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Spawniverse December 2024

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Introduction

Still a bit behind schedule. At least I’m updating from the current month again finally. And, realistically, only about two days behind schedule. I wanted to post the Gaming is a Gift article on Thursday and Spawniverse December 2024 on Friday. Not bad considering how busy the weekend was.

I still haven’t found the proper motivation to record the next episode of Noob’s Book Club. But, similar to the page, once I do, I’ll get back on the new schedule that I put together for myself. If nothing else happens, today should be the day that I record. Be on the lookout for that. Then, all that needs to be scheduled is social media channels. Those are always my weakest, so don’t hold your breath there.

Gunslinger 37

Writer: Uncle Todd, Artist: Carlo Barberi

Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: Monolith threatens and questions someone looking for Gunslinger. Finally, his interrogee gives up the information and promises to take him there. Meanwhile Wynn, in custody, answers some questions of his own. There’s another flashback to Javi’s sister. During a prisoner transfer, Monolith destroys the bus and a few prisoners looking for Javier. When he finds him, he disappears. Now, both the US government and Javier’s father have hit squads out looking for him.

Overall, not much happens in this issue. I mean, at the end Monolith and Gunslinger get together. But, there’s not a ton of action like there’s been in the last few issues. I suppose I should be grateful that Uncle Todd gave us a breather this time. It just feels like a bit of a let down is all. Plus, this looks like a set up for moving chess pieces over the next few issues in anticipation of a big showdown. So, I’ll reserve ultimate judgement until then. My verdict: Decent.

King Spawn 39

Writer: Uncle Todd, Artist: Yildiray Cinar.

Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: While Spawn watches over Sam and Twitch as they investigate a crime in the alley, he gets attacked. They fight and the attacker gets the upper hand. They throw Spawn in the back of the van to take him to their leader. When one pulls back the mask, it reveals the face of his partner. Spawn, having switched places with the man, attacks and nullifies the threat. He then escapes from the back of the van, ready to confront Bludd and his minions wherever they strike.

This one had plenty of fighting and action. Spawn finally worked his way through the ranks and infiltrated Bludd’s troops to attack them from within. He’s still not at the top, but he’s getting closer with every issue. I like this version of Spawn because it reminds me of the very beginning of the book when he fought in the shadows to try to find the answers to his death and rebirth. My verdict; Good.

The Scorched 35

Writer: Layman with Uncle Todd on additional script, Artist: Steven Segovia

Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: Marc deals with the fallout of getting separated from Medieval Spawn. Redeemer and Overtkill help him with some prejudice. Meanwhile, Jessica fights her way out of the Wynn’s clutches. She makes it back to headquarters. The issue closes with The Viscerator revealing itself and its mission to take out Medieval before he can reunite with Marc.

Ever since Layman took over the writing duties, I like this one the best again. Sure, Uncle Todd’s on additional script and you can see his influence. But, Layman’s humor shines through. He also gave all of the characters in the book a purpose, something that was missing early on when I started reading. Even though a team book, it focused very heavily on Jessica. Not so anymore. My verdict: Great.

Spawn 358 and 359

Writer: Rory McConville with Uncle Todd on additional script, Artist: Brett Booth

Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: Spawn and Lyra fight together to get closer to Bludd for the final showdown. It’s shown that Bludd may be allowing them to live, for now, as he uses them to eliminate his enemies. Then, when they finish, he will kill them. Meanwhile, they get news that things cannot remain the way they are. They might need to return to the curse to prevent the decay that’s happening. Lyra refuses, but Spawn thinks there might be another way.

Uncle Todd gave up total control of this one and I think it’s for the better. I’ve always loved his art and his writing has some appeal. But, too often, he suffers from the same malady as Kirkman. He needs people to tell him no. Pull back from things. Let them breathe. And, now that he’s done that, his books are the ones that I look forward to the most. This one, in particular, since the big 350 has been a lot of fun. My verdict: Good.

The Verdict (Spawniverse December 2024)

Overall, Spawniverse December 2024 does not disappoint. I enjoyed every book this month and look forward to where they take us next. Uncle Todd absolutely made the right decision in giving up control of some of the books to allow other voices to build his story and world. Because, right now, those are my favorite of the books.

