EYG Comic Cavalcade #214

July 31

The last day of July brings us back to EYG Comic Cavalcade. We are all the way up to #214. Wow. So awesome. Just a few more weeks of summer vacation remaining. *SAD*. I love getting these done on a Friday instead of barely getting it done on Sunday or maybe even Monday afternoon.

Saw Spider-Man: Brand New Day yesterday afternoon and it was fabulous. I am going back to see it again tomorrow morning.

I was watching the Eisner Award results coming in on X last Friday. They are always given out at the Friday night of San Diego Comic Con. I like to purchase graphic novels that win Eisner’s and this year, I purchased off Amazon Drome by Jesse Lonergan and This Place Kills Me by Mariko Tamaki & Nicole Goux. Drome won Best Publication for Teens and This Place Kills Me won Best Graphic Album–New. I should also congratulate DC Comics which won 12 Eisner’s on the back of the Absolute universe.

Comic of the Week

Feral #25

The exciting conclusion of the Stray Dogs/Feral crossover is our big Comic of the Week. The scenes in the fire is tremendous. Feral has been one of my favorite comics every month.

The foil cover of this issue, which I spied on the stand, wound up with the Bronze Medalist of the Week. The cover pictured is the B cover that is always an homage to a horror movie

I’m curious to see if some of these characters remain together as the comic progressed. Either way, this was a huge winner this week.

Books This Week:

Galactic #2. Written by Curt Pires with art and cover art by Amilcar Pinna. DSTLRY seems to be back on track with their one book or so a week. That is better than no books for six months though. This was an easier book to get back into as it has a definite Star Wars vibe to it. I find this to be very easy to read and engaging of a story. I am very pleased that DSTLRY did not fold completely earlier this year that we are able to get the ongoing story of this book.

The Dirt Beneath the Devil #1. Written and cover art by Dan Panosian and art by David Ferracci. This was a new Western book with a definite tinge of the supernatural. The devil horse is tamed by a lovely woman, but not tamed completely. This is one of those books that feels like has only just started.

Doomquest #3. Written by Ryan North and art by Francesco Mobili. Cover art was done by Alex Ross (Silver Medalist). Doom has come off of the Titanic and has found himself embodying George Washington during the Revolutionary War. How will the narcissistic Doom deal with the power of the Father of America?

Queen in Black #1. Written by Al Ewing with art by Iban Coello & Ze Carlos. Cover A art was done by Ryan Stegman & Frank Martin. Cover C art was done by Peach Momoko. I also grabbed two of the blind bags for the series (I am a sucker for blind bags) that had art by Artgerm and the other one was the black blank version. I was unsure about the Queen in Black story arc, but this number one grabbed my attention so I expect that I will be reading this moving forward.

Spectacular Spider-Man: Brand New Day #3. “King’s Ransom” Written by Dan Slott with art by Marcus To. Cover art was done by Phil Jimenez & Alex Sinclair. Mister Negative has mind control over the Punisher and Spidey is trying to do what he can to save Frank and to keep him from killing everyone. Nice branding on this since the movie came out this weekend.

The Greatest American Hero #1. Written by Don Handfield and art by Alper Geçgel. Cover A art was done by Rob Prior. Cover D art was done by Rafael Loureiro (Gold Medalist). This is basically the same story that was dropped on Free Comic Book Day which was my Comic of the Week that week. I love this book and I can’t wait for the story to move along in issue #2.

The Patron #1. Written by Christian Ward and art by John J. Pearson. Cover art was done by Christian Ward. This is a fascinating new book from Ignition Press. It is interesting that we do not really have a protagonist in this book. Instead we get a person behind the scenes to help promote a new artist… only to see that artist dead. New awesome premise that I am anxious to see play out.

X-Men #34. “Mark of Cain” Written by Jed MacKay and penciled by Greg Land. Cover art was done by Tony S. Daniel, Mark Morales, & Fer Sifuentes-Sujo. This issue gives us a look at Juggernaut and his thoughts on being a hero and, specifically, being an X-Man. It is a strong individual issue featuring an underused character from this current team. I was excited to see Juggernaut in this setting.

Mortal Thor #13. “An Endless Take of Asgard.” Written by Al Ewing and art by Juann Cabal. Cover art was done by Alex Ross. This was a strange issue as we get to see the future of Asgard with Magni assuming the throne of the kingdom. We went literally eons into the future to see how Magni reacts to the threats. Again, I am not sure how this falls under the “Mortal” Thor, but it was a fun read, even if it does not mean anything moving forward.

Detective Comics 2026 Annual #1. “For the Main Man Who Has Everything.” Written by Tom Taylor with art by Nicola Scott. Cover B art was done by Guillem March. Batman and Lobo team-up when the bounty hunter comes after Batman to collect a bounty. This was a fun one-off book with these two characters.

What if…? Spider-Man #1.What If Kraven Survived his ‘Last Hunt?'” Written by J.M. DeMatteis with art by Yildiray Cinar. Cover art was done by Lucas Werneck. This latest What If..? was a well written book which dives into the story of Kraven and what happened in this context. I especially liked that they did not just leave Peter in the coffin. They had him dig himself out, but he had to deal with the mental challenges of being buried alive. Peter still was who he was at the end of this What If…? despite the chance to do something else. I like that.

Geiger #24. Creators are Geoff Johns & Gary Frank. Cover C art was done by Dean Haspiel. Tariq Geiger faced off against an army of Junkyard Joes and he winds up in chains. Little did we know, Geiger is being used as bait to attract President Griffin. Big battle in Geiger #25!!

Jessica Jones: Alias- Red Band #5. Written by Sam Humphries with art by Geraldo Borges. Cover art was done by David Mack. I love Jessica Jones, but, I have to be honest, this red band series has not been one that I am a big fan of. I am not into the inclusion of Typhoid Mary here and the whole Mephisto arc did not engage me that much. This is definitely my least favorite Jessica Jones mini series that Marvel has released.

Justice League: Knight Vision Special #1. Written by Mark Waid & Joshua Williamson with art by Miguel Mendonca. Cover C art was done by Mark Spears. This one-shot featured Batman teaming up with Lex Luthor to take on Prometheus. Batman and Lex with their banter was the highlight of the comic.

Generation X-23 #6. “Mutant Generation” Written by Jody Houser with art by Emilio Laiso. Cover art was done by Partha Pratim Sarkar & Romulo Fajardo Jr. I really enjoyed this issue of these new characters as Laura and Gabby lead them and try and inform them on how to be heroes. I liked these new X-characters and I hope they continue to develop these characters.

Black Star #1. Written by Kristin Kreuk, Peter Mooney, and Eric Putzer and illustrated by Joe Bocardo. Cover art was done by Martin Simmonds. In the 19th century fur trade, Dr. Dashiell Carlyle discovers he possesses unexpected magical healing abilities during a violent firefight.

Red Roots #4. Written, drawn and Cover art by Lorenzo De Felici. This was my favorite issue of this book so far as we finally get some idea of what’s going on with this book. The explanation of what the “Red Roots” was about was gripping. I hope this keeps getting better each issue.

Midknight Man #2. Written by Mark and Lucas Spears with art and cover art by Mark Spears. We are following Midknight Man as he searches for answers on who he really is. The mega feel of this book is great and Mark Spears has brought an enjoyable story to this character.

Predator Versus Planet of the Apes #1. Written by Greg Pak and art by Alan Robinson. Cover art was done by Stonehouse. Another fun Predator book where the Predator arrives and kills himself some apes. I have enjoyed other works with the Planet of the Apes and to see them match up with Predator.

Other books this week: Reborn: Ultimate Impact #3, Rocket Raccoon: Rocket Rewind #1, X-Men: Outback #2, Conan the Barbarian #33, Alice Forever After #5, In Your Skin #4, and Everybody Loves a Jewel Thief #3.

Quick Hits: Mad cave’s Is Ted Ok? #6 comes to the conclusion with this issue. It turned out to be quite a challenging issue and I am not sure how I felt of the end. The Horror of Godzilla #1 has some cool imagery in the book with a neat cover, but it is probably not going to be a book I pick up every month. We’ll see. With Queen in Black debuting this week, there are a bunch of side books such as Queen in Black: Hela #1 and Queen in Black: Defenders of Light and Dark #1. The second book of those was more interesting because of the cast which included cool characters such as Beta Ray Bill, Iron Man and Cloak and Dagger. Shard is back in the present with Bishop #2. Land of Never #2 is interesting as the Flying Man is being investigated and we are seeing Peter Pan in a new light. I picked Nano #1 off the stand on Wednesday. It is a new Dark Horse book with a strange future situation. I am not sure what is going on, but I do think that I am intrigued. Dead by Daylight #4 brought that series to an end for Titan Comics. Not my favorite of the books a month, but still fairly readable. The Eye Collector #2 continued to be a weird, wild book that is different than any book I collect. I do think I am going to continue with this one. Then, Pretty Hate Machine #4 gives us a major reveal about what was going on and it is a rough one. Only the Savage are Left #2 is quite the emotional issue and makes me ready to get the next issue.

SDCC 2026- Friday

This post will be updated throughout the night. Friday means Eisner Award winners too, so it will be a lot to post today.

Trailers

Lanterns


Batman: Caped Crusader – Chronicles

Blade Runner 2099

DC COMICS

Batman of Two Worlds #1

DC Next Level

Batman: Bad Seeds

Rick Moranis makes an appearance at Spaceballs panel

Ignition Press celebrates their one year anniversary at SDCC, where it all began.

Eisner Awards

@cbccpodcast.bsky.social

Inductees into Will Eisner Hall of Fame

Colleen Doran, Denys Cowan, Mike Friedrich, Lee Marrs, Bud Plant, Mike Royer, Jeff Smith, Carol Tyler, Bob Bolling, Gerry Conway, Edwina Dumm, Oliver Harrington, Don Heck, Abe Kanegson, Paul S. Newman, Héctor Germán Oesterheld, Tom Palmer Sr., Go Nagai, Dave Sim, Jimmy SwinnertonAkira Toriyama, Rick Veitch, and Chris Ware.

Awards

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 Zawadzki (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 Hunter 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 Alexandre 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 Zawadzki (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, Michael Walsh, Pornsak Pichetshote, 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)

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, translated by Montana Kane (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, translated by Montana Kane (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 Mitsuko 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 #1by 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. Schulz 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 SupermanAbsolute 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); Hunger (The Lab Press); 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)

https://www.comic-con.org/awards/eisner-awards/

______________________________________________________________

Bill Finger Award: Jenny Blake Isabella

Russ Manning Award: Stipan Morian

Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award: Books With Pictures in Eugene, Oregon

EYG Comic Cavalcade #212

July 18

Welcome to the EYG Comic Cavalcade. I am getting tired of repeating myself every week when I call it “another big week” of comics. It seems as if every week falls into that category. I really do pick up a bunch of books every week.

In fact, when i added the Comic World batch of books to my CLZ, I realized that I was eight books away from 22,222 in my collection. So I decided to find eight more back issues to reach that number. Todd helped me pick out these eight books: Storm Vol 2 #1-6, Son of Satan #4, and Hercules #11 (from Modern Comics). I left Comic World that Wednesday with the exact number of 22,222.

It lasted one day as I bought some more books at In This Issue on Thursday.

I completed the Daily Read that I started this week with Starhenge Book One: The Dragon and the Boar #1-6. Starting on Monday, I read an issue a day until I completed the book. It was by Liam Sharp and it was a wonderful sci-fi/fantasy story with Merlin, Arthur and a woman named Amber who was from present day and she narrated it with references to all sorts of cool pop culture mentions including The Princess Bride, other comics, Grant Morrison among many others. I picked it up because I had purchased Starhenge Book Two: A Kiss for Atticus #1 a couple of weeks ago and I did not want to start it without reading the first series.

Comic of the Week

The Ring: The Man Who Beat the Man #2

This was am unexpected pick this week, but I was just really engaged with this issue of the mini-series from Gail King at Dark Horse. Issue one came out last month and, truthfully, it was fine. I was not as into that first issue as I thought I would be.

However, this issue, focusing on two different boxers, I was fully into and I was just entertained fully. It was one of the last handful of books that I read this week and it was such a treat.

Books This Week:

Mark Spears Monsters #11. “Chapter 11: The Council of Monsters” Written by Mark and Lucas Spears with art and cover art by Mark Spears (Cover C-Bronze Medalist). This issue found all of the monsters on the Council discussing who should be in charge and what they should do about Dracula. This discussion was amazing and with the arrival of Malik and the Slayer. It ended in the weirdest place though as I was just confused, wondering if they had left out a page or two.

3W/3M: Foundations #1. Written by Jonathan Hickman & Nick Spencer with art by Mike Huddleston, Mike del Mundo, and Jerome Opeña. Cover art was done by Mike Huddleston. Four of the top creators in comics band together to provide a new comics universe and some straight up science fiction. It is an interesting book and I am curious to see how it progresses moving forward. The over-sized book does make it feel more special.

A Mischief of Magpies #1. Written by Simon Spurrier and art and cover art by Matias Bergara. DSTLRY feels as if it is back on track fully as we get the first number one since the company took several months off to attempt to fix the problems they were having with Diamond and their money. A Mischief of Magpies is another sci-fi epic where our protagonist, Mar, as he slipped out of the world into a mechanical city. It is another book where the format is very original and feels like a big swing.

Kingdom of Earth #1. Written by David Dastmalchian & Leah Kilpatrick with art and cover art by Soo Lee. We have another post-apocalyptic book where humans have two paths, either as livestock or being slaughtered. Our protagonist Frankie escaped being livestock and now is trying to survive in a monstrous wasteland. Dark Horse has another winning formula here. David Dastmalchian continues his horror success.

