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DC Comics September 2024

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Introduction

I wrote in my last article that the return to form on the web page means comics in this first week. I wrote about our latest adventures in Dice Masters on Monday. Yesterday, I covered the new season of Marvel SNAP. Now, I move on to the actual comics and reviews. This month I adjusted the order. When I went to Newbury Comics and then That’s E, I picked up more titles for the Spawniverse. I also bought into all of the new X-Men books. Therefore, my DC Comics September 2024 lineup is the smallest. Therefore, they go first.

Decent

Writer: Chip Zdarsky, Artist: Mike Hawthorne
Writer: Simon Spurrier, Artist: Ramon Perez
Writer: Joshua Williamson, Artist: Jamal Campbell
Writer: Tom King, Artist: Tony S. Daniel

All of the stories in these books this month are compelling. However, without the background of the main story, they’re all lacking something. As I often do, I missed the boat on the main Absolute Power series. As a result, I downgraded these books from Good to Decent. Completely my fault. But, I admit it and I will try to be better next time about the event stories that I read. Who knows, I might even revisit them after reading the main story. As far as The Flash, I I started collecting for Aiden and never took it off my pull list. I like it fine, but it’s not one of my favorite books, by any measure.

Good

Writer: Gail Simone, Artist: Eddy Barrows

Gail Simone is one of my favorite comic writers. Superman used to be one of my least favorite heroes. Bendis hooked me on the books when he wrote for Supes a few years ago. Then, they put Williamson on the main title and Simone on this one. In between, Phillip Kennedy Johnson wrote for both books. What I’m trying to say is that I now have a certain respect for old Supes that I never had before. And, Gail Simone writing the book! As they say, two great tastes that taste great together. I’m just not as into this story and that downgrades it slightly to good. When she hits her stride, I’m sure this book will pick up some steam.

Great

Writer: Ram V, Artists: Various. Speaking of hitting your stride, this book got good just as it looks like they are changing writers again. I admit to not completely getting Ram V’s take on the title. I enjoyed the stories, but something just didn’t quite click for me overall. That changed with these two books and I look forward to what comes next from Ram V. I need to go back and read the whole run again to see if it hits different now that everything is coming together.

The Verdict

I keep saying what a great time this is for comics right now. DC Comics September 2024 proves that once again. Even the books that I “missed” because of the tie in still told compelling stories that entertained me. Thanks to all of the creative people out there still dedicated to bringing the fun in comic books. This old guy appreciates it.

Images taken from the mothership.

Digital Playground

Marvel SNAP September 2024: The Amazing Spider-Season

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Introduction

Back to school and back on track with the articles, at least. I need to record for the podcast and get the YouTube back up and running. One step at a time, dear friends. With the web page back on track, we bring you comics for the first week. Aiden and I played some Dicemasters yesterday. Quinn made a deck and Aiden asked to play more. Look for that in the near future. Today, I talk about Marvel SNAP September 2024. Comics reviews come at the end of the week.

New Locations

Brooklyn Bridge turns off some strategies (like Hawkeye), but opens up other possibilities (like Jessica Jones). Also, it sucker punches all of the bots that like to just fill one location if it shows up in that particular location for the game. Otto’s lab gives you a taste of the old Doctor Octopus card. With my luck, I end up pulling their best card and losing because of it. But, maybe it all works out for me. Hey, stranger things have happened!

New Characters

Silver Sable

Image 1 of 5

On Reveal: Steal 2 Power from the top card of your opponent’s deck.

Ever since Spider-Verse in the comics and then the movies, Spider People have exploded in number in the various Marvel universes. It almost makes me yearn for the good old days of Spider-Man and Venom. Almost. But, I needed to search for Araña because I never saw her before in any of the literature.

As far as the cards, two of them debut the new keyword, “Activate”. This allows you to control the abilities of cards a little bit more. Instead of resolving on the reveal of the card, you activate the card’s ability by clicking on the card until it says “activated!” I like the idea and that they’re trying new things to keep the game fresh. Madam Web and Araña work well with my “Move” deck and I like the cheeky lore behind Scarlet Spider’s ability.

The Verdict

Marvel SNAP September 2024 brings the “attack of the spider people!” to the game. Plus, Silver Sable, one of my favorite characters from my teenage years, joins the fray. Overall, I like the inclusion of the new keyword, the cards look like fun, and the locations (if they ever show in my games) promise to make things more interesting overall. See you in game, SNAPpers!

