The Last Day of September

It is September 30th, the final day of this month. Before September concludes, I want to post what I have declared on multiple occasions to many people is my favorite meme for the month. Yes, the seal playing the saxophone cover of Green Day's tune, "Wake Me Up When September Ends.” Behold:

I am aware the song is mainly about grief and relates to Billie Joe Armstrong's loss of his father. This can be observed if one engages in even the slightest textual reading and I'm not that dense. That said, taken literally, it works too. Tomorrow it will be October, my favorite month of the year for a variety of reasons.

"Marvel Dimensons," Has Gorgeous Art, Clever Design, and a Dull Story

Alex Ross is a modern master of the comic art form. He's incredible, full stop. If Marvel Dimensions were advertised more as being just a collection of cool Alex Ross art, as opposed to telling a story, that might have been better. I say that as Ross wrote and illustrated this big hardcover story about the Marvel heroes going up against alternate-universe evil versions. It is beautiful and has some creative design elements, but the plot left me bored. I mean, when the story actually seems to be getting going, everything just kind of ends! It has been a while since some elements of a comic/graphic novel have impressed me so much while other aspects drastically underwhelmed me, I'll tell you that much.

The book opens by spending about a third of its pages running through the origins of a bunch of Marvel characters. Do we need two-page spreads breaking-down tales even casual comic readers are aware of? I mean, if this book is geared more towards newbies, fine, but a ton of space is spent retelling what many of us know...that said, it looks so darn good. Eventually it is revealed the narrator is a character Ross seems quite fond of, Machine Man/Aaron Stack (a different one than, "Earth X," which Ross also illustrated years ago and did a stellar job on). We learn from Stack about all the different possible universes, and now, halfway through the book, something thematically interesting finally happens: A small comic-book inserted within, "Marvel Dimensions," is revealed to us. A literal physical comic that readers now flip through to learn about the alternate/evil version of Marvel's heroes. They come from the, "In-Verse," and Ross' art style shifts from painterly to an intriguing, sketchy style. The story starts picking up speed, thank God.

The comic-within-a-comic is quite clever and reminds me of something Chris Ware or Michael DeForge would do (and have done). After flipping it, we watch as those corrupted/twisted heroes come to fight iterations of Marvel's heroes we know. The book segues into epic fight scenes, seems to finally be getting going, hits a Multiverse-threatening climax...and ends. We go from speeding down a metaphorical story-highway to some whiplash-inducing slamming on the brakes. It almost feels like Ross hit his page count and decided to stop right there--which makes me wonder if spending 1/3 of the book reviewing a bunch of superheroes' origins could have been perhaps skipped/slimmed down a bit so as to allow the more creative aspects of the story to breathe? Again, even those boring segments are beautiful, but there is something incredibly discouraging about a story that needs 50% of a book to get to the actual point and which abruptly ends when readers are finally getting invested in the narrative.

"Marvel Dimensions," as a showcase of the art of Alex Ross, is wonderful. As an experiment in the comic form, it is clever. As an actual comic-book story, it is incredibly frustrating. When you take this book as a whole, you don't end up with a masterpiece or a mess. This is something that anyone new to comics should like, and Alex Ross diehards will surely have fondness towards this book as well. I'd think years from now this will be a little footnote in Ross' oeuvre. Not a hit or a fiasco, just a perfectly competent example of his incredible art skills. Perhaps he should let someone else do the plotting for his next project, however.

3 out of 5 Stars.

Bendis and Gaydos Are Reuniting for, "Alias," This December

I was just posting on Friday about an older Marvel MAX comic I enjoyed, and now we get news about one of the other best ones from that era! Yes, "Alias," which was written by Brian Michael Bendis and had art by Michael Gaydos, it told the story of Jessica Jones, a detective with powers, but who isn't much of a hero or big shot in the Marvel Universe. It was superb and followed by the decent "The Pulse," before she was folded into, "New Avengers," with her eventual husband (they got married in a, "New Avengers," special), Luke Cage. Since then we've gotten some occasional mini-series with Jones, including a recent, "Red Band," series which featured a different creative team and was fine, but lacked something. Now, however, Bendis and Gaydos are back for a five-issue mini-series, "Jessica Jones: Alias," debuting this December. That will mark 25 years since Jones first appeared and went on to be a pretty popular character and even get a Netflix show with Kristen Ritter as Jones (she popped up in the recent Daredevil show's return, too).

I'm pleased to see Bendis and Gaydos back on the character they co-created and did a chunk of stellar stories with. That said, will it be a good story or feel more like Marvel returning to a well that has run dry? Plus, I'm pretty sure Marvel isn't going to let them go as far as they did back in the MAX days, so any use of the word, "Fuck" going uncensored seems unlikely. That's a little disappointing, with Jones' love of F-bombs almost being a running gag in the original comic, but by no means a huge deal if we can get some of that classic magic back via the OG creative team. We'll see this December.

A Nice Cool Day Full of Hot Finds at ToyMan!

It's finally cooled off a good deal here in Saint Louis. Within a week, we went from heat indexes in the 90s to hovering in the mid-60s or low-70s. Even if we get a couple more random days where it's strangely hot, Fall is officially here. It was nice and brisk today outside, but inside ToyMan, the show was on fire with good finds! There were some vendor tents outside, as ToyMan started doing again for the first time since the COVID era recently, and it was hopping inside too! 

I began the show by chatting with my good friend John Chaffee of Bigfoot Comics. I then had a chance to visit with Tim Metzger, who had a bunch of lovely comics for sale on this occasion. I grabbed some issues of, "Ultramega," I was in need of (at great prices), and an assortment of other fairly priced reads. As I continued browsing around (with Clarkson in tow, as he wanted to join me today and had fun riding in his little cart I pulled him along in), I caught up with Dustin & Tammy, then saw the affable Jack Thomas of Fortress Comics!

Clarkson and I proceeded around the event space, where we had a chance to chat with Tom Milister about how he'd been, and greeted some of the cool folks from Tatertot who were repping their store at the show as well! 573 Collectibles had a mix of cool comics, including some snazzy hard-to-find issues of the, "Tomb Raider," adaptation. I was pleased to see Go Getter Gamez had a smorgasbord of cool stuff they had brought, and Spike from Lost in Space Toys and Collectibles was busy with all his goodies and talking with intrigued show-goers as well! 

