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EYG Comic Cavalcade #206

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June 4

It is summertime and this week’s EYG Comic Cavalcade is coming out on a Thursday night. Whoo-Hoo! I do not think this will be a regular occurrence, but this week it worked out perfectly.

I picked up a bunch of fun foil covers this week as I was at In This Issue early Wednesday morning for New Comic Book Day. This included Junk Punch #1, Batman #10 (Bronze Medalist), The Deadman #1, Iron Man #6, and a Ben 10 blind bag foil variant.

Comic of the Week

Royals #3

I had intended to give this honor to Junk Punch #1 this week, but then I read Royals #3 and it was such a shocking issue. There were multiple twists in this story this week with Castor and Paul that caught me totally off-guard and moved this book right to the top of the list this week… without anyone getting punched in the junk.

Royals has been an entertaining book each week with this being the best issue as of yet.

Books this Week:

Junk Punch #1. Written by Paul Tobin and art by Carlos Javier Olivares & Colleen Coover. Cover art was done by Carlos Javier Olivares & Francesca Vivaldi. At the end of the day yesterday, this was going to be the Comic of the Week, but Royals #3 surpassed it. Junk Punch is literally the story of a woman who has a “chemical affliction” making her “compulsively punch people in the junk.” Another funny book that I am excited to see where it goes. Will the joke run its course? Probably, but it seems great right now.

The Deadman #1. “Chapter One-The Definite Article.” Written by W. Maxwell Prince with art by Martin Morazzo. Cover art was done by Martin Morazzo & Chris O’Halloran (Silver Medalist). This book featured Deadman in a book with the flavor of Ice Cream Man. It makes sense since the creators of Ice Cream Man are the creative team on this mini series. Deadman has always been a favorite DC character of mine, and I love the Ice Cream Man aesthetic so this one is a winner for me.

Only the Savage are Left #1. Written by Zack Kaplan and illustrated and cover art by Stefano Raffaele. A future world where a virus has been released in the world that, when exposed, changes people into monsters. This is basically a zombie apocalypse story but featuring monsters instead of zombies. This issue introduces us and focuses in on Ryder and Oaklynn and their survival in this rugged new world. This has a lot of potential to be an excellent series from Dark Horse as number one is very compelling.

The Ring: The Man Who Beat the Man #1. Written by Gail Simone with art by Elisa Romboli. Cover art was done by Oliver Barrett. I was first attracted to this book because the boxer on the cover looked like Ric Flair. What kept me from skipping it when I realized that he just looked like The Nature Boy was the presence of writer Gail Simone, who has been doing some excellent work recently. I am here for The Ring moving forward.

Cyclops#5. “Seeing Red” Part 5. Written by Alex Paknadel with art by Rogê Antonio. Cover art was done by Federico Vicentini & Marcio Menyz. Cyclops’s survival in the woods, trying to save Mei from Donald Pierce concluded with this issue. I enjoyed this Scott Summers solo arc with his optic blasts taken away because of control issues. Of the individual X-books, this one was right near the top.

Wade Wilson: Deadpool #5. “A Way Forward” Written by Benjamin Percy with art by Geoff Shaw. Cover art was done by Geoff Shaw & Alex Sinclair. Deadpool and Hammerhead fight over the omens of the future that, shockingly, came from Blind Al. The relationship between Wade and Blind Al is developed here more than what we have seen before and it is kind of sweet… at least for Deadpool.

Uncanny X-Men #29. “A Prison and a Pyre.” Written by Gail Simone and art by Luciano Vecchio. Cover art was done by Luciano Vecchio & Matthew Wilson. Things get work out a bit in this issue as we find out what these New Mutants are and the Outliers return to the present. Gail Simone had a big week with three books released. This is one of the best and most consistent every month.

Amazing Spider-Man #30. Written by Joe Kelly with guest art by Pete Woods. Cover art was done by Mark Bagley & Dean White. We get a big reveal with the Peter Parker’s cousin storyline that has been out there recently. He showed up at May’s door and announced that he was Ben Parker’s son… and the son of May too. Is it possible? May faints at the end, saying that he looked just like her Ben. Huh?

Fantastic Four #12. “Si Fueris Romae…” Written by Ryan North and art by Pat Boutin. Cover art was done by Humberto Ramos & Edgar Delgado. I also picked up the Marvel Dimensions variant by Alex Ross (Gold Medalist). Reed and Johnny get sent back in time to the Roman Empire and they have to try and find their way back without screwing up history. Can they do it? It is another fun issue of the FF from Ryan North. He has done a sensational job with this comic over the last couple of years.

Iron Man #6. “Iron Man Team-Up” Written by Joshua Williamson with art by Juann Cabal. Cover art was done by Ryan Stegman & Frank Martin. When you get Tony Stark and Norman Osborn in the same room, there is due to be sparks fly. How does Spider-Man become the adult in the room as he tried to keep to two geniuses from tearing each other apart?

Groo: The Prophecy #2. Written by Sergio Aragones & Mark Evanier with art and cover art by Sergio Aragones. The world seems to be turned upside down as everything Groo does, which normally destroys villages and frightens off villagers, turns out helpful and heroic. Groo is the hero of the village? Idolized. Looked up to. Believed in. Can this be true or are they just bidding their time until Groo unleashes his typical chaos? I like the change in the story happening here so far.

What If: The Uncanny X-Men #1. “What If Cyclops Stayed with Madelyne Pryor?” Written by Gerry Duggan with art by Jan Bazaldua. Cover art was done by Lucas Werneck. This is the first of a new run of What If…? books from Marvel. This one returned to the Watcher as the main narrator, which brought me back to the early days of What If and it was a welcome return. It was also back to the tragic endings that were a staple of the first two volumes of What If…? There are a bunch of #1s coming over the next couple of months with other Marvel Universe stories and I hope the Watcher continues in this role as he was suppsoed to be.

The Twilight Zone #7. “The Taxidermist.” Written by Tony Fleecs and penciled by Andy Price. Cover art was done by Andy Price. I also picked up the B cover by Juni Ba. Another great Twilight Zone story that feels like it fits perfectly in with the series from the 1950s. Tony Fleecs brings another great story to life as it morphs from a nice love story into a horrible chaotic hellscape.

Rook Exodus #10. Creators are Geoff Johns & Jason Fabok. Cover art was done by Jason Fabok and Brad Anderson. I picked up Cover C (the connecting one) done by Kael Ngu. It is great to have Rook Exodus back after a bit of a intermission. We are back with Rook trying to keep Stag from going rogue and killing Bloodhound. I am pleased that this is back, but this is one of those books that makes it hard when it takes such a long break to remember everything that was going on before the break.

Batman #10. “Money and Blood” Written by Matt Fraction with art and cover by Jorge Jimenez. Vandal Savage has been turning the tables on the Batman family recently, both with the police chasing him as a vigilante, but also in the media, running the bat down. This issue, Batman starts to fight back. This was an awesome issue where Batman decided that he had had enough and set the plan into action.

She-Spawn #2. “Road Trip” Written by Gail Simone with art and cover art by Ig Guara. I read last issue and I was surprised how much I liked it. I came into this issue ready to be underwhelmed and decide that She-Spawn was not for me. However, once again, I found this to be an excellent book. Gail Simone had three winners this week and I couldn’t be happier.

Marc Spector: Moon Knight #5. “Reunion” Written by Jed MacKay and art by Devmalya Pramanik. Cover art was done by Paulo Siqueira & Rachelle Rosenberg. Moon Knight entered a strangely powerful house in search of his people (Tigra, 8-Ball, Hunter’s Moon, Soldier and Reese). Unfortunately, Moon Knight is betrayed… by his sword, which turned into a dragon. Wild stuff from Moon Knight these days.

X-Men ’97 Season 2 #1. Written by Steve Foxe with art by Salva Espin. Cover art was done by Todd Nuack & Rachelle Rosenberg. With the X-Men scattered across time, the X-Factor arrived to step it up and take in dangerous mutants. Havok, Strong Guy, Polaris, Wolfsbane and Multiple Man appear and join the remaining mutants. Meanwhile Bishop is ready to go searching for the X-Men.

Doctor Strange #7. Written by Derek Landy with art by Ivan Fiorelli. Cover art was done by Alex Horley. Doctor Strange realized that he would not be able to do what was necessary to defeat Atho-tet so he reaches into himself and releases Lord Strange, even though Angela was not too thrilled.

From Parts Unknown #2. Written by Adriano Ariganello and art and cover art by Daniel Caval. The traveling Lucha Libre wrestlers Bruno and his brother Pietro get into major trouble as they accidentally killed another wrestler at this independent booking. However, the dead wrestler may not be as dead as we think… or he may be a different type of dead. What have Bruno and Pietro gotten themselves into and can they get out of it?

The Exorcism at Buckingham Palace #3. Written by Hannah Rose may with art and cover art by Kelsey Ramsay. Our second Exorcism book wrapped up with this issue as the future King of England Theo is possessed and our crew come together to try and save him. I like how it did not go like the previous series at the White House and that there was a different twist. I also enjoyed the ending team-up which makes me anxious to find out where the next possession in this universe is going to take place.

Other Books this Week: It’s Jeff!-Brand New Week #1, Godzilla: Infinity Roar #5, Godzilla (Kai Sei Era)11, FML #8, Absolute Green Lantern #15, and X-Men of Apocalypse #4.

Quick Hits: One of my favorite moments this week came at Comic World as I was talking about the J. Scott Campbell J.S.C.: Just Spectacular Collection #1. Todd told me that J. Scott Campbell had died of cancer, which confused me completely considering I had just read the interview with JSC in the book. Todd said this was just a collection of his pin-ups he had done before his death and I was sure that I had read that JSC was excited about doing these pictures and he spoke about the order in which he had drawn them. Todd is usually well spoken about this kind of thing so I did not understand. Finally, Todd looked it up and he realized that he was confusing JSC with a different artist. I was relieved that my reading skills were not totally wrecked, and that it was just Todd’s memory that was in question. 🙂 Sam and Twitch Case Files #24 is still a very entertaining read. I am surprised how many Spawn books I read even though I am not a fan of Spawn. This is the week for Comics: The Magazine #4 to come out. There are interviews and articles about Sophie Campbell, Skottie Young and Kyle Starks. We got the next Ghost Machine: The Official Guidebook #3. this features characters from the Unbelievables (including Hornsby & Halo, The Rocketfellers, The Trillion Dollar Kid Etc.) Transformers: The Movie #1 is a new adaptation of the movie that crushed the spirits of all the kids of the 1980s (right up there with Neverending Story). Conan the Barbarian #31 sees Conan in a fight with the Son of the Tooth. It’s brutal. The Lucky Devils #8 takes a turn this issue as devils come to earth in a wild attack (sort of). Estuary: A Ghost Story #3 is extremely spooky and making things tense. Finally Storm #5 looked to be the final issue of this series and I am down with that. I love the character of Storm, but I have not enjoyed the story they are currently telling with her. I hope things get straightened out with Ororo soon.

Widow’s Bay S1 E8

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Spoilers

“Your Baggage”

With the corpse of Richard Warren officially gone, everything in Widow’s Bay is all peaches and flowers, right?

Maybe not.

Tom went to his house to deal with his son, Evan, who had all the pictures of his mom and wanted answers. Tom gave them to him, even though he did not want to do so. The father and son had some moments together when Tom gave Evan Red Sox tickets, signaling that they could leave the island.

We all knew that last week was too good to be true and, when Wyck showed up at Toms door with the message that it was not yet over, Tom’s face revealed how crushed he was, certainly because he was just making plans with his son to go to Boston for the weekend.

While this was going down, Patricia was being chased by the Boogeyman, the serial killer who killed a bunch of high school girls years before, and who tormented Patricia (though no one believed that this happened).

The Boogeyman pursued Patricia across Widow’s Bay in grand Michael Myers fashion. Patricia eventually dowsed him with gasoline and set him on fire. Unfortunately, the gas station attendant put him out with a fire extinguisher, thinking that he was doing the right thing. He learned his error as the Boogeyman grabbed him by the throat and threw him away violently.

Luckily, Patricia was able to shot him twice with a shotgun, but not before the former sheriff Bechir got slashed with a knife by the killer.

It was hilarious as Patricia kept the gun trained on the Boogeyman’s head the whole time, on the ambulance, in the morgue, as he went into the crematorium, and until he was nothing but ashes. That was really funny, but I would have shot him in the head immediately when he was down. Patricia was dedicated in making sure this killer was not coming back.

There are two more episodes in the first season of this awesome series. All eight episodes so far can be streamed on Apple TV +.

Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair

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Spoilers

I used to like Malcolm in the Middle, though I never would say that I loved it. It was something that I watched when it was originally on ABC. I knew that there was going to be a new series featuring the returning cast on Hulu/Disney + and i was somewhat interested, but I had not gone out of my way to watch it. It came out in April and I saw it on Disney + a few times, but just never got around to watching it.

Finally, tonight I had an open evening and with only four episodes of the show to watch, I decided that I would finally watch it.

