"The Power Fantasy," #1 is an Explosive Start to an Inventive New Series

Kieron Gillen and Caspar Wijngaard have given us an interesting new comic with, "The Power Fantasy," #1. It imagines a World where there are people with powers, but six key folks are, "Superpowers," in the sense that they have the ability to basically destroy planet Earth if they ever come into conflict with each other. Just as some nations are Superpowers, these folks are walking atomic weapons in some form or another, essentially. The survival of everyone on Earth depends on these folks being content enough they don't want to utterly destroy everything due to being in a bad mood. The first issue spends most of its time introducing us to three of the six superpowers, and towards the end of the issue gives us a minor taste of just how mighty these individuals can be.

There is a surreal mix of, "The Wicked and the Divine," and, "Uber," in here--both comics Gillen wrote. We have the element of some of these Superpowers being celebrities (in a fashion), and a dash of complex World politics. It's the Cold War but with bombs that have their own personal agendas and followers--a terrifying concept. Caspar Wijngaard illustrates our Superpowers and their going-ons with extreme skill, not a surprise considering he's been fantastic on other projects with other creators and with Gillen ("Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt," was a real treat some years ago). Wijngaard can draw a chat between two characters over coffee just as well as someone using their psychic powers to instantly kill hundreds of people in retaliation for an assassination attempt (some elements are weirdly topical, as Bleeding Cool notes). The comic is beautiful and bright in its visuals, but has an extremely dark tonal undercurrent. I dig what I've seen so far.

"The Power Fantasy," bursts out the metaphorical gate at full speed. I greatly enjoyed this debut issue and am curious to see just how the Superpowers manage to keep the peace between themselves...and for how long. Go find yourself a copy of, "The Power Fantasy," as quickly as you can at a comic shop, a (legal) internet site, or so forth. It's only going to get crazier.

5 out of 5 Stars.

A Kieron Gillen-written, "Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt," Sounds Potentially Fun

I am a big fan of Kieron Gillen. He is a writer capable of great variation and unlike some writers who I adore but seem to stick to certain themes, ideas, or character archetypes, Gillen just is all over the place--in a great way. Gillen can write a comic book about a world where music is magical ("Phonogram,") give us a yarn about supernatural God ("The Wicked and the Divine,") or present an alternate universe World War II where the Nazi's developed superhuman ("Uber"). Therefore, hearing that Kieron Gillen is going to be writing a new, "Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt," comic for Dynamite makes me intrigued by how it sounds potentially fun.

I of course am probably the one person who remembers and really liked the, "Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt," comic from 2012, when Dynamite last had a book with the character (I believe there haven't been any others). One interesting thing about Peter Cannon is that he was of course one of the original Chalrton characters that Alan Moore based Ozymandias upon for his world-renowned comic, "Watchmen." Unlike some former Charlton heroes DC Comics has the current rights to however (The Question, Blue Beetle), Peter Cannon is an IP currently owned by Dynamite. That doesn't neccesarily have any bearing on the kind of comic Gillen will be making, but I wouldn't be surprised if a little bit of a Ozymandias-vibe ironically influences the character he was based upon. I suppose in January of 2019 we will know just what kind of Gillen-comic we are in for.

Best Single Issue of the Year--2017 in Review

A Stellar Standalone

A great single issue doesn't have to be a standalone issue to be my favorite of the year, but this time a one-shot that ties in with, "The Wicked and the Divine," was just amazing. The, "455 AD," one-shot that follows one of the Gods who breaks the supposed rules is just amazingly twisted and weird from start to finish as it is made apparent that the Gods who people nowadays worship as celebrities could wield a dangerous power and pose a huge threat to the world if they aren't kept in check by rules...rules which the main series has seen the Gods currently going against. This individual issue is just smashing and a great standalone way to see why, "The Wicked and the Divine," continues to be a great series.

