It is week number 2 of no new print comics being shipped to stores due to the COVID-19 situation. So, we headed over to Comixology to see if there would at least be any digital releases this week. Huzzah... there were a handful to check out! This week we have a couple of indie titles and one graphic novel release. So, take a look... if you are dying for new content (even though your "to read" stack is still there), here are some to check out. Adventure Finders: Adventure, Monsters and Treasure! #2 - Action LabsOur Story So Far Clariette: A simple town girl with big dreams and an adventurous heart, out to make the world a better place. Ariarra: Pragmatic wandering cleric and healer, fiercely independent. Jolfe Endarion: Clari's cousin, an apprentice wizard with a love of adventure and good food. Together they set out in an age of constant warfare, across a world ruled by a monolithic empire, to battle enemies and monsters, make allies, save people in trouble, and find adventure! Rescued from deadly reavers by a mysterious fey archer named Bielsica, Clariette and her allies finally begin to heal and recover from their long ordeal. Sheltered in the Green Shroud under Bielsica's watchful eye, they rest for a few days. Clariette and her friends and allies, with the help of the mysterious fey archer Bielsica, now finally head for home. Along the way, they come upon the marching army of orcs who raided their caravan some weeks ago. Clari sees that the orcs have the royal Biverius clan prisoner along with many other people. Unwilling to leave them all to a terrible fate, Clari now hatches a daring but dangerous plan... Get it HERE Wonder Woman Vol. 2: Love is a Battlefield - DC ComicsWonder Woman survives her battle against young god Ares only to discover her mother is missing-and so is Aphrodite's child! Together, they'll turn the world upside down to find them, but they must fight a pack of wayward Titans first. Can they convince Diana's foe Giganta to join the fight? Collects Wonder Woman #66-73. Get it HERE Genpet #1 - Magnetic PressYoung Nat Kanan just got his very own Genpet, and just in time -- gangsters are out to get him and his family! Lost in the futuristic Big Apple, the two of them must find a way back to his parents before trouble catches up to them!
Get it HERE There you go folks... stay home, stay safe, and read comics! -CBD
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What a time... This week was the first week in years that no new print comics due to all the going ons with COVID-19. So, pickings were slim as far as what to read. I will say though, that I was pretty excited to read this one when I heard it was coming out.
Before we get into this week's review, I want to let you know about a fundraiser that is supporting Local Comic Shops during this time that their doors are shut. Mad Cave Studios has set up a GoFundMe page HERE to support local comic shops. So, if you can't set up a way to pick up a graphic novel or anything from your local store via online or curbside pick up, check out the link above. A Visitor from Metropolis While the story takes place in the world of Batman: The Animated Series, it doesn't really pick up from where the show ended. However, some time has gone by. Tim Drake seems to be Robin. However, we get a shadowy brief appearance from Jason Todd (who never appeared in the TV show). Also, from my understanding, this comic is based on the BTAS toyline, which is very successful. So, who knows who we might see along the way. The story starts with Batman taking out Bane... very effortlessly I might add, only to quickly have his attention turned to a Iron Giant-esque robot attacking the city and ultimately Wayne Enterprises. The robot steals some alien tech and ends up besting Batman at the end of the night. Then we shift to Bruce attending a party that none other than Lex Luthor himself is attending. They have an exchange where you learn that Superman has been MIA for a bit. It sounds like Lex's time in Gotham will be brief. Next, we cut to see Batman doing some detective work to find the giant robot and retrieve the alien tech before the robot's owner got their hands on it. Then in a very expected twist, we see Lex Luthor in full green and purple armor grab Batman by the throat saying "Of all the gin joints in the world. Why do you keep coming into mine, Batman?". Thats where it ends. This was a 99 cent issue, so it was short. However, great writing from the BTAS creators Dini and Burnett made it feel very full and worth every cent. Its funny, that a lot of the issue was Bruce and Lex talking, but you still left feeling satisfied. There was plenty of moments that take you back to being a kid watching BTAS and had the theme music thumping in your head. One little knock though was the art. It seemed more akin to The New Batman Adventures animated series versus the original series. It even had the pointy fronted batmobile. So, that was a tad disappointing, but easy to move past. All in all, it was a great kick off to this new series. And as things seem right now... this might be the only new content coming out. Also, since it isn't married to the world of BTAS, I am looking forward to what modern DC characters that might show up in this world. So, buckle in and enjoy some BTAS fun. 4/5 stars. -CBD Crazy times we are in right now with COVID-19! Looks like these books actually came early this week. Contact your LCBS and see what they are doing to get books out. I know a lot are doing curbside pick up and even delivery! Anyway, here are our top 3 picks of the week... stay safe out there! BANG! #2 - Dark Horse ComicsA constant stream of terrorist attacks follows John Shaw, and the only thing that keeps him one step ahead is a collection of power-giving inhalers and a hatred of shoes. When he's once again caught in the middle of a terrorist plot, Shaw finds that these random attacks may not be so random--and the fabric of reality may be at stake. ''This is how you make comics!!'' -Brian Michael Bendis ''Skip dinner and buy this book'' -Mark Millar DCeased: Unkillables #2 - DC ComicsWith the world ending around them, Red Hood and Batgirl take shelter in the most unlikely place: an orphanage full of children! Will they be able to protect the kids from the impending hordes of the infected streaming out of Gotham City and Blüdhaven? And elsewhere, Deathstroke, Vandal Savage, and some of DC’s worst villains battle the apocalypse out as an “Anti-Suicide Squad.” But a certain wondrous woman may not let them have it their own way! Spider-Woman #1 - Marvel ComicsSPIDER-WOMAN IS BACK, AND PULLING NO PUNCHES! Jessica Drew hasn’t been feeling like herself lately (she’s not a Skrull, we promise). When the angry, irritable, and unwell Spider-Woman takes a simple security gig to help get back on her feet, she finds herself besieged by unknown forces out to destroy everything around her. What’s wrong with Jessica? Just how DID she get this job? And who are these violent lunatics who keep trying to blow her up? WHO CARES? Does Spider-Woman have someone to punch? THAT’S ALL THAT MATTERS. An explosive new series that pushes Spider-Woman into new heights of action and adventure from the mad minds of Karla Pacheco and Pere Pérez, this is the Spider-Woman book you’ve been waiting for!
-CBD Check out our top 3 picks of the week and their official synopsis! What's on your pull list this week? Flash #751 - DC ComicsThe Flash battles Godspeed as "Flash Age" continues! In this issue, Paradox enlists Godspeed in his mission to erase the Flash legacy from existence! But when Godspeed's allegiance comes into question, Paradox proves he may be the strongest foe Barry Allen's ever faced! Cable #1 - Marvel ComicsTHE DAWN OF REBELLION! Cable was a grizzled old veteran of the wars to save the future... and he will be again. But for now, he's a young mutant living in paradise leading a life of adventure! Nathan Summers, son of two of the most powerful mutants on Krakoa, has a destiny leading the youth of mutantkind in rebellion... so why not start now? Gerry Duggan (MARAUDERS, DEADPOOL) and Phil Noto (STAR WARS, POE DAMERON) bring us young Cable as we've never seen him before! Superman #21 - DC ComicsIt's Mongul versus Superman in the battle for the survival of the United Planets! The Man of Steel must confront Mongul in front of all the powers of the galaxy, or peace will never be achieved. During one of the most private moments in Superman's existence comes one of his biggest challenges. If Superman fails, the whole of the United Planets falls!
