May 18, 2025

The weekly challenge that is Diamond continued this week. This week there was a shipment made to Comic World, but it was missing a few books. It is better than not having any Marvel books at all, like prior week. I have picked up several of the missing books, variant versions basically, in Bettendorf. I do not know if the missing box from last week will ever show up at Comic World, but I have it covered, I believe.

I keep waiting for Mark Spears Monsters #4 books that I ordered from Keenspot directly to be delivered. I sent a message to the company and they responded with a nice email, but I am getting anxious waiting for them to get here.

Books this week:

Look Out #1. By Dan Baillie and Tim Bradstreet. This is an illustrated novella from AWA and Vertigo Entertainment. This was something I picked up on eBay and I did not expect what it was. It is not a graphic novel. It is more of a story with illustrations than anything else. It is a lovely book though.

Red Hulk #4. “Enemies of the State.” Written by Benjamin Percy and art by Geoff Shaw. Cover art was done by Geoff Shaw & Marte Gracia. Thunderbolt Ross and Deathlok continue to try and make their way through Latveria in an attempt to “recharge” the Red Hulk.

Exquisite Corpses #1. Written by James Tynion IV and art and cover art by Michael Walsh. I also have a variant cover done by Jenny Frison. I love this new book from James Tynion IV. The secret group that runs the world is getting together to determine which of them will now run the organization. They do it with a competition between killers that feels like a Hunger Games type of situation. This one was truly fun.

Phoenix #11. Written by Stephanie Phillips and art by Roi Mercado. Cover art was done by Lucas Werneck. This starts a new arc with Jean Grey and her supposedly deceased sister Sara. Cable is involved as well. There is something weird going on.

Godzilla vs. X-Men #1. “A World That Hates and Fears Them.” Written by Fabian Nicieza and art is done by Emilio Laiso. Cover art was done by Tony Daniel & Marcelo Maiolo. The running stories of Godzilla vs. the Marvel Universe comes to the X-Men. Secret… they wind up working together eventually. That feels like a continuous theme among these Godzilla books. Good to see Sunfire.

Daredevil #21. “Rites of Reconciliation Part Two” Written by Saladin Ahmed and penciled by Jose Luis Soares & Carlos Nieto. Variant cover art by Alex Ross. This was one of the missing books this week that I grabbed a variant cover of. It is the Timeless variant with Alex Ross and this cover featured a lovely picture of Iron Fist on the virgin cover. Meanwhile Daredevil feels as if he has stepped into the world of The Last of Us with all of the plants around.

Immortal Thor #23. “Come at the King.” Written by Al Ewing and art by Jan Bazaldua. Variant cover C art by Giuseppe Camuncoli. Another book that was missing in the Diamond order this week and this variant cover is the Impossible Man variant as Thor looks like the Impossible Man. Thor is having plenty of troubles as he battled the god Kemur.

Phantom Road #12. “The Horrormen Part 2 of 5” Written by Jeff Lemire and art and cover art done by Gabriel H. Walta. The second arc of this Image series continues with Agents Weaver and Harold continue their pursuit of Patrick Hanover. The agents are finding themselves in the other side.

Batman: Dark Pattern #6. “Voice of the Tower Part 3” Written by Dan Watters and art and cover art by Hayden Sherman. The storyline with Scarface ends with this issue as the building burns out. I was not sure that this Batman series was going to continue, but it does look as if it will start a new storyline next month.

Silverhawks #3-4. Written by Ed Brisson and art by George Kambadais. Issue three variant cover art was done by James Stokoe and issue four was done by Mark Spears (Gold Medalist). Some brutality going down in these issues as the Silverhawks veteran heroes do not come out well.

Transformers #20. Written by Daniel Warren Johnson and art by Jorge Corona. Cover art was done by Daniel Warren Johnson & Mike Spicer. Starscream is repaired by Megatron. Starscream thought Megatron was going to kill him, but he did not. However, the newly repaired Starscream found out that Megatron was not just being kind.