Rant-Reviews: Three Long-Running Image Books and Three New Ones

Combining Concepts
I've done plenty of articles where I discuss new first issues of titles, and have made posts discussing books that have been coming out for quite awhile as well. I also would say Image is probably the publisher I read the most of, easily making-up a third of the books I frequently enjoy. I thought I would combine all of these elements and now present three reviews of long-running Image books as well as three new first issues. Let's review them and see if we learn something, I guess?

O.G. Books
Saga #46
People will often write about how, "Saga," features parts that make them really emotional and while I've quite enjoyed the book I haven't really felt that way. Well, one segment in this issue just totally wrecked me and illustrated why Brian K. Vaughn and Fiona Staple's work is probably going to result in this book being on those, "Greatest Comics of All Time," lists that folk sometimes feel like making. What at first seemed like a a bit of a silly space soap-opera has evolved quickly into an epic yarn on love, loss, and God-dammit that segment where the future-specter of a potential brother fades away from his living sister still has me bawling. Fuck you for giving me all these emotions, BKV and Staples! This latest issue of, "Saga," can easily be bought at Things From Another World, on eBay, at MyComicShop, or at a fine comic establishment near you.
5 out of 5 stars.

The Wicked and the Divine #31
I wondered if WIC+DIV as the cool kids call it would run out of steam once a potential adversary that had been in the book was defeated, but clearly the worst foe these reincarnated Gods will face is arguably themselves. This is the kind of issue that starts out kind of quiet and then has a whole bunch of shocking climaxes at the end which are sure to make the next issue amazing...but unfortunately make this one feel a little bit like a bunch of lead-up to some admittedly crazy moments (a character death I did not see coming being on of them).  This still is a stellar issue of WIC+DIV, it just isn't amazing as some of the best ones. That said, I have gotta read issue #32 as soon as I possibly can now! You can buy the newest WIC+DIV at Things From Another World, on eBay, at MyComicShop, or of course in all quality comic shops.
4 out of 5 stars.

Savage Dragon #226
If these are some O.G. books this is the grand-pappy O.G., as besides, "Spawn," this is essentially the only title since the dawn of Image in 1992 to keep somewhat-continuously running since then, and the only long-running one from Image almost always done by a single creator (various people have done, "Spawn,") with creator Erik Larsen occasionally taking breaks.  Larsen, the writer and artist on the book, should be applauded for having been able to evolve his book about an extraterrestrial Dragon all these decades from a general super-hero book to a title with characters that have aged, had children, died, and so forth all while making a comic that clever manages to riff on current trends to stay popular.

One of those trends right now is how our *shudder* President Donald Trump is working his hardest to destroy our Nation and turn everyone against each other, so Larsen takes this to a logical place where Trump would try and outlaw literal aliens from space just as much as he is railing against, "Illegal aliens," from other countries. The political allegory is piled-on here thick and with little subtlety, but it works. A fun read, it is amazing to think this has been chugging along since 1992 and that is itself admirable--that the book also manages to continue to be good is an even more impressive feat. You can currently find, "Savage Dragon #226," for sale on eBay or at MyComicShop and of course in stores.
3.5 out of 5 stars.

Brand-New Titles

Retcon #1
Yeah, I wasn't feeling this. When I heard the idea of this comic discussed, that it has these characters who keep living life a little differently--e.g. getting retconned--that sounded interesting, but this issue just seems like a big of a disjointed mess of various plot devices and storytelling ideas--secret government agencies, paranormal forces, drug addiction, and more! Perhaps this is a case where things will make more sense as the book proceeds and this issue purposely seems a bit trite because it is going to be, "Retconned," next issue as a brand-new story or something? That would be cool, but if the next issue just follows-up on the tedium here I'll be disappointed. At least the art is good. Should you want to get your own copy of, "Retcon," then Things From Another World, eBay, and MyComicShop are all good resources.
2 out of 5 stars.

