Comics Guide: May 22-28, 2023

DARK HORSE COMICS

ALL EIGHT EYES #2 (OF 4)

BLUE BOOK #4 (OF 5)

RED TAG TP

DC COMICS

ACTION COMICS #1055

BATMAN: URBAN LEGENDS VOL 5 TP

BLOOD SYDICATE: SEASON ONE HC

Heads up, Milestone fans!

CITY BOY #1 (OF 6)

Story: Greg Pak | Art: Minkyu Jung 정민규 with SUNNY GHO | Variants: Inhyuk Lee 이인혁, Michael Choi, Minkyu Jung 정민규, Alexandre Tefenkgi | $3.99/$4.99

First seen in Wildstorm 30th Anniversary Special and Lazarus Planet: Legends Reborn, there’s a new Korean hero named…City Boy! Or at least, that’s the best translation of what the cities call him. City Boy, a.k.a. Cameron Kim, is just trying to make a living by using his powers of being able to speak to cities to find lost and hidden goods to pawn, and it’s only just enough to get by. And those abilities mean he hears everything everywhere all the time, including each city’s histories and the truths behind them. (It’s very loud in his head and something he has to live with.) As his powers get stronger, the cities start forming animal avatars from scraps in order to physically travel alongside him on his adventures. Of course, Gotham is a rat avatar made of city scraps, but what about Metropolis, Blüdhaven, Amnesty Bay, or even Themyscira? And not all cities are so kind…

I guess this is a teenage version of Jack Hawksmoor. It's such a strange super-power that it should be explored outside a group setting, where it can breathe.

DC PRIDE: THE NEW GENERATION HC

Story: Kevin Conroy, Alyssa Wong, Travis G. Moore, Devin Grayson, others | Art: Nick Robles, Brittney Williams, Evan Cagle, Zoe Thorogood, others | Cover: Phil Jimenez | $19.99

DC celebrates Pride Month with more stories, more characters and more pride than ever before! This gorgeous hardcover collects for the very first time: Thirteen thrilling tales spotlighting LGBTQIA+ fan-favorites new and old including Superman (Jon Kent), Nubia, Kid Quick, Connor Hawke, Aquaman (Jackson Hyde), Green Lantern (Jo Mullein), Alysia Yeoh, The Ray, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy and Batwoman. Stories include:

"Finding Batman," an autobiographical comic written by the late Kevin Conroy and drawn by J. Bone that details how Kevin's personal experiences from childhood to Hollywood ultimately informed his universally beloved performance as the iconic voice of Batman
All five parts of Tim Drake's coming-out story across BATMAN: URBAN LEGENDS #4-6, #10, and DC PRIDE: TIM DRAKE SPECIAL #1
An introduction by activist, actress and real-life superhero Nicole Maines

Gorgeous art from across the complete DC Pride 2022 celebration!

This is a reprint book of previous DC Pride stories. This year's anthology of new stories arrives next week.

DC/RWBY #4

FLASHPOINT #1 SPECIAL EDITION

GREEN ARROW #2 (OF 6)

HARLEY QUINN #30

JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #4 (OF 12)

NIGHTWING #104

POISON IVY VOL 1: THE VIRTUOUS CYCLE

SANDMAN UNIVERSE: THE DEAD BOY DETECTIVES #6 (OF 6)

SHAZAM AND THE SEVEN MAGIC LANDS TP (NEW ED)

STATIC: SHADOW OF DAKOTA #4 (OF 6)

More Milestone!

TIM DRAKE: ROBIN #9

UNSTOPPABLE DOOM PATROL #3

Guest-starring Guy Gardner and Kyle Rayner.

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

007: FOR KING COUNTRY #2

DARKWING DUCK #5

ELVIRA: MISTRESS DARK CLASSIC YEARS OMNIBUS VOL 2 HC

VAMPIRELLA VS. THE SUPERPOWERS #1

Writer: Dan Abnett | Artist: Pasquale Qualano | Covers: Sozomaika, Lesley "Leirix" Li, Junggeun Yoon, Joseph Michael Linsner, Rebeca Puebla, Cosplay | Teen+ | $3.99

It's full-throttle throwback action, courtesy of superstar writer Dan Abnett (Avengers, Warhammer) and red-hot artist Pasquale Qualano (DC Vs. Vampires)! Vampirella and her trusty sidekick Dyna Might have become superheroes, and are assigned to save a world that looks strangely similar to 1940s Earth, rife with crime and corruption, and two-fisted superheroes who don't take kindly to meddling from interdimensional vampire aliens! Can Vampirella survive an onslaught of conflict from villains and heroes alike, all while solving a murder mystery and keeping her precocious sidekick alive?

DAN ABNETT INTERVIEW

We saw Vampirella take on the “Dark Powers,” Red Sonja take on the “Superpowers,” and then their epic clash in Vampirella vs. Red Sonja. How does this latest series fit into that evolving tapestry, Dan?

Dan: Vampirella is still a member of the pan-dimensional organisation Project Superpowers. She’s now gained their trust, and is a valuable - if unconventional member. Now she’s been sent on a mission, undercover, to one of the many Plural Earths that the Project protects. This Earth is a hard-boiled, ‘1940s” era Earth. So we get to enjoy a hard-hitting, moody ‘film noir’ thriller, with Vampirella posing as a femme fatale nightclub singer trying to unpick a deep and dangerous conspiracy. It’s ‘LA Confidential with Superheroes”! :)

The Daughter of Drakulon has often been a loner type of antihero. Though she’s had allies through the years like Pendragon, the Van Helsings, her occasional uneasy team-ups with Pantha, and new companions in the acclaimed Christopher Priest era, she’s still often a loner. We hear you’ve devised a very unique “sidekick” of sorts for her in this book. Can you tell us about that?

Dan: the Project agent assigned as her partner for this mission is Dyna Might. Dyna is a new recruit to the Project, and we met her in the last story arc where she helped Vampirella save the day. The Project protects a ‘multiverse’ of parallel Earths, and each Earth supplies a superhero (or superheroes) to be its representative in the organisation. So Dyna is a proper superhero, with explosive powers. In this story, like Vampirella, she’s undercover, and neither of them can let on that they’re secretly metahuman. It’s a story of secret identities, espionage, and vigilante ‘street level’ superheroics.

Not only will Vampi be running around with one of the Project Superpowers heroes pulled from the Golden Age, but apparently she’s found herself in a world that seems yanked out of that era as well?

Dan: Very much the 1940s, but with a few differences. The world has just come out of the Second Super War, which was fought with metahumans, many artificially produced. The world is weary of, and afraid of, superheroes - there’s even a super-powered FBI division to clamp down on metahuman activities. Vampirella and Dyna Might have to break a spy ring that is stealing secrets of metahuman powers and technologies to the enemy in this ‘Cold War.'

