Sunday Morning Sidewalk #15

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Spoilers

“24/7”

John Dee-centric episode took quite a turn.

With John having the dream ruby, he stops off at a diner for some coffee and truth-telling, bringing along everyone with the misfortune to come inside the diner.

This did not feature much Sandman. Outside of a shot of him still unconscious with Matthew trying to wake him, we do not see Morpheus until the final act of the episode. What we get is a tour de force from David Thewlis as John, just sitting back and observing the scenario he put into place about truth telling. There was something funny about John Dee watching everything unfold as he dug into a big container of ice cream.

The show provides a powerful theme about truth and lies, showing, I believe, the fact that we cannot survive by being honest all the time about everything. It reveals the darker side of human nature and destroys the idea that “honesty is the best policy.” At least in part.

The unfortunate people in the diner have to face their unhappy existences because John Dee has created a situation where they are going to tell the truth about everything. Even for one of the sweetest characters that we have seen so far, waitress Bette Munroe (Emma Duncan), who seemed to be engaging and friendly to everyone.

The show does a strong job of introducing these secondary characters quickly and providing enough details that make us intrigued, if not interested, in their lives and their eventual downfall.

There was a lot of darkness in this episode, and Morpheus is anything but a hero. He is just finally here to retrieve the power of the ruby, which he does in the final showdown. I was unaware that John Dee was the kid of the man who had captured and imprisoned Morpheus in episode one, and that made the story all the more interesting. John Dee seems to have found his own fate at the end of the show.

Is it just me or is Matthew the raven a better person than anyone else on the show?

There are six more weeks of The Sandman in the Sunday Morning Sidewalk.

EYG Comic Cavalcade #151

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May 3

Happy Free Comic Book Day everyone!!!!

This is always one of the best days of the year for comic collectors like me. The comic companies put out free books to promote things they are going to release over the next year. Comic book shops set up special tables and give great sales to encourage people to purchase comic books.

It is important though for the customers to not only pick up the free comics, but also buy something in the shops. The comics are free for us, but not for the shops. It does cost the shops money to stock these books for us, so, if you have not yet gone for your free comics, make sure you get something else as a thank you for the shops for giving this excellent opportunity.

I picked up several vol. 1 Ghost Riders, a couple of Thanos books, a Chip Zdarsky written Jughead book, Weapon X-Men #3 (which I missed on New Comic Book Day), and an Amazing Spider-Man that I did not have yet. I also grabbed a book that I had never seen before. It was called Mildly Microwaved Pre-Pubescent Kung-Fu Gophers #1. It was so funny as it was clearly making fun of the TMNT. So I went up to the check out and showed it to the workers. They told me that it was a satire of the Turtles. I smiled. Yeah, I got that.

The Free Comics I picked up today included The Phantom #0, Black Mirror, Post Malone’s Big Rig #0, Will Eisner: A Comic Biography, Fantastic Four #1, Amazing Spider-Man/Ultimate Universe #1, Godzilla; New Heroes, Kanga-U, Mark Spears Monsters #0, Diablo, The Mighty-Nein Origins, Def Leppard’s Hysteria #0, IDW: Find Your New Fear, and Conan: Scourge of the Serpent.

Lots of great things coming in the world of comics.

Books this week:

Lost Fantasy #1. “Book One: A World Beneath.” Written by Curt Pires and art and cover art by Luca Casalanguida. My favorite new book of the week. Lost Fantasy has a cool concept and a bad ass final page. I was completely engaged with this issue when I read it this morning that I immediately sent a text to Todd saying that he needed to pick this new Image book up.

TVA #5. Written by Katharyn Blair and art by Pere Perez. Cover art was done by Pere Perez and GURU-eFX. A Scarlet Witch variant is here to cause more trouble for the erstwhile agents of the TVA. It was fun to see the characters from the Loki Disney + series in this Marvel comic. And anytime I can get more Miss Minutes is a good time.

Crush Depth #2. Written by David “DB” Andry and Tim Daniel with art and cover art by Alex Sanchez. This continues as a great new series by Mad Cave. Liana does not appear to be a heroic individual, but she may have to change if she hopes to survive under the water in the submarine that is filled with some kind of monster. Crush Depth has had two excellent issues and I am excited to see where it goes from here.

Pinupocalypse #2. Written , art and cover art by Andrew Tarusov. The newly created zombies are after Foxy and Roxy but it allowed Foxy to head back to her own house. I do not think I have ever seen a zombie surprise birthday party before. Only here. This is a fun new zombie series that turns the genre on its head.

