The post-apocalyptic murder contests are here to stay, folks.
Weekly Pull Highlights: June 1, 2022
We're back, baby! And with a couple excellent indie titles about being swept onto adventure without ever seeing it coming.
0 Comments
What you may have missed in April!
Honorable Mention Highlights: April 2022
Alice Ever After #1 Have you ever wanted to read Alice in Wonderland and be like... super bummed out after? Well, good news! Check out Alice Ever After for a dark, reality blurring retelling of Alice's adventures in Wonderland. Alice moves through a cruel and unforgiving world as she seeks comfort through he imaginary friends that exist in a realm only accesible through the ingestion of special pills. Oh, and it's narrated by cats. G.I.L.T #1 This comic absolutely drips with that classic blend of dry Manhattan wit and sarcasm. A young(ish) woman is assigned as a caretaker for an elderly (but don't tell her i said that) woman who lives alone in her modest apartment. When she arrives for her first day, the caretaker finds her caretakee acting strange. Turns out, she's performing some spells. Timey-wimey spells! Off to the 70s we go! Miskatonic High #1 I will always appreciate the Breakfast Club formula of throwing misfit high schoolers at random problems and watching them bond. In this case, those problems are time traveling swords and demons with tentacles. It's leans a little heavy into tropes (hello, girl who lives for social media), but has a good enough setup that I look forward to issue two. The Joneses #1 We've been seeing a lot of books centered around "what happens when normal folks get powers?" But what makes this one stand out is very current, very social-political focus this story is taking. While it definitely touches on the "great power comes with great responsibility" trope, it focuses more intently on what it means to be different, and how being different in a very homogenous community makes life super hard. Immortal Red Sonja #1 Sonja is cursed! What is she cursed with? A SHIRT! pause for gasps It goes deeper than that, clearly. Beyond just being upgraded to more practically effective armor against her (and her typical audience's) will, Sonja is shackled to a talking chainmail shirt and sent on a quest into a quasi-Arthurian land of fae magics, curses and legends. It's shaping up to be an absolute load of dark, bloody fun. Vanity #1 One of the great things about comic books is how creative you can be with a medium that incorporates words, images, narration, omniscience, and perspective hopping. This book does something we don't see every day - it's a first person viewpoint! Seeing everything from the main character's eyes means the beautiful art style is filled with nuance and specificity. Admittedly, there's not a ton that goes on in this first book, but the style is really, really cool. 
Twins. In. SPAAAAACEEEE!
Weekly Pull Highlights: April 20, 2022
Please disregard the innevitable lawnmower noises in the background - we couldn't evade them, and now neither can you! But that didn't stop us from covering some very excellent space-age books this week. What you may have missed in March!
Honorable Mention Highlights: March 2022
Juniper #1 What a cute, cheeky little book. Another tale of a spunky girl with a talking robot friend (I'm honestly surprised that's so common nowadays), but it's set up with a fantastical world and very creative mystery building. I'm excited to see just how deep this story goes. Broken Eye #1 It's like the Dead Zone meets Trainspotting. A blue color dockworker in Liverpool gets embroiled in the workings of a crime lord. Because, y'know... his eye can see the past and stuff. Characters are a little flat, but it seems like it will be a tasty little neo-noir. We Live Rise of the Palladiums #1 Done in two different issues, Black and White, this premiere issue of the new volume of We Live is told from two different perspectives. We are sent back into the We Live world with new problems and a completely original vibe. Did you miss We Live? No problem, this story does an excellent job standing on its own with all the weird, colorful post-apocalypse-y goodness we're familiar with. Beyond the Beyond #1 It's a tale as old as time - a rebellious young girl seeks the exciting world outside her walls, and isn't afraid to break the rules and get in trouble to get what she wants. Okay, except this time she steals a spaceship. I mean, at least she didn't grow legs or whatever, right? Cities of Magick #1 I want to like this book so bad. It seems like a cool concept: a post-apocalyptic world where tech is replaced by magic. There seems to be setup for a later discovery that perhaps the magick isn't as different from tech as we think. I cool concept, interesting thrust and fun representation of magick? Sign me up. My main issue is just the characters feel SUPER flat and lifeless. The dialogue being a bit bland just throws this off for me, but it still deserves a mention for those sold enough on the concept. Zombies vs Robots Classic #1 Ten years or so ago, ZVR hit the shelves. It's a wild book that sees two different apocalypses go ahead to ahead across time. Just like... such a fun, wholesome concept. ZVC is now back with reprints of early issues that include new stories and art mixed in. Fun stuff and a classic read. 
Best Fwend Powers, activate!
Weekly Pull Highlights: March 16, 2022
Not every superhero story needs to be super deep, or super depressing, or super dramatic. Sometimes, it's just super people fighting bad guys and shaking hands. And honestly, we're totally into it. 
Thank God for books without exposition.
Weekly Pull Highlights: February 23, 2022
The written word isn't the only way to tell a story, and these visual driven indie books are definitely proving that this week. From a vast story in another world, to a kaiju invasion on our home turf, there's all sorts of tales being told with no dialogue in sight (and we're super okay with that!). 
Yes, we'll still read your vampire stories... sometimes.
