Books of 2023: Quarter 4

The last of the books from last year

Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi

 

 Losing his job as COVID-19 sweeps through the country, Jamie Gray finds himself stuck in a dead-end job driving for a food delivery app and barely able to make rent. Just when everything seems hopeless, he's offered a much-needed (and better paying) job by an old acquaintance with an animal-rights organization. Jamie soon learns, however, the animals they're working with aren't the sort one might find at the zoo, nor are they even located on THIS Earth. Transported to an alternate Earth, he finds a planet populated not by humans but towering behemoths called Kaiju by the researchers and scientists studying them. The Kaiju Preservation Society doesn't exist simply to study however, but to keep the creatures safe as they aren't the only ones who know of the Kaiju's existence.

I'd never heard of this book until I found it wandering the shelves of Skull-Face bookstore and needed another book to use up the rest of the store credit I'd earned selling off a bunch of old books and comics. A light-hearted, easy, and fun read is the best way I can think of to describe this book. The story itself is a straight-forward, stranger in a strange land scenario, and doesn't bog the reader down in a lot of hard science (and the science it does mention can either be quickly referenced or simply skipped over), and even skips past any interpersonal drama which could have arose between the team members. There's a short Author's Note at the back of the book where Scalzi describes writing this story as he was coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic and simply needed to pen something light and fun compared to the story he had been previously writing - putting the story into a much better perspective. The book itself could be twice as long if an additional subplot or two were added easily enough but keeps instead to a single, linear plot which makes the story easy to follow and flow smoothly.

The story resembles more of a Sci-Fi/ Fantasy nerd's dream rather than a rude awakening (which it easily could have been) as Gray transitions without much difficulty to life on another Earth. As I mentioned earlier, the story moves quite linearly from one thing to the next: Jamie Gray loses his job > Jamie Gray is offered a new job > Jamie Gray finds out the multiverse and Kaiju are real > First Kaiju scare > Intruder and foreshadowing of threat > Things are going good > Things are not good as threat makes itself known > Jamie Gray and friends save the day > Jamie Gray returns home. Besides a couple of training moments and, of course, the climax of the story, there isn't much of a learning curve for Jamie as he lives out a sci-fi nerd's dream. I would like to mention that, despite the giant creatures being the stars of the show, I was really interested in the Kaiju parasites - the smaller creatures which live on the Kaijus and form a symbiotic bond allowing both to survive. It's a pretty cool concept and one that I don't think has been explored in other giant monster media.

The Grey Bastards by Jonathan French

Jackal is a Grey Bastard, a member of a small horde of half-orcs committed to patrolling their lands and driving back any orc invaders - as well as fighting, fucking, and general rowdiness. After more than a few questionable decisions made by the horde's leader, Jackal sees that it may be time for a change in leadership. When a mysterious figure disrupts his plans and forces Jackal from his home, he'll discover secrets from the past about their lands he never knew, and learn the true mature of his horde and others like it across the lands.

What an adventure this was! A different type of High Fantasy story featuring your favorite fantasy races (elves, orcs, halflings, centaurs) each with a twist that makes them feel new and different. It's a fun ride for those who want to see more takes from a "barbarian's perspective" versus the Princely Noble standard - filthy language, whore-mongering, and plenty of violence. This one I definitely know I found through those "What book you should read based on your D&D character" lists. The story definitely satisfies the Barbarian playstyle feel as Jackal slaughters his way through enemies with crossbow and sword and javelin until he gets the answers he wants. For anyone who thinks Jackal might seem more intelligent than the way they play a barbarian, well no one said you had to play stupid. 

Making half-orcs the main characters of the story gives a better insight into the half-orc community and provides an interesting background to their kind. A race I've really only seen in Dungeons and Dragons (and even then not explored for more than a page in the "Player's Handbook") the story explores more of their history and unique features. At the same time, I also enjoyed the alternate histories and descriptions given to the other fantasy races presented in the untamed Lot Lands - the wild, savage elves; the fanatically ruthless centaurs; and the religious zealots found amongst the halflings (you know, hobbits). It's a new way to lock at these established fantasy creatures and how they'd adapt to living in such a wild place away from the cities created by the "civilized" man.