Several talented artists have contributed over time to your fan-favorite Vampirella/Sonja/Powers titles so far, all inspired partly in structure by previous works like Guardians/Nova/Etc. What are some of the moments or ideas you’re most looking forward to seeing Pasquale Qualano bring to the page?

Dan: Mainly the mood and glamor of 1940s LA and Hollywood, the cars and costumes and nightclubs. That whole ‘film noir’ vibe really sets this story off, so it fits in with the previous stories but is quite distinct. If you’ve been reading the series, this a great ‘next chapter’, but new readers shouldn’t be put off - it’s also a stand alone story and we’ll make sure that everything can be understood. The ideal ‘jumping on’ point!

If they're male superheroes, they won't stand a chance!

IMAGE COMICS

AMBASSADORS #5 (OF 6)

AVA’S DEMON BOOK ONE: REBORN

Michael Fus | Image | Young Adult (12+) | $17.99

Today Skybound Comet unveiled an enchanting preview of Ava's Demon Book One: Reborn, acclaimed author Michelle Fus’ first book in a new series of graphic novels collecting their groundbreaking YA webcomic, which also set webcomics crowdfunding records on Kickstarter, now available for the first time in the book market.

In Ava’s Demon Book One: Reborn, a young, shy girl named Ava discovers that the demon who haunts her is actually the spirit of an ancient alien queen named Wrathia. The two form a powerful pact — in exchange for a better life, Ava must help Wrathia seek revenge against TITAN, the godlike being who destroyed her empire. To aid in the fight, Ava must assemble Wrathia’s most trusted warriors and their host lifeforms. The only problem is, she doesn’t know how to find them.

"Whether you’ve been following the webcomic since 2012, just started reading it on Webtoon, or backed one of the record-breaking Kickstarters, one thing’s for sure: once you start reading Ava’s Demon, you’ll be a fan for life." Said Alex Antone, Editorial Director of Skybound. “Ava’s Demon will always hold a special place in our hearts, and we’re thrilled to bring this beloved story to both longtime fans and a brand-new audience with its first official book market release!”

The campaign for Ava's Demon Book Two: Aftermath, the next chapter of the groundbreaking webcomic, recently broke records as the highest-funded webcomics Kickstarter of all time.

“Lots of mystery, high quality sci-fi, creepiness, a touch of humor, and ... amazing colors! It seems AVA’S DEMON has everything. A real pearl!” — Mirka Andolfo (Unnatural)

“Ava’s Demon is a gripping and exciting story, halfway between fantasy and science fiction, with a unique narrative, complex characters and a really stunning, breathtaking art and color palette.” — Míriam Bonastre Tur (Hooky)

“A beautifully illustrated journey into the battles we have with our inner demons as well as some very literal ones. A story that kept surprising me and taking unexpected twists at every chance.” — Jorge Corona (The Me You Love in the Dark)

“The art is gorgeous and spellbinding and the story is hypnotic. … It’s not hard to read the whole thing in a single sitting, you get so wrapped up in it!” — Vita Ayala (New Mutants)

This is YA, so it's not for me. But maybe it's for you, or someone you know. They certainly sent enough preview material to help you make up your mind!
Here's a trailer.

DEAD ROMANS #3 (OF 6)

FORGED #3

HITOMI TP

INDIGO CHILDREN #3

INVINCIBLE COMPENDIUM VOL 2 HC

KAYA #8

KING SPAWN #22

NIGHT CLUB #5 (OF 6)

ORDINARY GODS #12

RADIANT PINK #5 (OF 5)

SUMMONERS WAR: AWAKENING #2 (OF 6)

Today Skybound, in partnership with game publisher Com2uS, debuted an exciting first look at Summoners War: Awakening #2 by the all-star team of writer Justin Jordan (Harrower), artist Luca Claretti (Marvel Snap), and colorist Igor Monti (Radiant Black). This action-packed issue of the new series based on the hit mobile game will be available in comic book shops this May.

With the deadly bounty hunter Malakhan hot on their heels, Rai and Tomas accept help from the cunning sky pirate, Captain Eve. But whose side is she on? Are her motives good or bad? And do they really have a choice?

The Summoners War: Awakening comic series is the latest expansion to the Summoners War IP, following Skybound’s previous comic series Legacy, which is now available as a collection everywhere books are sold.

SUPERMASSIVE 2023 (ONE-SHOT)

Story: Kyle Higgins, Ryan Parrott, Melissa Flores, Mat Groom | Art/Cover: Daniele Di Nicuolo | 50 pages | $5.99

A doorway has opened. Beyond it lies the Holy Grail. Yes, that Holy Grail. But why are RADIANT BLACK, ROGUE SUN, and THE DEAD LUCKY all so desperate to get their hands on it-and who is the mysterious woman who stands in their way?

Massive-Verse architects KYLE HIGGINS, RYAN PARROTT, MELISSA FLORES & MAT GROOM are joined by superstar art team DANIELE DI NICUOLO & WALTER BAIAMONTE (Power Rangers: Shattered Grid, Seven Secrets) for a 50-page one-shot crossover event!

SUPERMASSIVE is a Massive-Verse comic.

One of these days I'm actually going to have to read a book in the "Massive-Verse" and see if I like it.
Here's a preview.

TERRORWAR #2

TIME BEFORE TIME #23

VANISH #7

WHAT'S THE FURTHEST PLACE FROM HERE? #13

MARVEL COMICS

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN EPIC COLLECTION: MAXIMUM CARNAGE

BISHOP: WAR COLLEGE #4

DAREDEVIL AND ECHO #1

SOMETHING STIRS BENEATH HELL’S KITCHEN!

For months, the bloodthirsty and demonic DEMOGOBLIN has been kidnapping children for reasons unknown. IN THIS SERIES, Daredevil and Echo discover why — as Demogoblin works to wake an ancient and powerful evil deep within the bowels of the city. Reunited at last with Echo, herself fresh from a brief time as the host of the Phoenix force, it falls to DAREDEVIL to stop Demogoblin and save not only the children, but everyone in New York!

Chip Zdarsky's Daredevil is about to end (and start over with a new #1), so maybe they're already setting up Matt's next girlfriend. Yes, I'm a cynic. (And Echo has been his girlfriend before, hasn't she?)

DEADLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN TP

EXTREME VENOMVERSE #2 (OF 5)

More VENOMOUS symbiotes enter the fray!

The summer of symbiotes continues to weave its tendrils through the Marvel multiverse as even more never-before-seen Venoms bear their fangs for the very first time!

VENOM scribe Al Ewing and artist Vincenzo Carratù (MARY JANE & BLACK CAT) unite to tell a purrfect tale about your favorite cat burglar and a certain heist she may have pulled on Marvel’s First Family!

