It is Thursday and that means it is time for the cover of the week. We are nearing the end of 2025, and we have a blow out going on in the cover competition. Unless there is some insane push of an artist doing brilliant work over the next two months, it’s a race for the silver and bronze medal at the end of the year as of now.
This week we have two variant covers from three different comic companies.
Also-Rans: High Strangeness #1, The Department of Truth #0, Marvel Knights: The Punisher #1, Marvel: Black, White & Blood and Guts #1, SIKTC: A Monster Hunter Walks into a Bar #1, Red Book #1, DC KO #1 (two variants from the Blind Bag).
Bronze Medalist
Harley Quinn x Elvira #1
Variant Cover E
Cover art by Mark Spears
Mark Spears with yet another medal in 2025, with this lovely cover featuring two iconic females. Oh, and what exactly is Harley Quinn staring at? Beautiful purple background keeps these two ladies bursting out…
Silver Medalist
Super Creepshow #1
Cover art by Pye Parr
I love this Dark Knight Returns homage cover. The flashing lightning in the background against the dark blue of the evening sky is an iconic image and is extremely effective in the imagery of this cover.
Gold Medalist
Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum #3
Variant cover B
Cover art by Juan Ferreyra
Saw this variant cover on the stand and I had to have it. Such an awesome image of Superman coming through the years, facing off with the Kryptonite right before him.
I have so many comics this week. Mainly because I went to the special anniversary celebration at In This Issue in Bettendorf and participated in their bag sale. Everything you could fit into a bag they provided for $45. I went both Friday and Saturday, and did a bag each day. Day one I had 90 books in the bag and Saturday, I was able to get 104 books in the bag.
I picked up 10 Amazing Spider-Man Annuals. I grabbed a bunch of Thor Vol. 1 in the 400s. Several cool independents that I never heard before. I picked up a bunch of variant Amazing Spider-Man covers too.
It was a fun couple of days.
New Books this week:
Spider-Man Noir #1. “The Gwen Stacy Affair” Written by Erik Larsen and art by Andrea Broccardo. Cover art was done by Simon Di Meo. I do like me some noir. Spider-Man Noir is even better. I liked this first issue more than some of the previous Spider-Man Noir stories and the arrival of Gwen Stacy is cool.
The Last Day of H.P. Lovecraft #1. Written by Romualo Giulivo and illustrated and cover art by Jakub Rebelka (Bronze Medalist). One of the more interesting new books from Boom Studios. It chronicled the final day in the life of author H.P. Lovecraft, and, of course, Lovecraft is anything but ordinary. Weird and wild and a lot of fun.
Gotham Academy: First Year #1. “First Day of School.” Written by Brenden Fletcher with art by Marco Ferrari. Cover art by Karl Kerschl. New comic that was giving me Wednesday (Netflix) vibes. Olive Silverlock is our protagonist in this new series. I am not familiar with her. I am not sure if I should have been. However, the issue does a nice job introducing her to me.
X-Men: Age of Revelation-Overture #1. Written by Jed MacKay with pencils by Ryan Stegman. Cover art was done by Ryan Stegman, JP Mayer and Marte Gracia. The next major X-event kicked off with this issue. The consciousness of Cyclops is pulled X years into the future to see the current landscape of the MCU. Doug Ramsey, aka Revelation, the heir of Apocalypse, has become a mutant savior and things are really bad. There are a whole bunch of new X-titles coming out during this event and I hope they are as enjoyable as this one. I am usually not the biggest fan of the alternate futures, but this has been good so far.
Pinupocalypse #6. Written, drawn and cover art by Andrew Tarusov (Cover B- Silver Medalist). So one of the biggest surprises of 2025 came to a close here with a very satisfying final issue. With all of the zombies, UFOs and other things, we have a homage to the Attack of the 50-foot woman. This was such a fun and enjoyable series. Maybe we’ll get some more one day.
Absolute Evil #1. Written by Al Ewing and art and cover art by Giuseppe Camuncoli & Stefano Nesi. I also got the foil variant by Riley Rossmo. A bunch of new Absolute versions of some villains become the Absolute Justice. There was a literal gasp of shock over one big moment. Big book.
Batman #2. “Robin Rides the Black Mariah.” Written by Matt Fraction with art and cove art by Jorge Jimenez. I also picked up the virgin foil of this issue too This issue is focused in on Robin, and the way that the Gotham PD is now going to be treating Batman and Robin. A great spotlight on Robin and his skills.
Rook Exodus #7. Written by Geoff Johns and art by Jason Fabok. Cover art (A & B) by Jason Fabok & Brad Anderson and (Cover C) by Kael Ngu. Rook Exodus is back with the search for the other wardens. Rook encountered some other wardens on the way. It is nice to have this Ghost Machine book back after a long intermission.
White Tiger Reborn #1. “Reborn” Written by Daniel Jose Older with art by Bruno Abdias. Cover art was done by Mike Hawthorne & Federico Blee. I enjoyed the story involving the White Tiger. We get the ghost of Hector following along the White Tiger, his sister Aya Ayala.
Amazing Spider-Man #13. Written by Joe Kelly with art by Pepe Larraz. Cover art was done by Pepe Larraz & Marte Gracia. After not seeing him last issue, we go into space with Peter as he tries to keep everyone safe as always. Pete tries to convince the others to remain non-lethal.
Gunpowder Prophets #1. Written by Justin Jordan and art and cover art by Patrick Piazzalunga. A new Mad Cave book debuted this weekend with yet another winner. Huck and Marley are for hire, and they bring the violence. I liked this new pair with Marley being the big bad. I am intrigued to see what is next.
Ultimate Wolverine #10. Written by Chris Condon and art by Alex Lins. Cover art was done by Phil Noto. Wolverine faces off with Omega Red and, in a shocking moment, wins. What’s in the box???? Wolverine pulls a se7en on Omega Red.
Speed Racer #3. Written by David Pepose and art by Davide Tinto. Cover art was done by Alessio Zonno. Speed Racer takes on Racer X. Nuff said.
Vanishing Point #5. Written by Mark Russell and art by Ryan Alexander-Tanner. Phil Hester & Ryan Cody did the cover art. This story had a definite Twilight Zone feel to it. It had a really good twist to it. It was very surprising end and I thought it was great.
Something is Killing the Children #44. “All Her Monsters” Part Four Written by James Tynion IV and illustrated and cover art by Werther Dell’edera. We continue to see an adventure from the history of Erica Slaughter.
Other books this week: Good Devils: Don’t Play Fair with Evil #1, Deadpool/Wolverine #10, DC’s Zatannic Panic #1, Eat Your Young #2, Kill All Immortals II #1, Toxie Team-Up #4, Tales of the Shadowman #2, Ultimate X-Men #20, Red Hulk #9, and Look Into My Eyes #3.
Quick Hits: Our DC criminals continue to plot out their plan to rip off the Justice League in Cheetah & Cheshire Rob the Justice League #3. I did not like the new Ghost Rider team up book, Spirits of Violence #1, so i will not be buying that one from now on. I picked up this cool Juggernaut cover for X-Men: The Undertow #1. I have been having a lot of fun with Star Trek: Red Shirts #3. It is a clever concept for a Star Trek series. The Justice League: The Omega Act Special #1 is a major kick off for the next big DC event, trying to save the DC Universe. TexArcanum #3 was one of the bronze medal winners this week as we had a tie. I was not planning on getting Starship Godzilla #1 because it reminded me too much of that horrendous arc when the Hulk was a ship, right after the epic Immortal Hulk run. However, I loved the Star Wars homage cover so I picked it up anyway. I do not plan on continuing it either. Speaking of Star Wars, Star Wars #6 was out this week. Be Not Afraid #4 is a bit confusing, but a good looking book. Sam & Twitch Case Files #18 was a solid book this week and the New Avengers #5 brought the evil Reed Richards clone down. Big week.
Big week this week. We have a tie for the Bronze Medal this week because I just could not narrow it down to three. In fact, there are a bunch of the also-rans that could easily have placed in the medal round.
Also-Rans: Cheetah & Cheshire Rob the Justice League #3, Batman #2 (Foil Variant), Starship Godzilla #1 (Star Wars homage variant), White Tiger Reborn #1, X-Men: The Undertow #1 (B Cover variant), Spirits of Violence #1 (C Cover Variant), and Spider-Man Noir #1.
Bronze Medalist (TIE)
The Last Day of H.P. Lovecraft #1
Cover art by Jakub Rebelka
This cover really creates a wonderful mood of this book, featuring one of the great horror, sci-fi, fantasy writers of our time. The red and black background makes this stand out.
Bronze Medalist (TIE)
TexArcanum #3
Cover art by Miguel Martos
I love this beautiful cover of the giant dragon beneath the water, a boat on the surface. The green tint across the cover truly makes this an impressive cover and it builds a curiosity of what is inside.
Pinupocalypse #6
Variant Cover B
Cover art by Andrew Tarusov
The final issue of this surprisingly epic series is a fantastic homage cover to the classic movie, The Attack of the 50 Foot Woman. This gives that place of honor to Foxy. What a wonderful cover, perfect for this series’ tone.
Gold Medalist
Poison Ivy #37
Pumpkin Spicy Variant Cover
Cover Art by Nathan Szerdy
Todd told me about these Pumpkin Spicy DC books, and I specifically looked for this issue. I do not collect Poison Ivy, but look at it. I mean, was an absolutely gorgeous cover.
