December 7th, 2022
Caroline's Picks:
All Against All #1 - This story takes place in a distant future, one where humanity has managed to kill themselves (and most everything else) off. All that's left is a broken and cold planet. Until The Operators arrive. If you’ve ever read The Host then the concept of these creatures will feel familiar. They come to worlds in search of strong host bodies they can take over and control, and since their intergalactic war has started back up they are once again looking for a suitable host. The Operators are about ready to leave before they find the world's vault of seeds in the Arctic. Years later they’ve created artificial environments filled with plants and animals from our world, and one lone human. The current head of the program is determined to study everything as closely as possible without interfering in the development of life even though his subordinates constantly ignore him. But new management is coming in and they’re ready to make Earth shattering changes.
Miles Morales #1 - Miles is back in action, but his heart isn’t really in it. He’s been through so much lately that he feels like he’s barely holding on. Even saving a young woman’s life and beating Scorpion isn’t enough to bring up his spirits. With the Powers Act still in effect Miles is feeling a little lost, unsure if he’s really making the right decisions and helping the little guy. Cody Ziglar did a phenomenal job writing the inner monologue for Miles in this issue. Following the way he’s working things out in real time and watching him actively call upon his family for support when he needs it was so refreshing to see. This first issue is really emotionally packed for Miles but it still brings the humor and lightheartedness we know him for. Even when he’s feeling down he still wants to do what’s right, and have a little fun in the process. Hopefully he can keep that same spirit for what’s coming his way.
Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur #1 - I have been eagerly awaiting this series and the first issue did not disappoint! Lunella has finally revealed her powers, and dinosaur, to her family. And of course being the loving parents they are they tell her no more superhero-ing, it's too dangerous for her and she needs to try and be a normal kid. Or as normal as an inhuman child super-genius can be. So Lunella caves and decides it's time for her to hangout with other kids just like her, young and inhuman. Enter the SAD SAKs, her new Roller Derby team! I’ve always been interested in learning more about the younger generation of supes and what it would be like growing up in a world where your powers are limited by factors other than your own abilities. Lunella is determined to be as ‘normal’ as possible and be the best team she and her new-found friends can be. But this is a Marvel comic after all, of course things have to go a little sideways for our girl.
Night of the Living Ghoul #3 - The final issue to Scott Snyder’s story was definitely heated and filled with unexpected reveals. Forest is doing everything he can to get Mr. Merrit out of the institution and to any kind of safety possible. He’s ready to fight anyone and everyone who stands in their way. Once again telling the story in tandem with Merrit’s movie we see just how quickly things can go wrong when the ghoul is involved. With no time to waste Forest is going to try his best to defeat The Order of the Fly and get everyone out. A few surprise helpers along the way make things a little easier, for a few moments at least. But time is of the essence, and Merrit has only a few minutes of life in the world to finally share his film. As Merrit’s film comes to a close, so does our story, and as Forest learns the truth behind the Ghoul and the order of the Fly he starts to see just how wrong his obsession is, and how much danger his family truly is in.
Diarra's Picks:
All Against All #1 - The earth has been taken over by a space race that travels the galaxy searching for suitable biomes/resources, but it’s not just the land they plan to steal. Turns out their species creates armor by grafting new organic materials, and earth is just their testing ground. They have found some fierce creatures, but they all seemed pretty dumb so they continue observation. Things are moving too slowly for the folks upstairs who want to graft some new super soldiers, so they send in the military to show these science nerds what they want. The General’s first stop is the carnivore biome, a place the researchers already decided was full of creatures pushed only by instinct. The General is just interested in harvesting their strength, but what he doesn’t know is there has been a human inside going all ‘Mowgli’ in there, just waiting for revenge! They took the ‘test subjects over taking their human overlords’ concept and now we will see if they can out smart this lone human…definitely going to keep up with this one.
Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur #1 - After a recent trip to Wakanda, Lunella’s parents finally know she is Moon Girl, and they are not pumped. Besides not wanting their daughter in harms way, the recent ‘anti-supes’ movement have made her parents ban crime fighting. They know their super genius daughter needs an outlet, so they let her form a club with some inhuman kids in town and SAD SAKs are born! This is short for Support Alliance Derby for Sensationally Abled Kids and this is just the competitive team activity Moon Girl thinks will help them bond. That is until the rink is over taken by mind-controlled skaters, but Moon Girl is able to easily subdue them with her nanobots. That’s when the culprit reveals herself and it’s one her teammates! A Kree set this whole thing up to see Moon Girl in action and offer her the chance for a bad guy team up. Even if she wasn’t grounded from fighting, she would never team up with someone who wanted to use her genius for evil. Devil Dinosaur comes to her rescue, but I think this is just the beginning of the Kree invasion!
Quick Stops #2 - This was another awesome dive into the Askewniverse! Mega Spider-man fan and friend of the shop, Rave Dave, said, “I'll be damned if this isn't one of the best funnies I read all year..” and if that’s not enough, fuck you! This time we meet up with Randal Graves and Brodie Bruce as they attend the funeral of their cousin, Walter. While they are sad to see their cousin go, they know he died the way he lived…trying to suck his own penis. Our mall rats decide to share one of their favorite Walter memories and flash back to their attempt at being vigilantes. Walter aka Count Cockula put an end to all that, and you’ll have to read it to believe it. Despite the grim setting, the two manage to pay respect/cheer each other up and their nostalgia jumps off the page. We are half way through this four issues series that’s exceeding expectations!
K's Picks:
Dark Web #1 - Oh how I've waited weeks and weeks for this event to hit the shelves! Dark web has the most promising beginning this year. A.X.E. had its moments but I don't quite think there's a enough setup to compare to DW. Gold Goblin set the tone for a lost and emotionally torn Norman Osborne, and the past stories in Amazing Spider-Man are being paid off here. Ben Reiley is Peter Parker's clone with memories that aren't his own. It's strange he's returned with the help of the Goblin Queen, a clone of Jean Grey. They are the most screwed- over clones in Marvel history, with troubled pasts and having been dealt the worst hands ever. They take it upon themselves to wrap New York in a web of shadows, attacking the X-Men and our friendly neighborhood hero. Can Osborne get a break? Dude has already been through enough with the Harry clone stuff!
Do A Powerbomb #7 - Finally! The conclusion to the insanely awesome necro WrestleMania is here! This story was living in my mind rent-free ever since the first issue, so I'm more than delighted to see the epic ending to this fantastic tale. Each and every panel oozed grit and power with dynamic angles and some of the most kinetic pages I've ever seen in any comic. With this being the conclusion to the journey, I sadly will not allow myself to get into the ending but I will say, we got our powerbomb and man did I feel a little teary eyed once I got towards the end. Very few series can make me jump in excitement on one page and get me in my feels on the next. The sad conclusion was bitter sweet, short, and straight to the point! A rad story that more people should be reading. Please give this story a shot, the only complaint that I have is that this is the ending!
Moon Girl And Devil Dinosaur #1 - The girl genius is back on the shelves with another solo run! Lunella has always struck me as a strong and dynamic character. She's always front and center in any Marvel thing she's in - she has a presence! She's always stood out as a character that has an endless pool of possibilities to bring to the table and here we get more reach into other kids just like her. We follow Lunella Lafayette, a genius hero who has more than found her place in the Marvel universe, but can the world find a spot for our young hero? Following her many tales we finally see how it's taken an effect on her personal life, as heroes and Inhumans are banned in her town. With tensions high, Lunella decides to take a more lax approach by forming a roller derby squad! This takes a back seat to the bigger issue at hand but I most definitely would like to see where that would take us! Backed!