March 16, 2023

Yesterday was NEW COMIC BOOK DAY and so there were a bunch of books to read. I also got a big shipment in the mail yesterday featuring the series Middlewest so there is a ton of stuff to read right now.

There was also a new book that I was really looking forward to since I heard about it.
We’ll kick off with that one…

Hellcat #1. “She’s Not There.” Written by Christopher Cantwell and drawn by Alex Lins. Pere Perez and Marte Gracia did the cover art. I loved this issue. I was really anticipating it since I read about it in Previews. The sound of a mystery story where Patsy was not sure if she was the guilty person sounded great and I was very impressed with this writing. The inclusion of Sleepwalker was another intriguing surprise. Sleepwalker was a character that I have always enjoyed so it was cool that he was involved in this new series. It had a definite feel of a noir and Hellcat is a book I am excited about continuing.

Mystery in Space #103. This was not an issue that I thought I would be buying. I had never even heard of it. My friend Todd from Comic World (my comic shop) had told me to buy this issue. It was among a collection that he had purchased for the store and he was excited about how much of that collection he had already sold. This book featured a story with a character named Ultra the Multi-Alien. Todd mentioned this and talked it up. I decided to pick it up. There were actually like three or four stories in the book that was released in 1965. None of these stories were much or stuck out to me as awesome. At best, I would say it was okay.

House of Slaughter #13. “The Butcher’s Return Part Three.” This issue felt like a middle ground for this story arc. It seemed as if everything was getting into place where the story would eventually head. The very end of the book had a dramatic switch though. This was written by Tate Brombal and the art was done by Antonio Fuso.

Gideon Falls #7-8. Written by Jeff Lemire and drawn by Andrea Sorrentino. I really am loving this series. Every issue brings more into the narrative about what is going on in this town with the mysterious Black Barn. It took a dark turn for one of the major characters that we have been following, Norman. Jeff Lemire has been on fire with this book and he shows his skill with the horror/comic genre.

X-Treme X-Men #1 & 2. Written by Chris Claremont with art by Salvador Larroca. I have not been a huge fan of the X-Men lately, but seeing Chris Claremont back with them was a huge selling point. I had picked up #2 & #3, but seemingly could not find #1. Thankfully, I was able to find #1 at Comic World the other day and I bought it. I have read the first two and I do like the book. They are mining some classic books by bringing back the old enemy of Logan and Kitty Pryde, Ogun, from a limited series back in the 1980s. I liked issue #1 more than #2, so we’ll see how #3 goes.

Secret Invasion #5. “Everywhere We Need to Be.” Written by Ryan North and drawn by Francesco Mobli. Sanford Greene did the cover art. This was the conclusion to this series. I have really enjoyed Secret Invasion, but I have to say that this finale felt a little underwhelming. I mean, it was fine. but there was just something that felt lacking here. There were plenty of pages where I really loved the coloring, with shades of green. It felt like I wanted more.

Superman: Lost #1. “Book One.” Plotted by Priest and Carlo Pagulayan. I saw this on the shelf at Comic World and it piqued my curiosity. I think it was the word “Lost” in the title. Todd comes into the story once again as he told me about the premise. Superman goes on an adventure and then returns claiming that he had been gone for 20 years, even though it did not seem like that to Lois and the Justice League. I do like a good mystery and I hope this one turns out to be one of those. I will most likely give it another chance.

Captain Marvel #47. “Revenge of the Brood Part Five.” Written by Kelly Thompson with art from Sergio Davila. Geez, things just keep getting worse and worse for poor Carol. She winds up in the exact place that Binary has been, just for the arrival of the biggest, most frightening Brood I think I have ever seen. I have enjoyed the use of the X-Men in this arc and I thought the interactions between Rogue and Hazmat were excellent. Not sure how Carol gets out of this.

Harrower #2. Written by Justin Jordan and illustrated by Brahm Revel. Whoa. Harrower arrived at a party and went to town. This was a cool slasher type story but, I have to say, the ending came out of nowhere and was just over. I understand cliffhangers, but I did not realize that the book was done. I kept looking for another page to wrap things up. It was a weird end, but I did enjoy what was here until that end.

Red Goblin #2. Written by Alex Paknadel and drawn by Jan Bazaldua. Normie Osborn heads into the sewers in search of his Pop-pop, Norman Osborn. Norman has been taken by the Goblin Nation and their leader, Phillip Urich. This has been good so far, but I do think that Normie speaks a little to maturely for the age he is supposed to be. Still, I like the young kid/symbiote connection going on here. Like a boy with his dog… only more vicious and murdery.

Avengers Forever #15. “The Rise of the Omni-Avengers” The creative team featured Jason Aaron, Aaron Kuder, Mark Farmer & Frank Martin. The big finale of the Avengers Assemble event is almost here as this is the penultimate issue. Robbie Reyes and Star Brand jump into action despite their troubles with their powers. There are a ton of Avengers and a bunch of other enemies including Mephisto, Doom and Dark Phoenix. Things will be wrapping up in Avengers Assemble: Omega.

Miles Morales: Spider-Man #4. “Trial by Spider Part Four.” Miles is getting his butt kicked Rabble, a new villain who seems to know Miles’ secret identity. This all has put Miles in a fearful mood as he is scared for the safety of his friends and his family. Misty Knight is here to help the young Spider-Man too. Written by Cody Ziglar and pencils by Federico Vicentini. Dike Ruan and Alejandro Sanchez did the cover.

Gold Goblin #5. Written by Christopher Cantwell with art from Lan Medina. Taurin Clarke did the cover. This wrapped up the limited series featuring the new Goblin alter-ego of Norman Osborn. Spider-Man guest stars in the series too, as he plays a vital role in Norman’s life. I liked how the book manipulated the press and the public into thinking that Osborn was still the horribly evil person he was before Sin-Eater. The fact that Norman Osborn is not sure if he is worthy is a great twist. It has kept the imbalance of guilt and doubt in the head of the former super villain and it is interesting to read. This was good.

March 14, 2023

I have been going through the piles once again, and I have found a few more complete independent series that I could read. That made me excited and so, along with continuing the ones that I have been catching up on, there are a few new ones to start today.

Shadecraft #1-5. Written by Joe Henderson and drawn by Lee Garbett. This was a series I remember starting after seeing number one promoted in the Previews. It looked cool and I did enjoy issue one back when it first came out. However, I did not read any more of the series so when I found the five issue series, I was excited to see where it would go. I re-read #1 to make sure I remembered the storyline, and there were sections that needed the refresher. This was a very creative series that I would love to see continue on at some point. The relationship between Zadie and her shadow-brother Ricky was sweet and actually quite realistic for the situation. This was a quick read and I feel as if there is a lot more that they could mine for stories.

Gideon Falls #5 & 6. Written by Jeff Lemire with art by Andrea Sorrentino. God, I love this series so far. This is just so compelling and full of anxiety and tension. I am so intrigued by everything surrounding the Black Barn and the different characters involved in the story. The psychadelic scenes with Father Fred inside the Black Barn were some of the best images across this entire series so far. The end of issue six indicated that this was the end of Book One and I am anxious to see where Book Two takes us.

Black Panther #9. “Range Wars Book One.” Black Panther comes back to the Avengers. He, Cap, Carol and Thor come across a being called The Colonialist. I am not sure if this is his first appearance or if he was a new character. Some of the writing made me think that this character had shown up before, but I don’t know. It was a very creative and original character though as I liked the look of him a lot. And the end of the issue brought us… Buffalo Soldier! Huh?

