Fight Club 3 – IT’S HERE! AGHGHHGHGHGH!! FUCKING YES! It seems this new series picks up right where Fight Club 2 left us. The failed plan to destroy the world behind them and a hopeful future as a normal family in front of them. However, you can’t get rid of Tyler, that’s not how any of that works. There also seems to be either a secondary “bad guy” or maybe a new face in Tyler’s army. Regardless, old guys in black coats, collecting magical artifacts in exchange for Nazi gold is not a vibe you would normally see in a Palahniuk book. I’m super stoked to see how this plays out, how these Nazis are involved and honestly, I’m interested to see how much more damage Tyler can do.
Wyrd #1 – I’m feeling little lukewarm on this series so far. It’s a supernatural/ action genre with a super powered rogue agent as the main character. He gets hired to get the job done when others can’t. It’s not revolutionary, but it is a fun read. There’s direct nods to the Captain America super soldier experiments and Hellboy’s Baba Yaga; which in my opinion, is awesome. I’ll definitely keep my eye on this series to see where it goes.
Heroes in Crisis #5: The world now knows their superheroes are fallible. The general public is in shock and fear for their safety. However, Superman gives a really beautiful speech about mental health and what it means to be a hero, and it seems like everyone generally agrees. While that is happening, Batgirl and Harley are getting closer to the truth by beating up robots. Also, Booster and Blue Beetle are making their own headway finding answers. With only two issues left in the run, I’m excited to see where King takes us and who/ what killed Sanctuary.
Hex Wives #4: This series gets better and better as time goes on. Our sisterhood of witches have finally started realizing their potential. After Becky gets cat blood on herself, she can fly. After Damina gets her period, she can hear voices. It seems this group of house wives are onto something here. I’m stoked to see what happens next!
Age of X-Man Alpha #1 – Nate Grey created the My Hero Academia universe! No, really. Picking up off the end of X-Men: Disassembled, we have the Age of X-Man, a limited run event featuring a world of mutant harmony. Now, everyone’s a mutant! This book doesn’t have much story, but it helps build the world and drops the threads for the six upcoming mini-series. You’ll want to read this so you know what’s gonna happen in X-Books, and so you can learn about the scandalous affair between Jean and Bishop!
Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt #1 – This one’s a bit slower paced than your typical superhero story. Peter Cannon is the smartest and most capable man alive, having access to knowledge most people can’t imagine — and he has the genius to use it. He uses this phenomenal brilliance to stop an alien invasion and save the world yet again. We get brief a look at this world where the US, Russia, and China have banded together, but we spend much of the story having an inside look at the mind of the distant and troubled Peter Cannon. This is a slow burn start to a promising new series from Kieron Gillen and amazing artist Caspar Wijngaard.
Wyrd #1 – Meet Pitor Wyrd. He’ll give you Constantine vibes with his blond hair, foul mouth, and chain smoking. But unlike Constantine, Wyrd is invulnerable and immortal. And he’s hired by the American government to solve mysteries they can’t figure out. In this noir-metahuman story, Wyrd gets hired to investigate a mysterious occurrence that wiped out a village of 400. It’s a dark mystery with tastes of both occult and super-science. If you like Constantine or Justice League Dark, give this a try because it’s a similar story.
Mysteries of Love in Space #1 – I love these holiday anthologies. You get to see new sides of favorite characters, and you get a deeper look at characters that don’t show up as much. This one’s all about, you guessed it, love in space. All the feature characters are aliens, from Superman to Kilowog to Crush and more. Even Space Cabbie finds romance in this excellent short story collection from DC. Pick it up today, it’s well worth the price!
Flash Annual #2 – This annual bridges the gap between the recent Forces story arc and what’s coming for Barry in 2019. Godspeed shows up again! He’s targeting speedsters on behalf of a mysterious antagonist from the future. A lot of things happen here. Barry tells Iris and Wallace about Wally’s death, and we see what Impulse has been up to between Flash 50 and Young Justice 1. This fills in a lot of holes and is a great set-up for the upcoming Flash stories!
Teen Titans Annual #1 – A two-parter! As you may know, the Teen Titans have taken a darker direction. Wrongly assuming that Red Hood set them up, Damian goes after him — only to get his ass royally handed to him. Meanwhile, Red Arrow takes the rest of the team to deal with some mind-controlling jackass. You get a peek into Djinn’s head and another glimpse of how terrifying she can be under the demure outside. With Damian having broken ties with Red Hood, it looks like the Teen Titans may be on their own in their fight against the Other. But this is an exciting issue, especially for an annual!