Overall, I am glad I did. However, I would not say that I loved it. There were parts that bugged me, and I am not sure I would have continued if it were a longer series. I do think that this was just the right amount of episodes at four.

The show did tell a specific story centered around Lois and Hal’s 40th wedding anniversary. Again, parts of the storyline was great and other parts were cringe. The final episode had a spectacular conclusion that was emotional and heartfelt and made everything else feel better.

I want to say immediately that I really found Leah, the daughter of Malcolm, played by Keeley Karsten, to be remarkably charming and a perfect fit for the role. The show cleverly gave Leah the ability to talk to the screen like Malcolm could do, narrating much of what was going on. It is obviously a trait passed along from father to daughter.

It was very funny, and well in character, that Malcolm had not ever told Hal and Lois that he had had a daughter, and so when they crashed his home because Malcolm had been avoiding the question about attending Lois & Hal’s big party, all of Malcolm’s lies came crashing down.

I am not sure how I felt about the whole Hal story arc of these episodes, but there is no denying that he came out a better person in the end. I was torn about the whole drug trip he went on (reminded me very much of the trip taken by Mayor Tom on Widow’s Bay), but there were some very funny moments within it.

I was sure that the role of Francis had been recast, but, according to IMDB, it was Christopher Masterson playing the role. I was shocked. I thought that the recast was very similar to Francis, but that it was clearly not him. I was in err on that. Turned out the only recast of the kids was Dewey, who was now played by Caleb Ellsworth-Clark instead of Erik Per Sullivan.

Jane Kaczmarek was giving me Candace Bergen feels as she returned to her multiple Emmy nominated role. You’ve got to appreciate how committed Bryan Cranston is to playing Hal, because he is clearly willing to do anything. They really work together as well.

I was very much split on the Malcolm/Lois confrontation in the men’s room. The toilet humor just did not work for me. I have never been a fan of this style of humor. I thought the writing of the scene between the two characters was outstanding though.

Some of the other characters from the show looked rough. I am not sure if that was intended or if the actors had had tough lives. I would hate to speculate on any of them. I am glad that they were here.

The revival of this show was hit and miss for me, but I am glad that I watched it and I might even watch another show, if they did any more.

EYG Comic Cavalcade #205

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May 31

Summer is here! Yay!

Another big week of books. I have multiple copies of some of the variant books out this week, particularly Mark Spears Monsters.

Comic of the Week

Exquisite Corpses #13

I found the finale of this 13-issue limited series to be spectacular. It has been one of the best series of the past year + and the finale hits the perfect step. James Tynion IV created such a top notch book and the announcement at the end of an Exquisite Corpses Season Two coming at some point was a thrill. This was one of the books that consistently had some awesome variants available, including this week as I picked up both the A cover and the B cover.

Books This Week:

Marc Spears Monsters #10. “Chapter 10: The Dungeon of the Damned” Written by Marc and Lucas Spears and illustrated and cover art by Marc Spears (Cover E- Bronze Medalist). The book featuring the group of monsters continues to be one of the more fun books each month. The art from Marc Spears is always amazing and each issue has exciting fights between monsters, this one highlighted by Dracula vs. Vlad the Impaler. What else could you want?

Flash #33. “The Speed was Power, and the Speed was Joy-Part III” Written by Ryan North and illustrated by Gavin Guidry. Cover art was by Gavin Guidry (Silver Medalist). Flash has to team up with Captain Cold to prevent a nuclear bomb from going off in Central City. Wally spends a chunk of the issue just looking for the bomb. Ryan North has brought his style of comic storytelling to this book and it has been excellent so far.

The Hab #2. Written by Joshua Dysart and art by David Lapham & Bill Sienkiewicz. Cover art was done by Charlie Adlard (Gold Medalist). The bunker where these survivors have escaped to has a major problem… there is something in the water supply that is causing horrifying hallucinations. Bad Idea has been releasing quality comics over the last year or so and The Hab feels as if it is right in with those other great books.

Escape #7. “Chapter 7: Hope and Delusion” Written by Rick Remender with art and cover art by Daniel Acuna. Escape returned from hiatus this week with a powerful issue as Milton’s plan to sabotage the Titan cannon continued. Milton has to face off with a whole bunch of the Fascists to accomplish his escape. Good to have this book back.

Corpse Knight #2. Written by Michael Chaves and art by Matthew Roberts. Cover art was done by Matthew Roberts and Rico Renzi. Foy and her undead father come across an evil unlike any other. This issue takes the world of fantasy and included more supernatural horror in its story.

Hornsby & Halo #0. Creators were Peter J. Tomasi & Peter Snejbjerg. Cover art was done by Peter Snejbjerg & John Kalisz. This was another prelude to the upcoming Unbelievables crossover. We had another book #0 last week with The Rocketfellers and now we get some more on the background of Rose and Zach.

Doomquest #1. Written by Ryan North with art by Francesco Mobili. Cover art was done by Alex Ross. I also picked up the B cover variant with art by Mr. Garcin. Doctor Doom is heading into the past with a special time machine that he invented after hearing Reed Richards speculating about it. Doom faced some issues and wound up on the Titanic. I wonder if he’ll find Rose.

A Quiet Place: Storm Warning #3. Written by Phil Hester and penciled by Ryan Kelly. Cover art was done by Ryan Kelly. The split between the townspeople remained a problem, but things get even worse when the rain stopped falling. This has been a solid book, based on the horror movie franchise.

The Ultimates #24. Written by Deniz Camp and art by Juan Frigeri. Cover art was done by Dike Ruan & Neeraj Menon. I also grabbed the B cover by Marcos Martin. This focuses on the battle with Bruce Banner and She-Hulk. I do think this book has suffered recently as the end of the Ultimates universe has been slow going. I wish this would just get done with since the ending is coming. It seemed as if the Maker is finally free, so we can wrap this up. It is kind of sad that if feels like this Ultimate Universe, which was such a huge hit, is going out in a petering manner.

Hyde Street #12. Creators are Geoff Johns & Ivan Reis. Cover art was done by Ivan Reis. This is the second part of the Butcher of Hyde Street, giving us more details on this character and, apparently, killing off Pranky.

Feral #23. “Chapter 23: The Test” Written by Tony Fleecs and art by Trish Forstner. Horror cover homage done by Tony Fleecs and Trish Forstner. This wonderful book continues to be exceptional. Once again, we get two stories, with one focusing on the cats from Feral and the dogs from Stray Dogs. Both working around the people who were trying to solve this disease. Feral has been one of the best books every month.

Amazing Spider-Man: Spider-Versity #2. Written by Jordan Morris & Joe Kelly and art by Pere Perez with Rafael Perez Granados. Cover art was done by Giuseppe Camuncoli, Lorenzo Ruggiero & Marte Gracia. The Spiders continue their training with Norman Osborn, who introduces a robot that can ape any of Spider-Man’s main villains. Unfortunately, a villain is able to hack into the robots and set them all after the Spiders at once.

Red Roots #2. Written, art and cover art by Lorenzo De Felici. Red Roots has been a slow burn so far, but the horror part of this book has been solid so far. It has some interesting storytelling and I am looking forward to seeing where this will go to.

Wonder Man #3. “The Three Hours of Traffic” Written by Gerry Duggan and art by Farid Karami. Cover art was done by Farid Karami & Rachelle Rosenberg. The Spot makes an appearance in Wonder Man too this week. We get a battle with Spot, Wonder Man and the Grim Reaper. I also love that Hellcat is in this book too.

Is Ted Ok? #4. Written, art and cover art by Dave Chisholm. There is a major reveal in this month’s issue of Is Ted Ok? and it boggled the mind. The last half of this issue was as stressful as any issue up until this point. There are two more issues to go for this story. Can’t wait to see how it plays out.

Did You Hear About Mimi Green? #1. Written by Connor Goldsmith with art and cover art by Josh Cornillon. This new book from Dark Horse featured an influencer whose perfect social media presence is rocked by the reveal of a post she made years ago, putting down a woman because of her weight. It leads to a big time horror story… and one we should all take note of.

Detective Comics #1109. “Flight” Written by Tom Taylor with art by Mikel Janin. Variant cover Gerald Parel. Oliver Queen was pushed out the window by Arabella at the end of last issue, and Batman was there in case Oliver needed him to save him. Spoiler: he didn’t. Arabella seems to be quite the rough little girl.

Infernal Hulk #7. “The Hated and the Feared” Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson with art by Adam Gorham and cover art by Nic Klein. The X-Men are taking on the Infernal Hulk because the Infernal Hulk believes he is the king of monsters, and he is putting the X-Men in that category. Or is there a specific member he is after?

X-Men #30. “Danger Room, Pt. 5” Written by Jed MacKay with pencils by Netho Diaz. Cover art was done by Netho Diaz, Sean Parsons, & Arthur Hesli. The group known as the Danger Room is celebrating their major successes against the X-Men, but they should know that they should not celebrate until the game is over. And the X-Men are ready to strike back.

Planet of the Apes Versus Fantastic Four #4. Written by Josh Trujillo and art by Andrea Di Vito. Cover art was done by Greg Land & Rachelle Rosenberg. The FF get their powers back and take care of Dr. Doom, who turns out to be a Doombot. They head back to their own time with a lot of questions about the Planet of the Apes.

Justice League Unlimited #19. Written by Mark Waid and art by Dan Mora. Variant Cover D was done by Mario “Fox” Foccillo. The Justice League is taking some criticism for their new amnesty program for super villains. Who knew that Lex Luthor might be the one to straighten things out?

Wiccan and Hulkling: Raid of Ultron #1. Written by Wyatt Kennedy, Zoe Tunnell, Tegan Quin, and Josh Trujillo with art by Stephen Byrne, Rachel Stott, Luciano Vecchio and Bradley Clayton. Cover art was done by Russell Dauterman. What happens when Billy and Teddy throw a family get-together? You risk the chance that Ultron will show up. This was a fun one shot book with Wiccan and Hulkling.

The Peril of the Brutal Dark #4. “Chapter Four: The Brooklyn Bridge Incident” Written by Chris Condon and art and cover art by Jacob Phillips. Ezra sets up a meeting at the Brooklyn Bridge… but he winds up having to deal with robots. I have been enjoying the noir style of this Vertigo book.

The Life and Death of Lucas Dreamwalker #1. Written by R.L. Stein and illustrated and cover art by Francesco Francavilla. Another one shot book, this one written by the iconic R.L. Stein. This was a strange book as it felt as if I should have known more about Lucas Dreamwalker than I did. Then, I noticed that I had not looked too close at the title when Luke died and it surprised me. I guess I should have paid more attention to the title.

Absolute Wonder Woman #20. “Season of the Witch Part 5 of 5” Written by Kelly Thompson and art by Hayden Sherman. Cover art was done by Hayden Sherman & Jordie Bellaire. Wonder Woman and Zatanna join forces in order to survive, but Diana makes a sacrifice that ends up in a surprising situation for her.

Other Books this Week: Final Boss #6, Superman: Father of Tomorrow #1, The Seasons #10, Honor and Curse: Eternal #3, Fireborn #2, Lost Fantasy #10, Planet Atmos: Exordium #2, and Gotham Academy: First Year #4.

Quick Hits: Quick Hits starts off this week with Sentry #3. It’s a sad story featuring Bob’s dog. In Generation X-23 #4 things are going poorly for Laura. I was able to get The Last Starship #7 from last week. Thanks Todd. The finale of Florida Hippopotamus Cocaine Massacre #4 came out and it was a bloody fun time. Pretty Hate Machine #2 has a cool dynamic with our lead character and the monster he sees. Elric: The Sleeping Sorceress #2 continues the story of the albino hero. In Your Skin #2 is another horror comic that tells us about an aging actress. Void Rivals #30 sees the end of the Quintesson War story arc. More weird alien stuff happening in 51 #3 from Mad Cave. Spirit of the Shadow #5 brings the story to a close. Exploit #3 continues the story of the murder of Cole Saxon.

Daily Countdown: Weird Al Songs #35

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#35

Party in the CIA

Title: “Party in the CIA”

Album: Alpocalypse

Released: 2011

Parody: “Party in the USA” by Miley Cyrus

Written: Lukasz Gottwald / Claude Kelly / Jessica Cornish/Al Yankovic

Genre: Pop/Comedy

Topic: The dark, cloak-and-dagger operations of the Central Intelligence Agency

The dark comedic song is in direct opposition to the happy, upbeat music. This is a ton of fun and the animated video that was released with the song was hilarious.

