Thursday Morning Superhero

As I hack away at my keyboard searching for a fitting opening to this week's post, I find myself very distracted by the thoughts of C2E2.  I will be making the drive north late Friday night and plan on enjoying 2 days of convention glory.  Once again this convention boasts an impressive lineup and I look forward to picking up my Artful Daggers trade and some other fun things.  It is starting to feel a lot like convention season!

Pick of the Week:
The Walking Dead #126 - The end of "All out War" is upon us.  Robert Kirkman and crew wrap up this series in a surprising fashion and I am never surprised by the sheer physical sense and insanity of Negan.  This has been a memorable run that had a truly fitting ending. Maybe I am being optimistic thinking that issue #127 and future comics will be printed in color.  Maybe I think too highly of the human race.  Despite our differences I like to think that the vast majority of us are good people.  Whether I am wrong or right, one thing is clear.  I have a feeling we aren't in Kansas anymore.

The Rest:
Mind MGMT #21 - Matt Kindt brought the thunder on the latest issue of his supernatural thriller and I was not disappointed.  It was dubbed by Dark Horse as a "silent issue" as the characters did not speak, but we were treated to their inner monologue as the fight broke out.  Caught in the Magician's traps, the agents have their abilities clouded as they attempt to solely survive this frightening ordeal.  A departure from your traditional Mind MGMT issue, but not in a bad way by any means.  One of my favorites.

Skull Kickers #26 - While it may not offer the depth of other comic series, Skull Kickers has a warm place in my heart as it is a title that is simply fun.  This tongue-in-cheek book delivers a lot of high quality, and some low brow, laughs and serves as a type of palette cleanser when it appears in my pull list.  This issue pokes fun at traditional dwarven lore and is chalk full of puns.  Fun stuff.

Batman Eternal #3 - As I said last week, I am glad that this series is coming out each week.  Things aren't looking up for Gotham (are they really ever?) as Falcone wastes no time usurping power and establishing his order.  Corruption seems to breed in Gotham and this tale is no different.  Once again the police force is targeting Batman while he is trying to prevent a civil war amongst the villains at large.  Throw in a new origin story for the New 52 and we have quite the exciting book.

Original Sin #0 - Marvel's new event is off to a great start with Mr. Mark Waid at the helm.  Nova seeks answers from The Watcher and gets more than he bargained for.  A rare insight into the origin of The Watcher makes for an interesting debut.  I am hoping that it goes beyond a traditional Marvel event, but it has my attention for now.

POSTED BY MIKE N. -- comic guy, proudly raising nerdy kids, and Nerds of a Feather contributor since 2012.

Thursday Morning Superhero

Before we dive into this week's comics I thought I would share a comic that can be enjoyed by all ages for the low price of FREE!  Bad Apple Castle is a free webcomic from Chris Eliopoulos who has penned numerous kid-friendly titles that I have enjoyed with my kids .  Started in December of last year, Chris has graced us with over 100 comics to date and it is full of the zany humor I have enjoyed in his other titles.  Dewey Dreadful is the grumpy ruler of Bad Apple Castle and the hijinks that ensue within the walls of the castle are fun and unexpected. Give it a look and if you enjoy it you should check out his other work.  Our favorites from Chris are Okie Dokie Donuts, Monster Party, and Mr. Puzzle.  Now onto this week's titles.

Pick of the Week:
Itty Bitty Hellboy #1 - Dark Horse was graced with a kid friendly version of Hellboy from the Eisner-winning duo of Art Baltazar and Franco.  Full of good natured fun and truly funny moments, this comic ended too quickly.   Baltazar and Franco prove that they are able to create kid-friendly versions of a wide arrange of properties in a way that captures the essence of the characters and remains true to the comic.   I am always grateful for comics that I can actually enjoy reading with my kids.  I am pleased to report that Itty Bitty Hellboy delivers and it will be a long wait for issue #2.

The Rest:

Skullkickers #24: Before Skullkickers - Jim Zub is not finished with his parody on the world of comics.  Before Skullkickers includes four tales that were never intended to be written created by all-star teams.  In a review of another similar stunt, I am tempted to only comment on the great art.  That being said, this was quite enjoyable.  Kusia's story was my favorite and I particularly enjoy how she took out a giant creature with a small dagger and a poke to the hand.  Well played Mr. Zub.

Secret #3 - It has been a long wait since issue #2, but I enjoyed my return to this book from Jonathan Hickman and Ryan Bodenheim.  I have learned its best to trust Hickman for the ride he takes you on and Secret began to payoff this month.  Grant is beginning to learn who is behind the death of his friend and it doesn't bode well.  I just hope that issue #4 won't take as long to come out.

