Look, there are a lot of comics out there. Too many. We can never hope to have in-depth conversations about all of them. But, we sure can round up some of the more noteworthy titles we didn’t get around to from the week. Today, we discuss Autumnlands: Tooth and Claw 10, Citizen Jack 5, Jupiter’s Circle Volume 2 5, Limbo 6, Star Wars Special: C-3P0 1, and Xena: Warrior Princess 1.
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Category Drew Baumgartner
Batman/Superman 31
Today, Drew and Spencer are discussing Batman/Superman 31, originally released April 13th, 2016.
Drew: What is a comic book series? That sounds like a simple question, but it’s one of those definitions that falls apart under close scrutiny. Peter Tomasi understands how strange our notion of a series can get, as he piloted Batman and Robin through the better part of a year without Robin. In that case, it wasn’t the cast, but the creative team that allowed us to group those issues as part of Batman and Robin. But if we take that definition of a “series” as something to do with a serialized narrative told by the same person (or team of people), what do we make of “Super Legion,” Tomasi’s new eight-part crossover that cycles through four different titles? Does it function like its own miniseries, or do its constituent issues maintain enough of their series’ identity to keep them distinct? The answer lies somewhere in between, which makes Batman/Superman 31 one of the most fascinating, if troubled, individual issues I’ve read in quite some time. Continue reading
Moon Knight 1
Today, Michael and Drew are discussing Moon Knight 1, originally released April 13th, 2016.
Michael: Superheroes do so love wallowing in self-doubt and self-reflection. Along with trading blows with supervillains and helping the helpless, self-reflection is one of the great pastimes of the American superhero. “Am I strong enough?” “Am I supposed to be this?” “Can I overcome this?” and so on, and so on. In Moon Knight 1 our hero is questioning himself (or selves) on a completely different level. The main question our hero asks is “Have I ever actually been Moon Knight? Or did I make that up?” Continue reading
DC Round-Up Comics Released 4/6/16
How many Batman books is too many Batman books? Depending on who you ask there ain’t no such thing! We try to stay up on what’s going on at DC, but we can’t always dig deep into every issue. The solution? Our weekly round-up of titles coming out of DC Comics. Today, we’re discussing Detective Comics 51, Harley Quinn and the Suicide Squad April Fool’s Special 1, Midnighter 11, New Suicide Squad 19, and Superman 51.
Marvel Round-Up: Comics Released 4/6/16
We try to stay up-to-date on what’s going on at Marvel, but we can’t always dig deep into every issue. The solution? Our weekly round-up of titles coming out of Marvel Comics. Today, we’re discussing Black Widow 2, Deadpool 9, Old Man Logan 4, Spider-Man 3, Spider-Women Alpha 1, and Vision 6.
Weekly Round-Up: Comics Released 4/6/16
Look, there are a lot of comics out there. Too many. We can never hope to have in-depth conversations about all of them. But, we sure can round up some of the more noteworthy titles we didn’t get around to from the week. Today, we discuss Archie 7, Darkness Hope One Shot, Last Sons of America 4, Rough Riders 1, and The Woods 21. Continue reading
The Wicked + The Divine 18
Today, Spencer and Drew are discussing The Wicked + The Divine 18, originally released April 6th, 2016.
Spencer: The Wicked + The Divine is back after a nearly four month absence, and regular artists Jamie McKelvie and Matthew Wilson have returned to the title after an even longer break. Not a single member of the creative team misses a beat, leaping headfirst into the title’s most action packed story yet, and one that draws deeply upon all the lore and characterization writer Kieron Gillen’s established in the past 17 issues. The Wicked + The Divine 18 never holds back and never slows down, so neither shall I. Let’s dive right in. Continue reading
The Fix 1
Today, Spencer and Drew are discussing The Fix 1, originally released April 5th, 2016.
Spencer: As someone who’s always flitted around the outskirts of his local punk community, I can’t say that I’ve ever had a great deal of trust for authority figures. Still, in the past few years I’ve seen what little faith I had whittled down to almost nothing. Between the constant pushing of discriminatory laws, the circus that is the current election cycle, and the repeated, horrific abuses of power when it comes to the police (especially in regards to racially motivated crimes), it seems clear that those in power are mainly concerned with nothing but their own well being. Steve Lieber and Nick Spencer’s new series, The Fix, taps into these very concerns by claiming that most efficient way to be a criminal is simply to become one of the supposed “good guys.” Continue reading
Marvel Round-Up: Comics Released 3/30/16
We try to stay up on what’s going on at Marvel, but we can’t always dig deep into every issue. The solution? Our weekly round-up of titles coming out of Marvel Comics. Today, we’re discussing Daredevil 5, Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur 5, and Unbeatable Squirrel Girl 6.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Deviations 1
Today, Patrick and Taylor Drew are discussing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Deviations 1, originally released March 30th, 2015.
Patrick: Iterating on mythology is common practice for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles team. You could even argue that iteration and exploration of the franchise’s mythology is not only something that IDW does incredibly, but is the whole point of the series. There are so many fan favorite characters, stories, locations and details taken from decades of comics, TV shows, movies, video games and action figures, all melded into one gracefully grotesque whole. So what happens when the team iterates on itself, looping back to re-examine a pivotal moment in their own history through a “what if” lens? The result is an insightful look at our heroes, but perhaps more importantly, it shows us just how delicately balanced all that mythology has been over the past five years. Continue reading
Retcon Punch 