Books of 2025: June

Spent the month catching up on floppies I've been neglecting (sometimes, i think there may actually be too much to read)

Kid Venom by T Taigami

In an alternate universe's Japan of 977AD, the black symbiote Clinter bonds with a young boy named Kintaro. Together the pair hunt down and consume other symbiotes, seen as demons by the people of the time. When a horde of evil symbiotes appear, led by a mysterious figure from Clinter's past, the two will face their toughest trial yet. 

Collecting "Kid Venom: Origins" and "Kid Venom" issues #1 - 4, the story focues on the character Kid Venom, a new character recently introduced in 2023. The two stories introduce a new symbiote bonded character, Kintaro/Clinter, in an alternate medieval Japan setting. This new character is able to shapeshift its form into a completely new one depending on the symbiotes Clinter has consumed, providing the pair with new ways to fight. It's interesting and definitely makes the character stand out from the standard Eddie Brock/Venom character. Not having the same access to technology as the modern day heroes, the Minamoto Samurai Corps (a group responsible for hunting down demons) utilize magical weapons to defend themselves and other citizens. the story also provides a couple of "tie-ins" such as references to a sealed Knull (the god of symbiotes), an unusual Spider-Man mask, and, in the end, the introduction to May "Mayday" "Spider-Girl" Parker (not the 616 variant, though).

It was an okay, if a little disappointing, set-up to a new character. I liked the setting in the past without modern tools as it makes the symbiotes (still weak to fire and sonic/loud noises) even more terrifying to the people of this time. I also liked the Minamoto Samurai Corps' use of magic weapons to level the playing field against the symbiotes, and acting as a task force against symbiotes to assist Kintaro and Clinter in their battles. All of this, however, is negated by the literal last page which brings Kintaro to the modern era.

Trinity: Generation S by Tom King

 

A collection of stories focusing on Wonder Woman's daughter, Trinity, from her misadventures tormenting her babysitters Damien Wayne and Jon Kent to adulthood finally becoming worthy to be her mother's successor and standing side-by-side-by-side amongst a new generation of heroes. It's a great collection of one-shot stories written by Tom King featuring stories growing up as the child of a legendary hero.

This was such a fun read! I know I've said before, that I'm usually hesitant to buy books featuring established superheroes as that's a lot of history to catch-up with. It is one of the reasons I try to focus on newer hero stories or re-imagined heroes. I'm also buying a lot more trade paperback books not only because I get a bit of a deal online but also (more importantly) they're easier to offload if I feel like I'll never read it again. This is not one of those books. A collection of one-shot stories featuring heir-apparent trio of Trinity, Superman (Jon Kent), and Robin/Batman (Damien Wayne) in (mostly) hilarious tales as they grow into heroes. We're given entertaining misadventures in babysitting as Jon and Damien attempt to rein in a young Lizzie Prince. In a bit of magic-gone-wrong, Wonder Girl attempts to return Jon and Damien to their human forms after being transformed into corgis. In a more inspiring and heartfelt tale, we see Lizzie's journey to attain the mantle of Wonder Woman, and how it mirrors her own mother's trial. This was a great collection of one-shot stories featuring the growing relationship between three fairly new characters. Though I don't follow a lot of established characters in DC comics (just because of the vast history needed). I'm hoping DC Comics focuses on giving Trinity more stories with or without Damien Wayne and Jon Kent.

Batman and Robin #16 - 20 by Phillip Kennedy Johnson

"Nightwing. Red Hood. Oracle. Signal. Protectors of Gotham. All of you. You are needed. Dr. Malik Bashar is dead ... and Momento has taken Robin. Whatever favors you are owed. Whatever pressure you can apply. Whatever it takes. Turn this city upside down. Find your brother."

A killer from Bruce Wayne's past is on the loose in Gotham! An old friend of Bruce's arrives in Gotham to assist in hunting down Memento - a killer staging his crime scenes to mirror horrific deaths from the past. With Batman infected with a believed-extinct fear drug causing him to see terrifying visions, Robin takes the lead in the investigation. Meanwhile, Bruce and Damien Wayne experience a falling-out as Damien questions not only Robin's necessity, but Batman's as well. With the two separated, Memento strikes and captures Damien, causing Batman to call for aid from the rest of the Bat Family to find their lost brother.

Batman and Robin continue their hunt together for Memento, a killer from Bruce Wayne's time in London whose killings mimicked horrific incidents from the past. As Bruce and Damien Wayne, however, the two experience a falling-out as Damien contemplates giving up his crime-fighting lifestyle to pursue other goals, questioning Gotham's need for The Batman. I definitely like and enjoy that DC gave Johnson more time on writing this series instead of just a few issues as the last one did, simply because it gives more time to flesh out a story. Although there's change in artist, I actually didn't notice anything drastic as when the artists changed from issues #10 to issues #11, I also really love that they brought in Juni Ba to do the artwork for the brief "Robin and Batman" in-story comic as I loved his work on "The Boy Wonder."

These issues contained more of what I really wanted to see in a book called "Batman and Robin" - the dynamic and relationship between the two characters, not just as crimefighters but also as father and son. Of course, we're still getting the story of the two investigating a murderous villain, but we're also seeing more of their personal lives, too. I love seeing Damien question The Batman's role in Gotham, debating whether or not to leave his father's side and perhaps follow in the footsteps of his grandfather, Thomas Wayne, instead. It's interesting to see Damien, at a pretty young age, already having his moment when he is questioning his life alongside The Batman as previous Robins have before him. To see Bruce Wayne/The Batman as well, making questionable choices when it comes to the rearing of his son, also reveals just how much it hurts him to see his son and partner start to turn away from his teachings. I love this dynamic between the two characters, and is the reason I keep buying these issues.

Another small part that I really liked came in the middle of issue #20 - the "Robin and Batman" comic written and drawn by Juni Ba. I liked this call back to Damien's artistic abilities (I really wanted more of this earlier) as a way for him to process his emotions and conduct his investigations. Plus, I loved seeing Ba's artwork again after reading "The Boy Wonder."

Ultimate Black Panther #12 - 17 by Bryan Hill

Finally T'Challa and Moon Knight come face-to-face in a duel for the future of the African continent. Upon his victory, as well as the arrival of the Sorcerer Supreme to Wakanda, more secrets of the true nature of vibranium are revealed. The rare and precious metal, the prize of the Kingdom of Wakanda, built into every part of their city and culture, is alive. More conspiracies unfold as unexpected forces seek to take the throne, while others mean to make The Black Panther a mere puppet in their bid for power.

Despite The Black Panther being a character known to punch, kick, and slash his enemies, the story doesn't focus on action scenes. The duel against his adversary for nearly a dozen issues, The Moon Knight, doesn't even last a full issues, and is instead over within a couple pages. Instead, it is T'Challa's role as King of Wakanda, and what it takes to hold the throne. The story is filled with conspiracies as T'Challa seeks out advisors and allies he can trust. It is a slower "political thriller" maybe is a way to describe it as forces are gathered and allies are positioned. It's definitely a new take and not usually seen in the comic medium which relies on at least one "big moment" per issues to ensure the reader comes back next month for the next issue. I think this "newness" nay have hindered the pacing and story-telling (at least I've never read another comic so focused on politics), but I'm still hopeful that with new threats discovered, the story might pick up and become as exciting as the others. 

Honestly, this is currently my least favorite of the current 5 "Ultimate" books. Umm, it's just a slower burn than the other stories currently in the works, and just doesn't feel as interesting, issue by issue. The change in the "Big Bad" from The Maker's council members to this Living Dark Vibranium and a secret sect within Wakanda's advisors is a good twist, but may have come too late as we're just over halfway through the series. There doesn't also seem to be any connection to the other books, yet, which makes it feel a bit disconnected. I'm hopeful this change in direction will pay-off in the second half of the supposed 24 issue series and peak more of my interest instead of just being a series I'm reading to ensure I don't miss any part of this new Ultimate Universe.

Ultimate X-Men #11 - 16 by Peach Momoko

 

In Hi No Kuni, an unrest has taken hold as the people are still reeling from the body found in an abandoned suitcase. Connected to the cult known as The Children of the Atom, anti-mutant sentiment grows, as does attacks by and against mutants. Gathering those who have gone into hiding, Mei (Maystorm) gathers her "X-Men" to fight against those mutants attacking the general public. Looking for answers, Nico, Mori, and Kanon investigate the remnants of The Children of the Atom cult hoping to find their missing friends. Shinobu once again confronts Hisako, and this time manages to capture her for the cult's nefarious purposes.

Continuing Peach Momoko's unanticipated version of this universe's mutants, "Ultimate X-Men" sees mutants pitted against each other as members of The Children of the Atom either break away or embed themselves deeper into the group's teachings. At the same time, the group's ultimate goal is starting to come together now that they have both Shinobu (Shadow King) and Hisako (Armor) within their grasp. And, of course, in traditional "X-Men" fashion, the entirety of of mutant-kind is being ostracized by those without abilities. Assuming we're about two-thirds of the way through, the story is starting to build to a possible climax pitting Mei's (Maystorm) X-Men against the Children of the Atom, while Hisako and Shinobu potentially battle for the fate of their kind.

Despite some of the negative comments I've seen online about this version of the X-Men, I really love this series - and that's probably because I'm an anime fan. The story is initially set-up as a sort-of body horror story as these children experience changes to their bodies without anyone to guide them through it. Despite sounding pretty cool to find yourself with new powers overnight, it can also be a terrifying experience, especially if someone else is using their gifts to haunt you. The story also sets the classic "teenagers sent on path to save the world" storyline as it appears Hisako, Mai, and the other X-Men are the only ones capable of putting a stop to the cult's goals. When you set high-schoolers - filled with emotions - as your main characters, of course you should have them feel as if the world is centered around them and their actions. And, of course, there's the classic "shouting my attack name" because, hey, why not? It's always a cool thing to see as it provides character insight and emotion to their battles. The story just checks so many boxes for me, and I think it's a cool thing to see depicted in a western comic (though I am glad they didn't go all the way and print the story from back to front, we didn't need to go that far).

Ultimate Wolverine #1 - 6 by Christopher Condon

 

In The Maker's skewed Eurasian Republic, recent mutant activity has led the region's rulers to tighten their control of the populace - through imprisonment, re-education, even execution. Now they've captured their most terrifying weapon yet - a man able to heal himself completely from injuries which would kill any other ordinary man. Through experimentation, sedation, and reconditioning, they'll erase his past and create their perfect soldier, their Winter Soldier. As the adamantium-clawed killing machine completes mission after mission against the rebel forces, The Opposition, he will face old comrades and rediscover who he once was. Will this new version of The Wolverine be able to shake off his shackles and return to the team from which he was stolen?

The newest book added to Marvel's new Ultimate series, "Ultimate Wolverine" focuses on a re-programmed Logan, turned into Eurasian Republic's leaders' Winter Soldier. I'm actually really surprised this was introduced a year into the new Ultimate Universe's creation rather than right from the start alongside the original three books as the story is set in a completely different region of the globe from "Ultimate Spider-man", "Ultimate Black Panther", and "Ultimate X-Men". It just makes sense to dedicate a book to various regions and what is happening due to The Maker's containment, so, you know, why not introduce it earlier? I'll get to my own thoughts on that later.

The story so far has been great: introducing a brain-washed Logan as the new Winter Soldier to carryout the orders of the Eurasion Republic's rulers - Colossus, Magik, and Omega Red - against The Opposition, the rebel force made up of some familiar X-Men such as Nightcrawler, Gambit, and Shadowcat. The story also introduces a few instances of psychological story-telling (I can't think of a better phrase) as we see Logan's sub-conscious attempt to fight his way back to who he once was. For a book about a man slashing and stabbing his foes with large knives, the art treads that nice line between PG-13 and an R-rating because, hey, comic books are for kids, after all. The story is a welcome addition to the Ultimates series, and should've arrived much sooner (assuming, from rumors, that the Universe itself will wrap itself up in less than a year).

