Books of 2026: September

 

This month's list includes a big DC event, cleaning out (slowly) my To Read pile, including one that I've been waiting a long fucking time to finish, and the close of a great first season of a series.
  

Batman: Gargoyle of Gotham #1 - 4 by Rafael Grampa

"But you need to understand that Bruce Wayne must so I can fulfill my promise to protect Gotham from the evil that took my parents. Whatever it takes."

A serial killer targeting Gotham's elite is on the loose. Kidnapped off Gotham's streets, homeless individuals are forced into the manufacturing of explosives. Seemingly unconnected, Batman finds a thread connecting the two crimes and begins pulling - exposing a cult focused on the destruction of Gotham. Can Batman stop their plans before the city is torn apart while also destroying his own greatest weakness - Bruce Wayne?

After three years, Batman: Gargoyle of Gotham finally comes to an end. Yeah, three years for just four issues! I can speculate so many reasons why it might've taken so long to get all the issues out, but that's something for DC Comics to ultimately deal with. Due to the delay between issues, I re-read the series from the beginning. Also, due to the amount of time which passed, I re-read each issue again to figure out why I cared about the story (again, three fucking years!). Having the same person do both the writing and art was pretty cool as it means the creator got to share their vision completely without anything being lost in translation. The story itself presents a young Bruce Wayne obsessed with protecting his city as The Batman that he forgets he can still do good as Bruce Wayne, the billionaire (actually, is there a number to express Wayne's wealth?). Ultimately, it was a good read presenting a different version of The Batman story. Dammit, though, THREE YEARS!!!

What initially drew me into this story was the idea that this version of Batman was planning on killing off Bruce Wayne so he could be Batman full-time. He saw Bruce Wayne as a weakness, one that he needed to rid himself of. Like other versions that toyed with the idea, he instead discovered the Bruce Wayne persona to have a strength of its own and provide another way for The Batman to protect Gotham. Of course, I was really hoping to see what The Batman could do unhindered by his need to still be Bruce Wayne, but that ultimately wouldn't fit with this story. One of the small Easter Eggs I liked was the frame of the new children Bruce sought to help by re-opening Arkahm's Children's Wing being child-versions of his typical rogues' gallery. In this version, not only is it Bruce's childhood trauma which creates Batman, but also the forces which prayed upon him, so I really liked to see that it is Bruce, and not Batman, solving what could become future problems for Gotham. The other change I also liked was the "R" logo now representing "Ratz" instead of "Robin" as they are no longer Batman's young proteges but the people rendered invisible and forgotten by Gotham.

Exquisite Corpses #1 - 13 by Various Writers and Artists

"It's about power. You know that. This is when we remind ourselves why we should be afraid of each other."

Every four years, the thirteen families secretly in control of the United States of America gather for a game to decide which of them will rule over the others. The game is simple: Each families' chosen weapon and Killer are dropped into an unsuspecting small town with the winner being whoever's representative is the last one alive. As the Killers are let loose and the carnage begins, The Thirteen trade barbs and insults amongst themselves as they watch the mayhem bloom. Meanwhile, the residents of Oak Valley begin to take notice, causing some to flee ... and others to fight back. Who will be the last Killer left standing? And what strange twists and turns will this year's game take before the final duel?

The first season of Exquisite Corpses comes to a close after thirteen bloody issues! As I keep mentioning, yeah, issue #13 was released months ago, but I'm a little behind with my reading. Luckily, though, "Exquisite Corpses Vol. 1" was chosen as this month's Book Club book, and, hey, I've already got the three issues the first volume collects (Hooray, I'm cheap!) - and I really couldn't wait to discuss this with the group. As I think I mentioned in earlier reviews, because of the number of writers and artists involved with these books, I like to imagine this series being a fun project amongst friends, the challenge being to tell a cohesive horror story, one issue at a time. Not only was this a fun read overall, but I also want to say that I also got the versions that come with a trading card for the upcoming "Exquisite Corpses Trading Card Game" (yeah, I also paid into the Kickstarter). Knowing that I needed to re-read issues 1 - 3 for Book Club, I grabbed all my old issues out of the box to re-read the entire series. Of course, I'm a big fan of the brutal fights between not only The Killers, but even between The Killers and The Residents of Oak Valley, but I also really enjoyed all the story twists that kept the plot interesting. Once again, a great read, and I'm pretty happy that everyone at Book Club enjoyed it (one of them also read not only all 13 issues, but even the spin-off issues that I haven't gotten to yet). With all stories focused on a secretive society in charge of a group of people - whether that be a city, country, or even the world - I like knowing just how much power they have. When I was a kid, stories like this in which a group suppresses another and is allowed to do whatever they want without consequence would typically end with the protagonist overthrowing those in charge. It was hopeful and inspiring. Growing up, though, you start to see that those in charge for so long have taken steps to ensure they NEVER lose it, and so the protagonist's focus becomes about survival over revolution. Just off the top of my head - "1984", "Hostel" - the protagonists of these weren't going to win. Despite the colorful cast of characters, I do appreciate this sense of realism brought to the story, and it does make me interested to see just where the story of a possible Season 2 will take us.

With such a big cast of characters, what I really liked was just how different they all felt from each other - and not just The Killers, but even The Families and The Residents, too. With such a huge cast, it would've been easy to make one of the groups just a copy of each other, but instead, each one feels unique, which I'd like to believe is a result of the huge collaborative effort needed to put this story together. Of The Thirteen, I really liked Massachusetts, likely because she was one of the main focuses of the group, but also because she seemed less depraved, more "honorable" than the others. Of The Killers, well, as cool as Fox Mask Killer looked, I was kinda rooting for Lady Carolina for a bit. I thought it was really cool that she is a member of The Thirteen, one of the US's secret masters, and still decided to enter the tournament herself - until, you know, she began taking her frustrations out on the residents of Oak Valley. Of the Oak Valley community, I really felt bad for "Meth Head Mike," the town's local conspiracy theorist, who finally got one thing right, but because of his reputation, no one believes him, and Audrey McInerney, who was just trying to protect her son but ended up having a psychotic break while being used in The Thirteen's game.

 

DC KO by Scott Snyder and Joshua Williamson, DC KO Battle Royale by Joshua Williamson and Jeremy Adams, and DC KO All Fight by Various

"Now Behold! Your 32 champions! Who will win and be crowned the King Omega?! Can you guess?"

 

The DC Universe looks to crown a new King Omega! Seeing the future fall to Darkseid, the Quantum Quorum travel to the past to enlist the aid of DC's champions. Knowing they're unable to defeat the god, the heroes devise a plan to usurp Darkseid's throne. The The Heart of Apokolips, however, doesn't just want a champion - it wants a conqueror! To prove themselves worthy, heroes and villains alike will compete in a tournament of the Heart's devising, battling against each other to determine which of them stands above the rest. Who will be crowned the new King Omega? And will it be enough to stop Darkseid and save their universe?

After finishing "Exquisite Corpses" for this month's Book Club book, I wanted more "fighting tournament" stories (even finished "Wind Breaker" this month), and luckily for me, these three books arrived back in August from my comic pre-orders! I typically don't read the main continuity stories, but this sounded too good to pass up. Plus, I'd picked up the single issue "DC KO Red Hood Vs The Joker", and if they're willing to give Jason Todd his rematch, I'm willing to see what other match-ups they put together. In the main book, DC KO, the Heart of Apokolips pits the contestants against each other with challenges to determine which of them truly has what it takes to claim the title of King Omega and defend their universe from Darkseid. Set between "DC KO" issue #2 and #3 is the entirety of DC KO All Fight featuring the eight 1v1, best of three, death matches where the contestants choose any version of themselves from through their DC history. The third book, DC KO Battle Royale, contained several smaller, one-shot stories set during the DC KO event, including (what I consider the highlight of the book), the four-issue "Knight Fight" series pitting Batman, after he tried to cheat the Heart of Apokolips, against his sons, each of whom have claimed the mantle of Batman in their respective reality. It was a fun event with so many stand-out moments that I'll likely hang onto these three books for a bit (maybe even re-read them).

