TOP O' THE WEEK
'ONE WORLD UNDER DOOM' OFFICIALLY BEGINS
ONE WORLD UNDER DOOM #1 (OF 9, MARVEL, $5.99) is by Ryan North and R.B. Silva.
In the words of the great philosopher Butt-head, "And so it begins."
Doctor Doom is now Sorcerer Supreme, and he's going to parlay that into being emperor of the world. Because he's Doom, he's calling the new world government "United Latveria," or so it says here. (Obviously, I haven't read this book yet.) I would say it's implausible that world leaders would quickly and easily bend the knee to a would-be tyrant, but I have just seen one of America's two political parties do just that. And it's not like history isn't replete with that sort of thing, and I don't just mean 1933 Germany. (In the story it'll be mind control or something. But we know better, don't we?)
This isn't the first time Doom's taken over the world, of course. For more on that, see the One World Under Doom thread.
“ONE WORLD UNDER DOOM is a story I've been working on since 2023,” North said. “This huge head start is such a gift when telling a story like this: I can make sure it all hangs together properly, and for other artists working on tie-ins with their books, I can share completed scripts instead of just an idea of what happens. Because of that I'm very excited for where this story has gone, and can go. It's been really exciting to hear what other teams have planned with their books to take advantage of this new status quo — we're all pulling in the same direction.
“Doom, to me, is the ultimate villain, because even when he loses he wins,” North continued. “He's not some guy you can punch a bunch until he stops doing crimes: he's a man who has thought deeply about how to achieve precisely what he wants, and how to ensure others are manipulated into supporting him. ONE WORLD UNDER DOOM opens after Doom has taken over the world overnight, and there is a mystery in how he did it, how he got everyone to acquiesce to his rule - but there's also a bigger and more terrifying question: Now that he's taken over the world, what is he going to do with it? And what will the Fantastic Four and the Avengers do to stop him?”
“Doom is one of my favorite characters in the Marvel Universe, so getting to work on this arc is a real pleasure,” Silva said. “I’m loving that we’re bringing magic into the mix, and all the possibilities to make him as awesome as he’s always been. I’m trying to give fans something a little different from what we’ve seen before, and I think the magic element can really make a difference. I hope fans enjoy it as much as I do.”
“Also, this story has the Tyrannosaurus rex version of Doctor Doom in it too, so you know there's this baseline level of rad we're trying to hit,” North added.
Here's an interview with Ryan North.
He even wrote the book:
IS THIS PART OF ONE WORLD UNDER DOOM? MAYBE!
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #67 (MARVEL, $4.99) is by Justina Ireland and Andrea Broccardo.
Issue #66 hasn't arrived from Westfield yet, so I don't know where we are on "8 Deaths of Spider-Man." Cuss it! But I do know that the gun on the mantlepiece has arrived: Cain "Juggernaut" Marko, the avatar of Cyttorak, is in the house! I don't know his current status quo, which no doubt explains how he can do something Cyttorak wouldn't want him to, like fight his Scions. And he brought the X-Men! Which is a good thing, because Spidey's running out of Reeds of Raggador (and never had any Reeds of Richards) and it doesn't look good for the ol' web-spinner. I don't know if "The Covenant" allows for ringers for The Champion, so this will be interesting.
SECOND GREEN LANTERN TITLE HAS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE
GREEN LANTERN CORPS #1 (DC COMICS, $3.99) is by Jeremy Adams, Morgan Hampton, Fernando Pasarin and Oclair Albert. This title seems to include every Earth Green Lantern not named Hal Jordan. I count John Stewart, Guy Gardner, Kyle Rayner, Sojourner Mullein, Sinon Baz, Jessica Cruz and Keli Quintela.
STILL IN THE UNBEING
INTO THE UNBEING PART TWO #1 (OF 4, DARK HORSE, $3.99) is by Zac Thomspon (Cemetery Kids Don’t Die) and Hayden Sherman (Absolute Wonder Woman).