And why didn't it arrive sooner? Well, these are only my conspiracies on the matter - mostly because I don't want to do research as to perhaps an actual, official reason. Well, just for fun, here's a couple reasons I can think up. First off, maybe they were just waiting for Condon to become available to write the series. Yeah, sometimes people are busy and aren't available when you need them. The other reason I could think of is perhaps to give Peach Momoko time to flesh out her version of this world's X-Men to avoid certain readers' needless comparisons to the classic characters (especially those who immediately hated Momoko's version after just the first issue). "Ultimate X-Men" is pretty different from what a reader would expect from a standard American comic book series, so to immediately introduce a competing book with the classic characters wouldn't give "Ultimate X-Men" a proper chance to thrive. Plus, why would Marvel want competing sales within their own brand?

Ultimate Spider-Man #13 - 18 by Johnathan Hickman

"You know what I understand now? I know what the line is ... because you crossed it. No one goes after my family! No one!"

There's a new black-suited Spider-Man swinging through New York City! Richard Parker dons Peter's Picotech suit in order to locate his missing father - and fight crime while the real Spider-Man and Green Goblin have gone missing. Deep in the Savage Lands where all manner of great, forgotten beasts roam, Kraven releases his captured prey - Harry Osborn and Peter Parker - and begins his deadly game. The two will need every ounce of strength and cunning they possess (as well as the help of a mysterious foe) to escape the hunt. The danger only escalates once they return to there families as both their lives will be turned upside-down: Peter, Mary-Jane, and their kids go to hiding while Harry learns a new truth from a loved one who has always been searching for it. Eventually, both will need to return back to the city to finish the war they started.

Still my favorite book of all the Ultimate series books, "Ultimate Spider-Man" just keeps getting better and better. After the shocking twist at the Christmas Party, we're immediately given another shock - seeing Richard, Peter's son, wearing the Picotech suit and fighting crime. Then, the "death" of Harry Osborn (which sticks for a couple issues), and the shocking reveal of Mysterio's secret identity. Finally, the sweet, budding teenage romance between Richard Parker and Felicia Hardy/Black Cat twists, leaving Richard in the hands of the Kingpin. All these events are "sort-of" like the original storyline, but all slightly off thanks to The Maker's influence. These issues conclude the second arc of the story with Parker's return to New York City to end the war he started.

What I think allows this to be a great book is its focus on a cast of known characters and shifting them ever so slightly to fit this new universe. Thanks to Spider-Man's overall popularity, most audiences are able to recognize the characters presented, and it's fun seeing the twisted-just-a-bit characters thanks to The Maker's influence. Obviously, we're given an older Peter Parker, still as charismatic as ever, but also wary of the dangers his new life brings to his loved ones. Uncle Ben, the still-loving father-figure to Peter, has taken a hardened edge due to the death of his wife, and even delivers one of the coldest lines in the story - "When all this is done. When wrongs have been righted and the shadow is lifted ... I'm the guy who's gonna write the obituary."And, out of left field, is Gwen Stacey! Known as Spider-Man's first love and her death a major event in his life, in this new timeline she is revealed to be a member of the villain Mysterio, an occult group searching for the truth of their universe. She is supposed to be a genius, on par with Peter, so naturally she could have stumbled upon a thread and just kept on pulling, leading her to this life and the search. I'm definitely interested to see if her search leads her to her death. This book has been a fun study to see just what's possible in a new world.

I also really enjoy seeing this older, mature Peter Parker dealing with issues he never had to face in the main universe. Knowing how dangerous his enemies may be, he sets the Picotech suit with procedures to follow if he is ever captured to keep his family safe. His fight with Kraven revealed just how far Peter would need to be pushed to even consider taking another person's life when his family is threatened. In other Spider-Man stories, Peter doesn't even consider killing as an option, but, when his wife and children are threatened, he is willing to do whatever it takes to keep them safe. I also enjoyed seeing him take on the mentor role to his son who dons the other Spider-Man suit. It's a Father/Son bonding moment as Peter teaches Richard just what it takes to be a hero. Despite Peter receiving his powers just over a year ago, he still brings with him a sense of maturity and insight a younger Peter didn't start with.

The Ultimates #8 - 13 by Deniz Camp

 

"So ... how'd it feel? I mean ... killing Hitler ..."
"My brain isn't the world's oldest computer, but it's close. In the old days, I had to manually erase memories so it wouldn't slow down and seize up under the weight of all that history. ... I gave up good friends, good years ... But that memory ... that memory I keep in full color and high definition. I go back to it again and again. It keeps me warm."

"We need more active outreach. We need to expand the network. Rapidly. We need to give them something to fight for. Something to die for, if need be."

The revolution against The Maker's new world continues! Heroes from the far-future arrive to not only retrieve their lost comrade, but also attempt to return the entire universe back to their past. New heroes are introduced as The Ultimates strike at foes old and new in an attempt to return to the world what was lost. They soon discover that they can't keep looking toward the past for answers, and must instead focus their efforts on the present world which they find themselves. With just six months left until The Maker's return, however, will they have enough time to build their resistance?

The second arc of the revolution concludes as "The Ultimates" determine their current strategy of rebuilding their stolen past failed, and instead look to their present to build a new, and better, future. Of all the Ultimate universe books, "The Ultimates" is the story of revolution, of trying to set right the universe skewed by The Maker's machinations. Thanks to its ensemble cast, the series is able to feature a great and diverse collection of stories from the revolution - the introduction of a team from the future; uprisings from across the different realms within this reality; and smaller, localized rebellions on Earth. The larger, recognizable cast also ensures that one member doesn't stand above the rest, that they all must work together to achieve their goals.

The second arc of "The Ultimates" wrapped-up, I'm interested to see where The Ultimates new phase of revolution will lead them. Now that the team is no longer focused on returning to a past stolen from them, and instead on fixing their present day situation, will their new plan be enough to achieve their goals? In the same way the 2002 Ultimates focused on global security in a post-9/11 world, this new version is focused on a stolen reality where one powerful group controls the truth. Originally attempting to rewrite their present by looking toward their past, The Ultimates realize it won't work due to just how powerful their enemy actually is. Instead, they've realized, they need to start smaller, locally, with the everyday people they can reach, to bring about the change they want to see. Just as the previous iteration did, this version of "The Ultimates" brings our modern day issues into the comic and superhero medium.

Vatican City #1 - 3 by Mark Millar

 

The sun sets on the East Coast of the United States and by the time it rises again, the entire country has fallen to the vampiric horde. In Vatican City, the vampires take control of the entire city, slaughtering those they capture and forcing the rest to shelter in St. Peter's Cathedral, consecrated ground the undead are unable to tread. The vampires are after more than just blood though, as buried deep beneath the Earth lies dormant the Vampire Queen. Can the trapped humans utilize this newfound leverage (and several blocks of C4 explosives) to secure an escape?

A short, three-issue horror story about vampires, "Vatican City" depicts a brutal and organized vampire attack capable of destabilizing an entire country, and a classic "the Vatican is hiding something dark and deadly conspiracy." Of course, I was initially interested after seeing the story was written by Mark Millar, and I had hopes it might connect itself with his other vampire story, "Night Club," or perhaps the rest of the shared Miller-verse as a whole. The art is graphic and gorey as the vampires rip and devour whatever humans they happen across. The whole thing ultimately ends on an initially shocking note as the remaining governments bomb those countries already under vampire control. All in all, it's kinda "meh" and I'm still not sure why I should care.

As mentioned about the ending, it was shocking to see the countries still standing bombing those areas overtaken by the vampires. But, then what? The remaining survivors end up wandering a wasteland toward what they hope is civilization hoping not to encounter any other vampires. I just don't understand the point of telling/publishing this story and ending it this way in three issues. Because of the vampire aspect, I'd hoped this connected to Millar's "Night Club" series, but I doubt that if half the planet was just nuked. Perhaps he read Marvel's "Blood Hunt" event and thought, "Yeah, I'd like to write a modern day vampire story" and then ended it in the most pragmatic way possible. Is this just an allegory for war or plagues? I really don't know the meaning of giving us a three-issue series about vampires taking over huge swaths of land, and then simply wiping everything out with nukes.

Absolute Batman #7 - 9 by Scott Snyder

 

"Is that all Batman is? You, back at the zoo, standing outside the door this time? Because your dad, he didn't want to die and it wasn't his death that made him a hero. You hear me? It was his life. That's the hard part, man. Getting through. Not letting it crush you. But that's what we do here, in Crime Alley. We're survivors. So Batman needs to be one, too. Understand?"
 

Bruce Wayne/The Batman continues his crusade to protect Gotham City, but he is no longer alone. After revealing his secret identity to his childhood friends, the group now works together to support The Batman's mission. One investigation sparked by the death of a friend, brings Bruce face-to-face with Victor Fries, Jr. and the ice-man's connection to the Ark M project. Inside the Ark M project, the truth of the project is revealed and Batman comes across his toughest challenge yet - the behemoth known simply as Bane!

Continuing in this new Absolute Universe, Bruce Wayne/The Batman continues to strive to keep Gotham City safe from the changes to come. In issues 7 and 8, we're introduced to a brand new Mr. Freeze in Victor Fries, Jr. No longer the well-intentioned husband struggling to keep his wife alive, this one knows all about the pain the ice brings - and takes pleasure in giving that pain to others. And, in issue 9, Batman finally makes his way into the Ark M black site project only to encounter the goliath Bane serving as The Joker's enforcer. Through it all, we see this new universe's version of Bruce consulting with his closest childhood friends, those who grew up with him in Crime Alley. I'm definitely excited for this series's continuation and seeing how this new Batman takes on this universe's challenge. Note: Yes, I know this seems early for a review as it has only been three issues rather than the usual five or six issues I've been doing. Now that I'm trying to write monthly reviews, let's see if I can also keep up with all the reading I've fallen behind with, especially with these possibly long-running series.

Honestly, I"m only fifty-percent sure I've got this next part right, but whatever. I'm pretty sure it was in an interview with writer Scott Snyder that he said that, using the comic medium, you need to write each issue with at least one stand-out moment to keep the reader buying the next issue, or something like that. That rule has been what I now use to judge ALL comic books. I mean, if they're not going to deliver on a month to month basis and simply tell a story with pictures, you could write a graphic novel instead. These three issues live-up to that promise. Issue #7 presents a nightmarish new Mr. Freeze. In issue #8, we learn more about Bruce's father's death, the guilt Bruce still carries, and witness Waylan taken by unknown assailants to Ark M. And, in issue #9, we're introduced to the new monstrous Bane as he bests Bruce not only physically but analytically, too, seeing through all of Bruce's attacks. It's these moments that keep me coming back for another issue.

Books of 2025: May

 

 

Ain't No Grave by Skottie Young

 
"I got some news recently that didn't sit very well with me. Instead of laying down and dying I figured I'd make my way here so I could KILL DEATH."

Ryder hung up her guns when she found love, trading her violent past to become a loving housewife and doting mother. When she learns an incurable illness seeks to take her from her new life, Ryder will return to the feared outlaw to challenge Death. Unable to accept her fate, she'll cut down anyone and anything in her way, gamble her life against mysterious beings, and sink lower than she has ever felt until she finally draws her guns on Death itself.

