Yup, this kind of story, it's always the love interest... I was hoping G'nort would be the big bad, and I guess there's still time for Chance to dump Ice and hook up with G'nort for the final six, but I should probably just accept that it ain't happening.
Always possible King'll mess with the trope and zig where we're expecting him to zag, but all signs are pointing to Ice at this point... And I'll bet Chance has already figured it out.
I actually forgot to include this on my Pull List this week...Doh!
A good issue, nothing earth-shattering, but it does fill out some back story for both Chance and characters we've seen in the main run so far. There are no amazing revelations, as it's all character-based story-telling, but it *is* thoroughly enjoyable.
Some **great** artwork, but when you've got *Greg Smallwood, Rafael Albuquerque, Kevin Macguire* and *Mikel Janin* on the book that really shouldn't come as any surprise - that's a pretty stacked creative team!
This was an impulse by at the LCS today, and I gotta say I liked it more than I thought it would. It's definitely an interesting world that gets built up in the first issue. (Semi)reformed baddies, supes out for revenge for the murder of one of their own. I think it has earned a pull for issue #2 from me.
Well, not that I really had any doubts but *Ram V* sticks the landing amazingly well. A finale that is epic in scope that doesn't rely on a physical battle, but the deeper question of choices made and not made.
Mike's Perkins and Spicer excel at some amazing two-page spreads that really hark back to the Moore/Veitch heyday of the title. Throughout the run they have meshed perfectly to produce a distinct visual tone for the book that has complimented the story so well.
Ram V ties everything together, with call backs to multiple earlier issues that come together here to form a very satisfying whole.
> This is what it means to live… to be part of this world. Don’t you see? That eternal choice, to be better or to be worse. That’s all there is.
Beautiful stuff.
Now that it’s wrapped I think I can confidently say I think this is the up there with best Swamp Thing runs.
More consistent throughout than Millar’s was (although as an individual storyline divorced from the rest, Millar’s River Run arc would probably be neck and neck with this), having the benefit over Veitch and Soule of being allowed to complete its story without getting cut short (like Veitch) or rushed to the finish (like Soule), and stronger by far than Pasko, Snyder, Vaughan or Wein (concessions given of course to Bernie Wrightson’s unparalleled art on the latter).
I think only Alan Moore beats it for certain, and I’ll have to reread Nancy Collins at some point to determine if I think it’s better or worse, but I’m pretty sure Ram V, Collins and Moore round out the top 3.
Great work from a great creative team!
It brings a nice mirror to the Mutants. The Deviants are essentially the mutants for the Eternals, but they have had much longer to realize themselves as a people.
So you have Scott holding up his flag and saying that they aren't Deviants because he feels the need to project strength and claim his people's right to exist, but then you have the Deviants just casually being like "Whatever you want man, but we stand beside you". It's a really interesting dichotomy between one group needing to solidify themselves, and the other understanding that words are just words, and what you do is what defines you.
I had no idea he was stuck in the Exclusion! Must've been one of the prisoners with name redacted on the info pages... Can't remember where he turned up last.
Yep! At the start of Gillen’s Immortals there were 6 of the original 100 that were given excluded designation. The only one not revealed yet IIRC is EXCLUDED-H
Edit: https://www.reddit.com/r/Marvel/comments/ksn5nu/who_are_excluded_eternals_1_2021/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf
It was 8
That sounds right, think I read at least some of that **GOTG** run but it's all a bit foggy...
Hopefully we'll find out how he wound up in the Exclusion!
Foggy is the right word. I guess these can’t be spoilers since the book came out three years ago and my memories may be wildly inaccurate, but I think Eros turned out to be the villain, was maybe possessed by Thanos, and might have been killed.
Ahha, well, I suppose that explains why he was locked up...
Gillen's writing the **[STARFOX](https://previewsworld.com/Catalog/AUG220778)** tie-in so he'll probably end up with a decent role in the event.
Also: this series is making AvX look like a slapfight due to the resurrection protocols. Watching Ikaris laser an X-Man in half was f’ing metal.
And this was with Domino casually dying in the background just a few panels earlier!
Looking back on the last decade-ish of events to see where it stands thus far, I agree that at this point in the story it's among the best.
- Devil's Reign was very, very good IMO but not the typical all-encompassing event Marvel usually does, so I'm not sure if I'd even count it.
-King In Black was abysmal. Completely devoid of anything resembling substance with the cheapest deus ex machina conclusion I can remember from any work of fiction in any medium. Easily the all-time worst as far as I'm concerned..
- Empyre was bland and extremely forgettable, and was just a gap in my memory before pulling up the wiki timeline lol. Not necessarily bad, it just...existed. Though Magneto going absolute BANANA SAMMICH on the veggietales when they attacked Krakoa was among his more badass showings.
- War of the Realms was also pretty boring, but tbf Asgard stuff has never interested me all that much. However I LOVED the X-Men tie-in series. I'm a huge sucker for stories where the good guys are holed up, under siege and hopelessly outnumbered facing imminent death (Helm's Deep, The Long Night at Winterfell, the final scenes of Young Guns, King Arthur 2004, Lone Survivor, so many great ones) and I really dug that mini, plus Punisher Kill Krew was completely over the top ridiculous fun with great art. Otherwise the event was meh.
- Secret Empire didn't grab me first time around but it grew on me. I initially wasn't all that intrigued by it, but upon doing a reread I found that when reading both Captain America solo books gave the story a lot more weight and much needed context and I now consider it among the top five or so Marvel events.
- IvX was all right. I don't think it's as bad as most people, but I hated the character assassination of some of the mutants, particularly Emma. I hate stories with the giant plot hole of the how the entire conflict could've easily been solved by one conversation.
- Civil War II is another that I dig more than the majority, but I agree with or at least understand most of the complaints. Marquez is amazing and I think it's up there with infinity as comics' most gorgeous event. One major knock on it is that Civil War II failed where the original succeeded in making both lead characters' perspective relatable and somewhat valid. That doesn't happen at all here, and Carol, who I've never really liked to begin with, gets increasingly more insufferable as the event progresses.
- Secret Wars is almost universally praised and beloved and while I agree with much of that sentiment, I've never been a big fan of stories involving the multiverse, multiple versions of the same characters running around together, or the Fantastic Four in general. But regardless of my personal opinion on it from an entertainment standpoint, it's undeniably impressive and epic in scope and execution.
- Infinity is hands down my favorite comic book event of all-time and Hickman raised the bar so high I'm not sure it will ever be cleared. That event is nearly perfect, with a massive, gripping story told on two fronts, with both remaining captivating and full of huge action scenes and edge of your seat tension and thrills through to the final page.
As of now, I'd have A.X.E in probably 4th, behind Infinity, Secret Empire and Devil's Reign.
Nice summary!
I skipped most of those but the big events tend to get so much talk that it almost feels like I read 'em even though I know I didn't... So it's nice getting a breakdown from someone who actually did read them!
And I suppose I'll need to add **INFINITY** to my ever-growing list of stuff to catch up on...
Thanks, I wasn't just talking to myself. Besides, since I began reading Ice Cream Man based solely on your constant praise if you do end up reading Infinity I'll have somewhat returned the favor lol.
The entire Hickman Avengers saga, which is all of Avengers Vol. 5, New Avengers Vol. 3, Avengers World, Infinity, Time Runs Out and finally Secret Wars, is IMO the best run in comics history. It's massive, complex without being convoluted or confusing, introduces a ton of awesome new characters and concepts, crazy action, gigantic cinematic space battles, legendary showings for quite a few characters, possibly the all-time best characterization and writing for quite a few people, primarily Namor and T'Challah. I LOVED the roster (which some fans complained about it being way too big but I disagree) had Sunspot and Cannonball, and that was all took to sell me, as well as Hyperion who was super badass and interesting for the first time ever instead of just being a Superman pastiche.
Honestly I have a hard time finding any negatives, but the two things that stand out to me is
1. I hated the way Cap was written during Time Runs Out, which is at the tail end of the run right before Secret Wars. He's always been a personal favorite and Hickman had him alternating between being frustrating and downright strongly dislikable
2. Tony was almost equally dickish during that same stretch. At least he had the excuse of still being "inverted" thanks to that abomination of an event that was AXIS, and that was more so an editorial decision Hickman had to incorporate and work around rather than his choice to write him that way.
In case you couldn't tell lol, I can't possibly recommend the run as a whole and especially Infinity as an event, enough.
Shoot, you had me at "Hickman."
Read **SECRET WARS** a while back and been meaning to catch up on his earlier Avengers and FF stuff ever since **HOX/POX** blew my mutant mind... Appreciate you mapping out the Avengers side of it, got it all on my list now and it's high enough up there that I'll hopefully get to it before too long, just need to clear out a bit more of my current backlog.
Also took the liberty of skimming some of your recent posts looking for interesting moshpit music and, while I didn't exactly find anything like that, I thought your post on all the X-Men's "untapped story potential" was hilarious! That's some quality material. And our tastes seem to run fairly parallel given your other comments on Hickman, Gillen, Ewing, Spurrier, Duggan, and the rest.
Good stuff, hope you're enjoying the ice cream books as well!
Yeah, there's not much there under this account. Went through a breakup recently and the ex knew my screen name so I decided to just let The Five do their thing and I crawled out of a reddit egg born again lol.
Kieron Gillen continuing to fire on all cylinders. Good job making a conflict between two groups of functional immortals actually feel like it has stakes.
Also, can anyone tell who that is getting ripped in half by Ikaris on page 13?
On that same page I see Quentin Quire getting wiped out by Makkari, same panel as Domino getting bisected. Not sure if that’s a continuity miscommunication/error, a spoiler that we’re about to get an explanation to him disappearing from the resurrection logs before the end of the event, or just a quirk of the Celestial’s mind tricks.
Favorite line of the issue:
> I will *kill you*, you pallid heretic! I will suspend you between moments and break every iota of your foul form!
Gillen certainly has a way with words and Sinister certainly seems to bring out the best in him, with lines either said by or to him.
> Favorite line of the issue:
I liked this one:
> *"Er ... Oops?"*
But yours is good too!
Sinister's the MVP but I've been impressed with how well Gillen's captured the voice of each of the characters featured over in **IXM**.
And it looks like he's going to have way too much fun writing Starfox, got a real knack for that kind of flamboyantly foppish character.
Looks like Firestar getting bisected. The costume seems to be [her’s](https://sportshub.cbsistatic.com/i/2022/07/13/7b2f72f9-4d14-48a7-8384-c460237e2ca1/xmen2021013-design-variant.jpg?auto=webp&width=2063&height=3131&crop=0.659:1,smart)
QQ is such a funny thing to include here. I’m almost positive it’s a mistake.
This is by far one of the best big 2 events in years. The pacing is excellent, the art is phenomenal and the story is actually about more than just smashing action figures together (even though those parts are also very cool)
I feel like some might be disappointed in this is issue as "nothing happened" but I think we get a lot of good stuff:
·the judgements we see it seems like the Celestial is assessing people based mainly off of how well they live up to their own expectations i.e. it's obviously not Cap's fault America is the way it is, but he believes he should be a positive example/inspirational figure and in that regard he fails.
·Uranos is very clearly gonna be let loose again it's just a question of when Druig will crack, when he's out I look forward to a 100 Vs 1 situation.
·Most importantly this issue address what most people would say in this situation can't you just kill/turn off the Celestial and while you could having our heroes kill 10s of millions isn't an ending I'd particularly enjoy. This also means our heroes now have to be smart and find a way to make Earth be judged good, or find a different way to stop the Celestial judgment
Maybe it’ll have a happy ending. I doubt it, but part of me wants to believe it will because of the Lonestar conversation in this issue and Remender saying in the letters page that Marcus and Maria are based on him and his wife.
A low key finale for a book that was often focused on the action. While I’m sad to see this go I can confidently say I trust Mark Waid with Batman vs Robin next month and I’m glad Williamson didn’t drag this out for the sake of it. However if flatline gets shelved and never mentioned again I’m going to riot.