What I really liked about this event was it not being afraid to push boundaries to create such memorable events/scenes. In the main DC KO book, we get to see not only the typical heroes and villains (and even some of those I didn't think should be involved) battle against each other, but we even get a crossover with a few characters from the DC's Absolute Universe, a place Darkseid created in his own image. And, since we're on the topic of crossovers, the DC KO Battle Royale book brought in fighters not even from the DC universe, in fact owned by other companies instead, such as Sub-Zero and Scorpion from "Mortal Kombat" and even Samantha Strong from the horror comic "Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees." It's such an insane line-up that I actually had to check if the whole event was even canon to the main DC Universe. Speaking of characters, not only is Batman (one of DC's primary superheroes) taken out of the game in the first round, but because he attempted to cheat the game, the Heart of Apokolips punished him, turning Batman's famous "prep-time" against him. Similar to Batman needing to duke it out with is four successors, DC KO All Fight featured the best 1V1 fights in the event, pitting together some unexpected match-ups with some unexpected results. In pure prose, pure fight scenes are the worst - guy one punches, guy two punches, repeat - and so tension is added when the fight is about more than just physicality. Though you can show a very good fight scene with a more visual medium, like comics, each fight also ramps up the tension and anticipation by giving each fight an additional meaning. Of course, seeing Red Hood get his revenge against The Joker was great, I also really liked the Harley Quinn vs Zatanna fight with Quinn, knowing she'd drawn the short straw and was doomed from the start, using her brains to push Zatanna to her mental limit, preparing her friend for the road ahead. The series did a great job adding twists and turns to the great fights and scenes, making the DC KO event feel unique and special, and not just another "crisis" thing which could simply be retconned in a year.

In order to claim the title of King Omega, the contestants must prove to be just as ruthless as Darkseid, willing to do whatever is necessary to stand at the top. Throughout the DC KO event, we watched Superman struggle with "playing to win" rather than his usual "I win when everyone wins" mentality despite being, well, Superman. To give the full picture, the Heart of Apokolips showed him a utopia, a perfect world, a world everyone wanted him to deliver, and Superman was still indecisive about forcing it upon the world. We do get displays of Superman's "ruthlessness" from time to time - most noticeably during his fight against the two Green Lanterns where he reveals to Billy Batson that he didn't choose the boy as his partner to give him a second-chance, but actually to siphon off Shazam's power for his own, but even then Superman feels guilt over his choices. Superman eventually proves himself worthy to claim the Heart's power - to the Heart's delight - only to give it up in the end. When he decides to remove himself and Darkseid from the board - much to the disappointment of The Heart - allowing the Earth to naturally recover without the godlike influence he could have held. Someone once told me that Superman stories work best when the fight isn't against something he can simply punch - because Superman will always win - but when he is challenged morally - though he could do "X", should he? Though this entire event focused on a tournament-style slugfest - one which Superman should've easily bested his competition, it was his internal struggle that kept the story interesting. 

Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis

"The falling sensation in his falling stomach finally hit the bottom. This menacing room, with its mixture of the weird and the ridiculous? It was his. The voice outside the door obeyed his commands because they were familiar. There was only one kind of person who would have such a room, who would dress in such a way.
He was a Dark Wizard."

"He didn't want to wear white and save random strangers and campaign against the forces of evil. Not that anyone would believe him if he tried. He mostly just wanted not to die horribly."

 

Imagine waking up in a fiery room with no eyebrows on your face or memories of how you got to where you are or even of who you are, but knowing that you desperately need to escape before the Dark Wizard of the castle returns and kills you horribly. Now, imagine coming to the realization that the Dark Wizard ... is you. Now, Gav is trapped in a castle of goblins and a captured princess with a trio of dangerous Dark Wizards on their way to fulfill an evil plan he can no longer remember. His survival depends on playing the role of the castle's Dread Lord until he can get his old memories back. As Gav realizes nothing in the castle is quite what it seems, he'll also realize he doesn't have to be exactly who he once was. But can Gav even redeem himself for a past he can no longer remember?

I opted for another easy read this month, pulling Dreadful from my To Read pile (I didn't realize the pile had grown, finding books I don't even remember buying). I recall picking this up based on the "amnesia" premise that I definitely recall seeing in some Reddit Writing Prompt prompts. Plus, wasn't there a movie about a bunch of people waking up and not knowing who was the kidnapper and who was the hostage? Anyway, I like this "Blank Slate" idea and the character deciding whether a past they can't remember should define them. The story was a nice and easy read, ummm, "cozy fantasy" if I'm using the term right, a before bedtime, nightstand book - no deep lore or hard magic system to follow or a huge cast of characters to remember like one might find in other High Fantasy epics. I really liked all the twists that kept the story interesting as it is revealed that everyone in and around the castle are not quite who they appear to be - including Gav's former persona, Dread Lord Gavrax! It was a fun, light read, one that I'd definitely recommend for anyone looking to get back into reading fantasy stories.

Of course, the thing to talk about is Gav's dilemma - deciding whether his past or present actually determines who he is. Lost, Gav initially relies upon his instincts and his reputation to decide what actions he should take despite his heart not really being into it. As he learns that seemingly everyone around him, even Dread Lord Gavrax to a certain degree, only did things because it is what the world expected of them, Gav starts to feel comfortable making decisions for himself and not simply because it is what his former self would've done. It was pretty obvious that Gav would eventually turn away from his Dark Wizard past and try to be "good" but I do like that the story kept him conflicted about his decisions through a good chunk of the story, making him feel more like a real person with flaws and imperfections than someone who just always does what is right.

 

Power Rangers Prime Vol 3 by Melissa Flores

"They were heroes ... who fought battles the rest of the world could not. ...  They fought evil. They didn't always win. But that wasn't the point. The point was that they always chose to try again. And they never fought alone."

 

The Power Rangers' rematch against the VR Troopers comes to and end when Red Ranger Lauren surrenders herself in the hopes of finding her captured father and brother in Eltarian custody. Now knowing a team of Power Rangers are on the loose, The Eltarians send their best to track them down - Jun's father! While regrouping, Rita reveals more of her past, and what the future could hold for her Power Rangers. Jun and the other Rangers eventually face off against Jun's father - and come away victorious! Knowing they'll always be hunted, the group decides to split-up, each determined to get stronger for when the world should need them once more.

The action continues in the third volume of Power Rangers Prime. Set in an alternate reality, an alien race known as the Eltarians have brought order to the galaxy and the Power Rangers instead are hunted down as terrorists. Rita's Power Rangers begin to see the truth behind The Eltarians' totalitarian regime, including those who were a part of the system. We get to see Jun struggle between his Eltarian heritage and his adopted Earth culture, eventually rebelling against his father's teachings and siding with his friends and the legacy of the Power Rangers taught to him as a child. Battling against those who aren't "evil" monsters such as the VR Troopers (I still can't get over how cool it is to see them again!), the Power Rangers Prime don't resort to simply destroying their enemies, but find other means to diffuse the situation. As I mention all the time, being behind in my reading means I'm looking forward to the final chapter of this series which I should be receiving in my October comic shipment. Based on the ending of this volume, I'm expecting a time skip of a couple years before the team reunites to protect the galaxy as the Power Rangers are meant to do, perhaps now as outlawed vigilantes rather than the praised heroes they're typically portrayed as. Well I guess I'll see just how correct I was on that.

 

Books of 2026: August

  

 

Absolute Martian Manhunter #7 - 12 by Deniz Camp

"Life if made of choices. Anti-Life is the absence of choice."

"Tyler arrives ... followed by a parade of humanity's worst ideas -- suicide, slavery, credit scores, war."