Scales and Scoundrels #1
I knew very little about this book as I don't generally go for fantasy-titles much, preferring sci-fi. That said, having read this, I quite like this Young Adult-friendly tale of a scoundrel (as per the title) and the mischief she gets up to. Despite, "Scales," being in the title and dragons having some discussion, there isn't too much in the way of dragons this issue. That's alright though, because we do get a solidly-told yarn that introduces our main characters, their quest for riches, and hints at more trouble to come. It is a well-told story that looks good, and that makes it an engaging read. I don't normally dig fantasy titles, but this cracks my cold indifference with its sheer enthusiasm, so that's impressive. I would recommend grabbing this book and you can do so at Things From Another World, via eBay, or on MyComicShop.
4.5 out of 5 stars.

Realm #1
This is a weird one (that's good though). Were this not clearly a first issue I would almost feel like I had dipped into a comic a few issues in, as a whole lot happens and very little is explained. I actually appreciate this however, as many comics often want to give you an info-dump in the first issue and overwhelm readers with background-stuff. "Realm," doesn't do that, however. We simply follow some characters in a world that is clearly very messed-up and had some terrible things happen to it that gives everything a weird mixture of post-apocalypse with orcs and magic.

I'm immensely confused as to what exactly is going on, but that is clearly intentional as we are told what we absolutely need to know as readers and allowed to wonder about everything else. We don't have to be made aware of what made everything so fucked-up, it just is, and we're along for the ride. It is refreshing to see this storytelling technique followed of letting us readers puzzle things out and with the fantastic artwork this book is one that has my interest piqued. eBay and MyComicShop are both good resources for buying the first issue of, "Realm."
4 out of 5 stars.

Old(er) and New, Done With Review(s)
Image puts out a lot of winners and will sometimes miss too, of course. That said, the books that have been running for awhile clearly succeed thanks to their ability to hook-in readers with incredible worlds, great plotting, and impressive artwork. Assuming these newer books can manage to have all that they may very well climb-up high in their issue-count too (or if mini-series, get multiple minis, you know what I mean). We shall see!

Rant Reviews Where I Check-In on Some Series

It's Not Only About Brand-New Stuff
I of course love to review and discuss new series. That said, they are plenty of ongoing series and mini-series I've been reading which deserve some attention too. Shall we review some?

As We Resume Reading...
Regular Show #34
I always enjoy a good 15-minute burst of, "Regular Show," with its quirky sense of humor complimenting my desire for televised absurdity very well. The tie-in comic is now up to its 34th issue and with this one we begin a new three-part arc where Mordecai and Rigby argue about which movie action-heroes have the best weapons. It is as usual a seemingly simple concept that flies off into all sorts of zaniness and hints at some dangerous trouble brewing for the next issue. There also is a funny back-up where the guys face-off against some bikers who also happen to be little babies. Again, it is very silly and if you don't have the kind of humor the show appeals to you may scratch your head in confusion about why people enjoy this stuff. However, should you be like me, and like a dollop of weird with your jokes, you'll have some fun with this.
3.5 out of 5 stars.

Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose #97
This issue concludes a short story-arc which follows Tarot, her fiance Jon, and sister Raven, as they are transported into a surreal horror-tinged world apparently set within a demonic video-game console. The result is our heroes falling prey to various horror motifs (Tarot becomes a Frankenstein's monster, Raven is turned into a vampire, and Jon finds himself moprhed into a werewolf), and fighting against the evil entities of the world. I enjoyed this issue, and writer-artist Jim Balent sure can draw a superb werewolf. My only big complaint would be that the ending feels rushed and a bit anti-climatic, with another character who has activated the evil game console simply having himself disconnected from it, allowing Tarot, Raven, and Jon, to be transported back to the real world. I wouldn't have minded this story being allowed to breathe a bit with a third issue that follows our heroes working to find a way out of the twisted horror-world, but perhaps I'm just saying that because werewolf-Jon looked really cool. Whatever the case, as "Tarot," approaches issue #100--a huge milestone for any comic, especially an independent one--it continues to be as enjoyable as ever.
4 out of 5 stars.