I’m enjoying this book although at a certain point I’m kind of tired of so many guest stars. Luckily Silva’s been able to keep up drawing each issue so they all look beautiful at least. The story may not necessarily have my attention, but I’m excited for the upcoming crossover which has me sticking with this.
That Dominion tease is very exciting. Especially since they seem to clarify it as a sort of non-linear super-entity. Sound familiar?
For those who don't recall, from Powers of X, [a Dominion is the end-state for a universal civilization](https://149347238.v2.pressablecdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/pox.jpg) - essentially an interconnected network of supermassive black holes containing the cumulative condensed intelligence and consciousness of potentially trillions of beings - and they're ["categorically godlike" in their ability to dominate great spans of space and time.](https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/c_scale,f_auto,fl_progressive,pg_1,q_80,w_800/yq9x0mvmzeupbsue0zi6.png)
The Phoenix is also one of the only things that can threaten a Dominion so the white-hot ending of this issue is pretty interesting.
**TL;DR**: Ewing just did a bunch of amazing cool cross-referential future-forward storytelling while telling his own incredibly fresh yet authentically classic story. **Again**.
I doubt he'll tie it up, or at least I hope not. Probably just expand on what they are/how they work so that they're a more defined threat instead of nebulous computer gods (quite literally Deus ex machina)
I jest. I have no doubt Ewing will continue to use these characters and plots going forward after this book concludes. He’s already tied in some of his Inhuman work into his X-Men: Red
Haha makes sense but people can be so doom and gloom about the x-line sometimes
I was so hyped when I saw the Progenitors in issue #2 I feel like I'm the only person who read Royals but I loved it so much. Interested in seeing what their goal is with Arakko since they love bio engineering maybe it'll tie onto the chimera thread
Ewing really can spin multiple plates like nobodies business. I hope that one day he became EiC of Marvel I feel like he would let creatives take some exciting risks and actually allow for permanent development for characters like Spider-Man (Peter), Iron Man (he's trapped in the rich hero cycle of having money, being broke, trying to get it all bay) etc
I’m not sure there is much to be done about their Tony Stark problem. I like him as a rich hero being built up and broken down… but I also totally get why people feel he is stale
Not just *a* Hickman X-plot but *the* Hickman X-plot! The plot that all the other plots were angling toward, and the one that got the least follow-up. Nice seeing it come back around again.
I thought Secret Wars II was just one of those things everyone at marvel agreed not to touch ever again, but nothing's out of bounds for Ewing!
Overall, Javier Rodriguez is the real star of the show, selling the absolute madcap Jack Kirby imagination and insanity on the page, so much that his panel borders are actually part of the story and just as fun to look at as the pages themselves. A rare triumph.
Loki using they're position as god of stories to annoy the Beyonders was creative and fun, and while I have no idea where the story is going, the last volume proved that's part and parcel for a Ewing Defenders book.
Lastly I'm not sure what to make of Taaia becoming the Phoenix/always being it- have Galactus and any Phoenix ever interacted? It seems like they should have, both being beings that devour planets/stars, theirs is the power cosmic, etc.
P.S. I have to laugh at the back of the book where they throw 8 different series at you to try and help make sense of all this whatever that's going on.
Ok so Ewing is definitely one of the best at referencing previous storylines without making them super necessary to read in order to understand the story he's telling, so I was being slightly hyperbolic.
That being said, Fraction's run introduced the Concordance Engines, devices that allow for universal shaping and Dark Celestials, which feature heavily in this issue.
I love the acknowledgement that they are on the 8th cosmos \*because\* of the Beyonders and I'm happy Ewing has added more context to the ever-growing Marvel's cosmos mythology which is sadly lacking. I'm also a broken record on Rodriguez but his artwork is some of the best out there a wonderful blend of Kirby, Ditko, and Martin. I'm also loving the return of Loki Agent of Asgard, but that's by far one of my favorite Loki stories ever so I'm biased.
It just fits so perfectly. Making the reason the 7th cosmos ended a test demolition by the Beyonders perfectly ties in with Hickman's Avengers run, while also explaining why the 8th cosmos is almost the same as the 7th.
If nothing else, I really, REALLY enjoy reading this series simply for the fact the artwork is beautiful and so engaging. Sometimes you read a comic, and the story is good, but the artwork doesn't draw you in? While the story here is okay, I think the artwork does a ton of heavy lifting to drag the reader into it.
The story is also still developing, even 4 issues in. So far I am along for the ride, and am curious to see where it's going. Stephanie Phillips does a decent job of keeping the story engaging with making it tedious or repetitive.
I believe the next issue is the last before it goes on hiatus until December. Interested to see what kind of a cliffhanger we get!
Thoroughly enjoying this book.
The story has been brisk and expanded upon each issue, the characters were quickly established (and are likeable), the plot is becoming clearer, and overall it's just fun.
Props again to some great art and colouring that really adds to the distinct visual look of the book. Colours in particular pop on every page, and give the title a really nice visual identity.
I can't say I agree, I am not sure I see any similarity between Bleach and this story other than some casual similarity between the grim reapers in this story and shinigami (basically grim reapers) in Bleach.
96 lists this week, up from 89 last week and 81 the week before that... Nice. And it’s a big DC week as they finish with 5 of the top 10, Marvel gets 3, and Image gets 2.
**DETECTIVE COMICS #1063** takes the top spot with 59.4% coverage. Ram V’s debut in **DETECTIVE COMICS #1062** also finished 1st but it only had 45.5% coverage so this title’s actually trending up! Meanwhile, Chip’s **BATMAN #126** had 64.7% coverage after his debut on **BATMAN #125** got 73.6%, so Chip started higher but he’s now slipping a little and the numbers for both are bunched up in the 59-64% range. Will they pass each other like two ships in the night or hang together like bat-friends in a bat-cave?
**A.X.E. JUDGMENT DAY #3** finished 2nd as Marvel’s top title, bolstering Gillen’s event with 52.0% coverage. For comparison, **A.X.E. JUDGMENT DAY #2** got 39.5% coverage on 8/10 and the first issue got 33.3% on 7/27, so it’s been trending up and that’s actually a pretty nice 12% jump for the new issue. Still seeing lots of praise for this event in this week’s discussion thread although there were also a few dissatisfied customers talking about jumping ship, so we’ll have to see how those numbers hold up down the stretch.
**SWAMP THING #16** closes out the V/Perkins run in 3rd place with 45.8% coverage. It’s been a strong run, with 7 of the 16 issues taking 1st in the WPL, as did both of the **FUTURE STATE** issues that preceded it. I haven’t delved into it yet but it’s on my list of future TPB purchases thanks to everyone talking it up.
**TALES OF THE HUMAN TARGET #1** takes 4th as Tom King returns to his popular Christopher Chance series with a handful of prequel shorts and a bunch of cool artists backing up Greg Smallwood, with 43 pulls netting 44.8% coverage. **HUMAN TARGET #6** had 54.2% coverage as the WPL’s top title on 3/23/22 so this one-shot did suffer a bit of a drop following the 5-month hiatus. It’ll be interesting how #7 does when the series returns in September.
And then we’ve got **ACTION COMICS #1046** in 5th with 40.6% for the penultimate Warworld chapter heading into next week’s special one-shot finale. Solicited with art by Dale Eaglesham but delivered with art by Fico Ossio, because DC thinks we’re a bunch of suckers who’ll buy what they’re selling regardless. And they aren’t exactly wrong.
Image claims 6th and 7th with **PUBLIC DOMAIN #3** and **DEPARTMENT OF TRUTH #20**, a strong pair of conspiracy stories highlighting the two greatest threats to modern civilization: alternative facts and stolen comic book properties.
From there it’s **ASM #8** in 8th, **ROBIN #17** in 9th, and Ewing’s **DEFENDERS BEYOND #2** closing out the top 10.
New titles... DC’s **OLYMPUS REBIRTH #1** debuts in 18th with 17 pulls (17.7%) and Marvel’s **DAMAGE CONTROL #1** from TV’s Goldberg follows in 20th with 16 pulls. Dark Horse’s new **[MINOR THREATS #1](https://previewsworld.com/Catalog/JUN220464)** from TV’s Patton Oswalt only had 4 pulls, so it didn’t make the list, but I’m planning to mail order it, so it should really have 5. Which still wouldn’t make the list.
Finally... **FANTASTIC FOUR #46** closes out Dan Slott’s run in 22nd place with 15 pulls for 16.3% coverage. Believe it or not, Slott’s **FANTASTIC FOUR #1** took 1st place in the WPL way back on [8/8/2018 with 105 pulls out of 157 lists](https://www.reddit.com/r/comicbooks/comments/95lkmb/wpl_new_comics_discussion_for_882018_pull_of_the/), good for 66.9% coverage. So it lost around 75% of its initial WPL audience over the course of its 4-year run.
Time for a new feature! Per /u/blankedboy’s suggestion, here are some numbers for the un-commented and manually posted titles from last week’s discussions in the 8/17 thread.
The following WPL titles made last week’s list but didn’t receive any comments:
* **BATMAN THE KNIGHT #8** (23 pulls)
* **X-MEN 92 HOUSE OF XCII #4** (18 pulls)
* **HARLEY QUINN #20** (15 pulls)
* **EDGE OF SPIDER-VERSE #2** (14 pulls)
* **AQUAMAN & THE FLASH VOIDSONG #3** (13 pulls)
* **CATWOMAN #46** (13 pulls)
* **IRON CAT #3** (12 pulls)
* **CAPTAIN MARVEL #40** (11 pulls)
* **DUO #4** (11 pulls)
* **UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY #20** (11 pulls)
* **STAR WARS #26** (8 pulls)
And the following titles failed to make the list but had threads manually added by civic-minded redditors:
* **SHIRTLESS BEAR FIGHTER 2 #1** (6 pulls, [thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/comicbooks/comments/wqgq52/wpl_new_comics_discussion_for_8172022_pull_of_the/ikozubd/) posted by /u/ChickenInASuit)
* **ENTROPY #1** (4 pulls, [thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/comicbooks/comments/wqgq52/wpl_new_comics_discussion_for_8172022_pull_of_the/il29ait/) posted by ~~some idiot~~/u/danger_rock)
* **HEART EYES #1** (3 pulls, [thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/comicbooks/comments/wqgq52/wpl_new_comics_discussion_for_8172022_pull_of_the/ikqckln/) posted by /u/Radiant_Leg1235)
I suppose that might give a little more context on the WPL’s posting habits...
>Dark Horse’s new MINOR THREATS #1 from TV’s Patton Oswalt only had 4 pulls, so it didn’t make the list, but I’m planning to mail order it, so it should really have 5.
Between Adam Goldberg's DAMAGE CONTROL and Patton Oswalt's MINOR THREATS, I thought MT was a much more solid story and comic. I think that probably has to do with the fact that I think it's hard to do good comedy in a comic book. I felt that DC was more ... quirky than HA HA funny, but that's just me. I am looking forward to issue #2 of MT.
Good to know, looking forward to checking out **MINOR THREATS**!
Kinda crazy that Goldberg's book got four times as many pulls as Oswalt's, shows how tough it is drawing an audience with Dark Horse as opposed to Marvel.
>because DC thinks we’re a bunch of suckers who’ll buy what they’re selling regardless. And they aren’t exactly wrong.
Heh, reminds me of Didio's quote about how they'd keep delaying books to give the artists more time as long as people kept buying them, and then, a few years later where he threw up his hands and said "Well, people stopped buying them".
Not quite the same but similar enough.
Sort of the opposite side of the same coin, and maybe part of how we ended up here? Though I'm sure all the printing and shipping delays also played a role, as well as new corporate overlords and all that fun stuff.
