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February 2024 Marvel Comics

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Introduction

The end of the week got busy. We went to the Botanical Garden with Mom and then I drove her back to the train station. We spent yesterday painting the front room and dining room. And, so, in true 2 Generations Gaming fashion, February 2024 Marvel Comics article comes two days too late. Such is life. I also have no plans for the coming week as far as articles, so the page might go slightly dormant. I do have notes finally for the next episode of Noob’s Book Club, so maybe I will take this week to get back in the habit with that and the YouTube page.

Incomplete (Spider-Man Gang War)

Previously in these articles, I said I was out on Spider-Man until Wells stopped writing it. Seriously, I hated his stories that much. But, I heard good things about Gang War. I was willing to give it a chance, but my hiatus from DCBS ordering put a 3 issue hole in the run, so it will have to wait until I can make it down to That’s Entertainment or order from Midtown.

Decent (Cap and Punisher)

I want to enjoy J. Michael Stracynski’s Captain America. I loved his Spider-Man. So far, though, I want more from this Captain America story. I liked the start of it, but the set up is now going on too long. He writes so much. I think I’m just getting more impatient in old age. Speaking of old age, it hasn’t been kind to my opinion of The Punisher.

Good (Some bordering on great, others hurt by their art)

The Immortal Thor 6

Image 1 of 5

Writer: Al Ewing, Artist Martin Coccolo

The Avengers is one of the titles that oscillates between good and great. This one sets up for a new story, which looks like it might be great, but we have to wait to see. I never got into the previous Black Panther story, but I like what Ewing has done with the character and story. This one might push up into great soon. I loved Al Ewing on Immortal Hulk and I think this one might eventually get there, too. For now, I will just say that I liked the vibe of this issue and hope it continues. Speaking of Al Ewing, they are trying to keep the horror theme of his Hulk. PKJ isn’t quite on his level. And, the art is just not great. Gronbekk is making me enjoy Venom again. She writes the title with some joy and that is infectious.

Great (Where’s She Hulk?!)

Writer: Ryan North with various artists
Writers: Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing, Artist: Kev Walker

Without She-Hulk for some reason this month, only these two stand up as outstanding stories right now. Fantastic Four just brings that old school flavor from the beginnings of the title. Fun, fresh, and (dare I say it) fantastic! It looks like they want to capture a similar theme for the movie, so now I can’t wait to see that. The Grootfall story took some time to grow on me, but overall Guardians of the Galaxy also reminds me of the family that I know and love.

The Verdict

The February 2024 Marvel Comics line up, overall, was enjoyable. I want to read Spider-Man, because I miss the friendly neighborhood wall crawler. I also still need to catch up on X-Men so I can start reviewing that one. Then again, I read something like a dozen books, so do I really need more right now? In any case, see you in March!

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February 2024 DC Comics I Love

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Introduction

After a hiatus of a month and a delay by a week, I returned with February 2024 independent comics. Because of no TMNT, I only read and reviewed a few books in the SECU (tm – me?) in that article. Today, we went to one of Quinn’s swim meets. The down time in between waiting for his events gave me a chance to read the February 2024 DC Comics for this article.

Another father noticed me reading Action Comics and started a conversation. I told him that I got my books mostly from DCBS, but every couple of months, I take a trip to That’s Entertainment. We both geeked out at the mention of the store and agreed that we could easily spend an entire day there every time we go. I dropped a casual mention about the miniature painting classes and I might have made a new friend.

Decent

Writer: Si Spurrier, Artist: Mike Deodato, Jr.
Writer: Si Spurrier, Artist: Mike Deodato, Jr.
Writer: Tom King, Artist: Daniel Sampere

While I enjoyed the lead in to this new Flash story, I’m having trouble getting into the actual story. It’s not bad, it just doesn’t appeal to me. I think I might need to do some more previous reading of Flash to understand the background of this one. When that might happen, I don’t know. As far as Wonder Woman, you all know I’m one of the biggest Tom King fans. However, his slow burn story method that worked so well on Batman falls flat so far with Wonder Woman.

