Honorable Mention Highlights: September 2021
Telepaths #1 What happens when everyone passes out and then immediately wakes up being able to read each other's thoughts? Sounds pretty awful, doesn't it? Well, Straczinsky has taken on exactly this concept. Not a ton happens in issue number one, mostly just covering the finer details of "why" and "how," but with there being nothing more personal than your own inner-most thoughts, I could definitely see this book getting into some nitty gritty of what it means to have personal space. Dark Ages #1 Oh look, Marvel has some sort of event going on. Been a minute since they've had one of those... That said, this event is actually kind of neat so far. It's an interesting concept: how would superheroes function in a world of no electricity. It really only works for Marvel too, seeing as how so much of the Marvel heroism is based in science and technology. In a word full of Marvel cash ins, I'm actually pretty stoked for this one. Search for Hu #1 Kind of like Pearl from Bendis, but set it inside a martial arts movie. There's some clichés, some "why did you never tell me" moments, some special military behind-closed-doors knowledge to be had - not a bad time, but not an exceptionally special one, either. It has potential, though, especially if you love a good "chosen-one" story. Nine Stones #1 I like the characters of this book. The premise isn't entirely new. The narrative plays out fairly predictably. But the writing of the characters is what really shines. They just feel cute and realistic, and I find myself wanting to see their love blossom. And in general it's nice to have an LGBTQ story that just feels natural and not forced. Maw #1 I have high hopes for Maw, but dang did the first issue not deliver. I get the message it's trying to say, but it's handling of that message is done with heavy hands. Like, filled with lead hands. That said, I dig the creepy atmosphere built around the self-help group/ cult, and the promise of body horror will always get me hooked. Corset #1 Man, you know I love a good steampunk story. This one has that distinct "Victorian-era but MACHINES" vibe, which can be done so well in comics. What's cool about this one is that the main focus is on fashion, which just makes so much sense in a steampunk environment. The characters are well developed, the story is very familiar and engaging (I see you, Beauty and the Beast) and the twist is just twisty-enough. I'm only sad it's a one-shot, because this title sucked me in for sure. 10 Years to Death (One Shot) This is another of those big, beautiful one-shot titles from Aftershock that we've been talking about a lot. This one is a horror title, but less gruesome than some of the others, and reads a little more like a supernatural thriller. The tale is told from the perspective of a now-grown man, retelling an experience he had as a kid with his uncle. It's well paced, spooky, and feels just grounded in reality enough to keep you sucked in the whole way through. Definitely worth picking up. Impossible Jones #1 She was a criminal, in it for herself and the score. Now, she finds herself with powers she didn't earn, and a nagging feeling of responsibility to be on the right side of the law. Sounds impossible? Nah, just Impossible Jones. Cute, colorful, creative use of some superhero tropes - I think this is going to be a super fun titles to follow moving forward. Unborn #1 I'm a sucker for a good "group of ragtag, brash yahoos out in space on some sort of dangerous mission for a corporation and/or to save the earth in a mundane way" kinda scifi story. If you feel the same, are a fan of the alien franchise, or just looking for some interesting sci-fi that is more of the "this spaceship runs on diesel" type, then this is a good choice. Unborn doesn't try too hard to break the mold, but instead chooses to tell a story about interpersonal relationships and coping with the past against a backdrop of clunky space mechanisms and regenerative alien bugs. Turbo Kid: Apple's Lost Adventure #1 This is apparently a prequel to a movie. If the movie is anywhere as balls-out bonkers as this book, I need to watch it. Turbo Kid appears to be one part Mega Man, one part Tank Girl, and if I need to say more than that then you just don't understand joy. Human Remains #1 So, the whole "emotions are bad" thing has been done before, but usually under the umbrella of government control. Here we have some sort of mysterious entities that teleport in and obliterate anyone feeling to strongly a certain way. Cool premise that I can't help but feel like is based on something. The entity attacks people playing outside, people at weddings, people congregating at church, people gathering for concerts and parties, people blowing off steam at a bar. Where we come in, everyone is pretty much forced inside and all the revelry of the social world is gone. Where have I seen that before? Frontiersman #1 I love a good superhero book with scruples. Frontiersman was not what I expected. After Image's recent tangles with the superhero being a bit lame (looking at you, Mr. Radiant Black), I expected this to be another run of the mill super story. What I got instead was a very natural feeling character in a slowly built world struggling with concepts like relevancy, climate change and the nature of social media martyrdom. It was a moderately paced, chill kinda read with some nice world building. I'm rooting for you, Frontiersman.
0 Comments
It's almost like we never left at all!
Weekly Pull Highlights: August 18, 2021
Did you miss us? We're finally back from summer break with three awesome indie books that bring the retro-chic, the wealthy elite, and the Victorian bleak. It's good to be back, baby! 
Shoutout to all our Slytherin listeners!
Weekly Pull Highlights: June 16, 2021
We're feeling a little ssssassy this week with a whole lot of titles starting with "s" - and what's even better is that they're all really good! From a Supergirl book not focused on Supergirl, to a fun twist on the "we're here to save the world" trope, there's all sorts of really need sssstories this week! 
