DARK HORSE COMICS
ASSASSIN'S APPRENTICE I #6
AVATAR: HIGH GROUND LIBRARY EDITION HC
CLEAR #3
DRAGON AGE: MISSING #4
FINAL GIRLS TP
FRANKENSTEIN: NEW WORLD HC
- I've been tradewaiting this, but I think I'll continue to tradewait for a Frankenstein omnibus. It's a gamble, sure, but otherwise I won't know what one-shots I've missed.
GANTZ VOL 12 OMNIBUS
GREAT BRITISH BUMP OFF #2
JOYAMA VOL 2 TP
KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF EIZOUKEN! VOL 5 TP
Story/Art: Sumito Oowara | $14.99
Dark Horse Manga returns to the Eizouken storyline in Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! Volume 5. The manga series features story and art by Sumito Oowara. Fans of the popular anime of the same name will not want to miss the manga it’s based on!
Asakusa and Mizusaki’s quest to create their “greatest world” in anime (and Kanamori’s quest to make it pay!) takes inspiration once again from the real mysteries that fill Shibahama’s school and town, as their audio engineer Doumeki becomes obsessed with capturing the soundscapes of a ruined clock tower. Eizouken stages an exclusive screening with their rivals, the Anime Studies Club, whose faces are revealed at last, and it turns out they’re some very familiar faces …
- Here's a preview.
LOST FALLS VOL 1 TP
Story: Curt Pires | Art: Pierluigi Minotti | Art/Cover: Antonio Fuso | $22.99
When Detective Daniel Pynchon Wakes up in Lost Falls, on the shore with no recollection of how he got there, he struggles to piece together the events that lead him there.
As he investigates the phenomenon surrounding his memory loss and the town itself, he discovers horrors both human and otherwise. Collects the original digital series for the first time in print!
- Here's a preview.
MURDER INC.: JAGGER ROSE #1 (OF 6)
Story: Brian Michael Bendis | Art/Cover: Michael Avon Oeming | Variant: Taki Soma | 32 pages | $3.99
Dark Horse Comics and Brian Michael Bendis’ Jinxworld are proud to present an all new Murder Inc. comic series, Murder Inc.: Jagger Rose. Perfect for fans of the original UNITED STATES OF MURDER INC. series and new readers alike, this alternate history crime story is brought to life by the Eisner award-winning team of Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming with colors by the highly accclaimed Taki Soma.
From the creator of the long-running, best-selling, award-winning Powers, discover a sexy dangerous world in which the five families of organized crime never lost their stranglehold on the United States. Now, half the country is a smorgasbord of sex and sin ruled by loyalty and “family values” and the rest of the world looks on in awe, rage or jealousy. Join newly “made” Valentine Gallo and Jagger Rose as they rise through the ranks of the notorious Bonavese family. No spoilers, but Jagger has already proven herself one of the greatest assassins of all time. And, uh, now the Pope would like a word. Yeah, that Pope.
Praise for Murder Inc.:
“Make no mistake, Bendis and Oeming have crafted an American crime drama that’s truly haunting.” —AIPT Comics
“Stellar art matching outstanding writing that provides a complete package in the same way the first issue of Powers delivered years ago.” — Comic Spectrum
"The United States of Murder, Inc. #2 is an excellent noir-ish, alternate-reality, poli-criminal thriller that's thought-provoking and full of superb character drama and interaction.” — Comic Book Resources
- I assume it's a minority position, but I've tired of Michael Avon Oeming's art to the extent that I won't buy anything he's illustrated absent some compelling reason.
- Here's a preview.
SONS OF ASHGARD: ILL MET IN ELMGARD TP
Story: Chad Corrie | Art/Cover: Matt Wendt | $19.99
Erick Redfur seeks a new life. Exiled from his homeland he craves a fresh start, but has yet to find it. Hopeful of a better fate in Elmgard he soon finds himself embroiled in a series of troubling events that quickly escalate into a near kingdom-wide war.
Yet even as he attempts a remedy through fast thinking and the aid of some new companions, he risks jeopardizing his chance for a more peaceful future. But in so doing he will find his redemption along with new hope for the days ahead.
A new exciting graphic novel from the author of The Wizard King Trilogy!
- This looks like it's for kids to me, but the website says "14+" which I think is the equivalent to Marvel's "Teen." Marvel puts out a lot of "Teen" books, so it's not necessarily a scarlet letter.
- For those who have never read Fritz Lieber's Fafhrd & the Gray Mouser series, the subtitle of this book is a play on that sword-and-sorcery duo's first story, "Ill Met in Lankhmar."
- Here's a preview.
DC COMICS
BATMAN & SCOOBY-DOO MYSTERIES #8
BATMAN INCORPORATED #8
Story: Ed Brisson | Art/Cover: John Timms | Variants: Alan Quah, John Timms, Isaac Goodhart | 32 pages | Variant $3.99/$4.99 (card stock)
What's Batman without the Joker? Why does Batman get to have Batmen all over the world, when Joker only has Gotham? Well, the end of Batman’s global monopoly is approaching. The Joker is here to disrupt his enterprise with the launch of Joker Incorporated! Australia gets a Joker! China gets a Joker! England gets a Joker! Australia gets a Joker! Argentina gets a Joker! France gets a Joker! Everyone gets a Joker!
- Who doesn't love an Oprah reference?
BATMAN: THE ADVENTURES CONTINUE SEASON THREE #5 (OF 7)
BATMAN: WHITE KNIGHT PRESENTS GENERATION JOKER #1 (OF 6)
Story/Cover: Sean Murphy | Writers: Katana Collins & Clay Mccormack | Art: Mirka Andolfo Variants: Mirka Andolfo, Dan Mora | 32 pages | $4.99
Youth in revolt!
Spinning out of the runaway hit Batman: Beyond the White Knight comes an unforgettable coming-of-age supervillain tale starring the children of Harley Quinn and The Joker!
When the rebellious twins run away in a stolen Batmobile, only Joker Jack Napier’s quickly fading hologram has any hope of getting them home safely and keeping them out of the family business. But a life of crime isn’t the only temptation young Bryce and Jackie are facing: the kids uncover a dark secret that could bring their dad back to life for good! With a wild array of Batman’s former enemies and allies on their tails, will the kids succeed in reviving the Dark Knight’s greatest foe? Find out as Jackie and Bryce take center stage in the White Knight Universe!
Sean Murphy reunites with co-writers Katana Collins (Batman: White Knight Presents: Harley Quinn) and Clay McCormack (Batman: White Knight Presents: Red Hood) to bring fans the latest chapter of the White Knight story with the help of rising-star artist Mirka Andolfo (Sweet Paprika, Superman vs. Lobo).
- Just in case you were craving more Joker.
