Tag Archives: books

EYG Comic Cavalcade #148

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April 11

A little lighter week this week. Plus I missed out on a couple of Marvel titles that had not been delivered yet. Hope to get those soon.

Books this week:

Amazing Spider-Man #1. Written by Joe Kelly and art by Pepe Larraz. Back up story entitled “Death to the Tyrant” by Joe Kelly and John Romita Jr. I have two variant covers, one foil by Mark Chiarello and one by CAFU. The new volume of Amazing Spider-Man arrived this week, but it was one of those books that did not arrive. I was able to grab the couple variants. I enjoyed the new story very much. I think it was much better than the most recent run on ASM.

Godzilla Heist #1-2. Written by Van Jensen and art by Kelsey Ramsay. A intriguing Godzilla tale. The big monster is being manipulated, used to help carry out some highly constructed heists. I have not picked up a bunch of Godzilla books before, but I have always liked the character.

The Herculoids #1. Written by Tom Sniegoski and art by Craig Rousseau. Cover art was by Francesco Mattina. Another of the new Dynamite Comics books featuring classic cartoons of the 80s. I was never a Herculoids kid, but I wanted to give this one a shot. I do not think that I will be continuing with this one.

Batman: Dark Patters #5. “The Voice of the Tower Part 2.” Written by Dan Watters and art and cover art by Hayden Sherman (Gold Medalist). Batman is continuing to go into the building in search of Scarface. The monstrous building is weird for sure.

Phantom Road #11. “The Horrormen Part 1” Written by Jeff Lemire and art and cover art by Gabriel H. Walta. The new arc of Phantom Road kicked off with this issue and I really liked this. The character of the Horrormen are very intriguing and I enjoyed these debuts.

Return of the Living Dead #3. Written by S.A. Check and James Kuhoric with art by Andrea Arcari. Cover art by Mark Spears (Silver Medalist). The continuation of the zombie outbreak and I really have been liking the plotline. The covers by Mark Spears are always top tier.

Uncanny X-Men #13. “Machinations of Dread.” Written by Gail Simone and art by David Marquez. Variant cover art by Luciano Vecchio. The new story arc, titled “The Dark Artery” begins with this issue which included a new character named Henrietta Benjamin. It is very interesting and I like how the issue builds along. Plus, Deathdream shows up at the end with.. Man-Thing? Huh?

Daredevil #20. “Rites of Reconciliation” Part One. Written by Saladin Ahmed and penciled by Jose Luis Soares. Cover art is done by John Romita Jr., Scott Hanna, and Richard Isanove. Daredevil takes a step forward in an old outfit. DD takes out the old black armor to feel something different.

Storm #7. “Serpents, Salamanders and Storm Gods.” Written by Murewa Ayodele with art by Luciano Vecchio. Variant cover art by Marguerite Sauvage. Storm is taking on the storm gods around… and then … we get Thor!

Behemoth #3. Script by Grant Sputore & Ryan Engle and art and cover art by Jay Martin. This Dark Horse series has been a great book so far. Our characters are meeting some new people who have also been inside the monster. Can they escape before the military uses a nuclear weapon on the beast?

The Great British Bump-Off: Kill or Be Quilt #1. Script by John Allison and art and cover art by Max Sarin. Shauna has her uncle’s boat and damaged it. She had to find a way to pay for the repairs. This led to Shauna gaining a job at a quilt shop… and more.

Vatican City #1. Written by Mark Millar and art by Per Berg. Another strong new Dark Horse book. This time, with vampires! Vampires take over the world, but they can not go into the consecrated grounds of Vatican City. Greta start to this one.

Phoenix #10. Written by Stephanie Phillips and art by Alessandro Miracolo. Cover art by Yasmine Putri (Bronze Medalist). Cosmic Phoenix is still out there and we see flashbacks to the young Jean. This has been a strong series so far.

Incredible Hulk #24. “Blood Magic” Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and art by Kev Walker. Nic Klein did the cover art. Bruce and Charlie head to the Sanctum Santorum see if Doctor Strange could help Charlie out. Unfortunately, Strange is currently in Asgard (see later) and they come across Clea. Things may not be as they seem and this is the second book this week with a last page Thor cameo.

Laura Kinney: Wolverine #5. “Brother in Arms- Part 2” Written by Erica Schultz and art by Giada Belviso. Cover art was done by Elena Casagrande & Edgar Delgado. Laura and Bucky take on Hydra? Laura and Bucky have a great chemistry in the book. I would love to see them together again.

Absolute Batman #7. “Absolute Zero.” Written by Scott Snyder and art by Marcos Martin. Cover art as done by Nick Dragotta & Frank Martin (Gold Medalist). We get our first look at Victor and Nora Fries, along with their son… who turns out to the the Absolute Mister Freeze.

Geiger #13. Written by Geoff Johns and art by Gary Frank. Cover art by Gary Frank &Brad Anderson. This is a heavy set up issue as we are about to have Geiger vs. Glowing Woman. Next issue should be a huge one.

Doctor Strange of Asgard #2. Written by Derek Landy and art by Carlos Magno. Geoff Shaw & Arthur Hesli did the cover art. Remember my comments earlier about Dr. Strange? Well, here he is in Asgard, trying to help out Loki and get some of the Sorcerer Supreme power back. This is a fun series with the Doctor.

Other books this week: Transformers #19, The Moon is Following Us #8, Golden rage: Mother Knows Best #1, and Creature Commandos #6.

The X-Files S8 E21

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“Existence”

After so many years of me screaming for Mulder to shoot Cigarette Smoking Man in the head and not getting it, it was incredibly satisfying to have Skinner shoot Krychek in the head. Finally! This character was long overdue to meet his maker, and the fact that it was Skinner who got to do it really paid off the torture that Krychek put him through recently.

Baby William was born in this finale of season 8, and, after a lengthy chase and dangerous situation after situation, the Billy Miles led group let the baby alone and left without him. I suppose the baby did not come out like an alien as we had seen in some other births over the last season.

The final scene with Mulder and Scully sharing a kiss with the baby in her arms was excellent and felt very much like an ending. I know there is much more with these two, even if they are stepping back in season 9, but had they not come back, this would have made a very welcome close to the pair.

I did enjoy Doggett standing up to Kersh. It was clear that Doggett and Reyes were going to be the next generation of the X-Files at the FBI and that Kersh will be a major antagonist for them. I am still not necessarily looking forward to the ninth season, but we’ll give it the same chance that I gave this season.

As I have said in previous season 8 write-ups, this turned out to be a better season than I remembered. I bonded more with Doggett than I did the first time around, and while I am still not fond of Agent Reyes, I am willing to give her a chance.

So there are one full season left and two shortened seasons in this rewatch. I believe the count was 36 remaining episodes of the X-Files. I may have to do rewatches of the two feature films from the franchise too before the end of this rewatch.

Yellowjackets S3 E9

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“How the Story Ends”

Episode 9 ends with yet another tragic death, this time adult Van tastes death and ends up on the plane, flying away with her young self, much like we saw happen with Natalie. Van wound up having a knife stuck through her heart by Melissa after Van decided against sacrificing Melissa to the Wilderness as a sacrifice to fight her cancer.