Good

Writer: Jason Aaron, Artist: John Timms
Writer: Chip Zdarsky, Artist: Jorge Jimenez
Story: Tini Howard, Artist: Stefano Raffaele

I disregarded the other Action Comics sent to me because it ended the previous story. This one started a new arc. I never enjoyed Bizarro in the past, but Aaron made this story intriguing so far, so I’m willing to give it a chance. Zdarsky’s Batman has been a bit off from the previous couple of writers, but it hasn’t fallen off completely. I think with some time, he will come up with something great for the title. In the same way, Tini Howard’s Catwoman doesn’t stand up to Ram V and especially Joelle Jones. I know we’ll never get back Jones at this point, but I think Howard has the best chance to get back to close to that.

Great

Writer: Ram V, Artist: Jason Shawn Alexander
Writer: Ram V, Artists: Riccardo Federici and Stefano Raffaele
Writer: Joshua Williamson, Artists: Bruno Redondo and Caio Filipe

Ever since the Tom King Batman and James Tynion IV Detective Comics era of these books, I’ve been waiting for the books to reach those heights again. Batman lags somewhat behind, but Ram’s treatment of Detective has been amazing. Likewise, but on a different note, Williamson made the impossible possible by getting me to enjoy Superman. This issue, especially, tickled me with the Western motif and engaging storyline. Superman is probably the best book in DC Comics right now.

Verdict

February 2024 DC Comics was a good one for the company. I found myself struggling to put each comic in each category. They all could have easily been moved up a category. But, I want to remain true to my ideals and not go too easy with these reviews.

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February 2024 Independent Comics I Love

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Introduction

After missing my order last month, February 2024 independent comics exist again only in the Spawn Extended Comic Universe (SECU – tm, me?). By the looks of it, TMNT 150 got pushed back by a month and I just put it on my list for next month. Therefore, prepare for my journey through the SECU for this month.

Scorched #24

Script/Plot: John Layman (with Uncle Todd on “Additional Script”, Artist: Stephen Segovia. A few issues ago, this one was my favorite of all the titles in the SECU. Yep, I’m gonna overuse that until it’s dead by the end of the article. Sorry, I miss TMNT. In regards to this issue, it serves its purpose as a bridge to show the new dynamics of the team and introduce a new character, The Viscerator. My verdict: Decent.

King Spawn #28/#30

Script/Plot: Uncle Todd, Art: Javi Fernandez. Not sure why they sent two nonsequential issues of King Spawn, but here we are. The first shows Al traveling through hell with the corpse of a demon that he killed. A few conflicts that are easily resolved and apparently the journey continues in the missing issue. Because, then, Al faces off with Wanda as his companion on the journey. I enjoyed this part of the story and Uncle Todd promises a big payoff in number 350. Also, I enjoy Javi Fernandez’s art. My verdict: Good.

Spawn #348

Story/Plot: Rory McConville with Todd McFarlane on additional script, Art: Carlo Barberi. All of these issues feel slightly underwhelming. It took until this issue and the connection to King Spawn that I understood. They’re setting us up for the big conclusion in a couple of issues. I suppose I made the initial connection in Scorched when I called it a bridge article. Well, the whole of it right now feels like a bridge. But, again, great art. My verdict: Good.

Verdict

So, the SECU (okay, I used it less than anticipated) brought mostly just a bridge (I used that more than anticipated, though, trying to avoid “filler”) between the previous story and a promised payoff in Spawn 350. February 2024 independent comics was missing something. Yes, that’s just another reason for me to write that TMNT never showed this month.

Images courtesy of the mothership.

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Marvel Comics December 2023: Great, Good, Decent

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Introduction

Well, I made one deadline so far this month. Admittedly, I amended it because I missed it the first time. But, as promised a couple of days ago, I present Marvel Comics December 2023. Recently, I think Marvel Comics brings the strongest line up out of the publishers. I wrote in my DC article that they’re getting stronger.