Jacked #5
Written by Eric Kripke--who apparently helped create the show, "Supernatural," which my sister-in-law adores, "Jacked," has been a darkly humorous take on what happens when a normal guy named Josh who desperately wants to be powerful finds a drug named Jacked that inexplicably makes him, well, "Jacked." It has been a fun series so far but this issue really brings things to a head when Josh confronts some gangsters while high on some expired Jacked. This allows the artists, John Higgins and Marc Olivent to draw some impressively bizarre hallucinations ranging from talking snack-cakes to a brief appearance of some DC heroes (being a Vertigo comic has its perks if you want a Superman or Batman cameo it seems). The series started out a bit more sarcastic and fun before getting a bit more depressing, but a scene here where Josh realizes his family is the most important thing to him of all regardless of Jacked is sweet if a little bit on-the-nose. There is one issue left in this mini-series and I hope things work out okay for Josh, which is a sign of good writing when you care enough about a fictional character to desire they turn-out alright.
4 out of 5 stars.

Saga #35
Do I honestly need to review this? I mean, it's, "Saga." Many people love it, a few folk inexplicably hate it, but I find it to be one of the most consistently entertaining and engaging comics coming out. Plus, as this issue draws a bunch of plot threads together it is exciting to guess how much havoc is going to be breaking out soon. A good way to summarize this is to simply say: "'Saga,' it's the comic everyone should be reading." Plus, as is pointed out in the letters page, this is the issue before the last one which will be followed usual in-between-arcs-break has a literal cliffhanger, that's always fun!
5 out of 5 stars.

Spook #4
I read this and realized it was actually the last issue of the mini-series, making it less a case of checking-in on a comic than it is observing the conclusion. I'm still going to review it though because I found the series pretty interesting overall if a bit slow-moving at times. The basic idea is the CIA has in fact been able to turn a dead agent into a ghost--although it took until the end of issue #2 for that to occur--and thankfully after the slower-start things picked-up with the third issue and this now concluding one. The artwork is solid, a bit scratchy and impressionistic, and the plot has an interesting hook with some good dialogue even if the exact motivations of certain characters at times seems a little unclear (so why did the bad guy keep a potential threat alive? He doesn't ever really give a particularly good reason). Still, it was a solid read that hints at future series where more CIA ghost-agents are around, so if a sequel occurs I'll check it out, methinks.
3 out of 5 stars.

The Wicked and the Divine #18
Man, it really seems like forever since that last issue, and it in fact has been a couple of months as there was a break before this new episode in the increasingly twisty and complex, "WIC+DIV," as the kids call it--I think, at least; who knows what kids are into these days? Things definitely start off with a bang, as it is revealed someone we all thought dead--Laura, the main character for much of the earlier issues--is in fact doing quite alright, and ready to raise a bit of a ruckus. A ruckus does indeed get raised, as this is one of the most action-packed issues of the series thus far--writer Kieron Gillen admits in the back-matter that this latest story-arc is one where if something could blow up, it will. I'm quite excited to see where things go now.
4.5 out of 5 stars.

The Vision #6
This issue a whole bunch of nasty truths come out, some disturbing home surgery is performed and shit otherwise continues to get real. Awesome stuff. Seriously though, who would have predicted some months ago a comic about a robot (pardon me, synthezoid) that almost zero people care about would turn into what is possibly the best comic--not just best Marvel comic, but best comic, period--currently on the stands? From the intensely ominous first issue to the growing violence, fear, and general paranoia in later ones, a book about a lame Avenger within six issues has turned into a must-read series that has been confirmed as ending with issue #12, but if writer Tom King says that lets him tell the entire story he wanted to tell before going-off and becoming DC-exclusive then dear God let's treasure this half-way point. I say we should treasure it because the sixth issue is another stupendous piece within this magnum opus that is already being compared with other comic masterworks.
5 out of 5 stars.

It's Good to Keep in Touch
It is always good to check-in on titles, I'm glad they all seem to be doing at least moderately well or continuing to prove themselves as excellent.