 

John Jones lost everything after the White Martian attack - the FBI suspended him, his wife kicked him out of their home, his son won't see or speak with him. Everything except the Green Martian still inside his head, still pushing Jones to work together to find the escaped White Martian. A moment of separation draws out others searching for Jones' companion. While the Green Martian is captured and studied, a new Martian invades Jones' mind, one that shades his thoughts with despair. Jones sets out to rescue his captured Martian using all the tricks and insights of reality the Green Martian attempted to pass along to him. The White Martian, meanwhile, begins to twist reality through Jones' son Tyler, warping the world into chaos. While others stand watch, waiting to see what may become of their world, Jones once again attempts to reconnect with his wife and son, to understand and be understood. Can their bond be enough to drive out the White Martian and dispel the Anti-Life tearing the world apart?

It's the end (for now?) of DC's Absolute Martian Manhunter, and what a ride it's been. You may have read my earlier review of issues #7-9 (the first half of the second story arc) and, first off, ewww, you actually read this thing, but second, yeah, I went back to re-read those issues before starting on the last three issues. The writing throughout the series has been superb and I do agree with other reviews I've read about how Camp pushes the boundaries of what a "superhero" story can be (and, I read Camp's "Assorted Crisis Events", so I'm not surprised at what he can do with the written word). The art, too, elevates the story - disjointed and abstract at times to blue the lines of what may or may not be real. I really liked journeying with Despair The Zero, the Blue Martian, for a bit, as it added to the complexity of Jones' situation. Despair's vision allowed Jones to still see "The Truth" but through a more ... gloomy point of view. I also enjoyed the "meta-physical" battle Jones had with the government agents seeking to capture The Martian as it presented a very, very different kind of superhero battle than I'm used to reading (and I've been reading a lot of superhero stories recently, as you'll see). It was a great follow-up to the first six issues and, though Camp has said he doesn't have plans for another story, I heard rumors that Jones and the Martian may still play a bigger, pivotal role in the Absolute Universe, so we'll see what else may come from this storyline.

Not too familiar with DC Comics lore, I needed to actually look into what the "Anti-Life" was in the regular universe, which apparently is a mathematical proof of the meaningless of life. This being DC's Absolute Universe, it was interesting to see the concept presented in a new way. As Jones becomes more and more separated from his loved ones, The Martian remarks that it sees the Anti-Life growing and spreading within him. The Martian, thus, sees life as meaningless without connections and attachments to other people as that's what makes life worth living. Even Jones' realization at the end of the story - that he cannot overcome his despair alone and requires the help of his loved ones - was a cool way to fend off the spreading Anti-Life. I like to think the message that Absolute Martian Manhunter imparts is that the opposite of life isn't simply death, but to go through life alone and empty.

 

Dungeon Crawler Carl Vol. 1 created by Matt Dinniman

"'Come on, Carl. Let's go find one of those bosses. And kill it ... with style.'"

In an instant, Carl's world was gone. After flattening all man-made structures around the world, the invading aliens presented those caught outside a choice: descend into their dungeons or die on the surface. In the dungeons below, Carl and his ex-girlfriend's cat, Princess Donut, discover they've entered into the universe's most popular survival game show, Dungeon Crawler World! Along with the remainder of Earth's surviving population, Carl and Princess Donut must defeat a labyrinth filled with dangerous monsters, level-up their own abilities, and collect loot boxes to not only survive but rise to the top of the show's popularity charts. As they delve deeper into the dungeon, will the unlikely pair survive the horrors of this new world long enough to become Dungeon Crawler World's most popular contestants?

Finally getting into Dungeon Crawler Carl! I'd first heard about this as a book series, then as a webtoon (online comics, I guess?), then as this graphic novel, and apparently it's also being adapted into a TV show (Seth Rogan has been producing some banger comic-turned-TV show series recently, so I'm really hopeful). I'd meant to read the novel series, then I saw this for pre-order, so I decided instead on reading it this way (besides, who doesn't like pictures?). This book collects the first 13 issues of the web comic, which makes me wonder just how many of these books they're going to publish as I'm pretty sure the book series is still ongoing. One thing I do want to address with reading the story in this format is that you can clearly tell the story was not originally published this way: the binding isn't done correctly and sometimes cuts off part of the comic panel; at times, the writing in the panel is too small to read likely because it was originally published knowing the reader could simply "enlarge" the image with two fingers. That said, I'll likely keep reading the story in this format simply because it's the way I started reading it (and, maybe, one day, I'll get around to reading the novel version).

Back to the story though. When I first heard about this book, I heard it described as LitRPG where the main character "levels up" using traditional RPG mechanics. In the story, Carl and Princess Donut enter a dungeon and gain power and abilities with not only each monster they defeat, but the methods and tactics they employ to dispatch each enemy. I really liked the sarcastic "flavor text" which accompanies each box, leaning into the obvious game show host aspect of the game. Despite it sounding like a lame attempt to turn your tabletop game into a traditional story, I've also seen this type of story done well, especially in the popular "Solo-Leveling" manhwa (which I will also eventually finish). It's definitely a new and unique way to introduce character growth and "powering-up" to the story. Honestly, I'm also jealous for not writing a story like this sooner as it seems (with all of my game playing) the type of story I could've tried to put together. Meh, oh well. It's a different type of storytelling, and I'm curious if Dinneman can keep this Loot Box-leveling system fresh as the story progresses.

 

Ain't No Grave by Skottie Young

"'It matters not if you feel the water deserves you when it calls you back to its depths. Denial is natural ... but acceptance is inevitable!'"

 

 Once a feared outlaw, Ryder only desires to live a long life as a mother and wife. When she is given a diagnosis that threatens to cut her new life short, she sets out to change her fate the only way she can think of - by killing Death itself. With her pistols at her side, she'll cut a path through a horde of townsfolk, guns blazing; gamble with her very life aboard a riverboat casino; and sink to depths never imaginable until she finally gets the meeting she wants. But, what will be the ultimate outcome of the gunslinger's duel with Death?

Enough time has passed since my last reading of this book that I thought it deserved another full-ish write-up. I was pretty excited to re-read this one when I saw it was picked for this month's Book Club book. As someone mentioned, we don't get a lot of Old West comics (or maybe I'm just not familiar with too many), so this was a good change of pace. Plus, I saved some money as I still had the copy I bought a couple years ago (Hooray, I'm cheap!) I did have to find it amongst all the other books I'm again beginning to horde, so that took a minute. As I hope I mentioned the last time (I wouldn't know, I try not to read my own work), I enjoyed reading this one, not just for the story, but for the amazing and detailed artwork through these five collected issues. Though I originally picked up the first issues to get a taste of the story, I think the story reads a lot better as a collection. Young captures the five stages of grief perfectly in each chapter, and I think the story flows better reading it all at once rather than waiting the standard month between individual issues.

At the Book Club, we mostly discussed Ain't No Grave's great characters. Of course, though I haven't read a lot of Old West gunslinger stories, I have seen a bunch of movies, and Ryder definitely evokes the images of Clint Eastwood and John Wayne from those old western movies, or Sharon Stone's The Lady from "The Quick and the Dead" (that feels a big more recent, at least). The detail put into Ryder's depiction, particularly her billowing coat, was particularly impressive, especially when it was pointed out how both Ryder and Death have similar outlines/frames. As someone mentioned in the group, seeing a "Cool Death", one depicted with an aura of gravitas about them, always makes a character, and the scene as a whole, better. We then spent a while naming a our favorite depictions of Death from various media. Sorry, yeah, like with the previous Book Club book, "Barbaric", we just didn't have a lot to discuss besides how much we liked the story.

 

Blue Moon by Lee Child

"'That's me being magnanimous in victory. Normally I kill them, kill their families, and piss on their ancestors' graves.'"

"Ten thousand generations were screaming at him to take cover, but the front part of his brain was fighting back with the new stuff, math and geometry and probabilities, calculating how likely it was that seven random guys could hit a target as small as a man's eyes and the top of his head, at range, with handguns, while agitated, and the covering fire was weak enough that the ancient reflexes lost the argument, and were boxed up and put away, leaving the modern man to do his lethal work undisturbed."