Wolverine #9. “The Long Road Home.” Written by Saladin Ahmed and art by Javier Pina. Cover art was done by Martin Coccolo & Bryan Valenza. I liked this book this week as Logan faced off with Department H in an unexpected manner. Plus, Logan is on his way to face off with… Victor.

Absolute Batman #8. “Absolute Zero.” Written by Scott Snyder and art by Marcos Martin. Cover art was done by Nick Dragotta & Frank Martin. This issue featuring Mister Freeze really has some horror aspects to it and it is a cool issue (ignore the pun).

Zdarsky Comic News #11. The newest news pamphlet from Chip Zdarsky includes an interview with Cody Ziglar and the continued war against “books being so big they crush your ‘boys’ when you try to read them in bed.” This still reminds me of the old Marvel Age book.

Green Hornet Miss Fury #5. Co-written by Alex Segura & Henry Barajas with art by Federico Sorressa. Variant cover B art by Jae Lee & June Chung. This short series ended with a shocking conclusion. It also does not feel as if the story is done. I guess we’ll see if there is more in the future.

Spectacular Spider-Men #15. “Gone Girl, Found Family.” Written by Greg Weisman and art by Andres Genolet. Cover art was done by Mark Bagley & Edgar Delgado (Silver Medalist). This is the final issue of this Spider-man team-up book with a great party at the coffee shop. I will miss this intriguing book.

Supergirl #1. “Misadventures in Midvale Part 1” Written, art and cover art by Sophie Campbell. Supergirl gets her own new DC book, but I did not find myself engaged by this comic. I did like the look of the book.

I Was a Fashion School Serial Killer #2. Written by Doug Wagner and art by Daniel Hillyard. Cover art was done by Daniel Hillyard & Michelle Madsen. Rennie goes out of her way to aid her … “friend.” It surprises her too. I do enjoy this unlikely series. We have had several serial killer books lately and this is one of the better ones.

Space Ghost #12. Written by David Pepose and art by Jonathan Lau. Francesco Mattina did the cover art. After last issue’s inglorious defeat, Space Ghost returns and put the hurt on the Council of Doom.

Godzilla: Here There Be Aliens #1. Written by Frank Tieri and art and cover art by Angel Hernandez. This is a fun way to use Godzilla… with space aliens involved. I am not sure if I am going to continue to grab these issues, but this number one was fun, if nothing else.

Red Sonja vs. the Army of Darkness #2. Written by Tim Seely and art by Jim Terry. Variant cover B art by Tim Seely. Red Sonja and Ash Williams are in search of the Book of the Necronomicon. Along the way they have to fight a unicorn. I am worried that Ash is going to get his sexual harassment kicked out of him by Red Sonja.

Past Time #2. Written by Joe Harris and art by Russell Olson. Mark Chiarello did the cover art. This cover art is a beautiful one and it would have definitely been a medalist had I not gotten it until after the Favorite Comic Covers of the Week came out.

Dark Regards #1. Written by Dave Hill and art and cover art by Artyom Topilin. Dark Regards is a new book from Oni Press that tells the mostly true story of the internet viral sensation from the early 2000s when he invented his black metal band. I was not engaged in this book either, but I may give it another chance before issue two comes out.

When I Lay My Vengeance Upon Thee #4. Written by Gus Moreno and illustrated and cover art by Jakub Rebelka. Father Barrera and Stygian are having some issues but the problems are loading up. Barrera has had a tragic backstory and it is being manipulated by the demon.

Jumpscare #2. Written by Cullen Bunn and art and cover art by Danny Luckert. The new superhero based on horror movies, Jumpscare, has her sister kidnapped. Does she care about that at all? She certainly does not want her parents to think she does. Jumpscare has been a really fun new book from Dark Horse.

Behemoth #4. Written by Grant Sputore & Ryan Engle and art by Jay Martin. This was the final issue of this excellent mini series from Dark Horse. It was a great conclusion too as I loved the way the story played out.