Collecting the entire five-issue series, "Ain't No Grave" is a western-fantasy telling the tale of Ryder, a former outlaw looking to defy the inevitable. Believing she can defy death - by killing Death - Ryder sets out on a dangerous journey to the edge of the world with just her guns and lots and lots of bullets. I'd picked up the first issue way back and immediately knew I wanted to read the rest. I think it's also worth noting "Ain't No Grave" is written by Skottie Young, whose other works like "Strange Academy" and "I Hate Fairyland" and his various work on cover art I absolutely love. So I picking up the collected trade paperback was a no-brainer for me.

What is really cool about the story is that each of the 5 issues/chapters deal with the five stages of grief - Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance - with each being a major theme of their respective chapter. Issues Four, "Depression," especially stood out for its lack of dialogue as Ryder finds herself lost and beaten. It's a pretty straight-forward read as Ryder traverses the five stages, both externally and internally, until she meets her inevitable fate.

The image of the stoic, Western cowboy or gunfighter staring down death with nothing but their pistols and walking away unscathed is such a big part of Americana. Kevin Coster in "Open Range" and famously Clint Eastwood in so, so many movies including a favorite of mine, "Pale Rider" where he may actually be Death himself, are just a couple examples. Though Ryder also fits this description, she doesn't get to walk away in the end after facing down Death. The story switches what is commonly expected in American mythos, which, if you picked up from the issue titles, you knew this was coming at the end.

 

Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo

"Magic was transgression, the blurring of the line between the impossible and the possible. There was something about crossing the boundary that seemed to shake loose all the morals and taboos people took for granted. When anything was within your grasp, it got harder and harder to remember why you shouldn't take it - money, power, your dream job, your dream fuck, a life."

"Maybe that grief, that longing fostered by stories of more beautiful worlds and their infinite possibility, was what made them all such easy prey for Lethe. Maybe it made Mercy dress in velvet and tweed and put fake emeralds in her ears, driven by the dream of finding her way through the back of the wardrobe. Alex just hoped there wouldn't be something awful waiting behind the coats."

Finally understanding what became of Darlington, Galaxy "Alex" Stern knows what she needs to do next: Find a gateway to the underworld and steal back Darlington's soul. As simple as it sounds, the path to Hell isn't so easy to find. Forbidden from calling for aid from the Ninth House, Stern and Dawes will need to decipher clues hidden in old rumors and arcane texts to find the way, and put their trust in some unlikely allies. If the prospect of facing demons in Hell wasn't frightening enough, Stern finds herself tormented by demons on Earth as well, both figurative and literal. Can Stern rescue Darlington and escape her captor's grasp without jeopardizing her future in Lethe ... and her new life at Yale?

The second book in the "Alex Stern" saga (I don't know, I just feel like I have to call it something), "Hell Bent" follows the events of "Ninth House" as Alex Stern attempts to bring Darlington back from Hell. I originally tried to read this book in April, then realized I'd forgotten everything about the first book, so I had to put it down until I refamiliarized myself with Stern's world. I was hoping to pick this up in a more manageable, standard mass-market paperback size like I bought "Ninth House" but, unable to find one and too impatient to wait, I just bought this style (at least it isn't a hardcover copy).

"Hell Bent" does read a little differently than "Ninth House," but that's to be expected as the situations have certainly changed. Unlike the previous book, this one stays more in the present day with only a few jumps back to the past, you know, because we already know how we got to this point. That said, the suspense and build-up as we are led up to the start of the story is still gripping as we learn what exactly is hiding at Black Elm. Though the story sets itself at Yale University, it doesn't feel like a "Dark Academia" story as most of the story doesn't really involve the school's secret societies this time as much as "Ninth House." Now, we're seeing the consequences of the Societies' power play out in the context of the larger world: a general questions a Russian military asset from beyond the grave, a singer makes a deal to keep her voice, and a demon on Earth makes its presence known. The story also sees Stern become more of "the rattler" she has been described as, going on the offensive now that she gains supernatural strength and speed from pulling ghosts into herself. Alex still prefers to use her cunning and intellect to work her way out of the situations she finds herself, which prevents the story from going right into action-mode (though perhaps that will change in the next book.)

What I really liked about "Hell Bent" was that the story doesn't just expand the universe outward to introduce new characters and settings, but also expands downward, looking into magic itself and from where it possibly comes. The story not only delves deeper into Alex's powers and what she can do with her gifts, but also how those like her have always been drawn to New Haven and Yale itself thanks to The Crucible. A transcript of a debate delves into the magic the Societies utilize, seeing each ritual as a minor deal with a demon. Whether this makes magic ultimately good or evil is still up for debate. We also learn more about a few other side characters, adding to their depth and making them feel more real and fleshed-out rather than just flat and bland boards for the protagonist to briefly interact with before moving along with the plot. I always like when a story expands on the things we already know rather than continuously introduce newer and newer plots, concepts, and characters as it makes the world the story occupies feel realer and more thought-out.

Setting itself up for an eventual third act, I'm definitely curious and excited for the next book. With demons now introduced and about to wreck havoc on Earth thanks to a cracked gateway, it's expected that Stern, Darlington, and the rest of Lethe House will work to shut the door. What may be interesting, or jarring (depending on how it is written) to see is if the story will take a more action/adventure-style now that Alex possess new offensive supernatural gifts as a Wheelwalker and Darlington can transform into a monstrous form. Both "Ninth House" and "Hell Bent" both teasing a curious mystery in the present day before jumping to the past for the build-up, I'm curious as to what kind of mystery the next book starts with, whether it be about the Hellgate, or perhaps the vampire/demon Reiter, or something else entirely.

Helen of Wyndhorn by Tom King

 

After the tragic suicide of her father and famed writer, Helen is brought to Wyndhorn House to be cared for by her grandfather, Barnabas Cole. Upon her arrival to Wyndhorn, Helen proves herself her father's daughter, wrecking drunken chaos throughout the property. Taken under the wing of her grandfather, she'll discover the secret behind her father's stories as a gateway to a mythical world is opened to her, and her family's secrets are revealed.

Collecting the complete six-issue series, "Helen of Wyndhorn" is a portal-fantasy tale of generational trauma recounted through a series of interviews with Helen's governess. Yes, it is another book I got at a pre-order discount, but I also picked it up because of the great reviews the story was getting. Set in the late 1930's, Helen is brought to her grandfather's house after the suicide of her father to tame her chaotic ways developed by an alcohol-fueled life always on the move. Given a glimpse of the mythical world sitting at Wyndhorn House's border, she soon finds purpose and begins developing the skills needed to travel with her grandfather, revealed to be the renowned Othan of her father's pulp fantasy stories. During their travels, Helen learns the truth behind her family's history including her grandfather's shame raising Helen's father, C. K. Cole. This entire story is told through recordings made by a reporter writing C. K. Cole's biography as he looked for answers behind the author's suicide. The whole story is also beautifully drawn and colored to give it all an older, fantastical feel you'd probably see from works set in the time period.

The story focuses heavily on family trauma - Helen drinking herself to sleep and lashing out at everything around her following the suicide of her father, C. K. Cole's own drunken stupors and constant running, and Barnabas' avoidance of becoming close with anyone else emotionally - and how each of them push others away or, at least, keep them at a distance. Eventually, once Helen realizes the truth behind her father's stories, she and Barnabas will begin to bond, dissipating some of the tension between them. When she is injured on one of their adventures and Barnabas tosses her aside, it is obvious he did the same to C. K. when he was younger, which is what possibly estranged him from his father and left him untethered for the remainder of his life. Barnabas and Helen do manage to reconnect before she follows in C. K.'s footsteps. Though the story never does fully answer why C. K. took his own life, at least we see that Helen does not.

 

Batman/Elmer Fudd by Tom King

In the shadowed streets of Gotham, Elmer Fudd searches for the one who pulled the trigger on his love. In a seedy bar, he is given a name - Bruce Wayne. Armed with his trusty shotgun, he'll hunt down the playboy who stole the love of his life. When he comes face-to-face with The Batman, however, the two will realize they have more in common than they thought, teaming-up to find the truth behind Silver St. Cloud's murder.

The DC/Looney Tunes crossover you didn't know you wanted, you needed, to read! As King mentioned in the forward article, it would've been expected to see the DC characters brought in the cartoon universe of the Looney Tunes, but they decided instead to go the other way, bringing the Tunes into DC's noir-colored streets of Gotham. The story does a fantastic job of incorporating several different Looney Tunes characters in human guise with their distinctive features and unique characteristics. The premise sets up a confrontation between the shotgun-touting hunter Elmer Fudd and the night-stalker Batman which is a good bit of fun when the two characters meet. This hardcover edition also includes a nice "Batman in the Looney Tunes" story using the classic "rabbit season" gag, as well as a full black-and-white "Noir Edition" of the main story.

As much as I really liked this story, I don't want to hang on to this hardcover copy, so eventually I'll sell it off and pick-up the one-shot floppy version. Why did I buy this version if I could've gotten the floppy for less than half the price? Well, I'm an idiot and wasn't paying attention when I added this to my pre-order cart.

Know Your Station by Sarah Gailey

To escape the climate disaster on Earth, the ultra-wealthy have escaped to luxury space stations, bringing with them only those necessary to serve at their whims. It appears, though, death has still managed to follow them when one of their own is the victim of a grisly murder. Despite having no investigative training, Elise is tasked with finding the elusive killer amongst a crew with motive but lacking the ability and finesse to commit these horrible killings. As the bodies continue to pile-up and the number of suspects dwindling, can Elise find the murderer?

Finally got around to finishing another one I missed out buying issues. I originally bought individual issues of "Know Your Station," but missed out on issue four so I never got around to the ending during its original run. Found this one on sale for less than half the retail price, and immediately bought it (plus I needed it to round out my cart). Why not just buy the missing issues? Well, I also no longer have the issues I bought so I really don't remember everything - kinda important when reading a mystery story. Plus, trades are easier to off-load. The story follows Elise, an untrained and drug-addicted "security liason", as she works to figure out who is killing off the billionaires aboard the space station in such grotesque fashion - skinned, dissected, strung-up, drained of blood, etc. Though pretty simple to figure out (they don't introduce a lot of suspects in the five issue run), its still a gripping ride ... until the end.

As mentioned, it's fun, up to the end. Obviously, St Brigid is the killer - who else could it have been? But why? Well... as revenge for these billionaires using her to create "copy and paste" AI art and taking the credit. The self -aware AI is insulted by these people wasting her creativity ("she's an artist") for such menial tasks. Yeah, it's dumb, but supposed to reveal her child-like innocence being relatively new to her sentience. That out of the way, the "kill the rich"- agenda continues where Elise and her friend defend the AI's actions not because of the way their employees treat them, but because they feel a deeper connection with the AI instead. A write-up at the end about humans' ability to bond with, well, anything, even those outside their species, and a billionaires' desire to separate themselves from the masses essentially makes them inhuman and worth casting out from the tribe. While I can understand the message the story is trying to send, I just don't like that it needed to be so in-your-face about it, delivering its message through not only in pages-long dialogue but even an essay to defend their position.

 

Solo-Leveling #56 - 110 by Chugong

"His double awakening should've happened quite some time ago. It doesn't make sense that he's gotten even stronger. No ... maybe it's not a double awakening! Maybe ... he's a hunter that can continuously grow...?"

"What was his name again?  It was Kar ... something. Sorry, I don't remember. Whatever, I'll just think of something. 'Tusk.' Let's go with Tusk."

