Author: Karson

Karson has a passion for storytelling of all forms! He has written a book, founded Icomic Panels, and a co-host on Check Your Backseat! You can follow all the other cool things he does on twitter.

Geekscape Comics: Best Bets for 01/11/17

by Karson

It’s that wonderful time of the week again, new comic book day! Choosing what to read can be daunting (and expensive!). Don’t worry though, Geekscape has you covered. Each week we give a few best bets for a comic book that you’re sure to enjoy. Let’s get into it!

DC

DC is on such a high right now. Their Batman books are solid, their Superman books are solid. Young Animal is maturing. They’re pumping out tons of awesome content, but this week there is one title that jumps off my pull list…


Justice League/Power Rangers #1
📝 Tom Taylor
🎨 Stephen Byrne, Eduardo Nunez

Two of comics greatest teams team up for the very first time! Something terrible has happened in Angel Grove! When the Command Center is breached and the teleporters are damaged, Zack is flung into another universe, where he’s mistaken for a villain by a mysterious masked vigilante. Can the other Power Rangers get to their friend in time to save him from Batman? Co-published with BOOM! Studios.

Well, I’m sure we’ve all thought of it before in either our dreams, action figure battles, or discussions with friends and now we finally get to see it unfold in comic books! That’s right, it’s Power Rangers + Justice League. Need I say more?

Marvel


Jessica Jones #4
📝 Brian Michael Bendis
🎨 Michael Gaydos

Jessica Jones latest case has revealed a new hidden evil in the Marvel Universe. An evil so terrifying she was willing to rip her family apart to save them from it. But was the sacrifice enough? Another all-new blistering chapter of Marvel’s premier detective.

This series is getting good. It’ll scratch the itch while you wait for more Marvel Netflix content.

Geekscape Comics: Best Bets for 01/04/17

by Karson

Happy New Year! After a nice holiday, I’m back and ready to talk comic books with you lovely people. Without further ado, let’s get into it!

Marvel

Mark Waid’s Avengers and Champions series’ have new issues out this week. Both are worth checking out, but neither of them are must-reads. Reminder: Black Widow, another Waid authored title (which had it’s ninth issue released over the holidays), is.

Beta Ray Bill is back in Jason Aaron and RB Silva’s The Unworthy Thor! Aaron tells great mythological tales and Silva’s art is so damn good. If you’re longing for the Thor of old, this one is for you.

The second issue of the new Nova series is out today too, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the first one so I’m looking forward to this.

DC

Justice League vs Suicide Squad was just beginning the last time we chatted, and now we’re a few issues in. What have you thought so far? It hasn’t wowed me much. The Suicide Squad books so far had done a great job of letting me get to know the characters in the Squad, however, the series has never done much to get me to care about Waller who plays a pivotal role in JLvSS. So a little lacking there. The battle we saw in issue 2 was pretty awesome though! Let’s see where issue three takes us.

Superman is about to enter crazy town.

“MULTIPLICITY” part one! The New Super-Man of China has been taken! The Red Son Superman of Earth-30 has been beaten! And who knows what’s happened to Sunshine Superman! Someone is collecting Supermen across the Multiverse-this looks like a job for our Kal-El as he is joined by Justice Incarnate in this multi-Earth epic!

If the Justice League of America Rebirth gets into motion this week with Justice League of America: The Atom Rebirth #1. We also have The Fall and Rise of Captain Atom #1. A character Alan Moore said influenced Doctor Manhattan, so maybe there will be more to this book than meets the eye.

Best Bets? Most excited for? I don’t know, nothing is jumping off the pull list this week. Maybe I’m still in a turkey coma?

What are your pulls?

Geekscape Comics: Best Bets for 12/14/16

by Karson

Marvel

A lot of so-so Marvel books hit shelves today. Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows, Mosaic, and Power Man and Iron Fist to name a few.

More notable titles include:

lvX #1. Ok, I almost choked when I saw the price tag on this book, $5.99 is steep! Chances are the book will change the face of the Marvel Universe but the X-Men books ran me threw the dirt recently so my faith in this series is low.

Jessica Jones #3. You’d have no idea that it’s been basically 15 years since Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Gaydos first run on Jessica Jones (well, Alias). This books feels every bit as solid as their first run. Gaydo’s art has a very grounded in reality feel to it that makes the supernatural moments feel all the more memorable. The tone of this series very much matches that of Netflix’s Jessica Jones if you’re looking for more of that.

DC

You should be reading Action Comics and The Flash, both have been great since the beginning of Rebirth.

A couple of weeks ago I advised waiting for waiting for the current, long-running, Suicide Squad story arc, The Black Vault, to finish before jumping in for Justice League vs Suicide Squad but they tricked me. The Black Vault part 8, out today, also serves as the beginning of Justice League vs Suicide Squad.

Most Excited For, Best Bet, aka You Should Probably Start Reading

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Reborn
📝 Mark Millar
🎨 Greg Capullo

MILLAR & CAPULLO’s epic sci-fifantasy story continues. Bonnie is captured by Dark Lands gangsters during her quest to find her missing husband—gangsters who will deliver her to evil General Frost and his boss, Lord Golgotha. But just as all hope seems lost, Bonnie’s warrior powers start kicking in.

I don’t know if the description does it justice or not. Millar’s words and storytelling is great but Capullo is knocking it out of this park with this title. His characters and world building are just off the charts good. If you’re a fan of Saga, this book will be up your alley. This third issue will probably determine whether it makes it on my Best Of 2016 list or not. Or maybe it already has a spot in it, haven’t thought about it enough.

Geekscape Comics: Best Bets for 12/07/16

by Karson

It’s that wonderful time of the week again, new comic book day! Choosing what to read can be daunting (and expensive!). Don’t worry though, Geekscape has you covered. Each week we give our best bet for a comic book that you’re sure to enjoy. Let’s get into it!

I just got home from a trip to New Orleans and Atlanta, so I’m putting this together last minute. I apologize for the brevity, but perhaps the less writing of mine you have to read the better? 😅

Marvel

Champions #3
You all know by now that I’m not a huge fan of all these new Marvel characters and teams, but I am a huge fan of Mark Waid and right now his talent makes this material worth reading.

Avengers #2
Honestly, I can’t even remember what happened in issue #1 but if Kang is involved, it’s bound to be interesting. Plus, it’s Mark Waid. 😉

The Unworthy Thor #2
Jason Aaron might not be Mark Waid, but he is one of my favourite current writers at Marvel, and it’s great to see him working on the original Thor.

The Clone Conspiracy #3
I’ve been raving about Dan Slott’s work on Spider-Man for the past few months, but this Clone Conspiracy has been moving very slowly. Hopefully this issues kicks things into high gear again.

Image

Eclipse #4
A relatively unknown creative team delivering an awesome sci-fi story!

DC

Batman #12
I’ve been claiming Batman All Stars was the best Batman book on the market, but that title might actually belong to Tom King’s Batman.

Superman #12
The best Superman book on the market.

Best Bet

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Nightwing #10
📝 Tim Seeley
🎨 Marcus To
I haven’t spoke much about Nightwing since Rebirth began, but this series has consistently been damn good (as was the Grayson series before Rebirth). The latest arc, Bludhaven, starts this issue and I think it’ll be worth checking out.

Geekscape Comics: Best Bets for 11/30/16

by Karson

It’s that wonderful time of the week again, new comic book day! Choosing what to read can be daunting (and expensive!). Don’t worry though, Geekscape has you covered. Each week we give our best bet for a comic book that you’re sure to enjoy. Let’s get into it!

It’s a quiet week on my pull list, nothing I’m stoked for and definitely no best bets, so this article is going to be brief.

Batman Annual #1 is out, most of the Batman books are killing it right now so this may be an annual worth reading if you don’t mind spending a little more than your average issue.

It feels like the current Suicide Squad arc has been going on forever, and I guess that’s because it sort of has. Part seven of The Black Vault is out. Suicide Squad is going to get hot once DC’s first Rebirth event, Justice League vs. Suicide Squad, begins but you can probably sit the remainder of this arc out.

I’ve been praising Black Widow forever. It’ll be one of my books of the year. The latest issue is out this week. Check out the series if you haven’t yet, this is a perfect week too.

I should mention that IvX (Inhumans vs. X-Men) sort of kicks off this week with IvX #0. I fell off the X-Men books a few months ago and $4 is steep for an issue 0 so I’ll probably sit this one out… Hah. Whom I kidding. I’ll probably dip my toes in the water once the series actually kicks off.

Geekscape Comics: Best Bets for 11/23/16

by Karson

It’s that wonderful time of the week again, new comic book day! Choosing what to read can be daunting (and expensive!). Don’t worry though, Geekscape has you covered. Each week we give our best bet for a comic book that you’re sure to enjoy. Let’s get into it!

It’s a quiet week from the big two publishers if you’re tastes are anything like mine. So let’s brush over them before getting to Image, who is responsible for all of this week’s sexy releases.

Marvel

I’m sure someone, somewhere once said “war never ends” or something like that. Well, I doubt they would have been referring to Marvel’s Civil War II, but they definitely could have been. Despite Marvel’s New or Now or Whatever the Heck reboot being in full effect, we still haven’t learned the conclusion of Civil War II. We get one step closer today though with the series’ seventh issue. If you’re caught in the web of Clone Conspiracy, the second Prowler tie-in issue is also out today.

DC

Nothing too crazy out of the DC camp this week. A lot of good titles but nothing I’m dying to read. Titans #5 is probably the book I’m anticipating the most, with Action Comics #968 in a close second.

Image

Get ready. There are a ton of great Image titles to read this week!

Outcast has lost a lot of it’s steam for me the past few issues, but I’m still excited to be reading another one this week.