Rant-Reviews--Let's Talk About Our Feelings

All Those Emotions

Comics make us feel emotions, at least when they are doing their job they should. Whether we relate to the emotions of the characters or have our own sentiments after reading a story, if you don't feel something after reading a comic, I would argue it didn't fully do its job. After all, any comic--nay, any piece of entertainment--should garner some sort of sensation, as opposed to being the mental equivalent of eating a rice cake--e.g. dry, dull, and boring (although I do like rice cakes with a hint of salt, work in a comic metaphor however you can from that). I'll be rating comics not just with my usual stars, but with to what degree of, "The feels," they cause with that term referring to a wave of emotions a person experiences while enjoying a piece of entertainment.

Comics That Result In, "The Feels."
Starve #1
Brian Wood is of course a writer that I now feel slightly icky about when I consider things that came to light not long ago. Still, he can be quite the solid writer, and "Starve" is an interesting comic that reminds of other things--possibly to a fault.

Take a dash of a comic about unfair division of classes (so something like Greg Rucka's "Lazarus"), thoughts on a future full of privatization and weird technology (shades of Warren Ellis' "Transmetropolitan"), our cultural obsession with cooking competitions (most of what is on the Food Network these days) and add just a dash of dark humor about how human beings love being awful to each other (a forte of Garth Ennis). These are all solid ingredients, but while reminding of so many other things, "Starve" struggles a bit to carve out its own identity.

The thing that keeps it from feeling like an utter mish-mash of concepts loosely congealing together is that the protagonist, Gavin Cruikshank, is just the right mixture of unpleasant and empathetic that readers should care about him. Someone who has been at the top, fallen to the bottom, and sees the injustice in the world but actually has a chance to do something about it, Gavin is a neat fellow. Were it not for Gavin this comic wouldn't have too much of a pulse, but Wood has a great character in him and that results in a comic I am interested in enough to want to keep following, for now at least.
3.5 out of 5 stars/"feels".

Material #2
The first issue of this Ales Kot written comic really grabbed me. It was fascinating with how it had these various unlinked (for now) stories, mentions of other media we could consume that related to what was going on the in comic, deep talk about the meaning of life, the (lack of) liberty, and our world's obsession with technology. This issue has the same, but feels like a little less of a shocking punch-to-the-gut as that debut.

It is still amazingly good, and I bet as we build to a conclusion I will love this series even more. For now though, it is a fascinating read not quite as wild as the first issue, but still capable of making readers feel a lot of emotions, many of them sad and hopeful as we witness these people suffering difficulties and dream that everything will work out for them...although it most likely may not.
4.5 out of 5 stars/"feels".

Annihilator #6
Grant Morrison's "The Filth" is arguably my favorite comic, ever. "The Multiversity" is probably my favorite thing he has finished this year. So, what is "Annihilator"? Well, its a good comic that riffs on the concepts of how we as people tell stories, without being as meta as "The Multiversity" got, as the main idea is our protagonist has to write a story before he dies in order to survive. This somewhat-delayed final issue wraps everything up in a nice and clean manner while at the same time mocking stories that wrap everything up nicely. It is a solid series, made that extra bit enjoyable by the superb art of Frazier Irving. Morrison makes readers think with this story, but Irving's stark and creepy artwork makes you feel.

Irving can make even a moment of seeming calm seem unpleasant and eerie--and I mean that as a compliment. The surreal space-monsters that Irving drew throughout this series and the new beings we meet within this issue took this comic from potentially being a good science fiction story straight into the realm of a really good sci-fi-horror yarn. I'm not sure who brought out the best in whom of the creative team, but the combination of Morrison and Irving takes something that would be good, and makes it great--in addition to full of the feels.
4 out of 5 stars/"feels".

The Wicked and the Divine #11
This came out some time ago, with the release of the next issue not far off (i.e. this week), but I just wanted to share some brief thoughts on the end of this particular installment of "Wic+Divine." Namely how upon reading the issue I wanted to shout, "Oh my God, that ending was insane!" Oh, and also how felt the urge to exclaim how, "I honestly have no clue what happens next!"