Wyrd #1: While I do enjoy paranormal/sci-fi crime as much as the next person, I felt like this kind of story is been there, done that. I would absolutely love to see some other crazy monsters though, and I’m curious how they will develop Wyrd’s character through the series. I’ll continue to give it a chance, because I think it could be great, and it certainly doesn’t hurt that it’s lettered by one of Hampton Roads own residents! Also, thanks for the Hellboy/Baba Yaga nod-super epic!
Fight Club 3 #1: There was so much hype around this that I had to give it a try, even though I’ve never read the previous ones. From the perspective of someone who has zero knowledge of the Fight Club stories, this first issue could seem super strange and confusing. I think it’s important though, to understand the difference between Tyler and Balthazar, and the significance of both, but I won’t spoil what I uncovered there. I feel like there is a deeper meaning in what Chuck Palahniuk has put into this issue, and I’m actually really excited to keep going forward in the series!
Hex Wives #4: I absolutely adore this series more and more every time in general, but I’m super stoked that it seems like *maybe* the girls could be starting to become self aware. All thanks to Becky chopping off Damina’s cat’s head, it’s looking like the ladies (especially Damina) are noticing that things are a little weird! They’re finally questioning why they can’t travel, or why they can’t have a group conversation without a random husband interfering, or why they can’t remember the last time they left. Plus, why else would Isadora just decide to cut herself while doing dishes? I hope Aaron’s plans get spoiled soon, and man I can’t wait to see how that plays out!
Man Without Fear #5: This is it! This is the last issue in Matt Murdock’s mini series about his accident, and it absolutely delivers. I love that he’s finally able to accept that he will always have a nagging fear, but that he knows he is stronger than it and won’t let it defeat him. He’s back to being Daredevil again, despite the pain and fear, and I couldn’t be happier! This last issue, in my opinion, is exactly what it should have been and sets the stage for what Chip Zdarsky will bring to the table in his new Daredevil series!
Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt #1 – Some dude named Thunderbolt is being real stubborn about saving the earth from an alien invasion that seems to be killing everyone so a small group of heroes go to his house and try and convince him. It works. He does. Only he figures out the person behind the invasion is….wait for it…AN ALTERNATE VERSION OF HIMSELF….FROM THE FUTURE! Wowee wow wow. What a twist.
Wyrd #1 – If Constantine worked as a special agent for various governments he’d be Wyrd. I feel like individuals who deal with cryptid/occult stuff should be its own sub genre and I would read them all. This is only a 4 part mini series though, so I don’t know how much they are going to set up here as this issue def felt very one and done more or less, but we shall see.
Journey Into Unknown Worlds #1 – Another great one shot that I wish they would do more of. Two spooky stories involving things not from this earth. It’s really refreshing to read some Marvel comics that don’t involve superheroes. But please Marvel, make some of these books ongoing things.
Mysteries of Love in Space #1 – DC characters in various love scenarios across the universe in the special valentines anthology special. Watch Kilowog go on a date. Will Bizarro find love? And why does Space Cabbie not have his own series already? I would read 50 issues of Space Cabbie
Buffy the Vampire Slayer #1: As someone who was never into Buffy, I didn’t really get the hype over this new comic. However, this is a standalone rebooted series. This is not continuation of the show, no parallel universes, no comic book/ tv series crossover shenanigans; this is the new Buffy in 2019. It’s an excellent entry point for new readers and die hard Buffy fans alike. This new series welcomes you with familiar characters , but the story is totally new and fresh. Plus, the art is beautiful. I’m not saying this is my favorite comic, but I’ll definitely pick it up next month.
Naomi #1: Naomi is your typical teenage girl in the middle of nowhere suburbia USA. Suddenly her boring little town isn’t so boring when Superman comes barreling through, destroying a city block. The whole town is in a tizzy over their brief 15 second Superman encounter, especially Naomi who missed it. entirely. However, with this super hero encounter, some local folklore creeps back into the town talk. Naomi seems to be the only one hell bent to figure out the truth about her quiet town. I honestly can’t wait to see where they go with this series!
