#matt protecting neil from the consequences of his own actions

[jessiedressesup]

immediately after neil broke into the monsters' dorm room in book 1

[king-gob]

What’s a good comic that doesn’t involve superheroes?

oh buddy. pal. friendo. I’ll limit myself to books currently running to keep this only a single mile long. Note that depending on how loose your definition of “superhero” is will affect this. I’ve seen people call John McClane a superhero so yeah.

Something is Killing the Children

by James Tynion IV and Werther Dell'Edera (Boom! Studios)

Kids have been going missing in a sleepy woodland town. A strange woman named Erica arrives, determined to do something about it. She partners with a young boy who claims to have seen the thing stalking the town, and things quickly spiral further out of control. Well-written characters and fantastic art. Easily my favorite book running right now.

The Department of Truth

by James Tynion IV and Martin Simmonds (Image)

Cole Turner is an FBI agent who specializes in conspiracy theories and the deleterious effect it has on the minds of people obsessed with them. Unfortunately for him, he is about to discover that there is more going on under the surface than he realized and belief is far more powerful than he could ever imagine. Tynion is quickly becoming one of my favorite writers, and Simmonds’s art is even better here than it was in Dying Is Easy (which I also recommend). This series has one of the best first issues I’ve ever read, and I was hooked instantly. A definite recommend if you are as interested in conspiracy theories as I am.

Fire Power

by Robert Kirkman and Chris Samnee (Image)

Owen Johnson is a regular dad in the suburbs. He has a great wife, two kids and a job working at his father-in-law’s antique shop. What sets him apart is that he had spent years of his early life in a Shaolin temple, mastering martial arts, including the legendary Fire Power, the ability to generate fire from his body. He has long since turned his back on his order and the responsibilities they demand, but his former life is not ready to let him go. Written by Robert Kirkman, creator of The Walking Dead and with art by the great Chris Samnee, Fire Power is a great martial arts comic, recommended for fans of Street Fighter or anyone who likes seeing monks and ninjas beat each other up. I definitely recommend starting from the “Volume 0″ prequel trade. It’s not ESSENTIAL but I believe the story flows much better with it that way.

Fear Case

by Matt Kindt and Tyler Jenkins (Dark Horse)

Two Secret Service agents are investigating the Fear Case, the Service’s oldest open case. All agents are put on the case, but are only given a single year to investigate, as the case has the tendency to ruin the lives of those who get too close. Winters and Mitchum are in the last three weeks before they have to turn the case over, but they are closer than anyone has gotten in the history of the Service to getting their hands on the legendary box. But the closer they get, the more bodies they seem to find, and the duo’s mental and emotional limits are stretched to their breaking point. Everything Matt Kindt writes is worth reading, and this series is no different. Recommended for fans of the X-Files and other supernatural mysteries.

I Breathed a Body

by Zac Thompson and Andy MacDonald (Aftershock)

Telling too much about this comic would honestly be spoiling it. In the not-too-distant future, the biggest social media influencer in the world posts something horrific and the macabre lengths his PR team go to to handle it. The art is extremely good at showing the body horror involved and while I do recommend the comic, be warned, it is *extremely* fucked up. Excellent horror comic.

Once and Future

by Kieron Gillen and Dan Mora (Boom! Studios)

Terrorists resurrect King Arthur in a bid for power, but it turns out that the english legend is not what they thought or bargained for. Now, a retired monster hunter and her archeologist grandson must turn back the tide of returning myths before the world is irreversibly plunged into darkness. But their family history has plenty of shadows of their own. Really great book from two of my favorite creators, and really love the way they play with the metatextual nature of the myths and legends involved. Very fun.

Seven Secrets

by Tom Taylor and Daniele Di Nicuolo (Boom! Studios)

A clandestine order protects seven briefcases which hold seven secrets. However, a betrayal from within threatens to reveal those secrets, and Caspar, the son of two former protectors of the Seven Secrets, must discover the truth before all is lost. Tom Taylor is a fantastic writer that makes everything he writes infectiously fun, and with Di Nicuolo’s great eye for action scenes, this is an adventure book worth checking out.

Stillwater

by Chip Zdarsky and Ramón K. Pérez (Image)

A promise of a substantial inheritance brings Daniel West and his friend to the quiet town of Stillwater. However, they quickly realize the town’s sinister secret: in Stillwater, nobody dies. And as the marketing for the book says, that’s not just a promise, it’s a threat. Good writing and an intriguing mystery. Highly recommended.