Images taken from the mothership.

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Spawniverse and TMNT November 2024

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Introduction

After another gut punch last night, I figured nothing to do but get back on the horse and ride again. Plus, I needed an escape from everything. So, here comes Spawniverse and TMNT November 2024. I only received the main TMNT title and everything but Rat City and the main Spawn title. Nevertheless, that gives me 4 comics to review. Perfect number to keep things rolling and get back into the habit of writing on the page.

In spite of everything, I kept this page going. To let it go at this point feels wrong. Hell, just a couple of months ago, I got some responses about the podcast and then abruptly stopped recording that. Also, got a few hits on the Instagram. I can make this what I want, but I need to commit to making it happen. Let’s get back to it.

Gunslinger 36

Writer: Uncle Todd, Artist: Carlo Barberi

Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: Someone tries to negotiate with the White House to get Javi’s charges overturned. At first, they say no, until someone realizes just what an important bargaining chip he is. The story shifts to Javi in the hospital and it, turns out, he’s a miracle of healing, too. After knocking out a cop who tries to give him crap for shooting the other cops, he goes back to rest. The rest of the issue deals with the various people who are hunting Javi and ends with Monolith finding one of the others and casually threatening him.

The book is building to something big and I’m here for it, but he buildup is starting to feel a bit too long and familiar. I hope that Javi stops playing dead soon and starts kicking ass again. As always, Barberi’s art remains probably the most true to the original Uncle Todd version. My verdict: Good.

King Spawn 38

Writer: Uncle Todd, Artist: Yildiray Cinar.

Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: Tyrone finds himself in quite the pickle, chained by his wrists and ankles with Simmons, Cy-Gor, and the Tinkerer standing before him. Al asks for some alone time and uses that to threaten Tyrone. With no powers, all of the agents of heaven and hell find themselves on the run. With Al, it’s the vampires and other creatures of the night. When some vamps think they get the jump on Al, Cy-Gor comes to his rescue and they realize that it’s gotten real.

So, the various factions work together to forge an alliance (uneasy as they often are between warring factions who use the “enemy of my enemy”) in order to take down Al. The issue ends with a standoff between Al and a ninja. On the final page, they pounce at one another.

More action in this one that Gunslinger right now. I appreciate that. Because the two stories mirror one another, I think that’s the reason for the familiarity and slight boredom with Gunslinger. The last page gives me hope that next one brings some beat em up for us. Cinar started last issue, I think, and his art isn’t quite at Barberi’s level, but it’s still very good. My verdict: Good, looking to be great maybe, next couple of issues.

Scorched 34

Writer: Layman, Artist: Stephen Segovia.

Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: Our girl Jessica is back and in disguise to meet Marc Rosen. They talk about her plan to infiltrate Wynn and the success of that plan. As they part, Jessica tells Rosen to relay a message to the team to watch out for retribution. Also, he needs to take better care of himself. Unfortunately, without Medieval, that’s going to be difficult.

Of course, during her trip back to the agency, she finds herself in a dark alley. And where there are dark alleys, there’s potential allies. Spawn “ambushes” her as a test and then they discuss her plans to help Rosen before getting out of the game. He says “that’s not how this works”. Before she can give a proper response, the alley reveals that enemies are around, too. Two thugs jump them. They dispatch of them quickly. Back at headquarters, Rosen looks at himself in a mirror before smashing his face in anger that Medieval is gone.

Layman’s voice is starting to come out in this title. I’m glad. I enjoy his writing and think the Spawniverse can only grow with new voices in it. Like, look at Gunslinger and King. They’re looking far too alike right now with Uncle Todd at the helm. Jessica, too, is on the run, but her story involves more intrigue and subversion. Plus, the band getting back together is going to feel so much sweeter after all this time. Segovia’s art and the colorful team members make this my favorite book in the Spawniverse. My verdict: Great.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3

Writer: Jason Aaron, Artist: Cliff Chiang

Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: Somehow I missed the second issue telling the story of Michaelangelo. Hence this month’s Spawniverse and TMNT November 2024 title. Luckily, this one caught me up at the end. I’m glad this one came, though. My favorite, Leonardo, meditates along the banks of the Ganges river. Trying to find some level of completeness in his life, instead the Foot Clan finds him. He takes care of them easily and commandeers a helicopter.

