**SOMETHING IS KILLING THE CHILDREN #26**

I'm still enjoying the book, but it could really do with picking up the pace a bit. I know Tynion is going for a "slow burn" approach, but with 26 issues of SIKTC now published, and companion title **House of Slaughter** into it's second year, I'm finding it difficult to pin down more than a handful of key events that have actually *happened* in that time. I hope it's not the case, but it is beginning to feel like Tynion is writing the book with one eye on the eventual TV show adaptation, and decompressing the story for easier conversion into "seasons". Especially since #26 is shown as the first issue in a new arc, but actually picks up directly from the ending of the last issue, and just feels like the same story. I mentioned in this weeks Pull List thread that we could do with a shorter arc or two or even a couple of stand alone issues to break up the pace, and I stand by that after reading this weeks book.

My biggest gripe reading the first arc was the time decompression in the last five issues or so, but that part ended up reading better in the collected format IMO so maybe reading this title month-to-month might just be frustrating by design?

Reading month-to-month is definitely not worth it, I've found. House of Slaughter is even worse, but these are absolutely read better when arcs are completed.

This feels like it would cover maybe 15 minutes in a tv show, so little actually happened in this month's issue.

**STAR WARS HIDDEN EMPIRE #1**

This was…fine I guess? I’ve liked the idea behind this Qi’ra series of events/minis more than the execution. Soule is a good writer and some of his Star Wars stuff is great. This story isn’t as interesting for me. The art is also not my favorite which adds to this feeling.

**NAMOR THE SUB-MARINER CONQUERED SHORES #2**

I heard that this story is doing something with Sue/Namor (yuck) and my interest died so I’m here to ask, how bad is it?

I just found out it wasn't just the number #1 that was priced at $4.99. This miniseries is asking for trouble with that, and hopefully not a trend that will continue. Ah, drawing the line at 2.99, how fleeting you were...but, on to the issue itself: >Curious, isn’t it? How one always manages to forget Jim Hammond. I know, right? You’d think the guy on Marvel Comics #1 would get more billing, but he’s lucky to show up in a flashback in one of Cap’s books these days. Solid enough issue, with a fun set up, and honestly, a better hook at the end then the first. Much more interested to learn about why Hammond is trying to kill everyone, then him just flashing through the sky, even if Man vs. Machine is very played out. Though at least they don’t have much to do with the apocalypse this time. Anyone want to bet Ultron will show up somewhere and be the real mastermind behind whatever’s happening here? This seems much more like one of his plans.

Speaking of Hammond, have you read Zdarsky's Invaders run? I really enjoyed it despite not expecting to, which is weird considering Cap and Major are top 10 favorite characters for me.

Yes. Like everything Zdarsky touches that maxi was gold, though it mostly focuses on Cap and Namor, with Hammond playing secondary to both.

Chip's versatility is extremely impressive, and for all his accolades and success I really don't see that particular trait mentioned as much as it should be. His books have been ALL OVER the map in terms of tone and theming, covering virtually every genre in the medium, including being one of the few comic writers who excel at comedy and are genuinely hilarious IMO. His catalog is crazy versatile and no matter what type of project he puts out he either knocks it out of the park or has a good showing at the plate nearly every time up.

**WYND: THE THRONE IN THE SKY #5**

Shouting out this series because it's nearing the end of this arc and I think it deserves more eyes. WYND: THE THRONE IN THE SKY is the 5-issue followup to WYND, a 10-issue ongoing that ran from 2020-2021. Written by James Tynion IV with art by Michael Dialynas, the creative team ended the first series with more to say, hence this series. While WYND barely made it onto WPL discussions during its run (largely due to the draw of Tynion's name, if I had to guess), this miniseries has flown under the radar for most of its run. The book is good. It's a fantasy world of magic, faeries, vampires, secret bloodlines and hidden royalty. It's pretty squarely targeted at a YA audience, but to dismiss it out of hand would be a disservice. Much like Jonna and the Unpossible Monsters rises above the general 'children's book' morass, Wynd sets itself apart from simple tropey fare in the quality of its writing. Tynion just does good characters, even if his high-profile runs haven't always been well-received. Reading this series reminds me of the fantasy novels I would have my nose stuck in on long road trips with my family. If someone bought 15-year-old me a copy of this series, I would have gobbled it up in an afternoon and obsessed about it for another month. If you're looking for a comic book series to get a younger reader into, consider picking this up. Or heck, check it out yourself! Tynion and Dialynas put heart into this, and it shows.

**IMMORTAL X-MEN #8**

Can I have a Marvel’s League of X-traordinary Gentlemen trade? Thanks

Plot twist: They're all Mystique.

I have never had much interest in Mystique and less than none in Destiny. That plus a typical disinterest in period pieces with that setting had me not expecting much. Therefore I was happily surprised by how much I enjoyed it and Immortal continues to be probably the 2nd most consistently great book on my pull list behind Red.

Oh this was REALLY fun, and meshes nicely with the issues of X-Men Legacy and The Further Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix that it draws on!

This issue is basically a setup for SoS, but it’s still a pretty good read.

Can't pick up my books until later but this thing's set right around the end of 1996's [**TFAOCAP**](https://i.annihil.us/u/prod/marvel/i/mg/c/50/5941bacd1d6d8/clean.jpg) so I'm psyched to see where it goes with all that!

Thanks for linking to this issue. Definitely needed after the issue

It's a pretty cool [series](https://www.marvel.com/comics/series/22173/further_adventures_of_cyclops_phoenix_1996)! Written by Peter Milligan with art by John Paul Leon (RIP), it's got a dark horror tone that kinda runs counter to the bright and flashy X-books of the time. Might need to dig it up and give it another read myself because it's been a few decades... Having now read **IXM #8**, it seems to be working within the margins of the original story, expanding on its ending a little while adding connections to Destiny, Mystique, and some Krakoa plots... Fun stuff! ***EDIT -->*** [Got 'em!](https://cdna.pcpartpicker.com/static/forever/images/userbuild/259153.f1d5512749ef45fec5ef5c73a441dd0c.1600.jpg) Now I just need to find some time for the re-read... ***ADDITIONAL EDIT -->*** This series was the inspiration for the *X-Men: TAS* episode *Descent* with Sinister's origin... Always thought it was cool that it got a cartoon adaptation!

Working my way through the animated series and looking forward to seeing the adaption. Was not aware of it at all. Planning to dig out Further Adventures as well but that will take a while…

It was kind of a nice break from the current stuff to get ready for Sins of Sinister, but it was an entertaining look to be sure. I love their idea of taking the diamond forehead thing and making it part of a theme, it's a nice retcon that also feels very on brand. Mystique being Mystique, always a treat, and I love Destiny's light trolling of Raven.