Trying to catch up after the SiouxperCon last weekend. I think I am pretty close. Most of the films and TV shows are back on track, and I just have to get the Comic Cavalcade back on a regular schedule. I was able to get most everything read and I am ready for the write-up.
Books this week:
Mark Spears Monsters #7. “All That Remains.” Written, art and cover art by Mark Spears. Cover F was the Gold Medalist this week. This comic has a bunch of great covers once again. Every time the book comes out, there are so many excellent Mark Spears covers. I have been enjoying the story too.
Sleep #5. Written, drawn and cover art by Zander Cannon. I actually had this copy last weekend at SiouxperCon when I went to Zander Cannon’s booth. He had an early copy of the book and I got it signed. This week I got the issue from my pull list. This has been an excellent book.
Wild Animals #3. Written by Ed Brisson and art and cover art by Andy Kuhn. Speaking of an excellent book, Wild Animals has been one of my favorite books so far. It is a revenge story that really has me guessing about what is next. Wild Animals has been so fantastic so far that it make me anxious for the next issue.
Justice League Unlimited #11. Written by Mark Waid with art by Carmine Di Giandomenico. Cover art was done by Dan Mora. This issue of the JLU is a prelude to the next big DC event, DC KO, which is expected to lead to the return of Darkseid. If what is happening on the Watchtower is any example, things are not going to be good for our heroes.
The Twilight Zone #1. “Blanks” Written by Dan Watters and art and cover art by Morgan Beem. I was excited about the debut of this new Twilight Zone comic from IDW. I enjoyed this first issue as it had a definite feel as the original TV show did. It was in black and white, which helped create the tone of the series. The story did feel like it ended quickly, but that is something that some Twilight Zone episodes felt like too. A good start for this book.
Conan: Scourge of the Serpent #1. “Stealing Faces & Finery.” Written by Grim Jim Zub with art by Ironclad Ivan Gil. Cover art was done by Roberto De La Torre. This story kicks off with three men from three different eras: Conan, Kull, and Professor John Kirowan. Let’s see where this one takes us.
The Last Starship #1. Written by Jackson Lanzing & Collin Kelly with art by Adrian Bonilla. Cover art was done by Francesco Francavilla. This was another new IDW book that I just picked up because it was on the stand. I have been enjoying the Red Shirts book and so I thought having this number one would be fun. Then, I really loved the book and the story it was telling. Starfleet was viciously attacked and most of their major starships were destroyed, leaving one more. This was very compelling and surprised me.
Hyde Street #9. Written by Geoff Johns and art by Francis Portella. Cover art was done by Ivan Reis & Danny Miki with Brad Anderson. Plastic surgery can be a great use for horror stories because of how terrible things could be, and Hyde Street uses it as a wonderful bit to make these characters all the more sad.
Escape #2. “No Trees Tomorrow.” Written by Rick Remender with art and cover art by Daniel Acuna. We get some background information prior to Milton’s efforts in the war in Nuropia. Escape is more than just another anthropomorphic comic. It gives me a little feel about Maus.
Spider-Man & Wolverine #5. “Consequences.” Written by Marc Guggenheim and art by Kaare Andrews. Cover art was done by Cory Smith. I had to buy the 1:25 variant because the regular issue was sold out before I could get to it. This was my favorite issue of this series so far because Spider-Man felt like Spider-Man. I have been disappointed with this book, but this issue helped me see Spider-Man in th estory.
The Phantom #1. Written by Ray Fawkes and art by Russell Olson. Cover art was done by Freddie Williams II, who also did the variant cover that won the Bronze Medal this week. The EYG Hall of Fame iconic character The Phantom is back in the new Mad Cave comic. Phantom kicks this off with some great action and new character work.
News from the Fallout #4. Written by Chris Condon and art and cover art by Jeffrey Alan Love. Variant cover art by James Harren. This has been such a good book so far. I love the different art style and the way they present the story.
Ultimate Spider-Man #21. Written by Jonathan Hickman and art by David Messina. Cover art was done by Marco Checchetto & Matthew Wilson. Another issue of Ultimate Spider-Man that does not have Spider-Man. We focus in on Mister Negative here and it is really solid.
The Mortal Thor #2. “Storm Warning.” Written by Al Ewing with art by Pasqual Ferry. Cover art was done by Alex Ross. Sigurd comes out in a massively brutal fighting style. Spinning that hammer around on the chain… whoa. It was remarkable.
All-New Spider-Gwen: Ghost Spider #2. Written by Stephanie Phillips and art by Paolo Villanelli. Cover art was done by David Marquez & Marte Gracia. Spider-Gwen has a bit of a temper. I am not sure where that came from but she was blowing up at people throughout this issue.
Universal Monsters: The Invisible Man #2. “Chapter Two: Things Men Should Leave Alone.” Written by James Tynion IV with art by Dani. Cover art by Dani & Brad Simpson. I also got variant cover B with art by Mike Del Mundo (Silver Medalist). Another great use of a Universal Monster character.
Space Ghost #3. Written by David Pepose with art by Jonathan Lau. Cover art by Francesco Mattina. Tarko the Terrible was frozen in a block of ice, and they pulled a Captain America thaw out, bringing the powerful danger to the present day.
Viking Moon #1. Written by Joe Pruett with art and cover art by Marcelo Frusin. How could you ask for more? Vikings and werewolves? I mean…come on. This was way cool. I will continue on with this new Image book.
Black Cat #2. “II: Your Friendly Neighborhood Cat Lady.” Written by G. Willow Wilson with art by Gleb Melnikov. Adam Hughes did the cover art. Superhero Black Cat feels a little weird to Felicia Hardy, but she has been coming across plenty of trouble. And she seemed as if she was drooling over Daredevil (Can you blame her?).
Detective Comics #1101. “The Courage That Kills Part One.” Written by Tom Taylor and art and cover was done by Mikel Janin. A new storyline with Batman kicks off here and Tom Taylor brings the excellence once again. It’s a virus storyline and Batman is stuck in quarantine.
X-Men #22. “Dawning of an Age.” Written by Jed MacKay with art by C.F. Villa. Cover art was done by Ryan Stegman & Marte Gracia. Doug Ramsey comes to join the X-Men. Doug Ramsey is the heir of Apocalypse, going by the name of Revelation. The final shot of the issue shows that things are not going to be good as the Age of Revelation starts next month.
Daredevil #25. “Rites of Reconciliation” Part Six. Written by Saladin Ahmed and penciled by Jose Luis Soares. Cover art was done by John Romita Jr., Scott Hanna, and Richard Isanove. This is the final issue of Daredevil, which shocked me. Daredevil and Elektra make a change in their relationship status and they have to fight a brutal Kingpin.
Battleworld #1. Written by Christos Gage with art by Marcus To. Cover art by Leinil Francis Yu & Romulo Fajardo Jr. A group of heroes from different universes are pulled together by Korvac to battle. It was interesting to see these heroes in different places of their lives or different formats of their careers. Maestro is here and I love him. Young Spider-Man. King Thor. Old Hank Pym. Ms. Marvel aka Carol Danvers. Lots of interesting interactions.
Spider-Girl #4. Written by Torunn Grønbekk and art by Andre Risso and Moises Hidalgo. Cover art was done by David Nakayama. Spider-Girl is in action, and her efforts bring out a special guest star, the Amazing Spider-man.
The Thing #5. “The King of Yancy Street” Conclusion. Written by Tony Fleecs and art by Justin Mason. Cover art was done by Nick Bradshaw & Rachelle Rosenberg. The Thing’s little solo adventure trying to protect a little girl comes to its conclusion with this issue. I do enjoy Ben Grimm and he showed his power.
Other books this week: Mr. Terrific Year One #5, Endless Night #4, Predator: Black, White & Blood #3, New History of the DC Universe #3, Sherlock Holmes The Dark Detective: Knights of Frankenstein #3, Emma Frost: White Queen #4, Silverhawks #8, Red Vector #2, and Zdarsky Comic News #15.
Quick Hits: Things are getting tougher for Zach and Rose in Hornsby & Halo #10. Rose is starting to show some of her darkness and anger. Vision & Scarlet Witch #5 brings this short series to a close and we return Vision to his original state. It was nice to see Viv Vision back once again. I am not sure how I am feeling about the Death of Silver Surfer #4. I was not a big fan of this issue. Void Rivals #23 continues its major war and battles between the two worlds. Absolute Wonder Woman #12 introduces us to the Absolute Zatanna and Hippolyta finds out Diana is alive. The futuristic Batman in Immortal Legend Batman #2 was a little less interesting than last issue. Godzilla is bringing the pain and the power into the Marvel Universe in Godzilla Destroys the Marvel Universe #3. The X-Men give it their all. The Ultimate universe expanded a bit with Ultimate Hawkeye #1 (one shot). The Thunder War concludes in Storm #12 with several guest stars who think they are storm gods. This is another series ending before the Age of Revelation. I do not know if the Storm book returns after that X-event or if it gets a reboot. Far Down Below #5 is a great Mad Cave book that also sees its final issue this week. Blue Palo Verde #4 was really weird this week. I found it to be less engaging as I did before. Then there was more bayou crime action in The Voice Said Kill #3. One more of those to go.
After SiouxperCon last weekend, I am still trying to get caught up. As I type this, I am also watching Marvel Zombies on Disney +. I have no idea when I am going to read this large pile of books.
It was worth it to meet some awesome comic creators.