Sleeping Beauties #1. This was based on the novel by Stephen King and Owen King. It was adapted by Rio Youers and had art by Alison Sampson. Like many of King’s work, this takes place in a small town, this one named Dooling. There is a sleeping sickness that has fallen over the world, or, at least, women. There is a mysterious woman who comes out of the woods and seems to be immune to falling asleep. The first issue was okay, so we’ll see how it moves along.

I Walk with Monsters #1. Written by Paul Cornell with art by Sally Cantirino. This was extremely interesting, as we Jacey is dealing with some horrible monsters while in search of her brother Jake. There is a flashback to her childhood with her father. We saw a scene with a new boy joining them on their farm as a worker who… well, I am not sure what happened to him, but I have that feeling in my gut that I have an idea. I am looking forward to see more.

The Me You Love in the Dark #5. Written by Skottie Young with art by Jorge Corona. Big finale of this series as Ro revolts against the creature in the house. The art is fabulous and it was a satisfactory conclusion. The story felt a little light, but I did like the book.

Basilisk #3. “That Taste for Blood.” Written by Cullen Bunn with art by Jonas Scharf. Basilisk started to pick up as a group of killers, from the Chimera, are on their way to confront Regan. The Chimera were very cool and real bad ass. This book has been slow but it has beautiful art work. We’ll see how it continues.

Newburn #1. “Chapter One: Carmine’s Apartment.” Chip Zdarsky and Jacob Phillips are listed here (I suppose as character creator, maybe) but Nadia Shammas is listed as the writer of Part One while Ziyed Yusuf Ayoub is the listed artist. This was original and unexpected. The former cop Easton Newburn apparently is now working for the crime families as a problem solver. This first issue made me curious about the character and where this will go from here. I have had a bunch of these books that I had originally bought because of the name ‘Chip Zdarsky’ and I’m intrigued at continuing the series (even though it does not look like he is writing it).

Immoral X-Men #1. “Part 4: The Bond Age.” Written by Kieron Gillen and penciled by Paco Medina. This is in the on-going Sins of Sinister arc currently underway and I just couldn’t get into the issue at all. I just feel as if it is just another alternate future reality starring the X-Men and it is not tripping my trigger. I wasn’t even a half way through the book before I was skimming it, looking for it to end. I don’t think I am picking up this one again.

Moon Knight #16. “Chinatown” Written by Jed MacKay and penciled by Alessandro Cappuccio. Stephen Segovia and Rachelle Rosenberg were the cover artists. Moon Knight continues to be a very enjoyable book as Mr. Knight goes to negotiate with the vampires in charge around Chinatown. Meanwhile, things look bad for Hunter’s Moon. More good stuff from Moon Knight.

March 12, 2023

Tonight is the Academy Awards and I usually watch these. I have especially started watching this more since I usually am pretty close to having seen all of them. This year, though, because there are several Oscar nominees that I am saving for the next June Swoon, there are a couple of best picture nominees that I have not seen yet.

I am also rooting for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in the few categories it has been nominated for. In particular, I will be very disappointed if Angela Bassett does not get the Best Supporting Actress. Comic book movies are always dismissed by the Academy and her win would go a long way.

Meanwhile, I have some comics to catch-up on.

Black Panther #8. “The Long Shadow; Finale” Kicking off the catch-up with Black Panther because of the Oscars tonight. This is written by John Ridley and drawn by Stefano Landini. The conflict within Wakanda comes to a close as T’Challa and his forces launch their attack against Akili. I am looking forward to the next arc of this series.

The Silver Coin #4. “2467.” Written by Jeff Lemire and drawn by Michael Walsh. We get a futuristic story from the mind of Jeff Lemire. I have been reading a bunch of his work recently and I have really been enjoying it. This issue was so so. I did not feel the connection with a lot of the characters here as I have in other issues.

Moon Knight #14-15. Jed MacKay write this and the art was by Alessandro Cappuccio. Stephen Segovia & Rachelle Rosenberg were credited as cover artists. Moon Knight has been a solid series from Marvel recently. I really enjoy this last couple because it really dives back into the D.I.D. that Marc Spector has. We get some more on Steven Grant and Jake Lockley, which makes Moon Knight one of the most original super heroes in the comics.

Predator #1. “The Preserve Part 1 of 5” Written by Ed Brisson and penciled by Netho Diaz. The cover art was by Giuseppe Camuncoli & Richard Isanove. So I kinda liked this. However, I really did like the Alien book when it first came out, but it became one of my least favorite books every month. I just lost interest in it. I feel like this is going to be the same. I did like the set up of the story in this first issue, but I get a feeling that it is not sustainable.

Gideon Falls #3-4. Written by Jeff Lemire and drawn by Andrea Sorrentino. This has quickly become one of my favorite books that I am currently reading. It is extremely creepy and I have loved the mystery about what is happening and the enigma over the characters and why they are doing what they are doing. This mystery of the Black Barn is compelling and I am invested in it.

The Me You Love in the Dark #4. Written by Skottie Young and drawn by Jorge Corona. Seems like Ro is starting to understand that you do not start a sexual relationship with a mysterious spirit in a haunted house. The sweetheart spirit took a bit of a turn in this issue as he began to exert his own control over Ro. I have very few ideas on how this book is bringing this story to a conclusion next issue, but I am excited to find out how. I love Skottie Young’s writing style.

Ten Thousand Black Feathers #3. Written by Jeff Lemire and art by Andrea Sorrentino. We get more about Jackie’s disappearance and we see more about how she was acting before her disappearance. Trish and Jackie had some powerful reactions between each other that has led to a frightening final page that I am dying to find out about. This Bone Orchard Mythos world has been very engaging so far.

Primordial #3. Written by Jeff Lemire with art by Andrea Sorrentino. This Cold War series surrounding the space race and the mystery about the missing dog (Laika) and the primates (Able and Mrs. Baker) moves along with some wonderful imagery that makes the reader feel trippy. Yelena took the doctor into East Berlin in search of an answer to the mystery of the space program, but that is not what they found.

X-Men #20. “Lord of the Brood Part Two.” We finally come across Broo, who had been leader of the Brood, but was gleefully unaware that the hive-mind parasites had been doing things that he did not want them to do while he slept. And then, at the end of the book, we get a surprising arrival of Wilson Fisk and Typhoid Mary on Krakoa. Written by Gerry Duggan and drawn by Stefano Caselli. Juan Frigeri & David Curiel teamed up to do the art on the cover.

X-23: Deadly Regenesis #1. “The Past Haunts Us All.” Written by Erick Schultz and art by Edgar Salazar. Kalman Andrasofszky did the art on the cover. I liked this issue. Lately, Marvel has been going back into the pasts of characters to show stories that happened during that time period. This is an example of that for Laura. She does the heroic ‘save people from a building fire’ that we have seen others do, and it worked quite well here too. We are leading into a fight between X-23 and Haymaker next issue.

Sabretooth & the Exiles #4. “Station Four.” I did not expect the end of this book. It was a shocking final page that really picked up the rest of the book that did not create much in way of excitement or suspense. As a penultimate issue, this was not great, but it does give me an excitement for the finale next issue so that part was successful. Written by Victor LaValle and art by Leonard Kirk.

March 9, 2023

Wednesday was NEW COMIC BOOK DAY, but between parent/teacher conferences and yet another snowstorm on a Thursday, this was the first opportunity that I had to write a post. I have not finished everything from my pull box (there are several X-books to go), but there were several to read.

Punisher War Journal Base #1. Written by Torunn Grønbekk and drawn by Djibril Morissette-Phan. This was a story of Frank Castle before he became the Punisher. I like the Punisher, but I have never really been a huge fan of any of the series he has appeared in. This one shot was fine, but it did not make me want to check out the ongoing Punisher book.