Images SNAPped from Marvel SNAP Zone.

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A Trip to That’s E

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Introduction

I’m getting older. Proof of that is in my admission that my family owned an Atari 2600. I mean, technically, everyone is getting older. But, honestly, you don’t notice it until you pass 45. I said at work one day that 45 hits like a truck if you aren’t careful. Anyway, the point of this all is that I received an order from my doctor to get lipid testing. As a reward to myself, i took a trip to That’s E.

Officially named That’s Entertainment, there are two locations in Western Massachusetts. One, in Worcester, is massive. I’ve said numerous time, to Chris, that I could spend a day there every couple of months just browsing and spending stupid amounts on comics. The one that I visited, in Fitchburg, is smaller, but no less dangerous. Without thinking, I dropped over 150 bucks there yesterday.

Blood Hunt

I resisted “Blood Hunt” initially. Then, I saw the first three issues at Newbury Comics last week, so I picked them up. I felt underwhelmed and correct in my decision to not read the series. Then, yesterday, I caved to the pressure and bought the last two issues. I’m glad I did. When I saw that Blade broke bad with little to no explanation, I rolled my eyes. Then McKay explained it in 4 and brought it all together with the usual huge team up. The difference, this time, is that DOOM helped, as well, setting the stage for his rise later on in the year. Now, that one I’m looking forward to reading.

More From the New Beginning

X Factor gets reborn as a social media military group stocked with a bunch of E and F-list mutants with Angel as their leader. In spite of promises otherwise, they still face the same mutant hatred until their first mission. I’m interested to see where this goes. Forge puts together X-Force to help stop a giant slime monster from destroying the world. In the end, he brings in Deadpool to “help” with the mission. Overall, another solid beginning. I wrote about Gail Simone taking over Uncanny X-Men in the other article. Jed McKay writes the other main title. I’m not sure what I expected, but all we get here is more of the same. Magneto in charge, Scott leading the team, and Wolverine walking out at the end. I guess it pays to go back to basics, but I hope we get more going forward.

Ultimate Marvel

I avoided the Ultimates reboot initially. I remember the old Ultimate universe and how it went completely off the rails eventually. In fact, Marvel deleted several of my posts reminding them of cannibalistic Hulks and incestuous Maximoff twins. When I texted Chris about the new Absolute DC or whatever and called it “Ultimate DC” as a dig for the obvious rip off, he said something about the current line of Ultimate Marvel performing well. So, when faced with these two titles, I bit. In the interest of time and getting the article out today, I only read the first two issues. But, I must say. I enjoyed them. The Ultimate universe adds something new to the mythos of the characters while avoiding (so far) the pitfalls of the originals. If they keep this up, as I just texted Chris, “I’m going to end up broke with all these new books.”

The Verdict (A Trip to That’s E)

I took a trip to That’s E in Fitchburg after my lab tests yesterday. While I picked up some good books that I just told you about, there are others that I’m going to wait until my official comic review article to reveal. It also made me want to go to the big store in Worcester. Maybe once school starts and I need an outlet, I’ll make a trip down there.

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A Trip to Newbury Comics

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Introduction

We took our annual vacation to Cape Cod last week. As inevitably happens during the week, a tropical storm passed through the area. With rain on the forecast, we decided to drive to Hyannis and spend part of the day at the mall. However, when we woke up, it was only cloudy and a decent beach day. Christine and I decided to head to the beach. It took some time, but we convinced the kids to wait for us, so we all could go to the mall. The main stop everyone wanted was Barnes and Noble. However, Christine needed something at target, so we walked there. Along the way, we too a trip to Newbury Comics.

Comics played a big role in my life. They also eventually became a huge part of the web page. Chris and I tried an early podcast about comics that fizzled. Both of us attempted to record YouTube videos about comics hauls and reviews that might are lost to the great beyond because Google deleted that account due to inactivity. So, when I see a comic book store, I need to enter it. Those of you who know, understand when I said to them, “No, I was too busy searching for comics in the store with comics in the name” when they asked if I saw a certain item on the shelf. Nevertheless, I found some good ones.

What a Great Idea

I’ve been saying for years that comic publishers should print old issues on demand. Look, due to my interactions with Jason, I understand people and their collection brain. But, I would even take a copy of the book with the huge “REPRINT” banner over the top and bottom of the cover. I just want copies of the old books and not have to pay over 200 bucks for a single comic book. Yes, I can get trades, but there’s still that blank in my comic runs. I’m looking at you Spawn. Granted, I never wanted either one of these books, but I want to support the effort.