Cut to Raph and Mikey also dealing with the Foot Clan. They bicker amongst themselves and they fight the enemy. Raph gets ready to peace out because that’s just what Raph does. Leonardo cuts him off and tells them both that Donatello is in deep and they need to go to his aid.

I will say this until it sinks in. Like Chris, I wondered how Jason Aaron might handle the TMNT. After the heart and affection of the previous writer, Sophie Campbell, I didn’t think I was ready for Aaron’s harsher version. But, he’s pulling it off so far. Dealing with the alienation of the turtles by starting them off cut off from one another is a nice touch and a chance to give them time to grow as a team again. The art in this issue makes me think of the old TMNT books and that’s a good thing. My verdict: Great.

The Verdict

While I missed a couple of titles from Spawniverse and TMNT November 2024, the ones that came impressed me. Yes, Gunslinger and King felt a little too much alike, but I can live with that because both books were unique in their own way. Hopefully some of the other books come next month or I can fill by heading down to That’s E over Thanksgiving break.

Images taken from, well, Image.

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Spawniverse October 2024

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Introduction

With the soft relaunch last month, I split my comic reviews over three weeks. Furthermore, I needed three separate articles in the last week to cover all of the Marvel comic books. I hoped that by dividing and conquering the many books I now receive that I could cover them better and offer a more reader friendly experience. Plus, I read the other day that Uncle Todd plans to release four new books next year. I definitely made the right decision in that case. For now, I bring you four books for Spawniverse October 2024.

For some reason, no King Spawn released this month. Therefore, only Gunslinger, Rat City, Scorched, and the main title will be covered in this article. I looked to see if the book maybe got cancelled, but the Image web page assures me that books are planned through the end of the year. Hopefully things get back on track for next month.

Gunslinger 35

Writer: Uncle Todd, Artist: Carlo Barberi.

Quick Synopsis: Javier lies in a coma in the hospital. While he convalesces, his memory takes him on a trip to another time when he experienced severe trauma. Facing off against an angel who killed a family, the battle ends up with Javi playing possum and briefly getting the upper hand. However, that victory is short lived as a flock of ravens comes to take Gunslinger away from the battle and into a forest to die. Of course, he didn’t and that brings us back to the present. A present that sees medical staff studying the comatose hellspawn and someone from Javier’s past recognizes him from the news report and wants to find him no matter the cost.

My verdict: The beat em up is interesting enough with the fight going back and forth between Javier and the angel. I think the end left me feeling a little bit empty, but I understand it from a storytelling perspective. The cut from his broken body then to his broken body now makes sense in the context of everything happening. The reveal at the end took me a bit by surprise, but I’d be lying if it didn’t make me excited for what’s coming. As always, Barberi’s art is beautiful and brings the story to life. Decent.

Spawniverse October 2024 – Rat City 6

Writer: Erica Schultz, Artist: Ze Carlos.

Quick Synopsis: The issue opens with a comprehensive history of New York that ends in Rat City. The story draws parallels between Al Simmons returning here when he first became a hellspawn and the same thing happening today (in the future today) with the new Hellspawn. The issue ends with a mistakenly injured person being brought back on the operating table with what looks like the intent of creating some kind of super soldier.

My verdict: The weird “through time” aspect of the introduction of this title intrigued me. While not strictly time travel, it uses a lot of those types of story techniques to illustrate exactly what happened. Because Al influenced the future with his actions, this now influences the story. However, they accomplish this without making it a direct retelling of the original Spawn. Very cool idea and well executed so far. The only complaint I have is that the art looks a bit rushed on some pages. Most are great, but some seem to be missing the detail that takes me a bit out of the story. Good.

Spawniverse October 2024 – Scorched 33

Writer: John Layman with Uncle Todd on additional plot, Artist: Dudu Pansica.

Quick Synopsis: They declare a Haunt dead because all bioscans reveal no life. This leads to a flashback telling of how this creature came into existence. The merger of the recently deceased and his killer, Sam and Twitch stumble on the thing. It makes a getaway before facing off against Spawn. Spawn defeats it. Sam and Twitch end up on the case when they find the remains, but a federal agency takes over and takes the body. The issue ends with this Haunt waking up, recognizing there’s another out there, and vowing to find the other Haunt to drain it of its power.