Planet Death #0. Written by Derek Kolstad & Robert Venditti with art by Tomas Giorello. Tomas Giorello & Dave Stewart did the cover art. This is a opening issue of a series from the once again new company Bad Idea. I guess there is quite the rabbit hole of info on Bad Idea that I started to go down, but pulled myself out of. This book was cool and it was printed on the old comic newsprint. Apparently, the company is launching a new Planet Death series in July.

Fantastic Four #31. “The Fantastic Two.” Written by Ryan North and penciled by Cory Smith. Cover art was done by Joshua Cassara & Dean White. things aren’t looking good for the FF. It seems that since Ben has lost his powers because of Doom, the others are also losing their powers. So they have to try and get Ben all rocky again.

Red Sonja & the Army of Darkness #1. Written by Tim Seely and art by Jim Terry. Cover art by Mark Spears. I have always enjoyed Ash Williams from the Evil Dead franchise. I loved the TV show Ash vs. the Evil Dead. I have never thought much about Red Sonja. To be honest, I was more interested int he Mark Spears cover. I did like the book. Dynamite has been doing some good work with IPs that you wouldn’t expect. This is another one.

Mark Spears: Monsters #4. Written, illustrated and cover art by Mark Spears (Silver Medalist). I am not sure how this was delivered early, but I am glad it was. This book is solid monsters action every time out. It still has that Monster Squad vibe to it, clearly alluding to that series. The Wolfman’s howl in this issue is a perfect example.

Something is Killing the Children #41. “All Her Monsters” Part One. Written by James Tynion IV and art by Werther Dell’Edera. I purchased cover A by Werther Dell’Edera and Virgin Cover D by Anwita Citriya (Gold Medalist). Erica Slaughter is back. After a bit of a break, Something is Killing the Children is back with more tales from Erica’s backstory. I have missed this series quite a bit and so I am thrilled that this series is back.

Godzilla vs. Spider-Man #1. Written by Joe Kelly and art by Nick Bradshaw. Variant cover F art by Jerry Ordway. It is Spidey’s turn to take on the King of Monsters. Mismatch you say? Yeah it is. But that is why we love Spider-Man. He never gives up. And what happens when Godzilla gets taken over by the Venom symbiote?

Ultimate Spider-Man #16. Written by Jonathan Hickman and art by Marco Checchetto. Cover art was done by Marco Checchetto & Matthew Wilson. Oh, big time twist this issue. Did not expect anything like what happened here. Bad things are happening for Peter (and Kraven, by the way).

The Patchwork Girl of Oz #4. Adapted, illustrated and cover art by Otis Frampton, based on the novel by L. Frank Baum. Scraps is here and she is wildly entertaining. Rhyming everywhere, Scraps feels like a real chaotic creation. This has been a lot of fun so far and the book is setting up the adventure to save the newly rocky Unc.

Green Hornet/Miss Fury #4. Co-written by Alex Segura & Henry Barajas with art by Federico Sorressa. Variant cover B art was done by Jae Lee & June Chung. Green Hornet vs. Kato? Can the heroes avoid all of the mind controlled innocents that are out to get them? Who knows, but this penultimate issue sets up a big time finale.

Nights #15. “Tricky Snakes and Ladders.” Written by Wyatt Kennedy and art and cover art by Luigi Formisano. Back cover art by Armand Luro. Victor’s vampire adventures continue as this series takes an even more fantastical turn.

Rogue: The Savage Land #4. Written by Tim Seely and art by Von Randal. Cover art was done by Kaare Andrews. Rogue, Magneto and Ka-Zar are on their mission, trying to stop a Savage Land war while their powers are sort of on the fritz. However, Magneto thinks he knows what is going on.. it’s Rogue’s doing. Huh?

Void Rivals #18. Written by Robert Kirkman and art and cover art by Lorenzo De Felici. I have been losing interest in Void Rivals over the last few issues, but this one brought everything back to the beginning as Darak and Solila are reunited, though maybe not in the best moment possible. I think these to being separated was a big reason I was losing interest in this book. I hope things get worked out.

World’s Finest Annual #1. “Chapter Three: Certain Doom.” Written by Christopher Cantwell with plot by Cantwell & Mark Waid with art by Dan McDaid. We are Yesterday moves on. Gorilla Grodd’s Legion of Doom is executing a plan dealing with time travel. It feels a bit convoluted and poor Cheetah.

The Rocketfellers #5. Written by Peter J. Tomasi with art and cover art by Francis Manapul. When Rae unexpectedly faints, the Rocketfellers rush her to the hospital. A group of mercs come to their home with plans. This left only the dog, Rex to handle the situation… and handle it he does. A shocking final page of the issue gives us a glance at an upcoming antagonist.

