MARVEL COMICS
Week 12 in "Blood Hunt"
X-MEN: BLOOD HUNT — LAURA KINNEY, THE WOLVERINE #1 (ONE-SHOT): Oh, Laura, you'll always be X-23 to me.
Whatever her name, she goes on a rescue mission. Apparently vampires have been capturing mutants and conducting [Colin Clive voice] scientific experiments [/Colin Clive voice] on them to boost their own powers.
Also: As you can see by all the final issues below, "Blood Hunt" is winding down. Next week wraps it up.
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN: BLOOD HUNT #3 (OF 3): All the vampires of the world want to keep Spidey, Misty Knight, Colleen Wing and The Lizard away from Morbius. That doesn't sound good
- BLOOD HUNT #2 (OF 5) 2ND PTG LEINIL YU VARIANT
- BLOOD HUNTERS #4 (OF 4) has the same solicitation as Blood Hunters #3, so I can't tell you anything new.
- DRACULA: BLOOD HUNT #3 (OF 3): Looks like I was right in my prediction that Dracula needs Blade's daughter for some reason in order to become Big Boss of Vampires again. I don't have any idea of the mechanism, though. Probably something Darkhold-y.
This week in Spider-Man:
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #258 FACSIMILE EDITION
- SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MEN #5
- SPIDER-MAN BY MICHELINIE BAGLEY OMNIBUS VOL 1 HC
- SPIDER-WOMAN #9
This week in Ultimates:
- ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #4 2ND PTG MARCO CHECCHETTO VARIANT
- ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #5 2ND PTG CHECCHETTO VARIANT
- ULTIMATE X-MEN #5
This week in X-Men:
PHOENIX #1
So Jean Grey became the Phoenix again at the end of "Fall of X," because of course she did. Now she's got her own series, set in outer space. In this first issue, she gets an SOS from the Nova Corps and sets out to ... I don't know, eat somebody's sun? Let's hope not, as that got pretty messy the first time.
I hate to say it, but this one's got "cancellation" written all over it. It stars a character who has 1) a generic personality, 2) too much power, 3) no supporting cast and 4) no home base. Marvel made it work with Silver Surfer now and then, even with the same problems, so I'll never say never. But he had a history of solo adventures, and Jean Grey does not. Also, it must be said: Jean Grey is a girl, and there's a section of fandom that is too misogynistic to follow a book starring a girl.
So I'm curious what the thinking is here. Oh, wait, here's what the writer says:
"Jean is one of the most powerful characters I've ever written,” Stephanie Phillips said. “The beauty and challenge to Jean is that she is imbued with a cosmic force alongside the morals, shortcomings and empathy of a human being. The dichotomy between those two is something incredibly special about Jean, and means that she is constantly doing a dance between humanity and absolute power. So, that dance is what we hope to have on full display in this story... a cosmic ballet that shows how beautiful the Phoenix Force can be when working in tandem with Jean Grey. And let me assure you, Alessandro Miracolo has made that cosmic dance look absolutely gorgeous."
Hrm. I remain unconvinced.
INCREDIBLE HULK #14
This title's in the X-Men section thanks to the beginning of a story starring one mutant and one wannabe that will cross over into a bunch of eight non-X books: "Deadpool/Wolverine: Weapon X-Traction."
Why yes, there is a movie coming out this summer involving those two characters. Just a coincidence, I'm sure. Here's the storyline:
"WEAPON X-TRACTION kicks off when a weary Wolverine runs into a clingy Deadpool at a favorite watering hole. From this humble beginning, they embark on an epic journey of non-friendship that will carry them across the multiverse, battling zombies and gun-wielding librarians and, of course, one another!"
Oh, the main story is Hulk and Banner continuing their quest to save Charlie's soul. Which has been going on for a while, evidently.
Also:
- CAPTAIN AMERICA #11: Part Two of "Weapon X-Traction".