This month, especially, I enjoyed the DC books that I ordered. Obviously, I hope these trends continue. Additionally, one trend I hope reverses (and quick) is the Amazing Spider-Man being terrible. True to my word, I put it in the pile to be shelved without even taking it out of the bag. Please, can someone save ol’ Web-Head?

Avengers #7 (Legacy 773)

Writer: Jed McKay, Artist: CF Villa. After reading this one, I texted Chris, “I enjoy the new Avengers book. He’s doing a good job.” To which he responded, “I’ve been liking it, too.” After the fun and interesting Planet Eaters story, this one starts with the defeat and death of the Avengers. Excellent start. My verdict: Very good.

Black Panther #6 (Legacy 218)

Writer: Eve L. Ewing, Artist: Matt Horak with Mack Chater. Tells the story of a former Black Panther and Wakandan king. Apparently, to save the nation in the present, they must look back to the past. I like this one more and more with each passing month. My verdict: Good.

Doctor Strange #9 (Legacy 435)

Writer: Jed McKay, Artist: Pasqual Ferry. Strange still battles in his personal war. He gets an upper hand and he and Clea are reunited. This has been a wild story with all kinds of twists and turns. I can’t wait to see where it goes next. My verdict: Good.

Fantastic Four 13 (Legacy 706)

Writer: Ryan North, Artist: Iban Coello. Two universes threaten to destroy one another; one human and the other dinosaur. If that sounds like a ton of fun, well you’re not wrong. The dinosaur four against the Avengers. Doom teams with Doomasaur. Thing and his dino self save the day. Just goofy fun. My verdict: Great.

Guardians of the Galaxy 8 (Legacy 188)

Writers: Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing, Artist: Kev Walker. They are Groot. The Guardians world to protect Grootspace and allow it to come to life. Then, they lived happily ever after. Just kidding. Some nutter is coming to burn Grootspace and the Guardians. My verdict: Great.

The Immortal Thor 4 (Legacy 765)

Writer: Al Ewing, Artist: Martin Coccolo. Thor summons Storm. He hands over the mantle of Thor to her so that she can help fight off a threat of epic proportions. Beta Ray Bill, Loki, and others join. Thor introduces the “Thor Corps”. The issue ends with a weird zombie cow thing talking about merchandising. My verdict: Good.

The Incredible Hulk 6 (Legacy 787)

Writer: Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Artist: Nic Klein. I like that they’re continuing with the horror theme from Al Ewing’s run. This one also gives us a taste of Banner on the road. At the end, we finally get the payoff of the cover with Ghost Rider confronting the Hulk. Next issue, Hulk gets his judgement. My verdict: Good.

Punisher 1

Writer: David Pepose, Artist: Dave Wachter. An adequate introduction to the new Punisher. I like the idea of the Punisher, but I generally don’t like the actual books. It looks like this one gives me just enough of what I want the Punisher to be without going overboard. I will give this one a chance. My verdict: Decent.

The Sensational She-Hulk 2 (Legacy 180)

Note: A few weeks ago, I saw an article. I texted Chris, after saying the same to Aiden, “I wish I knew how to market myself better. Someone wrote an article saying what I’ve been saying for the last year or so. She-Hulk is probably the best book on the market right now. If only someone saw this Marvel Comics December 2023 article and shared it to one of the aggregators.

Writer: Rainbow Rowell, Artist: Andres Genolet. You get a Hulk. And, you get a Hulk. Everyone gets a Hulk! Classic Hulk beat em up gets the She-Hulk treatment and I’m here for it. Fun and funny issue that sets up for more in the next issue. My verdict: Great.

Venom 27 (Legacy 227)

Writer: Torunn Gronbekk, Artist: Julius Ohta with Rafael Pimentel. I like the story in Venom right now. I think it is compelling and moving at a decent pace. The new symbiotes fill in nicely and I couldn’t help but think about the Scorched team during their scenes. But, something feels missing or off right now in the book. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but the whole isn’t greater than the sum of its parts right now. My verdict: Decent.