-CBD If you haven't heard of TKO Studios, you should check them out. They offer comics in a pretty unique format. They allow to binge a whole story in its initial release. You can do that in a six issue premium format set is an awesome box, a premium format graphic novel, and of course digitally. In a Netflix world, this is an awesome take on comics where you can take in the whole arc at once or take it issue by issue of you choose. I have been super interested in this publisher since I caught wind of them on Instagram, so I thought I would pull the trigger and pick up The Fearsome Dr. Fang and let you all know what TKO is up to. There won't be any spoilers... I want you to check out the book yourself. So lets take a look at not just the story, but the presentation and product itself.... here we go! Pulp Fiction First lets take a look at product and presentation. I opted for the six issue set because I thought the idea of them coming in a collectors box was pretty cool. Take a look at the gallery above. You can see that the set came well packed... bubble wrap and shrink wrap abound. So, no worries about the condition the books will come in. The issues are oversized so finding a bag and board for it might be an issue, but the display box it comes in is will take care of them just fine. The archival paper was nice and thick and the printing was bright and vibrant. They even threw in a decal and button. My only knock is when I opened the top flap of the box, if you bet it beyond 90 degrees, the corners ripped. Not a huge deal, but kinda a bummer that it tore so easily. The box does look great on the shelf. I really want to add more for sure. The story was written by Tze Chun and Mike Wiess with art by Dan McDaid. I was never really into the old pulp comics, but I imagine this book as an modern take on those old books. The story centers around Nayland, a San Francisco police officer in 1904. He and his brother are hot on the trail of the international criminal the Fearsome Dr. Fang. After a few twists and turns Nayland has teamed up with Dr. Fang along with a treasure hunter named Alice Lecroix to hunt down a criminal across the globe who is set on world domination. There lots of Indiana Jones vibes throughout the book for sure. Ancient technology, remote tribes on horseback, and of course booby trapped treasure rooms.
Chun and Wiess do a great job keeping the story rolling. There were a couple of transitions that were just a little confusing, but that would be looking for nit picky things. There was a train heist sequence that I particularly enjoyed The art had shades of Sean Gordon Murphy, which I loved. Lots of splash pages iPhone wallpaper worthy. All in all I was really please all around from what TKO has to offer. The story was awesome and for sure re readable. The product presentation was top notch. They are offering something that you would be proud to put on your shelf. So take a look at tkopresents.com. There you can see all their offerings... oh and you can read every first issue for free! I'm a fan of what TKO is doing and I think you will be too. Check them out and find a series for you. It's worth the investment. -CBD Check out our top 3 picks of the week and their official synopsis! What is on your pull list this week? Strange Adventures #1 - DC ComicsAfter winning five Eisner Awards and topping year-end “best of lists,” the comic book of 2019 was Mister Miracle. The comic book of 2020 will be Strange Adventures. The Mister Miracle team of writer Tom King and artist Mitch Gerads are joined by fan-favorite artist Evan “Doc” Shaner to bring you an epic tale in the tradition of Watchmen, The Dark Knight Returns and DC: The New Frontier—a story of blood, war and love that readers will be talking about for years to come. Adam Strange is the hero of Rann, a man famous throughout the galaxy for his bravery and honor. After leading his adopted home to victory in a great planetary war, Adam and his wife Alanna retire to Earth, where they are greeted by cheers, awards and parades. But not all is as happy and nice as it seems, as the decisions Adam made during battles on Rann come back to haunt his family and threaten the entire DC Universe. And now a surprise DC hero will have to choose between saving Adam Strange and saving the world. A story like no other, Strange Adventures is an ambitious, thrilling, shocking and beautiful 12-issue saga that will push Adam Strange to the breaking point—and beyond! -DC Comics Strange Academy #1 - Marvel ComicsFeaturing action-packed extras including a Cover Gallery, Script, Inked And Color Pages and more! A SORCERER SCHOOL FOR THE MARVEL UNIVERSE! The Marvel Universe has mysteriously changed in such an alarming way that Doctor Strange has done what he’s avoided for decades; he’s opened a school for young sorcerers. Young people from around the world with aptitude in magic have been brought together in New Orleans to study the Mystic Arts under Strange, Brother Voodoo, the Ancient One, the Scarlet Witch, Magik, Hellstrom and ALL your favorite Marvel magicians. But with all the new magical threats, is it too late?! -Marvel Comics The Crow Lethe #1 - Dark Horse ComicsHe is NULL NARCOS, popular performer in the FREAK-CHIC CIRCUS SIDESHOW, able to endure horrific violence on his body without pain. But outside his nightly shows, Null is a blank slate, with only faint but disturbing memories of who he was before revealed.
