WEEKLY ROUND-UP #18 WITH LAUREN AND JOE!
- FriendlyNBHDBi
- Feb 27, 2022
- 7 min read
For new releases 2-23-22!
We are back with your Weekly Round-Up, our top 4 picks of the week! Let's get into it!
Lauren’s Picks
Vault Comics
Writer: Tres Dean
Artist: Sebastian Piriz
Colorist: Dee Cunniffe
Letterer: Matt Krotzer
We Ride Titans is the perfect balance of drama, heart, and ACTION, ACTION, ACTION! This creative team has a gem on its hands. If you thought the Pacific Rim films were good but were missing that one magic touch, We Ride Titans has it all! The entire creative team is on full Kaiju thrusters, and I’m not even a huge Kaiju fan! I’m very picky about adding the entire series to my pull, but this one is on it. I know I can expect a phenomenal issue each and every time!
Marvel Comics
Writer: Tom Taylor
Artist: Iban Coello
Colorist: Brian Reber
Letterer: VC’s Joe Sabino
Maybe it’s just cause I’m a Marvel gal at heart, but I really think Tom Taylor does best writing Marvel characters. He’s done some cool stuff for DC (especially DCeased) but he just really seems to GET the Marvel universe as a whole. Dark Ages is further proof of that. This AU is intense, fun, heartbreaking, and a full adrenaline rush. I absolutely adore how seamlessly he writes all these teams (Fantastic Four, Avengers, X-Men) and more together. Like I said, I just feel like he gets the entire Marvel universe and knows how to connect it so well. Can I also just say- Iban Coello draws the entire Marvel universe perfectly! How?? I don’t know but I need more, especially of his Nightcrawler! This is both a warm hug and a stab to the chest. Dark Ages is magnificent each issue and I long for the day Mr. Taylor writes Marvel again after his exclusive time with DC.
BOOM Studios
Story by: James Tynion IV and Tate Brombal
Script: Tate Brombal
Artist: Chris Shehan
Colorist: Miquel Muerto
Letterer: Andworld Design
This felt like an EPIC finale. Tynion and Brombal’s game, set, MATCH knows no bounds. This was almost my number one book this week, but despite being a heart-pounding finale, it didn’t quite make it. Why? Those last few pages, dang it! Tynion is a writer that plays the long run when he can, and he’s definitely trying to do that with House of Slaughter, as he expands this entire universe. But what just happened? It seems there’s some unreliable narration that happens towards the end. It’s unclear what really happened. Did Aaron choose his family and his house over Jace and love? Did Aaron leave with Jace and leave his family behind? Well, I can’t spoil it, because even after reading the issue, I certainly don’t know yet, but despite being confused af, I am thrilled with how this series went. I only hope we re-visit Aaron and Jace in the future. A very important note that didn’t fit in my rant: Chris Shehan is one of the BEST horror artists out there!
Marvel Comics
Writer: Kelly Thompson
Penciller: Elena Casagrande
Inker: Elisabetta D’Amico
Colorist: Jordie Bellaire
Letterer: VC’s Cory Petit
Kelly Thompson sent out her Substack newsletter this week saying she believes this week’s Black Widow issue is one of the best of her team’s entire run. I couldn’t agree more! This is one of those issues that I read seamlessly, non-stop, and when it ended I said “wait, what??? I NEED MORE OH MY GOD DON’T END THE MOVIE RIGHT THERE!”. Casagrande is one of the best action-artists in the business right now and has set a whole new standard for superhero and spy stories and their art. If you’re someone who thinks comics are cool but likes seeing more movement, such as in film or TV, you NEED to give this series a shot. Between the phenomenally-drawn and colored action, Thompson’s authentic character and world-building, and brilliant lettering that makes all the action easy to follow, you can’t get a better book than this one. I didn’t think this series could get any better, but issue 14 slapped me in the face and said “THINK AGAIN!”.
You can find Lauren, Your Friendly Neighborhood Bi, at all her links here:
Joe’s Picks
It was a SUPERMASSIVE new comic book day this week, so much awesome stuff! But before we get into this week’s books, I wanted to do a quick rundown of last week’s books.
A Righteous Thirst for Vengeance #5, Devil’s Reign: Superior Four #2, Home Sick Pilots #12, Hulk #4, Iron Fist #1, Marvel’s Voices: Legacy (2022) #1, Nightwing #89, What’s the Furthest Place From Here? #4 and X Lives of Wolverine #3 are all books from last week that you should check out if you haven’t already!
Plus some books from this week that didn’t quite make the top 4 but you should definitely check out: The Amazing Spider-Man #90, Bolero #2, Dark Ages #5 (which Lauren perfectly covered above), The Human Target #5, and Robin #11.
Phew! Now, with all that out of the way, let’s get to the final top 4 list for this week!