My verdict: I like the parallel story here, too. Any time you get to go back into the Spawn’s history, it makes me smile. As a teenager, I liked Spawn more than any other book I read at the time and I truly think that it ushered in a new era in comic books. Maybe not right away, but writers and artists who read the book and saw what can be done took that to heart and started realizing their power more. But, that’s neither here nor there as far as this story. I like what Layman has done with the book and hope he keeps writing it for a while. Plus, the art never lags on this one, even with a name I don’t recognize. Good.

Spawn 356

Writer: Rory McConville, Artist: Brett Booth.

Quick Synopsis: This issue gives Lyra’s back story. We don’t know until the end, but she’s telling it to Al. When she finishes, she tells him that if he helps her to get Bludd, then she will become one of his soldiers in his new war. Overall, a decent origin story issue that hits all of the right notes for the character. A tragic beginning complete with a gruesome death. Stories of angels and demons. A brush in with those forces. Training her mind and body.

My verdict: Because I know less about Lyra than some of the other characters, this one proved to have less of an effect on me than the other issues that took us into the past. But, as I wrote, I liked the story. It brought me more understanding of the character. Plus, the fact that she will probably become recurring gives me more of a reason to get invested. Then again, they could always kill her off between now and then. I’ve said it before and I’ll keep saying it. I think Booth’s art most closely resembles Uncle Todd and I’m glad they put him on the flagship title because it fits so well. Good.

The Verdict

The Spawniverse October 2024 continues the incremental improvement of the books month by month. For a while there, I thought that Uncle Todd bit off more than he could chew with the additional books. But, he must have recognized the same because he shook things up, brought in new creators, expanded the universe even more, and the books finally started to hit their stride again. I think he figured it all out because they show little signs of fatigue at this point. And, if I’m being honest, I’m looking forward to the four new books next year.

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Spawniverse September 2024

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Introduction

I learned recently that they added some new titles to Uncle Todd’s Spawn Universe (Rat City and they brought back Sam and Twitch). I intend to cover those books later in the week or, more likely, over the weekend. For this article, I want to cover the main books as I see them in Spawniverse September 2024.

You may notice that it is the third week of the month and I only posted the DC Comics review. The reason for that is two fold. One, I started back to school (as evidenced by the new theme) and that took up far too much of my time. Two, I actually think I like the idea better of dedicating one week to each of the three publishers. It gives me more time to digest the issues and offer a better reading experience. I hope. Let me know.

Gunslinger 34

Writer: Uncle Todd, Artist: Carlo Barberi.

Quick Synopsis: This issue deals with the initial aftermath of the shitstorm between Javi and the police that built from the previous few issues since the “reset”. Gunslinger, himself, badly injured in the fracas, falls into a medicated induced sleep. The doctors say that his mind surely fractured due to the physical and mental stress. This manifests in a dream that relives part of his past. I feel like in different hands, this might have been handled with more subtlety. But, honestly, we don’t come to Spawn for that, so I’m okay with the outcome. Barberi’s art, as usual, compliments the story and brings the characters to life in a way that few others can. My verdict: Good

King Spawn 37

Writer: Uncle Todd, Artist: Yildiray Cinar

Quick Synopsis: Speaking of a lack of subtlety, King Spawn brings together Al Simmons and Cy-Gor for all out war against Tyrone and his thugs. The two make quick and bloody work of all of them, barely breaking a sweat before making a get away with a hostage that they intend to use as a bargaining chip to get closer to his real target. I’m not familiar with this particular artist, but I like his work in this book. My verdict: Great.

Spawn 355

Writer: Rory McConville with Uncle Todd on additional script. Artist: Brett Booth.