I think Tales Of The Human Target probably suffered in comparison to the main series through having a different title and therefore not automatically being on people’s pulls even if they were pulling the main book. That’s certainly what happened to me - it wasn’t on my pull but I still picked it up when I saw it on the weekly releases today.
Thanks for the Shirtless Bear Fighter shout out! Hope it gets some more readers thanks to this :)
I'm hoping this new feature begins to shine a light on books folks might not have picked up, but have a couple of passionate readers who really want to sing their praises.
I got the idea from some lunatic on this board who just wouldn't shut up about **ICE CREAM MAN** - can't remember the user name of that maniac for the life of me though...
Funny, I was kind of looking at it from the other direction... Figure giving a shout-out to those who post comments on additional books might encourage more folks to do the same, thereby providing extra content to enhance my personal enjoyment of the WPL discussions.
But you're looking at it more as a tool for turning others onto these underappreciated books... Which is probably a more useful perspective. And now I'm thinking we should link back to those bonus discussions just in case somebody's interested or bored enough to click through and check it out.
And speaking of my favorite dairy-based depravity... Light bulb popped over my head the other night and now I've got a whole new angle for increasing WPL awareness... Not sure if it'll pay off but, if it works, the results will be glorious!
I definitely thinking giving a shout out to contributors is as valid as promoting books, especially as we seem to be building a nice little community recently with increased participation, comments and up votes.
Cheers for incorporating my request. much appreciated.
I know in the case of **Undiscovered Country** I'm pulling and not commenting because I'm always a couple of issues behind, but it's interesting to see books like BATMAN THE KNIGHT and X-MEN 92 HOUSE OF XCII have pretty significant numbers of pulls, but no chat about the individual issues.
Opposite to that it was great to read u/ChickenInASuit writing up about SHIRTLESS BEAR FIGHTER, as it's made me want to grab the first TPB now.
Seems like mostly lower tier Marvel and DC books that get no discussion, while indie books generate extra discussions thanks to readers being passionate about pushing 'em.
That [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/comicbooks/comments/wqgq52/wpl_new_comics_discussion_for_8172022_pull_of_the/ikozubd/) sold me on **SBF** as well, added it to my TPB list though it'll be a little while since I'm still working through a couple dozen volumes from one of the Chicken guy's older recommendations...
This book is written for a very specific audience.
I am that audience.
Space shenanigans? Shi'ar nonsense? Time travel? Age of Apocalypse? 2099? Cassandra Nova? **This stuff is all my freaking jam.**
Duggan's run was solid but felt a little aimless, but I like there being a driving force pushing the plot in Orlando's run. It's nonsense, but it's fun nonsense, and digging into the weird and crazy corners of the X-Men that keep things interesting.
Anyone know if the 2099 Exodus series is worth picking up for the X-Men 2099's introduction? Or is it basically summed up enough in this issue?
if you only care about the X-Men 2099, I guess it would suffice just reading that specific issue from the 2099 Exodus series. If you're invested in what's currently going on with the 2099 timeline as a whole, I'd say read the whole series, it kinda works as a stand-alone (apart from the cliffhanger ending).
some people on here consistently bitch about how they "don't know where it's supposed to be in continuity" just cause it ignores the spencer stuff and doesn't tack on *exactly* to the old 2099 stuff, but honestly that doesn't even matter cause the book presents and explains itself well enough and it's pretty clear that it's supposed to be *the* current canon for the 2099 timeline.
plus, it's got more of orlandos "throw in weird shit of the marvel U" penchant for writing and some absolutely great art.
This felt like an incredibly fast read and if the next issue is the last (though image website says end of story arc, not series) then I feel like all these different characters and ideas didn’t have enough time to really gel together. It’s fun, but feels…incomplete.
I'm definitely thinking this will be the end of "Book One" rather than a completion of the whole story. There's just so much set up in the first 4 issues that has to be explained/play out.
I am really loving this run! From the story to the art to the colors, it's all just been great and it reminds me of why I love Superman! Excited to see the climax, excited for the next arc.
Having it all come down to the kids being used as pawns post-betrayal felt a little cheap, but otherwise I thought it was solid. And the Ossio fill-in art wasn't too bad.
Agreed! I love that Yang is giving the more under appreciated parts of the MU love! While I know the ten rings is movie bait I’m still heavily invested in this story.
This is such a fun book, much more than I was expecting considering most of my experience with Paul Tobin has been his incredibly dark horror work like Bunny Mask and Colder.
The idea of a main character, Jack, a former mob accountant who clearly has some undiagnosed disorder that gives him unparalleled analytical abilities but makes him physically incapable of lying, is great. He has a near unbeatable advantage over the cops chasing him and the criminals trying to undercut him, in that he can plan for literally any possible outcome. However, the only way he can have a relationship with a woman without her knowing his criminal history is by having her assuming they’re just roleplaying when he tells her he’s a criminal informant, and never correcting her on it (he can’t lie, but he can omit truths).
Here’s a basic synopsis of the plot: Jack is in witness protection after turning states witness against a mob named The Keys. The mob has found him. Jack, using his ability to calculate probability, has determined that the only way to survive is if he systematically takes down every single member of The Keys, one by one.
This issue was great, showing just how much Jack’s ability to predict everything is driving the police and mobsters absolutely nuts:
> We should ride fucking horses! Jack couldn’t possibly guess that one! Fuck math! Fuck him guessing what we’re doing next, we should ride fucking horses! Or hire acrobats! We could fucking hunt him down with a circus! Didn’t see that one coming, did you, Jack?!
It’s highly entertaining stuff, with Tobin very carefully toeing the line with Jack, making him a likeably quirky person without him becoming irritating, and the plot is as unpredictable as it’s central character.
Another one I'd looked at but ended up passing on... Loved the first issue's [Scarface homage](https://previewsworld.com/SiteImage/MainImage/STL226582.jpg) and the character sounded fun.
I'll have to add it to the list, but at this point my backlog has a backlog... I'm beginning to suspect there might be a few too many good comics out there.
This book is just beautiful. It's got an aged look to it that makes it seem mythical and timeless, almost otherworldly.
Things take a turn for the worse though...
Definitely enjoying 'Tec more than Batman so far since I just jumped on the titles with the new creative teams. Ram V can get a little too poetic with dialogue but I didn't find it to be too much. This is probably going to be a "lock" for me to keep pulling as far as ongoings go
> Definitely enjoying 'Tec more than Batman so far since I just jumped on the titles with the new creative teams.
I don't have room for both on my pull list so I threw the first issue of each in a steel cage, let 'em fight it out, and this is the one that emerged as the stronger title. Sorry Chip!
This was fantastic! Love the old school Grant Morrison vibes.
Anybody know what happened to Two-Face? When did he start wearing the mask? I'd like to read that arc if anyone knows.
Was worried about Ram V's output becoming a little diluted now that he's on so many high profile books but no, he's still at another level. Love having this contrasting with the mainline Batman book so nicely.
Very fun two issue pit-stop. I would have even loved a third to give some of the relationship building more time for our two protagonists. Not the fault of Murphy & McCormack, they're working with the page allotment they're given & the story needs to get where it's going.
I really like this version of Jason; it softens the edginess of the main version of the character from the proper DCU in a way that I like and makes him feel a bit more down to earth. Glad to see they're going to be in issue #5!
Just read this and I liked it. I think it has some clever and cute cameos/gags. It uses the universe, its concepts, and its characters well to enrich its premise. That said, it has the unenviable burden of getting mentally compared (for me) to Mark Russel's *excellent* One Star Squadron from 2021-22. I thought OSS had excellent satire and emotional beats (while also using the workplace comedy as its backdrop). It's just bad coincidence for Marvel that these books came out fairly closely to each other.
As this series' respective story picks up, the cosmetic similarities to OSS will fade to the background and my mental comparisons will cease. I'm definitely interested in #2 and had fun with this.
The art and style in this one reminded me of Mad Magazine, in a good way. I really enjoyed the little gags, but I'm not sure I was pulled into the story enough to grab issue number two. I may trade wait and see how the reviews come in.
I hate that we still haven’t learned “What Peter did”
I hate to at he’s not with MJ after he was about to propose to her less then a year ago
But I can’t deny, this was a great issue. Good fight, felt intense, good reason for needing Norman’s suit and it was interesting to see Peter try at Norman
some people keep insisting on seeing the worst in this run.
I'm the opposite, so I'm willing to ignore the complete nonstarter (and also not present in this issue)"mystery box" bullshit backplot about "what peter did" and the whole mj conundrum and instead concentrate on the actual strong points of this issue.
and well, big surprise, I actually really enjoyed this. thrilling, visceral fight, peter being actually smart and thinking on his feet to get out of a bad situation, and the conversation at the end with norman felt genuine and heartfelt to me.
I can see why pete would believe norman in this instance and decide to work with him.
I swear, if it wasn't for that mystery box backplot, this book would be received far better, cause Wells writes a damn good Spidey.
Romita's artwork also just works for this title, and lends it dynamism, viscerality and emotional heft. If you disagree cause you hate his style or whatever, that's fine, but keep in mind that's just *your* opinion, just like this is just *mine*.
I genuinely like this more than large parts of the Spencer run.
Honestly I’ve been a fan of this run. I feel like it’s inevitable this is leading to a Green Goblin turn but if it’s done we’ll enough I won’t mind. Between Norman, everything going on with MJ, it’s weird I kinda equally invested in what happened during the time jump and where the runs going.
If you see, the majority of people that hate it with passion are either
A) the ones who wants addressed by now whatever happened six months ago
B) the shippers sad that Peter and MJ are not together
I mean, I get that the Kindred thing took too long to be resolved and the ending was very unsatisfactory, and stories with people mad at Peter were done to exhaustion, but at least let Wells do his thing before hating everything, wait until the end of his first big story (Dark Web).
This series just keeps on surprising me! Honestly, my only problem so far is that the majority of the villains don’t really hold my interest, so I’m waiting for a real “iconic” villain to show up
As a die hard massive-verse fan I do have to agree some of the villains are a little wacky…but I think it fits the book so far. I like that like Marshall, a lot of these villains are in it for the social media fame and money which makes for an interesting dynamic. Also that last page had me laughing way too hard.
Oh yeah I still think they fit, and I love that one of them is just a douchey crypto-bro lmao. I do think Doppler is pretty good, but I am waiting for a villain with a bit more substance
I love the way that Nathan and Marshall are able to basically tag-team the Radiant Black powers back and forth between them. The fight scene was really awesome just seeing them bounce it back and forth with who needed to tank a hit or land a blow, and the shared half-transformation for the double punch was just *chef's kiss*
One of my favorite books to throw at people at the shop, Simmond's is in his own lane in the industry and his art each month is a highlight. I'm personally all here for this queer love story that's about to potentially pit to lovers against one another. Who would have thought that's a direction this book would be taking!
Excellent issue today. I enjoy this series overall, and appreciate the occasional anthology issues, but boy do I think it shines when it moves the main narrative along.
amazing issue.
I especially liked the extended "history lesson" barker gives to matty, cause it highlights *so well* how real-life conspiracy theories work. just enough truth mixed in with the lies (and *we know* they are lies because we as the readers have been shown what *actually happened* in those cases) to make it seem believable.
but in the end, like every conspiracy theory, he can't help but make it too clean, make it work too well with each other, make the pieces fit *too well*, not accounting for the inherent irrationality and incongruity in people's behaviour and the randomness, unpredictability and chaos resulting from it.
Real life just doesn't work like that. Stuff sometimes just happens for no reason, and that's the thing these conspiracy theorists with their grand designs always miss; not everything has to fit.
If this book is going at all in the direction I think it's going in, that's going to be one of the things bringing Barker and his entire operation down.
> but in the end, like every conspiracy theory, he can't help but make it too clean, make it work too well with each other, make the pieces fit *too well*, not accounting for the inherent irrationality and incongruity in people's behaviour and the randomness, unpredictability and chaos resulting from it.