There is no way around it, Shauna is totally bat-shit crazy. A few seasons ago, Shauna was one of my favorite characters on the show, but now, I see her as just a psychotic woman with murderous tendencies. Both as an adult and as a teen in the Wilderness, Shauna is just such a wild animal.

I do not think she killed Lottie though. She could have. She may have even wanted to, but I do not think she did. I wonder what was on Lottie’s clone phone that Misty manipulated out of Walter. That is clearly a huge piece of evidence that Misty will drop before the season ends next week.

I was shocked when Hannah drove that knife into Kodi’s face. I did not see that coming. Unfortunately, Kodi saw it coming way to closely. Ah, Joel McHale, we hardly knew ye. I mean, on the plus side, the Yellowjackets surely have plenty of meat for the winter now, right?

Hannah is heading into that spike pit that Travis built, isn’t she? We know she ain’t making it out of there. That seemed to clearly be her fate.

The Other One finally lost her grip on Tai after this whole incident. This was a bizarre thing, and it wound up costing Van her life. I hope that is the last we have seen of that storyline.

Congrats to Jeff! Getting a job by telling the people who you want to hire you that your wife is crazy… that is a new strategy. Whatever works I guess. However, it sure seems as if Jeff really believes in Shauna’s craziness.

One more episode of the season. My guess is that we discover who Lottie’s killer is… and see the fate of Hannah.

The Leftovers S1 E3

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“Two Boats and A Helicopter”

This episode of The Leftovers was different than the first two and focused on a different character, to outstanding results.

Christopher Eccleston appeared as Reverend Matt Jamison, whose church was facing financial struggles. In fact, it was up for sale by the bank after foreclosure. The bank had allowed him to continue with his church but once there was a buyer, he would need to get out.

Of course, this episode’s conflict began when there was a buyer.

The bank allowed Matt a chance to beat the price, in cash, of the other buyer, but he had a deadline of the next day at the end of business hours.

We see the perspective of Matt through the episode as he desperately tried to find the $135,000 he was going to need. He wound up with $20,000 given to him by Kevin Garvey Sr, the former police chief that had been buried in the Garveys’ backyard.

He took that money and went to a casino, playing roulette three times, winning each. He made $160,000.

That was when the real troubles began. Another patron of the casino tried to rob him, but Matt fought back violently. Then, Matt stopped to help a member of the Guilty Remnant who had been hit in the face with a rock by a passing by vehicle. Before he could finish the call to 9-1-1, the vehicle returned and hit Matt in the face with a rock as well.

Matt had a series of prophetic dreams and memories of the past. When he awoke, he rushed back to his car and took the money to the bank. He came to find out that he had been in the hospital for three days and the church had been sold… to the Guilty Remnant.

This was an excellent episode with a stellar performance from Eccleston. The roulette wheel sequence was tense and filled with suspense. I wasn’t sure what was going to happen as the wheel went around. I picked out the guy who attacked Matt… saw that one coming, but Matt’s response was brutal and unexpected. His kindness nailed him though when he stopped to help those people. I knew something was going tohappen.

At the end, all I could think of was his housekeeper, who he hadn’t paid for three weeks, and who he asked to watch over his comatose wife on Monday when he went to the casino. He left her there for three days and we never found out what happened with her.

This was very different from the first two episodes and shows an effective style of storytelling.

Yellowjackets S3 E8

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“A Normal, Boring Life”

Um… Shauna… WTF?

Shauna was always my favorite of the adult Yellowjackets, but… is she the most unhinged? I had difficulties seeing teen Shauna do these insane things but have adult Shauna seem to be sane.

Well that ship has sailed.

Shauna has been taking a trip down to insanity this second half of the season as it seemed as if someone was trying to kill her… or at very least… mess with her. Yet, when she, with her teeth, took a chunk of skin out of the shoulder of Hillary Swank, Shauna was the most unhinged that I think we have seen her as of yet.

Turned out that Hillary Swank was playing Melissa, whom everyone believed was dead. Shauna assumed that Melissa was the one behind everything, but I have to say that I believed Melissa’s story, and it made more sense than Shauna’s conspiracy theory.

The scenes between adult Shauna and adult Melissa are easily the best scenes of the episode and I found myself wanting to get back to them every time we were somewhere else. So while there were some important things going down (Tai confirmed to be under control of her other self, the capture of Kodi, Shauna, Lottie and Tai refusing to leave the wilderness, Jeff confronting the Joels about the dinner Shauna ruined) none of that matched the intensity of the scenes between Shauna and Melissa.

Could the entire season just be Shauna seeing things that were not really there in order to “blow her life up?” Shauna does make the salient point that Melissa is living a lie, married to the daughter of Hannah (who apparently will die at the Yellowjackets’ hands) and pretending to be named Kelly. However, a convoluted revenge plot by Melissa does not make much sense either. She would be throwing a wrench into her entire life by doing it.

Melissa told Shauna that she did send her the tape, but she explained everything in the note… a note that Shauna did not find.

It is very possible that there is another person involved here that is stalking Shauna and taking advantage of this situation to do it. I am not sure and that is a great thing.

Two more episodes of season three remain.

EYG Comic Cavalcade #145

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March 24

On Saturday, I took a trip to In This Issue Comics in Bettendorf. I do like this little shop because it has such a variety of independent books. There are some books that I picked up there that I had not ever seen before. There was one company called BQ Comics.

Because of timing, and the fact that next week’s haul at Comic World is going to be massive, I wanted to include these new independent books in an EYG Comic Cavalcade. There may be an eBay or two in here too…

Books this issue:

Crush Depth #1. Written by David “DB” Andry and Tim Daniel and art and cover art by Alex Sanchez. This was the book that inspired the trip to Bettendorf as I was intrigued by the concept of this comic. And this was one of the best books I picked up this week, including the books from EYG Comic Cavalcade#144. Engaging and entertaining action in a sub beneath the water with bizarre things happening. Mad Cave has a winner here.

Who are the Power Pals #1. Written by Duane Murray and art and cover art by Ahmed Raafat. A couple of washed up actors who had a very short lived TV show Called the Power Pals are trying to reclaim old glory. This Dark Horse book was more entertaining than I thought it was going to be.

LA Strong #1. This Mad Cave book was another book that I was not aware of. It is a charity comic for victims of the Los Angeles fires and it featured a who’s who of writers and artists. Each of them received a page or two and most of the book is not about storytelling as much as it is to speak some truth. Then some of the art in this book is breathtaking. It is a beautiful book.

Space Ghost #11. Written by David Pepose and art by Jonathan Lau. Francesco Mattina did the cover art. The copies delivered to Comic World of Space Ghost #11 were damaged and so I picked up this copy in Bettendorf to make sure that I could get it. Space Ghost is having all kinds of trouble with a whole bunch of his villains and a conflict with him and the kids.

Pop Kill #1. Written by Jimmy Palmiotti & Dave Johnson with art by Juan Santacruz. Variant cover D (boobies version) by Brian Steelfreeze. This was one from eBay this week. I picked up the uncensored version of the cover. I did enjoy this book with a battle between soda pop companies. It was not just because of the cover.

