NEW COMICS 4 THIS WEEK (04/06/22)
*All comics will be rated on a scale from 1 to 10*
Amazing Spider-Man # 250 (Fascimile Edition)
Batman # 122
Batman Beyond: Neo Year # 1
Black Widow # 15
Devil’s Reign # 6
Fantastic Four # 42
Fire Power # 19
Moon Knight # 10
Monkey Prince # 3
The Ocean Will Take Us # 1
Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man # 1 (Fascimile Edition)
Radiant Red # 2
The Rocketeer: The Great Race # 2
She-Hulk # 3
Spider-Punk # 1
Amazing Spider-Man # 250 (Fascimile Editon) – You got to love when Marvel does something cool like this because even though the real one is going up in value it’s nice to actually own a copy, I mean it’s the first appearance of The Hobgoblin, a Spider-Man villain who’s grown in popularity since this issue is definitely worth having.
Batman # 122– This issue hosts the second installment of “Shadow War” were in the aftermath of Deathstroke assassinating Ra’s al Ghul, Batman and Robin find their own way to bring him to justice. What I enjoy most about this issue is how
the action comes alive on every page and keeps the readers captivated without giving them a chance to catch their breath, although we do get another tender moment between Batman and
Talia al Ghul brings the action to a halt, once again putting the spotlight on their complicated on-again/off-again relationship (It’s almost like the two of them are the comic book equivalent of Ross and Rachel); The backup feature by Joshua Willamson (Pulling double duty on this issue) and Trevor Hairshine kicks off a never-before-seen battle between Batman and Deathstroke that ends on a shocker to say the very least (**NO SPOILERS**); Even if you don’t plan on picking up every installment of “Shadow War” this issue of Batman gets you to up to speed with the arc all while delivering a top-notch story.
Batman Beyond: Neo Year # 1– Batman Beyond returns with a new concept- Bruce Wayne is dead! That’s right, the original Dark Knight and mentor to Terry McGinnis is no longer around and Terry must now find a way to continue being Batman and protect Neo-Gotham without Bruce’s guidance. Collin Kelly & Jackson Lanzing have, in my opinion, crafted the ultimate Batman Beyond story that’s not afraid to take Terry in a new direction but they also find the perfect balance of doing something fresh and innovative while paying homage to what came before. This new era of Batman Beyond is another way of adding to Terry McGinnis’ foundation instead of putting a strain on it.
The Ocean Will Take Us # 1– This new series from Aftershock Comics is basically “The Faculty” meets “Riverdale” but it’s also a fun read once you get past the first page; Casey March gets settled into his new school (His family moved from Honolulu) and set his sights on trying out for the swim team but soon finds out that the new town he moved to harbors something horrible and that’s where this series gets you invested; This issue packs in the usual high school cliches such as the new Kidd fitting in, the bully and the outcasts but the creative team of Rich Douek (A Bram Stroker-Award nominated writer) and Carlos Olivares (Whos artwork is beautiful) do a great job of setting up what could be the next horror series but never double down on the teen angst angle.
Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man # 1 (Fascimile Edition)- Another great facsimile from Marvel, I remember reading how this series made quite the impact for comic book fans everywhere since it was Spidey’s second solo series, and thanks to the now-immortal team of Gerry Conway and Sal Buscema bringing us a classic, especially since they used The Tarantula (Who got redeemed since being used in the original clone saga) as the villain which makes this a must-have for any Spider-Man fan.
The Rocketeer: The Great Race # 1– The Rocketeer returns in a new story that sees Cliff Secord contemplating hanging up his rocket pack and the helmet so that he can spend more time with his best girl Betty and find a steady job but it isn’t long before he’s approached to participate in The Great Race, which is a winner-take-all race that runs from California to France so it looks like Cliff will have to be The Rocketeer once again. Stephen Mooney, who handles both the writing and art chores for this new series, pulls out the stops for this one as he delivers a story that celebrates everything that you might love about The Rocketeer, and “The Great Race” could very well be a great sequel to the beloved 1991 movie but it also helps in celebrating the character’s 40th anniversary all while keeping Dave Stevens’ legacy alive and well.
Spider-Punk # 1– Hobie Brown aka Spider-Punk became another breakout character thanks in part to “Spider-Verse” and “Spider-Geddon” so it’s only fitting that he gets his own limited series that takes the mythos of Spider-Man and blends it with the D.I.Y. aspects of punk rock to birth this series and pulls it off with perfection (I even enjoyed the punk rock take on Kraven The Hunter); It’s an amazing read that puts an electric spin on The Marvel Universe and it will make you glad you took time out to visit it while you put out a vinyl record to listen to and remember how cool it is that rock music is the soundtrack to your life.
Well, that’s it for me this week. Thanks for sticking around and I will see you all next time.