Perhaps the series I’ve been most surprised by this year is
Bryan Lee O’Malley’s Snotgirl. I started reading this solely because O’Malley’s name was on it but after three issues I’ve really enjoyed the fresh feeling art and surprisingly interesting story line. Hopefully it gets even better with the fourth issue.

It seems like forever since we’ve had a new issue of Jason Aaron’s The Goddamned, and that’s because it has been! Well, since June. In case you forgot, here’s a snipped of the book’s description:

It’s 1,655 years after Eden, and life on Earth has already gone to hell. The world of man is a place of wanton cruelty and wickedness. Prehistoric monsters and stone-age marauders roam the land. Murder and destruction are the rule of the day. Humankind is a failed experiment. This is life before the Flood. The story of man on the verge of his first apocalypse. Welcome to the world of the Goddamned.

If I recall correctly, the first four issues were solid, so it’ll be fun to get back into this world.

Since it’s release, I’ve been saying Jonathan Hickman’s The Black Monday Murders is a book you’ll probably want to read in trade. Well, now is our chance! Sort of. The book’s first arc concludes in issue #4 today. So however you get your hands on the four issues is up to you but rest assured, you won’t regret doing it. Honestly, that’s probably what I’m most excited for this week. However, Image has one more title up it’s sleeve that I think’ll be even better!

Best Bet

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A.D.: After Death Vol. 1
📝 Scott Snyder
🎨 Jeff Lemire

WHAT IF WE FOUND A CURE FOR DEATH? Two of comics’ most acclaimed creators, SCOTT SNYDER (WYTCHES, Batman, American Vampire) and JEFF LEMIRE (DESCENDER, Moon Knight, Sweet Tooth) unite to create a three-part epic like no other, set in a future where a genetic cure for death has been found. Years after the discovery, one man starts to question everything, leading him on a mind-bending journey that will bring him face-to-face with his past and his own mortality. A unique combination of comics, prose, and illustration, A.D.: AFTER DEATH will be serialized monthly as three oversized prestige format books written by SNYDER and fully painted by LEMIRE.

All I had to do was see that creative team and I knew this book was on my pull list. Having an innovative storyline and blending mediums together takes it to another level. While we won’t get it’s conclusion until the end of January, this has book of the year potential written all over it.

Geekscape Comics: Best Bets for 11/16/16

by Karson

It’s that wonderful time of the week again, new comic book day! Choosing what to read can be daunting (and expensive!). Don’t worry though, Geekscape has you covered. Each week we give our best bet for a comic book that you’re sure to enjoy. Let’s get into it!

Honorable Mentions

Oh baby! Marvel is bringing it this week! Thanos returns to the Marvel comics spotlight with the Jeff Lemire and Mike Deodato Jr. helmed, Thanos #1. We are being delivered a double-dose of Clone Conspiracy tie-ins with Amazing Spider-Man #21 and Silk #14. While I enjoyed the character in Spider-Verse, this’ll be the first actual Silk book I read! The Doctor Doom as Iron Man story continues in Infamous Iron Man #2. Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Gaydos continue their new run on Jessica Jones with issue #2. If you were a fan of their original run, or the Jessica Jones or Luke Cage Netflix series’, this book is a no-brainer.

As far as DC goes, the Superman and Batman books are amongst my favourite of the Rebirth titles right now and we get new issues of each, #11 and #11 (yeah, I put the ‘and’ in there so I could link them up 😂). I know I sound like a broken record but the father-son dynamic going on in Superman is so damn good. As far as Batman goes, we got Bane back, what’s not to love about that?

Image has a couple of titles out this week that you should be reading. First, we have Reborn #2, issue 1 didn’t let us down and here’s hoping Millar and Capullo can continue to wow us with issue 2 of their sci-fi fantasy. Next, comic book masters Brubaker and Phillip’s conclude the first arc of their latest book, Kill Or Be Killed #4.

Best Bet

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Ether #1
📝 Matt Kindt
🎨 David Rubin

A science-minded adventurer gets mixed up in the mysteries of a fantasy world in this charming new adventure from an award-winning creative team. Boone Dias is an interdimensional explorer, a scientist from Earth who has stumbled into great responsibility. He’s got an explanation for everything, so of course the Ether’s magical residents turn to him to solve their toughest crimes. But maybe keeping the real and the abstract separate is too big a job for just one man.

If you’ve been reading this for awhile, you’ll know I’m a huge fan of Matt and Sharlene Kindt’s Dept. H. This week we get a new Dark Horse Comics book from Kindt, Ether #1. With one science fiction fantasy title on our pull list in Reborn, you’d think there wouldn’t be room for another but with Kindt’s name on it, I can’t imagine it not being awesome. His love for comic books is apparent in everything I’ve read of his so far, he takes advantage of everything the medium as to offer. There’s no reason to think we won’t do it again with Ether.

Geekscape Comics: Best Bets for 11/09/16

by Karson

It’s that wonderful time of the week again, new comic book day! Choosing what to read can be daunting (and expensive!). Don’t worry though, Geekscape has you covered. Each week we give our best bet for a comic book that you’re sure to enjoy. Let’s get into it.

Regardless of how you feel about last night’s election, there is one thing that can’t be disputed: there are a lot of great new comic books out today! Oh man, so many that I’m excited for! Let’s start rattling them off.

Joshua Williamson and Felipe Watanabe’s Flash is kicking ass and kicks off a new storyline this week. The most exciting and refreshing of the ongoing Batman titles, All Star Batman, has it’s third issue hitting shelves today. If you’ve been Gerard Way’s Young Animal line of comics (I have been, but they’re a little out there), their latest, Mother Panic is out today.

Marvel’s new Invincible Iron Man (Iron Woman? .. Mmm, no.. Ironheart!) makes its debut this week, even though I’m not a big fan of the trend of new characters taking on the mantle of old heroes, I think this title will be worth checking out.

Mosaic, starring Morris Sackett, the brand new Marvel super hero, is rolling onto issue #2 today. First one was solid, and left me wanting more.

I want to say I’m the most excited for Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows, where Gerry Conway is going to be taking the character back to the roots of what makes Peter Parker, Peter Parker, because that is SO up my alley… but that won’t be the first title I read…

Most Excited For

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The Clone Conspiracy #2
📝 Dan Slott
🎨 Jim Cheung

Yeah, no surprise here. I’m just hooked on this story line, I can’t help it! Am I a fan of Peter Parker bank rolling the entire Avengers team over in Avengers #1? Not really. Does it indicate that he might become a lot less relatable? Maybe. BUT Slott has been delivering great issue after great issue here (including some very powerful “Peter Parker” moments) so I’m not worried at all… yet ☺️

Who else will come back from the dead!? Does someone have a bingo card? Someone should make a bingo card.

Best Bet

Let’s mix it up…

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Doctor Strange: The Oath
📝 Brian K. Vaughan
🎨 Marcos Martin

Well, if jumping into Spider-Man isn’t your thing, maybe you’re looking for a little Doctor Strange in your life? Comixology has you covered, their running a sale on Brian K. Vaughan and Marcos Martin’s iconic Strange story, The Oath ($1 for each of the five issues). Strange simultaneously tries to find the person who nearly murdered him as well as find a cure to Wong’s terminal cancer.

So that feels like kind of like an advertisement but hey, it’s a good story and I didn’t want to leave you without a Best Bet for two weeks in a row!

And with all that Stranger Things 2 news over the past week, how about checking out Vaughan’s Paper Girls too. Sorry, too lazy to find a link 😝

What books did you pick up today?

Happy reading.

Geekscape Comics: Best Bets for 11/02/16

by Karson

It’s that wonderful time of the week again, new comic book day! Choosing what to read can be daunting (and expensive!). Don’t worry though, Geekscape has you covered. Each week we give our best bet for a comic book that you’re sure to enjoy. Let’s get into it.

Unprecedented in the history of Best Bets, there is no issue in particular that I’m most excited for or think is worthy of being a best bet. This week it is all honourable mentions. Is that even the right phrase when there is no true winner? How about the Most Exciting of the Not Most Exciting? I don’t know. Enough of that, let’s talk this week’s comics!

Honorable Mentions

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Champions #2
📝 Mark Waid
🎨 Humberto Ramos

When Champions debuted, I discussed how I believe Marvel replacing their tried and true super heroes in their comic books with new ones is a bad idea. Despite Champions arguably being the flag bearer of that movement, I gave the book a chance. It’s written by Mark Waid after all. While I wouldn’t put it in the same category as his work on Daredevil, Black Widow, Archie, etc. it still stuck it’s claws deep enough in me that I’ll be coming back for issue #2 today.

Speaking of tried and true, the original God of Thunder is back this week in The Unworthy Thor!

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The Unworthy Thor #1
📝 Jason Aaron
🎨 Olivier Coipel

The Odinson’s desperate search to regain his worthiness has taken him out into the cosmos, where he’s learned of the existence of a mysterious other Mjolnir. This weapon of unimaginable power, a relic from a dead universe, is the key to Odinson’s redemption — but some of the greatest villains of the Marvel Universe are now anxious to get their hands on it as well. Can The Odinson reclaim his honor, or will the power of thunder be wielded for evil? The quest for the hammer begins here.

Helmed by the great creative team of Jason Aaron and Olivier Coipel, this book is probably going to be good, just not enough for me to pull the trigger on it being a best bet.

How about a little DC love too?

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Superman #10
📝 Patrick Gleason, Peter J. Tomasi
🎨 Patrick Gleason

Coming off the conclusion of the awesome two-parter Return to Dino Island, I’m hoping Superman can continue to gather steam. Tomasi has been doing a great job exploring the father son relationship, and now it looks like we might see another father/son combination join the action. Also, the Watchmen references have been happening consistently in this series so hopefully it will continue to unveil how these worlds mix!