Mary Jane & Black Cat #4. Written by Jed MacKay and drawn by Vincenzo Carratù. Paulo Siqueria & Rachelle Rosenberg did the art for the cover. This series continues to be a weird one as I have no idea why Mary Jane Watson has some strange kind of random power generator. MJ and Felicia are still chasing after a soulsword to give to Belasco, having to confront several others pursuing the same thing. The two lead characters are fun together.

Silver Surfer: Ghost Light #2. “Part 2: Darkness” Written by John Jennings featuring art by Valentine DeLandro. Taurin Clarke did the cover art. The second issue of this new short series featured characters that had originally been introduced in Siler Surfer #5 from 1969. Talk about mining the past for stories. This is another weird series because the book is not really a Silver Surfer book. He is there, but he is absolutely a supporting character to the lead protagonist, Al Harper. I’m sticking with this one for awhile because it is interesting enough.

Blue Beetle: Graduation Day #4. Written by Josh Trujillo and drawn by Adrian Gutierrez. Jaime teams up with his ‘archfoe’ Fadeaway in an attempt to help him retrieve his family’s ‘Bag of Trix.’ If you did not guess, things did not go the way Blue Beetle had hoped. Things are looking even worse for poor Jaime moving forward too as several big gun superheroes are on the case, and not necessarily in a positive manner for Jaime.

Deadpool #4. “Eat You Heart Out” Written by Alyssa Wong with art by Martin Coccolo. Things are not going well for Deadpool. He is being chased after by a team of super powered villains trying to kill him, he has fallen in love with a woman named Valentine and Cletus Kasady exploded out of his chest. Rough deal for the Merc with a Mouth.

New Mutants: Lethal Legion #1. “Vampire Heist.” Written by Charlie Jane Anders and drawn by Enid Balám. This was an interesting first issue of this short series, but the fact is I had no idea who (almost) any of these characters were. I knew Rahne, but other than that, there was very few characters that I recognized or had any connection to.

Bloodline: Daughter of Blade #2. Written by Danny Lore with art by Karen S. Darboe. We keep close with Brielle, the daughter of Blade, who has just discovered her powers She teamed up with new girl at school, Whitney, to see exactly what hunting vampires was like. It might not have been a wise move. However, daddy arrived in the tick of time.

Fantastic Four #5. “Up to Scratch.” Written by Ryan North and drawn by Ivan Fiorelli. So we get a weird adventure for the FF when the Salem’s Seven, led by Nicholas Scratch attacks the FF on the road (causing a traffic jam) and messes them up badly. Trying to save their lives, the FF dimensionally travel, only to, apparently, bring back a bacteria that could crash the global food chain bringing about a total extinction. You know… the the FF, like a Thursday.

Scarlet Witch #3. Written by Steve Orlando with art from Sara Pichelli. Special guest star, Polaris, joined Wanda in a strange adventure to help a woman named Mardj to find the Sword in the Star. I was not a fan of this issue, although I thought the art was presented in an excellent manner. The book was filled with full page art from the early part to the very end of the book. It was an unconventional looking book, but the story did not hook me much. And the end puts Darcy into serious jeopardy.

Amazing Spider-Man #21. Written by Zeb Wells and drawn by John Romita Jr. This begins the reveal of the big story from this past year about what Peter did that was so horrible that he drove away all his friends and sent Mary Jane into the arms of another man, who had a couple of kids along for the ride. My friend Todd turned his nose up at this issue, but I thought it was decent. There was a character here called the Scribble Man, who I do not know if he had ever been seen before. It was my first time seeing him and he has some connection to what happened with Peter. I am nervous about what they are going to do. I just hope it isn’t something that is dramatically out of character for Peter (eg. One More Day).

Avengers #66. “The Final Assemblage.” Written by Jason Aaron and drawn by Javier Garrón. The multiversal Avengers battle the 616 Mephisto, despite the demon becoming gigantic. There were some surprise Avengers from across the Multiverse such as Galactus (???) or Cosmic Ka-Zar (???). This is the final Jason Aaron issue for this book, and this Avengers Assemble arc has two more issues left, with Avengers Forever #15 and Avengers Assemble: Omega #1 yet to come.

March 7, 2023

At the moment, there are so many independent comic that I am reading. I have been grabbing several series and finding issues in my piles that are intriguing me at the moment. Plus, I am more caught up with Marvel than I thought. There are a couple of series from Marvel that I am still working on, but my most favorite ones are caught up.

I have been enjoying this trip through the independents, especially those that feature some of my favorite writers working right now.

Here we go…

Gideon Falls #1-2. Written by Jeff Lemire and drawn by Andrea Sorrentino. Just got the entire series of Gideon Falls in the mail today and I got the chance to start it off with two really great issues setting up what was happening. Father Quinn heads into the town only to find something dark and mysterious going on with the black barn. This was a great kick off and I am excited to continue it along.

Primordial #2. Written (also) by Jeff Lemire and drawn by Andrea Sorrentino. This book is mostly about a dog named Laika. A dog that was sent into space to eventually meet a monkey. It has been a fascinating start to this short series. Lemire and Sorrentino are an exciting pair that have brought us some really good stories.

King of Spies #3-4. Written by Mark Millar and drawn by Matteo Sealera. I loved the wrap up of King of Spies with Roland King finishing off with the worst monster of all…himself. The end of this series was rough but it was very poetic. This was a tight and exciting story that really worked.

Home #1-2. Written by Julio Anta and drawn by Anna Wieszczyk. This is one that I have found in the piles and I decided to start. I am still looking for #3 though (it’s here somewhere). This is an extremely political issue, featuring immigration problems that happened during the Trump Administration. Separating children from their mothers became a central moment for this comic. However, there is a super powered twist to this that makes it all the more interesting.

Moon Knight #13. “Knight feeders” Written by Jed MacKay and drawn by Federico Sabbatini. Still got some Marvel to read. Taskmaster guest stars and told the guy trying to hire him to go after Moon Knight that he wanted no part of Moon Knight. He scared him. This is a guy who will take on any number of Marvel heroes, but Moon Knight is the line he draws. I love the respect given by the villains to heroes.

The Me You Love in the Dark #3. Written by Skottie Young with art done by Jorge Corona. The book has really become a weird one as artist, Ro, continues to work on her painting while, seemingly, dating the spirit of the house. It even ends with some ‘baum-chick-a-bow-bow” at the end. Popcorn, movies and Netflix and chill with the spirit? Why not. Didn’t see that coming…so to speak.

Hulk #12. “Hulk Planet Part Four.” Written and drawn by Ryan Ottley (plotted with Donny Cates). This was actually my favorite of the Hulk books recently. Banner is struggling to prevent Titan from taking over. I am not sure if Titan is what I think it is, but it had a much more Immortal Hulk feel to the end of this issue. And there was a big time boom at the end too. This was the first issue of this run of the Hulk that engaged me. Hope this continues moving forward.

March 5, 2023

I have been picking up some recent graphic novels via eBay. In fact, I have three that were recently nominated for an Eisner. Two of which I will review below.

The third one is the most recent Eisner winner. It is called Monsters by Barry Windsor Smith. The problem is… this thing is like a textbook. It is a massive 360 pages and an attempt to start it is overwhelming.

I have read a few pages of the monstrosity, but I am not sure when this will get finished. Perhaps this is a book to wait with until summer. Or maybe a little bit every day. Either way, it is gigantic.