This week, we have three variant cover winners.
Also-Rans: Escape #1, Space Ghost #3, The Mortal Thor #2, News from the Fallout #3 (cover B), The Twilight Zone #1 (Sorry Todd, not a medalist this week), Wild Animals #3, All-New Spider-Gwen: Ghost Spider #2, Mark Spears Monsters #7 (cover B), and The Invisible Man #2 (cover A).
Bronze Medalist
The Phantom #1
Variant Cover E
Cover art by Freddie Williams II
I love the color choices on this cover. It grabbed my attention as I already had cover A in my possession. The light purple and webs really work together.
Silver Medalist
The Invisible Man #2
Variant Cover B
Cover art by Mike Del Mundo
How else can you make something invisible? How about an eraser. Such a neat concept and I was really attracted to it. This was another book that I already had the cover A, but needed to own it too.
Gold Medalist
Mark Spears Monsters #7
Variant Cover E
Cover Art by Mark Spears
Mark Spears is back on top. What an awesome Halloween inspired cover. This is a different style than we are used to from Spears and it is very exciting.
Wow I am late this week. There is a compelling reason, though. I went to South Dakota this weekend to attend the SiouxperCon with my friend Todd. I left on Friday, stopped off in Fort Dodge for the night, and went on to Sioux Falls Saturday morning. We spent the weekend with such comic luminaries as Gail Simone, Phil Hester, Keith Champagne, and Zander Cannon, to name a few.
Of course, I did not have much time for reading over the weekend, and I had a whole bunch of comics from the convention too. It threw off my schedule over many things with TV show watching and movies. I finally caught up to last week’s pull lists so I could write the EYG Comic Cavalcade. That is with NEW COMIC BOOK DAY being tomorrow.
The goal is to get some of the con books read and do a special edition of the EYG Comic Cavalcade. I am not sure when that is going to happen, but I hope to accomplish it.
Books this week:
Deadpool/Batman #1. The new, big crossover event with Marvel and DC started this week with Marvel’s version of the team-up between Batman and Deadpool. Yes, it was a lot of fun. As were several of the other shorter team ups in the book, including Captain America and Wonder Woman, Green Arrow and Daredevil, Krypto and Jeff the Shark, and Logan turning into Logo. There were a bunch of covers for this crossover and I picked up three of them.
No Man’s Land #1. Written, drawn and cover art by Symon Kudranski (Gold Medalist). My favorite book of the week, No Man’s Land takes us back to the year after the Cuban Missile Crisis and investigates a murder on the frozen bridge-the Ice Curtain- that happens at times between Alaska and the Soviet Union. Poor FBI agent Collins just wanted to retire. I expect some Cold War spy thriller goodness in this new series.
Uncanny X-Men #21. “Of Mice and Mutants” Written by Gail Simone and art by Luciano Vecchio. Cover art was done by David Marquez & Matthew Wilson. One of the people we met at SiouxperCon was Gail Simone and I really love what she has done with the Uncanny X-Men book. I don’t know if she is writing the upcoming Age of Revelations series this book becomes, but I sure hope that this is not her last hurrah on this book.
Fantastic Four #3. Written by Ryan North and penciled by Humberto Ramos. Cover art was done by Humberto Ramos & Edgar Delgado. I also picked up the wrap around MCU cover done by Wesley Burt. The Fantastic Four continues their struggle against Emperor Doom.
Orla #2. Written by John Lees and art by Sally Cantirino. Cover art was done by Sally Cantirino and Dearbhla Kelly. Orla is on another date, but this time she is hitting it off with the guy. She liked him so much, she did not want to eat him! Will he survive? Who knows!
Exquisite Corpses #5. Written by Jordie Bellaire with James Tynion IV and art by Claire Roe with Michael Walsh. Cover art was done by Michael Walsh. I also picked up the stealth variant cover with cover art by Sebastian Fiumara (Silver Medalist). The body count continues to rise as the competition gets wild.
Incredible Hulk #29. “The Requiem Plain” Part Two. Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and art by Adam Gorham. Nic Klein did the cover art. The Hulk takes on the Eldest in a brutal and violent issue. It is only going to get worse.
Justice League Red #2. Written by Saladin Ahmed and art by Clayton Henry. Cover art was done by Clayton Henry and Marcelo Maiolo. Cyborg joins the fun and he is not happy with the manipulation (if not our right lies) of Red Tornado. I have found this book intriguing and I want to know what is behind Red Tornado’ current behavior.
This Ends Tonight #3. Story by Gerry Duggan, Kelvin Mao, and Robert Windom with art by Jae Lee. This was the final issue of this three issue series and I have to say I felt disappointed at the conclusion. It was clearly not designed to be concluded here as it left off on a gigantic cliffhanger. It is a fun series, but I did not enjoy the finale.
They Choose Violence #4. Written by Sheldon Allen and illustrated by Mauricio Campetella. Cover art was done by Rahzzah (Bronze Medalist). Big background issue with big origins abounding everywhere. There is a creative stretch where it is more of a script than a comic. And it was original.
Slasher’s Apprentice #5. Written by Justin Richards and art and cover art by Val Halvorson. The serial killer story comes to a shocking conclusion as this book ends. I think it was a little obvious what was going to happen, but it did turn out enjoyable.
G.I. Joe #11. Written by Joshua Williamson and art by Andrea Milana. Cover art is done by Tom Reilly. Baroness and Cover Girl’s story comes to a conclusion with a great ending with Baroness showing her loyalty to the Joes.
Amazing Spider-Man #12. Written by Joe Kelly and penciled by Ed McGuinness. Cover art was done by Ed McGuinness and Marte Gracia. All of the other Spiders came after Norman Osborn Spider-Man and kick his butt. Norman facing off with Gwen Stacy (aka Spider-Gwen) is an iconic moment.
Absolute Flash #7. “The Trials of the Flash” Part 3. Written by Jeff Lemire and art by Travis Moore. Cover art by Nick Robles. Absolute Flash fight a hurricane. Well, sort of. And then, he joined the Rogues. I enjoyed this month’s Absolute Flash.
Runaways #4. “Think of the Children” Part Four. Written by Rainbow Rowell and art by Elena Casagrande, Lee Ferguson, and Roberta Ingranata. Stephanie Hans did the cover art. It turned out that Nico does have her magic power, but only when she is holding hands with Gert. I do enjoy the Runaways and their drama.
Nightwing #130. “What I Was Afraid Of.” Written by Dan Watters and art and cover art by Dexter Soy. Dick has to deal with the Nightwing Prime as the Justice League approached Nightwing with this problem. I do love how much respect Superman shows Nightwing. There can’t be more difference in their power set, but he talks to Dick with the total respect.
The New Avengers #4. Written by Sam Humphries and art by Tiago Palma. Cover art was done by Stephen Segovia & Rain Beredo. The Sub-Mariner clone of the Killumnati faces off with the New Avengers. Oh and Clea is just back after she left last issue.
Miles Morales: Spider-Man #38. “Thick as Thieves” Part Two. Written by Cody Ziglar and art by Luigi Zagaria. Federico Vicentini & Neeraj Menon did the cover art. Miles and Black Cat team up to face off with the new villains, Inari and White Cat, but things wind up in a surprising way.
Bat-Man: Second Knight #1. Book One. Written by Dan Jurgens and art and cover art by Mike Perkins. Pre-World War II Batman? The black label book is an awesome story and places Batman in a new light. This one was a lot of fun.
Marvel Zombies: Red Band #1. Written by Ethan S. Parker and Griffin Sheridan with art by Jan Bazaldua. Cover art was done by Greg Land & Rachelle Rosenberg. The return of the zombies correspond with the debut of Marvel Zombies tomorrow. This focuses on the Fantastic Four zombies.
Krypto: The Last Dog of Krypton #4. “Spring.” Written by Ryan North and art by Mike Norton. Cover art was done by Jae Lee & June Chung. Krypto meets a friend… another dog…. who was just not going to make it. Even the narrator hinted that this would be a sad issue. We also get to see Krypto’s super powers arrive.
Other books this week: New Gods #10, The Seasons #8, Star Wars: Boba Fett-Black, White & Red #1, Deadpool/Wolverine #9, Dark Honor #5, The Expanse: A Little Death #1, Ultimate Black Panther #20, Magik #10, and Ghost Pepper #3.
Quick Hits: There were several issues of books this week ended this week. Buried Long, Long Ago #5 is one of those. This was a solid horror comic. Blink and You’ll Miss It#2 was a little confusing. I have to refocus on this book. The Ultimates #16 has some intriguing storytelling with a character that I am not sure who it was. Good as Dead #1 arrived at Image Comics this week and it was a different read. I did enjoy the return of Crimson Justice in Whatever happened to the Crimson Justice #4. There are some dangers in the Marvel Universe in Predator Kills the Marvel Universe #2. More movie characters appear in Star Wars #5. I do love Luke and Han together. Captain Planet #5 brings the Planeteers back together after some conflict and Captain Planet will face off with Captain Pollution. Phoenix#15 comes to an end (temporarily???) as Jean Grey faces off with the powers of the universe. I picked up a beautiful cover for Absolute Batman #12 by Stevan Subic and this cover glows in the dark. Finally Godzilla Escapes the Dead Zone #2 actually does not have Godzilla in any way except a few pics.