Ultimate X-Men #13. Writer and artist: Peach Momoko. Foil variant cover by Benjamin Su. I had this comic last week, but the foil variant cover caught my attention. I tried to ignore it, but I could not just leave it on the shelf. The cover was a beautiful one, even if it is not by Peach Momoko.

Galavera P.I. #1-4. Written and drawn by Marco Finnegan. I picked up this full four-issue series this weekend and the guy who checked me out said that he loved this series. He was right. This was fabulous. A story of a detective who has come back from the dead to take care of something he left behind. I loved the character design and the story was well written.

The 27 Run Crash #1-2. Written by Justin Zimmerman and art by by Russell Brown. This was the book from the company that referred to in the beginning, BQ Comics. It is a futuristic apocalyptic story about a man and his mech.

DC x Sonic the Hedgehog #1. “Chaos Crisis Part One” Written by Ian Flynn and art by Adam Bryce Thomas. Cover art by Pablo M. Collar. I picked this up as a collectible. I flipped through it, but did not read it. It had a nice cover, but honestly, it was just to grab a number one.

Convert #1-2. Written by John Arcudi and art by Savannah Finley. Cover art by Simon Gane. This is a series from Image that I had not heard of before, but I did like this one. It reminded me a bit of the movie The Martian mixed with a more sci-fi element. This was an interesting story so far.

Dream Weaver #1. Written by Chris Ryall and illustrated by Nelson Daniel. This is listed as a GIANT SYZE SPECIAL. I’m not sure what this was. It felt like a story that was told about a character named Dream Weaver that debuted before. It felt like it needed more explanation on what was going on. I did like the presentation overall.

Remote Space #1-3. Written, drawn and cover art by Cliff Rathburn. Another weird and wild Image Comics series. There are some wonderful character design but there is so much exposition in this book that it is hard to read. Only one more issue in this series though and it is a beautiful artistic book.

The Leftovers S1 E2

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“Penguin One, Us Zero”

The second episode of The Leftovers picked up the storylines from the pilot and continued them. One of the major features was Kevin Garvey and his own personal struggles. It seems as if Garvey is afraid of losing his mind and he thought he was seeing things that were not there. He had some issues with a bagel as well as the problem about the dog shooting that he participated in the other night.

Kevin’s son, Tom, is in his own trouble. He was hooked up with Wayne’s cult, and he killed an agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, Explosives, and Cults who was just about to execute Christine. Tom and Christine escaped to a gas station, where they expected to meet Wayne. However, the gas station attendant was already dead, spooking Tom. Wayne pulled up before Tom could complete a phone call to his dad. Wayne instructed Tom to protect Christine and for them to go on the run until he called them back.

The man who shot the dogs came to Garvey’s house wanting to have Garvey join him the next night to shoot some more dogs. There was a pack he had discovered near the school. This is a strange piece of the story so far, especially since no one else seems to know who this bald man was. It is not just Garvey’s imagination though as his daughter Jill sees him too.

The Mayor visited Garvey’s father, Kevin Sr., at the institution and Garvey showed up while she was there. What connection does Lucy have with Kevin Sr?

It’s still early to wonder about the character played by Carrie Coon. She is carrying a gun, apparently related to Father Matt and is interviewing people about people close to them who had disappeared.

I feel as if the show will start to pick up more over the next few episodes and I am committed to watching it.

Yellowjackets S3 E7

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“Yellowjackets: Croak”

Joel McHale.

I did not expect to see him as one of the outsiders that came upon the Yellowjackets last week, but there he was, sporting a crossbow and everything.

I don’t know, if I were Joel McHale, who played Kodiak, who was a guide for the frog scientists, Edwin and Hannah, I would not have run from the girls. I had a crossbow. Even after Lottie killed Edwin with an axe, I think I might have tried to take a stand against them. He was clearly bigger and stronger than the girls.

In the end, both Kodiak and Hannah were captured by the Yellowjackets and, if what he hear about in the present day, it does not sound as if either of them make it out of the wilderness. At least, if they do, they are missing.

Then, the mystery of who killed Lottie continues to be crazy as it could, literally, be just about anyone. Taissa has been under the control of her other half for who knows how long. Something confirmed by Van when she was hallucinating at the hospital. She was throwing up blood as Shauna, Tai and Misty joined her on the way to confront the daughter of Hannah, who they believe had sent them that tape. Of course, it could also be Shauna, who had her DNA under Lottie’s fingernails.

Shauna ditched her, well, I was going to say friends, but that is not right) former team mates at the hospital and went to the daughter’s house and Shauna had purchased a big old knife. What is her plan? Or is she just still as psychotic as she seemed in the wilderness? Callie seems to be wondering if her mother is a bad person.

This episode flew by for me and I was not ready for it to end. I can’t wait for next week’s new installment… along with the rumored appearance of Hillary Swank.

EYG Comic Cavalcade #144

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Boy, there was a big week of comics this week, but it is nothing compared to what is coming next week.

I picked up a bunch of comics at Comic World and via eBay, as well as some purchased for me by Todd in Des Moines. I picked up a bunch of independents today at In This Issue Comics in Bettendorf that will not be included in this edition of EYG Comic Cavalcade. Depending on how much reading I get completed, I made do another issue of EYG CC before NEW COMIC BOOK DAY this Wednesday. That is a wait and see…

Next week, as I was going over Midtown Comics list, could have as many as 50 new books. That is an insane number. Probably will have to split into two EYG CC’s next week for sure.

Meanwhile, I have quite the potpourri of comic books this week. Todd calls some of the books that I pick up “unique.” It is tough when you are a trendsetter, like me.

This week’s “unique” books and others:

20 Degrees Past Rigor #1-3. Written by Rodney Barnes and drawn by Maan House. I have had issues #2 and #3 for awhile now, but I was missing #1, so they have been sitting in a pile waiting. I went to eBay to look at the book and it was rare and expensive so I put it off for some time. I finally ordered it and it arrived this week. This was just a three issue series from Zombie Love Studios and it was fun. I learned that the title was when the dead bodies started turning into zombies… twenty degree past when the body would become rigor.

X-Force #9. “The Shapley Value.” Written by Geoffrey Thorne and art by Marcus To. Stephen Segovia & Rain Beredo did the cover art. This is chapter six of the X-Manhunt, and we get the resurrection of Lilandra. This being the reason Charles Xavier has been running around free the last several chapters.

Dark Pyramid #1. Written by Paul Tobin and art and cover art by PJ Holden. This is a new series from Mad Cave that I could not find at any of the local shops and I have to grab via eBay. A podcaster goes missing during a recording session after entering a cave on Mt. Denau in Alaska. His girlfriend Becca heads to the mountain to try and find him. Intriguing mystery in this new book. Looking forward to seeing where it goes.

Miles Morales: Spider-Man #31. “Pools of Blood Part Four” Written by Cody Ziglar and art by Luigi Zagaria. Federico Vicentini and Ceci De La Cruz did the cover art. Miles and Deadpool’s team up comes to an end with this issue and we get a cameo at the end of the book showing us where Miles is heading next… Hercules?