As Clarkson and I kept looking around, we examined some snazzy DVDs, CDs, a bunch of die-cast cars, a mix of really old and newer toys, plus we saw some cool Funko Pops (to name just some of the immense amount of stuff at every ToyMan). In the upstairs area, we had a chance to see the talented Jacqueline James--I purchased one of her new books, "Happy Hauntings." It features a variety of fun short stories for kids that aren't too scary! Give it a look:

Also upstairs were my friends Jessica Mathews and Lindsay Hornsby, each with a bunch of awesome books and merch for sale! Plus, I shot the breeze with Cayden (of Tri Fox Shoppe), a great artist who told me how he had just been at SEMOcon in Poplar Bluff and it was, "An awesome time." This gets me interested in trying to go to it next year for sure!

Today's ToyMan show was fantastic! I am excited for the next one on November 8th--and before that, there actually are a ton of October shows. Expect more posts on those as they approach and occur!

Google Maps Changed the Lady's Voice? Okay. They Forced AI Stuff Into the Browser Too? Ugh!

I booted up Google Maps today when the time came to decide the best route for an outing with Clarkson (we went and walked the Delmar Loop for fun, thanks to it being a nice and cool day). As I started driving, I noticed that she sounded different. I'm not alone in this, with various phones seeming to have this, "Feature," rolled out. It can be easy or difficult to tweak the voice as well if you want her (or him) to sound different. This isn't annoying and I can deal with change that is useful. What I'm pissed about is how the Chrome browser for iPhone (and perhaps Android) was changed some weeks ago too with the, "Gemini," AI feature shoved in our face (and browser buttons relocated).

Flashback Friday: "Supreme Power: Nighthawk," Was Great and the 2016, "Nighthawk," Deserved More Love

I recently wrote about how I was pleased that Daniel Way is happy now, even if that meant he basically quit making comics. I mentioned how my favorite thing he did was, "Supreme Power: Nighthawk," and it made me a bit nostalgic for the 2007-ish Marvel MAX (the mature readers line) mini-series. It spun out of the main, "Supreme Power," series which was one of the better things J. Michael Straczynski ever wrote, even if his characterization of Kyle Rayne/Nighthawk was extremely two-dimensional and tone deaf. "A black hero kind of like Batman who is mainly mad at white people and doesn't help them as much as black people!" was kind of how JMS portrayed the Supreme Power Nighthawk, with David Brothers long ago discussing how questionable of a characterization it was. As he observes in that piece, however, the spin-off focused on Nighthawk was a hoot. Written by Daniel Way and featuring art by Steve Dillon (may he rest in peace) as being kind of like Batman, if he were even more pissed-off and brutal. 

When we're reading, "Supreme Power: Nighthawk," we witness a smart, methodical, and brutal tactician. He helps all races, but also recognizes that people of color face a lot more systemic racism/oppression/etc. Race, class, and the, "Wrong," element of society being ignored, such as those with substance abuse issues, are all subjects touched upon when Nighthawk has to go up against an escaped serial killer that often dresses like a clown, has poisoned much of the city's illegal drug supply, and goes by, "Whiteface." You can see some clever little allusions to Batman in all of that, with much of the, "Joke," being that even if Whiteface talks about a hero and villain in some kind of complex battle of wills, Nighthawk just wants to take down a deranged killer.

When Marvel did their 2015, "Secret Wars," event, they basically destroyed the Supreme Power universe and left all of its unresolved plot threads dangling and ignored. However, Kyle/Nighthawk was one of the handful of characters from other Universes to survive and find his way into the, "Main," Marvel continuity (along with Miles Morales from the Ultimate Universe, and some other random folks). He got his own series, which was superb, barely got any readership, and was canceled with the sixth issue. It was one of my favorite (cancelled) comics of 2016. After it and a, "Squadron Supreme," series set in the 616 ended, they killed off the Supreme Power Nighthawk via the horrendous, "Secret Empire," event in a tie-in comic--so that's a bummer. Will we ever get some kind of revitalization of the, "Supreme Power," universe and its characters? Considering that ever since Disney took over Marvel and moved away from the MAX line (occasional Garth Ennis-written Punisher or Nick Fury story aside), I kind of doubt it. Sorry to end on a dour note, but for every breakout character who becomes incredibly popular, there are countless fascinating characters (at least with the writers that do a good job) who just didn't. So it goes.

The Redesigned Crypt Keeper Just Doesn't Look Quite Right

AMC is launching its Fearfest on October 1st, and for the first time in over 30 years(!) we will witness the return of the Crypt Keeper--with original voice actor John Kassir and a new puppet that looks...oh, oh no. Yes, no offense to any design studio, but when I picture the Crypt Keeper from the 1990's show, "Tales From the Crypt," that I loved in my youth and was maybe a bit too young to watch (it had more swearing and nudity than you might recall), I just don't imagine him looking like this:

His face looks like he got some kind of Botox injections, but they went awry. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad classic episodes of the show can be streamed as of recently after being stuck in copyright Hell for decades. I'm also pumped at the mere suggestion this could be a slick way to set up a new, "Tales From the Crypt," I just feel like the Crypt Keeper looks a bit wrong. At least the hair is still messy; that is something I appreciate, as I have an in-joke with my mom about how, whenever her hair is all disheveled, she looks like a younger iteration of the Crypt Keeper! Don't worry, she finds it funny too. Anyways, the Crypt Keeper is back, and that's great even if he resembles a Real Housewife with botched plastic surgery.

Simon Hanselmann Has Started a Patreon

I am a longtime-ish fan of Simon Hanselmann, having enjoyed his works since, Hell, when I first discovered him via some pieces for the VICE website back in 2016 or so? He's put out everything from small press mini-comics to big award-winning collections. He just started an official Patreon this week! It will not have physical stuff for sale, as Hanselmann has relegated the distribution of that to Secret Headquarters (for the single comics) and Fantagraphics (for the meaty collections). There will be tons of out-of-print stuff posted, random works that hadn't seen the light of day at all, and Hanselmann plans to use the Patreon to complete his zombie epic, "You Will Own Nothing and You Will Be Happy," before serializing the long-gestating, "Megg's Coven."