Stepping off a bus in a new city, Jack Reacher saves an elderly man from being mugged of an envelope of cash worth more than the sum of its contents. Intending to simply help the injured man deliver his envelope, Reacher instead finds himself unknowingly entering into the middle of a turf war between two mob factions, each controlling one-half of the city. Can Reacher survive long enough in a city where everyone wants him dead to punish the greedy and help the elderly man and his wife pay off a large debt?

It feels like a long time since I've read a Jack Reacher novel, and with the new season released on Prime, I figured it was time to do so again. Plus, I wanted an easy entry back into reading novels again. In my quest to read all of these books in release order, I ended up buying a used copy off Amazon, especially since I'm currently sitting on the next three books which I found at a used book sale. It's a classic Jack Reacher novel: Reacher wanders into town on a whim, investigates some form of wrongdoing and goings-on, and solves the problem with his brain, brawn, and bullets, then sets back out onto the road once more. It's a fun read, easy to follow (even between my comic reading), and self-contained so I don't feel immediately compelled to jump into the next book.

As "fantastical" as this book series has been (Reacher never works out yet still stays in peak physical condition, always manages to sleep with the attractive female character, always finds clothes his size at the Goodwill), the thing that took me out a bit in this story was just how accepting everyone of his companions became with killing. I understand that two of them have a military background, but there wasn't a hint that the other two had even handled a gun before, and suddenly their okay with firing on other human beings? I've shot guns before, and trust me, they're pretty easy to figure out the basics, and I understand people will fight when they're being threatened, but it might take more than a quick pep-talk before I start firing on a bunch of guys who may or may not want to kill me. I don't know why it bothered me so much in this story when I'm pretty sure it happened in others, but it did.

Absolute Flash #16 - 18 by Jeff Lemire

As Wally West searches for clues on how to bring his father back from the Still Point dimension, he receives a psychic distress call from his runaway friend, Grodd. He and Linda race to Grodd's location only to find Grodd's father enslaving the minds of soldiers sent to capture the two apes, including most of the Rogues. Can Wally prove to the enhanced ape that not all humans are bad and free those who may know how to get his father back home? Meanwhile, Dr. Thawne, having made a deal with the Justice League, dispatches a new team of enhanced humans to capture The Flash.

Picking up from the previous story arc and introducing the start of a new one, I thought these three issues moved particularly fast, more "monster of the week" style compared to the other Absolute titles which have moved onto longer plotlines. From the ending of the previous story arc, I was hoping for more Grodd since the psychic is a major villain in DC comics. Instead, the Gorilla City plot lasted just two issues before the Rogues lethally solved the problem. Despite The Rogues killing his father in front of him, Grodd seemingly moves on from the incident particularly fast, and I'm curious if this is supposed to be a foil to the way Wally is instead obsessed with bringing his father back? What I am looking forward to is the team-up between Dr. Thawne and the Justice League as well as the introduction of Wally's own Reverse-Flash nemesis.

 

Absolute Catwoman #1 - 3 by Che Grayson and Scott Snyder

With almost everything she ever wanted nearly in hand, Selina Kyle looks to retire from her life as the world's greatest burglar. But, when a figure from her past passes along her own stolen prize, it'll drag Kyle into a globe-spanning quest, reunite her with her hold crew, and possibly even lead her to save the world.

From the pages of DC's "Absolute Batman" comes a series focused on Selina Kyle, Absolute Catwoman. Loving pretty much everything published in DC's newest universe, and hearing the book co-helmed by Scott Snyder of "Absolute Batman", it was a no-brainer to pick-up this series, too. If you're looking at the image, yeah, I also wanted to show-off that I got the David Nakayama cover variant of issue #1 (hopefully he makes his way down for another convention one day). The interior art isn't as ... grim, I guess is the right word, as that of "Absolute Batman"'s art, but it lends itself well to the flashback scenes portraying Kyle and her teenage crew, The Calicos. The story jumps back and forth between the present day and Kyle's teenage years as Kyle and the remaining Calicos try to solve the mystery of the device and their kidnapped friend. I'm happy that it's a interesting heist story fitting to the character and not just another generic superhero story.

Absolute Wonder Woman #21 - 23 by Kelly Thompson

"For I have made friends with rage. Together we have made weapons. And plans. And promises. And it has kept me warm ... in the darkest night. But when? When will it consume me? Will I know? Will I care?"

 

Returned against her will to the Wild Isle, Diana seeks out her mother's assistance only to find her taken from their home. Running out of time, Diana will cut her way through some of the fiercest monsters in Hell until she finds her mother and frees her from her chains. Upon returning to Earth, however, she'll find her friend already gone, having escaped her captors for a price yet to be determined. Diana's interrogation of Veronica Cale is cut short by Zeus's appearance as a giant eye over Gateway City. What does the King of the Gods have planned for the Amazonian?

Following the cliffhanger of the previous story arc which rescued Diana but left her friend in the hands of her enemies, Absolute Wonder Woman begins with Diana trying to find her way back to Earth, and a bigger threat arriving to Gateway City. As much as I loved seeing Diana's combat prowess on full display against the denizen's of Hell and her rage against Cale's defenses, the aspect of the book which really kept me hooked was Diana's desperation to find her friend and Dr. Barbara Minerva's internal struggle deciding whether or not to accept The Cheetah into herself. Despite what will likely be an upcoming battle against Zeus (possibly even more gods, too), it's their friendship that I want to see more of. We also get a better look into Veronica Cale's motivation, and, while it is exactly as the reader expects (I forgot, did she actually talk about why she fights against Diana in earlier issues?), I really liked that Diana is not only able to understand the other's reasoning, but also quickly debunks all of her claims. Absolute Wonder Woman continues to be a good read and I'm excited to see what comes next.

 

I Hate Fairyland Vol. 10: Monsters Gonna Monster by Skottie Young

Gert has done a lot of terrifying things during her years trapped in Fairyland, but now she'll take on a role she has never done before: Mad Scientist! Before she can start creating reanimating life, however, she'll need to secure an appropriate castle, and wardrobe, and ... parts. Watch Gert bring her terrifying monster to life, and then another to care for it, and then simply abandon the project altogether only for it to come back to haunt her. Transitioning to a new career path, Gert picks up a wand and becomes a fairy godmother - maybe not the best but one that another little girl needed. Finally, Gert and Larry will swap genres and stories while their creator tries to decide where next to take the characters.

Didn't you just read a volume of I Hate Fairyland quite recently? Yeah, I mentioned I was behind on my reading, didn't I? Needing a sort-of palate cleanser after the slew of DC superhero comic I got through, I decided to pick this one off the top of my To Read pile (yes, a literal pile) and managed to sneak it in right as the month ended. Well, another volume of I Hate Fairyland in, and it looks like it might be the last for a bit as Skottie Young puts the story on hiatus while he decides where next to take Gert's adventures. The story has gone in so many crazy directions since I started reading it, I'm genuinely curious to see where Young takes it whenever he decides to start writing again. While more of the recent chapters have read as single, one-shot stories, this one contained a longer, three-issue stint revolving around Gert bringing a monster to life, and, in true Frankenstein-ian fashion, it does not go well. I also love Young making fun of himself as the "hideous face" that Gert gives her creation (at least, from the cap and beard, I'm assuming that's how he looks). Gert's stint as a fairy godmother was a fun play on the usual "guardian angel" trope with Gert instead delivering vengeance upon her ward's enemies. I also really enjoyed the "meta-ness" of the final chapter as Young tries to decide on Gert's next adventure, discussing the project with his peers, and concluding with Gert and Larry on a white page while Young decides to step away from the project, for now. It's another fun read, and was exactly what I needed before once again jumping back into the collection of superhero stories I'm sitting on.

 

Books of 2026: July

 

I think I'm starting to make a dent in clearing up all the comic books sitting on my bedroom floor. Hopefully I can continue this reading momentum.
 

DC/Marvel Superman/Spider-Man and Marvel/DC Spider-Man/Superman by various writers

"'You do it because great people -- kind people -- they taught you it's the right thing to do.'"