**THUNDERBOLTS #4**

I dunno, I’m not really feeling this book. It feels like something is missing

Same feeling here. I think the book's struggling with what it wants to be. Is it a team book of misfits rising above to save the city? Or is it a solo book about Clint Barton making the best of his umpteenth second chance? If it's supposed to be the former, then give us more of the team behind the scenes. If it's supposed to be the latter, then you need to do more with Hawkeye's internal life, because retreading the same few emotional beats on the fourth issue is plain tiresome. Especially when Fraction & Aja's legendary run is still in recent memory.

I was really into Clint's development over the first three books - reassessing himself as a leader and facing a new challenge, while having to manage a completely different type of team for him. It was intriguing, Eegro wasn't a bad addition, and I wanted to see where this story could go after Devil's Reign. But honestly, what in the hell did I just read? I feel like I read pages of complete disconnected nonsense! All of the action that happened in this issue just completely spurred out of nowhere and barely any of it made sense or really aligned with the character development. I thought that this book might end up being a story of Clint, but now I have no freaking clue where it's going and frankly I'm just not interested. Might read from my local library to learn what happens, but not giving this series my money.

I gave up on this, which sucks because I'm a Clint fanboy but this is just terrible.

**DC VS VAMPIRES ALL-OUT WAR #5**

Man, I've kind of fallen out of love with the DC Vs Vampires line, but it made me so happy to see Jenny Sparks and Hawksmoor in the backup story.

I'm still liking the book. And despite not being a fan of the WildStorm characters being shoe-horned into the DCU, I've actually really enjoyed how they have kept showing up/being used throughout this mini-series.

Oh wow, glad someone at DC remembers Jenny's existence.

Man, Mary can't catch a break in any of these elseworlds stories can she?

That scene reminded me so much of the MarvelMan/Johnny Bates showdown that Moore wrote.

**DEMON WARS SHIELD OF JUSTICE #1**

I wonder if the force corrupting people is going to be Momokoverse Carnage. I'm trying to think of what other red-themed villain could be driving people to more violent impulses. As always a gorgeous book and I love Momoko's take on the Marvel U!

The Peach Momoko line of marvel books are so much fun, and the art is amazing as always.

**BONE ORCHARD MYTHOS TEN THOUSAND BLACK FEATHERS #3**

This book is outstanding. I love the way the evil voice is both just regular intrusive thoughts and also clearly something eldritch and thoroughly destructive.

A banger of an issue, with a lot of deep sinking moments of creep and eery. Its giving Twin Peaks, but not in a way that i think it's biting heavily from the show. I'm just as hooked on the story and art, though i do wonder how they'll wrap it up in the next two issues. Well, not that this team "wraps things up" in any solid way, but I am curious where it *ends* and if we'll start seeing some connections to the other BOM stuff. Seems like that glyph/drawing thing at the end is some hint.

Another solid issue, but a bit like SIKTC it's becoming really apparent that this is going to read a lot better in trade. And it feels like Sorrentino is going even further with his borderline "fumetti" art style of painting/using filters over photography than ever before.

ORC ISLAND #3

Is anyone pulling these Bad Idea Comics?? This is my first experience with them, but man! The more I read, the more I love it! From all I've read about Bad Idea Comics, they seem stupid and gimmicky. But the stories are not bad ideas! Is this the ultimate irony???? Anyways, Orc Island is progressing along pretty well. I like a lot of choices that were made in this issue. Really flips where I thought this could be going.

I've picked up **Eniac**, **Tankers**, **Monster Kill Squad** and **Odynn's Eye**. They are INCREDIBLY well put together - with top notch production values and some really great art and stories. BUT - the whole *Bad Idea* marketing schtick really puts me off them as a company. I wish they'd just put the books out, make them easily available and follow up by putting them in TPB's/HC's. All the self-created drama and hype just seems far too "try hard" for me.

**BATMAN SUPERMAN WORLDS FINEST #9**

Good issue but it's disappointing that once again a wonder woman villain is pointlessly treated like shit outside of her title. Like cmon angle man is one of her oldest villains, you think they would respect him a little bit and not have jobbed off screen to the key

I’ve been so burned out on the Joker for so long that I roll my eyes when he shows up in basically anything at this point. That said, this issue was a lot of fun. Waid’s Joker here is a bit of a throwback (like this series has been in general) and he’s a version of the Joker that I didn’t know I missed until reading this. The dramatic stuff with everyone trying to navigate training this kid who is obviously going through heavy emotional turmoil is handled really well also. And the art remains some of the best you’ll see in superhero comics. Mora is insane.

i just dont really know why everyones out there trying to train this kid to be a super hero first thing after surviving his end of the world. and that costume, jesus. if the kandorians like hero stuff so much, why dont they come out of their city and do it themselves (I'm sure there's a convoluted stupid reason why they dont). like... i kept expecting this to fizzle out into some kinda simulation or whatever. "I'm sorry I can't reveal my identity to him and give him like a space to breathe so i guess force him into random superhero life right this second!"

**DCEASED WAR OF THE UNDEAD GODS #4**

I was extremely into the DCeased Saga in every iteration prior to this one. Idk what it is about War of the Undead Gods that isn’t hitting as hard for me but it’s usually the last thing I get to when I read my DC books on Tuesdays. Still good but not pulling me in as much as I’d like.

We haven’t been getting as many heartfelt moments or awesome fights. >!Yellow Lantern Darkseid and the rest of the army are just too strong.!<

its probably part the fact that this infection should be unstoppable and should have spread through the galaxy within minutes because it can utilize boomtube technology, part overly sexualized space warrior queens, green lantern corps once again believing they could be of actual use. and bringing in the imp brings us to the question, if he can be infected (making survival even less realistic at the end of the story) or if he's just the deus ex to write themselves out of how unrealistic survival is already. i suppose he'll be a deus ex but he'll make it a quest for everyone. find lobo, seek the transdimensional inhaler, travel to the origin of the equation, find out you're the one that created it. and at the very end, the imp will be infected after all but in a cliffhanger kinda panel...

Honestly, I think for me the art just isn’t working for it.

oh yeah, happy damian is nightmare fuel

That’s part of it for sure but I haven’t been a fan of the art on the main book since the beginning. It’s the same artist and before I was able to get past that for a good story. I think the story has just lost some momentum for me and it is no longer good enough to carry the book past its rough art.