Revisit MARVEL: 1602, with Clay McLeod Chapman and Paul Davidson, as they introduce the creepiest Venom EVER!

David Pepose and Ken Lashley introduce you to what we’re calling the L.M.V.: LIFE-MODEL VENOM! Cyborg Spider-Man, eat your heart out!

"Summer of Symbiotes" tie-in.

FURY #1

WHO IS S.C.O.R.P.I.O.?

A glamorous rogue agent with a deadly secret lures NICK FURY into the action-thriller of a lifetime ... HIS FATHER’S!
Following the trail opens NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN FURY FILES from the Howlin’ ’40s ... the Swingin’ ’60s ... and today!
But it takes more than ONE Nick Fury to unlock a mystery decades in the making — and to answer the question ...WHO IS S.C.O.R.P.I.O.?

Over the last six decades, Nick Fury has starred in Marvel’s greatest espionage stories, been at the center of some of its most iconic events, and served as the keeper of the biggest secrets in the Marvel Universe. Now, celebrate his milestone anniversary with a whirlwind saga set across his most iconic eras in FURY #1!

Arriving in May, FURY #1 will be written by superstar Marvel writer Al Ewing and drawn by a dynamic group of leading industry artists — Scott Eaton, Tom Reilly, Adam Kubert and Ramon Rosanas. This intricate tale will kick off when Fury’s son and successor, Nick Fury Jr., is targeted by a new foe using the name S.C.O.R.P.I.O.! Fans will know that codename has deep roots in Fury’s past and a series of top-secret missions will be revealed, each offering a key to unlocking an overarching mystery. Each artist will tackle a different period of Fury history including his early adventures in Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos and his present-day role as the all-seeing “Man on the Wall." No stranger to radical character transformations, the one-shot will present a key turning point for the character and in the end, both father and son will emerge with fresh purpose!

A glamorous rogue agent with a deadly secret lures Nick Fury into the action-thriller of a lifetime ... HIS FATHER’S! Following the trail opens NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN FURY FILES from the Howlin’ ’40s ... the Swingin’ ’60s ... and today! But it takes more than ONE Nick Fury to unlock a mystery decades in the making — and to answer the question ... WHO IS S.C.O.R.P.I.O.?

"Nick Fury is an entire history of comics in one character,” Ewing said. “Shifting from a tough-talking WWII Sergeant specializing in impossible missions, to an U.N.C.L.E.-esque secret agent beating James Bond at his own game, to a Machiavellian man in the shadows making the grey moral choices we've come to associate with the evolving espionage genre. And when the original Fury went cosmic, his son followed in those same footsteps, doing all that with a modern spin and an eye on the silver screen portrayal of our favorite sci-fi spy-guy. So how to celebrate 60 years of Nick Fury? With 40 story pages of twists, turns, action, gadgets and old-school thrills — pitting the Fury family against a new menace with a mysterious connection to the earliest days of the Howling Commandos and setting both Nicks up for the adventures of a lifetime! Don't yield, true believer — back S.H.I.E.L.D.!"

This actually looks like fun, and maybe a way to redeem Fury from his "Originla Sin" defenestration. But I'm going to keep my powder dry until I see it happen. Marvel seems to think the old white Fury is a problem best left buried while Samuel L. Jackson is still on the screen. They're probably right.

HALLOWS’ EVE #3 (OF 5)

HELLCAT #3

Guest-starring Sleepwalker.
Is "starring" the right word for a character this obscure?

IMMORTAL X-MEN BY KIERON GILLEN VOL 2 TP

IRON MAN #1 FACSIMILE EDITION

MMW AVENGERS VOL 23 HC

NEW MUTANTS: LETHAL LEGION #3 (OF 5)

PETER PARKER AND MILES MORALES: SPIDER-MEN DOUBLE TROUBLE TP

PUNISHER WAR JOURNAL TP

SPIDER-MAN 2099: DARK GENESIS #4 (OF 5)

CAUGHT IN THE TENDRILS OF CARNAGE!

The heroes of 2099 are fighting a losing battle ... but can DAREDEVIL 2099 help turn the tide?

"Dark Genesis" Part 4

SPIDER-MAN 2099 OMNIBUS VOL 1 HC

STAR WARS: DARTH VADER — BLACK WHITE AND RED #2

STAR WARS: HIGH REPUBLIC #10

STAR WARS VOL 5: PATH TO VICTORY TP

STORM #1 (OF 5)

STORM FACES THE BLOWBACK OF HER POWERS!

ORORO MUNROE, A.K.A. STORM, has been a thief, a goddess and a leader of the X-MEN — and she’s just getting started! With her mutant ability to control the weather bolstered by her top-notch fighting skills, she’s a formidable opponent like no other (as CALLISTO of the MORLOCKS can attest)! But when an elemental power emerges near the XAVIER MANSION, it’ll take Storm to the limit of her powers and beyond!

This May, Storm will headline a brand-new solo series that spotlights why she’s one of the most powerful heroes in the Marvel Universe! A thrilling five-issue limited series, STORM will be written by groundbreaking creator Ann Nocenti, known for her definitive run on Daredevil and her storied career as a X-Men editor.

In the same spirit as titles such as Symbiote Spider-Man and Venom: Lethal Protector where the industry’s greatest creators take a retro spin on Marvel heroes in key moments throughout Marvel Comics history, STORM will delve into Storm’s fan-favorite “punk” era! Joining Nocenti will be artist Sid Kotian, who just teamed up with Chris Claremont to revisit another classic period for Storm in the recently acclaimed Gambit limited series. The upcoming series will see Storm’s omega-level mutant gifts evolve in a radical way, causing her to lose control at a pivotal time in her journey as leader of the X-Men. In the tumultuous journey that follows, fans will see Storm confront a new nemesis, perform breathtaking never-before-seen feats, and even fall in love!

Ororo Munroe has been a thief, a goddess and a leader of the X-Men — and she’s just getting started! With her mutant ability to control the weather bolstered by her top-notch fighting skills, she’s a formidable opponent like no other (as Callisto of the Morlocks can attest)! But when an elemental power emerges near the Xavier Mansion, it’ll take Storm to the limit of her powers and beyond! Get ready for an electrifying all-new adventure showcasing Storm’s days of rocking her mohawk and leading the X-Men, as she faces an all-new villain that will threaten to tear her apart from her team…and what she thought she knew about herself!