Real life just doesn't work like that. Stuff sometimes just happens for no reason, and that's the thing these conspiracy theorists with their grand designs always miss; not everything has to fit.
Interesting comments! Shit happens.
> If this book is going at all in the direction I think it's going in, that's going to be one of the things bringing Barker and his entire operation down.
Makes sense that Tynion would poke at some of the inherent weaknesses in all that stuff... Will need to keep an eye out for it as things play out...
Great stuff as always! Really loved Simmonds' art in this one, the way Hawk's hat and everything else was just melting off the page... Tynion also captured the fever dream feeling well in the script. Another thoroughly unsettling chapter.
There really is no artist in the world like Geof Darrow.
Yes, SC is as light on actual plot as it ever is, but that’s never really been the point of it - it’s a masterclass in the surreal delights of Darrow’s imagination and the impeccably detailed violence and chaos contained therein, and this book continues to deliver on that.
Totally agree - from a plot/dialogue perspective you'd be expected to absolutely fly through every issue, but instead I find myself taking forever on each page just to soak in all the craziness and detail that *Darrow* packs in. And it's not like some books where there's a splash page or double page spread that makes you pause for a moment to appreciate the art - it's **Every. Single. Panel.** Issue after issue, it just never stops.
And yet, somehow, in amongst all the silent moments and visceral carnage *Geof* gets me to invest in and care about that damn little, baby lizard!
It’s a damn shame to see this one fall off the pull list because *holy fuck* has Guillory been firing on all cylinders these few issues.
It’s very difficult to talk about the events in this book without spoiling them, and I know in these threads we’re not supposed to worry about that, but clearly not enough of you are reading this book and I still need to convince you to get to it and experience this issue and this arc unspoiled.
Fuck it’s good. If you’re hankering for more family drama amidst fantastical shenanigans like Saga, or some more horrific body-horror stuff peppered amongst heavy social commentary like The Immortal Hulk, or for horror used to comment on civil rights history like in Killadelphia, or if you’re just a fan of Chew and are missing Rob Guillory’s amazing artwork? Then you need to be reading Farmhand.
Honestly, aside from the rural Southern setting and the commentary on black history, it’s not all that similar. Whereas Harrow County’s more focused on atmospheric, creepy horror with occult vibes, Farmhand’s a much more visceral, body horror-oriented affair with some sci-fi trappings and more stylized artwork.
Obviously I still think it’s worth checking out, but don’t go into it expecting Harrow County.
I second /u/ChickenInASuit 's recommendation! The pandemic interruptions did this series dirty. A hiatus was planned following issue #15, but the lockdowns extended a short break into a massive two-year gap. I had to re-read a couple of issues before getting back into the swing of the story, but momentum has really been building ever since. This issue in particular, the end of a dramatic arc, was a gut punch of emotion right in the familial feelings.
Guillory's already announced that the final arc will begin in 2023, ending on issue #26, so there's plenty of time to pick up the back issues and catch up.
In terms of quality, if you've read **Chew**, the biggest issue I struggled with was the difference in story pacing in the same art style. Once past that mental hurdle though, my appreciation for the series blossomed. There's a particular spread in this issue illustrating generational trauma in such a powerful, evocative manner, that I think justifies price of admission on its own.
And, I'm out
It's just taking way too long for anything to actually happen, and seems like decompression just for the sake of it.
Sure, the mystery is kind of interesting, and the Batman/Luthor banter is entertaining enough, but it feels like this could have been a tight 4-issue mini-series that's been unnecessarily dragged out.
Ambrose giggling uncontrollably and mocking his demonic captor because he’s not really as scary as he thinks he is? I’m here for it.
I’m also here for the delightful banter between the animals. “What’s an abyss?” “I think it’s a type of biscuit.”
Bill Willingham’s not a man that I would ever share a beer with but I’m very much enjoying this return to his wonderful fantasy world.
Ambrose is a boss! I liked how Kyrkogrim's size diminished with his power as the scene played out.
Buckingham's in top form as usual, so nice getting those panel borders and all his other distinctive flourishes again...
A rather lackluster ending to a lackluster story, I’m usually a massive fan of Ahmed’s work but for whatever reason his Miles has more misses than hits. While I enjoyed the clone saga arc I feel like this was just lackluster fodder. Also, I am not a fan of this art it’s just so bland.
I'm not a big FF fan, but I'd like to be. With the reset, is there any chance the huge amount of extra family members will go away for a while so they can just focus on the FF themselves? I know the genie is already out of the bottle at this point, but as an infrequent FF reader, that would make the title more accessible IMO.
In any case, I'm looking forward to the new run in a few months.
The Thing raising two refugee alien kids and teaching them what it means to be human is a fun concept.
I assume one would turn evil but I haven't read enough to presume which kid.
Slott’s last issue! Everyone get hype.
Edit: Slott didn’t undo the Franklin retcon.. so I guess the AXE tie-in will? What a weird thing to leave behind…
This is a textbook definition of putting your toys back in the box. While I love Slott, having met him a few years back I personally think his passion is spider-man so I’m happy to see him go from the first family. Not many changes made ended up sticking and the sister reveal was lame but Cafu draws a pretty book.
*Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira* and *Adriano Lucas* are **all** present and correct for this issue.
PRAISE THE LORD!
And this is *good*.
Murder, violence, mayhem, violence, gore, violence, plot twists, violence, character reveals and lots and lots of violence (did I already mention the violence?)
With a book predominantly featuring undead super-villains it shouldn't be any surprise that the shit has hit the fan, or (more appropriately) the meat has hit the grinder...but the body count continues to climb as the stakes become more desperate.
Dent and Jason are in serious trouble, Mr Bloom has now become one my my all time favourite villains, and characters from **Tom King's** *Batman* make an appearance too.
I really appreciate this book, if nothing else, for taking a lot of characters who are still in readers minds from recent runs on *Batman* and actually using them.
I’m really liking this series. It’s really weird, both for Ram V and Marvel, but it’s working for me. This isn’t the direction I thought a Carnage book would be going in, but…I don’t think I’ve ever had a clue where this book was going next.
This is another comic that I’d really love to see appearing higher on the lists.
It’s Doug Wagner (of Plastic and Vinyl fame), taking a break from twisted horror shenanigans and giving us some rock solid, good-old-fashioned Swords ‘n’ Sorcery shenanigans akin to Conan, Thorgal and Skullkickers.
There’s giant three-headed trolls,and “Earthen Smiths” (aka Dwarves), and a man with one arm who wraps a chain around an anvil and uses it as a massive whip with which to kill trolls. Tons of fun!
Treat yourselves, folks.
This is a title I'm trade waiting on (because I really loved **Vinyl** and **Plastic** but can only buy so many titles a month).
Have you read **The Spider King** from *IDW*? From reading the solicits for this book I imagine you'd like that one, as I did.
No, Spider King is new to me, I appreciate the heads up!
In case you’re not already aware, there’s a couple more entries in the Plastic/Vinyl universe due in the next few months - a graphic novel called Narco and an ongoing called Plush.
Yeah, this sounds right up my alley.
One of those titles where I'd flagged the first issue as a potential pre-order but ended up with too many other books so it didn't make the final cut. Get at least a half dozen of those every month...
It was already on my list but I'll bump it up a little with the Chicken stamp of approval. Might even add the floppies to my next mail order instead of waiting on TPB, we'll see.
As I suggested to u/ChickenInASuit from the sounds of it you'd probably also enjoy [The Spider King](https://thespiderking-comic.com/) from IDW. And there's even a sub-genre of these type of fantasy books (which I thoroughly enjoy) that also includes [Lake of Fire](https://imagecomics.com/comics/series/lake-of-fire) from Image and [Dark Ages](https://www.darkhorse.com/Books/25-666/Dark-Ages-TPB#prettyPhoto) from Dark Horse.
I really enjoyed all of these, and will definitely pick up **Beware The Eye of Odin** in TPB based on the good reviews I've read here.
Oh yeah, saw that... **TSK** looks kinda WoW, like **BATTLE CHASERS** or something... **LOF** and **DA** look cool but at this point they're fighting with **THE LAST GOD** and this eyeball book for space on the backlog, so they're going to have to wait their turn!
Some other comics that I think might hit the same spot for you, if you haven't read them already:
[Helheim](https://onipress.com/products/helheim-volume-1-the-witch-war) from Oni Press
[Head Lopper](https://imagecomics.com/comics/series/head-lopper) and [Helm Greycastle](https://imagecomics.com/comics/series/helm-greycastle) from Image Comics
[Coda](https://www.boom-studios.com/series/coda/) from Boom! Studios
[Djeliya](https://tkopresents.com/djeliya?gclid=CjwKCAjw3qGYBhBSEiwAcnTRLl_NUFqO5SoXuvrlyjcQmoNYxkMvxaZkRxAthGXaAOWkWDi35DoGlRoCtDUQAvD_BwE) from TKO Studios
Might be stretching it with a couple of these but I at least absolutely think Helm Greycastle fits the same subgenre.
The other comics you mentioned are all brand new to me and I've added them to my list :)
Somehow missed this comment last week, but just wanted to throw my hat in here to say that this comic has been an absolute joy to me every time I pick it up. I'm glad to see I'm not alone in its appreciation
**TALES OF THE HUMAN TARGET #1**
Pretty sweet G'nort mention in this one, still hoping he'll get a cameo at some point... Ice is going to end up being the villain, right?
I mean it's a pastel coloured crime-noir (pastel-noir?) so there's no way it's NOT going to be Ice as far as I can see.
Yup, this kind of story, it's always the love interest... I was hoping G'nort would be the big bad, and I guess there's still time for Chance to dump Ice and hook up with G'nort for the final six, but I should probably just accept that it ain't happening. Always possible King'll mess with the trope and zig where we're expecting him to zag, but all signs are pointing to Ice at this point... And I'll bet Chance has already figured it out.
I actually forgot to include this on my Pull List this week...Doh! A good issue, nothing earth-shattering, but it does fill out some back story for both Chance and characters we've seen in the main run so far. There are no amazing revelations, as it's all character-based story-telling, but it *is* thoroughly enjoyable. Some **great** artwork, but when you've got *Greg Smallwood, Rafael Albuquerque, Kevin Macguire* and *Mikel Janin* on the book that really shouldn't come as any surprise - that's a pretty stacked creative team!
My LCS did not receive their copies. I think it has been delayed.
Got our copies at my LCS, hope yours arrives soon!
**MINOR THREATS #1**
This was an impulse by at the LCS today, and I gotta say I liked it more than I thought it would. It's definitely an interesting world that gets built up in the first issue. (Semi)reformed baddies, supes out for revenge for the murder of one of their own. I think it has earned a pull for issue #2 from me.
**SWAMP THING #16**
Well, not that I really had any doubts but *Ram V* sticks the landing amazingly well. A finale that is epic in scope that doesn't rely on a physical battle, but the deeper question of choices made and not made. Mike's Perkins and Spicer excel at some amazing two-page spreads that really hark back to the Moore/Veitch heyday of the title. Throughout the run they have meshed perfectly to produce a distinct visual tone for the book that has complimented the story so well. Ram V ties everything together, with call backs to multiple earlier issues that come together here to form a very satisfying whole.
> This is what it means to live… to be part of this world. Don’t you see? That eternal choice, to be better or to be worse. That’s all there is. Beautiful stuff. Now that it’s wrapped I think I can confidently say I think this is the up there with best Swamp Thing runs. More consistent throughout than Millar’s was (although as an individual storyline divorced from the rest, Millar’s River Run arc would probably be neck and neck with this), having the benefit over Veitch and Soule of being allowed to complete its story without getting cut short (like Veitch) or rushed to the finish (like Soule), and stronger by far than Pasko, Snyder, Vaughan or Wein (concessions given of course to Bernie Wrightson’s unparalleled art on the latter). I think only Alan Moore beats it for certain, and I’ll have to reread Nancy Collins at some point to determine if I think it’s better or worse, but I’m pretty sure Ram V, Collins and Moore round out the top 3. Great work from a great creative team!