Thunderbolts Doomstrike #3. “No Unconquered Land” Written by Jackson Lanzing & Collin Kelly and art was done by Tommaso Bianchi. Cover art was done by Leinil Francis Yu & Romulo Fajardo Jr. The new team of Thunderbolts take on the originals over Doom.

Human Fly #4. “Terror Tour” Written by Jason Franks and art and cover art by Jan Scherpenhuizen. The Human Fly has a tough issue… and he has a concussion. Mercury is here too fighting beside Fly.

Red Hulk #3. “Uncharted Territory.” Written by Benjamin Percy and art by Geoff Shaw. Cover art was done by Geoff Shaw & Marte Gracia. Thaddeus Ross, with Deathlok and and energized down Machine Man, is looking for a burst of energy to generate the Red Hulk. They are on their way to a nuclear plant, but Doom may have a different idea.

Hellhunters #5. Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and art by Adam Gorham. Cover art was done by Declan Shalvey. This demonic WWII series closes up with a fun episode. These heroes are very fun together in this book. I would be down with seeing more of this team. I mean, Bucky was picking his nose. This was great.

Kid Juggernaut #1. Written by Emily Kim and art by Minkyu Jung and Peter Nguyen. Cover art was done by Woo-Chul Lee. This adapted Marvel Voices issues with Kid Juggernaut. I thought this was a really engaging one shot and I am more excited about Kid Juggernaut than I ever was before this.

Who are the Power Pals #2. Written by Duane Murray and art and cover art by Ahmed Raafat. The second issue of this Dark Horse book continues the look at these characters of the Power Pals. I think this twosome is not being shown as a great pair. They are not necessarily likable and I think that is an interesting step in these characters’ development.

Killer Kobra #1. “The Hunt Begins Part 1 of 3” Written by Joe Brusha and artwork by Rodrigio Xavier. Cover art was done by Igor Vitorino & Ivan Nunes. I had never heard of this book before I saw it on the shelf in Bettendorf. It is from Zenescope and i had one thought… crossover with Man Goat and Bunnyman!!!

Doom Academy #3. Written by Mackenzie Cadenhead and artwork by Pasqual Ferry & Joao M.P. Lemos. Variant cover B art by Woo Chul Lee. Doyle, Shaylee and Scoop are trying to save Zoe who has been pulled into a book with fairy tale creatures. I loved Strange Academy and I think things are just as cool with them in Latveria.

The Question: All Along the Watchtower #6. “The Price.” Written by Alex Segura and art by Cian Tormey. Cover art was done by Tormey & Romulo Fajardo Jr. The six issue series drew to a finale with this issue as Renee Montoya, aka The Question, steps up to save the Justice League from the forces that have been assaulting the Watchtower in this series. I really enjoyed this book and I hope to see more of The Question in Justice League Unlimited.

You’ll Do Bad Things #2. Written by Tyler Boss with artwork by Adriano Turtulici. Cover art was done by Tyler Boss (Bronze Medalist). There are a bunch of independent comic books dealing with the idea of a serial killer (or multiple ones). This is another of those books, with Seth trying to move on from his police work and write a romance novel. I’m not sure that is going to happen.

NYX #10. Written by Jackson Lanzing & Collin Kelly with artwork by Francesco Mortarino. Cover art was done by Sara Pichelli & Federico Blee. NYX ends with this issue, as Ms. Marvel, Laura and the others bring down Mojo. I am going to miss this group as I have enjoyed this series. I know Ms. Marvel is going to be at the center of some big X-Men issues moving forward, but I will miss her group of New York mutants.

Feral #12. “Up a Tree” Written by Tony Fleecs and art by Trish Forstner. Cover art was done by Tony Fleecs, Trish Forstner & Tone Rodriguez. The cats escaped the big confrontation last issue with the bear only to meet up with the cat Lucky and his pet dog. They all have an idea of a way to save themselves from the horrors of the outside… Pet City Supercenter!

Kill Train #4. Written by Olivia Cuartero-Briggs with artwork by Martina Niosi of Outclass Studio. Cover art was done by Skylar Patridge. This was another penultimate issue of a great series. Kill Train gave us an unexpected twist at the end of this issue that caught me off guard. This has been bloody and brutal and I love it.

The Slasher’s Apprentice #1. Written by Justin Richards and artwork and cover art by Val Halvorson. Here is yet another new Mad Cave book that is awesome and deals with a serial killer. This time, a slasher. Our main protagonist wants to be an apprentice at the learning tree of the Hopton Valley Killer.