Quick Synopsis: Downing comes to Spawn and others under the guise of taking them back to hell. Instead, he takes them to one of Spawn’s safe houses where they find a badly injured Reaper. After dealing with that, Downing explains that he pulled the old rope a dope because Nyx isn’t responding to communications and he thought that Spawn and the others might know why. The issue closes with Al making a deal with Lyra for a tentative partnership and Wynn checking in with Fixer and giving him a couple of partners in crime. Booth, like Barberi, brings the world of Spawn to life with his art. We truly are spoiled by living in a time when so much talent works on these books. My verdict: Great.

The Scorched 32

Writer: Layman with Uncle Todd on additional script, Artist: Steven Segovia.

Quick Synopsis: The Scorched team up to combat their former teammate, She Spawn. And they bring Overt-Kill with them. Even with that extra fire power, though, Haunt ends up going of the deep end and injuring her quite severely. The issue ends with them speaking over her in a hospital bed. Wynn makes the comment that they have nothing to worry about when it comes to control over her. Wait, what’s that I see? A wry smile from Jessica? Can’t wait to see what they have in store for us. Segovia’s art brings a more cartoonish quality to the series. I like it in spite of that fact, but wish it had more of the realism of Booth or Barberi. My verdict: Great.

The Verdict (Spawniverse September 2024)

The main titles in the Spawniverse September 2024 continue the strong upward trend of the recent issues ever since they rebooted and shook up the creative teams. All four of the books are telling great stories in their own right. They also try to tell a cohesive story together, but as with many of these types of cross book stories, some things get lost in the shuffle. As long as you can deal with those inconsistencies, you’ll have fun reading these books.

Images taken from the mothership.

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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.

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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.

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March 2024 Independent Comics I Love

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Introduction

I committed to Mario in March early last week. Then, as often happens in March, for some reason, I lost motivation to update the page. Well, in a lucky break, my comics arrived late last week. That gives me a week to review them and reset my brain to give Mario the respect he deserves. Last time, I never received a TMNT. However, March 2024 independent comics returns with my favorite heroes in a half shell.

Gunslinger 28 and 29

Script/Plot: Uncle Todd, Art: Dexter Soy and Carlo Barberi. It seems that my complaints made it back to the creative team in the Spawniverse. Actually, probably not. It looks like they decided to make Spawn 350 a big turning point in the various series. For what it’s worth, I’m glad they made that choice. At best, the last few months have been uneven. At worst, I saw more than one typo that never should have made it to the printer. Alas, if they continue this “new direction” as advertised, this title could rise again to be one of the best. My verdict: Good.

King Spawn 31

Script/Plot: Uncle Todd, Art: Jeremy Haun. Okay. Yes. This is more like it. I never liked King Spawn as much as the other Spawniverse titles. But, every now and then, they gave us a great issue. This one, again, promises a “new direction” and it feels more like the main title. But, the focus is on the human side of Spawn. And, the balance, at least in this issue, worked out perfectly. Also, I didn’t mention the art, but both titles very closely resemble the Uncle Todd vibe of the beginning of the book. My verdict: Good. Almost Great.

The Scorched 26

Story/Plot: John Layman with Uncle Todd on additional script, Art: Stephen Segovia. Wait a minute…John Layman. I know that name, don’t I? Yes, indeed I do. I don’t remember what introduced me to Layman, but he wrote one of my favorite comics of the last decade, Eleanor and the Egret. When I started in on the Spawniverse, too, this was my favorite of the titles. It fluctuated like the others, but I took that fluctuation harder because I enjoyed the book so much. It looks like they scheduled Layman for at least the next 3 or 4 books, too, so I have no doubts this one will rise back to the top. My verdict: Good. Bring it on, Layman.

Spawn 350

Story/Plot: Rory McConville with Uncle Todd as additional script, Art: Brett Booth and Carlo Barberi. 350 gets a big image. I mean, look at that cover. Well, we’re finally here. They’ve been building to this one for a while and I read about it in the pages of the other books. Overall, it doesn’t disappoint. They actually threw me for a loop at the one who ascended to Hell’s throne. Even with the flashback within a flashback, I still thought that one of the mains won. So, I say, “Bravo.” I wasn’t terribly keen on this story, but the end made it worth the trip. My verdict: Good.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 148

Story: Sophie Campbell with Kevin Eastman on consulting, Art: Vincenzo Federici. For some reason, I never received TMNT last month. I must say, “I missed them.” Ever since Armageddon Game, this title oscillates from Great to Really Great. I mean, I have no reference above great for these articles, but if I did, this one and She Hulk repeatedly deserve that accolades. The stories are well written and everything comes together so nicely over time. This one references 4 other issues of the book. Even so, I don’t feel lost at the self reference. It just works. My verdict: Great, as always.