When other performers begin dying mysteriously, Null is haunted by a golden-eyed stalker and begins to remember a life he’d thought long gone… a life of murder, terror, and black wings. -Dark Horse Comics It has been a hot minute since I have done a "Comics My Kids Can Read" post. So, in the interest of keeping things interesting, considering my last post was my first ever Netflix series review, I figured this would be a good time to do our first one of these for 2020.
Briefly... We will give a general synopsis, things I think both kids and adults will like, and what ages this book would be appropriate for. So here we go... spoilers ahead! S'mores! The book starts as most Teen Titans Go episodes and issues start with Robin barging in and telling the team to get with it for what ever adventure they are about to have. This time he is barking at them to get packed for summer camp. There is a nice little montage of the team getting ready... Cyborg getting SPF 50 motor oil, Raven packing a dozen of her same cloak, Beast Boy turning into an elephant to sit on his suitcase, and of course Starfire making sure she packs her slime-covered floxnard. Things come to a halt though when Raven mentions that they are going to a new camp this year because they were kicked out of their old one... which of course no one seems to remember why. Most of the issue is a flashback to last summer and why they got kicked out of summer camp at the Hall of Justice. The flashback starts with them arriving to camp to find out the H.I.V.E and Titans East would be there too and that not even the Wonder Twins were low-level enough to be their counselor, but in fact it would be Gleek the monkey. Robin spends the whole time turning everything into a competition, even when it wasn't A couple of things that I really enjoyed was Robin stacking all the chairs for musical chairs with the Mobius Chair on top. Another was him going to Themyscira knowing very well that if a male stepped foot on its ground, it would destroy the Amazons... and oops, his toe touches a rock and ultimately destroys Paradise Island. The flashback ends with Robin bringing a giant s'more via crane to the camp fire. The giant marshmallow ends up melting and causes a lava flow that destroys the area around the Hall of Justice. Raven even mentions they still haven't found Elongated Man to this day. The issue wraps up with Robin promising to be much more chill at this summer camp. Then suddenly a boom tube opens up and a very Jack Kirby-esque drawn Devilance The Pursuer (talk about a deep dive into the Kirby-verse) shows up to take the Titans to their new summer camp... in Apokolips! So it sounds like there should be plenty of fun in store for the Titans. I am curious to see what shenanigans they'll get in with Granny Goodness and Darkseid himself. If you and your kids enjoy Teen Titans Go!, I recommend this book. Also, at .99 per issue, its a steal for fun content for kids and parents alike. There were not any semi-crude jokes and honestly, I was surprised there wasn't any potty humor even. Saying that, I think you can totally let your kiddos read this unsupervised as this issue was appropriate for all ages. My soon to be 7 year old and I will for sure look forward to these adventures. There was enough Easter eggs that parents will enjoy and of course the slapstick humor of the Teen Titans for your kids to you coming back for this series. Pick it up digitally! -CBD This show caught my attention. I thought Sophia Lillis was great in IT and I am LOVING the content that Netflix is putting out right now. I had just previously binged You. So, I thought I would give this one a try.
There will be a few spoilers ahead... Superpowers?! I knew ZERO about this showing going into it. All I knew is that the folks who made Stranger Things and the director of The End of the F***king World were behind this. I loved both of those. Frankly, this show was the absolute perfect marriage of both those shows. Here is the official synopsis: I Am Not Okay with This. Sydney is a teenage girl navigating the trials and tribulations of high school while dealing with the complexities of her family, her budding sexuality, and mysterious superpowers just beginning to awaken deep within her. I had no idea that Sydney would be getting superpowers at all. So, it was quite the surprise for me when they dropped that in the show. It is not campy at all. They do a great job of keeping it grounded and seeing what an angsty teen would do with getting superpowers they know nothing about. (sorry, nothing like SHAZAM!). Each episode is a easily chewable 20ish minutes. There are also only 8 total. So I binged this in a couple of nights after the kiddos went to bed. On that note... it is very TV-MA. The kids deal with lots of sexual situations, drug use, and the language is pretty rough... f-bombs galore. Oh, and there is just the right amount of violence as well. In fact, I think the show does a great job with how they use the violence. It does what violence should do... shock you. I think so many shows now overuse violence to the point you become numb to it. Not here... there were a few occasions I audibly said "woah!" It wasn't until I watched this, did I find out it was based on a graphic novel of the same title by Charles Forsman... needless to say, I will be picking it up. Hopefully the second season is already slated for release. The episodes flew by and of course left us with a huge cliffhanger. Netflix has done a good job not leaving us hanging on that cliff for too long before the next release. the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina come to mind with how it has been released in parts vs seasons and even gave us a Christmas special. Word on the street is that we can expect to hear something about Season 2 as early as March. Again, if you need something to tide you over until the next season of Stranger Things, this will for sure do the trick. These episodes come at you fast... so I think I will give it a rewatch to see what I missed the first time. Looking forward to what the next season has in store. I give this show 4 stars. For sure worth the quick binge! -CBD As you go along in your years reading comics... I think it turns into more to what type of books speak to you. Yes, I love a good superhero romp or a group book teaming up to stop a world ending event, but sometimes you just want to read a quality book and Joe Hill delivers that.