Otherwise, here are the rest…

Meadowlark. Creative duo of Greg Ruth and Ethan Hawke. Yes, Ethan Hawke the actor. The cover describes it as “a coming-of-age crime story.” I can see why this was nominated for an Eisner because this was a beautiful book. The art was spectacular and the color was very sepia-toned. It is a lovely book to look at, even if the story was one of pain. It followed teenager Cooper who had been giving his mother trouble lately. He wound up at his father, Jack’s, place of business- at a prison on a day when several inmates executed an escape plan. Things get rather personal for Jack and Cooper quickly. You can definitely see this as a film starring Ethan Hawke as Jack. I can’t imagine that this project is not down the road a bit. The book was a quick and thrilling read. I really enjoyed this.

Lugosi: The Rise & Fall of Hollywood’s Dracula. Story and art were done by Koren Shadmi. This is the life story of the famous actor Bela Legosi, who became most well known for his role as Count Dracula for Universal Studios. The graphic novel covered Legosi’s life from a youngster in Hungary until his death, sad and broken in California. We hear about his struggles getting any roles significant besides Dracula, his rivalries with Boris Karloff and his friendship with Ed Wood. We see Legosi’s marriages and his family issues. It is a fascinating look at an iconic actor in the early days of cinema.

Love Everlasting #3-5. Written by Tom King and drawn by Elsa Charretier. Joan Peterson made her way into plenty of love stories over these three issues. Issue five was a little different as it gave us a bit of background in what exactly was going on, but it did not lay out everything. Apparently, Joan’s mother has some involvement here- hiring the cowboy who has been killing Joan in the different timelines. Each of these issues had a different twist to them and I have been enjoying the mysterious story as in moves along.

Middlewest #1. Written by Skottie Young and drawn by Jorge Corona. Abel is a young kid whose had plenty of problems from an abusive and strict father. Middlewest is a beautifully looking book that I was attracted to because of Skottie Young’s work on Strange Academy. He has become one of those writers that I want to read because their work is always great. This world is magical and I want to know more.

King of Spies #2. Written by Mark Millar and drawn by Matteo Sealera. Roland King is back at it. He has six months to live and the former British spy has decided that he will use the time he has remaining to kill as many monsters as he can. It seemed that the British Intelligence knows who is behind the recent rush of murders and assassinations and they have called in Roland’s son, Atticus. Millar is really good at this style of story and I am intrigued with what is next.

Primordial #1. Written by Jeff Lemire and drawn by Andrea Sorrentino. The pair that would eventually work on the Bone Orchard Mythos project, worked together on this series for Image. This is a book where the advancement of the space program took a different path in the early 1960s. The sci-fi book, which made me think of Interstellar crossed with The Department of Truth, kicks off with a great mystery involving what happened to a pair of monkeys sent into space.

Jane Foster & The Mighty Thor #5. “Part Five of Five.” Written by Torunn Grønbekk and drawn by Michael Dowling. This issue wrapped up the story of Jane Foster’s search for Thor and the attack by Ares, God of War, on Asgard. Honestly, this book was, at best, adequate. There was a lot of Thor-type action and weird names that can make it tough to follow. Still, it looked great and it leads into the current storyline running in Thor currently so, it was worth the read.

Ten Thousand Black Feathers #2. Written by Jeff Lemire with art from Andrea Sorrentino. We continue to see the background and history between Jackie and Trish, setting up the mystery beneath the series… Jackie’s disappearance. Trish is determined to help her friend, even after ten years. The splitting between the girls’ lives and the fantasy element of the book is cool and keeps things moving quickly.

Regarding the Matter of Oswald’s Body #1. “Chapter One: October 55th.” I found this number one in a pile and I was curious to read it. It was from Boom! Studios which has had plenty of solid short series. The book fell into a lot of the current books I have been reading, as a mystery man named Frank is assembling a group of people. Not sure what the mission is, but the last page has a picture of Lee Harvey Oswald. Oswald starred in The Department of Justice too. I do not think I am pursuing this book any further, but it was not a bad read.

The Me You Love in the Dark #2. Written by Skottie Young and drawn by Jorge Corona. Ro is an artist trying to rediscover her mojo, but the house that she is staying at is haunted… or something like that. This is an uncommon haunted house tale, as it really is more of a character piece with most of the book centered around a conversation. I liked it so far. It was an easy read and it keeps the suspense about what is going on.

March 4, 2023

So it is post #42… which is, of course, the answer to the ultimate question. It was Jackie Robinson’s number that was retired by Major League Baseball across all teams. It was the final number of Hurley’s numbers on LOST. Number 42 is a significant number so it is a good day to do another special edition of the Comic Catch-Up.

I was pondering some questions the other day. One that I was thinking about was what causes me to try a new title? Especially now that I have been expanding my comic reading significantly past just Marvel. Why do I try something and not others?

What I came up with was clear. It was the writer.

When I was young, I was more into the artist. I remember being more of a fan of those people creating the look, the imagery, the beauty of the book than those who were writing it. I loved John Byrne, Walter Simonson, Arthur Adams, John Romita Jr (Spider-Man, of course), Frank Miller, among others.

Now, I honestly do not know a bunch of artists off the top of my head. However, when I see certain names of writers attached to projects, I feel my curiosity piqued. I have started the Bone Orchard Mythos because of Jeff Lemire. I gave Love Everlasting another chance because it was written by Tom King (who wrote the brilliant 2015 Vision series). Tom Tayler wrote my favorite run of Spidey books called Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. Donny Cates is up and down, either being brilliant with Crossover or horrendous with the new Hulk series. Speaking of Hulk, The Immortal Hulk brought Al Ewing to the front. I have purchased several of Skottie Young’s books because of his work on Strange Academy. Even the old days would make me think about Chris Claremont. Several of those artists I mentioned earlier transitioned into becoming writers too.

Though it would be up for debate, perhaps my current favorite writer working in comics today is most likely James Tynion IV. I was introduced to his work on Something is Killing the Children and I have loved The House of Slaughter, The Department of Truth and The Closet. I never read any of his Batman books that I have heard he became known for.

One of the things I love about Tynion’s writing is that he has such a variety of tones to his work and his style, which feels the same, is actually very different. In SiKtC, Tynion IV does not use a lot of dialogue or exposition, relying heavily on the art/images to move the story along. The Department of Truth is much opposite, as several of the issues were exposition-heavy. The look of many of these books are extremely original as well. Different is important.

No matter what they style, James Tynion IV is an exceptional storyteller, in many ways pushing the format of comics into areas where they have never been before. If I see his name on the cover of a book (say, Blue Book #1), I am much more likely to pick it up than I would be if it were written by another comic writer.

So, I jumped into James Tynion IV’s oeuvre today with both feet.

The Department of Truth #18-22. The art was done on all of these issues by Martin Simmonds. I was terribly upset, because as I reached issue 22, I realized that the book had ended. I did not know that before. I was upset because I had really enjoyed this book. Even worse, I think this last few issues were just amazing. The exposition-heavy part of these issues had been lowered a bit as more and more truth started to come out. They went into more specifics about what The Department of Truth and what exactly was happening. I should have seen that as a clue that the book was wrapping up. However, they left off on a massive cliffhanger so I hope that we have not seen the last of Lee Harvey Oswald and the others.

Enter the House of Slaughter Free Comic Book Day. Art by Tate Brombal. This was the prequel for the ongoing series House of Slaughter that came out on Free Comic Book Day. I had not read it when I was doing the Something is Killing the Children catch-up day, and it was in the pile just waiting for the opportunity. With the Tynion day today, the moment was perfect. It weaved together much of the background of the original arc for Erica and threw some more spice in the mix.