“I joke about how cool it is that Marvel ‘brings back us old timers to sing our greatest hits’ for the Legends series, but it truly is an honor and a joy,” Nocenti said. “When Editors Mark Basso and Drew Baumgartner then asked me to write a story with ‘punk’ Storm, I wanted the story to reflect her outfit. I thought about punk musicians like Iggy Pop and the Sex Pistols, and their apocryphal rebellious attitude. So it was exciting to start from there, and think, ‘What would Storm rebel against?’ Her own powers? The X-Men? Being Team leader? I knew it couldn't be classic Storm, always calm, regal and serene. It should be a wild Storm, running from herself. And then I picked up a stack of current X-Men, and really loved the exciting new places the X-Men have gone, and was inspired by those stories. So that even though this story takes place long ago, there are hints in Storm, Kitty Pride and the other X-Men as to who they will become in the future.”

Get ready for an electrifying all-new series showcasing Storm’s days of rocking her mohawk and leading the X-Men, as she faces an ALL-NEW VILLAIN that will threaten to tear her apart from her team … and what she thought she knew about herself!

I'll pass on the mohawk. It was a dumb look, and poorly explained, even back in the day. It's a bad idea that doesn't need to be resurrected.

THOR #34

WARLOCK REBIRTH #2 (OF 5)

X-CELLENT #3

MORE COMICS

2 AM ETERNAL GN

Story/Art: Eric Kostiuk Williams | Secret Acres | Mature | $21.95

Eric Kostiuk Williams captures a decade of nightlife in Toronto's queer community, from basements to the backstage to back rooms. Collecting one hundred event posters from 2012 to 2022, short comics stories, and hand-written notes from the author, the organizers, the performers, and the crowd, 2AM Eternal makes a scene-until last call. The pandemic prompts a series of posters for cancelled events, and a pivot to digital events in the days of lockdown, before the manic, uneasy re-emergence of face-to-face, wall-to-wall living.

BELLE: SHAPE OF FEAR

Zenescope

BIDEN’S TITANS VS. ELON MUSK #1

I never read these sorts of things — comics don’t do politics well. Although I will note for the record that four of the variant covers combine to form a (poor) homage to Jim Lee's X-Men #1.

BLACK TAPE #4 (OF 4)

Story: Dan Panosian | Art: Dalibor Talajić | Colors: Ive Svorcina | Letters: Steve Wands | Covers: Dan Panosian, Cary Nord, Chris Ferguson Heavy Metal Homage

Jack King was a rock’n’roll god who projected a stage persona on par with the devil. After Jack dies on stage, his widow, Cindy, grapples with grief and struggles to protect his legacy, unaware that she is being surrounded by dark forces that covet the master tapes to Jack’s final, unreleased album — a heavy metal masterpiece that just might open a doorway to hell.

Well, parents told those of us of a certain age that rock 'n' roll was the devil's music. We should have believed them.

BRIAR VOL 1

BULLS OF BEACON HILL #5

CAPTAIN CANUCK SEASON 5 #2

CHANGELINGS #4 (OF 7)

COLLECTED TOPPI VOL 9: OLD WORLD GN

COLOR OF ALWAYS: AN LGBTQIA LOVE ANTHOLOGY TP

THE COLOR OF ALWAYS TP

Love is always in the air when you have new romance comics, and that's especially the case with an anthology of shorts; perfect for diving in, setting aside, and coming back to later for that sweet endorphin rush. That's exactly what A Wave Blue World delivers with THE COLOR OF ALWAYS, a collection of love stories from across the LGBTQIA+ spectrum, edited by Michele Abounader and Brent Fisher!

Michele and Brent have assembled something unique in a genre that can often feel overwhelming for newbies: slice-of-life tales that center the small moments from meet-cutes and first date butterflies to the surprisingly tiny moments when you first realize this person might be right for you. Instead of sprawling will-they-won't-they dramas, THE COLOR OF ALWAYS offers a delightful bouquet of smiles and awwws, packed into a righteously proud celebration of the full LGBTQIA experience that sits nicely beside AWBW's previous romance anthology, the GLAAD Award-nominated YOUNG MEN IN LOVE.

DEAD SEAS #6

DORIS DANGER: GIANT MONSTERS AMOK GN

Story/Art: Chris Wisnia, Ricky Sprague, Dick Ayers | Fantagraphics | 224 pages | $35.00

A sly, loving and hilarious parody/tribute of late 1950s-era Marvel monster comics, Doris Danger: Giant Monsters Amok collects the best of the fictional Tabloia Weekly's stories of giant monsters starring that fearless reporter, Doris Danger.

Written and drawn as dead-on homages to the styles of Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko and Dick Ayers, these 20 stories recount Doris's encounters with such monsters as "Ner-Nee-Nah," "Spwum," "Ho-Chee-Cha," "X, Son of XI," and many more.

But this is parody on a meta-level, as "editor" Rob Oder takes you behind the scenes and reveals the secrets behind these comics — the chaos, the "faster-faster/cheaper-cheaper" mentality, the never-ending deadlines, the despicable treatment of writers and artists, the contempt for fans, the blithe disregard for quality — all presented with an unctuous, sunny veneer of jocular "sophistication" to readers.

And that's not all. Doris Danger: Giant Monsters Amok mixes its faux giant monster history with illustrations ("pin-ups!") of giant monsters by actual comic book artists who wanted in on the fun: Arthur Adams, Mike Allred, Mark Bode, Tim Bradstreet, Jeffrey Brown, Sal Buscema, Geof Darrow, Colleen Doran, Michael Golden, Irwin Hasen, Gilbert Hernandez, Mario Hernandez, Peter Kuper, Michael Lark, Jae Lee, David Mack, Dean Motter, Bill Plympton, Esad Ribic, Steve Rude, Bill Sienkiewicz, Chris Sprouse, William Stout, Herb Trimpe, and Thomas Yeates.

We'll let Stan Lee have the last word: "Chris Wisnia has performed the amazing feat of taking the minor masterpieces that Jack Kirby and I had done and looking at them through a carnival's distorting mirror."

Oh, man, this is tempting. But I fear it will be too scathing to old books I irrationally love.

DREXLER #1

Story: Bob Salley | Art: Nathan Kelly | Cover: Simone Guglielmini | Scout Comics | $5.99

NONSTOP. Welcome to Marvin, an isolated town at the edge of nowhere. Local sheriff Cara Ramon is facing a crisis with the discovery of three slaughtered girls and another missing. As local tensions boil, she reaches out to the only person she knows capable of stopping the massacre, town outcast and local monster, her half-brother, Drexler. However, Drexler brings with him a powder keg of his own problems that could threaten to destroy them all. Regardless, there is something sinister stalking the woods in the darkness and nobody is safe. Sometimes it takes a monster to kill something worse...

After "Never fight a land war in Asia" and "Never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line," you should add "Never fight anything with more arms than you."