I have been super intrigued by the DC Hill House Comics line... The Low Low Woods, Dollhouse Family, Basketful of Heads. This book, Plunge, was written by Joe Hill himself, so I figured this would be a good one to try on. For me, this book checked crossed a part of my Venn diagram that I love... nautical horror. So here we go... SPOILERS AHEAD! You're Going To Need A Bigger Boat This book is very much a set up issue. While I was hoping for a little more cutaways to some sea monsters or haunted shipwrecks, Joe does a great job of building out our cast of characters and give you a chance to actually care about the awful things that I am sure will happen in the issues to come. Our crew is brought together because the Rococo International has heard a distress signal from one of their ships after a huge tsunami, but whats weird is that this ship went missing 40 years ago. The first of the crew recruited is Moriah, a marine biologist, because something also seems to be up with the sea life in the area. Captain Carpenter and his crew who run a salvage operation pulling stuff off the sea floor. In fact they just pulled up a crate full of dildos... yes, dildos. Their ship is where it looks like the setting of the book will be taking place mostly. Then lastly, we have David Locombe, the stogy exec from Rococo who will be there to make sure their investment is going to be recovered. Of course... the ship they are hunting, was going after some "rare wildlife"... so I'm sure that'll be coming up later. They set off to find the Derleth, which is half sunk on a reef near an atoll where a meteor had crashed millions of year ago. They arrive at night and decide to camp on the atoll before they start recovery of the Derleth the next day. They set up a fire, have some drinks, and of course nothing weird will happen right? Nope, Moriah heads off to a pee break to find what seems to be a fairly new dead body of a man in a orange jumpsuit. He is holding a knife in his hand and has a slit throat. To make it even weirder... there are a couple of sea critters in his neck and they talk to Moriah, telling her its alright to scream... and of course thats how we close the issue. In Joe I trust... Like I said before, I would have liked some more scary build up, but, we have five more issues to deliver all of that creepy goodness.. I did love all of the Jaws references... the salvage crew dubbed their members as the Hooper and Brodie of their crew. Working that in was such a great bite to take in this book. Joe set up these characters well, and I want to see what happens to them next. I will for sure be picking up the next issue to see what happens to this group of misfits as they step foot on the Derleth in the next issue. I think you should too. Pick this book up. -CBD Decided to change things up this week with the release of Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of one Harley Quinn (this will be the only time I type out the entire title!) and give you guys a SPOILER FREE review.
As I type this up, I have been seeing news that Birds of Prey sadly under preformed at the box office and is expected to bring in around $33 million while it was projected to bring in $40-$50 million. So we will talk a little bit about why that might be as well. So here we go... again, this will be SPOILER FREE. I want you to experience this one on your own. Egg Sandwich First lets talk about the things that worked in this film...
I really enjoyed this movie. Yes, it was a girl gang movie all the way. However, I did not feel pressured by any politics or other sub agendas at all. Again... it was funny, great action, and took you to a corner in the DC movie universe that we have not seen before. It was fresh and original from start to finish. I will be seeing again. 4.25/5 stars -CBD |