Rob's Picks:

Infernal Hulk vs. Wolverine #1 - The army of Hell is on the march, so Wolverine is dropped behind enemy lines for a decapitation strike on its leader, the Infernal Hulk. With everything on the line and no Banner left in this Hulk, Logan has no reason to hold back, and the result is a blood-spilling, bone-crunching, eye-popping battle royale! Artist Jonas Scharf lays on all the gore allowed outside of a Red Band polybag, and for sheer visceral effect, it is some of the best action to come from Marvel in recent memory. There is plenty of verbal sparring between our title characters, but the best writing in this book concerns Wolverine and his only backup, Jubilee. Their long history is given all due weight by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, who plays up Logan’s conflicting impulses as a protective mentor figure and lone berserker. After all her time as an X-Man, Jubilee isn’t going to be sidelined, rejecting his “do as I say, not as I do” attitude to join the fight and setting up an unexpected emotional climax for this issue. There is another big shift in the balance of power between the forces of the Infernal Hulk and Earth’s mightiest heroes that promises even bigger battles to come in the remaining Infernal Hulk one-shots, but readers hoping for an update on Banner and his recent sidekick Charlie will have to wait a little longer.

That Texas Blood: Hell Comes to Allison Ranch #1 - Chris Condon is heading back to Texas for another sunburnt noir from the case files of Sheriff Joe Bob Coates. Taking a cue from Knives Out, this new story concerns the internal feuding of the Allisons, a family of rancher oligarchs fighting over who gets the biggest piece of their multibillion-dollar pie. Passed over for a younger brother, Maria Allison decides to escalate, recruiting a team of Ambrose County’s most reliable professional scumbags for a plan to steal hundreds of millions in cash buried on the Allison ranch. This colorful collection of lowlifes has a grimy charm, though with so much money on the line, betrayal is not a matter of “if” but “who first?” As with the previous installments, the heart of this book is Sheriff Joe. Set in 2003, Joe is wrestling with his place as an old hand in a world rapidly changing due to the War on Terror and events like the invasion of Iraq. Musing on living through history and whether or not to hang up his spurs is interrupted by a call that sends him and his deputy to the ranch, where Maria’s plot is already in murderous motion. Condon and artist Jacob Phillips haven’t missed a beat in this return to Ambrose County, effortlessly finding the same voice and vibe that made That Texas Blood such a hit with lovers of gritty crime drama.

Crimes Against Nature #1 - This book is the most unexpected thing on the shelf this week, a mash-up of comedy, mystery, and gorillas that lampoons celebrity culture and the tropes of true crime documentaries. Sit in on an interview with Dr. Kermit Groedan, famed zoologist and rude, crude dude with a bad attitude, who trained Amigo the gorilla in sign language and made him the world's foremost ape actor. Kermit narrates a tale that takes Amigo from the dizzying highs of celebrity to criminal infamy, full of dark humor and surprising twists. After Amigo becomes the first animal nominated for Best Actor, he and Kermit are catapulted to fame, but when Groedan’s newfound celebrity lands him in bed with a mobster's wife, they make a powerful enemy. When an enforcer arrives at their home looking for revenge, Amigo steps in to save Kermit’s life and take control away from his reckless handler. This sets them on a path to murder, mayhem, and a Netflix docuseries. The contrast between the hedonistic hothead Kermit and the (mostly) placid Amigo is the core of this book’s sense of humor, which, combined with the meathead mobsters and sudden violence, creates something like Any Which Way But Loose as produced by the Coen brothers.

Jupiter's Picks:

Bug Wars: The Coming of Wardoom #2 - We are finally back in the wondrous world of Bug Wars!! I've been itching to read this next issue, as I have been for the entire series thus far, and it doesn't disappoint at all! Slade is back to mite size, with more companions than he wants to be with, unfortunately. He is stuck with an exterminator and two other newcomers to the story named Zsofi and her brother Tyko. We dive right into the scene with them flying in a crow's grasp, and Slade quickly moves into action. Unfortunately for him, his actions only bring him down with the crow! Thankfully, another newcomer to the story is here to help. His name is Doolie, and he lives in what's called the “Ash Lands.” This gruff older guy is quite the interesting bug too! He brings the group back to his abode and helps Slade with his wound, as the two new siblings are settling into their new reality. The art in this issue is as beautiful as it always is, and I'm still a huge fan of it! I am super excited to see what comes next in issue #3!!

The Muppets Take the Marvel Universe #1 - These six stories are super, super cute!! I quite love books that take serious characters and make them interact with non-serious characters, and this one does just that. We get the first story, which takes up a majority of the book, where Rowlf the Dog gets kidnapped and taken to the Mojoverse to be a source of entertainment. The Muppets all decide to seek the help of some of Marvel's heroes for a giant rescue mission. The story has amazing team-ups such as Spider-Man with Fozzie, Emma Frost with Miss Piggy, and Deadpool with Gonzo! The big group performs together, saves Rowlf, and sings to celebrate! The other five stories are much shorter but still as fun as the first. Although I won't spoil much about these remaining stories, I will say that there was an extremely unexpected reference in this book. In a throwaway line from Fozzie, we get a Time Lord joke! I didn't expect to see anything Doctor Who-related lately, especially from this comic! Anyways, this comic was an extremely fun and adorable read for all ages!

Dispatched #3 - Dispatched has been low on my reading list, and I certainly regret that! This was an incredible third issue, giving more meat to the story we’ve been told already. Our main character, Morgan, is searching the packages to see what can be weaponized, and finding paint thinner and lighters sparks an idea (pun intended). The next pages give us a gruesome set of scenes, with past and present bodies that Morgan has to carry in his consciousness. They truly make you stop and take a breath, and then continue the book. We continue on with police and federal involvement trying to stop the situation, as the Sons of Liberty continue to kill innocent people in this poor office building. There is also a call between Morgan and Lori happening at around the same time, with her fussing at him for being the same person he was. They seem to have a relationship with one another, though I’m unsure what kind. This series has been quite fun to read, and is an excellent comic to catch up on if you’ve missed it.