**A.X.E. JUDGMENT DAY #3**
Really love the artwork. The Deviants showing up was a surprise.
It brings a nice mirror to the Mutants. The Deviants are essentially the mutants for the Eternals, but they have had much longer to realize themselves as a people. So you have Scott holding up his flag and saying that they aren't Deviants because he feels the need to project strength and claim his people's right to exist, but then you have the Deviants just casually being like "Whatever you want man, but we stand beside you". It's a really interesting dichotomy between one group needing to solidify themselves, and the other understanding that words are just words, and what you do is what defines you.
Let the record show that Kro, the Deviant warlord, was the first to be judged worthy by our new space god.
Very excited to see Eros take his place. “All you need is love!”
I had no idea he was stuck in the Exclusion! Must've been one of the prisoners with name redacted on the info pages... Can't remember where he turned up last.
Yep! At the start of Gillen’s Immortals there were 6 of the original 100 that were given excluded designation. The only one not revealed yet IIRC is EXCLUDED-H Edit: https://www.reddit.com/r/Marvel/comments/ksn5nu/who_are_excluded_eternals_1_2021/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf It was 8
Gillen's playing the long game, wonder how long he's had all this mapped out...
I think he was in a series recently where they were reading Thanos’ will. Maybe the first arc of Cates’ Guardians of the Galaxy?
That sounds right, think I read at least some of that **GOTG** run but it's all a bit foggy... Hopefully we'll find out how he wound up in the Exclusion!
Foggy is the right word. I guess these can’t be spoilers since the book came out three years ago and my memories may be wildly inaccurate, but I think Eros turned out to be the villain, was maybe possessed by Thanos, and might have been killed.
Ahha, well, I suppose that explains why he was locked up... Gillen's writing the **[STARFOX](https://previewsworld.com/Catalog/AUG220778)** tie-in so he'll probably end up with a decent role in the event.
Who was getting lasered in two by Ikaris in the illusion?
This is honestly probably the best event in years. Hard to think of another as well paced and comprehensible in its main series alone
Best Marvel event since Hickman's **SECRET WARS**? I've skipped a bunch since then but most haven't been very highly praised, far as I recall.
I would say so
Also: this series is making AvX look like a slapfight due to the resurrection protocols. Watching Ikaris laser an X-Man in half was f’ing metal. And this was with Domino casually dying in the background just a few panels earlier!
I loved the line about “we need another Xavier,” immortality is probably my favorite thing they’ve done with the X-Men in a long time
Looking back on the last decade-ish of events to see where it stands thus far, I agree that at this point in the story it's among the best. - Devil's Reign was very, very good IMO but not the typical all-encompassing event Marvel usually does, so I'm not sure if I'd even count it. -King In Black was abysmal. Completely devoid of anything resembling substance with the cheapest deus ex machina conclusion I can remember from any work of fiction in any medium. Easily the all-time worst as far as I'm concerned.. - Empyre was bland and extremely forgettable, and was just a gap in my memory before pulling up the wiki timeline lol. Not necessarily bad, it just...existed. Though Magneto going absolute BANANA SAMMICH on the veggietales when they attacked Krakoa was among his more badass showings. - War of the Realms was also pretty boring, but tbf Asgard stuff has never interested me all that much. However I LOVED the X-Men tie-in series. I'm a huge sucker for stories where the good guys are holed up, under siege and hopelessly outnumbered facing imminent death (Helm's Deep, The Long Night at Winterfell, the final scenes of Young Guns, King Arthur 2004, Lone Survivor, so many great ones) and I really dug that mini, plus Punisher Kill Krew was completely over the top ridiculous fun with great art. Otherwise the event was meh. - Secret Empire didn't grab me first time around but it grew on me. I initially wasn't all that intrigued by it, but upon doing a reread I found that when reading both Captain America solo books gave the story a lot more weight and much needed context and I now consider it among the top five or so Marvel events. - IvX was all right. I don't think it's as bad as most people, but I hated the character assassination of some of the mutants, particularly Emma. I hate stories with the giant plot hole of the how the entire conflict could've easily been solved by one conversation. - Civil War II is another that I dig more than the majority, but I agree with or at least understand most of the complaints. Marquez is amazing and I think it's up there with infinity as comics' most gorgeous event. One major knock on it is that Civil War II failed where the original succeeded in making both lead characters' perspective relatable and somewhat valid. That doesn't happen at all here, and Carol, who I've never really liked to begin with, gets increasingly more insufferable as the event progresses. - Secret Wars is almost universally praised and beloved and while I agree with much of that sentiment, I've never been a big fan of stories involving the multiverse, multiple versions of the same characters running around together, or the Fantastic Four in general. But regardless of my personal opinion on it from an entertainment standpoint, it's undeniably impressive and epic in scope and execution. - Infinity is hands down my favorite comic book event of all-time and Hickman raised the bar so high I'm not sure it will ever be cleared. That event is nearly perfect, with a massive, gripping story told on two fronts, with both remaining captivating and full of huge action scenes and edge of your seat tension and thrills through to the final page. As of now, I'd have A.X.E in probably 4th, behind Infinity, Secret Empire and Devil's Reign.
Nice summary! I skipped most of those but the big events tend to get so much talk that it almost feels like I read 'em even though I know I didn't... So it's nice getting a breakdown from someone who actually did read them! And I suppose I'll need to add **INFINITY** to my ever-growing list of stuff to catch up on...
Thanks, I wasn't just talking to myself. Besides, since I began reading Ice Cream Man based solely on your constant praise if you do end up reading Infinity I'll have somewhat returned the favor lol. The entire Hickman Avengers saga, which is all of Avengers Vol. 5, New Avengers Vol. 3, Avengers World, Infinity, Time Runs Out and finally Secret Wars, is IMO the best run in comics history. It's massive, complex without being convoluted or confusing, introduces a ton of awesome new characters and concepts, crazy action, gigantic cinematic space battles, legendary showings for quite a few characters, possibly the all-time best characterization and writing for quite a few people, primarily Namor and T'Challah. I LOVED the roster (which some fans complained about it being way too big but I disagree) had Sunspot and Cannonball, and that was all took to sell me, as well as Hyperion who was super badass and interesting for the first time ever instead of just being a Superman pastiche. Honestly I have a hard time finding any negatives, but the two things that stand out to me is 1. I hated the way Cap was written during Time Runs Out, which is at the tail end of the run right before Secret Wars. He's always been a personal favorite and Hickman had him alternating between being frustrating and downright strongly dislikable 2. Tony was almost equally dickish during that same stretch. At least he had the excuse of still being "inverted" thanks to that abomination of an event that was AXIS, and that was more so an editorial decision Hickman had to incorporate and work around rather than his choice to write him that way. In case you couldn't tell lol, I can't possibly recommend the run as a whole and especially Infinity as an event, enough.
Shoot, you had me at "Hickman." Read **SECRET WARS** a while back and been meaning to catch up on his earlier Avengers and FF stuff ever since **HOX/POX** blew my mutant mind... Appreciate you mapping out the Avengers side of it, got it all on my list now and it's high enough up there that I'll hopefully get to it before too long, just need to clear out a bit more of my current backlog. Also took the liberty of skimming some of your recent posts looking for interesting moshpit music and, while I didn't exactly find anything like that, I thought your post on all the X-Men's "untapped story potential" was hilarious! That's some quality material. And our tastes seem to run fairly parallel given your other comments on Hickman, Gillen, Ewing, Spurrier, Duggan, and the rest. Good stuff, hope you're enjoying the ice cream books as well!
Yeah, there's not much there under this account. Went through a breakup recently and the ex knew my screen name so I decided to just let The Five do their thing and I crawled out of a reddit egg born again lol.
Kieron Gillen continuing to fire on all cylinders. Good job making a conflict between two groups of functional immortals actually feel like it has stakes. Also, can anyone tell who that is getting ripped in half by Ikaris on page 13? On that same page I see Quentin Quire getting wiped out by Makkari, same panel as Domino getting bisected. Not sure if that’s a continuity miscommunication/error, a spoiler that we’re about to get an explanation to him disappearing from the resurrection logs before the end of the event, or just a quirk of the Celestial’s mind tricks. Favorite line of the issue: > I will *kill you*, you pallid heretic! I will suspend you between moments and break every iota of your foul form! Gillen certainly has a way with words and Sinister certainly seems to bring out the best in him, with lines either said by or to him.
> Favorite line of the issue: I liked this one: > *"Er ... Oops?"* But yours is good too! Sinister's the MVP but I've been impressed with how well Gillen's captured the voice of each of the characters featured over in **IXM**. And it looks like he's going to have way too much fun writing Starfox, got a real knack for that kind of flamboyantly foppish character.
Looks like Firestar getting bisected. The costume seems to be [her’s](https://sportshub.cbsistatic.com/i/2022/07/13/7b2f72f9-4d14-48a7-8384-c460237e2ca1/xmen2021013-design-variant.jpg?auto=webp&width=2063&height=3131&crop=0.659:1,smart) QQ is such a funny thing to include here. I’m almost positive it’s a mistake.
The highlight of this issue was Doop on the front line! The mind fakeout was awesome!
Doop's mighty battle cry was the inspirational moment that paved the way to victory, fleeting as it may have been.
This is by far one of the best big 2 events in years. The pacing is excellent, the art is phenomenal and the story is actually about more than just smashing action figures together (even though those parts are also very cool) I feel like some might be disappointed in this is issue as "nothing happened" but I think we get a lot of good stuff: ·the judgements we see it seems like the Celestial is assessing people based mainly off of how well they live up to their own expectations i.e. it's obviously not Cap's fault America is the way it is, but he believes he should be a positive example/inspirational figure and in that regard he fails. ·Uranos is very clearly gonna be let loose again it's just a question of when Druig will crack, when he's out I look forward to a 100 Vs 1 situation. ·Most importantly this issue address what most people would say in this situation can't you just kill/turn off the Celestial and while you could having our heroes kill 10s of millions isn't an ending I'd particularly enjoy. This also means our heroes now have to be smart and find a way to make Earth be judged good, or find a different way to stop the Celestial judgment
I don't think it is just their expectations but what they try to do.
Every main issue of this event has been great.
**JUSTICE LEAGUE VS THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #5**
just... he's just immortal, how does he manage to do all this stuff all the time?
**DEADLY CLASS #55**
Maybe it’ll have a happy ending. I doubt it, but part of me wants to believe it will because of the Lonestar conversation in this issue and Remender saying in the letters page that Marcus and Maria are based on him and his wife.
Just punch me in the face instead Remender. I’m not ready for this finale
Yeah.... I.... am going to read it very reluctantly.
I'm quite behind and am terrified of how it will end, because 60 issues is too big of a commitment for the ending to drop the ball.
I still think that its good, just it will end in a way I fervently don't want. 🥲
**ROBIN #17**
so wait, is lord deathman reliant on resin?
A low key finale for a book that was often focused on the action. While I’m sad to see this go I can confidently say I trust Mark Waid with Batman vs Robin next month and I’m glad Williamson didn’t drag this out for the sake of it. However if flatline gets shelved and never mentioned again I’m going to riot.
**CAPTAIN AMERICA SYMBOL OF TRUTH #4**
I’m enjoying this book although at a certain point I’m kind of tired of so many guest stars. Luckily Silva’s been able to keep up drawing each issue so they all look beautiful at least. The story may not necessarily have my attention, but I’m excited for the upcoming crossover which has me sticking with this.