Dark Pyramid #2. Written by Paul Tobin and artwork and cover art by PJ Holden. Becca is in search of her missing boyfriend, a podcaster who had fallen off a mountain and disappeared while recording his show. Becca has gotten help from Shailene but has come across some mysterious and frightening creatures.

Darkwing Duck #3. “Where Did Darkwing Learn Martial Arts?” Written by Daniel Kibblesmith and artwork by Ted Brandt and Ro Stein. Tad Stones did the cover art. This issue goes into Darkwing’s mysterious past and we find out that he was just like Po in Kung Fu Panda and Stephen Strange in Doctor Strange. Funny book.

Other books this week: Wolverine and Kitty Pryde #1, Godzilla vs. Los Angeles #1, Frankenstein: New World-The Sea of Forever #3, Parliament of Rooks #5, Doom’s Division #2, The Seasons #4, and Something Crawled Out #1-2.

Thunderbolts *

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The newest Marvel Studios film arrived in theaters tonight and took a risk. It featured a group of b-list characters from other films and TV shows and put them front and center. And it was glorious.

Yelena (Florence Pugh) was feeling alone and depressed with the state of her life. She was tired of just receiving another mission from Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus). When Yelena accepted one final mission for Valentina, things go astray. She met up with a group of ragtag mercs including John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), and Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko) who all had missions to eliminate the others.

However, while they were there, they also met Bob (Lewis Pullman), a mysterious figure that did not remember why he was there.

Add Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) and Red Guardian (David Harbour) and the Thunderbolts are together.

This was great. It felt like a different style of Marvel movie. Sure there was action, and it was great, but the writing and the story was rich and complex. We saw details behind these characters that you do not usually see in the MCU. These people were broken and they were going through the motions trying to find a purpose.

The allegory for mental health is clear as several of these characters could be considered depressed from the way their lives have gone. It really is a well balanced story, with character development, humor, action, and some of the best chemistry the MCU has seen in awhile.

This cast is just tremendous with the material they were given. Florence Pugh is a movie star. She is such an amazing actor and this is an amazing performance. I understood everything that she was feeling and Pugh was able to show the whole range of emotions for the sister of the Black Widow. Lewis Pullman is exceptional as Bob, aka Sentry. He is one of the most original characters in the MCU and I think the future is really bright for him.

David Harbour is unbelievable in this film. He provides some of the best comedic lines of the film, but there is an argument to be made that he is also the heart of the Thunderbolts. He is not just a buffoon. He is more than that.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus got some very meaty stuff to do in this film. This is easily the best she has done since entering the MCU in The Falcon and Winter Soldier on Disney +. I would also say that Wyatt Russell’s work as John Walker really built on the job he did on that TV show.

It was over a two-hour movie, but, for me, it flew by. I could not believe that we were arriving in the final scenes of the movie as it just did not feel like that much time had passes. It was wonderfully directed and paced by Jake Schreier, who directed the Netflix series Beef.

The final act of the film was considerably different than the normal MCU film and I found it to be extremely emotional. I loved how they wrapped up this story.

There are two post credit scenes that you must not skip. The first one was a fun scene but the second one elicited applause from my audience.

I love the Thunderbolts* (and the meaning of the asterisk is revealed) and this was such a great film. These characters are nowhere near the peak Marvel characters, but it goes to show you that if you have good writing and a great cast, you can accomplish anything. This is a fabulous film that I am excited to see again.

5 stars

By the way, the IMAX theater I was in had a countdown before the movie like it always did, except this one was all about the Fantastic Four, including the music from the trailer. I literally had goosebumps when the countdown finished and all it included was the numbers 10 to 1. It was special.

EYG Favorite Comic Covers of the Week

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April 30

Hey, Diamond came through this week. However, there is still no Marvel books in the top 3 meal winners this week. There is one book that I got that was supposed to be out next week, which was strange. It is actually on the Midtown Comics list for May 7th. Still, it is on this list.

Bronze Medalist

You’ll Do Bad Things

Cover art by Tyler Boss

What a beautifully sinister cover. The long hands and blood with the red imagery behind the man just makes this stand out even more.

Silver Medalist

Mark Spears Monsters #4

Cover art by Mark Spears

This is the book that was supposed to be out next week, but showed up at Comic World today. This is a wonderful cover featuring Dracula. So details. So excellent. Mark Spears has been the star of the comic covers so far in 2025.

Gold Medalist

Something is Killing the Children #41

Variant Virgin Cover art by Anwita Citriya

What a spectacular virgin cover. The Blood across the beautiful face with those eerie green eyes. This is so gorgeous.