Oliver #1: This is an interesting retelling of Oliver Twist based in a future dystopian England. This world was ravaged by a nuclear war causing the air to become toxic to any human. However, as we read on, this colony of men aren’t entirely what they seem. This issue is dark, mysterious , and at times, heartwarming. If you’re into retelling of classic literature, this is the series for you.
Tank Girl Action Alley #2: I’m still stoked on the new ongoing series! Tank Girl and friends are back in action, traversing the desert to hopefully save TG’s adoptive mom. This issue is jam packed with kangaroo punches, face kicks, shoot outs and monstrous desert creatures, but it’s not all fun and games. In between the fight scenes, there is a series of flashbacks about how awful her mom was growing up. Whether this is the woman TG is willing to risk it all for or not will hopefully be answered in next month’s issue. I can’t wait!
Buffy #1: I’m so excited to dive into this new Buffy Universe. I absolutely appreciated the nods to classic Buffy, but at the same time I’m so happy it’s almost a totally new slate for her and her friends, which means if you’re not very familiar with Buffy you can pick this up and still understand what is happening, while picking up on the new stories they’re establishing for her. I love the simple plot of this first issue: get in, introduce everyone, show some vamps, lay some groundwork, then cliffhanger! I already can’t wait for the next issue.
Exorsisters #4: I absolutely adore the double Kates! I love how this series always shows the two sides that all humans have-even if we all can’t have a spooky, physical copy of our “darker side” to hang out with. I love that this issue had laughs, but also showed the girls get down to business to try and figure out why these angels dropped from the sky, even if they weren’t entirely successful with that part yet. This issue left me curious as to what their mother is really up to though…and will they ever let Buzz out?!
Blossoms 666 #1 : To me, Jason and Cheryl are those siblings that you desperately want to be friends with but either secretly hate or are absolutely terrified of. Which means that when they throw a party and everyone is invited, whether out of pity or not, you should probably just go. That is, of course, only if you enjoy sacrificing your high school bully. If that’s not your thing, then follow Jughead’s lead in this issue and just stay home.
Man Without Fear #4: Can we just talk about how awful Wilson Fisk is? Also how strong willed Matt is- there’s no way I could pretend to be asleep while one of my biggest enemies, the city’s criminal kingpin, is standing over my hospital bed blabbing on and on about that one time he *almost* beat me. Matt showed incredibly self restraint, but in the end he sent Fisk right out of his room with no questions asked. I love that they showed some of their personal history in this one, and I look forward to seeing what the conclusion to this mini-series will look like.
Crypt of Shadows One Shot – In honor Marvel’s 80th anniversary, Marvel is putting out a series of genre anthology one shot comics Marvel used to put out under their various former publishing names. To kick things off, we have the spooky Crypt of Shadows and it is wonderful. A nice spooky story told in 3 parts. Writing and art are all solid and a great start to this series of one shots. I would gladly read more of these if Marvel decide they wanted to make them
Guardians of the Galaxy #1 – Oh dang, a lot happened in this first issue. Groot talks again, Thanos is dead and his dead is lost somewhere infecting some host body with his memories, all of the cosmic greats show up to a meeting that gets interrupted and now Peter Quill/Star Lord has a new crew! Donny Cates hits the ground running in this book, and even though A LOT has gone on in the cosmic side of the MU recently, as someone who has read NONE of it, I didn’t feel super lost or anything but inspired to check out the past events out of curiosity which is how these things should generally go.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer #1 – Great debut/fresh start. To anyone familiar with Buffy, they’ll feel right at home. The characters all read/sound like they should and everything is primed and and ready to twist everything you thought you knew/expected about Buffy. Also very user friendly to new Buffy fans. Just a great all around book/entry point into the series. Boom! has done a great job adapting the Whedon series and some excellent stories are ahead of us.
Oliver #1 – Oliver Twist in the future! Some sort of great war happened between England and ? where so many soldiers died that England came up with a way to mass produce cloned soldiers. Flash forward ? years later and the war seems to be over but all the clones live in some sort of clone ghetto. A woman stumbles into their camp and delivers a baby boy whom they name…..OLIVER! But there’s more to Oliver than we are lead to believe that we’ll have to wait until next issue to find out. Basically if you’re a fan of Oliver Twist….WITH A SCI FI/FUTURE DYSTOPIA TWIST than this book is for you.