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of their first crossover, DC and Marvel put together another crossover event featuring their iconic characters. In DC/Marvel Superman/Spider-Man issue, the two title characters team-up against the duo of Brainiac and Doc Ock as the evil pair broadcast a kryptonite-laden data code into the minds of the people of Metropolis in "Truth, Justice, and Great Responsibility" by Mark Waid. The issue also includes seven other fun crossover stories. Some of my favorites include: Lois Lane and Mary Jane Watson seek out the reason for a Sentinel attack while Superman and Spider-Man keep the giant robot at bay in "The World's Finest." A humorous case of mistaken identity in "Jimmy Con Carnage" leads to a fatal meeting between Jimmy Olsen and Carnage as the photographer attempts to snap a picture of Spider-Man. In "The Bridge," a chance encounter between Johnathan Kent and Ben Parker saves the lives of two kids caught in a storm while Superman and Spider-Man sing the praises of the two men who raised them.

In the following one-shot Marvel/DC Spider-Man/Superman, Spider-Man and Superman find themselves trapped in a plot to take control of The Man of Steel by their combined rogue's gallery led by their arch-nemeses, The Green Goblin and Lex Luthor in "Our Kryptonite" by Brad Meltzer. Similar to the DC/Marvel issue, this one also featured a few crossover stories. In "Sweethearts," Gwen Stacy and Lana Lang compare their lives - including the men they're in love with. Mysterio, utilizing a Red Lantern, causes the world to be consumed in rage in "Identity War," leaving only a select few, including Superman, to talk down The Hulk and cease the Red Lantern's curse. Ghost Spider and Supergirl, both disappointed they're not meeting each others' titular counterpart, reluctantly team-up to stop a supervillain only to find each other worth of their admiration in "Remarkable."

When I first heard about the two crossover books, I wasn't aware there had been a previous one done 50 years ago - I simply pre-ordered them because I really liked the Batman and Deadpool crossover books the two companies released last year. Since I don't talk about artwork enough, I want to make sure I mention just how good all the covers were for those two books (yeah, so, so many fucking variants). Though I typically buy the standard Cover A for most books, I was really happy I opted to buy both comics featuring Ghost Spider and Supergirl on their variant cover especially since I really enjoyed their fun crossover story ("Sorry, I was hoping to meet the other Super-person/Spider-person," hahaha!). Overall, both books provided a good mix of fun, inspiring, and humorous stories. I also appreciated that both companies tapped into the creativity of established writers and artists (I recognized quite a few names just from the current books I'm reading). I think that's my biggest take away from these books: that despite having access to the same characters, all the writers made the stories their own with different plots for the same characters.

The Ultimates #14 - 18 by Deniz Camp and Ultimate Universe: 2 Years In by Deniz Camp and Alex Paknadel

"'Our future is gone -- forever -- but we are not the first generation to see their stars go out. This is not our sky. These are not our stars. But we will fight for them all the same. And for each other.'"

The revolution continues! The Ultimates continue their revolt against The Maker and his Council by striking their facilities and resources, and building their team of superheroes. More importantly, by teaching the masses the truth of their universe, they'll inspire the everyday people to join their ranks and rise up against their oppressors.

And, in a special issue, The Guardians of the Galaxy of the 61st century, having had their team scattered and destroyed by The Maker's changes, jump through space and time in order to reclaim their utopia. As hope dwindles, they'll make a startling discovery about their past, present, and future.

It's the lead-up to the finale the new Ultimate Universe has been building to as "The Ultimates" close out the first two years of this new universe built in The Maker's image. First off, yeah, I know the entire series has been released already. I just fell far behind in the series, and, right now, I just don't feel like binging my way through the rest of the series, so I'll stop here for now right before the big finale arc. Besides, I've got a bunch of other superhero stories to read as you'll see if you continue this list (huh, maybe "superhero fatigue" is real?). Despite the title of the series being taken from the superhero team, the issues are focuses on The Ultimates operating as smaller teams of two or three characters rather than the group bringing the full-force of their team against a single target likely due to the Hit and Run tactics required in guerilla warfare. I especially enjoyed the issue focused on Wren, just a normal girl who, inspired by The Ultimates, decided to stand up against the atrocities she witnessed under The Maker's rule. The entire issue gave a "First They Came"-vibe The growth of the revolution, including bringing regular people into their fold, definitely has me excited for the war against The Maker and the conclusion of the universe.

From its earliest iterations, Marvel's Ultimate universes have been meant to reflect our own society back to us. The previous Ultimate universe I recall reading showed us a world of superheroes in a post-9/11 world, where superhumans were used as tools of the government to protect US interests, at home and abroad. This universe, corrupted by The Maker's influence, shows us a world where the "correct" timeline has been twisted and corrupted, a world of stolen destinies, where truth is written by those in power while the masses live under the authoritarian rule of a secret cabal. It's unsettling at times, especially the scenes of "faceless men" (i.e. masked men) snatching people off the street for simply not fitting in with their idea of a perfect society. It's a world that should upset the reader, but also show that no "superhero" is coming to save them. Instead, The Ultimates rely upon the everyday person to also stand-up to their oppressors. Of course, comics books also make things easy. So far, they've only had to fight "bad guys," those who are directly linked to The Maker and his Council. But what happens when they have to confront ordinary citizens who have been tricked to believe The Council is right and The Ultimates are terrorists destroying their way of life? I'm definitely looking forward to reading the last few issues of the series to see how it all ends.

 

Absolute Batman #20 - 22 by Scott Snyder

"'See, Grimm and I, we thought it'd be funny. After all, what's the natural prey of an owl, Bruce? That's right ... a bat! That's the why of your life. Batman isn't a project. He's a joke.'"

The origin of The Batman is revealed! The Batman breaks into Blackgate Prison in search of answers where The Straw Man reveals Jack Grimm V and his associates were responsible for Thomas Wayne's death and for pushing the young Bruce Wayne to don the cowl - as a joke. Gotham City's newly-formed Robins confront the fleeing vigilante and a fight occurs with Batman barely escaping capture. Despite being broken by Bane, Bruce's Crime Alley friends come together once again, agreeing to save Bruce from himself and the path he is walking. While again evading the police and The Robins, Harley reveals her past to Bruce in an attempt to stop him from digging deeper into his own history and focus on the current mission, but ultimately fails.

The next story arc of Absolute Batman begins with Bruce's decent into madness and fear as he searches for answers to his past. I know, didn't I just talk about this book last month? Well, jokes on you, as being behind in my reading meant only finishing up to the last story arc last month and leaving the other issues for the next month - which is now. So many stand-out moments in just three issues - The Origin reveal, Batman vs The Robins, Bruce's first meeting with The Joker, Harley's past reveal - makes me excited to complete the rest of the story arc. After dealing with the powerhouse that was Bane, The Straw Man, this universe's Scarecrow, provides a whole new type of terror. Thanks to the dread and psychological torment brought about by this new villain, Bruce begins to question his own identity. It's a new type or horror, and I can't wait to see its conclusion.

Identity plays a big part in the first three issues of this new story arc. After the reveal that every decision he made was influenced and orchestrated as part of a joke by The Joker, Bruce plummets down the rabbit hole in search of the truth to his past. It's a psychological attack on The Batman, sidelining him while The Joker and his associates continue their assault on the city, which we can assume is happening "off-screen"while Bruce is distracted. Harley does try, unsuccessfully, to bring him back to the present by telling him her own story. Knowing what he knows now, will Bruce allow it to shape his present or will he continue to stay the course he set when he donned the cowl?

 

I Hate Fairyland Vol. 9 Back on my Bull Ship by Skottie Young

"'Why are we doing this again?'
'I was gonna ask you the same thing.'
'We always do this crazy ship because you tell me to.'
'One: not true. And two: This one was all you. I even said, 'They're not giving us a clue, a key, or even money.' And you were all like, 'But killing!'"