DANGER STREET #6 (OF 12)
GOTHAM ACADEMY: MAPS OF MYSTERY #1
GOTHAM ACADEMY TP
GREEN LANTERN #1
Story: Jeremy Adams | Art/Cover: Xermanico | Variants: Lucio Parrillo And Ivan Reis, Daniel Sampere, Ariel Colon, Xermanico, Pete Woods | 40 pages | $4.99/5.99 (card stock)
Spinning out of the events of Dark Crisis, the Guardians of Oa at the heart of the Green Lantern Corps have quarantined Sector 2814, home of the planet Earth — and its champion along with it! A heartbreaking defeat has sent Hal reeling, returning home to rediscover his roots … and find the man responsible for ruining his life: Sinestro. From the visionary team of Jeremy Adams and Xermánico (who brought you the epic Flashpoint Beyond) comes a tale of redemption, loss and finding out that maybe … just maybe … you can go home again. At least if you’re willing to hot-wire a power ring to do it.
Also featuring part one of "John Stewart: War Journal" from writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson and artist Montos!
- I don't think Hal Jordan has been completely earthbound since the '60s. Might work.
LOONEY TUNES #272
MULTIVERSITY: HARLY SCREWS UP THE DCU #3 (OF 6)
- A familiar cover.
NEW CHAMPION OF SHAZAM HC
SANDMAN UNIVERSE: THE GLASS HOUSE #2
SPIRIT WORLD #1 (OF 6)
Story: Alyssa Wong 王秀莲 | Art/Cover: Haining 海凝 | Variants: Dustin Nguyen, Trung Le Nguyen, Haining 海凝, Zu Orzu | 32 pages | $3.99/$4.99 (card stock)
From the pages of Lazarus Planet: Dark Fate, a new Chinese hero emerges who’s able to travel to and from the Spirit World, the realm of the dead, and that of the living. Their name is Xanthe, and their superpower is being able to burn items folded from joss paper and immediately turn them into real objects, based on the East Asian practice of burning joss paper at graveyards in order to send resources to ancestors in the Spirit World … except Xanthe can retrieve those items in the world of the living! Their weapon of choice is a large broadsword (because who doesn’t love a big sword when you can choose to use a big sword?!).
Xanthe is a master of the dark arts who’s here to give Constantine a run for his money … literally. When Constantine shows up saying Xanthe scammed him into buying something, he finds them and Batgirl Cass Cain fighting an abnormal influx of jiangshi (Chinese hopping vampires) and joins in to help. But when a portal opens up that drags Batgirl into the Spirit World, it’s up to Xanthe and Constantine to travel to the land of the spirits to rescue her! Who knows what other spirits we’ll find in the Spirit World — like that skateboarding boy wearing hanfu with some headphones and a gaping hole in his chest?!
- Hey, one of Jack Kirby's short-lived magazines makes a comeback! Well, the name does.
- The pronouns aren't consistent here — sometimes "their," sometimes "her" — but I think I read somewhere the character is LGBTQ+.
- "Who doesn’t love a big sword when you can choose to use a big sword?" Anybody who isn't a bodybuilder, that's who. Have you ever lifted just a regular sword? They're heavy! I can't imagine fighting a long battle with one of those. But I'll give Xanthe the same pass I give Illyana Rasputin, in that the sword is probably magic (and magically lighter, I assume). Xanthe's sword even looks like Magik's word. Coincidence, of course.
STARGIRL: THE LOST CHILDREN #6 (OF 6)
SUPERMAN: LOST #3 (OF 10)
SUPERMAN: SON OF KAL-EL VOL 3: BATTLE FOR GAMORRA HC
WILDCATS #7
WONDER WOMAN: PARADISE LOST TP
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT
007: FOR KING COUNTRY #2
Story: Phillip Kennedy Johnson | Art: Giorgio Spalletta | Covers: Joseph Michael Linsner, Rebeca Puebla, Chuma Hill, Lesley "Leirix" Li | Teen+ | $3.99
Branded as traitors, 007 and 003 rush to clear their names and stop the wanton destruction of the mysterious Myrmidon. But hot on their heels is the new 002, an agent with few morals and a license to kill.
- Hey, do you think 003 is based on Ana de Armas' character in No Time to Die? The female character looks kinda Armas-y in cover #2 and #4. I tradewait Bond GNs, so I don't know yet.
DISNEY VILLAINS: SCAR #2
KONG: GREAT WAR #1
Story: Alex Cox | Art: Tommasso Bianchi | Covers: Bryan Hitch, Gary Frank, Joe DeVito | Teen+ | $3.99
The World at War! While men of all nations fight on foreign shores, an Imperial German U-Boat is lost at sea! The crew now faces terror beyond imagination! Monsters from creation's dawn! Gruesome, blood-stained death from above and below! Impossible beasts, reigning by fear and violence in the South Pacific! And looming over all, the gargantuan ape-god that knows no master! These brave men have faced death before, but now they must contend with ... Kong!
- It's "War That Time Forgot," 2023 style!
LORD OF THE JUNGLE #5
MADBALLS VS GARBAGE PAIL KIDS SLIME AGAIN #4
IDW PUBLISHING
GODZILLA RIVALS: BIOLLANTE VS DESTOROYAH
STAR TREK: DEFIANT #3
IMAGE COMICS
AMBASSADORS #4
BLACK CLOAK #5
BONE ORCHARD MYTHOS: BLACK FEATHERS HC
JUNKYARD JOE #6
MONARCH #4
NEMESIS: RELOADED #5 (OF 5)
NOCTERRA #14
OLD DOG #4
PHANTOM ROAD #3
SAGA #64
SOMETHING EPIC #1
Story/Art: Szymon Kudranski | $3.99
SERIES PREMIERE
IMAGINATION IS REAL.
Fan-favorite Spawn and Punisher artist Szymon Kudrański introduces a world where the only limitation is your imagination in the forthcoming comic Something Epic. This new ongoing series is set to launch in May from Image Comics.
Outside our perception, creative thought takes physical form, with only a handful of individuals known as Epics able to interact with this wondrous hidden world. But for fourteen-year-old Danny Dillon, accepting these responsibilities himself won’t be easy — or safe. Lose yourself in a world of endless fantasy and creativity, where superheroes, monsters, magical creatures and cartoon characters live and breathe alongside us.
"Over the years I've had the privilege to drawn many different characters—from the dark Spawn to the righteous Superman, through to self-justified antiheroes like Punisher, and horror legends in A Town Called Terror. At some point, I wanted to create an epic plot where all the characters from these different genres and art forms shared a common story. The only logical ground to unite all these worlds and art forms was their source... imagination," said Kudrański. "What would imagination be without us and our creativity? Would Spider-Man exist without Stan Lee and Steve Ditko? Kamandi without Jack Kirby? Spawn without Todd McFarlane? Sin City without Frank Miller? The main characters of my story are individuals called Epics—not just creative people, but those who have the unique gift to interact with the worlds of imagination. Something Epic is a cross-genre adventure series about a young Epic who struggles to accept his gift. If anyone has followed my art in Marvel, DC, or Image... I'm sure they will find something for themselves in this Epic universe."