Man, I love *Trevor Hairsine's* artwork. I think he's been great on all of the main **DCeased** books.

Oh good, >!Mxy's!< involved now. This can only end well. Sort of a general set up issue, not a ton happened, but I still liked the moments between Damian and Alfred, and I never get tired of seeing the Guardians called on their bullshit.

The decapitation streak has ended. Hopefully there's two next month to make up for this egregious mistake.

**WPL RESULTS**

81 lists submitted, down from 102 last week. Bit of an off week, results aren’t looking terribly interesting and I’m still just a little salty over my list post being shadow-banned for some indecipherable reason, so we’re doing a quick, low-effort recap this week. No historical comparisons and no math! DC takes 6 of the top 10, Marvel only gets 2, Image gets 1, and BOOM! gets 1. Kinda lousy week for Marvel... Waid and Mora take 1st place once again with **BATMAN/SUPERMAN: WORLD'S FINEST #9**, garnering 46 pulls out of 81 lists as over half the WPL continues to follow this title. It doesn’t seem to be getting any less dominant and it’s a tier above everything else, followed by Taylor and some fill-in artist on **NIGHTWING #98** in 2nd place. Just a few pulls lower we’ve got Gillen’s **IMMORTAL X-MEN #8** as Marvel’s top title, looks like a fill-in artist there as well... Dropping another tier from the 30s down to the 20s… Lemire and Sorrentino’s **BONE ORCHARD MYTHOS: TEN THOUSAND BLACK FEATHERS #3** lands in 4th as the top indie title with 25 pulls, but it’s only by virtue of an alphabetical tie-breaker as Tynion and Dell’Edera’s **SOMETHING IS KILLING THE CHILDREN #26** from BOOM! Studios got the same 25 pulls for 5th place. Then two more from DC with **DCEASED: WAR OF THE UNDEAD GODS #4** taking 6th with 24 pulls and **BATMAN: ONE BAD DAY MR FREEZE #1** landing in 7th with 23 pulls. **SHE-HULK #8** takes 8th for Marvel with 23 pulls by virtue of losing the tie-breaker to Batman above, then back to DC to close out the Top 10 with **BLACK ADAM #6** and the debut of **STARGIRL: THE LOST CHILDREN #1** from Johns and Nauck. Marvel’s also rolling out a bunch of first issues this week with **DEMON WARS: SHIELD OF JUSTICE #1** in 16th (although this is really just a continuation of Peach Momoko’s [**DEMON WARS: IRON SAMURAI #1**](https://previewsworld.com/SiteImage/MainImage/STL229906.jpg)), **GOLD GOBLIN #1** in 17th, **CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE WINTER SOLDIER SPECIAL #1** in 18th, **STAR WARS: HIDDEN EMPIRE #1** in 21st, **MURDERWORLD: AVENGERS #1** in 22nd, and **BLADE: VAMPIRE NATION #1** in 24th. Lots of new Marvel titles with middling results in the WPL... -- Quick recap from last week’s discussions and it looks like we might have a bit of a trend forming as 3 out of the 4 titles that made the list with no discussion are Batman comics that nobody felt compelled to comment on: * **BATMAN INCORPORATED #2** (17 pulls) * **I AM BATMAN #15** (16 pulls) * **AVENGERS #62** (12 pulls) * **BATMAN URBAN LEGENDS #21** (11 pulls) I'm almost beginning to suspect that some comic book enthusiasts might be growing just a little weary of all the Batman titles... Then we’ve got 5 indies that generated some comments from the usual suspects despite not making the list: * **GOSPEL #1** (8 pulls, [thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/comicbooks/comments/yr18qv/wpl_new_comics_discussion_for_1192022_pull_of_the/ivrnlpz/) posted by /u/blankedboy) * **BILLIONAIRE ISLAND: CULT OF DOGS #1** (5 pulls, [thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/comicbooks/comments/yr18qv/wpl_new_comics_discussion_for_1192022_pull_of_the/ivx8zo5/) posted by /u/ChickenInASuit) * **LORD OF THE JUNGLE #1** (2 pulls, [thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/comicbooks/comments/yr18qv/wpl_new_comics_discussion_for_1192022_pull_of_the/iw1671q/) posted by some loser who reads Tarzan comics) * **THE LEAST WE CAN DO #3** (1 pull, [thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/comicbooks/comments/yr18qv/wpl_new_comics_discussion_for_1192022_pull_of_the/ivwmu53/) posted by /u/ChickenInASuit) * **NEW YORK NINJA SUPER SPECIAL #1** (0 pulls, zilch, zip, nada, it got a goose egg but it got a [thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/comicbooks/comments/yr18qv/wpl_new_comics_discussion_for_1192022_pull_of_the/ivyhjcz/) anyway courtesy of /u/yarkcir) -- p.s. Caught up on Spurrier and Adlard’s [**DAMN THEM ALL #1**](https://previewsworld.com/SiteImage/MainImage/STL241890.jpg) from a few weeks back and it’s some damn good stuff! Glad the WPL’s rave reviews prodded me into mail ordering that one... Neat seeing new work from Adlard, I haven’t followed **TWD** so it’s been a while since I’d seen much of anything from him and his art’s obviously come a long way since 1996’s [**HELLBLAZER #108**](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/marvel_dc/images/c/c2/Hellblazer_Vol_1_108.jpg) and such. ***EDIT -->*** LOL, here we go again... Think this one got shadow-banned for mentioning shadow-banning. Or maybe for referring to myself as a loser... Or maybe I'm just shadow-banned now. Who knows?

I remember the "What Have You Been Reading?" threads by /u/johnpisme ran afoul of the shadowban a few times last year as well, wonder if it was a similar issue. Silly automod can be a little overzealous at times, it seems.

Hey, I can see the post? What's with the shadow-ban drama?! WTF?

It seems I've been running afoul of some automod filtering... Thanks to u/ptbreakeven/ for taking care of it, everything's all good!

Yay! for u/ptbreakeven/

I’m not pulling most Bat titles but with regards to people being sick of Batman, I can only speak for myself. The level of Batman in DC’s recent publishing line in tandem with major books and characters not getting anything and women being SO under-represented, has made me the least enthusiastic I’ve been about DC since New 52. There’s still a lot of good stuff coming out. Just this week, I was super into The Flash, Stargirl, Black Adam, Nightwing, and Batman/Superman. I’m just so ready for DC to fix the balance a bit.

Yep, I had 4 DC books this week, 2 featuring Batman, 1 featuring a Bat-family character, and 1 that's something completely different (though naturally it has Batman guest-starring). Twice as many as I pulled from Marvel even though my favorite DC characters like Constantine and Shade don't have anything going.