Edit: So yeah, Avengers #1 is a thing too. By Mark Waid and Mike Del Mundo and a gorgeous cover by Alex Ross.

Geekscape Comics: Best Bets for 10/26/16

by Karson

It’s that wonderful time of the week again, new comic book day! Choosing what to read can be daunting (and expensive!). Don’t worry though, Geekscape has you covered. Each week we give our best bet for a comic book that you’re sure to enjoy. Let’s get into it.

Sadly, Steve Dillon passed away this past week. For me, Dillon was on of the first artists I learned by name and style. Nothing against Garth Ennis but it was Dillon’s art that drew me into Preacher for multiple readings. It was his artwork that had me excited about the ongoing Punisher series. It’s hard to believe just a few months ago we were raving about how awesome it was to have him back on Punisher, and now he’s gone. His work will live on forever though, and I highly encourage you to check some of it out if you haven’t yet. 🙏

Honorable Mentions

With all the Super characters going on in the DC Universe right now, you’d think I would be suffering from Super fatigue. That’s not the case yet though. Action Comics #966 is out and I couldn’t be more excited. Lois is back to work at the Daily Planet and Superman continues to investigate who’s responsible for Doomsday. Maybe another Mr. Oz appearance? My enthusiasm for Outcast has been waining, but maybe this issue will bring it back up. After being wowed by the last issue of Civil War II, I’m mildly intrigued by Civil War II #6, is Spider-Man going kill Steve Rogers?

Most Excited For

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Seven To Eternity #2
📝 Rick Remender
🎨 Matt Hollingsworth, Jerome Opeña

Now face to face with the God of Whispers, enslaver of worlds, all that stands between Adam Osidis and his heart’s every desire is one simple compromise, to bend the knee.

Honestly, there wasn’t anything I was waiting all week to read but the first issue of this series was solid. It’s always fun to witness Remender construct a world, especially with Hollingsworth by his side.

Best Bet

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Black Widow Vol. 1: Shields Most Wanted
📝 Mark Waid, Chris Samnee
🎨 Chris Samnee

Collects Black Widow (2016) #1-6.

They wowed you with DAREDEVIL, now the Eisner Award-winning team of Mark Waid and Chris Samnee take Black Widow to new heights — by forcing her to go on the lam! Natasha has a lifetime of secrets, and when some of the darkest ones are made public, nobody is safe. As S.H.I.E.L.D. turns on its once-greatest asset, she seeks out her own answers in a knock-down, drag-out tale of action and espionage! But the Widow’s hunt for the Weeping Lion sends her back to the one place she never wanted to go! With a little help from old friends — and old enemies lying in wait — she’ll face the new incarnation of the Red Room: the Dark Room! But as S.H.I.E.L.D. closes in, Natasha finds herself on a collision course with the Invincible Iron Man!

I raved about it last week, and I’m going to do so again this week. Black Widow is go-go-go. It experiments with new ideas and ways of storytelling every issue. There are action moments, high tension moments and even some funny ones. Waid and Samnee are proving to be masters of the comic book medium. This series will be on my Best Of Year list (and I’m sure many other people’s) if you haven’t checked it out yet I highly encourage you to do so!

Geekscape Comics: Best Bets for 10/19/16

by Karson

It’s that wonderful time of the week again, new comic book day! Choosing what to read can be daunting (and expensive!). Don’t worry though, Geekscape has you covered. Each week we give our best bet for a comic book that you’re sure to enjoy. Let’s get into it.

Honorable Mentions

Ok, I’ll come out right away and admit that I’m kind of fudging my answer a bit this week. Amazing Spider-Man #20 is by far the book I’m most excited for this week, but this article will get pretty boring if every week you are seeing Spider-Man titles in the Most Excited For slot, so alas, it is only getting an honourable mention. If you aren’t in the know, THE CLONE CONSPIRACY has begun, and Doctor Octopus is back (and not as Spider-Man)!

Speaking of villains becoming heroes, Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev are introducing a new Iron Man and his name is Doctor Doom in Infamous Iron Man #1 . We don’t know what happens to Tony Stark in Civil War II’s conclusion, but it looks like he is going pretty far off the map.

Mark Waid and Chris Samnee are killing it on Black Widow, the seventh issue comes out today and the other six are definitely worth checking out! You’ll probably see this book on a lot of Best of 2016 lists.

In the DC Universe, the Batman titles are moving into the post NIGHT OF THE MONSTER MEN event, Bane is moving into the spotlight in the newest Batman book and we are about to learn a whole lot more about Raptor in this week’s Nightwing.

Now let’s move on to the publisher responsible for the book I’m most excited for this week…

Most Excited For

We haven’t spoke of Dark Horse in awhile and it turns out this is a perfect week to do so. This week we have new issues of three of their greatest ongoing series’. We have a new issue of Cullen Bunn’s Harrow County, which has fallen into a bit of a slump after the first couple of story arcs, but it still makes for great reading. I’ll read this over his recent X-Men work any day 😊. A new issue Jeff Lemire’s Black Hammer is out, this is the complete comic book package; tight writing, sick art, and captivating characters. And finally…

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Dept. H #7
📝 Matt Kindt
🎨 Sharlene Kindt

From New York Times best-selling MIND MGMT creator Matt Kindt comes an exciting new undersea sci-fi mystery. Mia is a special investigator hired to uncover possible sabotage taking place at a deep-sea research station. What she finds is a mind-blowing crime scene filled with suspects with terrible secrets, strange deep-sea creatures, and an impending flood!

This is comic books at their finest. Matt Kindt’s love of the medium bleeds through the pages. Each issue drives the story forward and teaches us more about the characters, growing our attachment to them. The water colours in this book are absolutely gorgeous, some of the best art you’ll see in a comic book this year. The back issues are only $1.99 each, you gotta read this series!

Best Bet

No best bet this week. Seriously consider checking out Dept. H.

Geekscape Comics: Best Bets for 10/12/16

by Karson

It’s that wonderful time of the week again, new comic book day! Choosing what to read can be daunting (and expensive!). Don’t worry though, Geekscape has you covered. Each week we give our best bet for a comic book that you’re sure to enjoy. Let’s get into it.

Honorable Mentions

WOW! This might be the most exciting week for comic book releases this year! So many awesome titles are being releases this week. Tons worth mentioning from Image Comics we have The Fix #6, The Black Sunday Murders #3 (wait to read this in trade), Kill Or Be Killed #3 (most weeks this would be what I’m most excited for), and something new from Mark Millar… but we’ll get to that later.

All-Star Batman continues with issue #3 and The Batman/Nightwing/Detective Comics crossover, Night of the Monster Men concludes with Detective Comics #942. I’m even a little excited for Red Hood and the Outlaws #3 too.

Marvel is introducing a new hero this week in Mosaic #1 which is worth checking out but not something I’m particularly excited for.

Most Excited For

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The Clone Conspiracy #1
📝 Dan Slott
🎨 Jim Cheung

“DEAD NO MORE”: The Jackal is back and has conquered death. The Amazing Spider-Man is outmatched by his classic enemy’s army. Does the wall-crawler stand a chance? SHOULD he stand in The Jackal’s way if he’s found the key to eternal life?

Ignore the negative connotations the word ‘clone’ carries when it comes to Spider-Man, Dan Slott knows what he’s doing. The issues leading up to this event have been stellar so hopefully that momentum can carry into issue #1. With an opportunity for any dead character to make an appearance, it’s going to be interesting to see how far Slott takes it.

Best Bet

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Reborn #1
📝 Mark Millar
🎨 Greg Capullo

MARK MILLAR & GREG CAPULLO join forces to create the smash hit sci-fi / fantasy story of the year: REBORN. Where do you go when you die? Not heaven or hell; somewhere else. Somewhere you have to fight to survive. Somewhere the people from the past are waiting for you—the good and the bad.

Oh baby, something new from Mark Millar! Will a movie be far behind? Read that plot description! We have a cool concept and an awesome creative team! What more could you ask for? Pick this title up, it’s gonna be good!

Geekscape Comics: Best Bets for 10/05/16

by Karson

It’s that wonderful time of the week again, new comic book day! Choosing what to read can be daunting (and expensive!). Don’t worry though, Geekscape has you covered. Each week we give our best bet for a comic book that you’re sure to enjoy. Let’s get into it.

Wow. We have a ton of awesome looking new releases this week! It’s hard to pick just one, but here we go…

Best Bet

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Champions #1
📝 Mark Waid
🎨 Humberto Ramos

Following the fallout of CIVIL WAR II, Avengers Ms. Marvel, Nova and Spider-Man strike out on their own — joined by Cyclops, Viv Vision and the Totally Awesome Hulk! Six young heroes determined to change the world — and they’re only the beginning!

This title has me torn, but I’m giving the benefit of the doubt to the creative team. I have been saying since the spring that Marvel is sinking it’s own ship, and I disagree with the what the company is doing with their characters. That said, I’m willing to give Marvel NOW a try. Currently, I can’t find a book with Waid’s name on it that isn’t amazing so hopefully that trend will continue with Champions. Despite all my doubts over Marvel, I think it’ll be refreshing to get into the post-Civil War II Marvel Universe, and Waid is just the man to take us there.

Honorable Mentions

Gerard Way’s Young Animal imprint latest title Shade, the Changing Girl #1 is out, Jessica Jones #1, Eclipse #2 (the first issue was a best bet a few weeks back), Superman returns to Dinosaur Island, and of course Before Dead No More continues with Amazing Spider-Man #19.