The X-Files S9 E5

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“Lord of the Flies”

Okay, I saw the cast list for this episode which included Jane Lynch, Aaron Paul, and Erick Avari and I was hopeful. Then I started to see the episode and I knew this wasn’t going to be one for me.

It started off with a YouTube show called “Dumb Ass” which was clearly a parody of Jackass. I have never liked jackass so I was not into this opening either. Stupid people doing stupid things are not funny. One of the main Dumb Asses wound up shockingly dead.

It turned out that the loner kid hanging out in the bunch named Dylan, who can control bugs. He has some kind of bug boy with bug pheromones. There was a girl he was in “love” with which felt like too many other X-Files episodes that we much better.

Jane Lynch was Dylan’s mother and, I think, principal at the school. She can web people up with webs from her mouth.

There was some dumb doctor specialist involved that had some attraction to Scully, and that was just did not fit into this story.

I found this to be a very disappointing episode. This episode was meant to echo early series episodes of the X-Files, but it just does not work well. The show is lacking the Mulder-Scully dynamic and it can not be duplicated with these characters. They need to play to the strengths of these new characters and not trying to reclaim the old tones.

This was an episode that I just did not like.

The Last of Us S2 E3

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“The Path”

This is the first week of the post-Joel era of The Last of Us, and much about us grieving the loss.

I have to tell you that the cry of Ellie as she woke up in the hospital was just feral. Totally crushing. I was nearly in tears from just Ellie’s roar of anguish.

This show has been effective with their time jumps. This is another good one, but I thought the moments before the leap (Ellie in hospital, Tommy with Joel’s brother) were tremendous.

Three months later, Ellie is getting out of the hospital with the anger underneath the surface.

It was great to see Catherine O’Hara again as the local therapist. Her meeting with Ellie was funny and her conversation with Tommy was interesting. The sudden baseball game that Catherine O’Hara was watching was a weird and felt odd. She has added a ton to the show in her few scenes.

Ellie and Dina are on the road to go kill Abby. The Jackson Council refused to send a group of 15 to Seattle after Abby and the others who killed Joel. Ellie tried to speak to the Council and her speech was moving. Didn’t work though. Ellie had never planned on accepting the verdict of the Council.

The group of people who just appeared in the woods and wound up getting killed was a weird detour in the show. These people’s death must be part of the next story arc, but it seemed to come out of nowhere.

The scene of Ellie at Joel’s grave was powerful too. The director spoke about this scene being an opportunity for the audience to grieve with Ellie.

Good episode. Seattle looks like a bad deal.

Light & Magic S2 E2

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“There Must Be A Better Way…”

The second episode of the second season of Light & Magic on Disney + featured heavily on the transition from practical effects to that of digital recording and the way in which ILM lead the way in the field of digital special effects.

It started out talking about the elephant in the room, Jar Jar Binks.

Jar Jar is one of the most hated of Star Wars characters among a certain section of the fandom, but the doc looked at the creation of the character. They spoke to Jar Jar actor, Ahmed Best, who was not taking the criticism and anger of the character well. The comments of Jar Jar being a racist character or filled of racist tropes was difficult for him to hear. It got so bad that he told a story about him going on a bridge in New York with the intent of “showing them” how much it affected him. This story of a man having suicidal thoughts over the creation of a movie character was very powerful as was the resolution of the story. It made me think about my own feelings toward Jar Jar.

I was impressed with how much of the negative thoughts and criticisms this doc dealt with. They could have easily brushed that under the rug, but the doc still showed the push back ILM received for its motion capture and digital film from the movie society in general.

The doc spent some time showing how they were involved in the creation of digital tornados for films such as Jumanji and Twister as well as the massive wave from A Perfect Storm.

They spent a good deal of time telling about how they transitioned from Yoda being a puppet as he was in the original trilogy to more of a digital character and then eventually to a point where Yoda could have a lightsaber fight with Count Dooku in Attack of the Clones. One of the more fascinating parts of that section of the show was seeing how Frank Oz, who was puppeteering and voice Yoda, went through so much trouble and challenges with this extremely heavy puppet that he had to hold up with his right arm.

There is one more episode of season two to go. My guess is that it will focus in on Revenge of the Sith.

Havoc

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I did not know anything about this movie until I pulled up Netflix yesterday and saw it there. I remember seeing some thumbnails on YouTube from several of the reactors/content creators that I like who had done responses to a movie called Havoc. I did not put it together until I saw it on Netflix.

It starred Tom Hardy, who was a big star for a Netflix film.