I texted Chris a picture of the cover of this magazine, with simply “Liefeld!” He responded, “gross lol”. “This is just the epitome of 90s Marvel right here.” And, so, that’s how I came to own Deadpool’s first appearance in comics.

Of the two, I wanted this one for sure. As a teenager, Gambit was my favorite X-Men character. What’s funny is when Aiden asked me a couple weeks ago at Quarters when I told him I didn’t really like Cyclops, I completely forgot about Gambit. Then, he showed up in Deadpool and Wolverine and it all came flooding back. Another old man moment. When I’m looking for something to watch later at night, I keep forgetting about X-Men ’97. Remind me next time!

A New Beginning

As I’ve told you many times, I missed most of the Krakoa era of the X-Men comics. When I heard that they rebooted the series with new writers and artists, I wanted to get in on the ground floor. I promptly forgot and DCBS never reminded me. So, when I saw these two books on the shelf from some of my favorite writers, I grabbed them. Now I need to grab X-Men #1 so that I can see the new direction better.

Blood Hunt (Wait? What?!)

I said numerous times that I cared nothing about Blood Hunt. I even refused to read the tie in issues from my regular shipments. Then, faced with the first three issues, I caved. Hey, I’m a complex person with layers. Like an onion! Also, when I see comics, I buy comics. That’s not complex at all. I just like comics.

The Verdict

I consider my trip to Newbury Comics a success. I got two comics I missed. I caught up on Blood Hunt (so far, I was right to ignore it, not great), and picked up some Liefeld and Gambit. I still hope that other comic publishers (Uncle Todd, please!) reprint some of their classic issues. But, I’ll take what I can get.

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Spawniverse August 2024

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Introduction

We decided to mix things up this week for a couple of reasons. One, the entire family (minus Quinn and plus Aiden’s girlfriend) went to and loved Deadpool and Wolverine. Also, because of anther soft reboot, a mix up in ordering, and shelving the issues related to Blood Hunt, that left only two Marvel comics to review. Even with the TMNT and the main title missing this month, I received three books for Spawniverse August 2024.

Gunslinger 33

Writer: Uncle Todd, Artist: Carlo Barbieri. ONe of my favorite teams in the Uncle Todd stable, Uncle Todd and Barbieri deliver a well told and beautiful story. This must be what Chris meant when he said that he liked this one the best out of the Spawniverse. I saw some of this when I came on a little over a year ago. Then, the entire franchise started to become messy and disjointed. For whatever reason (I take some of the credit), Uncle Todd decided to shake things up and I’m glad he did. I enjoyed this book for the first time in months and look forward to the next few. My verdict: Good bordering on Great.

King Spawn 36

Writer: Uncle Todd, Artist: Jason Shawn Alexander and Yildiray Cinar. I felt like King Spawn suffered the most from the lag in quality in the franchise. When I came in, the story followed one of my favorite Spawn arcs in the last ten years, Dark Horror, and it hit hard. Then, all books got caught up in the war between Heaven and Hell for far too long in my opinion. But, the fallout is good. All Spawn are now human and the stakes are higher. Al finds this out the hard way and needs to go to his old buddy The Tinkerer in order to even the odds with the vamps. He also recruits an old “friend” that shows up in the final reveal. My verdict: Good. As an aside, when searching to see when I picked up Gunslinger, I found a comment from Chris about Jason Shawn Alexander’s art. He’s not a fan. I must say that I love the aesthetic for stories like this one. I think he’d also work on a Sam and Twitch title.

The Scorched 31

Writer: Layman with Uncle Todd on “Additional Script”, Artist: Dtephen Segovia. For my money, The Scorched kept its quality the best throughout. Granted, it dipped some, but for whatever reason, I love the dysfunctional adopted family that Uncle Todd put together for this title. Then, he brought Layman on to help out with this one and I completely geeked. In this one, Jessica works alone to try to take Jason Wynn out. In the process, she also finds an old “friend” and ends up running into the team again. I can’t wait to see how this pays off. My verdict: Good.