- HELLVERINE #1 (OF 4) 2ND PTG MARTIN COCCOLO VARIANT
Elsewhere at Marvel:
NAMOR #1 (OF 8)
The solicitation describes a war between seven undersea kingdoms, "laying bare the dark history of Atlantis." Which has an uncomfortable amount of similarity with the Aquaman movies. Poor Namor. He was the first underwater hero, but he's always in second place.
He's also in jail, according to the solicitation. And vows to never return to the sea. It'll be interesting to find out why, but of course, he must return to the sea. Not only does he get weak outside of water, but The Adventures of Sub-Mariner in the Suburbs would be pointless. I would say this one has "cancellation" written on it too, because Namor always get canceled. But it's a miniseries.
DAREDEVIL: WOMAN WITHOUT FEAR #1 (OF 4) features Elektra in a solo adventure in Madripoor, fighting Crossbones, the new Punisher, and probably two more foes (since it's a four-issue miniseries).
DEADPOOL ROLE-PLAYS THE MARVEL UNIVERSE #1 Since I don't play the Marvel RPG, I'll just let Marvel explain this:
"The upcoming book includes a comic story lead-in by Cullen Bunn (Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe), a full-fledged standalone RPG adventure, and new full character profiles. Readers can play as Deadpool and his team — or use their own characters — in a fourth-wall breaking adventure right out of Marvel's comics!
This new adventure book is meant to be used in conjunction with the hit Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game hard cover. The Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game launched in August 2023, and has since taken the tabletop gaming community by storm. The book garnered accolades including being a featured game on The McElroy Family’s The Adventure Zone podcast, named the Best of GenCon 2023 by Gaming Trend, and has been played live several times by the beloved live-action gamers at The Glass Cannon Network.
"The Core Rulebook and Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game: The Cataclysm of Kang are both available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Roll20, Demiplane, Target and wherever books are sold. For more info check out marvel.com/rpg."
Also:
IMMORTAL THOR ANNUAL #1: "Infinity Watch" Part Three.
INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #20: Final issue.
DC COMICS
Week 4 in "Absolute Power":
SUPERMAN #16: The injured and powerless have retreated to the Fortress of Solitude, while a de-powered Superman and Zatanna go on a magical quest. Zatanna was shown in a group shot with other characters who were later de-powered in Absolute Power #1, but not specifically present when an Amazo came calling. So she may have her powers. Even if she doesn't, surely there are things a lifelong sorcerer knows that Amanda Waller couldn't anticipate and take away.
WONDER WOMAN #11: Justice League Dark guest stars as Diana faces off with an Amazo (presumably Paradise Lost). The inference I drew from Absolute Power #1 and Batman #150 is that Wonder Woman was already de-powered, but maybe not.
This week in Batman:
- ABSOLUTE BATMAN AND ROBIN BY GRANT MORRISION HC collects Batman #655-658, #663-669, #672-675 and Batman Incorporated (vol. 2 ) #5.
- HARLEY QUINN: BLACK, WHITE AND REDDER TP
- BATMAN/SUPERMAN: WORLD’S FINEST #29
- CATWOMAN #67
- NIGHTWING #116
Elsewhere at DC:
DARK KNIGHTS OF STEEL: ALLWINTER #1 (OF 6): Dang, I still don't have an HC of the first miniseries. And here comes, what, the third?
Also:
- HUMAN TARGET VOL 2 TP: Still tradewaiting a comprehensive HC.
- SUPERMAN BY KURT BUSIEK BOOK 1 HC collects Action Comics #837-843, Superman #650-658, Superman: The Man of Steel Annual #5, Superman: Secret Identity #1-4 and World's Finest Comics #308-309.
- CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS #4 FACSIMILE EDITION
IMAGE COMICS
This week in Energon Universe:
DESTRO #2 (OF 5)
G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO #308
This week in Unnamed Universe:
REDCOAT #4
REVIEW: I caught up on Redcoat, including his introduction in Ghost Machine Special #1, and ... um.