Lyrics

I moved out to Langley recently
With a plain and simple dream
Wanna infiltrate some third-world place
And topple their regime

Those men in black with their matching suitcases
Where everything’s on a need-to-know basis
Agents got that swagger
And everyone so cloak and dagger

I’m feeling nervous but I’m really kinda wishing
For another undercover mission
That’s when the red alert came on the radio
And I put my earpiece on
Got my dark sunglasses on
And I had my weapon drawn

So I get my handcuffs, my cyanide pills
My classified dossier
Tapping the phones like, yeah
Shredding the files like, yeah

I memorized all the enemy spies
I’ve got to neutralize today
Yeah, it’s a party in the CIA
Yeah, it’s a party in the CIA

I’ve done a couple of crazy things
That have almost gotten me dismissed
Like terminate some head of state
Who wasn’t even on my list

Burn that microfilm, buddy, will you?
I’d tell you why but then I’d have to kill you
You need a quickie confession?
Well, start a water boarding session

No hurry on this South American dictator
I’ll assassinate him later
That’s when he walked right in my laser sights
And my silencer was on
And my silencer was on
And another target’s gone

Yeah, we’ve got black ops all over the world
From Kazakhstan to Bombay
Paying the bribes like, yeah
Plugging the leaks like, yeah

Interrogating the scum of the earth
We’ll break them by the break of day
Yeah, it’s a party in the CIA
Yeah, it’s a party in the CIA

Need a country destabilized?
Look no further, we’re your guys
We’ve got snazzy suits and ties
And a better dental plan than the FBI’s

Better put your hands up and get in the van
Or else you’ll get blown away
Staging a coup like, yeah
Brainwashing moles like, yeah

We only torture the folks we don’t like
You’re probably gonna okay
Yeah, it’s a party in the CIA
Yeah, it’s a party in the CIA

Source: Musixmatch

EYG Comic Cavalcade #204

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May 24

Happy Memorial Day to everyone. Take the time to remember those who you have lost and those who have meant something to you.

There was a rush of great new #1 issues this week across all of the companies. They were all cool stories and original concepts.

Comic of the Week

Absolute Green Arrow #1

I admit that this may not have been my favorite new book of the week, but I do think taking into consideration that this is the hottest book out there right now should be part of the decision. And this is the hottest book out this week, by far.

Of course, it is also an excellent new addition to the Absolute line of books in DC Comics. The re-imagining of Green Arrow is creative and original, showing a great deal of imagination. This is currently a six issue mini series, but I could see it expanding, especially if it remains as successful as it has been.

Books this week:

Of The Earth #1. “Road/Kill” Written by Chris Condon & Andrew Ehrich with art and cover art by Charlie Adlard. Tabitha ‘Tabby’ Black returned to her quiet hometown of Solitude, Texas and the comfort of her gramma’s home. There is something going on with the oil fields, something horrifying. This was probably my personal favorite book for the week. It is another winner from Image Comics.

Zorro #1. “Dark Age Part One” Written by Howard Chaykin with art and cover art by Jorge Fornes. I also picked up the variant cover C by Juan Ferreyra. The legendary warrior Zorro returns to the action, taking on the forces of Napoleon. Published by Alien Books, the new Zorro book is off to a great start.

Seven Wives #1. Written by Zoe Tunnell with art by V Gagnon. Cover art was done by Mirka Andolfo. The new IDW Crime mini series arrived this week with a murder mystery of a cult leader, with his seven wives as the main suspects. This was a cool first issue and I am excited to see where it goes.

Odin #1. Written by Marguerite Bennett & James Tynion IV with art by Letizia Cadonici. Cover art was done by Alex Eckman-Lawn. Any time you see the name James Tynion IV attached to a project, the chances of it being awesome would be high. Odin certain falls into that category. It is a creepy horror story with some truly disturbing moments. This one looks great.

Babylon Cove #1. Written by Rafer Roberts and art and cover A art by Joe Eisma. Another horror based book, this time from Mad Cave. Heather has to return to her home town to attend the funeral of her father, but, as so many small towns are, this one is filled with shocks and supernatural problems.

Reborn Ultimate Impact #1. Written by Chris Condon with art by Stefano Caselli. Cover art was done by Ben Harvey. Miles Morales returned from the Ultimates universe with a bunch of “origin boxes.” These are boxes that can give someone super powers. Unfortunately, the Spot has other ideas for these boxes. The boxes are released and the superpowers find a series of new people.

Kill Switch #1. Written by Sophia Banks & Don Handfield with illustrations by Gabo Ibarra. Cover art was done by Erwin Arroza & Gabo Ibarra. It is Los Angeles 2067 and someone is jumping into the bodies of a series of individuals, finding code words, and then jumping out. The problem is the only way to jump out of the body is to do it at the moment of death. This is a great sci-fi start to an intriguing concept that I want to see play out. This is from Thunder Comics which is published by Amp.

Narco #3. Written by Doug Wagner and art by Daniel Hillyard. Cover art was done by Daniel Hillyard & Dave Stewart. I also picked up cover B by Daniel Hillyard & Dave Stewart (Gold Medalist). Marcus continues to be in trouble as he tries to figure out what happened to his girlfriend Jess. He decided to prove that he did not murder her, but things just do not want to go his way. This book has been one of my favorites of the month so far.

Amazing Spider-Man #29. Written by Joe Kelly with art by guest artist Pete Woods. Cover art was done by Mark Bagley & Marte Gracia. Peter is out on an apology tour, as well as trying to find the proof that he actually does have a mystery cousin. Meanwhile a new danger starts to spread across the city. This featured the birth of Spore.

Jessica Jones: Alias-Red Band #3. Written by Sam Humphries with art by Geraldo Borges. Cover art was done by David Mack. Jessica Jones and Typhoid Mary continue their on-again-off-again partnership, but you should probably wonder if teaming up with someone named Typhoid Mary is a wise choice. This was the weakest of this series so far, so I hope the rest picks it back up.

X-Men: United #3. “The Loneliest Ghost” Written by Eve L. Ewing with art by Tiago Palma. Cover art was done by Stefano Caselli & Federico Blee. The X-Men and Captain America are in search for Maurice Canfield, a previous super soldier test subject, but they found someone else instead.

Fantastic Four #11. “Future’s Foundation” Written by Ryan North with pencils by Pat Boutin. Cover art was done by Humberto Ramos & Edgar Delgado. Ben Grimm has been feeling dumb, especially in comparison to the others in the FF. Ben’s troubles leads to him coming up with the concept for the new Future Foundation. I enjoyed this Thing-centric issue as we get another side besides the “It’s Clobberin’ Time” side to Ben Grimm.

Nectar #3. Written by Jeremy Robinson with art by Annapaola Martello & Francesco Francini. Cover art was done by Chris Shehan. The plague continues to spread and Amos and Lillian are trying to prevent it from spreading off the island. Unfortunately, Pastor Grant has a more religious manner of looking at it… send the infected to God… with a shotgun to the head. Nectar picked up the pace even more this issue.

Nightwing #138. “The Forest” Written by Dan Watters with pencils by Denys Cowan. Cover art was done by Jorge Fornes. Nightwing is having a crisis of faith after the highway crash and the witch of Bludhaven escaped him. With Barbara Gordon in prison, he called Starfire for support.

Venom #238. Written by Al Ewing with art by Carlos Gomez. Cover art was done by Carlos Gomez & Frank Martin. Peter and Mary Jane start to clear the air after Paul’s funeral. It apparently is what MJ needed as she and the symbiote bonded in a new way. Now Venom has long red hair. I am not sure how I feel about this either. I was never a fan of Jackpot, but this is taking it another step. I probably am done picking up Venom, which I only started buying because of the Death Spiral storyline.

Rocketfellers #0. Written by Peter J. Tomasi with art and cover art by Francis Manapul. This #0 issue for Rocketfellers is part of the prelude for the crossover story “The Unbelievables” that is coming up from Ghost Machine. It will be including Halo and Hornsby as well as some new characters. This takes us back when the family first arrived in the past.

Imperial Guardians #3. Written by Dan Abnett with pencils by Marcelo Ferreira. Cover art was done by Sean Izaakse & Nolan Woodard. The Imperial Guardians are trying to “rescue” a scientist/inventor who came up with an algorithm that is in real demand. They have to face off with the Shi’ar for him. I have to say that I really have enjoyed this comic so far. Some of the characters have not been my favorites over the years, but they all seem to work well together.

Neighborhood Watch #2. Written by Sarah Gailey and illustrated and cover art by Haining. Is she Jill? Is she Cassie? Why is this woman living a dual life? This mystery continues to be fire as Bianca and Val try to deduce the reasoning behind their friend’s big lie… and who tried to kill her.

Absolute Flash #15. “…Of Things to Come” Written by Jeff Lemire with art and cover art by Nick Robles. Future Wally comes back in using the speed force (or something like it) to warn himself as a young hero that he must give up the search for his father… or a terrible future is bound to happen. Young Wally does not listen. The Absolute Flash has been a consistently good read, mainly because the writing from Jeff Lemire has been spot on.

Rafael Garcia: Henchman #3. Written by Peter Murrieta & D.E. Schrader with art by Ben Herrera. Cover art was done by Gustaffo Vargas. This has been a hoot of a series so far, and this issue included a centerfold of Rafael in speedos. Rafael’s crew had to run into the super heroes of the time, the Justice Battalion. Very funny.

Other Books this Week: Wolverine: Weapons of Armageddon #4, Inglorious X-Force #5, American Caper #7 (Bronze Medalist), Sai Dimensional Rivals #5, Moonstar #3, Deadly Hands of K’un-Lun #4, and Escape from Skull Island #4.

Quick Hits: Everyone Loves a Jewel Thief #2 came out this week with a cover B that earned a silver medal. Rogue #5 came to an end, though I am not sure it was a satisfying ending for a series that I had been enjoying. Wanda, Wiccan and Somnus have to battle Nightmare inside Billy’s head in Sorcerer Supreme #6. How do they beat him? How about waking everybody up at once? Novel idea. I wonder if they are ever changing the name to Sorceress Supreme? The Punisher #4 is showing Frank Castle as a serious psycho in my opinion. He has very little empathy for anyone right now. Course, when going after Jigsaw, maybe empathy gets in the way. G.I. Joe #22 introduces a man named Crystal Ball, who has his own plans for Energon. Dead Teenagers #3 sees some more death and our crew hoping to avoid it this time. Murder Podcast #7 from Ignition Press keeps building the suspense for the finale next issue. Smile: For the Camera #3 was very solid this week as we focus in on these sad models and their horrible boss. Meanwhile, they keep dying from the smile curse. I am really rooting for Ivy. End of Life #4 from the Vertigo imprint has a hero that I think is anything but. Barbarians Behind Bars #4 sees our main barbarian finally able to communicate with his lawyer. And then, Racer X #7 sees Racer X win a race. I know, shocking right?

Until Tomorrow

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Until Tomorrow

By K.P.

Have you ever had deja vu, well this I used to, too. That was until the day I met the old man. The day started the same as before, me and Tim, my best friend since forever, would go to the farm and lift hay and take care of the sheep and other odd jobs around the farm. We live in the village of Orgon, a village that until a few years ago was nothing, then someone found a cave filled with gold, silver, and other minerals. 

“Roger, stop daydreaming and get back to lifting hay.” Tim yells. I often just stop what I am doing and start staring off into the mountain.  I don’t know why, but sometimes I swear that I can see something on the mountain.

“Alright, I’m coming.” I called back. 

“You better I’m not doing all the work.” he retorts and we both get back to our job.

Hours pass on the farm and we finally are done. It’s around noon when we get back to the village. Most days it’s empty with everyone deep in the mines in search of riches but, today two strangers on horseback and masks were in front of my house.

“Roger Temporalin, come with us.” they say in complete unison, but I could tell they hadn’t rehearsed that line.

“Why should I, I don’t feel like going anywhere with the Pony Pals.” I say, which probably wasn’t the smartest idea, since the one to the right looked pretty jacked and the other had a sword.

“Hold your tongue boy.” the one to the left said, “before you lose it.”

“Back off Red, he ain’t a problem.” the other told him, “just come with us, and no one here gets hurt.” he says to me.

“Why do you want him?” Tim squeaks. He was always nervous around people he didn’t know. I was surprised he would talk at all after seeing them. 

“That is of no concern to you.” Red says. I got a bad feeling from the way he said this so I turned to Tim and said.

“Run.” and I sprinted towards the woods and hoped that Tim would follow though I knew they wouldn’t catch him, he was always the fastest when we raced.

“Hey, stop.” They both yell surprised, as we run into the woods.

After what seemed like hours, we finally came to a stop by a large oak tree. 

“Do you think we lost them?” Tim huffed “I hope we can stay here and not get caught.” 

“You should be safe here for a while, Roger,” said a gruff voice. Startled Tim and I jumped back. “Sorry for the scare, but I thought you should know that they’re  nowhere near here.”

“Who are you?” I asked. The voice belonged to an old guy that looked pretty beat up. He had a long scar from the bridge of his nose to the edge of his jaw on the left side. His skin was tan and leathery like he worked in the sun for years, so he must not have lived near here because it never was very sunny, only overcast. 

“My name doesn’t matter.” He said with a dark expression. “You can call me whatever you want.” 

“What do you want, Old Man.” I asked defensively . , “How do you know my name?” 

“I have been sent to help and protect you from the Kronos Crusade,” He stated flatly. “The two people in town who were on the horses, the two with the masks. They want to take you to their leader, who wishes to use you in a ritual.” 

“Why would they want me?” I ask angrily. Who was this guy and why would anyone want me, and what kind of maniac would believe in magic.