It is only $6 a month to get access to almost daily posts of content and getting to study the fascinating thought process of one of my favorite modern-day comic-makers. Plus, Hanselmann is already quite active in engaging with supporters/backers in the comments, and you already know I'm going to message him a request to make a big graph breaking down the continuities of the various Megg, Mogg, and Owl universes that seem to exist (we've got the main one, Truth Zone one, the Crisis Zone one, the zombie one, and the list goes on, with at least half of them featuring Werewolf Jones tragically/violently dead). Here's that link again if you want to check out the Patreon!

I Remain Annoyed at Video-Games Working to Eliminate Physical Media

You know what I'm still irritated about? Video-game companies giving up their offering of physical media as an option. I know a lot of PlayStation and Xbox users go with digital formats, but even having the choice to use a disc--that you own--is good. Physical games help with making it possible to preserve games, rent titles, resell them, and they give consumers a lot more rights than it seems companies want them to have. Sony has already made its intentions clear and Microsoft is going through massive restructuring and layoffs in regards to Xbox, so who knows their exact future plans? It’s a mess.

It is odd to think back to 2013, when Sony absolutely dominated E3 with their presentation one-upping Microsoft's plans to complicate how players owned and enjoyed games. Thirteen years later, Sony is dropping discs entirely with the PS6, and Microsoft seems poised to dump them too with the new iteration of Xbox. The stars of Sony's viral, "How to share your games," bit from that E3 recently re-enacted the meme with their hands empty, as they lacked a physical prop. Oddly, it becomes fitting symbolism that they are, "Exchanging," nothing, as soon that's what Sony will offer (and quite possibly Microsoft). Then there's Nintendo.

Nintendo has often done things their own way and provided unique experiences with their devices. This has sometimes brought insane success (Game Boy, Wii, Switch) and other times shocking failure (Virtual Boy, Wii U). They've been a lot slower to embrace the use of the internet with their consoles, and that has paradoxically turned them from luddites to champions of having physical games. Yes, there is an online store for games and a number are digital-only, but Nintendo has always had a focus on interesting ways to play games as opposed to maximizing graphics or such. I'm not saying Nintendo should be heralded as some kind of champion, as they've engaged in their own questionable behavior. I mean, they are a good deal more litigious than any other game company and sue projects that they honestly have little reason to go after! Still, Nintendo's belief in physical products is a nice counterpoint to much of the rest of the game market.

If I were to sit and imagine what gaming looks like in 2030, I would picture a World where we have a handful of AAA titles that cost millions and a lot of indie games, but fewer mid-sized titles, as it seems budgets for games are either minuscule or massive these days, and that trend might continue. I'd also imagine there is barely any focus on physical copies of games outside of those concerned with preservation (making bootleg-esque copies), or those who enjoy boutique publishers that release special editions of games with physical iterations and bonus swag (Limted Run Games and what have you). That is, of course, if any consoles still even have a physical-media choice (by 2030 that might be solely Nintendo and theoretically some PC gaming for those with disc drives). I can't tell you exactly what gaming will be like by 2030, obviously. I guess I can estimate what it won't be, more than anything. For better or worse, we're entering the end of one era for games and the start of a new one--for better or worse.

Popverse As We Know it is Shutting Down

There aren't a ton of comic-focused news sites--like, with a staff and such besides us bloggers. Popverse has been around for four years but is, in essence, shutting down. As Comics Beat observed, "So by my reckoning, that leaves The Beat, AIPT, Comic Book Club, Comicon, Graphic Policy, ICv2," and they sigh when they mention good ol' tabloid, Bleeding Cool. Popverse is going to fire anyone who works in editorial/reporting and shift into being a platform for the owner, Reedpop, to broadcast conventions, sell tickets to their comic-cons, and sell merchandise. A news site...with no news. At least formerly popular sites that turned into junk listicles and AI slop, such as Comic Book Resources or Comicbook.com, post something, I guess? 

Popverse is going to be a glorified box office for Reedpop, and that stinks. This isn't a case where a small site was bought by a conglomerate and then shut down. We see that a lot, but Reedpop, in fact, created Popverse (and it was apparently doing well)! Popverse just didn't, "...fit into the overall business model of their parent company," so away it goes. Value the comic-book news sites we have whilst we have them.

The, "Good," Guys/Gals Don't Ban the Press From Asking Questions

Those who are generally judged by history to be the, "Good," guys or gals don't do certain things. They don't try to ban books. They don't try to keep the population ignorant by cutting education programs. They especially don't try to make a free press the enemy. Donald Trump is not a, "Good guy," of course. Hence, it comes as little surprise when he rails against the, "Biased/crooked/Democrat and dumb with a B," media. As his fascistic efforts continue to increase on the daily, he's taken to outright banning CNN, MS NOW, and Politico reporters from the White House. I'm talking full-on turning them away at the doors and confiscating press passes. Perhaps he can legally do this and isn't violating the Constitution, but it is another step in a series of (many) actions towards trying to silence any criticism, dissent, or questioning of Trump. 

It is legal for Trump to refuse to speak with certain news outlets or even let them into the White House, okay, fine. I'd still argue it certainly puts a chill on the idea of the freedom of the press if anyone he considers, "Fake news," can simply be tossed out of his Presidential mansion as if they were Jazz on, "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." Throughout history, presidents have understood the importance of a free press, even if they didn't always like it. Now, Trump is like that kid at the playground who's making up rules, and when you call him out declares he's taking his ball and running home to pout/rage-tweet--and he's locking the door so you can't come in! Again, I'm not surprised. When you're Donald Trump anyone who doesn't relentlessly kiss your ass is the enemy. The media, Democrats, Republicans who refuse to fawn over him, and that employee at McDonald's who he's convinced intentionally left a nugget out of his 20-piece order are all on his, "List," I imagine. I can kind of understand why some people voted for him the first time, but how this vengeful, petty, shallow, and awful shell of a man got re-elected will forever puzzle and sadden me. Despite what Trump and his MAGA cult may claim, he ain't ever going to be the good guy--his actions have made that abundantly clear

Happy Batman Day 2026

Today is the third Saturday in September, meaning it is Batman Day! To celebrate the occasion, comic stores will have free Batman-themed comics geared towards new readers, fun little masks, assorted other swag, and a special comic they weren't allowed to release until today, "Batman of Two Worlds." It features the Bruce Wayne of the usual/regular DC Universe and the Absolute Universe, each solving a mystery (that I would assume is somehow linked between the Worlds). A ton of comic shops are taking part in this year's Batman Day, so go visit one and get some cool Batman-related stuff!