Part Two begins where Part One ended, with three of our four heroines still gathered inside the giant, immobile stone humanoid, reading a journal from a 19th century explorer who had found the Unbeing 150 years ago, and transmuted into something inhuman. It's such a seamless transition, basically in mid-story, that this is essentially Part One issue #5. It doesn't hurt anything, it's just odd. Why they split it up like that I don't know.
But I do know that I'm enjoying it. It's a genuinely weird story, as the three women face situations in this giant stone humanoid that vaguely mimic bodily functions but are comprised of strange, sometimes inorganic material. There are critters that vaguely corresond to bodily functions, and others that just live there, like our unfortunate explorer. And his story is truly horrific.
Interestingly, the explorer entered the Unbeing in the Braizilian rainforest. I don't remember if we were told where the women entered, but it certainly was no rainforest. More of a desert, slowly transmuting due to the presence of the Unbeing. Climate change has gone beyond crisis at the beginning of this story, but we're not shown much of the outside world, which I can only imagine from the dialogue is in a bad way. This desert could well be what used to be Brazil. OTOH, maybe there's more than one entrance. I hope we get answers to these sorts of questions!
I'm not sure how much I really like our protagonists, who don't seem to like each other very much. And they did abandon one of their own when her legs were lost to stomach acid (although I definitely expect to see her again, possibly transformed in some manner). But I do appreciate that it's not all kumbayah and female solidarity -- these are more real, plausible people who keep secrets from each other, resent various things about each other and have varying agendas. It isn't alway pretty, but hey -- humans, what can you say. We kinda suck, don't we?
As to the art, it's pretty gritty and almost nasty in places. At first I was put off by this, but over five issues I've not only grown accustomed to it, I now can't imagine a "prettier' artist doing this. The art fits the story, as it should. And the unease I initially felt at first is really a feature, not a bug. My one complaint is that sometimes the coloring is so heavy-handed that my old eyes sometimes have trouble making out what's going on. But I doubt younger readers have any complaint at all.
“With INTO THE UNBEING, Zac has dug into something primal,” said Sherman. “Something deeply unsettling and familiar. The horrific scale of how the world is changing around us, and the terror of figuring out who we are while caught in the middle of it. It is such a pleasure to be returning for the second half of this cataclysmic book to visualize the unease that Zac constructs so effortlessly.”
“I'm beyond thrilled to be returning to the world of INTO THE UNBEING.” confirmed Thompson. “This is the comic I've always dreamed of making where we're using a vast, sprawling scale to deliver a five-course-meal in unease. Beyond that though, this is a deeply human journey into hell. A story about losing your world and finding a way to keep going. I can't wait for people to witness what Hayden's doing on these pages because it's going to melt your ****ing mind.”
MORE ITEMS OF INTEREST
ABSOLUTE UNIVERSE
ABSOLUTE BATMAN #5 (DC COMICS, $4.99) is by Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta. I don't mind that they draw Batman so big, but do they have to draw his head so small?
IT"S A SMALL WORLD AFTER ALL
BUG WARS #1 (OF 6, IMAGE, $4.99) is by Jason Aaron (Southern Bastards, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Absolute Superman) and artist Mahmud Asrar (Conan the Barbarian, X-Men, Batman & Robin).
This is a clever story about the beetle-riding barbarians and ant civilizations and spider sects -- arachnids, insects and insect-people called "Mytes" -- that live in the Slaymaker family's yard in Alabama. The Hyborian jargon of the barbarians, the haughty speech of the Imperial Amazonian ant-people, etc., is all translated to tiny talk ("May you live to see the dew" and such). As I say, it's all very clever world-building, as you'd expect from Jason Aaron.
And the art is terrific. I thought it was Bryan Hitch at first, and there were parts I could have sworn were John Cassaday, but lo, it's Mahmud Asrar. Eye-popping battle scenes.
And then there's the big twist halfway through, when our POV character gets shrunk down to join the fun. And this guy is not only a newbie in this vast new wrold, he's more aware than any myte just how dangerous the macro world is. Especially the "Great Storm," about which I will say no more.