The Closet #1-3. Art by Gavin Fullerton. I had no idea that there were only three issues in this series, done during the 30th anniversary of Image Comics. I had read the first couple of issues, but I did not know it ended with three because I had not finished it. So I re-read the whole thing to keep myself clear on what was going down. I am pleased that I did because it was a tough story that was filled with pain and fear. Thom is such a horrible person and a rotten father and husband, but you can still relate to the loser’s struggles. Of course, in the end, his own selfishness was causing fear for his son and the imagery of what the kid was having happen was just hard to read.

The Nice House on the Lake #1-12. Artist: Álvaro Martínez Bueno. This is the series that I ordered when I was going over the Eisner Awards looking for interesting independent books. This is not independent as it is DC Comics Black Label, but it definitely has an indie-feel to it. I loved this book as some benevolent ‘alien(?)’ who had been masquerading as a human for years, was instructed to find 10 exceptional humans to save before the end of the world. However, Walter (the ‘alien’) had grabbed the friends he had made during his time as a human and he took them all to a idyllic paradise, on a house on a lake. He found out that the human nature was too erratic. The series does an excellent job of building this group of people over the run of the 12-issues so that they are important to the reader and three-dimensional as characters. Much like a lot of Tynion’s work, the narrative is not just told in the typical comic book fashion. The use of text messages, memos and sketches make this a unique and engaging series.

March 3, 2023

It’s Friday night and I have read several comics over the last couple of days. I am going to continue to read these books and when there is enough, I will continue to do the Comic Catch-Up.

I got one of my orders from eBay today with a graphic novel. It will be the first book I discuss below as I continue to find more interest in the Bone Orchard Mythos by Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino.

Off we go…

The Passageway. Writer: Jeff Lemire. Artist: Andrea Sorrentino. This graphic novel kicked off the Bone Orchard Mythos where Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino team-up once again to build a horror book and several horror series that fall inside the same connected universe. That idea intrigued me a great deal and so I looked into the books. This graphic novel is a wonderful kick off to this horror world. The art is great with some beautiful images on these pages. The story is intense. These birds are really creepy. It is a great start to this project.

Ten Thousand Black Feathers #1. Jeff Lemire & Andrea Sorrentino’s The Bone Orchard Mythos continues with this new short series. It starts with am introduction to two characters, Trish and Jackie, and their relationship, how it began and where they went. The darkness is there and the mysterious events are extremely inventive and involving.

Basilisk #2. “Chapter Two: Blessings of the Chimera.” Written by Cullen Bunn and drawn by Jonas Scharf. This issue was a little more of a downward trend for me. I still enjoyed it, but there was a lot in here that felt like I wasn’t sure what was happening (and not in the good way) and material that did not still with me after reading it. Still love the character and the last page was beautifully horrific so I hope the narrative grasps my attention more moving forward.

Jane Foster & the Mighty Thor #4. “Part Four of Five.” Written by Torunn Grønbekk with art from Michael Dowling. Jane Foster continues her search to find Thor and the connection between the pair of these characters is developed more. And while that is going on… we get Ares. Looks like the finale of this short series could be fire.

The Department of Truth #17. Written by James Tynion IV and drawn by Jorge Fornés. Lee Harvey Oswald joins forces with President Richard Nixon. I had to let that idea sink in a minute. The rest of the book focuses in on the Apollo 11 moon landing mission. One of the interesting ideas with The Department of Truth is that you read the story and you are never really sure if what you read is what happened. It is the ultimate conspiracy theory book that is just fascinating with its big swings every issue.

The Riddler Year One #3. Written by Paul Dano with art by Stevan Subic. The cover featured art by the legendary Bill Sienkiewicz. I did have more trouble following this issue than I did with previous ones. I have a feeling I have a good idea where it is going, but I can also see a situation where I misjudged what the book is trying to tell me. It is still a beautifully original book with some great storytelling techniques.

Ghost Rider #12. “Neeropolis.” Written by Benjamin Percy and drawn by Cory Smith. Savannah is going up in flames and it seemed as if the Ghost Rider was to blame. This was news to Johnny Storm, who arrived in the city with Talia discovering that plenty of people thought he was behind this. Blaze had an idea of what had happened… and the idea of another Ghost Rider popped up.

King of Spies #1. Written by Mark Millar and drawn by Matteo Sealera. One of the world’s greatest spies, Roland King, is at a time in his life where he is having health issues. In fact, he had been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer and given 6 months to live. Instead of rolling over and dying, Roland decided to take the fight to the evil of the world. Mark Millar writes this type of character extremely well and this first issue of four was very compelling.

Cove the Dead with Lime #3. The story of Jack Teller continues as we see how he wound up becoming one of the hooded plague doktors. It is a terribly tragic tale told in a difficult manner. The art is extremely moody and tense. This has been an intriguing book written by Jonathan Chance and drawn by Hernan Gonzalez.

Love Everlasting #2. “The Hunt for Love.” Written by Tom King and drawn by Elsa Charretier. Joan finds herself in a new love story, this time as a maid who fell in love with the son of the nobleman she worked for. To say that his father approved of the love would be an understatement. Then, as the book continued, the story takes a weird turn. Love Everlasting provided, once more, a compelling and unexpectedly good story. I am very anxious to find out what is going down here.

March 1, 2023

Well, welcome to the All-New, All-Different Comic Catch-Up for March. Okay, so it may not be all-new or all-different. I got a cool new heading for March, though. Reminder that I will not be doing this post daily as I did in February, but it will absolutely be a regular post during March.

It is Wednesday, so that means it is NEW COMIC BOOK DAY. I actually bought a bunch of back issues today, including several Love Everlasting issues, but I stuck to reading the new issues tonight.

Interestingly, it was March 1st, and Marvel released like seven different books that were number ones. I got them all. There are some that I may not continue collecting moving forward, but it is a coincidence that all the number ones arrived on the first of the month.

Here is the night’s haul.

Hallows’ Eve #1. “There’s One in Every Deck.” Hallows’ Eve came from the pages of Amazing Spider-Man during the Dark Web storyline, which may not have been the biggest selling point for this book. I did not love the Dark Web event, but this issue was much more intriguing. This character had some good moments in this first issue and, I mean, she pretended to be a werewolf. Can’t beat that. Written by Erica Schultz and drawn by Michael Dowling.

I am Iron Man #1. “Chapter One: Hero” Written by Murewa Ayodele with art by Dotun Akande. I did like this book. In particular, the look of the issue was just wonderful. I was very impressed with the art from Dotun Akande. Akande’s cover was really great, harping back to a noir flavor. The story itself was a tad difficult to follow as the story trekked across several different versions of Iron Man in different time frames.

Spider-Gwen: Shadow Clones #1. Written by Emily Kim and drawn by Kei Zama. David Nakayama did the cover for this issue. This was a fun book, even if the story constantly used the C-word. Clones. That word brings back some horrendous feelings of betrayal and anger. Feelings that have never truly allowed me to give a crap about Ben Reilly, no matter what position he was in. However, Gwen is just a charming character and is fun to read.

Rogue & Gambit #1. “Buy a Girl A(nother) Ring First.” Written by Stephanie Phillips and drawn by Carlos Gomez. Cover art was done by Steve Morris. This book reminded me of how much I used to enjoy Gambit. This started out with some excellent Remy LeBeau action, albeit some drunk action. Of course, when your wife is Rogue, you are usually in a pretty good place. When Destiny shows up with one of her visions, she sends Rogue and Gambit to retrieve Manifold, the teleporter. It does not go well.

Spider-Man: Unforgiven #1. “Horror Stuff” Written by Tim Seeley and drawn by Sid Kotian. Kyle Hotz & Dan Brown did the art on the cover. This looks to be the next series of books with a new group of supernatural characters. These are the Forgiven and they are vampires who do not consume human blood and are out to look to help humans. They come across Spider-Man in this issue and next issue will meet up with the X-Men. There was a surprising betrayal in this issue that caught me, and the other characters, off guard. I hope to get more on these new characters than just their vampire powers.