Ahoy all on Talk Like a Pirate Eve! We all be ready to be speakin’ like a buccaneer tomorrow! While we be preparin’, here be the weekly booty of the best covers of the week. Surely full of treas-arrrrr. In honor of Talk Like a Pirate Day, I be puttin’ aside the medals this week in order to be awardin’ beauties, Pirate doubloons. Some of the best Pieces of eight ye ever be seein’.
We be keelhaulin’ Marvel and DC this week, as our jolly rogers all go to independent comapnies. Avast me hearties!
It be a shame that there be no X-Men books this week as we could have said that X marks the spot!
Covers t’be walkin’ the deck: Absolute Batman #12 (glow in the dark), Fantastic Four #3 (Marvel Studios Wrap-Around Variant), Marvel Zombies: Red Band #1, Marvel Zombies #1: Red Band (cover E), Krypto: The Last Dog of Krypton, Phoenix #15, and Amazing Spider-Man #12 head down to Davy Jones’s Lock-arrrrr.
Bronze Doubloons
They Choose Violence #4
Cover art be done by Rahzzah
Arrr… what a lovely cover this be. The curtains in the background an the masks make a statement. As does the splash of blood across the title. Shiver me timbers.
Silver Doubloons
Exquisite Corpses #5
Cover D Stealth Variant
Cover art be scribbled by Sebastian Fiumara
Avast landlubbers! This be a lovely green and black cover featurin’ an upside down wench. I be seein’ this one on the shelf and I knew I had to be plantin’ me flag with this treasure!
Gold Doubloons
No Man’s Land #1
Cover art be by Szymon Kudranski
Yo Ho! Ye scurvy sea dogs, this be the return of Szymon Kudranski, whose work on Something Epic was just like that title said. He be one of the most amazin’ artist around and this eyeball not be covered by a patch. This truly be top notch swag!
It is time for the EYG Comic Cavalcade. Next week’s edition may be very late because I am going with Todd to Sioux Falls, South Dakota to attend the SiouxperCon 2025. I’ll be busy at the convention on Saturday and Sunday, so I may not have as much time to read, and certainly won’t have time to do this write up next weekend. I am looking forward to heading down to SiouxperCon where I plan on meeting Gail Simone, Zander Cannon, Phil Hester among others. I do plan on using my phone to do some postings at EYG next weekend, maybe with some photos taken at the event.
Meanwhile, I picked up a graphic novel at In This Issue Comics this week by Brian K. Vaughn and Niko Henrichon called Spectators. I had put this on my pull list early on, but it was a weird thing. They sent the shop a promo copy of the book and the online listing indicated that it was pulled for me. It was weird, but then the list removed Spectators from my list. I decided not to worry about it. I saw it on the stands Thursday and I grabbed it. That was when the owner saw me with it and said they were trying to remember who had asked for this book and had the list try to pull the promo copy. They did have the book pulled in a separate place behind the desk. I just finished the book before starting this. It was a great read, but there were more penises than I have ever seen in a graphic novel.
Books this week:
Red Hood #1. “The Tower Part 1” Written by Gretchen Felker-Martin with art and cover art by Jeff Spokes. Okay, this one has a story behind it. I had heard a bunch of people complaining about this book before it ever came out with some of the writing of it. However, that is not the big story. Gretchen Felker-Martin posted a comment on the assassination of conservative Charlie Kirk and, because of that controversy, DC Comics canceled the new book. Heck, it was a day after it was released. I’ve never seen a book canceled so quickly. In fact, there was some book shops that removed the book from its shelves. Goes to show you how social media can cause troubles.
Murder Podcast #1. Written by Jeremy Haun and illustrated by Mike Tisserand. Variant cover B art was done by Mike Tisserand & Nick Filardi. A new podcast has seemingly sent some normal listeners into a murderous fugue state. It is a intriguing new book from Ignition Press.
Feral #16. “The Rule Breaker.” Written by Tony Fleecs and art by Trish Forstner and Tone Rodriguez. Variant cover art was done by Trish Forstner and Tony Fleecs. The cats are facing off with some scary potential consequences. Will the mall cats eat Lord? There is more tension in this book than most comics in a month. Feral has been an exceptional book.
Ultimate Spider-Man: Incursion #4. Written by Deniz Camp & Cody Ziglar with art by Jonas Scharf. Cover art was done by Sara Pichelli & Tamra Bonvillain. Miles Morales remains searching through the Ultimate universe for his little sister. He winds up in a fight with Illyana Rasputin. Miles is finding it even more difficult as memories of his other universe keep popping up.
It Killed Everyone But Me #1. Written by Ryan Parrott with art by Letizia Cadonici. Cover art was done by Jorge Corona. The brand new Mad Cave comic is a fun new idea. Twenty five years ago, Sutton Reed was the sole survivor of her friends who were slaughtered by a demonic force. She was able to imprison. Now, there is another series of grisly murders and she must confront the old demon. I look forward to see how this goes.
One World Under Doom #7. “Doom Versus Everyone” Written by Ryan North and art by R.B. Silva. Ben Harvey did the cover art. Doom has been shown to be anything but a magnanimous ruler and that leads to some battles. Specifically, a good chunk of this issue featured Doom facing off against a magic-using Reed Richards. Huh?
C.O.R.T.: Children of the Round Table #1. Written by Tom Taylor and art by Daniele Di Nicuolo. Cover art was done by Daniele Di Nicuolo and Rain Beredo. I subscribed to this series because I love Tom Taylor’s writing so much. This feels like a younger book, but I enjoyed it anyway. We dive into the King Arthur legend again with this book.
Don’t Forget Your Briefcase #3. Written by Eliot Rahal and art and cover art by Phillip Sevy. Elmo, upset by everything going on around him with the briefcase, runs off and steals his mom’s car. Things do not go well after that. This is a really fun spy thriller book from Mad cave, which continues to be one of the most consistently good independent comic companies of 2025.
Survive #1. Written by Robert Venditti with art by Doug Braithwaite. Cover art was done by Jorge Fornes. A Russian submarine is sabotaged and we have more action beneath the ocean as the sub sinks. This feels like a cool story from comic company Bad Idea.
Captain America #3. Written by Chip Zdarsky and art by Valero Schiti. Cover art was done by Ben Harvey. Cap and Doom face off. First it seemed as if Doom respected Cap, but he is still playing the game. It is a brutal story that shows some of Cap’s naivety.
Absolute Batman #12. “Abomination Part Four” Written by Scott Snyder and art by Nick Dragotta. Cover art was done by Nick Dragotta and Frank Martin. Whoa. Seems like Absolute Batman’s rogue gallery has come to the absolute universe in full force. Penguin, Killer Croc, Two Face, Riddler, Catwoman all made appearances here. And they are all tied to Bruce. This could be tough on Bruce.
Space Ghost #2. Written by David Pepose and art by Jonathan Lau. Francesco Mattina did the cover art. Eclipse Woman makes her return but winds up having to aid Space Ghost, Jan, Jace, and Blip.
Redcoat #14. Written by Geoff Johns and art by Bryan Hitch. Cover art was done by Bryan Hitch & Brad Anderson. Fascinating issue as Simon Pure finds himself at the White House as it is burning and he helped first lady Dolley Madison rescue a portrait of George Washington. The ghost of George Washington is on his way.
Batman: Dark Patterns #10. “The Child of Fire” Part 1. Written by Dan Watters and art and cover art by Hayden Sherman (Gold Medalist). This starts the final arc of this series, which is an absolute shame because Dark Patterns has been exceptional Batman work. This issue of Dark Patterns is quite literally FIRE!
Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum #2. Written by W. Maxwell Prince and art by Martin Morazzo. Cover art was done by Martin Morazzo and Chris O’Halloran. The duo from Ice Cream Man continues their trip into Superman. The new kryptonite has caused some new troubles for Superman. Specifically, making him a kaiju sized giant.
The Undead Iron Fist #1. Written by Jason Loo and art by Fran Galan. Cover art was done by Whilce Portacio & Alex Sinclair. Danny Rand is back from the dead and I really loved this first issue of this new series. A great new redesign of the Iron Fist costume and a guest appearance for Miles Morales made the issue epic.
Blue Falcon and Dynomutt #1. Written by Jimmy Palmiotti and art by Pasquale Qualano. Cover A art was done by Lucio Parrillo (Silver Medalist) and cover D art was done by Francesco Mattina. The new Dynamite book featuring the Hanna Barbera super hero is great and we have an origin for Dynomutt kicking off the book.
The Punisher: Red Band #1. Written by Benjamin Pearcy and art by Julius Ohta. Cover A art was done by Marco Checchetto & Matthew Wilson. I also got Cover B by Frank Miller. The new Punisher book is excellent. It takes place, I believe, in the time frame of The World to Come, but you could not tell by this issue. It was great to see Frank Castle back in the outfit. This was quite bloody and might be the first Marvel “Red Band” book that really deserved it.
Project Chimera: The Hero Trade #2. Written by Matt Kindt and art by David Lapham. Corey Wolfe did the cover art. I did not know that this was the just a two-issue series so when it all wrapped up in the book, I was very surprised. I did enjoy this very much and I would have liked it to continue.
Transformers #24. Written by Daniel Warren Johnson and art by Jorge Corona. Daniel Warren Johnson & Mike Spicer did the cover art. This was a huge final fight between Optimus Prime and Megatron. I say final, but I don’t actually mean that. There is no way that was their last fight. However, it was a huge boss battle. It was the final issue for Daniel Warren Johnson who has been with the book since the beginning.