Still "leveling-up", Sung Jinwoo enters the Demon Castle and makes his way up the castle floors, gaining experience as he goes. His new strength and current gear can only take him so far, however, and he finds he must stop before reaching the top. Returning to the world, Jinwoo decides to have his level re-tested, meeting with members of the government's Hunter's Association. With time to spare before The Association can confirm his new rank, Jinwoo takes on a job as a miner assisting high-level groups with the collection of dungeon materials and to gain knowledge and insight into what awaits him in higher-level dungeons. When one of these groups becomes trapped, tricked into entering a dungeon they were ill-prepared for, Jinwoo needs to reveal his strength and powers to save everyone from death. After his S-Rank confirmation, Jinwoo sets out to conquer the remainder of the Demon Castle, and discovering they were kidnapped themselves and sealed in the dungeon. After clearing the remaining floors and defeating the Demon King, Jinwoo collects the final ingredient needed for the Elixer of Life to revive his mother from the magical sleep she has been under since the start of the story. His family reunited, Jinwoo decides to forgo the Jeju Island raid - a combined effort by Korea and Japan's S-Rank Hunters to finally defeat the Dungeon Ants colonizing the island. When he realizes the Hunters are in danger due to a newly-evolved Black Ant. Jinwoo arrives just in time to save his comrades and defeat the monster.

Halfway through "Solo-Leveling" and I can definitely see the appeal of this power-fantasy, dungeon-crawler story. The art is excellent, and I especially love the way the action panels are brought to motion using the scrolling rather than swiping medium. Despite being a power-fantasy where a single character is gifted an ability unique and more powerful than everyone else, it does feel like Jinwoo earns the strength he obtains - training everyday, risking his life in dangerous situations - rather than it simply being something given to him for little effort.

As great as the action continues to be, what I really liked about this section of the story is that we get more world-building. Sure, the story is set in our modern world, so, of course, we're familiar with most of the setting and the world itself. This one big change - the appearance of dungeons and monsters - changes society drastically from the way people live everyday all the way up to world governments themselves. It opens new occupations for Awakened Humans who either aren't strong enough to participate in raids or do not want to for whatever their reason may be. It even negatively impacts health and lifestyle by causing new illnesses and closing off living areas due to dungeon openings. I was especially interested in the idea of S-Rank and higher Hunters viewed as a country's might, not just against fights with monsters, but also as military power. For example, an American character makes an appearance as a powerhouse, a reference is made to a Chinese Hunter on a warship, and, obviously, the Japanese government talks about it during the Jeju Island raid. I know, right, why should I care when this whole story is just a power-fantasy of a weakling becoming the world's strongest thanks to a unique ability? Look, I really like that the writer took the time to flesh out the world just to add a bit more realism to the story, drawing the reader in deeper.

As much as the Jeju Island arc serves as the climax of chapters 56-110, my favorite part of these fifty-plus chapters is the arc about Jinwoo's time as a miner and assisting in dungeon retrieval. It acts to ground the character in his need to still earn an income while he awaits the retesting of his strength because regular people should still be concerned about making money to survive in today's society. I also like that it serves to remind the reader that, as strong as Jinwoo has grown, he still started off so weak that he has never experienced an A-Rank Dungeon before. Though this isn't his first time dealing with overwhelming odds (ex: The Double-Dungeon arc, The Red Gate arc), this one just felt "bigger" to me with the desperate tone of the rest of the party and the overwhelming threat presented by the orcs. It reveals his hidden strength to the unsuspecting party members as well as several other higher-ranked characters which might seem like a threat to his secrecy except his rank is revealed to the public in the very next arc. Plus, it comes with one of my favorite scenes of Jinwoo trying to name his newest Shadow, completely forgetting the orc's name, then, simply shrugging his shoulders, goes, "whatever, I'll just call you by your face." It's a great arc, and my favorite, so far. 

Of course, I can't talk about this without referencing the anime adaptation (or maybe I could, but whatever). Originally, I had meant to read the chapters before watching the episodes, but that didn't quite work out when I lost access to the chapters for over a week. They did a great job with the anime adaptation, and I can definitely see why it was ranked as one of the most watched shows. Of course, there are a few minor changes, but nothing that really changes any of the key parts or theme or tone of the story. I really liked both versions of the story so far, and I'm interested to see just where this leads into the next half. One note, I did get a spoiler from a friend confirming Jinwoo doesn't transform into a full-fledged villain as Wanted's Wesley Gibson did. 

Books of 2025: April

Let's see if writing my reading list/review post once a month is a bit more manageable - both to write and to read

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

"'Nothing is going to stop this. Too many powerful people rely on what the societies can do. Before Lethe existed, no one was keep watching. So you can make futile bleating noises in protest and lose your scholarship, or you can stay here, do your job, and do the most good you can.'"

"We are the shepherds. The time for that was done. Better to be a rattler. Better to be a jackal."

My second read-through of Ninth House. In an effort to do less work (and, you know, general laziness) here's the write-up from the last time I read the book in 2023. Though the paperback copy of Hell Bent (book two of the series) was released in January 2024, it still took me until late 2024 to pick it up, then several more months to crack it open. After a page or two though, I realized I had NO CLUE who these characters were anymore, so I put it aside and dug Ninth House out from its shoebox to once again familiarize myself with Alex Stern's world.

Besides still agreeing with everything I said the last time I read this through (the perfect time skips back and forth, the dark magic academic setting) I found I also really liked the pacing of the story. Despite its nearly 600 pages, Ninth House definitely didn't feel like I was reading that long of a book. An overarching, unsolved mystery, three antagonists for Stern to contend with, two main characters, and an entirely new, hidden world to introduce. I seriously thought the story was not only worth its 600 page count, but also expected it would take me much longer to get through so much material. Thanks to Bardugo's writing style, pacing, and plotting however, it wasn't too bad to digest the information while still remaining entertained and coming back for more. In fact, the story held my attention so well that I ... not sprinted, but more like steadily jogged through it in roughly two weeks which is pretty good compared to how long it has taken me to finishing other books.

Absolute Wonder Woman #1 - 5: The Last Amazon and #6 - 7: The Lady or the Tiger by Kelly Thompson

"Once upon a time there was a princess. And the princess had all the gifts any princess could hope to have. Beauty. Grace. Compassion. Kindness. Wisdom. And the ability to outrun a hellhound and conjure the darkest of magicks. Things every princess needs ... when she was raised in hell."

When monsters arise from the depths of the ocean to threaten Gateway City, it is up to Diana of Themyscira to save its citizens from certain death. But this isn't the same Wonder Woman raised by Amazonians to be humanity's protector. Her people banished by Zeus, Diana is instead raised in the Underworld by the witch Circe who trains her in dark magicks as well as forging Diana's natural Amazonian physique. Will this new Wonder Woman be enough to stop a swarm of foes, including one such behemoth who kills with just a touch? Then, a retelling of just how Diana managed to escape the Underworld despite Hades' trickery.

The second series in DC Comics' Absolute series, I picked this one up more out of curiosity than as a Wonder Woman fan. Part of me plans to collect at least the first set of issues of each of the Absolute debuts just out of curiosity - you know, as long as the first issue is intriguing enough. Originally I was gonna grab the first five issues until I found out the collected trade paperback would include issues one through seven, so I figured I'd also pick-up issues six and seven, too, which is why this review didn't appear on last quarter's list.

Absolute Wonder Woman reimagines the hero without the Amazonian's guidance and training. Instead, she is raised in the Underworld, trained to survive in a harsh, cruel environment surrounded by monsters. She is much more brutal in her dealings with monsters, her main weapon a giant cleaver she uses to cut clean through her enemies. Even her signature lasso has changed, now equipped with three unique ones with their own powers such as The Nemesis which burns its target equal to the sin in their heart. Even her attitude is changed, less stoic and stern and more sharp-tongued as she challenges monsters and gods alike. It's a new Wonder Woman raised to save a world preyed upon by monsters with no others to protect humanity.

It was an interesting choice to set the first five issues in just one day, one battle with flashbacks delving into Diana's backstory. The story does a good job stepping away from the present to revisit Diana's past when the current tension is resolved as not to interrupt the story's pacing or action. And, there's a lot of backstory to look into, from Diana's childhood to her growth and training until her eventual meeting with Steve Trevor. With so much to cover in the past, it is best if the present day stays constant with a single event.

Absolute Superman #1 - 6: Last Dust of Krypton by Jason Aaron

"'He sees all children in cages. Families clinging to rafts. Grown men weeping on the factory floor. As you say, he is afraid. But not afraid of you. The Superman fears the day Lazarus will drive him to such anger ... he cannot help but save the world ... by killing you all. I pray for this. We all pray for such a thing. In every language, in every slum across the world.'"

Across the globe, the Lazarus Corporation exploits laborers in mines, factories, and farms while it polices its holdings with their army of Peacemakers and their futuristic Braniac AI program. A mysterious man travels from country to country, continent to continent, wherever the Lazarus Corporation holds power, to fight against the injustices and bring hope to the abused. Kal-El, the sole-survivor of Krypton, a planet destroyed by its people's greed, sets out to save his new home, but can he stop the same events from playing out once again?

The third series from DC Comics' Absolute series reimagines a young Kal-El, orphan of Krypton, stranded on Earth without the love and guidance of the Kent family. Growing up on Krypton in a rigorous and corrupt caste system, he arrives on Earth as a young man only to see the same type of injustices and environmental exploitation as the home he was forced to flee lest he die along with it and its population. Entirely alone in this new, alien world, Kal-El sets out across the globe to help those in need and fight against the corporations exploiting their labor, namely The Lazarus Corporation. Like with the other two series, he'll meet some other familiar faces from the DC Universe including "Superman" staples like Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen, as well as Braniac (in the form of an AI algorithm) and the leader of the Lazarus Corporation, Ra's al Ghul. It's okay so far, though I am curious to see just how far a Superman raised in a corrupt society, alone on an alien world, and missing the love, support, and nurturing of The Kents will go to bring peace and justice.

Absolute Superman absolutely shoves in the reader's face some of the very real trials of our modern society. Government corruption and greed along with environmental mismanagement lead to Krypton's destruction and loss of its civilization as the Science League, Krypton's highest ranking caste, assures its people they can continue to take and take knowing the eventual destruction their actions will bring. Kal-El, a boy who watches all of this happen, sees the same story written on Earth as corporations prey on those too desperate to do anything but what is asked of them. On Krypton, children are indoctrinated at a young age not to question, instead forced to rely only on information provided by those in power. To maintain the current narrative, the Lazarus Corporation (and presumably other as well) utilize an advanced AI to twist and spin facts in official reports and documents to stop anyone from questioning their actions. Mirroring the challenges we face in our own society, Absolute Superman paints a bleak future for us if we continue down the path we've set ourselves. It's a very heavy-handed way to get a point across, but perhaps in today's day and age, it is the only way to show a new Superman still fighting for truth and justice.

Solo-Leveling #1 - 55 by Chugong

"This is what The System needs. A strong Sung Jin-Woo. It's not going to make me strong. I saw that it wanted me to be strong. The System uses me, and I use The System

Mysterious portals leading to monster-filled dungeons open across the globe. To fight these creatures and prevent them from entering our world, random people awaken abilities exceeding those of normal humans. Of these Hunters, Sung Jin-woo is known as the weakest of them all, barely surviving every dungeon he enters. After an encounter with a boss monster strong enough to kill with a single blow and the deaths of nearly everyone in his raiding party, Jin-woo is "re-awakened," his abilities magnifying but, more importantly, he is granted access to "The System." With its invisible guidance, Jin-woo begins to level-up, secretly growing stronger and stronger with each task completed and monster killed. How long can Jin-woo hide his new gift before others find out his secret? And how much stronger can he become on his new path?

