able to understand DD. They're a dinosaur, making them relatives to birds, which is a interesting way to play a minor role in this group. Unfortunately, the Sad Saks may be disbanded, which sucks because I think a metahuman roller derby would be cool. I really liked this issue. I'm happy to see Lunella's heroic side and see her take action without missing a beat! It's a solid read for any fan of the character.
Batman The Adventures Continue S3 #1 - It's been awhile since I've read a Batman standalone issue, and I want more of this series. Reading up on the Adventures Continue, I was more than happy to get back into seeing Bruce in action again, and honestly, I'm not disappointed at all. It's very rare for me to start an issue and feel like I've watched an episode like I have with Adventures Continue. There's a clear direction and nostalgia when I turn each page. For any fans of the 1991 film Batman Mask of the Phantasm, we are introduced to the new daughter of the Crime Lord Salvatore Valestra, Esther Valestra. With her main muscle locked up we focus on her attempts to silence this possible liability. There's not a whole lot to really pick up, and I blame that on the fact that it genuinely felt like I just watched a Saturday morning episode of The Animated series. Can we also appreciate how no matter what issue it is, Waller seems to get her dirty little mitts on every other incarcerated villain in Gotham?
Gospel #3 - Best issue this week, hands down! Will Morris, you are a genius with the pen and the direction, pacing, and all around badass characters are on full view this week! This issue was slower but more than made up for it with some more dynamic action scenes. Morris really gets those transitions down better than just about anyone these days. With the introduction of a Shadowy Assassin, I really want to know when we're going to see more of her - she's easily my favorite character. I kinda forgot that this entire story is being told to someone, so yeah, that's an entire piece of info slipped right from under my nose. It's not all that important until you consider what parts of the story are true, and I'm still holding on to the idea that the demon isn't really a demon.