The Verdict

Spawniverse August 2024 continues the upward trend of the last few months since the reboot and restructuring of the teams. Uncle Todd took more of a central role in all of the books, which should have theoretically reduced the quality of the books. However, the time off for him and the fact that the books always echo his voice on some level, they actually improved for now. Hopefully he can keep this up for a bit.

Images taken from the mother ship.

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Marvel Comics August 2024

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Introduction

On a high after seeing Deadpool/Wolverine, I decided to keep the Marvel love going with Marvel Comics August 2024. Unfortunately, after taking out the offending Amazing Spider-Man (ironic because Zeb Wells, and all) and the Blood Hunt tie in, it leaves me with only two books. I also apparently missed the X-Men number ones and they killed off She-Hulk. Okay, you have the actual truth. I just can’t help myself.

As you know, I usually start with independent or the Spawniverse. However, they outnumber the Marvel books this week. So, this week gets shuffled. Marvel, then Spawniverse, then DC. I also wanted to branch out finally again into YouTube with some videos to accompany. They may still happen. Right now, all I can think about it my colonoscopy tomorrow. Get your butt checked, folks.

Captain America 11 (Legacy 761)

Writer: J. Michael Straczynski, Artist: Jesus Saiz. To add some insult to injury, this issue feels like one big set up. Steve and Sharon start the story on the phone where Steve tells her he will just be a few more days. It then goes to talk about the struggle that he’s working through. It’s not a new dilemma, but JMS works his magic on it to get us through to the end of the issue. The reason I call it set up is that reveal is pretty massive. Can’t wait to see what he does next. My verdict: Good and possibly about to be great.

The Incredible Hulk 14 (Legacy 795)

Writer: Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Artist: Nic Klein. Speaking of tough choices, this issue ends with one as well. The set up for this issue gives us more action, though, which is fitting considering the characters involved. As you all know, I loved Al Ewing’s run on Hulk. Almost as much as the Planet Hulk run by Greg Pak. I must say that we are spoiled because this story nearly rivals the both of them as well. I’m enjoying it so much that I didn’t even mention the art this time around. My verdict: Great.

The Verdict

I read (again) somewhere about the slow, painful death of the comic book medium. As you know, both Chris and I discuss this eventuality a couple of times a year. I think as long as aging nerds like us continue to buy into it, though, it won’t happen in our lifetime. Even though I only read two books for Marvel Comics August 204, they both impressed me. This might actually be the best time for comics overall in a long time.

On the Tabletop

Marvel RPG Then and Now

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Introduction

When I came up with the cheeky theme for this month for the page, I tried to also come up with ideas for content. In one of the first articles that I considered, I wanted to compare Marvel RPG Then and Now. Ideally, that meant playing both RPGs with my family and then writing about those experiences. Because even the summer is busy for us, I ended up only perusing the books for the two games. As a result, this time around, I only compare my overall impressions of the games.

In good news, we tentatively agreed as a family to institute game nights again. Therefore, perhaps by the end of the year, we can play the old Marvel Super Heroes RPG and the new Marvel Multiverse RPG and then I can give you a more well rounded comparison of the two games. For now, enjoy and revel in some nostalgia with me before taking a trip into the Multiverse.

Dice, Dice Baby

The heart of any role playing game is, of course, the dice. Because of the recent success of Stranger Things and WotC’s ability to capitalize on that success, may people associate the set of polyhedral dice as the standard for the genre. However, most games shun the variability of those dice and use only one or two of the polyhedral shapes in their game. I can’t be certain, but most of the games I see these days just use six sided dice. That makes sense because most people have such dice lying around, so it removes some of the barrier for entry.

Granted, they don’t look as geeky or cool, but I understand the decision. With the old Marvel Super Heroes RPG, they used d100 to run the random engine for the game. At the time, I geeked out because it played so much differently from Dungeons and Dragons. I remember that my friend and I played the Marvel game exclusively for a few months after discovering it.

The newer Marvel Multiverse RPG follows the standard that I just discussed. They chose six sided dice as the base for their game. One thing they add to give some flavor is that you preferably need to have one die different from the other two to allow for a wider variety of outcomes in your rolls. I like the idea of the three six sided dice. It reminds me of the original character creation rules for D&D that I played under.