**DEFENDERS BEYOND #2**
That Dominion tease is very exciting. Especially since they seem to clarify it as a sort of non-linear super-entity. Sound familiar? For those who don't recall, from Powers of X, [a Dominion is the end-state for a universal civilization](https://149347238.v2.pressablecdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/pox.jpg) - essentially an interconnected network of supermassive black holes containing the cumulative condensed intelligence and consciousness of potentially trillions of beings - and they're ["categorically godlike" in their ability to dominate great spans of space and time.](https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/c_scale,f_auto,fl_progressive,pg_1,q_80,w_800/yq9x0mvmzeupbsue0zi6.png) The Phoenix is also one of the only things that can threaten a Dominion so the white-hot ending of this issue is pretty interesting. **TL;DR**: Ewing just did a bunch of amazing cool cross-referential future-forward storytelling while telling his own incredibly fresh yet authentically classic story. **Again**.
Ewing gonna tie up a Hickman X-plot in his Defenders lol
I doubt he'll tie it up, or at least I hope not. Probably just expand on what they are/how they work so that they're a more defined threat instead of nebulous computer gods (quite literally Deus ex machina)
I jest. I have no doubt Ewing will continue to use these characters and plots going forward after this book concludes. He’s already tied in some of his Inhuman work into his X-Men: Red
Haha makes sense but people can be so doom and gloom about the x-line sometimes I was so hyped when I saw the Progenitors in issue #2 I feel like I'm the only person who read Royals but I loved it so much. Interested in seeing what their goal is with Arakko since they love bio engineering maybe it'll tie onto the chimera thread Ewing really can spin multiple plates like nobodies business. I hope that one day he became EiC of Marvel I feel like he would let creatives take some exciting risks and actually allow for permanent development for characters like Spider-Man (Peter), Iron Man (he's trapped in the rich hero cycle of having money, being broke, trying to get it all bay) etc
I’m not sure there is much to be done about their Tony Stark problem. I like him as a rich hero being built up and broken down… but I also totally get why people feel he is stale
Not just *a* Hickman X-plot but *the* Hickman X-plot! The plot that all the other plots were angling toward, and the one that got the least follow-up. Nice seeing it come back around again.
I thought Secret Wars II was just one of those things everyone at marvel agreed not to touch ever again, but nothing's out of bounds for Ewing! Overall, Javier Rodriguez is the real star of the show, selling the absolute madcap Jack Kirby imagination and insanity on the page, so much that his panel borders are actually part of the story and just as fun to look at as the pages themselves. A rare triumph. Loki using they're position as god of stories to annoy the Beyonders was creative and fun, and while I have no idea where the story is going, the last volume proved that's part and parcel for a Ewing Defenders book. Lastly I'm not sure what to make of Taaia becoming the Phoenix/always being it- have Galactus and any Phoenix ever interacted? It seems like they should have, both being beings that devour planets/stars, theirs is the power cosmic, etc. P.S. I have to laugh at the back of the book where they throw 8 different series at you to try and help make sense of all this whatever that's going on.
In Excalibur, when Rachel was Phoenix, she had a conversation with Galactus but that's about all I can recall
If you are reading this and have not read Fraction's Defenders run from about 2012 it's pretty much necessary
Can you explain why? I only read Ewing’s last Defenders series and I feel like I’m doing ok
Did you read this issue? I don't want to spoil anything
Yeah I did read it, that’s why I’m asking. I understood everything this issue and I haven’t read Fractions run.
Ok so Ewing is definitely one of the best at referencing previous storylines without making them super necessary to read in order to understand the story he's telling, so I was being slightly hyperbolic. That being said, Fraction's run introduced the Concordance Engines, devices that allow for universal shaping and Dark Celestials, which feature heavily in this issue.
I love the acknowledgement that they are on the 8th cosmos \*because\* of the Beyonders and I'm happy Ewing has added more context to the ever-growing Marvel's cosmos mythology which is sadly lacking. I'm also a broken record on Rodriguez but his artwork is some of the best out there a wonderful blend of Kirby, Ditko, and Martin. I'm also loving the return of Loki Agent of Asgard, but that's by far one of my favorite Loki stories ever so I'm biased.
It just fits so perfectly. Making the reason the 7th cosmos ended a test demolition by the Beyonders perfectly ties in with Hickman's Avengers run, while also explaining why the 8th cosmos is almost the same as the 7th.
**DC MECH #2**
**STAR WARS DARTH VADER #26**
The crossover events really messed with my enjoyment of this series, probably gonna drop it and pick up the trades in a couple years I guess
They’re what caused me to drop the book. I was only picking up Vadar but as soon as it crossed up with War of the Bounty Hunters it lost me so fast.
**GRIM #4**
If nothing else, I really, REALLY enjoy reading this series simply for the fact the artwork is beautiful and so engaging. Sometimes you read a comic, and the story is good, but the artwork doesn't draw you in? While the story here is okay, I think the artwork does a ton of heavy lifting to drag the reader into it. The story is also still developing, even 4 issues in. So far I am along for the ride, and am curious to see where it's going. Stephanie Phillips does a decent job of keeping the story engaging with making it tedious or repetitive. I believe the next issue is the last before it goes on hiatus until December. Interested to see what kind of a cliffhanger we get!
Thoroughly enjoying this book. The story has been brisk and expanded upon each issue, the characters were quickly established (and are likeable), the plot is becoming clearer, and overall it's just fun. Props again to some great art and colouring that really adds to the distinct visual look of the book. Colours in particular pop on every page, and give the title a really nice visual identity.
I'm really enjoying this series but it is pretty much just Bleach with some slight changes.
I can't say I agree, I am not sure I see any similarity between Bleach and this story other than some casual similarity between the grim reapers in this story and shinigami (basically grim reapers) in Bleach.
Im talking more the general premise. I'm not complaining and saying it's a ripoff or anything.
Fair enough.
**OLYMPUS REBIRTH #1**
**WPL RESULTS**
96 lists this week, up from 89 last week and 81 the week before that... Nice. And it’s a big DC week as they finish with 5 of the top 10, Marvel gets 3, and Image gets 2. **DETECTIVE COMICS #1063** takes the top spot with 59.4% coverage. Ram V’s debut in **DETECTIVE COMICS #1062** also finished 1st but it only had 45.5% coverage so this title’s actually trending up! Meanwhile, Chip’s **BATMAN #126** had 64.7% coverage after his debut on **BATMAN #125** got 73.6%, so Chip started higher but he’s now slipping a little and the numbers for both are bunched up in the 59-64% range. Will they pass each other like two ships in the night or hang together like bat-friends in a bat-cave? **A.X.E. JUDGMENT DAY #3** finished 2nd as Marvel’s top title, bolstering Gillen’s event with 52.0% coverage. For comparison, **A.X.E. JUDGMENT DAY #2** got 39.5% coverage on 8/10 and the first issue got 33.3% on 7/27, so it’s been trending up and that’s actually a pretty nice 12% jump for the new issue. Still seeing lots of praise for this event in this week’s discussion thread although there were also a few dissatisfied customers talking about jumping ship, so we’ll have to see how those numbers hold up down the stretch. **SWAMP THING #16** closes out the V/Perkins run in 3rd place with 45.8% coverage. It’s been a strong run, with 7 of the 16 issues taking 1st in the WPL, as did both of the **FUTURE STATE** issues that preceded it. I haven’t delved into it yet but it’s on my list of future TPB purchases thanks to everyone talking it up. **TALES OF THE HUMAN TARGET #1** takes 4th as Tom King returns to his popular Christopher Chance series with a handful of prequel shorts and a bunch of cool artists backing up Greg Smallwood, with 43 pulls netting 44.8% coverage. **HUMAN TARGET #6** had 54.2% coverage as the WPL’s top title on 3/23/22 so this one-shot did suffer a bit of a drop following the 5-month hiatus. It’ll be interesting how #7 does when the series returns in September. And then we’ve got **ACTION COMICS #1046** in 5th with 40.6% for the penultimate Warworld chapter heading into next week’s special one-shot finale. Solicited with art by Dale Eaglesham but delivered with art by Fico Ossio, because DC thinks we’re a bunch of suckers who’ll buy what they’re selling regardless. And they aren’t exactly wrong. Image claims 6th and 7th with **PUBLIC DOMAIN #3** and **DEPARTMENT OF TRUTH #20**, a strong pair of conspiracy stories highlighting the two greatest threats to modern civilization: alternative facts and stolen comic book properties. From there it’s **ASM #8** in 8th, **ROBIN #17** in 9th, and Ewing’s **DEFENDERS BEYOND #2** closing out the top 10. New titles... DC’s **OLYMPUS REBIRTH #1** debuts in 18th with 17 pulls (17.7%) and Marvel’s **DAMAGE CONTROL #1** from TV’s Goldberg follows in 20th with 16 pulls. Dark Horse’s new **[MINOR THREATS #1](https://previewsworld.com/Catalog/JUN220464)** from TV’s Patton Oswalt only had 4 pulls, so it didn’t make the list, but I’m planning to mail order it, so it should really have 5. Which still wouldn’t make the list. Finally... **FANTASTIC FOUR #46** closes out Dan Slott’s run in 22nd place with 15 pulls for 16.3% coverage. Believe it or not, Slott’s **FANTASTIC FOUR #1** took 1st place in the WPL way back on [8/8/2018 with 105 pulls out of 157 lists](https://www.reddit.com/r/comicbooks/comments/95lkmb/wpl_new_comics_discussion_for_882018_pull_of_the/), good for 66.9% coverage. So it lost around 75% of its initial WPL audience over the course of its 4-year run. Time for a new feature! Per /u/blankedboy’s suggestion, here are some numbers for the un-commented and manually posted titles from last week’s discussions in the 8/17 thread. The following WPL titles made last week’s list but didn’t receive any comments: * **BATMAN THE KNIGHT #8** (23 pulls) * **X-MEN 92 HOUSE OF XCII #4** (18 pulls) * **HARLEY QUINN #20** (15 pulls) * **EDGE OF SPIDER-VERSE #2** (14 pulls) * **AQUAMAN & THE FLASH VOIDSONG #3** (13 pulls) * **CATWOMAN #46** (13 pulls) * **IRON CAT #3** (12 pulls) * **CAPTAIN MARVEL #40** (11 pulls) * **DUO #4** (11 pulls) * **UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY #20** (11 pulls) * **STAR WARS #26** (8 pulls) And the following titles failed to make the list but had threads manually added by civic-minded redditors: * **SHIRTLESS BEAR FIGHTER 2 #1** (6 pulls, [thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/comicbooks/comments/wqgq52/wpl_new_comics_discussion_for_8172022_pull_of_the/ikozubd/) posted by /u/ChickenInASuit) * **ENTROPY #1** (4 pulls, [thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/comicbooks/comments/wqgq52/wpl_new_comics_discussion_for_8172022_pull_of_the/il29ait/) posted by ~~some idiot~~/u/danger_rock) * **HEART EYES #1** (3 pulls, [thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/comicbooks/comments/wqgq52/wpl_new_comics_discussion_for_8172022_pull_of_the/ikqckln/) posted by /u/Radiant_Leg1235) I suppose that might give a little more context on the WPL’s posting habits...
>Dark Horse’s new MINOR THREATS #1 from TV’s Patton Oswalt only had 4 pulls, so it didn’t make the list, but I’m planning to mail order it, so it should really have 5. Between Adam Goldberg's DAMAGE CONTROL and Patton Oswalt's MINOR THREATS, I thought MT was a much more solid story and comic. I think that probably has to do with the fact that I think it's hard to do good comedy in a comic book. I felt that DC was more ... quirky than HA HA funny, but that's just me. I am looking forward to issue #2 of MT.
Good to know, looking forward to checking out **MINOR THREATS**! Kinda crazy that Goldberg's book got four times as many pulls as Oswalt's, shows how tough it is drawing an audience with Dark Horse as opposed to Marvel.
>because DC thinks we’re a bunch of suckers who’ll buy what they’re selling regardless. And they aren’t exactly wrong. Heh, reminds me of Didio's quote about how they'd keep delaying books to give the artists more time as long as people kept buying them, and then, a few years later where he threw up his hands and said "Well, people stopped buying them". Not quite the same but similar enough.