Seriously though, Gillen utterly shocked me with the events of this comic and has me hooked more than ever on this amazing title. The sheer shock, surprise, and confusion I felt reading this defines what it means to have, "The feels."
5 out of 5 stars/"feels".

Now I'm Just Exhausted

Some comics inspire more "feels" than others. This can be a good thing and a bad thing, considering how something like "Annihilator" is enjoyably scary and fun, but "The Wicked and the Divine" just leaves you emotionally drained (that ends up being a good thing, however). At the end of the day, I would rather read a comic that makes me feel ways I'm not always comfortable with (sad, angry, etc.) than a comic that leaves me feeling, "blah." I imagine most readers would too.

2014 In Review--My Favorite Comic-Book Writer

The Joy of Text

When reading a comic book the writer's job is obviously important. Not only do they supply the speech and narration, but if they aren't illustrating the comic they write the directions to the artist about how the comic should look too. There is a writer who this year had a number of quality titles which I consistently enjoyed enough to think of him as my best writer of 2014.

Writer of the Year--Kieron Gillen

Kieron Gillen is a writer who started out in video-games journalism and then later moved into writing comic books. His absolutely stellar "Young Avengers" came to a wonderful close early this year, and his writing on the title "Uber" has been superb in its portrayal of a world where super-powered beings altered the course of World War II. He also has of course been doing an incredible job on "The Wicked and the Divine" where with Jamie McKelvie illustrating the book (McKelvie also drew "Young Avengers", interestingly) we have been getting a super-enjoyable title, one which I considered to be among my favorite ongoing comics of 2014.

One thing about Gillen  that makes his writing so delightful is that unlike some other writers who have certain methods or tics which they always seem to fall victim to, Gillen can write anything, in any fashion. You wouldn't realize the man behind the pop-culture influenced "The Wicked and the Divine" was the same person writing the grim-and-gritty "Uber" because even though they are both great titles, their styles are so incredibly different it is shocking to think one mind is behind both. I love Warren Ellis, but you usually know when you're reading an Ellis comic, but with Gillen you don't automatically know it is him besides "knowing" you are reading an excellent title. For that reason of such high quality, I declare that Kieron Gillen was my favorite writer of 2014.

2014 In Review--My Favorite Ongoing Comics This Year

And The Winner Is...
To kick-off my series of segments looking at 2014 I thought I would make sense to start with some of my favorite comics from this year that were ongoing series. Now, I do have another post that deals with my favorite cancelled comics of 2014, but that will go up at a later date and these are ongoing titles that seem to be continuing into the foreseeable future. Now, in no particular order my top three ongoing series and an honorable mention...

...These Comics!
Zero

Ales Kot has a fascinating comic he is writing here. Each issue has a different artist (but the same colorist in Jordie Bellaire) but it isn't too jarring as often we view different times in the life of Edward Zero, a man who was raised by "The Agency" but then left it. It is a fascinating series exploring the mindset of a man who for so long lived in violence and then tried to achieve peace, but as we see from scenes set far in the future with Zero as a young man things went horribly wrong. Each issue's artist compliments the plot well, be it brutal violence, a peacefully quiet vignette, or whatever else Kot feels like having occur. I just really, really, enjoy this.

Moon Knight

Warren Ellis absolutely killed it on the first six issues of this comic with artist Declan Shalvey and colorist Jordie Bellaire (the same person from "Zero"!) contributing art that complimented the writing in ways that resulted in something quite often amazing. I was concerned when Brian Wood took over writing with art by Greg Smallwood, but since came on I have continued to be impressed. This results in a comic that despite having a big change in writer and artist (thankfully Bellaire continues to supply amazing color-work) still found itself as one of my favorite books of 2014.

Moon Knight is of course a hero I absolutely love to a degree you could argue is an unhealthy level of fanboy-ism, so even if his comic were terrible I would probably pick it up. Therefore, it is just wonderful that a comic about one of my most beloved characters can also be a book I think is just stellar and which continues to impress even as it seems Marc Spector may not be as much of the "Moon Knight" he once was. What will happen before the next creative team appears for the next arc will remain to be seen, but as long as it continues the trend of quality work I'll be eager to read "Moon Knight".