The Verdict

Marvel Comics December 2023 gives me more of the same. In most cases, that’s great. I must say, again, that right now I think I’m enjoying comics as much as I did when I first started reading them 30 years ago. They’re figuring things out and writing for us oldbies. I think I forgot to order the books for next month, so look for an in depth analysis of the latest run of X-Men instead.

Head on over to Marvel for all your comics needs.

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DC Comics December 2023: Great, Good, Decent

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Introduction

As promised yesterday, I’m back today with DC Comics December 2023. I feel like the recent shake up of creative teams hasn’t worked as well this time as the previous few. I understand that I need to give the teams time to figure things out for themselves and their readers. But, I just enjoyed Rebirth and the ensuing stories better than Dawn of DC so far.

The thing is, the titles haven’t been outright bad. They’re just inconsistent so far. Therefore, I guess that makes my case for me that I just need to give them time to figure things out. Before I write the actual reviews, I will say that both Batman and Catwoman look good at a glance. One final note: I only ordered 7 books this month, so I will structure this article more like the independent one and review each book individually.

Batman #139 (Legacy: 904)

Writer: Chip Zdarsky, Artist: Jorge Jimenez. Now, this is more like it. I’ve been saying about Marvel Comics for the last few months that going back to basics worked for them. Batman takes that advice with this story. Batman. Joker. A string of dead bodies and threats to those Batman still holds dear. Keep it up. My verdict: Good, almost great.

Catwoman #59

Writer: Tini Howard, Artist: Stefano Raffaele. Speaking of keeping it simple, I started reading Catwoman again when Joelle Jones rebooted it. I loved the style and attitude that she brought to the book. It suffered some when she left, but Ram V wrote a good cat, as he does everything. I think Howard has the ability to give Selina the same edge that Jones did. The one thing that distracts me is the art is a bit too male gaze for the female voice of the character. My verdict: Solidly good.

Detective Comics #1076 and 1077

Writer: Ram V, Artist: Jason Shawn Alexander. Ram V takes another tactic. He turns the narrative on his head. It’s not a completely new story, but Batman: Outlaw puts Bruce in the crosshairs as the captured villain in Arkham. The story works well with V’s storytelling capability. I know some (most notably my co-conspirator Chris) didn’t like JSA on Spawn. It was different, but I liked it for what it brought to that story. I think it does the same here. My verdict: Great.

Superman #8 (Legacy 851)

Writer: Joshua Williamson, Artist: Various. This one takes a bit of a step back from the previous issues. For a while there, DC Comics turned my world on my head. Superman was the best book and I wasn’t enjoyingBatman at all. I still like what Williamson is doing with the book. I just thought this one brought in too much from outside the story and it distracted from what’s been making the book fun. My verdict: Good.

Wonder Woman #3 (Legacy 803)

Writer: Tom King, Artist: Daniel Sempere. This one disappointed me most. The curse of high expectations and all that. I loved Tom King’s run on Batman. He understood the character and wrote it with great care. I feel like too much of that is seeping into Wonder Woman’s character. He righted the ship some with the previous issue, but this one has that same muddling. The story is good. I just can’t get used to King’s interpretation of Wonder Woman. I’ll give it time. My verdict: Decent.

The Verdict

DC Comics December 2023 brings some consistency to the books. I look forward to Batman and Catwoman going forward. Ram V’s story in Detective is great. Williamson’s Superman took a step back with too much supporting story, but the main story is still great. I still have faith that Tom King will figure out Wonder Woman sooner rather than later.

Get your books at DCBS. Not a paid promotion. I just genuinely like their customer service.

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December 2023 Independent Comics I Love

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Introduction

The comics arrived in the mail as they always do. I wrote the plans in my book for this week. Independent on Monday. DC on Wednesday. Marvel on Friday. Then, this week came and went with no comic reviews posted to the page. Recognizing my oversight, I gave you a bonus article yesterday about the Marvel SNAP new season. Then, I reworked the plan to post all of the reviews this weekend starting with today and December 2023 Independent Comics.

