A group of young protesters are gassed by authorities with an experimental substance, resulting in many of the crowd developing powers. Reminiscent of other teen heroes of color, Kamala Khan and Miles Morales, Virgil is a good student whom is bullied at school but has a close group of friends. Upon controlling his new abilities, he rises to defend folks from other powered kids. Serious and not as light and fun as the other books mentioned.

If you‘re a huge fan of the issue ‘Silent Interlude, this book is for you. It collects the original version plus a newly rendered take by a collection of modern comic artists. Also included are the vey first issue, couple other early ones, and Snake Eyes‘ origin. A must for fans of GI Joe, but for everyone else, YMMV.

One of the blueprints for the modern superhero team. These characters are morally ambiguous, cold, calculating and a bit rough. But when calamity strikes, they‘re the ones who beat it back by any means necessary. The tropes presented here may seem familiar now, but back when this was released, it was revolutionary. Fun and serious, highly recommended!

A young couple struggles in their marriage. A little boy is caught in between. And every night a strange being emerges from his closet. This is a fantastic example of a horror story using all the elements of comics to get the emotions across. My only complaint is its brevity. I wanted more! But the story only warranted the length provided. Consider this a horror short film in comic form. Worth checking out!

This prequel tells the story of Houdini‘s recruitment into a group of government sanctioned practitioners of the occult. The big bad is Jack the Ripper, portrayed as a monstrous demon. Lazy world building contributes to a bland retread of themes we‘ve read many times before. You‘re better off reading FROM HELL, or even LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN.

The fictional tale of Houdini‘s son being recruited by Teddy Roosevelt into a government division dealing with the occult.
Historical fiction is a delight when done well. In this case, the story hops between set pieces with minimal details connecting them. It wants to be taken seriously without the work to make a coherent narrative. On a positive note, the coloring of the art is vibrant and beautiful.

The joker is dead, but who killed him? Is he even really dead at all? Conceived and executed as a supernatural horror story, this tale finds the dark knight delving into Gotham‘s underbelly seeking answers he might not want to find. Tense and thrilling, a perfectly balanced mix of mystery and dread. I cannot over praise the artwork here, some of the best I‘ve ever seen. It is simply stunning. An instant classic!

All set up, no payoff.
A group of genius college students create a method for ‘inducing‘ super powers in humans. Nice premise, but most of the book is dedicated to people talking about this. Very little space is reserved for showing us people with powers. Lots of talking, minimal action. Plus, the ‘young people‘ dialogue is pretty bad. Maybe the next book in the series is entertaining. Guess I‘ll never know.

As a fan of the show I wanted to know more about the creators and the folks behind the series. A red flag was the early chapter dedicated to the history of Monty Python. Why am I reading this? The book was mostly a regurgitation of facts about places, characters and events from the show. Having seen most episodes, I already knew all this. The final straw was the chapter listing bios of every celebrity ever featured on the show. I just gave up.

Published a year after his death, LIFE OF CHE was a bomb dropped on the status quo of political dissent under the military regime of Argentina. It was such a threat to power the author was ‘disappeared‘ by the CIA after evading capture for years. Brutal artwork echoing the revolutionary struggles and sparse, poetic dialogue brings an artistic lens through which to view the life of one of the most compelling figures of the last century.

As with most short story collections, quality is inconsistent. Some tales are better than others, but the art is quite good across the entire book. Also, some stories end just as they are getting interesting. I would have preferred a single tale rendered in this style.

Batman never uses a gun. He never kills. But one day an imposter dressed as the dark vigilante murders criminals in cold blood and on live television. Bruce scrambles to clear his name as the GCPD close in on him. A taut and gritty tale set in a grounded Gotham where shadows cloud every motive and trust is a rare commodity. Highly recommended!

The story of Ben Solo‘s fall to the dark side from his perspective. We see all unfolding through his eyes, all the reasons for his choices, the moments of hesitation and of hard, cold calculation. Heartbreaking and inevitable, a tragedy in the truest sense. Recommended!