Stats and Such

Likewise, the old Marvel Super Heroes RPG embraced the classic RPG element of chance by allowing players to roll for every aspect of their character. You could either choose a background or simply let the roll of the dice decide. However, like D&D, you rolled your stats and sometimes a skill allowed you to reroll or bump a stat or two. And, one of the things I remember from the player’s handbook in D&D is that sometimes it’s a blast to try to play a 5 intelligence or 4 charisma character. One time, if I remember correctly, I played just such a character as an unintentional prick who just said what he thought with little regard for the consequences. So, in that case, they were right.

I noticed that modern RPGs eschew randomness whenever they can. In some ways, this is good. It gives you more control over your character. They still limit the outcome, so you don’t end up min/maxing your character to oblivion and making it no fun for your table mates, which is nice. But, I sometimes miss the roll of the die determining the outcome of my character. That 10 strength/16 intelligence Barbarian? That brings up some awesome role playing possibilities.

Characters

It’s Marvel. You get the expected roster of characters from both games. Obviously, one gives you over 30 years of additional history to add to the flavor of the characters. Also, it comes right out of the gate and talks about the multiverse. Ever since they started selling this as the Multiverse saga, they and others pushed the concept almost to an absurd level.

Then again, I must say, that with that extra history and choice of settings, I want to play in the Marvel 2099 world. If I only have one other player, I might try to figure out a way to put together some Logan adventures either before or after the movie depending on my mood. I have no interest in the Ultimate universe because it scarred me for life the last time around. But, filling in some of the gaps of the MCU might be fun.

The Verdict

Both games offer their own unique brand of entertainment. I think that the old Marvel Super Heroes RPG only offers me nostalgia at this point in my life. Based on that last paragraph, I clearly lean towards the now in the Marvel RPG Then and Now race. It simply offers more possibilities right out of the book.

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X-Men 700: Dream’s End

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Introduction

I admit it. I missed the entirety of the Krakoa era. Chris kept telling me how good the books are and I kept forgetting to add them to my DCBS cart. Then, it got to the point where it felt too overwhelming to jump in. I kept them on my pull list. I even ordered a ton of trades from Amazon that are currently sitting in my bedroom. Maybe I need to put aside some time for past comics and start with a Remember When: X-Men Krakoa feature or something. For now, let’s talk about X-Men 700.

I gave this issue its own article because its a supersized one. Usually, with these types of issues, they assemble a huge roster of talent from the history of the book and they tell their own type of story. While similar, this issue instead takes those stories and gives them each to a specific character to tell their story of the “Dream’s End.”

1 – Wolverine

Our old pal Logan comes to distribute some of his patented vigilante justice on Charles Xavier. It reminds me of the movie Old Man Logan where he and Professor X live alone in the middle of the desert. Charles has become too powerful and so Logan watches over him in a solitary confinement of sorts. This time, though, Logan never hesitates to move to deliver that fatal blow. Magneto has other plans. He interferes and tosses Wolvie out of the containment unit and flies himself and Professor X to “Have a chat”.

2 – Professor X/3 – Magneto

The two old arch frenemies wonder how it all went wrong this time. Magneto first asks Charles how they got here. Charles replies that Magneto quit. He died. Others died and the rest live. Because of his actions, he must pay the price. Magneto agrees with all that Charles said. Charles calls him Max (clearly a reference to the last however many years of the Krakoa Era that I don’t understand) and slightly sardonically gives him an “I told you so.” Magneto can’t help but to agree with the sentiment. Charles asks to be taken to his cell before he remarks that something is happening. Something wonderful.

4 – Cypher/5 – Krakoa

I had to Google “Cypher.” However, based on his name and the story told in his name, it looks like his powers have something to do with language. The two Krakoas can no longer speak to one another. He facilitates a summit between the two and something grows from that conversation. Cypher invites everyone to come explore this new land.

6 – Cyclops/7 – Jean Grey (Phoenix)/8 – Emma Frost

Scott, Jean, and Emma arrive at the newly developed Krakoa and meet with Kafka, one of the Quiet Council. He also met with Cypher to initiate the Krakoa summit. They witness the return of the Genoshan dead and listen as they go to tell their loved ones that they are well.

9 – Exodus

Another Krakoa era mutant that I’m not familiar with. When Kafka moves to take Krakoa away from the land of man, Exodus takes matters into his own hands to keep the island where it is.

10 – Apocalypse

This act gets the attention of Big Daddy A, who comes in and demands that they give him an update. Kafka tells him about Exodus’s little temper tantrum. Apocalypse, ever the problem solver, tells them that the time for talk is over and that he will take care of it.