But ... it's bugs. I don't hate bugs, but I sure don't love them, either. Not sure this book is for me.
"When I was a kid, our backyard was a wondrous place, where I spent hours imagining epic adventures, action figures scattered all through the grass. In a lot of ways, I still feel like that kid, running around the yard, making up stories. Only the stories have gotten a bit darker over the years," said Aaron. "For Slade Slaymaker, the backyard of his home in Alabama turns out to be a place of terror and brutality, where sects of tiny sword-wielding Mytes and their armies of flesh-eating beetles and acid-spraying ants have declared war on his family. Think Honey, I Shrunk the Kids meets Game of Thrones."
Asrar added: "Bug Wars is the culmination of what I wanted to do in comics: A fantasy epic told with no holds barred. A tale where our imaginations run wild. A place where we reach the heights of escapism, all while keeping everything grounded with pure human emotion straight from the heart."
LOVE HURTS
CREEPSHOW IN LOVE (ONE-SHOT, IMAGE, $4.99) has three Valentine's Day-themed horror stories.
"Murderous Mirka Andolfo (Sweet Paprika) spins a horrifying yarn about the Valentine’s Day Killer in 'Heart to Heart!'"
I lliked this one very much. Art, story, twist ending -- it all worked.
"Petrifying Patrick Horvath (Beneath The Trees Where Nobody Sees) concocts a love potion for a 'Cursed Casanova!'"
Pretty good, but there was really only one way this could go, from the first "never do this" warning to the consequences of when, inevitably, he does that.
"Yelpin’ Yul-Pyeong Oh and paranormal Puré invite you to the zoo for the worst first date ever in 'Penguin Avenger!'"
The slightest of the three, IMHO, but gonzo enough to be entertaining.
“The Creep is taking over for Cupid this year, and we can’t wait to show readers why Valentine’s Day is the most horrifying holiday of all!” said Alex Antone, Editorial Director at Skybound.
CHRISTMAS IN FEBRUARY
CHRISTMAS 365 #3 (DARK HORSE, $3.99) is by Mikey Way, Jonathan Rivera and Piotr Kowalski. I wasn't sure where this was going with the first issue, but now I do, and I'm very impressed. It's got genuinely funny dialogue, that made me LOL several times (especially issue #2). But it's also telling a poignant story about family and generational ... well, not trauma exactly, but mistakes. I'm just OK with the art, which reminds me of Pat Broderick's work, which I was just OK with.
If Christmas 365 isn't adapted to TV, then there is no point to TV and everyone working in TV should quit. We will just have to live on reruns of Ted Lasso.
"I'm never using crypto to buy dairy products again." Seriously, it's funny if you know the context.
EMERALD ALFRED VS. VAMPIANA
DC VS. VAMPIRES: WORLD WAR V — DARKNESS AND LIGHT #1 (ONE SHOT, DC COMICS, $5.99) is by Matthew Rosenberg, Nikola Cizmesija and Daniel Bayliss. This issue shows the same story from two different POVs, an approach I usually enjoy. It's Green Lantern (Alfred Pennyworth) for one perspective, and vampire Wonder Woman for the other. I trade-wait all these Elseworlds series, so I won't see this story for a while.
'POOLS OF BLOOD' CROSSOVER BEGINS
DEADPOOL #11 (MARVEL, $3.99) is by Cody Ziglar and Andrea Di Vito.
This issue launches a four-issue crossover with Miles Morales: Spider-Man titled "Pools of Blood." You might wonder why these two disparate characters get the crossover treatment, until you realize both books are written by the same guy. That might sound a bit silly, but back in the Silver Age Green Lantern and Flash would guest star in each other's books all the time, just because those books had the same editor!
Anyway, Deadpool (and daughter) have a contract on Morales, who just returned from Wakanda. That's really all I know, except that I suspect Miles isn't a vampire any more, after his extended stay in Wakanda. But I could be wrong! Anyway, "Pools of Blood" continues in Miles Morales: Spider-Man #30.