That Texas Blood

by Chris Condon and Jacob Phillips (Image)

The murder of his brother brings an aspiring writer back to the Texas town of his youth, and puts him on a violent road to his own undoing. Fantastic writing. If you’re like me and love dark neo-western and crime stories, then I honestly can’t recommend this book enough. Look elsewhere if you want happy endings.

We Only Find Them When They’re Dead

by Al Ewing and Simone Di Meo (Boom! Studios)

Captain Malik and his crew pilot an autopsy ship, so named because they harvest meat, metal and other materials from the fresh corpses of dead gods that appear on the edge of space. Malik wants to see a living god, and is willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen. But the ghosts of his past haunt him, and until he confronts them, making history won’t be easy. Fantastic cosmic sci-fi story with gorgeous art by Di Meo. Recommended for people who love stories set in space, and also for people who love long panels.

American Ronin

by Peter Milligan and ACO (AWA Upshot)

In a future where supercorporations rule everyone’s lives (I know that may be hard to visualize but try to imagine it), war is fought not by nations, but by enhanced operatives carrying out all manner of assassinations and espionage. But when one unnamed operative breaks his programming and goes on the hunt, the entire sick system is about to be violently brought down. Really interesting protagonist who has a great ability. Hunt down his targets by ingesting their DNA to learn how they think, and then using that empathic ability to get inside their heads. The cat and mouse games are really fun, and I highly recommend for anyone who likes superspy stories or seeing complex plans pay off.

Casual Fling

by Jason Starr and Dalibor Talajić (AWA Upshot)

Jennifer Ryan is a successful lawyer with a loving family and a great career, but a bad decision (that is, cheating on her stay-at-home husband) made on a whim has disastrous consequences. Saying much more would be spoiling, but there is definitely something sinister going on beneath the surface. Made in the style of erotic thrillers like Fatal Attraction and Eyes Wide Shut, this book features very well-written, realistic characters and importantly (to me anyway) refuses to condemn the protagonist while not shying away from the destructive results of her mistakes. I picked this book up because I liked Jason Starr’s previous book, Red Border, and enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. Recommended.

Bitter Root

by David F. Walker, Chuck Brown and Sanford Greene (Image)

In 1920s Harlem, a long-standing family of monster hunters is splintering. Tragedy and conflicting worldviews are tearing them apart, and they’re going to need to stand together if they want to save New York City from the darkness that’s coming. Hate is a powerful thing, but also a cancer, and it’s about to metastasize. Really great worldbuilding and immediately likeable characters. Despite having a lot of themes about hate and prejudice (and utilizing them particularly well, in my opinion), the book is an exceptional action story. David F. Walker is a favorite writer of mine (See: Shaft, Nighthawk, Luke Cage) and Chuck Brown wrote the incredibly fun On the Stump (also highly recommended). The issues also feature essays from black scholars who expand on some of the historical events and themes that are present in the book, if you’re into that sort of thing (which I am). I’m not sure if those are in the trades, though.

Honorable Mentions/Books that I am too tired to give the full treatment to right now: Babyteeth (Aftershock) Chained to the Grave (IDW) Dead Dog’s Bite (Dark Horse) Decorum (Image) Deep Beyond (Image) Dryad (Oni Press) Family Tree (Image) The Goon (Albatross Funnybooks) Killadelphia (Image) Nocterra (Image) Neil Gaiman’s Norse Mythology (Dark Horse) Orcs (Boom! Studios) Orphan and the Five Beasts (Dark Horse) Outcast (Image) Proctor Valley Road (Boom! Studios) Redneck (Image) Sea of Sorrows (IDW) Second Coming (AHOY Comics) Silver Coin (Image) Tartarus (Image) Two Moons (Image) Undiscovered Country (Image) Undone by Blood (Aftershock) Vampire: The Masquerade (Vault Comics) Wynd (Boom! Studios) Year Zero (AWA Upshot) Honorable Mentions/Books that have ended but you should check out: A Walk Through Hell (Aftershock) American Born Chinese (First Second) American Vampire (DC Comics) Animosity (Aftershock) Archangel 8 (AWA Upshot) Bad Reception (Aftershock) Basketful of Heads (DC Comics) Black Science (Image) Blacksad (Dark Horse) Chew (Image) Dark Ark (Aftershock) Dark Red (Aftershock) Daytripper (DC Comics) Dead Day (Aftershock) Devil’s Highway (AWA Upshot) The Dollhouse Family (DC Comics) East of West (Image) Folklords (Boom! Studios) Gideon Falls (Image) God Country (Image) Grendel, KY (AWA Upshot) Hotell (AWA Upshot) Infidel (Image) Knights Temporal (Aftershock) Locke and Key (IDW) The Low, Low Woods (DC Comics) The Man Who Fucked Up Time (Aftershock) Midnight Nation (Image) Nailbiter (Image) Orc Stain (Image) Pestilence (Aftershock) Plunge (DC Comics) Preacher (DC Comics) Pride of Baghdad (DC Comics) Red Border (AWA Upshot) The Red Mother (Boom! Studios) The Replacer (Aftershock) Scalped (DC Comics) Scott Pilgrim (Oni Press) Strange Skies Over East Berlin (Boom! Studios) Tokyo Ghost (Image) Transmetropolitan (DC Comics) Unholy Grail (Aftershock) The Wicked + The Divine (Image) Y: The Last Man (DC Comics)