The story is about a cowardly British mercenary ("kind of a tool," we're reminded at the beginning of each issue) during the Revolutionary War. His name is Simon Pure ("and I'm anything but," he reminds us at the baginning of each issue),and we see his life saved by John Hancock, who uses magic to do so. See, there's a red-hooded Founding Fathers cult that's deep into the occult, and when spying on one of their meetings, Pure accidently intercepts a spell meant to give Benjamin Franklin immortality. The history of the Founding Fathers' history is .being ... revised a bit.
The story picks up in 1892, where Pure is being pursued by the same red-hooded cultists. He picks up a sidekick, a young Albert Einstein who has done his research. And we meet another immortal, in the form of Benedict Arnold, whose history is being ... revised a bit. There are more immortals promised, including the leader of the red-hooded cult, whose identity is revealed in this issue, and which I will not divulge.
Which is interesting, sort of. I know my American history, and thank God I do, because it's unrecognizable here. The fun, presumably, is in seeing how Geoff Johns twists it. Or in Pure's antics, since he's basically a selfish clown. I dunno. Neither are great selling points for me. Maybe Redcoat is the story of Simon learning to be a better man, because he's certainly not an admirable one now.
What sells the book is the art. It's by Bryan Hitch, and he's at his Hitchiest. There are lots of double page spreads and inventive panel structures, which are actually quite clumsy when reading digitally, but he gets an "A" for effort. And I never noticed before that Hitch uses photo reference, but I certainly picked out various examples where Pure's face is modeled on John Krasinski, Charlie Hunnam and maybe Tom Hardy.
There's a timeline at the end of each issue for the whole Unnamed Universe, and I'll save you the trouble of looking it up: Redcoat becomes immortal in 1776. "The Northener," who wears a Union uniform, "begins his hunt" in 1864. "The Monster is made" in 1944. "Junkyard Joe comes online" in 1972. "Widow X has her revenge" in 1997. "First Ghost is captured on film" in "present day." The "Unknown War erupts" five years from now. "Geiger walks across America" 25 years from now.
That's interesting, because it leaves off The Rook entirely, and also because we haven't yet met The Northerner, The Monster, Widow X and First Ghost. Presumably they will all be headliners or major supporting characters.
So can I recommend Redcoat? I dunno. As they say, humor is harder to write than drama, and certainly there are scenes in Redcoat I know are supposed to be funny, but fall flat for me. Maybe it depends on my mood. And I'm not thrilled with Benedict Arnold being redeemed, and the Founding Fathers being smeared, as the latter's work is so savagely under assault these days. (Redcoat can't help the timing, but this would have been considerably more entertaining 20 or 30 years ago, when democracy wasn't on the brink.) So I don't really know if I'm really enjoying Redcoat, or just coasting along on the pleasant art until I can make up my mind.
Elsewhere at Image:
WITCHBLADE #1
REVIEW: I didn't read Witchblade when it debuted in the '90s, but the 2001 TV show induced me to try the comics. I enjoyed the bits and pieces I picked up, mainly for the Marc Silvestri art. And I now have the whole series in hardback (that I haven't yet read).
This reboot is absent that art, which really hurts.
The story itself, by Marguerite Bennett (Animosity, Batwoman, DC Bombshells) is serviceable, essentially regurgitating the beats we already know from the previous series. Sara Pezzini, cop, anicent artifact, go. I will say that Bennett's prose is more richly textured than that of the past, and I enjoy her facility with language. (Because I am that kind of nerd.)
I don't know if that's enough to keep me going on this series. The art, by Italian artist Giuseppe Cafaro (Suicide Squad, Power Rangers, Red Sonja) retains all the angular edges and weird effects of the Silvestri days, but is harsher and less attractive. I'll give this series another couple of issues to hook me, but I'm not sanguine it will. And I have all that good stuff from the past to read!
Also:
SCARLETT #1 (OF 5) 2ND PTG CVR A HOWARD VARIANT, SCARLETT #1 (OF 5) 2ND PTG CVR B HOWARD VARIANT, SCARLETT #1 (OF 5) 2ND PTG CVR C FERRARI & LOUGHRIDGE VARIANT: Variant second printings. Ay-yi-yi.
