Caroline's Picks:
Dark Web Ms. Marvel #1 - Kamala at the beginning if this issue is giving peak relatable young adult. She doesn't know what she wants to do, or what career she wants to have. She’s basically just throwing stuff at the wall and hoping it sticks. This time around it's an Oscorp internship! And if you aren't caught up on the current situation the chat she has with her friends rationalizing just why she even accepted an internship at an ex-criminals company is perfectly placed. (Is anyone else getting Tony Stark ex-weapons of mass destruction salesman to world's greatest hero vibes from this arc?) Of course things go their standard way for Kamala and the moment she tries to have any bit of a normal life the superhero gig comes crashing back to center. Unfortunately for her, and Norman, technology has seemed to gain sentience, and they’re going rogue destroying the lab. Now Kamala is stuck playing hero to the company and emotional problem solver for her friend. Problem is she’s got more than just some toilet robots coming after her.
Harley Quinn The Animated Series: The Legion of Bats #3 - Harley Quinn the Animated Series just announced Season 3 is coming 2023 and I could not be more excited! So of course I'm going to be hyping up this series as much as I can until the new season drops. Right now Ivy is torn between being the powerful HBIC and diving back into her past by attending an event celebrating the man who made her everything she is today, good and bad. This issue focuses mostly on developing Ivy as a leader, showing us a plethora of scenes from her interviewing possible new members for her Legion of Doom. But we also see some major backstory development for Ivy too. We learn more about her relationship with the Gardener, Bella Garten as she used to be known, and how their relationship developed into the strained relationship they share today. Harley meanwhile is training it up with the Batfam, working out and keeping her hero moves ready to go. Overall I think this series is doing a great job of tying details and smaller stories into the animated series without stepping on its toes or messing with the universe canon of the show.
Ghost Planet #1 - This was a wonderful mix of horror and science fiction. Slightly reminiscent of Meet the Robinsons or The Expanse. Humanity's last hope is a lone planet that has been studied for generations by one family in particular. Now the planet is ready to be touched down upon, and even though the leader of their research (and the mother of the family) has passed they are all determined to keep her legacy alive and thriving. After all, the rest of humanity deserves a nice home planet to live on, somewhere to stretch their legs and live out the rest of their lives without breathing recycled air in a metal can in the sky. Of course what follows them is no walk in the park, being the first humans on a planet is never going to be easy and a plethora of dangers away from the family the instant they touch down. I’m honestly not sure which is worse, the threat of an unlivable environment or what happens to everyone we meet.
I Hate Fairyland #2 - A little recap for everyone: super-rich Wiggins has lost his son to Fairyland and he is desperate to get him back, so much so that he is willing to hire Gert to go back to her least favorite place ever and bring him safely home. Or that’s how the first pitch goes. Really he’s just a capitalist jerk who wants to take over an entire alternate planet and turn it into a ‘theme planet’ as he calls it, his kid being there just means his smartwatch is collecting data the entire time. Unfortunately the only way to get into Fairyland without an invite is to have been there before: enter Gert into Wiggins’ plan. A few tweaks to the deal later and Gert is in, after all her therapist thinks she’s crazy and she is having an impossibly hard time fitting into the real world. Cue one astronaut training montage later and Gert is prepped and ready to go for her mission. She’s even got a fun new sidekick to help keep her in check. One quick trip back to Fairyland, in and out in no time with the boss's kid and the world will be theirs for the taking. Easy enough for our battle tested hero, too bad Fairyland has a plan for people trying to gain re-entry.
Diarra's Picks:
Kroma #2 - As Lorenzo De Felici paints the rich lore of Pale City, Kroma is discovering the world that surrounded her prison cell. She spent her entire life feared and imprisoned, but a brave young citizen decided she deserved to be free. He paid with his life, but the leaders of Pale City don’t plan on letting Kroma get far. She miraculously finds another person who escaped the wall and we all learn more about the truth behind her lore. The escape of Kroma is still being kept under wraps, but how long before they realize her rescuer is missing and have questions? With only two issues out, we are left with cliffhanger excitement, like waiting for a new Saga! For the first time in years, the citizens of Pale City may learn the truth behind the creation of their town, and hopefully Kroma’s luck doesn’t run out.