I Was Quoted on the Front Cover of, "The Hab," #4 This Week!

I've been greatly enjoying reading, "The Hab," from Bad Idea. The fourth issue came out this week and I had the chance to swing by the shop yesterday and grab a copy. Today I sat down to read it, and I noticed a blurb on the front cover; it seemed familiar. Then I realized it was a quote from a review by The Newest Rant. Hey, wait a minute, that's me!

I've been around long enough that sometimes my (positive) reviews are used to promote something, and I always get a little kick seeing, "The Newest Rant," as a pull-quote on a comic, book, or whatever. I'm just out here spouting nonsense on the internet, so I'm flattered whenever anyone is pleased (or just wants to say they disagree with something) enough to comment on a post, link to an article, or quote me. As for how this fourth issue was? Another stellar entry, so go get this series and enjoy it!

Okay, So...Miracleman/Marvelman Has Joined The Regular Marvel Continuity

I've been enjoying, "Avengers: Armageddon." It discusses the usual interesting, "Why don't superheroes actually do anything?" concept that various famous mini-series have done, but we see less in ongoing comics because, well, if the heroes change too much, the comic quits working due to a lack of conflict. When you have a comic where the superheroes end up taking over or solving the World's problems, there isn't much to do from there. You can tell a story about the heroes trying to hold onto power, ruling a dull Utopia, or blowing up the World and destroying everything. The Authority took over Wildstorm, and it was boring, so they gave the power back...and then the whole Wildstorm continuity was literally blown up, and the comics persisted a bit in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. In, "Watchmen," we witness Doctor Manhattan tricking Earth into World peace, and then there is little else to tell, so the story ends (until we got the television show with its remix of some past elements and a story set in the future/present that shows the undoing of Manhattan's work). The character David Colton gained a bunch of mysterious powers in a previous mini-series, and the fourth issue that came out today had a big reveal about his powers. Another hero who once took a lot of action.

Yes, one hero who did a lot was Marvelman/Miracleman when Alan Moore and Gary Leach took over the series in the 1980s and did an epic deconstruction of superheroic tropes. It ended up being unfinished. Then the work was in copyright Hell for years; Marvel got the rights in 2009, but seemed to have little clue what to do with them. They reprinted old stuff, started publishing some new material (with writing by Gaiman that now will most likely never conclude due to...yeah). In 2021, a one-shot hinted at Miracleman coming to the 616 Universe... then, crickets. Until now in, "Avengers: Armageddon," #4. When it looks like the Red Hulk (Thunderbolt Ross) has almost successfully killed Colton, he says the magic word, "Kimota," to turn into Miracleman/Marvelman, or some version of the hero. Fun, sure, but...huh?

Buckle up because this gets weird. Okay: David Colton first appeared in the early issues of the latest, "Captain America," run as a man who tried to be a replacement Captain America while Steve Rogers was, "In the ice," before thawing shortly after 9/11 (yes, the Marvel timeline always is shifting; don't think about it too hard). He quit and was given some tech by Tony Stark to keep him alive, due to the super-soldier treatment significantly shortening his lifespan/weakening his heart. In the, "Weapons of Armageddon," mini-series that set up "Avengers Armageddon," he nearly died fighting the latest nefarious organization experimenting on mutants (this time in an attempt to make some newer super-soldiers) but was saved by a mysterious Origin Box. What is an Origin Box, you may ask? Well, they came over from the new Ultimate Universe and contain various mysterious powers that are granted to the people who are supposed to open them if they so choose--Miles Morales brought some over when he stopped over in the latest Ultimate Universe, and one with unclear powers was used on Colton--it made him superhuman and now into Miracleman/Marvelman. Why was there an origin box for such a hero in the latest Ultimate Universe and that wasn't discussed at all in any of those comics? I have no clue; maybe the fifth issue of, "Avengers: Armageddon," will explain this mess of continuity I have (poorly) attempted to summarize. In short, a dude who was a replacement Captain America is now possibly the most powerful being in the Marvel Universe--maybe rivaled by Sentry, depending on which writer you ask?

From seeing all this happen, especially considering how long Marvel had the rights, all I can ask is something along the lines of that, "Simpsons," meme with, "Why now? Why not seventeen years ago?" when they first acquired the rights and did F-all with them for nearly two decades? If I squint really hard I can kind of see how David Colton and Mircleman/Marvelman align as heroes who want to make a big difference in a World that has grown indifferent to superheroes. That said, this is the 616 Marvel Universe, the main continuity! Any big change usually finds itself undone and reverted to a status quo (or something very close to the status quo) within a year or two. 

Every big event is discussed as, "Changing everything forever/nothing will ever be the same!" and then does not last, with minor exceptions (the OG Captain Marvel has been dead since the 1980's, Skrull impersonator aside). It is being revealed that Colton/Miracleman/Marvelman will be joining the latest iteration of the Avengers in a new, "The Avengers," comic that launches at the end of this year, so it appears he's sticking around. We might get some good stories from this, and we'll see a big boost of interest in the character and some classic yarns that feature him! That, or it could be like when Marvel got the rights to Angela from the, "Spawn," comics, and after a year or two, pretty much nobody cared. As I said, besides wondering why Marvel waited so long to do this, I don't have strong feelings on Miracleman/Marvelman popping up in this continuity now; it was quite messy how this occurred, and I hope it's explained and ends up working.