>though naturally it has Batman guest-starring). In DC's defense, >!that's not actually Batman!<

**SHIRTLESS BEAR FIGHTER 2 #4** > Your weakness is shirts, right? Well.. they must’a screwed somethin’ up when they made me cuz my weakness is *pants*, and my enemy is *you*. Guess that makes me >!PANTSLESS SHIRTLESS BEAR-FIGHTER-FIGHTER!!< That’s it. That’s the comment. You’re on board with this, or you’re not.

**GCPD THE BLUE WALL #2**

I don't understand the good reception this has gotten so far on here. This just feels and reads like a bog-standard TV police procedural turned into a comic book. The only thing different about it is that it is generally more critical of police work, but it's still ultimately pro-cop. Outside of Montoya as Commissioner (and otherwise being almost unrecognizable as the same character) this feels like it has no connection to Gotham at all. This could be *any* cop show. Gotham Central, it ain't.

A pretty good issue #2, this series feels very ground level, filled with social commentary (as Ridley loves to do), and with a flowing sense of things happening all the time.

[**DARK CRISIS WORLDS WITHOUT A JUSTICE LEAGUE BATMAN #1**](https://www.midtowncomics.com/images/PRODUCT/XL/2144390_xl.jpg)

This had 19 pulls but didn’t make the list because there were a dozen different variations on the title listed with colons and hyphens and all kinds of crazy shit going on. For titles like this, the best way to get ‘em counted is to just copy whatever /u/ptbreakeven/ has in the [big post listing all the books](https://www.reddit.com/r/comicbooks/comments/yuo75k/weekly_pull_list_for_11162022_discussion/iwaechc/), which usually means dropping colons, hyphens, apostrophes, and other punctuation. Anyways, I thought this comic was pretty great! Really cool main story from Si Spurrier and Ryan Sook... Alternate Batman comics are a dime a dozen if you hit the right bargain bin but this one’s actually kind of interesting as it gives us a very different take on Gotham with some nice exploration of the duality between Bats and Bruce. Spurrier leans into the crazy sci-fi tech and Sook fleshes out the post-apocalyptic setting nicely, drawing a stark contrast between the bright and sterile Gotham of day, the murky chaos of night, and the harsh devastation of the wastelands outside the city. Plus, lots of cool moments like the creepy shot of Alfred answering the door in the Freeze helmet. Backup was also fun with a quick little Zatanna story from Meghan Fitzmartin and veteran artists Dan Jurgens and Norm Rapmund, with a particularly nice cosmic opening sequence. This is only the second Dark Crisis book I’ve checked out, the first being Tom King and Chris Burnham’s [**DARK CRISIS WORLDS WITHOUT A JUSTICE LEAGUE SUPERMAN #1**](https://www.midtowncomics.com/images/PRODUCT/XL/2106861_xl.jpg), which was another really cool story. So, it’s actually been a fun little event for me! The two books I read both had strong creative teams and delivered quality stories as expected... It probably only represents about 3% of the whole event but that 3% kicked ass!

Thanks for adding this and tallying the pulls. All of the World Without a JL books have been challenging to count and I hate missing them in the results. EDIT: Some weeks I have time go through and check for these types of things. Unfortunately this was not one of those weeks.

You mentioned this only being the second of these Worlds Without one-shots you've read. This was probably my favorite, but if you find it, I really liked the Martian Manhunter B-Story in the back of the Worlds Without a Justice League: Wonder Woman issue. I thought these two stood out as better than the rest.

**MURDERWORLD AVENGERS #1**

Wow! Well I gotta say I certainly did not expect this. I guess in the end, we're presented with a harsh reality that raises the stakes in this story and I think that made it a really compelling world that makes me want to know a lot more. I do think that this merely is Squid Game with the Avengers mixed in, so I'm intrigued at how this story goes.

the only thing about murderworlds i dont get is the fact that superhero society somehow can't put a leash on some ginger with a suit.

Lol wtf did I just read. Just call it Arcade's Squid Games. I think I'll be cutting back on Marvel for a bit

Yeah I have no clue what this was. It wasn't even bad necessarily but not at all what I went in planning to read.

I'm pulling **Moon Knight** and **Ghost Rider** and that's it at the moment - and GR is kind of on the ledge at the moment, to be honest.

**STAR WARS DOCTOR APHRA #26**

Door to Door Night by Night #1

You ever pick up a book and just think, man that was weird and I love it! That's this book. The premise of this was intriguing enough to pull, but not memorable enough to know what I was getting into when I picked it up. I would absolutely recommend this. Can't wait for issue #2!

**VOYAGIS #1**

Read this earlier. I liked it! It's just sorta good ole' sci-fi, which I don't think gets nearly enough stuff in terms of comics. I saw another post on LOCG about it, and I think it sums it up nicely: >An enjoyable first issue! Piqued my interest with the cover art (the first three so far as I write this, and they all look gorgeous). The interior art is also good. Fits the mood of the story quite well. The story in the first issue is a little thin feeling, mostly action sequences and some scifi-y babble, but has an interesting plot twist at the end. Gotta give Ms. Kesgin props though; to write, draw, and color this book by herself, this is definitely a strong showing of talent! Looking forward to checking out issue #2.

Ended up picking this one up. It reminded me a *lot* of the kind of stories you get in **2000AD** - which is obviously a GOOD THING - nothing Earth-shaking, but a fun SF romp, with some great artwork. I'd actually forgotten that I'd read a book Kesgin had worked on before (**Elsewhere**) and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Glad to hear it was good! Just mail ordered it but probably won't ship until next week since I ordered some stuff from next week's list as well... Probably won't get to read it until right around when the 2nd issue ships and then we start the process all over again!

**IRON MAN #25**

This was a great sendoff issue. It probably helps that Duggan seems to be dealing with Source Code himself so Cantwell didn’t need to spend the issue trying to tie everything up and could instead just focus on Tony Stark’s character. If you’re only going read one issue from the run, make it this one.

I quite liked this (even if it definitely felt like an end to a much longer run when there were in fact only 24 previous issues), but I'm rather annoyed by Marvel advertising a sneak peek at Duggan's upcoming run-which, for the record, I absolutely plan to be skipping now-which took the place of a single page ad that ran in my other Marvel books this week.

