May 26th, 2021

J.R.'s Picks:

Milestone Returns: Infinite Edition Zero- Milestone returns and in a big way! This set up issue for one of this most beloved imprints definitely brings Milestone to the modern age in a big way. At a BLM march in Dakota city, brutal authoritarian police use untested chemicals on unarmed protesters. This result is many people die but those who don’t succumb to their injuries by police are imbued with incredible powers: one of them being Static Shock! The issue shows different characters reacting to this central event as well: from Holocaust gathering those treated unjustly to ICON and his sidekick Rocket hearing the news while fighting drug rings globally. On top of all this, Nikolas Draper-Ivy is going to be drawing Static Shock and I can’t wait. Pick this one up as soon as you can, it’s a fantastic starting point for all things Milestone.
  
Heroes Reborn #4 – There’s nothing I love more than opening up a book and being surprised by James Stokoe’s art. This week’s Heroes Reborn follows Doctor Spectrum and man, it’s hard to hear his interal monologue of what transpires. Not because it’s badly written but because Spectrum is a full-blown racist soldier who sees the killing of aliens as “protecting red-blooded America”. Sounds familiar? His horrendous kill count leads a convening of cosmic leaders who hire Rocket Raccoon (who acts more like Lobo) and his Groot gun to take him out. Wild action abound in this one with a stinger at the end to pull you back for more…this event keeps getting better and better!
  
Magneto and the Mutant Force #1 – Heroes Reborn keeps spawning a ton of tie-ins and this one is definitely a stand-out. In this warped version of the Marvel Universe, the world’s biggest Mutant Massacre took place in front of the White House after a protest of mutant registration legislation. The Squadron Supreme murdered who we think of as the X-Men, cutting Professor X in twain and leaving Magneto crippled. Three years after this tragedy, the Mutant Force breaks into a high security prison to break out Emma Frost. Why? They need a telepath because Magneto is starting to hear his old friend Charles in his mind! The payoff for this one is a wild one and you don’t wanna miss it!
  
Made in Korea #1 – Eerie vibes of Black Mirror are abound in this one and its unanswered questions are definitely going to have me coming back for more. In South Korea, coder Chul thinks he has the key to finish an algorithm that’s said to be impossible. When he tells his friend, Chul unfortunately learns that the company has the rights to it if he has solved it. Meanwhile in America, Bill and Suelynn attend a birthday for their friend’s son who happens to be a robotic proxy. It’s this meeting that spurs them to get their own child proxy but little do they know that Chul has hidden his algorithm in their proxy’s mind. What does this mean? What happened to the world for proxies of children to be necessary? The lack of complete exposition makes this book sing beautifully and I’m looking forward for more to come.

Diarra's Picks:

Stargirl: Spring Break Special #1 - Geoff Johns is no stranger to writing about Stargirl as executive producer of the CW series and he nails this issue! Stargirl and her stepdad, Pat “Stripesy” Dugan, are called away on a mission. Luckily it’s during Spring Break, although her year of heroics have already put her grades in jeopardy. As they prep for the mission she can’t help but feel FOMO as she see’s her carefree peers enjoying the holiday. That’s when Pat decides to give her the low down on his friends who need their help, The Seven Solders of Victory! This one shot is a jam packed blast from the past, and that becomes literal when they find out they are fighting Clock King! Clock King has returned in hopes to retrieve a lost time machine, the same machine that trapped their teammate Wing. They stop Clock King from getting his hands on the time machine, but this fight is far from over. This one shot hints to the start of two new DC series so you don’t want to miss this world opening issue!
  
Mister Miracle: The Source of Freedom #1 - The issue begins with Mister Miracle (Shilo Norman) doing a death defy stunt live on PayPerView. Everyone has to make a living, but some think stunts like this are a waste of his abilities. But Miracle can’t focus on the haters right now, he is too busy trying to balance his career and personal life. He visits his PR guy who informs him the stunt did great financially, but the people still want to know who the new guy is under the mask. Miracle isn’t ready for the world to meet Shilo, especially after how the first Mister Miracle was received. His PR rep tries to reassure Shilo that it isn’t 1969 anymore, but Shilo lets him know things don’t feel that different. So instead of removing the mask for “likes” he decides to dive into his hero work, and his next mission drops him in the lap of a very hot firewoman. After a failed attempt at having a personal life, he gets attacked while in his street clothes! It’s one of those haters who thinks he doesn’t deserve the title Mister Miracle, but the difference with this one, she wants to take it!
  
Haha #5 - There is one more issue left of this anthology so now is the time to catch up! This issue we meet Pound Foolish, a retired circus clown. I think we’ve all met an elderly lady like Pound Foolish (she gives off big “get your damn kids off my lawn” energy). We follow her on a trip to the grocery store and back home to make her famous casserole. All while local kids are planning some clowning around of their own. They are members of The Mid-Yard Mischief Club, and just got served their assignments the for their big prank of the year. Tommy isn’t so stoked he has to steal something from the crotchety old clown lady, but the Mischief Club doesn’t back down. He gets quite a fright when he enters the home of Pound Foolish, but this B&E turns out to be a pleasant visit for the both of them! If you enjoy horror I know you’ve read W. Maxwell Prince’s other work Ice Cream Man, and I heard the next issue of HaHa ties this series into the Ice Cream Man universe!

Stone's Picks:

The Blue Flame #1 - Being a cosmic superhero can be tough, especially when you’re just an HVAC repairman who discovers a new fuel source and uses it to become said hero. Sam Brausam is a regular guy who is about to put the entirety of the human race on his shoulders. The human race is put on trial for a vial act of horror, and that will determine if they are fit to continue their existence. Sam must save the world from itself. Christopher Cantwell writes interesting characters and the art by Adam Gorham pleases my eyes.
  
Harley Quinn #3 - As this new Gotham is rising from the ashes of the old and there are still people who see the threat of the clowns as a constant. They try experimental procedures to help those that are attracted to insanity and chaos, and make them better. Then there is Harley, who just wants to help any way she can and that means starting a support group. Someone in the group isn’t who they pretend to be and their actions put Kevin and others in jeopardy. This book continues to surprise me with its writing and art that fit perfectly together like the missing piece of a puzzle.
  
Alien #3 - As the search for his son Danny continues, Gabriel and the survivors are attacked by a Xenomorph. This Xenomorph was something special because they were unloading clips into that thing and it was hardly phased. After they force it to retreat, Gabriel finds an old friend of his still on the station who is suffering due to his inability to locate his daughter. While the Xenomorphs are the deadliest entities on the ship, the unpredictability of man can prove just as lethal. Kennedy continues to deliver a tension-filled story that expands upon the Alien lore as well create whole new elements that fit right in place.