Sean's Picks:
Oliver
is a boy who was abducted by aliens along with his stepfather. Upon his
mysterious return years later he somehow remembers everything.. but no
one
believes him. Doctors, detectives, even his own parents question the
credibility of his recollections. In this second issue we hope to
discover more into what had happened to him while he was missing for
that decade, and who those mysterious characters were
on the reveal of last month’s final page. Retelling
inspired-by-actual-events stories often times scatter my interest faster
than consecutive indoor mall kiosks, and truth be told, I had this book
in queue based solely on the cover. Clara Meath does a fantastic
job illustrating this story as told by Eliot Rahel. So far, the
characters have sufficient life given them in her details and I look
forward to seeing more alien spaceship operating table spreads. I
particularly enjoyed last years
Hot Lunch Special by Rahal and seeing how well he handled an epic
noir in a five issue miniseries abbreviated format paired with what
I’ve seen so far in Meath’s illustrations give me all the motivation I
needed to look forward to where this story will
go. I’ll at least be around for the first arc; knowing that the truth
is out there, I’m at least trusting this creative team to show me what
it is.
Father
Fred, Angie, Norton, and Clara are back and I could not be more excited
about a single comic. This story is up there as one of my all time
favorites.
The third volume, Stations of the Cross, just ended and also
available this week while this next issue begins a new chapter. If the
first volume built the barn, and the second brought you inside it, while
the third turned it inside out, I honestly have
no clue where they take us from here. Lemire is at the top of his game
right now, and he is allowing Andrea to push boundaries nobody knew
possible. There isn’t a piece about this story that I am tired of. The
paneling, the storytelling, the dialogue, the
texture, the stitching of its narrative, and the muted earth tones
accented with rich hues of deep reds are everything that make this comic
brilliant. Starting this now with issue 17 would nearly knock your mind
senseless, so it goes without saying that picking
up the first other volumes along with this issue would be the best
choice. Although.. starting from the inside and working your way out
might be what Lemire had planned for us the entire time. Read this story
in real time before pop culture discovers it. Be
one of us and circle ‘round.
Premise for
Marked felt similar to other recent titles such as Faithless and
Scratched. Combine the self-indulgent nature of Faithless with the occult driven nature within the existence of body art of
Scratched and you have a loose version of what seems to be what’s happening in this new title from
Image. Unlike this comparison I’ve made that makes sense only in my mind
Marked uses the magic obtained by tattoos for good rather than evil.
I am highly interested in how this story gets told and to what level
the coined “hybrid magic” is played out to be. I enjoy stories told
involving threads of the supernatural and this
reads as nothing short of it. I’m on board.
James' Picks:
Gideon Falls is a must-read comic whenever it comes out. Andrea Sorrentino is doing some of his best work ever, and his pairing with color artist Dave Stewart has been an absolute revelation (not that it's surprising that either is great, but it's been like the experience that the first person who ever combined peanut butter and chocolate must have had). I adore this weird, creepy book (my earlier review here), and think it's terrifically smart. trippy, religious horror-scifi. Things were left off in a pretty weird place, and I can't want to see where it picks up. The third volume is now available, so this is the perfect time for you to catch up on one of the best books out there.
This is quietly one of the very best books that Marvel is publishing. Thomson and Carnero have been telling a very smart, emotionally grounded story over the course of 10+ issues, and it all seems to be coming to a head. Carnero has been a real revelation, as I wasn't familiar with her work previously and she is absolutely fantastic. And Thompson is one of Marvel's MVPs right now - she's a gifted storyteller, and someone who just has a fantastic ear for what people really sound like. This is a wonderful book.
There's not really that much for me to say here. I've LOVED House of X and Powers of X and more than just how much I've loved the books themselves, I've loved how this has reengaged some of my comics fandom and desire to have community with others. So you can say I'm excited for this one. Hickman himself is writing this book, with art from the wonderful Leinil Yu. This book looks like it's going to be big and exciting, and that's just what I want.
Neil's Pick:
Issue 1 of Something Is Killing The Children instantly proved that it isn't an IT ripoff. Thankfully putting the know-it-alls of the comics world in their place. What you do have in SiKtC is a suspenseful, disturbing and almost shocking story that draws you right in. I love my horror comics as much as the next person, but seeing kids being ripped to pieces, isn't an easy read (I'm the father of two young kids). Tynion may be known to most with his DC work but for me, with my small pull list, this is my first dabble into his work and I'm truly amazed. Slightly disappointed to hear this has been moved into a larger ongoing series (I prefer 5 issue runs). But Tynion seems to be pointing at a grander story of monster hunters and I'll have me some of that. Werther Dell-Edera’s artwork and Miquel Muerto's colours are perfectly suited. Giving a rough, untidy look that stops the true horror of the story from looking to clean and polished. A very, very gloomy horror title and a must read for any horror fan.
Mike's Pick:
Based on a ‘40s radio serial, Superman Smashes the Klan is a story Yang has been itching to tell for a while now. Yang, perhaps best known for his original graphic novels like American Born Chinese, his work on Avatar: The Last Airbender adaptations, or his writing work for the young readers hit, Secret Coders, has been working for DC since the tail end of The New 52, writing the stories that ultimately killed off the New 52 incarnation of Superman and paved the way for Rebirth and Superman: Reborn. He had a great voice for the character even then, and I’m excited to see him take Superman back to his roots as a New Deal idealist, focused on the plight of the little guy, eradicating everyday injustice instead of stopping a major alien invasion. The fact that Yang targets the Klan, a group we most often thing of as attacking African-American, but who also famously railed against groups like Sicilians, Catholics, and Chinese, makes this book an important point of social commentary for both past and present.
Jenn's Picks:
Midnight Vista, you make me want to believe. There is something about this story that fills me with a sense of nostalgia. Maybe it is the story of a close encounter, reminding me of the television and stories I obsessed over as a kid, or maybe it is subtle references tossed in to show the reader the year, maybe it is something else entirely, I quite literally could not tell you, but I am definitely here for it. There is an underlying lightness to Midnight Vista, that I was not expecting from the subject matter, largely in my opinion, thanks to the dialogue. The conversations and thought processes of the characters seem genuine, and I am waiting to see what other gems cross the lips of the characters featured on this issues cover, the definitely human F.B.I agents Michael Mann, and Mike Manning. Someone, anyone, everyone- pick this up, read it, and let yourself be taken in by the charm of this story.