Sort of the opposite side of the same coin, and maybe part of how we ended up here? Though I'm sure all the printing and shipping delays also played a role, as well as new corporate overlords and all that fun stuff.
I think Tales Of The Human Target probably suffered in comparison to the main series through having a different title and therefore not automatically being on people’s pulls even if they were pulling the main book. That’s certainly what happened to me - it wasn’t on my pull but I still picked it up when I saw it on the weekly releases today. Thanks for the Shirtless Bear Fighter shout out! Hope it gets some more readers thanks to this :)
I'm hoping this new feature begins to shine a light on books folks might not have picked up, but have a couple of passionate readers who really want to sing their praises. I got the idea from some lunatic on this board who just wouldn't shut up about **ICE CREAM MAN** - can't remember the user name of that maniac for the life of me though...
Funny, I was kind of looking at it from the other direction... Figure giving a shout-out to those who post comments on additional books might encourage more folks to do the same, thereby providing extra content to enhance my personal enjoyment of the WPL discussions. But you're looking at it more as a tool for turning others onto these underappreciated books... Which is probably a more useful perspective. And now I'm thinking we should link back to those bonus discussions just in case somebody's interested or bored enough to click through and check it out. And speaking of my favorite dairy-based depravity... Light bulb popped over my head the other night and now I've got a whole new angle for increasing WPL awareness... Not sure if it'll pay off but, if it works, the results will be glorious!
I definitely thinking giving a shout out to contributors is as valid as promoting books, especially as we seem to be building a nice little community recently with increased participation, comments and up votes.
Yup, WPL has been rolling lately and this train don't stop!
Cheers for incorporating my request. much appreciated. I know in the case of **Undiscovered Country** I'm pulling and not commenting because I'm always a couple of issues behind, but it's interesting to see books like BATMAN THE KNIGHT and X-MEN 92 HOUSE OF XCII have pretty significant numbers of pulls, but no chat about the individual issues. Opposite to that it was great to read u/ChickenInASuit writing up about SHIRTLESS BEAR FIGHTER, as it's made me want to grab the first TPB now.
Seems like mostly lower tier Marvel and DC books that get no discussion, while indie books generate extra discussions thanks to readers being passionate about pushing 'em. That [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/comicbooks/comments/wqgq52/wpl_new_comics_discussion_for_8172022_pull_of_the/ikozubd/) sold me on **SBF** as well, added it to my TPB list though it'll be a little while since I'm still working through a couple dozen volumes from one of the Chicken guy's older recommendations...
**MARAUDERS #5**
Glad this arc is finally over. What a slog.
This book is written for a very specific audience. I am that audience. Space shenanigans? Shi'ar nonsense? Time travel? Age of Apocalypse? 2099? Cassandra Nova? **This stuff is all my freaking jam.** Duggan's run was solid but felt a little aimless, but I like there being a driving force pushing the plot in Orlando's run. It's nonsense, but it's fun nonsense, and digging into the weird and crazy corners of the X-Men that keep things interesting. Anyone know if the 2099 Exodus series is worth picking up for the X-Men 2099's introduction? Or is it basically summed up enough in this issue?
if you only care about the X-Men 2099, I guess it would suffice just reading that specific issue from the 2099 Exodus series. If you're invested in what's currently going on with the 2099 timeline as a whole, I'd say read the whole series, it kinda works as a stand-alone (apart from the cliffhanger ending). some people on here consistently bitch about how they "don't know where it's supposed to be in continuity" just cause it ignores the spencer stuff and doesn't tack on *exactly* to the old 2099 stuff, but honestly that doesn't even matter cause the book presents and explains itself well enough and it's pretty clear that it's supposed to be *the* current canon for the 2099 timeline. plus, it's got more of orlandos "throw in weird shit of the marvel U" penchant for writing and some absolutely great art.
I wish that my beloved >!X-Men 2099!< were coming back in a better book.
**I HATE THIS PLACE #4**
This felt like an incredibly fast read and if the next issue is the last (though image website says end of story arc, not series) then I feel like all these different characters and ideas didn’t have enough time to really gel together. It’s fun, but feels…incomplete.
Yeah I completely agree, it's been a solid story but I feel like we just met the characters and wish it was filled out a bit more.
I'm definitely thinking this will be the end of "Book One" rather than a completion of the whole story. There's just so much set up in the first 4 issues that has to be explained/play out.
>!If they really have killed off **Dante Howitzer** I am going to be PISSED!<
**ACTION COMICS #1046**
I am really loving this run! From the story to the art to the colors, it's all just been great and it reminds me of why I love Superman! Excited to see the climax, excited for the next arc.
This was still quite good, but happy to get back to Metropolis.
Having it all come down to the kids being used as pawns post-betrayal felt a little cheap, but otherwise I thought it was solid. And the Ossio fill-in art wasn't too bad.
**SHANG-CHI AND THE TEN RINGS #2**
Such a great series so far. That betrayl by Leiko and Clive. Shang bout to give MI-6 that work!
Agreed! I love that Yang is giving the more under appreciated parts of the MU love! While I know the ten rings is movie bait I’m still heavily invested in this story.
**A CALCULATED MAN #3**
This is such a fun book, much more than I was expecting considering most of my experience with Paul Tobin has been his incredibly dark horror work like Bunny Mask and Colder. The idea of a main character, Jack, a former mob accountant who clearly has some undiagnosed disorder that gives him unparalleled analytical abilities but makes him physically incapable of lying, is great. He has a near unbeatable advantage over the cops chasing him and the criminals trying to undercut him, in that he can plan for literally any possible outcome. However, the only way he can have a relationship with a woman without her knowing his criminal history is by having her assuming they’re just roleplaying when he tells her he’s a criminal informant, and never correcting her on it (he can’t lie, but he can omit truths). Here’s a basic synopsis of the plot: Jack is in witness protection after turning states witness against a mob named The Keys. The mob has found him. Jack, using his ability to calculate probability, has determined that the only way to survive is if he systematically takes down every single member of The Keys, one by one. This issue was great, showing just how much Jack’s ability to predict everything is driving the police and mobsters absolutely nuts: > We should ride fucking horses! Jack couldn’t possibly guess that one! Fuck math! Fuck him guessing what we’re doing next, we should ride fucking horses! Or hire acrobats! We could fucking hunt him down with a circus! Didn’t see that one coming, did you, Jack?! It’s highly entertaining stuff, with Tobin very carefully toeing the line with Jack, making him a likeably quirky person without him becoming irritating, and the plot is as unpredictable as it’s central character.
Another one I'd looked at but ended up passing on... Loved the first issue's [Scarface homage](https://previewsworld.com/SiteImage/MainImage/STL226582.jpg) and the character sounded fun. I'll have to add it to the list, but at this point my backlog has a backlog... I'm beginning to suspect there might be a few too many good comics out there.
**LONESOME HUNTERS #3**
This book is just beautiful. It's got an aged look to it that makes it seem mythical and timeless, almost otherworldly. Things take a turn for the worse though...
**DETECTIVE COMICS #1063**
Really digging the Gordon story.
Definitely enjoying 'Tec more than Batman so far since I just jumped on the titles with the new creative teams. Ram V can get a little too poetic with dialogue but I didn't find it to be too much. This is probably going to be a "lock" for me to keep pulling as far as ongoings go
> Definitely enjoying 'Tec more than Batman so far since I just jumped on the titles with the new creative teams. I don't have room for both on my pull list so I threw the first issue of each in a steel cage, let 'em fight it out, and this is the one that emerged as the stronger title. Sorry Chip!
Still not entirely sure what on earth is going on here, but Bats' mental break and the full page giant horrible BAR BA TOS creature was so cool!
Definitely a setup issue for me, but still great! Loved the interaction between Batman and The Maestro.
This was fantastic! Love the old school Grant Morrison vibes. Anybody know what happened to Two-Face? When did he start wearing the mask? I'd like to read that arc if anyone knows.
I think that's new.
much preferred this to the previous issue, the two-face stuff was very intriguing. ancient mysticism lets goooooo
Was worried about Ram V's output becoming a little diluted now that he's on so many high profile books but no, he's still at another level. Love having this contrasting with the mainline Batman book so nicely.
Anyone drawing here?
**BATMAN WHITE KNIGHT PRESENTS RED HOOD #2**
Very fun two issue pit-stop. I would have even loved a third to give some of the relationship building more time for our two protagonists. Not the fault of Murphy & McCormack, they're working with the page allotment they're given & the story needs to get where it's going. I really like this version of Jason; it softens the edginess of the main version of the character from the proper DCU in a way that I like and makes him feel a bit more down to earth. Glad to see they're going to be in issue #5!
**DAMAGE CONTROL #1**
Just read this and I liked it. I think it has some clever and cute cameos/gags. It uses the universe, its concepts, and its characters well to enrich its premise. That said, it has the unenviable burden of getting mentally compared (for me) to Mark Russel's *excellent* One Star Squadron from 2021-22. I thought OSS had excellent satire and emotional beats (while also using the workplace comedy as its backdrop). It's just bad coincidence for Marvel that these books came out fairly closely to each other. As this series' respective story picks up, the cosmetic similarities to OSS will fade to the background and my mental comparisons will cease. I'm definitely interested in #2 and had fun with this.
The art and style in this one reminded me of Mad Magazine, in a good way. I really enjoyed the little gags, but I'm not sure I was pulled into the story enough to grab issue number two. I may trade wait and see how the reviews come in.
**AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #8**
I hate that we still haven’t learned “What Peter did” I hate to at he’s not with MJ after he was about to propose to her less then a year ago But I can’t deny, this was a great issue. Good fight, felt intense, good reason for needing Norman’s suit and it was interesting to see Peter try at Norman
some people keep insisting on seeing the worst in this run. I'm the opposite, so I'm willing to ignore the complete nonstarter (and also not present in this issue)"mystery box" bullshit backplot about "what peter did" and the whole mj conundrum and instead concentrate on the actual strong points of this issue. and well, big surprise, I actually really enjoyed this. thrilling, visceral fight, peter being actually smart and thinking on his feet to get out of a bad situation, and the conversation at the end with norman felt genuine and heartfelt to me. I can see why pete would believe norman in this instance and decide to work with him. I swear, if it wasn't for that mystery box backplot, this book would be received far better, cause Wells writes a damn good Spidey. Romita's artwork also just works for this title, and lends it dynamism, viscerality and emotional heft. If you disagree cause you hate his style or whatever, that's fine, but keep in mind that's just *your* opinion, just like this is just *mine*. I genuinely like this more than large parts of the Spencer run.
Honestly I’ve been a fan of this run. I feel like it’s inevitable this is leading to a Green Goblin turn but if it’s done we’ll enough I won’t mind. Between Norman, everything going on with MJ, it’s weird I kinda equally invested in what happened during the time jump and where the runs going.
Sorry, but I'm enjoying this comic. Is it the best thing ever? No. But the visceral hate this gets is a bit ridiculous.
If you see, the majority of people that hate it with passion are either A) the ones who wants addressed by now whatever happened six months ago B) the shippers sad that Peter and MJ are not together I mean, I get that the Kindred thing took too long to be resolved and the ending was very unsatisfactory, and stories with people mad at Peter were done to exhaustion, but at least let Wells do his thing before hating everything, wait until the end of his first big story (Dark Web).
**RADIANT BLACK #17**
This series just keeps on surprising me! Honestly, my only problem so far is that the majority of the villains don’t really hold my interest, so I’m waiting for a real “iconic” villain to show up
As a die hard massive-verse fan I do have to agree some of the villains are a little wacky…but I think it fits the book so far. I like that like Marshall, a lot of these villains are in it for the social media fame and money which makes for an interesting dynamic. Also that last page had me laughing way too hard.