Exceptional X-Men #13. Written by Eve L. Ewing and art by Federica Mancin. Carmen Carnero & Nolan Woodard did the cover art. This is the final issue of Exceptional X-Men, which makes me sad. I have enjoyed the Kitty Pryde/Emma Frost team. I do not know if it is coming back after the Age of Revelation. It felt like an end to the series.
Wolverines and Deadpools #3. Written by Cody Ziglar and art by Roge Antonio. Cover art was done by Alessandro Cappuccio and Mattia Iacono. This short series came to an end. It was a fun little series with the father-daughter tandems working together to stop the Shadow King. Ellie even broke the fourth wall.
Red Hulk #8. “Allies” Written by Benjamin Percy and art by Geoff Shaw. Cover art was done by Geoff Shaw and Marte Gracia. Thunderbolt Ross is going through a ton of stuff. However, Machine Man, Deathlok and Wildstreak are there to help him.
Racer X #1. Written by Mark Russell and art by Nuno Plati. Cover art was done by Francesco Tomaselli. Another book that falls into the world of Speed Racer. Racer X is Speed’s supposedly dead brother. Racer X is a fun series and I am curious to see how it crosses over with Speed Racer.
Other books this week: Spider-Verse vs. Venom-verse #5, Imperial War- Nova: Centurion #1, Blood Type #4, Powers 25 #1, Superior Avengers #6, Blood & Thunder #5 and X-Men of Apocalypse Alpha #1.
Quick Hits: Todd picked me up Maria Llovet’s Artificial #1, a new romance book with robots to purchase for dates. It is kind of a sexy book. Tama #2 wound up with the Bronze Medalist this week. There were more Kong action with Return to Skull Island #3. Trinity: Daughter of Wonder Woman #4 sees Trinity searching for Damian corgi by heading to a timeline where Batman is getting married to Catwoman. Hello Darkness #14 has its horror once again. Godzilla is busy this week with both Godzilla (Kai-Sei Era) #2 and Godzilla: Here There Be Aliens #4. There are a bunch of Godzilla books available these days. Eddie Brock: Carnage #8 sees the problems continue to rise between Carnage and Eddie Brock. Ultimate Wolverine #9 brings out the Sentinels. Conan the Barbarian #24 has a tough loss for Conan. The book Cul-De-Sac #2 from Bad Idea came out this week too. I still have liked The Unchosen #3 more. I was not a fan of number one, but this has improved each issue.
Welcome back to the EYG Favorite Comic Covers of the Week. The are some nice covers this week, but none that I would consider to be big time winners.
Also-Rans: Space Ghost #2, Murder Podcast #1 (cover B), It Killed Everyone But Me #1, Trinity: Daughter of Wonder Woman #4, Absolute Batman #12, Transformers #24, Hello Darkness #14, One World Under Doom #7, Blue Falcon and Dynomutt #1 (cover D), and the Undead Iron Fist #1.
Bronze Medalist
Tama #2
Cover art by Dustin Nguyen
This is a fun little series from Panick and I love the white background. The grey, purple and green really work with the white. This is cool.
Silver Medalist
Blue Falcon and Dynomutt #1
Cover art by Lucio Parrillo
I love Blue Falcon and Dynomutt from Hanna Barbera. This is a great cover, which was the A cover. D cover was in the Also-Rans. This is very majestic with these two characters getting the Dynamite update.
Gold Medalist
Batman: Dark Patterns #10
Cover art by Hayden Sherman
I mean… the fire is coming out of Batman’s face. How can you come up with a more compelling cover? The contrast is awesome and this week’s winner. This one is literal FIRE!
It’s Sunday night and I am finally getting to the EYG Comic Cavalcade. One of the big reasons was I went to Hamilton on Saturday at Cinemark. It was a three hour chunk of time, which took a lot of reading time away. It was worth it though as Hamilton was awesome. I have seen it before on Disney + but I found it was very emotional. I found myself tearing up in the first several songs, and i was not sure why. Then Sunday so far has been catching up on other shows that I needed to see.
I have now made my way to the comics.
Big Week for both Batman and Spider-Man.
Books this week:
Batman #1. Written by Matt Fraction and art and cover art by Jorge Jimenez. There were a ton of foil covers available, as well as special ones inside the Blind as a Bat Bag, which I had one. In fact, inside the blind bag was a medal winner this week done by Julian Totino Tedesco (Silver Medalist). That foil cover also has an error on the back cover, spelling ISSUE with two I’s. Matt Fraction’s Batman issue was fabulous and fully engaging and I am excited to read this book with Fraction leading the way.
Amazing Spider-Man #11. “Broken Mirror” and “Broken Man“. Both of the stories were written by Joe Kelly and story one was penciled by John Romita Jr. while story two had art by Pepe Larraz. The cover art was done by Pepe Larraz & Marte Gracia. Along with that, I picked up a variant cover with art by Lee Bermejo (Gold Medalist). Things are setting up with the Spider-story as we find out why there are two Spideys on earth and exactly where the real Peter Parker is. This is the Legacy number 975.
Everything Dead & Dying #1. Written by Tate Brombal and artwork and cover art by Jacob Phillips. A new zombie story told in one of the more original ways. This was an excellent issue that takes something that has been done to death (pardon the pun) and found a new way to present it. There are some disturbing imagery in the book, which is beautifully presented. It is another big new independent book from Image.
Uncanny X-Men #20. “Battle in Buenos Aires.” Written by Gail Simone and art by Luciano Vecchio. Cover art was done by David Marquez and Matthew Wilson. Logan and Ransom head off to aid Ransom’s half brother and they wind up in lots of trouble. Who would have guessed?
Avengers #30. “Into the Rupture.” Written by Jed MacKay and art by Fred Karami. Cover art was done by CAFU. The Avengers recruit the X-Men for help in protecting earth as the Avengers head out into the cosmos after the missing moment. They come across Marvel Zombies.
Cheetah & Cheshire Rob the Justice League #2. “Jackpot” Written by Greg Rucka and art by Nikola Scott. Scott G. Kwok did the cover art. Cheetah and Cheshire are in the market for team members to help them break into the Watchtower. Who might be crazy enough to take them up on that offer?
Doctor Strange #450. A special issue featuring several stories of Doctor Strange written by some of the best writers in comics including J. Michael Straczynski, Roger Stern, Christian Ward, Derek Landry and Ashley Allen. Cover art was done by Leinil Francis Yu & Romulo Fajardo Jr. This will lead into a new Dr. Strange series due soon.
All-New Venom#10. Written by Al Ewing and art by Carlos Gomez. Adam Kubert & Laura Martin did the cover art. Mary Jane has some deep discussions with the Venom symbiote as she is reevaluating her life and her choices. Long ago scars are examined.
Closer #1. Written by Kieron Gillen and art by Steve Lieber. Cover art was done by Steve Lieber & Tamra Bonvillain. This is a one shot issue that I enjoyed tremendously. It was about a woman who is snatched because it seemed as if she was causing birds to appear. It was a cool little story that was nice to read without any other major events.
Ghostbusters: Dead man’s Chest #4. Written by David M. Booher and art was done by Aviv Or. Cover art was done by Ethan M. Aldridge. The story with the new crew of Ghostbusters come to a close a few weeks away from Talk Like a Pirate Day. This should have been released on Sept. 17 in line with the holiday! Arrrrrr.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #11. “The Verdict is In.” Written by Jason Aaron with art by Juan Ferreyra. Cover art was done by Jorge Fornes (Bronze Medalist). District Attorney Hale thoughts things were going his way in the trial of the TMNT. Then everything came off the rails.
Star Wars: Han Solo- Hunt for the Falcon #1. Written by Rodney Barnes and art by Ramon Rosanas. Cover art was done by Ramon Rosanas and GURU-eFX. Han Solo is one of my favorite characters in Star Wars and seeing him in an adventure in space searching for his old bucket of nuts, The Millennium Falcon is right up my alley.
Tin Can Society #8. Written by Peter Warren and art by Francesco Mobili. Cover art was by Francesco Mobili & Chris Chuckry. This is an awesome issue where our heroes spend the entire book trying to get to the water’s surface after their sub sank. It was tremendously stressful with a limited amount of words. Beautifully illustrated issue with a bunch of underwater imagery.
Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong 2 #4. Written by Brian Buccellato and art by Christian Duce. Christian Duce and Luis Guerrero did the cover art. Godzilla vs. Superman rematch and Supes is, once again, in some trouble. However, maybe the Man of Steel and the King of Monsters have other troubles they will need to face.
White House Robot Romance #1. Written by Chip Zdarsky and illustrated and cover art by Rachael Stott. I thought this new DSTLRY book was a one-shot, but it has another issue (knowing DSTLRY, I’ll get it some time in 2026). This is a lot of fun with these service robots who are here to protect the president of the US end up falling in love. How does that fit with their programming? Chip Zdarsky is great as always.
Moon Knight: Fist of Khonshu #12. “The Haunting of the Wrecker” Part One. Written by Jed MacKay and art by Domenico Carbone. Cover art was done by Davide Paratore. The Wrecker comes to see Moon Knight at the Midnight Mission to ask for help with… ghosts? I like this start of a new arc for Moon Knight that features Scarlet Scarab.