According to IMDB, “The story is set after a drug deal gone wrong, when a bruised detective must fight his way through a criminal underworld to rescue a politician’s estranged son, while unraveling a deep web of corruption and conspiracy that ensnares his entire city.“

This one was not my favorite film. Tom Hardy did a great job in his role, but that was about where it ended for me. The story was convoluted and the film was nothing much more than just a whole bunch of gunfire. It was brutal and bloody. I am not sure how Tom Hardy made it through all the bullets without being killed.

There just was not much to this story and, if you only want to have a bloody shoot out film, this will be the one for you. However, for me, this was not a film that hooked me. I was bored during a lot of this film and, even with its short time, it felt like a longer film than I would have liked.

2.4 stars

Andor S2 E1, E2, E3

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Spoilers

Andor season one has been the best Star Wars show on Disney + yet. Some might argue for the Mandalorian, but for depth and story, Andor took the prize.

Andor returned to Disney + for the long-awaited second season debuted with three episodes this past Tuesday night. I was unable to fit it into my schedule until this Sunday morning.

It was worth the wait.

It started one year after the end of last season and we see Cassian stealing a Tie-fighter. He was to meet for a drop off, but that turned into an immediate cluster as the rebels he met could not get along or agree on anything. Cassian was clearly just biding his time with these idiots.

On Mina-Rau, things are much worse, including a near rape. This was not something one would expect in the Star Wars Universe, but I could see it as a part of Andor. I loved the Skeleton Crew earlier this year, but that was clearly Star Wars for the young. Andor is Star Wars for the adult.

That does not mean that there is not humor to go around. There are some very funny things that happen, one of the major ones being a dinner date with Eedy Karn and her son Syril, who wants to introduce her to Dedra Meero. Dedra is a force and her scene with Eedy was epic.

The third episode ended with some tragedy.

Andor continues to be one of the best Star Wars shows around.

EYG Comic Cavalcade #150

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April 27

Here I am with the 150th edition of the EYG Comic Cavalcade, which is quite the accomplishment, if I do say so. Since this has replaced the EYG Comic Catch-Up, the Cavalcade has been one of the most consistent posts we do on EYG.

This post requires that I read the books I get each week, the number of which has only grown over the last few years. I currently have two separate pull lists at two separate comic shops in two separate cities in opposite direction from my home in Maquoketa. Then, this write-up generally takes quite a while to write. I would guess that from first word to last picture, it takes around two hours to complete, and that is if I am not distracted by other things. Such as right now, I am trying to watch the first three Andor episodes while I do this. It is a distraction because of timing.

This column, and the previous Comic catch-Up, are the reason I got my collection in order and organized. I am very proud of that, and I am grateful for EYG.

Last week, I mentioned how I completed my Groo the Wanderer Marvel/Epic comic run. I completed another run this week, albeit considerably less impressive. I picked up issues #9 & 10 as well as #1 & 3 of the Zdarsky Comic News giving me all ten issues of the newsletter. It is not large, but it still does remind me of the old Marvel Age books that I loved. This newsletter from Zdarsky features more than just Marvel. They are fun, if not slight.

I also grabbed three more of the freebies from the Superman Day last weekend, including Jimmy Olson’s Supercyclopedia.

Here is the next 150 issues of EYG Comic Cavalcade.

This week’s books:

Amazing Spider-Man #2. Written by Joe Kelly and art by Pepe Larraz. Pepe Larraz & Marte Gracia did the cover art. Peter has been poisoned and flipped out, just like the Rhino did last issue. I am pleased with the new creative team and the current path Spidey is on in this new volume. A surprise return at the end is fascinating.

Blasfamous #1-3. Written and illustrated by Mirka Andolfo. I found these three issues in the back issues box of DSTLRY books that I had never heard about. I have always loved DSTLRY books and I was excited to see one that I obviously had missed. Unfortunately, this was not a story that caught my interest as most of this company’s books have done. It’s nice to have them though.

Out of Alcatraz #2. Written by Christopher Cantwell with art and cover art by Tyler Crook (Gold Medalist). I picked up a variant cover of this issue too which is pretty awesome as well. The Out of Alcatraz book from Oni Press has been engaging as well. I am never quite sure what is going to happen next and it does a great job of building some tension.

Falling in Love on the Path to Hell #7. “A Broken Clock.” Written by Gerry Duggan and art and cover art by Garry Brown. I had somehow missed this issue and it was tough to find. Thankfully, Todd was able to find one in Des Moines. This has been a fantastic series so far and I am hoping that this will continue on its excellent path.

