July 14th, 2021
J.R.'s Picks:
X-Corp #3 – The corporate machinations of Krakoa’s company arm continue their slow churn this month. X-Corp is preparing for its grand unveiling of its Ionospheric Bandwidth Generator which should help to propel telecom industries all across the globe. At the center of it all is Multiple Man who along with his dupes is working tirelessly to get everything done. As this is a big day, MM is torn when his son is about to take his first steps so he sends a dupe home to cherish that memory and absorb it later. Meanwhile, Monet is on the tail of a corporate spy she first spotted at the Hellfire Gala. The stories woven on top of each other are engrossing and proves even a corporate thriller can be exciting in this era of X.
Infinite Frontier #2 – This series is an absolute buffet of obscure DC history and characters so grab yourself a plate and mix everything together! Agent Chase is hot on the tail of the odd multiversal hiccups that are occurring as per directions from Director Bones. She tries to consult Superman and Batman (“normal” timeline versions) but they weirdly clam up and ask if the Justice League is under investigation. President Superman consults with Earth-0 Batman but also comes up with no leads as to what’s causing the multiversal mayhem. Roy Harper is back though with a black lantern ring so…he may not be back for long. A lot of things are happening in this book all at once but it’s aa worthwhile pick-up for the most dedicated of the DC denizens.
Aliens Aftermath #1 – Woah! A soft sequel to Aliens that no one saw coming! This one sees Vasquez’s nephew searching for answers about his aunt’s disappearance. Nephew Vasquez is dude-bro to the max as demonstrated from live vlogs he’s seemingly filmed the entire journey with his crew. When they find Hadley’s Hope, it’s of course smashed to bits on the surface of the icy planet LV-426. While the rest of the team goes to look for clues of how the ship came down, the pilot steps out to work on a damaged thruster. It’s there she makes a horrible discovery: the alien specimen Hadley’s Hope tried to preserve with liquid nitrogen survived and even evolved. A cool short follow-up that doesn’t provide many answers but does provide a ton of possibilities.
Mouse Guard The Owlhen Caregiver and Other Tales – A somber series of tales featuring absolutely gorgeous artwork of mice dealing with the hardest of times. The first tale it’s the titular one where in an owl cares for the old mouse with which she’d spent her life with. The second tale, Piper the Listener, weaves a story of a mouse who tries to communicate with different. The last is a heartbreaking one in which a Youngfur and his insect friends are trounced by a wolf until their rescue finally arrives. Every page is absolutely gorgeous and these medieval mice will tug at every heartstring you have all at once. If you’re looking for small-sized swords and sorcery with a lot of heart then you’ll love this one for sure.
Diarra's Picks:
Savage Hearts #1 - Bronwyn is a broken hearted barbarian out for revenge! She and two other badass ladies head into a jungle full of prehistoric baddies to find the evil wizard that slew her lover. The road to the wizard will be rough, but lucky for them they run into Graow, a creature who lives in the jungle and who has the hots for Bronwyn. He will be their guide through the forest, against Bronwyn better judgement. What they don’t know is the wizard knows their coming and just got the perfect weapon to defeat our travelers!
The Lot #1 - The Bad Idea books have been hard to come by, but worth the read! Avila Copeland just got an opportunity of a life time, being hired as a producer for Cloverleaf Studios. Some are saying she didn’t earn this spot, so she really wants to prove herself. While researching Cloverleaf, she comes across a lot they haven’t used in 50 years. It could use some TLC, but she things this would be the perfect place to shoot her first film. Those closest to her come to help, but they are using a mop when they need an exorcist. A little more digging reveals the awful ends the previous crew met, and she goes to get answers from a surviving cast member. He is less than happy to hear Avila has reopen the lot and not because she went in, but because of what she let out!
Beyond The Breach #1 - Vanessa is in much need of a get away after her piece of crap boyfriend cheats on her with the worst person possible. So after booking a flight on his card, she is ready to start her next chapter in her life. Her vacation turns to a nightmare when she gets into a mysterious wreck. One minute she is cruising down a back road, the next she is coming to next to her totaled car. She notices another car was involved in the accident when she hears cries for help, but before she can get to him a people eating monster appears. Vanessa can’t save him, but is able to rescue a young boy from the car. Suddenly they are surrounded by monsters, and I have no idea how they are getting out of this one.
Stone's Picks:
Beyond The Breach #1 - Life is filled with all sorts of hardships. Sometimes the best way to deal with it is to get away from it all and focus on yourself. A nice drive down the coast through tree filled highways sounds nice, doesn’t it? The wind in your hair, the smell of the great outdoors, bumping your favorite tunes as you sing along off-key. Finally, you’re starting to let go. Then BAM! An interdimensional breach opens up sending you into hellish nightmare of grotesque organisms battling gremlins with shock batons. Beyond The Breach has delivered an enticing first issue that continued to elevate my interest with every turn of the page. Ed Brisson’s writing combined with Damian Couceiro art has created the best comic on the shelf this week.
Bunny Mask #2 - The second issue focuses on the main character Tyler, and his relationship with Bee, the girl who survived with him. Or did she? Throughout the book there is this sense that what Tyler is experiencing is nothing more than a dream. Constantly hearing voices and finding the most random items that resemble bunny masks. In its conclusion, Tyler has a conversation with Bunny Mask that does nothing to ease his burden, but rather makes you the reader more confused about what exactly is happening. I like the mystery. It’s just crazy enough to keep me hooked. Paul Tobin continues to impress with his writing, and Andrea Mutti’s art is what gives the book its terrific mystery vibe. The best dreams and the worst nightmares are the ones we don’t even realize we're in.
Carnage: Black, White, and Blood #4 - The final issue of this blood soaked anthology series. Ryan Stegman delivers a sort or epilogue to the Venom beyond storyline that took place in Donny Cates' Venom run. The second one features Cletus Kasady as a silent guardian prowling the streets of 1970s New York, defeating those he deems as monsters. Lastly Ed Brisson (who wrote Beyond the Breach which you should read) weaves a tale set a thousand years in the future where humanity has been wiped out, and a group of survivors stumble upon some of the Carnage symbiote. All the stories have incredible art that just perfectly encapsulates the demented, cruel feeling of Carnage. Three gore-filled stories that will excite even the horror fans who don’t know anything about symbiotes.