Exceptional X-Men #7. Written by Eve L. Ewing and art by Carmen Carnero. Carmen Carnero and Nolan Woodard did the cover art. Part of the X-Manhunt saga, but not a numbered chapter. This was listed as Collateral Damage and is barely connected. It is more about Axo discovering his new friend and mentor is actually Mister Sinister. Tough reveal for Axo.

The Deviant #9. Written by James Tynion IV and art and cover art by Joshua Hixson (Silver Medalist). The series comes to a dramatic conclusion after a long wait. Issue nine has been long time coming and it does not disappoint.

Absolute Batman #6. Written by Scott Snyder and art by Nick Dragotta. Cover art was done by Nick Dragotta and Frank Martin. Batman punts a young kid off a boat. It was one of the best things I have ever seen. Oh… and Absolute Joker makes his first appearance.

TVA #4. Written by Katharyn Blair and art by Pere Perez. Cover art was done by Pere Perez and GURU-eFX. I really like this mixture of the characters from Loki Disney + series and Marvel. Seeing Spider-Gwen, Captain Carter and a variant of Gambit working with B-15 and Mobius is a good time.

Saga #72. Written by Brian K. Vaughn and art and cover art by Fiona Staples (Gold Medalist). The weird and wild adventures of Hazel continue with the newest episode of the Saga. There is such a developed storyline here that it feels as if anything could happen, but I am confident that Vaughn and Staples knows exactly where they are headed. Saga is one of the best reads every month.

Avengers #24. “The Casino Job” Part 3. Written by Jed MacKay and art by Farid Karami. Valerio Schiti and Federico Blee did the art for the cover. Kang shows his treacherous side and Black Cat questions the side she is on. The Avengers then return to earth in time to discover that Dr. Doom is in control.

Absolute Flash #1. “Of Two Worlds Part One.” Written by Jeff Lemire and art and cover art by Nick Robles. I love Jeff Lemire and I have always liked the character of Flash, so this is a nice combination for me in the new “ABSOLUTE” books from DC. Wally West is our main protagonist and it sure does not seem as if Barry Allen has much of a future in this book. Good stuff so far.

One World Under Doom #2. “The Free World.” Written by Ryan North and art by R.B. Silva. Variant cover art by R.B. Silva. Victor Von Doom is showing off his new power to Valeria Richards and uses his power to “un-rock” Ben Grimm. Thing no more? We’ve seen this happen several times so I do not expect this to be a long term development… especially with the Fantastic Four movie coming out from Marvel Studios in July.

West Coast Avengers #5. Written by Gerry Duggan and art by Danny Kim. Ben Harvey did the cover art. Finally caught up with the West Coast Avengers after missing an issue awhile ago and then not getting this one on time. I do like this roster of characters so far, but with Firestar off for rehab, I would like to see someone new.

Out of Alcatraz #1. “Modesto.” Written by Christopher Cantwell and art and cover art by Tyler Crook (Bronze Medalist). This is a piece of historical fiction combined with a what if. This follows two of the prisoners who tried to escape from Alcatraz. It was believed that the escapees had drowned in their escape attempt, but in this new book from Oni Press, Christopher Cantwell tells the story of two of them surviving and what happened to them after. I enjoyed this quite a bit too.

Return of the Living Dead #2. Written by S.A. Check and James Kuhoric and art by Andrea Arcari. Cover art by Mark Spears. Another book that came to me from eBay this week. It is yet another book that has provided us with zombie action. Plus an awesome Mark Spears cover.

Those Not Afraid #2. Written by Kyle Starks and art by Patrick Piazzalunga. Cover art was done by Glenn Fabry. Our serial killer competition is in full swing, but will it be derailed when the Headless Whores Man is arrested and the Home Intruder sprung a trap. Only two issues in and it seems like we are at the end. I suppose there is more coming from our mysterious killers.

You Never Heard of Me #2. Written by Iolanda Zanfardino and illustrated by Elisa Romboli. Will uses his new power that he gained from his grandma to help save a classmate from making a fatal mistake… and perhaps gains a new helper.

Eddie Brock: Carnage #2. Written by Charles Soule and art by Jesus Saiz. Iban Coello & Frank D’Armata did the cover art. Above all else, I was distracted in this issue because they kept talking about Oceanic Airliner Flight 814 crashing, and it was taking me back to Oceanic Flight 815 from LOST. Clearly that is an homage to my favorite show ever. Oh, and Carnage and Eddie tangle with Bushwacker.

New Champions #3. Written by Steve Foxe and art by Ivan Fiorelli. Cover art was done by Todd Nauck & Rachelle Rosenberg. The New Champions vs. the Champions! Manipulated by Psycho Man, the two teams, who should be the best of friends, fight each other. Are the Champions even a thing any more?

Bug Wars #2. “Ain’t No God in Swarm City.” Written by Jason Aaron and drawn by Mahmud Asrar. Cover art was done by Mahmud Asrar & Matthew Wilson. Bug Wars has been a cool read so far. Slade Slaymaker shrinks down and is in the fight of his bug-lovin’ life… in the grass outside his own house. One of the more creative books out this month.

Assorted Crisis Events #1. Written by Deniz Camp and art by Eric Zawadzki. Variant cover art B by Stipan Morian. This was a wild book. Playing with time is always a mind-f and this one is taking all of that to a brand new level. This is one of those unique books that truly is different than most books on the market.

The Hive #1 & 2. Written by AJ Lieberman and art by Mike Henderson. Another one I have been waiting for. I ordered this off eBay on Feb. 17, and I had not noticed that the seller listed the delivery time as a month + later. I was so tired of waiting for issue #1 that I ordered it from another eBay seller. Ironically, both copies of #1 arrived on the same day. I’m not giving any feedback for that first seller, nor will I buy from him again. Series is intriguing though.

G.I. Joe #5. Written by Joshua Williamson and art and cover art by Tom Reilly. Duke and his Joes are captured and tortured for info, but that is no problem. Meanwhile, Cobra Commander is planning a bomb to turn everyone in the radius of the bomb into mindless slaves to Cobra.

Challengers of the Unknown #4. “Red & Green.” Written by Christopher Cantwell and art by Sean Izaakse and Amancry Nahuelpan. Cover art was done by Izaakse & Romulo Fajardo Jr. Red leads a mission with Green Lantern and Captain Comet, leading to Red’s becoming paralyzed. There is a big time mystery surrounding the Challengers and the Omega Power and the JLU is getting a little nervous.

Deadpool/Wolverine #3. “Recruits.” Written by Benjamin Percy and art by Joshua Cassara. Joshua Cassara and GURU eFX did the cover art. Deadpool is under the control of a villain and he and Wolverine go at it… I mean, violently. Much more violence in this book than any of the Red Band books that have been polybagged.

Sabretooth: The Dead Don’t Talk #3-4. Written by Frank Tieri and art by Michael Sta. Maria. I missed issue 3 of this series so I had to wait on it too. I have to say that these two issues were way better than the first two issues. I was fully engaged with this story and I was upset over the unexpected death that occurred.