DARK HORSE
CAPTAIN MOMO’S SECRET BASE #1
This translated manga sounds pretty interesting, and I'm not even a cat person: "In the year 3019 AD, humanity has gotten even more work casual: most of the time, Moshi-Moshi Momo doesn't bother to wear her captain’s uniform — or anything at all — on board the cargo vessel Blue Chateau, as she struggles against interstellar tedium, company directives, low battery strength and her ever-underfoot cat Grandpa John. But fear not, equipped with plenty of reading material and a crate of peach liqueur, in the long haul past Proxima Centauri, space slacker Captain Momo will at last prove Newton correct—a body at rest will remain at rest!Climb aboard for an interstellar romp — and more than 60 pages of cat content!"
Slackers in spaaaaaaace! It's 140 pages, B&W, $14.99. There are some manga art styles that turn me off, but this isn't one of them. I rather like it.
CENSUS TP
This is the first print release of what had been a five-issue ComiXology Original. The preview looks interesting, and it's co-written by Eisner award-nominated writer, TV producer and podcaster Marc Bernardin (Star Trek: Picard, Batman: Caped Crusader, Carnival Row, Castle Rock, Masters of the Universe: Revelations, Alphas, Fatman Beyond, Adora and the Distance, Genius, The Highwaymen) and writer, TV producer and director Adam Freeman (Gene Simmons Family Jewels, The Chelsea Handler Show, X-Men Origins: Nightcrawler, The Authority, Genius, The Highwaymen). So I mean to give it a try.
GOBLIN VOL 2: THE WOLF AND THE WELL TP
REVIEW: I enjoyed this one quite a bit, and would recommend it wholeheartedly save for one caveat.
I didn't read Goblin Vol. 1, but it didn't take me long to pick up on the particulars. It's always a good sign when the exposition is buried in the story so deeply that you don't notice it. And those particulars are: This is a very young orphaned goblin in a fantasy world, traveling with his best friend Fish-breath (an unspeaking but intelligent white wolf) in a world that has no use for either. He is taken in by a seemingly kind human who gives him sanctuary — and, unfortunately, school.
Unfortunate because A) all kids hate school and B) this school teaches lies, bigotry and propaganda. And the punishments are strenuous if you try to tell the truth. Welcome to the Soviet Union, comrade! (Or, I guess, Florida.) And of course, the "seemingly" is important in the phrase "seemingly kind human." Big secrets and big dangers await.
Naturally, as a dog person, I'm more concerned about the wolf than anything else. And her fate is the hinge of the story. I will say no more.
Except for my caveat. Which is the art.
It's not bad. In fact, in most respects, it's very good (see preview below). But, frustratingly, I don't care for the lead character's design. It's so sketchy, and so inhuman, and so stick-like, that often I mistake him for a tree or part of the background or perhaps some firewood. A few organic curves, without going full cartoon, would really have helped this particular tree stick out from the forest.
Even when Goblin is not in the wild, and is instead mixed with other non-humans of similar size and poor design, it's sometimes difficult for these old eyes to pick him out of the crowd. In many cases, I have to stare at panels longer than I care to in order to understand what's going on.
A big part of the problem is the coloring, in that Goblin is the same green-grey as much of the foliage, and often the lighting. Some panels are too dark and monchrome.This extends even to Fish-breath, who — being white — generally stands out. But when he is mixed into a pack of grey wolves for many scenes in this story, and the colorist chooses some "realistic" lighting, I can't tell shadowed white from light grey without, again, taking an uncomfortable amount of time to figure it out.
But, OK, the story is about the terrors of the first day of school, plus real supernatural terrors, plus a terrible prophecy. The story is engaging enough that I happily labored all the way to the end. So I can recommend the book, especially if youre eyes are younger.
INTO THE UNBEING PART ONE #2
REVIEW: I can only speak in generalities about this issue, so as not to give away the big reveal. So I'll just say that I am still intrigued, that the central mystery is still super mysterious and unnerving, that writer and artist are delivering claustrophobia in spades, that I want to know what's going to happen next. And they better not hurt the dog!