In addition to the Spawniverse and TMNT that usually populate this article, DCBS sent me two copies of a new book entitled Unnatural Order. So, I tossed it into the pile and you get another bonus of an additional book reviewed in this article. With no further delay, let’s get into the books.

Unnatural Order #1

Writer: Christopher Yost, Artist: Val Rodrigues. From the back cover: After the fall of the Britons and the Roman invasion of Hibernia, the captive known only as the druid is released, sending a darkness across the world. An age of horrors, of fire and entrails, as the innocdnt burn in the wicker fields, those who would resist learn of the existence of a man who even the druid fears. for it is this prisoner, a soldier from a different time, who alone knows that druid’s secret. This is not how the world is supposed to be. They deliver on that and more in this first issue. I’ll give them that. Wild story that caught my attention. But, I’m not sure if I’ll read it or not. Might have to give it another shot to see if it’s my style of book. My verdict: Decent.

Gunslinger Spawn #26

Writer: Uncle Todd. Artist: Dexter Soy. The book got away from what makes it fun/interesting. Okay, that’s not entirely true. They just got sloppy. Rushed story and art. Repeated typos. The last two issues have been much cleaner. My verdict: Not as good a follow up to the great last issue, but still very good.

King Spawn #27

Writer: Uncle Todd. Artist: Javi Fernandez. Goes on a deep dive into Al’s past and explores how that past set him on his path to become Spawn. My verdict: It wants to be great. But, it feels either too cliche or hits too close to home for me. Almost great.

Scorched #23

Writer: John Layman. Artist: Stephen Segovia. Spawn faces off against Gaia for the soul of She-Spawn. He wins, but at what cost? Another one where I like the idea and execution, but minor flaws. My verdict: My favorite of the three and just a hair from being great.

Spawn #347

Writer: Rory McConville with additional plot from Uncle Todd. Artist: Carlo Barberi. Continues the story of the previous issues. Solid issue that advances the story and keeps things moving. Also starts to tie in the supporting issues. Solid book, but lags behind the supporting titles right now. My verdict: Good.

TMNT #147

Writer: Sophie Campbell. Artist: Vincenzo Federici. My favorite book not named She-Hulk right now. This issue is fun and funny and it fills some of the blanks at the end. Plus, a shout out to prehistoric Northampton, Massachusetts. My verdict: Great

The Verdict

Independent comics December 2023 brings some great stories. The Spawniverse is rounding into shape again. The Turtles are great as they always have been since I started reading the title during Armageddon Game. The jury remains out on Unnatural Order, but I have faith that it will be a good story if I keep reading it.

Spawn images taken from the mothership. TMNT book snapped from IDW. Unnatural Order courtesy of Vault.

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Marvel Comics October 2023: Great, Good, Decent

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Introduction

Last month saw Amazing Spider-Man rise from the depths to enter “Decent” territory. Spoiler alert: No chance of that happening in Marvel Comics October 2023 or ever again, I think, as long as Zeb Wells writes this title. I can’t take the extreme step that Chris did and remove this from my pull list.

Two Reasons. 1. I discovered a couple of months ago that I own a third of all of the Amazing Spider-Man issues ever printed. B. I worked to put together an uninterrupted run back to at least issue 800. I need to look at my inventory spreadsheet because I went to a couple of stores an a flea market to fill in more issues.

Returning Category: Can We Don’t?

Amazing Spider-Man: (Writer: Does it even matter at this point?, Artist: Patrick Gleason and Ed McGuinnes). I gave Wells a chance. You can’t say that I didn’t. I lasted longer than I ever thought possible with this mess of a title. I intend to keep collecting, but I will not read another Spider-Man story until Wells name is not associated with it. I blacked out during the mention of Paul in 35 and then threw 36 in disgust when I saw Rek-rap. I’m out. My verdict: How dare you?