[percontaion-points]

King’s Men chapter 14

Click to see the rest of the snark & image descriptions.

Chapter 14

"Say it again and I will kill you," he said.

"This is the last time I'm going to say it to you," Kurt said, coming up beside Wymack with a dark look on his face. "If you can't stow that attitude and behave—"

Nathaniel shot a warning look at him and cut in with, "You'll what, asshole?"

"The same goes for you, Nathaniel," Browning said. "That's your second strike. A third misstep and this," he twirled his finger to indicate the Foxes, "is over. Remember you are only here because we are allowing it."

Mostly finished with this series and somebody finally decides to remind both Andrew and Nathaniel that actions have fucking consequences.

"Abby, I just got out of the hospital," Nathaniel said without looking away from Andrew. "I'm as good as I can be right now."

I admit that it's good that Nate had been treated at a hospital. But with serious injuries like the ones Nate now has... THEY NEED TO BE LOOKED AFTER BY A PRIMARY CARE DOCTOR TO AVOID THINGS LIKE INFECTION.

"But why? I've done nothing but lie to them. I willingly put them all in danger so I could play a little longer. They got hurt last night because of me. Why would they protect me now?"

"You are a Fox," Andrew said, like it was that simple, and maybe it was.

I get the entire “camaraderie and school spirit” business. Dammit, I was in marching band. I still view a lot of my former bandmates like my family.

But there's no way in hell that I'd take a goddamned cooler to the head for any one of them. Sorry wildcats, but you're on your own!

"'Neil' isn't a real person," Browning said, fed up with their willful ignorance. "It's just a cover that let Nathaniel evade authorities. It's past time to let him go."

THAT DOESN'T FUCKING MATTER. IF I TELL YOU THAT MY NAME IS APRIL, BUT THAT I WANT YOU TO ADDRESS ME BY JUNE, THAT'S NOBODY'S BUSINESS BUT MY OWN.

"They were never able to charge my father while he was alive. They're hoping I know enough to start decimating his circle in his absence.”

I'm just so confused as to why they think that this person, who was a literal child when he was taken away from these people more than a decade earlier, would have more up-to-date info than the actual agents on the fucking case.

He dreamed of facing his father on an Exy court, and in his dream the Foxes won.

Chapter 14 summary: The FBI agents take Nathaniel to a nearby hotel, where the foxes are all waiting in a room. Andrew comes in, randomly handcuffed to David, and is completely and utterly unhinged, but what else is new. Nate explains everything, in German, to Andrew, but the others kind of get the gist of what's happening. Despite everything that's happened and still ongoing with Riko and his family, they insist on keeping Nate with them anyway, despite the agents wanting to take Nate into protective custody/witness protection.

But the most important part: Nate and Andrew are kind of out right now, and Allison would rather talk about how she just won 500 bucks about the entire thing.

Andrew ends up going with Nate to the FBI building, and staying with him for several days. Nate tells them everything that he can, starting with the most recent incident and working backwards. They continue to want to put Nate into witness protection, but he continues to refuse. In the end, they give him these official papers to legally become Neil, and the narration quickly switches back to calling him Neil again.

The foxes then get onto their bus and return to the school. Back in the locker room, Neil tells them everything that happened, and I mean everything. They talk some about what they think Riko might do, and what this means for the team as a whole. Neil tells Kevin that it would take media attention away from him if Kevin were to announce to the press who his biological father is. Kevin reluctantly agrees without giving anything away. The kids then go back to the dorm, where they decide to have a came-out sleep-over in Neil's and Matt's room.