Potions Inc #1-2. Written by Erik Burnham and art by Stelladia. I picked these up on eBay, but honestly, I do not remember why. And I did not like these issues at all. I was just not interested in the story and I had trouble keeping my attention. There are three more issues in this mini series, but I do not plan on pursuing them further.

Magik #3. “Pacts” Written by Ashley Allen and art by German Peralta. Variant cover art B was done by Jenny Frison. Illyana makes a deal with Liminal that could see her rid herself of the Darkchilde for good. Will Dani Moonstar help her accomplish this?

Werewolf by Night: Red Band #8. Written by Jason Loo and penciled by Sergio Davila. E.M. Gist did the cover art. Jack Russell has become a ghost wolf while Elsa Bloodstone is trying to compile a team to come rescue him. Is it too little too late? And will Reptil be allowed to join them?

Daredevil: Unleash Hell Red Band #3. Written by Erica Schultz and penciled by Valentina Pinti and Jose Luis Soares. Variant cover C art by Peach Momoko. Things go poorly for Daredevil (Elektra) against the possessing spirit of Muse. I guess the next stage of the battle will be in literal Hell.

Question: All Along the Watchtower #5. “Into the Breach.” Written by Alex Segura with art by Cian Tormey & Raul Fernandez. Tormey & Romulo Fajardo Jr did the cover art. Renee breaks Batwoman out of Cyborg Superman’s control, but things really look bad for our heroes. The original Question makes an appearance (okay, maybe not the original one, I admit I do not know the history of the character. It just is not Renee).

The Rocketfellers #4. Written by Peter J. Tomasi and art and cover art by Francis Manapul. The Rocketfellers are continuing to hide out in the 21 Century while displaying skills that they have. The Rocketfellers are an interesting read but it can be difficult to follow at times. I just do not know the characters well enough yet.

Other books this week: Psylocke #5, Lawful #8, When I Lay My Vengeance Upon Thee #3, Sam Wilson: Captain America #3, SilverHawks #2, Zatanna #2, Blood Squad Seven #7, The New Gods #4, Mine is a Long, Lonesome Grave #2, Ultimate X-Men #13, Ultimate Black Panther #14, and The Power Fantasy #7.

The X-Files S8 E11

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“The Gift”

Agent Doggett is still in search of Agent Mulder, as he said he would do when we first met him, and his investigation brought him to a strange town with a bizarre creature. A creature that turned out to be more moral than the people of the town.

Tracking Agent Mulder’s cell phone, Doggett finds his was to Squamash, Pennsylvania. With his investigation, he discovered that Mulder had submitted some false reports the day prior to his abduction.

We had seen a mysterious figure enter a house with a married couple and shoot someone that was there. We soon learn the man who shot those three bullets was Agent Mulder. It all felt bizarre, and it seemed very out of character for Mulder, something that Skinner pointed out to Doggett.

The story wound up being about a “soul eater” and the town knew about it, keeping it as property to help save the sick and dying. This was apparently the reason that Mulder had sought out the soul eater. Mulder was dying from a brain disease and he came looking for the healing of the soul eater. When he found him, he realized how much pain the soul eater was in, and Mulder’s shooting of it was meant to euthanize it. The soul eater would survive and drag itself out of its grave.

It was a shocking moment in the episode when Doggett is shot from behind by the sheriff’s men, who want to keep the soul eater for themselves, and died. The soul eater had escaped and saved Doggett by taking Doggett’s death for itself.

One would think that an experience like this would have turned Doggett into a believer, shaking that skeptic tag that he had worn in season eight so far, but I guess he is too hard headed to be changed.

There was no Scully in this episode and it marked the basic return to the screen of David Duchovny, though only in flashbacks and memories.

Paradise S1 E8

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“The Man Who Kept the Secrets”

Paradise’s first season of episodes came to a close with an answer to the central mystery of the whole first chunk of episodes: who killed President Cal Bradford?

We see, not only, who the killer was, but also how it happened and where he had been since. It turned out that the librarian Trent was the killer of the President. However, it a plot twist worthy of this show, the librarian was not actually Trent. It turned out that the librarian was the man who attempted to assassinate the President in episode one. He had replaced the real Trent, who was a librarian on the list heading to the underground city. The assassin took his place and hid in plain sight the whole time.

He had wanted to finish the job, but he got comfortable and decided he wanted to live. When Cal had come to the library to make a mix tape for his son, it triggered Not-Trent and convinced him to finish the job.

We see the actual flashback to the murder and it is a dramatic end. Xavier chased Not-Trent as he tried to escape the city. Xavier had found directions to escape and Not-Trent smashed him over the head to take it away.

The end to Sinatra was not quite as satisfying, though Jane shooting her through the throat was not as good as Xavier blowing her head off. Jane did this to keep Sinatra alive and keep Xavier from killing her. Jane had been ordered to take care of Presley, but she did not do it. Xavier was happily reunited with his kids without knowing that Jane was behind the murder of his friend.

This is an awesome show and the show set up a great arc with Xavier on his way out of the city in an attempt to find his wife. Paradise has been renewed for season two so that is exceptional.

EYG Comic Cavalcade #141

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March 2

It is Sunday morning and the EYG Comic Cavalcade is a little bit late. That was because much of Saturday was taken up for me with watching Last Breath, the Animated and Live-action Oscar nominated shorts, and the Elimination Chamber, where John Cena turned heel. It was an epically busy day and so, while I was able to finish reading the books Saturday morning, this write-up had to wait.

One of the things I received in the mail this week was a graphic novel that I had supported through Kickstarter. It was called Oxymoron, and I actually got two graphic novels. The second one was the most recent book entitled Oxymoron: Killing Time. The book is edited by Tyler James and he was the driving force behind the Kickstarter. Oxymoron is a killer clown type character going through time to wipe out those who deserved it… in his own warped opinion. It was a fun book that I am happy to have supported.

Still a pretty big week at Comic World this week. I had to take two trips up to Dubuque because of the shipment problems facing Diamond, but it was worth my time for sure.

Books this week:

Black Canary: Best of the Best #4. “Round Four.” Written by Tom King and art and cover art by Ryan Sook. I love this series so far. I have never been a fan of Black Canary. I mean, she was always fine, but she was never anything special to me, but this series has taken her and made this book one of the first ones I read when it comes out. Black Canary takes a turn in her battle with Lady Shiva. Tom King is excellent at these story arc type series.

Amazing Spider-Man #68. DEATHS. “Cain is Able.” Written by Christos Gage and art by Mark Buckingham. Buckingham & Richard Isanove did the cover art. Spidey is dead, and the Juggernaut steps up. I still do not understand why Marvel wants to do these dot issues (.DEATHS). Why do you just make this #69 instead. I have not been a fan of the 8 Deaths of Spider-Man arc and I will be pleased when it comes to a close in a few issues.

The Department of Truth #28. Written by James Tynion IV and art and cover art by Martin Simmonds. Tynion’s conspiratorial series continues with a shocking return of Hawk at the end of another trippy episode. It is always difficult to know what is going down with the Department of Truth, but it is a lot of fun to try and figure it out.