Murderworld: Game Over #1. Written by Jim Zub & Ray Fawkes with art from Lorenzo Tammetta. This concluded the Murderworld story with Arcade’s Squid Game (basically). I had been cheering for the regular humans to make it through the trap-filled Murderworld. Turned out that Black Widow, who appeared at the end of the last episode, was not our Natasha after all. LMDs. Arcade showed what a manipulative villain he could be and displayed the depth of his cruelness. I’m not sure I loved the ending, but I did like this series.

Cosmic Ghost Rider #1. “Dual Identity Part One.” Written by Stephanie Phillips and drawn by Juann Cabal. This was fine. I have never been much of a fan of the character of Cosmic Ghost Rider and this did nothing to change my mind. I was fine with the book and I liked the design of Kral Dravitt. While it was fine, I will most likely not continue on with this one.

Spider-Man #6. “Part Six: The Once and Future Queen.” So there were more than just number ones this month. This is written by Dan Slott and drawn by Mark Bagley. Despite this A + creative team, I just am not into this Spider-Verse stuff. I just want my Peter Parker in Spider-Man stories. I do not need all of these variants everywhere. This is labeled as the End of the Spider-verse and I hope that it is the case.

Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #10. Written by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly. Art is by Carmen Carnero. M.O.D.O.C. is here and causing all kinds of trouble. Cap is still shaken from the betrayal of Bucky and the Invaders are here to help stop the giant headed villain. However, it seemed as if the book ends with some tragedy.

February 28, 2023

Well, here it is. The final day of February brings to an end the every day Comic Catch-up that has been going strong daily. I have made a dent in the piles of comics that I have but there are still several piles to go.

This feels like the letter page at the end of a series’ run. The writer saying how he/she had such an awesome experience with whichever character that was in the book. He/She thanked the artist, the other creative people, the editors, and the fans who had been so dedicated to the book.

There have been days when I had to squeeze the time in the day. Most of the days, however, I spent way more than the one hour that I had originally intended to give. It has been awesome. I had really missed reading my comics. I have caught up with a bunch of the titles that I currently collect, which makes NEW COMIC BOOK DAY all the better. I have also found myself more invested in the independent comics than I have ever been. I have found fun searching across eBay to pick up complete sets. Several of these will be coming in the mail this week.

After all of this reflection, I do plan on continuing the Comic Catch-Up as the calendar turns to March. It will just not have to be daily. If there is a day I get home from school and have something to watch on TV that evening, maybe I do not read anything on that day. I won’t feel the need to wake up early on busy days to read before I have to get ready for school. There is nothing saying when I have to do a post. All I can say is that there will be plenty of days when the Comic Catch-Up will continue.

I do plan on continuing the post numbering with #40. I am not ready to restart the numbering at number one like they do with comics…all the time. How many Deadpool #1s have there been?

So, with the final Comic Catch-Up of February, let’s go…

Crossover #9-13. Written (and starring) Donny Cates. Drawn by Geoff Shaw. I loved this series. It was one of the most meta stories that I have ever read. Who knew that Donny Cates himself would be a major character (who dies) in the book. I love Ellipses and Ryan. The section involving Brian Bendis was hilarious. Negan killing Robert Kirkman with Lucille? Did not see that coming. There were just a ton of surprises and exceptional cameos and guest stars. I had only planned on reading issue #9 & 10 tonight, but I was just so into the story that I had to finish it up. I sure hope that this is not the complete end of the book because the cliffhanger was compelling as hell. Perhaps the meta aspect of Crossover would wear thin one day, but that had not happened in the first 13 issues. Bring on some more.

The Department of Truth #16. Written by James Tynion IV and penciled by Alison Sampson. The Department of Truth and Lee Harvey Oswald goes psychadelic. Lee is stoned and the whole issue was a total trip. The art by Alison Simpson was utterly wild, full of color and like a fever dream. And all centered around RFK. Another outstanding issue.

Black Panther #7. “The Long Shadow Book Seven” Written by John Ridley and drawn by Stefano Landini. Cover Art by EYG Hall of Famer Alex Ross. Tosin meets up with Shuri and T’Challa’s group continues to grow. Despite the fact that these characters are preparing to fight with T’Challa, none of them seem to like him very much. Even Storm and the Dora Milaje had issues with the former king. Still, the forces are forming to oppose the power grab of Akili.

Moon Knight #12. “The Killing Time Part Two” Written by Jed Mackay with art from Alessandro Cappuccio. Stephen Segovia & Rachelle Rosenberg were featured as cover artists. This might have been my favorite issue of this new run of Moon Knight yet. All of these characters were coming to a wonderful convergence as Moon Knight and Zodiac were facing off and just when it looked like Zodiac was going to get his final comeuppance… Steven Grant arrives. Great issue.

Jane Foster & the Mighty Thor #3. “Part Three of Five” Written by Torunn Grønbekk and art by Michael Dowling. Jane taking on S’ym in Limbo is one thing, but the last few pages of this issue were shocking. I guess Thor does not know who Jane was. Now, true, amnesia is an overused plot device, but there was just something of the way in which this was revealed that made it feel fresh.

The Silver Coin #3. “Death Rattle.” Written by Ed Brisson with art from Michael Walsh. A brutal issue featuring a female thief who came across the cursed coin, which seemingly turned her into a vicious murderer. I did like a lot of the imagery and the kills involved, but the story itself felt a little lacking of depth. The ending was very intriguing though.

Hulk #11. “Hulk Planet Part Three“. Written, penciled and inked by Ryan Ottley. I guess this was the Hulk’s chance to play Quidditch. A game called Godball on this planet of Hulk worshipers. I found this one to be just ridiculous and not enjoyable at all. I am really hoping to get some form of the real Hulk back soon because this whole Spaceship Hulk thing with Banner and others piloting him is just not doing it for me. This was easily my least favorite book of the day.

So February comes to a close. March is coming in like a lamb weather-wise, but like a lion since tomorrow is NEW COMIC BOOK DAY!!!!

February 27, 2023

The Comic Catch-Up rolls along with number 38 today. The piles of comics have started to show a tad bit of a dent, which is great. I should have some new independent comics this week too sometimes.

Here is today’s haul…

Jane Foster & The Mighty Thor #2. “Part Two of Five“. Jane Foster has Mjolnir, her Valkyrie abilities and a mission to find Thor Odinson. Thor has disappeared (we get an idea of what happened to Thor to kick off this issue) and Jane is in search of her former love. Of course, she is aided by the spirit of Odin who has taken up residence in the hammer. Jane discovers that Thor may have been taken to Limbo. Written by Torunn Grønbekk with art from Michael Dowling.

Hulk #10. “Hulk Planet” Written by Donny Cates and drawn by Ryan Ottley. Hulk arrived on a strange planet where the population seemed to idolize the Hulk. The planet had been exposed to gamma radiation rom a bomb that exploded in Hulk #6. Not sure I am a fan of this arc either. I miss the Immortal Hulk.

Black Panther #6. “The Long Shadow Book Six“. T’Challa is being hunted by the forces of Wakanda for being a traitor. The forces have orders to capture or kill the King. It is a good thing Black Panther has friend… or an ex-wife like Storm… to fall back on. Written by John Ridley and drawn by Stefano Landini, the political intrigue of Wakanda continues on.

The Silver Coin #2. “Girls of Summer” Written by Kelly Thompson and drawn by Michael Walsh. This issue focuses on a camp where the campers are being murdered. And it is all because of the mysterious silver coin. A tragic story in a familiar sub genre of horror.