Decent

Incredible Hulk 6 (Legacy 786, Writer: Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Artist: Travel Foreman). I wrote Chris about a variant upcoming by one of our favorite artists. He said, “Oh, thank God.” then mentioned how bad the art looked this time. Yikes. I like the story, but this one gets demoted because of that art and also the story is too gory for me. I don’t want my Hulk with a blood lust.

Venom 26 (Legacy 226, Writer: Torunn Grønbekk, Artist: Julius Ohta): Torunn Grønbekk is finding her voice in Venom, but it’s still a bit inconsistent. To be fair, I think it might be just where this hero is right now. Ewing tried to clean up the mess left by Cates and did an admirable job. But, there’s just too much happening there right now. I like what I see and have faith. It will take time.

Good

Black Panther 8 (Legacy 217, Writer: Eve Ewing, Artist: Mack Chater): It took me a while to figure out this book. He, like I say, sometimes it just isn’t for you. But I stayed with it because I saw something there. This issue starts to pay off that patience. I enjoyed this issue and I can see this one bumping up to “Great” in the near future.

Captain America (Legacy 752, Writer: J. Michael Straczynski, Artist: Jesus Saiz): I make no secret that, other than Spencer, I think JMS wrote the best Spider-Man of the last 20 years. He gives us a Cap/Spidey team up that soothes the soul from the main title disaster right now. If he keeps this up, he might join Spencer and Brubaker in the Captain America pantheon, too.

Doctor Strange 8 (Legacy 434, Writer: Jed McKay, Pasqual Ferry): I struggled with this one for a bit. I went back and forth between “Good” and “Great”. The title kind of oscillates between those two itself right now. I just couldn’t quite push it to the great this time around. Besides that category is a bit busy right now.

Great

Sensational She-Hulk 1 (Legacy 179)

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Writer: Rainbow Rowell, Artist: Andres Genolet

We finally get the pay off in the Avegners to the Planet Eaters or whatever. Each of the Avengers uses their unique strengths to finally best their particular villain. And, now Viz gets a featured story in the next issue (arc?) What more can I ask for?

I can’t believe how closely this title resembles all the great things from the old Lee/Kirby run of Fantastic Four. Ryan North absolutely understood the assignment and continues to deliver fun stories. This time we get the FF (and a prominent villain) as dinosaurs. I mean, come on, if you can’t find fun in that, you have no soul.

We got a payoff for Grootfall in the last issue. Now, we are all Groot. I loved GotG since their introduction in the mid 90s. I think I like this story better even than anything James Gunn did with his movies. They just know these characters and treat this whole thing with such tenderness and, dare I say, love that I want them to write this comic forever.

What can I say about Thor? Al Ewing brings his magic to another title and gives me a reason to enjoy this book again. I forgot he was writing it and missed the first two issues. I’ll fill them in on my next Midtown order. I want this to be a full run like his Immortal Hulk.

I’ve run out of compliments for Rainbow Rowell’s She-Hulk. It is the most fun I have reading comics right now. If you’re not reading this book, you’re doing life all wrong right now.

The Verdict

I’m so mad that comics will probably die in the next few months. Hey, Chris and I have a track record. We need to say this every few months or it might actually happen. Seriously, both companies figured out how to make books fun and entertaining. Marvel Comics October 2023 (other than ASM) gave me so much joy that I don’t even care that much that Amazing Spider-Man is quite possibly the worst it’s ever been.

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DC Comics October 2023: Great, Good, Decent

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Introduction

Last month, for some reason, they sentme the first issues for Power Girl and Green Lantern. I thought maybe I added them to my pull list or cart to check them out because of the non-reboot reboot “Dawn of DC”. Maybe the latter, but not the former because I’m back to my usual 7 books for DC Comics October 2023.

Overall, the books entertained me this month. None of them were especially bad or annoying. That’s all I ask from my comics books right now. I’m older and softer when it comes to my criticisms. Since there are so few books, I’ll just give my thoughts on each of them in order.