LOUDER THAN WORDS, ACTIONS SPEAK GN
REVIEW: This collection of Sergio Aragones material isn't remotely new. Louder than Words #1-6 came out in 1997, and Actions Speak #1-6 came out in 2001. And, of course, Dark Horse has collected them before in trade paperback. One way or the other, I've read all this material before.
And I read it again, with enthusiasm. If there's one great thing about Aragones' work — and there are a lot of great things — it's that it is re-readable to the max. Each time feels like the first, and the laughs are timeless.
Recommended.
PARANOID GARDENS #1 (OF 6)
I just didn't have time to read this one, so I'll try to catch up next issue. Here's the poop:
"Loo is a nurse at the most bizarre care center around. The staff are not entirely human, and the cases downright unearthly. Aliens, ghosts, superheroes, and more creatures plague its hallways as both doctors and patients and the hospital itself seems to be somewhat self-aware. Loo believes that despite a recent failure at her job she’s been given some sort of higher calling in this mysterious place, and decides to rise to the challenge. Along the way, she must fight her way through corrupt staff members, powerful theme park cults, and her own personal demons and trauma to meet this challenge and discover what secrets the gardens hold."
WHODUNNIT?
Here's a noir-ish murder mystery, presented with anthropomorphic animals, by writer El Torres (The Ghost of Gaudi, The Veil) and artist Vicente Cifuentes (Murdervale, Batgirl). It's OK.
Using animals instead of people only has one real advantage: Animals can be a shorthand for a character's personality. If a person is a weasel, you can guess what he's like. If he's a pig, you can guess what he's like. And in this case, our chief instpector is a bulldog, which is exactly what he ought to be.
However, he's not the star of the show. Instead if's a rodent named Dorrie Quirrel, who is either (judging by her name) either a dormouse or a squirrel. Either way, she's a bit timid, but has a connection to the supernatural which is vital to the murder mystery. She's accompanied by a large police fellow who's ... I dunno, some other kind of dog? Unsure.
And he's not the only one whose animal nature was unclear or didn't matter. That's actually to the story's detriment. If you're going to use anthropomorphic animals, use them as shorthand. Otherwise, just draw people.
The other flaw in the story is that it didn't keep me engaged. It's certainly imaginative, and I appreciate that. But it kept changing genres, from a locked-room mystery, to a slasher film, to an Indiana Jones adventure, to the horror show at the end. Every time the story jumped a gear it knocked me out of the flow.
I soldiered on to the end, mainly because of the art. As you can see from the preview below, it's very good. Colors, too. They're a bit overdone, as they often are these days (see the two pages below that use a green palette for no discernible reason), but they're great at setting mood and excellently rendered.
IDW PUBLISHING
ROCKETEER BREAKS FREE #1
REVIEW: I've said before that I see no purpose to Rocketeer absent the art of Dave Stevens. That isn't entirely because of how good Stevens was — and he was so, so good — but that the concept is lifted from the B-list serials of the 1930s. Absent the thrill of Stevens' virtuosity, there's nothing here but old tropes that have aged badly.
This series changes my mind not a whit. Especially as the new artist has shoes to big to fill. He's not bad, but we're reminded of how Not Dave Stevens he is on every page. Especially with Betty, who not only doesn't resemble Bettie Page, but is rather plain.
STAR TREK ANNUAL 2024 #1
REVIEW: I thought I'd give the IDW Star Trek franchise a try, assuming this was a standalone story. But alas, it's part of an ongoing story that I assume comes from a previous annual and will continue into another one. As a middle-ish part, and one with mediocre art, I didn't find enough to hook me. Your mileage may vary.
DYNAMITE
POWERPUFF GIRLS #1: I doubt anyone here is a Powerpuff Girls fan, but maybe one of you has young nephews or nieces. In which case, this is what it looks like.
THUNDERCATS #6: THUNDERCATS VOL 1: OMENS is also available this week.