Moonshine Bigfoot #1. Written by Mike Marlow and penciled and cover art by Steve Ellis. A new and extremely creative new book from Image features a sasquatch who had been left as a baby, raised by a couple of moonshiners. This book has a feel of The Dukes of Hazzard and Smokey and the Bandit, while throwing the fun use of cryptoids.

Universal Monsters: The Mummy #2. Written and art by Faith Erin Hicks and cover art by Hicks and Lee Loughridge. Helen is having memory flashes, and she is remembering a past life, one including Imhotep himself. The Universal Monsters run of books at Image have been excellent and The Mummy is telling a great story as well.

Assorted Crisis Events #2. Written by Deniz Camp and art and cover art by Eric Zawadzki. A shout out to colorist Jordie Belaire because the coloring of this issue makes this series stand out among a lot of other books. Doing something different really sets this aside from other anthology books that are being released right now.

Avengers #25. “Masters of Evil” part 1. Written by Jed MacKay and art by Valerio Schiti. Variant cover B art by Russell Dauterman. A brand new Masters of Evil is formed in this issue and I love them. The inclusion of Madcap in particular was cool.

New Champions #4. Written by Steve Foxe and art by Ivan Fiorelli. Cover art was done by Gleb Melnikov & Arthur Hesli. I do like this formation of new young heroes under the Champions label. This issue gives us the “secret origin of Gold Tiger.”

X-Men #15. “Twin.” Written by Jed MacKay with pencils by Ryan Stegman & CF Villa. Cover art was done by Ryan Stegman, JP Mayer & Marte Gracia. Piper Quinn’s twin, a twin that was never born, pulled itself out of her and began a rampage. The end of the issue saw the arrival of a new group of X-Men… huh?

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #5. Written by Christos Gage with art by Eric Gapstur. Cover art was done by Leonardo Romero. The final issue of this prequel series to the Disney + animated series wrapped up with Spider-Man getting some major victories against Silvio Manfredi and the Enforcers. He also had a funny way to hide the injuries he had sustained from Aunt May. Pratfall anyone?

One World Under Doom #3. “The Devil We Know.” Written by Ryan North and art by R.B. Silva. Ben Harvey did the cover art. A group of villains including Doc Ock, Arcade, Mysterio, the Goblin Queen, Baron Mordo and MODOK have joined the struggle against Doctor Doom. However, it looks like business is about to pick up as Dormammu jumps int the frey.

Predator Versus Spider-Man #1. Written by Benjamin Percy and penciled by Marcelo Ferreira. Cover art by Paulo Ferreira. I also picked up cover D by Marcelo Ferreira. Despite how much I love the character Spider-Man, I had not been looking forward to this series. Yet, after reading number one, I am in. It was brutal, scary and intense and I want more of it.

Green Lantern Dark #4. Written by Tate Brombal and art by Werther Dell’Edera. Cover art was done by Dell’Edera & Giovanna Niro. Quite a dark issue as it lives up to the title. Interesting takes on the characters of Beast Boy and Bat Wraith. This has been an excellent read each month and that is from someone who is not a big fan of Elseworlds stories.

G.I. Joe #6. Written by Joshua Williamson and art and cover art by Tom Reilly. Big confrontation between Duke and Cobra Commander. This issue does a great job of creating a rivalry between these two individuals and the groups behind them. It also continues building towards the GI Joe/Transformers crossover.

Hornsby & Halo #6. Storytellers are Peter J. Tomasi & Peter Snejbjerg. Peter Snejbjerg & John Kalisz did the cover art. Zach and Rose are taken to see where they came from… first to Hell and then to Heaven. And it shakes them to their core.

Werewolf by Night: Red Band #9. Written by Jason Loo and penciled by Sergio Davila. F.M. Gist did the art for the cover. This is brutal and bloody as Lilith’s plan to take advantage of Jack comes to its head. Things are getting scary with this book.

Eddie Brock: Carnage #3. Written by Charles Soule and art by Jesús Saiz. Cover art was done by Iban Coello & Frank D’Armata. Carnage takes on Sidewinder, and then, Carnage and Eddie brock have their own internal conflict.

Minor Arcana #6. Written and illustrated by Jeff Lemire. Cover art by Jeff Lemire. I also picked up the unlockable virgin variant cover by Laura Perez. Teresa and her mother got into yet another argument and Teresa prepared to leave. However, she wanted to apologize to her childhood friend first. Lots of things then happened.

Absolute Wonder Woman #7. “The Lady or the Tiger Part Two.” Written by Kelly Thompson and art by Mattia De Iulis. Cover art by Hayden Sherman & Jordie Bellaire. Diana’s trip into the Underworld to save Circe brings her into conflict with Hades and a struggle to answer an age-old riddle that had confounded her for years. This was a really well written story and I really enjoyed the inclusion of all of the Greek mythology in this book.

