January 5th, 2022
Caroline's Picks:
Monkey Meat #1 - Fans of Ice Cream Man and Silver Coin will surely enjoy this new and unnerving anthology series by Image. The Monkey Meat factory is running a giveaway much like that in the Willy Wonka world, ‘come visit our factory, see how things are made, and watch us unveil a new product!’ which sure sounds like a great time, how could any Monkey Meat lover resist? But one look behind the scenes shows things aren’t exactly how they’re presented to the public. Unhappy workers, imported meats, shady business contracts, and commercial shoots gone wrong all mask the true horrors that have gone on under the ever watchful eye of the Monkey Meat corporation. This issue is an absolutely wild ride from start to finish that instantly has me wanting to know more about this twisted world.
Elektra Black, White, & Blood #1 - This issue is a wonderful introduction to someone who isn’t too familiar with Elektra to get an easy introduction to what she’s all about. However if you’ve been loving the amount of Elektra in the recent Daredevil series then do I have the can’t miss book for you. Black, White, & Blood focuses on some of her bloodiest and saddest battles Elektra has gone through, with stunning visuals and heartfelt moments that really make you feel for her as a character sprinkled throughout. Her fight with a coven of vampires and her turning after along with the depiction of how vampires sense blood in humans was just so well done in the first vignette that my expectations were high for the rest of the issue and I was not let down.
Nocterra Blacktop Bill Special #1 - If you’re anything like me you’ve been insanely curious to get any and all information about the big bad man from Nocterra: Blacktop Bill. In a world where darkness covers the Earth blocking out the sub and there are shade creatures with claws and fans, HOW is this man the scariest thing we've come across yet. This special let's us know just exactly how Bill became the man we know him as today. He wasn't a nice and simple family man before the big PM, if that's what you're thinking. He was a hitman's hitman, hired by the mob bosses to off the hitmen of rival families before they could become a problem. But his real passion was in killing for fun, planned and precisely chosen people in meaningful places that was his M.O. before things went bad for everyone. But the big PM is like a blessing for Bill, everyone sees the world a little more from his point of view now. They just better hope he doesn't set his sights on them.
Bylines in Blood #1 - I’m going to be honest I wasn’t too interested in this book for the first few pages but once our main character, Satya, comes home from a night basic of PI work to some not so great news about her old boss being murdered I was suckered right into every word. Satya’s become hardened over the past few years and it doesn’t take much to set her off anymore. There was a pandemic, an economic crash, she lost her job (something we can all relate to maybe a bit too well right now). But finding out her old mentor is dead is the biggest shock of all, and now she’s been hired by his daughter to find out just what happened to who, who had him killed. He was working on creating a new paper to expose the underbelly of the crime world so at this rate it could be anyone. Time for Satya to get to work.
Diarra's Picks:
Elektra: Black, White, & Blood #1 - In the main Daredevil series, Elektra and Matt Murdock are sharing the Daredevil title and working together to protect Hell’s Kitchen. She is even following the “Daredevil Code”, but nothing is holding Elektra back in this series! She really brings the blood in all three stories, but there is also another theme. Each tale, Elektra must deal with a child in some capacity from a gangster she is hunting’s daughter to the child inside of her. While we get to see a bit of Elektra’s softer side, there is no lack of her showing us the pointy side! Personally, I’m getting a little burnt out on all the Black, White, & Blood series, but if you don’t want commit to a long running series, this is a great way to get some bang (or should I say blood) for your buck.
West #1 - Ever since Solomon Corp moved into town magic users are far and few between. That’s because Solomon Corp produces tech for “muggles” to simulate magic, but there are some nasty repercussions. Sal and Mo are actual magic users, and have been pretty down on their luck. They’ve moved out of the big city to get away from Solomon Corp’s influence, but when their crops/only form of income stop growing, they decide to get some payback. They devise a plan to break into Solomon Corp to steal some loot, but their heist turns into a rescue mission. The next issue should really heat up!
Bylines In Blood #1 - Much like in our universe, a pandemic hits and loads of people get laid off. One of those people is Satya Chatterjee, who lost her job and when the newspaper she works for goes under. She decides to use her investigation skills to become a private investigator. Satya has all but forgotten her old life when her former boss/newspaper editor’s daughter shows up at her office. She informs Satya her dad, Denzin, has been murdered, and she wants to hire Satya for the case. She knows she has to solve this one, not for the money, but because Denzin was a good man. Satya quickly learns this case is rich with corruption and it goes all the way to the top! But who actually killed Denzin, and how does Satya stop from being next?
Stone's Picks:
Dark Knights of Steel #3 - Hell hath no fury like an El scorned. The death of King El has Driven Zala to go on a rampage. She’s already murdered a prince, but that’s not enough to satiate her need for revenge. With her and Diana being in a relationship, it was only a matter of time before the Amazonians got involved. Meanwhile, a mystery falls from the sky that will open up the truth to Batman’s past. This just keeps getting better with each issue. It’s hard not to be sympathetic to why Zala is doing what she's doing. King Jefferson deserves what’s coming to him for acting out of fear and causing a domino effect that will surely see characters we love being toppled.
Monkey Meat #1 - This was all over the place. At times I’m really digging it and at other times I find it to be so absurd. The art inside has vibrant colors with every page offering its own brand of wackiness. I’d probably lean more toward favoring this more than hating it though, to be honest. There’s an allure to the nonsense that I can’t quite explain. This is just one of those comics you have to take a chance on. You’re either going to hate it, or like me you’ll be drawn in by some unknown force that will make you think this isn’t half bad!
Apache Delivery Service #1 - A Navajo is sent to Vietnam where he is mistaken as an Apache. He calls in coordinates for bomb to be dropped thus giving birth to the name Apache Delivery Service. He's given praise for the work he does and everyone seems to love that they have an “Apache” on their side. He finds the jungle to be less stressful and takes off into the jungle to continue the mission. There, he ends up finding more then he wanted along the way. I really like the back and forth of him in Arizona as a younger man going hunting and his life in Vietnam. The ending is strange but it's setting us up for the next issue, though it does come out of left field and you really have no clue what’s happening. Almost missed this on the shelf this week but you shouldn’t!