Nightwing #140. “The Dive” Written by Dan Watters with pencils by Denys Cowan. Cover art was done by Jorge Fornes. Nightwing is investigating the bar called “Divebar” while the city prosecutor has given him a deadline to turn himself in. The issue also brought us a new character called “Cannibal Colm” and this guy is creepy.

Captain America #13. “Hell’s Angel”-Part 2. Written by Chip Zdarsky with art by Ton Lima. Cover art was done by Valerio Schiti and variant cover (Marvel Dimensions) was done by Alex Ross (Gold Medalist). Cap and Doom are in Hell, trying to round up a crew to help them take on Mephisto. Meanwhile, Spider-Man comes to sit at the comatose Captain America’s bedside.

Something Epic #13. Written, illustrated, and cover art (all variants) by Szymon Kudranski. I loved this book, but it has been on hiatus for nearly to years. I was excited to see it back and I loved the various homage covers that the variants were displaying. Noa and D-Ductive are back and investigating the Land of Horror after a tragedy. They find yet another dead (?) body at the very end of the new issue. I am a fan of Szymon Kudranski and I love that this is back in the rotation.

Punisher vs. Amazing Spider-Man #1. “Professional Differences” Written by Dan Abnett with art by Matteo Della Fonte. Cover art was done by Jonas Scharf & Alex Guimarães. This featured the relationship between Spider-Man and Punisher, which makes one wonder why that is. They actually have some things in common, except for their methods, which is a area of contention in this book. It takes place early after Punisher and Spidey meet the first time in ASM #129.

Avengers Armageddon #2. Written by Chip Zdarsky with art by Delio Diaz and Frank Alpizar. Cover art was done by Dike Ruan & Moreno Dinisio (Silver Medalist). The big Marvel series gets its number two as the Avengers and Fantastic Four look to try and stop the Red Hulk’s democracy rampage. Colton and Red Hulk go one-on-one and Colton seemed to flip his head. There is a huge feel of danger and suspense in the series so far.

Junk Punch #2. Written by Paul Tobin with art by Carlos Javier Olivares and Lin Visel. Junk Punch continues to be a comic that makes me laugh. I still wonder if the joke of punching someone in the groin area will remain as funny, but I did like this issue. We are introduced to several new characters in the Junk Punch world. Let’s see how this moves on.

D’Orc #6. “Fate is Fickle” Written, art and cover art by Brett Bean. Speaking of consistently funny, D’Orc is one of my favorite books every month. We learn this issue why Gloinspear is, as D’Orc said, “….such a dick?” Surprise, surprise. Gloinspear is D’Orc’s father. Okay, so it wasn’t as big of a surprise as say, Vader and Luke, but it was fun.

Smile: For the Camera #5. Written by Hannah Rose May with art by Miriana Puglia. Cover art was done by Skylar Patridge. This mini-series based on the movie series, Smile, came to a close with this issue and I have to say that I really liked the wrap up of the story. It did not end as I expected and I do like to be surprised. It felt like the ending was earned for our main character.

Mister Nemo #1. Written by Mark London with art by Alden Kaye. Cover art was done by Duncan Rouleau. This new book from Mad Cave was one of the best of the week. The art was fabulous and we get a current day adaptation of Captain Nemo, including the Nautilus. The first issue was a really cool start as we are introduced to the concept and our new hero.

Inglorious X-Force #7. “As Luck Would Have It.” Written by Tim Seeley with art by Michael Sta. Maria. Cover art was done by R.B. Silva & David Curiel. Cyclops and Quentin Quire come to have a talk with Cable and the X-Force. Scott and Nathan are, of course, father and son, while Quire is still dealing with past issues with Akihiro (whom he knew as Daken).

War Wolf #7. Written by Steve Orlando and art by Marco Perugini. Cover art was done by David Talaski. Bruin goes to the leaders and tells them what he is going to do. This penultimate issue of the series is here to set up the finale, Father vs. Son, Bruin vs. Worldkiller.

Assorted Crisis Events #9. Written by Deniz Camp with art and variant cover C art by Eric Zawadzki. “The issue centers on a kid named Chuckie who uses “TEMPS”—the first cross-temporal employment app—to secure quick cash in a pointless, cross-time war where untrained temp workers from all of human history are sent to fight. ” (Brooke, AIPT). It has been six months since we had an issue of this sci-fi/satire series from Image Comics. This one is a lot of fun.

Fantastic Four #14. “Irrational” Written by Ryan North and art by Ramon Rosanas. Cover art was done by Humberto Ramos & Edgar Delgado. This issue, featuring Jo-Venn and N’Kalla Masters-Grimm, the adopted kids of Ben and Alicia, proved the dangers of MATH, specifically the dangers of pi and its never ending digits. It is clear that math is the true villain in the world today, especially in the world of 616. We’ll see if Todd actually reads these posts.

Spider-Versity #4. “Most School Spirit” Written by Jordan Morris & Joe Kelly with art by Pere Perez. Cover art was done by Giuseppe Camuncoli, Lorenzo Ruggiero & Marte Gracia. Norman’s sneakiness is out in the open to Spider Woman, but there are more troubles than the double-dealing Osborn. The Carnage symbiote is free and has possessed one of the Spider-Versity.

X-Men #33. “Anomaly”, Part 3. Written by Jed MacKay with pencils by Tony S. Daniel. Cover art was done by Tony S. Daniel & Fer Sifuentes-Sujo. Variant cover C was done by Matteo Della Fonte. The X-Men’s science team discovered the answers to the anomalies that were plaguing the Canadian Rocky Mountains. It came from the unconscious mind of Schwarzchild, member of the 3K. Ben and Quentin went inside the mind to try and stop the horrific anomalies.

Minotaur #1. Written by Si Spurrier with art and cover art by Mike Dowling. Ignition Press has been hot as can be over the last six months to a year, putting out some excellent mini-series. The latest is a sci-fi series called Minotaur. Gloria Monday was the protagonist of this series as a photojournalist who does not seem to have much empathy. She is documenting people who are haunted by outbreaks of the future.

The Rocketfellers #13. Written by Peter J. Tomasi and art by Francis Manapul. Variant cover C art done by Francis Portela. Tommy Townsend III and his robot Sterling, along with Rose & Zach, come to the door of the Rocketfellers, who are in the middle of trying to celebrate Rachel’s birthday. Part 3 of 4 in The Unbelievables? crossover sees our typical hero on hero fight and a betrayal by Sterling.

Absolute Green Arrow #3. “The Longbow Killer”-Chapter 3. Written by Pornsak Pichetshote with art by Rafael Albuquerque. Cover art was done by Rafael Albuquerque & Marcelo Maiolo. Dinah is on the case of who exactly is the Longbow Killer, and along the way, she comes across the absolute version of Solomon Grundy. Absolute Green Arrow has been extended from six issue mini series to a 12-issue series, which is great because Green Arrow has been a great read and the mystery is engaging.

The Department of Truth #38. Written by James Tynion IV with art by Ben Templesmith. Cover art was done by Martin Simmonds. The dinosaurs living in Florida is the latest Fiction making its way around the world as Hunky is on the case. He discovered at the end of the issue that his father, Huck passed away. Is that the truth? Not sure. Who ever knows the truth in this book?

If Destruction be Our Lot #3. “I Would Rather Be a Little Nobody Than to be an Evil Somebody” Written by Matthew & Mark Elijah Rosenberg with art by Andy MacDonald. Cover art was done by Andy McDonald and Francesco Segala. Abe comes across a human being, and this little girl runs from him. Abe tries to pursue but only gets himself into more trouble.

Absolute Flash #17. “Gorilla City- Part 2 of 2” Written by Jeff Lemire and art by Haining. Cover art was done by Nick Robles. Wally keeps his search going for Grodd, as Wally convinces the Rogues, whose mission is to kill Grodd, that it was not Grodd causing the problems, but actually Grodd’s father. Unfortunately, that just meant that the Trickster wound up shooting Grodd’s father in the head, killing him.

Space Ghost Annual #1. Written by David Pepose with art and cover art by Jonathan Lau. Space Ghost is ready for it all to be over, perhaps giving up the mantel of Space Ghost. First, he and the twins need to defeat Magnus. Space Ghost has to deal with the death of future Jace, Space Spectre. This annual leads into a crossover with the Herculoids.

Infernal Hulk #9. “Flash Magic” Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson with art by Adam Gorham. Cover art was done by Nic Klein. Banner and Doctor Voodoo head inside a soul cage to confront the Hulk, in an attempt to get the Hulk power back. Banner offers up Voodoo as a prize in a contest, the Riddle Game.

GI Joe #24. Written by Joshua Williamson with art by Andrea Milana. Cover art was done by Tom Reilly. Baroness has discovered the undercover Zartan, who has been posing as Hawk. This was after working with Destro to escape their troubles.

Tigress Island #5. Written by Patrick Kindlon with art and cover art by Ephk. This mini-series form Image ended with this issue, as out surviving women are able to escape form the island. There are lots of explosions and deaths in this issue as everything is wrapped up, although there’s one who floated away, potentially alive.

Other Books This Week: Dungeon Crawler Carl #0, Arcadia #6, End of Life #4, M1: Monster Racing League #2, John Le Carre’s The Circus: Losing Control #3, and Alien: King Killer #4.

Quick Hits: This week we kick off the Quick Hits with Of the Earth #3. This series from Chris Condon continues to be one of the more engaging books each month. We got an interesting What If…? Jessica Jones #1 where Jessica gets bitten by the radioactive spider. I liked this, but I did think the identity of the Green Goblin in this issue was painfully predictable. That did hurt the overall book. More inside the house drama is going down in Fall of the House of Slaughter #3. I loved the cover on this book, but since it was a huge week for covers, it did not achieve a medal. On a normal week, this cover by Sam Wolfe Connelly surely would have been in the top three. I will say that I was kind of disappointed with Banana Number One #1 from Bad Idea. It was goofy as all get out, but that was not the problem. The Banana Number One part of this book was maybe the first third. The rest of the book was other stories that I did not want to read. I wanted more banana. More anthropomorphic animals arrive with the Super Mondo Mega Mutts #1 from Oni Press. Honestly, I found this one to be average at best. I guess you can reach a limit with your anthropomorphic animals. Who knew? Antarctic Press Comics released Horror Comics #1, which I grabbed. I like horror comics, but this is really more of an art book with each page being a cool horror drawing by several artists. There was one short story in the book which went about three or four pages. The rest would be pin-ups with horror themes. It was great art, but not what I expected. Murder Podcast #8 brought this Ignition Press comic to an end. Honestly, this was another one that I found a little disappointing. For as creative of an idea this was, the conclusion felt very typical. Kill Switch #3 is placing our body jumping characters into some real troubling situations. Tankers vs. Ancient Aliens #2 still is more focused on dinosaurs, but it looked like those pesky ancient aliens are coming next issue. Megalith: The Olympus Saga #0 continued the weird trend of Bad Idea books releasing issues #1 and 2 and then releasing issue #0. Dynamite ended Ursula #5 which was one of the bigger surprises for me this year. No way I enjoyed this series… but I did. Star trek: The Last Starship is setting up a big confrontation between Kirk and Captain Sato. Finally, there is a book called The Last Ronin: Training Day #1 from IDW that takes place between gaps in the Last Ronin saga.

EYG Comic Cavalcade #210

July 4

Happy 250th Birthday to the United States of America. I hope everyone has a fun and safe Fourth of July.

I picked up a lot of Mad Magazine issues from eBay this week, which included, specifically, the one issue that I went looking for. Mad #533 featured “Weird Al” Yankovic as special guest editor, and was full of fun and crazy comedy. “Weird Al” is one of my absolute favorites and I wanted to find this issue. It seemed like it was pretty high priced on eBay, but I found it included in this lot and the total for the seven books was right around the same cost for the individual book. That was a winner for me.

I picked up a few graphic novels/trade paperbacks this week. The graphic novels included a version of George Orwell’s 1984, which was pretty cool. I also grabbed a graphic novel called “Rain” which I mistakenly did not realize that I already owned. Then there was a paperback that collected an Oni Press series called Hellbreak and a DC trade called Superman: Supercorp.

Comic of the Week

Ordained #3

This was a fantastic issue of this series from Bad idea. You could tell that they originally were going to have the series end after three issues, because of the way this wrapped up. The demand for Ordained must have convinced them to tag on a fourth issue, as they have a final section at the very end, almost like a post credit scene, that sets up issue #4. I am not complaining about it at all. I would buy a full-time, ongoing series of Ordained.

The B cover of this week’s book ended up as runner up for the bronze medalist for the EYG Comic Covers of the Week.

Books this week:

The Last Starfighter #1. Written by Benjamin Raab & Deric Hughes with art by Willi Robert. Variant cover D art by Stephanie Hans (Gold Medalist). This is a new Mad Cave series that is a direct sequel to the 1984 cult-classic movie, The Last Starfighter. Alex Rogen is back and his adventures have just begun. This is an intriguing start to a series and Mad Cave has earned my trust.

The City Beneath Her Feet #3. Written by James Tynion IV and art and cover art by Elsa Charretier. I did not think that I was ever going to see the conclusion of this series. DSTLRY has been rumored to be going under and I was a big fan of a bunch of their books. DSTLRY’s downfall made me very sad, but I am excited that this one came out. Hopefully, the company can get back on course or, at the very least, release those final issues of the cool stories that had been started, much like this one.

The Dogsitter #1. Written by Jamie S. Rich and illustrated by Megan Levens. Cover art was done by Megan Levens and Nick Filardi. This seemed to be a straightforward romance story about a woman named Gemma, who has left college and is supplementing her income by walking dogs. I am not sure if there is going to be more to the story than that, but she does meet someone at a party that she takes up with. I kept waiting for the inciting incident, but it did not seem to come. Ignition Press has been doing great stuff lately, but I am not sure this is going to be my cup of tea.