"Animan," is a Funny Slice-of-Life Styled Take on Superheroes

Anouk Ricard is a French comic-maker, and her work is often translated into English. She's done the fun all-ages books about, "Anna and Froga," and created the stellar, "Benson's Cuckoos," some time ago. Her latest work is, "Animan," which is a bit of a superhero story...except not really. Published by Drawn & Quarterly, this book is loosely inspired by the 1980's show, "Manimal." The idea is that as a baby, Francis was bitten by a radioactive mosquito that had absorbed a lot of animals' blood at a zoo. He can now turn into various animals and uses this to be a pet therapist who can (secretly) talk with the animals when he becomes one too. He also helps stop crimes, but doesn't really seek them out. If he's made aware of wrongdoing, he'll make an effort, but he mostly just enjoys his job and living with his girlfriend, a talking frog named Fabienne. Interestingly enough, others can hear her talk, and she is unaware that Francis has powers and only ever sees him as a human. The complexities of that aren't exactly explored, because the focus is more on just following Francis as he goes about everyday life and occasionally uses his animal powers.

This isn't to say, "Animan," is boring or lacks suspense. At one point, Francis proves the owner of a dog he treats murdered her husband (with an assist from the pet) and when a man who can turn into objects and hates Francis for initially unclear reasons (named Objecto) continues to try and hurt Francis or those he loves, things get a bit violent! That said, Ricard has a wonderfully cartoony style of illustration that helps give even the darker or slightly morbid elements of the story ( like chatting with maggots eating a dead body) a nice, chill vibe. Even when there's thriller danger, it all feels like it's all in good fun.

As a fan of Ricard, I was excited to read, "Animan," and it delivered plenty of enjoyment! If you like off-kilter stories, unique takes on superheroics, or just want a great original graphic novel to check out, you should give, "Animan," a look! I rate it... 

5 out of 5 Stars.

Three Random Magazines I've Been Enjoying Lately

I enjoy reading print media. I mean, this blog has always had a heavy comic-book focus, and you know my preference for those to be in a physical format 99% of the time! One thing that has struggled at times but refuses to go away is magazines. There may not be as many on the stands these days as decades ago, but periodicals persist! With that in mind, I wanted to talk about three quite different magazines I've been enjoying lately, from newest to oldest...

The Comics Staple

I've written before about how I am fond of, "The Comics Courier," with its in-depth examination of the comic artform. A bit ago, the folks behind it did a Kickstarter for, "The Comics Staple." This is more of a 'zine-format publication that goes out monthly. It is loaded with reviews and shorter (but still great) think pieces than the (literally) bigger Courier. I adored the debut issue and eagerly await the next one. You can subscribe to get future issues, and I'd recommend doing so!

Camp Out Magazine

Orderable online here (be aware the site is not exactly safe for work) or now on shelves at a variety of Barnes and Noble locations, "Camp Out Magazine," is a throwback-styled mix of sexy and funny. As the site explains, the magazine, "is a modern day, 50's style camp, nudie pin-up magazine!" Created and run by Christine Fury, it doesn't offer subscriptions or digital copies, with the focus being on print! The photo sets are saucy but tasteful, and the whole vibe is laid-back and fun. 31 issues have been produced, and I look forward to (hopefully) many more.

The Atlantic

Considering its started in 1857, "The Atlantic," is indeed quite an older publication! Full of great long-form journalism, I'd been aware of, "The Atlantic," but until recently had never read it much outside of this one time when they did a big piece on Marvel. I have read "Time Magazine," at various points in my life, so I enjoy news magazines--I am unsure why, "The Atalntic," had been missed by me for so long. In the past handful of months, however, I would see an article that looked interesting and find out it was published by, "The Atlantic." This has resulted in me becoming a good deal interested in this newspaper-magazine hybrid. I appreciate the superb, fact-checked writing. Yes, it is a bit alarming when saying how a publication is factual is an accolade instead of a statement of expectation, but that's 2026 for ya. 169 years since, "The Atlantic," began and skilled journalism remains as important as ever (if not more so).

I Read an Advance copy of "Embers," and I'm Excited for its Kickstarter Campaign

"Embers," is an upcoming graphic novel written and illustrated by Lyndon White. It is set in the same World as a previous comic by the author, "Candles." You do not need to have read that story to enjoy this one. I can say that as I had a great time with, "Embers," despite not having had the pleasure of taking in, "Candles," yet. At 144 pages, this was a brisk but stellar read, throwing us readers into a fantasy World full of magic, amazing creatures, and Idris. Idris is a younger wizard with a massive chip on his shoulder (which makes sense, as his whole town banished him when he was but a child), but he may need to help save his former home from a Fire Demon that's turning everybody into little more than ash.

I usually read more sci-fi than fantasy, but I really enjoyed, "Embers," as it balances the usual magical stuff with very human stories (and some good jokes). White is a fantastic artist as well, with the Fire Demon looking quite imposing. A Kickstarter will be starting on October 1st to help pay the printing costs of, "Embers," and that will be a great way to order yourself a copy as well once it goes live! In the meantime, you can check out Lyndon White's website and follow any news specifically about, "Embers," as well!

Mountain Dew's Trolli Mango Pineapple Punch is an Insult to Taste Buds

I always enjoy trying exotic new flavors of soda. I seem to often deal with unique variations of Coca-Cola or Mountain Dew. Today is a, "Dew," day, as I sampled the zero sugar iteration of, "Mountain Dew: Trolli Mango Pineapple Punch." Yes, like the candy. Also, yes, it was pretty gross.

Having a beverage that is themed for candy isn't automatically bad. A Snickers latte can be absolutely delicious, after all. Trolli is a chewy and gummy sweet treat, however. When I think of soda, I prefer it to be in liquid form, as opposed to being chewy or gummy (Dr. Pepper gummy candy aside). With the texture of Trolli removed from the equation, you're basically just left with a beverage that is quite sweet and fruity...like almost any other Mountain Dew flavor, right? No, because this being Trolli-flavored means it tastes like you shoved a bunch of them in your mouth at once and got a weird tropical mix of pineapple, mango, and one flavor I could swear I taste but don't see mentioned anywhere--coconut.