One World Under Doom #4. “Dormammu vs. Doom.” Written by Ryan North and art by R.B. Silva. Ben Harvey did the cover art. The title of this issue absolutely is the perfect one for this issue. It is Dormammu trying to take advantage of Dr. Doom. These two are basically the only two characters in this book. And Doom has not come to bargain.

Uncanny X-Men #14. “An Infectious World” Written by Gail Simone and the art is done by David Marquez. David Marquez & Matthew Wilson did the cover art. Rogue punches a dragon. We learn more about Lady Henrietta. Gail Simone has written some compelling stuff and this is building to have some exciting New Orleans action.

Miles Morales: Spider-Man #33. “God War Part II” Written by Cody Ziglar and art by Marco Renna. Federico Vicentini & Neeraj Menon did the cover art. Miles has found himself deep inside the trouble as the war between Anansi and Ares is underway. Miles gets to recruit his team for the battle. Who does he choose? Hint, there is no Peter Parker or Steve Rogers (why not, Miles!!!)

Geiger #14. Written by Geoff Johns and art by Gary Frank. Gary Frank & Brad Anderson did the cover art. The Glowing Man battles the Glowing Woman. Geiger continues to be one of the best books of the Ghost Machine books.

X-Factor #10. “Survivor’s Guild.” Written by Mark Russell and art by Bob Quinn. Cover art was done by Greg Land & Frank D’Armata. The X-Factor series is over after this issue as it seemed as if Havok and Polaris finally got back together. Angel came back and made up with everyone too.

The Toxic Avenger Pinup Special #1. I picked this up just for fun. It is a book from Ahoy Comics that featured several cool full pages of artwork as well as a couple of stories starring Toxie. This was another cover that might have been a medalist had I gotten it earlier.

Thunderbolts: Doomstrike #4. “My Dinner with Doom.” Written by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly with art by Tommaso Bianchi. Leinil Francis & Romulo Fajardo Jr. did the cover art. Doctor Doom faced off with Bucky Barnes.

Other books this week: Energon Universe #1, Grimm #22, Ultimate X-Men #15, Spider-Verse vs. Venomverse #1, The All-New, All-Deadly Gwenpool #1, Ultimate Black Panther #16, Worldtr33 #14, and The Hive #4.

A few other thoughts: I also grabbed some cool covers of books that I already have. This included the fairly hot Pop Kill Cover B book. I had picked up this book twice for other people as I had purchased the cover A of it. I was pleased that it was still available. I got the Mark Spears Space Quest #1 book too which is a beautiful piece of art. I grabbed the A cover of Amazing Spider-Man #3. I grabbed Ripperland #4 which ended with this issue. I have Psylocke #7 with the aforementioned Impossible variant cover as Psylocke is portrayed as the Impossible Man. Amadeus Cho #1 was another of the missing books that I picked up this weekend. I like this cover with Amadeus flexing. Hello Darkness #10 always seem to have an awesome cover.

May 3

Happy Free Comic Book Day everyone!!!!

This is always one of the best days of the year for comic collectors like me. The comic companies put out free books to promote things they are going to release over the next year. Comic book shops set up special tables and give great sales to encourage people to purchase comic books.

It is important though for the customers to not only pick up the free comics, but also buy something in the shops. The comics are free for us, but not for the shops. It does cost the shops money to stock these books for us, so, if you have not yet gone for your free comics, make sure you get something else as a thank you for the shops for giving this excellent opportunity.

I picked up several vol. 1 Ghost Riders, a couple of Thanos books, a Chip Zdarsky written Jughead book, Weapon X-Men #3 (which I missed on New Comic Book Day), and an Amazing Spider-Man that I did not have yet. I also grabbed a book that I had never seen before. It was called Mildly Microwaved Pre-Pubescent Kung-Fu Gophers #1. It was so funny as it was clearly making fun of the TMNT. So I went up to the check out and showed it to the workers. They told me that it was a satire of the Turtles. I smiled. Yeah, I got that.