Black Widow #1: Black Widow is back… kind of! She’s technically a clone with implanted memories and legally dead. But that doesn’t stop her from kicking some imposter Captain America ass. Black Widow has always been a bad bitch; she doesn’t care for the moral high ground of the Avengers and isn’t afraid to take the low road to get the job done. This is a solid first issue and I’m stoked to see where it goes!
Ironheart #2: Riri Williams is out in the streets, saving people and fighting bad dudes in between working on her gadgets. We are introduced to her A.I., Natalie, part supercomputer, part Riri’s conscious/memories. Natalie discovers that an old friend of Ri’s has been missing for a couple weeks, so Ri flies back home to Chicago to find her. After some digging, it appears this missing person case goes much deeper than originally expected; kid gangs, cult like activity and maybe even some alien criminals. I’m stoked to see how they tie these mysteries together in the next issue.
Batman Who Laughs #2: We still don’t know what Batman Who Laughs plan really is or why he’s killing a bunch of Bruce Waynes from different dimensions. Batman seems to always be a step behind, possibly due to the Anti-Joker serum he has pumping through his veins. Grim Knight gets pulled through into this dimension, and with his help, both evil batman are able to destroy Wayne Tower. Between Jock’s art and the Batman on Edgy Dark Batman fights, I will definitely read this entire series.
Man Without Fear #3: This issue centers around Matt’s physical therapy and his relationship to the Defenders. We get to see him train one on one with Luke Cage, Iron Fist and Jessica Jones. With each character bringing their own perspective to the sessions, everyone trying to help Matt walk again. This issue cuts back and forth between his training sessions and a memory of a villain, Foolkiller. Back in the day, they all teamed up to take down an ordinary killer who sent his victim messages 24 hrs before he kills them. As we cut back and forth between past and present, the message becomes clear, Dare Devil is afraid. And by the end of the issue, we see just how powerful his fear is.
Conan The Barbarian #2 – Another wonderful tale of swords and savagery with everyone’s favorite barbarian. Kind of a departure from the set up of the first issue but it comes back in the end. Still much to discover from this black magic children. Props to this book for including a map at the start and highlighting where the story takes place. The lands of Hyborian Age are vast and wild so it’s nice to have a frame of reference for Conan’s many adventures. Also maps are always tight.
Middlewest #3 – The journey continues for young Abel who must pay a troll toll and hopefully it’s not offering up his boys soul/hole. Abel’s father also gets some exposure as he must deal with the ramifications of being a human tornado. All in all another good chapter to Middlewest.
Marvel Comics Presents #1 – I feel like people who read these reviews are well aware of my boner for anthology comics and this is no exception. With this book, it seems like Charles Soule will be writing a long form serialized Wolverine story with two back up one shot stories in each issue. This month to kick things off, we have a Namor and Captain America back up. All three stories are enjoyable in their own right, although the Cap story is by far the weakest unless you’re really into him doing sick dirt bike jumps. The art is great for all of them and I’m hoping EVERYONE BUYS AND READS THIS BOOK SO WE CAN MORE COOL STORIES LIKE NEXT MONTH’S STORY STARRING GORILLA MAN. EMBRACE THE ANTHOLOGY FORMAT YOU HEATHENS! EUROPE AND JAPAN LOVE THEM AND SO SHOULD YOU. /endrant
Avatar: Tsu’tey’s Path #1 – For all you Avatar fans out there, and I know there has to be millions of you, your cries for a comic book fleshing out this wonderful totally original sci fi universe have finally been heard more than a decade later! Good or bad, it matters not because this is all you get in terms of expanding the Avatar cannon. So mind meld your brains to the weird root things that are the panels of this book and prepare to blast off on a great space native adventure!
Black Widow #1 – As someone who is not well-versed in the Marvel Universe (yet!!), I was excited to pick this up. I love how it shows that even a strong hero has weaknesses, in this case Nat’s urge to kill. I enjoyed the hints and nods to her and Cap’s past, but I also liked that it moved on to show more about just her and her own story in Madripoor. I look forward to finding out more about the NRP site, and how far Black Widow is willing to go to put an end to it.