Geekscape Comics: Best Bets for 9/28/16

by Karson

Best Bet

No best bet this week. If you haven’t yet, check out last week’s best bet Seven to Eternity #1.

Most Excited For

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Outcast #21
$2.99
Writer: Robert Kirkman
Artists: Paul Azaceta, Elizabeth Breitweiser

“Blood is Spilled” Kyle is in danger, and Anderson will risk it all to help him. But is it a sacrifice he can’t recover from?

I started reading the comic book when I heard it was being made into a television show. I fell off after the first volume. I started reading it again after watching the television show and wanting more of it. This has become one of my favourite properties of 2016. The comic series differentiates itself enough from the television show to not be bored if you start reading it from issue #1, which I recommend!

Honorable mentions to Snotgirl #3 and Lake of Fire #2

Geekscape Comics: Best Bets for 9/21/16

by Karson

Best Bet

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Seven to Eternity #1
$3.99
Writer: Rick Remender
Artists: Jerome Opeña, Matt Hollingsworth

The God of Whispers has spread an omnipresent paranoia to every corner of the kingdom of Zhal; his spies hide in every hall spreading mistrust and fear. Adam Osidis, a dying knight from a disgraced house, must choose between joining a hopeless band of magic users in their desperate bid to free their world of the evil God, or accepting his promise to give Adam everything his heart desires. Writer RICK REMENDER reteams with collaborators JEROME OPEÑA (Uncanny X-Force, Fear Agent) and MATT HOLLINGSWORTH (TOKYO GHOST, WYTCHES) to take you on a hard road through the strange fantasy world of Zhal. All men have surrendered their freedom for fear. Now, one last free man must choose.

When Rick Remender and Jerome Opeña work together, only one thing can happen; the creation of awesome stories! Love the concept, love the creative team, this book is going to push the boundaries of what I expect to see in a comic book.

Most Excited For

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Amazing Spider-Man #18
$3.99
Writer: Dan Slott
Artist: Giuseppe Camuncoli

BEFORE “DEAD NO MORE” marches you closer to the Spider-Event of 2016…THE MOMENT YOU’VE BEEN WAITING FOR HAS COME! Doc Ock has been trapped in the body of The Living Brain since the first issue, but now it’s time for him to act!

FINALLY! Doc Ock is coming back! We saw a bit of a lull in the early teen issues of Amazing Spider-Man but now it’s full steam ahead as we rapidly approach this fall’s big Dead No More event. I’ve been saying it for awhile now, issue #16 is a great jumping on point for this series. Jump on it, you can be sure you’ll want to be reading it this fall.

Honourable Mentions

DC’s first crossover event begins this week. “Night of the Monster Men” will span across Batman #7, Nightwing #5, and Detective Comics #941. All three of these books have been stellar on their own so I imagine the crossover is going to be great. There have been some unexpected twists in the other Bat books so I think it’s safe to expected the unexpected with this event.

Geekscape Comics: Weekly Reads!

by Karson

I’m slowly transitioning Weekly Reads into Best Bets. Best Bets is going to be the place for quick recommendations and thoughts on new releases. It will be a curation of what I think is the best of comics for that week. In contrast to that, I will start a new article that will be much more focused pieces that I’ve been itching to write.

To summarize:
– This will be the last “Weekly Reads”
– A lot of the content here will be discussed in “Best Bets” instead
– Look forward to more interesting comic-related content

Now, how about we stop talking about talking about comics, and start talking about comics!

👎 – Skip, read at your own risk
👌 – Okay, not great, not bad, you might find something to like here
💪 – Great, highly recommended

Image

💪 Eclipse #1
Eclipse was this weeks Best Bet, and I’d say we were right to say so 😊.

💪 Kill Or Be Killed #2
This book is must read, a little dark, but very accessible. If The Black Monday Murders is too intimidating, try this book on for size. You won’t be disappointed.

💁 Paper Girls #9
… Still haven’t found the time to read it. 😅

DC

👌Aquaman #6
After the first two issues, I didn’t think much of this title but since then I’ve been won over with each issue.

👌Batman #6
This book contains one of the nicest drawings of Gotham that you’ll ever see, an emotional Batman, and a big-time villain reveal. Feels like a transition issue between story arcs but even so, it was very well done.

👌Cyborg – Rebirth #1

This book provides a good introduction to Cyborg if you are unfamilar with the character (like I was). These Rebirth titles should be free as it doesn’t come close to the quality of a lot of the other DC titles at this price point. I’m interested in what happens next but as a prune back my DC titles, this probably won’t make the cut.

💪 Green Arrow #6

The new arc begins.

“SINS OF THE MOTHER”! Following the shocking events with the Ninth Circle, Green Arrow’s wayward sister/sidekick Emiko travels to Japan on a quest to destroy the crime lords who control her mother, Shado, the assassin who murdered Oliver Queen.

Hopefully it’s a good as the last. Green Arrow is one of the best ongoing DC titles.

🙅 Harley Quinn #3
… Not enough time to keep up with this series.

👎 Justice League #4

Surprisingly meh title. Hasn’t established a flow after four issues. Who knows maybe I’m just dumb but I’d recommend any character from the Justice League’s solo book over this.

💪 Nightwing #4

The fourth issue concluded the “Better Than Batman” story arc in tremendous fashion. This title is really starting to get into a groove.

👌 Supergirl #1

I love the art style of this book. Everything else about it is decent, I think I’m just a little Super’d out.

👌 Superman #6

The moon gets the crap kicked out of it. I’m not enjoying this as much as Action Comics but it has had some pretty sweet moments.

Marvel

Nothing to read here…

Geekscape Comics: Best Bets for 9/14/16

by Karson

Best Bet

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The Fix Vol. 1 TP
$7.99
Story: Nick Spencer
Art: Steve Lieber

THE FIX is a story of the crooked cops, scheming mobsters, and corrupt politicians that run Los Angeles-and the sex toy that can bring them all down. Oh, and the hero is a drug-sniffing beagle named Pretzels. Collects THE FIX #1-4.

I’ve been raving about The Fix on Weekly Reads since issue #1. From the guy who made Captain America say “Hail Hydra,” this is one of the funniest comics you’ll read this year. From funny one-liners, to unbelievable situational humor, I’ve laughed out loud many times throughout the series. To contrast the book’s humor, the villain, which we’ve barely learned anything about, is down right sadistic. The Fix is unlike anything I’ve read before and I can’t wait to read more.

Most Excited For

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The Fix #5
$3.99
Story: Nick Spencer
Art: Steve Lieber

Roy meets The Mayor.

… Like I said, I can’t wait to read more.

Honorable Mentions

Doom Patrol #1
$3.99
Story: Gerard Way
Art: Nick Derington

The atoms are buzzing. The daydreams crowd sentient streets, and the creative team has been warned, “Turn back now or suffer the mighty consequence of sheer, psycho-maniacal mayhem.” Generation-arsonists unite—this is DOOM PATROL, and the God of the Super Heroes is bleeding on the floor.

A blenderized reimagining of the ultimate series of the strange, DOOM PATROL combines elements from classic runs, new directions, and things that could not be. Our entry point is Casey Brinke, a young EMT on the graveyard shift to abstract enlightenment, with a past so odd that she’s not entirely sure what is real and what is not. Along with her partner, Sam Reynolds, the pair blaze a path through the city and its denizens, finding the only quiet that exists at 3am is the chaos of the brain. When the pair answer a hit-and-run call, they find themselves face to face with a familiar figure: Cliff Steele, AKA Robotman.

“It gets weirder from here,” writer Gerard Way had to say about the book, with artist Nick Derington gripping tightly on the wheel of the ambulance. The pair’s only communication? Shouting out of the open windows while at high velocity. Who needs a new roommate? Who names a cat “Lotion”? And when do we get to see all those muscles?

All week I thought this was going to be the title I looked forward to most, but it was edged out by The Fix. Being a My Chemical Romance fan way back in the day, I picked up Umbrella Academy and was blown away by how damn good it was (it would go on to win an Eisner Award). I don’t know much about Doom Patrol, but I’m excited to get another taste of a Gerard Way written comic.

The Black Monday Murders #2
$4.99
Story: Jonathan Hickman
Art: Tomm Coker

A SPIRIT OF COOPERATION In the world of high finance, solving one murder leads the police to the location where all the bodies have been buried. The time is nigh to invest in the coolest new comic of the year!

All-Star Batman #2
$4.99
Story: Scott Snyder
Art: John Romita Jr.

“My Own Worst Enemy” part 2! All aboard the train ride from hell! Batman and Two-Face continue their journey to Harvey Dent’s cure through an assassin-infested landscape. But can the Dark Knight continue his crusade across the countryside when Two Face turns one of his greatest allies against him?

Geekscape Comics: Weekly Reads!

by Karson

Last week was quiet for releases, so I’ll keep this brief, that way there are no excuses for not reading the massive amount of exciting titles coming our way this week.

👎 – Skip, read at your own risk
👌 – Okay, not great, not bad, you might find something to like here
💪 – Great, highly recommended

Marvel

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💪 Amazing Spider-Man #17

Slott is firing on all cylinders! This was the title I looked forward to the most this week and it didn’t disappoint! The issue had zero Spider-Man as the focus was placed squarely on Hobie Brown, the Prowler and Spider-Man decoy. The chess pieces are being put in place for what Spider-Man will face this fall. Jackal’s crew is growing and it looks like we are going to take a break from that and start to see Doctor Octopus’ return the next few issues. Start reading this series guys, it’s going to be good!

spider-man-2016-007-000

👎 Spider-Man #7

I’ve been hot and cold on this series, and to a certain extent Miles Morales as a character, since his introduction to the Marvel Universe. A few issues into this series I thought it was going to start delivering what I was hoping for, basically focusing on balancing Miles’ personal life with being Spider-Man. However, thanks to Civil War 2, we have strayed from that the past couple of issues. Instead we get to watch Miles debate whether or not he should support Tony or not. On a separate note, the art in this book is great!