The Free Comics I picked up today included The Phantom #0, Black Mirror, Post Malone’s Big Rig #0, Will Eisner: A Comic Biography, Fantastic Four #1, Amazing Spider-Man/Ultimate Universe #1, Godzilla; New Heroes, Kanga-U, Mark Spears Monsters #0, Diablo, The Mighty-Nein Origins, Def Leppard’s Hysteria #0, IDW: Find Your New Fear, and Conan: Scourge of the Serpent.

Lots of great things coming in the world of comics.

Books this week:

Lost Fantasy #1. “Book One: A World Beneath.” Written by Curt Pires and art and cover art by Luca Casalanguida. My favorite new book of the week. Lost Fantasy has a cool concept and a bad ass final page. I was completely engaged with this issue when I read it this morning that I immediately sent a text to Todd saying that he needed to pick this new Image book up.

TVA #5. Written by Katharyn Blair and art by Pere Perez. Cover art was done by Pere Perez and GURU-eFX. A Scarlet Witch variant is here to cause more trouble for the erstwhile agents of the TVA. It was fun to see the characters from the Loki Disney + series in this Marvel comic. And anytime I can get more Miss Minutes is a good time.

Crush Depth #2. Written by David “DB” Andry and Tim Daniel with art and cover art by Alex Sanchez. This continues as a great new series by Mad Cave. Liana does not appear to be a heroic individual, but she may have to change if she hopes to survive under the water in the submarine that is filled with some kind of monster. Crush Depth has had two excellent issues and I am excited to see where it goes from here.

Pinupocalypse #2. Written , art and cover art by Andrew Tarusov. The newly created zombies are after Foxy and Roxy but it allowed Foxy to head back to her own house. I do not think I have ever seen a zombie surprise birthday party before. Only here. This is a fun new zombie series that turns the genre on its head.

Planet Death #0. Written by Derek Kolstad & Robert Venditti with art by Tomas Giorello. Tomas Giorello & Dave Stewart did the cover art. This is a opening issue of a series from the once again new company Bad Idea. I guess there is quite the rabbit hole of info on Bad Idea that I started to go down, but pulled myself out of. This book was cool and it was printed on the old comic newsprint. Apparently, the company is launching a new Planet Death series in July.

Fantastic Four #31. “The Fantastic Two.” Written by Ryan North and penciled by Cory Smith. Cover art was done by Joshua Cassara & Dean White. things aren’t looking good for the FF. It seems that since Ben has lost his powers because of Doom, the others are also losing their powers. So they have to try and get Ben all rocky again.

Red Sonja & the Army of Darkness #1. Written by Tim Seely and art by Jim Terry. Cover art by Mark Spears. I have always enjoyed Ash Williams from the Evil Dead franchise. I loved the TV show Ash vs. the Evil Dead. I have never thought much about Red Sonja. To be honest, I was more interested int he Mark Spears cover. I did like the book. Dynamite has been doing some good work with IPs that you wouldn’t expect. This is another one.

Mark Spears: Monsters #4. Written, illustrated and cover art by Mark Spears (Silver Medalist). I am not sure how this was delivered early, but I am glad it was. This book is solid monsters action every time out. It still has that Monster Squad vibe to it, clearly alluding to that series. The Wolfman’s howl in this issue is a perfect example.

Something is Killing the Children #41. “All Her Monsters” Part One. Written by James Tynion IV and art by Werther Dell’Edera. I purchased cover A by Werther Dell’Edera and Virgin Cover D by Anwita Citriya (Gold Medalist). Erica Slaughter is back. After a bit of a break, Something is Killing the Children is back with more tales from Erica’s backstory. I have missed this series quite a bit and so I am thrilled that this series is back.

Godzilla vs. Spider-Man #1. Written by Joe Kelly and art by Nick Bradshaw. Variant cover F art by Jerry Ordway. It is Spidey’s turn to take on the King of Monsters. Mismatch you say? Yeah it is. But that is why we love Spider-Man. He never gives up. And what happens when Godzilla gets taken over by the Venom symbiote?