“I don’t know.” the old man said solemnly. I could tell he was lying. 

“How do we know that we can trust you?” Tim asked sheepishly.

“You can, I’m getting paid.” He boasted.

“Well that sure helps.” I said sarcastically. I had a bad feeling about the old man, I trusted him the same I trusted a wolf in a sheep pen. 

“Well if you’re done asking questions, we better get a move on.” the old man said. 

“Where would we go?” Tim asked nervously.

“My house in the mountains.” The old man said solemnly and started off toward the mountain. “Aren’t you coming?” he said, turning back. 

After hours of walking through the woods, we came to a small hut that looked like it’s been here forever. It was probably 14 feet tall at the top of the roof and about 20 feet across. 

“We’re here.” the old man said. 

  “So what do we do now?” I said aggressively.

“With a little luck, stay here and wait until tomorrow,” The old man said matter of factly,”  then you can go back to your life and you can forget all about this.”

“Why would they stop trying to find me after today?” I said confused.

“Theres a time limit, I guess. For the ritual, I mean” The old man said. “I think it can only happen today or something.” 

“So, what are we going to do here until tomorrow?” Tim asks, changing the subject. 

“You two should stay inside while I keep watch.” the old man answers, and with that me and Tim went inside and took a nap.

After I woke up from my nap, I went to check on the old man. It was dusk, and the old man was chopping wood out front. He looked angry and hurt, I wondered why.

“What are you doing out of the hut?” the old man grunted, not looking up. “I thought I told you to stay inside until tomorrow.” 

“Jeez, someone’s a cranky pants.” I retorted, “I was just checking if it was the morning, I was sleeping in there.”

“It’s only been 3 hours since we got here, get back inside.” He said in his gruff old voice.

“Yeah, get back inside, there’s some bad people in these woods.” A Young voice said in a sing-song voice. The old man and I turned to see Red, the masked horseman that was at my house.

“How did you find me?” I blurted out.

“I have some experience in finding people.” He said happily. 

“Red, why don’t you take a break this time.” the old man said hopefully. “Maybe this time we come to an agreement to stop this madness.” 

“What are you talking about, old man?” I asked, confused. What did he mean this time? Did they know each other, were they working together? 

“Hopefully, you’ll never need to know, kid.” the old man said, dropping the axe and extending his right hand. “Now stand back, I need to deal with this clown.” 

“How quaint, the old man thinks he can save anyone.” Red said angrily. He took his sword and swung at the air leaving a gaping void where he swung. 

“This again, I haven’t learned anything new.” the old man said smugly. A giant vine came out of the old man’s right and struck Red in the head knocking off his mask. Revealing Red looked exactly like a younger version of the old man.

“Enough of this.” Red said angrily, jumping into the void. The next second the world went black. Then I found myself in the middle of a gem-filled cave, where hundreds of masked people stood staring at me. I was on some sort of altar, and behind me stood Red and an old guy with long, black hair and an old fashioned robe

“I see you have finally woken up.” the robed man said. “You sure have been hard to capture, harder than most.”

“What do you want from me?” I yelled desperately.

“Didn’t that traitor tell you?” The robed man responded. “Well no matter, I am Dyon, the leader of the Kronos Crusade, and you are here to help me, you see, I didn’t really want to die, so I gathered some men a performed a ritual that gave me eternal life, the only downside is that I am now in a loop, and to stay immortal I must repeat the ritual, so you and me are in an endless chase so to speak.” He concluded dramatically. 

“What do you mean ‘you and me’?” I questioned. 

“Oh, I forgot to tell you.” Dyon laughed. “The ritual only works if we use you or someone else like, someone born during a rift in time like you.” 

“Let’s just get this over with.” Red growls. “The day is almost over.” 

“Ah, you are right, well we mustn’t be late.” Dyon said, almost sad. “Let’s begin the ritual.” I was desperate for a way out, so I jumped up and tried to grab Dyon, get a hostage, but the second I did something hit me in the face. Red had struck me with his sword leaving a small cut from the bridge of my nose going left to my jaw, and realization hit me. All these people were me from the countless times the ritual was performed.

“Ah, so you see how you could not win.” Red said softly. “If something has happened this many times it must be destiny.”  After all I went through I would fail. The room filled with chanting, the sound was like drumming. After a second I started to float on the altar, I started to glow and then the world went bright white, then black.

I woke up on the mountain, it was morning. I thought the whole ritual thing had to have been a dream and I had just sleepwalked out here. Running, I went to the farm and my heart dropped, there I was staring back at the morning of the ritual lifting hay.

The Boys S5 E8

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Spoilers

“Blood and Bone”

Extremely satisfying conclusion for this series.

The characters of The Boys were all served very well in this conclusion. They all feel like they have taken this full circle, back to the beginning. As I said, this was so satisfying of an ending. It is hard to make a finale that really hits all the right notes, and I believe this one was special.

Hughie stepped it up big time in this episode as he really came through. Apparently, much of the ending matched up with what happened in the comics (which I have not read). The end of the episode with Hughie and Butcher facing off over the virus, with Butcher wanting to kill all the supes and Hughie killing him. It was wonderful that Hughie got be be a leader again.

I have had a difficult relationship with Butcher over the five seasons

Homelander’s fall in the White House’s Oval Office was fabulous. The battle between Butcher and Homelander was brutal and the use of Kimiko and Ryan in the battle was great. The final death of Homelander with the crowbar was perfect and gross at the same time. The use of Frenchie’s memory for Kimiko was beautiful, reminding her that rage was not what she did best, that herpower came from her heart .

Annie getting to be the one who finally brings down The Deep is a full circle moment, and the way they paid off the sea creatures getting their revenge on “Kevin” is great. There has not been a character in this show more despicable (except for Homelander) than Deep.

I did not expect that Soldier Boy had been killed last week. I thought Homelander only choked him out, but, apparently, he did kill him. Homelander made a comment about dropping him in the Thames, so I guess that was the end of Soldier Boy.

Sister Sage had her powers taken away with the Kimiko blast and she is happy about it. She does not have to lobotomize herself to enough Taco Bell and reality TV. Sage heading off to Harry Potter land in Orlando is a great end for that character.

MM is reunited with Monique and they get remarried. It also seemed as if MM is taking Ryan in too. It was one of the happier ends of the characters.

Of course, Annie pregnant at the end and involved with Hughie’s “start-up business” was cool too. It felt like another pay off for this relationship that had endured for so long through so much tragedy and turmoil. With Annie being pregnant after aborting the child in a previous season, I think that throwback is another strong character beat.

Terror RIP.

The performances of this show were all outstanding. From Karl Urban and Jack Quaid to Antony Starr and Chace Crawford, from  Karen Fukuhara and Tomer Capone to Daveed Diggs and Colby Minifie, from Erin Moriarty and Cameron Crovetti to Laz Alonso and Jensen Ackles, the cast brought it every episode and made these characters pop (sometimes even literally as head were exploding in moments).

The Boys finished off a strong season and a top-notch super hero satire.

The Never Wavering Arrow

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The Never Wavering Arrow

By Z.W.

A bright light shines upon my face as I stir in my sleep. I shield my eyes from the harsh light with my hand and groan. I sit up, rubbing my eyes as I do, silently cursing the wretched sun for interrupting my only time of peace. I look around and see my phone buzz with a notification. Who in their right mind is messaging me this early?

I pick up the phone begrudgingly, reading the notification. 

A message reading “Hey Assan! This is just a message to wake your lazy self up, because heaven forbid you get up at a reasonable time.” comes through from Rowan… Of course. I slightly snicker at the audacity, but it quickly turns into dread at having to go to school.

I stretch my arms and back before standing up and yawning. I pad over to my dresser and throw on a plain white tee with some basic cargo jeans, nothing out of the ordinary for me. I look in the mirror and see how messy my brown hair is… It’s really getting long. I almost consider brushing it, but it being shaggy is more of my style anyway.

I slip on my shoes and school bag and mentally prepare as I head to school, knowing the day is going to be strenuous. When I arrive at the school, Ferns High School for specifics, I’m met with an abrupt meeting with Rowan.

“Hey, sleepyhead! You did make it after all! It’s nice to see your face here every once in a while, you know.” While he speaks, I wonder how someone can be so cheerful in a dull world like this.

“Yeah, yeah, now can you quit with the overzealous yelling? I’d like to be able to hear during my classes today.”  My words sound harsher than intended, but I’m sure Rowan knows this.

“Ah, right, sorry!” He rubs the back of his head sheepishly, having a big grin on his face.

I notice his more nicely dressed attire. Compared to his normal, uncoordinated outfits, this one seems awfully put together and neat. His clothes aren’t wrinkled, his black hair is brushed and done up in a messy bun, and he smells like cologne- maybe too much.

“What’s the occasion? You aren’t dressed like the homeless today.”

“Hey! I’ll have you know I dress perfectly fine normally! But, since you are sooo curious…” He drags on, “I have a date after school!” He flushes with clear excitement and nerves.

“A date? You? I can’t tell if I pity you or the girl who said yes.” I tease. “But hey, good for you, even if you smell like a men’s cologne shop.”

He grins and goes to reply, but is cut off by the bell. It rings mockingly, like it knows the suffering it brings.

“Well, see ya later! And don’t sleep in class either, I’m tired of the teachers complaining about it to me.” He says before rushing off to his first class.

I sigh, a lot of the staff complain to Rowan because 1, he’s the favorite, and 2, I’m his troublesome best friend. I figure I won’t ruin his big day and try to stay awake during these long, boring hours.

The first half of the day goes by pretty quickly, just listening to lectures upon lectures lets the mind drift off to a pretty interesting place- on which I won’t elaborate. Lunch comes and goes just as quickly, with some small talk with Rowan and listening to the background chatter in the lunch room.

My final class periods, on the other hand, couldn’t have been more irritating if they tried. The classes themselves are fine, but it’s the students in them that ruin it. One of, if not the most popular student is in both of them. Alias Bridgenton, the school sports pride. With a total of 10 medals from different competitions, he’s managed to be the most insufferable jerk to be around.

His most notable talent is archery, always winning the competitions held and crushing the competitors with his ego…and skill, I suppose. He never really talks to me, but he always gives me glances that you can’t quite read. His emerald eyes are piercing, and his black hair is almost blue in some lighting. I admit, he’s pretty intimidating.

But, after listening to his loud mouth for those two straining class periods, the bell rings. This time in a much more relieving sense. I grab my things and book it out of the school. The fresh air is an amazing change compared to the sweaty, BO-reeking halls in the building. I don’t bother to look for Rowan, knowing he’s probably off with the girl he mentioned earlier.

I head down the road to the archery range, my safe haven. Archery is my comfort compared to the tiresome work of everyday life. I enter the building and take my recurve bow out of its locker, replacing it with my school stuff in the meantime. Some of the other attendees wave over to me, so I reciprocate the greeting. 

I head over to the range itself; it’s indoors, but it works just as well as any other. I put on my gear and finally begin practicing. Pull the drawstring back, aim, fire, repeat. Such simple actions make such a great hobby.

After a while, my arms grow achy, and my mind is tired. Despite that, I can’t afford to slack off. The most important archery competition of the year is in less than a week. While most people look at it as something Alias will just win, I want to at least attempt to get some recognition. I pull the string back once more, and my weary state must have been obvious because I’m interrupted by a familiar, irritating voice.

“Your stance is off, you know.” The voice reeks of arrogance and ego; I suddenly feel like gagging.

I turn to look who it is, already having a hunch. Alias himself, in all of his prideful glory. He wears a smirk that practically screams, “I’m better than you,” and he probably isn’t wrong. He begins to walk over, walking with the pride of a man who holds himself higher than the atmosphere.

“Assan, was it?” If condescension had a mortal form, it’s him.

“Yeah, Alias, right?” I know the answer, but I may as well make the conversation a little more bearable.

“The one and only. Now, sorry to intrude on your practice, but I couldn’t help but notice your poor form. You do know better than this, yes?”

I nod, refraining from rolling my eyes.

“Good, but if you can’t even keep your form at a reasonable state, then why are you practicing? A good archer mustn’t overwork themselves too much; I can account for that.” He looks off as he speaks, as if caught in a memory. He shakes his head, “Regardless, I’ve seen your talent, and I wouldn’t want you to burn it out, before a competition no less.”

I don’t know how to feel about that; such words of praise are surprising from him. I sigh and shake my head, looking back at my bow.

“I assume you’ll be participating in the competition, yes?” his words break the brief silence.

I nod, “Yes, I’ll be participating.”

He smirks, “Good.”

He begins to walk off, but not before giving one last line of pride.

“Don’t disappoint me, Assan. I’ll be looking forward to our next meeting at the competition.” He walks out of the range like he hadn’t just put a large expectation on my shoulders.

I groan and decide to pack up my bow. It’s not like I’ll be able to focus now anyway. For being a jerk, he gave some pretty smart advice, all things considered. I put my bow in my locker and grab my stuff, slinging my bag over my shoulder, and walk out of the building. 