DUNE: HOUSE HARKONNEN #5 (OF 12)

EXORCISTS NEVER DIE #2 (OF 6)

EXPANSE THE DRAGON TOOTH #2 (OF 12)

FAR SOUTH: CROOKS, PIMPS & GAUCHOS #1

Story: Rodolfo Santullo | Art/Cover: Leandro Fernandez | Fairsquare Comics | Mature | $9.99

An arid and wild land, cut off from the world. Tough and hot-blooded men. Crime. Alcohol. Revenge: This is where the taciturn Montoya runs a bar. A bar where the worst scoundrels in the area come to settle their differences or talk about their setbacks.

What happens in the FAR SOUTH stays in the Far South!

Created by bestselling international author Rodolfo Santullo and THE OLD GUARD superstar artist Leandro Fernandez, FAR SOUTH will take you to the merciless world of these cowboys through a series of short stories of jubilant violence, "SIN CITY style", in the ancient land of the Gauchos! A different kind of Western.

So this is like a Western in 1880s Argentina? Chile? Tierra del Fuego? If so, my wife would probably like it, as she's wild about anything involving The Pampas.

FEEDER #1

Story: Mark Bertolini | Art/Cover: Darryl Knickrehm | Sumerian Comics | Mature | $3.99

Lee Kidd was the most famous action movie hero of the 80s... but he's fallen on hard times. With his life in a downward spiral, Kidd has become a shadow of his former self, turning to a life of crime as an enforcer for a local crime boss. But when he's given a new job, can he bring himself to complete it, or is he being given a chance to change his ways?

At least we get a nice Terminator 2 homage.

FLESH EATING CHEERLEADERS: THE ART BOOK VOL 2

An art book about cannibalism? I don't know who the target market is for this, but I don't want to meet them.

FRANK FRAZETTA’S DAWN ATTACK #4 (OF 5)

Your Frazetta painting du jour.

GIRL JUICE TP

Story/Art: Benji Nate | Drawn & Quarterly | Mature | $24.95

Welcome to the Girl Juice House, home of only the hottest gang in town. Benji Nate's stylish and rambunctious sense of humor lovingly takes digs at the young and tragically hip-reserved and introspective Nana, comically hypersexual Bunny, fledgling U-tuber Tula, and Designated Mom Sadie-as they navigate life, love and the pursuit of a good time.

I assume the title is a dirty reference, since it's a mature-readers title.
Here's a preview.

GRYFFEN #2 (OF 3)

GURVAN: A DREAM OF EARTH HC

Story: P.J. Herault, Mathieu Mariolle | Art/Cover: Livia Pastore | Humanoids | $24.95

Deep in space sits The Materedu, where the soldiers of the Terran Coalition are cloned from the best who came before them, and trained under an artificial sun to fight in the endless conflict with a fearsome foe. Among them, average combat pilot Gurvan dreams of surviving the seven years each Coalition fighter must serve, so that he may retire to the distant peace of Earth. But when Gurvan crosses paths with an opposing soldier, he begins to wonder if he knows his enemy... or even his allies.

Explore the distant stars in this rare translation and adaptation of legendary French science fiction writer P.J. Hérault's Gurvan, in English for the first time!

French!

HARBINGER BOOK 2 TP

HARROWER #4 (OF 4)

HUNT KILL REPEAT #3

JUNGLE COMICS #16

KAMEN RIDER ZERO ONE #4

Aruto Hiden is KAMEN RIDER ZERO-ONE! Along with his trusty humagear companion Izu, he’s saved the world numerous times as the insectile superhero! But when his company HIDEN INTELLIGENCE is attacked by the mysterious RAGNAROK, Aruto must not only face the volcanic cluster cell-powered villain but also his own past...

KNIGHTS OF THE DINNER TABLE #304

KNOCKTURN COUNTY TP

I'm pretty sure I've run PR on this before.

MAD CAVE STUDIOS LEGACY BATTLECATS #5

MEMENTO MORI TP

Story:Tiitu Takalo | Art: Crank! | Art/Cover: Tiitu Takalo | Oni Press | $24.99

In Memento Mori, celebrated Finnish graphic novelist Tiitu Takalo chronicles her sudden, unexpected cerebral hemorrhage and the long road to recovery she had to travel.

It is a dramatic story about a life turned upside down overnight: a ruptured cerebral aneurysm, the days and nights spent in an intensive care unit, and the long, painful recovery that led the artist to reflect on her life both past and present.

Much more than a story of survival, Memento Mori is a philosophical and psychological journey told with exceptional honesty and compassion. A deeply moving and insightful graphic novel from a master of the medium that is also ultimately a celebration of life.

Finnish! Sometimes you think comics have gotten so sophisticated ...

MULLET COP: LICENSE TO KRILL #1

Story/Art: Tom Lintern | Scout | $3.99

Seafood restaurant owner/ aspiring scientist Bob Duncan decided having a successful business was not enough and attempted to improve his recipes by combining his own DNA with shrimp. When one of his lab experiments goes wrong, he turns into Shrimp Man and causes havoc in one of the food courts. Mullet Cop is taken in to infiltrate the scene with a battle-hardened S.W.A.T team. But even they are no match for the merciless crustacean. Presented in a special shrimp-sized 5x5 Format!

... and then something comes along to remind you immediately that they're just comics.

NEIGHBORS #3 (OF 5)

NORTHERN BLOOD #4 (OF 4)

ORCS: THE CURSE TP

PLAN 59 FROM OUTER SPACE #3 (OF 3)

PLANET COMICS #18

POE MURDERS GN

Story: James Mascia | Art: Arti Kahn | Cover: Sousherpa | Dren Productions | $15.99

The town of Bellgrave is normally a peaceful place. However, a mysterious string of murders suddenly rattles the town, drawing the attention of Inspector C. August Dupin. His prime suspect: a man named Montressor. However, it seems that this shady man isn't the only murderer in Bellgrave. A series of notes bearing the mysterious word "nevermore" is being delivered around the town. Can Dupin solve the Poe Murders before the town is thrown into utter chaos? Based on the writings of Edgar Allan Poe, The Poe Murders promises a tale of horror and mystery.

A pastiche? I might just rather read the original stories again.

POP UP #2 (OF 4)

QUESTED #6

RICK AND MORTY #5

ROACHMILL #2

SACRED BULLETS ONE-SHOT

Story: Claudio Alvarez | Art: Daniel Jimeno | Cover: Geraldo Borges, Dijjo Lima | Blood Moon Comics | $4.99

Framed for the murder of a corrupt vicar, Father Pedro Armas leads a personal crusade against a drug cartel that's poisoning his neighborhood. To save his soul and his people, Father Pedro must pave a path of sacred bullets as he fights fire with fire in a battle to decide what Father Pedro and his people are willing to pay to stay out of hell.

"Dad, there's another dead vicar on the landing."
"What diocese?"
"How should I know?"
"It's tattooed on the back of the neck."