The Verdict

Thank goodness for March 2024 independent comics. They bring some of the best of these books in a few months. I hope that the Spawniverse continues this trend for the future. At least from what I see, I think the new creative teams will work well and shake things up. I’ve stopped thinking that TMNT will fall off and just know that it continues to be one of the best written books out there.

Spawn images from the mothership. TMNT from their own.

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July 2023 Independent Comics I Love

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Introduction

Usually, we lead off comics week every month with independent comics. Then, we move on to DC and finish the week with Marvel. Sometimes, we set aside an article for a landmark issue. This week, things look very different for two reasons. First, DC released their Knight Terrors event. Therefore, I received about 50 DC books this month. I also forgot to order most of the number 2 issues from next month. So, I still start this week with July 2023 independent comics.

However, because of the ordering SNAFU, Marvel Comics comes on Tuesday. Then, we travel to Cape Cod for our annual trip on Wednesday and come back next week. So, because of both of these reasons, DC Comics this month and next will probably be reviewed in two parts next month after I go to the local comic store to pick up the second issues.

Gunslinger Spawn #22

Script/Plot: Uncle Todd, Art: Brett Booth. In my introduction to the book last month, Gunslinger brought dinosaurs vs. demons. What do Uncle Todd and company do to top that this month? They give us the epic battles between Gunslinger and Clown and T-Rex and Violator. Worth the price of admission and left me off on a cliffhanger. My Verdict: Great.

King Spawn #24

Script/Plot: Sean Lewis (with Uncle Todd on additional script, Art: Javi Fernandez. I picked the right time to pick up these books. This one continues the “Dark Horror” story from the main title. As one of my favorite stories from the last decade of comics, I welcome the additional content. Plus, clown makes an appearance. My Verdict: Great.

Scorched 20

Script/Plot: Sean Lewis (with Uncle Todd on additional script. Art: Stephen Segovia. This story interests me less than the other ones in the ongoing. I thought it was interesting that I joined the comic right after they buried the cover hero for the story, She-Spawn. She resurrected at the end of the last book and they introduced her new for at the end of this one, so maybe I’ll like it better with that angle. My verdict: Good.

Spawn 343

Script/Plot: Rory McConville (with Uncle Todd on additional script. Art: Carlo Barberi. They started this one by laying off the Heaven/Hell war a bit, which I appreciate. Of all the storylines in the Spawniverse, I think that one’s the weakest. So, when they come back to it at the end, the issue lost some appeal for me. But, they seem to maybe be setting up a crossover with Gunslinger, so that could be fun. My verdict: Good.

TMNT 141

Story: Sophie Campbell (with Kevin Eastman as story consultant), Art: Gavin Smith. As you all know, I joined the Turtles during the Armageddon Game story. I’m glad I did. I often avoided the comic because they sold it as a “grittier” version of the team that I remember from my youth. That may be true, but I still recognize these guys. I thought there might be a drop off from the event books, but not by much. This story is fun and engaging and quick moving so far. Can’t wait to see where it goes. My verdict: Good, bordering on great.

The Verdict

July 2023 independent comics brings a good to great slate of books for the second month in a row. Even if I don’t like all of the Spawn storylines, I still enjoy the writing and art. I stayed away from the extended Spawniverse because I didn’t want to fan boy too hard and thought they might just be more of the same. I should have known better. And, I already talked about my mistake of not reading TMNT. Join us again next month to see where the books take us!

Note: All Spawn images taken from the main Image site.

Snap *censored* Pop Culture

June 2023 Independent Comics I Love

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Introduction

As mentioned several times in articles and podcast episodes, my wife, Liam, and I went to Germany for Liam’s high school graduation. I got the idea from talking to a student who went to Disney for theirs. I thought, why not give our kids a chance at a trip of their choice when they graduate. Well, he immediately knew that he wanted to go to Germany. In spite of the length of the trip, I kept the page going with the “From the Vault” series in which I reposted a few articles from our past. And, now, I return live with June 2023 independent comics I love.