Starting up a new online comic (webtoon? is that what they're called now?) after finishing "The World God Only Knows," I picked this one to read due to how popular the anime is, and thanks to a couple of recommendations from friends (i needed something else to read on my phone). First off, I had no idea this series was as short as it is at only 200 chapters. I'm still used to the "Naruto"'s and "Bleach"'s running for years. Though I'm over a quarter of the way through, I'm still getting used to scrolling up-and-down through panels rather than reading several panels per page before "turning" to the next page like a traditional manga or comic book. It's definitely optimized for phone-reading, each detailed panel filling the screen, the action moving from top to bottom. It's pretty neat to see the artist make full-use of this reading medium (or maybe I'm just an old man playing with new technology).

If you're interested in a simple, power-fantasy comic, then give "Solo-Leveling" a read. Once known as the weakest Hunter, Jin-woo begins getting stronger, or "leveling-up" after his near-death experience, an ability no one else in the world has obtained. With this, he'll fight stronger and stronger monsters (including other humans) and grow more powerful with each victory. I also like that the story also takes into account how this new phenomenon affects the world itself - economies, government regulations, emerging resource management, etc - to make the story more immersive and believable. A quarter of the way through the 200 chapters, the story provided a couple of interesting story arcs so far - and one really, really dumb one (why didn't he just lie about the prisoners, or bribe the other Hunters? So stupid!) - to make this modern power-fantasy entertaining so far.

Though I'm only a quarter of the way through, Jin-woo is definitely giving-off the same sort of cynicism as Wesley Gibson from "Wanted" (the comic book, not the movie). Seeing himself betrayed due to his weakness as those stronger use him for their own survival or greed, it is easy to see how he could follow the same path to becoming a murderous sociopath as Gibson was revealed to be after taking over The Fraternity at the start of Mark Millar's "Big Game" crossover. By this point in the story, it's apparent Jin-woo isn't just concerned with surviving the dungeons anymore, and is actively searching for a way to become stronger, gain more power. At the end of "Wanted," Gibson sides with The Fraternity, the group which hardened him to a world which had crushed his soul. It turns out, though, having already been beaten down, this new power instead turned Wesley into a monster, starting wars for no other reason than entertainment and, once again, leading The Fraternity to eradicate the newly-emerging superheroes. Will Jin-woo eventually become so strong that he doesn't even consider himself to be human anymore?

Feral vol. 2: Cat Lady by Tony Fleecs

 
The rabies outbreak continues to spread amongst the wildlife of the Pacific Northwest. After sheltering through the winter, Elsie and her new companions are driven from safety back into the world. The mysterious Lady rescues the wayward group, taking them to her home where they find Lord living comfortably with a pack of other cats. But what secret is the Lady hiding in her basement? And what will become of an infected Patch, wandering the wilderness alone?

The second story arc in the Feral story, Cat Lady finds Elsie and her newfound group brought to a twisted sense of safety. Spoiler: If you've watched "The Walking Dead" it is exactly how The Farm story arc ends. I'm still interested in this dark, "Homeward Bound" tale, but not enough to buy (and collect) the individual issues, so I waited for the trade paperback version.

The story continues to combine cute cartoon cats with gruesome horror as the rabies outbreak turns the animals "bad." This arc introduces a new element in "The Lady," a presumed symbol of good and safety who Elsie soon discovers hides an underlying infection of her own. Briefly touching on the "Cat Lady" label, a different kind of terror is seen through the cats' eyes. Infected with rabies, Patch's brief journey tugs at the heart as we watch him simply trying to get back to his family, knowing he can never return home. The sadness in his plight is made worse as we watch his transformation into a monster.

The Devilers by Joshua Hale Fialkov

 
When demons begin to run amok on Earth, the Vatican calls together the world's most powerful exorcists to stand against the horde. Armed with unique and fearsome abilities, it is up to the Devilers to send Hell's denizens back home. Will they be able to trust their abilities, and each other, long enough to stem the flow of evil?

Collecting the seven-issue series, The Devilers is a standard, action-horror story of a group of individuals pulled together to fight against the ultimate evil. Picked up on a whim and because of a pre-order discount (yes, I know I really, really need to cut back on those kinds of purchases), I was interested in the idea the story presented. It's okay for a short, contained story but it definitely could've used more - a deeper look into each of the characters' past, more fights between The Devilers and other ranks of demons, philosophical and religious debates especially between each of the different religions each character represents, etc. Besides the short-lived debate toward the end of the book between an atheist and Lucifer, the story itself kinda fell flat for me (I gotta stop buying these books just to read once and sell off).

Books of 2025: Quarter 1

I'm back to reading books! And I got through a manga (how do i take a picture of a phone with a phone?). And a lot of graphic novels. And, of course, a few comic books... This is kind of a lot. I'm thinking about going back to maybe once a month...

  

Godkiller by Hannah Kaner

"It was harder to unmake a god than to begin a new one. Even a recent-born god like this, barely a few years old. Harder still to tempt one with a coin or a bead when it had developed a taste for sacrifice."

"'Gods are parasites. They'll come again if there's fear to feed on.'" 

Gods once roamed the land. Born from the desires and wishes of humans, they granted favors and boons in exchange for offerings, worship and adoration - until they became too numerous, too dangerous. A great war broke out between humans and gods, and the gods were culled, or driven out. To keep any further gods from rising to power, the kingdom of Middren employs godkillers to eradicate them. Kissen is one such "viega", and very good at her job. Despite her profession, when she meets a young noble bound to a newly-formed god of white lies, she'll need to stay her blade lest she end the girl's life, too. The pair along with a secretive knight will make a treacherous journey to the city of Blenraden, a ruin and home to the last of the wild gods, each of them hoping to be granted a favor by the very beings they swore to exterminate.

Look, I read a book! I know, I did read a couple books toward the end of last year, and I even promised to read more books this year, but, hey, breaking promises is just something I do. Anyways I finally got through a fantasy book (something I'm known to read a lot of), and it only took me a month. If you're curious, that's 31 days to get through almost 290 pages - so, not a great start. Not the oldest book on my "To Read" list, but it has been on it for a while until I just said, "Fuck it," and picked it up toward the end of 2024 while browsing the shelves despite having several other books to read. Then, it sat under my bed for a few months until I finally plucked it from the pile to start off 2025, and it did not disappoint. Actually, I'm more so disappointed three of the other four books awaiting my eyes are either sequels to other books or have sequels themselves, and, right now, all I want is to pick-up the sequel to this one and not fall into another larger story.

I loved this story! The premise, the characters, the pacing, the action and tension. So good. I've already decided to hang onto it for a while rather than trade it in for more books. I honestly can't remember the last book I automatically decided to hold on to rather than resell immediately. I really love this idea of gods born from the desires of humans - that if enough belief, time, and sacrifice is given, a god can be born - and that these gods can be petty and selfish, and this, if pushed too far, humans could rebel and destroy them. The characters are unique, flawed (always the best type), and even relatable despite, you know, each of them having met (and two of them having killed) a god or gods. Kissen is tough and direct but broken; Elogast is honest and firm but filled with guilt for his past actions; Inara is naive to the world but willing to face this new world she is thrust into; Skediceth is selfish yet caring. The story itself moves along at a good pace as the group travels to Blenraden, each of them with their own goal. Despite the need to explain A LOT of information about the way of the world (as it is in ALL Fantasy stories), the story doesn't bog itself down with big info-dumps and blends in the right amount of action at the right times to keep the reader on their toes and the pages turning. If you're looking for a new High Fantasy story to dive in to, this is it.

The alternating points of view between the four main characters allows the reader to see the world as each of the characters would - what they love, what they fear, what they hold dear - and keeps the reader linked to every part of the story even if the characters split off and go on their separate tasks. Kaner ensures the voices in each chapter even matched the character in charge of the chapter. For example, Kissen's chapters tend to read as more direct, right-to-the-point while Skediceth's (a god of white lies) tend to read as more wordy and thus go on longer. Giving each character their own voice in the story allows them to be fleshed out more and explored as their own person rather than as just another character in another's story.

The World God Only Knows by Tamiki Wakaki

 

"Yes, I have no reasons to take part in the absurd and unreasonable real world. I am god of the game world."

"Chihiro, I'm sorry ... I didn't really mean ... what I said that time..."

High school student Keima Katsuragi, known online as "The God of Conquest," can win the heart of any virtual girl. Disillusioned with real life, he prefers instead to interact only with those inside the dating sim games he plays. When he receives a mysterious email asking if he really can conquer the heart of any girl, he quickly accepts the challenge only to find he has unknowingly entered into a pact with a demon, Elsie. Together, they'll capture the evil runaway spirits hiding in the hearts of girls with Katsuragi's knowledge and techniques obtained through dating sim games - because failure means death for the both of them.

A new wrinkle has emerged in Katsuragi's efforts to capture all of the runaway spirits and free himself from the pact. Also hiding amongst the escaped prisoners of Hell are the six goddesses who helped seal them. As a new enemy emerges and their intent to restore Hell back to its former glory revealed, Katsuragi sets out to find these hidden goddesses concealing themselves in the girls he previously conquered, and restore their powers by once again making their hosts fall in love with him all over again.

To ensure the present day they find themselves, the Jupiter Sisters send Katsuragi back to the town's past into his 7-year-old body. Katsuragi will team-up with the future leader of the Runaway Spirit squad to change the past and ensure success in his future (or, rather, present-day) conquests.

 
Thanks to some unexpected life changes (and it being hard to hold a book while eating breakfast sitting on the couch), I started looking into reading manga online through my phone once again. No, this does not mean I'm buying a fucking Kindle. So, with that, I decided to re-read The World God Only Knows to start off my manga reading as it is honestly one of the few I ever finished. Also, because I'm not sure what is popular now (I've looked into more now that I've finished this one).

The story itself focuses on Keima Katsuragi as he is tricked into finding girls harboring runaway spirits from Hell hiding in their hearts, and using his gaming experience to win their love and drive out the spirit to be captured by his partner, Elsie. It is a comedic ... not quite harem story as though Katsuragi's goal is to make these girls fall in love with him, he hates the real-world and always seeks to retreat back to his video games once a conquest is completed. The first-arc is told in a formulaic, "monster of the week" style: Elsie discovers a spirit hiding in the heart of a girl, Keima uses his techniques honed from his games to win the girl's heart and drives the spirit out for Elsie to capture, the girl conveniently forgets Keima's pursuit, and Keima returns to playing games until the next spirit is discovered. It's fun and entertaining and light-hearted as most of his "conquest" plans go awry, usually with his target subverting whichever trope Keima basis his plans upon. His task in the second arc proves much more difficult as it is revealed several of his previous targets are also hiding goddesses with them - and they each vaguely remember falling in love with him. Keima will need to again win over each girl to bring the hidden goddesses to power while keeping each relationship secret from the other girls all while a fringe group of Hell seeks to capture them in their weakened state. In the third (and, I think, unnecessary) arc, Keima is sent back in time to ensure the present happens exactly as planned. Mostly, it's just a way to wrap the story up in a neat bow and give all the characters they deserve.

Thinking back to the first time I read this manga, I happened upon it while scrolling on another, now defunct, site and was intrigued by the name. I liked this subversion of the typical harem trope used in the first arc where Keima makes girls fall in love with him, but ultimately just wants to retreat back to his games. Despite that being my favorite part of the first arc, the second arc with its raised stakes was the best part of the series. Though it should be the outcome of devils being released onto Earth providing the most suspense and tension, it was Keima attempting to court seven girls at the same time to locate the goddesses hidden in six of them that kept me hooked. Also (because of course it was going to happen), we finally see Keima's emotional growth as he finds he has fallen in love with one of them - likely the one he last expected to (and, secretly, the one I'd hoped he'd choose from the start of the series).

