July 4, 2024

Happy Fourth of July to everyone out there. I hope everyone has a fun and safe holiday celebrating the freedoms we have in this wonderful country.

Yesterday was NEW COMIC BOOK DAY and I rarely have read them all to have a Comic Cavalcade on Thursday, but this week was different. Of course, I spent time yesterday at Comic World reading the books that were pulled for me, but there was another reason. Comic World had a problem with the order, which led to a bunch of Marvel books not being delivered this week. I wound up with like eight missing Marvel titles which meant that it was going to be easier to get through what I had and complete the Comic Cavalcade sooner. It also means that next week or the week after is going to have a load of books.

The rush of books from eBay continued this week as I got several Spectacular Spider-Man issues from the early run of the series (back when it was Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man). There were also a group of Tick comics from the original New England Comics that I got including #3. I only have a few more from that first run of Tick to get for my collection to be complete. Next week I may get the Man-Eating Cow series delievered.

Books I got this week:

Tomb of Dracula #14. Not a new book this week. It was a book that I had put in my box last week because it was a decent deal and I was buying back issues. I have slowly been working on Tomb of Dracula, as it has always been a favorite of mine. I enjoy Dracula as a Marvel character and this was in hi sprime.It was written by Marv Wolfman and had art by Gene Colon.

Spider-Man Reign 2 #1. Written and art by Kaare Andrews with the variant cover art by Leinil Francis Nu (Gold Medalist). This sequel series takes a look at an older Spider-Man and his battle with a new version of Kingpin. I did not read the Spider-Man Reign original series so this is all new for me. I have historically not been a fan of the possible future type stories, but this feels more like an Elseworld-type book. It is off to a good start so I will be curious to see where it goes from here.

Feral #3. I already own Feral #3, but I got a good deal on this variant, which had the pen-and-ink version of the cover. It is a lovely looking cover for a series that has been top notch from issue one. I spoke with several others at Comic World yesterday and when this came up, it seemed to have overall raves.

Space Ghost #3. Written by David Pepose and art by Jonathan Lau. Francesco Mattina did the cover art. This is another book that has had universal praise from the people I have spoken to. Bringing Space Ghost to the present and updating him seems to have been hugely successful for Dynamite. This issue features the villain The Widow who is trying her best to manipulate the kids.

Public Domain #6. “Character Notes” Written, drawn and cover art by Chip Zdarsky (Silver Medalist). I was shocked when I saw this comic’s return announced in Previews a few months ago. The five issues of the first run were great but I never expected to see it again. However, here it is, the return of the creators of the super hero Domain. It feels very meta as several of the complaints from fans over “wokeness” are addressed here. Chip Zdarsky is one of the best writers working in comics today.

The Boy Wonder #3. Written, drawn and cover art by Juni Ba (Bronze Medalist). The first, oversized issue of this series was really great. I have lost all interest in the book at this point. It is a five-issue series so there are only two more issues to get, which I will as a completionist, but I am not interested in it any longer.

The Last Mermaid #5. Story, art and cover by Derek Kirk Kim. This continues to be a great series told mainly through its beautiful art and the images that it has. The epic battle with the mermaid and the mutants make this really a standout looking issue.

Bear Pirate Viking Queen #3. “Queen” Written by Sean Lewis and art and cover art by Jonathan Marks Barravecchia. This three issue series comes to a close with this issue. The bear is back and is involved in a very spiritual conclusion. This is a beautifully designed book with some art that made me feel like it was painting. I love these big swings in a comic book medium.

Wolverine: Deep Cut #1. Written by Chris Claremont and art by Edgar Salazar. Phillip Tan & Sebastian Cheng was the cover artists. Another trip back into the history of Wolverine as we feature a deadly struggle between Logan and Sabretooth. You would not have seen something this bloody back in the 1980s for sure.

The Writer #1. Written and created by Josh Gad and the Berkowitz Bros. The art was by Ariel Olivetti and the cover art was by Jeremy Hahn. I was looking forward to this book, but I just did not find it interesting for me. It had a lot of Jewish iconography which I struggled to follow and I just did not enjoy. I am disappointed that I did not like this more.

Local Man #11. Written by Tony Fleecs and Tim Seely. Art was done by Tony Fleecs. The cover art was done by Tim Seely, Tony Fleecs, Tom Raney & Brian Reber. Jack Xaver aka Local Man is on the trail of a case that included one of the most unexpected cameos of all time…. former Vice President Dan Quayle. Dan Quayle???

Deadpool #4. Written by Cody Ziglar and penciled by Rogê Antonio & Eric Gapstur. Taurin Clarke did the cover art. Something major is happening in this book. It looks as if Deadpool has had his healing factor removed. It looks like it could be curtains for the Merc with a Mouth.

Annihilation 2099 #1. This included two stories, both written by Steve Orlando. Story one, “The Last Nova” is drawn by Ibraim Roberson and the second one, “Dracula Risen” was drawn by Dale Eaglesham. Nick Bradshaw & Rachelle Rosenberg did the cover art. Even though I have always liked Nova and Dracula, this book was just not for me. I had a very difficult time getting into it and neither story grabbed my attention. It being 2099 may have affected my opinions on these characters.

Sam and Twitch Case Files #4. Co-plot by Todd McFarlane & Jon Goff. The art was done by Szymon Kudranski. Don Aguillo & Mirko Colak did the art for the cover. The case that Max is working on is quickly escalating and Sam is trying to get in contact with his partner to apologize (or something along those lines). This neo-noir book is excellent every week. My favorite part is that it takes place in the Spawn world with no sign of Spawn at all.