Ghost Planet #1 - Don’t pass up on the small press one-shots! In 40 pages Burandt and Gorman deliver paranormal sci-fi, as a family of space explorers make first contact with a new planet. If walking amongst the literal unknown wasn’t stressful enough, this family has faced a recent loss, leaving them at odds. Things only get worse when a native creature fatally wounds son, Cheeyoung. This once potential new home begins picking the family off one by one, and it’s using grief to infect the family. Angsty teen daughter Jun is still processing the loss of her mother and the “you're not my real mom” energy is spine chilling. What is presented as paranormal turns out to be fickle lady science in the form of an airborne fungal disease, and the family might end up laying roots here for good…
Nightwing #99 - This series is definitely on my list of 2022 faves. New readers, don’t shy away from the high legacy number. We are starting fresh with a new arc and last month’s Annual did an awesome job setting the stage for Bludhaven today! Nightwing and Dick Grayson, respectively, worked together to take down Blockbuster and kept their secret identity intact …whilst getting a new dog, going steady with Batgirl, and discovering he has a half sister. That new sister of Dick’s is also the new Mayor and plans to clean up Bludhaven with her new bro, but the criminal underground is planning their moves on Blockbuster’s empire. The Annual also reveals the origin of Heartless, something long time readers have been dying to know. Nightwing can’t help but feel this is the quiet before the storm, but from Jon El to Bitewing, Dick Grayson doesn’t lack someone to watch his back!
K's Picks:
Dark Crisis #7 - The epic finale to Dark Crisis is here at last! There were a lot of events and stories this year but none really captured that narrative flow I was craving. I wanted something symbolic and captivating with big twists and turns that mean something, but I'm happy to say it's finally here! I adore DC's decisions and pacing with their events as the action never stops and when it does, I still feel satisfied and itching for more. The tale of the Great Darkness really made good use of its resources! The first issue was surprising and dark, and going forward from there I patiently tried anticipating how the hell our heroes were going to win. With sheer willpower and sacrifices made is how! Black Adam stepped up and threw down for the fallen League. I never viewed his intentions as bad but I loved that despite the fact that he didn't trust our young heroes, he still stayed relevant till the end. The mass Black Adam buff is probably the coolest scene in all of DC this year alone, right next to Nightwing withstanding the darkness with raw willpower! My only complaint (I guess) is I wish Black Adam stayed powerless just to show how his actions were permanently effecting the future of his line. I'm still thoroughly happy about this conclusion - keep it up DC!
Dark Web Mary Jane & Black Cat #1 - Dark Web is full of outrageous surprises and probably some of the coolest developments! With inanimate demons flying around and attacking New York, I couldn't fully grasp what role Mary Jane would play. It's insane and cool and I can't really pick a point to start with except maybe that Mary Jane has superpowers! I'm a huge fan of overly complicated outrageous superpowers. The good, high-risk & high-reward kinda jazz is what we got! It's pretty simple on the surface, she rolls a giant musical slot machine, and then she gets a power. It's completely random and I want more details because we keep glossing over it. In other news, Black Cat came to her rescue unaware of MJ's rad new powers and the two of them were sent to limbo, the grounds of possibly the final battle? I will also say I was scratching my head when MJ just turned into a flying Phoenix Knight. I guess the emojis in the slots dictate how the power works like a combination of symbols instead of it just being preset? It's all very cool and interesting and I'm really looking forward to its origin!
Dark Web Ms. Marvel #1 - The Oscorp business is gaining a full, dedicated staff of super heroes this season! Well, not quite a full team but it makes total sense why Kamala is working with Osborne, He is "reformed" and has a legit business under his belt, after all. This is all thrown out the window as The Goblin Queen made her assault against Oscorp with the Goblin leading it. This ties everything together quite nicely when you consider the events of the last few issues of Amazing Spider-Man with Chasm threatening Norman and attacking any hero who could pose a threat. Speaking of Ben Reiley aka Chasm, I think it's really dope that he's just walking up on everyone. Ms. Marvel got sent straight to limbo by the guy! He's definitely proven that he's way more than just some random villain! He's been pretty quick with his wits and it's honestly made for more interesting interactions. The art has been awesome and I think Chasm has a presence about him that I can't help but enjoy. He really brought tension and energy in the two pages he was in, give this one a read!