Goddess Mode #2 – I love this series so far! The story alone is great, but the bright artwork of real Azoth is by far one of my favorite parts about the whole thing. In this issue specifically though, I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Mary’s backstory and real identity get shown, and I sincerely hope to see more of the Tall Poppie’s backstories come to life in future issues.
Man Without Fear #3 – Another issue showing a broken Matt Murdock, another issue of highlighting that Daredevil is no longer fearless…or even around anymore for that matter. His friends are even starting to catch on to what is holding him back physically and mentally at this point. Despite his insistence, I don’t believe that Matt is out of the game yet, and it’s clear that The Defenders don’t believe it either.
TMNT IDW 20/20 – To celebrate IDW Publishing’s 20 year anniversary, they have set this issue 20 years in the future. I appreciated that they DID slightly acknowledge that this means the turtles are no longer teenagers. At first it seemed like they were divided, with Donnie being an enemy prisoner and Leo basically being just an astral projection, but in the end they united with their trusty friend Pepperoni to take down one of the Utron’s many backup Technodromes and will continue to find the rest that are scattered over the world.
Invaders #1 – The MARVEL NOW Invaders series was pretty average a few years ago. It was a fairly typical story with typical heroes and villains. This new series, however, is top tier! I always feel that the best books start from the inside of a character and reflect outward struggles. This absolutely does that. This story actually started in Avengers #9, with Atlanteans killing people in an act of war. As we find out, Namor is starting a war with the surface. It’s not the typical take over the world story, but is set up with deep understandings of what these men went through in their fights in World War II. I don’t know what’s happened in Marvel, but all of their side story comics are blossoming into amazing comics, while their main crossovers suffer horribly.
Amazing Spider-Man #13– This comic wraps up the story arc about Jameson and his awards ceremony. There’s a clear divide still between Spidey and Jonah that still remains, even though they have agreed to this partnership. The thing that pulls them through all of their conflicting pasts and fights, is their mutual respect for each other’s talents. It’s heartfelt and warm, and gives a lesson everyone can take something from. The next story looks really interesting!
Return of Wolverine #4 – this book is drawn out way too far apart. The overall quality of the book benefits, but I feel like whole chunks of good material is missing from this monthly mini-series. What I want to see more of is these heat claws, rampaging Wolverine, and deep interwoven stories. This book tries to give that after the fact. While it’s an effective way in cramming all of that in one issue, it leaves you feeling hungry for more. The good news is that the next issue promises there will be, but if you love Logan and how he came back to life, then you need to read this. It has some great moments (like cutting an X-man in half!!!) but needs to push the story forward.
The Batman Who Laughs #2 – *freaking out internally* Jock and Snyder, together again at last! These are the dynamic duo that was truly missing from the Dark Knights series last year. Luckily, they’ve saved this best story to stand alone at the top. Not only are we seeing the amazingly disturbing Laughing Batman, but a new “Grim Knight” as well. Batman at war, if you will. In the last issue, Joker was killed by these two, but it was our Batman that saved him at the cost of his own safety! The toxin that has made the Laughing Batman, IS TURNING BRUCE WAYNE INTO HIMSELF! Bruce has to fight to survive against an enemy that knows him as well as he knows himself, but against his own new raging instincts. What a great concept, what a great jam-packed book.
Guest Pick From Antowan!
Batman Who Laughs #2 – Jock and Snyder continue their terrifying tale of three Bat-men in issue two of this must read miniseries.
The Batman who laughs opens up with a distraught Alfred working to save someone he would never had hope to save, the Joker! We soon see that our beloved Bruce Wayne is not doing so good himself. The issue is jam packed full of gritty, gut wrenching action that is more a kin of DC’s black label line than anything. It all accumulates into a amazing scene inside of Wayne Tower where Bruce’s world is changed forever. Will Batman be able to do what it takes to bring a end to this chaos? Or will everything he’s fought to build be ripped away from him?
5/5 Must Read!
Captain Marvel #1- Carol’s back yall! This issue starts with a bang as she and Spider-Woman get to beat up a gnarly space kraken. Carol is trying to settle back into her old life as an Avenger and pick up the pieces of her relationship with James Rhodes. Her life just started coming back together when Nuclear Man shows up and ruins everything. Even with the help of the Avengers, the situation goes from bad to worse for Captain Marvel. I’m not going to give anything away, but due to the turn of events, I am stoked for the next issue!