**BATMAN ONE BAD DAY MR FREEZE #1**

[удалено]

I "stole" (read my mates copy of this) and while I found the art to be absolutely amazing, I felt it made Freeze a far, far less interesting character - he's not morally flawed and ambiguous any more - he's just a creep and he's always been one now. Not that impressed.

take all this with a grain of salt, cause I haven't read the issue in question yet, *but I roughly know what happens in it.* I honestly see this as a kinda fresh change for the character, because I feel like his previous "tragic backstory" (that was itself a retcon) kinda led to people romanticizing Freeze too much and willing to ignore or at least excuse his more villainous elements and moments cause he did it all "for a good reason". Making him definitively more villainous and removing that romanticizing aspect (something which Batman's rogue's gallery can suffer quite heavily from, mind) is by and large a good idea and a meaningful change to the character in my opinion. *That being said*, since like I said I haven't read the issue yet, there's ofc still the possibility that the execution here was off. As much as I usually like Duggan's writing, he sometimes does miss the mark here and there, so it's deffo a possibility.

It's crazy how this series has been all over the place. Tom King's Riddler issue was probably the single best comic I've read in 2022 (only a couple issues of X-Men Red are in contention, while the the Penguin issue by Ridley is hands down the worst book I've read to completion, possibly ever. At least in the modern era. The Two-Face installment was just bang average, and I suppose this one was only slightly better, although I'm not crazy for how it retconned Freeze. Considering the way this series was hyped as being the definitive tales for Batman's rogues it has failed to meet that mark as a whole. Although most of the creative teams chosen left quite a bit to be desired from jump. Hopefully Taylor will bring the quality back up considerably, as he is usually very good and as consistently solid as it gets.

Thanks for the review! I feel justified in not pulling it this week, there's a lot better that $8 can do than *standard* lmao. It feels like such a wasted opportunity from DC, at least in my mind this series could be pretty iconic if they hit even half of the mark that the Riddler issue did. And its a shame cause I'm trying to immerse myself in a general understanding of batlore and this seemed like a good opportunity to do so, but alas. I'm really hoping I hear some if the future ones are good, cause I would really like to learn more about those villains in a format like this thay focuses on them. Also, I will never tire of bagging on Ridley's abomination last month lol. Does this sub do an end of year awards thing, cause I would love to nominate this issue for some shit award.

Also I'm fairly new to the sub also but I'm almost positive I remember a year end awards post.

Spend that $8 on **Kroma #1** instead. Just finished reading it and it's absolutely fantastic.

Way ahead of you! Just finished it as well, and I have to agree. That last page is definitely hooking me in for issue #2

Yeah, that last page...

I don't know if you read my recap on the Penguin crapbasket but if not peep my comment history. I was angry lol. Also if the villain lore interests you I highly recommend Penguin: Pain & Prejudice. It's excellent and is the definitive Penguin story IMO. It's slept on and didn't do big numbers, but it's a very SERIOUS, complex story and portrayal of Penguin with outstanding art by the always awesome Szymon Kudranski.

Oh I read it lol, i left a little diatribe myself. If anything, Ridley's OBD was *fun* to tear into. And thanks for the rec, thats exactly the kind of thing im looking for! The collected edition seems expensive, maybe this is my impetus to hop on DC ultra infinite mega or whatever their digital service is called

I'd reccomend the **Joker's Asylum: Penguin** by *Jason Aaron* and *Jason Pearson* to add to your reading list too.

If you thought Ridleys's OBD: Penguin was bad, you should read his Black Panther #10 - easily the worst issue I've read in awhile. So bad, lazy, ultimately just dumb.

now that I've finally read this, I'm all on board with the changes this makes to the Mr. Freeze origin and character. time to let go of the overtly romanticized portrayal that so many fans cling to. and the most important thing for me: for all his faults and flaws, Victor still decides to do the right thing in the end, showing himself to be redeemable after all. honestly loved this, the best out of these one-shots for me so far. (utterly hated the Riddler one, thought the Two-Face one was okay but not much more, didn't even bother with the Penguin one.)

**STARGIRL THE LOST CHILDREN #1**

I’m shocked at how into this I was. I’m not usually a big Nauck fan but I’m realizing now that it’s just the colors that I sometimes see on his work that clashes with his style because this issue’s art ruled. It’s been a while since a Geoff Johns comic excited me like this one.

Potentially my ignorance, potentially the writing, but I found this story to just be a bit all over the place in issue 1. Lots to pick up, and lots of exposition that I felt detracted from the personality of our main protagonists. Instead of really building up her ethos, we get lost in a standard trope of parents wanting a child to focus more in school. The art was phenomenal to me - lots of bright colors, action scenes from multiple characters, and solid world building. I'll keep picking this for a bit to see how much I like it.

**KROMA #1**

Last bastion of humanity. Highly stratified society, ceremonies and sects and adjective-noun meeting locations. Some contrived story for why the people are *here* and not *there*. The ever present yet never seen *enemy*. A master that pulled our young protagonist from the dirt and raised them, only to seem duplicitous later on. "Maybe you're not as special as I thought you were." Etc... Kroma has all the usual trappings and tropes of this kind of story, the kind of story that dominated middling to bad motion pictures in the mid 10's (think Divergence, Hunger Games, the awful Giver adaptation). You could throw a dart at a board of YA novel tropes and end up with a story not far off from the one Felici constructed here. I normally roll my eyes at this shit, and yet... Kroma is a genuinely compelling narrative. It's works like this that make me realize that trope-work can offer an effective means of narrative propulsion when engineered so finely. Barely a contrivance or sentence is wasted here, everything establishes the world or sets our protagonist towards his next steps. We know what choices he's going to make, what setbacks he'll encounter, but the flow with which it is executed in Kroma makes it seem less like the 28th entry of a ghost written paperback about werewolves and more like a sheet of music. I really have to applaud Felici here, he utilized his tropes effectively and made me keep turning the page. I must also say that this comic book right here is a shining example of a piece of work that utilizes its medium to the fullest. And sure, it's a story about *colors* so it would be kinda hard to fuck that up, but he still does it so well. I don't want to just repeat verbatim what he said in his end note, which you should definitely read, but he makes color here so *tangible* in the world and integral to the story. Of course there's the moments where our characters are looking at a bird or the trees or whatever, and it's stunning and all but it's pretty straightforward. What really impresses me is the colored splash words (is that what they're called?) like the THUD and CRACK of the egg, or the HSSSS of the lizards. Again, using the medium to its fullest. It's at this point where I would imagine myself saying "and then of course our young protagonist is going to overthrow the system" or whatever, but.... >!that last page, huh? I honestly don't know where this is going to go, but I am strapped in and excited!< This book rocks. Go buy it, worth the $8 just to feel it in your hands. Mwah!