Jackal and his cohorts are put on an adventure discovering the true nature of the Lot Lands, a swath of land once populated by humans who were driven back by an orc invasion force. Though the lands were to other hordes and species to settle on the condition they act as a buffer between the humans and a future orc invasion, the true reason is different from the ones Jackal had been told all his life. A secondary plot line puts Jackal at the beck and call of a group of halflings to defend their city - one that happens to help move Jackal out of the spotlight in the next book (one I've yet to pick-up).

The Chosen One (The American Jesus Trilogy) by Mark Millar

 

One day, Jodie Christianson is an ordinary 12-year-old boy growing up in a small-town in Illinois. When he not only survives being crushed by a semi-truck but also walks away unscathed, he's looked upon as a walking miracle. Thus begins Christianson's journey, as well as that of his counterpart, to determine humanity's future.

Collecting all three volumes of Mark Millar's "American Jesus" trilogy, "The Chosen One" is a story about the final battle of good vs evil. Yes, part of the reason I picked it up was because it's Mark Millar (and I think it is supposed to connect to Millar's Big Game crossover event), but also because it was recently adapted for the small screen through Netflix's "The Chosen One" show. This graphic novel I picked up from OtherRealms once it was announced it would be released (of course, along with the rest of the new comics released that day).

Collecting all three volumes of Millar's "American Jesus" trilogy, the first volume focuses on Jodie Christianson as he tells the story of how he first came into his powers, learned to use them, and the reaction of his entire small-town as he works miracles. Eventually, it is revealed Jodie is now the President of the United States, as well as The Antichrist, not the second-coming of Jesus Christ as he first believed. In the second volume, through immaculate conception, Luciana finds herself pregnant and must go into hiding before Satanists find and kill her and her unborn child. The story jumps forward 18 years after Luciana's arrival at a compound in Waco, TX where she hides with her daughter, Catalina, who is prophesied to be the new messiah. Catalina eventually comes into her own, realizing her true powers when the forces of Satan threaten her family. In the third and final volume, the view point switches back and forth between Christianson's plans for taking control of the world, and Catalina's travels across the globe to make her final judgement upon humanity in her Father's name. The two eventually meet face-to-face as described in the "Book of Revelations" with an unexpected result.

One of things I found surprising about the series were its references to modern day events. The first volume doesn't contain anything too shocking as the reveal Christianson the Antichrist has become President of the United States has been written before. Seeing that the second-coming of Jesus Christ, however, was seemingly being hidden by the Branch Davidians in Waco, TX and that the raid was actually orchestrated by Satanists after discovering her whereabouts was a shock. More shocks follow when the Satanist's plans are revealed: microchipping, 9/11, global war. The build-up and shock-value, I feel, all added to the surprising ending which (just for a little spoiler) isn't about Diving Beings at all, but rather focuses on all of humanity instead.

Y: The Last Man (Volumes 1 & 2) by Brian K. Vaughn

 A mysterious virus sweeps across the globe, killing everything with an Y-chromosome. Everyone, except for Yorrick and his pet monkey. With the world in chaos, Yorrick will attempt to do whatever he has to do to make it to Australia and find his girlfriend. The world though, has other plans. Along the way, he'll find some still mourning their losses while others rejoice for the start of a new world order. In order to discover what may have happened, and how they may bring humanity back from the brink, Yorrick is tasked by his mother, along with a secret government agent, to find a particular scientist and discover what makes Yorrick so unique. Along the way, they'll meet with those who have found a second chance amidst the chaos, those looking to burn down the old society for good, and even a mysterious stranger claiming to know where other surviving men might be.

Finally got around to the two volumes of "Y: The Last Man" I've actually had sitting under my bed for a while. I think I've had volume one since the early part of 2023 (or perhaps the end of the previous year ... whenever it was that I finally finished the first and only season on FX/Hulu), and volume 2 for a couple months since I found a discounted copy at a used bookstore. The thing about graphic novels, however, is the price and (as I'm recently learning how to stick to a budget) sometimes I can't justify spending $15-20 per book. Also, I'm cheap so I keep looking for it at a used/ discounted price at used bookstores. And, thanks to my efforts in trying to stop spending so much on books, I finally got around to these two.