I pull out my phone and see Rowan has messaged me a couple of times about him and that girl’s date. Apparently, it went great. I sent back some generic positive messages before turning my phone off. I’ve got bigger things to worry about.

The next few days go partway decent. Rowan hasn’t given me any headaches, Alias keeps to himself, and my training has been productive. Even if I feel a pit in my stomach when it’s mentioned, I feel more confident about it now. Honestly, I’m looking forward to it, to prove myself.

But, like any other time when life goes well, something happens. My bow breaks. The top portion of the bow snapped when I pulled it back like I normally did. I knew the thing was old, but did it really have to break the day before the competition? I have it sent to the shop; thankfully, since I’ve been going to this range for so long, they offer to do it for free.

They gave me a measly replacement bow for the meantime; this could not have been worse timing. I train with the bow, but it’s far more difficult than it should be. It’s too light, it doesn’t bend like it should, and it feels flimsy. There goes my only chance of proving myself. The highest I get is a 9 on the target, and that was pure luck at best. That night, I just sit and accept my impending defeat.

How am I supposed to win a competition that my only chance of winning has been sabotaged? I know I should have more resolve, but I can’t just gaslight myself into thinking I’ll win. I suppose Alias should’ve had a little less faith…

The morning of the competition rolls around, a Saturday morning that I’d normally spend sleeping. Instead, I’m standing off to the side, watching the competition go by while I wait for my turn. The lighting is bright, and it’s hot inside the range. This is going to go terribly.

Suddenly, the announcer calls over the intercom, “Ladies and gentlemen! Our next contestant is a long-time winner who comes from Fern High School…Alias Brigenton!” The audience erupts into applause as he walks into the range. He smirks and waves to the crowd, looking all around at the audience till he spots me. He locks eyes with me and mouths the words “Watch this.”

I feel a stab of anxiety as I observe him getting ready to fire. His technique is flawless, with not a single point of weakness. He shoots the target, hitting the bullseye with ease. He proceeds to shoot the other targets with bullseyes, earning the highest possible score of 50. He undeniably has the skill and the determination to back up his ego. I may not be able to win, but I might be able to tie. 

After he gets his final score tallied, he walks off the range and back into the waiting area for contestants. Not without shooting me a final look of pride. Never have I ever wanted to punch a smirk off of someone’s face before until now. I sigh, mentally preparing again.

“And now, for our final contestant… Assan Hildegade!” I practically feel my stomach drop to my feet. I take a deep breath to steel my nerves and rush to the waiting area to grab my bow and head onto the range. I do that walk of shame most people do when giving a presentation, but then I raise my head and walk with a little more dignity. 

There is no applause for me like there was for Alias, just pitiful attempts at recognition from the crowd. I look around, and targets are positioned at different distances and heights. The lights are far too bright, honestly. Do they even think about the contestants? Or are we just a display item? Never mind that.

I look around the audience, and seeing Rowan cheering for me brings some calm to my nerves. I catch eyes with Alias again, and he nods at me. I sigh, here goes nothing.

I bring the bow up and pull back the drawstring like I’d done a thousand times before. The bow feels unfamiliar in my hands, and it only worsens my confidence. I aim at the first target, a thousand worries running through my mind at once. I try to silence them for the time being and fire the arrow. It weaves through the air like a hot knife through butter, better than I could have ever expected. 

It hits the bullseye, surprisingly. I suppress a grin; maybe the odds aren’t entirely out of my favor. The next three targets go smoothly despite the increased difficulty. But it’s now the final target, the most difficult one. It’s stationed the furthest away, is angled at an inopportune position, and the wind is blowing in the opposite direction. With the stakes given, the circumstances occurring, and my overall abilities, I feel those thoughts creep back in.

What if I don’t make this shot? Would he still have faith in me? What if I fail? Would I humiliate myself? What if I show how worthless I am? Would it-

“Don’t disappoint me, Assan. I’ll be looking forward to our next meeting at the competition.” his words flood back to my head. Right. No time for worrying. I didn’t put in all of this hard work for nothing. After all, I have to prove myself at one point, and I’m not letting this opportunity slide.

I pull the drawstring back, aiming carefully with the wind direction. I take a deep breath and fire, watching the arrow never waver once in its travel. It hits the bullseye dead center, not a single way to misconceive its position. The crowd is silent for a moment, a long, painful moment, but suddenly the audience roars with cheers and applause. I look around to see Rowan cheering louder than most, but then I also see Alias applauding with a proud look.

I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. I smile ear to ear uncontrollably, laughing in relief more than humor. I walk back into the waiting area for archers, giving myself some time away from the crowd.

Since Alias and I tied our score, we both got to take home a gold medal. First time I’ve ever gotten one. After the competition, I was met with praise and a very proud Rowan, who goes on about how he secretly knew this would happen, even though he probably didn’t. I decide to head to the place outside behind the range after the whole ordeal. It’s a bench with a tiny pond that no one seems to go to.

I sit on the bench and lean back with an exhausted sigh, thinking back to the previous week. Meeting Alias, my training, my bow breaking, the competition, everything. I feel a grin tug at my lips at it all. Who knew all of that would come to this? My peaceful moment of reminiscing is quickly interrupted, though, as a voice I’ve come to know all too well returns.

“Well, isn’t this an interesting place to relax? I must say, this would not be my first pick.” Alias, who walks over and sits next to me, says in a much calmer tone compared to his normal arrogance.

I shrug, “Yeah, but at least it’s quiet. That’s all I ask for.”

He snickers, “How simple-minded of you.”

I scoff and roll my eyes, “It’s not simple-minded, it’s logical after whatever that loud competition was.”

“Sure, sure, now, I’ve come to congratulate you. It isn’t every day that someone ties me, in a competition no less. You did well out there.” The words are oddly sincere coming from someone like him. I feel a smile creep onto my face. 

“Who knew the pride of Ferns High School was so sentimental after all? I feel honored,” I joke with him, causing his reaction of sputtering before scoffing.

“Don’t get too cocky, brat.” His attempt to regain his composure is quite entertaining.

I shake my head, “Anyway, thanks for that. It was really you who was a driving factor for me to even participate. I guess I owe it to ya after all.”

He grins, “Now who’s getting sentimental?”

“Shut up!”

We end up laughing it off and giving a fist bump. I guess this could be the start of something new, a friendship you could call it. Who knew that this is where one measly competition could lead me? I guess, in the end of it all, through hardships and condescending comments, hard work never fails you.

Light on a Dying Flower

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By P.W.

Her, the love of his life, Fiona, a police officer has been in the police force since she was 20, going on 28. In love with the idea of arresting the bad people and helping the good people ever since she was a child, but her boyfriend,  Arden, is a hidden serial killer, someone you wouldn’t suspect, from a man who helps the elderly and helps with Fiona’s children. Will she find out about his murderous ways or will the man she’s deeply in love with not get caught, and live with her? Until death do us part is a big saying with big meaning, will that meaning still be true, or will they part ways. Permanently. It’s the Thirteenth of August in 2011, the temperatures are hot but not horribly overwhelming. 

Salem was a big tourist attraction especially for the movie Hocus Pocus. Tourists flew in from everywhere. For Fiona it was a struggle, trying to get to an emergency with crowded crosswalks was a challenge, especially for urgent situations. Over the (almost) eight years she’s been working, she’s found a back road that gets her to different areas in town,  and it avoids the tourists. It’s a win for everyone. On the day of August 11 at 6:23 p.m she comes home to a horrid stench. She makes it inside, her little girl, Lillithan greets her eagerly.

“Mama! Mama! I’ve missed you so much! Ardy made me Cheese pasta!”

Fiona smiles happily,”Does he make it as good as I do?” She pulls Lillithan into a warm hug, picking her up and resting her on her hip. Fiona then walks over to Arden, kissing him on the lips smiling.

“How was Little Lilli today?”

“She wasn’t a problem at all, I don’t know why you don’t trust me.” Arden says smiling at her, Fiona knows he loves her,  but something lies beneath that mask. She just can’t figure out what she wants to figure out, she’s wanted to for the past two years they’ve dated.

“Im going to put this silly girl to bed, then I’ll come back out.” She leans over and kisses him one last time before leaving and putting Lillithan to bed. Once she comes back out she talks to Arden.

“Hey, I think an animal crawled under the house and died, if you could look into that, I would love that.”

“Of course honey, I will tomorrow.” He kisses her on the forehead and grabs his stuff.

“Bye , Sweetie. I’ll see what’s up tomorrow”

He leaves, Fiona is still extremely on edge Why was there a stench, it didn’t smell like a dying, or rotting animal, but could she be wrong? No. She shakes it off and heads to bed. The next morning she wakes up at 5:00, it’s a Friday so she has the day off, she tries to go back to bed, but she can’t, it’s like something is pulling her away from sleeping. She feels a presence behind her, but she’s lying down, how she could Feel something behind her. Fiona gets up and makes herself some coffee, careful not to wake up Lilli. As the coffee brews the sounds are not loud, but also not exactly quiet. The coffee finishes brewing and she puts in her “essentials”.

  • 1 spoonful of sugar
  • 1 whole cup of coffee creamer
  • A splash of milk

As Fiona makes her coffee, she’s pleased with herself, when all of a sudden she hears small footsteps from behind her, she turns around to see Lilli running at her scared, almost petrified. Of course, it’s one of her small night terrors and it’s easy to calm her down. This time though, it was different. 

“Lilli? What’s wrong?” Fiona says, setting down her coffee and picking up the crying five year old in front of her,

 Lilli clings to her shirt crying relentlessly, clearly not calming down any time soon. “Hes in my room! I told him to leave but he won’t! He won’t leave! He’s not listening to me!”

Fiona freezes, she knew that feeling wasn’t just her. She knew something was coming, she just couldn’t place that feeling until right now.

“ Ok baby, I’m going to set you down so I can take a look at the monster, ok?”

Lilli nods, her tiny hands coming up to wipe her tears and her cute little lip sticking out, making her look adorable even while frightened. Fiona puts Lilli down and grabs her pepper spray, just in case. As she makes her way to Lilli’s room, her footsteps are quiet, it makes it feel like the house is screaming, because of how quiet it is. As she steps in front of Lilli’s room she turns the doorknob slowly. The door creaks as it opens. She turns the light on and steps into the room quickly. Nothing. She checks under the bed, nothing. She opens the closet doors one after the other, first side nothing. Second side, something? 

There’s this big white trashbag, now stained a light pink, the stench is strong, but not overwhelming. She puts the pepper spray in her back pocket. She walks up to the bag and kneels in front of it. The tie sucks, so it’s easy to open. Once she opens it she finds different red splattered shirts, the red splatter looks like paint because of how thick it is. She digs through the bag, She reaches her hand in and cuts her finger on something sharp. She pulls her hand out and mutters a curse. Why would something sharp be in a bag of Lilli’s ruined shirts? She opens the bag more, slowly, more red paint comes into view. Her eyes widen, why didn’t I get rid–

“I’m here to look at your infestation!” Arden, he arrives, Fiona didn’t even hear the door open, or close.

“Ardy, Ardy”, Lilli says, her little feet on the floor. “There’s a monster in my room! mama ‘s lookin’ at it right now!” Ardy laughs and walks towards the room with Lilli, Fiona comes out holding her cut finger.

“Holy cow, Fiona. What happened, are you ok?” Fiona heads to the bathroom to wash her finger off, whilst talking to Arden.

“Lilli, she had a trashbag of paint stained clothes in her closet, I reached my hand in and something cut my finger.” Fiona runs her finger under the water stinging slightly, but thoroughly cleansing it.

“Jesus Fiona, I’ll go get started looking at that dang rodent that went under your porch.” He kisses her solemnly on the forehead. “Love you.” he says then leaves. Fiona grabs an antiseptic and sprays the liquid on to her fingers, disinfecting it. She then grabs a bandaid and lays it on her finger carefully, trying not to hurt herself more. Once she heads out of the bathroom she grabs the bag of stained clothes and takes it outside to the trash, as in doing so she sees Arden dragging a black trashbag to his truck, its sagging. There’s weight to it, almost like a carcass, or a cadaver, Fiona freezes momentarily.

“Hey Arden.” Fiona says, still frozen in place.

‘Yeah?” He says while dragging the trash bag to his truck.

“Can I see what rotten animal crawled under my porch?” Arden freezes clearly caught off guard by the question.

“W-why would you want to see? It’s probably rotten, and looks horrible.” He says, clearly scared of being caught, but what would he have to hide?

“Show me the animal. Now”

“No!” He throws the trashbag in the truck. “It’s been dealt with now, don’t ask about it.” He says angrily, frustration evident on his face. He storms past Fiona brushing past her shoulder. Fiona throws Lilli’s bag of trash into the trashcan then heads back inside to be greeted with Arden, stabbing Lilli with a knife right in her back. Fiona screams. Arden turns around. Her screams are too loud, but Arden says.

“This was  always coming. Eventually” 

Fiona tackles him reaching for her phone, She manages to tackle Arden pining him under her with practiced precision. She manages to call 911 and puts it on speaker, putting it far away from his reach.