- Cover #3 is an homage to Terminator 2, and #3 is obviously Amazing Fantasy #15. Nos. 5 & 6 are suspiciously familiar, but I can't think of anything specific.
- Here's a preview, trailer.
SPAWN #341
STONEHEART #3
MARVEL COMICS
ALIEN VOL 3: ICARUS TP
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #25
Story: Zeb Wells | Art: John Romita Jr., Kaare Andrews, more | Covers: John Romita Jr., Greg Land, Ed McGuinness, Donald Soffritti, Skottie Young | 56 pages | Teen | $6.99
THE MOST SHOCKING ISSUE OF AMAZING SPIDER-MAN IN 50 YEARS
Since the start of Zeb Wells and John Romita Jr.’s hit run of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, fans have waited anxiously to find out the answer to the haunting question, “WHAT DID PETER DO?” That mystery is finally being unraveled in current issues, but the full scope of the story will be revealed in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #25 on May 10. In this monumental issue, readers will discover what occurred to Mary Jane Watson in the alternate dimension she was trapped in for years. The issue will pack a heavy emotional punch and directly lead into AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #26, the most shocking issue of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN in 50 years.
Fans can get a first look at the secrets behind MJ’s journey in new interior artwork by superstar artist Kaare Andrews! Andrews comes on board for this double-sized issue to take readers through MJ’s dramatic last few years, while John Romita Jr. picks up where things left off as Spidey deals with the consequences of his actions!
- Bleeding Cool thinks they're going to kill off Mary Jane. *Shrug* At this point, does it even matter? They've tried everything else.
- The second cover below appears to be an homage to the last page of Amazing Spider-Man (first series) #42.
- There's a couple of Amazing Fantasy #15 homages, too. Oh, and the Disney homage to New Avengers #1, which really should be on an Avengers title.
AVENGERS BY JONATHAN HICKMAN OMNIBUS VOL 2 HC
CAPTAIN AMERICA EPIC COLLECTION: FIGHTING CHANCE TP
CAPTAIN MARVEL #49
COSMIC GHOST RIDER #3
DAREDEVIL #11
Story: Chip Zdarsky | Art: Rafael De Latorre | Covers: Marco Checchetto, Dave Johnson, Inhyuk Lee, Federico Vicentini, Derrick Chew | 40 pages | Teen+ | $4.99
THE DEVIL IN HELL!
The Hand have made Matt Murdock’s life a living hell for years, but as Chip Zdarsky and Marco Checchetto enter the crescendo of their critically acclaimed and chart-topping run, the villainous cadre of ninja may have finally gone too far, pushing Matt and every relationship he has to their breaking points.
In the pages of Chip Zdarsky and Marco Checchetto’s acclaimed run of DAREDEVIL, Elektra has taken on the mantle of Daredevil and fights alongside her lover Matt Murdock against Kingpin, Punisher, the Hand and more! A major turning point for the character, readers can look forward to even more exciting developments for Elektra in the months ahead and can celebrate the character’s legacy this May with a special variant cover for DAREDEVIL #11 by artist Derrick Chew. One of the hottest cover artists today, Chew expertly captures the beauty, mystery and danger of the deadliest assassin in the Marvel Universe in this stunning piece! The piece will also be available to collect as a Virgin Variant Cover.
- Here's a preview.
EXTREME VENOMVERSE #1 (OF 5)
Story: Ryan North, Leonardo Romero, Mirka Andolfo | Art: Paulo Siqueira, Nico Leon, Leonardo Romero | Cover: Leinil Francis Yu | Variants: Rod Reis, Ken Lashley, Ryan Stegman, Skottie Young, Peach Momoko, Leinil Francis Yu | 40 pages | Teen+ | $4.99
In honor of the 35th anniversary of Venom, Marvel Comics will kick off the Summer of Symbiotes, a season-long celebration of all things symbiote including new symbiote-focused titles, characters, and more! Readers got their first taste of the symbiote insanity that awaits in the foreboding DEATH OF VENOMVERSE … but before that epic begins, fans will witness the Venomverse expand like never before in a new limited series, EXTREME VENOMVERSE!
EXTREME VENOMVERSE will take fans to uncharted corners of the hive in brand-new stories by an all-star lineup of talent! In the same spirit as the recent hit series, Edge of Spider-Verse, this landmark new series will feature jaw-dropping turning points for iconic characters like Eddie Brock and Dylan Brock and see never-before-seen Venoms bear their fangs for the very first time! But this thrilling tour through the Marvel multiverse is headed towards an explosive destination and whether your favorite new symbiotes will survive this summertime saga remains to be seen…
Here are the three titanic tales fans can expect in the debut issue:
- FIRST! Comics superstars RYAN NORTH AND PAULO SIQUEIRA put a fresh and exciting spin on a story you may be familiar with … starring Eddie Brock as … SPIDER-MAN?!
- THEN! Your new favorite comics writer, MIRKA ANDOLFO, shows you a side of the whole Brock family you NEVER thought you'd see!
- AND FINALLY! One of the best writer/artists in comics today, LEONARDO ROMERO, reimagines Venom as a SAMURAI!
Face front, Venomaniacs, the Summer of Symbiotes is underway!
- "Summer of Symbiotes" tie-in.
GHOST RIDER #14
I AM IRON MAN #3
INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #6
Story: Gerry Duggan | Art: Andrea Di Vito | Cover: Kael Ngu | Variants: Stephen Segovia, Ario Anindito, Bob Layton | Teen+ | $3.99
BLAST TO THE PAST!
It’s the untold story of Iron Man vs. the West Coast Avengers! But why is he fighting the likes of Wonder Man and Hawkeye? And how do the events of the past affect Tony’s future?
With FALL OF X rapidly approaching to upend Krakoa as we know it and Feilong — one of mutantkind’s most ruthless foes — in control of Stark Unlimited, it’s time for Iron Man and Emma Frost to forge a new alliance. In yesterday’s INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #4 by Gerry Duggan and Juan Frigeri, Tony approached Emma and proposed a team-up that could save them both. Fans can look forward to Emma playing a major role in the series moving forward and to celebrate this, acclaimed artist Rose Besch has drawn a stunning new variant cover for INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #6! The issue will reveal a never-before-seen encounter between Tony and Emma that will impact their relationship in a surprising way.
This stunning portrait of the White Queen will also be available as a virgin variant cover! Check it out now and be sure to check with your local comic shop regarding availability!
MIRACLEMAN SILVER AGE #5
NAMOR THE SUB-MARINER: CONQUERED SHORES TP
ROGUE AND GAMBIT #3
SAVAGE AVENGERS VOL 2: ESCAPE FROM NUEVA YORK TP
SILK #1 (OF 5)
Story: Emily Kim | Art: Ig Guara | Cover: Dave Johnson | Variants: Elena Casagrande, David Nakayama, Peach Momoko, Tom Reilly, Derrick Chew | Teen | $3.99
SILK SWINGS BACK INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE!