“Anyone who knows me knows how much esteem I hold for Miles and the Deadpools,” Ziglar shared. “Which is why I'm so excited to write a crossover that lets them all interact! Ellie is new to the super hero scene so having her interact with someone else who's picked up a mantle was so fun to write.”
GOLDEN AGE OF REPRINTS
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #129 FACSIMILE EDITION (MARVEL, $4.99): First appearance of the Punisher.
BATMAN #610 FACSIMILE EDITION (DC COMICS, $3.99): More Hush.
DC FINEST: DOOM PATROL — THE WORLD’S STRANGEST HEROES TP (DC COMICS, $39.99) collects My Greatest Adventure #80-85 and Doom Patrol #86-102, by Arnold Drake and Bruno Premiani, which I already have in Archives form (and also, except for one missing issue, regular comics form). But this book also has Brave and the Bold #65 (DP-Flash team-up by Bob Haney and Dick Giordano), Challengers of the Unknown #48 (part of a two-part crossover, by Drake and Bob Brown) and Teen Titans #6 (guest-starring Beast Boy, by Haney and Nick Cardy). I've got all of those comics, too — I pretty much know them by heart — but man, it'd be nice to have them all in one place. They really know how to sucker me, don't they?
DEN VOL 5: THE PRICE OF MEMORIES HC (DARK HORSE, MR, $39.99) is the final Den, but not the last of the Richard Corben Library. I've collected all these so far, because Corben was a once-in-a-generation artist. His work wasn't to everyone's taste — and certainly Den's enornous schlong swinging around put some people off — but it was certainly unique.
FAR SECTOR THE DELUXE EDITION HC (DC COMICS, MR, $49.99): This is the maxiseries that introduced Jo Mullein. I haven't read it, or heard much about it. But it looks like she's joined the main DCU (from wherever she was). So chime in Legionnaires — do I need to get it? Is she the next breakout Green Lantern?
KILL OR BE KILLED COMPENDIUM TP (IMAGE, MR, $59.99): This is one of the few Ed Brubaker-Sean Phillips collaborations I don't own. I remember reading the first issue and feeling that it was too magic-oriented, and striking it off my list. Not that I mind supernatural horror stories, but what Brubaker-Phillips excel is at grounded, street-level crime noirs, and that's what I want to see them do. Also, Mark Sullivan hesitated to recommend it. Anyone else have an opinion? Am I missing out?
PUNISHER KILLS THE MARVEL UNIVERSE TP (MARVEL, $19.99): I've lost track of how many times the Punisher or Deadpool has killed the Marvel Universe. I think even Groo has done it once. It was shocking the first time, but I didn't read any more "kills the universe" stories after that, even at DC. Something can only be shocking once, and then it's old hat. Also, the writer really has to resort to a lot of deus ex machina for the killer to succeed, which gets old fast. (A guy good with guns kills Thor, a warrior god? Sure.) Besides, it's not something I really want to see. Certainly not more than once, and certainly not on my bookshelf. YMMV.
MORE COMICS
27 RUN CRASH #1 (OF 3, BATTLE QUEST COMICS, $4.99) is by Justin Zimmerma, Russell Brown and Fran Gamboa. This seems like little more than an excuse for video-game style fighty-fight, but they sent Diamond so much PR, I feel obliged to share it.
"An amnesiac Pilot wakes to an AI-driven nightmare world filled with 27 gigantic, hungry creatures. He's got a Mech he doesn't remember how to use, he's surrounded by post-apocalyptic nothingness and his only chance to survive is ... well, it's not looking good. With new design, remastered pages and more guest artists than you can shake a rail cannon at, The 27 Run is back bigger and better than ever!"
AQUAMAN #2 (DC COMICS, $3.99): I got the first issue, but as much as I like the changes, I'm not sure anything is ever going to make me excited about Aquaman. Maybe if it had a Jenny Frison cover!
ARCHAIC #3 (OF 5, AHOY, $3.99): Ahoy Comics alert!