Star Wars-Rogue One: Saw Gerrera #1. “The Price” Written by Marc Bernardin with art by Federico Blee. Cover art was done by David Marquez & Laura Martin. I typically do not buy a lot of Star Wars books, but I saw writer Marc Bernardin on his podcast Fatman Beyond (that he does with Kevin Smith) talking about this project he did with Marvel. I am a fan of Bernardin, so I decided to pick up a copy. I actually enjoyed the book very much, despite not being a knowledgeable fan of Saw Gerrera from the Star Wars franchise. I saw him in Rogue One and Andor, but that was the extent of my knowledge. This was a good read.

Amazing Spider-Man #32.Written by Joe Kelly with art by Patrick Gleason. Cover art was done by Patrick Gleason & Dean White. Spidey has to deal with the arrival of Cormac Crane, Aunt May’s unknown son. He is using his fists to work out some of his anger and frustrations which is a bad thing for Tombstone and the Vulture. How does the death of the Shocker play into Spidey’s rampage? It is all here.

Wade Wilson: Deadpool #6. “Badpools–Part 1” Written by Benjamin Percy and art by Alex Lins. Cover art was done by Geoff Shaw & Alex Sinclair. What happens to the pieces of Wade Wilson that get chopped off? Well, at the current time, they are regenerating into weird little Deadpool-like creatures and are causing trouble for the Merc with a Mouth.

Zorro #2. Written by Howard Chaykin and art by Jorge Fornes. Cover art was done by Stewart Moore. Zorro is on the oceans, sailing with a crew of pirates, and they are dealing with the forces of the French ruler Napoleon Bonaparte. There is one more issue of this short series from Alien Books.

Royals #4. Written by Derek Kirk Kim with art and cover art by Jacob Perez. Good news! Paul and Castor are not dead! They were shot at the end of last issue, but they survived and were separated. With that, the chasm between the brothers has stretched even further. This has been one of my favorite books of the month ever time it is released.

She-Spawn #3. Written by Gail Simone and art by Ig Guara. Cover art was done by Marco Falla. Jessica Priest appeared to be in the past with a job to protect a young kid… Al Simmons??? That is a name that is familiar to the Spawn Universe. Lots of things going on in this series and it is, once again, brought to life from the writing of Gail Simone.

Killer Influences #1. Written by Joey Esposito and art by Valeria Burzo. Cover art was done by David Baldeon & Ki Diaz. A wannabe reporter is on the trail of a local serial killer, but when she finds him, there is a twist in the story that I did not see coming. This is a new book from IDW, under their Crime label.

The Mortal Thor #12. “Worldwyrm” Written by Al Ewing and art by Jesus Saiz. Cover art was done by Alex Ross (Silver Medalist). Donald Blake confronted Sigurd and revealed his “true face” which was thr serpent Jörmungandr, the Midgard Serpent. What can the “mortal” Sigurd do to stop it?

The Deadman #2. Written by W. Maxwell Prince with art by Martin Morazzo. I picked up three covers of this issue: first cover A by Martin Morazzo & Chris O’Halloran, second cover D by Mark Spears and then finally, cover E, a glow-in-the-dark cover by Steven Subic (Bronze Medalist). Deadman comes to Gotham to find help. He wanted Batman, but the Caped Crusader turned out to be too difficult to possess so Deadman settled for Plastic Man instead.

Fantastic Four #13. Written by Ryan North and art and cover art by Andrea Sorrentino. I have been a huge fan of the Ryan North run of Fantastic Four, but I have to admit, this issue was a stretch. Sue and Johnny pretending to be Ghost Rider to scare their villains is an original thought, but I do not think it worked well for this book. It was funny seeing Reed and Nicki pulling the same trick just to see if they could do it.

What If…?: Secret Wars #1. “What If the Ultimate Universe Survived the Secret Wars?” 616 Peter Parker wound up in the Ultimate Universe, trapped. The battle with the Maker continued and Peter turned up with the X-Men at the end. This was not my favorite What If issues as this felt lacking.

Dead Acre: Black Badge #1. Written by Cullen Bunn and art by Riley Brown. Cover art was done by Riley Brown & Fares Maese. I also picked up a special cover by Darick Robertson hidden behind a red Spoiler/Content warning sheet. This appears to be a comic adaptation of a graphic novel of the same name. I am not sure if the graphic novel is the whole run of what this series is going to be or not. All I know is that I loved this first issue.

The Punisher #6. Written by Benjamin Percy with art by Farid Karami. Cover art was done by David Marquez & GURU-eFX. I grabbed a variant cover D of this issue with the red bloody skull. The Punisher is out and about, doing his personal mission, but there is a sniper shooting at him. That sniper… Collateral Damage.

Iron Man #7. “Super Science.” Written by Joshua Williamson with art by Von Randal. Cover art was done by Ryan Stegman & Frank Martin. War Machine has returned! It is great to see Rhodey once again and I hope they include him in the ongoing Iron Man book. It is where he belongs.

Sam & Twitch Case Files #25. Written by Thomas Healy with additonial script from Tidd McFarlane and art by Von Randal. Cover art was done by Ig Guara. Sam and Twitch wrap up their latest case, and it feels as if this series is done. I have not heard anything for certain, but the book sure seemed to put a final bow on everything. If this is the final issue, I will miss this book.

Neighborhood Watch #3. Written by Sarah Gailey with illustrations by Haining. Val and Bianca are trying to keep Jill hidden from the police, including her bullet wound. Jill’s “runaway” daughter returned as well and she has something that she knows about this mystery.

X-Men United #5. “Shadow Play.” Written by Eve L. Ewing with art by Eduardo Pansica. Cover art was done by Stefano Caselli and Federico Blee. While the adult X-Men are trapped in a different dimension, Lourdes Chantal and other shadowy threats approach the school, forcing the younger mutants to step up their game. Ms. Marvel is there, but I wanted her to take more charge than they did here. She has a ton of experience from the Avengers, Champions and so on.

Batman #11. “Mutineers” Written by Matt Fraction with art by Jorge Jimenez. Cover A art was done by Jorge Jimenez & Tomeu Morey. Cover B art was done by Dustin Nguyen and Cover F art (Beefcake Batman) was done by Chris Anka. Batman has to deal with the dangerous Anarchy while discovering a criminal conspiracy that will change Gotham’s underworld moving forward.

Batman/Green Arrow/The Question; Arcadia #4. Written, drawn and cover art was done by Gabriel Hardman. I am not sure what continuity this series falls into because it seemed as if Gabriel Hardman was watching the first Iron Man movie since the final scene is reminiscent of it. Arcadia has been a long time coming with this final issue.

The Other/Half #3. Written by Jim McCann with art and cover art by Joe Eisma. Ethan is arrested for the mysterious jewel robbery, but Henry is not ready to give up on his husband. He wants to help so much that he even approached Ethan’s homophobic parents for help, against Ethan’s wishes.

The Shaolin Cowboy: Staying A.I. Live #1. Written, art and cover art by Geof Darrow. A fun new series from Dark Horse returned to the world of Shaolin Cowboy. From my research, this is a character that had been in several other series over the past 25 years. I enjoyed this issue from Dark Horse so I may have to look back into the history of this character moving ahead.

Beast of Boriken #1. Written by Julio Anta with art and cover art by Daniel Irizarri. Puerto Rican activist Loli Flores is involved in a protest to attempt to protect land from developers. During the groundbreaking ceremony, a creature of some sorts was awakened and set free to cause trouble.

100 Bullets: The US of Anger #1. “Chapter One: At Thee I Swing.” Written by Brian Azzarello with art by Eduardo Risso. Variant cover B art is done by Jock. I really liked this format with the black and white pages. It felt like the proper way to present this type of story. This was another one that had an earlier book.

Other Books this Week: Tales of the Shadowman #7, Nights #19, Godzilla (Kai-Sei Era) #12, Catching Hell (Featuring Reggie Bannister) #1, Faceless and the Family #1, Starhenge Book Two: A Kiss for Atticus #1, Masterminds #5, and Malevolent #5.

Quick Hits: Marvel dropped another swimsuit special this week, with the title being Marvel Swimsuit Special: Brand New Beach Day#1. It is not much. There are some great pieces of art involved which is the purpose. The story is meh. As I was going through the pile of comics I bought at In This Issue when I came across Lilo & Stitch 626 #2, which confused me. I do not collect Lilo & Stitch so I was confused as to why it was in my books. I think I figured it out because I was missing Lion King #4. So I think I went to pick Lion King off the shelf and accidentally grabbed Lilo & Stitch. Maybe I was distracted by other independent books on the shelf. I did go back to get Lion King afterward. Comics! The Magazine #5 came out this week that featured an interview with Mark Spears. The Rook universe characters make their appearance this week in the Ghost Machine: The Official Guidebook #4. This is a great book to keep handy when reading rook because some of the issue I have for this series is that I am not sure which character is which. Somehow, I had missed the Energon Universe G.I. Joe #18. I was able to pick that one up to complete the run so far. Absolute Martian Manhunter #12 finished off its run with this issue. Absolute Green Lantern #15 brings us the debut of the Absolute Sinestro. It was another comic that I missed and had to pick up when I went back to In This Issue. Minor Arcana #16 continued with Teresa and her weird magic. Big shock at the end of the issue. Doctor Strange #8 has had a difficult time keeping my attention at this point. There was a lot of Angela in this book. Challengers of Doom: Mr. Fantastic #1 came out and showed a beginning of the relationship between Doom and Reed Richards. I picked up the Peach Momoko cover for this issue. American Mythology Productions released a new version of Return of the Living Dead, which was a mini series a couple of years ago. It was Return of the Living Dead: Untold Tales of the Tarman #1. It might have been a one-shot, but it is left off with a cliffhanger that feels like it was a start. I guess we’ll see. Babylon Cove #2 saw the story of Heather Hutchens returning to her hometown continue with some major problems. I liked this issue more than the first one. Finally, Ripcord #4 was pretty bloody and violent this month and I am not a fan of this issue.

EYG Comic Cavalcade #206

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.

2026 Eisner Awards Nominees

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. 

https://bleedingcool.com/comics/eisner-awards-2026-nominees-announced-dc-comics-deniz-camp-lead/#google_vignette

EYG Comic Cavalcade #201

May 3

Happy belated May Day and early May the Fourth Be With You. I am also a fan of Return of the Fifth coming this Tuesday.

This is a big weekend in the world of comic books as Saturday was the annual Free Comic Book Day! We of the comic book collecting world know that the first Saturday in May is Free Comic Book Day when companies send out previews and reprints to comic shops nationwide to try and bring more eyes on their product and more collectors into the hobby. There are reportedly some trademark challenges from Diamond (BOOOOOOOO… HISSSSSSSS!) and some of the free books started calling it “Comics Giveaway Day” which just doesn’t quite have the same ring to it. Still I was excited to participate once again.

I started my trek at In This Issue in Bettendorf, where I grabbed several of the free comic books available. From there, I drove to Dubuque to Comic World to continue the day’s activities. I know that “Free Comic Book Day” is not free for the comic shops as they have to pay a certain amount for the books that they order, so, because of that, I always want to buy some product at the shop as a thank you for hosting Free Comic Book Day. This year was no exception.

At In This Issue, I picked up several back issues of I Hate Fairyland, which I will be talking about later in the Cavalcade. I found several Amazing Spider-Man Volume 2 books that I was missing. My ASM Vol 2 collection is down to missing just a handful of books now. There was also a fun hologram cover of Marvel Two-In-One #1. Then, I picked up nearly the entire Marvel Team-Up Vol. 3 series.

At Comic World, I picked up a couple of Invincible Universe issues off the spinning rack that the store had on display as well as a couple of Fantastic Four back issues that I had been missing. Then, I grabbed a whole run of Jonah Hex books that were in the back issue section. I have always liked the character of Jonah Hex even if I had not bought anything of his prior to this.

Of course, I got several Free Comic Book Day books at both places. These include: Dungeon Crawler Carl #0, Fort Psycho/Mind MGMT, Conan: Tides of the Tyrant King, Locke & Key #1, DC/Sonic the Hedgehog #1, Nickelodeon: Avatar Legends, Energon Universe 2026 Special #1, Garfield, Minotaur: The Cold Open #0, Planet of the Apes/Alien/Predator #1, Keenspot Spotlight 2026, Avengers Armageddon #1, Something is Killing the Children: Road to Slaughter, Amazing Spider-Man #1, The Greatest American Hero #1, Masters of the Universe, The Future is *****, Megaman Showdown Special #1, Power Rangers #0, Aquamanatee #1, Next Level #1, Spidey and his Amazing Friends #1, Journey to the West, LEGO Batman #1, The Nice House on the Lake Book One, and Ultimate Oz Universe.

Comic Book of the Week

Free Comic Book Day: The Greatest American Hero #1

It is fun that this week’s Comic Book of the Week is one of the Free Comic Book Day books. The Amp book introduces us to a returning Ralph Hinkley as an older character, back to see his son. He still has the outfit and he is trying to convince his son that he is not a crazy man. I am very excited about the new series from Amp and I can’t wait until July for the new book to start.

Books this Week:

Planet She-Hulk #6. Written by Stephanie Phillips and art was done by Emilio Laiso & Aaron Kuder. Variant cover C was done by Marco Ferrari. This fun issue brings Jen back to earth and we learn what happened at the end of Sakaar. She-Hulk feels more like She-Hulk in this issue than she has in the entire series. She was breaking the fourth wall on the first page and I found the humor to be a welcomed change from the previous issues. It is sad that this is now ending.