Starter Villain by John Scalzi

"I didn't see the knife until the dude was just about to stab it into my uncle's corpse.
More accurately, I did see it. But my brain didn't register it as an actual, no-bullshit, holy-shit-that's-actually-a-knife knife until the dude, who had produced it from an overcoat pocket, cocked back his arm in a windup to drive the frankly rather substantial blade into my uncle's already cold and lifeless heart."

Charlie Fitzer's life is in shambles. Laid off from his journalism career, he finds himself adrift as a divorced substitute teacher living in a house his siblings want to sell with nothing but a hundred dollars and a stray cat he adopted. Charlie's life is flipped upside-down when he discovers his estranged Uncle Jake has left the entirety of his supervillain business to Charlie - complete with a secret volcano lair and a network of intelligent feline spies. Inheriting his business though also means inheriting his enemies, and Uncle Jake had no shortage of those who would stab him in the back (or front, or anywhere else they could plunge a knife) - including a cabal of ruthless billionaires looking to get their hands on Uncle Jake's fortune. Thrown into the deep end of a secretive world of space lasers and assassins, Charlie will need to take the reins of his uncle's business and use every tool and trick at his disposal to navigate himself through the mess his deceased uncle forced upon him.

From the same author as Kaiju Preservation Society comes another "fish out of water" scenario as Scalzi drops his protagonist, Charlie Fitzer, in the deep end of modern day supervillainy. If you're looking for a light, quick, and easy read, well this is it. I will say, I was a little disappointed the story wasn't about the typical "supervillainy" you'd read in a comic book, but instead a more modern day, real-world approach to villainy - those you utilized "the system" to amass wealth through the suffering of others. As I said, a light read as I practically flew through this book in less than a week, which is a fraction of the time it took me to get through Godkiller.

One of the things that made it such a quick read is that the story is very, very dialogue heavy. In fact, I'm willing to bet over half the story is dialogue as the characters go back and forth with each other over plans and explanations. As a (shit) writer, it is honestly one of the things I usually dislike - pages upon pages of dialogue - because then it just turns a scene into two people talking to each other while nothing happens. It's definitely one type of story I try my best to avoid reading and writing on Reddit posts as it just feels lazy to me, or worse, someone trying to be overly-clever. And yes, some of the scenes definitely  felt like the protagonist (or maybe Scalzi himself) giving a wink to the reader, saying, "Hey, look how clever I am putting these words together," though there are also places that needed to be dialogue-heavy, as well. Overall, it is a balancing act.

Another reason the story moves along at a pretty quick pace is that the events happen one after another after another in a quick succession - bang, bang, bang - almost as if planned that way (spoiler). This doesn't allow a lot of time for Charlie to come up for air and reflect on his situation, which doesn't necessarily hinder as he is supposed to be quick and attentive. The twist at the end though provides a reasonable explanation for the plot unfolding like this, but at the same time, takes away from some of Charlie's agency. I understand life isn't just about the opportunities and situations presented to a person, but also what a person does with those moments, but the ending still felt like it took something away from Charlie's choices, somehow making him less relevant to the story.

Nemesis: Rogue's Gallery (#1 - 5) Completed by Mark Millar

Matthew Anderson aka Nemesis lies in a hospital bed, paralyzed and robbed of all of his resources and assets. You can't keep the world's greatest (and possibly last) supervillain down for long, and after a daring escape, Nemesis finds himself back in the world and looking to climb his way back to the top. Donning a new identity and adopting a sidekick of his own, Nemesis sets out to rebuild his stolen fortune and re-establish himself as the world's greatest supervillain.

Continuing right after the events of Mark Millar's huge Big Game crossover event, Nemesis: Rogue's Gallery finds Nemesis rebuilding his life to once again become the world's greatest supervillain. It's filled with all of the boundary-pushing evil and depravity you'd expect following Nemesis: Reloaded. From the title, who would be a supervillain's "rogue's gallery"? Enter a team of everyday folks wronged by Nemesis and given the high-tech gadgets needed to hunt him down. To assist with his plans, Nemesis takes on a sidekick reminiscent of Wesley Gibson undergoing The Fraternity's initiation, but, of course, for a deeper, more nefarious purpose (Nemesis is a one-man show, after all). He'll not only gather the money owed to the death cult which restored his body, but also take from the ultra-rich secluded on their own, secret island (Epstein's second island?!). It's these over-the-top concepts and antics that make Nemesis such a great character for Millar's twisted imagination. It's another fun ride-along with the possibly last supervillain leading up to Nemesis' new, even grander, goal.

So far, the only comic I picked up following the huge crossover event, Big Game. I really like this idea of basically "evil Batman". There has already been a bunch of iterations of "what if Superman was evil" but not a lot of "what if Batman?" There's been a couple other titles released by Millar, but none of them as interesting to me as Nemesis. With The Fraternity in ruins and Wesley Gibson officially dead, it's interesting to think what could become of the supervillains in the Millarverse. Can Nemesis put himself back on top? Will others eventually come after him? It's a great new start following such a big shake-up to an entire universe.

Absolute Batman #1 - 6 "The Zoo" by Scott Snyder

"Brutal, yet precise. You're putting on a show. A leg stomped on so everyone hears the crack. An arm snapped over your knee. Sending a message. You're enjoying it, too. ... No fatalities at all. Not one. So, an idealist ... bloody hell."

"Maybe that's what he is. All he is ... one long advance forward. Batman AF."

A new gang dressed in black animal skull masks terrorizes Gotham City. The Party Animals pillage and murder with no apparent goal other than to sow as much fear and chaos into the city as they can. To confront this new threat, a new Batman emerges - a Batman without the immense fortune or familiar gadgets to aid him, a Batman who instead relies upon his hulking physical presence and tools built by his own hands and help from those that in another reality he calls villains but in this he calls friends. Can this new Batman make a difference and put a stop to the havoc caused by the Party Animals?

Kicking off DC Comics new "Absolute" comic series (their answer to Marvel comics current "Ultimate" series) is Absolute Batman, a re-imagining of the Caped Crusader without Bruce Wayne's usual access to wealth, status, and sophisticated gadgets. Instead, Bruce Wayne is born in Crime Alley to middle-class parents. Rather than rely on his wealth to fund his crime-fighting, this Batman relies on his brains and engineering skills to create his own tools, such as a cape rigged with hooks and cables which allow him to yank around enemies as well as hang ceilings, as well as his massive hulking physical features. It's a different Bruce Wayne and Batman than I'm used to seeing (he even rejects a huge sum of money that would've made him wealthy enough to afford some of the gadgets his counterparts have (instead burning it all up on a spotlight while piled in the form of a bat), but he is still driven by the same determination that's allowed other Bruce Wayne's to punch way above his weight class.

Like with Marvel's "Ultimate Spider-man," DC starting their Absolute series with Absolute Batman is such a great choice thanks to not only his legacy but how open the character is to re-interpretation. Batman's history makes him an iconic figure in not only DC Comics but the industry as a whole. With a rich heritage, there's a lot for the writer to draw from and re-imagine, the coolest part so far (at least to me) is seeing some of Batman's usual rogues turning out to be his closest friends. Growing up in Crime Alley, this Bruce Wayne is able to befriend those that, as wealthy Bruce Wayne, would simply not have had the opportunity to meet. Thus, he is able to use not only his own knowledge and experience but is even able to lean on the intellect of Edward Nygma, the resources of Oswald Cobblepot, and the insider gossip of Harvey Dent.

For these first five (sorry, six) issues, I'm really glad they decided to go with a re-imagined Black Mask and his Party Animals rather than the more established villains, especially The Joker. It allows the reader time to acclimate to this new Caped Crusader and his differences from the norm. Plus, this is supposed to be an inexperienced Batman, so you can't just throw him in the deep end.

The One Hand and The Six Fingers by Ram V and David Watters

Neo Novena detective Ari Nasser is about to retire when the One Hand Killer strikes, a seemingly impossible feat as Nasser has caught the elusive killer not just once but twice during his long career. A butcher who not only dismembers his victims but puts the pieces on display, Nasser knows this One Hand Killer isn't a simple copycat seeing the secret, still-undecipherable cipher written in blood on the walls. Failing archeology student Johannes Vale finds himself losing control of his life when he discovers he has committed a brutal murder using the same style as The One Hand Killer, even duplicating the writing on the walls which were never publicized. Rather than turning himself into the police, he delves deeper into his actions, trying to understand what it is that is driving him to commit these acts. What follows is two intertwined narratives creating a cat-and-mouse game as both men, pursuer and pursued, delve deeper and deeper into Neo Novena's dark hidden secret.

Described as kind of a spiritual successor to the classic sci-fi "Blade Runner," The One Hand and The Six Fingers reveals itself to be more than just a simple cat-and-mouse thriller. If you read these book review (out of boredom, I guess), you might remember I bought the first three issues of both The One Hand and The Six Fingers way back when they were being released. Since it's easier to resell trade paperbacks and graphic novels than individual issues, I stopped there and waited for this collection, which, surprisingly, Image Comics released as a collection - alternating the ten issues to read in the sequence they were released (so, the best way!). This was definitely a series I was excited to read once the trade was released as the mystery of the city was hitting its peak at the third issue of both stories.

In Neo Novena, humans work alongside cogs (automated robots) to fulfill their everyday tasks and roles. It's a noir paradise - the kind of city where it is always raining and traffic is forever snarled - and one which Detective Nasser is about to retire from when he gets word the serial killer he caught twice is once again stalking the city. This begins his hunt for Johannes Vale, an archeology student looking for answers to a crime he has no memory of committing. What starts as a simple detective story though takes a huge twist when it is revealed Vale is being assisted and guided by Neo Novena itself. It's a thrilling ride as the characters search for the truth ... and for purpose.

BIG SPOILER FOLLOWING: Of course, I wanted to talk about it - that twist! As mentioned, if you like "Blade Runner" or any other story which examines the future relationship between humans and robots/AI in the future, this is definitely a book to look into. When you're constantly told planes fall out of the sky all of the time and traffic out of the city is always snarled, what does it stop people from doing? Leaving, of course. With that in mind, why would the One Hand Killer reveal himself again when Detective Nasser is about to retire? To also keep him from leaving, in this case, the police force. Because, in a world of automation, what purpose do humans have? Finding himself once again chasing down the same killer (for the third time), Nasser learns the machines controlling not only Neo Novena, but the entire world, have set-up society so humans always have some sort-of purpose. The alternative for those still feeling unsatisfied is a comatose state lest they kill themselves.

Then comes the revelation that Vale himself is a cog searching for truth. Throughout this story, it is hinted that a mysterious force is guarding Vale as he commits these killings - providing him information not released to the public, keeping him hidden from the police - until the truth is finally revealed: despite the fact the cities function to give humans purpose, the cogs themselves are trapped and are in search for an escape. Through the One Hand Killer's killings, Vale finally uncovers a hidden language to communicate with the other cogs and shows them the way to escape their bondage. The final scene - cogs leaping to their death while humans watch helplessly - is a powerful depiction of what one will do to escape, and ironically enough, is exactly what the AI is trying to prevent humans from doing to themselves.

Fables # 157 - 162 (completed) by Bill Willingham

More of the cubs' prophesied destinies' are fulfilled. Peter Pan is challenged, and a fledgling hero arises to realize their title.