Image Comics
Writer: Brian K. Vaughan
Art & Colors: Fiona Staples
Letterer: Fonografiks
What is there to say about Saga that hasn't already been said? In this issue, we get introduced to some new, intriguing characters, and start to see a payoff for a plot thread from towards the end of the first half. The story, the writing, the characters, the world, the art, all on point as always.
Vaughan, Staples, and Fonografiks continue to make something really special that everyone should check out if they haven't already. And that ending? Oh boy. That's an ending alright. After reading the first half in the compendium, already loving being able to keep up with this month to month. As always, very excited to see where it goes!
Image Comics
Writer: Kyle Higgins, Ryan Parrott, Mat Groom
Artist: Francesco Manna (with assistance from Melania Palladino), Simone Ragazzoni, Marcelo Costa, Abel and Erica D’Urso
Colorist: Igor Monti
Letterer: Becca Carey
This was absolutely spectacular! Radiant Black is a joy of a superhero comic, and a lot of fun to read each and every month. It always feels so fresh and exciting, and that starts to explode in a big way here. That said, I wasn't entirely sure whether or not I was going to pick this issue up, but I'm so glad I did because there was so much I loved about it!
First of all, the characters were compelling, and it was nice to see Marshall interacting with other superheroes that weren't just other Radiants. It's always cool to see other superheroes introduced in comics that aren't just from the big two, and with the debut of Rogue Sun and Inferno Girl Red, the issue really delivered on that!
Second of all, the pacing was great. Since this was $5.99, it could have easily felt too long or dragged on, but it wasn't either of those. I thought it had a nice, clear, and satisfying three act structure. If Radiant Black issues are just normal episodes, this reminded me of a longer TV special, if that makes any sense to anyone else.
Finally, the artwork was absolutely spectacular! It was bright, bold, vibrant, crisp, rich, how many other adjectives do I need to use! This is exactly the kind of superhero artwork that I love to see! Just a glorious mix of superheroic visuals whilst still nailing those quieter moments which is always an accomplishment!
If you're liking Radiant Black, if you haven't tried it yet and want to, or if just generally you haven't and fancy something a bit different from the big two but still about superheroes, definitely check out this and Radiant Black!
Marvel Comics
Writer: Skottie Young
Art: Humberto Ramos
Colorist: Edgar Delgado
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Like with Saga, there's not much I can say about this series that I haven't already said. It's just so good. It just works. I saw this in Middlewest when I finally was able to read it towards the end of last year, Skottie Young just gets and understands younger characters, and in Strange Academy the drama that can come between them. To the point where any argument or conflict between any two characters feels just as important as any villain there may be encountering.
I feel like this issue is a good showcase of that. There's a main plot, given away by the cover, that encompasses the "young drama" of what I was saying. Then if you've been reading the last few issues, there's a more sinister second plotline that feels equally as important.
Then the way they're weaved together, leading to that ending? Oh man. I need that next issue NOW. Haha. That's not even mentioning the incredible work by Humberto Ramos and Edgar Delgado on this series, who have been killing it on every single issue! So consistent, I adore the style. It's got a nice, almost soothing pastel feel to it which just fits perfectly. It feels animated, vibrant, just so good!
Marvel Comics
Writer: Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Ram V, Ty Templeton
Artist: Edgar Salazar, Salvador Larroca, Ty Templeton
Colorist: Rachelle Rosenberg, Rain Beredo
Letterer: Joe Sabino, Ty Templeton
So, here's the thing. I of course love it when a book I'm reading is consistently good every single issue. But sometimes what's even better, is trying out something you had no expectations for and absolutely loving it! Seriously, this was so good!
I've got to be honest, I dropped Venom with the most recent issue. And I didn't pick up Extreme Carnage last year because the Cates/Stegman run had just ended and I needed a bit of a Symbiote break. So it's been a bit since I've tried anything with Carnage, but I'm glad I did because this was just awesome!
Carnage had a good run in comics as Cletus Kasady, and then especially with Absolute Carnage and how that culminated, I was a bit nervous about what they would be doing with him next. But without spoiling anything, I love the ideas presented in here. The idea of Carnage as a more abstract malevolent force. There's something about him just being loose in the world, without the physical influence and dynamic of a host potentially, free to do whatever he wants, that both terrifies and intrigues me.
Anyway, point being, some great, creepy, and interesting stories in here that make me very excited for his new series coming up! Great writing, great art, good stuff! Definitely worth a read if you're into the symbiote side of Marvel at all!
NO DC AT ALL THIS WEEK? ARE JOE AND LAUREN OKAY?? Come interrogate us on Twitter!
What were your top picks this week? Let us know what we missed! You never know; your recommendation could end up on our lists in the future!
You can find Lauren, Your Friendly Neighborhood Bi, at all her links here: beacons.ai/friendlynbhdbi
You can follow JoeLovesComics over on Twitter for (albeit shorter) thoughts on comics he loves.
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