From my use of Google and some annoyingly-eager-to-"Help," AI chatbots, I saw no mention of a coconut flavor, but in my opinion, it is in there! Samii tried a sip too and agreed with me that something about it had a coconut vibe. Whether it is coconut or not, that weird taste (and aftertaste) ruins any promise I felt at first when I sipped the Zero Sugar Mountain Dew: Trolli Pineapple Punch. I love a good tropical punch-styled drink, but coconut only works for me in certain contexts (with even the smallest amount of it going a long way, too). In the end, this flavor is another misfire for me. Perhaps the Trolli Cherry Lemon is better? I'll try to find some of it. That said, as of now, the only Mountain Dew flavor I've ever truly been into--even more than the OG--is Code Red (in regular or sugar-free forms). The only sodas I can think of ever tasting worse would be Coke's Georgia Peach and California Raspberry. "Yuck," all around.

1 out of 5 Stars.

Dark Horse Comics Launching Their Own Compact Comics Line

One of the hot new trends I've noticed with Marvel and DC is re-releasing some of the most popular/beloved/hottest comics in these slightly smaller trade paperbacks AKA compact editions. They are relatively inexpensive compared to bigger graphic novels (especially hardcover ones). They work great for collecting a six or twelve-issue story arc (or mini/maxi-series) and have been pretty popular. A cheap way to sell more comics has been appealing to many, and now Dark Horse Comics is getting in the game as well with their own Compact line of books.

The initial offerings will include the earlier issues of, "Black Hammer," a Cyberpunk 2077 mini-series, an introductory mix of content from Eric Powell's cult hit, "The Goon," and more! I know there are sometimes complaints about how these kinds of compact editions shrink-down art or have iffy paper quality, but people who want a giant collection of stories often have that option, so why not offer an inexpensive way for someone to try out a particular comic as well?

25 Years Ago

9/11/2001 was 25 years ago. Unlike some days in the past that are pretty unremarkable, it remains starkly remembered by pretty much any U.S. citizen who lived through it. Terrorists struck multiple major landmarks to make a statement (spare me any conspiracy theories; it was our nation's incompetence that got us attacked, as opposed to some ingenious inside-job plan), resulting in damage to the Pentagon as well as the total destruction of the World Trade Center Twin Towers and Tower 7, with the others suffering catastrophic damage. I was in 8th grade, and we watched everything unfold on the televisions in our classrooms after it became apparent this was no singular accident (when the first Tower was struck, it was assumed to be some kind of mistake).

 9/11/2001 was a messy, weird day, followed by weeks of confusion from citizens and our Government itself. It provided the George W. Bush administration with enough support to not just go after the Taliban in Afghanistan, but to engage in a separate war built upon lies with Iraq, whilst also implementing the Patriot Act, one of the first small steps taken to chip away at individual liberties and put in place various kinds of mass surveillance programs that have only grown in size and scope since then. I'll often see folks look back at that day as tragic, but then have a weird nostalgia for 9/12/2001, discussing how we came together as a Nation and realized we needed to help and be kind to each other. Ya'll, that is some revisionist bullshit (as many will tell you).

In the days after 9/11, there were people who did good deeds; that is true. People in New York City tried to help with rescue efforts and clean-up; millions donated blood (even though much of it expired and went to waste). Lots of folks bought American flags to proudly fly from their porch. There was a swell of patriotism, but also Xenophobia and rage. People were talking about bombing various countries with weapons up to and even including nuclear weapons. Anyone who looked/sounded/seemed Arabic was viewed with suspicion and hatred, regardless of whether they were any form of Muslim or instead Sikh, Hindu, etc. Parts of America came together, yes, united in fury and bloodlust. It wasn't some magical time of unity--it was a time of trauma and anger. A time of pain as our Nation came to terms with how it was viewed by the rest of the World (not always favorably), and proceeded to use any International goodwill it could to wage all kinds of battles that at first made sense but then became increasingly questionable. I mean, remember the Axis of Evil and how it lumped a bunch of random, unrelated countries together like some video-game-esque ranking of boss battles? 

9/11/2001 was a tragedy, and the way many used it for political purposes or to make a buck was a travesty. I'm not so cynical as to ask, "Did the Terrorists Win?" as Rolling Stone just did. I will agree that America is more divided than ever, personal liberties keep getting eroded, efforts continue to be made to make voting harder (or votes simply not count), and so forth. America and its concept of freedom is an idea, however, and you can't kill an idea. You can try to twist and manipulate what America is into something unrecognizable that furthers your own goals. You can try to placate the populace with half-truths and outright lies, acting like everything is great when it really isn't. You can try to shut down any dissent or those who would question the people in power in America. You can do all that, but the idea persists that America is the land of the free and the home of the brave. Nobody can stop that, whether they be terrorists trying to instill fear, or people within our own Nation working on implementing laws and policies that are counter to the idea of, "Liberty and justice and for all." 

I've always said if I ran for political office (I have zero intent to do so, but if I did) I would ask Lee Greenwood for permission to play, "God Bless the USA," at events because even though the GOP has tried to claim it as some kind of anthem, it is a beautiful tune that rings true. I am proud to be an American and love this country and all it could accomplish. I don't want our country to suffer from forces outside or within. I won't forget 9/11/2001, because it was a day of shock, pain, and serves as a prime example of how, anytime there is something devastating that occurs--no matter how awful--there will be people ready to take advantage of the situation for their own means. It's been 25 years since 9/11/2001, and we have illustrated that America, the idea, cannot be extinguished. America, the country, remains as messy and troubled as ever, though.

September 2026 is Moving Along with Some News and Links

We are in the swing of September, and a variety of interesting things have already occurred as of late. Let's discuss some...

Apple unveiled the iPhone Duo yesterday. It seems cool and is a potentially big metaphorical swing for the company. There is an outer screen that looks like a more standard iPhone, but then it folds open like a little book to reveal a bigger screen--it has been compared to popping open a passport. Other (new) folding phones have been around for a bit in the Android sphere of tech, but this is Apple's first foray into a folding phone. This seems to be a bit of a bridge between an iPhone and an iPad Mini. I'm intrigued, but upon hearing that it will cost a dollar less than 2 grand, I'll pass for now. The first generation of Apple products tends to be quite pricey, and later versions that eventually come out are a bit less exorbitant.