The first volume sets up the premise of the story - Yorrick and his pet monkey are the only creatures with a Y-chromosome to survive a deadly plague on Earth. Trekking along the East Coast, Yorrick makes his way to Washington, DC to check-in on his mother, a senator who has become acting president. After a brief reunion, Yorrick's mother sends him off with Agent 355 (a special agent from a secret organization loyal to the President of the United States) to locate Dr. Mann and hopefully, together, they can discover more about the virus and even develop an antidote. Along the way, Yorrick will constantly expose himself to strangers and put himself in danger in desperate attempts to protect his comrades.

In the second volume, still on the road to Dr. Mann's lab, the group discover a Russian spy who knows where to find other men who have survived the plague - in space. A shuttle carrying three astronauts from the space station is about to land, and she asks for help to keep them safe. The group secure a secret government safe house designed to keep government officials safe during a potential bioagent attack, then set out to secure the landing site. Unfortunately, a team of Israeli soldiers operating on American soil on behalf of a mysterious US government official attempt to intercept the shuttle, compromising the landing and sending it crashing to Earth. Will any of the astronauts survive, and, if they do, could they make Yorrick no longer the world's last man?

So, two volumes in of five (I got the deluxe versions) and so far I'm a little on the fence. I mean, I'm definitely going to finish the series eventually, but whether or not I rush out to make it a priority remains to be seen (writing this in 2024, I have not). Because of the TV show, I found the first volume kind of "meh," it just felt rushed through (which is good for a comic attempting to tell a story in a limited number of pages) but because of the TV show, I got used to those scenes being filled with more tension and suspense. I found myself missing the secondary storylines and characters the TV show added which helped to explore this new world through the eyes of other survivors. Being unfamiliar with the storyline found in the second volume, I felt a little more excited reading through the pages to see whether or not the protagonists could secure other men which might help not only with restarting the population but also discover a possible vaccine to keep new males alive in this world.

As much as it was simply a detour from the main plot, I really did enjoy the little bit of volume 2 dedicated to a group of traveling performers who, upon discovering Yorrick's escaped monkey, write a play about the world's last man. The show ending with the man killing himself to allow women to create a new society rather than cling to the past makes me wonder if that's some foreshadowing about the end of the story.

Big Game (issues 1 - 5) completed by Mark Millar

Escaping Wesley Gibson and The Fraternity's assassination plot, Hit-Girl finds herself in Earth's prehistoric past. Unfortunately, being eaten alive by dinosaurs is not her biggest concern as she's captured by King Morax, a tyrant ruling over a civilization thousands of years more advanced than the one she left behind, and he is ... perturbed his rule does not still govern the present day. Back in the present, Wesley has managed to lure the remaining superheroes into a trap, setting the stage for a slaughter and once again return society to the status quo The Fraternity created. The villains, however, find themselves in a stand-off when King Morax's enforcer, Diabolos the Sorcerer arrives with an armada to once again put the world under his master's thumb. Hit-Girl, at the same time, makes her big escape, stealing the time machine and and going back to warn the heroes of The Fraternity's plans. With the two sides now on even ground in a fatal confrontation, which one will emerge the victor? And will Dave "Kick-Ass" Lizewski and Cordelia Moonstone (along with the rest of the Magic Order) ever get off the sidelines and into the fight?

The epic conclusion to Mark Millar's Millerverse crossover event, Big Game! Bringing together many, if not all (I'm not sure, as there's no way I could read them all), of Millar's properties into one story line, Big Game functions as a sequel to Wanted as Wesley Gibson, having risen through the ranks of The Fraternity to become its leader, sets out to once again kill off the superheroes that are again beginning to rise up. Through three issues we witnessed The Fraternity wipe out heroes such as Superior, The Night Club, and even The Ambassadors with relative ease. All hope seems lost for the heroes. It isn't until the last two issues that they begin to turn it around and mount their comeback. The final issue is packed with the comic book Hero vs Villains combat you love to see from Millar. It's an exciting conclusion and sets up the new storylines for Millar's most recent entries into his universe: "The Ambassadors," The Magic Order," "Night Club," and (perhaps) even "Nemesis: Reloaded." I'm curious to see where these stories go now that The Fraternity is destroyed and the world is no longer under its control.

One of my favorite moments through this entire ride is seeing Dave Lizewski finally getting superpowers and taking his rightful place amongst the heroes. I never did read the "Kick-Ass" comic but I liked watching both movies as he battled badguys with his two batons and lack of pain receptors. According to the Millarverse, after Gibson's father and allies wiped out the superheroes and made the rest of the world forget they were ever real, Dave was the first one to take up the mantle of "Super-Hero," paving the way for the rest and eventually leading to this showdown to change the world. The moment is made even better when The Ambassadors, after months of searching, finally choose Dave to be the American Ambassador, granting him the superhero status he deserves.