Thumbprint #3 - This mini-series based on a short story from Joe Hill came to its grisly end this month.  Mal learns who is behind the mysterious thumbprints that have been tormenting her and the 2-spread page in the middle of this book is one of the most disturbing and hilarious things I have ever read.  Just be warned, I am now well versed in how to chop off someone's thumb thanks to a handy guide.

What I should have read:

Morning Glories #30 - I made the decision to switch to trades for future issues of Morning Glories and it takes all of my willpower not to pick up the latest issue at my LCS.  This issue focuses on the past of Irina and we meet her mom who isn't the nicest of ladies.  It is going to be a tough wait for the next trade.  Maybe ComiXology will have a sale. 

Thursday Morning Superhero

The first "season" of Morning Glories came to a beautiful finale in a double-size issue that answered a fair number of questions and painted a scenario in which Morning Glory Academy may actually be vulnerable in "season" two.  Add to that issue #3 of Age of Ultron, the 2nd in the Sixth Gun spin-off Sons of the Gun, and issue #1 of Savage Skullkickers, part 2 of issue #1 of Uncanny Skullkickers and I am left with a difficult choice in selecting a pick of the week.  Without further ado.

Pick of the Week:

The Sixth Gun: Sons of the Gun #2 - I can't get enough of the world that Cullen Bunn has created and am both excited and terrified of the fact that they are currently shooting a pilot based on the series.  I am excited because Bunn deserves this type of recognition and it has amazing potential, but terrified because it will be compared to the comic which wouldn't be fair.  This five issue spin-off examines what happened to General Hume's henchmen after his downfall.  In this issue we see what happened to Ben, who wielded the gun that inflicted horrible disease onto its victims.  What made this book such a success to me, is that we see a completely different side of Ben and begin to sympathize with an individual who was one-dimensional (pure evil) in the Sixth Gun.  I don't want that to sound of a criticism of his character in the Sixth Gun, because in no way is that the intent.  It is just that by creating this spin-off we are able to learn more about the universe Bunn has created and can further explore the complex cast of characters that he has created.  Even if you haven't read the Sixth Gun, you should give the world a try by picking up this spin-off.  You won't be disappointed.

The Rest:

Morning Glories #25- Stunning end to the first season of one of my favorite ongoing series that will cause me to begin the reread from issue #1 and I couldn't be more excited to take the journey again.

Age of Ultron #3 - Brian Michael Bendis is doing an amazing job in the only Marvel title I am currently reading that can compete with Mark Waid's Daredevil.

Savage Skullkickers #1 or Skullkickers #20 - A genuinely funny book that has lead me to the decision that I should have been reading this title since issue #1 and you can check out for free here.

Thursday Morning Superhero

Another week of comics has come and gone and we are left with a great title from Image Comics as pick of the week.  While Hawkeye put up a good fight (might be the best comic design out today), it fell just a bit short of the humor that was infused into Uncanny Skullkickers.

Pick of the Week: Uncanny Skullkickers #1 - I will be the first to admit that I have not read much Skullkickers in the past.  The few issues I cruised were quite refreshing.  Nice tongue in cheek humor, good fantasy elements, interesting cast of characters, and some good action.  For whatever reason I never really got into the title.

This week, author Jim Zub, takes a nice jab at some of the larger publishers by releasing an issue that breaths new life into the series.  "We figured out what our series was missing: Adjectives!" is sprawled across the top of the cover and this issue is a natural jumping on point as it is the "first issue, again!".  

The first couple of pages provide a nice background leading up to the events of this book and we are quickly informed that we are going to be treated to bonus content.  This comic features two stories in one!  In the recap we learn that the Dwarf has drowned and at the bottom of each page there is a panel of him floating in the ocean to verify his status.  He is dead.

Meanwhile, Rex (a man) and Kusia (an elf) are washed up on an Island and scramble for survival.  We are treated to a "good times jungle exploration montage", some evil turtles get "re-extincted", and Rex gets relieves some stress through an inanimate object attack. 

The hook at the end of this book is enough to bring me back for issue #2 and may cause me to go back and read the back issues.  In the end you have a witty book that provides moments of genuine laughter and has an interesting cast of characters.  Throw in some creative baddies and jabs at other publishers and I am on board.

The Rest:

Hawkeye #8 - Bro, the guys in track suits have more reason to hate Clint Barton after the hijinks this month that left Hawkeye in prison, in what is the best looking comic on the market today.

Young Avengers #2 - I am guessing that the Young Avengers have not watched Fringe as they don't appear to know the risk of saving someone from another dimension and the impact it might have.

Deadpool Killustrated #2 - Lacking the charm of the first issue, it still entertained and a gauntlet including Beowulf and Mulan spearheaded by Sherlock Holmes is waiting for Deadpool in issue #3.