Action Comics 1058

Writer: Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Artist: Rafa Sandoval. We got pay off after the evil Superman reveal. Supes keeps his doppleganger busy and away from the public. He pays for it, but defeats the other Supes. Someone talks about turning a Kryptonian and then Clark goes to Steel to have him craft a suit while he heals. I feel like I forgot something because of the Knight Terrors gap. Need to go back and read previous issues again. My verdict: Decent.

Batman 138 (Legacy: 903)/Catwoman 58

Writers: Chip Zdarsky (Batman), Tini Howard (Catwoman), Artists: Jorge Jimenez (Batman), Nico Leon (Catwoman). I put these two together, because they complement one another in the Gotham War storyline. Speaking of, the gild appears to be solidly off the lily on this one. I liked Catwoman better than Batman this month. I have no use for the Zur storyline. But, I like that Catwoman took it upon herself to keep Bruce busy and try to keep Gotham together in the face of overwhelming odds. My verdict: Decent.

Detective Comics 1076

Writer: Ram V, Artist: Francesco Francavilla. A fun conclustion to a two part scarecrow story. It expores the myth of Batman through a conversation between Batman and young Bruce. An old and overused technique. At least Ram V does it well. My verdict: Good.

Flash 2 (Legacy: 802)

Writer: Si Spurrier, Artist: Mike Deodato, Jr. You all know I liked Williamson’s Flash. Like, really liked it. I thought when they shuffled things around books might suffer. Some have a little bit (like Batman), but not this one. This story is weird, but I dig it. My verdict: Great.

Superman 7 (Legacy: 850)

Writer: Josh Williamson, Artist: Gleb Melnikov, Dan Jurgens, Norm Rapmund, Edwin Galmon. Unlike recent big number issues, they simply continue the current storyline in this one. That’s fine with me. Chris mentioned in the latest podcast that I keep making him rethink taking Supes off his pull list. What can I say? Williamson writes a fun Superman and this story has just enough to keep me interested right now. My verdict: Good.

Wonder Woman 2 (Legacy: 802)

Writer: Tom King, Artist: Daniel Sampere. I like Tom King. I wasn’t sure about his take on Wonder Woman after the prologue and first issue. I’m still not 100% sold on it. But, this one gives me just enough of the Tom King magic that I think he might eventually pull it off. My verdict: Good.

The Verdict

Like I said, DC Comics October 2023 has some fun books in it. I like what they’ve done with this latest not a reboot reboot and the creative teams work pretty well together. I do find it interesting that my two favorite books of all time, Batman and Spider-Man are both suffering right now, but they’ll get it figured out.

Visit DC Comics for these books and more.

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October 2023 Independent Comics I Love

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Introduction

I neglected my articles last week. Grades were due for the first quarter at school. I stayed home on Wednesday with a migraine. So, I focused on keeping the podcasts and videos going instead of the articles. But, I’m back this week with the comics reviews as promised. I start with October 2023 independent comics. Last month brought some uneven quality with the Spawn titles, but Ninja Turtles redeemed the month.

Gunslinger 25

Writer: Uncle Todd, Artist: Brett Booth. They dial up the ultraviolence and the naughty words in this one. As far as I can tell, this is a one shot (or maybe part of another ongoing) because only Gunslinger stars in this one. Typical revenge family. My verdict: Decent.

King Spawn 26

Writer: Sean Lewis, Artist: Javi Fernandez. Also a trail of bodies left in his wake. But, we are spared most of the gore in this one. He searches after an entity known as “The Visage”. Asks her for help in preventing Cog from ascending to the throne. I like this approach much more than the Gunslinger in your face. My verdict: Good.