Wolverine #13. “Godfather for a Day.” Written by Saladin Ahmed and art and cover art by Martin Coccolo. Logan gets a call from Donna Angelica Andiamo, a mob leader in Chicago that Logan owes a favor. This led to a fun issue of Wolverine that helped bring things down after the mental manipulation of Mastermind. This was a nice little issue between Mastermind and the upcoming Age of Revelation.
Other books this week: Resurrection Man: Quantum Karma #6, It’s Jeff & Other Marvel Tails #1, Tramps of the Apocalypse #3, Ancestral Recall #2, Charlemagne Tha God Presents ILLuminati #3, FML #6, Silverhawks #7, and Look Into My Eyes #2.
Quick Hits: Sam and Twitch case Files #17 finally bring Sam and Twitch back together, which was a welcome few scenes. Laura Kinney Wolverine #10 is the final issue before the Age of Revelation and Laura Kinney becomes known as Sabretooth. More Stra Trek crew members die in Star Trek: Red Shirts #2 from IDW. Telling a story of the historically doomed is a neat idea. TexArcanum #2 keeps up with the Western meets supernatural flair. After the success of X-Men’97, we get Spider-Man ’94 #1 continuing the story from the animated series that ended in 1994 with a huge cliffhanger. Another new Superman book called Adventures of Superman: Book of El #1 was dropped this week. I am not sure where it is supposed to fit in continuity, if it even is. The War #2 came out this week with only one cool cover unlike issue one which had a bunch that I had to buy. Dynamite released Captain Planet and the Planeteers #4 this week. Rocketfellers #8 continues to tell the future story that is actually the Rocketfellers past. Time travel makes my head hurt. Magik #9 keeps on marching along. I assume it has maybe one more issue to go before Age of Revelation. Absolute Superman #11 has some frightening images of Brainiac while the other Absolute title this week, Absolute Green Lantern #6, was not as entertaining. Ultimate X-Men #19 feels as if it is coming to an end soon. Maybe I am mistaken about that but the Peach Momoko book had the feel of a conclusion coming. I do not understand where the Imperial War saga going on falls in continuity. Is it going on now or is it a possible future tale? Imperial War: Exiles #1 makes me feel as if it is in time with the X-Men books as Xavier and Illyana are here. That annoys me. Sisterhood #3 continued its sorority story. I got the penultimate issue of Don’t Run With Scissors #3 which has been a bloody good time. Phantom Road #15 is the last issue of this series until 2026. Great. As if it isn’t difficult enough to follow, now I have to wait several months for the next issue.
It’s a big Batman week and Spider-Man reaches a Legacy milestone. This week we’ve got two variants in the medal winners, including one that I got, sight unseen.
Also-rans : All-New Venom 310, Cheetah & Cheshire Rob the Justice League #2, The War #2, Everything Dead & Dying #1, TexArcanum #2, and Batman #1 (Foil virgin variant).
Bronze Medalist
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #11
Cover art by Jorge Fornes
A fun cover featuring the TMNT crammed into the back of a police car. None of them look very pleased. This is a great storytelling cover for the Jason Aaron written series.
Silver Medalist
Batman #1
Blind Bag Foil Variant
Cover art by Julian Totino Tedesco
This came out of one of the Blind Bags that DC was selling for the celebration of the release of Matt Fraction’s Batman #1. What a beautiful piece of art with a fabulous foil. There are some wonderful foil variants for this new book and this one made an impression coming out of the polybag.
Golden Medalist
Amazing Spider-Man #11
Variant Cover H
Cover art by Lee Bermejo
Saw this on the shelf today and I had to have it. What a sensational cover. Lee Bermejo has a bit of Alex Ross flavor to it as the images in the spider web give background to Spidey’s life. Excellent work.
August is coming to an end and we finished off the load of books from this week. So here we go.
Books this week:
The Knives: A Criminal Book graphic novel. Written by Ed Brubaker and art is done by Sean Phillips. Brubaker and Phillips have done some excellent graphic novels together and this new one has a fantastic story, weaving together three separate stories into one overall narratives. It was very compelling and wraps everything up beautifully.
Pulp graphic novel: Written by Ed Brubaker with art by Sean Phillips. I got another graphic novel from these two on eBay this week. Pulp was a cool story about a writer/artist of a comic strip, telling stories of the Old West with a character based on his own life. This was another excellent book from Brubaker-Phillips.
Universal Monsters: The Invisible Man #1. Written by James Tynion IV and art by Dani. Cover art was done by Dani & Brad Simpson. Yet another mini-series featuring the Universal Monsters kicks off with The Invisible Man. James Tynion IV has done a great job with these monster books and the Invisible Man starts off with some cool stuff.
Miles Morales: Spider-Man #37. “Thick as Thieves Part One” Written by Cody Ziglar and art by Luigi Zagaria. Cover art was done by Federico Vicentini & Neeraj Menon. Miles has to face off with White Cat and Inari, both making their first appearances. Also, how is Miles Morales: Spider-Man made it all the way to #37 without rebooting?
The Mortal Thor #1. “No Gods, No Monsters.” Written by Al Ewing with art by Pasqual Ferry. Cover art was done by Alex Ross. I got a foil variant of the issue by Patrick Gleason (Gold Medalist). The new arc of Thor starts with this issue as the recently dead Thor is here in a different form and a human frame. Where will this go? I am interested in the story.
Ultimate Spider-Man #20. Written by Jonathan Hickman and art by David Messina. Cover art was done by Marco Checchetto & Matthew Wilson. This issue was very much of a dialogue driven issue between Peter, MJ, Harry and Gwen as they go through everything that has happened lately.
The Thing #4. “King of Yancy Street Part Four” Written by Tony Fleecs and art by Justin Mason. Cover art was done by Nick Bradshaw & Rachelle Rosenberg. Aunt Petunia’s baby boy Ben Grimm has to deal with a list of supervillains to try and protect the little girl. Thing showing off why he is one of the toughest heroes in the world.
News from the Fallout #3. Written by Chris Condon and art by Jeffrey Alan Love. This continues to be the most original looking book on the market every month. The mysterious creatures wandering around are frightening and in pursuit of anyone they can find. I loved the design of the book.
Blue Palo Verde #3. Written by Ray Fawkes with art and cover art by Rimanti. Kris and her father are in a lot of trouble in the small town. Some wild things are going on with the sheriff in pursuit of them. I do love a mysterious small town story and this one scratches that itch.
Avengers #29. “The Missing Moment.” Written by Jed MacKay and art by Farid Karami. Cover art was done by Cafu and David Curiel. Reed Richards guest starred in this as the Avengers continue to try and find what exactly the Missing Moment, that Kang was searching for, was. How is the missing moment get caused by Reed?
Benjamin #3. Written by Ben H. Winters and art by Leomacs. Cover art by Christian Ward (Bronze Medalist). This highly entertaining three issue series ended with this issue. Honestly, I never saw the ending of this coming. This is a wild and creative sci-fi story.
Masterminds #1. Written by Zack Kaplan and illustrated and cover art by Stephen Thompson. New sci-fi book from Dark Horse featuring a video game designer trying to join up with the biggest group of the video game world… the Masterminds.
West Coast Avengers #10. Written by Gerry Duggan and art by Danny Kim. Cover art was done by Josemaria Casanovas. This is the final issue of this volume of WCA. I really loved this version with these characters and I wish it would have continued past this issue. The Avenger Ultron storyline ends up in a dramatic fashion.
Red Vector #1. Written by David “DB” Andy & Tim Daniel with art and cover art by Chris Evenhuis. Another new sci-fi series from Mad Cave. It actually felt similar to Void Rivals from Image. It felt very clean and new and I will be interested seeing how it moves forward.
X-Men #21. “Upstarts II” Written by Jed MacKay and penciled by Netho Diaz. Cover art was done by Ryan Stegman & Marte Gracia. Fitzroy and his Upstarts take on some of the X-Men and… Juggernaut does some violence.
Sleep #4. Written, drawn and cover art by Zander Cannon. We are still moving towards this mystery of what is happening when Jonathan goes to sleep. We have an idea of what is happening, as does Jonathan. Why is it happening? What causes it? Can it be stopped? Sleep has been excellent so far.
Speed Racer #2. Written by David Pepose and art by Davide Tinto. Cover art was done by Alessio Zonno. Speed Racer’s father has a heart attack and is hanging on by a thread. An expensive surgery requires Speed Racer to go try and win money racing. What does Racer X have to do with it?
Vanishing Point #4. Written by Mark Russell and art was done by Jok. Cover art is done by Chris Weston. This sci-fi anthology asks the question about “what is a living thing?” It is a sentient question in sci-fi and this is one more thought on the topic.
The Voice Said Kill #2. Written by Si Spurrier and art and cover art by Vanesa Del Rey. More back woods drama going on as Marie, the pregnant park ranger tries to navigate her way through the chaos.
Immortal Legend Batman #1. Written by Kyle Higgins & Mat Groom and art by Erica D’urso & Dan Mora. Dan Mora did the cover art. An Elseworlds Batman story set on another planet with characters we recognize. Immortal Legend Batman becomes the Dread Pirate Roberts on another planet.
You’ll Do Bad Things #6. Written by Tyler Boss and art by Adriano Turtulici. Cover art by Tyler Boss. I have to say that this issue was a really confusing read. I am not sure exactly what I read in it. It seemed as if it had a happy ending, but I am not 100% sure.