SALOME'S LAST DANCE HC

Story/Art: Daria Tessler | Fantagraphics | 56 pages | $19.99

An absurdist, psychedelic crime fantasy / graphic novella from an acclaimed artist and printmaker.

The Astounding Magnus has been hypnotizing audiences at the Feedbag cocktail bar with his resplendent dancing dog act, Salome, and her “Serpentine Dance of the Seven Veils.” Yet despite his success, the pearl of life has lost its luster for Magnus. He visits the psychologist, Dr. Silkini, who promises to massage Magnus’s id into a higher dimension: the pearly gates of full life satisfaction. Meanwhile, Salome’s crowd-pleasing performances have attracted unwanted attention from sinister forces who want to know the dog’s secret.

Daria Tessler’s new graphic novella, Salome’s Last Dance, showcases her phenomenal talent for incorporating elements of collage and pen-and-ink illustration to create a beautifully phantasmagoric experience under the guise of an absurdist, psychedelic fantasy (including an extended visual tour de force depicting a hallucinogenic tea trip), one that favorably compares to Yellow Submarine or the comics of Jim Woodring. Tessler’s rich ear for language and sharp sense of humor also liven every inventively stunning page of Salome’s Last Dance.

PRAISE

"Tessler is a maximalist, a subscriber to the more-is-more aesthetic, yet her horror vacui approach never gets claustrophobic. Moments in [her work] will make even the sanest reader wonder if Tessler — whose previous, shorter works illuminated ancient curses and the magical recipes of Albertus Magnus — knows something mere mortals don't." — The New York Times

"Tessler's art has always existed at a self-created intersection between archaeology and alchemy, piecing together folkloric texts and historical artifacts in order to conjure something unique from disparate elements…[Her work] feels very much like a vision channeled from a cosmic source beyond the reach of most of us mere mortals." — Four Color Apocalypse

What th--?!
Here's a preview.

SOKO #2 (OF 4)

THE EXILED #4

TMNT/USAGI YOJIMBO: WHEREWHEN #3

TRIGORE LABYRINTH HC

Story: Matt Furie, Skinner, Will Sweeney | Fantagraphics | 48 pages | $39.99

This psychedelic, heavy metal monster mix-and-match art book from a trio of graphic masters is the perfect gift for the weirdo in your life.

Once you flip through this mix-and-match menagerie of busts – depicting monsters, aliens, creatures, organisms and more — you won’t be able to stop. By flipping through the wirebound pages, cut into thirds, readers can create hundreds of iterations of 90 mythical beasts depicted by legendary artists Matt Furie, Skinner, and Will Sweeney.

This interactive board book is a perfect gift book for anyone who appreciates monster movies, psychedelia, lowbrow art, underground comix, and unique and fun books with high production values. Artists Furie, Skinner, and Sweeney have pooled their imaginations to create a visual feast that demands returning to time and again.

What th--?! redux!
Here's a preview.

WE ARE SCARLET TWILIGHT #1

Story/Art: Benjamin W. Morse | Red 5 Comics | $3.99

It's 1938, and time to meet our hero-Captain Lancet. He's a Golden Age All-American crimebuster who's about to accidentally create the world's greatest villain. He'll need to adjust to a strange new world-one that resembles Fritz Lang's Metropolis with some cyberpunk dystopia sprinkled in-if he wants to overthrow the totalitarian vampire cult that now dominates the world!

I'd think a 1938 mystery man would favor an aviator look, or a slouch-hat-and-cape Shadow look, not a post-Superman look. Sorta like early Crimson Avenger. Or Lobster Johnson.

WITHIN TEMPTATION #1 (OF 3)

Story: Marieke Nijkamp | Art: Montos | Cover: Agustin Alessio | Opus Comics | $6.66

In the distant future, an endless battle rages between two species — an advanced but inherently humanoid species ruled by a techno-organic matriarch on one side, and a cruel race of alien artificial intelligences on the other. Several stories collide to paint a sweeping portrait of the matriarch's life and her struggle to balance what she was created to be with the impossible forces that shape her. Based on the smash hit album "Resist" by legendary symphonic metal band Within Temptation!

X-O MANOWAR UNCONQUERED #3

New intergalactic threat Novus Romanus holds a weakened Aric of Dacia captive. Will our hero survive combat with one of the fiercest and most brash of the Novus Romanus warriors — Thyra Antius in her very own T-O Armor?

MORE MANGA

A BUSINESS PROPOSAL VOL 1 GN

A STORY OF SEVEN LIVES OMNIBUS EDITION

APPLE BLACK VOL 3: INSTRUMENT VENGEANCE GN

AS A REINCARNATED ARISTOCRAT, I’LL USE MY APPRAISAL SKILL TO RULE THE WORLD VOL 5 GN

BEAUTY AND FEAST VOL 8 GN

BOFURI DONT WANT TO GET HURT MAX OUT DEFENSE VOL 6 GN

BUNGO STRAY DOGS DEAD APPLE VOL 3 GN

CANDY & CIGARETTES VOL 4 GN

CHITOSE IN THE RAMUNE BOTTLE VOL 3 GN

CLASSROOM OF ELITE VOL 6 GN

DARK HISTORY OF REINCARNATED VILLAINESS VOL 7 GN

DELICIOUS IN DUNGEON VOL 12 GN

THE DRAGON KING’S IMPERIAL WRATH VOL 1 GN

ELDEN RING ROAD TO ERDTREE GN

ERO NINJA SCROLLS VOL 5 GN

EVEN DOGS GO TO OTHER WORLDS VOL 1 GN

FIANCEE CHOSEN BY RING VOL 4 GN

FOR THE KID I SAW IN MY DREAMS VOL 10 GN

GABRIEL DROPOUT VOL 12 GN

GIRL SAVED ON TRAIN TURNED OUT CHILDHOOD FRIEND GN VOL 03 (C

HER ROYAL HIGHNESS SEEMS TO BE ANGRY VOL 5 GN

HOAN OF ORCS #2 (OF 4)

HONEY LEMON SODA VOL 2 GN

HORIMIYA VOL 16 GN

HOW HEAVY ARE DUMBBELLS YOU LIFT VOL 11 GN

I CANNOT REACH YOU VOL 6 GN

I'M A WITCH MY CRUSH WANTS LOVE POTION VOL 2 GN

I'M THE CATLORD'S MANSERVANT VOL 4 GN

JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURES PART 5: GOLDEN WIND HC VOL 8

KAKEGURUI COMPULSIVE GAMBLER VOL 16 GN

KARA GUARDIAN OF REALMS #4 (OF 11)