MORE COMICS
2000 AD VS. BATTLE ACTION COMICS COLLIDE TP
"What if the old Battle Action comic was merged with 2000 AD in the early '80s? That's the question posed by this all-new collection that reveals the answer is action-packed thrills by the bucket-load. It takes old Battle Action strips and reworks them as 2000 AD-appropriate adventures, while remaining true to their original concept and continuity. This kick-ass crossover sees Judge Dredd feature in a brand-new reimagining of Action's most controversial strip — Kids Rule O.K. — and also includes Darkie's Mob, Death Game 2049 and Major Eazy amongst others."
I'm not familiar with any of the strips named except Dredd, but I can imagine how this would work. In fact DC did something similar when it published a series with Jonah Hex in the 21st century (Hex #1-18, 1985-87). I didn't much care for Hex, but that's an indictment of that particular series, not the concept. This could be fun.
ARCHIE JUMBO COMICS DIGEST #352
REVIEW: Sabrina hosts a monster movie night on the beach with the Riverdale gang, but it's sabotaged by Amber Nightstone and the two other witches of her coven. As usual, there's magical hoo-hah that Sabrina sets aright and that the Riverdale gang never seems to remember.
To be honest, the hoo-hah wasn't very imaginative or interesting. But the art is by one of the best of Archie's current crop, Holly G., so it had that going for it.
I skimmed the rest of the book, which served to remind me that, in general, I find that the older an Archie story is, the more I enjoy it. Or to flip that around, the more modern an Archie story is, the less I enjoy it. I find most of the current crop of stories to be exercises in unfunny mediocrity.
Maybe that's my subconscious telling me that the days of these kinds of stories are over, and Archie stories work best as period pieces. Or maybe that the earlier stories were written for all ages in the true sense of the term, whereas the current ones are aimed specifically at children (and not very bright ones at that). I would pay good money for comprehensive hardback collections of Archie (drawn mostly by Harry Lucey), Jughead (drawn mostly by Samm Schwartz) and Betty & Veronica (drawn mostly by Dan DeCarlo) from the '60s and '70s. I would sit down and read them cover to cover the day I bought them.
BIKER MICE FROM MARS #1 (OF 3)
This concept began life as a '90s cartoon, and I suppose nostalgia for that decade is at its peak currently. Anyway, this is part of Oni's launch of the "Nacelleverse," which combines a number of C-list cartoons and toys, none of which I remember offhand.
IGN has a PREVIEW.
BLOODBORNE: BLEAK DOMINION VOL 1 TP
BOULET'S NOTES HC is a selection of material from the early journals of French artist Boulet (Dungeon, Bea Wolf). Sounds like easy money if you happen to be Boulet.
CHEECH AND CHONG’S CHRONICLES: A BRIEF HISTORY OF WEED HC (Z2 Comics): Cheech & Chong rewrite history to show that every important event happened because of maryjane. They're doobie experts (or at least their stage personae are), so they should know!
CHILLING ADVENTURES PRESENTS … TRUTH OR DARE (ONE-SHOT)
This is an odd one.
New student Trula Twyst came to Riverdale in 1997, and somehow came to understand Jughead's behavior enough to control it. I didn't read that particular story (or maybe it was a run of stories, I don't know), and I don't think I'd want to. Seriously, I can't think of a better way ot leech out all the stuff that makes Jughead so fun.
This story sort of apes that approach, as Trula — damaged by childhood trauma, and now an expert on reading the trauma of others — not only analyzes Jughead, but does so with all the Riverdale gang. She locks them in her mansion and begins a cruel game of Truth or Dare.
The solicits draw comparisons to Escape Room, Saw and Girl, Interrupted, but it's not quite that grim Nobody dies. But the Riverdale gang are subjected to psychological cruelty, and you know, I didn't enjoy that at all.
As I've said before, I love Archie's horror line. Just not this one.
CONAN THE BARBARIAN VOL 2 TP
DEVIL THAT WEARS MY FACE TP: This collects the Mad Cave series set in 1740, where an exorcism gone awry curses a priest with the demon named Legion. I like the art. It's really dark, but given the subject matter, it should be.