Also in tech news, Hideo Kojima is a game developer who has worked closely with Sony for decades, but now he's jumping over to Microsoft--their Xbox console, specifically. A tweet from Sony made it appear as if everyone is on good terms, while Kojima discussed on social media how Sony pulled the plug on his studio's game, "Physint," back in June. He described how everyone had scrambled to find a new partner up until now. Sony says any parting of ways was mutual; Kojima's version sounds more like a bitter breakup where Sony did him wrong. Between this, Sony dropping physical discs from their new console, and just recently arguing in court that gamers don't, "Own," digital purchases, I'd say Sony is having a rough 2026 in terms of optics.

The upcoming, "Avengers: Doomsday," has a lot riding on it for Marvel (and owner Disney). It simultaneously looks kind of cool and as if everything but the kitchen sink is being thrown out there in the hopes of a big hit flick. One encouraging sign of success is that it has already made about 50 million dollars in pre-sale tickets, with three-ish months still to go until the premiere on December 18th. Considering how much was spent making the movie (and will continue to be spent to promote it), that's probably a drop in the bucket, but a promising one.

"The Fury of Firestorm," was solicited as a six-issue mini-series by Jeff Lemire and Rafael de Latorre. It was really good and a hit. Hence, it grew to eight, nine, and now 15 total planned issues! It is interesting, in a time when Marvel seems to cancel stuff before it can really get going, that DC chooses to expand certain series.

In WTF-styled political news, Donald Trump recently claimed that if Republicans can take the House and the Senate in November, he'll make sure every American gets $5,000. Putting aside how it sounds like a weird bribe, the question of where this money would come from, and how we're all still waiting on our DOGE checks and Tariff refunds...what? I mean, if someone were a Republican or Democrat and made the statement that if I vote for their party and the candidates they like, I'll be given money, I'd be incredibly disturbed by the implication that someone thinks they can outright buy my vote--whether the way they're going about it is legal or not.

Finally, I continue to miss The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, which was canceled for purely financial reasons--right? I kind of recall fellow late-night host Jimmy Kimmel said he felt concerned when The Late Show went off the air--alluding to it feeling like the first domino of many falling, or such. Well, now there are ample rumors swirling that, "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" could be canceled and end in May of 2027. ABC released a statement that carefully avoided actually stating that the reports were incorrect. At this rate, anyone who dares to question the Trump administration via jokes that point out how much of a buffon he is seems to be in danger of losing their platform--lest the big companies who broadcast the shows suffer any financial strain from a vengeful and idiotic White House. It makes me worry Seth Meyers' show could be in trouble as well, sooner rather than later. Jimmy Fallon will probably be fine, as over the years he's become increasingly spineless and boring to watch.

"Star Fox," for the Switch 2 is a Surreal Trip Down Memory Lane; Now We've Got a Zelda Remake Coming Soon Too!

I had a chance to rent/check-out a copy of, "Star Fox," for the Switch 2. I was excited for the official announcement, even if it was revealed that this was more of a remake of the Nintendo 64 Classic than it was something truly new. Having played this new/old game, I can conclude that it is good fun--just like the original! Plus, the fact that it is a much fancier remake, but still a remake at heart, resulted in a bunch of surreal feelings of Deja Vu. So much is different in terms of gameplay and graphics, but many pieces were quite familiar or just like the original (albeit with gorgeous visuals). 

It was strange to experience something, "New," that I simultaneously remembered much of, even if I played it on my N64 decades ago--although I did play it a lot! Seriously, I can't remember what I had for breakfast, but I was eager to take the secret route through the waterfall for the, "First," time after I saved Falco when he was in danger during that initial mission (and, of course, went through the arches). This isn't really a review of the game so much as an observation of just how potent one concept I've discussed before can be. Yep, weaponized nostalgia.

I first talked about the idea of an item designed to appeal to our nostalgia over a decade ago, but it remains topical. I've mentioned it in the context of music quite often, but it can apply to anything, from Robert Downey Junior coming back to the MCU to all the video-game re-releases, remasters, remakes, and so forth we've been witnessing. I mean, Nintendo just spent yesterday revealing a whole bunch about their new, "Zelda: Ocarina of Time," game because I guess the Nintendo 64 really did have a lot of masterpieces worth bringing back! As it stands, "Star Fox," is a hoot in its mix of new and old, so if companies can take something, "Old," and make it new again, I'm all for it. I just want to make sure we still get plenty of things that are simply, "New," too, however. If all we ever do is engage in nostalgic navel-gazing, I feel like eventually we'll turn into one of those snakes metaphorically eating their own tail.

I'm Glad Daniel Way is Happy. That Said, I Wouldn't Mind if He Wrote Comics Again

Daniel Way wrote a lot of comics in a short-ish period of time. From 2000 through 2013 or so, he did a ton of writing, especially for Marvel. Some of the bigger books included but were not limited to, 'Wolverine: Origins," "Deadpool," "Venom," "Ghost Rider," and one of my favorite works of his, "Supreme Power: Nighthawk." Toward the end of his tenure with Marvel, he did a chunk of a, "Thunderbolts," run and then shifted into works for other publishers at a much slower rate. He wrote for, "Crossed," from Avatar Press and some other stuff in 2014, scripted a, "Hit-Girl," mini-series in 2019, and did a little Deadpool yarn in a 30th anniversary special comic in 2021. That was it. He basically disappeared from comics in terms of writing any after that. He was practically everywhere for a decade and some change, then once we hit 2015...little to nothing (zero comics after 2021). I was curious if he was alright, and thankfully he is, and seems pretty happy!

In 2024, Bleeding Cool's Rich Johnston was also wondering, "Whatever happened to...Daniel Way?" It turns out in 2016 he cofounded Geekcraft Expo, a comic-con-styled take on craft fairs. He is also the frontman for the band, "Gamma Gamma Ray," which plays at many of the Geekcraft Expos. He seems to (intentionally) have almost zero social media presence outside of a semi-official Facebook fan page that hasn't been updated since 2018, except for now linking to Geekcraft Expo.