- There’s something rotten in Los Angeles, and ace detective Cindy Moon is on the case! Wait … that can’t be right.
- In this mind-bending new series, Cindy will face old foes and never-before-seen dangers that will take her to the breaking point!
- Brought to you by all-star writer Emily Kim (SILK, TIGER DIVISION) and Marvel veteran Ig Guara (GHOST-SPIDER, SPIDER-GWEN)!
Silk returns in an all-new series! To mark this new chapter for one of the Spider-Verse’s biggest icons, best-selling cover artist Derrick Chew has brought Silk to life in a stunning variant cover for issue one. Over the last few months, Chew has spotlighted Marvel’s greatest heroes in a series of show stopping variant covers and this rising Marvel star’s latest piece is sure to be another stand out!
Announced last month, Silk’s next adventure will be written by Emily Kim, known for her recent acclaimed work on last year’s Silk solo series. This time around, Kim will be joined by artist Ig Guara whose incredible work has graced the Spider-Verse on books like Ghost-Spider and Edge of Spider-Verse. The all-star creative team will take Cindy Moon on a mind-bending journey where she’ll find herself trapped in a series of strange worlds! As she inhabits new roles such as an ace detective in Los Angeles, a train-robbing outlaw, a swashbuckling pirate, and more, Cindy will have to face old foes and never-before-seen dangers in order to break free!
“I’m thrilled to be able to continue writing for Cindy,” Kim told ComicBook.com. “It felt like I spent the first run getting to know her and now that I do, I can use the second run to explore how she’d change when thrown into wildly different worlds. But the true fun will be to see the ways in which she stays the same Cindy we’ve known and loved for many years even when in brand new environments.”
Derrick Chew’s variant cover will also be available as a virgin variant cover!
- I don't think I've ever read a Silk story. What am I missing, Legionnaires?
SPIDER-GWEN: SHADOW CLONES #3
SPIDER-MAN 2099: DARK GENESIS #2 (OF 5)
Story: Steve Orlando | Art: Justin Mason | Cover: Nick Bradshaw | Variants: Ken Lashley, Rod Reis, Justin Mason | Teen+ | $3.99
ENTER: BLADE 2099, ZOMBIE HUNTER!
As the city burns, new allies join the fight to save Nueva York from CARNAGE!
- "Dark Genesis" Part 2.
STAR WARS: DARTH VADER #34
STAR WARS: HIGH REPUBLIC #9
TRIALS OF X VOL 9 TP
WOLVERINE #33
- I think we're still in between X-events.
X-MEN EPIC COLLECTION: SECOND GENESIS TP
X-MEN RED #11
- Same here.
MORE COMICS
ADHERENT GN
Story/Art: Chris W. Kim | Conundrum Press | $20.00
The residents of an isolated village in a dreamlike world scavenge for supplies in the surrounding forest, collecting scattered items left over from a time long past. No one strays far from this community, fearing what may lie beyond it. When they find a stack of notebooks by an unknown author, a young villager becomes obsessed with their contents. She sets out on a quest to find the writer. As she ventures into the unknown, she discovers a world both barren and increasingly complex. The closer she gets to her goal, the more she realizes that the encounter she's been seeking probably won't be what she wanted.
- I can't tell if I'd like this or not.
ANCIENT ENEMIES: THE WRAITH & SON #1
Story: Dan DiDio | Art: Jose Luis, Jonas Trindade | Cover: Danilo Beyruth, Joe Prado | Frank Miller Presents | $3.99
Following events from ANCIENT ENEMIES, in this special One Shot, Rosemary Reade, the original WRAITH, confronts her son, Tucker Reade, as he takes on the hero's identity and costume against his mother's wishes. Together they must navigate through the tragedies of their past, with the hope of building a better future. That is, if they don't beat each other senseless first. Written by ANCIENT ENEMIES series creator, Dan DiDio, and art by Jose Luis (Superman/Batman & Suicide Squad), and Jonas Trindade.
- I'm glad DiDio landed somewhere — I hate for anyone to lose their job — but I didn't care for his ideas when he was stewarding DC Comics, and I'm not inclined to buy his work now.
ART OF DRACULA OF TRANSYLVANIA HC
BACK TO FAIRTAYLIA #5 (OF 6)
BANSHEES #2 (OF 5)
- I don't know if the story's any good, but that is one nightmarish cover.
CARTOON PUPPET HORROR THEATER #1
Story: S.A. Check Art: Matt Hansel | Covers: Adrian Ropp, Matt Hansel | $3.99
This is the comic book for people who love all things horror! This is the comic book for people who love all things puppets! This is the comic book for fans to find out what happens when a horror vlogger, her jock boyfriend, a B-movie scream queen, a fanboy, a half-baked deadbeat, and something called a Faddle are brought together by the mysterious Boo-Keeper to right wrongs in the puppet “horrorverse”! This is IN-YOUR-FELT puppet horror action the way only comic book publisher American Mythology can bring it! You’d better leave the “street” to the birds and get screaming for the CPHT premiere!
Everything’s better with puppets! And puppet horror just found a new home with this fresh comic book series by publisher American Mythology. Set in a world all its own, aka the Horrorverse, the comic takes on some of the most classic horror troupes … with a twist! These puppet adventurers never asked to be thrust into the middle of a summer camp gone wrong, and they certainly weren’t expecting to come face to felt with legendary slasher icon Clarence the Cleaver, but they’ll have to figure out a way to escape his slashing wrath, get along with each other, and maybe find their way back home! Unfortunately for them, the Boo-Keeper has other plans for his new friends.
The new comic series follows the publisher’s popular turn to horror over the last few years with a string of hits like Fright Night, Adam Green’s Hatchet, Willy’s Wonderland, Night of the Living Dead, Silent Night/Deadly Night and the publisher’s in-house horror hits, like The Grunch, Beware The Witch’s Shadow, Scary Christmas and AM Monsters!
The series will be written by veteran horror comic writer S.A. Check (Night of the Living Dead, Willy’s Wonderland) with interior art for the series by Matt Hansel (Underdog, Casper). Cartoon Puppet Horror Theater #1 will come with three covers — the main cover by former Disney artist Adrian Ropp, a variant group cover by interior artist Matt Hansel, and a special “Shining” homage movie poster edition, also by Hansel.
“This comic is insanely fun. It’s like smashing together a cartoon peanut butter and horror jelly sandwich to make one delicious puppet snack! We pulled out all the stops and brought our love of all things horror and puppets to fans in one action packed, horror-filled, adrenaline jolting, side-splitting good time,” said series creator, S.A. Check. “We’ve been waiting for just the right time to unleash Cartoon Puppet Horror Theater and the Horrorverse to fans, and with all the amazing horror projects we’ve been developing lately, we knew the time was now! Working with Matt and Adrian to help develop this book has been so amazingly fun and satisfying, each character and page was just a total love letter to the horror genre we love so much. Using puppets to bring it all together was just icing on the cake! We’ve brought dimension hopping fun like in Quantum Leap, Sliders and even the Exiles to the horror masses, and the trip’s just getting started. Wait until you see what we have cooked up for the team in upcoming missions. Grab a seat down front, put some extra butter on your popcorn, and enjoy the show!”