ARCHIE JUMBO COMICS DIGEST #358 (ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS, $9.99)
Complete story:
ATOM: THE BEGINNING VOL 10 GN (OF 14, TITAN, 208 PAGES, B&W, MR, $12.99) is by Osamu Tezuka. This Astro Boy origin seems to go on forever, but I guess even "the Walt Disney of manga" needs to make a living.
BLACK LIGHTNING #4 (DC COMICS, $3.99): Guest-starring Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman.
CABLE: LOVE AND CHROME #2 (MARVEL, $3.99): Oh, look, a female version of Cable. Only her techo-organic arm is the left one. What a cute pair of bookends.
CAMGIRL #1 (ONE-SHOT, AWA, $6.99): A girl who has one personality IRL and another when performing, has to confront her two sides when a customer starts making threatening noises and gets too close. Interesting. But let's face it, the draw here is the naughtiness. Would there even be a book if our protagonist worked at Starbucks?
CURSED PIRATE GIRL: MALODIOUS MUTINY HC (BOOM, $29.99): First, let's clear this up: "Malodious" is not a word. "Malodorous" is, one that means foul-smelling. But no doubt the neologism is used to indicate the nature of the book, which appears to be somewhere between a fairy tale and high fantasy. Here's a partial description that provides the flavor:
"Cursed Pirate Girl's loyal companion Pepper Dice reveals that there's still time to bring back her father, the Dread Pirate Captain Douglas! If she can escape the Sea King's Palace with The Bright Star, will she be bold enough to enter The Devil's Cave in the hope of bringing her father back? Or will the Devil Jonah and his minions stop her?"
The art style is also somewhere between a kids' book and old-fashioned woodcuts. Here's a PREVIEW.
CYBERPUNK 2077: PSYCHO SQUAD #1 (OF 4, DARK HORSE, $3.99) is a video game thing, which is not my thing. But Dark Horse sent a press release and some nice covers.
DICK TRACY VALENTINE'S DAY SPECIAL (ONE-SHOT, MAD CAVE, $6.99) is by Alex Segura, Michael Moreci, Steve Orlando, Craig Cermak and Brent Schoonover. It's Dick Tracy, so there's very little here that's romantic. Instead, he's investigating murder on a romance-movie film set. Oh, Dick, must you work all the time? Can't you see Tess Trueheart is pining for you? It's Valentine's Day, for Pete's sake, so use that sharp chin of yours to cut open a box of chocolates, and live a little!
EDDIE BROCK: CARNAGE #1 (MARVEL, $4.99) is by Charles Soule and Jesus Saiz. Another book I will ignore, given my irrational hostility to all things Venom.
“Carnage is someone that has to kill, so Eddie has to feed him deaths. In order for Eddie to be okay with that, the people he feeds Carnage are serial killers,” writer Charles Soule said. “But Carnage is also an addict, and addicts need bigger and bigger highs …”
“I’m having a blast with this,” he continued. “Jesus Saiz wanted to do a horror book. This is his wheelhouse. He loves creepy organic things to draw, and I’m giving him everything he can handle.”
GEIGER #11 (IMAGE, $3.99) is by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank. Oh, look, a female version of Geiger! Her first appearance was actually at the end of last issue. IF you're a buy-first-appearances-and-put-them-in-plastic type of fan, you'll have get issue #10.
“Ashley’s story is just beginning,” said Johns. “Gary and I can’t wait to finally show fans who the Glowing Woman is, what drives her as a character, and what her powers, abilities, and mission mean for Tariq.”
“These [covers of issues #11-14] begin to tease the growing escalation between Geiger and Ash,” said Frank. “This is an explosive arc, and it’ll profoundly change Geiger and his relationships with Nate and the world around them.”
“Gary and I have found another gear on this book and we’re not going to let up,” continued Johns. “The story from here is only going to get bigger and reveal more of the connection between Geiger, Junkyard Joe, Redcoat, The Northerner and other new characters within The Unnamed shared universe we’re introducing soon. We can’t wait to show them to you.”