Gunning for Hits #1- Much like any other art industry, the music industry is 5% music, 95% business. And Martin Mills means business! As his record companies scout, he’s responsible for finding new talent to sign on. Cue Stunted Growth, a local band from Connecticut, ready to take on the world by storm. Between their negotiating of a record deal, Martin lays down the ins and outs of the 80’s music industry. By the end of this first issue, we see just why he’s so damn good at his job. Can’t wait to see where they take this series!
Web of Venom: Venom Unleashed #1- I’ll be honest, I picked up this comic because there was a cute Venom dog on the cover. That is exactly what this comic is about and it does not disappoint. With our good pup as the lead, there isn’t much dialogue in the issue. However, what it lacks in conversation, it makes up for in gory horror art.
Man Without Fear #2- I’m enjoying this miniseries of Dare Devil. The first issue dealt with Matt’s fear and pain and how they drive him to be Dare Devil and the reason to leave it behind for good. Being the Man Without Fear has led to the destruction of his body and the tragic endings of his relationships. However, even leaving the Dare Devil life behind, there is still an uphill battle for Matt; between the physical battle of recovering from his injuries, and processing the fear of just being a normal person again. Overall , this series is dope so far and I can’t wait for the next one.
Young Justice #1 – Let’s take a moment to welcome back the coolest teen superhero team ever! I’ve missed this series for years and this action-packed relaunch does not disappoint! Tim, Cassie, Bart, and Conner run into each other in the wake of a Gemworld invasion of Earth! The art is gorgeous and makes some of my favorite characters look even better. The dialogue is sharp, and the writing does a great job of introducing two new team members: Jinny Hex and Teen Lantern. A great start to a new era!
Captain Marvel #1 – Kelly Thompson has yet another incredible book on the shelves! She’s brought us a whole new Captain Marvel story full of the character and action that she’s so great with and she’s bringing in such a great ensemble. Spider-Woman, Iron Man, and Rhodey are among the many characters that appear, and the story is full of action and conflict that challenges Carol while still making her look like the badass that she is. Pick it up!
Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #1 – So another new Spider-Man series has hit the shelves. This one was nice. That’s about all I can say right now. It’s nice. Whatever Tom Taylor is planning must be a slow burn. This issue sets up a story, but it doesn’t dangle anything juicy until the very end. The rest of the issue is pretty standard Spidey-being-a-great-guy kind of stuff.
Miles Morales: Spider-Man #2 – On the other hand, we have Ahmed’s spectacular (heh) Miles book this week. Miles and the Rhino teamed up to find out what’s happening to some missing kids, and we get to see what Miles thinks and feels through Ahmed’s excellent internal narration. The Rhino gets a lot of development too, and we get to see a less aggressive side of him than we normally see. It’s pretty charming seeing these two very different characters working together.
Adventures of the Super Sons #6 – Jon and Damian have been all over the place in this adventure and they’re going even MORE places! They’re attacked by Rex Luthor, but quickly “rescued” by the bounty hunter Tommy Tomorrow! Can the Super Sons get themselves free? I’m sad this is only a 12-issue limited series, and I really hope to see these two team up once it ends!
Die #2 – The best D&D book on the shelves is back. This issue we get a little preview in how the character classes of “Die” work including a “Neo” which is a cyberpunk ninja with a fierce drug addiction. The artwork is still beautiful and each panel could easily blown up and framed in an art gallery. Gillen has taken classic D&D/Fantasy/RPG tropes and has twisted them in an incredibly creative way. The groups journey has officially kicked off with this issue and I can’t wait to see Gillen continues to surprise us with this wonderful world he’s cooked up.
Star Wars Age of Republic: Jango Fett – This is one of the better one shots so far simply because it ties into the prequel/SW mythos slightly instead of just being a random adventure (although still a random adventure). I’ll be more excited when they stop doing prequel era one shots and move on to Star Wars that actually matters
Miles Morales: Spider-Man #2 – Well what a fun team up issue. Rhino and Spidey bffs. Cute. I like that this series is very new reader friendly and the story is very basic and not some grandiose epic for the ages (at least for now). Good stuff!
The Green Lantern #3 – Earth is up for auction and the highest bidder is GOD HIMSELF! And now Hal Jordan must put him UNDER ARREST! If that doesn’t sell you on the book then I don’t know what else to say man, just like…do better i guess?