Another shocking outcome of Big Game's conclusion is the death of Wesley Gibson. The protagonist of Millar's "Wanted," Gibson started off as an office drone who hated his life. Gibson is eventually taken in and trained by The Fraternity to inherit his father's place amongst them - a plan set in motion by Wesley's father to teach his son to take control of his life rather than taking shit from everyone in his life. Life had already done its damage, however, and the Gibson we see in Big Game is a monster. I know I'm already parroting what some other articles and write-ups have said, but I think it's still important to say - Wesley Gibson was not the hero to be admired in "Wanted" and met a satisfying demise in Big Game. And yes, I have to say it because I was one of those people who read "Wanted" and held it in my head for years that Wesley was the hero set on taking control of his life through supervillainy. No, you can take control of your life, be happy, and not turn into a total asshole. It's sad to think that the only outcome for Wesley was to become "a butcher" as he's called, but seeing the kind of damage done to him in the past and then seeing him get the kind of power he deep-down always craved, yeah, I understand how it happened.

Godfell (issues 1 - 5) completed by Chis Sebela

 After a brief explanation on the two most sacred areas of the fallen god's body (the brain and the heart), Zanzi and Neth are both captured and separated by competing factions. The two friends, though apart, devise a plan to not only reunite and defeat their captors, but also to awaken the dormant body they currently occupy. Once resurrected, the two will seek to defeat the greatest enemy of all, those who have played mankind against itself for mere amusement without consequence - the gods themselves.

Wow, did I have to wait awhile for this one. Issues one through four, I felt, were released pretty consistently, but the last issue (possibly due to its length) just kept getting delayed. Anyways, after a journey through the body of a fallen god, witnessing the savagery of mankind on behalf of their beliefs, the two protagonists conclude their journey in a fight amongst the gods. Honestly, a very good and interesting ending especially after what we witnessed in the previous 4 issues, and not an ending I was expecting. Though the series ends at the start of their battle against the gods, it is sort of alluded to that Zansi and Neth will emerge victorious. I think, because of the its delay, the ending might've lost some of its impact for me, but other than that, the story was really good, a little quick on the world-building for a high fantasy story but to be expected from a short series, the art (and violence) was great, and (as previously stated) the ending was well deserved for both characters.

The Sacrificers (issues 1 - 6) completed by Rick Remender

 To maintain the paradise the world finds itself living, the gods have one simple demand: the sacrifice of one child per household. Representing personifications of nature, such as The Sun and The Moon, or concepts like Labor or Climate, the current generation of rulers has carried on unnaturally long thanks to a mysterious elixir. As the newest batch of sacrifices are gathered, a son who has never know love will make a terrifying discovery while a disregarded daughter will seek to bring down the current status quo.

Following on the heels of the completion of the great "Deadly Class" series, Rick Remender completes the first arc of his new series, "The Sacrificers." When I heard of the premise, I wanted to check it out, but seeing that it was written by Remender, I knew I needed to pick this one up. I'd gotten the first issue at Free Comic Book Day 2023, and followed the series during its regularly scheduled release since.

In the same way I enjoyed Deadly Class's "Wow!" moments, this series has done the same thing as the story progressed through the current six-issue arc. Of course, there's the first images of the way the unnamed son is treated as a sacrifice, followed by the majesty and power depicted of the throne of the living embodiment of the sun. Even the scenes without dialogue convey a lot as when the sacrifices are gathered to, as some hope, live a life of luxury thanks to the generosity of the gods, or in the scenes of horror which follow. Also, like Deadly Class, the story itself features themes of Challenging the Establishment as those on the bottom seek to take on those who currently hold all of the power. How it could be accomplished though, remains to be seen in the next arc, especially since those at the top are Concepts, Ideas, and Beings of a magnitude larger than mere mortals.