Behemoth #2. Written by Grant Sputore & Ryan Engle. Art and cover art was done by Jay Martin (Bronze medalist). This Dark Horse comic has been awesome so far. Who knew the dangers that could be found after your bus has been swallowed by a monster. I mean besides digestion. There are all kinds of shocks in this book and I am here for it.

Ultraman X Avengers #4. Written by Kyle Higgins & Mat Groom. Art was done by Francesco Manna. This special crossover comes to a conclusion as the Avengers and Ultra Guard match up with Galactus in an attempt to save the universe. All of which ends in a karaoke party. Yup, that is true.

Sentinels #5. “Factory Settings” Written by Alex Paknadel and art by Jason Mason. Cover art was done by Jason Mason and Federico Blee. This mini series ends with this issue. Sentinels has been an okay book, but I am not sure that it will be a memorable one. Will I remember anything about it in a month or so? Not sure. I’m glad I own it though.

Silence #2. Written by Evan K. Pozios and art and cover art by Alex Sanchez. It has been awhile since issue number one came out and so it required some recollection on what was going on. A famed comic artist is in a small town called Silence and weirdness is going on. I do like the art style in this book, as it feels different than what I am used to. There is only one more issue remaining of this book from Afterlight Comics.

Hello Darkness #8. This anthology book continues to be highly entertaining from Boom! Studios. I do enjoy a horror anthology. This issue featured the continuation of James Tynion IV’s Erica Slaughter story has has been in three other issues prior. It also saw the end of the Garth Ennis story, “The War.”

Justice League Unlimited #4. Written by Mark Waid and art and cover art by Dan Mora. Tefé Holland is recruited by Mister Terrific to do what she can to stop the inferno and save the Green. Batman and J’onn J’ones interact as well. The Justice League continues to be a solid read each issue with so many possible guest stars.

Ripperland #2. Written by Steve Orlando and John Harris Dunning with art and cover art by Alessandro Oliveri (Silver medalist). The mystery of the serial killer that has some ties to Jack the Ripper continues in the distant future.

Green Lantern Dark #3. “New Camelot.” Written by Tate Brombal and art by Werther Dell’Edera. Cover art was by Werther Dell’Edera and Giovanna Niro. I really enjoyed the Elseworld version of Green Lantern. This has been a fun and engaging series so far, even if the book reads like what if Erica Slaughter had the power of Green Lantern.

The Human Fly #3. Written by Christopher Sequeira and Jason Franks. Art and cover art was done by Jan Scherpenhuizen (Silver Medalist). This IPI Comics book is very intriguing so far. I like the superhero/super spy type feeling the Human Fly gives us and there are some interesting mysteries of what is going on.

Red Hulk #1. “Think Tank.” Written by Benjamin Percy and art by Geoff Shaw. Variant cover B art by Todd Nauck & Rachelle Rosenberg. Hot off his appearance in Captain America: Brave New World, Thaddeus Ross is back as the Red Hulk, under control of the Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Doom. There is an eclectic band of other characters in the same Latverian prison as Ross, so we will be seeing a team up mving forward.

Captain America & Volstagg #1. Written by J. Michael Straczynski and art by Bernard Chang. Terry & Rachel Dotson did the cover art. This is the latest issue in the whole Marvel teams up some characters that you would never expect to team up series of books. Cap and Warriors Three member Volstagg would not have been my first choice, but they worked together nicely. It made sense, which is an important factor.

Hellhunters #3. Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and art by Adam Gordon. Cover art was done by Jonas Scharf & Alex Guimaraes. Back in World War II, welcome to the Hellhunters… Bucky Barnes. Young Bucky is out to prove his worth and he joined up with Fury, Ghost Rider and the rest. Fun WWII action in this series, with plenty of supernatural flow as well.

Iron Man #5. “Destroy the Machines.” Written by Spencer Ackerman and art by Jeremy Pina. Cover art was done by Yasmine Putri. Iron Man, Ironheart and Melinda May battled Lucia Von Bardas and her Stark Sentinel.

TVA #3. Written by Katharyn Blair and art by Pere Perez. Cover art was done by Pere Perez and GURU e-FX (Bronze medalist). Thankfully, Mobius survived his attack from last issue, even though he looked really dead, in a pool of his own blood. I have enjoyed the grouping of these characters in this issue so far.

X-Men #12. “Work Release.” Written by Jed MacKay and art by Netho Diaz. Ryan Stegman, JP Mayer, and Marte Gracia did the cover art. Helping out with the X-Men in this issue… it is Alpha Flight! I always loved Alpha Flight so it was cool to see so many of their classic characters back in the pages of the X-Men where they were originally born.

Ultimate Spider-Man #14. Written by Jonathan Hickman and art by Marco Checchetto. Cover art was done by Marco Checchetto and Matthew Wilson. I also picked up the variant (1:25) with cover art by Carmen Carnero. With Richard and Black Cat growing closer, there is a shocking death at the hands of Kraven. I did not expect this death, so maybe there will be some shenanigans coming with it.

Fantastic Four #29. “The Dream Team.” Written by Ryan North and penciled by Cory Smith. Cover art is by Joshua Cassara & Dean White. Welcome back as a special guest star this issue… She-Hulk! Jen, Ben and Sue team up to try and save some vampire children. There is a weird sentence.

Uncanny Valley #8. Written by Tony Fleecs with art and cover art by Dave Wachter. Oliver is still in the world of cartoons, and he is trying to find his way back to his mom and grandpa, while avoiding the First. There are a group of purple creatures that may bear some resemblance to the Smurfs (only not blue) that Oliver meets. Uncanny Valley is an entertaining and creative book every month.

Nights #13. “Viva Las Gray-gas.” Written by Wyatt Kennedy and art by Luigi Formisano. I thought Nights was done, but then I was surprised by issue #13 in the previews. I wonder how much the continuation of this series was based on the animated series that is in the works from Titmouse, the company behind Netflix’s Big Mouth. I’m sure Image is not above using the publicity to sell more comics. It is a smart idea. And this issue was a nice one to jump on to if you were unfamiliar with the first 12 issues.

Absolute Wonder Woman #5. “The Last Amazon Part 5 of 5.” Written by Kelly Thompson and art by Hayden Sherman. Cover art was done by Hayden Sherman and Jordie Bellaire. Diana takes some drastic steps to defeat the giant monster… she turned herself into Medusa. I do like how this series ties Diana to Greek mythology even more than before.

Metamorpho #3. “The Man from J.A.V.A.” Written by Al Ewing and art by Steve Lieber. Steve lieber & Lee Loughridge did the cover art. This issue is heavily including Java, who was once Rex Mason’s second hand. Java is now a secret agent. Oh and Metamorpho and Sapphire split up. And then there is Java, Java, Java, Java, Java, Java, Java and Java (Happy Todd?)

Hornsby & Halo #4. I started to read this issue from Image’s Ghost Machine imprint, but I was really confused. It felt as if I was missing something from this story because Hornsby and Halo were together and they both were using their powers together. I did not remember that so I went to my CZL app and found out that I was missing issue #3. So I stopped reading this one and put it aside until my order from eBay gets here.