HEAT SEEKER: COMBUSTION — A GUN HONEY SERIES #3 (OF 4, TITAN, MR, $3.99) is by Charles Ardai and Ace Continuado. Story: Good crime noir. Art: Kinda cartoony. Fan Service: Over the top.
THE HIVE #1 (IMAGE, $3.99) is by AJ Lieberman (Cowboy Ninja Viking, Term Life, Batman: Gotham Knights) and Mike Henderson (Nailbiter, The Forged, Cable: Love & Chrome). I've hit my bug quote for the week. Maybe I'll catch up with issue #2.
“The Hive is nothing you'd expect but exactly what you'd want in a dirty, neo-noir story set against a world where some people can connect and control others in a hivemind—like bees in a hive,” said Lieberman and Henderson in a joint statement. “Our fascination with bees and the hierarchy within a hive is what led us to start thinking about how that might look if graphed onto humans. What we can’t wait for is for fans to see how the story builds to an ending that expands the world we’ve created in the most unexpected way.”
LENORE: THE TIME WAR #1 (OF 3, TITAN, $4.99) is by Roman Dirge. I really wanted to like this, because I've enjoyed Dirge's Cute Little Dead Girl stories before. But it takes the characters out of their normal milieu, and seems to strain for its trademark situational humor as a result. Maybe it'll hit its stride with the next issue.
“My main obsession in life, other than video games, cats and Mexican food, is sci-fi. My favorite sub-genre of sci-fi is time travel. So, I thought, 'Hey, what if I combine Lenore with that thing I love?,' leading to the Time Goats saga,” Dirge says of the new series. “Just be glad it wasn’t a four-issue series about Lenore eating Mexican food while petting cats that are somehow playing video games with their little paw paws.”
MAGIK #2 (MARVEL, $3.99): Here's a book starring a hot blonde with a bad attitude and big super-powers, and somehow the first issue managed to disappoint. I feel like I just watched Catwoman again. ("Halle Berry in tight leather and it's somehow BAD?!??") I've pre-ordered through #3, which I kinda regret. Maybe it'll improve and change my mind.
MARVEL MUTTS #1 (MARVEL, $6.99) is Marvel's various dogs in cartoon form. The story is collected from online comics. I love dogs, but I'm pretty sure I won't love this.
MIDST: RIPPLES #1 (ONE-SHOT, DARK HORSE, 48 PAGES, $7.99) is by Kendra Wells and Vash Taylor. This doesn't look like something I'd be interested in, but since it's a first issue I'll post what I can so you can decide for yourself.
"Something bright has landed in the woods beyond the town of Frisk, and strange things begin to happen as a result. Ten-year-old Daggle can’t tamp down his curiosity about the unusual light and the changes it creates. While townsfolk fear his interest, it might be the key to everything when others arrive to this nestled little islet within the Fold …"
MINE IS A LONG LONESOME GRAVE #1 (OF 4, MR, ONI PRESS, $4.99) is by Justin Jordan and Chris Shehan. It's the story of a very bad man who gets out of jail, returns to his Appalachian hometown, and discovers someone's put a hex on him. He has to find the hex-caster and kill them in seven days, or he dies. Of course, he probably deserves it. But, again, would there even be a book if our protagonist worked at Starbucks? Here's a PREVIEW.
MINKY WOODCOCK: THE GIRL CALLED CTHULHU #4 (OF 4, MR, $3.99): Strangely, I have neither review copy nor preview of this issue. I have tons of Titan PR material waiting its turn. Just not for this book.
THE POWERPUFF GIRLS VALENTINE'S MWAH MWAH KISSY FACE SPECIAL #1 (DYNAMITE, 40 pages, $5.99) is by Paulina and Savanna Ganucheau. A Valentine's Day special for kids.
SAM WILSON: CAPTAIN AMERICA #2 (OF 5, MARVEL, $3.99) is by Evan Narcisee, Greg Pak and Eder Messias. Given the upcoming movie, it should surprise no one to see a miniseries where Sam Wilson battles Red Hulk. Here we are on issue #2, and Marvel is still sending press releases. The book does feature Josiah X, the son of Isaiah Bradley, the first Captain America, so that's something.