“I had been hoping to work in this genre for a while now, but I could never seem to find a script that would suit my art style, narrative approach,” said Matt Hansel, interior artist. “Luckily, along comes S.A. Check with a fun script and characters already designed by my good friend Adrian Ropp! It was a match made in heaven ... er .. hell ... er ... it was a good fit! I’m really proud of this project. And I hope we get to do more. So be sure to order your copies today!”
- I honestly don't think I can get too upset about puppet death. You can just sew 'em back together, stick another hand up their butt and they're OK, right?
COUNT DANTE #1 (OF 6)
Story: J.C. Barbour | Art/Letters/Cover: Wes Watson | Colors: Paula Goulart | Cover variant: Cary Nord | Scout Comics | $4.99
A nice, Irish boy from Chicago’s Southside reinvents himself as Spanish royalty, fights the mob, and becomes a martial arts star. But can John Timothy Keehan survive being Count Juan Raphael Dante?
You might remember the iconic comic book ads of the 1970s — The World’s DEADLIEST FIGHTING SECRETS can be yours! But do you know the story behind those ads? John Timothy Keehan returned home to Chicago, a Vietnam War veteran ready to make a name for himself in martial arts. But what he found was a hard town, still run by the Outfit — Capone’s mafia. Luckily, Keehan bumped into an old war buddy, Sidney Brown. Together they set forth on a plan to conquer the world of martial arts, a plan that would turn the nice, Irish boy from Beverly Chicago into the most vicious, hairdressing, car-selling, cape-wearing karate master ever to live!
Creator Quotes & Testimonials:
“Count Dante does what the best comics do: It builds a myth about a character who seems superhuman. But, the twist here is that this team brilliantly mythologizes one of those weirdos in the tough-guy comic book ads from the '70s. It reads almost like Tarantino's slumming it in the comic book world.” — Robert Morast, co-writer of the horror film The Girl in the Photographs.
“Wes and I are thrilled to be representing Scout in 2023. We can’t wait to see Count Dante on the shelves, carrying that Scout logo!” — JC Barbour
- Raise your hand if you remember the Count Dante ads in '70s comic books. Oh, everybody does? Right.
CRIMSON STORM #2
DAUGHTERS OF SNOW & CINDERS
Story/Art: Núria Tamarit | Translator: Jenna Allen | Fantagraphics | 216 pages | $29.99
Princess Mononoke meets Jack London in this gritty, ecofeminist adventure.
Fleeing the fires of her war-torn homeland, a young woman travels to the New World in search of gold to rebuild her life. In this strange, lawless land, Joana encounters friends (the kind Native women Tala and Opa), foes (the cruel gold hunter Matwei and his men), and an unexpected traveling companion who may just be her good luck charm — and amidst the icy reaches of the wilderness, a fearsome fantastical beast lurks in the shadows.
The English debut of Spanish cartoonist and illustrator Núria Tamarit, Daughters of Snow and Cinders conjures the awesome natural beauty of the frozen north through vibrant colored pencils. A rugged adventure story with two strong young women at its heart, this graphic novel offers a poignant message about the urgent need for humanity to overcome our greed and base impulses to be good stewards of the world in which we live and depend on.
"[Daughters of Snow and Cinders] is, in short, an emotional story, with a clear message, very well told and aesthetically gorgeous." — ELHDLT
"Captivating. A little chromatic pleasure for our eyes." — Causette Magazine
"The folk-art style of Tamarit's panels has the vibrancy of a beloved picture book, but the sophisticated story will have appeal for adult readers as well." — Booklist
- "Ecofeminist adventure"? I'm not sure how to parse that one.
DON’T SPIT IN THE WIND #2 (OF 4)
DREAM MASTER #5 (OF 5)
FRANK FRAZETTA’S DEATH DEALER #12
- Couldn't find the name of this painting.
GATSBY GN
Story: Jeremy Holt | Art: Felipe Cuhna, Dearbhla Kelly | Cover: Rahzzah | AWA | Mature | $19.99
When middle-class Singaporean student Lu Zhao is invited to spend a summer on Long Island with his rich cousin, Tommy, before attending Columbia University in the fall, his assimilation into the opulent American lifestyle straps him into a collision course fueled by designer drugs, sex, deceit, and murder. Set in present-day Long Island, GATSBY reimagines F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel as an LGBTQ-tinged, multicultural thriller for the Internet age.
- I had to read The Great Gatsby so many times in high school and college that I am utterly sick of it.
GHOSTLORE #1
Story: Cullen Bunn | Art: Brian Hurtt | Art/Comics: Leomacs | BOOM! Studios | $4.99
We've all heard of ghost stories ... but what stories do the ghosts themselves tell us?
An estranged daughter and her pastor father wander a haunted land; they only have the restless spirits, each with its own story to tell, as company along the way.
After a deadly accident of which they were the only survivors, Lucas and Harmony Agate can see the dead — an overwhelming amount of the deceased, all with their own warnings, cries for help and malevolence alike.
But Lucas and Harmony aren't the only ones with this ability; there are other nearly-deads, some of which have malicious motivations ...
Cullen Bunn of Basilisk and The Empty Man acclaim is joined by superstar artist Leomacs (Basketful of Heads) and guest artist Brian Hurtt (The Sixth Gun) — the first in a haunting lineup of artists featured in each issue — to bring readers the most eye-opening spectral story since The Sixth Sense!
This 12-issue series is the newest BOOM! Studios collaboration with Cullen Bunn, with issue #1 featuring a special Spot UV Ghost Variant!
- The pre-Code '50s were supposedly the high point of horror comics. But, aside from EC, it might be right now.
- Here's a preview.
HEROINE HEAVEN #2
- I don't know much about any of these Golden Age characters (Madame Strange, Black Venus and Lady Satan) but I'd rather have collections of each to find out about them comprehensively. I'm not tempted by individual reprints.
IMPOSSIBLE JONES & CAPTAIN LIGHTNING #1
INCAL: THE DYING STAR HC
Story: Dan Watters | Art/Cover: Jon Davis-Hunt | Humanoids | $24.99
Things are not going well for Commander Kaimann. Luz, the love of his life, is dead, his home of Tortuga destroyed, his crew ghostly apparitions, and his crocodilian mutation taking over more and more of his body, Commander Kaimann is fighting for his life on multiple fronts. Just when it seems like despair may overtake him, a chance encounter with a strange violin connects him to Aurora, a woman living in a future where she is staring down almost certain destruction.
With his passions renewed, Kaimann hatches a bold plan to find a cure for his mutation and a future with his newfound love. However, Kaimann's past is catching up with him, and Aurora's future faces imminent doom from an approaching hostile fleet. Two timelines tick towards tragedy, and only an act of pure love can save them!