Weekly Pull Highlights: February 9, 2022
Are we tired of vampires? Absolutely. Are we more forgiving when the story does really interesting, unique things and STILL incorporates vampires? Yeah, okay, fine, now you've gotten our attention.
Honorable Mention Highlights: December 2021
Refuse x Last Resort Double Shot One side is a beautiful, near-wordless journey of a woman utterly isolated and striving to get back to her world. The other side is a tongue-in-cheek exploration of how ridiculously exploitative capitalism is, and the complications of being surrounded by, well, yourself. It's a huge book being a double-shot and all, but definitely worth a pick-up. Gotham City Villains Anniversary Giant I don't have to say a whole lot about this book. You know why? Because the first story is by Danny DeVito, detailing how The Penguin and Catwoman fell in love, cured COVID-19, and saved the world. See, that's enough. Buckhead #1 This book is zany, and fast, and honestly a little disorienting (but in a good way?). While many books struggle to gain speed in the first issue, this one feels almost like they put too much into the opening chapter, but with tech meeting ancient civilizations meeting an entertainingly diverse cast, I think I'm into it. One-Star Squadron #1 If you aren't Batman or Tony Stark or Oliver Queen, it's unlikely your superhero-ing can serve as a moneymaking endeavor. That is, unless you team up with an agency that helps you live a secure life with a plan (and maybe a pension). I always appreciate a story talking about the mundane surrounded by the fantastic. And what's more mundane than paying taxes? Lunar Room #1 I think this has a lot of potential to be a cool magical Neo-Noir story, but the first issue didnt entirely hook me. I like the world and the mystery thats building, but the characters were a smidge on the cliche side. Still, werewolves and magic in a gritty city underbelly, could appeal to the World of Darkness crowd and those adjacent. No Holds Bard #1 SHAKESPEARE AS BATMAN. I love the concept of this, but the delivery is a bit ho hum. It is too aware of the joke instead of just letting the concept be funny on its own. Still, i had fun on the ride, even if there was an occasional eye roll in the mix. Ms. Marvel: Beyond the Limit #1 I didn't know I needed Ms. Marvel to have her own Spider-esque web of multiverses - but now I do! Giving her a new story to help those unfamiliar get acquainted before her new show hits, I'm excited to see a very multi-faceted tale all about Kamala(s). Apache Delivery Service #1 This book has a lot going for it - minimalist storytelling, an emotional time period and setting, a diverse cast with a broad experience, and evocative imagery. It's not a "nice" book, but it has potential to be an impactful one. A King's Vengeance #1 Tonally dark, ultra-violent Adventure Time. This book lays out a fairly basic concept and then delivers with some dope art and cool character design. Nifty book all around. 
Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?
Weekly Pull Highlights: December 15, 2021
What's real and what's a fabrication? That's exactly what we're piecing through this week - whether it's the grey area between dream and reality, rumors and the truth, or the fiction of a book and the real-life happenings of our world.
Honorable Mention Highlights: November 2021
The Dark Knights of Steel #1 Remember when you were a kid playing make-believe and you'd merge together very different IPs to the point where suddenly Optimus Prime is driving Mario to the next castle? This is kind of like that. Suddenly you're in a fantasy setting, but still watching the same DC characters you'd expect in a big crossover. I think is most surprising is how well it works - well done, team, I definitely care about the princes after all. A Thing Called Truth #1 Relatable, fun characters embroiled in a tale of misogyny and betrayal. This book is delightfully developed and honestly is a story unlike a lot of what's out there. It's realistic and grounded while building to an exciting thrust. Knighted #1 What if Batman was a pervy jerk, got accidentally killed by a random loser, and then replaced by said random loser at the behest of "Alfred" (who absolutely hates Batman to begin with)? If that premise isn't enough to delight you, then just know that this book is incredibly clever and wonderfully cheeky. Sure, it's another "what if popular super hero but different" story, but it's got some fun twists and turns. My Date with Monsters #1 What a fascinating concept for a book. Bad science leads to real nightmares, and the only way to avoid the apocalypse is for a very single mom to fall in love and build a stable family. Has it already built in some pretty predictable plot points? Yeah, but that doesn't take away from my investment in the very likeable characters. I'm excited to see how it all plays out. Provenance of Secrets #1 Another day, another noir - but this time, our gumshoe is investigating a theater cult (that as a former theater kid, seems completely believable). Boldly black and white, with a swiftly unraveling mystery, this one has set up to be a very interesting read. Good Boy #1 If you had told me I would one day read a comic book adaptation of John Wick where the dog lives and the person dies but it still turns into a bullet blasting blood bath, I would have told you to seek help. And yet, here we are. This book shines mainly for the novelty of the concept, but does have some fun art and tongue-in-cheek moments within to earn a mention. Turkey Day One Shot The perfect story for the holidays! It's got it all! Community. Family. History. Alien-possessed murder turkeys. If you like B-level horror movies, this book will be a fun ride for you. In the mix is also a nice bit of cheeky commentary on the problematic nature of the Thanksgiving story and the treatment of indigenous people in modern society. Oh, and also gore. Lots of gore. |
Cover B PodcastChris & Tee host this weekly comic-focused show, providing insight on new comics, entertainment news and more. Archives
June 2022
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed
Listen |
|