A futuristic take on the FRANKENSTEIN tale, full of interesting ideas and characters, but hamstrung by the trappings of the classic story. Every time the narrative focused on the superhuman zombie rampaging across the country, my interest level dropped. Like a boring version of the HULK, this monster is virtually indestructible and bent on killing everyone. No nuance there at all.

In a future of corporate run cities, their interests are violently protected by special agents called EN. VOIs. Joy is one of the best. One day a voice in her head pleads for her help to bring justice by betraying her employer.
Very interesting world building and fun interplay between Joy and her disembodied companion will satisfy any fan of sci-fi, but doesn‘t quite clear the bar for a larger audience appeal.

It‘s incredibly refreshing to find a new take on an old story. By combining police procedural with historical / vampire fiction the creator of KILLADELPHIA, has brought new life to two tired genres. Grimy noir and violent horror combine like great tastes together, complimented by excellent artwork and curt dialog. Fantastic debut, highly recommended!

This pains me greatly. I really like Joe Hill‘s short stories. But this is over 700 pages of generic post apocalypse ‘humans suck‘ tribalism, with a chemistry less love story at the center. Nothing here works, and it takes ages to slog through. The self immolation disease known as ‘Dragonscale‘ is the only interesting thing here. That it was not exploited in more interesting ways is a disappointment.

A young padawan is stuck undercover in Maz Kanata‘s pirate gang. Will she return to her Jedi order or will she be absorbed into the criminal underworld? Kind of a riff on Marvel‘s GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, which itself was a riff on STAR WARS… Light and fun, if somewhat derivative.

The first full length book written and illustrated by the amazing Alex Ross. The artwork is stunning (as anyone familiar with the artist would expect), but the coloring needs its own set of accolades. The color schemes are gorgeous and psychedelic, expertly complimenting this tale set in the Negative Zone. The weakest link is the story itself; an updated version of a classic Lee / Kirby FF adventure. But that is a minor quibble. Outstanding!

This is probably the standard introductory tome for the layperson to begin to understand psychopathology. They live among us, a solid percentage of the world population exists without a functioning ability to feel empathy. Not just hustlers and criminals, but politicians, CEOs and other successful people who pretend to be ‘normal‘. Good advice for how to avoid psychopaths and disentangle them from your life.

I admit to being just a bit tired of post apocalypse fiction. And this is an ‘after the end of the world‘ tale with no zombies, pandemic or alien invaders. It‘s simply the future we expect, after neglecting our environment and democracy for decades. But in the hands of this writer, we get a deeply human account of what life means after the fall. What is the purpose of continuing on. What keeps us going. At times sad, but ultimately uplifting.

This epic tale boasts on the back cover of how it “spans decades” and “from street-level to far reaches of space” and “starring literally anyone…”. To me these are faults, not bonuses. A story that is too epic and sprawling, means less connection to the emotional core. It means too many characters to care about. Too many jarring changes of venue, too many plot threads, too much of everything that ultimately means… I just don‘t care about anything.

I‘ve never been a fan of the ‘New Gods‘ or the ‘Fourth World‘. But this book is fantastic. It centers all the drama on the humanness of the characters, helping the audience engage and care about them. There is an amazing sequence where Scott and Barda mutilate and massacre their way into an Apokolips stronghold all the while discussing remodeling their condo, ending with a huge mic drop of a revelation. This is truly great writing!

It‘s never easy to create a sequel (or in this case, ‘sidequel‘?) to a classic. Especially one as beloved and foundational as WATCHMEN. This is a really good attempt, recreating the framework, style and pacing of the original while telling a new story. Especially exciting is the merging of worlds seen here as the DCU encounters characters and events from Alan Moore‘s creation. Solid, even if it never reaches the highs of its predecessor.

When I picked this up, I thought it would be about the film PREDATOR. However, it is as much about the author‘s life and his views on the film. Had I known that going in, I might have skipped this. I love the film, but found the author to be less interesting.

This collection of short stories serves as an epilogue to the epically brilliant MIRACLEMAN series. It‘s been a while, so some details of the series are hazy, mitigating my level of enjoyment. This is the exact opposite of an ‘entry point‘ for new readers. Recommended to be read immediately after the main series, which is absolutely top tier superhero deconstruction storytelling.