I Hate Fairyland #50. Written by Skottie Young and drawn by Derek Laufman with Skottie Young. Variant cover C art is done by Skottie Young (Bronze medalist). I have never picked up an issue of this before, but Todd pointed it out on the stands to me and I picked it up. It was way more entertaining than I thought it would be. Skottie Young was in the book. It was funny. It made me want to go back and buy more of the books.

Uncanny X-Men #27. “Who’s Been Sleeping in My Bed?” Written by Gail Simone and art by Luciano Vecchio. Cover art was done by Luciano Vecchio & Edgar Delgado. I also picked up variant cover D by Juan Ferreyra (Silver Medalist). Uncanny X-Men has become very strange. I am not quite sure what is going on with them, time wise. Is this an alternate future and why are the kids dressed as New Mutants? What is up with the New Mutants. This is bizarre, but still awesome fun.

Batman/Wonder Woman: Truth #1. Written by Jeph Loeb and art by Jim Cheung. Cover art was done by Jim Cheung and Jay David Ramos. This was a fun team-up one-shot book that put Batman and Wonder Woman together just after Batman broke up with Catwoman. I have not been a fan of when comics place a story in past continuity, but this one just worked really well because they kept it at a small story and dealt more with the character of Batman.

Feral #22. Written by Tony Fleecs and art by Trish Forstner & Tone Rodriguez. Tony Fleecs & Trish Forstner did both the A cover and the B (Weapons horror homage) cover (Gold Medalist). This is a flip book. If you read it one way, you get the story via the cats perspective and if you start from the back, you get the Stray Dogs’ perspective. It is a clever way to tell this story that is a crossover between Feral and Stray Dogs. Even the horror homage cover has one side with the cats and the other side with the dogs. So cool.

Wrestle Heist #5. Written, drawn and cover art by Kyle Starks. The pro wrestling heist book ends with this issue. Where it seemed that Buddy Hanson was five steps ahead of Sterling Steele and his crew, in truth, Steele was prepared for the rotund promoter. Wrestle Heist has a very satisfying conclusion which included a new World Champion! Fightsgiving is here and it has surprises for everyone!

Dust to Dust #8. Written by JG Jones & Phil Bram and art and cover art by JG Jones. I have enjoyed this series tremendously, but it has been delayed quite a while. I don’t know much about the delay, but it sounded like there was something health related involved in it. If that is the case, I hope everyone is fine and that they overcame whatever challenge it may have been. The series, which was originally scheduled as a 10-issue limited series, is now done at eight. It is a beautiful book with some fun action inside. I hope everyone is okay.

The Exorcism at Buckingham Palace #2. Written by Hannah Rose May with art and cover art by Kelsey Ramsay. Cover art was done by This is officially a continuation of the story about the Exorcism at 1600 Avenue from a few years ago as the president of the United States weighed in to the British about when their child was possessed. They said that what was happening to the Prince was similar to what they faced. It looks like we are getting a third issue exorcism once again. This has been a consistently engaging tale of the British Royal Family and their family curse.

The Punisher #3. “The Dead Place” Written by Benjamin Percy with art by Jose Luis Soares. Cover art was done by David Marquez & GURU-eFX. The Punisher is in some real trouble and that last panel of this book is shocking. I am not sure exactly what we saw, but if it was what it looked like, we have some challenging storytelling coming up.

Ripcord #3. Written by Cullen Bunn and illustrated by Aneke. Cover art was done by Jorge Fornes. Some brutal kills in the Outback of Australia as Dillion continues her search for her missing sister. There is a biker gang in pursuit of her and there are some kind of weird creatures that they discover underground that make you think of zombies.

White Sky #3. Written by William Harms with art and cover art by JP Mavinga. Violet is in search for her dad through a land with ghosts everywhere. Who could help Violet in her mission? How about a medium named Walter? Our pair is now together and they are following whatever they can to try and find Violet’s father.

Baby Garfield #2. “Baby Garfield’s First Monday” and “Baby Garfield’s First Lasagna.” First story written by Stephanie Cooke with art by Whitney Gardner, and second story written and drawn by Brittney Williams. Cover art was done by Agnes Garbowska with colors by Sil Brys. Why does Garfield hate Mondays, and what does it have to do with the arrival of Odie? How much does Garfield love lasagna? We get a chance to see in this issue of the fun Boom! Studios mini series.

Captain America #10. “Doom’s Shadow” Part 5. Written by Chip Zdarsky with art by Valerio Schiti. Cover art was done by Valerio Schiti and Romulo Fajardo Jr. The struggle for Latveria post Doom is hot as the sides all have their moments. Oh and it sure looks like the Red Hulk is on his way.

Red Roots #1. Written, art and cover art by Lorenzo De Felici. I’m not sure how I would react if I kept finding severed heads in my apartment. I mean… one is too many, right? But what happens when it is multiple severed heads? How would you react? What if there are no explanations for the heads being there? Would you be suspected? Oh, and what about a professional killer from a different world? All kinds of strange things going down in this extremely visual book.

Viking Moon #3. Written by Joe Pruett and art and cover art by Marcelo Frusin. The Vikings return to the shores in search of a place to call home and they have to take up arms against a pack of werewolves. The action in this issue was top notch and this was my favorite issue of this book so far. Admittedly, it has been awhile since I saw the last book, but I did enjoy this issue tremendously.

Doom 2099: Rage of Doom #1. Written by Frank Tieri and art by Von Randal. Cover art was done by Junggeun Yoon. I have not been a fan of 2099 books lately. However, this one shot about Doom was very engaging. It connected the story to the One World Under Doom storyline from the last year and it left the book in a huge cliffhanger.

Sam and Twitch Case Files #23. Written by Thomas Healy with additional script by Todd McFarlane with art by Von Randal. Cover art was done by Von Randal with Steve Canon. Sam and Twitch are trying to pursue the case that they have been working on only to find that they are being blocked at all sides by their captain, Captain Malloque. What about this case must stay hidden? Sam and Twitch are trying to figure it out.

Savage Tales #1. Four stories in this compilation by Dynamite including stories about Red Sonja, Vampirella, Allan Quatermain and Gulliver of Mars. I very much enjoyed the Allan Quatermain (although I am used to spelling it Quartermain) and the Gulliver story. I was not as fond of the Red Sonja and Vampirella story. I did like the look of this book as it felt more prestigious than other times these characters may have appeared.

Wolverine: Weapons of Armageddon #3. Written by Chip Zdarsky and art by Luca Maresca. Cover art was done by Leinil Francis Yu & Romulo Fajardo Jr. Teri, the long time mutant hunter, who has been trying to do better recently, ends up dead this issue and Wolverine and Dave Colton, a one-time Captain America, have to face off with Nuke.

Wonder Man #2. “The Two” Written by Gerry Duggan and art by Stefano Raffaele. Flashback artists for the book were Mark Buckingham & Aurie Jimenez. Cover art was done by Philip Tan & Rain Beredo. Simon teams up with his West Coast Avenger teammate Killerwatt to do some taping for a role. Meanwhile, the Spot is causing all kinds of trouble.

A Quiet Place: Storm Warning #2. Written by Phil Hester and pencils by Ryan Kelly. Cover art was done by Ryan Kelly. The people of Pearl Island are in major trouble from the creatures. Of course, they may have as much trouble from each other as they have from the monsters.

From Parts Unknown #1. Written by Adriano Ariganello and art and cover art by Daniel Caval. More wrestling storytelling as we have two Luchador brothers, Bruno and Pietro, traveling the wrestling circuit trying to make a living. They come across a wrestler that they are supposed to put over in the next match, but it turned out that the wrestler is more than what he seemed. I liked this book quite a bit. I like how the wrestling world has been making its way into the comics more lately.

Final Boss: Masked Vigilante #1. Written by Tyler Kirkham with art by Leon Govender. Cover art by Tyler Kirkham. A spin off from the recent hit series, Final Boss, this featured the Masked Vigilante… a combination of Punisher and Black Noir on a motorcycle. Lots of blood and violence. Not much more than that. It was fun for what it was.

Other books this week: Exploit #2, 51 #2, Wiccan: Witches’ Road #5, Deadly Hands of K’un-Lun #3, Harley Quinn x Elvira #6, Rocketeer #1, Honor and Curse: Eternal #2, Zatanna #1, and Justice League: Intergalactic Special #1.

Quick Hits: We are still not so sure about poor Ted in Is Ted Ok? #3. Someone new showed up to cause more issues for Ted. Generation X-23 #3 has Wolverine and Gabby met their match with the X-Numbers? Michael Moorcock’s Elric is back in a new book from Titan, Elric: The Sleeping Sorceress #1. I have always been a fan of Elric the albino. Warbird #0 is the next book from Bad Idea and this is a small preview of the book coming out in a few months. Also from Bad Idea is a one shot called Tony Millionaire’s Oddball’s Odyssey #1. It has a quote from Elvis Costello on the cover, which is a weird thing. I did not know Elvis Costello was into comics. This is more like comic strips though and it compiles several strips of this monkey character. It is a bizarre book for sure. I’m glad Elvis liked it though. Swamp Thing #88 confused me. Apparently, this was a book that was never completed when the original run of Swamp Thing was canceled and this is the story that finally was told. It is all like it would have been in 1989, including advertisements. I’ve never been as into Swamp Thing as I have been with Man-Thing, which I know is probably a hot take. The Ultimates #23 was strange as well. It was told in a different manner than any books I have seen in a long time. I know I am always cheering on the creators who do something original, but this one was a big swing that I just did not get into. And Ursula #3 continues to be entertaining to my surprise. Dynamite does some really solid work with these Disney books.

EYG Comic Cavalcade #200

April 26

It feels like we just started the EYG Comic Cavalcade a little bit ago, but we have reached the golden #200. I never thought about reaching this milestone when I switched it over from EYG Comic Catch-Up back in March 2023. It has been three + years with this column. It has changed a bit, but it has remained a consistent post every week, if not more.

I am planning on continuing the EYG Comic Cavalcade with #201 next week. There is no need to restart the numbering. I love the high number count on the Comic Cavalcade, which is the highest number we have at EYG.

One of the new additions to the EYG Comic Cavalcade column is the Comic of the Week. It was birthed out of the EYG Favorite Comic Cover of the Week and I have enjoyed picking a book each week and highlighting it. This week’s Comic of the Week is a big one…

Comic of the Week

Spider-Man/ Superman #1

The big book of the week was Marvel’s turn for the team-up between Spider-Man and Superman. There are multiple covers for this book, of course.

Most of the stories of this book were very meh. However, the first story, written by best selling author Brad Meltzer, was absolutely tremendous. I loved this first story with the interactions between Superman and Spider-Man. I feel as if Brad Meltzer had a fabulous grasp on the character of Peter Parker.

I loved the situation they put Peter and Clark in and the resolution of the story was such an excellent tale.

The foil variant was the Gold Medalist of the week too.

Books This Week:

Amazing Spider-Man #27. Written by Joe Kelly with pencils by Ed McGuinness & Carlos Gomez with Francesco Manna. Cover art was done by Ed McGuinness & Marte Gracia. The Death Spiral storyline ends with this issue, having Mary Jane/Venom come to a dramatic and fatal confrontation with Torment. Spider-Carnage did not last very long as Peter Parker kicked the symbiotes butt with his empathy and caring.

Infernal Hulk #6. “Siege.” Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson with art by Adam Gorham. Cover art was done by Nic Klein. Iron Man heads in to take on the Infernal Hulk and practically tear the literal planet apart. The brutality of the Hulk right now is off the chart and it is amazing to what extent Tony Stark will go to kill the Hulk.

Captain America #9. “Doom’s Shadow” Part 4. Written by Chip Zdarsky and art by Ton Lima. Cover art was done by Valerio Schiti & Romulo Fajardo Jr. Captain America and Alina Von Doom are trying to get everyone to work together to face off against Salvation.

The Sentry #2. Written by Paul Jenkins and art by Christian Rosado. Cover art was done by Alex Maleev. This was a tough issue for Bob, as he is struggling through the events of the issue. Bob is trying to make sure that the Void does not come out… unless he is already out. The final page of the issue was a little scary.

Rafael Garcia: Henchman #2. Written by Peter Murrieta & D.E. Schrader with art by Ben Herrera. Cover art was done by Flops. The second issue of the new Titan book is very entertaining. Rafe is now in charge of his group and things do not go as well as he hoped it would. I found this to be a funny book and an easy book to read.

Justice League Unlimited #18. “Aftermath: Part Two” Written Mark Waid with art by Clayton Henry. Cover art was done by Dan Mora. The Justice League has initiated its new Super-Villain Amnesty Pilot Program and Lex Luthor seems to be taking full advantage of it. Can he be trusted? Come on… we know that he has a plan besides being a new heroic JLU member.

The Flash #32. “The Speed was Power, and the Speed was Joy- Part II” Written by Ryan North and illustrated by Gavin Guidry. Cover art was done by Gavin Guidry & Giovanni Niro. The second issue of Ryan North’s new run on The Flash was awesome. Flash has been one of my favorite DC characters even though I was not buying his book. North brought me in and he immediately has me invested in the new storyline.

Rogue #4. Written by Erica Schultz and art by Jim Towe. Cover art was done by David Nakayama. Rogue has been having trouble with her powers and her memories. Some of those are coming back and it has to do with a time when she absorbed Sabretooth’s personality and she did some horrible things. This has been a really strong solo series for Rogue.

Cyclops #3. “Seeing Red” Part 3. Written by Alex Paknadel with art by Rogê Antonio. Cover art was done by Federico Vicentini & Marcio Menyz. Speaking of a really strong solo series, Cyclops has been sensational so far. The whole thing with his lack of ruby quartz glasses has been cool and it has brought some real drama in the storyline. This might be my favorite new X-Men solo books since the end of Age of Revelation.