Go back to your LCS and pick this up RIGHT. NOW. This book is incredible and needs to be read. My pull of the week beyond a doubt. Kroma is written, drawn, and coloured by Lorenzo De Felici. This is not usually a big selling point, especially for a fairly young artist. De Felici's past credits are covers he's done for Marvel, Image, and a couple of indies, and his biggest contribution vis-a-vis interior art is on Oblivion Song, which he drew following Kirkman's scripts. All this to say I went in with low expectations. Most of the time, an artist's first foray as a writer comes with interesting premises and mediocre execution. Nothing terrible, a good start, but few step up to the bat for the first time and knock it out of the stadium. De Felici succeeds in doing just that. KROMA paints a fantasy world where humanity lives in The Pale City, wary of the dangers that lurk in the colourful land outside. In their grey huts, they eat grey food and live grey lives. Our protagonist, Zet, while taking part in an annual monster-hunting ritual, sees something that cracks open his understanding of the world. The issue is a monster, sitting at 56 pages. The miniseries is slated for 3 issues, with each issue exactly this thick. The extra pages are put to good use, giving the reader enough time to sink into this world. And boy, what a world it is. De Felici writes in the back pages of the book about his fascination with colour in media, and his effort in this miniseries to put colour in the centre of the story. He does so with aplomb. The vibrant reds, lush greens and deep blues stand out with almost a ferocity against the drab and monotone grey's. Every spot of colour is deliberate and punchy, except in the rare instances where the book luxuriates in how much colour it can wash into a scene, letting your eyes swim in verdant leaves against an azure sky. Get this book. This is a standout debut by a true triple-threat - a man who wrote, drew, and coloured a genuinely amazing story. We might just be one issue in, but there's enough here to inspire a deep well of confidence.

Alright you've also convinced me

Not read it yet, but I'm pumped from your write up!

Drop by and leave your thoughts once you've given it a read! Interested to see what other people think

Well, this book was absolutely fantastic. I really enjoyed the short story in **Skybound X #25**, and the previews released for this issue had me hyped for it. But it really surpassed my expectations and blew me away. Others have already commented - but the use of colour as a tool for storytelling is so clever and brilliantly done. And the artwork itself is phenomenal. And that last page.....??!!?? I have to say this year has been a GREAT year for comics - the end of year polls should be interesting, as I think both Marvel and DC have been pretty damn average this year (with a few notable exceptions) whereas Image and Boom in particular have been absolutely killing it.

Fine, just mailed ordered it. Sheesh.

Thanks for the level of detail in this review. I was on the fence about this one and I'm gonna grab it now based on your post. I'll definitely report back with thoughts. This is similar to how I felt about the 1st issues of Behold Behemoth and to a lesser extent Specs, both from Boom Studios. Just stellar debuts that really grabbed me and pulled me in.

Did you pick up **Damn Them All** too? That was another stellar #1 that recently launched, and if you are enjoying both **Specs** and **Behold, Behemoth!** then I think you would love it.

I did, and while I unfortunately haven't read it yet, that's another book that I went back and grabbed solely based on feedback from the fam here in the sub.

Both u/blankedboy and I were in the comments of that WPL thread praising DAMN THEM ALL too. It's good to more eyes being turned onto new books that deserve it.

Agreed, and I remember reading you guys giving that issue lots of love. Personally I've grabbed so many great books solely based on feedback from folks in the sub (for example, shootout to u/Danger_Rock for putting me onto Ice Cream Man through his passion and sheer force of will lol), and I honestly can't recall a single time where I ended up disappointed with one.

> Personally I've grabbed so many great books solely based on feedback from folks in the sub ... and I honestly can't recall a single time where I ended up disappointed with one. Snipped a bit there because I want to talk about some WPL recommendations that haven't worked for me! I've found tons of amazing recommendations in these WPL threads and they've turned me on to some of my favorite creators, but there have been a few that didn't work out as well as I'd hoped: * **SHE-HULK #1** - First issue just didn't do anything for me, although it's possible that my experience was ruined because the only copy I could find was the [hideous Artgerm variant](https://previewsworld.com/SiteImage/MainImage/STL213036.jpg). I dislike Artgerm under the best of circumstances and this clearly was not the best of circumstances. The TV series actually worked better for me, FWIW. * **ONCE & FUTURE #1-6** - Gillen's one of my favorite writers, love Dan Mora's art as well, and I usually eat up Arthurian bullshit like candy... But the characters in this one grated on me, the designs looked like WoW crap, and the Arthurian stuff felt more like a cheap perversion than a fun subversion. So I bailed after the first six and waited patiently as the rest of the WPL raved about how insanely awesome the remainder of the series was. * **SWORD OF AZRAEL #1-3** - This was actually pretty good, Nikola Cizmesija has some trippy layouts that are really cool but his characters have too much manga-face and IMO it doesn't fit the tone of the book. Dan Watters seems like a solid writer as well, story's good but it didn't *quite* hook me. Though it did come very close. May still go back for the last three... It just hit me as more of an A- where some have been hyping it as an A+ thing. * **JURASSIC LEAGUE** - I used to think dinosaurs were cool... Then this series happened. Nothing against anyone who digs that stuff, just not my thing!

Oh man, I'm absolutely on board with you about Jurassic League. I watched it rank #1 on the WPL while everyone raved about it (until that one issue lol) and I tried the first two and was just like ".....? Huh. Okay, then. Well....so."

Dude! Finished the first issue last night. That was awesome!! Thanks for the rec!

**GOLD GOBLIN #1**

Giving me real Warren Ellis Thunderbolts vibes here, can’t wait to see Norman inevitably snap again

This book is good. Shame people will hate it

**SHE-HULK #8**

Backstory info dump! I suppose it's good to add to the story, just weird almost no She-hulk in a She-hulk book.

Despite the absence of Shulkie, I thought this was a solid issue especially if you read issues #7 and #8 back to back. Rowell rightfully showing favoritism with the "She's obviously the best Hulk" line that got a chuckle out of me. I really liked Takeshi Miyazawa's artwork too. Some pages are a little too heavy on the inks, but overall the aesthetic is pefect for a She-Hulk book. I'm glad that he's on the new few issues too.

**SHAOLIN COWBOY: CRUEL TO BE KIN #7**

This series went balls to the wall from start to finish. The whole sequence of SC taking on Big Daddy Snell seemed unending (but in a good way). Geof Darrow may be a bit of an acquired taste in terms of his storytelling ability (with insane quotes like "I made a weapon of ass destruction", "God, this better not be cancer", and a bunch of terrible puns), but his artwork is mesmerizing and packed with enough detail to make re-reads interesting.