The Plot Holes (issues 1 - 6) completed by Sean Gordon Murphy

Cliff Inkslayer is just your average struggling comic creator, except he isn't "real." Instead, as his world is devoured and destroyed by a monster not from his world, he discovers he is actually just a character in a story. Thanks to his imagination, Cliff is recruited into "The Plot Holes," a group of fictional characters who travel into Unfinished and Unpublished manuscripts, editing them from within in an effort to save each world by making their stories publishable. When a monstrous Bookworm threatens to devour countless, unfinished works, they'll need to gather together and put together everything they have to stop it before it consumes everything..

Such a weird plot, and I'm so happy I picked this one up. It's such a weird concept to write out, but, as a sort-of writer, it's so, so interesting. The idea of a bunch of fictional characters from other failed stories working to edit other, usually bad, stories to save their worlds - that's so good. Of course, the cast includes not only your typical fantasy hero and even a few villains, but also some characters you wouldn't expect, like Cliff and even a racist Calvin lookalike. When writing, you like to believe the characters have a mind of their own, that they're separate from yourself and will guide you through the story - all very romanticized. So, it's romantic to believe that your failures can actually be real, out there in their worlds, trying to save other worlds from your poor writing mistakes. Through the five issues, we see Inkslayer as a fish-out-of-water as he learns his role as a fictional, yet real, person on a team made up of some stereotypical fantasy characters. Once the story shifts to the main plot of stopping the Bookworm from devouring world after world, Cliff puts his ingenuity to use devising a plan to defeat their enemy.

City Boy (issues 1 - 6) completed by Greg Pak

 

Cameron Kim has finally found his mother who abandoned him as a boy - lying in her final resting place under a patch of earth. The cities he finds himself connected to allow him to see its past, to find the hidden things. Believing that The Green is seeking to bury his mother and her past from him, Cameron's powers go haywire, awakening ALL of the avatars of the cities he has encountered prior. At the same time, Darkseid's forces see their opportunity to either capture Cameron, or at least bring him on to their side. With all the other heroes battling Darkseid's parademons or the cities' avatars, it is up to Cameron to get his powers under control and find closure.

Ending the "City Boy" six-issue run, Cameron Kim learns to embrace the power he has after seeing the type of weapon others want him to become. An interesting superpower paired with a new, inexperienced, possibly upcoming hero, I'm interested to see what else could develop from this character, assuming DC continues Kim's story. Personally I can seen a couple ways for Cameron's powers to develop and grow: a detective story using the "history of the city" power to track down missing people or objects as he's already encountered both Batman and Nightwing, settling conflicts between cities and industrialization vs nature and wilderness based on his encounter with Swamp Thing, or his power to manifest the Avatar's of the City to battle bigger villains. I am curious on who or what type of villain Cameron could be pitted against next as he's already been shown to confront Darkseid's underlings in his very first outing, one of the biggest bad guys in the DC universe.

The Unbelievable, Unfortunately Mostly Unreadable and Nearly Unpublishable Untold Tales of I Hate Fairyland (issues 1 - 5) completed

The final issue of the five-part series comes to a close with more hijinks set in the world of I Hate Fairyland. It was a fun ride and I'm really hoping it continues as I liked buying the individual issues while waiting for the I Hate Fairyland trade paperback to be released (sorry, comics are expensive and collections tend to come out cheaper than individual issues).

Kill Your Darlings (issues 1 - 4) by Ethan S. Parker and Griffin Sheridan

 As a little girl, Rose loved nothing more than to fantasize living in a fairy-tale land as a princess of elepigs and other talking animals. One fateful night, as a terrible evil rips across her imaginary world, she awakens to find herself standing outside her burning home holding a gas can - her mother's screams coming from inside. Years later, now living in an institute, one of her imaginary friends arrives to bring Princess Rose back to face down the evil still gripping their world. But is Rose strong enough to face it this time? And is any of it even real?

This one is so, so fucking good! Definitely one of favorites from last year. Besides the fact that I got lazy in my writing, another reason it took so long to write this post is because of how good this series has been and trying to do it justice in my poor write-up. I have no idea what's going on, it's just been a really fun ride. The story itself opens with a witch trial. We jump to the colorful imagination of a little girl in her room. We see her single mother working to make ends meet. Then, her imagination grows dark and her house is on fire. And that's just the first issue. There's more glimpses of past witch hunts which I'm not sure yet how they connect to the main story. We also find that perhaps her imagination wasn't quite so imaginary when one of them comes back to take her to a world which lost to the darkness. The first four issues have been really fun and I can't wait to see where this story goes next.