Magik #4. “Reunion.” Written by Ashley Allen and art by German Peralta. J. Scott Campbell & Tanya Lehoux did the cover art. Illyana and Danielle Moonstar are reunited from their best friends days with the New Mutants, but there are more issues between them than they care to admit.

Justice League Unlimited #6. “Partners and Puppets.” Written by Mark Waid and art by Travis Moore. Cover art was done by Dan Mora. This is the second part of the crossover with World’s Finest and it continues the Gorilla Grodd story. However, the whole Air wave story felt rushed and I was not happy with how the story progressed. It seemed as if it needed more time to develop instead of just throwing it a handful of pages and saying it was done. Disappointing arc so far.

Dust to Dust #5. Written by JG Jones & Phil Bram with art and cover art by JG Jones (Silver Medalist). I love the sepia tone of the art in this series. JG Jones’s work is just perfect for this story that they are telling. It is a story that is continuing to be mysterious each issue.

X-Force #10. “The X-Equation.” Written by Geoffrey Thorne and art by Marcus To. Backup story by Fabian Nicieza and art by Edgar Salazar. This is the Legacy number 300 of X-Force and the final issue of the series for now as Forge’s secret plans are revealed to the team and they are not fans of them. The variant cover art (Marvel vs. Capcom) was done by Bengus.

The Last Boy #2. Written by Dan Panosian and illustrated by Alessio Avallone. Cover was done by Dan Panosian. The tale of Peter Pan and Wendy continue separately through this issue, with each facing troubles. Heck, if I did not know better, I might consider Peter Pan to be the antagonist of this book. Hmm. Intriguing.

Infinity Watch #4. Written by Derek Landy and art by Enid Balám & Ruairi Coleman. Salvador Larroca & GURU-eFX did the cover art. The Infinity Watch is back from the weird-o universe, adn Star changes things back. But it is not much better.

Ultimate Black Panther #15. Written by Bryan Hill and art by Stefano Caselli. Stefano Caselli and David Curiel did the cover art. T’Challa is attempting to find other allies in the African countries, but they have not heard of Wakanda. But T’Challa is looking of help to deal with the anti-vibranium.

Sabretooth: The Dead Don’t Talk #5. Written by Frank Tieri and art by Michael Sta. Maria. Cover art was done by Carlo Pagulayan, Jason Paz & Rain Beredo. This was a really strong ending to a series that got better with each issue.

Those Not Afraid #4. Written by Kyle Starks and art by Patrick Piazzalunga. This is getting darker as the serial killers have upped the ante in their attempt to set a new record. I’m not sure how I feel about this issue as the difference between serial killer and spree killer is debated. However, the final panel with the return of a certain individual elevated this book more.

Other books this week: Blade Forger #2, Deadpool/Wolverine #4, Metamorpho #5, Bug Wars #3, Absolute Martian Manhunter #2, and The Power Fantasy#8.

Sunday Morning Sidewalk #14

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Spoilers

“Chapter Four: A Hope in Hell”

This morning, we take a stroll down the Sunday Morning Sidewalk onto the path to Hell.

And the path to Hell is lined with more than just good intentions. It is lined with tension, anxiety and suspense.

What a great episode this was.

At first, as Morpheus and Matthew traveled into Hell to regain his helm, I was more engaged with the second part of the story, John Dee being picked up by a woman named Rosemary. That conversation inside Rosemary’s car was scary and I dreaded what was going to happen to Rosemary, who was just trying to be a good person.

However, then Morpheus wound up in a fight with Lucifer Morningstar and the narrative of the episode switched. The ‘fight” between these two was amazing… and unlike anything I expected. It was truly sensational and brilliantly constructed. It could have easily just slipped into the big power fight that we see so often, but this was deeper, more intense.

The fight turned on the word of the raven, Matthew, giving Morpheus that last bit of motivation to overcome the ruler of the Underworld.

It also seemed as if Rosemary was able to survive the episode, and I was sure she was a goner. Sarah Niles played Rosemary so exceptionally that I immediately connected with the character and wished for her safety. John gave her the amulet of protection at the end of the episode after she had decided to wait for him instead of escaping to freedom. It was a sweet ending that I still was anxious about. I really wanted Rosemary, a good person, to not be killed off in this warped story. When it was clear that she was going to make it, I did breath a sigh of relief.

Nicely paired episode with two stories (which nearly crossed at the end) that I was very engaged in. This is my favorite episode so far of the season and it does seem as if the show is only getting better each week.