LAZY DUNGEON MASTER VOL 4 GN

MAGICAL GIRL INCIDENT GN VOL 1 GN

MAID I HIRED RECENTLY IS MYSTERIOUS VOL 5 GN

MANNER OF DEATH VOL 1 GN

ME & MY BEAST BOSS VOL 1 GN

MISS MIYAZEN WOULD LOVE TO GET CLOSER TO YOU VOL 4 GN

MONSTER GUILD DARK LORDS NO GOOD COMEBACK VOL 5 GN

MURCIELAGO VOL 21 GN

MY DEAR CURSE-CASTING VAMPIRESS VOL 1 GN

OSHI NO KO VOL 2 GN

OTHER WORLDS BOOKS DEPEND BEAN COUNTER VOL 3 GN

OVERLORD VOL 17 GN

PARALLEL WORLD PHARMACY VOL 1 GN

PUELLA MAGI SUZUNE MAGICA COMP OMNIBUS ED GN

REBORN AS A BARRIER MASTER VOL 4 GN

RECORD OF LODOSS WAR CROWN COVENANT VOL 1 GN

SASAKI & PEEPS VOL 2 GN

SASAKI AND MIYANO VOL 8 GN

SHAKTI GN

SIGN OF AFFECTION VOL 6 GN

SPY CLASSROOM VOL 3 GN

STAR WARS: HIGH REPUBLIC -- EDGE BALANCE PRECEDENT GN

STREET FIGHTER 6 #1 (OF 4)

Story/Art: Capcom, Bengus | Covers: Chamba, Shinkiro, Jo Chen | 48 pages | $5.99/$6.99

The new era of fighting games begins here, in the official STREET FIGHTER 6 prequel comic! This weekly 48-page, 4-issue mini-series leads straight up the hotly anticipated game's June release! In this issue: American martial arts champion Ken Masters travels to the city-state of Naishal for a new fighting tournament, but he finds much more danger than he bargained for!

STRONGEST SAGE WITH THE WEAKEST CREST VOL 12 GN

TALE OF THE OUTCASTS VOL 7 GN

TOILET-BOUND HANAKO-KUN FIRST STALL BOX SET

TOPPU GP VOL 11 GN

TRUE BEAUTY VOL 2 GN

TSUGUMI PROJECT VOL 1 GN

VILLIANS ARE DESTINED TO DIE VOL 3 GN

WANDANCE VOL 5 GN

WHAT THIS WORLD IS MADE OF VOL 1 GN

WHITE CATS REVENGE PLOTTED DRAGON KINGS LAP VOL 4 GN

WISTORIA WAND & SWORD VOL 4 GN

WORLD'S FASTEST LEVEL UP VOL 3 LIGHT NOVEL

WORLD'S FINEST ASSASSIN REINCARNATED ANOTHER WORLD VOL 5 GN

YAKUZA FIANCE VOL 3 GN

YOKOHAMA KAIDASHI KIKOU OMNIBUS VOL 2 GN

YOKOHAMA STATION SF VOL 1 GN

YOUNG LADIES DONT PLAY FIGHTING GAMES VOL 5 GN

MORE KIDS

ARCHIE GIANT COMICS CHARM TP

Script/Art: Various | Cover: Dan Parent | 480 pages | $10.99

You’ll be CHARMED by this giant-sized collection of hilarious, heartwarming, and hijinks-filled stories starring Archie, Betty, Veronica, Jughead, and all your favorites from Riverdale!

Lookit the lovely Harry Lucey art.

ASTERIX OMNIBUS PAPERCUTZ EDITION HC VOL 9 HC

BEST OF JOHN BUSCEMA ROY ROGERS COMICS HC

BETTY & VERONICA JUMBO COMICS DIGEST #314

TWO BRAND NEW STORIES! First, in “Blast Master’s Big Move,” Captain Hero has received a tip that an evil villain called Blast Master is planning a big move — but no one knows what it is or when it’s going to happen! It’s up to Captain Hero to recruit the rest of the Superteens, along with a few more heroes, to stop this from happening — but how can they stop something if they have no clue what it is?!

Then, in “Evil is as Evil Does,” Fly-Girl has thwarted Evilheart’s robbery plans! Or has she? Everyone knows that Reggie’s superhero counterpart is equal parts hero and villain—so was he trying to commit a crime or stop one from happening?

Superteens and MLJ superheroes both appear. It looks like Archie management has finally figured out that its "classic" books don't have to be one-trick ponies.

BIG NATE TV SERIES: NEXT STOP SUPERSTARDOM GN

BOOKS OF CLASH VOL 1: LEGENDARIOUS ACHIEVERY GN

CAT & CAT VOL 5: KITTY FARM GN

THE DO-OVER VOL 1 GN

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS SATURDAY MORNING ADVENTURES #3

GERONIMO STILTON: REPORTER VOL 13 REPORTED MISSING GN

I CAN READ COMICS: FISH & WORM GN

LOUD HOUSE SUPER SPECIAL GN

MAGICAL HISTORY TOUR VOL 12: SAMURAI HC

NERVOUS REX #2

SMURF TALES VOL 7: GIANT SMURFS AND OTHER TALES GN

SMURFS 3-IN-1 VOL 8 GN

SUPER SERIOUS MYSTERIES: UNTIMELY PASSING NICHOLAS FART GN

TEGAN AND SARA VOL 1: JUNIOR HIGH GN

SPONGEBOB COMICS TREASURE CHEST HC NEW PTG

Replies

Jeff of Earth-J May 19, 2023 at 1:15pm

DORIS DANGER: GIANT MONSTERS AMOK GN

Interesting. I don't recall seeing this solicited.

After "Never fight a land war in Asia" and "Never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line," you should add "Never fight anything with more arms than you."

...also "Never Eat Anything Bigger Than Your Head"
The Baron May 19, 2023 at 1:21pm

What I will most likely get:

DC/RWBY #4

JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #4 (OF 12)

UNSTOPPABLE DOOM PATROL #3
The Baron May 19, 2023 at 1:27pm

I've broken that rule a few times, but it cost me.

Jeff of Earth-J said:

...also "Never Eat Anything Bigger Than Your Head"
Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod) May 19, 2023 at 1:42pm

City Boy: He's actually met Jack Hawksmoor in one of the two short stories he appeared in (in the other one he met Nightwing). Hawksmoor was intrigued by him -- they have a similar powerset, but Hawksmoor's is science-based, while City Boy's is magic. It looks like City Boy will appear next week on DCUI, like the other two "We Are Legends" books.

