Rob's Picks:

DNX #1 - 3K Chairman Hank McCoy picks up where Revelation left off, hatching his own plan to release the apocalyptic X-virus on Philadelphia. Aboard his flying command center, Beast is savoring the impending triumph, but the cracks in his organization are becoming too big to ignore, his partners a collection of opportunists united only by their self-interest. Cyclops and his X-Men are already on the scene, finally taking the initiative in the war against 3K with a daring strike that shows this team at its best. Throughout his run on X-Men, Jed McKay has let this team operate with the prowess matching their years of experience, and the action in DNX is a prime example. Pros like Psylocke and Magik kick all kinds of butt, Kid Omega gets in the headspace of Cassandra Nova, and the newest members show how much they’ve grown into their powers. While most of the team is in the fight, Beast (the Good Hank) has gone to the Baxter Building. He needs the genius of Reed Richards to help save the life of Magneto, but Reed has some understandable reservations about reviving a super-terrorist. Sue Storm gets the last word in their debate, while Johnny and Thing skip the talking and go to Philly for some clobberin’! DNX #1 is everything an event book should be, gripping action with sharp dialogue that will have readers invested and up to speed, extra rewarding for dedicated X-Men readers.

Absolute Cassandra Cain #1 - Fresh off the pages of Absolute Catwoman comes Cassandra Cain! Left mute by her fateful encounter with Selina Kyle, Cassandra is taken in by her mother, Lady Shiva, master of the League of Assassins. With pitiless instruction, she is remade to serve as the Demon’s Hand, fighting for her life to earn her mother’s approval and aid the Demon’s Head in rebuilding the League. Once they were many, an order of the world's deadliest killers, until something far deadlier found them. Jack Grimm, the man/monster we know as the Joker, was Shiva’s greatest student, rising through the ranks only to massacre them when he could rise no further. With Cassandra at her side, the Lady gathers together the remains of the League one by one, with the ultimate goal of revenge on Grimm. Cassandra’s character comes into focus when she chooses to defy her mother, setting out to save an assassin from one of the mysterious Arks. As written by Absolute Catwoman’s Che Grayson, she is not defined by her deadly skills, but by the spark of compassion that even Shiva’s cold brutality can’t put out. Finally getting a look at the Absolute League of Assassins is plenty of reason to pick this book up, and there are some powerful emotional beats that hit as hard as the thrilling hand-to-hand combat.

Hellraiser: Resurrections - The Deep Gospel #1 - Another one-shot deep dive into the freaky world of Clive Barker, this installment follows the lone female Cenobite on a journey through Hell. The Engineer, creator of the Cenobites and master of their nightmarish dimension, has begun the long and painful process of remaking her physical form, but she chooses to resist. For this defiance, she is cast into the deepest pit, where evil souls first begin their demonic transformation. From here, she must make a twisting journey upward, gathering a cadre of would-be Cenobites that trail in her wake, some hoping to learn from Pinhead’s acolyte, others wishing to take her place. Trials and tests of worthiness along the path reveal the strange, cruel logic of the Engineer. Clive Barker kept the inner workings of the Cenobites mysterious in the original films, so our main character’s commentary on the journey makes this an uncommonly informative exploration of Hellraiser lore. Writer Tini Howard manages to match Clive for tone, not letting the Cenobites lose too much mystique as we learn a great deal about them. Jenna Cha nails the otherworldly geometry of Hell and the sublime grotesquery of its denizens.

Jupiter's Picks:

Absolute Cassandra Cain #1 - This incredible one-shot introduces us to a brand-new version of Cassandra as she grows up in this universe. We start off with her father narrating, telling Cassandra about her mother as she sits and listens. He explains how powerful her mother is, commanding and training the League of Assassins herself. As he goes through this story, he warns her that if she speaks up to the wrong person, she will have to pay the price. We slide into the second chapter, seeing her parents argue with one another. In these panels, we see Cassandra realize she's lost her voice forever, and that her mother's only worry is to train her as soon as she possibly can. The next page reveals a stunning spread acting as a training montage. Throughout the rest of this issue, which I'll try not to spoil any more of, we see her and her mother team up to find the remaining members of the League of Assassins. Cassandra and her mother are vastly different in morals and empathy, being almost opposing forces in some moments. I absolutely love this story and its incredible artwork, and can't wait to see her return in Absolute Catwoman #4!

Marvel Mangaverse: Arcane Avengers #1 - These aren't your normal Avengers! We are quickly introduced to our cast with some familiar names: The Winter Soldier, Hawkeye, and Bloodline. During this issue, we start to understand their various backstories and their interpersonal relationships with one another. Without much room to breathe, we are thrown into battles and arguments between the Arcane Avengers and their foes, such as the Chaos King and his minions. Kate is supposed to be a leader to this team, yet she seems so scattered due to Bucky’s shocking reintroduction into her life. In this battle, it’s clear that they all have issues working as a team, especially with the addition of Hawkeye so quickly. We get to see a lot of other characters in this one-shot, some being Scarlet Witch and Taskmaster. I love the amazing artwork in this manga-styled comic, the line art and coloring work well together. Kate also has arrow-shaped hair pieces that are an adorable addition to the character! Although this issue is very text-heavy and fast-paced, I enjoyed the read! Tell me your thoughts when you pick this issue up for yourself!

Regicide #2 - The second issue of this series was spectacular!! The story continues with our hero's journey to overthrow Basarab and any foe that they encounter trying to block their way. Our farmer is yet again getting distracted, by monsters and by his own empathy. He is actively being seduced by death (which, funnily enough, is the title for the second chapter) as monsters choose the forms of women and feed off his belief that they are real. If he chooses to believe they are figments of his imagination, they would disappear, yet he seems to have a hard time with this task. On their way through the land, the two spot a shepherd in need of help. They both quarrel over whether or not they should help this woman, eventually leading to our farmer taking matters into his own hands. This adult fantasy has become one of my favorite limited series as of recently, with its charming characters and its positively beautiful inkwork! Definitely worth reading this and the remaining issues to come!