DC

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👌 Suicide Squad Special – War Crimes #1

A title that had quite a bit of hype due to it’s writer, essentially the creator of the modern-day Suicide Squad, John Ostrander. I’m beginning to feel that this franchise isn’t for me. Ostrander delivers a tight plot with plenty of action and there isn’t much to critique there, it just isn’t what I want from the story. I’d prefer to see a focus on each member of Suicide Squad that makes us relate to them and cheer for them to earn their freedom. Think how the Marvel Netflix series’ make you connect and empathize with their villains (Kingpin, Purple Man). If your a fan of the Suicide Squad this is the best version of it to come out in recent months, just don’t expect it to reinvent the wheel in any way.

Geekscape Comics: Best Bets for 9/07/16

by Karson

Best Bet

Eclipse_01-1

Eclipse #1

Imagine if sunlight burned you alive. In the near future, a mysterious solar event has transformed the sun’s light into deadly immolating rays. The world’s few survivors now live in nocturnal cities. But a killer emerges who uses sunlight to burn his victims, and when he targets the daughter of a solar power mogul, it falls to a disillusioned solar engineer to protect her.

I don’t have any knowledge of the creative team of this title, and that’s because this is pretty much their big debut. Regardless, I’m betting it’ll be good from the plot description alone (and the three page preview looks good too). If you consider yourself a sci-fi fan, you should be checking this book out.

Most Excited For

KillorBeKilled_02-1

Kill Or Be Killed #2

There are a lot of awesome Image titles coming out this week. The tried and true Paper Girls has a new issue hitting shelves but the book I can’t wait to read is Brubaker and Phillips’ the second issue of Kill Or Be Killed! The first issue took some turns that I didn’t see coming and I can’t wait for what’s next. It’s not too late, pick up issue #1 and #2 tomorrow and get into what could be one of the greatest comics of the year.

Geekscape Comics: Weekly Reads!

by Karson

DC

New experiment this week; instead of breaking down my thoughts on each issue, I’ll talk about what I feel is worth talking about then just give a rating to everything else.

💪 Action Comics #962

The conclusion of Path To Doom is mostly a gratifying one. There aren’t a whole lot of surprises in how the battle plays out. Segovia does a great job of making the action fluid throughout the issue as well giving the battle an appropriate sense of scale. An interesting twist at the end, could have large ramifications for the DC superheroes, but I think we’ll have to wait awhile before we see any sort of payoff.

👌 Blue Beetle – Rebirth #1

Another DC property I have no knowledge of. The book has Spider-Man-like feel to it in that Blue Beetle jokes around a lot during his battles. The series is pretty easy to jump into, so if you’re looking for something new this might be up your alley. Not sure if there is enough there for me to want to keep up with it though.

👌 Titans #2

We currently have Abra Kadabra taking credit for taking ten years from Wally West’s life, let’s hope this is just leading up to some more Doctor Manhattan or Ozymandias references…

👌 Detective Comics #939

Really enjoying this series but don’t feel like writing about it currently ☺️

👌 Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #3

Readers beware, if you aren’t familiar with the Green Lantern universe, this book will be hard to pick up and follow.

👌 The Flash #5
Spoiler: Barry’s day off goes bad

👌 Batgirl #2
👌 Deathstroke #1
👌 The Hellblazer #1
👌 Wonder Woman #5

Marvel

👌 Captain America – Steve Rogers #4

Well, this series is getting darker by the issue. Seeing Cap hail hydra was one thing, but seeing him mutilate his foes is a whole new level of disturbing. Spencer is leaving no stone unturned in this exploration of a darker Captain America. Speaking of dark, this Mrs. Sinclair of Cap’s is frickin terrifying, they are doing a great job of making her presence felt. This issue was a little dialogue heavy, but I’m still intrigued by the storyline and excited to see where it will go.

Image

💪 Lake of Fire #1

Our first Best Bet and I’d say it was a winner! While the oversized issue might have been a lot of world and character building, I think the world and it’s characters are awesome so it was sweet getting to know them. Let’s not get too serious when analyzing this book; it’s knight vs. aliens, it’s supposed to be fun, not literary gold.

💪 Snotgirl #2

Briefly, this book is really interesting. It’s unlike anything I’ve read and I’m surprised by how interested I am by the plot developments, if you’ve liked previous work and don’t think this is up your alley, maybe give it a try.

Dark Horse

💪 Dept. H #4

Ok, ok, I’m an issue behind, but if you wait a couple of weeks you can get the issue for half the price! This is still one of my favourite series’ of the year. It is a slower story than I thought it would be but that’s ok because this is a ride that I don’t want to end. Kindt’s watercolours are absolutely gorgeous, every issue is a piece of art!

Geekscape Comics: Best Bets for 8/31/16

by Karson

Best Bet

Nothing I feel comfortable labeling as a best bet this week.

Most Excited For

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Amazing Spider-Man #17

BEFORE “DEAD NO MORE”! The Prowler (and our readers) meet the new Electro! Who is this woman and what does she have to do with the Man in Red?!

It might be called Before Dead No More, but it feels like Dead No More is well underway. This series has been picking up steam the last few issues and I imagine #17 is going to continue to gather momentum rolling into Dead No More. Issue #16 is a great jumping on point for this series that I feel will be some of the best reading of the latter half of the year.

Honorable Mentions

Silver Surfer #6

If you’re looking for a Marvel book that stands on it’s own (outside of Civil War II) look no further than Slott and Allred’s Silver Surfer. This is the series’ 200th issue and there are bound to be some zany twists! Slott’s love of Doctor Who bleeds through onto the pages of this series and Allred’s art is on another level. This is probably worthy of being a best bet but I’m behind on the series so I couldn’t pull the trigger.

Geekscape Comics: Weekly Reads!

by Karson

Welcome back to Weekly Reads! Where we take a moment on New Comic Book Day to reflect upon last week’s titles!

Before jumping in, an update: I’m starting a small, new, hopefully weekly post titled Best Bets (you can find the first post here). Simply put, it’ll be a recommendation of the best book (or books, depending on how many high-quality titles are being released) to purchase that week. That’ll be the core, then I imagine we’ll have some other types of recommendations come out of it too. It should be a lot of fun! Weekly Reads is probably going to see some formatting changes as well, but since I’m not sure what they are yet, I’ll save that for another day.

So they say that the first step of breaking an addiction is admitting you have a problem? Well, I have a problem. I’m getting way too wrapped up in the DC Universe and it’s causing me to get behind on a lot of (often higher quality) titles that I want to be reading. If anyone has advice on trimming back your pull list, that’d be greatly appreciated 😀! Until then, let’s talk about last week in comics… or at least in the DC Universe…

👎 – Skip, read at your own risk
👌 – Okay, not great, not bad, you might find something to like here
💪 – Great, highly recommended

DC

If you’ve been following along for awhile now, you’re probably starting to see a trend in my DC section. Namely, I praise the same titles every other week. Which makes sense because most of their titles are being released biweekly, so instead of just gushing over Green Arrow and Batman, how about I gave you a few second breakdown on each book this week?

Aquaman #5 – 💪

This issue feels a lot like Action Comics, it’s pretty much non-stop action from start to finish, and a nice little surprise waiting for you at the end. “The Drowning” story arc will conclude next issue (two weeks from now) and I’m not going to have a problem recommending the trade when it’s released, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the title so far.

Batgirl & the Birds of Prey #1 – 💁

I didn’t read it! Maybe there is hope for me after all.

Batman #5 – 💪

Issue 5 puts a nice, little bow on the “I Am Gotham” arc. It answers a lot of questions and it’s a lot of fun to see some other characters coming to aid Batman in his battle against the god-like Gotham (or Gotham Man, or whatever you like to call him). I have no problem recommending this run to friends, it looks like Batman is in good hands with King.

Green Arrow #5 – 💪

Green Arrow wraps up it’s ongoing arch this week as well. This run felt very much like Miller’s Born Again Daredevil run (high praise). If you would have asked me when Rebirth happened what my favourite titles would be, Green Arrow wouldn’t even have been a consideration, so I’m glad I gave it a chance. Definitely a favourite of the Rebirth books.

Green Lanterns #5 – 👌

This series has grown more and more on me with each issue and this week is no different. The “Red Planet” arc is in full swing and Jessica is going to have to step-up to the plate in a big way next issue to save Earth from becoming the next home of the Red lanterns!

Harley Quinn #2 – 👌

This series is far from must-read, I was suckered into it because I was surprised by the first issue. Basically, this is DC’s Deadpool, so if that’ your thing, you’ll probably like this book… or if you just like Harley Quinn, that might help too.

Justice League #3 – 👎

DC’s flagship title is probably one of it’s weakest right now. The transitions between issues are jarring and while there are big action pieces, nothing feels like it will carry any weight in the universe. I’m sure this title will hit it’s stride eventually, it just hasn’t happened yet.

Nightwing #3 – 👌

Batgirl joins Nightwing and Raptor this issue. This arc is starting to get really interesting. I’m loving
Javier Fernandez’s art.

Suicide Squad #1 – 👎

This might be the first time I didn’t like an #1 as much as the Rebirth issue that come before it. Perhaps a new Jim Lee book makes it worth the price but right now there just isn’t enough going on for me to recommend it… hopefully it picks up the pace in the coming issues.

Supergirl – Rebirth #1 – 👎

Book is technically enjoyable, just not worth buying.