EC FAN-ADDICT #6 has already sold out, according to the Fantagraphics website. I'm sure there will be a second printing soon enough. It's got a lot of interviews, covers, etc., related to EC Comics and its artists, much of it unpublished.
ELRIC: THE NECROMANCER #1 (OF 2): One of these days I've got to figure out how many Elric series there are, and what I have of each of them.
FLORENCE & NORMANDIE GN (Zombie Love Studios) posits a wrongfully accused Black man and an angry white cop who's after him, who come together at the corner of Florence and Normandie, where the L.A. riots began, just as an alien invasion occurs at that spot. I can think of a number of ways this can go, but almost certainly the two leads will learn to work together, don'tcha think?
HIGH ON LIFE #2 (OF 4)
LAST WARDENS #1 (OF 6)
Vietnam era, rural misery in the rustic town of Bleakwood. Our heroine must deal with an alcoholic father, poverty, a vet brother who is mutating and incompetent paranormal hunters. You know, I lived through the Vietnam era in the South, and yeah, it had a lot of faults. And, sadly, it has not improved at all. If anything, it's regressed. One of the great disappointments of my life.
LUCHAVERSE: CATALYST #1 (Massive): "A legendary cast of luchadores including Rey Mysterio and Tinieblas Jr. to battle monsters, aliens, and evil threats from across the cosmos."
I've never been much of a wrestling fan, but I can perceive the overlap with comics fans on my mental Zenn diagram. And never is that connection stronger than with Luchadores, who even dress up like superheroes. I hope this book sells like gangbusters.
Note the Superman vs. Muhammad Ali homage on Cover D.
MY BAD ESCAPE FROM PECULIAR ISLAND #3 (OF 5): Ahoy Comics alert!
PEEPSHOW #15 BY JOE MATT
Joe Matt emerged in the '80s with a lot of other indie creators, like Peter Bagge and Daniel Clowes. He does the popular (among cartoonists) schtick where he chronicles his own life with a caricature of himself. I've never sampled Peepshow, so I don't know if it works as well as, say, American Splendor.
What makes this issue worth comment is that it has a strange history — and is published posthumously. Peepshow #14 came out in 2006, then for almost 15 years, nothing. Then, in 2023, Matt had a fatal heart attack at age 60. But Peepshow #15 was almost finished, so fellow cartoonist Chester Brown inked the last four pages, and here it is.
PSYCHODRAMA ILLUSTRATED #8 continues the Love & Rockets spinoff by Gilbert Hernandez. If women with grotesquely huge boobs are your thing, you're in luck!
SCP FOUNDATION COMIC BOOK RED SEA OBJECT continues the SCP line of books.
Valiant "Road to Resurgence" alert: VALIANT UNIVERSE HERO ORIGINS: X-O MANOWAR TP, VALIANTS (2024) #3 (OF 4), X-O MANOWAR: INVICTUS #3 (OF 4)
WITCH OF THISTLE CASTLE VOL 4 GN
Replies
PHOENIX #1: ...there's a section of fandom that is too misogynistic to follow a book starring a girl. So I'm curious what the thinking is here. Oh, wait, here's what the writer says...
The writer is also a woman, which may make some difference. I was enjoying Rainbow Rowell's She-Hulk until Marvel needlessly re-booted it with "a new number one" and I dropped it as a matter of principle.
NAMOR #1 (OF 8): Sub-Mariner was once a favorite character of mine, but I haven't particularly cared for his last several series (what I read of them). Sometimes I buy the first issue of a series to use as a "placeholder" in my Subby box (to indicate where I left off) in case I should ever get a "wild hair." I don't think I did that with the most recent Sub-Mariner series prior to this one, and I doubt I will with this one, either.
SUPERMAN BY KURT BUSIEK BOOK 1 HC: Did I pre-order this one? Don't remember.
LOUDER THAN WORDS, ACTIONS SPEAK GN: I didn't buy this when it first came out, but I saw it recently at Half Price Books. I was considering buying it until I noticed that they had it (over)priced at $75! Ha! (I have found some great bargains at HPB over the years, but oftentimes their pricers don't have a clue.)