Scorched 22

Writer: Sean Lewis, Artist: Stephen Segovia. She-Spawn is back and she’s different. Or, is she just all that she was ever meant to be? In any case, she’s pissed at just about everyone, especially her team that she blames for her death. This isn’t over. My verdict: Great

Spawn 346

Writer: Rory McConville (with Uncle Todd on additional script), Artist: Carlo Barberi. They keep building this story. I just noticed that it’s the big 350 in 4 months. So, that makes sense. While a bit of a slower issue this time around which mostly focuses on the machinations of each faction, it does give Spawn a reason to care with a slaughter of several of his allies. My verdict: Good.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 144

Writer: Sophie Campbell (with Kevin Eastman as story consultant), Artist: Gavin Smith. I wrote several times during this story that I worried about a drop off in quality from the Armageddon Game. Obviously, that happened (you can’t keep up that pace forever), but not as much as I feared. Campbell built this story with a compelling narrative and sympathetic characters. She finishes it off with a thrilling conclusion. She also expertly sets up the next story. I, for one, hope she writes this book forever. My verdict: Great

The Verdict

October 2023 independent comics brings us a more consistent Spawniverse (good thing because I heard they want to add books to the line up?!) and the consistent awesomeness of the turtles. I need to expand this section and I’ll take some of Chris’s suggestions from the Spooktober discussion in 2 Guys Gaming. See you next month!

Spawn images taken from the mothership. TMNT from IDW.

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DC Comics September 2023: Great, Good, Decent

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Introduction

Catching up has proven more difficult that anticipated. I mean, I know from being a teacher that it’s often easier to just go into work sick and fake it as best you can instead of having to write sub plans and get back into the groove after being out. Also, I probably took this page lighter than normal. After all, I only maintain it as a labor of love. So, I put off the YouTube and updated it in chunks. I still haven’t finished writing my notes for the next episode of Noob’s Book Club. And, I meant to release this DC Comics September 2023 article yesterday or Thursday.

I skipped DC for a couple of months. That’s because I ordered all of the first issues of Knight Terrors. I forgot to update my DCBS order the next month and only ordered my main titles. I meant to go to That’s Entertainment to fill in the books I missed. At this point, I might need to go the Midtown route. They would have made a great Spooktober article. Oh well, there’s always next year.

Decent

Power Girl 1

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For some reason, even though I don’t remember ordering them, they sent 3 number 1 issues for the Dawn of DC non-reboot of a reboot. Why they couldn’t anticipate last month and send my Knight Terrors, I’ll never know. In any case, they sent Blue Beetle, Green Lantern, and Power Girl. Of the three, I liked Blue Beetle the best and I might keep collecting that one for a bit longer to see if it continues. I’ve never cared anything about Green Lantern and I just said to Christine, “Good to see horny dudes are still drawing comics.” Power Girl’s costume makes no sense.

Good

Wonder Woman 1

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Writer: Tom King, Artist: Daniel Sampere

Long time readers of the page know that I have little use for Superman. I always thought his character was simplistic and I prefer my heroes to have flaws. The Brian Michael Bendis experiment started off great and then, as he often does, he wore out his welcome. They sucked me back in by putting Williamson on the main title. I also like Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s take on Action so far. I enjoyed Williamson on Flash and that’s what got me to read Supes. The Si Spurrier era starts off decent and I’m willing to give him a chance. The same thing can be said for King’s Wonder Woman. Everything he writes ends up great, but he needs some time to figure out WW’s character.

Great

Batman and Robin 1

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Writer: Joshua Williamson, Artist: Simone Di Meo

I rolled my eyes so hard they may have stuck there (Mom was right after all) when I read “Gotham War”. We had Joker War. Now we have Gotham War. Well, I should have known that they’d not let us down with this one. What is surprising is that all of the supporting titles I read in the series supports the story in a logical and strong manner. Hell, it even convinced me to buy the Batman/Catwoman title that ties in.

The Verdict

DC Comics September 2023 takes a page from Marvel’s book. They go back to basics on a lot of their titles. Okay, it makes sense now. They kept saying this wasn’t a reboot. With every new announcement, Chris and I rolled our eyes via text and said, “Yeah, right. looks like a reboot to us.” But, by the gods, they actually pulled it off. Can’t wait to see next month.