Superman #5 – 💪

Action Comics isn’t the only solid super hero book on the market, Superman is almost as hot! We have Superman, Lois, their son, and Eradicator all up on the moon. Oh, and as the cover hints, the Hellbat suite! This issue was a blast.

Marvel

Black Widow #6 – 💪

Every issue Chris Samnee and Mark Waid deliver a comic book experience like no other. This book is unreal.

Power Man and Iron Fist #7 – 👌

The days of Power Man and Iron Fist being must-read are now behind us, but this book is still enjoyable and only loosely connected to Civil War II (that might all change next issue). The humour still exists but isn’t as commonplace as it was the first few issues. Go pick up the first five issues and wait and see how this story pans out.

Image

I dropped the ball…

Geekscape Comics: Best Bets for 8/24/16

by Karson

Best Bet

Lake of Fire #1

LakeofFire_01-1

$3.99
Story By: Nathan Fairbairn
Art By: Matt Smith

SERIES PREMIERE! It is 1220 AD, and the gears of the Albigensian Crusade grind on. When an alien spacecraft infested with a horde of bloodthirsty predators crash-lands in the remote wilderness of the French Pyrenees, a small band of crusaders and a Cathar heretic are all that stand between God’s Kingdom and Hell on Earth. DOUBLE-SIZED FIRST ISSUE featuring FORTY-FOUR PAGES of story with no ads for just $3.99!

Blah, blah, blah. Let me summarize:

Bloodthirsty aliens? ✔️
Knights? ✔️
Count me in.

I’m Most Excited For

Action Comics #962

ActionComics_962

$2.99
Story By: Dan Jurgens
Art By: Art Thibert, Stephen Segovia

“Path to Doom” part six! In the epic conclusion, the mystery of Black Zero deepens just as the Man of Steel makes a fateful decision that may stop Doomsday, but also risks the lives of those he loves most.

After the first few months of DC Rebirth, Action Comics is the frontrunner for my favourite new (uhh, I mean reborn?) series. I hope the conclusion is as epic as the rest of the event has been!

Honorable Mentions

Snotgirl #2
Captain America: Steve Rogers #4
Archie #11

Geekscape Comics: Weekly Reads!

by Karson

👎 – Skip, read at your own risk
👌 – Okay, not great, not bad, you might find something to like here
💪 – Great, highly recommended

Image

The Black Monday Murders 001

Another week and another huge Image release! This time it’s Black Monday Murders from the creative team of Jonathan Hickman and Tomm Coker.

“MAMMON” ALL HAIL GOD MONEY! From JONATHAN HICKMAN (EAST OF WEST, Secret Wars, Avengers) and TOMM COKER (UNDYING LOVE) comes a new crypto-noir series about the power of dirty, filthy money… and exactly what kind of people you can buy with it. THE BLACK MONDAY MURDERS is classic occultism where the various schools of magic are actually clandestine banking cartels who control all of society: a secret world where vampire Russian oligarchs, Black popes, enchanted American aristocrats, and hitmen from the International Monetary Fund work together to keep ALL OF US in our proper place.

This book is dense. Hickman essentially creates a world where the leaders of the financial markets are devil worshipping magicians, but you have to be a smarter person than me if you want to understand everything that’s going on in this oversized debut issue without reading it multiple times. There is tons of a dialog and diagrams as you might come to expect from Hickman. Tomm Coker’s art is a nice balance of photo-realism and creepy noir… if that makes any sense.

If you haven’t read anything from Hickman before, I strongly recommend reading this in trade as it is going to require a lot of focus to understand what’s going on.

👌 The Black Monday Murders #1

DC

All-Star Batman (2016-) 001

Action Comics (2016-) 961

This may have been the greatest week of DC’s Rebirth yet!

Action Comics has become my favourite of DC’s ongoing series. There is a ton of action in this issue as the battle with Doomsday rages on, as well as more glimpses of the cloaked men behind the scenes. This is exactly what I want in biweekly book, enough story to keep it interesting, but never too much that I feel lost or like I’ve forgotten plot points.

I’m pretty sure the creative meeting at DC before Rebirth must have went something like this:

“So what’s next for our characters?”
“How about we take every super hero we have and give their powers to everyone?”
“Ok”

The trend that began in the Flash is continuing with Super characters in Superwoman #1. I don’t even know how many of them there are now…

We have pre-Flashpoint Superman, his son, Lex Luthor Superman, Supergirl, powerless Clark Kent, the “new Super-Man” (which I haven’t read) and now not one but two Superwomen (well, sort of). That’s a whole lot of super! If you aren’t fatigued by the characters yet, I actually found Superwoman #1 to be a surprisingly enjoyable read, although a little dialog heavy at times.

Alright, one more DC title to dive into before we transition to Marvel, and that title is All-Star Batman. This is the title I was most excited about back when DC announced their Rebirth titles, basically because I recognized and was excited by the creative team. Remember, I read very little DC before Rebirth. This title is unlike any other Batman story (Batman, Detective Comics) on the market right now. John Romita Jr.’s art makes it worth the price of admission. While the book gets a little zany for Batman at times, it is still a fun and refreshing read if you are interested in a less dark Batman than what we’ve become accustom to.

💪 Action Comics #961
💪 All-Star Batman #1
👌 Deathstroke – Rebirth #1
👌 Detective Comics #938
👌 Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #2
👌 Red Hood and the Outlaws #1
👌 Superwoman #1
👌 The Flash #4
👌 Wonder Woman #4

Marvel

Amazing Spider-Man (2015-) 016

While Civil War II isn’t of much interest to me anymore, but the few Marvel books outside of it that I’m still reading have been great and this week’s Amazing Spider-Man and Black Panther are no different!

Amazing Spider-Man is now into “Before Dead No More” but it definitely feels like the event itself. All the story lines that have felt ignored the past few issues are back in the spotlight and I’m loving it! Looks like Slott is ready to deliver us another superior (ok, bad pun) Spider-Man story.

I haven’t been into Black Panther, but this issue was one I actually enjoyed. I doubt I’ll ever go back and read these these issues and give deep thought to the themes Coates is digging into but this issue made me glad I’ve stuck with the series.

💪 Amazing Spider-Man #16
👌 Black Panther #5

Geekscape Comics: Weekly Reads!

by Karson

It’s that wonderful time of the week again, New Comic Book Day! Weekly Reads is where we take the time to reflect upon last week’s titles.

Image

Kill or be killed 001

Let’s begin with Image this week as they arguably have the most hyped release of the week, the latest from Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips, Kill Or Be Killed!

I avoided as many details about this book as I could so didn’t really know what to expect going in. I thought I had it figured out half way through then it took a twist that I didn’t see coming, at all! The description reads:

The bestselling team of ED BRUBAKER and SEAN PHILLIPS (THE FADE OUT, CRIMINAL, FATALE) launch their new monthly series: KILL OR BE KILLED, the twisted story of a young man who is forced to kill bad people, and how he struggles to keep his secret as it slowly ruins his life and the lives of his friends and loved ones. Both a thriller and a deconstruction of vigilantism, KILL OR BE KILLED is unlike anything BRUBAKER & PHILLIPS have ever done.

It’s the why he is forced to kill people that is so damn intriguing. Writing is tight. Drawing is awesome. I’m hooked. Go pick this one up.

Paper Girls 008

We’ve been talking about Paper Girls for awhile now, but I thought I’d give it another shoutout this week as there has been a lot of people recommending this series to people who loved Netflix’s Stranger Things and I wanted to jump on that band wagon as well. Just be sure to start with issue #1!

💪 Kill Or Be Killed #1
💪 Paper Girls #8

DC

I’m a glutton for punishment. I did a whole lot of DC reading again this week. Nothing was too extraordinary but there were some pleasant surprises.

Batman and Green Arrow continue to be my favourite titles. Surprisingly, Green Lanterns has almost made it’s way onto that list, I’m loving this “Red Planet” story arc.

Suicide Squad - Rebirth 001

If you were let down by the movie, Rob William’s and Jim Lee’s Suicide Squad may be able to redeem it for you. Although, I was slightly disappointed to see Jim Lee didn’t draw the Rebirth issue, however, Philip Tan did a great job on this.

👌 Aquaman #4
💪 Batman #4
💪 Green Arrow #4
💪 Green Lanterns #4
👌 Harley Quinn #1
👌 Justice League #2
👌 Nightwing #2
💪 Suicide Squad – Rebirth #1
👌 Superman #4

Marvel

The Punisher 004

Alright, one lonely Marvel title this week, but it was a good one. The Punisher #4 is essentially an issue long car chase with a side of blood spatter! Like I’ve said before, Becky Cloonan isn’t reinventing the wheel, just doing a good job steering it the way it likes to be. Also, Dillion is perfect for drawing The Punisher.

💪 The Punisher #4

Geekscape Comics: Weekly Reads!

by Karson

It’s that wonderful time of the week again, New Comic Book Day! Weekly Reads is where we take the time to reflect upon last week’s titles.

DC

If you’ve been around for awhile, you’ll know I’m hooked on DC’s Rebirth right now. I keep telling you I’m going to cut back but every week I’m still picking up and reading everything I can. This week was no different.

Action Comics 960-000

💪 Action Comics #960

God damn, Action Comics is living up to it’s title right now! Not only does Superman’s battle with Doomsday continues this issue, but we got Wonder Woman in on the action too! It is also revealed very early in the issue that there is cloaked figure observing the battle from afar, who is presumably responsible for Doomsday’s latest appearance. If you like your comics light on dialogue and heavy on action, this book is for you.