Moon Knight #11. “The Killing Time Part One.” Moon Knight is out for blood as Zodiac has his therapist, Andrea Sterman. With the problem facing Moon Knight, he is forced to go to the one place he really did not want to go to for help…Khonshu. Written by Jed MacKay with art by Alessandro Cappuccio.

Crossover #5-8. Issues 5, 6 & 8 written by Donny Cates and drawn by Geoff Shaw. Issue #7 written by Chip Zdarsky and drawn by Phil Hester. I am enjoying this romp through the super hero character of comics coming together. As I said, this would not be anything more than just a gimmick if the characterization of out main crew was not as exceptional as it is. Issue #7 was a bit of a detour as we follow the adventures of Chip Zdarsky and his comic book counterpart. An unexpectedly wild issue.

February 26, 2023

Second post in the Comic Catch-Up of the day as February comes to a close later this week. I spent a little time today going through piles once again searching for some more comics to get started with. I did find a few new (old) books.

The Last Book You’ll Ever Read #8. Written by Cullen Bunn and drawn by Leila Leiz. Lookie Lookie! Just today in Comic Catch-Up #36, I did issues 4-7 and I speculated that I was missing the final issue of this book and I was considering whether I wanted to pick it up or not because I was not enjoying it much. That very day, I find it in a pile, taking the choice out of my hands. And the end of the book was as unsatisfying as I could imagine. I really hated the way this book ended, and I was not much of a fan of it in the first place. I don’t know if they plan on a sequel or continuing the story on down the road, but this is absolutely literally the last book (in this series) I’ll ever read.

Moon Knight#10. “Session” Written by Jed MacKay and penciled by Alessandro Cappuccio. This Moon Knight has really become brutal. Even his own friends are a little uncertain about him. This was a rough issue where Moon Knight dealt with the problem of Waxman and dealt with him in an almost cruel manner. I wonder if Moon Knight is slipping deeper into his illness.

Hulk #9. “Hulk Planet Part One“. Written by Donny Cates and drawn by Ryan Ottley. Bruce Banner is in a therapy session with “Doc Sampson” and he flashes back to one of the few happy memories of his childhood. This is a prerequisite for Bruce to get on the ship every day. Then it appears as if Hulk has returned… home?

Black Panther #5. “The Long Shadow Book Five” Written by John Ridley and drawn by Juann Cabal with Stefano Landini. Alex Ross did yet another cover for the book. T’Challa is on the run as the government of Wakanda is beginning to believe that he committed treason against the state. Meanwhile Shuri and Omolola escape together too.

The Silver Coin #1. “The Ticket.” Written by Chip Zdarsky with art by Michael Walsh. This is an anthology horror series that kicked off with a “magical” coin finding its way into the hands of a young rock guitarist who discovered that he was suddenly so much better playing that he was before. It was a pretty sad story of a pathetic loser trying to make it in the world of rock and roll.

Crossover #1-4. Written by Donny Cates and drawn by Geoff Shaw. I pulled this book from out of the piles and started into it once again. I started at the beginning, though I think I read number one before. Truthfully though I did not remember much about it so a refresher was a good choice. The use of the other characters/artists/writers etc. is really just a gimmick that would not work if the story wasn’t strong. So far, I think the story works well.

February 26, 2023

So I spent less time yesterday reading comics because I was going to spend time watching movies. I hit Cocaine Bear at the theater and saw two Netflix films yesterday.

What that meant was today would be a larger amount. In fact, I went to finish off a couple of the series available.

I have also been getting more into certain independent comics. I, of course, blame Todd, Ben, Pat and Drew at Comic World, but the truth is that I have been active trying certain books out that even they haven’t recommended. I like a good story no matter what company it is (except DC…jk).

So I have a few number ones down here that I am trying out to see if I want to continue it. Most are Image.

Vanish #1. Story by Donny Cates and art by Ryan Stegman. This issue was interesting. I did love the art by Ryan Stegman. There was a lot of world building going on in this issue introducing us to the characters and the circumstance that he was found in. Although I did kind of like the premise that they arrived at by the end of the book, I was not that engaged by what was happening and I am going to skip this one moving forward.

The Bone Yard Orchard Mythos Prelude. Written by Jeff Lemire and drawn by Andrea Sorrentino. This was a Free Comic Book Day book that was included in an eBay order and it was very good. I do enjoy Jeff Lemire and this one hooked me immediately. I am also intrigued by the shared world that they are building with other horror comics at Image. I went into a deep dive on eBay with Lemire/Sorrentino books.

Hell to Pay #1. “The Shrouded College Book 1” Written by Charles Soule with art from Will Sliney. Cover art was done by Dave Johnson. Again, much like Vanish, this was fine, but did not inspire me to search out any more issues. The story was okay and the art was great, but I did not find myself as enthralled by the book than I wanted.

Love Everlasting #1. Written by Tom King and drawn by Elsa Charretier. I believe this is one that Todd stuck in my box. I originally glanced at it, but did not look at it closely. I do like Tom King, who wrote one of my favorite limited series, Vision. This one started like a romance comic, but suddenly, the story changed, but the main character, Joan Petersen, was in a new circumstance, with a new love and slight memories of the other. I have to say, I was intrigued at the idea. Am I intrigued enough to continue with this? No sure yet, but maybe.

The Last Book You’ll Every Read #5-7. Written by Cullen Bunn and drawn by Leila Leiz. I wanted to be done with this book because I have not enjoyed it at all, but I was already into the book so I figured I might as well finish it up. However, there looks to be an issue #8 out there that I do not have (unless it is hidden in the piles) so I am now torn. Should I be the completist and grab the last issue since I have #1-7 or do I just let it go because I have not liked this book at all. Not sure which way to go. Maybe it will depend on how easily I can get my hands on it. Just not a fan of this one.

The Department of Truth #15. Writer: James Tynion IV. Artist: David Romero. I have enjoyed this series quite a bit, and this issue took it to an all-new level. This issue was about the Mothman legend and it was laid out in a much different style than any other comic book I have ever seen. It felt more like an adult style picture book with the text being much of an interview being carried out with “Doc” Dalton Hynes. Who exactly was performing the interview was redacted in a cool detail. This issue introduces an awesome character named Indrid Cold and ends with Hynes making some fascinating comments about Lee. While I would not want this to be in this format regularly, this was an exceptional special issue.

Finally up to Marvel….

Thor #31. “Blood of the Fathers Part One” Written by Torunn Grønbekk and Donny Cates with art from Nic Klein. I have caught up to Thor’s most current issue (although I have a bunch before this that I did skip and may need to go back to read eventually). Thor heads to Hel with Valkyrie to try and figure out what was going on. They came across some cool creatures such as a couple of giant ravens and Nidhogg, eater of the dead. There was a back up story with Thor and Black Panther as well which was written by Cheryl Lynn Eaton and art by Chriscross. No hint whether that back up story would make you want to…jump, jump.

Thing #4-6. “The Next Big Thing.” Finished this short series featuring Ben Grimm and I have to say that I did not like this at all. The first three issues were iffy for me and these three just did nothing for me. The story did not feel like one that The Thing should have been involved in. Things happened that made no sense and the supporting characters were terrible. That creepy kid was not really explained. Dr. Doom showed up with a storyline that I thought was done decades ago. Just not what I want from a Thing series.

Moon Knight #9. “Stranger” Written by Jed MacKay and drawn by Alessandro Cappuccio. Cover by Cory Smith & Rachelle Rosenberg. It was nice to have Moon Knight back in the Moon Knight book after last issue’s absence. I enjoyed this issue with Moon Knight making a deal with the House of Shadows.