The Wicked and The Divine

This one took a little while to grow on me, besdies instantly loving Luci. The early issues had me unsure what exactly I was dealing with, the immense cast could be confusing, and I wasn't sure if the main protagonist Laura was especially interesting a person. However, as the first four issues passed I found myself being more and more drawn into this world where every ninety years Gods manifest on Earth--but only for two years. I was fascinated by the pantheon of characters as we got to know them a bit better, and then the absolutely shocking events of the fifth issue (why did they do that to Luci?) followed by an ominous sixth have me completely hooked.

Kieron Gillen and Jamie Mckelvie are of course a stellar team, turning in such amazing works as  "Phonogram" or "Young Avengers", so when you get a writer and artist duo that seem to work so perfectly in sync it just results in a wonderful title. "The Wicked and the Divine" is a prime example of that and I am excited to see where it goes.

Honorable Mention--Afterlife with Archie

Is this really an ongoing comic? I mean, I suppose it officially is in that there is no determined final issue and we get a new entry in the zombie-infested adventures of Archie and crew every long once in a while. That said, this just comes out so rarely I wasn't sure I could truly say it was one of my favorite ongoing comics this year so much as declaring it is a stellar comic on the rare occasion an issue comes out of this sadly oft-delayed title. How delayed is it? Well, this issue discusses Thanksgiving and the next one which has an undetermined release date is the Christmas issue...and Christmas just passed us. All of that aside however, this is a stellar comic with art by Francavilla that blows my mind and quality story-telling by Aguirre-Sacasa. I just wish "Afterlife with Archie" came out more often than every 4 or 5 months.

There Are Plenty More Thoughts on 2014 to Share
That's the start of my thought-pieces on 2014. Come on back soon for more. It should be a fun six days.

One Sentence Summaries Sneaks Back To Smack You In The Face With Awesome

Opener
This is my fourth time presenting summaries of comic-books that are only one sentence long. Yes, sometimes I take advantage of semicolons or run-on sentences but I still feel each comic is only given a sentence so let's not get overly grammatical up in this sucker. Anyways, here are some thoughts....

Main Attraction
Ghost Rider #4
I'm not sure if I enjoy this because it is actually a great comic, or if it is just an okay comic with amazing art by Tradd Moore giving it the sensation that it is better than it actually is.

Thomas Alsop #1
I think the 2nd issue of this is out but I haven't read it yet, although I imagine it continues the clever idea of being like a tale about John Constantine if he were (was?) a fame-whore.

Mighty Avengers #11
I heard this series was possibly being cancelled, which is a shame because besides this and "Avengers Undercover" (which is confirmed as cancelled) I don't really read any "Avengers" books anymore due to growing bored with Hickman's comics and getting sick of Remender's super-dull saga with the Apocalypse twins that seems like it has taken 20-something issues when eight at the most would have been enough.

X-Force #6
I've quit this comic after this issue and I don't get why the writer of this (Si Spurrier) is creating something so mediocre when the X-series he did before (X-Men Legacy) was one of the best series I've ever read; life is disappointing sometimes.

Batman #32
One of the incredibly small number of DC comics I'm still reading, I continue to be a fan of "Batman" for reasons I can't quite figure out beyond that it has at least had the same creative team since launch, told interesting stories, and been creative in its originality while still calling-back to the past....perhaps that's exactly what this kind of comic needs and the very reason why I like it.

The Wicked and The Divine #1
Well damn, that was a really, really enjoyable comic.

The Red Ten #6
Comixtribe's version of a Justice League slowly being killed by a mysterious being on an island in the vein of "And Then There Were None" has actually worked out quite nicely, resulting in a comic I look forward to reading whenever it manages to come out with its somewhat sporadic release schedule.

Closer
That is all my musings for now. I hope I've inspired you to check out some comics and possibly avoid others.