Ultimate Spider-Man #16. Written by Jonathan Hickman and art by Marco Checchetto. Cover art was done by Marco Checchetto & Matthew Wilson. Oh, big time twist this issue. Did not expect anything like what happened here. Bad things are happening for Peter (and Kraven, by the way).

The Patchwork Girl of Oz #4. Adapted, illustrated and cover art by Otis Frampton, based on the novel by L. Frank Baum. Scraps is here and she is wildly entertaining. Rhyming everywhere, Scraps feels like a real chaotic creation. This has been a lot of fun so far and the book is setting up the adventure to save the newly rocky Unc.

Green Hornet/Miss Fury #4. Co-written by Alex Segura & Henry Barajas with art by Federico Sorressa. Variant cover B art was done by Jae Lee & June Chung. Green Hornet vs. Kato? Can the heroes avoid all of the mind controlled innocents that are out to get them? Who knows, but this penultimate issue sets up a big time finale.

Nights #15. “Tricky Snakes and Ladders.” Written by Wyatt Kennedy and art and cover art by Luigi Formisano. Back cover art by Armand Luro. Victor’s vampire adventures continue as this series takes an even more fantastical turn.

Rogue: The Savage Land #4. Written by Tim Seely and art by Von Randal. Cover art was done by Kaare Andrews. Rogue, Magneto and Ka-Zar are on their mission, trying to stop a Savage Land war while their powers are sort of on the fritz. However, Magneto thinks he knows what is going on.. it’s Rogue’s doing. Huh?

Void Rivals #18. Written by Robert Kirkman and art and cover art by Lorenzo De Felici. I have been losing interest in Void Rivals over the last few issues, but this one brought everything back to the beginning as Darak and Solila are reunited, though maybe not in the best moment possible. I think these to being separated was a big reason I was losing interest in this book. I hope things get worked out.

World’s Finest Annual #1. “Chapter Three: Certain Doom.” Written by Christopher Cantwell with plot by Cantwell & Mark Waid with art by Dan McDaid. We are Yesterday moves on. Gorilla Grodd’s Legion of Doom is executing a plan dealing with time travel. It feels a bit convoluted and poor Cheetah.

The Rocketfellers #5. Written by Peter J. Tomasi with art and cover art by Francis Manapul. When Rae unexpectedly faints, the Rocketfellers rush her to the hospital. A group of mercs come to their home with plans. This left only the dog, Rex to handle the situation… and handle it he does. A shocking final page of the issue gives us a glance at an upcoming antagonist.

Thunderbolts Doomstrike #3. “No Unconquered Land” Written by Jackson Lanzing & Collin Kelly and art was done by Tommaso Bianchi. Cover art was done by Leinil Francis Yu & Romulo Fajardo Jr. The new team of Thunderbolts take on the originals over Doom.

Human Fly #4. “Terror Tour” Written by Jason Franks and art and cover art by Jan Scherpenhuizen. The Human Fly has a tough issue… and he has a concussion. Mercury is here too fighting beside Fly.

Red Hulk #3. “Uncharted Territory.” Written by Benjamin Percy and art by Geoff Shaw. Cover art was done by Geoff Shaw & Marte Gracia. Thaddeus Ross, with Deathlok and and energized down Machine Man, is looking for a burst of energy to generate the Red Hulk. They are on their way to a nuclear plant, but Doom may have a different idea.

Hellhunters #5. Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and art by Adam Gorham. Cover art was done by Declan Shalvey. This demonic WWII series closes up with a fun episode. These heroes are very fun together in this book. I would be down with seeing more of this team. I mean, Bucky was picking his nose. This was great.

Kid Juggernaut #1. Written by Emily Kim and art by Minkyu Jung and Peter Nguyen. Cover art was done by Woo-Chul Lee. This adapted Marvel Voices issues with Kid Juggernaut. I thought this was a really engaging one shot and I am more excited about Kid Juggernaut than I ever was before this.

