February 23rd, 2022
Caroline's Picks:
Aquamen #1 - Do I know anything about the Aquamen besides what I've seen in the Snyder-verse? No. Am I weirdly excited for this story, yes. The two Aquamen, Jackson and Arthur, have teamed up to try and stop Orm from taking over New York City and killing everyone he can. While Arthur and his brother rehash the same sibling drama Jackson is still struggling with himself and how much power he should be using without losing control of himself. And all the while a livestream of the battle on the news is causing people to suddenly start speaking Atlantean and losing control of themselves. And while their focus has been drawn by the giant sea creature attacking the city the new recruits are up to something themselves, so much so that Black Manta feels the need to step in and Arthur has plenty to tell Jackson about him.
Step by Bloody Step #1 - I am already obsessed with this comic and we’ve only got one issue so far. I love a comic that goes by the ‘show me, don’t tell me’ style and with less than 10 word bubbles in this entire issue they did just that. Using that art and bold colors to set the tone of the world, the artist really breathes life into this book. A robot is caring for what at first seems to be the last living child on this planet. Risking itself time and time again to kill any monsters that dare impede their path, to where we still do not know. When things seem to have turned for the worst for our robot friend, a small village of living humans/humanoids helps to aid them before the two of them once again set off into the vast world for an unknown journey. But who are these blue men looking for them, and why?
Heavy Metal Drummer #1 - This was definitely not what I expected from this book. Wild ride from start to finish with the trippiest art all the way through. What starts out as your typical loser rock band story quickly takes a sharp turn into science fiction goodness. We’ve got surprise space aliens under the studio that start as goop and manage to take over the world one death at a time. Ignoring the band for a bit we see the process of how the alien form begins its slow capture of as many lifeforms on the earth as possible. Insert some body snatching-lizard people type goodness, weird space drugs, and psychedelic art that will make you wonder what was in your coffee this morning and you’ve reached the climax of this issue. I’m definitely curious to see where this story goes and just how many more twists and turns are in store for us as readers.
Radio Apocalypse #2 - We had to wait a little longer than normal for this issue but it was definitely worth it. Ram V takes this issue to build upon his gritty world, giving us a deeper look into a few of the central characters' lives and how they all weave together. This also gives us a deeper look and understanding of how the world exactly came to be and what resources the people left still have. The end of the world was caused by a space virus, it mutated creatures into Xinos that wander the wastelands at night and attack anything they catch the scent of. The Daytrippers job is to run supplies during the day, the Reapers is to protect the citizens of the safe havens at night keeping the Xinos back. Now the Reaper Lana has been called upon to fulfill her duty; there's a whole den waiting to strike just up the road from Kinscreek.
Diarra's Picks:
Saga #56 - Three years have past since the crushing events of issue 54, but the gang seems to be finding normalcy. Alana is holding what’s left of her family together, but the past she’s been running from might be back on her trail soon enough. This issue presents some more pertinent problems when their ship is taken over by pirates. Things are hairy but the pirates warm up when they realize there are kids onboard, and they bond over their opposition to the war. Alana and the HPIC (head pirate in charge) excuse themselves to figure out how to resolve their predicament, but when he begins to suspect she has wings things get…pirate-y. This issue takes a dark turn and Brian K. Vaughn shares his headspace when writing this issue at the end. Saga is back like it never left ya’ll!
Step By Bloody Step #1 - This silent issue makes up for the lack of words with double the pages! You really get sucked into the art and find yourself understanding everything that’s going on. A child and an iron giant (no relation) are all they have in this world. The child has always had the iron giant by his side, well as long as they can remember. The love the giant has for the child is more than programming, and turns out the giant is more than a robot. They are on mission but we don’t know to where, and I am definitely sticking with this four parter to find out!
Bolero #2 - Devyn’s perfect life is starting spiral when she is offered the opportunity to escape to another dimension. She rolls the dice, but things get pretty weird in the multiverse. There are some rules she must follow and one of them limits the amount of jumps you can take. As Devyn searches for happiness in the multiverse, her options are dwindling. Turns out the grass might not always be greener, but she hasn’t given up yet. Devyn has her fair share of guilt free indulgences during these jumps, but her old girlfriend is a reoccurring presence. She can’t help but compare them to the original, maybe it’s a time machine really she needs.
Stone's Picks:
Step by Bloody Step #1 - Quite the unusual read. Not since Apocalyptigirl have I read a near speechless comic that was able to grab me both with its artwork and its use of the proverb “Silence is Golden”. The comic is basically Peter Jackson’s King Kong with a amnesiac little girl filling in for Naomi Watts. Go four pages in. If you’ve seen Peter Jackson’s King Kong, tell me you don’t immediately think of when Kong was Defending Naomi from the V-Rex’s. On one page in particular the artwork had me double take as it was just a perfect reflection of the pages events on the surface of a lake that had me thinking it was some part of the story having to do with a parallel world. Beautiful work indeed. For a book with so little to say, it sure says a lot.
Ghost Rider #1 - Its happened. It’s finally here! A brand New Ghost Rider comic. Here’s hoping it’s not cancelled in 7 issues. Last time, Johnny was depicted as this destabilizing king of Hell. Here, we have a Johnny that is trying to cope with the world after a terrible biking accident. He has a wonderful family, a good job, and really no reason to worry. That doesn’t stop him from feeling like there’s something gnawing at him from the inside trying to get out. His mind plays tricks on him and makes him thinks he sees monsters, but what’s going to happen when he realizes he’s the worst monster of them all?
Heathen #1 - While not completely new it was a new read for me that made me want to dive right into whatever trades we had on the shelf of this story. Aydis, a warrior woman, sets out on a journey to free the legendary Valkyrie, Brynhild, from her punishment at the hands of Odin. She is an outcast considered dead with a trial ahead of her testing her bravery. New to this issue are extra pages that detail the making of the comic along with a cover gallery showcasing the other unique variants. So if your like me and missed out on this a few years back nows your chance for atonement.