- It says "Jodorowsky & Moebius" on the cover, but they don't seem to be involved.
KEEPERS OF THE COSMOS #1
Story: Adam Barnhardt | Art/Cover: Agung Prabowo | Scout | $4.99
Lemondrop, a cuddly space teddy bear with the mouth of a sailor, left the Keepers of the Cosmos about this time last year. Now, he done went and got arrested by an alien dictator overseeing a fascist state in a galaxy far, far, far, far away. Nightbrand, Vafar'ra, and the rest of the Keepers are torn on whether or not to help their old friend out after he ended up swindling millions of credits out of the team's joint bank account. Rick and Morty meets Invincible in this raucous road trip across the cosmos.
- This looks like it's for kids, but it's not part of Scout's imprint for kids (Scoot). So maybe not.
LEGACY OF VIOLENCE #5 (OF 12)
LIQUID KILL #4 (OF 6)
MISTER NO: ATLANTIC GN
- Mister No is a long-running Italian adventure series.
MYSTERE ANNUAL SPAWN OF ABYSS
- Zenescope.
THE NASTY #2
Story: John Lees | Art: George Kambadais, Adam Cahoon | Cover: Sally Cantirino | Vault | $4.99
Scotland, 1994.
Eighteen-year-old Thumper Connell still has an imaginary friend: the masked killer from his favorite slasher film. Thumper is obsessed with horror and always has been. He fills his time with scary VHS rentals and hanging out with his fellow fans, The Murder Club. But everything changes when his local video shop acquires one of the notorious films known as "video nasties" — films so scary, they're the target of the British Moral Decency League's crusade to ban and burn. But it's only a movie, right? It's all just imaginary, isn't it?
Thumper has always wanted to make his own scary movie, and now he has the chance. The problem is he has no cast, no crew, no equipment, no budget, and no time. What he does have, though, is a group of resourceful, horror-loving friends, a video tape with strange powers, and a hulking, spike-wielding imaginary pal. He is imaginary, right?
A story about the perception of evil, the power of genre, the love of fandom, the need to create art, oh, and crap-your-pants TERROR!"
THE NASTY was listed by Fangoria as one of "Nine Horror Comics to Watch Out For in 2023" and brings the fun of classic 1980s horror from the screen to the page, written by John Lees (The Crimson Cage, Hotell), with art by Adam Cahoon, and lettered by Jim Campbell. Reviews can be published immediately upon receipt.
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: REVENANCE #3
- Who can forget that scene?
OCTOBRIANA & UNDERGROUND: FULL TILT BOOGIE #1 (OF 2)
PET PEEVES GN
Story/Art: Nicole Goux | Avery Hill Publishing | $16.95
In this horror graphic novel, the new dog that aspiring musician Bobbie has adopted is cute, but also stealing her life. Bobbie's life is going nowhere fast. She's working at a bar, wanting to play music but never having the time or energy. The only bright spot is her dog— always cheerful, always cuddly, and always there for her. As the relentless day-in, day-out of work piles up, music and roommates and social plans begin to seem less and less important as Bobbie struggles to make rent and have any time to be creative. The only thing she has time for outside her job is her dog ... and her dog is going to do everything he can to keep it that way. This debut solo graphic novel from breakout author Nicole Goux explores the struggles of a young artist, haunted not only by debt and society, but by more sinister (though adorable) canine forces.
- Not inclined to read stories where the dog is the bad guy.
- Off topic, my pet peeves generally involve bad spelling, grammar and/or punctuation.
PHOENIX FILES #3 (OF 3)
- Zenescope.
QUICKSAND #1
Story: Jonathan Hedrick | Art/Cover: Debora Lancianese | $4.99
After a mysterious hole opens in the Egyptian desert, horrific creatures climb out and wreak havoc on a nearby city. They retreat as quickly as they arrived, leaving the planet in shock by this unfathomable event. A team of elite specialists from around the globe called "Canary One" are sent after the monsters to discover more about them. But when the crew never returns, the world must prepare for the possibility of another wave of attacks.
- I didn't think about it until I was an adult, but when I did I realized that the reason it's called quicksand is not because it's quick (because it's not), but because "quick" used to be a synonym for "living" ("the quick and the dead"). I was probably in my 20s when I had that epiphany, and was embarrassed by how long it took me to twig to that.
RAVAGE TP
Story/Art: Eli Powell | Invader Comics | $19.99
Raw, savage, and blood-soaked, Ravage grabs you by the neck from the very first page and doesn't let go until the end. A horrific terror-storm of violence and brutality. Gory and merciless, its shocking barbarity is matched only by the beauty of Eli Powell's lines.
- Not a very compelling cover.
ROBERT JORDAN’S EYE OF THE WORLD VOL 3 TP NEW PTG $21.99
RUCA: CHICANA SUPERHERO GN
Story: Kayden Phoenix | Art: Amanda Julina Gonzalez, Alexis Lopez, Victoria Aragon, Sandra Romero | Phoenix Studios | $15.00
Ruca is the East L.A. Chicana superhero that has instant karma powers. When she and discovers the kids in the neighborhood are being stolen, she travels down to Barrio Logan to track down the stolen kids and ends up fighting La Monja.
- Is Barrio Logan a real place? Who is La Monja? Is that real Spanish, and if so, what does it mean? This blurb assumes I know a lot more than I do.
SAMURAI DOGGY #6
SECOND COMING: TRINITY #2 (OF 6)
SILVER AGE CLASSICS: MIDNIGHT COMICS SOFTEE
SILVER AGE CLASSICS: GORGO VOL 2 SOFTEE
WINTER EMBER #1
Story: Kevin Grevioux | Art/Cover: Chris Awayan | Eigomanga | $3.99
Arthur is a man stripped of his past, tortured, and forced to escape into isolation. Thought to be dead, he returns eight years later a changed man, disfigured, seeking answers and pursuing revenge.
- As you do.
MORE MANGA
100 GIRLFRIENDS WHO REALLY LOVE YOU VOL 6 GN
BY THE GRACE OF GODS VOL 8 GN
CHASING AFTER AOI KOSHIBA VOL 4 GN
COLORLESS VOL 4 GN
THE DEATH MAGE VOL 1 GN
FLY ME TO THE MOON VOL 17 GN
GAMBLING APOCALYPSE KAIJI VOL 4 GN
HELCK VOL 3 GN
HIDDEN DUNGEON ONLY I CAN ENTER VOL 8 GN
- So, are dungeons like a subgenre of isekai? And what are they? Actual medieval dungeons? A metaphor? A term for all isekai worlds? Help me, Baron Bizarre, you're my only hope!
HINAMATSURI VOL 18 GN
I AM NOT A SUCCUBUS VOL 3 GN
- Not a succubus. Got it. But you might want to mention the cyclops thing.