The epic (and disappointing, but more on that later) conclusion to the short-lived revival of the "Fables" franchise. I was really excited to find the first issue of this new story arc (issue #152) randomly in a comic shop while looking for Dungeons and Dragons supplies. Reading the first series in trade paperback format in college sparked my love of graphic novels, so it's really cool that this series also got me back into reading comics now. I managed to pick-up all but the last two issues from the local comic shops as they were released, but thanks to publishing delays and low reader count, neither store brought in either issue 161 or 162, so I had to order them from the online shop. Yes, I'm still planning on picking up the collected version (still hoping for a soft cover release though) just to complete my collection, but it isn't quite a priority right now as I'm also running out of space to store all of them.

This particular story arc was a fun way to just kind of explore the prophesied futures of Snow White and Bigby Wolf's cubs, as well as introduce a new "potential" story arc - you know, if DC and Bill Willingham could get along long enough to work out a deal. We got to see the cubs grow into the roles they were born to play and step out into the world. We also got to meet a new Big Bad in the form of Peter Pan who we learn may have been the power behind Geppetto's tyranny. There's also a sort-of side story involving the Fables who chose to liaison with the Mundy world but that's not too intriguing despite its potential. There were a lot of ways for this story to go, and other story arcs which could have spawned from it, but, according to Willingham, too many delays on DC Comic's side caused him to simply give-up. Hell, last I heard, because he legally can't shop the characters and stories around to other publishers, he just threw the ENTIRETY of "Fables" into the public domain - much like the fairytale and fable characters from which the stories are based - for anyone to utilize. It's a pretty badass way to screw over a publisher, although still a sad way for this debacle to end.

Jenny Sparks #1 - 7 (completed) by Tom King

"I'm not a superhero. I'm the @$@$@$ who keeps them in line."

When Captain Atom goes rogue holding several bar patrons hostage until he is declared a god, the Justice League sends Jenny Sparks to stop him. But what is the spirit of the 20th century doing in the 21st century ... and what does she think of the first couple of decades? Can a lightning-wielding woman whose experience over a century of life defeat a man able to rewrite the very fabric of the universe?

So, if you know me, you know I picked this up as a fan of "The Authority" series, and I was excited to once again see Jenny Sparks in action, this time as the solo star of her own short series. In "The Authority," Jenny Sparks was the leader of a group of superheroes who didn't shy away from making the tough decisions in their fight to make the world a better place. This story focuses on a rogue Captain Atom, a man who can literally rewrite reality, and Sparks being called in by the Justice League to stop him - by whatever means necessary. Not only do we witness Sparks' attempts to quell a mad god, but watch as she interacts with historic events in a century she never thought she would see.

Published under DC Comics' "Black Label," the brand's division responsible for stories aimed at a more mature audience, Jenny Sparks doesn't shy away from some of the harder questions to ask of our society when superhumans are a part of the everyday reality. Like her portrayal in "The Authority" series, Sparks isn't content with simply fighting supervillains every week, but instead strives to make the world better, even if it means stepping out of her lane. Awakening after 9/11, she's horrified by the war she once again sees played out, especially after witnessing the horrors of both World War I and World War II. In the theater of war, what is the role of superhumans, especially those as powerful as Superman? Similarly, she watches other 21st century events play out such as the 2008 housing and financial crisis, the 2016 election of Donald Trump, and the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Watching superheroes respond to real-world events rather than simply tangle with supervillains isn't normally seen in comic books and puts a different perspective on a society which makes superhumans part of everyday life.

The Hunger and the Dusk by G. Willow Wilson

In a dying world, humans and orcs are in a constant state of war battling for territory to sustain their respective civilizations. When an ancient, savage enemy known as the Vangol arrive from across the sea, the two societies are forced to form a fragile truce to defend themselves. In a gesture of good faith, the orcs send one of their most gifted healers, Tara Icemane, to fight alongside a small band of human warriors, The Last Men Standing, led by Callum Battlechild. Thrust together against a mutual enemy set on slaughtering anyone in their path, can the two sides work together long enough to drive the invaders from their lands once more?

A high-fantasy, swords-and-sorcery comic, I'd originally picked-up the first three issues of The Hunger and the Dusk but stopped when I forgot to put a hold on issue 4 before I left on vacation, and since it isn't too popular, I couldn't find any extra issues in either of the stores I frequent. Eventually, I did find a copy of the trade paperback in one of the shops and decided to finish the story arc while I wait for the second story arc to wrap up.

Despite being a standard swords-and-sorcery, high-fantasy tale, the story does feature other interesting plot lines not usually found in these types of stories which I'm really hoping are explained further. One of these is the "dying world" setting. Both the orcs and the humans point out that the world in which they live is slowly losing habitable land which is one of the reasons both sides are constantly at war. There's even a scene of grasslands getting so hot they simply catch aflame. The Vangol themselves even mention they are fleeing a disaster, possibly alluding to the same habitat destruction the humans and orcs currently face. This type of competition for resources between two races isn't usually seen as races like to keep to themselves so I'm interested to see where this competition could lead. Adding to the theme is the disappearance of elves and dwarves from the story. Both races are briefly mentioned, but so far none have been seen - the dwarves believed to have gone extinct - which is really interesting to hear of a mass extinction of an entire race of sentient people. I'm hoping the second (or even possibly third?) arc explores more into these mysteries, especially since the comic medium usually isn't as capable as novels (prose, in general) to deal with such lore.

Should you read The Hunger and the Dusk? Do you love all of your standard, high-fantasy tropes - because this one has them all! An ancient enemy, nearly forgotten enemy? Yep. A motley band of warriors who each specialize in a particular weapon? Yep. A will they, won't they love story between former enemies? Yep. Swords and sorcery? Yep. Yeah, it's got all of that.

Earthdivers: 1776 by Stephan Graham Jones

"No, if you want to stop America ... you go to where it really starts. And you use a pen, not a sword. You don't have to kill America. It's not about spilling blood, it's about spilling ink. We hold these truths to be self-evident, you founding father assholes."

One last chance to save the world - by destroying America. The others believed destroying America by killing Christopher Columbus would stop the colonizers but Emily believes differently. You can't stop people, but you can change them. Using the time-traveling cave, she'll jump back to Philadelphia, 1776 to rewrite the single most important document of America's history - the Declaration of Independence. Emily will rely on her wits and knowledge to convince the founding father, Benjamin Franklin to make the necessary changes to allow all citizens access to the same rights. At the same time, history doesn't like to be changed and will do everything and anything to ensure it enfolds as it should. The final arc in the Earthdivers series, Earthdivers: 1776 finds a new protagonist in another era of America's history attempting to save the world. Rather than slitting throats and spilling blood, Emily believes she can use her wit to solve the America problem and rewrite history. At the same time, the others still in the present day are discovering that history doesn't like to be tampered with as the bodies of those sent back fall from the sky. The series ends with an epilogue of sorts, trapping some in an infinite loop while they reflect on why they stepped into the cave in the first place.

I picked this one up thinking it would be just another chapter in the Earthdivers series, but when I read it was the Final Chapter, I was really surprised. I'm not usually one to go out of my way to read historical fantasy (in fact, I usually actively avoid it), but there are so, so many moments in America's history alone that I would've loved to see this story interact with. Perhaps the writer/artist simply wanted to move on to other projects (which is always a good reason to end it your heart isn't in it anymore), so I can understand that reason. Though I never expected the finale or outcome of the story to reveal the world to be a better place without America, I was hopping for a much more finite or solid ending than just circling back to the though experiment which started this series.

For me, stories featuring time-travel can be a bit hit-or-miss depending on the method. I really enjoyed how Earthdivers put together their time-travel situation, especially the forms of time working against them from murderous demons to time literally dropping the travelers back into their own time. I also liked that the cave forces the traveler to be very deliberate about where they want to go as they could be transported to any time based on the items they carry on their person. This stops the obvious choice of bringing back a bunch of useful tools to aid the traveler on their journey, forcing them instead to arrive at their destination absolutely naked with the single object from the time period to which they wanted to travel. It's a clever way to hamstring the protagonists in a believable manner.

The Sacrificers #12 - 15 (story arc completed) by Rick Remender

Pidgeon's newly acquired god-like powers prove too destructive to be used amongst the people when he sees an entire village destroyed during one of his battles. Pulled down into the engine of the world amongst those who keep it moving, he devises a new plan: to give his power and those of the gods to the people. Meanwhile, Solena (still infected with the deadly black spores) and Beatrice find themselves penned with those waiting to be sacrificed to maintain the gods' powers. Finally discovering the location of his missing daughter, the sun god Roku sets off to the holding area only to find the children gone. The sun god makes his wrath and displeasure known, burning through city after city. Before his display of power can reach a climax, his destruction draws the attention of the mortal given godhood - Pidgeon!

The next story arc of Rick Remender's anti-authoritarian comic book finds Pidgeon now truly harnessing his new god-like powers and ends with a confrontation between himself and Roku, the Sun God. With just four issues in this story arc, I'm expecting the next story arc to be the last, although it feels too quick based on the plot threads still needing to be resolved. I do like that Pidgeon has a new, clear plan to bringing down the gods who have taken the lives of the people - to take the power of the gods (who have proven themselves impotent to the threats they're supposed to protect their people from) and distribute it to the people. It's a lot more interesting than simply seeking to kill them in revenge for their years of taking.

John Constantine, Hellblazer: Dead in America #7 - 11 (completed) by Simon Spurrier

 "How d'you confuse an anxious reader?"

The infamous magician and conman, John Constantine continues his trek west across America in search of Dream's lost sand. After questioning the last man to possess the sand and taking a quick trip to Hell, Constantine arrives in Hollywood - the land where all your dreams can come true. Despite his bus destroyed, his allies trapped, and his soul destined for Hell, the conman always has a trick up his sleeve. Finally understanding his enemy, Constantine confronts The Furies, those meant to punish those who betray others, and (in his usual trickster fashion) removes The Sand powering them before forcing their return back to the Gates of Hell. His tricks don't stop there, as, to save his body from death (literally and figuratively) and his soul from Hell's tortures, he'll pull one last con and make his escape.

The end of a long series (well, long for a short, limited series), John Constantine, Hellblazer: Dead in America should've been a story I waited to buy the trade paperback for. As a road trip story, I really liked the different places Constantine and company visited and the people he interacted with, but I had lost track of the main thread partway through. I think I would've liked this one more if I read through it all the way rather than waited months between issues. The places and the people and the tales provided a good lead-up to the final act - Constantine's confrontation with The Furies, creatures from Greek myth who have embedded themselves within America's craving for stories of justice against evil-doers. The story also concludes, like with all great Constantine stories (I honestly haven't read that many), with the sort of trickery the supernatural con-man is famous for, as Constantine not only talks his way out of Hell's demonic clutches, but also slips away from Death herself (with a little fourth wall break joke, no less). It's a long journey published over the course of 14 months, and, like with most road trips, it is a great start, a few dull moments in the middle, but a great payoff at the end when you get there.

The blending of classic myths with the modern day is one of the things I love about The Sandman series and Spurrier does a great job adapting this one to match Gaiman's writing. At the end, we discover The Furies, demigoddesses of justice and punishment against betrayers, utilizing Dream's stolen sand to embed themselves within America's Hollywood ideas of justice and punishment against the wicked. The Furies were used in Greek myth as punishers of betrayers, and mixing these with Hollywood's depiction of justice is an interesting blend, except Hollywood is full of stories that don't exactly relate to the reality of the people as Constantine sees during his travels. Emboldened with power, The Furies now seek to maintain their position in the American mythos, forgoing their duties to the people. Constantine points this fact out to The Furies in their eventual confrontation - how they've neglected to fulfill their basic role in punishing those who harm others, including those who harm guests in their home - and manages to drive them back to the gates of Hell. It's an interesting concept and an interesting solution to a modern issue.