Storm: I like the mohawk. I started reading X-men regularly right when she cut her hair, so she looks weird to me without it. Those mohawk years where my prime X-men experience. It's really superficial, but I'm so much more likely to read this book on Marvel Unlimited than I would be without it. But from the solicits I can't really tell if this is a flashback book, or set in the present while somehow calling back to that time. I know that, try as I might, I can't get my hair to call back to how it looked in the 80s. But Storm's a mutant, so I'm sure she has her ways.
The Baron May 19, 2023 at 1:54pm

I'll go on record as despising the mohawk.
Captain Comics May 20, 2023 at 1:59am

Jeff of Earth-J: ... also "Never Eat Anything Bigger Than Your Head"

I had that book at some point, and one or two other Klibans. I eventually got rid of them, as I found them to be in the Gary Larson vein, which I enjoyed, but not as clever or funny. I even used the "bigger than your head" joke for a while, but it became dull even to me. YMMV.

Baron: I've broken that rule a few times, but it cost me.

Now THAT is funny. Or maybe true. Funny because it's true? (makes note) investigate

Rob Staeger: I like the mohawk. I started reading X-Men regularly right when she cut her hair, so she looks weird to me without it.

This is really the essence of fannishness, so I am wholly on board. When and where and how old you were when you read something is critical to your liking it, whether it was actually good or not.

I can give a million examples, but because I read the FCBD Conan comic today, I'll use this one:

I remember lying on my stomach on the shag carpet of the hallway in the upstairs of the house I grew up in, in Memphis, in August 1976, reading Savage Sword of Conan magazine. I had already tired of Roy Thomas' dialogue calling everybody "dog-brother" and Pablo Marcos' inks, which made even John Buscema artwork look amateurish. I didn't even like Savage Sword of Conan any more, which had become redundant and boring. Plus, Marvel's magazines cost, like, $1.25 each, which meant I had to mow more lawns to afford them, which I resented.

But I was reading this magazine, as opposed to the million other things I could be doing on a summer afternoon in August in high school when I was in the peak of health with a wide range of friends, because I wanted to. Because of the mood I was in. I was feeling safe in my upstairs hideaway. The A/C window unit provided a background of white noise, as well as just the right amount of coolness (if you didn't move too much). The shag was an idiotic symbol of its time that I already snickered at, but you know, it was soft and familiar. And the local FM album rock station was playing something I liked (Jethro Tull? Pink Floyd?) in the background on the component system I had laboriously built with paper-route money.

So that was a moment, there in August 1976. September would bring something entirely different; college. Vanderbilt, 210 miles away, a free ride academically but a life with no spending money, and therefore no comics. A four-year shift in a future so unguessable that I couldn't anticipate anything ...

... except I was pretty sure it wouldn't include a summer afternoon on a shag rug, with no responsibilities and nowhere to go, in a quiet place with pleasant music, reading a comic book so familiar I could probably have written it myself.

This was it for Savage Sword, I figured. And for the circumstances in which I was reading it.

So I savored that. All of it. And I had a great time. I even read the text pieces. And to this day I remember that desultory summer afternoon in a shimmering haze of nostalgia.

So when Marvel began publishing the Savage Sword of Conan omnibus series, I bought every one. I don't know which one has that 1976 issue in it. One of them surely does. But I haven't taken off the plastic to find out to re-read the issue.

I don't need to. I'm a comic book fan. And comic book fans can buy their memories, which I have done.

I know that story is there -- and with it, that summer afternoon. I know there's a happy memory on that shelf, still in the shrink-wrap. Occasionally, in my busy life, I look at those Savage Swords on the bookshelf, and I am transported back in time, just for a second or two, back to a time when the world was younger and simpler and had a shag rug. And I smile.

Is that entirely sane? No. But it's being a fan, and I am very thoroughly a fan.

So I understand others being fans. If you prefer Next Generation to original series, if you think Bronze Age comics are cool but find Silver Age comics unreadable, if you tell me you prefer Storm with a mohawk or Superman with a mullet or Spider-Man with a black costume, I get it. I accept it. You're a fan, and you remember what's important to you, specific to you.

Just like me.

So, while Storm's mohawk came along when I was already too old to accept it as a legitimate or organic story choice, I understand that would not be the case for ... someone who started reading X-Men at right around that time. Like Rob Staeger.

Who is perfectly, absolutely a fan for remembering and loving that. With my wholehearted approval. Except for ...

I'll go on record as despising the mohawk.

Oh yeah, me too. Sorry Rob. It really is rubbish.
Jeff of Earth-J May 20, 2023 at 10:25am

"I can give a million examples..."

I have a memory like that. (I posted about it here once before, when it happened, about 20 years ago.) When I was a kid, I was a big fan of "It, the Living Colossus" (I know, I know...), but before that short-lived series even began in Astonishing Tales, #21, I bought Monsters on the Prowl #25, a reprint of Jack Kirby's Tales of Suspense #20. Like you, Cap, I didn't feel the need to reread that story for years and years until one day in the early 2Ks I finally did. As soon as I started reading, the experience awakened sensory memories I wasn't aware I even had. Suddenly I remembered reading Monsters on the Prowl #25 for the first time on a family vacation to the Lake of the Ozarks. I was in the bow of my dad's boat (docked) when I read it (the first time), and (years later) I suddenly felt the gentle rocking of the boat and the smell of the lake. A remarkable experience!

"I'll pass on the mohawk. It was a dumb look, and poorly explained, even back in the day."

"I like the mohawk."

"I'll go on record as despising the mohawk."

Eh, I can take it or leave it. The one thing I thought yesterday was that it's a haircut; it doesn't necessarily need to be "explained." When I was in college, I got my hair cut like this:

This trip down Memory Lane has been brought to you courtesy of Earth-J.
Luke Blanchard May 22, 2023 at 3:00am

I first encountered the new X-Men in the 1970s, but I was slow to get into the title and began regularly buying it at about the same time as Rob. Storm didn't just get a mohawk, she embraced Yukio's "madness" (#173) and went punk! Her change in personality didn't stick the way the mohawk and punk look did.
Luke Blanchard May 22, 2023 at 3:00am

I first encountered the new X-Men in the 1970s, but I was slow to get into the title and began regularly buying it at about the same time as Rob. Storm didn't just get a mohawk, she embraced Yukio's "madness" (#173) and went punk! Her change in personality didn't stick the way the mohawk and punk look did.
Jeff of Earth-J May 22, 2023 at 7:24am

Speaking of haircuts...

MULLET COP: "... and then something comes along to remind you immediately that they're just comics."

I remember when that hairstyle first became popular, but I don't remember it every being referred to as a "mullet" at the time. (Hairdressers referred to it as "ear-to-ear.") A mullet is a fish. I (personally) didn't hear the word used to describe a haircut, and it wasn't until several years after that that I learned of the Beatie Boys song "Mullet Head." The young man featured in the video wore and "ear-to-ear" haircut, and I believe (with no evidence whatsoever) that he was being referred to as, esentialy, a "fish head" (perhaps some regional insult, I suppose) and the term came to refer to his haircut. In conclusion, aren't we all glad the '80s is behind us?

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