June 29th, 2023
Caroline's Picks:
Oddly Pedestrian Life of Christopher Chaos #1 - Another new series from the mind of James Tyninon IV, written by Tate Brombal comes the story of a totally normal Christopher Chaos. He’s totally normal, ask anyone. Just your average teen boy in high school dealing with homework and crushes. Except for that one time at the barber shop… of the other day in class… But he’s totally normal. With his bright blue hair and bold yellow jacket he blends right into the crowd. He’s always been a little smarter than everyone else, he sees things differently and does what he can to share his knowledge with everyone else, otherwise things might get out of hand. Today though, today was different. Today Christopher got distracted in class, made himself stand out, so for the rest of the day he needed to bend in. Until his walk home. That night changes everything, and gives him a reason to finally stand out. Where that takes him I cannot wait to see.
Creed The Next Round #1 - Michael B Jordan is finally dipping his feet into comics with his new Creative Director status on the new Creed series. He has been the driving force behind the success of the movie franchise and it doesn’t look like he’s planning on slowing down anytime soon. Adonis Creed has retired, his glory days in the ring are finally behind him, now it’s his daughter Amara’s turn to show the world what the Creed family name means. But that doesn’t mean he isn’t involved, oh no he might be a little too involved if you ask Amra. Being both Coach and Dad is hard work, throw in a business man and husband and he’s got more than a full plate in front of him. Creed is determined to keep Amara from making the same brash mistakes he did when he was a young fighter. They’re constantly butting heads and finding themselves on opposing sides. Personally I really enjoy reading this with the characters from the movies in mind, knowing how Michael B Jordan portrays Adonis helps the character come to life just a little more. I’m already waiting with baited breath to see how Adonis reacts to Amara’s big decision at the end of the issue.
Darth Vader Black, White & Red #3 - This issue really seems to showcase just how deadly Darth Vader is. We all know just how much trauma and damage he can cause with a lightsaber, but he’s so much more than that terrifying image. Even when he’s captured and made immobile he is able to take out an entire rebel ship. Let him fly and he’ll take down an entire Rebel base, if not a star system, just for fun on a Wednesday. Vader has always been willing to threaten anyone he needs to get what he wants, and if he really wanted the Rebellion crushed don’t you think he would’ve done it by now. Once again each story in this series manages to make Darth Vader just that much more terrifying. Every story delves deeper into his true power and the lack of limits he allows himself to have.
The Expanse Dragon Tooth #3 - This third issue really kicks the problems for our guys into high gear. Peaches is still have problem with her implants, noting a quick break with an old friend can’t help quell, but its progressively becoming worse and she’s going to eventually need to do something about that. Her chat plus Aveserala’s with Sadavir help to fill in lots of gaps in this history of Earth and Mars and how the stations came to be, as well as laying the groundwork for some heavy revelations yet to come. And of course what would a new issue of the Expanse be without another new problem for the crew of the Rocinante to solve. One heavy handed Amos fight later and the dots are finally starting to connect, the only question is how deep does this particular vein of trouble run?
Robert's Picks:
TMNT The Last Ronin: Lost Years #4 - The lone turtle enters the Thunderdome in the fourth issue of Kevin Eastman's follow up to The Last Ronin. The hunt for the Death Worm has led our hero into the clutches of Abigail Finn, one of the Worm’s agents. Now he’s forced to fight in an underground deathmatch that pits human against mutant, while still battling the ghosts of his past. Elsewhere, the preteen turtles learn a lesson about teamwork. This series continues to clear the high bar set by the original Last Ronin with an issue packed with action and pathos.
Alien #3 - Things are going from bad to worse for both the Zahn family and the representatives of the Weyland-Yutani corporation. An act of sabotage creates an opportunity for the Zahns to reunite and maybe even escape the frozen moon LV-695. While the corporate mercs are scrambling to contain the chaos, more xenomorphs emerge from the ice, including a new adaptation. Writer Declan Shalvey is paying off the claustrophobic tension of the first two issues with sudden violence and explosive plot developments.