MAO VOL 11 GN
MEGUMI & TSUGUMI VOL 2 GN
MONKEY KING: THE COMPLETE ODYSSEY GN
Story/Art: Chaiko Tsai | Magnetic Press | $29.99
A vibrant retelling of the legendary Chinese saga Journey to the West by artist/animator Chaiko, who brings his unique visual style and humor to this ageless fantasy adventure. A monkey is born from a stone struck by lightning and acquires supernatural abilities which he uses for mischief and glory. But soon he finds himself at the ire of the Heavens and imprisoned by the Buddha himself. To redeem himself, he is tasked with a quest to protect a monk on a great journey filled with danger and adventure.
- This is actually manhua, not manga, and looks really cool. I learned about Journey to the West right here on this board, from the Baron.
MY HAPPY MARRIAGE VOL 3 GN
MY HERO ACADEMIA VIGILANTES VOL 14 GN
- Heads up, My Hero Academia readers!
MY SECRET AFFECTION VOL 2 GN
Story/Art: Fumi Mikami | Seven Seas | $13.99
Final volume. It's been 30 years since meteorites from space turned everyone on the Earth gay. In a world where heterosexuality no longer exists, Takanashi Kazusa falls for her childhood friend Ayumu — a boy. Though she's doing everything she can to act normal whenever they hang out, her love for Ayumu is growing stronger by the day. How much longer can she hide her secret feelings?
- I get it: It's a satire showing how difficult it can be to be gay, by flipping the script. But being a pedant, I have to ask: If everybody's gay, where do children come from? Are all babies done in vitro in this world? I bet turkey basters sell like crazy.
POKEMON ADVENTURES X Y VOL 5 GN
PTSD RADIO VOL 3 GN
REBORN AS A VENDING MACHINE, I NOW WANDER THE DUNGEON VOL 1 GN
Story: Hirukuma | Art: Kunieda | Yen Press | $13.00
Cause of death: vending machine.
Is there any end more suitable for a vending-machine enthusiast than giving his life to cushion the fall of one of his favorite machines? So perhaps it was only fate that he was reborn as a vending machine in another world!
- OK, this is just weird. I mean, turning into a machine is one thing, but how does a machine "wander"?
- Plus, do you die if someone buys all your snacks? Stop buying his snacks, girl, you might be killing him!
SKIP AND LOAFER VOL 7 GN
SLOW LIFE IN ANOTHER WORLD I WISH VOL 5 GN
SOLOIST IN A CAGE VOL 1 GN
SUNDOME MILKY WAY VOL 6 GN
Story/Art: Kazuki Funatsu | Ghost Ship | Mature | $14.99
Yoshitake, your average company drone, is out for a drive one night when he spots a UFO and crashes his car. When he next opens his eyes, he's in his apartment, and next to him is a stunningly beautiful alien girl named Lune! She has come to Earth to save her species from extinction by claiming human seed — and sex-crazed Yoshitake is the perfect mate. Unfortunately, Lune's alien physiology leads to an unexpected difficulty that even the world's horniest man may be unable to overcome.
- From the cover I'm guessing the "difficulty" is that this alien babe multiplies.
- That reminds me a bit of Girls (2005) by the Luna Brothers, a 24-issue series at Image Comics. In that one, a pretty, naked, horny girl shows up on the highway as a guy who just broke up with his girlfriend drives by. She's mute, so there's no explanation. He takes her home, and she seduces him. But by the next morning, she has given "birth" to a gigantic egg. That hatches within 24 hours into another mute, naked, horny girl who goes and seduces another guy, and gives birth to another egg, and so on and so on, until the town is overrun with mute, naked, horny girls (and eggs). Despite what most men might think, this is a problem — and, IIRC correctly, an alien invasion. Everyone is told to stop having sex with the naked, horny girls, but as you'd expect, one or two guys think "well, what's one more" and the plague keeps expanding. (Women, meanwhile, arm themselves and start shooting men who won't stop shagging the alien girls.) I stopped reading at some point (yes, naked girls can get boring, if they're all identical and mute), so I don't know how it ended.
TOKYO ALIENS VOL 3 GN
TWILIGHT OUT OF FOCUS VOL 1 GN
WOLF GIRL BLACK PRINCE VOL 1 GN
YO-KAI WATCH VOL 21 GN
MORE KIDS
BINKY THE SPACE CAT: TOP SECRET COLLECTION
DOG KNIGHT VOL 1 GN
FOUR EYES VOL 1 GN
I CAN READ COMICS: TY'S TRAVELS CAMP OUT GN
OLIVIA JAIMES' NANCY: NANCY WINS AT FRIENDSHIP HC
THUNDERBOOM GN
TIG AND LILY BOOK 1: TIGER TROUBLE GN
WE ARE THE SMURFS: BRIGHT NEW DAYS GN
WORLD OF BETTY & VERONICA JUMBO COMICS DIGEST #251
Script: Bill Golliher, Dan Parent | Art: Bill Golliher, Jim Amash | Colors: Glenn Whitmore | Letters: Jack Morelli | Cover: Dan Parent | 192 pages | $9.99
TWO BRAND-NEW STORIES! First, in “Ginger’s Ails,” Ginger Snapp has come to Riverdale seeking some advice from Betty & Veronica about the Hilldale Spring Dance. But will she get help, or a headache, when it comes to romance guidance from the two BFFs?
Then, in ”Penny for your Thoughts," Betty, Veronica, and Ginger are amazed by Penny Parker’s physical prowess at the gym. But Veronica’s got other matters on her mind — like who could possibly be her replacement at this year’s debutante ball! What kind of competition could the heiress be in for?
Replies
"I don't think Hal Jordan has been completely earthbound since the '60s. Might work."
"Might work" is what I thought about last week's new "Shazam!" series. I'll give a shot. One issue.
"A familiar cover."
Oh, yeah! They used that for the "Tales of the Bizarro World" tpb, didn't they?
"Bleeding Cool thinks they're going to kill off Mary Jane."
Well, maybe. But they've been dropping hints and building toward the revelation of "WHAT DID PETER DO?” (antecedent action) since this series began. Hell, maybe they're going to kill Mary Jane, too.
"I think we're still in between X-events."
"My life is scribbling and scratching and half finished pages at dawn. If anything, I've learned you can't always go home... you can't always be warm inside. That without love, we're never more than stuck between X-events!"
STARGIRL: THE LOST CHILDREN #6 (OF 6)
Eager to see how this wraps up.
SPIDER-GWEN: SHADOW CLONES #3
Must remember to keep an eye out for this one.
Raise your hand if you remember the Count Dante ads in '70s comic books. Oh, everybody does? Right.
I have no memory of these.
So, are dungeons like a subgenre of isekai? And what are they? Actual medieval dungeons? A metaphor? A term for all isekai worlds? Help me, Baron Bizarre, you're my only hope!
In video game terms, a "dungeon" is an enclosed area containing a large number of enemies that a player must clear out oin order to achieve some goal, obtain some special obtain, or simpy to progress in the game. They are not necessarily literal dungeons.
