May 19, 2023

There was quite a big week in new comics this week. Some big name books made their debut and I was able to find a couple of gems as well.the

I did purchase a Superman series that my friend Todd is going to get signed by Dan Jurgens, the writer of the series. That series will be down the line a bit.

However, there are some other great books.

Groo vs. Conan #1-4. Story by Sergio Aragonés and Mark Evanier and art by Sergio Aragonés and Thomas Yeats. Another Dark Horse mini series starring Groo the Barbarian, but this time he squares off against the Cimmerian himself, Conan. This was very much similar to the Groo/Tarzan series (which actually came out after this one, but I had bought that one first). There was a storyline involving Sergio Aragonés and Mark Evanier themselves that were a shadow of the Groo/Conan story. This was fun and a quick series to read.

Man-Goat & the Bunnyman 2023 Spring Special #1. A 48-page one-shot special featuring the awesome pair of Man-Goat & Bunnyman. Written by Joe Brusha and art by Guillermo Fajardo. I have the Cover E issue with the variant cover by Derlis Santacruz and Sanju Nivangune. This is one of the most unlikely books that I buy but I really do love Man-Goat & Bunnyman. Floyd is on a mission to find his father and that brings he and Phil into some violent confrontations.

Avengers #1. Written by Jed MacKay and featuring art by C.F. Villa. The cover art was by Stuart Immonen. New creative team. New Avengers lineup. Captain Marvel is the new chairperson of the Avengers and the new team included Sam Wilson, Scarlet Witch, Vision, Thor, Iron man and Black Panther. The issue interspersed the recruitment of the new roster with the giant battle with Terminus.

Fantastic Four #7 (Legacy #700). “The Enemy of the Good.” Written by Ryan North with art by Iban Coello. Alex Ross did the cover art. For the 700th issue of Fantastic Four, this story felt very grounded. Even with Dr. Doom messing with time in an attempt to save Valeria from the year long Baxter Building relocation. I really liked how small this massive story felt. And it wouldn’t be a huge celebration without Dr. Doom. Still, Johnny’s ‘stache has to go.

Red Goblin #4. Written by Alex Paknadel and penciled by Jan Bazaldua. Inhyuk Lee is the cover artist. Norman Osborn confronts Little Normie over Rascal and tries to separate the symbiote from this grandson. Red Goblin has been a decent book so far and I do like Normie.

Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #12. “Cold War Part 3“. Steve and Sam are on their way to Dimension Z where White Wolf is waiting and where Bucky Barnes is being confronted by Black Widow. There are some beautiful pages in this issue, especially the flashbacks to Steve and Ian in Dimension Z. This story is building up to what I think may be some emotional moments.

Indigo Children #1. “Chapter One” Other Worlds” Story by Curt Pires & Rockwell White, script by Curt Pires and are by Alex Diotto. This new book from Image Comics is one of the more intriguing new books out there. I was engaged by the central mystery of what was happening in this book with the mysterious Alexei.

She-Hulk #13. Written by Rainbow Rowell and featuring art by Andres Genolet & Joe Quinones. Jen Bartel did this issue’s cover art. There seems to be a new relationship in the future for the She-Hulk, and he is a thief that she is fighting. Meanwhile, Jack of Hearts is here and in a relationship too. Looks like we have the start of a super hero triangle.

Dark Ride #6. Written by Joshua Williamson and drawn by Andrei Bressan. Samhain is being chased through Devil Land by the trash director Alister, who seems to be wanting to kill him. Dark Ride spent some time back in flashback mode with Sam and his sister, seeing a time with their mother. It did not seem to end up well. Dark ride has been a good time so far and I am anxious to see where it heads.

Hulk Annual #1. “The Viridian Project” Written by David Pepose and drawn by Caip Majado. Cover art is by Gary Frank & Brad Anderson. This is written in the form of a found footage documentary and I enjoyed that format. It was unlike other books. It gives the flavor of horror, which the new Hulk book is going to be moving into.