Man Without Fear #2 – Starting out with Matt in the hospital was a quick way to pull at the heartstrings, and to have Sam there believing everything was going to be fine while Matt was trying to shut it down was also super sad. When Kirsten shows up at the hospital, it kind of hints that while Matt is happy she’s there, he’s also hoping (or scared) that someone else may show up too. I loved that Matt exposes his vulnerability in this series by expressing these fears of not being Daredevil anymore to Foggy, I think it shows us that while he is and always will be Matt Murdock, he will also always be Daredevil, despite what he said to Sam about Daredevil being dead. In the end, Matt’s own fears appear to manifest as a person in his room, showing him all of his fears in the form of loved ones he has lost. I am super excited to get into the last couple of issues in this mini-series.
Martian Manhunter #2 – This issue showed us two story lines; one on J’onn J’onzz’ home planet and one on earth where J’onn was wearing the face of the human cop, John Jones . It started off showing J’onn with his wife admiring a far off planet and showing him express his dreams of traveling off-world one day. It then shows us the scene of a car accident on earth, where the face of John Jones has disappeared in the car fire. He is having flashbacks of his wife and child, while Diane is struggling to understand why the face of her friend is gone, and in his place is an alien form. She saves him from the fire, but before she gets her answers, we go back to J’onn’s home planet. I absolutely love that it shows him and his wife taking their child to the museum on their planet! It shows us how they are able to choose their dream flesh shape when they , which I thought was super neat! It then takes us back to the scene of the car fire, and right at the end as he is starting to retake the form of John Jones, he attempts to wipe Diane’s memory of seeing his true form, and she shoots him! Can’t wait to read the next issue and see what happens to J’onn and Diane.
Star Wars Age of Republic: Jango Fett #1 – Honestly, I was super apprehensive about this one, but Jango is kind of Star Wars’ coolest bounty hunter, so I gave it a shot. I was NOT disappointed, and it turned out to probably one of my favorite reads this week! Who doesn’t love to see a young Boba in training?!?! I also am a huge fan of the fact that it shows pre-clone planning and progress a couple of times throughout the issue. I also love that it showed us how Boba was trained and brought up. The parts with the other bounty hunter underestimating Boba, and believing Jango was leaving him for dead all over some credits was super satisfying for me. My only gripe is that this specific issue seemed (to me) to be more focused on Boba, when I thought I was reading about Jango. I’m not upset though, I was super into how Jango was so proud of Boba for the choices he made, and you can tell that he already knows his son’s reputation will equal his own, if not exceed it!
Heroes in Crisis #4 – This issue is focuses on relationships. The relationship between Batgirl and Harley; two characters always at odds, bond over the common ground of being disposable to their respectful leaders. Between Booster & Blue Beetle; they’ve always had each other in this grand scheme of super heroes, where neither of them belong. Batman and Superman’s relationship is a constant battle of morals and ethics between the two. It’s an interesting read that will pull on your heart strings.
Unnatural #6 – Leslie finally has a moment to catch her breath with her new found friends Carol & Kahl, and we get some answers about what is happening. So far, we know all the bad guys are connected and they want the mystical being living inside Leslie to be set free. Carol explains Leslie’s role in all of this and we learn what makes Kahl so special as well. But just as things seem to be picking up in pace, our protagonist is on the run again. Hopefully , the next issue has more answers.
Man Without Fear – Daredevil is taken out by a bus and is in a coma in the hospital. With Foggy keeping him company bedside, Matt is on a metaphorical journey. Whether it’s his subconscious on overdrive in the coma or an actual battle in between the realms of life and death, it isn’t really clear. It doesn’t even really matter. The underlying message is that Daredevil is a man with no fear, driven by pain. So, Pain and Fear pay him a visit in a physical form to keep him in the coma to save Matt Murdock. Overall, it’s a decent issue with some dope art. Check it out.
Batman Beyond #27 – The Joker is back, and with a vengeance! Yes, THE Joker is now in Batman Beyond. He’s mad about the Jokerz Gang and wiped most of them out, and wants to make Gotham the grimy, dark den of crime it once was. Terry’s the only one who can stop him now, and Matt is learning the hard way what it takes to be Robin. There is a lot of commentary here on what it takes to be a Robin, as both Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson argue over whether Matt can handle the job.