Other books this week: In Bloom #3, FML #4, Women of Marvel: She-Devils #1, The Seasons #2, Rogue the Savage Land #2, Ultimate X-Men #12, and Milestone Universe: The Shadow Cabinet #4.

EYG Comic Cavalcade #140

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February 22

Another big week of books, both from Comic World and eBay.

One of the books that I picked up off eBay was Come Find Me, which was a one shot from DSTLRY. I have become a big fan of this company, but I have one major problem. The books do not come out on a regular basis. There are great issues and then it feels like months before the next issue comes out. A one shot like this is nice. It is also an anthology, so there are a variety of stories within it.

Other books this week:

Bug Wars #1. “The House of Slaymaker” Written by Jason Aaron and drawn by Mahmud Asrar. Cover art by Mahmud Asrar & Matthew Wilson. I picked up this issue off eBay because it was sold out so quickly across the comic book shops. I’m not sure why it was this hot, but it was a really great issue form one of the best writers in the business in Jason Aaron. Lots of fun.

Behemoth #1. Written by Grant Sputore & Ryan Engle and art and cover art by Jay Martin. Another great new comic, this time from Dark Horse. What a wonderful concept this book has. A bus load full of people wind up getting eaten by a giant monster and they have to survive inside. This was more fun and I am pleased that I was able to get this issue after a bit of delay.

Amazing Spider-Man #68. Written by Justina Ireland and penciled by Andrea Broccardo. Cover art was done by Patrick Gleason and Richard Isanove. Peter gives up his remaining life power up thingies to save Aunt May, Randy and Shea… and some other guy… who got killed because Peter was having his crisis. I will be happy when this arc is over since I do not feel as if this writer has a good enough grasp on Spider-Man.

Ripperland #1. Written by Steve Orlando & John Harris Dunning and art and cover art by Alessandro Oliveri. Ripperland is another new banger from Dark Horse. I have always been a big fan of Jack the Ripper (I know that doesn’t sound right…) so this hit a sweet spot for me.

Laura Kinney: Wolverine #3. “The Devil in Me- Part 2” Written by Erica Schultz and art by Giada Belviso. Cover art is done by Elena Casagrande & Edgar Delgado. Laura and Elektra, aka Wolverine and Daredevil, are out battling the forces looking to hurt mutants. Laura and Elektra are a good pair and a lot of fun.

Green Hornet Miss Fury #2. Written by Alex Segura & Henry Barajas with art by Federico Sorressa. Cover art was done by Francesco Francavilla. I have been liking this pairing of two classic noir characters. Dynamite has been doing some fun books lately and this one works so much.

Kill Train #1. Written by Olivia Cuartero-Briggs and art by Martina Niosi. Cover art was done by Skylar Patridge. Another good new series, this one was from Mad Cave. Todd grabbed this one for me in Des Moines. I have to say that this series did a great job of setting up the story f these trains.

Uncanny X-Men #10. “Off the Leash” Part Two. Written by Gail Simone and art by Andrei Bressan. Cover art was done by David Marquez & Matthew Wilson. I was worried about Deathdream because he surely looked dead last issue. Thankfully, he was able to survive the event and this issue gave us the chance to get to know our new characters more. And I liked them.

Dust to Dust #2. Written by JG Jones & Phil Bram and art and cover art by JG Jones. The dust storms are still causing trouble. I still love the look of this book. It is one of the most interesting looking books on the market right now. Very dramatic cover too.

Mystique #5. “Compromised” Written, art and cover art by Declan Shalvey (Silver Medalist). This series came to a great conclusion. This series had a really great series of covers. Declan Shalvey did a great job on this series, considering he was doing most everything on the book.

Doll Parts: A Lovesick Tale #3. Written , illustrated and cover art by Luana Vecchio. Another book where the writing and art are done by a single person. Luana Vecchio also did multiple variant covers for this series. Doll Parts has been a wild story so far and this issue takes it to another level. This has so much adult content among these young characters that it can be unnerving to read at times. Still very much compelling though.

Zatanna #1. “A Tilnoom Edalb” Written, art and cover art by Jamal Campbell. Weird. Third straight book where the creative did all of the writing and art. This felt very different than the previous Zatanna series from late last year. She sure took a bad blow near the end of the book. Of course, she will not die. I mean, it is her book. I’m not sure if I will be a long term reader on this one, but I will mot likely give it another issue or two before I decide.

Thunderbolts: Doomstrike #1. “A Doomed Man.” Written by Jackson Lanzing & Collin Kelly. Art was done by Tommaso Bianchi and cover art was from Leinil Francis Yu & Romulo Fajardo Jr. Bucky and Black Widow are the remaining Thunderbolts trying to face off with Dr. Doom. Things do not go well for them, nor does it go well for residents of Shelbyville, Indiana.

Doom Academy #1. Written by Mackenzie Cadenhead and art by Pasqual Ferry. Cover art was done by Pablo Villalobos. Strange Academy gets a face lift and a new location. Latveria! I have loved the Strange Academy characters and to see them in the new place spices things up as they have some new learning to do. I love the new character of Scoop.

Daredevil #18. “Introductory Rites” Part Eighteen. Written by Saladin Ahmed and art by Aaron Kuder. Cover art was done by John Romita Jr., Scott Hanna and Richard Isanove. Matt Murdock returns to a court of law… only to get his butt kicked by the possessed Foggy Nelson. Can DD get through the case while still stopping these demons?

Mine is a Long, Lonesome Grave #1. Written by Justin Jordan and illustrated and cover art by Chris Shehan. This is a new independent book from Oni Press and it was a good read. Harley Creed is a bad man. Someone placed a hex on Harley and he has seven days to try and reverse it or he will die in twisted, screaming agony. This was a good week (or weeks) for new independent books. Long title though.

The Patchwork Girl of Oz #2. Adapted, illustrated and cover art by Otis Frampton. Based on the novel by Oz author L. Frank Baum. I was surprised how much I liked the first issue of this, which I was not expecting in my pull box. I am sure it was a book that I asked for, but just did not remember it. However, I have had a lot of fun with this book and this issue gives us our first glance at the Patchwork Girl. She looks awesome.

Daredevil: Unleash Hell #2. Written by Erica Schultz and penciled by Valentina Pinti & Jose Luis Soares. Paulo Siqueria & Rachelle Rosenberg did the cover art. Our new Muse is being led along by the ghost of the original Muse and it is great. I loved the character of Muse and seeing a new form of the serial killing artist is epic.

Infinity Watch #2. Written by Derek Landy and art by Ruairi Coleman and Enid Balám. Salvador Larroca & GURU-eFX did the cover art. Avery Zavala is a stone bearer from another timeline and he pretty much kills all of the Infinity Watch. I’m not completely sure what is going on, but it feels as if there are shenanigans.