I've said before that I see no purpose to Rocketeer absent the art of Dave Stevens.
Preach it!
I've been known to say that The Spirit without Will Eisner has no purpose.
Namor is in prison since an "Omega" issue of Avengers last year. The same one that removed some of the most powerful Avengers from the scene for the time being, including Echo-as-Phoenix.
"Absolute Power #1" spoiled that Wonder Woman will indeed be depowered in Wonder Woman #11 and that there will be others with her. Odd that they would do such a spoil, but it happened as it happened.
Edited to add: as for the new Phoenix ongoing, Tom Brevoort commented a bit about it in is Substack (#120). He wants it to be welcoming to new readers and to have a tone of its own. Also, it will guest-star Nova (Richard Rider, I assume) and some villain from a book that Brevoort was involved with about 20 years ago. Could be anyone, up to and including Thanos.
IMO Jean Grey needed some repositioning right now. Ever since her ressurrection about six years ago she has been somewhat plain despite having a lot of spotlight. It has been decades since she last had a real plot.
The Adventures of Sub-Mariner in the Suburbs could work as a comedy with the right writer.
Sub-Mariner was once a favorite character of mine, but I haven't particularly cared for his least several series (what I read of them).
From my perspective, he jumped the shark when he drowned half of Wakanda. His "hero or villain?" pose was just that -- a pose -- until he committed mass murder. He shouldn't be tolerated in polite company or on super-teams.
Or did that happen before Secret Wars and doesn't count now?
they had it (over)priced at $75!
Good grief. That's what i pay for omnibuses at Instocktrades. That's grotesquely overpriced.
I've been known to say that The Spirit without Will Eisner has no purpose.
Agreed. It was Eisner's rendering, experimental panel design and boffo short stories examining the human condition that made The Spirit sing. Without Eisner, Spirit is just some guy in a mask. Or Midnight.
Namor is in prison since an "Omega" issue of Avengers last year. The same one that removed some of the most powerful Avengers from the scene for the time being, including Echo-as-Phoenix.
Thanks for the update!
"Absolute Power #1" spoiled that Wonder Woman will indeed be depowered in Wonder Woman #11 and that there will be others with her. Odd that they would do such a spoil, but it happened as it happened.
I noticed that, too. I think Absolute Power is being written so that it can be read without any of the tie-ins. So important events will happen twice -- once in Abolute Power, and again in a given character's solo book, albeit with greater context and a little bit of what-happened-next. We saw seven scenes in Absolute Power of seven different groups of heroes having their powers robbed, so I imagine we're going to see all seven of those scenes happen in the individual books as well, perhaps from a different point of view.
Well, maybe not seven books. Do Doom Patrol and JSA have books right now? I suppose we could see the JSA scene in Power Girl.
Edited to add: as for the new Phoenix ongoing, Tom Brevoort commented a bit about it in is Substack (#120). He wants it to be welcoming to new readers and to have a tone of its own. Also, it will guest-star Nova (Richard Rider, I assume) and some villain from a book that Brevoort was involved with about 20 years ago. Could be anyone, up to and including Thanos.
I didn't read the various Silver Surfer books, so there might be a supporting character in one of them I don't know about that could make the transition easily. And there are the various iterations of the Guardians of the Galaxy and Adam Warlock's Infinity Watch, any of whom could be a supporting character. Given all the space characters introduced at Marvel over the decades, the list is pretty long.
IMO Jean Grey needed some repositioning right now. Ever since her ressurrection about six years ago she has been somewhat plain despite having a lot of spotlight. It has been decades since she last had a real plot.
If I had thought about it, I would have thought "She's too powerful to be used in a normal team situation." Or, you know, sometimes she was dead.
The Adventures of Sub-Mariner in the Suburbs could work as a comedy with the right writer.
Who would be the goofy neighbor? Tiger Shark? Byrrah? A blonde guy who goes by "C. King"?