Marc Spector: Moon Knight #3. “Agency” Part Three. Written by Jed MacKay with art by Devmalya Pramanik. Moon Knight vs. Bushman. Marc Spector goes through his own problems as the battle with Bushman rages on. Meanwhile, Zodiac is in the background egging Marc on in the battle.

Absolute Flash #14. “Mirror Master Part Two” Written by Jeff Lemire and art was done by Haining. Cover art was done by Nick Robles. Wally is trying to get back to his father, but he and Linda are trapped inside the mirrors. Mirror Master has a deal to make for Wally.

Wolverine #19. “Wisdom and War” Written by Saladin Ahmed with art by Martin Coccolo. Cover art was done by Dan Panosian. Logan and Hercules is brought out of their savage battle by Athena. She is looking to recruit Logan to battle the Adamantine. Then, Wolvie’s claws wound up being broken, which felt both amazing and something I have seen before. I am curious about what is going to happen next.

Spider-Versity #1. “Most School Spirit.” Written by Jordan Morris & Joe Kelly with art by Pere Perez. Norman Osborn has recruited a group of Spiders and is wanting to train them. Norman is not a known teacher and his method of training may not have been the way you should go about it. Miles, Spider-Woman, Spider-Girl, Spider-Boy, Ghost-Spider, Silk and Arana are the Spiders.

Detective Comics #1108. “Flight Part Two.” Written by Tom Taylor and art was done by Pete Woods & Bruno Ardias. Cover art was done by Mikel Janin. Batman, Black Canary and Green Arrow are out to try and move about Gotham City inside the Hatchbat. Yes, I said Hatchbat. Thanks Barbara!

Corpse Knight #1. Written by Michael Chavez and art by Matthew Roberts. Cover art was done by Matthew Roberts & Rico Renzi. I also picked up the die cut variant cover by Matthew Roberts (Silver Medalist). This was one of my favorite books of the week. It was probably the runner-up to Spider-Man/Superman #1. This was a kick ass book and I really enjoyed this story with the little girl whose father came back from the dead… kind of.

Exquisite Corpses #12. Written by James Tynion IV and art by Michael Walsh. Cover art was done by Michael Walsh. I picked up the D cover Anandre. It was the penultimate issue of this awesome series. And we have a winner… or do we? There is some last minute manipulation going on in the tournament and setting up the finale next issue. Exquisite Corpses has been a fabulous series.

Phantom of the Opera #3. Written by Tyler Boss and art and cover art by Martin Simmonds. The latest Universal Monsters book at Image has been quite solid so far. The Phantom makes his move for Christine while Raolo and the police are trying to catch him.

The Phantom vs. the Sky Band #1. Written by Ray Fawkes and art and cover art by Federico Sabbatini. The Phantom returned again with some brutal damage in the jungle. This one shot was a fun issue that looks like there will be some other Phantom one shots coming soon.

The Peril of the Brutal Dark: An Ezra Cain Mystery #3. “Broken Glass & Spilled Beer.” Written by Chris Condon and art and cover by Jacob Phillips. The mystery of this noir Vertigo series continues to deepen as Ezra gets his butt kicked. This might have been my favorite issue of this series so far.

Strength and Ash #1. Written by Evan K. Pozios and pencils by Stefano Cardoselli. Cover art was done by Stefano Cardoselli & Francesca Perillo. This is a new Keenspot comic about a super hero who is killed and his child is perhaps a legacy. This was a different looking book that I really enjoyed. It was a number one that I just pulled off the stand. I found the Stefano Cardoselli art very unlike anything else on the market right now.

Other Books this week: American Caper #6, The Beauty #5, Spirit of the Shadows #4, Void Rivals #29, No Place #5, and Florida Hippopotamus Cocaine Massacre #3.

Quick Hits: Absolute Wonder Woman #19 came out this week with a new power for Diana, and it is not a good one. Hello Body Horror #1 is a one shot that had a black bag variant cover as well. Black bags are the new in thing, and I picked up one, giving me the C cover. The bronze medalist winner this week is a new book from Image called In Your Skin #1. There is a new Mad Cave sci-fi book called Planet Atmos: Exordium #1. It is an interesting new book. Mad Cave is always providing excellence, it seems. I was given a group of Superman books for Superman Day this past weekend. These include Supergirl: The World, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #1, Supergirl #1, Superman: Time and Time Again, Supergirl’s Zoo-Per Heroes and Superman #1. I grabbed a big book called Head Lopper #1, but I did not get into that very much. Wanda is taking on Dormammu in the Sorcerer Supreme #5. The second issue of The Other/Half #2 from Ignition Press came out this week too and it was a lot of fun. Barbarian Behind Bars #3 saw some more behind bars action as our barbarian loses his special jewel.

Here’s to another 200 posts!

EYG Comic Cavalcade #199

April 19

It is Wrestlemania Sunday, but I am going to try to squeeze out the 199th episode of EYG Comic Cavalcade. I am excited to celebrate the big 200th post next week.

This week, we had a bunch of solid comics. Some fun new books. The continuation of storylines such as Death Spiral. Boobies! And an unexpected comic book of the week.

Comic of the Week

Nightwing #137

While Nightwing is a consistently solid book, the Comic of the Week has been those new, hot books. However, this week, the Comic of the Week was picked because of the story. This whole story going into the history of Bludhaven, plays right into the doubts and concerns of Dick Grayson and the relationship between Nightwing and Batman. Oh, yeah, Batman is here too.

One of the best Nightwing books since Tom Taylor departed.

Books this Week:

The Hab #1. Written by Joshua Dysart with art by David Lapham, Jacob Phillips & Bill Sienkiewicz. Cover art was done by Charlie Adlard (Gold Medalist). The newest Bad Idea book is one of the hottest books of the week. This idea definitely feels like an awesome amalgam of Hulu TV’s show Paradise or Apple TV’s sci-fi show, Silo. Bad Idea has been very strong over the last year and this one seems to be every bit as exciting.

Mad Magazine #49. Mad Magazine came out this week, one issue away from 50. This issue featured Mad’s typical comedic bits surrounding and involving Late Night TV shows. They did satire about the Late Show, The Daily Show, The Tonight Show, Letterman, as well as some classic older late night programs. There is also a wonderfully funny and poignant letter to Stephen Colbert for his final episode of The late Show with Stephen Colbert, which will be ending in May.

The Monster and the Wolf #3. “Chapter 3: Silence” Written, drawn, and cover art (Cover A: Silver Medalist). I picked up all four main covers of this issue. And this issue was completely done in visual storytelling No words. The fight between Wolfman and Frankenstein’s Monster is done beautifully by Mark Spears.

Jessica Jones: Alias-Red Band #2. Written by Sam Humphries with art done by Geraldo Borges. The cover art was done by David Mack. Who knew that the team-up between Jessica Jones and Typhoid Mary would make the most engaging pair in comics. Admittedly it did not look like the partnership was going to last into the third issue. I love Jessica Jones and it seems like I love books lead by this character.

Venom #257. Written by Charles Soule and art by Javier Pina. Cover art was done by Giuseppe Camuncoli & Frank Martin. The whole Torment and Carnage team-up only lasted an issue. Now, the Carnage symbiote has found a new host… Peter Parker? Are you kidding me? Talk about the Odd Couple. The penultimate issue of the Death Spiral story is another banger.

X-Men United #2. “Open Wounds” Written by Eve L. Ewing and art was done by Tiago Palma. Cover art was done by Stefano Caselli & Federico Blee. The new combination of the X-Men teams at a new Graymatter Lane school. Cyclops is not a fan of the idea. And this issue sees Captain America checking things out too.

Ice Cream Man #45. “The Window in the Back of the Apartment” Written by W. Maxwell Prince with art by Martin Morazzo. Cover art was done by Martin Morazzo & Chris O’Halloran. One of my favorite books of the week. It has been awhile since we had an Ice Cream Man issue and this one is a homage to Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window. However, it is anything but a copy. There are surprises in this story that I did not expect,and that is awesome.

Nectar #2. Written by Jeremy Robinson with art by Annapaola Martello. Cover art was done by Chris Shehan. The dangerous butterflies return to continue to spread whatever virus that is across Misery Island. And what does the dancing mean? This story has been awesome so far from Vault Comics.

Redcoat #17. Written by Geoff Johns and art by Bryan Hitch. Cover art was done by Bryan Hitch and Brad Anderson. Simon Pure and Albert Einstein are unsure about how much they can trust Benedict Arnold. Benedict sounds like a changed man, but can they really believe him? Redcoat continues to be one of the best Ghost Machine books every month.

Ordained: The Machine #0. Written by Robert Venditti and art by Trevor Hairsine. Cover art by Jorge Fornes. The Machine is here. We get some background on the big character from The Ordained book. This #0 has been pushed back and it was one of those kind of books that you wondered if they’d ever be released. It has been and it is a great addition to the Ordained story.

Narco #2. Written by Doug Wagner and art by Daniel Hillyard. Cover art was done by Daniel Hillyard & Dave Stewart (Bronze Medalist). Marcus wakes up from one of his attacks with the girl he had feeling for, laying dead beside him. Narco has been one of the best new books from Image and the story is progressing nicely.

Dead Teenagers #2. Written by Jude Ellison S. Doyle and art done by Caitlin Yarsky. Cover art was done by Naomi Franq. The new Oni Press series has been a fascinating story so far. I have to honest that I am not sure what is actually happening in this series. These characters seem to die and then resurrect. I am curious where it is taking us. I will be there with it.

Planet of the Apes Versus Fantastic Four #3. Written by Josh Trujillo and art by Andrea Di Vito. Cover art was done by Greg Land & Rachelle Rosenberg. Who knew that a combination of the Planet of the Apes and the Fantastic Four would work this well? The Red Ghost and Doctor Doom join in with the troubles.

G.I. Joe #21. Written by Joshua Williamson with art and cover art by Tom Reilly. We get the debut of one of the most iconic G.I. Joe characters of all time. Joining in with Scarlett making her return, we get Storm Shadow. This is also a nearly zero word issue as the imagery of the story takes its place.

Imperial Guardians #2. Written by Dan Abnett with pencils by Marcelo Ferreira. Cover art was done by Sean Izaakse & Nolan Woodard. I have been surprised how much I enjoy this new book. I am not a fan of the Cosmic Ghost Rider, but this is a character that I have been enjoying. I also love the way we have been seeing Darkhawk and Captain Marvel.

Absolute Batman #19. “The Straw Man” Written by Scott Snyder with art by Nick Dragotta. Cover art was done by Nick Dragotta and Frank Martin. A shocking issue of Absolute Batman with the arrival of the Robins and the death of James Gordon.

Fireborn #1. Written by Curt Pires and art and cover art by Patrick Mulholland. One of the surprise books of the week. I did not think that I was going to be into the Fireborn series, and yet I thought it was pretty good. A combo of fantasy and superheroes, Fireborn has given us a big start.

Other Books this week: Storm: Earth’s Mightiest Mutant #3, Magik & Colossus #3, Inglorious X-Force #4, Ghost Pepper #10, Lost Fantasy #9, Mumm-Ra: The Ever-Living #1, End of Life #3, Where Does the Rainbow End?#4, Malevolent #3, and The Thing on the Doorstep #3.

Quick Hits: This week there was a showdown between the Titans and the New Titans in New Titans #34. I picked up a black bag NSFW, 2nd printing Suspiria Vilchez polybag variant. It has boobies on the cover. *SMILE*. Speaking of smile, Smile: For the Camera #2 came out this week too. It has done a nice job of catching the creepiness factor of the movie. More vampires showing up in Bloodland #3. I think I enjoyed Tigris Island #2 more than I did the first issue. Racer X #6 had some dark times inside. The final issue of Ultimate Wolverine #16 saw Logan get his revenge on Illyana. The Netflix animated series around Kong continues with Escape from Skull Island #3. Speaking of Skull Island, Godzilla is still running around the Marvel Universe in Godzilla Infinity Roar #3. I saw Snow Monkey #3 on the stands, and I had missed #2. So I went to the back issues at In This Issue and I found Snow Monkey #2.

EYG Comic Cavalcade #197

April 6

It is Monday and I am behind on the Comic Cavalcade. The reason was I spent yesterday binging a bunch of movies on streaming which left no time for the Comic Cavalcade. I was able to finish reading the books last night and early this morning and since I am still on spring break, today will be a good day to do this one.

Comic of the Week

Daredevil #1

The new Daredevil not only received the Bronze Medal in the Favorite Comic Cover of the Week, btu also the new Comic of the Week. The new start for Matt Murdock as a law professor at ESU was an awesome idea and I really enjoyed how Stephanie Phillips wrote this script. I picked up three of the variant covers too. I should have four more bags on the way from Midtown Comics.

Books this week:

Venom #256. Written by Al Ewing and art by Carlos Gomez. Variant cover B by David Nakayama. The Death Spiral continued with the Venom book. Torment attacked Dylan, but he is able to escape. However, everyone did not get out of the situation unscathed. One of the most hated characters in Marvel, Paul, who got between Peter and MJ came to his end as Torment killed him. A roar of happiness crossed over the entire Marvel Universe audience.

Deluge #5. Written by Cullen Bunn and illustrated by Marika Cresta. Cover art was done by Riley Rossmo. The cool Ignition Press comic Deluge ended with this issue. The creatures that have been coming after the prisoners have some troubles. I enjoyed this book so much because of the simplicity of the story. They do not go out of their way to explain what was going on and the very end of the book was great. Ignition Press has been quality over the last six months or so.

Groo: The Prophecy #1. Written by Sergio Aragones and Mark Evanier with art and cover art by Sergio Aragones. Groo makes his return to Dark Horse with the new mini-series. It is a little different than previous Groo series as it started out with Groo, accidentally so, became a hero for a town that did not recognize him at first. Groo has been a favorite of mine since way back when he was in Marvel/Epic comics in the 1980s.