“911, What your–”`

“Wideria street apartment eight, I have a murderer at my house, I’m Police Officer F. Smith.”

“Backups being sent your way now Mrs. Smith. I need you to stay on the line”

“I have him pinned”  “He’s struggling pretty roughly im not going to be able to hold him forever”

“The police are about a minute away, hold on for me Fiona.”

As Fiona holds down Arden, her daughter’s crying, and she hears the police sirens getting closer, and closer, and then the sirens arrive, doors shut footsteps on the grass. The door bursts open, medical calls are made. Her daughter gets rushed to the hospital, and Arden gets arrested. Fiona and her daughter come back home two weeks later, Arden missed all of Lili’s organs thankfully. Lilli now has a big scar and stitches on her back. She healed about three years later, the pain faded the memories not. Fiona was eternally grateful for the police and medical care they provided to her daughter. The police station and hospital both expressed their gratitude and awarded Fiona and Lilli each five thousand dollars. Lilli and Fiona are still scared to trust people to this day, after the day Lilli’s life was almost taken. Lilli is now twenty while her mother is now forty-eight and still in the police force helping people and busting the others.

EYG Comic Cavalcade #203

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May 18

Another week, another Monday.

I think part of the fact that I have been having trouble getting this out on the weekend is that I have so many books each week. I remember the days when I only picked up Marvel Comics. Now, I get all kinds of companies across the comic landscape.

The huge variety is awesome, but does take some time to read. School has just a couple of weeks total before I am out on summer vacation, so the timing of the EYG Comic Cavalcade should switch up soon.

Comic of the Week

The Olympus Saga: Megalith #1

I had several potential choices this week for Comic of the Week, but I decided to go with this new Bad Idea book called The Olympus Saga: Megalith #1.

It was a cool idea. A giant megalith appeared in the middle of the city, causing destruction and danger and a group of first responders and military people try to figure out what is going on before everything is lost. I did not see the ending of this issue coming. I was thinking that this felt very cinematic, which was a way I used to describe Survive (a book last year that I loved). This is a great start and one of my favorite reads of the week.

Books this week:

Amazing Spider-Man/Venom- Death Spiral: Body Count #1. Written by Charles Soule with art by Kev Walker. Cover art was done by CAFU I(Silver Medalist). This is the wrap up of the Death Spiral storyline as we get the origin of Torment. We also get what seemed to be a brand new Torment… eventually, at least.

The Spectacular Spider-Man: Brand New Day #1. “Key to the Kingdom” Written by Dan Slott with art by Marcus Tu. Marcos Martin & Muntsa Vicente did the Tell-Tale Pages art. Cover art was done by Phil Jimenez & Alex Sinclair. I also picked up the variable cover F by Patrick Gleason. We are back in the Brand New Day timeline for a new story with Spidey and Mister Negative.

Black Cat #10. “Big If True” Written by G. Willow WIlson with art by Gleb Melnikov. Cover art was done by Gleb Melnikov & Edgar Delgado. I also picked up the B cover by Peach Momoko (Gold Medalist). Black Cat and Jonah Jameson meet up in the Negative Zone. Yeah, that sounds weird, I know.

Showdown #1. “The Two Killers of Michael Sullivan.” Written by Dave Wielgosz and illustrated by Tadd Galusha. Cover art by Steve Lieber & Dillon Snook. Trish has returned to her hometown with a mission. She blamed Harvey for the death of her brother. So when she returned from college, she had planned on killing him. However, some things are in the way. This was an interesting new book by Ignition Press.

D’Orc #4. “Trust Your Gut” Written, drawn and cover art by Brett Bean. D’Orc continues to be a lot of fun every issue. In this one, we see D’Orc and his friends take on a three headed dog. I find this book to be extremely enjoyable and funny.

Wolverine #20. “The Savage Champions” Written by Saladin Ahmed and art by Martin Coccolo. Cover art was done by Dan Panosian. Wolverine wrapped up the Adamantine storyline with his massive battle with the creature. Wolverine still has not had his claws back yet on his one hand. I wonder if they are leading to this being his new status quo for the current Marvel Universe.

Something is Killing the Children #47. “All Her Monsters” Written by James Tynion IV and illustrated and cover art by Werther Dell’edera. We are back with Jessica and Cecilia Slaughter dealing with the after effects of the Valmont Mountain Lodge incident. It was nice to get this book back after a bit of a lay off.

Innards #1. “Chapter 1: As Below, So Within.” Written by Rob Guillory with art and cover art by Sam Lotfi. This new book by Ignition Press dealing with a future world, post-nuclear attack. They are looking to mine the only energy mineral remaining- Lucifium, and you can only reach it by teleportation. This was a fun new book. Ignition Press has been doing quality work lately too.

Barbara Gordon: Breakout #1. “What Am I Doing Here?” Written by Mariko Tamaki and art by Amancay Nahuelpan. Cover art was done by Karl Kerschl. I have been looking forward to this new book as Barbara Gordon is on her was to the Big House. This was a great first issue and I considered it as the Comic of the Week.

Geiger #23. Creators are Geoff Johns & Gary Frank. This was a heartbreaker of an issue as Geiger finds his family for just a few moments, only to get pulled away from them. It was so sad. It looks as if Geiger is finding himself in World War II with Junkyard Joe.

Conan & Dragonero #1. “The Shadow of the Dragon” Written by Stefano Vietti & Luca Enoch with art by Lorenzo Nuti. Cover art was done by Roberto De La Torre. This new series is fabulous. It looked like Conan is back to his time traveling ways. I really liked this book and seeing these two together.

Uncanny X-Men #28. “And It Shall Come to Pass.” Written by Gail Simone with art by Luciano Vecchio. Cover art was done by Luciano Vecchio & Edgar Delgado. The weird storyline continues with the fake New Mutants (?) and the reveal of the identity of Inmate X. I have loved Gail Simone’s run on this book and every month I look forward to it.

Captain America #11. “Doom’s Shadow” Part 6. Written by Chip Zdarsky with art by Valero Schiti. Cover art was done by Valerio Schiti & Romulo Fajardo Jr. I also picked up the Variant Cover C by Chip Zdarsky (Bronze Medalist). Red Hulk faces off with Cap on Latverian grounds and it sure does not seem to go well for Cap.

The Fury of Firestorm #2. “The Fury Part 2” Written by Jeff Lemire and art was done by Rafael De Latorre. Rafael De Latorre & Marcelo Maiolo did the cover art. I really enjoyed this issue too. The background story between Ronnie and Stein was welcomed and the mystery of what is happening with Firestorm is fascinating. This has been one of my favorite new DC books so far.

Hidden Springs #1. Written by Rob Williams and art and cover art by Nil Vendrell. A group of old people on a trip to the woods come across a crash from space… and a gigantic monster. This was a Monsterverse story crossed with LOST and the X-Files. I enjoyed this new Dark Horse book.

The Mortal Thor #10. “Come at the King” Written by Al Ewing with art by Pasqual Ferry. Cover art was done by Alex Ross. Sigurd Jarlson has had enough and he walked straight into the Roxxon building looking to put this to an end. He had to face the Grey Gargoyle… and took care of him. He walked right into the Minotaur. Great issue.

Transformers #32. Written by Robert Kirkman and art by Jason Howard. Cover art was done by David Nakayama. We go this issue back to Cybertron to watch the battle being led by our new Elita Prime. There are a bunch of new Decepticons involved in the war on Cybertron.

Absolute Batman #20. “The Straw Man” Written by Scott Snyder with art by Nick Dragotta. Cover art was done by Nick Dragotta and Frank Martin. I was able to pick up Variant Cover C by Fabrizio De Tommaso. We get the appearance by the Robins as they are preparing to take on Batman.

Department of Truth #37. Written by James Tynion IV with art by Ben Templesmith. Cover art was done by Martin Simmonds. Dinosaurs? True Believer Charity and her church believe that humans and dinosaurs existed at the same time, and they believe that dinosaurs may still exist. And look to Hunky to answer that question.

Iron Man #5. “Advanced Iron Man” Written by Joshua Williamson and art by Carmen Carnero with Jan Bazaldua. Cover art was done by Ryan Stegman & Frank Martin. Adam Ware killed the Fixer. Ware is with the AIM organization, right at the head.

Voyeur #5. Written by Leah Williams and illustrated by David Baldeón. Cover art was done by Victor Ibanez. Voyeur #5 was a lot of fun and a lot of nudity. I thought this was considerably better than it should have been. This was the final issue of this short series and I am sad to see it go. This issue also has one of the more fun covers of the week.

Bleeding Hearts #4. Written by Deniz Camp and art and cover art by Stipan Morian. Have you ever seen a zombie having a tea party? Not only at a tea party, but having a damn great time? It sure seems that Poke is struggling with his own mind and his own perspective on who or what he is. But hey, who wouldn’t love Rabbit? One of the more original zombie stories you are going to read.

Tyler Rake: An Extraction Story #2. Written by Ande Parks and illustrated by Ronan Cliquet. Cover art was done by Declan Shalvey. The second issue of this Tyler Rake series from Ignition Press is great. This has been a surprisingly solid book so far as we get some action from Tyler Rake.

Other Books This Week: The Thing on the Doorstep #4, Hello Darkness #21, Blood & Thunder #13, Absolute Martian Manhunter #11, Ghost Pepper #11, Archie’s Movie Mania #1, Arcadia #5, Malevolent #4, and Terrorbytes #6.

Quick Hits: Tigress Island #3 came out this week. Things are getting real serious for these girls. The relationship between Illyana and Colossus are on display through this new Magik and Colossus #4, the penultimate issue of this series. W0rldtr33 #20 continues to be one of the more in-depth stories dealing with technology you will find. Doctor Strange is able to return to earth from Asgard in Doctor Strange #6, but it is temporary. I love how Clea and Wanda, who are guest starring, do not remember Thor, but Stephen does since he was in Asgard at the time. Clea believes Stephen is lying about the “Norse myth” stuff. LOL. Space Ghost #11 is the penultimate issue of season two. Things have been tough for Space Ghost. War Wolf #5 sees Thomas Bruin in some real trouble, but, again, we are not sure what the truth about what happened actually was. Ultimate Endgame #4 saw the death of another of our favorites as Captain Britain chopped off the head of Captain America. Dead By Daylight #2 could use some more hillbilly. Archie x The Army of Darkness #4 sees Archie and Ash trying to stop the Deadites. Joe Palmer’s Destination Kill #1 was a new #1 from Oni Press. I was not a big fan of this issue. Finally, Just Brutal #3 sees a real tragic event at the end of the book. It took a turn and the book may have taken a different path.

Remarkably Bright Creatures

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It has been a good couple of weeks for talking animal movies.

Last week, I was absolutely taken with Sheep Detectives and this week, I was able to watch the Netflix film starring Sally Field and Louis Pullman called Remarkably Bright Creatures. This featured an octopus, voiced by Alfred Molina (who coincidentally played Doctor Octopus in Spider-Man 2 and No Way Home) as the narrator.

According to IMDB, “Through unlikely bonds formed during night shifts at a local aquarium, Tova, an elderly widow, learns of a life-changing discovery that may bring her joy and wonder once again.“

Sally Field really came to work in this movie. Her portrayal as Tova was just so sweet and touching, but more than just that. She had a real emotional arc for her character and a tragic backstory that was impactful as could be. I was really impressed with her work in this movie.

I did not recognize Louis Pullman at first, but about midway through the movie, I thought to myself… “Hey, that’s Sentry… Bob.” He, as well, was fabulous, giving a depth to a performance with a character that could have been one note, but turned out to be extremely developed.

I also loved seeing Kathy Baker back on my screen. Kathy Baker was one of the stars of Picket Fences, a show that I loved, and it was just a nice surprise seeing her in this.

Alfred Molina’s narration was kind of odd, but it did provide some important relevant details as the movie progressed. Plus, there were some emotionally powerful moments with Marcellus, the name of the octopus that Molina was voicing. It took a little bit of time for me to get used to the idea, but by the end of the movie, this was an important role.

I enjoyed this story. Even though it did feel a bit scattered early on, it came together beautifully. I did enjoy the presence of Colm Meaney as Ethan. His character may have felt kind of unnecessary, but the film took time to actually give him a personality.

This was a lovely film with some solid characters and some excellent performances. It is available for streaming on Netflix and it is a worthwhile time.

4.5 stars

Widow’s Bay S1 E4

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Spoilers

“Beach Reads”

At the end of the last episode, we got a distress call over the police radio that was hectic and sounded like all hell was breaking loose. It came out of nowhere, but it really put a button on last week’s wild episode.

This week, we learn what was going on.

The episode was a Patricia-centric episode, which flashbacked four days and showed her getting ready for a party. The show does a great job of creating suspense through the struggles of Patricia and her anxieties of the party. It also snuck in a surprise… a special book that seemingly was a self-help book, but instead turned out to be a witches’ spellbook.