Devil’s Reign: Moon Knight #1. Writer: Jed MacKay. Artist: Federico Sabbatini. Cover Art: Rod Reis. I found the book that covered Moon Knight’s absence from issue #8 and I really enjoyed Moon Knight perpetuating some prison violence with a bunch of B-level villains (if not C-level). Prison brought out the wild dog in Marc Spector.

Jane Foster & The Mighty Thor #1. Part One of Five. Written by Torunn Grønbekk and drawn by Michael Dowling. A new short series to start featuring Jane Foster once again taking up the hammer to become the Mighty Thor … or will she because she has not yet taken the power of Thor (who is missing here) despite the rambling of Hammer Odin.

Black Panther #4. “The Long Shadow Book Four” Written by John Ridley and drawn by Juann Cabal with Ibrahim Moustafa. T’Challa appears to be letting his own paranoia get the better of him as he accuses his friend and sleeper agent Omolola. They fight it out on the outskirts of Wakanda. Shuri had provided evidence that the assassins were tied to the fighting style from Wakanda.

February 25, 2023

It is a busy day today with “Cocaine Bear” on the schedule. I’m very excited for it so I needed to get the comics done this morning.

Originally when I committed to the Comic Catch-Up plan for February, I had intended to carve out an hour a day to read comics every day. Truthfully, I have far exceeded that every day. In fact, I do not think t here has been a single day that I have limited myself to a single hour. This morning, it was closer to that actual time frame. That meant that I have a fewer number of books to go through today.

Here are today’s output…

The Last Book You’ll Ever Read #4. Written by Cullen Bunn and drawn by Leila Leiz. Once again, I am not really sure what I am reading here. This is a bizarre story about sex and gore and debauchery. And I am not sure, but did the end of the issue indicate that our protagonist, Olivia Kade is an evil creature? Or am I just reading into it too much. At this point, reading this book feels like watching a car that has wrecked alongside the road. I am not sure that I can look away, but I am not sure that I am enjoying it.

Black Panther #3. Main story: “The Long Shadow Book Three” Written by John Ridley and drawn by Juann Cabal with Ibrahim Moustafa. There are actually several back up stories in this extra sized anniversary issue. It is the “Legacy” number 200 for Black Panther. We get a guest star appearance by Storm and a few of the X-Men as T’Challa headed to Mars. Again, I am not sure that I like the character choices T’Challa is making in this book. He feels like the problem and not the solution. We’ll have to see how things progress.

Thanos: Death Notes #1. This is another multiple write/artist book as we go through the lifetime of Thanos, introduced to one of his loves of his life, besides Lady Death, I mean. Thor is looking into the background of the Mad titan, which ties into “The Legacy of Thanos” story arc happening in Thor’s own book right now. The cover art was done by Andrea Sorrentino and Matthew Wilson.

Thor #30. “The Legacy of Thanos Part Two” Speaking of this, here is the next part of the arc with Thor. Written by Torunn Grønbekk with art by Nic Klein, Thor is still in pursuit of Corvus Glaive and Thor’s little sister, Laussa. By the way, there is something really creepy about this Laussa. I am not sure what it is (and I really do not know where she came from in the first place) but she fits every bit of the creepy child trope from horror movies. Plus, it seemed as if Corvus Glaive was eaten by Thor’s lightning wolves. Yeah, that is what I said. And then…Dr. Doom? Maybe I should try and read some of the other Thor issues so this makes more sense.

The Thing #3. “The Next Big Thing Part 3” Written by Walter Mosley and drawn by Tom Reilly. Um… this is another book that is making me feel a little bit awkward. Not only does The Champion of the Universe show up, but Ben Grimm gets lucky too. That always blows my mind. Then, I am also getting a creepy kid vibe in this book too as Bobby is just strange. There is an iron glove that Ben uses too that I am not sure how it appeared. The front page says that Bobby provided that for Ben. What is up with these weirdo kids?

Moon Knight #8. “Scarlet“. So… here is a Moon Knight book without Moon Knight in it. Somewhere between last issue and this issue, Moon Knight was taken away or arrested. The footnote indicated that it was during the Devil’s Reign series, which I read a long time ago. This issue featured Hunter’s Moon taking Moon Knight’s place at the Midnight Mission and he battled the personification of a story. Yeah, that was hard to grasp too.

February 24, 2023

Friday after a slow week at school because of the weather. We finally came back to school, meaning that I waited until after school to read my books for the Comic Catch-Up post.

First two off the top are some remaining from the new comic book day.

Savage Avengers #10. “Deus Ex Machina.” The team of the Savage Avengers (Daredevil, Cloak, Dagger, Black Knight, Anti-Venom, and Weapon X) are still in the year of 2099 and battling an army of Deathloks and Ultron. This book was just a lot of fighting and action with some cool characters, but not much more than that. Written by David Pepose and drawn by Carlos Magno.

Planet Hulk: Worldbreaker #4. Written by Greg Pak and drawn by Manuel Garcia. This book was my least favorite of the week. I have just not gotten into this book and the different Hulks were pretty dull. There is only one more issue and I will finish the series, but I am not enjying it.

The Last Book You’ll Ever Read #3. Written by Cullen Bunn and Drawn by Leila Leiz. This is another one that I am not sure about. It is weird and fairly sexual. There was an interesting confrontation in the woods with a group of some kind of monster/zombie type. I have not been blown away by this though.

The Department of Truth #14. Written by James Tynion IV and drawn by John J. Pearson. We went back in time to see a moment in the past when Lee Harvey Oswald first meets Hawk Harrison as a kid. Another issue with a lot of exposition.

Black Panther #2. “The Long Shadow Book Two” Written by John Ridley and drawn by Juann Cabal. Alex Ross did this cover too. The secretive sleeper program set up by T’Challa is under assault and they have some kick ass assassins. This series is painting T’Challa in more grey than I had seen anywhere else.

Grim #8. “Into the Void” Jessica has been dubbed The Grim Reaper, despite her opposition and she was sent into Hell to retrieve The End in order to balance things out. We also see Jessica’s mother make an appearance and she is coming. Written by Stephanie Phillips and drawn by Flaviano.

The Me You Love in the Dark #1. Written by Skottie Young and drawn by Jorge Corona. I had this number one in the pile and I was curious about it. I really like Skottie Young’s work on Strange Academy so this helped make me wonder about this one. I enjoyed the book and I found it gripping with the haunted house concept.

The Thing #2. “The Next Big Thing Part 2“. The second issue with Ben Grimm was interesting as he found himself in an underground city, chasing after a villain who had hurt him badly. Something strange is going on down in this city and I have a feeling we’ll be seeing it more as we move along. Written by Walter Mosley with art from Tom Reilly.

Thor #29. “The Legacy of Thanos Part One” Corvus Glaive came to Broxton, Oklahoma and kidnapped Thor’s little sister, Laussa. This sent the King of Asgard, Thor and Runa the Valkyrie in pursuit of him, and they came face to face with a surprise. Written by Torunn Grønbekk and drawn by Nic Klein.

Moon Knight #7. “Headhunters” Written by Jed MacKay and drawn by Federico Sabbatini. In search of Zodiac, Mr. Knight heads into The Bar With No Name to ask some of the low life villains in attendance about Zodiac. Despite some leads, Mr. Knight, along with Tigra, came up short.

Captain America: Symbol of Truth # 9-10. Written by Tochi Onyebuchi and drawn by R.B. Silva. With these two issues done, I am caught up with Sam Wilson’s adventures as Captain America. The mission in Mohannda continued with Captain America coming face to face with the new mutated Falcon in a violent battle. This series is building to a confrontation between Sam and The White Wolf.