And, of course, there's an homage to the cover of Captain America #230. Here are some comments from the press release:
“I’ve loved the character of Josiah X ever since he first appeared in The Crew back in 2003,” Narcisse explained. “As the son of Isaiah Bradley — cloned in secret experiments — he’s had a complicated legacy thrust upon him. His previous stories showed him struggling to figure out how to find purpose and protect the vulnerable in a world that’s all too ready to exploit him and others on society's margins. When we meet him as the Shadow Soldier in SAM WILSON: CAPTAIN AMERICA, he’s a hero at the next stage of his evolution, someone who's answered those existential questions with a new codename, new uniform, and specific outlook. He’s a great counterpoint to Sam, in that they’re trying to do the right thing with very different attitudes. We're really excited to bring him back in a way that honors the past and hopefully opens up a promising future.”
“When I was approached to do the covers for SAM WILSON: CAPTAIN AMERICA, I saw a chance to update a few characters,” Clarke shared. “After getting the thumbs up to update Patriot's hair from our amazing editors, the fans on social media immediately started asking about Josiah!
“I knew we had a huge task ahead of us, so I went in with notes from our co-writer Evan Narcisse, who also provided some great insights from the legendary Christopher Priest, and set out to create a design that reflects where Josiah is at mentally right now while staying true to his history. He’s currently operating in the shadows, but he’s still a byproduct of his time as America's forgotten Super-Soldier, so there’s elements of his old costume from The Crew integrated into what's essentially a covert-ops suit. Pieces of his old chainmail are underneath his vest as additional bulletproof armor, and his old bandana is under his Kevlar mask as a reminder of who he is. Evan noted that Josiah should also wear the colors of Red, Gold, Black and Green just as proudly as he wore the Red, White and Blue, so we made sure to integrate that into his costume as well. I really hope what we've done resonates with fans."
SECRETS OF A LOST DIARY TP (FANTAGRAPHICS, MR, $25.00) is by Santiago Cohen, whose artwork is of the cartoony, primitive style I do not care for. As to the story, it's a bit hokey: A girl finds the diary of her deceased grandmother, and wouldn't you know it, they are just alike! They're even both lesbians! Even though one is a Polish Jew who moved to Mexico and the other one isn't! And they have the same problems with identity and fitting in! it's almost like it's a made-up story, instead of two people from way different generations and backgrounds!
SHADOWPLAY VOL 1: MIDNIGHT SCHOOL GN (IDW, MR, $24.99): "This class is a nightmare. Violent teachers, barbed wire fences, torture devices, and gruesome suspensions... How did these students get trapped here? Why can't they remember? And once they realize the truth, are they strong enough together to escape? In his astonishing debut, Brazilian graphic novelist Sam Fonseca presents a mind-bending work of psychological horror about creativity, self-doubt, and the battles we all face to endure a world where shadows only grow stronger."
So, pretty much typical high school, amirite?
SILVERLAKE TP (IMAGE, $16.99) is about a werebear in the trenches of World War I. That sounds kinda cool, but I didn't have time to read it. Sorry.
SIMULATION THEORY TP (DARK HORSE, 128 PAGES, $29.99) collects issues 1-5 of the Comixology Originals series.
I didn't find that premise particularly original — we've seen plenty of cyberworlds, from Tron to Ready Player One to the Vault in Foundation to Mark Zuckerberg's Metaverse. And I really didn't care for the art, which was very detailed but seemed like it needed some seasoning.
A SLICE OF SPY (ONE-SHOT, COSMIC LION PRODUCTIONS, $5.00) is by Matt Howarth (Those Annoying Post Bros.). If you like his work, this is for you.
STAR WARS: BAD BATCH — GHOST AGENTS #1 (DARK HORSE, $3.99): If you like the cartoon, you might like this. STAR WARS: HIGH REPUBLIC ADVENTURES PHASE III #15 ($3.99) is also available this week.