Another vanity project by an actor (see: Keanu‘s BZRKR). The premise (a young mother has various powers depending on her mood/feelings) is delightfully absurd, but the themes of motherhood and feminism are hampered by the constant exposition dumps by characters explaining these themes out loud. Otherwise, the art is good and the book is upbeat and fun.

I‘m a huge fan of the author and the original novel. I was lukewarm about the sequel graphic novel. I am even more confused and unmoved by this new addition. I can get behind the further misadventures of Marla, Tyler and his host; but the subplot of ‘Art‘ trying to keep up with the absurdity of the real world is too much for me. I admit the graphic novels may exist beyond my understanding, and I am sad not to adore them as I do the original novel.

One thousand years in the future the Legion of Super Heroes confront a darkness enveloping reality. The new gold lanterns are somehow involved but no one knows how or why. The future reaches into the past as the Justice League is asked to help. It‘s a decent premise, realized well. I just am not much of a fan of the Legion.

Jace, the son of Lucius Fox takes the mantle of Batman after Bruce‘s death. The main story is a a chase through the city as the dark knight must escort a couple of suspects to the courthouse as law enforcement and the city‘s new ‘protectors‘ seek to kill them on sight. Thrilling and topical, with a few short stories added giving the book more substance. Worth checking out!

This spin off of X-STATIX (itself a spin off of X-FORCE), portrays a team of celebrity misfits most with bizarre powers (Fluff can coat himself with protective bio-fluff emanating from his belly button) who spend just as much time feuding as they do fighting villains. Strange and unexpected, vile and comical, this book is fun and anything but ordinary.

Interesting premise, narratively segmented execution. The dread Dormmamu possesses Ego the living planet and tries to conquer all reality. Different factions all across the galaxy fight for survival. It‘s a good yarn, but told over different titles, so it is hard to accrue emotional investment, when your core cast of characters changes every chapter.

Intriguing premise. Three distinct individuals instigate a crime wave in Gotham. But all three are the Joker. How can he be in three places at the same time? Has he always been three people all this time? Along with Barbara and Jason, two victimized by the clown prince of crime, can Bruce stop the three Jokers and get the bottom of what‘s going on? Really fun, highly recommended!

If you‘re familiar with King‘s novel FIRESTARTER, you might remember the shadowy governmental organization chasing the young protagonist to capture and study her abilities. This is the story of that place and the children who are imprisoned there. Solid and heartfelt, this is one of the author‘s better novels. He even manages to stick the landing and gift us with an ending that feels righteous and earned. Recommended!

This is another classic tale I thought I already knew, but was shocked by the surprise ending. Constructed like a thriller, written like gothic horror, this book really deserves the reverence it gets. Kept simple, just a few characters (excellent use of Vermin, a virtually unknown C-lister), over a brief period of time, ensures the story remains extremely personal. A definite turning point in the life of Peter Parker. Essential!

Brutal and uncompromising in the best ways. However, as an adaptation of Octavia Butler‘s novel, it feels compressed and heavily edited. The artwork is more ‘fine art‘ than ‘comic‘ which feels appropriate, but the execution is uneven with some beautiful panels, while others look haphazard and messy. The story is amazing, and I highly recommend anyone interested read the novel instead.

I knew how this story ended, but was not prepared for how poignant the entire tale is. Jason Todd discovers that the woman who raised him was not his bio mom. So he races across the globe to find her. It does not end well for him. Thankfully, this book includes the story of Tim Drake, the next Robin as a much needed palate cleanser. Essential for every Batman fan.

Following CURSE OF THE WHITE KNIGHT, where Bruce Wayne is in prison, Harley must work with an FBI agent to solve a string of murders. Raising her twins from her union with Joker, she tries to reconcile her criminal past with the righteous future she wants. It is refreshing to see Harley portrayed as a real person and not the usual over the top caricature. Also endearing is the relationship with Jack Napier, before his infamous turn to villan hood.

