J.R.'s Picks:
Fantastic Four Life Story #1 – Marc Russell follows in Zdarsky’s footsteps with a Life Story series about Marvel’s first family. Reed Richards is tasked by JFK to build a rocket to get the first Americans into space. It’s an interesting reimagining of the FF’s origin that pays off in huge dividends to connect them to the 1960’s greatest events. Unfortunately, one of the astrobiologists working with the president grounds the launch of Reed’s rocket until 1982- or so he thinks. Sneaking onto the base, Richards and his cobbled-together crew make their fateful launch and Reed sees a vision of death that could end the world. The best Fantastic Four story in years awaits you and you definitely shouldn’t miss it.
Heroes Reborn #3 – Jason Aaron has a way of making even the most terrible of character’s inner dialogues enjoyable to read and that’s what has made this event shine. This week’s entry of Heroes Reborn follows the Blur, a super speedster who studied under the Ancient One to control his nonstop mind and speed with magic. The Blur has used this power to flip between 48 TVs set to different dimensions in his home and become the world’s #1 influencer on every social media platform at once. His archenemy appears though to keep him on his toes- the Silver Witch. The Blur killed Wanda’s brother Pietro and she’s out for revenge which seems just around the corner. This event has been fun as hell and definitely worth checking out if you’re curious about Marvel’s biggest book.
Wonder Girl #1 – Springing from the pages of Future State’s best book, Yara Flor hits DC’s stage thanks to cover-to-cover stunning art and a smart script from Joelle Jones. Yara is taking a trip to Brazil where she was born to connect to her roots. On the plane ride over, she has a vision of herself as a child that seems to take place in centuries past. What happens when she arrives though is some both magical and mysterious: when she touches the ground in Brazil, many people are alerted to her presence. Queen Nubia on Themyscira, Hera on Mount Olympus and Queen Faruka in Bana-Mighdall all know her and are worried for some unknown reason. Beautifully drawn and written, this one should be on every DC fan’s pull list.
The Many Deaths of Laila Starr #2 – Death adventures in the mortal world continue but this week’s issue focuses a little more on Darius, the boy who shall gift immortality to the world. Ram V takes a remarkably interesting approach to storied narration as he describes a man named Bardhan who had a large impact on young Darius as a child. When Darius turns 8, Bardhan passes away and Darius’s parents say it would be inappropriate for them to attend the funeral of a servant. So, Darius runs away from home torn over the loss of his childhood friend and happens to stumble into the perfect person to talk about his feelings: Death, now known as Laila Starr. This is going to be a book for the ages so make sure to start reading now!
Diarra's Picks:
Red Room #1 - We all love Ed Piskor’s work from Hip-Hop Family Tree to Grand Design, and if those books weren’t your cup of tea, his attention to detail is undeniable. This time Ed turned to Patreon to help fund this book so he really let his creepy creativity flow! Looks like anything goes on the internet stream, The Red Room. The cryptic-funded channel streams murder, but the killers and victims are a mystery to the audience. This self contained, 64 pages issue will leave you uncomfortable in the best way!
Wonder Girl #1 - I’ve been looking forward to this series since the Future State event. In Future State we met a Brazilian born Wonder Woman in all her glory, but this series will explain how she gets there! Unlike Diana, who was trained/made to be Wonder Woman, Yara’s family has kept their originals a secret. So much so, Yara decides to take a trip to Brazil alone in hopes to learn more about her country of original. She figures the best way to see everything Brazil has to offer is by bus tour. After traffic is stopped by an accident we get a taste of Yara’s natural bravery, but as the tour continues things get a bit strange. Yara’s family left Brazil to keep her safe, and as soon as she stepped foot off the plane Yara’s life was in danger!
The Many Deaths of Laila Starr #2 - When the child that will bring immortality is born, Laila Starr, the goddess of death is out of a job. She is sent to Earth as a human to live out her days, but Laila isn’t ready to retire. Last issue she decided she would kill the boy, solving all her problems, but had a little trouble killing a baby. So she waits for him to get a bit older, and we get to watch him grow. That’s when Laila accidentally runs into him, but she doesn’t know he is the boy who ruined her life. She just saw a child who needed comforting, but he eventually reveals himself. Is 8 old enough or will Laila be leaving retirement early?!
Stone's Picks:
Shang-Chi Ongoing #1 - With Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings releasing soon you may wonder just who is Shang Chi? He's a master of martial arts trained by his villainous father to be a living weapon. Now he is the commander of the Five Weapons Society, an organization with a nefarious reputation. Shang Chi’s new goal for the society is to help fix all the wrong that his father did. A run-in with Spider-Man has them teaming up to investigate a possible drug/weapons ring. What they discover is bad news for them both. I’ll be interested to see how Shang comes to terms with being the leader of this huge organization, and how much friction this creates between Shang and his friends.
The Immortal Hulk: Time of Monsters #1 - 10,000 years ago a boy was used as sacrifice to bring good tidings to his land. What was brought forth was the green door that brought him to the One Below All. He was given power beyond compare and he became the original Hulk. This was a deep dive into the mythos of the Hulk. It makes you think about how often a Hulk was created when reading about the this boy was turned. The art by Juan Fereyra is gruesome, gut-wrenching, and is nothing less than what you would expect when reading Immortal Hulk!
Nightwing #80 - There’s just something about the way Taylor writes this book that puts a smile on my face. Whether it’s the light hearted humor, the banter between characters, or the action. This issue has Dick trying to figure out what happened to Elliot after his father was murdered. There’s a lot of ground to cover so he calls upon Tim Drake to give him a hand. The issue ends with a face-to-face between Nightwing and this new villain, Heartless. The story continues to be engrossing and is accompanied with stellar art. The next issue is sure to deliver, so don’t miss out!