Definitely NOT a week to skip your LCBS...
Weekly Pull Highlights: June 2, 2021
This week came out swinging HARD, man! An excellent new horror title from Cullen Bunn, a bold new sci-fi title packing a ton of narrative threads from Ryan K. Lindsay, and one of the most stunning horror pieces we've ever read from James Tynion IV - and we mean ever. Hope you're ready to go get some books, folks, because there's plenty to choose from this go round!  When Godzilla's trying to tell you something, just listen already!Honorable Mention Highlights: April 21, 2021
Godzilla: Monsters & Protectors #1 Big Hero 6 meets the King of the Monsters! Probably gonna have a nice message about the environment in it too. This book had some 90s Saturday morning cartoon drip and I loved it. The Many Deaths of Laila Starr #1 Wowsers, what a trip. Ram V and Filipe Andrade hit us with some super interesting interpretations of theology while creating a dark and captivatingly morose tale of vengeance and death, all built upon a sad potentially damaged girl named Laila. The title definitely does not lie! Women of Marvel #1 Another fantastic compilation from Marvel, but this time entirely focused on new, up and coming women authors and artists - and HECK, is it fun. Running throughout the entire piece are short one-page stories from Mariko Tamaki who fully understands how to succingly describe the female experience, and how to make it hilarious. I mean, let's be real - sometimes you just have to laugh at the stuff we go through. Definitely pick this one up!  Some extraterrestrials from Disney that aren't blue & furry.Honorable Mention Highlights: March 24, 2021
Lady Baltimore: The Witch Queens #1 You know, there's something about a new story from Mignola that just gets me all excited. If I had to pinpoint it, it's probably because they're ALWAYS good, and this one is - surprise! - no exception. Focused on some super badass ladies fighting super sketchy witches, plus one of our leads is constantly fighting time-period misogyny by, you know, being a badass. It's a good time, fast paced, and I could easily see it becoming a show on Netflix. Just saying. Alien #1 New publisher, who dis? Marvel's first dip into the classic Alien franchise takes a step away from dark sci-fi action and instead turns the focus on shady corporate secrets and extreme activism. We get more of a look at what Earth is like in this time period and are introduced to a few (not all human) new characters along the way. Firefly: Brand New Verse #1 The recent run of Firefly comics have been excellent, and completely unafraid to pull away from the original cast to bring in new friends, new foes, and new fears. This one comes in MUCH later in the future, and appears that it's going to follow (shocker!) Zoe & Wash's daughter, Emma. If you've been hoping to jump into some of the new Firefly stuff, this could be a good starting point, but the vibe is definitely a little different from the previous run, and is a little more lighthearted and maybe silly at points. Definitely has potential to be a fun ride, though! 
It's just kids in the 70's, doing their thing, man.
Weekly Pull Highlights: March 10, 2021
Were there quite a few new books that dropped this week? Yes. Did we want to talk about all of them? No, because we want to make recommendations for you, not just announce new releases like an audio listicle. Does that mean this is a short episode? Not really - y'all know we like to talk (a lot). 
Small town folks are the most endearing kind of weird.
Weekly Pull Highlights: March 3, 2021
This week is just a giant station for all the hype-trains that have come into town! From Keanu being Keanu, to Skynet meets Ultron, to Wolverine in his absolute best form, there's some really interesting stuff in stores this week. 
You know it's a good book when it's got an exclamation point.
Weekly Pull Highlights: February 10, 2021
Look, sometimes a rant comes out of left-field and we just really need to share our feelings, okay? From unexpected hits, to misses that get bigger the more we talk about them, we discuss the big indie #1s of the week.  There was just too much to cover this week!Honorable Mention Highlights: February 3, 2021
Specter Inspectors #1 Remember how, for a few years, directors couldn't figure out how to implement a found-footage horror movie without making a team of TV paranormal investigators discover REAL horror in a haunted facility? This is that, but a comic. Not bad, not entirely surprising, but a fun romp if you're itching for another horror title. The Encoded #1 This book starts out with a really interesting look at a plausible future, focusing on random strangers, in a random encounter, and it feels incredibly organic and cool and I really want more of THAT. But it sort of divolves into your standard 'I'm the only one who can save us all' sort of action vibe, which is... Fine? I think I'd rather have more of the slice of life, if I'm being honest. But there's giant robots, so that's dope. Deep Beyond #1 A cool title from Mirka Andolfo. A bit different from her other titles that have hit the scene recently, this one deals with topics like pollution, propaganda and big ol' seas beasties. The first issue is a bit slow paced, but the story seems like it's gonna be a fun time. Sonjaversal #1 Here we are again. I am once again talking about how much I love Red Sonja spinoff and else world books more than the normal Red Sonja stuff. I like the premise of this one: a multiverse of Sonja's that are judged and forced to battle one another but some sort of deific All-Sonja. The twist at the end was a real badass nod to the OG Sonja too. Fun book overall. |
Cover B PodcastChris & Tee host this weekly comic-focused show, providing insight on new comics, entertainment news and more. Archives
October 2021
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed
Listen |
|