Good Deeds #2 - Despite the gruesome conclusion of issue #1, this book is still taking its time building the cast of characters and expanding its mysteries. The shocking death of a local has made newcomers Cheyenne and Rebecca Rite even more unwelcome in St. Augustine, though this brutal turn of events could be a lucky break for disgraced reporter Jean. Staying on to investigate the supposed “gator attack,” she learns that even in a place where no one knows you, the ghosts of past misdeeds will find you. Cheyenne finally makes some new friends whose passion for local history leads to a shocking discovery. Scott Snyder chose well in tapping this series for his Dark Spaces imprint, writer/artist team Che Grayson and Kelsey Ramsey do another month of stellar work.
Solomon's Picks:
Batman: The Brave And The Bold #2 - Brave and The Bold is by far my favorite series DC is doing right now. The tone, the atmosphere, the art direction, the SUSPENSE- all of it coming together to create a fantastic Batman Storyline. The highlight (for me) in these first two issues has absolutely been the Joker. He can only be described as a demon, straight from the depths of your worst, most suppressed nightmares. For a villain who has been around for decades, it’s astonishing that they have found a way to reintroduce him in a way that’s both terrifying and intriguing. Every time you see him, you get the same feeling you do when watching slasher-villains go on their gruesome rampages. In fact, if they ever decide to make an adaptation of this (They totally should) it NEEDS to be a horror-thriller, it’s the only good description of the story thematically. What I think works so well is that they fully embrace how terrifying the Joker is/can be. There is a moment where he tortures one of his victims and the police officers surrounding him in a deeply chilling way. You’ll know what I’m talking about when you read it. He narrates, often to himself, twisted nursery rhymes and morbid jokes before ending whatever sick action he’s doing with a catch phrase: “Do you get it?”. This series is a 10/10 so far and if you’re a fan of The Joker, Batman, or want a good starting point for this world, this run is perfect and you’d be doing a massive disservice to yourself by not picking this up, so grab a copy today!
Creed #1 - Creed was such a fun read, especially if you're a fan of the movies. It follows the story of Amara, aspiring boxer and daughter of Adonis and Bianca Creed. She is a prodigy in every sense of the word; having mastered various techniques at a young age, she makes light work of anyone who enters the ring with her, though admittedly that isn’t an extensive list as she is held back by her father, who has grown overprotective. This overprotective nature drives her to indulge in risky behaviors to prove to herself that she is a capable fighter, even if that means sneaking off to unsupervised matches. What makes this story especially interesting to me is that she and her mother are deaf, and the family communicates with BASL and lip reading. It’s extremely rare to have a story of this nature not only center a black woman, but a black DISABLED woman at that. Also, Wilton Santos (Lead Artist), is wonderful. I am very critical of how black features ESPECIALLY hairstyles are drawn in this industry, as for some reason it’s still a rarity that they’re done correctly, but this comic pleasantly surprised me- No matter if it’s a side, background, or main character, the designs are all fantastic. For a first issue, this was a satisfying start and I know the team behind this is going to continue to deliver. Do yourself a favor, and grab Creed today!
Feeder #2 - The new issue of Feeder is finally on shelves! Following up where the last issue left off- the series continued with Lee having to hunt a person who has an eerily similar look and name to someone he used to care for. The resemblance gets to him during several of the pages, showing that under that rough and rowdy exterior, a broken man still lies. This issue was interesting because, though he does a great job at masking his emotions and doing as he’s told- we see that he still has something of a moral compass and when he’s not blindly following orders or getting high out of his mind, those morals can peek through. This issue helped to flesh out Lee Kidd a bit more as a character and judging how this issue ended, I have a very strong feeling that the next issue will show us a side of Kidd that we won’t soon forget, so come grab the latest issue today!