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, Patrick, Shelby and Drew discuss All-New Ultimates 1, Superior Foes of Spider-Man 11, All-New Ghost Rider 2, Iron Fist: The Living Weapon 1, Shutter 1, Green Lantern Corps 30, and Astro City 11.

Patrick: We start our round-up in that most peculiar corner of the Marvel Universe, the Ultimate corner. All-New Ultimates 1 introduces the titular team — now comprised of Spider-Man, Spider-Woman, Cloak and Dagger and Bombshell — as they try to reclaim their claim in a post-Cataclysm New York City. Without S.H.I.E.L.D. to support them, or anyone with any managerial experience, it looks like the series is positioned to explore the way groups of teenagers function without central leadership. And while that’s sorta interesting, so much of it happens in costume, the only exception to that is a single scene between Jessica and Kitty Pryde (on whose couch Jessica is crashing). Continue reading →

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, Drew and Patrick discuss Pretty Deadly 5, Private Eye 6, Red Sonja 8, Red Sonja and Cub Magneto 2, Black Widow 5, and Swamp Thing 30.

Drew: We like thinking about comics on this site — it’s literally the only reason it exists — which often predisposes us to patience. We’re willing to put the time in to unpack a dense work of art or give creators the benefit of the doubt that this will all pay off because we know how rewarding those experiences can be. That patience means we may be willing to wait a little longer for answers — heck, it may mean we actually like waiting for answers — but there’s a point of diminishing returns on ambiguity. Indeed, the bliss of ignorance can obscure the conflict necessary to drive a narrative. Or, put another way: is it possible to appreciate a solution if we never understood the problem? Continue reading →