After saving the fantastical world Gert has earned another chance to to return home, if she can find her magic key ... which did not work out so well the first time. Join Gert and Larry as they once again set out on a violent quest across Fairyland. Returning to her old chaotic roots, Gert will stumble through a pub crawl, witness the quest of a grimdark unicorn in search of its missing horn, murder her way through a literal food war, confront a nemesis seeking revenge, and set sail with Popeye, the Sailor Man (welcome to the public domain) - all in her quest to once again return home.

If you're thinking it's been awhile since I talked about "I Hate Fairyland", well, you're right. In my own quest to clean up my backlog of To Read books, I kept putting his book off in favor of floppy issues I'd eventually board-and-bag and box, and other books I planned to read once and trade-in for more books (got about fifty bucks in store credit at last trade-in, if you're curious). Plus, I sort-of lost it in the stack. Despite my lapse, the "I Hate Fairyland" series has lost none of its charm - being the exact same kind of book I loved from its first issue (which I actually now do own, in a CGC 9.8, no less). Like I say every time I read these books, I love the over-the-top cartoon violence told in vibrant colors. One of the things I love about Young's writing is his irreverence, poking fun at established characters, and this volume is filled with his sense of humor: the Dungeon Pub Crawl feels like a nod to the increasingly popular "Dungeon Crawler Carl" series, the grim unicorn and mushroom-samurai being joke-versions of the characters "Hellboy" and "Usagi Yojimbo" respectively, the war between appetizers and desserts likely being a real argument Young either had or overheard, and, of course, the Popeye joke featuring the character himself. Young's writing is great at poking fun without being insulting, keeping everyone laughing.

 

Absolute Green Arrow #1 - 3 by Pornsak Pichetshote

"Are these our options now? Ignore the monsters we work for ... or throw watch parties for their executions?"

The wealthy and powerful thought they could protect themselves by killing a good man, but the death of Oliver Queen simply inspired someone far more deadly to take his place. When Queen's former business partners and associates are assassinated by a killer with green arrows, they'll hire his former lover Dinah "The Black Canary" Lance, a former cop turned MMA fighter turned down-on-her-luck bodyguard to not only protect themselves but find the assassin's identity. As the bodies pile up, as leads run low, as the mysteries get stranger, Lance will learn that perhaps she never knew Queen as well as she thought.

DC's newest Absolute series, Absolute Green Arrow picks up after the events of the Absolute Evil one-shot which ended with Oliver Queen's corpse tossed onto a table as an example of what happens when someone crosses The Justice League. With the standard Green Arrow hero dead, a new, deadlier vigilante dons his cowl. From the size of the Arrow family in DC's continuity, it's a great mystery to discover who it is that decided to take on Oliver Queen's alter ego in this new universe. The star of this series is Dinah "The Black Canary" Lance, a private security contractor, hunting for the killer preying on the elites who abuse their power and status while secretly investigating the mysterious death of her friend and former lover. It's a story drenched in blood as this new Green Arrow stabs and slashes their way through scores of bodies to the target.

With the targeting of corporate CEO's and those who abuse their wealth and status, readers can't not see the connection Absolute Green Arrow has to real-world events such as the Epstein scandal and the assassination of the UnitedHealthcare CEO. In just the first three issues we witness the killings of a corporate CEO who used his money and status to prey on young girls, a pharmaceutical CEO who used legal loopholes to not only avoid prison but also earn millions of dollars while people suffered. The main character, Dinah Lance, is even forced to work with these people as they're actively blackmailing her. Capturing the public's reaction to the Green Arrow killings are little social media snippets in which some condemn the murders while others not only praise the violence but encourage it. I think what separates the story from the real world is the public assassination of Oliver Queen, a good man who tried to do the right thing. His death made him a martyr and seemingly inspired this universe's Green Arrow to take a more lethal approach than their in-continuity counterpart. Who this killer is and whether their actions are justified will likely be explored in the following issues.

 

Absolute Superman #18 - 21 by Jason Aaron

"'Sure, he's a damn kid who still don't know how to throw a decent punch. But he's already done about the most impossible thing I could've ever imagined. Damn fool went and made me believe.'"

"After all ... this is the age of the Superman. And we're just living in it."

It's a battle of the Supermen! At the Lazarus' Corporation's last hidden cache, Black Adam is freed from his imprisonment. Once a slave to a pharaoh, he was granted superhuman powers by a collection of Brainiacs looking for a test subject for their recently discovered Father Box. Kal-El, The Justice League's Hawkman, and Steel, a man wielding a hammer with the power of a neutron star, will join forces in a fight against the superman's rage to prevent him from again conquering the planet as he did millennia ago. As their battle brings destruction across the planet, Kal-El still ensures no harm comes to the bystanders. In the end, Kal-El will stand alone against Black Adam, two men who arrived "wearing the dust of their home." Will Superman be able to pacify the conqueror's rage and inspire him to reform as he had inspired so many others to do?

Taken from DC's mainline universe's "Reign of the Super-man" event, in Absolute Superman we witness a planet-spanning battle between this universe's super-men Kal-El, Steel, Hawkman, and Black Adam. It's an epic battle between titans as the three super-men attempt to contain Black Adam. I love these callbacks to Superman's history and how they're twisted in this universe thanks to Darkseid's hand. Instead of the supermen attempting to fill a vacuum left by Superman's death and ending with Superman's rebirth, the three seek instead to usurp Kal-El's will and goals, and instead ends with Kal-El exiling himself. I also like the arc as it further establishes just how long this universe's Justice League has been quelling and suppressing any attempt to change the status quo they've established.

The best part of this story's arc isn't the epic battle, but learning how, despite his changed background, Superman still inspires those around him to be better people. Despite his godly abilities, the main universe Superman sees himself more as a symbol of hope, and I like that the Absolute Universe version is able to do the same. I really liked seeing Hawkman, despite years of serving as The Justice League's enforcer, siding with Kal-El after just meeting him once, and that, after he does what he believes had to be done to stop Black Adam, goes "on a bender" because he failed to live up to Kal-El's standard. Also, seeing Lois Lane attempting to reform Talia Al Ghul rather than continue to seek revenge for her father's death is another example of Kal-El's influence. Though this universe was created to give the villains the advantage and take away what Darkseid saw to be the heroes' greatest strengths, I love that the heroes still manage to overcome and be the heroes they're meant to be. I'm definitely curious to see, in Kal-El's absence, if the people will continue to strive to be better as he tried to inspire them to be.

 

Barbaric Vol. 1 Murderable Offenses and Vol. 2 Axe to Grind by Michael Moreci

"And now, I roam, cursed, of all things, to be good. Whatever the fuck that means. All I truly know is that I am nothing ... I'm no one."

"'No, Axe, it isn't. Because what's right for one person might be wrong for another. And when you solve every problem with killing, people don't tend to learn. But you wouldn't get that, because you're a fucking axe."'

"'Gods, I thought the problem I had with orcs is all the people you kill and eat ... but really it's the awful fucking sound of your voices.'"

Owen the Barbarian lived simply: drink, fuck, fight. After an encounter with a trio of witches, his life changed. Cursed to only do good and guided by a magical, sentient axe, he must now lend a hand - or fist, or blade - to those in need. When evil forces take over a monastery, he'll team-up with a tragic necromancer to save the town.

And, when an enemy from the past reemerges, Owen, Soren, and Axe will set-off on a new quest to put the villain back in the ground. Reunited with a old party member, the group will track through dangerous and deadly terrain to confront the growing evil. Will Owen kill the powerful Orc Lord for good this time? And what other aspects of the barbarian's curse will be revealed?