Miles Morales: Spider-Man #30. Written by Cody Ziglar and art by Luigi Zagaria. Federico Vicentini & Neeraj Menon did the cover art. The Miles Morales and Deadpool showdown continue don from the previous Deadpool issue as Miles comes face to face with Princess.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #3. Written by Christos Gage and art by Eric Gapstur. Leonardo Romero did the cover art. This prequel series to the Disney + animated series continued with Peter trying out for football. This book has been fun, but the animated series was one of the best Spidey animated series of all time. You should check it out on Disney + for sure.

Ultimate Wolverine #2. Written by Chris Condon and art by Alessandro Cappuccio. Cover art was done by Alessandro Cappuccio and Frank Martin. Ultimate Wolverine has only had two issues so far, but it is right there beside Ultimate Spider-Man as the best Ultimate book so far. This is full of action and having the Winter Soldier version of Logan? Epic!

Let This One be a Devil #1. Written by James Tynion IV and Steve Foxe with art by Piotr Kowalski. Gavin Fullerton did the cover art. Another banger from Dark Horse this week. A new horror series from James Tynion IV gives us a couple different time lines, including a horrific birth. I do love me some Tynion IV.

NYX #8. Written by Jackson Lanzing & Collin Kelly with art done by Francesco Mortarino. Laura Kinney faces off with Julian in a massively emotional conflict. Can she stop him without popping her claws? Is that what he really wants her to do?

Exceptional X-Men #6. Written by Eve L. Ewing and art by Carmen Carnero. Cover art by Carmen Carnero and Nolan Woodard. We are introduced to Sheldon Xenos, a mutant who has a job for the young mutants being trained by Kitty and Emma. Does he have their best interest at heart? Axo believes so. I disagree.

Weapon X-Men #1. “The Real Thing” Written by Joe Casey and penciled by Chriscross. Alex Ross did the cover art. Wolverine. Deadpool. Cable. Thunderbird. Chamber. Sounds like a huge team up. However, one of them will betray another. Which one will it be?

The Question: All Along the Watchtower #4. “The Great Escape” Written by Alex Segura and art by Cian Tormey & Raul Fernandez. Cover art by Tormey & Romulo Fajardo Jr. Cyborg Superman has taken over the Watchtower and only The Question can stop him. Or can she? Things do not look good for our detective.

X-Factor #7. “Terms of Use” Written by Mark Russell and art by Bob Quinn. Cover art was by Greg Land & Frank D’Armata. Angel returned to take the mantel of leadership as X-Factor heads to Genosha to try and prevent Dr. Doom from getting his hands on a special weapon.

G.I. Joe #4. Written by Joshua Williamson and art and cover art by Tom Reilly. The Joes are captured by Cobra after Duke surrendered. Why does it seem like Duke believes that they have got Cobra right where they want them?

Werewolf by Night Red Band #7. Written by Jason Loo and penciled by Sergio Davila. E.M. Gist did the cover art. Jack Russell is in serious trouble, but thankfully, Elsa Bloodstone is not dead and on the case. She is building her own group to help Jack and it features her own Werewolf by Night (Jake) and Reptil.

House of Slaughter #30. Written by Sam Johns and illustrated by Letizia Cadonici. Cover art was done by Jorge Fornes and Werther Dell’Edera (Gold Medalist). I have been very down on this series recently, though the covers have been fire. I believe this arc, “Azure” is done with this issue and I hope the next one is more engaging for me.

Incredible Hulk #22. “The Skin of Charlie Tidwell” Part One. Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and art by Nic Klein. Matthew Wilson did the cover art. Things are still bad off for Charlie, as she is becoming more of a monster than Hulk expected.

Other books this week: X-Force #8, Ultimate Black Panther #13, W0rldtr33 #13, Shazam #20 (Bronze Medalist), Creature Commandos #5, Challengers of the Unknown #3, Seance in the Asylum #3-4, Aliens vs. Avengers #3, The Power Fantasy #6, and New Gods #3.

Yellowjackets S3 E3

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“Them’s the Brakes”

The Showtime series continues to ramp up the strangeness and the tension in both time frames with some weird events (a talking llama?) in the cave that the Coach had been living as well as the troubles between the survivors back in the present day.

The wild and psychedelic events in the cave caused by some poisonous gas (maybe?) was one of the weirdest segments this show has sprung on us in any of the three seasons, and that is saying something. In the end, the girls were able to capture Coach despite going through some bizarre situations (again.. a talking llama?)

In present day, Shauna had a blow up with Misty when her brakes go out on her mini van. Shauna blamed Misty, but it seems clear that someone else is stalking Shauna. Shauna also blew up at Lottie. While Van’s cancer seems to be in remission, Taissa thinks it is because the restaurant worker died chasing them… you know, as a sacrifice to “It.”

I have to say that there are still a ton of moments where this feels like LOST. This episode had a big one as we heard Mama Cass’s song  “Make Your Own Kind of Music,” which played in one of the most iconic scenes in LOST’s second season with the Desmond reveal. Add to that the potential connection of The Wilderness in Yellowjackets to The Island on LOST, well, it is clear that the creators of this show were inspired by LOST.

The Man with no Eyes made a couple of appearances this episode too, including a potential explanation of where he came from. The show continues to give two potential explanations, one supernatural and one normal for the main mysteries of the show. I’m not sure which one I prefer.

The White Lotus S2 E6, E7

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“Abductions”

“Arrivederci”

Season two of The White Lotus wrapped up with these final two episodes, and I feel kind of empty.

Madame Butterfly died at the end.

The reveal of who the body was in the water was heartbreaking and several of these stories turned out tragic.

I never would have guessed that Tanya would have been the one who drown. Even more so… the plot surrounding her death was crazy, but, seemingly, not just paranoia. The worst part of everything was Greg gets away with all of Tanya’s money, and we never see him again. The whole Tanya and the Gays story was a heavy part of these last two episodes and had such a tragic twist at the end that it hit me like a punch in the gut.

Tanya’s death was not the only story that I thought ended sadly. The whole storyline with our two prostitutes was terrible. Lucia turned out to be scamming poor, naive Albie to get money… in the end 50,000 Euros. Albie thought it was to get her out from under a crazy Italian man, but that guy was just part of the scam, as we see in the final moments of the show. I feel disappointed in myself because I had started to come around on Lucia and Mia after spending the first part of this season disliking them quite a bit. I should have stuck to my opinions, but the show played me good.

There was so much toxicity in the relationships of Ethan and Harper and Daphne and Cameron that I had soured on that story already. Watching these four being so horrid was my least favorite storyline. Did Ethan and Daphne have a sexual encounter on the island? Did Cameron and Harper do more than what Harper confessed to? My one favorite part was Ethan going to nearly murder Cameron in the water. I would never see that guy again if I were Ethan, but that was not the implication that I got. However, Ethan and Harper seem to have gotten past their troubles and are, apparently, happy once again.

These last two episodes were extremely well done, but they did not go out of their way to give us a happy ending. Maybe in the end it will turn out okay for Albie and Portia, who reconnected at the airport (even though Portia had no idea about Tanya’s fate… or at least, only suspected).

There was a lot of things left ambiguous, which does not bother me. I have a good idea what happened. I just would have liked something more positive than the scamming hookers being the big winners.

The first episode of season three of The White Lotus is out and I will get that one done before the next episode Sunday night.