But, before that, I enjoyed the trip very much. We traveled to three countries, saw countless historical and natural wonders, and already started to plan the next trip. We either intend to travel to other countries in central Europe or finally cross the UK off our list. I think it will be the UK and then the other countries in five or so years. We plan to go domestic and then overseas for about 5-9 years until we can work for the Department of Defense and live over there for a bit. But, none of that has to do with comics. So, on with the reviews.

Just one of the many post card quality photos I took during our time there.

“Spawniverse”

These indpendent articles usually only contain Spawn and, on occasion, a random independent comic that accidentally got sent to me or one that I ordered on a whim. Every now and then, I remember one of Chris’s recommendations and order that. Well, this (and future) articles are only different in that I put all four of the Spawn’s Universe comics on my pull list. I also added TMNT after Armageddon game. Hey, I’m branching out!

Note: Spawn pictures taken from Image Comics.

Gunslinger Spawn #21

Writer: Uncle Todd, Artist: Brett Booth

I think when I mentioned to Chris that after I learned about the new Spawn related titles, he said something about enjoying Gunslinger. If so, then I 100% agree. I broke my X-Men rule for these books and just dove right in without any backstory. This issue captured me from the first page. Gunslinger and his accomplice ride dinosaurs into battle against Maelbolgia and Vindicator. Hell yes. The rest of the book tells the story of how they arrived at that battle. I’m looking forward to this one next month. My verdict: Great.

King Spawn #23

Writer: Sean Lewis with Uncle Todd as additional script, Artist: Kevin Keane

I recognized immediately that this book’s story follwed the “Dark Horror” arc from the main title. That’s my favorite Spawn arc of the last decade and is in my top 10 for comics arcs since I started collecting again. I might even say top 5. Quick analysis and I can’t think of many more that I enjoyed as much as that one. While this arc only peripherally contains story elements from that arc, it still gave me enough of that story to push it into the top tier for these books. My verdict: Great.

Scorched #19

Writer: Sean Lewis with Uncle Todd as additional script, Artist: Stephen Segovia

She-Spawn is dead. What the hell? We’re only 19 issues into this thing and one of the cover characters is already dead? Well, okay, let’s see what it’s about anyway. The book is fine. I like the characters on the team and look forward to seeing how they interact when they’re not stressed out because one of them is “dead”. I figured that out pretty quickly. Also, the story felt kind of lukewarm and a bit to obvious for me. Overall, a decent introduction and I’ll read the other issues to see how we got here and if it changes my mind at all. My verdict: Good.

Spawn #342

Writer: Rory McConville with Uncle Todd as additional script, Artist: Carlo Barberi

I think I mentioned in a previous article that the new focus on the war between Heaven and Hell leaves me underwhelmed. I get that’s the main theme behind the book. That doesn’t mean I have to like it. I’ll admit that this issue added a wrinkle that made it more interesting. Having bought nearly an entire run of the book 3 times, I intend to keep collecting and reading. I just hope they give us a different arc soon. My verdict: Good.

TMNT #140 (After Armageddon)

Writer: Sophia Campbell with Kevin Eastman as story consultant, Artist: Gavin Smith, Image from Previews World.

I thought the book might suffer from a bit of a let down after such a long an ambitious even. While there is some of that, the book sets us up nicely for the next arc. I can’t think of a reason I never collected the Turtles before this, but I think it had to do with the book being called “gritty” or some such nonsense. I do remember Chris wanting to go off on the podcast when they teased “killing” one of the turtles several years ago. But, I’m glad they hooked me with the event and I plan to keep collecting and fill in the back issues that I can. My verdict: Good.

The Verdict

Those are the June 2023 independent comics I love. Overall, the future of all of these series looks bright to me and I look forward to filling in some of the back stories. When I said earlier that I fell into a Spawn rabbit hole, that means that I tried to track down all of the back issues of those books. I succeeded in finding all but maybe 3 or 4 of them. Now, as I say, my focus becomes The Turtles. Tell me about some of the June 2023 independent comics you love in th ecomments.