Tyler Rake: An Extraction Story #1. Written by Ande Parks and illustrated by Ronan Cliquet. Cover art was done by Declan Shalvey. This was an excellent new book with the character from the Netflix movie franchise Extraction (played by Chris Hemsworth). An action comic with this break out character. This was a really good book.

Royals #1. Written by Derek Kirk Kim with art and cover art by Jacob Perez. This was an interesting new series around a new pair of brothers who have a telepathy connection, making them very effective as a team in the world of poker. The story really started off strong as Castor and Paul showed off their con of their poker, even in the face of the criminals involved.

Wonder Man #1. “The One” Written by Gerry Duggan and penciled by Mark Buckingham. Cover art was done by Paulo Siqueira & Rachelle Rosenberg. A new series coming after the hugely successful and beloved Marvel Studios Television show Wonder Man. The comic had some special use of film in the art. It is great to see Hellcat making an appearance once again.

Kilroy is Here #1. Written by Joe Pruett and art and cover A art by Dalibor Talajic. I also picked up the B cover by Brian Bolland (Silver Medalist). This one-shot was the return of the character of Kilroy, who apparently had been in his only series years ago. I enjoyed how Kilroy was used in this book and the use of how Kilroy is perceived by the world around him.

X-Men #28. “Danger Room PT. 3” Written by Jed MacKay and penciled by Netho Diaz. Cover art was done by Netho Diaz, Sean Parsons & Fer Sifuentes-Sujo. The team known as Danger Room is taking it to the X-Men, or at least it appeared that way. How many of the X-Men are now dead? I don’t know, but Quentin Quire and Temper are not too happy and are out for revenge from the shooting of Glob.

Bizarro: Year None #1. “Chapter One: The Planet” Written by Eric Carrasco & Kevin Smith with art by Nick Pitarra. Cover art was done by Nick Pitarra & Michael Garland. So this story takes place in an early continuity, covering the origin of Bizarro, or at least a version of it. Bizarro takes Jimmy Olson and Perry White to his own world to be a part of the Daily Planet… and he made Jimmy the Editor in Chief.

All-New Spider-Gwen: Ghost Spider #9. Written by Stephanie Phillips with art by Paolo Villanelli. Cover art was done by David Marquez & Federico Blee. Gwen has been dealing with a bunch of troubles and her friends and family are getting concerned. They should be concerned as Gwen is turning into a new Green Goblin.

Lion King #3. Written by Edwin Galmon with art by Edwin Galmon & Carlo Lauro. Cover art was done by Edwin Galmon. I have been enjoying this Lion King series. My personal favorite part of the book has been Simba and Nala who are in search of a missing baby elephant. The showdown between Mufasa and the leopards is tense, but not my favorite part of the story, though it is solid.

Captain Marvel: Dark Past #1. Written by Paul Jenkins with art and cover art by Lucas Werneck. It is good to see Carol back in her own book, dealing with a mystery from her past with memories that she had not recovered from Rogue. It is always fun to see Carol interacting with Tony Stark and Jessica Drew. The supporting characters were always one of my favorite parts of Captain Marvel’s previous series.

Batman #8. “Three Old Men, One Night in Gotham” Written by Matt Fraction with art by Ryan Sook. Cover art was done by Jorge Jimenez & Tomeu Morey. Batman called on Alan Scott to visit him in Gotham for a cup of coffee. Batman is picking the brain of Scott, the original Green Lantern, for any ideas to deal with his Vandal Savage problem. I enjoyed the interaction between Alan Scott and Batman, especially in the coffee shop.

Absolute Superman #18. “King of the Black Land” Written by Jason Aaron with art by Rafa Sandoval. Cover art was done by Rafa Sandoval & Ulises Arreola. A new story kicks off in this issue, featuring the debut of the Absolute Shazam. He was called King Shazam on the final page of the issue and he looked really cool. Shazam had a look much like Shazam combined with Black Adam.

Deadpool: April Pool’s Day #1. Written by Gail Simone and art by C.F. Villa, Robert Gill, & IG Guara. Cover art was done by David Baldeón & Rachelle Rosenberg. It is April 1st, Deadpool’s favorite holiday, and he is out trying to deal with a bunch of genre hopping. Several Marvel guest stars appear at the end as Deus Ex Machinas. I am a fan of Gail Simone and she does a great job on this Deadpool special.

Alien: King Killer #1. Written by Saladin Ahmed with art by Carlos Nieto. Cover art was done by David Yardin & Marco Menyz. The Marvel Alien series have been up and down for me. Some I have enjoyed and some have droned on. After the first issue of this one, I am intrigued and I am looking forward to seeing if this one can carry the mantel of the Alien franchise again.

Other books this week: Arcadia #4, Godzilla #9, The Autumn Kingdom #3, Marvel Rivals: Duel of Kings #1, and The Eternals: 50th Anniversary Special #1.

Quick Hits: It looked as if Nova: Centurion #6 is the final issue of this book starring Rich Rider. I was liking this take on the character so I am sad that it is going away, much like Planet She-Hulk is ending. A book that I never would have guessed that I would be collecting is Ursula #2, and yet here it is. I do like the way this story is unfolding and I think Dynamite Comics has done it again, giving me a book that I never would have bought. The comic magazine known as Comics! The Magazine #2 is out this week with an interview with Robert Kirkman and Ryan Ottley from the Invincible Universe. Image dropped Ghost Machine: The Official Guidebook #1 this week, which had character info from the Ghost Machine universe of books from letters A-H. I picked up two of these, the A cover and the cover that is an homage to the Official Handbook to the Marvel Universe. I love that Ghost Machine has become big enough to warrant a guidebook like this. The Gold Medalist in the Favorite Comic Cover of the Week this week went to a second printing of Narco #1. This cover, done by Daniel Hillyard is actually way better than the first print in cover work. Megalith #0 came out from Bad Idea, but it was actually nothing more than a preview for several upcoming Bad idea books. The Megalith preview only was about four pages or so. It looks great, but I am not sure this was worth the time. The final issue of another Dynamite book came out this week as the team up concluded with Gargoyles/Darkwing Duck #4. This was another Dynamite book that I had no intention of buying, but one that I found interesting to pick up. Doctor Strange #5 continued with the troubles in Asgard, though it looks like Stephen may be connecting back to Midgard and Clea next issue. Speed Racer #7 has more racing action. Finally, yet another Dynamite book, The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Shiver of Christmas Town #4, ends with this one.

EYG Favorite Comic Cover of the Week

March 26

What a haul of comic books this week. I got over 50 books this week, though there are several variant covers involved. Last week, there were no variant covers int he medal winners, but this week there are two of the three.

It is also surprising because officially, I picked up like seven Superman/Spider-Man #1s, and five MidKnight Man #1s with Mark Spears, and none of them made the medal platform this week. Amazing.

A bunch of the also-rans, including one that I really wanted to give a medal to, but just came up short.

Also-Rans: Hyde Street #11 (this is the one that really came close), Superman/Spider-Man #1 (multiple covers), MidKnight Man #1 (Cover A was my favorite of these), W0rldtr33 #19, Feral #21 (cover A), Feral (Cover B), White Sky #2, Return to Sleepy Hallow #5, and Universal Monsters: Phantom of the Opera #2

Bronze Medalist

Ripcord #2

Cover art by Jorge Fornes

What a beautiful cover with the wolf dominating the pink sky, blood dripping from its fangs. The shadowy figure standing in silhouette of the sun. All of this is just great. Jorge Fornes has been carving out a good year for himself.

Silver Medalist

The Peril of the Brutal Dark #2

Variant cover C

Cover art by Leandro Fernandez

Any time I spot a variant cover on the stands that just grabs my attention, it has a good chance of ending up on this list. I love the black and white cover that really gave me a noir vibe.

Gold Medalist

Final Boss #5

Variant cover G

Cover art by Tyler Kirkham

This book was in my box at In This Issue. I did not order the variant cover. I usually have the cover A pulled for me. I don’t know why this was in my box, but I am not complaining about it. What a bloody, brutal and awesome cover featuring Invincible.

EYG Comic Cavalcade #196

March 22

It is the EYG Comic Cavalcade. It has been a busy weekend once again. I generally like to have this done before Sunday evening, but time got away from me.

Plus, it is taking a little longer because I am being distracted by season four of Agents of Shield, with the Ghost Rider appearing.

Comic of the Week

Dead Teenagers #1

Written by Jude Ellison S. Doyle, Dead Teenagers follows a group of friends stuck in a time loop, reliving their high school prom night and dying repeatedly until something in 2026 might cause the loop to be broken. This was a great new horror comic and a fun read.

Silver Medalist

Books this week:

Amazing Spider-Man #24. Written by Charles Soule with Joe Kelly and guest artist Jesus Saiz. Cover art was done by Giuseppe Camuncoli, Lorenzo Ruggiero & Dean White. Death Spiral continues with this issue of Amazing Spider-Man that includes Spidey, Venom and Carnage wind up facing off with Torment. The dialogue between Spidey and Venom/MJ is some of the best of the book.

Exquisite Corpses #11. Written by Che Grayson with James Tynion IV with art by Gavin Fullerton with Michael Walsh. Cover art was done by Michael Walsh. We are down to Pretty Boy and Fox Mask Killer in the big tournament. Exquisite Corpses has been one of the best comics over the last year and it is building to its last couple of issues.

Wrestle Heist #4. Written, Drawn and cover art by Kyle Starks. The big pay per view event, Fightsgiving XIV is here and Sterling Steele and his crew are preparing to pull off their planned heist. However, there is a problem. Hanson knows the heist is coming because of the traitor in Steele’s team. Great kayfabe action.

The Sentry #1. Written by Paul Jenkins with art by Christian Rosado. Cover art was done by Alex Maleev (Bronze Medalist). Bob is back, struggling to keep balance with his other side…the Void. After Sentry’s appearance in Thunderbolts MCU movie, the return to the comics was inevitable.

Wade Wilson: Deadpool #2. “Bad Omens” Written by Benjamin Percy with art by Geoff Shaw. Cover art was done by Geoff Shaw & Alex Sinclair. Deadpool has suddenly someone providing him with info on future events.. and he has found a way to make money saving them. While it is still snarky Deadpool, the mystery of what happened to his daughter is creating a new emotional Wade.

Infernal Hulk #5. “All His Servants” Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson with penciled by Kev Walker. Cover art was done by Nic Klein (Gold Medalist). Bruce Banner has to come back. He tried to stay out of it, but he realized that he was not able to stay away. The Infernal Hulk is making thing tough.

Captain America #8. “Doom’s Shadow Part 3” Written by Chip Zdarsky with artist by Jan Bazaldua. Cover art was done by Valerio Schiti & Frank Martin. Cap inside Latveria continues as he and Alina Von Doom are trying to find the weapons of Doom before anyone else does… including Thunderbolt Ross.

Nightwing #136. “The Crossroads” Written by Dan Watters and pencils by Denys Cowen. Cover art was done by Jorge Fornes. A new story arc kicks off in Nightwing entitled “Bludhaven Lore.” Nightwing picks up a woman on the freeway. That sounded much less dangerous than it turned out to be.

Geiger #22. Written by Geoff Johns and art by Gary Frank. Cover art was done by Gary Frank & Brad Anderson. Geiger and the Northerner are on their way to Detroit to try and find answers about the Unknown War.

Marc Spector: Moon Knight #2. “Agency” Part Two. Written by Jed MacKay and art by Devmalya Pramanik. Cover art was done by Paulo Siqueira & Rachelle Rosenberg. While Marc Spector and Zodiac are “teaming up,” Bushman is making his return, preparing to murder Marc Spector.

Cyclops #2. “Seeing Red Part 2” Written by Alex Paknadel with art by Rogê Antonio. Cover art was done by Federico Vicentini & Marcio Menyz. Cyclops is in the woods, being chased by the Reavers, and he has lost his visor. I have enjoyed the first couple of issues with Cyke.

X-Men #27. “Danger Room, Pt. 2” Written by Jed MacKay and penciled by Netho Diaz. Cover art was done by Netho Diaz, Sean Parsons, and Fer Sifuentes-Sujo. The new group Danger Room is featured through this issue.

Ultimates #22. Written by Deniz Camp with art by Juan Frigeri. Cover art was done by Dike Ruan & Neeraj Menon. Ultimate Captain America and Ultimate Bucky and their story. This has a terribly tragic ending that was extremely surprising.

Mortal Thor #8. “A Tragic Tale of Asgard.” Written by Al Ewing with art by Juann Cabal. Cover art was done by Alex Ross. No Mortal Thor in this issue as we spent the time in Asgard with Magni and a strange rabbit.

Absolute Flash #13. “Mirror Master Part One” Written by Jeff Lemire with art by Haining. Cover art was done by Nick Robles. Wally and Linda spend some time together… until they get pulled into a mirror. If you know Flash, you know what this is leading to.

Sam and Twitch Case Files #22. Written by Thomas Healy with Todd McFarlane and art by Von Randal. Cover art was done by Raymond Gay with Steve Canon. A guy from a former case texted Sam and Twitch to come see him, only to be found by the pair, dead. Appearing to be a suicide, something did not fit together and Sam is in a dangerous place.

GI Joe #20. Written by Joshua Williamson and art by Andrea Milana. Cover art was done by Tom Reilly. Duke meets Optimus (no longer Prime). A truce between the two was a fascinating result between GI Joe and the Transformers.

Barbarian Behind Bars #2. Written by Elliott Kalan and art by Andrea Mutti. Cover art was done by Francesco Tomaselli. Darcor continued to be held in prison and the process moves along. The Mad Cave series is one of the strangest and most original on the market.

