James' Picks:
This a hugely (see what I did there?) entertaining first issue about giant women who are humanity's only line of defense against giant men who turn into disgusting monsters. You can read it as an allegory for toxic masculinity, and you can also appreciate it as being a fun romp of a debut from writer/artist Jason Howard. Howard's work in Trees and Cemetery Beach is fantastic, and it's great to see the sorts of stories he wants to tell when he's both writer and artist.
Undone by Blood is a terrific action/revenge/western story. It's the story of a young woman coming back to a town where her family was murdered, (this is set in the early 1970's) and then there's the story within the story, which is a Western novel that she's reading, brought to life. I loved the first few issues (review here) and think this is a terrific, gritty series. Great art, lettering and design from Sami Kivela, Jason Wordie, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
Sean's Pick:
Seven secrets, all being guarded by seven pairings made up of one Keeper and one Holder. We begin our story with Eva and Sigurd, the two given duty to guard secret number seven. We fall into the middle of a high octane moment of theirs accompanied by a rather sentimental flashback that will likely become more relevant as we move along in the story. Those flashbacks and the voice of the narrator are quintessential Tom Taylor and anyone reading his books will be pleasantly impressed with this new one of his. The rest of the creative team do an impressive job rounding out the visual appeal of the book. I’d advise to not miss this one as I’ve heard that it’s already sold out at the distributor level and has gone back for a second printing.
Mike's Picks:
This Beach Boys homage cover by Tom Shultz and Tito Pena is more than enough of a reason for me to pick up this book, but beyond that, this book just feels like something I need right now. I’m definitely feeling the superhero fatigue, and something about the nostalgia of Archie and the gang rolled up in summer fun and hijinks feels perfect, especially if it will allow me to vicariously experience summertime fun in the age of Covid shutdowns and social distancing.
Yes, I know I quite literally just wrote that I’m having superhero fatigue. And I am; it’s true. But what separates Green Lantern Earth One is that it is both an OGN and a truer science fiction tale than a traditional superhero story. I realize I am splitting hairs here, and I also realize that since Hardman and Beckho’s original Green Lantern offering a few years ago, Green Lantern books under the helms of Morrison & Sharp and Jemisin and Campbell have embraced the science fiction and space opera elements of the concept as well. So let’s not mince words – this is simply a beautiful book with a well-executed story. Hardman is made for space, and the world he creates has an epic weight to it. Along with Beckho, Hardman crafts a strong story as well, using his storyboard experience to add a cinematic scope to the book. If you appreciate grand structure in your storytelling, this is your book.
Admittedly, I don’t know much about this book or it’s creative team outside of reading Anderson’s adaptation of Yvain a few years ago, but what I have seen and read online excites me. Illustrator Jo Rioux creates beauitful pages of rich texture and shading that should work incredibly well alongside Anderson’s Celtic Mythology script. There is a bit of a mythology renaissance occurring these days, and I’m happy to see some of the lesser known stories and pantheons lifted to the forefront as a result. In Anderson and Rioux’s hands, this aquatic city myth looks to take on dark fantasy elements, and this modern update should translate into a captivating story.