To Way's credit, the Geekcraft Expo events remain popular,  happening in a mix of cities in varying months, with one having occurred in Saint Louis this past July, of all places! I actually was aware we had a geek-centric craft show held in our city on occasion, but had zero idea it was the one that Way founded! From the little I can find specifically about him on the internet, he's grown a family that he lives with in Hawaii when not doing the Geekcraft Expos. I wonder if a comic writing opportunity came along that was just right, if he'd be interested in scripting something? For now, he seems semi-retired from that particular part of, "Geekdom," even if he's quite active in other aspects.

Labor Day 2026

This Labor Day, remember what Unions fought for. Keep it in mind while considering how the current President of the United States once posted (not actually recently, but still) on social media that he feels people get too many holidays. Remember that as businesses attempt to pay employees low wages, cut benefits, and otherwise screw over workers so the CEO can be a billionaire with a yacht that costs more than some countries' GDP. Remember all that if you're kicking back on this Labor Day. Keep it in mind, because as soon as we forget, those whose greed is greater than their desire to help their fellow man/woman will work their hardest to take away anything that people fought for (some even lost their lives). Remember why we have Labor Day, before they try to casually rewrite it or outright erase it from history.

Can I Please Watch Tubi/PlutoTV/Etc. Without Weird Sweepstakes Slot Ads?

I'll be trying to watch the, "Free," streaming channels sometimes, and over the past year I have noticed a massive increase in advertisements for, "Sweepstakes," slot games. Others are sick of them as well. I was aware of a handful of these casinos-that-aren't-casinos due to having seen/heard  ads for them over various years, such as, "Chumba," which even got Ryan Seacrest to do bits promoting it on the radio. I even tried Chumba long ago back in the day but quit upon realizing that it was going to be little more than a great way to lose money fast. Now,  every single day there is some random new slot game on my television apps. They always start by bragging about how you can win money, often featuring terrible real actors, or even worse, "AI," ones. These advertisements generally aren't promoting the idea of fun or responsible gambling either; they make lofty claims of people winning hundreds or thousands of dollars a day and quitting day jobs to play these virtual slots. It is alarming, and when I looked into it, one YouTube channel dedicated to playing real slots with a safe financial plan discussed how scary these ads are, considering they could appeal to people who know very little about slots and forget how, in the long run, "The House always wins."

I have zero problem with gambling when people can do it responsibly or, against all odds, succeed at it. There are folks with amazing poker skills, from math skills to keep a blank face--and I compliment their ability to have zero, "Tells." I am impressed with people who can sit at a slot machine with a twenty-dollar bill, lose it, and have no desire to get more money and keep playing. I avoid slot machines because there were times in my life when I found it relatively easy to avoid starting them, but once I started playing them finding it really difficult to actually stop. It is better for me to not begin playing a slot game than struggle to quit one due to my personality--I mean, just remember my recent post about how addictive ePack was for me and apply that to a literal slot machine! If other folk want to do poker, blackjack, roulette, slots, or craps they can, however. The thing is, they usually need to go a physical casino or be in a state with strict rules for internet gambling. The aforementioned sweepstakes slots exisit within a huge loophole.

Now, there are the free-to-play slot games where you pay a few bucks a month to have unlimited fake money to enjoy on the slots. Those are truly just fun games where people can't win anything or lose more than some minutes of their time aimlessly playing. Sweepstakes slots are designed where they let you buy credits worth nothing more than, "Fun," but throw in special sweepstakes money you can redeem for real cash after you gamble with it in their games and possibly win extra to get sent to your bank or put on a gift card, or more realistically, end up with zero credits. These sites usually have it hidden somewhere on the webpage on how you can send in an envelope requesting to enter a drawing for more sweepstakes bucks, but that's to keep things in the legal gray area. It's gambling, with a lot less regulation than, "Real," gambling, plus these sweepstakes casinos are legal in more states than they're not. This website I found is relatively in favor of sweepstakes casinos, but still gives a good breakdown of how they manage to operate. Some states shrug at these loophole-exploiting sites, and others have put out PSAs warning folks. 

These apps need a constant influx of new players to make money, however, so they advertise. They want to make the most money possible for the least amount of effort, so the ads are terrible to the point that they almost seem intentionally bad, with cheap sets and unskilled actors or incredibly fake-looking AI. If you're watching Tubi, PlutoTV, or even local news apps that have ads, you've doubtless seen the creepy shiny-looking faces straight out of the uncanny valley cheering or crying (with joy) about the money they won on whatever the latest fly-by-night sweepstakes slot site is. From some of the ads, the new fly-by-night ones seem to be Tang Luck (so much fake crying in the AI ads), Cider Casino, and I'm gonna stop there as I've seen those ads and don't need to list the over 240 other ones according to Deadpin. Remember, these apps technically aren't gambling and don't have to protect your information, have certain payout rates, or do any of the stuff that is legislated and regulated is required to do.

The fellows over at Unlookatable, summing up these ads.

I have enough experience with slot machines to know it is best that I stay away. Would some random person watching Tubi in one of the 30 states where these can operate, who has never played a slot game, learn they have an addictive personality for slots the hard way? They're bored in Ohio and figure 20 bucks couldn't hurt. Only, they aren't those people who can walk away after losing $20, and considering it is as easy as using their smartphone, there isn't really anywhere to, "Walk away." Plus, with basically no oversight, these sites can try to screw-over anyone who does win, and from a cursory look at the internet, often do. The bigger sweepstakes slots that can get Ryan Seacrest or whoever to promote them at least seem to have aspirations of legitimacy. I don't think the sites getting hit with class action lawsuits are as reputable, obviously. I know my limits, but many people possibly do not. These sweepstakes casinos have minimal rules they need to follow, with ads designed to appeal to those desperate for quick cash--it is a problematic combination, clearly. 

Tubi or PlutoTV don't have to ban these ads, they have every right to run whatever they want. I just wish I could request any other kind of ad category while I'm streaming free television. It's wild to think I'm thankful nowadays for ads about erectile dysfunction pills or medicare options when I watch, "The Price is Right," because it's a nice break from AI slop of a golden pig surrounded by money or an, "Interviewer," asking people why they love winning so much money. Yeah, I'll take the boner pills with the couple holding hands in adjacent tubs any day.