Red Hood and the Outlaws - Rebirth (2016) 001-000

💪 Red Hood & the Outlaws – Rebirth #1

My lack of DC knowledge was put on full display reading this, I had no idea Red Hood was Jason Todd! So that was cool to find out. Man oh man, does DC have a lot of series with Batman involved (and still more to come!). I love how these Rebirth titles pay homage to iconic character moments, here we have Soy recreating the horrific events of “A Death in the Family” and it looks SO good! Lobdell did a perfect job capturing the friendly but strained relationship between Todd and Batman. I can’t wait to see what happens next in this series. This is probably my favourite of all the Rebirth issues so far.

👌 Batgirl #1

If you are worried about character baggage and not understanding what is going on in a book, this is a title for you. Batgirl is probably the most accessible of DC’s Rebirth titles. That said, the stakes didn’t feel high enough to peak my interest.

👌 Detective Comics #937

I’m enjoying the run so far. It’s nothing extraordinary but I’m entertained every issue. Again, if you are looking for a more Batman focused book, look elsewhere. This title pays much more attention to the team of Batwoman, Clayface, Red Robin, Spoiler and Orphan.

👌 Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #1

You better know a thing or two about Green Lantern going into this or I fear you might get lost. Surprisingly, I’m more interested in Green Lanterns than I am this title but we’ll see where it goes.

👎 Nightwing #1

… I don’t have much to say about this book. Nothing really stood out for me. I think it’s probably heading in a cool direction but this issue wasn’t very memorable.

👌 The Flash #3

Flashes are everywhere! More and more people keep receiving the speed force, so much so that there’s now a training centre. Giandomenico’s art in this is great. I was growing tired of people becoming speedy but by the end of the issue we have a twist that will hopefully tug the series in a more interesting direction.

👎 Wonder Woman #3

I hate to give this book a thumbs down, because for all intents and purposes, the creative team is doing a great job. In fact, Sharp’s art is some of my favourite from all the Rebirth titles thus far. I blame my disinterest in this book entirely on my lack of Wonder Woman knowledge, I really don’t have a clue what is happening right now. Perhaps if I sat down and read 5 or 6 issues at a time I wouldn’t run into this problem. I think this series will be easy to recommend in trade, and if you have a knowledge of the character you’ll probably enjoy it, but if you’re like me and not familiar with Wonder Woman, you’ll probably want until you can read a few of these together.

Marvel

Yikes, maybe we should break out DC into it’s own article. It’s getting out of control. If you want to see something interesting, look at the first few Weekly Reads and observe the balance of Marvel to DC, it has completely flipped on it’s head.

👎 Black Panther #4

I know this series is getting a lot of love, but I find it difficult to read week by week. There’s just too much going on to remember it all, I definitely recommend waiting for this arc to end and go pick it up in trade.

Captain America - Steve Rogers 003-000

💪 Captain America – Steve Rogers #3

Gimmick or not, Spencer is doing a great job of orchestrating this story arc. Each issue being more interesting than the last. I can’t wait to see where it goes.

👌 Civil War II #4

I’ve been vocal with my dislike of all things Civil War II but this issue was pretty darn good. I think a lot of my issues with the series came from reading all the tie-in’s and being letdown by how little happened. However, if you just read the main book, I think there is enough going on week to week to stay interested and you don’t have to worry about feeling lost.

👎 Extraordinary X-Men #12

It’s my favourite of the current X-Men books but it’s just not worth the price of admission anymore. The art is great though!

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One of my favourite ongoing series’…

Outcast 019-000

💪 Outcast #19

I don’t think it’s aliens. I don’t think it’s demons. I don’t know what the heck it is but I do know that you should be reading this book and watching this show!

Geekscape Comics: Weekly Reads!

by Karson

Welcome to another edition of Weekly Reads! Our opportunity to look back and discuss the titles from the previous week in comic books.

👎 – Skip, read at your own risk
👌 – Okay, not great, not bad, you might find something to like here
💪 – Great, highly recommended
🙅 – Dropped the series

DC

We’re nearly a few months into DC’s Rebirth and that new and exciting feeling that came with it is starting to fade. Yes, there are still Rebirth titles being released but we have many series’ reaching their third issues. We are beginning to get a feel for what should be read and what can be left behind. It’d be nice to read everything but unless you have a lot of time and a lot of money, it just isn’t feasible. It’s time to think about what can be cut from our weekly reading. That said, I did a boat load of DC reading again this week…

👌 Batgirl and the Birds of Prey – Rebirth #1
👌 The Hellblazer – Rebirth #1
👌 Justice League #1
👌 Aquaman #3
👌 Batman #3
💪 Green Arrow #3
👌 Green Lanterns #3
👌 Superman #3

As far as the Rebirth titles go, nothing special here. They have that same Free Comic Book Day/get acquainted with the characters feeling that most Rebirth titles have had thus far. Birds of Prey revolves around the team of Batgirl, Huntress and Black Canary. It looks like they’re going to be hunting down a villain who stole the entity of Oracle and is messing with Barbara’s identity. Constantine is back in The Hellblazer, depending on your interests you may be more familiar with the character from the television show than his 300-issue comic book run, or if you’re like me, neither. This issue was a lot of fun and did a great job introducing me to the characters and the world, I’ll probably stick with this for at least a story arc. I think fans of AMC’s Preacher may enjoy this title.

Justice League begins and aliens are still attacking and it looks like they are going to have to deal with some of the side effects of The Blood Prophecy from Green Lanterns. There are some nice scenery and a few action-packed panels in this title but overall it’s not quite firing on all cylinders yet. A lot of style, but not a lot of substance.

Green Arrow is still going strong. If I could only follow one DC book, this would be it. Art is great, writing is tight and each issue leaves you craving more! In Batman, we got to learn a little about the origins of Gotham and Gotham Girl. As well as find out Hugo Strange has found himself a partner! Finch’s art style for Gotham feels spot on. Green Lanterns continues to explore the dynamic between Jessica and Simon, the newest green lanterns. I’ve been slowly appreciating and enjoying this story more and more with every issue. Aquaman is starting to feel too political for my liking. For me, Aquaman is at it’s best when there is more water in the environment, here it takes place mostly in buildings. Superman, I was wondering what the heck was going on, until I realized I forgot to read #2. So I’ll have to take care of that business before getting too much farther ahead.

Again, my take on these new series’ are that you should read what characters interest you. With the exception of Green Arrow, I don’t think any title is a whole lot better or worse than any other title. Explore, dip your toes in a few different books and find out what you like.

Marvel

👌 Spider-Man #6
🙅 Uncanny X-Men #10

Yes, I’m losing interest in all things Marvel Comics currently. There are just too many other good books on the market to spend my time reading their currently mediocre stories. That said, I did give the latest Spider-Man a read.

This issue just wasn’t for me. There was far too much dialogue for my liking. I felt a lot of the stuff that was explained through dialogue could have been explained in different ways but that’s ok, I don’t know the grand vision of the story so maybe this issue will pay off down the road. Despite not enjoying most of the issue, there are still a few plot points I’m interested in so I can’t drop the series just yet.

If you’ve been reading Weekly Reads for awhile now you’ll know I haven’t thought too highly of the current X-Men books, especially Uncanny, so I decided to pull the trigger this week and drop it. Let me know if I made a mistake.

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👌 Snotgirl #1

Snotgirl 001-000

I started hearing about Snotgirl quite a bit a few weeks ago, I quickly judged it by it’s cover (and title) as something I wasn’t interested in. Then I found out it was written by Bryan Lee O’Malley (Scott Pilgrim, Seconds, etc.) so I hesitantly decided this is a must-read. I’ll summarize the experience: cover, didn’t interest me. First few pages, didn’t interest me. Next few pages, didn’t interest me. Last few pages, still not that interested. Last page, ok, I’ll pick up the next one. Leslie Hung’s art goes great with O’Malley’s words but her style isn’t really my thing. Basically, this story is just strange enough and the ending just enough of a cliffhanger to make me want more. If O’Malley didn’t write this would I read the next issue? Probably not, but he did and therefore I will.

Dark Horse

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👌 Black Hammer #1

Honestly, at this point I’m getting sort of tired of writing about comic books and the debut of Black Hammer didn’t wow me enough to make me any more enthusiastic to write about one more book, but I’ll try anyways. This book also falls under the category of wouldn’t-have-read-it-if-it-wasn’t-for-the-writer-behind-it. Basically we have a group of super heroes who have been displaced in time and are living a simple farming life, most of them aren’t content with it. This issue we meet them and discover someone from their time is going to track them down. That’s about it, nothing too interesting. I’ll probably read the second issue though because you know, it’s Jeff Lemire.

Book of the Week

Green Arrow (2016-) 003-000

Green Arrow gets the title again, this series gets better with every issue.

Geekscape Comics: Weekly Reads!

by Karson

Surprise! Were you beginning to think this week’s edition of Weekly Reads was never going to be posted? Fear not, it has arrived. Things were a bit strange this week since I was camping the previous four days. Despite being able to adapt to reading digital comics, reading digital comics while camping is something I haven’t been able to master yet! So, between a full work day and a trip to the gym, I managed to squeeze a ton of comic book reading in, so without further ado, here are my brief, freshly-thought thoughts of last week’s reads!

Note: It’s getting late, so I don’t feel like tracking down the Comixology links, if you are interested in any of them, though, just Google the title followed by Comixology. Easy!

👎 – Skip, read at your own risk
👌 – Okay, not great, not bad, you might find something to like here
💪 – Great, highly recommended

DC

💪 Action Comics #959
👌 Detective Comics #936
👌 Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps – Rebirth #1
👌 Nightwing – Rebirth #1
👌 The Flash #2
👌 Wonder Woman #2

Sadly, being able to keep up with all of DC’s new books may be coming to an end, but I decided to give it at least another week, we’ll see how much longer I can keep up. For the most part, I am loving everything DC is putting out right now and this week was no different.