The Battle, The Theft, and the Aftermath

Apocalypse makes short work of the council and then asks them to show him the heart of Krakoa. What have they built? Unimpressed that they no longer revere him as a god, he tries to show them that power again. This leads to a fight for the mutant’s, and Krakoa’s survival that ends with Wolverine and Deadpool facing off against Apocalypse. He gets in a good shot and then Nightcrawler teleports inside of Apocalypse, destroying his physical form.

During the fight, Doom sends Volt to steal a Krakoa seed for him. What he intends to do with it is anyone’s guess.

The X-Men again meet with Apocalypse reborn. Emma comes as the first emissary, but he ignores her cautions that they no longer have need for the gods and monsters of X-Men past. Jean Grey backs up Emma and the two of them eventually get through to him and he takes his leave. With Apocalypse gone and the council chambers freed, Kafka bids farewell to the mutants of Earth. The X-Men look on, tears in their eyes, as the first Krakoan era ends.

X-Men 700 Post Scripts

Big Daddy A meets with Orc and they discuss the future. Apocalypse, unsure after this recent defeat, considers choosing an heir. Mystique, disguised as Stasis, kills Mother Righteous. Apparently, it’s pay back for Mother Righteous making Mystique kill her lover.

Xavier, in an “anti-psychic” prison, he uses his powers to save a mutant from an anti-mutant attack. He then sends his psychic form to check in on his former X-Men. The projection leaves him weakened and he just keels over, in the words of the guard. They take him to a truck in order to transport him again. Just as the guard says, “He ain’t waking up.”, his eyes open.

The last story to recap is one by oldie, but goodie, Chris Claremont. He tells a tale of Nightcrawler getting a chance to speak with and confront his parents with the help of Mystique and Rogue. It’s a heart felt story and one that I hope gets explored in the new titles.

The Verdict

X-Men 700 makes me even sadder that I never picked up the titles before now. They tell an amazing story that not only ended the era. But, it gave me insight into what the era meant and why so many people enjoyed it. I officially apologize to Chris and won’t ever ignore one of his recommendations again.

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Marvel Comics July 2024

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Introduction

This article took much longer than anticipated. I expected to write it Friday (or Saturday at the latest) of last week and then pushed it off more and more. We were supposed to go see an Alanis Morrissette concert tonight, but we made the plans before securing summer school jobs this week. Plus, the traffic promises to be a nightmare and I don’t relish sitting in this swampy weather with a sold out concert crowd. Sorry, Alanis. Next time. Instead, I figured, why not finally write about Marvel Comics July 2024.

Temporary Category: I don’t Care About Blood Hunt

The funny part about this month is that four titles have the Blood Hunt tie in. I care nothing about this event or any of the supporting materials and, so, read none of them. Vampires were only my thing for a brief period in high school. Then, Twilight ruined the lore for me.

Temporary Category: Na Na Na Na Hey Hey Hey Good-Bye

I saw an article that they’re moving on and changing creative teams for this title. I sent the article to Chris and he replied, “Not a fan?” I think we all know the answer to that one. My Verdict: Thank goodness.

Captain America 10 (Legacy 760)

Writer: JMS, Artist: Jesus Saiz. Some writers are timeless. Some are products of their time. I started to think that maybe JMS fit into the second category. I love his Amazing Spider-Man. Sure, he and Joey Q brought us One More Day, but honestly, I forgive him for that one because his work on Civil War blew me away and that’s my impression of his run. So far on Cap, he hasn’t quite reached that same standard. But, I think he just needed some time to find his voice in the character. Even in this one, we get too much of the Spidey silliness and the start of the issue is very talky. But, the end makes up for it and I want to see where he goes next. My verdict: Good.

The Immortal Thor 12 (Legacy 773)

Writer: Al Ewing, Artist: Valentina Pinti. Likewise, Ewing took some big swings in his first Thor story. Most of them hit, but some missed big time in my opinion. This issue reads more like the Norse lore Thor. Wow, that’s a possible tongue twister there. I prefer the modern interpretation of the character, but Ewing makes this work for me for the issue at least. My verdict: Good.

The Incredible Hulk 13 (Legacy 794)

Writer: Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Artist: Nic Klein. Speaking of Ewing, he brought back the horror element to Hulk with Immortal Hulk and shot the title into the stratosphere, in my opinion. Surprisingly, after a lackluster run with Donny Cates (though I enjoyed his introduction), Phillip Kennedy Johnson picks up the horror mantle and I think his stuff might even be better than Ewing. I can’t get over the art, but it’s less offensive to me, so maybe I’m just coming to terms with the fact that it’s not changing. My verdict: Great.