The scene where Sheriff Bechir comes into the restaurant to find Patricia, and the audience, for the first time, sees Patricia in the true light… with a crown of antlers and rodents’ hair, mixing punch that included blood from dead animals.

I actually gasped when they revealed this sight, as I just did not expect it to be as shocking as it was. We discovered that the punch sent the party guests to the water, looking to drown themselves. It took Patricia burning the book to break the spell.

This was quite the departure from what this series had been building up with the Mayor and his own problems dealing with acceptance of supernatural truths on the island. We barely saw him at all this episode. And yet it worked completely well. On LOST, they would have episodes focused on different characters, and this was just like that.

Then, the episode ended with Mayor Tom, Patricia and Wyck finding the dead body of Reverend Bryce hanging on the door.

Widow’s Bay has been excellent with the cliffhanger/final scene shock so far. This one keeps me wondering what exactly is next among this wild show.

Daily Countdown: Weird Al Songs #45

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#45

Bedrock Anthem

Title: “Bedrock Anthem”

Album: Alapalooza

Release: 1993

Parody: “Under the Bridge” and “Give It Away” by Red Hot Chili Peppers

Written: Chad Smith / John Frusciante / Anthony Kiedis / Michael Balzary / Alfred Yankovic

Genre: Funk rock

This is another TV show that Al honors in song as this time it is the Flintstones. There are voice clips from the Flintstones on the song.

Lyrics

Sometimes, I feel like I need a vacation
Sometimes, I feel like I wanna go to the city of cavemen, the city of Bedrock
I’d be a Flintstone, now, I’ll tell you why

Oh
Oh
Oh!

Well, I’ve got, I’ve got a woman named, Wilma
Well, I’ve got, I’ve got a baby named Pebbles
Well, I’ve got, I’ve got a doggy named Dino
We do a little bowling and we drink a little vino

Well, I’ve got a little buddy, Barney Rubble
Got a neighbor by the name of Barney Rubble
He’s a midget but, he makes a lot of trouble
Doesn’t like to shave, he got caveman stubble

Me and Barney, loyal order water buffalo
Lodge brothers, loyal order water buffalo
There’s a handshake everybody gotta know
How come grand Poo-Bah always gotta run the whole show?

Yabba-dabba-yabba-dabba-dabba do now
Yabba-dabba-yabba-dabba-dabba do now
Yabba-dabba-yabba-dabba-dabba do now
I get by on all my prehistoric know-how

Betty and Barney got a baby, named, Bamm-Bamm
Little Pebbles is his number one fan
He’s the strongest toddler in the whole land
Tear your arm off, if he’s shaking your hand

Got a car, gonna push it with my feet now
Gonna take my family out to eat now
Jumbo ribs at the drive-in can’t be beat now
Made from brontosaurus, baby, not a moo-cow

Wanna chill with a saber tooth tiger
Wear a loincloth, natural fiber
Be the first rolling stone subscriber
Got a pterodactyl for a windshield wiper

Yabba-dabba-yabba-dabba-dabba do now
Yabba-dabba-yabba-dabba-dabba do now
Yabba-dabba-yabba-dabba-dabba do now
Don’t know what it means, but I say it anyhow

Wilma, I’m home! Start serving dinner
And don’t spare the-
Oh, no, no, no! Don’t Dino, don’t!
Now take it easy, boy!

Lucky me, workin’ down in the gravel pit
Movin’ rocks, on a big dinosaur I sit
Mr. Slate gets mad, and he throws a fit
Pull the birdie’s tail, everybody knows it’s time to quit

I realize I’m living in the Stone Age
No fax, no cellular phone-age
Pick my teeth with a dinosaur bone-age
Liftin’ heavy boulders every day for my wage

Barney Rubble, laughin’ like a hyena
Barney Rubble, what a little wiener!
Where’s Wilma? Anybody seen her?
Got a baby elephant vacuum cleaner

Yabba-dabba-yabba-dabba-dabba do now
Yabba-dabba-yabba-dabba-dabba do now
Yabba-dabba-yabba-dabba-dabba do now
Yabba-dabba-yabba-dabba-dabba do now

Yabba-dabba-dabba do now
Yabba-dabba-dabba do now
Yabba-dabba-dabba do now
Yabba-dabba-dabba do now

Yabba-dabba-dabba do now
Yabba-dabba-dabba do now
(E-yabba-dabba-do)
Yabba-dabba-dabba do now
Yabba-dabba-dabba do now

Yabba-dabba-dabba do now
Yabba-dabba-dabba do now
(E-yabba-dabba-do)
Yabba-dabba-dabba do now
Yabba-dabba-dabba do now

Now, that’s alright
Oh, boy!

Source: Musixmatch

2026 Eisner Awards Nominees

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Best Short Story

  • “Blood Harvest,” in Brain Damage, by Shintaro Kago, translated by Zack Davisson (Fantagraphics)
  • “The Curse Room,” in Brain Damage, by Shintaro Kago, translated by Zack Davisson (Fantagraphics)
  • “Football Is Not War,” by R. K. Russell and Wilfred Santiago, in Come Out and Play: The Queer Sports Project (Stacked Deck Press)
  • “Red Snapper in the Rea,” by Michael D. Kennedy, in Milk White Steed (Drawn & Quarterly)
  • “trAPPed” by Anand RK, Suparna Sharma, and Natalie Obiko Pearson (Bloomberg News)

Best One-Shot/Single Issue

  • Absolute Batman 2025 Annual #1, by Daniel Warren Johnson, James Harren, and Meredith McClaren (DC)
  • Absolute Martian Manhunter #1, by Deniz Camp and Javier Rodriguez (DC)
  • Assorted Crisis Events #4, by Deniz Camp and Eric Zawadski (Image)
  • Coin-Op no. 10: Wet Cement, by Peter and Maria Hoey (Coin-Op Books)
  • Ice Cream Man #43: “One Page Horror Stories,” by W. Maxwell Prince and others (Image)
  • Something Is Killing the Children: A Monster Walks into a Bar #1, by James Tynion IV and Werther Dell’Edera (BOOM! Studios)

Best Continuing Series

  • Absolute Batman, by Scott Snyder, Nick Dragotta, and others (DC)
  • Absolute Wonder Woman, by Kelly Thompson, Hayden Sherman, and Mattia De Iulis (DC)
  • The Department of Truth, by James Tynion IV and Martin Simmonds (Image)
  • FML, by Kelly Sue DeConnick and David Lopez (Dark Horse)
  • The Power Fantasy, by Kieron Gillen and Caspar Wijngaard (Image)
  • Storm, by Murewa Ayodele, Lucas Werneck, and others (Marvel)

Best Limited Series

  • Absolute Martian Manhunter, by Deniz Camp and Javier Rodriguez (DC)
  • Beneath The Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring, by Patrick Horvath (IDW)
  • Bronze Faces, by Shobo, Shof, and Alexanre Tefenkgi (BOOM! Studios)
  • Crownsville, by Rodney Barnes and Elia Bonetti (Oni Press)
  • Everything Dead and Dying, by Tate Brombal and Jacob Phillips (Image)
  • Out of Alcatraz, by Christopher Cantwell & Tyler Crook (Oni Press)

Best New Series

  • Assorted Crisis Events, by Deniz Camp and Eric Zawadski (Image)
  • Batman Vol. 4, by Matt Fraction and Jorge Jiménez (DC)
  • Black Cat, by G. Willow Wilson and Gleb Melnikov (Marvel)
  • Exquisite Corpses, by James Tynion IV, Pornsak Pichetshote, Michael Walsh, and others (Image)
  • Ghost Pepper, by Ludo Lullabi (Image)
  • Temporal, by Stephanie Williams and Asiah Fulmore (Mad Cave)

Best Publication for Early Readers

  • All the Hulk Feels, by Dan Santat (Abrams Fanfare/Marvel)
  • The Faraway Forest: Wally’s Route, by Debbie Fong (Chronicle Books)
  • The Fire-Breathing Duckling, by Frank Cammuso (TOON Books)
  • Night Light, by Michael Emberley (Holiday House)
  • Steve, A Rare Egg, by Kelly Collier (Kids Can Press)

Best Publication for Kids

  • The Cartoonists Club, by Raina Telgemeier and Scott McCloud (Scholastic Graphix)
  • Chickenpox, by Remy Lai (Henry Holt Books for Young Readers)
  • Creature Clinic, by Gavin Aung Than (First Second)
  • Night Chef: An Epic Tale of Friendship with a Side of Deliciousness! By Mika Song (Random House Graphic)
  • Oasis, by Guojing (Godwin Books/Henry Holt Books for Young Readers)
  • A Song for You and I, by K. O’Neill (Random House Graphic)

Best Publication for Teens

  • Angelica and the Bear Prince, by Trung Le Nguyen (Random House Graphic)
  • Clementine: Book Three, by Tillie Walden (Image Skybound)
  • Everyone Sux But You, by K. Wroten (Henry Holt Books for Young Readers)
  • Hello Sunshine, by Keezy Young (Little, Brown Ink)
  • This Place Kills Me, by Mariko Tamaki and Nicole Goux (Abrams Fanfare)
  • Trumpets of Death, by Simon Bournel-Bosson, translated by Edward Gauvin (Graphic Universe/Lerner)

Best Humor Publication

  • And to Think We Started as a Book Club, by Tom Toro (Andrews McMeel Universal)
  • Ew, It’s Beautiful: A False Knees Comics Collection, by Joshua Barkman (Andrews McMeel Universal)
  • The Great British Bump-Off: Kill or Be Quilt, by John Allison and Max Sarin (Dark Horse)
  • Jeff the Land Shark, by Kelly Thompson and Tokitokoro (Marvel)
  • Physics for Cats, by Tom Gauld (Drawn & Quarterly)
  • Spent: A Comic Novel, by Alison Bechdel (Mariner Books)

Best Anthology

  • Come Out and Play: The Queer Sports Project, edited by Meghan Kemp-Gee and Megan Praz (Stacked Deck Press)
  • DC Pride 2025, edited by Andrea Shea and Jillian Grant (DC)
  • Noir Is the New Black Season 2 (FairSquare Graphics)
  • Stardust the Super Wizard Anthology, edited by Van Jensen (Blue Creek Creative)
  • 2000AD 2026 Annual Featuring Judge Dredd, edited by Oliver Pickles (Rebellion)

Best Reality-Based Work

  • Black Arms to Hold You Up: A History of Black Resistance, by Ben Passmore (Pantheon)
  • Do Admit: The Mitford Sisters and Me, by Mimi Pond (Drawn & Quarterly)
  • Fela: Music Is the Weapon, by Jibola Fagbamiye and Conor McCreery (Amistad)
  • Globetrotters: Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland’s World Tour, by Julian Voloj and Julie Rocheleau (Abrams ComicArts)
  • Muybridge, by Guy Delisle, translated by Helge Daschert and Rob Aspinal (Drawn & Quarterly)
  • Surrounded: America’s First School for Black Girls, 1832, by Wilfrid Lupano and Stéphane Fert (ABLAZE)

Best Graphic Memoir

  • The Ephemerata: Shaping the Exquisite Nature of Grief, by Carol Tyler (Fantagraphics)
  • My Life in 24 Frames Per Second, by Rintaro (Kana Manga US)
  • It Rhymes with Takei, by George Takei, Harmony Becker, Steven Scott, and Justin Eisinger (Top Shelf)
  • Precious Rubbish, by Kayla E. (Fantagraphics)
  • Raised by Ghosts, by Briana Loewinsohn (Fantagraphics)
  • Talking to My Father’s Ghost: An Almost True Story, by Alex Krokus (Chronicle)

Best Graphic Album–New

  • Cannon, by Lee Lai (Drawn & Quarterly)
  • Drome, by Jesse Lonergan (23rd St. Books)
  • The Fable of Erkling Woods, by Juni Ba (Goats Flying Press)
  • A Garden of Spheres, by Linnea Sterte (Peow2)
  • More Weight: A Salem Story, by Ben Wickey (Top Shelf)
  • Shadows of the Sea, by Cathy Malkasian (Fantagraphics)

Best Graphic Album–Reprint

  • Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Storybook Edition, by Patrick Horvath (IDW)
  • Ginseng Roots: A Memoir, by Craig Thompson (Pantheon)
  • Goes Like This, by Jordan Crane (Fantagraphics)
  • Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen: The Deluxe Edition, by Matt Fraction and Steve Lieber (DC)
  • Tongues, by Anders Nilsen (Pantheon)

Best Adaptation from Another Medium

  • Alanna: The First Adventure (Song of the Lioness, Book 1), by Tamora Pierce, adapted by Vita Ayala and Sama Beck (Abrams Fanfare)
  • The Compleat Angler: A Graphic Adaptation, by Izaak Walton, adapted by Gareth Brookes (SelfMadeHero)
  • Dead Man Walking: Graphic Edition, by Sister Helen Prejean, adapted by Rose Vines and Catherine Anyango Grünewald (Random House)
  • Ghost Boys: The Graphic Novel, by Jewell Parker Rhodes and Setor Fiadzigbey (Little, Brown Ink)
  • Lord of the Flies: The Graphic Novel, by William Golding, adapted by Aimée De Jongh (Penguin Classics)
  • A Wizard of Earthsea: A Graphic Novel, by Ursula K. Le Guin, adapted by Fred Fordham (Clarion Books)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material