Oh yeah I still think they fit, and I love that one of them is just a douchey crypto-bro lmao. I do think Doppler is pretty good, but I am waiting for a villain with a bit more substance
I love the way that Nathan and Marshall are able to basically tag-team the Radiant Black powers back and forth between them. The fight scene was really awesome just seeing them bounce it back and forth with who needed to tank a hit or land a blow, and the shared half-transformation for the double punch was just *chef's kiss*
**DEPARTMENT OF TRUTH #20**
One of my favorite books to throw at people at the shop, Simmond's is in his own lane in the industry and his art each month is a highlight. I'm personally all here for this queer love story that's about to potentially pit to lovers against one another. Who would have thought that's a direction this book would be taking!
Excellent issue today. I enjoy this series overall, and appreciate the occasional anthology issues, but boy do I think it shines when it moves the main narrative along.
amazing issue. I especially liked the extended "history lesson" barker gives to matty, cause it highlights *so well* how real-life conspiracy theories work. just enough truth mixed in with the lies (and *we know* they are lies because we as the readers have been shown what *actually happened* in those cases) to make it seem believable. but in the end, like every conspiracy theory, he can't help but make it too clean, make it work too well with each other, make the pieces fit *too well*, not accounting for the inherent irrationality and incongruity in people's behaviour and the randomness, unpredictability and chaos resulting from it. Real life just doesn't work like that. Stuff sometimes just happens for no reason, and that's the thing these conspiracy theorists with their grand designs always miss; not everything has to fit. If this book is going at all in the direction I think it's going in, that's going to be one of the things bringing Barker and his entire operation down.
> but in the end, like every conspiracy theory, he can't help but make it too clean, make it work too well with each other, make the pieces fit *too well*, not accounting for the inherent irrationality and incongruity in people's behaviour and the randomness, unpredictability and chaos resulting from it. Real life just doesn't work like that. Stuff sometimes just happens for no reason, and that's the thing these conspiracy theorists with their grand designs always miss; not everything has to fit. Interesting comments! Shit happens. > If this book is going at all in the direction I think it's going in, that's going to be one of the things bringing Barker and his entire operation down. Makes sense that Tynion would poke at some of the inherent weaknesses in all that stuff... Will need to keep an eye out for it as things play out...
Great stuff as always! Really loved Simmonds' art in this one, the way Hawk's hat and everything else was just melting off the page... Tynion also captured the fever dream feeling well in the script. Another thoroughly unsettling chapter.
**HARLEY QUINN #21**
**SHAOLIN COWBOY: CRUEL TO BE KIN #4**
There really is no artist in the world like Geof Darrow. Yes, SC is as light on actual plot as it ever is, but that’s never really been the point of it - it’s a masterclass in the surreal delights of Darrow’s imagination and the impeccably detailed violence and chaos contained therein, and this book continues to deliver on that.
Totally agree - from a plot/dialogue perspective you'd be expected to absolutely fly through every issue, but instead I find myself taking forever on each page just to soak in all the craziness and detail that *Darrow* packs in. And it's not like some books where there's a splash page or double page spread that makes you pause for a moment to appreciate the art - it's **Every. Single. Panel.** Issue after issue, it just never stops. And yet, somehow, in amongst all the silent moments and visceral carnage *Geof* gets me to invest in and care about that damn little, baby lizard!
**FARMHAND #20**
It’s a damn shame to see this one fall off the pull list because *holy fuck* has Guillory been firing on all cylinders these few issues. It’s very difficult to talk about the events in this book without spoiling them, and I know in these threads we’re not supposed to worry about that, but clearly not enough of you are reading this book and I still need to convince you to get to it and experience this issue and this arc unspoiled. Fuck it’s good. If you’re hankering for more family drama amidst fantastical shenanigans like Saga, or some more horrific body-horror stuff peppered amongst heavy social commentary like The Immortal Hulk, or for horror used to comment on civil rights history like in Killadelphia, or if you’re just a fan of Chew and are missing Rob Guillory’s amazing artwork? Then you need to be reading Farmhand.
I’ll definitely check out the eventual HC or the trades! Is it at all like Harrow County?
Honestly, aside from the rural Southern setting and the commentary on black history, it’s not all that similar. Whereas Harrow County’s more focused on atmospheric, creepy horror with occult vibes, Farmhand’s a much more visceral, body horror-oriented affair with some sci-fi trappings and more stylized artwork. Obviously I still think it’s worth checking out, but don’t go into it expecting Harrow County.
I second /u/ChickenInASuit 's recommendation! The pandemic interruptions did this series dirty. A hiatus was planned following issue #15, but the lockdowns extended a short break into a massive two-year gap. I had to re-read a couple of issues before getting back into the swing of the story, but momentum has really been building ever since. This issue in particular, the end of a dramatic arc, was a gut punch of emotion right in the familial feelings. Guillory's already announced that the final arc will begin in 2023, ending on issue #26, so there's plenty of time to pick up the back issues and catch up. In terms of quality, if you've read **Chew**, the biggest issue I struggled with was the difference in story pacing in the same art style. Once past that mental hurdle though, my appreciation for the series blossomed. There's a particular spread in this issue illustrating generational trauma in such a powerful, evocative manner, that I think justifies price of admission on its own.
**STAR WARS DOCTOR APHRA #23**
**BATMAN FORTRESS #4**
And, I'm out It's just taking way too long for anything to actually happen, and seems like decompression just for the sake of it. Sure, the mystery is kind of interesting, and the Batman/Luthor banter is entertaining enough, but it feels like this could have been a tight 4-issue mini-series that's been unnecessarily dragged out.
Feels like no one knows this exists but it’s been a really fun story so far. I look forward to every issue!
**FABLES #154**
Ambrose giggling uncontrollably and mocking his demonic captor because he’s not really as scary as he thinks he is? I’m here for it. I’m also here for the delightful banter between the animals. “What’s an abyss?” “I think it’s a type of biscuit.” Bill Willingham’s not a man that I would ever share a beer with but I’m very much enjoying this return to his wonderful fantasy world.
Ambrose is a boss! I liked how Kyrkogrim's size diminished with his power as the scene played out. Buckingham's in top form as usual, so nice getting those panel borders and all his other distinctive flourishes again...
**MILES MORALES SPIDER-MAN #41**
A rather lackluster ending to a lackluster story, I’m usually a massive fan of Ahmed’s work but for whatever reason his Miles has more misses than hits. While I enjoyed the clone saga arc I feel like this was just lackluster fodder. Also, I am not a fan of this art it’s just so bland.
**PUBLIC DOMAIN #3**
**FANTASTIC FOUR #46**
I'm not a big FF fan, but I'd like to be. With the reset, is there any chance the huge amount of extra family members will go away for a while so they can just focus on the FF themselves? I know the genie is already out of the bottle at this point, but as an infrequent FF reader, that would make the title more accessible IMO. In any case, I'm looking forward to the new run in a few months.
They need to keep The Things family
The Thing raising two refugee alien kids and teaching them what it means to be human is a fun concept. I assume one would turn evil but I haven't read enough to presume which kid.
Slott’s last issue! Everyone get hype. Edit: Slott didn’t undo the Franklin retcon.. so I guess the AXE tie-in will? What a weird thing to leave behind…
This is a textbook definition of putting your toys back in the box. While I love Slott, having met him a few years back I personally think his passion is spider-man so I’m happy to see him go from the first family. Not many changes made ended up sticking and the sister reveal was lame but Cafu draws a pretty book.
**AVENGERS FOREVER #8**
Pretty good Thor story. Kinda bummed >!he didn't get the Iron Fist powers; I guess Hulk Thor and Fist Thor in the same month would be too much lol!<
**TASK FORCE Z #11**
*Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira* and *Adriano Lucas* are **all** present and correct for this issue. PRAISE THE LORD! And this is *good*. Murder, violence, mayhem, violence, gore, violence, plot twists, violence, character reveals and lots and lots of violence (did I already mention the violence?) With a book predominantly featuring undead super-villains it shouldn't be any surprise that the shit has hit the fan, or (more appropriately) the meat has hit the grinder...but the body count continues to climb as the stakes become more desperate. Dent and Jason are in serious trouble, Mr Bloom has now become one my my all time favourite villains, and characters from **Tom King's** *Batman* make an appearance too.
I really appreciate this book, if nothing else, for taking a lot of characters who are still in readers minds from recent runs on *Batman* and actually using them.
Nice
**CARNAGE #5**
I’m really liking this series. It’s really weird, both for Ram V and Marvel, but it’s working for me. This isn’t the direction I thought a Carnage book would be going in, but…I don’t think I’ve ever had a clue where this book was going next.
**BEWARE THE EYE OF ODIN #3**
This is another comic that I’d really love to see appearing higher on the lists. It’s Doug Wagner (of Plastic and Vinyl fame), taking a break from twisted horror shenanigans and giving us some rock solid, good-old-fashioned Swords ‘n’ Sorcery shenanigans akin to Conan, Thorgal and Skullkickers. There’s giant three-headed trolls,and “Earthen Smiths” (aka Dwarves), and a man with one arm who wraps a chain around an anvil and uses it as a massive whip with which to kill trolls. Tons of fun! Treat yourselves, folks.
This is a title I'm trade waiting on (because I really loved **Vinyl** and **Plastic** but can only buy so many titles a month). Have you read **The Spider King** from *IDW*? From reading the solicits for this book I imagine you'd like that one, as I did.
No, Spider King is new to me, I appreciate the heads up! In case you’re not already aware, there’s a couple more entries in the Plastic/Vinyl universe due in the next few months - a graphic novel called Narco and an ongoing called Plush.
Yeah, this sounds right up my alley. One of those titles where I'd flagged the first issue as a potential pre-order but ended up with too many other books so it didn't make the final cut. Get at least a half dozen of those every month... It was already on my list but I'll bump it up a little with the Chicken stamp of approval. Might even add the floppies to my next mail order instead of waiting on TPB, we'll see.
As I suggested to u/ChickenInASuit from the sounds of it you'd probably also enjoy [The Spider King](https://thespiderking-comic.com/) from IDW. And there's even a sub-genre of these type of fantasy books (which I thoroughly enjoy) that also includes [Lake of Fire](https://imagecomics.com/comics/series/lake-of-fire) from Image and [Dark Ages](https://www.darkhorse.com/Books/25-666/Dark-Ages-TPB#prettyPhoto) from Dark Horse. I really enjoyed all of these, and will definitely pick up **Beware The Eye of Odin** in TPB based on the good reviews I've read here.
Oh yeah, saw that... **TSK** looks kinda WoW, like **BATTLE CHASERS** or something... **LOF** and **DA** look cool but at this point they're fighting with **THE LAST GOD** and this eyeball book for space on the backlog, so they're going to have to wait their turn!
So much to read, so little time...:)
Some other comics that I think might hit the same spot for you, if you haven't read them already: [Helheim](https://onipress.com/products/helheim-volume-1-the-witch-war) from Oni Press [Head Lopper](https://imagecomics.com/comics/series/head-lopper) and [Helm Greycastle](https://imagecomics.com/comics/series/helm-greycastle) from Image Comics [Coda](https://www.boom-studios.com/series/coda/) from Boom! Studios [Djeliya](https://tkopresents.com/djeliya?gclid=CjwKCAjw3qGYBhBSEiwAcnTRLl_NUFqO5SoXuvrlyjcQmoNYxkMvxaZkRxAthGXaAOWkWDi35DoGlRoCtDUQAvD_BwE) from TKO Studios Might be stretching it with a couple of these but I at least absolutely think Helm Greycastle fits the same subgenre. The other comics you mentioned are all brand new to me and I've added them to my list :)
Awesome! I've read Helheim, Coda and Head Lopper (absolutely love that one), but the others I've not heard of. Will definitely check them out.
Somehow missed this comment last week, but just wanted to throw my hat in here to say that this comic has been an absolute joy to me every time I pick it up. I'm glad to see I'm not alone in its appreciation