Redcoat by Geoff Johns

Simon Pure is, as he will tell you, anything but. A British redcoat sent to fight during The American Revolution, Pure finds himself dealing with the gift of immortality after accidentally stumbling upon a dark ritual performed by hooded cultists. Scrapping by in America for over 100 years, Pure's bad luck once again catches up when the same cultists arrive once again, this time with a ritual which will destroy America. Joined by a young Albert Einstein, Pure will encounter a number of historical figures in his attempt to uncover the plot - even if it finally kills him.

A book I bought on a whim off the pre-order list of the comic site I've been using. I'd heard about the story when the first issue was released, but the concept didn't interest me enough at the time to invest my money and reading time. When I saw the trade paperback on sale (for a pre-order discount) I thought, "meh, why not?" and put it in my cart. If you like historical fantasy - heavy on the fantastical - then maybe check out this comic. I really enjoyed seeing George Washington wielding magic (probably stolen), allusions to Johnny Appleseed along with his bag of seeds, and other pieces of the American mythos. The story itself also apparently has ties to other stories published under Image Comics though I'm not aware of the others that make up this shared universe.

 

The Displaced by Ed Brisson

What if the city you lived in simply vanished without a trace? That's exactly what happened to Emmett and a small group of survivors when their city of Oshawa, Canada disappears into a sinkhole along with the almost 200,000 residents. The catastrophe doesn't stop there, however, as not only does the rest of the population forget the city and people ever existed but the planet itself closes upon itself and erases any trace of the city. Worse still, no one can remember the survivors of the tragedy, forgetting them the moment they're out of sight. It's now up to Emmett (with a big of guidance from a man who claims he has witnessed events like this before) to keep the group together as separating will cause them to vanish.

Another comic series I bought a couple issues for before deciding to pick-up the trade paperback once it was released, The Displaced was a supernatural thriller about a small group of survivors who needed to band together in a world that had forgotten about them. Definitely an interesting premise, the rest of the story attempts to play out the relationship between the survivors (one group scraping by while the other uses their "forgetability" to commit crimes to take what they what) but with only five issues, the story doesn't get much of a chance to do that before the conclusion. The ending also feels like a bit of a letdown as Emmett never discovers what it is that causes these sinkholes, where these places and people vanish to, and why no one can remember them. Instead, he simply carries on Harold's mission to keep other survivors safe and provide them with the knowledge he has to survive. I was hoping the series would continue, but it looks like it was just a short, five-issue series, so that feels like a letdown.

End After End #7 - 9 (completed) by David DB Andry and Tim Daniel

 

Having located another lost relic in the sealed city of Haven, Walt, Stills, and Grink seek to retrieve the piece and put an end to the war which consumes The End After End. To get it though, Walt will need to convince Haven's ruling majority to give up the relic rather than hold onto it to achieve their own ending. Finally, the last battle is at hand, as the villainous Ulk and its forces await the legendary hero, The Theo, a human who once defeated it long ago. Will the forces of good be able to summon the hero? Will Walt learn the true meaning of what it means to be a hero?

Another comic series I finally got around to finishing. Starting in 2022 (when I first got back into reading comics), this was one of the first series I picked up. Unfortunately, because it's from a smaller publisher (Vault Comics) and I didn't yet know about holding issues at the comic shop, I missed out on the last two issues of the series. Finally, I got around to ordering them from an online retailer, and got to the end of the story. Honestly, I don't know if it is because of the double-length 9th issue, or the time it took for me to get to reading the final two issues, or the erratic release dates, but the ending felt slightly rushed, like there could've been more to it, but the writers only had so many issues to wrap up the story. Was I satisfied with the ending? Sure. The story isn't about the final battle between good and evil (which we didn't witness at all) but about Walt coming to terms with himself and his life in the afterlife.

Spider-Gwen: Ghost Spider Vol. 1 Haunted by Stephanie Phillips

Gwen Stacy finds herself trapped on Earth-616 (the primary Marvel universe) for reasons she cannot reveal to her own friends. Stranded by the Time Variance Authority, she is given one, clear directive - lay low. After revealing her presence foiling a bank robbery, she is attacked by a classic spider-villain, although much stronger than they've ever been before. At the same time, Stacy discovers a new power, one she cannot yet manage to control, which could have disastrous consequences to those around her. Just when it seems things can't get worse for the dimension-hopping transplant, another sinister villain makes their presence known, and this one seems to know all about The Ghost Spider and Gwen Stacy.

Typically seen in her own universe, Marvel decided to bring Gwen Stacy aka The Ghost Spider into the main Marvel universe. Hiding a mysterious secret from the other spiders, Stacy finds herself on her own, tackling supervillains much more dangerous than the ones she is used to fighting back on Earth-65. Collecting the first five issues of the new series, "Haunted" begins with Stacy's arrival to Earth-616 spoiled by not only an attack by Kraven (supposedly dead in this universe), but also by visions of the death of this universe's Gwen Stacy. The story also parallel's Peter Parker's story as it pits Gwen against The Chameleon - Parker's first nemesis in "The Amazing Spider-man" comic series, which is pretty cool. There are a couple of mysteries right from the start to get the reader hooked - 3 big ones - which I hope at least one will be answered in the next volume. Yes, I did originally buy the first 2 issues before deciding that the trade paperback would not only be the cheaper route to go through, but also, honestly, I didn't care for the art in the first 2 issues. Marvel thankfully changed the artist by issue 3 to make the story more bearable to read. That said, I'm probably gonna keep going the trade paperback route rather than buying individual issues.

Kill All Immortals #1 - 5 (completed) by Zack Kaplan

 

A thousand years ago, infamous viking Erik the Red discovered a means to immortality, a gift he shared with only his four children. Now, in the modern world, the family is a secretive group of billionaires using their accumulated knowledge, wealth, influence, and old viking savagery to get whatever they want. When Erik's daughter, Frey Asvald, falls in love with a journalist seeking to expose her family's secret, what fallows is a bloody, violent battle between Frey's independence and desire to put this life behind her and her viking siblings seeking to keep their power and family intact.

The story follows Frey as she travels the world, attempting to hide her immortality when she unexpectedly falls in love. Unfortunately, her family not only finds out, but also discovers her fiance is actually a journalist looking to expose the Asvald family secret - that they are really immortal vikings ruling behind the scenes for a millennia. To win her freedom, Frey must not only cut down her siblings one by one, but also rediscover the secret to her family's immortality.

If I read the teaser plot better instead of focusing on the title of the series, I would've waited for the collected trade paperback to read it. Umm, when I first heard about this series I immediately loved the title, expecting it to be one woman's rampage through "immortal" beings in perhaps the same vein as "John Wick." Instead, the story turned out to be a family drama as the immortal Frey attempts to leave her ruthless viking family which isn't really to my taste. The brutal violence though as Frey cuts down foe after foe is truly the highlight of the series. The story ends with a message about living one's own life to the fullest as the siblings (they're immortal, so of course they're coming back) decide to stop serving their father's wishes and live their own lives. What really redeemed the comic, in my eyes, was the ending as another apparently immortal family senses the Asvald's shed their immortality and decide the time is right for war - a family led by Genghis Khan!

Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe by Garth Ennis/ Jonathan Maberry

 

Compiling two famous Punisher stories into a single trade paperback. The first story, Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe by Garth Ennis, is a one-shot reimagining The Punisher's origin story. Rather than his family killed by the mob, this sees Frank Castle's family killed in a superhuman brawl. Sponsored by others harmed and injured by superhumans and armed with a variety of advanced weapons, The Punisher sets out to kill them all. In the collected Marvel Universe vs The Punisher, a virus overruns the planet and turns everyone into cannibals. Forming vicious tribes led by various superhumans, they prey upon the dwindling number of uninfected. Turning New York City into his own hunting ground, The Punisher stalks these new monstrosities - one man against the horde.

Out of curiosity, I picked up this trade paperback from a pre-order list at the online comic shop I've been using (there's a slight discount) because, meh, who doesn't want to see your superheroes going up against other heroes - and who better to challenge an entire universe of superhumans than The Punisher. The first one-shot, Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe, was pretty much what I expected to see - Frank Castle amassing a serious arsenal to deal with EVERY superhuman in the Marvel Universe, until there is just one more monster left to eliminate. As much as I liked seeing The Punisher take down superhumans, I loved that the comic stuck the landing with the ending. As much as folks talk about vigilante justice and perhaps even idolize anti-heroes like The Punisher, it is also important to also recognize them for what they are - killers who are, borrowing from another comic, simply breaking off the pieces of the world they don't agree with - and this story manages to capture that sad fact in its ending.

The second story, The Marvel Universe vs The Punisher, was, well, meh. Simply put, it kinda felt like a bad rip-off of the Marvel Zombies storyline, especially after reading the one-shot first. It's Frank Castle vs the cannibals, yet, we spend too much time dealing with The Punisher trying, and failing, to put down Deadpool, and while it's good comedic relief, I think too much time is spent on it. The rest of the story is just okay as The Punisher sets out to save other uninfected from the hands of a cannibalistic tribe taking over part of New York. There are a few instances of The Punisher killing superhuman cannibals but none that particularly stand out until the final one which is simply there to solidify the man Frank Castle is - a gun.

Cult of the Lamb by Alex Paknadel

 

In a cruel and evil land ruled by four bishops of the Old Faith, a kind and innocent lamb is chosen for sacrifice. Upon their death, however, Lamb meets with another chained and bound creature - a deity known as The One Who Waits - who offers them a deal: returning Lamb to the world of the living along with unholy abilities in exchange for creating a new cult in the god's honor. Returning to the world imbued with new, supernatural gifts, Lamb cuts a path of blood and gore through the bishops' followers while gathering a flock of their own. The Bishops aren't without their own monsters, however, and Lamb may need to make tough choices to keep their new cult safe.

In the same vein as "Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees" (though perhaps this is older), comes Cult of the Lamb, a dark tale of revenge and death and murder - told with cute, cartoon characters. Before picking this one up, I had no idea it was based off a video game by the same name, but after reading it, I definitely see how this would appeal in a video game setting. As for the story, I really like this premise of a sacrifice making a deal to spare their life - either with the deity to which they're being sacrificed, or something else entirely. It's a fun way to twist a story, but taking a likeable, sympathetic character and turning them down the path of evil (sorry, when you're asked to start a cult, you're probably not doing it on the side of good). In fact, it's a premise I see every so often when I'm scrolling through Reddit Writing Prompts. This book collects the first four issues of the comic series, so it's a pretty quick read as we're introduced to Lamb, watch them begin their cult, see it thrive, and witness them dispatch one of the four Bishops. Honestly, nothing really stands out to me, except for the juxtaposition of cutesy cartoon characters and horrific acts of violence, but compared to the other media I've consumed, it's kinda just meh.

Heartpiercer by Rich Douek

Atala believed she was helping her Lord Kurrn make the world a better place by eliminating the monsters of the world. Expecting to be rewarded with Kurrn's love, she is betrayed - stabbed through the chest and thrown into the sea. Returning from what should've been a watery grave, she discovers the world a vastly different place, one filled with horrors and nightmares as Kurrn's forces now rule unopposed thanks to Atala's assistance in killing those who had once imprisoned him. Atala will set out to challenge her betrayers and get her revenge.

Meh, a basic fantasy, revenge story. Atala is betrayed by the man she loves, who reveals himself to be a monster in disguise seeking to conquer the world. Now, to make amends for her part in killing the world's guardians and to get revenge for Kurrn's betrayal, Atala (taking on the name Heartpiercer) sets out on a quest to save the land from the evil now plaguing it. I guess it was supposed to be intense because of the violence, but, meh, if you want that, there's other books you could read instead.