October 7th, 2020
J.R.'s Picks:
We Only Find Them When They’re Dead #2 - YES. Things are heating up in this extremely well-polished, sci-fi epic. Captain Malik’s plan for the crew of the Vihaan II to find the source of the dead gods has been gestating for over a year now. The focus of this issue shifts to all the interpersonal connections on the ship before their great journey: Jason the ever-devoted helmsman, Jason’s mistrusting sister who cuts up the bodies and Alice who seems delightfully weird and promised to always be by Graves’s side. They make their valiant escape to reaches of space beyond the colony’s control with one hitch: a pursuer. Not gonna find a better space book on the shelf, at the moment.
Marauders #14: X of Swords Part 5 – Three parts to X of Swords this week and once again, all of them were fantastic. Parts 3 and 4 saw Wolverine travel to Japan and then Hell itself to get his sword for the contest of champions. Part 5 in this month’s Marauders shows Storm put herself in a position she doesn’t want to be in. She entreats with the queen of Wakanda to use their vibranium sword, Skybreaker, in the coming battle after it was foretold in the prophecy. The queen is reluctant and says to wait for T’Challa’s return and his decision. Not willing to wait on the whims of her husband, Storm takes matters into her own hands and may cost Krakoa a huge alliance in doing so. Superb once again and quickly cementing itself as one of the best X-storylines ever.
Adventureman #4 - Claire returns and gets some more understanding of her powers! After destroying her scooter due to her now inhuman growth spurt, she manages to thwart a mugger and return his ill-gotten gains back to the tourists from which he stole. Suddenly charged from her do-gooding, she absent-mindedly sprints 60 blocks to the doors of Adventure Incorporated. There she meets Gentleman Jim Royale, former magician and friend to the original Adventureman. Strange thing is, this isn’t the first she’s met him and the reasons why deepen the mystery further. More great world-building, more great characters. This book just keeps on giving.
Star Wars Adventures #1 – These IDW all-ages books have been excellent and this new start to Star Wars Adventures in no exception. The first short sees Poe and Finn making an obstacle course for Rey to run through to help train up her Jedi prowess. Just at the start though, she falls through a cavern ceiling and stumbles on some smugglers. Smugglers whose friends also happen to find Poe and Finn topside…The second story in this first issue shows Darth Vader himself touching down on Hoth just after the Empire’s incursion as seen at the start of Empire Strikes Back. Both stories are drawn with flair and have something the whole family can enjoy.
Diarra's Picks:
Norse Mythology #1 - We're all familiar with Neil Gaiman’s fantasy works, so when they announced they were adapting his book into a graphic novel it just made sense. They cover a good chunk of the book this issue. Gaiman is able to familiarize us with the history of these gods and their worlds, and you don’t need to be a major in Viking/Medieval Norse studies. Once you get a lay of they land, the folklore begins with Loki preforming one of his infamous tricks. This time he went to far, making Lady Sif his victim, and Thor is arm breaking mad. Loki travels to Nidavellir to seek help from the dwarves to fix what he sheared. Knowing Loki, he probably has some more tricks up his sleeve.
Wolverine #6 - Last issue we saw Logan get transported by the mystical Asgardian Rainbow Bridge, but that’ll have to wait. We are all excited to see where and why he was taken, but it’s X of Swords time! Everyone in the Dawn of X universe is gearing up for this sword tournament of worlds. Whether he likes it or not, Wolverine is chosen to be the representative of Krakoa. Before he can even begin he’ll need a sword, not just any sword, the legendary Muramasa blade. Wolverine will have to walk through hell to claim his needed weapon, but he isn’t the only one searching for Muramasa!
Getting it Together #1 - You can’t help but get sucked into the lives of the gang in Getting it Together. Jack lives with his sister Lauren, but their close relationship is starting to cause some tension. Lauren has been dating Jack’s friend Sam, and that was great until a “miscommunication” caused the couple to split. While watching his sister’s relationship fall apart, Jack is working on a relationship of his own. After several dates with Colton, a guy Jack met online, Jack is starting to believe he is the one. That’s when he starts asking about Colton’s past and he finds out from a his former lover, Colton might not be the man he thought he was. I’m definitely sticking with these relatable characters for the next 3 issues!
Stone's Picks:
Batman #100 - The conclusion to the Joker War is here! Armed with Batman’s new suit, The Joker will fight the Dark knight in a battle that will push Batman towards his limits. While they duke it out for the fate of Gotham, the rest of the Bat family is tasked with dealing with the remainder of the clowns causing havoc throughout the city. Whether a bat, a cop, or a Clown Killer - now is the time to fight back. After the events of this issue, Gotham City, as well as The Batman, will never be the same again.
Thor #8 - Things are getting strange in the town of Broxton, Oklahoma. After a mechanic named Adam Aziz picks up Thor’s hammer he is turned into an Asgardian version of himself. With Iron man on the scene the two make their way from the eyes of the public and are met by Thor. Tony has some words for Thor and the two get into a disagreement over the handling of Mjolnir. Tony should be careful with his actions because Thor will remind him that with or without his hammer, he is still in the presence of a God.
The Amazing Spider-Man #850 - Its the 850th issue of The Amazing Spider-Man, and it couldn’t be more awesome. Boasting a plethora of awesome covers, this issue is jam packed with excitement, suspense, shock and awe. Following the release of the Juggernaut, he is shot down by the Sin Eater and the last plan of action for Peter and Norman is gone. With Death on their doorstep Peter must watch as his greatest villain is born again. Will Norman change his ways to survive another day, or will the death of the spider be to tempting to resist? A truly epic anniversary issue.