Planet She-Hulk #5. Written by Stephanie Phillips with art by Aaron Kuder. Cover art was done by Aaron Kuder & Sonia Oback. She-Hulk is fighting across Sakaar and it seems like she has taken a specific position… Queen?

Devil on my Shoulder #4. Written by Kyle Starks with art by Piotr Kowalski. Cover art was done by Piotr Kowalski with Brad Johnson. The final issue of the series finds our heroine finish her path of vengeance against the men who had assaulted her years ago.

Other Books this Week: Kill All Immortals II #3, Super Creepshow #1, Leprechaun Horror Comics #1, Ghost Pepper #9, Mary Sue #5, Ultimate Wolverine #15, Deathstroke the Terminator #1, and American Caper #5.

Quick Hits: Wanda vs. Agatha highlighted the story in Sorcerer Supreme#4. DC had a couple of new number one issues this week, Lobo #1 and Batwoman #1. Neither one was interesting enough for me to continue. Batwoman was the most intriguing one between the two, which was not what I was expecting. D’Orc #1 had a third printing this week. Another new cover by Brett Bean. Racer X #5 is back within the world of Speed Racer. X-Men of Apocalypse #3 is still in the Savage Land as Gambit and Rogue matchup again. The horror book The Thing on the Doorstep#2 is one of the books that I did not get to read yet. That also goes for End of Life #2, the Vertigo book. The Lucky Devils #7 is still one of the best and most beautifully drawn books on the market. New Titans #33 show the new team roster. The Last Day of Lovecraft #5 sees this series end. Finally, the one shot book from AWA Pick Up #1 has not yet found its way on to my CLZ app. Not sure what is taking so long for it to be on it.

EYG Comic Cavalcade #195

March 15

I went to the bi-yearly sale at In This Issue Comics this weekend and stuffed three bags full of a bunch of comics. It was such fun going through the boxes, looking for those gems of back issues. I got a bunch of Thor books, Ultimate Spider-Man Vol 1s, a run of Incredible Hulk with amazing covers that I had never seen before as well as a bunch of independent books. I wound up with over 250 books in those three bags. Great deal!

Comic of the Week

Alias: Red Band #1

This week’s Comic of the Week reminded me how much I enjoyed Jessica Jones as a character. The hard-drinking, rough housing, foul-mouthed character was having a difficult time fitting in as the First Lady of New York and the stress is causing some tension with her husband, Mayor Luke Cage. Not only that, but the murder in her old building that she has been forbidden to investigate is building that tension as well. I do love this noir style as Jessica Jones narrates the comic, giving you insights into her character.

Excited to continue this series moving forward.

Books this week:

The Exorcism at Buckingham Palace #1. Written by Hannah Rose May and art by Kelsey Ramsay. Cover art was done by Kelsey Ramsay & Heather Breckel. It was not that long ago when we had an exorcism story set in the White House. Now we take the idea across the pond to Britain and Buckingham Palace as the soon-to-be King of England has his own demons to deal with. But are they just found in a bottle or is there more to this story. Great first issue and I am excited this concept is back.

Ordained #2. Written by Robert Venditti with art by Trevor Hairsine. Cover art was done by Jorge Fornes (Silver Medalist). It has been several months since Ordained #1 came out and was one of the hottest books at the time. This issue picked up right away from the long break back into the action and it is clear that Father Roy is not one to mess with.

Mark Spears Monster #9. “The Tell-Tale Heart… but why will you say that I am mad?” Written by Mark Spears and Lucas Spears with art and cover art by Mark Spears. Cover C (Bronze Medalist), Cover D (Gold Medalist). The Mad Hatter is being interrogated at the police station and that sounds like it is not going to go smoothly.

Crownsville #5. Writtenby Rodney Barnes and illustrated by Elia Bonetti. Cover art was done by Jason Shawn Alexander. The mini-series closes with a cool wrap up. The killer kids are unstoppable, but, apparently not. I enjoyed how Crownsville finished up and left it open for a potential future.

X-Men United #1. “Welcome to Graymatter Lane” Written by Eve L. Ewing and art by Tiago Palma. Cover art was done by Stefano Caselli & Federico Blee. The White Queen is trying to reunite the X-Men. Cyclops ain’t happy about it. I’m not sure how this series affects Uncanny X-Men and X-Men, but it is intriguing to see these characters back together again. Even whiny Cyclops.

D’Orc #2. “Time to Die!” Written, art and cover art by Brett Bean. I was excited to see if D’Orc #2 would be able to maintain the huge momentum that the first issue. I am pleased to say that it absolutely continued its strength and thoroughly entertaining storytelling. This still reminds me of a combination of Eight Billion Genies and Groo.

Magik & Colossus #2. “Sisyphean” Written by Ashley Allen and art by German Peralta. Cover art was done by David Nakayama. It has been too long since we had interactions between Illyana and Piotr Rasputin. The brother-sister vibe of this book makes it intriguing.

Tigress Island #1. Written Patrick Kindlon and art and cover art by Ephk. This was an intriguing new book. I am not sure what is going on with this book. It was not anywhere what I expected to be. I will be continuing to look at it, but I am not sure what this is about.

Comic: The Magazine #1. The next attempt and putting out a comic magazine came out this weekend. After the Zdarsky newsletter went away, this stepped up and I liked the first issue. I think there are a lot of different ideas that could wind up in this magazine.

Black Cat #8. “Fortress of Magnitude” Written by G. Willow Wilson with art by Gleb Melnikov. Adam Hughes did the cover art. Felicia and Mary Jane are inside the Negative Zone in search of a video tape. The pairing of MJ and Black Cat has always been fun, and with MJ now as Venom, it makes things all the more weird.

A Quiet Place: Storm Warnings #1. Written by Phil Hester with pencils and cover art by Ryan Kelly. This is a new story with the creatures from A Quiet Place and this is an interesting story. I liked the time they spent this issue building our human characters because they are a vital part of the tale.

The Other/Half #1. “Dinner and a Diamond.” Written by Jim McCann and art by Joe Eisma. Cover art was done by Joe Eisma. Henry is a private investigator and Ethan is a socialite and they are married. However, there is a mystery that is going to require them to get into roles that they are not used to. Interesting new book from Ignition Press. The key is the relationship between Henry and Ethan.

Venom #255. Written by Al Ewing with art by Carlos Gomez. Cover art was done by Carlos Gomez & Frank Martin. I usually do not buy the Venom series (which is up to #255…wow, I did not think Marvel let books get that high any more). However, this is part three of the Death Spiral story where Venom and Spider-Man team up so I had to pick it up.

51 #1. Written by Curt Pires with art and cover art by Jok. Another book that was hot this weekend was 51 from Mad Cave. I like this one more than the Tigress Island book. This sends a group of individuals into Area 51 to try and maintain the secrets and clean up after they lose those secrets into the world. And what if it was the president’s son? This was fun.

Bleeding Hearts #2. Written by Deniz Camp with art and cover art by Stipan Morian. The first issue of this new Vertigo book did not win me over. It was fine, but I did not think it was great. However, you can throw that all out the window because I thought issue two of this series was fantastic. It was a real turn around for me and that made me very happy.

Absolute Batman #18. “The Seventh Kingdom-Part 2” Written by Scott Snyder with art by guest artist Eric Canete. Cover art was done by Nick Dragotta & Frank Martin. Batman’s conflict with Poison Ivy comes to a dramatic close and Batman does something that no one expects. It is taking this Absolute Batman on a distinctly different path. I am not sure how to feel about it, but it absolutely is a shocking step.

Transformers #30. Written by Robert Kirkman and art by Dan Mora. Cover art was done by David Nakayama. Speaking of shocking moments, there is one in the Transformers book too. The Transformers get themselves a brand new Prime! It is not Optimus any more.

Planet of the Apes Versus Fantastic Four #2. Written by Josh Trujillo with art by Andrea Di Vito. Cover art was done by Greg Land & Rachelle Rosenberg. I am surprised how well the Apes from Planet of the Apes and the FF mix together. This has been very entertaining so far in the first two issues.

Imperial Guardians #1. Written by Dan Abnett with pencils by Marcelo Ferreira. Cover art is done by Sean Izaakse & Nolan Woodard. A group of space heroes reform the Guardians, through the Imperial banner with Marvel. We get Gamora, Captain Marvel, Darkhawk, Cosmic Ghost Rider and Brawn.

Other books this week: Godzilla vs. Portland #1, Harley Quinn X Elvira #5, Masterminds #4, Sonja Reborn #6, The Seasons #9, Spider-Man: Meals to Astonish #1, Marian Heretic #5, Absolute Green Lantern #12, and Blood & Thunder #12.

Quick Hits: Space Ghost #9 is the first book this week in Quick Hits. This is a consistently good series from Dynamite. Another Dynamite book this week is Archie X The Army of Darkness #2. The book is able to get Archie and his friends into a cabin in the woods. The final issue of High Strangeness #5 is full of weirdness. No Place #4 continues its Oz based story. Storm: Earth’s Mightiest Mutant #2 has been a bit over my head so far. I love Storm so I will be sticking to it moving ahead, but it is not the most interesting storyline so far. Another series that has come to an end as 1776 #5 is finished. It was a strange book with the Revolutionary War, but I like big swings. Escape from Skull Island #2 keeps the Kong action going. Doctor Strange #4 keeps up with the Asgard storyline. It is another one that I have not loved, but I think it is okay. I missed Where Does the Rainbow End? #2 when it came out so I picked it up this week with Where Does the Rainbow End ?#3 was released.

EYG Comic Cavalcade #194

March 8

It is time for the EYG Comic Cavalcade once again. Each week I get a bunch of books from my two comic shops and it always takes some time to finish reading them. With the movies and TV shows I have to watch (oh, and work at school), I am happy when I get the chance to finish this up.

I am continuing the Daily Read with the Vertigo series Clean Room. I read issue #15 today, giving me just three more to read.

Comic of the Week

Narco #1

This week’s Comic of the Week is a book from Image. There were a couple of books that were in competition but this one is the one I liked reading the most. It was written by Doug Wagner and art by Daniel Hillyard. Marcus is our main character and he has a certain trouble…narcolepsy when he gets too excited. This was a really fun introduction to this character and I am in on what is happening.

Narco #1 is one of those hot chased after books and I do think it is worthy to be chased.

Books this week:

Sleep #8. Written, illustrated and cover art by Zander Cannon (Silver Medalist). Sleep has been one of the most entertaining series of the last year. This is the finale of the series and I have to say, I did not love the final issue. I was a little unsure about the ending of the story. I didn’t hate the end, but it was just not as strong as I had expected.

Nectar #1. Written by Jeremy Robinson and art was done by Francesco Francini and Annapaola Martello. Cover art was done by Chris Shehan (Gold Medalist). This was one of the books that was in competition with Narco #1 for the Comic of the Week. I really loved this book and I was fully engaged with the mystery going on in this book.

Amazing Spider-Man #23. Written by Joe Kelly and penciled Ed McGuinness. Cover art was done by Ed McGuinness & Marcio Menyz. The second part of the Death Spiral story continued with Peter finally learning that Mary Jane was the new host of Venom. MJ then finds out that it was not Peter who blew her off before. Will Marvel ever let Peter and Mary Jane get back together?

DC KO #5. “The King Omega” Written by Scott Snyder and Joshua Williamson and art by Javi Fernandez. Cover art was done by Javi Fernandez & Alejandro Sanchez. Well, I thought Lex Luthor had won the tournament, but it sure feels as if Superman has taken the position. I guess that this is the way they are going to send Superman away for a time.

X-Men #26. “Danger Room, Pt. 1” written by Jed MacKay with pencils by Netho Diaz. Cover art was done by Netho Diaz, Sean Parsons & Fer Sifuentes-Sujo. The X-Men are out on a mission from the town, but Glob Herman was left behind, working in his garden. Things did not look good for Glob. I sure hope that he was able to avoid what it appeared to have happened.

All-New Spider-Gwen: Ghost Spider #8. Written by Stephanie Phillips and art by Paolo Villanelli. Cover art was done by David Marquez & Federico Blee. Mysterio is back and causing all sorts of trouble. The underworld of the Marvel Universe in New York is all over this book too with Hammerhead leading the way.

Avengers #36. “Assemble” Written by Jed MacKay and art by Farid Karami. Cover art was done by Russell Dauterman & Rachelle Rosenberg. The final issue of this run of Avengers as Captain Marvel goes around to all the team members that she had recruited and revealed that she was stepping down as team leader. They also had a big goodbye to Camelot. Not sure where the Avengers goes from here, but this is the final issue of Jed MacKay’s run and this super powered version of the team.

Wolverine #17. “Cold and Alone” Written by Saladin Ahmed and art by Martin Coccolo. Cover art was done by Dan Panosian. Wolverine and Silver Sable are out int he Canadian wilderness trying to help the group that has been dubbed the New Morlocks. Meanwhile, Logan and Sable are getting busy.

Exploit #1. Written by Tim Leong & Laura Hudson with art by Emiliana Pinna. A piece of satire directed at the tech oligarchy with journalist Kirby Kuo, who uncovered a secret about tech billionaire Cole Saxon and promptly published it. This leads to all kinds of trouble for her. A new Mad Cave book filled with fun.

The Twilight Zone #5. “Silent Warning” Written by L. Marlow Francavilla & Francesco Francavilla with art by Francesco Francavilla. Cover art was done by Robert Hack. We are back under the sea with weird creatures and dangers galore in the latest Twilight Zone installment.

Batman #7. “Kill Switch” Written by Matt Fraction with art and cover art by Jorge Jimenez. A captured and hooked up Joker calls for Batman, to give him a warning of something to come… and to drop a surprise bomb at the end… Joker called him “Bruce.” There is a cool foldout section at the center of this book too that was awesome.