Volume One, Murderable Offenses was chosen for this month's Graphic Novel Book Club book, and I got really lucky that on my visit to Skull-Face trade-in so books, I just happened to find Volume Two, Axe to Grind on the shelves. These two Barbaric books were fun, bloody rides from beginning to end. I think I may have seen this title on the shelves or as a recommendation before, but I'd never looked into it until now. I'm really happy to have read a swords-and-sorcery fantasy story in the middle of all these superhero stories I'm currently trying to catch-up with just so it gives me something different to read. Not that I'm not enjoying reading about superheroes, I just like the difference a high fantasy story brings with it. Of course, one of the biggest differences is the setting: rather than a modern city-scape, we're put in a medieval feudal town. Further still, since Owen is a barbarian, we aren't shown the upper-echelon of society (i.e. palaces and kings), but what is likely considered the dregs (fighting pits and run-down bars). I really liked the premise of this violent beast of a man being forced to now only use his violent nature to do good deeds. You'd think "doing good" to perhaps mean using his words over his fists, but, really, the only time he talks is to consult with his sentient axe to determine if someone deserves to be cleaved. It's definitely a departure from the typical paladin character who would be this sort of main character. I also loved Owen's reluctance to do these good deeds because "doing good" isn't so simple, showing that he isn't just a brute, but intelligent, as well. The second book is even more straight-forward as the villain is shown to simply be evil, someone Owen has no issue with murdering. Both books were really fun reads and pretty straight-forward, so much so that we didn't really have too much to talk about at the club meeting. It was a fun read, overall, and I definitely want to read the rest of the series. 

Absolute Green Lantern Vol. 2 Sojourner by Al Ewing

"'I can feel it now. And it hurts. but it's mine. It's my pain. It's my life. The bad, the good, everything I am is in this ring ... and nobody takes that away."'

Mojo and it's Black Star enforcers continue to cleanse the quadrant of heretics who go against their teachings. Meanwhile, Jo Mullein and an unconscious Hal Jordan hide out at Jo's ex-wife's home. With what he gathered from the Evergreen scene, billionaire Hector Hammond creates a biological weapon to hunt down Jo and her ring. As the group is pushed into a corner by Hammond's seemingly unstoppable monster, both Jo and Hal unlock their abilities to destroy the creature.

I swear I read this book. Despite its interesting, cosmic horror vibes, Absolute Green Lantern still feels like the weakest series to me. Maybe it's the slower pace of the story. Maybe I'm just not that familiar with the Green Lantern mythos to pick-up the new subversions and cool twists found in the Absolute universe version. Honestly, maybe it's just too smart for me. After how slowly the first six issues played, I decided to wait it out and buy the collected trade paperback instead so that way I could A) see if the writing became more my speed, B) stay current with the overall happenings of this new universe, and C) more easily sell it off if I didn't like it. As I said, I swear I read this book, but, even so, I needed the Wikipedia article to fully understand it. There were definitely some stand-out moments, such as Mojo the living planet hunting down those that don't follow the Black Stars' teachings, Jo (sort-of) learning her powers, and Hal (with more understanding of Abin Sur's teachings) accessing a new power to counter the Black Stars'. For the most part though, it doesn't feel like Jo contributes much in this arc despite being the main character and I definitely do not like that. I can really only picture one or two stand-out scenes in these six collected issues. I like her flawed character backstory we get in issue 8, and how she is working through it, but that can't be all that makes her interesting. With Jo coming more into her own in the final pages, and the promise of a bigger fight, I'll still be picking-up Volume 3 to read more of this series.

 

Books of 2026: June

 

It kinda feels like I'm reading less and less, especially as I watch the books stack-up in my room, which wouldn't be too bad if I had other, completed writings to show for it. I'll try to get something done about that next month.

Predator Kills the Marvel Universe by Benjamin Percy

"'Let the GREAT HUNT begin, and let Kraven be the spearhead.'" 

The Predator has come for the Marvel Universe! An entire Yautja clan led by it's Predator King descends upon Earth for their most ambitious hunt yet. Armed with Kraven's knowledge of every single hero and villains' abilities and weaknesses, as well as an arsenal of Vibranium weaponry, the invasion appears unstoppable. As the body count rises, can the heroes mount a counterattack in time to prevent further casualties? And, what new weapon is the Weapon Plus program putting together, and will it be enough to turn the tides of the battle?

So, as easy as it would be to just look it up, I'm assuming Disney now owns both the Alien and Predator franchises as well as Marvel, so, yeah, why now set up a money grab with a crossover of your licenses? I know, I said I would stop buying every stupid book just because it is on sale, but, since this followed "Predator vs Spider-Man", I figured I'd take a look. Collecting the five issue series, Predator Kills the Marvel Universe tells a bloody tale as the Yautja rip through the Marvel heroes in a surprise assault until the heroes can mount a counterattack of their own. I really liked seeing The Predators use Kraven's knowledge to take advantage of their prey's weaknesses. I really would've liked an entire book written in this style as the Yautja systematically eliminate their targets using the element of surprise, their numbers, and their advanced weapons. Though, of course, the heroes need to win and save the day. What turned me off was how anti-climactic it felt to see them simply remove their three biggest threats with seemingly no resistance - no big stand-off or fight, it's just over once the heroes understand what they're up against. Meh, it was a good opening, but just a mediocre ending.

 

Everything Dead and Dying by Tate Brombal

"'So I do what I can to protect 'em, keep 'em fed like any other creature under my hand that moves and hungers and smiles. Because I am a good farmer. An' I can't quit. Not on this life. Not on these people I care for so much! Nobody'll take this away from me. I won't give the world that. I can't!'"

As a zombie apocalypse consumes the planet, Jack Chandler only wants to continue with the only life he knows. Immune to the virus, he farms his land and, by keeping the dead of Caverton regularly fed, they remain docile and behave almost as they did when they lived. When a band a survivors happen upon his town, it will be up to Jack to keep his dead town alive. But, as the group discovers his secrets and kills member after member of his community, a new question emerges - should he?

I picked up the first issue of Everything Dead and Dying and immediately loved the premise of a man trying to hold on to what he has at the end of the world. It didn't feel like a book I'd love to re-read over and over again, though, so I waited for the collected trade paperback release rather then continuing to pick-up the individual issues. From Jack's perspective, I was on his side at the beginning: if you found a way to live during the end of the world, why should you be forced to change when these outsiders show up? Plus, there are the obvious parallels to the prejudices he faced as a gay man in a hostile small town and as a living person living and caring for the dead. It honestly kinda reminded me of "Knock at the Cabin", at least what I read of the book summary where you can't tell if the family was targeted because they are gay or because the end of the world is upon them. In the end, Jack realizes he needs to let go of his own prejudices against those who once shunned him and see that he is clinging onto a past with no future and instead continue living his life.

 

Absolute Wonder Woman #15 - 20 and Absolute Wonder Woman Annual #1 by Kelly Thompson

     "'You must stay open and compassionate. You must love all. Everything we've done is for naught if you can't do that ... But that leaves you dangerously open, my darling girl. Vulnerable and exposed.'
     'But perhaps that's good? ... Then maybe this way I can better understand them and all they face. Without any vulnerabilities of my own, it might be hard for me to relate to them ... if I can't understand them, I won't be a very good champion for them.'"

Diana teams-up with The Batman to investigate a series of ritualistic murders in Gotham City possibly connected to her goddess. Back in Gateway City, though the people have embraced her as their guardian - the Wonder Woman - not everyone is as enamored with the demi-goddess. Director Cole unleashes her new Suicide Squard upon Diana and her friends, led by the witch Zatanna Zatara. Despite possessing a spell for every situation and unmatched strength, Diana still chooses to dispatch the villains compassionately rather than with overwhelming force. Seeing her team removed from the battle, Cole will unleash a powerful and adaptable tracker to capture Diana. Will she be able to escape GATE's grasp before they can learn her secrets?

And, in an extra story, Diana sets out to bargain with the goddess Athena in order to change the story and fate of Medusa and her gorgon sisters.

First off, I bet your wondering where this write-up has been all this time? Well, let's just get that out of the way. So, Absolute Wonder Woman #15 was the first crossover issue between DC's Absolute characters, and that made it sell very, very well. A downside to that, unfortunately, was that every comic shop I visited had run out of copies and, online, the secondary market was selling individual issues for upwards of $15 - three times the cover price! Eventually, a second printing was released, which I ordered online, and then spent two months waiting for it to ship - so, that's where I've been at with this series.