I understand why this sequel to the blockbuster SECRET WARS wasn‘t as popular as the original. While the first book has nonstop action, this one has a more philosophical bent. The Beyonder, curious to understand Humanity and our desires, has come to Earth seeking a answers. There are lots of great dialogues about the nature of life as a human, with some battles interspersed. Fandom is divided on the worth of this story. I liked it for what it is.

The fallout of the American middle class was a predetermined act of vandalism by a cohort of the richest dynasties in the country. Like a slow burn thriller the author takes us through the timeline of events, peppered with anecdotes and receipts, of how this was orchestrated and by whom. Thankfully, there are remedies to our fractured, unequal society; but how or when we dig ourselves out of this crisis remains to be seen.

I only found out after reading the entire story that this is a spin off of another series. It is so good, solid and entertaining, that I would never have guessed. A demon comes to Earth possessing a deceased musician with revenge on his mind (and plenty of innocent bloodshed), and only a blogger (with experience of the supernatural) and a detective can end the mayhem. I‘ve got to get my hands on KILLADELPHIA soon!

At first this story feels full and directionless. Ghosts, UFOs and creatures all converging on this one farmhouse. Why? Who knows. But the narrative takes some nice twists and at the end, what I thought was a single self-contained story reveals that it will continue. Will we ever find out what‘s going on here? Who knows. But my desire to find out still burns, so that in itself is some kind of victory.

I love ‘what if‘ stories.
Here, we explore what if Peter Parker never gave up the symbiote black suit. It makes him feel more powerful and gives him an appetite for revenge. It gets pretty dark. Thankfully the resolution is appropriate and fun. Recommended!

This grim, dark tale of a politically divided US by a brilliant author of the genre is brought low by one absurd stylistic choice. In attempting to emulate the constant noise of the media (news, social, radio, etc), the creators decided it was a good idea to paper over almost every panel of every page with a row of gibberish fonts that adds nothing to the narrative but an intrusive, ugly obstacle to view the art. An own goal of epic proportions.

This is not just another ‘brilliant inventor in flying armor‘ yarn. Yes, the main character is a genius engineer with a personal battle suit, but he is no billionaire. Also, he is a black man in America. In this case that ethnicity is important, as most of the cast are folks of color, and this book courageously and tactfully explores race in modern society. This perspective gives the story many novel avenues for dramatic tensions. Very timely!

In this mind bending thriller from Spanish author Carlos Sisí, a man wakes with amnesia in a small run down house along with some shady characters who seem to be involved in a plot where the protagonist is the leader. That is only the starting point for this twisty tale, it gets much weirder before the resolution. But that‘s where it all falls apart for me. Everything is explained, but the answers are disappointing.

An admirable attempt at creating a team that combats the supernatural results in a painful belly flop. Hackneyed dialogue, stereotypical characters (the only female lead spends the entire run as either helpless victim or silly naïve hanger on) and just plain boring. Don‘t bother with this one.

VIGILANTE, DC‘s answer to MARVEL‘s the Punisher, is a lesser copy of the iconic anti-hero. He sports a nifty black costume with blue and white bars and a red visor. It looks pretty dope. Against Punisher‘s classic skull logo, it‘s a wash. His origin is identical to Punisher‘s (family murdered by Mafia), but then adds supernatural elements making Vigilante some kind of super human… ugh. Advantage Punisher. Coupled with corny dialogue… it‘s a pass.

Fantastic!
This author has crafted a series of alternate history novels based on the civil and world wars. Using real characters in various interwoven fictional situations, with a stunning depth of knowledge of the time and cultural details, the author tells the epic story of a second civil war between the US and the Confederacy. Following the likes of Fredrick Douglass, Abe Lincoln and Stonewall Jackson during these events is fascinating!

Brian Michael Bendis is an otherwise very gifted author. But this passion project noir tale is aggressively mediocre. It traffics in all the clichés of the genre, bad dialogue, cartoonish characters, and stale melodrama. The art is a stark black and white, but executed with a less than steady hand. When compared to the work of Frank Miller, arguably the godfather of this style comic, reveals the pale imitation this book really is. Don‘t bother.