Action Comics is a blast right now! I know it’s very similar to BVS (with Doomsday and all), but this is so much better! I love the way Jurgen’s handle’s Superman’s son. The action moments are awesome, the character moments are awesome, this book is a solid read. While there is some continuity to deal with it, I think the book does a good enough job of providing you with the jot notes.

If you remember a few weeks back, we discussed how Detective Comics would likely be a book more focused on Batman’s team? That point was driven home in issue #936, early on we find out Batman has been defeated in battle and it’s up to his unprepared team to save the day! If you’re only going to read one of the Batman titles, I’d recommend Batman over this, though.

This week’s Rebirth titles, Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps and Nightwing, are both decent offerings. Hal Jordan might not be as accessible to new DC readers as their other titles are. It’ll take a few issues before I can get a sense of whether these books are worth recommending to those who aren’t superfans of the character.

I’m not sure if I’m just stupid, but I have no idea what’s going on in Wonder Woman so if you are digging that tweet me about it.

Marvel

👎 Civil War II #3
💪 Power Man and Iron Fist #6
👎 All-New X-Men #11

Sorry everyone, if you like Civil War II, you should probably read about it elsewhere. I’ll continue to subject myself to its torture, but I just can’t get into it. I’m sure there are a lot of people who enjoy it, and maybe it’s worth giving it a shot in trade, but for one reason or another, I just can’t get into it. The events in it seem to play out randomly, it lacks cohesion with other Civil War II titles, and overall I just can’t help but feel that it is a cheap attempt by Marvel to collect money from their fans.

A tough issue for Danny Rand, things go from bad to worse as this issue plays out and concludes with it’s biggest cliffhanger yet. Not quite as many laughs per page as you might be used to from this series but there is still some genuine laugh out loud moments. I didn’t like Captain Marvel’s cameo in this issue, her tone her doesn’t match her tone in the other Civil War titles. This is only a minor flaw, though. Flaviano’s artwork isn’t quite on the same level as Sanford Greene’s, but it gets the job done. Power Man and Iron Fist remain one my favourite series’ that Marvel is currently putting out.

Don’t let the cover fool you, you won’t find an adult Apocalypse in All-New X-Men #11, I assume that’s Marvel trying to sucker you into giving them more of your money. I enjoyed this story arc decently enough; it was cool seeing Apocalypse as a heroic child, although it’s too bad that we will probably never see what goes on to change him. Honestly, the ending to this aspect of Apocalypse Wars falls a little flat, just like all the books within it. The days of prioritizing the X-Men at Marvel seem to be long past, and it seems they are destined to follow in the footsteps of the Fantastic Four until a time comes where they require the film rights.

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Anyone check out Horizon #1? I haven’t had a chance yet, but hopefully, I get a chance to in the following weeks!

Book of the Week

Action Comics (2016-) 959-000

Action Comics #959 blew me away. Love how the title balances action-packed battle sequences with endearing character moments.

Geekscape Comics: Weekly Reads!

by Karson

👎 – Skip, read at your own risk
👌 – Okay, not great, not bad, you might find something to like here
💪 – Great, highly recommended

DC

👌 Aquaman #2
👌 Batman #2
💪 Green Arrow #2
👌 Green Lanterns #2
👌 Justice League Rebirth #1

I can’t get enough of DC’s Rebirth. Eventually, I’ll cut back (in fact, I almost skipped Green Lanterns) but I’ll wait until things get a little tougher to keep up with. Green Arrow has been blowing me away and is my favourite of the current Rebirth titles. Percy is telling a Green Arrow tale that is starting to feel a lot like a Frank Miller’s Born Again story arc for Daredevil. For those of you unfamiliar with the reference, it means good things, very good things.

Justice League Rebirth wasn’t as exciting as I was hoping it would be since it basically just served as an introduction to the team, but Hitch’s art provided enough action, spanning cities and giant monsters to make the issue enjoyable.

I don’t have much to say about the other titles. Batman is pretty solid so far, after two issues most of the chess pieces are in place and it looks like things are going to start getting really interesting for Batman, our new super-powered heroes, and the villain who is revealed by the issues conclusion. Green Lanterns and Aquaman are both decent enough reads, just not characters that I feel a strong connection to yet.

Marvel

👌 Amazing Spider-Man #15
👌 The Punisher #3

Last week’s Amazing Spider-Man was interesting. It looks like Peter, MJ, and Regent may remember the events of Secret Wars. This came out of left field, so I’m not sure what the implications of it could be but I’m excited to find out. The issue concludes with a shocking twist, leaving one of our characters lifeless (probably not, but maybe) on the ground. I’d recommend picking up issues #13, #14 and #15 and start familiarizing yourself with this series. I have a feeling Amazing Spider-Man is going to find itself in must-read territory very soon.

Sure, this Punisher run isn’t reinventing the wheel, but it has been a lot of fun so far. It has everything you’d expect from a Punisher book; the Punisher, bad guys who are after The Punisher, good guys who don’t know whether they’re after bad guys or the Punisher, and a whole lot of violence!

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💪 The Fix #4
💪 Paper Girls #7

I’ve previously mentioned The Fix isn’t as strong or funny of a title when the two characters aren’t together. The trend continues here as we see what Mac is up to. However, I found myself enjoying this issue as much as the first two. I can’t recommend this title enough, we’re only four issues in so go pick ’em up and get in on the fun!

I’m loving Vaughan’s Paper Girls. It is just so unlike anything I’ve ever read before. The art is a lot of fun and Vaughan’s plays with time travel (a concept that many would say has been done to death) in plenty of fun and inventive ways. This isn’t a series you can just start reading though, if you are interested I strongly suggest you begin with #1.

Book of the Week!

Green Arrow 2 Cover

Not only is the Green Arrow my favourite of the current Rebirth titles, it’s also my favourite book of the week!

Geekscape Comics: Weekly Reads!

by Karson

👎 – Skip, read at your own risk
👌 – Okay, not great, not bad, you might find something to like here
💪 – Great, highly recommended

DC

We have a quiet week in the DC Universe with Rebirth taking a week off. I didn’t jump into anything but the latest issue of Dark Knight III…

👌 Dark Knight III – The Master Race #5

I haven’t been a big fan of Dark Knight III, however, this issue is probably my favourite so far. Much like Nolan’s Dark Knight Rises, this doesn’t feel like it’s a Batman story, in fact, it feels much more like Snyder’s Man Of Steel. I wouldn’t say the story is stronger in this issue than the previous ones, but it was just a lot of fun seeing Kubert’s take on all the different characters of the DC Universe (Aquaman, Flash, etc.). I don’t think this book is ever going to earn must read status, or be on a lot of Best of 2016 lists, but there is some enjoyment to be had if you go into it with an open mind.

Marvel

Taking a much needed break from Civil War II…

👌 Black Panther #3

This is a title that lends itself to being read in trade. This book goes much deeper than what’s on the surface and, to be honest, I haven’t given Coates’ writing the time and thought it deserves. Even if you aren’t analyzing all the great writing, Stelfreeze’s stellar art ensures you are going to enjoy this title from issue to issue.

👌 Spider-Man #5

This might be the book with the most obvious tie in to Civil War II and yet it isn’t included as a Civil War II book!? What’s going on at Marvel!? The ending leaves us thinking that Spider-Man’s identity is going to be playing a crucial role as Civil War II develops. Spider-Man continues to be enjoyable read but nothing more. Seriously though, I saw more Civil War II tie in with this than any other Marvel Civil War II tie-in to date.

👌 Uncanny X-Men #9

The Archangel portion of Apocalypse Wars continues in Uncanny X-Men #9. From big action pieces to basic character expressions, I’m really starting to dig Ken Lashley’s art. Bunn’s writing is solid. Remember, you can ignore the Apocalypse Wars logo on these books, as there is essentially zero overlap. If you like Magneto, Mystique, Psylocke, Sabretooth, or Archangel this is the book for you, if you’re into other X-Men you’ll probably want to look elsewhere.

👌 Extraordinary X-Men #11

The X-Men continue to battle Apocalypse’s new horsemen in Extraordinary X-Men #11. I pretty much have the same feelings towards this book as Uncanny. If you’re a fan of Ramos, you’re going to love his art in this. Lemire’s writing is pretty tight. It’s just a matter if you are interested in the characters or not. We have Storm, Iceman, Jean Grey, Magik, Logan, you interested in them, this book is for you, otherwise, you’ll want to look at a different X-Men title.

💪 Captain America – Steve Rogers #2

Honestly, I probably like this series more because of how many people are complaining about it. In a time where Marvel’s mainstay characters are all being replaced, I’m not going to complain about any Steve Rogers story. This issue explains what happened to Roger’s to bring him to the side of Hyrda and I’m digging it. When all is said and done, I think this is going to be a great Captain America story.

Image Comics

💪 Outcast Vol. 2 and Vol. 3

If you are a long-time reader you’d know we discussed the first volume a few months ago. Despite finding it confusing initially, by the end of the volume I was into the book and wanted more… I just never went and got more. Well, after getting all caught up on Cinemax’s Outcast, I couldn’t wait to find out what happens next so I went and read the next two volumes. These books are a lot of fun and are full of plenty of “Holy F” moments. If you are watching Outcast (and you should be!) and want more, you’ll love the comics, if you just want to watch the story unfold on television too, I don’t blame you. Both are great!

Book of the Week

Nothing really stood out this week, so I have to give it to Outcast! Whether it’s the comics, the television show, or both, you have to check this series out!

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That’s all for this week, come back next week to discuss the rebirth of The Justice League, more Civil War II, and a bunch of other great comics!

Hey, who else is digging the new Blink-182 album!?