Hello Darkness #19. Another month of a variety of horror stories and a potpourri of creative folks. Cover art was done by Rebeca Puebla and cover B was done by Jenny Frison (Bronze Medalist). My favorite of the stories was “Imposter Syndrome” written by Tate Brombal.

Whatever Happened to the Crimson Justice #5. Written by Frank Tieri and art by Inaki Miranda. Cover art was done by Dan Panosian. This is the book to complain about this week. This was a five issue series, making this the finale. However, issue #4 came out September 17, 2025. The final issue was good, but how am I supposed to care that much when it has been nearly six months between issues.

X-Men Annual #1. “The Creationist” Written by Ryan Stegman with art by Steve Skroce, Sanford Greene and Ryan Stegman. Cover art was done by Ryan Stegman & Arthur Hesli. Jean Grey aka Phoenix comes back from the cosmos to see the X-Men in Louisiana because there is a mutant using his powers to create monsters.

Daredevil & Punisher #4. “Slaughter in Sutton’s Place” Written by Jimmy Palmiotti and art by Tommaso Bianchi & Mario Santoro. Frank Castle and Daredevil end their latest team up bringing down the villains they were aiming for, in their differing styles. DD & Punisher work together in a book like this because they are so polar opposite and yet only a step or two away from each other.

Moonstar #1. “A Path Unknown” Written by Ashley Allen and art by Edoardo Audino. German Peralta did the cover art. Following up on her guest appearance in the previous Magik series, Danielle Moonstar leads this new book trying to find her proper path.

Nova Centurion #5. “Grand theft Starship Part 2” Written by Jed MacKay with art by Alvaro Lopez. Cover art was done by Alessandro Cappuccio & Rachelle Rosenberg. Richard Rider meets back up with Peter Quill, aka Star-Lord once again and the pair bring all kinds of trouble.

Absolute Superman #17. “All Together Now” Written by Jason Aaron with art by Juan Ferreyra. Cover art was done by Rafa Sandoval & Ulises Arreola. Superman steps up against a parasite that is using the people of Metropolis as a power source and Superman shows how inspiring he could be. Oh, and Hawkman may not be the great hero that we thought as he contacted Talia at the end of the issue.

Absolute Flash #12. “The War of the Flashes Part 2” Written by Jeff Lemire with art by Nick Robles and Al Kaplan. Cover art was done by Nick Robles. The first year of this series comes to an end with Wally’s father sacrificing himself to save Wally’s life. Wally dedicated himself to finding his dad and saving him. And Grodd finds someone else like him… but without the positive attitude.

Other books this week: The Nice House By the Sea #8, Tales of the Shadowman #6, Lost Fantasy #8, Lands Unknown: The Skinless man #1, The Beauty #4, Bloodland #2, and The Autumn Kingdom #2.

Quick Hits: I grabbed another one of those hit Mad Cave series off eBay. I must have missed it when it was out in comic shops. It is called The Florida Hippopotamus Cocaine Massacre #1 and it is wild and weird and lots of fun. One shot Iceman: Omega #1 was not as much fun as I did not find myself interested in the book. I have always liked Iceman so maybe it was just the issue’s approach. I grabbed a copy of D’Orc #1 second printing. I loved D’Orc and it was a huge hit so the new cover by Brett Bean and Frank Williams was cool. After enjoying the Ursula book last week, I grabbed a copy of Gaston #1 (Bronze Medalist). I like Gaston the character way more than Ursula, but I did not like this book at all. That was strange. There is a reprint of Marvel Team Up #14 where Spidey meets Invincible. The book was fun and it is nice to get a copy of a book that I am sure is sky high in original price. Speed Racer #6 is back with more dangerous racing action. Gargoyles/Darkwing Duck #3 came out this week and the two sides to the cartoon world do work well together. Defenders of the Earth: Dark Destiny #3 sees the return of Ming the Merciless. The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Shiver of Christmas Town #3 also arrived this week with some solid action and humor. Batman/Green Arrow/Question: Arcadia #3 is one of those books where I am not sure where it falls in continuity. The interactions between Batman and Green Arrow were tense. Finally Godzilla Kai Sei Era #8 brought us some big titan battle.

EYG Comic Cavalcade #193

March 1

Up to Issue #8 in the Daily Read of Clean Room by Gail Simone. It is truly epic so far. I really am enjoying that Vertigo series from 2016.

I bought the first appearance of Mockingbird in Marvel Team-Up #95. I am down to six more of the volume 1 run of Marvel Team-Up to complete my collection. That’s fun.

Comic of the Week:

Amazing Spider-Man/Venom: Death Spiral #1

What a massive list of Comic Book writing royalty working on this book. #1 is listed as written by Joe Kelly, Al Ewing & Charles Soule. That is three pretty solid writers for this series. Then the whole thing is drawn by Jesus Saiz. The book started off strong as Symbie (Peter’s little symbiote friend) gnawing of Johnny Storm’s head. I almost fell over. I will say that one thing could ruin it all and that would be a romantic pairing of Mary Jane and Flash Thompson. NO THANK YOU, PLEASE!

Books this week:

Is Ted Okay? #1. Written, drawn and cover art by Dave Chisholm (Silver Medalist). The runner of for Comic of the Week this week is Is Ted Ok? #1 from Mad Cave. It was a very intriguing and interesting idea that I am excited to see expand even more. What is up with Ted and why are we needing to keep an eye on him? Ted is isolated and antisocial, and Sarah, who has been assigned to watch him, starts to wish there was something she could do to help him. It’s complex and different and those are always welcomed.

Murder Drones #1. Written by Wyatt Kennedy and illustrated by Jo Mi-Gyeong. Cover art was done by Alessio Zonno. I was surprised to see this book in my pull list, because I did not think I had it on my list. I had planned on picking #1 up so I was happy I had it. I noticed that I was missing Murder Podcast #5, so I assume the wrong “Murder” book got pulled. As for moving ahead, this one will not be on my pull list. I did not enjoy Murder Drones much at all.

Murder Podcast #5. Written by Jeremy Haun and illustrated by Mike Tisserand. Cover art was done by Jeremy Haun. Unlike the Drones, Murder Podcast is a great story that has that ongoing mystery that is easily filling this story. There are so many brutal kills (some of which were hilarious) that it engages the reader. The issue ended with some military intervention that seemed important (?).

Bat-Man: Second Knight #3. Written by Dan Jurgens and art and cover art by Mike Perkins. The noir style Batman Elseworlds story comes to an exciting close as Batman and Superman learn how to work together and to stop the poisonous fear gas of the Scarecrow. The Black Label book was a lot of fun and reminded me some of Spider-Man Noir.

Universal Monsters: Phantom of the Opera #1. Written by Tyler Boss and art and cover art by Martin Simmonds. I also grabbed the die-cut cover by Andrea Milana. The next installment of Image Comics reboots of the Universal Monsters is up and it is Phantom of the Opera. The well-known saga of the man with the scarred face but beautiful voice. I have enjoyed all of these Universal Monster books and I am looking forward to more Phantom of the Opera.

Iron Man #2. “Under Pressure” Written by Joshua Williamson and art by Carmen Carnero. Cover art was done by Ryan Stegman & Frank Martin. Tony Stark is trying to figure out what Madame Masque is up to… that is, when she is not sharing his bed. Ooooh Tony. Also, who would guess that Iron Man would have to fight side by side with MODOK?

The Peril of the Brutal Dark: An Ezra Cain Mystery#1. Written by Chris Condon and art and cover art by Jacob Phillips. This is the newest Vertigo book from DC and this is the standout one for me so far. The other two were fine, but this noir detective thriller is the one I am most interested in. I have been a fan of Chris Condon over the years with That Texas Blood, The Enfield Gang and News from the Fallout, so his name on this helps to sell the book even more.

Detective Comics #1106. “The Courage that Kills” Finale. Written by Tom Taylor and art and cover art by Mikel Janin. The virus storyline comes to a close this issue as Batman is able to find the antidote to save the day from the Lion.

Infernal Hulk #4. “Alone” Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson with art and cover art by Nic Klein. How many Hulks are too many Hulks? Well, when you are banished into the Hulkscape, that answer may not be an easy one

The Punisher #1. Written by Benjamin Percy with are by Jose Luis Soares. Cover art was done by David Marquez & GURU-eFX. Picking up right after the end of Punisher: Red Band, Frank Castle is back and out for vengeance. His rogues gallery got a return too as Jigsaw made another return from the dead. I also picked up a virgin variant cover by John Tyler Christopher..

Spider-Man & Wolverine #10. “Reunions and Partings” Written by Marc Guggenheim and penciled by Gerardo Sandoval. Cover art was done by Kaare Andrews. This brought the team-up series to a close this week. I have enjoyed this second half of the series more than I did the first arc and it is fun to see these two characters matched up.

Mortal Thor #7. “The Accelerationist” Written by Al Ewing and art by Pasqual Terry. Cover art was done by Alex Ross. The world around Sigurd Jarlson is just getting crazier. Mister Hyde is after him. People are starting to realize that he is pretty decent with a hammer. Then, that he may have a connection that they can exploit. Sigurd has some trouble coming.

Red Book #4. Written by James Tynion IV and art and cover art by Michael Avon Oeming (Gold Medalist). UFO stories out of China continue to affect the world and the way the US looks to the skies. This is the final issue of this volume of this UFO book, where Tynion IV provides us with some real world incidents and how they may be conceived. I have enjoyed these Blue/Red Book series and I will look forward to the next one in the future.

Disney Villains: Ursula #1. Written by Sherri L. Smith and art by Gabriele Bagnoli. Cover art was done by Mirka Andolfo. I grabbed this one off the shelf for the heck of it. Dynamite Comics has surprised me before with some characters that I did not think would interest me only to be enthralled by their series. Honestly, picking up Ursula #1 was just the collector in me. Let me tell you, I thought this was a great book and a fascinating story of Ursula and her missing sister. Damned if Dynamite didn’t do it again.

Maid Cafe #1. “Welcome Home, Master: Chapter One” Written by Aimee DeLong & Kazue Watanabe and adapted & illustrated by Remy “Eisu” Mikhtar. Cover art by Mark Spears. This one surprised me too, but not in the positive way. I thought this was another Mark Spears book like Monsters or Monsters and the Wolf, but it was more of a manga type, black and white book with a killer maid. Honestly, I passed on reading it so it may be more entertaining than I thought, but it did not appeal to me at first glance. There are fun trading cards inside the polybagged book.

Save Now #3. Written by Matt Kinot and art and cover art by Tomas Giorello. There is a lot of pain and anguish in this time travel series. There is a lot of loss too. Saver sticks around with Jan for awhile, watching the young girl grow into a young woman. Is his time traveling over? This is the penultimate issue of this series.

Wrestle Heist #3. Written, drawn and cover art by Kyle Starks. Our team of pro wrestlers, both active and retired, get together for Thanksgiving dinner to continue to discuss their plan on stealing from the evil promoter Buddy Hansen ( who looks a lot like Paul Heyman). Little do they know that there is a traitor in their midst. As a pro wrestling fan, there are a lot of insider things in this book that make me giddy. It is fun connecting these characters to the real life versions out there.

Absolute Wonder Woman #17. “Season of the Witch” Part 2 of 5. Written by Kelly Thompson and art and cover art by Hayden Sherman. Diana is able to free Zatanna from the control that was forcing her to take Diana’s magic and then she winds up facing a crew of her villains including Absolute Cheetah and Absolute Giganta.

Hyde Street #10. Written by Geoff Johns with art by Francis Portela. Cover art was done by Ivan Reis, Danny Miki with Brad Anderson. Sisters Hood are the newest pair arriving in Hyde Street. I do not think they are tied to the Sisterhood series we just got as they seem to be fortune tellers. Hyde Street has a lot of fun, weird horror going on.

Final Boss #4. “Stage Four: Forgotten Desert” Written by Tyler Kirkham with art by Tyler Kirkham and David Miller. Cover art was done by Tyler Kirkham (Bronze Medalist). The battles rage on as the tournament continues. The video game-like comic continues to have fun moments throughout.

Other books this week: Void Rivals #27, New History of the DC Universe: Dakota Incident #1, Nights #18, The Author Immortal #5, Be Not Afraid #5, Alice Forever After #2, Power Fantasy #16, Absolute Martian Manhunter #9, Liquidator #4, Return to Sleepy Hallow #4, Conan the Barbarian #29, and 30 Days of Night: Falling Sun #3.

Quick Hits: The Ultimates universe’s story is coming to a close as we get The Ultimates #21 this week with more Luke Cage. Escape #6 dropped the last issue of the series for a while. There will be a break for this series by Rick Remender, but it is not finished. Wiccan: Witches’ Road #3 is back with more magical shenanigans in the Marvel Universe. Wiccan’s mother, Wanda is still at it in the new Sorcerer Supreme #3 book. Rogue is after the truth from her past in Rogue #2. Cable and the members of X-Force are here in Inglorious X-Force #2 as they continue to try and prevent the future murder of Kamala Khan. The second series comes to a close with the new Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong 2 #7. Lots of DC heroes/Titans action. I grabbed two covers of the Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Book One (Facsimile Edition) that came out this week. The first cover is one of the most iconic covers of all time. More boobs and sexual chicanery going down in Voyeur #4 from Ignition Press. Malevolent #2 had me thinking a lot of Leeloo from Fifth Element. The art from Oni Press’s new book Spirit of the Shadows #2 reminded me of Jack Kirby. The story of the heroes out of time came to a brutal end in Justice League Unlimited #16 this week. I was not a huge fan of the start of this group, but I did like what they did with them over the last several issues. Keenspot sent me the Pecos Bill and the Guns of Oz #2 this week. It was a fun book.