  • Buff Soul, by Moa Romanova, translated by Melissa Bowers (Fantagraphics)
  • Cornelius: The Merry Life of a Wretched Dog, by Marc Torices, translated by Andrea Rosenberg (Drawn & Quarterly)
  • In the End We All Die, by Tobias Aeschbacher, translated by Andrew Shields (Helvetiq)
  • Nocturnos, by Laura Perez, translated by Andrea Rosenberg (Fantagraphics)
  • Raging Clouds, by Yudori (Fantagraphics)
  • Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, by Anaïs Flogny, translated by Dan Christensen (Abrams ComicArts)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material–Asia

  • Hirayasumi, vols. 4–7, by Keigo Shinzo, translated by Jan Mitsulo Cash (VIZ Media)
  • Land, vol. 1, by Kazumi Yamashita, translated by Kevin Gifford (Yen Press)
  • Purgatory Funeral Cakes, by Sanho, translated by Danny Lim (Dark Horse)
  • Tokyo Alien Bros., vols. 1–3, by Keigo Shinzo, translated by Casey Loe (VIZ Media)
  • Yan, vols. 1–2, by Chang Sheng, translated by Vanessa Liu (Titan Manga)

Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips

  • Arthur Ferrier’s Pin-Up Parade Box Set, edited by Rian Hughes (Korero Press)
  • Barnaby, vol. 5: 1950–1952, by Crockett Johnson, edited by Eric Reynolds and Philip Nel (Fantagraphics)
  • The George Herriman Library: Krazy & Ignatz 1928–1930, edited by J. Michael Catron and Bill Blackbeard (Fantagraphics)
  • Rea Irvin’s The Smythes, edited by R. Kikuo Johnson and Dash Shaw (NYRC)
  • Terminal Exposure: Comics, Sculpture, and Risky Behavior, by Michael McMillan, edited by Lucas Adams (NYRC)

Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books

  • AKIRA Volumes 1–5 Hardcover Collection, by Katsuhiro Otomo, edited by Haruko Hashimoto, Ajani Oloye, and Lauren Scanlan (Kodansha USA Publishing)
  • The Atlas Comics Library No. 7: Girl Comics, edited by Dr. Michael J. Vassallo (Fantagraphics)
  • Comics of the Movement #1, by Courtland Cox, Jennifer Lawson, Alfred Hassler, and Benton Resnik (Good Trouble Comics)
  • Hothead Paisan, by Diane DiMassa, organized by Anika Banister (NYRC)
  • Scream! The Specials 1985–2024, edited by Chiara Mestieri (Rebellion)
  • Weird Science Vol. 1 XXL, edited by Grant Geissman (TASCHEN)

Best Academic/Scholarly Work

  • Comic Art in Korea, by John A. Lent (University Press of Mississippi)
  • Comics of the Anthropocene: Graphic Narrative at the End of Nature, by José Alaniz (University Press of Mississippi)
  • Graphic Narratives of Resistance, by Jennifer Boum Make and Charly Verstraet (Edinburgh University Press)
  • Latinx Comics Studies: Critical and Creative Crossings, edited by Fernanda Díaz-Basteris and Maite Urcaregui (Rutgers University Press)
  • Manga’s First Century: How Creators and Fans Made Japanese Comics, 1905–1989, by Andrea Horbinski (University of California Press)

Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism

  • CANON, by Colin Blanchette and Alex Eklund
  • Comic Book Creator, edited by Jon B. Cooke (TwoMorrows)
  • Dummy, edited by John Kelly (The Dummy Corporation)
  • Shelfdust, edited by Steve Morris, http://www.shelfdust.com
  • SKTCHD, by David Harper, http://www.sktchd.com
  • SOLRAD: The Online Literary Magazine for Comics, edited by Daniel Elkin, http://www.solrad.co (Fieldmouse Press)

Best Comics-Related Book

  • Crumb: A Cartoonist’s Life, by Dan Nadel (Scribner)
  • Facing Feelings: Inside the World of Raina Telgemeier, by Raina Telgemeier (Scholastic)
  • How Comics Are Made, by Glenn Fleishman (Andrews McMeel)
  • Making Nonfiction Comics: A Guide to Graphic Narrative, by Eleri Harris and Shay Mirk (Abrams ComicArts)
  • Only What’s Necessary: Charles M. Schultz and the Art of Peanuts, by Chip Kidd (Abrams ComicArts)
  • Ooops…I Just Catharted!: Fifty Years of Cathartic Comics, by Rupert Kinnard, edited by William O. Tyler (Stacked Deck Press)

Best Publication Design

  • The Art of Manga, designed by Tessa Lee (Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco/VIZ Media)
  • The Essential Peanuts, designed by Shawn Dahl with Chip Kidd (Abrams ComicArts)
  • Fruits Basket: The Complete Box Set (Collector’s Edition #13), designed by Wendy Chan (Yen Press)
  • Red Light Properties: Unfinished Business, designed by Dan Goldman (Kinjin Storylab)
  • The Marvel Art of Michael Allred Slipcase Edition, designed by Kurtis Findlay (Clover Press)
  • Weird Science Vol. 1 XXL, designed by Anna-Tina Kessler (TASCHEN)

Best Webcomic

  • The Accidental Undergrad by Christian Giroux (Fieldmouse Press)
  • Keeping Time by Kody Okamoto (keepingtimecomic.com)
  • The Legend of Parvaterra by Raúl Arnáiz (WEBTOON)
  • Sable: A Ghost Story, by Ethan M. Aldridge (sablecomic.com)
  • Superfish, by Peglo (WEBTOON)
  • Terran Omega: The Ghosts of War, by PJ Holden (pauljholden.com)
  • Tiger, Tiger by Petra Erika Nordlund (tigertigercomic.com)

Best Digital Comic

  • DeadAss, by hakei (VIZ Media)
  • In the Real Dark Night, by Jimmy Gownley (G-Ville Comics)
  • The Lycan, by Mike Carey, Thomas Jane, David James Kelly, and Diego Yapur (Comixology Originals)
  • Overwatch 2: Against the Tide, by Brandon Chen and Velinxi (Blizzard Entertainment)
  • Practical Defense Against Piracy, by Tony Cliff (delilahdirk.com)
  • The World of Lublu, by Charbak Dipta (The Charbax Store)

Best Writer

  • Deniz Camp, Absolute Martian Manhunter (DC); Assorted Crisis Events (Image); The Ultimates (Marvel)
  • Scott Snyder, Absolute Batman, Batman/Deadpool (DC); By a Thread: Book 2 (Comixology Originals), You Won’t Feel a Thing (DSTLRY)
  • Mariko Tamaki, This Place Kills Me (Abrams Fanfare)
  • Kelly Thompson, Absolute Wonder Woman, Birds of Prey (DC); Jeff the Land Shark (Marvel)
  • James Tynion IV, Something Is Killing the Children, Wynd: The Power of the Blood (BOOM! Studios); Let This One Be a Devil, Red Book (Dark Horse); The City Beneath Her Feet (DSTLRY); The Department of Truth, Exquisite Corpses, W0RLDTR33 (Image); Universal Monsters: The Invisible Man (Image Skybound)
  • Stephanie Williams, Street Sharks (IDW); Roots of Madness (Ignition Press); Temporal (Mad Cave)

Best Writer/Artist

  • Juni Ba, The Boy Wonder (DC); The Fable of Erkling Woods (Goats Flying Press); Monkey Meat Summer Batch (Image)
  • Jamal Campbell, Zatanna (DC)
  • Jesse Lonergan, Drome (23rd St. Books)
  • Chang Sheng, Yan, vols. 1–2 (Titan Manga)
  • Linnea Sterte, A Garden of Spheres (Peow2)
  • Kazumi Yamashita, Land, vol. 1 (Yen Press)

Best Penciller/Inker

  • Elsa Charetier, The City Beneath Her Feet (DSTLRY)
  • Sean Phillips, Giant Size Criminal #1, The Knives: A Criminal Book (Image)
  • Javier Rodriguez, Absolute Martian Manhunter (DC)
  • Chris Samnee, Batman and Robin: Year One (DC)
  • Hayden Sherman, Absolute Wonder Woman, Batman: Dark Patterns (DC)
  • Eric Zawadzki, Assorted Crisis Events (Image)

Best Painter/Multimedia Artist

  • Teddy Kristiansen, Black Hammer: Spiral City (Dark Horse)
  • Cathy Malkasian, Shadows of the Sea (Fantagraphics)
  • Qu, Slices of Life: A Comic Montage (Bulgilhan Press)
  • Martin Simmonds, The Department of Truth (Image)
  • Mika Song, Night Chef: An Epic Tale of Friendship with a Side of Deliciousness! (Random House Graphic)
  • Linnea Sterte, A Garden of Spheres (Peow)

Best Cover Artist

  • Juni Ba, The Boy Wonder (DC); The Fable of Erkling Woods (Goats Flying Press); TMNT Nightwatcher, TMNT Godzilla (IDW); Monkey Meat Summer Batch (Image)
  • Nick Dragotta, Absolute Batman, Absolute Batman 2025 Annual, Batman #1, Batman/Deadpool (DC)
  • Francesco Francavilla, Cyberpunk 2077, Star Wars: Tales from the Nightlands (Dark Horse); Absolute Batman, Absolute Martian Manhunter, Batman: Full Moon, Nightwing variants (DC); Green Hornet/Miss Fury (Dynamite); Star Trek: The Last Starship, Twilight Zone (IDW); Dick Tracy (Mad Cave)
  • Mateus Manhanini, Absolute Superman, Absolute Wonder Woman, Mr. Terrific: Year One variants (DC); Doctor Strange, Ironheart: Bad Chemistry, Miles Morales: Spider-Man, Phases of the Moon Knight, Star Wars: The High Republic, Storm, The Ultimates (Marvel)
  • Javier Rodriguez, Absolute Martian Manhunter, Batman & Robin: Year One #7, The New Gods #8 (DC)
  • Hayden Sherman, Absolute Wonder Woman, Batman: Dark Patterns #3-12 (DC)

Best Coloring

  • Jordie Bellaire, Absolute Wonder Woman, The Nice House by the Sea (DC); The Exorcism at 1600 Penn (IDW); Assorted Crisis Events, The Department of Truth, Exquisite Corpses, W0RLDTR33 (Image); GI Joe (Image/Skybound); EC Catacomb of Torment, EC Epitaphs from the Abyss (Oni Press)
  • Ninakupenda Gaillard, Chickenpox (Henry Holt Books for Young Readers)
  • Jesse Lonergan, Drome (23rd St. Books)
  • Matheus Lopes, Batman and Robin Year One (DC); The Seasons (Image)
  • Javier Rodriguez, Absolute Martian Manhunter (DC)
  • José Villarrubia, This Ink Runs Cold (Alan Spiegel Fine Arts); Ghostbox (Comixology Originals); Dracula Book 2: The Brides, The Witcher: The Bear and the Butterfly (Dark Horse); It Rhymes with Takei (Top Shelf)

Best Lettering

  • Janice Chiang, Acro and the Cat, All Upon a Time, Beyond the Aural Vault, Republica, Solarblader (Sandstorm); John Carpenter’s Blood of the Taken: Next of Kin, Pause, Tales of Science Fiction (Storm King)
  • Clayton Cowles, Absolute Batman, Batman, Batman & Robin: Year One, Birds of Prey, Black Canary: Best of the Best, Trinity: Daughter of Wonder Woman, Wonder Woman, (DC); Daredevil: Cold Day in Hell #1-3 (Marvel)
  • Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, Ill Vacation, Stillman (Comixology Originals); Absolute Martian Manhunter, Challengers of the Unknown, DC K.O., The Flash, Green Arrow, Poison Ivy (DC); Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees, The Exorcism at 1600 Penn, Starship Godzilla, (IDW); Author Immortal (Image); Our-Soot-Stained Heart (Mad Cave)
  • Nate Piekos, American Caper #1, Archie Vs. Minor Threats, Black Hammer: Spiral City, The Brood, Minor Threats: The Last Devil Left Alive, Stranger Things and Dungeons & Dragons, The Umbrella Academy Plan B, Welcome to Twilight (Dark Horse); I Hate Fairyland (Image)
  • Ben Wickey, More Weight: A Salem Story (Top Shelf)

The Eisner Awards Hall of Fame judges have chosen 16 nominees from whom voters will select 4 to be inducted into the Hall of Fame this summer. These 4 will be joining the 19 individuals that the judges have already chosen for the Hall of Fame. The 16 nominees are Kate Carew, Colleen Doran, George Evans, Crockett Johnson, Peter Kuper, George McManus, Kevin Nowlan, Mimi Pond, Posy Simmonds, Jeff Smith, Paul Smith, Leonard Starr, Akira Toriyama, Mark Waid, Chris Ware, and S. Clay Wilson. 

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