Runaways #3. “Think of the Children“ Part Three. Written by Rainbow Rowell and art by Roberta Ingranata. Stephanie Hans is the cover artist. I have missed the Runaways and their dysfunction. The group has the drama cornered even when they are trying to prevent the Doombots from taking their Doombot. The interpersonal aspect of the Runaways is definitely the strength of the book.
The Last Boy #5. Written by Dan Panosian and illustrated by Alessio Avallone. Cover art was done by Dan Panosian. Peter Pan has his final showdown with the Phantom King, whose true identity is a clever use of Pan lore. This issue wraps up this Boom! Studios book’s adaptation of Peter Pan and Wendy.
Incredible Hulk #28. “The Requiem Plain“ Part One. Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and art by Adam Gorham. Nic Klein did the cover art. The Pinkerton Detective Agency teams up with Hulk to search for Brother Voodoo. Things are starting to happen with Hulk and Banner that may foreshadow some terrible events.
Robin & Batman: Jason Todd #3. Written by Jeff Lemire and art and cover art by Dustin Nguyen. Awesome short series featuring Jason Todd and his choices to leave Batman. Did he make the right choice? I enjoyed the writing on this series as it now ends.
Geiger #17. Written by Geoff Johns and art by Eduardo Pansica & Gary Frank. Gary Frank and Brad Anderson did the cover art. A new arc kicked off as Geiger ends up in a prison. Geiger has been one of the more consistent books each month.
Minor Arcana #10. Written, illustrated and cover art by Jeff Lemire. Budd St. Pierre and his journey in prison, starting in 1977, is followed.
Dust to Dust #6. Written by JG Jones & Phil Bram with art by JG Jones. Cover art also done by JG Jones (Silver Medalist). It has been a long time since we received an issue of Dust to Dust. It makes it tough to maintain momentum of a series when it has been almost four months since the last issue was released. The art design is always beautiful in this book, no matter how many months between release dates.
Phoenix #14. Written by Stephanie Phillips and art by Roi Mercado. Lucas Werneck did the cover art. Jean Grey stands her ground against the In-Betweener and a few other galactic powers insisting that she will protect her sister Sara under any circumstances.
Justice League Unlimited #10. Written by Mark Waid and art and cover art by Dan Mora. Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman disagree about the next steps with Airwave. The League also has to try and save Doomsday!
Death of the Silver Surfer #3. “Fantastic” Written by Greg Pak and art by Sumit Kumar. Dike Ruan & Rachelle Rosenberg did the cover art. The Fantastic Four join in the events of this issue. I am now not sure if this is supposed to be a future event or present day. Johnny Storm had his mustache and I have not seen that anywhere outside of the main FF title. Otherwise, they are trying to prevent Galactus’s blood from damaging earth.
Hornsby & Halo #9. Written by Peter J. Tomasi and art by Ramon Bachs. Peter Snejbjerg & John Kalisz did the cover art. Zach and Rose try to take some time off by heading to the carnival. Sadly, things won’t leave them alone.
Other Comics This Week: Spider-Verse vs. Venomverse #4, Mr. Terrific Year One #4, X-Men: Tooth and Claw #1, Imperial War: Black Panther #1, Imperial War: Planet She-Hulk #1, Green Lantern Dark #6, and Be Not Afraid #3.
Quick Hits: Fantastic Four Fanfare #4 has three separate stories, with a cool one between Sue and Mole Man. Two books had Red Sonja featured. First was the final issue of Dynamite’s Red Sonja vs. the Army of Darkness #5 and the new Sonja Reborn #1. The penultimate issue is here for We’re Taking Everyone Down With Us #5. Lots of things need to be wrapped up in that book to finish it off. Two absolute books out this week, Absolute Wonder Woman #11 and Absolute Martian Manhunter #6. Deadpool/Wolverine #8 sees Logan and Wade team-up again. The reprint of the 2005 classic Marvel Zombies #1 came out in 3D, including a pair of 3D glasses. It is a cool book, but the reprint is not currently in the CLZ app which bothers me. I grabbed the Doomed 2099#1 foil issue which has one of the most beautiful covers of the week. I also picked up Dynamite’s Stitch #1. I thought maybe it would be a book that I would like even though I did not expect to. Nope. That one was nice for the collection. Predator: Black, White & Blood #2 is a fun book with interesting stories. Predator has been solid in the Marvel books. Bad Guys have been brought on twice this week as the storyline of “Bring on the Bad Guys” concluded with Bring on the Bad Guys: Dormammu #1 and Bring on the Bad Guys: Mephisto #1 coming out. More bad guy fun with old school Emma Frost: White Queen #3 is out this week. Monsters abound in The Oddly Pedestrian Life of Christopher Chaos: Children of the Night #3 featuring Adam Frankenstein and Henry Jekyll. Oh, and it sure looks bad for Dracula Boy. Void Rivals #22 continues the Energon Universe. Finally, Lost Fantasy #4 saw a huge sword fight.
It is Thursday and that means that it is time for the EYG Favorite Comic Covers of the Week. One variant in the medalists this week.
Also-ran: The Mortal Thor #1, You’ll Do Bad Things #6, Universal Monsters: The Invisible Man #1, Masterminds #1, Doomed 2099 #1 (Foil Variant), Predator: Black, White & Blood #2, mmortal Legend Batman #1, and Sleep #4.
Bronze Medalist
Benjamin #3
Cover art by Christian Ward
This three issue series ended with this cool cover. I love the hazy background in red and the small person in-between the bigger man’s fingers. It is a neat concept at the end of the series.
Silver Medalist
Dust to Dust #6
Cover art by JG Jones
This has so many layers to this cover. The rabbits up top and then the grey behind it. Then there is the title which worked really well with the grey background.
Gold Medalist
The Mortal Thor #1
Variant Cover C Foil
Cover art by Patrick Gleason
What a gorgeous variant foil cover. The lightning surrounding the image of Thor is beautiful. The color is perfect on this cover with the little rainbow at the bottom of the cover.
We are back on Sundays with the EYG Comic Cavalcade. Started back at school last week, which limits the amount of reading time I have. There is also a bunch of books seemingly every week.
I received my pack of number ones from the special sale that went on at Midtown Comics. I picked up a huge pile of books, mostly independents, that were fun to own. These include Sherlock Holmes The Dark Detective: Knights of Frankenstein #1, Spider-Man: 101 Ways to End the Clone Saga #1, The Future is ****** #1, Murder Kingdom #1, Stuff of Nightmares #1, NXT Takeover: Redemption #1, Voices in my Head #1, Long Cold Winter #1, Spectrum #1, Zenescope: Myths & Monsters Spring Edition 2025 #1, The Donald Who Laughs vs. Dark Brandon #1, Revolution #1, Doctor Who: The Fifteenth Doctor #1 (SDCC Special), Union Jack #1, Sentinel Vol. 1 #1, Seven Years in Darkness: Year Three #1, Snaps #1, Holmes & Houdini: The Curse of Moriarty #1, The Airship #1, Archie is Mr. Justice #1, The Purpose Project #1, Snow Owl #1, Slingers #1, Night of the Slashers #1, and Teddy Scares #1.
Books this week:
Where the Body Was graphic novel. Written by Ed Brubaker with art by Sean Phillips. Brubaker and Phillips have teamed up for several excellent graphic novels over the years and this is another brilliant one. It is a story about a murder in a small area of a town and the cast of characters that lived there. The GN is told via several different characters giving their POV. It made it feel like it was a mystery documentary with older versions of these characters sharing their remembrances of the events. I grabbed this off Amazon Prime and I loved it.
Spider-Girl #3. Written by Torunn Grønbekk and art by Andre Risso. Cover art was done by David Nakayama. Spider-Girl gains a new villain called Paper Doll and she is sufficiently creepy. I have liked the new Spider-Girl so far and hopefully it will continue to provide her with her own group of villains and not just play off of Spider-Man’s group.
Justice League Red #1. Written by Saladin Ahmed and art by Clayton Henry. Clayton Henry and Matt Herms did the cover art. Red Tornado organizes a crew of Justice League Members for a clandestine group to handle events that the normal JL could not. So far we get Power Girl and a Green Lantern. The cover indicates that Deadman, and Cyborg will be joining them.
The New Avengers #3. Written by Sam Humphries and art by Ton Lima. Cover art was done by Stephen Segovia & Rain Beredo. Bucky, Natasha, Clea, Namor and Wolverine try to recruit someone else into their team… Bruce Banner. Problem is… they have to go through the Incredible Hulk.
Drawing Blood #8. Written by David Avallone and art by Ben Bishop. Kevin Eastman did the cover art. After quite a long intermission, Drawing Blood has returned only to find Books in real terrible shape. Bad enough shape that he is considering ending it all.
Detective Comics #1100. 1100? Why hasn’t this been rebooted back to issue one? Such a huge number…. it has several Batman stories and my favorite one is the one written by Tom Taylor (go figure…). This story features all silence as Batman helps a kid who is deaf and who uses sign language.
Wolverine #12. “Mother and Master.” Written by Saladin Ahmed and art by Martin Coccolo. Martin Coccolo & Bryan Valenza did the cover art. Wolverine faces off with Mastermind who has been pretending to be Logan’s long dead mother. It is a very emotional and difficult time for Logan.
Exceptional X-Men #12. Written by Eve L. Ewing and art by Federica Mancin. Cover art was done by Carmen Carnero & Nolan Woodard. The search for the missing Kitty Pryde starts here after she fell into a portal opened by Reggie.