Well, enough of my personal problems. Absolute Wonder Woman continues with Director Veronica Cale (basically a mix of Lex Luthor's jealousy and Amanda Waller's ruthlessness) setting her version of the Suicide Squad upon Diana and the people of Gateway City in order to not only capture the Wonder Woman, but also destabilize her fan base. I really like the flashbacks we get into Diana's childhood in the Underworld and how it affects and informs her present day. I also like that even as the villains become stronger, Diana still doesn't rely solely on violence to stop them. From the beginning of this story arc (maybe even since the beginning of this series), Diana is shown to be in a class all to herself in terms of combat of abilities. She can outmatch any of her opponents in physical feats and, given enough time, able to best them in magical capabilities, too. It isn't that she defeats the Suicide Squad (or how effortlessly she does so) but that she does it without killing them, even freeing a few from their bondage in the process. It's what makes her escape at the end so heartbreaking, because she could've done so, but wasn't willing to pay the price. What will be the consequences for abandoning her friend to the machinations of Director Cale?

 

Absolute Batman: Ark-M and Absolute Batman #16 - 19 by Scott Snyder

"'I took Falcone's money, but I didn't just bet it on you. I bet it on all of us. Understand? One of us wins, we all win. I save you, you save me, we all keep saving each other until we all make it out. Crime Alley for life.'"

In a special issue, the secrets of The Asylum are revealed, along with a brief glimpse into Grimm's plans for The Batman.

Bruce Wayne created The Batman as a symbol to terrorize those who would prey upon Gotham and its people. After his public defeat of Bane, he has instead turned himself into the city's champion - a figure bigger than the already hulking bruiser imagined becoming. Seeing the pain The Batman caused to his Crime Alley friends, Bruce Wayne sets out to make things right, traversing The Underworld to do so. Meanwhile, with Bane defeated, Jack Grimm V lets loose the experiments of Ark-M upon Gotham, as well as starts a task force for the sole purpose of apprehending The Batman. Can Bruce survive these new threats as he is now, or will he need to evolve into something more?

You sung the praises of this book from its release, yet you haven't been talking about it. What's going on? Well, DC did its first Absolute Universe crossover with a two-part story split between "Absolute Wonder Woman #15" and Absolute Batman # 16. And, well, I missed picking-up "Absolute Wonder Woman #15", so I waited, and waited until I finally got my hands on the second printing. Meanwhile, all these issues of Absolute Batman piled up as I refused to read them until I got the full story.

In the aftermath of Bane's defeat, the people now see The Batman as their champion - a role Bruce is ill-prepared to play. Meanwhile, more Ark-M residents begin to sow havoc in Gotham while Jack Grimm V puts together a new plan to take down The Batman. As The Batman is knocked on his heels, more troubling news finds Bruce Wayne, all leading to one of the biggest Batman questions - What if there was ONLY The Batman? As twisted and unexpected as this arc has been, this chapter felt more like a set-up for something bigger coming to Gotham. The previous story arcs had established "Big Bads" in Black Mask and Bane. This one, though, focuses more on Jack Grimm V's hold on Gotham. I'm really hoping for something big in the next arc as it looks like The Batman may finally go head to head against The Joker. And, what do Martha Wayne and the Court of Owls have planned for Gotham? Will The Joker's team of orphans aka The Robins be able to capture The Batman? Can Bruce adopt his new persona full-time and abandon who he is? So many questions left unanswered makes me excited for the next chapter.

 

The Weatherman Vol. 1 by Jody LeHeup

On the 7th anniversary of the worst terrorist attack on Earth, weatherman Nathan Bright entertains the citizens of Mars with his over-the-top reporting and on-camera antics. It's nearly impossible to see Bright as anything more than a beloved, zany TV weatherman. Nearly impossible isn't the same as impossible, however. Caught between two factions attempting to capture him, Bright learns they believe him to be one of the masterminds behind the tragedy which claimed 18 billion lives. On the run from not only those looking to prevent or carry-out another attack, but even those seeking revenge and profit, Bright will need to decide quickly who he can trust - and what the truth of his past may be.

Chosen as this month's Graphic Novel Book Club book, The Weatherman was a fun and entertaining read, proving once again that Book Clubs don't need to be filled with pretentious texts and can be just fun stories. Looking back on all the books I've read for the Book Club, this is the first book which I wasn't already at least a little familiar with in some way or form (yeah, I consume a lot of media). Based on the blurb at the back of the book, I assumed it would be similar to either of the two "Total Recall" films - Hidden/ Manipulated memories, Man on the run, Identity Crisis, Terrorism. While the premise felt similar, the style was completely different with vibrant colors and a much less grounded approach to the characters - things done a lot better in comics vs film. I really liked the story and already added Volumes 2 and 3 to my "To Read" list since I couldn't find either at the comic shop nor at the website I've been ordering books from. The only gripe I have is the large cast of characters to keep track of over these five collected issues as I found myself flipping back to previous pages to remember who these characters are. Also, if you're wondering about the Book Club discussion, sorry, but I missed it this month.

 

Author Immortal by Frank Barbiere

"'Never forget young Mage -- magic awakens when you dare to believe in yourself. The brighter you shine, the more the world must change to meet you.'"

"'You only see your story.'"

Professor and struggling writer Hector Ramirez receives the opportunity of a lifetime when he is offered the chance to reboot his beloved childhood novels and bring them into the modern era. Traveling to the deceased author's home along with his teenager, Al, the two are pulled into the fictional world to find it no longer resembles the story they once knew. Inside a crumbling realm tainted from the outside survives a desperate king struggling to keep his kingdom alive and a transformed heroine who was never meant to live for as long as she has. Father and child will need to confront the truth of the fantasy world and the lies they've told themselves in order to escape.

I picked up the first issue on a whim based more off of the title (Author Immortal sounds pretty cool) and the promise of a critique on the stories we hold dear, than the plot (I mean, "Fictional Land is Actually Real" has been done countless times). The first issue held enough promise that I kept the title in mind for when the trade paperback was released. After reading a couple very action-oriented stories in a row, I figured I'd give a more character-driven story a read next. As promised, I did like the critique the story presented on the worship we have for the stories and people that changed our lives. Though I did read it for the characters, I also appreciated that the characters were also in several "fight for your life" situations as no childhood fantasy story would be complete without a bit of danger. At times, however, plot took a backseat to critique - an almost insulting amount of it. Overall though, maybe not one I'm willing to continue if Image Comics does decide to release more issues (so far, it appears to have stopped at Issue #5).

So, I know one of the biggest problems people have with today's media is being "too woke" and focused more on heavy-handed preaching rather than story-telling, and, honestly, I haven't really understood that. Maybe it's because, as an English major, I'm always looking for some sort of meaning or message in stories. Maybe I'm just not consuming these particular stories folks are complaining about so loudly. Maybe I'm just so fucking dense that I don't see what everyone is complaining about. With Author Immortal, that was not the case. I definitely picked-up on it from the very first issue. The tainted and twisted fantasy world Hector and Al wake in shows how we, as readers, pervert these realms from the outside with our own agendas and opinions rather than simply letting them be. Holding tightly onto this beloved world is Hector who also appears slow to adapt to the changing reality. Sheila's love and adoration for the famous yet clearly problematic Luckwell represents how we worship celebrities while dismissing their negative traits. What I really found insulting though was the very obvious J.K. Rowling stand-in of Luckwell, who Barbiere didn't even try to hide or be subtle about. I can understand making her a horrific character because you don't agree with her views, but I do take offense to depicting her as a hack writer who only became great thanks to a Deal with the Devil. Though you may not agree with her opinions, you can still acknowledge her talent as a writer. With every single other character having clearly negative traits, that Al simply represents the outcast minority righteously lashing out at a society that bullies their people reeks of an agenda. As I mentioned, when studying for my English degree, I was used to looking for meaning in texts, and I do try to include some of that in these write-ups to prove (mostly to myself) that I actually read the books and earned that piece of paper, but this was just too much.