The Sensational She-Hulk 9 (Legacy 187)

Writer: Rainbow Rowell, Artist: Andres Genolet. I never expected to enjoy Rowell’s She-Hulk as much as I have. Throughout the duration, I consistently called it my favorite Marvel book. Now I hear that Marvel’s killing the book. This absolutely guts me, but I have a new era of X-Men to finally jump into that maelstrom next month. My verdict: The end of an absolute sensational era. Thanks for the memories.

The Verdict

Marvel Comics July 2024 brings 4 ignored books because of a passionate disinterest in the evnt tie-ins, more Spider-Man disappointment, two absolute Hulk bombs (in the good way) and a couple of good to almost very good other issues. The She-Hulk announcement destroyed me. I’m gonna need some time.

Note: Maybe it’s Marvel Math. Maybe it’s genuine. But the latest issue of Uncanny X-Men reads #700 and has a bunch of talent on the cover. I’ll review that one like I do all the milestone issues in the next article.

Other note: Art taken from the mother ship.

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Spawniverse July 2024

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Introduction

After a successful Fallout from the end of School last month, we come to another celebration on the page. Deadpool and Wolverine releases at the end of the month. That gave me the bright idea to feature Deadpool and Marvel comics. Before we get to all of that, though, naturally, I need to write my comics reviews first. With the TMNT hiatus, that means this month is Spawniverse July 2024.

Gunslinger 32

Writer: Uncle Todd, Artist: Carlo Barberi. A few months ago, Uncle Todd promised new creative teams and new directions for the books. I won’t take direct credit for that, but I will say that I wrote numerous times that the books seemed to have lost their way. He alludes to this during one of the conversations in this issue. I won’t say that the book is all the way back. But, the intro scene with he and Linda made me laugh and I expect more out of the finale because that was far too easy. My verdict: Good

King Spawn 34 and 35

Writer: Uncle Todd, Artist: Jason Shawn Alexander. When he said new creative teams, apparently that meant taking over writing duties instead of “additional plot”. At the very least, that brings some consistency to the stories. In this one, Al rescues Nana or Grannie or Auntie or whatever and finds her a vampire (the only supernaturals with powers right now) as a guard. However, this king doesn’t stay ascendent for long. Then, he runs into some trouble in the alley. A gang jumps him. Without his powers, they fuck him up pretty good. I want to see where this is going. Additionally, I know JSA’s art isn’t for everyone. It took a while to grow on me, but I like it. Especially for this title. Lends it an ethereal vibe that’s almost dreamline. My verdict: Good

The Scorched 30

Writer: Layman with Uncle Todd on Additional Script, Artist: Stephen Segovia. I thought this one maintained the most consistency quality wise during the “lull”. I liked the characters and the stories the best out of all of the Spawniverse. Then, when Layman (one of my favorite comics writers) came on, I knew good things were on the horizon. Sure enough, it started to pay off here. The Scorched, even without Jessica (who spends more time dead or unconscious that most team leaders) cripple Winn’s agency by freeing Overt-Kill and allowing for the escape of Haunt and Redeemer. That all sets up quite a payoff next issue with Winn visiting Jessica and the team trying to get to the bottom of the cloning mystery. My verdict: Good, bordering on Great.

Spawn 354

Writer: Rory McConville with Uncle Todd on Additonal Script, Artist: Brett Booth. I think the main title suffered the most during the “lull”. Just an inconsistency in tone and story telling. You can blame that on the dilusion due to the new titles, but I disagree. I think they just focused too much on the heaven and hell angle and ignored the other parts of what makes the book fun. And, if you think about it, they removed al l of the powers from the characters, so that forces them to focus more on the “real world” and the boots on the ground, so to speak. Call me in a few months when I miss the supernatural part of the story. For now, though, I like what they’re doing. My verdict: Good.

The Verdict

They continue the upward trend with Spawniverse July 2024. Thankfully, because as I wrote, they changed teams on TMNT, so I won’t get another one of those for a month or so when it starts back up again. I like Jason Aaron and I trust him, but Chris makes a good point. They need to change the tone big time to fit his style.

Images courtesy of the mother ship.