Champions #1 – The Champions relaunch with a much bigger cast. This series has become the new flagship teen superhero book for Marvel, and Jim Zub’s been doing a good job with the team and the character dynamics for a while. Now he has Ms. Marvel leading a global initiative of powered young heroes. There are a LOT of new characters here, so make sure to get the #1 so you know who these folks are later.
Mr & Mrs X #7 – Rogue and Gambit have been kidnapped by MOJO! Unaware of what’s happened, they go from show to show at Mojo’s whims. But when Rogue’s powers go out of control again, Mojo has to change the whole script. Kelly Thompson has been doing great with this series. Between this and West Coast Avengers, she’s gotta be one of my favorite Marvel writers right now.
Uncanny X-Men #8 – Hoo-boy, this series has a lot going on. Each issue is packed to the brim with STUFF HAPPENING. If you miss even one, you’ll miss a lot of story. We last left with the younger X-Men, led by Armor, getting trapped in the Age of Apocalypse, but soon we learn that it’s just a psychic construct created by Legion, and that they’re all trapped in Legion’s head. As Bishop and the others get ready to save the kids, they learn just how far X-Man’s powers truly reach.
Unnatural #6 – Man, this story is solid. In this issue we learn all about the origins of the Albino and how Leslie is connected to him. The stakes get higher and higher as Jones and his minions close in on Leslie and the resistance. Mirka Andolfo has nailed the storytelling all throughout this series. What started out as a metaphor has turned into a much deeper, more powerful story that is getting more exciting each page.
Wonder Woman #61 – If you’re a fan of Greek mythology and all the drama surrounding it, you need to read G Willow Wilson’s Wonder Woman. Due to Diana’s nature, her stories have always touched on Greek legends, but Wilson brought the full force of Olympian drama into Wonder Woman. Not only is Ares on the loose, but Aphrodite has appeared to make things more interesting. And while Diana and Steve are finally reunited, the war is not over. Ares is escalating, and it’s up to the couple to stop him — with Aphrodite’s help? I love all the myth and excitement wrapped up in this comic lately! I can’t wait for more!
Conan the Barbarian #1 – By Crom, what a great first issue. Jason Aaron was made to write Conan considering his early Thor had huge Conan vibes. Mahmud Asrar’s art is also perfectly suited to the book. Anyone who has never read a Conan book before will easily be able to jump in here regardless of the history of the character and old/lapsed readers will be able to jump right in and feel right at home. Conan the Barbarian is the greatest barbarian and hopefully with him being back home at Marvel, he’ll get more recognition and we can get a not completely shit new movie/tv show out of the whole thing.
Star Wars Age of Republic Obi-Wan – Anakin is still a little bitch, even in this one-shot. There are alien bird people. Obi-Wan has the patience of a saint.
Man Without Fear #1 – I’m assuming this takes place after Soules run on Daredevil which I read zero issues of, so what better than to read this mini series that will bridge the end of one run with the start of another. DD is in the hospital because I guess he got hit by a truck while saving a kid and this particular visit was I guess really traumatizing since he almost died on the operating table and is now suffering from some crazy coma fever dream battling his inner demons. Considering all everything DD has been though, that is a pretty weak ass reason to send him to the hospital but whatever, I don’t write these things. With that being said, the writing wasn’t bad. Art was good as well. I’ll be back to read the second issue because I like Daredevil.
Winter Soldier #2 – With a week that boasts new titles and continuation of the fantastic Heroes in Crisis, this book is my pick. The first issue was really good, but this makes it mark. Bucky fights a kid in the same outfit as the one he used to wear with Cap’, except this kid is killing everyone in his way . . . and he’s good at it. I’m not going to give too much away, but Bucky does the one thing I didn’t expect him to do. The writers clearly have the direction of the narrative and vision of the story in mind, which is why they can shift the action packed tone so drastically only the second book in and it work well! This is the mark of a great story. Take my word, this is going to be a top-tier book.
Heroes in Crisis #4 – Speaking of top-tier . . . Tom is the King of interpersonal stories of superheroes. Even when you figure out what happens, even when it clarifies and narrows in focus to be more coherent, it keeps throwing such believable curveballs at you to make you question everything. The overall quality of this book outmatches everything Marvel has put on shelves for years. DC really knows what it’s doing, and proves it.