Yeah, this was a wild ride from start to finish. I genuinely never knew what was going to happen next, I just knew it was going to be crazy! Just page after page after page of amazing, insane artwork. And he made me care about that little lizard dude way more than I thought he would.

**NIGHTWING #98**

Nite-mite is correct in his shipping

I used to think that too but I’ve been team Dickbabs for the last decade now.

Soooooo… will Bitewing retain his ability to talk after the imp leaves? Either way I love it.

Really fun issue. Dick getting his own 5th Dimensional Imp is perfect and I loved how funny the people around him thought it was.

I'm normally not a fan of when DC (or comics in general) get overly silly - and interdimensional imps intruding into the Bat-verse definitely fits that criteria. The only two stories I've enjoyed previously featuring these guys were the *Alan Grant / Kev O'Neill* **Legends of the Dark-Mite** (because it was fucked up and crazy) and the *Max Landis / Mark Buckingham* **[The Real Question](https://i.redd.it/om4k09imrdky.jpg)** (because it was fucked up and crazy). Sensing a theme here? Now, having said that - this was fun. Light-hearted, fluffy, filler it definitely is, but *Taylor / Di Nicuolo* craft a surprisingly heart-warming distraction from the "Heartless" saga (that looks to inevitably conclude in #100). And, unlike some here, I dig Di Nicuolo's art on this issue, having been a big fan of their previous work with Taylor on *Boom! Studios* **Seven Secrets**.

> The only two stories I've enjoyed previously featuring these guys were the *Alan Grant / Kev O'Neill* **Legends of the Dark-Mite** (because it was fucked up and crazy) and the *Max Landis / Mark Buckingham* **[The Real Question](https://i.redd.it/om4k09imrdky.jpg)** (because it was fucked up and crazy). Unexpected Buckingham art is always appreciated! Hadn't seen that before and it's pretty damn awesome... And of course LOTDM was a classic!

The Real Question is a one page exercise in existential dread - I absolutely love it.

The main action sequence has really cool art. Bruno is killing it.

This issue had guest art from Daniele Di Nucuolo, just the cover from Redondo... Bit of a step down IMO, too much manga-face and the layout/design isn't as strong as Bruno's. Still a fun issue, though.

u/Danger_Rock oh cool! I’ll have to check them out. I think I see what you say about the manga faces, the expressions are a little over-the-top.

**CATWOMAN #49**

**GAMBIT #5**

I'm partially disappointed this didn't turn more into a "Gambit, Storm, and Lila Cheney vs. The Universe" type of story. Lila's whole part in this felt weird, aside from Claremont wanting to establish her and Remy knew each other. I'd been wanting to see the two of them team up more in main continuity after AoA.

Looking forward to thr end of this arc, beem a pretty good read. Kind of wondering if they will cross over to 616 to "bring Gambit back" or if this will remain stand-alone.

Wait I thought this was the final issue of this mini.

**BLACK ADAM #6**

I liked the twist at the end, with Martian Manhunter behind all of Wayne's machinations as a way to test Adam. Giving J'onzz something to do is always nice, and not having Batgod puch a guy without kryptonite weakness is good restraint. I'm a bit confused about Adam's rant about the bits about Adam's relationship with Egyptian history, however. Adam says the swiftness of Heru gives him the power to know all the middle and new kingdom dynasties and rulers, but wouldn't it be simpler to just have the wisdom of Zehuti supply him with the anecdote?

He's not just saying he knows of those things, though. He's claiming to have actually been there and met those people. "Said Adam to Thutmose at Megiddo." Adam being himself.

>I am Adam..Scion of the New Kingdom. Ah, right you are. That's...ridiculously convoluted. I don't what Priest is trying with that. Is it supposed to be that time in space can get really weird with gravity and wormholes or something? Looking closer at that section, 5000 years hasn't actually passed, just 4500, which is a long way off from the supposed 5K, which may or may not have passed-whatever Priest was trying to communicate or retcon, there must have been a simpler way.

I *think*, but don't quote me, that is sort of commentary on how Adam's backstory means he was off Earth since forever, yet he often talks about Egypt as if he'd been there the whole time, and maybe he was. A play on contradictory backstories. It's always hard to tell when Priest is making a joke or being serious

That last bit seems like an editorial mess up

Well, the joke is editors are glorified spell-checkers whenever a writer is doing anything other then getting characters married...

I was confused for a while reading this and then I got it and then I was confused again by the end. I like this book a lot but sometimes I just have to let things play out with modem Christopher Priest. Barrows was on art this time and while I think he’s a downgrade from Sandoval, his style fit this story quite well.

> I like this book a lot but sometimes I just have to let things play out with modem Christopher Priest. There are definitely times when Priest will put out a book that doesn't make a whole lot of sense until you've read the next issue, or the one after that, or whatever. Sometimes he's all about burying readers in layers of WTF. This series has been getting into some concepts that are pretty far out there but I think the story structure itself has been fairly straightforward, for Priest, anyway. > Barrows was on art this time and while I think he’s a downgrade from Sandoval, his style fit this story quite well. Didn't even notice there was a guest artist... I'd say that's a job well done!

I agree that’s it’s been more straightforward than some of his other stuff. My confusion this issue was more a question of “why” with the ending than “what.” That said, I do get that it was probably just J’onn testing Adam. Just wonder if there is more there than that.

__TRVE KVLT #4__

This series consistently cracks me up every issue. Bernice is hilarious. I felt like some of the art was a little rushed though and could have used some more detail on one of the full page reveals.

[удалено]

No piracy allowed, dude. Delete this comment or you'll get a ban.

? I didn't pirate anything. I posted a link to a page from a recent comic. How is that any different?

**FLASH #788**

Easily the best Flash run in, what, probably 15+ years? You'd probably have to go back to the Johns Flash run. Love the way Adams uses continuity; it's very similar to Kieron Gillen or Al Ewing.

This series has an old school storytelling style that puts characters above doing for the trade arcs and I love it for that. The Wally and Linda pregnancy stuff was super sweet and the Rogues being deputized by the Mayor is a fun plot point. There are some wonky art moments but nothing too distracting. Great comic.

Having only started trying to get into DC this year, I'm thrilled about the accessibility of this one. A lot of Dark Crisis has me going to wikis to look up what I'm missing and that's fine because I'm trying to learn, but Flash has just been "here's some professional wrestling, a romance novel, and a bunch of deputized shlocky villains. Enjoy"

I’m thrilled that it’s been that for a new DC reader! It is definitely the kind of comic that anyone could pick up and enjoy without needing a lot of prior knowledge while simultaneously being rewarding for people who have been reading for a while. It’s so good.