Batman and Robin (issues 1 - 4) by Joshua Williamson

Batman and Robin set out to foil the kidnapping of a scientist, discovering the kidnappers are no ordinary criminals but rather human/animal hybrids. With Batman poisoned and his symbol of fear turned against him, the duo will need to work along with a known criminal to foil the plot of a villain emerging from the shadows.

I know, I've said I don't buy the established hero comics because of all the lore one typically needs to understand the plot. This one though, got me interested thanks to a preview teasing more Bruce and Damien Wayne and their relationship as father and son rather than as just a crime-fighting duo. Also, I feel as if I know enough about Bruce Wayne/Batman and Damien Wayne/Robin, and I've been hearing a lot about what is currently happening in the larger continuity of Gotham to get by. Through four issues though, we've mostly just seen the two as Batman and Robin, setting out to rescue a kidnapped scientist and stop bad guys, and only a brief glimpse into their daily lives. As the series progresses, I'd really like to see more of the father/son relationship, and even more of Damien navigating life as a high-schooler - I mean, he has a notebook with a story calling himself the "Prince of Krowes," that's some definite high-school fantasy shit right there.

Marvel G.O.D.S (issues 1 - 3) by 

 A powerful entity threatens all of creation and it is up to the magic-users of the Marvel universe to stop it. Two opposing sides must put their differences aside and work together - even as one of them can no longer distinguish the good from evil.

Honestly, I'm still not sure exactly what is going on in this series. I know it has something to do with writing, or rewriting, Marvel's "Higher Powers" - forces that govern the universe - which, in a universe populated by superhumans and monsters and even gods, it's impressive to imagine there being forces which stand above even those. And ... well, I just really, really love the names of things: The Powers That Be, and The Natural Order of Things, and Avatars, and Numbers, etc. Plus, you know, it features a lot of magic, which I like seeing. 

Nights (issues 1 - 3) by 

 In an alternate universe, supernatural creatures exist amongst the human population and no one bats an eye. Vince, having just lost both of his parents, moves to Florida to live with his cousin, a professional hitman; his undead roommate; and a vampire who can't seem to hold down a job. While Vince completes his highschool education and tries to figures out his future, his new roommates are all seeking to handle demons from their past (literally and figuratively) in their own ways.

I think the best way to describe this series is as an odd, slice-of-life story featuring supernatural elements. Magical Realism, perhaps? The main focus of the story itself is on Vince, his life, and his growing crush on his vampire roommate, Gray. Despite the recent loss of his parents, the support given to Vince by his roommates and friends appears to keep him happy and any sort of trauma at bay (perhaps a future plot-line?). At the same time, his roommates are battling their own hidden demons - Ivory is being stalked by a mysterious presence; Matt is a living skeleton on a search for what killed him before he ceases to exist; and Gray's mysterious past has finally come back, killing people and haunting her dreams.

The first three issues have been a great set-up to introduce those characters and what we can perhaps expect from them in the future. One thing I'd like to see in future chapters is how the setting affects the story. The first issue makes a big deal about how this world is different from our own - set in a Florida still owned by Spain where supernatural creatures exist side-by-side with humans - but so far nothing about this besides the supernatural elements stands out.

The Hunger and the Dusk (issues 1 - 3) by G. Willow Wilson

 

When an ancient enemy returns to their lands, humans and orcs must form an unlikely alliance to save both their peoples. Callum Battlechild and his company, The Last Men Standing, along with an orc healer, Gruakhtar "Tara" Icemane, joined together as a symbol of the truce, will journey together to stop the invasion and push their mutual enemy from their lands.

A very good, high-fantasy story so far, about a group of old enemies banding together to fight off a greater threat. The story has been very good thus far, introducing the standard unique cast of characters of a high-fantasy story and a terrifying enemy seeking to destroy everyone and everything in its path. Of course, the story is setting up for a romance between the two lead characters which is typically expected in these kinds of stories. Romance aside, the story is filled with camaraderie and action as the group sets out to do their part in stopping an invasion which has mysteriously pushed in-land quicker than expected and without notice from anyone. Unfortunately, at least I assume, I'll either have to give up on this series, wait for the trade paperback, or find another way to read it as I'm assuming I missed issue 4 when it was released (at least I assume though I never saw it on the shelves at either of the two shops I frequent).