Who are the Power Pals #2. Written by Duane Murray and art and cover art by Ahmed Raafat. The second issue of this Dark Horse book continues the look at these characters of the Power Pals. I think this twosome is not being shown as a great pair. They are not necessarily likable and I think that is an interesting step in these characters’ development.

Killer Kobra #1. “The Hunt Begins Part 1 of 3” Written by Joe Brusha and artwork by Rodrigio Xavier. Cover art was done by Igor Vitorino & Ivan Nunes. I had never heard of this book before I saw it on the shelf in Bettendorf. It is from Zenescope and i had one thought… crossover with Man Goat and Bunnyman!!!

Doom Academy #3. Written by Mackenzie Cadenhead and artwork by Pasqual Ferry & Joao M.P. Lemos. Variant cover B art by Woo Chul Lee. Doyle, Shaylee and Scoop are trying to save Zoe who has been pulled into a book with fairy tale creatures. I loved Strange Academy and I think things are just as cool with them in Latveria.

The Question: All Along the Watchtower #6. “The Price.” Written by Alex Segura and art by Cian Tormey. Cover art was done by Tormey & Romulo Fajardo Jr. The six issue series drew to a finale with this issue as Renee Montoya, aka The Question, steps up to save the Justice League from the forces that have been assaulting the Watchtower in this series. I really enjoyed this book and I hope to see more of The Question in Justice League Unlimited.

You’ll Do Bad Things #2. Written by Tyler Boss with artwork by Adriano Turtulici. Cover art was done by Tyler Boss (Bronze Medalist). There are a bunch of independent comic books dealing with the idea of a serial killer (or multiple ones). This is another of those books, with Seth trying to move on from his police work and write a romance novel. I’m not sure that is going to happen.

NYX #10. Written by Jackson Lanzing & Collin Kelly with artwork by Francesco Mortarino. Cover art was done by Sara Pichelli & Federico Blee. NYX ends with this issue, as Ms. Marvel, Laura and the others bring down Mojo. I am going to miss this group as I have enjoyed this series. I know Ms. Marvel is going to be at the center of some big X-Men issues moving forward, but I will miss her group of New York mutants.

Feral #12. “Up a Tree” Written by Tony Fleecs and art by Trish Forstner. Cover art was done by Tony Fleecs, Trish Forstner & Tone Rodriguez. The cats escaped the big confrontation last issue with the bear only to meet up with the cat Lucky and his pet dog. They all have an idea of a way to save themselves from the horrors of the outside… Pet City Supercenter!

Kill Train #4. Written by Olivia Cuartero-Briggs with artwork by Martina Niosi of Outclass Studio. Cover art was done by Skylar Patridge. This was another penultimate issue of a great series. Kill Train gave us an unexpected twist at the end of this issue that caught me off guard. This has been bloody and brutal and I love it.

The Slasher’s Apprentice #1. Written by Justin Richards and artwork and cover art by Val Halvorson. Here is yet another new Mad Cave book that is awesome and deals with a serial killer. This time, a slasher. Our main protagonist wants to be an apprentice at the learning tree of the Hopton Valley Killer.

Dark Pyramid #2. Written by Paul Tobin and artwork and cover art by PJ Holden. Becca is in search of her missing boyfriend, a podcaster who had fallen off a mountain and disappeared while recording his show. Becca has gotten help from Shailene but has come across some mysterious and frightening creatures.

Darkwing Duck #3. “Where Did Darkwing Learn Martial Arts?” Written by Daniel Kibblesmith and artwork by Ted Brandt and Ro Stein. Tad Stones did the cover art. This issue goes into Darkwing’s mysterious past and we find out that he was just like Po in Kung Fu Panda and Stephen Strange in Doctor Strange. Funny book.

Other books this week: Wolverine and Kitty Pryde #1, Godzilla vs. Los Angeles #1, Frankenstein: New World-The Sea of Forever #3, Parliament of Rooks #5, Doom’s Division #2, The Seasons #4, and Something Crawled Out #1-2.

March 24

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

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

Books this issue:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This week’s “unique” books and others:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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