SURROUNDED: AMERICA'S FIRST SCHOOL FOR BLACK GIRLS 1832 HC (NBM, $24.99) sounds educational. Here's a PREVIEW.
SWORD OF THE TITANS VOL 1 TP (192 PAGES, TITAN, B&W, $12.99): A young boy acquires a powerful sword from a mysterious artisan, and goes on an epic quest to join the gods in their battle against demons. Just another day in Edo-era Japan, I suppose.
TRAMPLE #1 (MR, CEX PUBLISHING, ONE-SHOT, $4.99) is Revenge of a Pissed-Off Mama Elephant. I'm always on the side of the animal, but IRL this poor creature would just be shot.
TRANSFORMERS #17 ($3.99) promises an all-new character.
ZOOTOPIA #2 (DYNAMITE., $4.99) is by Jeff Parker (Negaduck, Batman '66) and Alessandro Ranaldi (Disney Villains: Hades), and also seems to be for kids. Unless adults enjoyed the movie too. Haven't heard one way or the other.
Replies
DC FINEST: DOOM PATROL collects My Greatest Adventure #80-85 and Doom Patrol #86-102... which I already have in Archives form.
I traded my three DP archives for the DP omnibus.
But this book also has Brave and the Bold #65... Challengers of the Unknown #48... and Teen Titans #6.
No, no, no! What're ya tryin' to do, tempt me? Get thee behind me foul tempter!
CURSED PIRATE GIRL: MALODIOUS MUTINY HC: I've got the first HC collection, but this appears to be an OGN. I gave the original issues to Tracy's little nieces (first cousins once removed, actually), but I kinda wish I'd've hung onto them now. the artworks reminds me most of John Tenniel's style.
"This desert could well be what used to be Brazil."
I have not read "Into the Unbeing", but there are arid regions in Brazil, generically named as the "caatinga". There is a fair amount of hardy, resilient vegetation in it, though. There are also sand-covered plains, notably the Lençóis Maranhenses, although they are not far from running water and may in fact be peppered with beautiful freshwater lagoons.
Interestingly, neither is very far from the Brazilian Rainforest.
No, no, no! What're ya tryin' to do, tempt me? Get thee behind me foul tempter!
It's not me! It's DC Comics! They've finally figured out what the fans really want, and it's comprehensive collections. Which is especially useful for characters that jumped around a bit in their early days, like Harley Quinn (as we shall see next week). And now that that they're releasing comprehensive collections, it's making our previous collections superfluous. Deucedly clever, these merchants of imaginative narratives!
I have not read "Into the Unbeing", but there are arid regions in Brazil, generically named as the "caatinga". There is a fair amount of hardy, resilient vegetation in it, though. There are also sand-covered plains, notably the Lençóis Maranhenses, although they are not far from running water and may in fact be peppered with beautiful freshwater lagoons.
I'm no cartologist, but from the time I was old enough to understand the concept of a map I knew Brazil is enormous. I've always imagined that its borders contained every kind of environment I could think of, from deserts to mountains. The rainforests get all the press, but I bet I could probably go snow skiing somewhere in Brazil.
Anyway, I looked it up, and this story takes place in Australia. So somehow our explorer got from Brazil to Down Under, which is another mystery to be solved.
"(...) this story takes place in Australia. So somehow our explorer got from Brazil to Down Under, which is another mystery to be solved."
No comment. There are no pathways from Brazil to Australia. None that I can confirm to exist right now, anyway.
As for Brazil's variety of environments, it is impressive and the surface area is indeed big... but there are limits. We don't have any true mountains; the one time I saw any was when I visited Chile, and let me tell you, it was impressive. We also rarely have any snow whatsoever, although many of us would like to.
But sure, there is a lot more here than rainforest. As a matter of fact, only a minuscule portion of our population lives anywhere near the rainforest (which leads to some concerns and fears about authority over the territory, but that is another can of worms for some other day).
Just noticed... three characters get "the bite put on them" on covers to comics shiping this week:
And, of course, there's an homage to the cover of Captain America #230.
That's also the movie poster.