MY HERO ACADEMIA VIGILANTES VOL 14 GN
Is this out already? I'm behind on my mnaga purchases. Probably catch up next payday.
REBORN AS A VENDING MACHINE, I NOW WANDER THE DUNGEON VOL 1 GN
I've read some of the series of light novels that this is based on. The protagonist can turn into any kind of vending machine that h's ever seen - and he's seen a wide range of them. - and can provide an endless supply of their products. He "wanders" because he is discovered by a party of adventurers who realize that it's worth the effort of carting him around. He can even communicate after a fashion by turning himself itno a type of vending machine that has an electronic voice.
"I had to read The Great Gatsby so many times in high school and college that I am utterly sick of it."
Tracy pointed out to me the following online exchange:
"You're not special for reading The Great Gatsby. We all went to high school."
"Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had."
"Whoa, let's tone it down here. I was just making a joke."
"So was I."
"What?"
"That's the first line of the book."
"Oh. I didn't read it."
I added a preview World of Betty and Veronica Comics Double Digest #251 because, in addition to Ginger Snapp, the book features a second Golden Age revival, Penny Parker.
No, I've never heard of her, either.
Oh, yeah! They used that for the "Tales of the Bizarro World" tpb, didn't they?
Bwah-ha-ha!
Well, maybe. But they've been dropping hints and building toward the revelation of "WHAT DID PETER DO?”
I thought that was revealed? At least at Bleeding Cool.
Some sort of totem was dragging Mary Jane and the new Totem Expert guy into another dimension, and when Spidey tried to stop it, it sort of blew up and threw him through a portal to somewhere else, destroying a town in the process. (Shades of New Warriors and Stamford, Connecticut!) And when Spidey went to the Avengers and FF for help to get Mary Jane back, he was too impatient to explain to them why he was in a hurry (time moves faster in the other dimension) or why/how he destroyed a town. He ends up punching Cap and stealing from the FF. And when he gets MJ back, she's been in the other dimension with the Totem Guy for, like, 10 years local time, and has two kids by him. (Looks the same, though.) So Parker's, like, still 25? And she's, like, 35 now? (Shades of Sharon Carter and Dimension Z!)
Oh yeah, Peter and MJ can't be together, because that would complete some sort of cosmic circuit and bring the totem killers to Earth, or blow up the planet, or cause all mayonnaise to spoil, or something else very bad. MJ accepts this, but Parker doesn't.
I could be wrong about some of the details, but that's what I gleaned from the sometimes unlettered spoiler pages on Bleeding Cool.
But you're right they could kill MJ in addition to all this. Which, after instant family, age difference, cosmic circuit and One More Day, would almost be a relief. (And Parker could always date one of the bajillion other-dimensional Gwen variants running around.)
"My life is scribbling and scratching and half finished pages at dawn. If anything, I've learned you can't always go home... you can't always be warm inside. That without love, we're never more than [Strangers in Paradise]!"
Since I don't read Strangers in Paradise, I had to look this up. It's from Terry Moore's intro to The Complete Strangers in Paradise Vol. 1, right?
This is in reference to the Count Dante ads, and you're not missing anything. It was one of those ads in the comic books of my youth that everyone noticed but knew was a scam, like "amazing live sea monkeys" and X-ray specs. I mean, what kind of "deadly fighting secret" could be had free with a coupon from a comic book? Can't be much of a secret, the Li'l Capn thought.
I guess you had to have been there.
In video game terms, a "dungeon" is an enclosed area containing a large number of enemies that a player must clear out in order to achieve some goal, obtain some special object, or simply to progress in the game. They are not necessarily literal dungeons.
So manga lifted the term from video games, and it's become ubiquitous despite not being native to the medium? Japanese comics never cease to amaze me.
He "wanders" because he is discovered by a party of adventurers who realize that it's worth the effort of carting him around.
Well, sure! Who wouldn't want an endless supply of preservatives and empty calories?
"Oh. I didn't read it."
People make me tired.
"I thought that was revealed?"
If all he did was be rude to the Avengers and the FF, I'm going to be disappointed. If he was responsible for the destruction of a town, maybe Mary Jane has just cause to shun him. If that's already been revealed and I missed it, either it should have been made more clear or I need to pay closer attention.
"It's from Terry Moore's intro to The Complete Strangers in Paradise Vol. 1, right?"
It's from SiP #1(v1), the first two panels of the story itself. [I added the bit about the mutant crossovers.]
"This is in reference to the Count Dante ads"
I didn't remember "Count Dante" per se, but I remember those "Deadliest Man Alive" ads.
"So manga lifted the term from video games...?"
I'd say video games lifted it from D&D.
Bear in mind that Japan has a much wider range of products available from vending machines than we typically do in the U.S. They're not gonna be just snack machines.
Captain Comics said:
Bear in mind that Japan has a much wider range of products available from vending machines than we typically do in the U.S. They're not gonna be just snack machines.
I did not know that. Now I do!
KEEPERS OF THE COSMOS #1
Lemondrop, a cuddly space teddy bear with the mouth of a sailor, left the Keepers of the Cosmos about this time last year.
This looks like it's for kids, but it's not part of Scout's imprint for kids (Scoot). So maybe not.
"Mouth of a sailor" probably means that this character says words that wouldn't be in a kids book. (By the way, sailors don't have a monopoly on bad language,)
QUICKSAND #1
I didn't think about it until I was an adult, but when I did I realized that the reason it's called quicksand is not because it's quick (because it's not), but because "quick" used to be a synonym for "living" ("the quick and the dead"). I was probably in my 20s when I had that epiphany, and was embarrassed by how long it took me to twig to that.
Hey, I'm in my seventies, knew the old meaning of quick and should have realized this long ago, not when reading your post!
I have no memory of these.
This is in reference to the Count Dante ads, and you're not missing anything. It was one of those ads in the comic books of my youth that everyone noticed but knew was a scam, like "amazing live sea monkeys" and X-ray specs. I mean, what kind of "deadly fighting secret" could be had free with a coupon from a comic book? Can't be much of a secret, the Li'l Capn thought.
Before I got to the 1970s I had developed a superpower of only reading the house ads and totally ignoring the rest of the ads.
"Mouth of a sailor" probably means that this character says words that wouldn't be in a kids book. (By the way, sailors don't have a monopoly on bad language,)
When I was growing up, swearing/talking like a sailor was an expression for bad language. Tattoos were also associated with sailors (and prostitutes). I don't know why. There was also the expression "drank like a sailor on leave," meaning a lot, but that one makes sense.
According to some story I read years ago, the top three workplaces for bad language are 1) Police stations, 2) newsrooms and 3) emergency rooms. Sailor isn't even in the top 3!
Before I got to the 1970s I had developed a superpower of only reading the house ads and totally ignoring the rest of the ads.
That is a very useful super-power. More useful than, say, having wings.
That last Something Epic is inspired by some sort of Mario video game from Nintendo. I don't know which one specifically, as they weren't my jam.
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