Escape #1. “Only One Way Out.” Written by Rick Remender with art and cover art by Daniel Acuna. Intriguing book from Rick Remender. It has a Maus feel to it. We have a story about a war and the violence that we commit. However, it is told with anthropomorphic animals in a very gritty and brutal manner. I am curious to see where this goes.
All-New Spider-Gwen: Ghost Spider #1. Written by Stephanie Phillips and art by Paolo Villanelli. Cover art was done by David Marquez & Marte Gracia. I also picked up variant cover D with cover art by Nogi San. I love the new Spider-Gwen book as she returned to her pre-symbiote and cosmic powers trip back to the days of having to deal with things on her own. Plus, she gets back on the drums. Very good start for this new volume of Spider-Gwen.
Nightwing #129. “Other” Finale. Written by Dan Watters and art by Dexter Soy. Cover art was done by Dexter Soy and Adriano Lucas. I also picked up a variant cover B with art by Jorge Fornes (Gold Medalist). The imp that has taken over Titans Tower storyline comes to a close here as one of the kids from one of the gangs plays a big role as a new “hero?”
Wild Animals #2. Written by Ed Brisson and art and cover art by Andy Kuhn. I loved issue one of this book, but I was wondering if issue two could keep up the excellence. I am happy to say that I loved issue two as much as I did number one. It is full of tense action and character development and I just enjoy it so much. Mad Cave has been one of the best publishers this year.
Absolute Batman #11. “Abomination Part Three” Written by Scott Snyder and art by Clay Martin. Cover art was done by Nick Dragotta & Frank Martin. We get an entire issue dedicated to the story of the Absolute Bane. He is very brutal and rough in this world.
The Vision & the Scarlet Witch #4. Written by Steve Orlando and art by Jacopo Camagni. Russell Dauterman did the cover art. Vision and Wanda square off with the Grim Reaper. Vision is finding this more difficult than usual.
Amazing Spider-Man #10. Written by Joe Kelly and guest artist Michael Dowling. Cover art was done by John Romita Jr., Scott Hanna and Marcio Menyz (Bronze Medalist). Spider-Man is acting way different than usual. Peter Parker has a new attitude. Something weird is going on… especially when we see Spider-Man and Peter face off with each other. Wha?
Black Cat #1. Written by G. Willow Wilson and art by Gleb Melnikov. Cover art was done by Adam Hughes. Black Cat has to step in as a local superhero because of Spider-Man’s weird behavior. New Black Cat series with Felicia narrating the story… seemingly breaking the fourth wall. I do love the character of Black Cat so I hope this continues to be good. G. Willow Wilson is an exceptional writer so I am sure Felicia is in good hands.
Marvel All-On-One: The Thing vs. the Marvel Universe #1. Written by Ryan North and penciled by Ed McGuinness. Cover art was done by Ed McGuinness, Mark Farmer and Marcio Menyz. It seems everybody these days are either vs. or killing the Marvel Universe. Deadpool, Godzilla, The Predator and now Ben Grimm aka The Thing. This is an interesting book as every page of the issue is a splash page making this one of the more original books of the week.
Event Horizon: Dark Descent #1. Written by Christian Ward and art by Tristan Jones. Cover art was by Jeffrey Alan Love. Inspired by the Paramount Pictures film, this was not a book that I intended on picking up, but it turned out to be a curiosity pick-up. It is a sci-fi/horror book with a pretty decent start.
Los Monstruos #4. Written by James Robinson and art by Jesus Merino. Cover art was done by Jesus Merino with R.J. Diaz. This monster noir featuring Perry Cutter, a werewolf private detective ended with this issue as everything played out, revealing the truth behind the mystery. I did enjoy this series from Dark Horse. It was an original idea and it was fun.
Space Quest #4. Written by Joe Casey and art by Sebastian Piriz. Cover art was done by Mark Spears (Silver Medalist). The long delayed team up between Space Ghost and Jonny Quest came to its finale this week as Jonny was able to get back to his own timeline. This book suffered from the long issues Dynamite had with Diamond, but it is nice that it was able to finally wrap up.
G.I. Joe #10. Written by Joshua Williamson with art by Andrea Milana. Cover art was done by Tom Reilly. Hey Cobra… look behind you! There is an awesome final page of this issue that solidifies what the book has been building to. Oh and Cover Girl gets murdered by the Baroness… psyke!
Exquisite Corpses #4. Written by Che Grayson with James Tynion IV and art by Adam Gorham with Michael Walsh. Cover art by Michael Walsh. The contest of killers continues in the pages of Exquisite Corpses. This is one of the most entertaining books every month, though I still have some issues with knowing who is who. Large cast books with all new characters can be tough at times.
Eat Your Young #1. Written by Brian Buccellato with art and cover art by Mattia Monaco. Another new Mad Cave book that sets up a wild new premise. Edmond Irons, the Alpha, has decided that, after 2000 years as the Alpha, he was ready to pass the mantel along to one of his children. Edmond decided to choose his successor, who needs to drink Edmond’s heart-blood. An amazingly creative premise and enjoyable read.
This Ends Tonight #2. Written by Gerry Duggan, Kelvin Mao and Robert Windom with art by Jae Lee. Cover art was done by Jae Lee & Tula Lotay. Bachelorette party !!! Of course, things are not going to turn out well.
The Department of Truth #33. Written by James Tynion IV with art by Letizia Cadonici. Cover art was done by Martin Simmonds. This Hatman is a terrifying creature and I think it is one of the best new characters from this book.
They Choose Violence #3. Written by Sheldon Allen and illustrated by Mauricio Campetella. Cover art was done by Rahzzah. Laneka, Deidre and Karen head out west to track down another racist… only they find out that there are some troubles waiting.
Tales of the Shadowman #1. “Stones in a Glass House.” Written by AJ Ampadu and art by Sergio Monjes. Cover art done by Damian Connelly. Here was another new book that I saw on the stand and decided to grab for the heck of it. I think Shadowman was a character from Valiant Comics already, but I have never seen him. I really liked him.
Absolute Flash #6. “Absolute Flash Interlude: The Rogues.” Written by Jeff Lemire and art and cover art was done by Nick Robles. This must be the Absolutes villain week, because we had Bane story in Absolute Batman and in Absolute Flash we focus in on the Rogues Gallery.
Other books this week: Superman Unlimited #4, Toxie Team-Up #3, The Chamberlains #3, Dark Honor #4, Ultimate Black Panther #19, New Gods #9, The Seasons #7, and Endless Night #3.
Quick Hits: So I thought that Grim #24 was going to be the final issue of this series, but it looks like it has one more to go. It is the final issue of The Terminator with The Terminator #10. We get to meet John Connor at the end of the issue. Godzilla Destroys the Marvel Universe #2 sees Dr. Strange help send Godzilla into the Negative Zone. I don’t think that is a good choice. There is stunning artwork in Hyde Street #8. Ivan Reis does a sensational job creating images that pop in the horror book. A little girl is saved in Krypto: The Last Dog of Krypton #3. I liked this little story from Krypto’s past. It was fun because when I was at Bettendorf getting my books, I had several dark and scary books and then I got Darkwing Duck #5. One of these things doesn’t go with the others. Luke, Han and Leia all come together in Star Wars #4. I am excited to see them together once again. It has been awhile since I had one of these books and Falling in Love on the Path to Hell #9 came out. The space epic of Imperial #3 is picking up. I am still not a fan of possible future stories, but Imperial feels different. Another beautifully illustrated book is Venom: Red, Black and Blood #1. Then Ghost Pepper #2 is full of action and has been a lot of fun. Psylocke #10 brings that series to a conclusion. The last few issues have not been great for me, but I did like the first half of this series.
My school’s open house on Thursday made it impossible to get down to Bettendorf to get my comics, so I could not do the comic covers yesterday. Henceforth…Friday!
Then, trying to get to In This Issue Comic tonight was a nightmare. Between an off-ramp that I always take being closed and a wreck on the alternate path, it was crazy. Other cars frustrated the heck out of me and I may have uttered a curse word or fifty. I was battling the clock too since the shop closed at 5. I made it with about 30 minutes to spare.
Good week of covers. One variant. Two original covers. One of two covers by our cover artist leader for 2025.
Also-Rans: Hyde Street #8, Falling in Love on the Path to Hell #9, Superman Unlimited #4, All-New Spider-Gwen: Ghost Spider #1 (Cover D), They Choose Violence #3, The Department of Truth #33, Escape #1, All-New Spider-Gwen: Ghost Spider #1, The Vision & Scarlet Witch #4, and Krypto: The Last Dog of Krypton #3.
Bronze Medalist
Amazing Spider-Man #10
Cover art by John Romita Jr., Scott Hanna & Marcio Menyz
I loved the design of this cover as it is made to look like the Daily Bugle featuring a story on the “Brutal Side of Spider-Man.” I love the creativity of the concept and the design.
Silver Medalist
Space Quest #4
Cover art by Mark Spears
Another wonderful Spears cover featuring Space Ghost and Jonny Quest. There is a haunting look in the eyes of Jonny and the ghost-like qualities of Space Ghost standout beautifully. I love the smokey background and the colors too. Just an all around strong cover.
Gold Medalist
Nightwing #129
Variant Cover B
Cover art by Jorge Fornes
I saw this on the rack in Bettendorf today and this one too my breath away. I already had the A cover, but I could not turn away from this amazing piece of art. It wins a really strong week.
EYG- Embrace Your Geekness 