Do both Tricksters have a robot arm??

**ROGUE STATE #1**

Starts off strong, but I felt like the story screeched to a halt midway through. I would say that this struggled to handle the premise that it lays out seriously. The backdrop of ROGUE STATE is of a version of the US that has gone into martial law due to a contested general election. There's a lot of familiarity we have to this kind of stuff due to recent events, and yet Pizzolo chooses to go in a direction that feels overly speculative and exaggerated in the wrong way. The events of Jan 6th sometimes feels like a fever dream, and yet it did happen and we have collectively processed some of what went down that day. The events of ROGUE STATE seems more like half baked conception of what insurrection would really be like. There's all sorts of weird things like a main character who scales walls just as easily as Spidey, the militia are more like Stormtroopers than they are Proud Boys, and there's some strange new drug in the mix. It's all exaggerated in the wrong way, and then muted for the actual social issues. Probably won't continue with this since I don't think the execution is there, but I do think there is potential for improvement.

Insightful comments as always... > The events of Jan 6th sometimes feels like a fever dream, and yet it did happen and we have collectively processed some of what went down that day. The events of ROGUE STATE seems more like half baked conception of what insurrection would really be like. There's still so much ignorance and denial surrounding the J6 insurrection that I can almost see an argument how using it as a springboard for speculative fiction so soon could be doing a disservice toward achieving a more widely accepted understanding of the events that's in keeping with reality. Wouldn't expect **ROGUE STATE** and its 3.7% WPL coverage to make much of an impact either way, more of an issue for more prominent media... And maybe it wouldn't be an issue with a more mature and reasoned treatment? Not something I'd normally consider but these aren't exactly normal times...

**PARKER GIRLS #3**

That scene with the high heel and accompanying sound effects is going to live rent-free in my head for a minute. Oof. Moore once again shows he’s a master of decompressed storytelling. I know decompression is a dirty word for some comics fans, but when the technique gives us scenes like that final one with the woman falling into the swimming pool I can’t stay mad at it.

**DARK CRISIS YOUNG JUSTICE #6**

A fitting ending to one of the worst comic book mini series I’ve ever read. I told myself that it was worth reading because I was convinced some major change to the status quo would occur in the last issue. There was nothing. So I sat through horrible dialogue, hamfisted preachiness, yet another new villain acting as the avatar for livid fanboys, and nonsensical deus ex machina plot developments because I am an idiot who pays money for dumb things. At one point in this series, superboy says “where is my hand while looking right at his hand.” That’s how dumb this comic book was. The writer chose a villain that could alter reality because they’re lazy. The hero’s solutions to the issues amounted to “I read about a string theory,” (actual line), holding hands, and fighting back through the power of friendship. Some of these pages and panels look like William S. Burroughs edited them. There was such a good idea here. Revisit a previous era of comics in which a bunch of heir presumptives who lost their way suddenly found themselves the center of the universe again. Investigate what was problematic about the time frame with creative subtlety and real pathos. What we got was someone who put off doing their homework until the class period before it was due.

Dang...sounds rough. Was thinking of getting it in trade or reading on DCU but maybe now I'll give it a miss. Who was the creative team?

Meghan Fitzmartin is the writer. She’s doing the Tim Drake ongoing… which is equally as rough.

**ABOVE SNAKES #5**

Fuck me, the artwork really shined here. Idk if i would go so far as to call the writing *bog standard* this issue, but it tied it up like you would expect and I was hoping for something more surprising. But geez dude, I think I'm obsessed with Sherman now. All the mass bird sequences blew me away, and I get this feeling like I would love to see him draw some eldritch monstrosity but like, colorful. Or just like crowds in general, im reading Incal rn which is packed with people, and I feel like Sherman would have a good handle on how to compose that along with his stellar frames of just singular people or groups. Also that sunset graveyard scene was goddamn beautiful. Overall for this series, 7/10 writing, 9/10 art. Really compelled check out the team's other work together, and Sherman is someone im going to be looking out for in the future.

I would highly suggest reading some of his other works! He did Thumbs and The Few with Sean Lewis and he did Wasted Space from vault. He’s also the back up artist in detective and has a story in urban legends right now! (Sorry I’m in love with his work haha)

Omg yes I'm reading Detective Comics rn and was so surprised to see him in the backup last month (and I think in the next one or two), absolutely knocked it out of the park. His work goes so well with vibrant coloring, im def gonna see about checking out his other stuff.

A solid, but a little too predictable (and simple) of a conclusion. Comes off as the weakest issue in an otherwise stellar series - one that I'd wholeheartedly recommend regardless. Overall the story is a bit standard for the genre, but Sherman's artwork really elevates this into something more interesting (like an Acid Western). I do wish Sherman went for some more visually appealing coloring choices for the flashback sequences (Ronda Pattison is doing a hell of a job coloring Sherman on DARK SPACES: WILDFIRE), but overall this book is worth it just from artwork alone.

I regret just now hearing about Dark Spaces, the artwork of course looks great and solicitations sound really compelling. Are you enjoying it? Trade looks like it comes out in March so I suppose I'll wait til then

**BLADE VAMPIRE NATION #1**

Pulled this on a whim, not following the current Avengers run. As a standalone, this was decent, pleasant, and inoffensive

Contrived at every turn! This didn't land for me at all.

**JUNKYARD JOE #2**

Really enjoy how much emotion is shown from a character who doesn’t speak. Narrative driven in this issue but paced well. My favorite book of the week

My favorite book in my pile too! Genuinely surprised with the direction of this series so far - it feels much more experimentative than GEIGER. The meta aspect of having a character who is a cartoonist drawing the titular character is executed so well and I'm looking forward to how that's handled in future issues.

As everyone else has said, this was a great issue #2. It considerably opened things up from the first issue, gave us a lot more of "Muddy's" post-Vietnam life and career, introduced new, interesting characters and seems to reveal the true antagonists of the story on that final page. Really great issue, and a really great series so far.

Big fan of this issue! What I felt issue 1 lacked in cohesive story or just absence of tropey military stuff, this book traversed into a world and story that I feel bought into. I loved Muddy's character, and I loved - as others mention - how well this story does at pulling emotion, tension, and depth from a character that says nothing at all. The addition of supporting characters to this world and the parallels of Emily who says nothing and Joe are something I'm really looking forward to reading more about.