[100storiesin2020]

Most of us learn how to love early in our lives. We learn from those around us, family and friends. We learn through kind words, gentle hands, thoughtful actions.

01

Dan learned love from her stage sisters. They faced the world and all the shit it threw at them, and they stood together. They leaned on each other, laughed at each other, comforted each other when it was all too much. They didn’t have much, and life was often difficult, but their friendship was enough for them. They stood together against the world. This was love.

02

Kevin learned love from Kayleigh. She gave him laughter and smiles and safety in her arms. She sang him Irish lullabies and danced with him in the living room. She cheered him on in little league and told him to always follow his heart. She was his rock and his sunshine and a warm fire on a cold night. This was love.

03

Andrew did not learn love.

04

Matt learned love from Randy. He learned from her fierce protectiveness. He learned through the way that she stood strong by him, no matter what he did. He watched her fight for him, for his health, for his safety, for his happiness. He felt her strong arms around him, holding him together. This was love.

05

Aaron learned love from Tilda. She took him to the beach when he was very small. They played in the waves and built sand castles together. They went to baseball games and ate cheesy nachos. She taught him to ride a bike and kissed his knees when he fell and scraped them. She was his protector in those early days. This was love.

06

Seth learned love from his mother. She baked cookies after school and hugged him when he cried. When he felt ignored as the middle child of seven, she let him stay up a little past bedtime and watch movies with her. She gave him devotion and gentle words. This was love.

07

Allison learned love from her nanny. It was a gentle hand when roughness would have sufficed. It was going above and beyond the call of duty. It was secret adventures and special treats and a warm hug. It was doing what was right for the one you loved, and damn the consequences. Looking back, Allison knew that a caretaker was paid for, but this could not have been bought. This was love.

08

Nicky learned love at home. It was in Maria's pies and soft Spanish. It was in Luther's silent strength and devotion to his family. It was singing on Sunday and quiet evenings reading together. It was soft and enveloping. This was love.

09 

Renee learned love from Stephanie. It was an alien thing to her, this acceptance and gentleness. She tested its boundaries. She attacked it. She tried to destroy it. Every time, she failed. And when she realized that, she put down her knives and picked up kindness instead. It was strong. It was unshakeable. This was love.

10

Neil did not learn love.

The love that they learned made its way back into their lives. For Matt and Dan, it was in the way they stood together. It was their determination to be strong, to let each other fight their own battles while standing at the ready to help if needed. For Allison and Seth, it was in their passion and devotion. Seth's fear made it hard to hold onto, but they had each other because it was right for them and fuck what the world said it should be. For Nicky and Erik, it was in the way that they could drop their masks. It was in the happy silences and enveloping hugs. For Aaron and Katelyn, it was in the way they fought to have each other. It was in the way he protected her as best as he could, and how she tended his healing heart. For Renee, it was in the way she gave herself to her friends. It was in her thoughtfulness and quiet words and in her determination to save the world.

Andrew and Neil did not have that. They had been raised in the harshest of worlds, and the softness of their friends' love was not something that could fit them. But they had each other. They had a quiet respect, a determination to keep each other safe, and an absolute dedication to what they wanted. They exchanged truths. They built trust. They were each filled with a fire and a darkness that were sometimes the same thing. They never learned conventional love, but they learned this. Perhaps it was nothing. Perhaps it was something. It was theirs, and they invented it together.

Perhaps it was love.

[evil-diabolical-oops]

Righteousness is for people who don’t know any better

Everyone knows Neil has an attitude problem, and that he says what he thinks. For example, in the first book when they take Neil to Eden’s:

“Drugs are stupid.“ "Ouch,” Andrew said with a cold smile. “That’s judgmental.” “I’m not going to apologize for thinking you’re being idiotic.” “Is your spine the spine of the righteous?” Andrew wondered. “Are you trying your best to step on my toes because you’re feeling the tragic weight of the holier than thou?” “Righteousness is for people who don’t know any better.” 

What’s interesting about this is how (probably unintentionally) honest that last line is. Neil often doesn’t know any better, but that doesn’t stop him from running his mouth and meddling when he thinks he is right.

Neil lecturing Riko on friendship is one of the funniest things in the series, imo. Because not only does Neil roast Riko on live television:

“I thought friends were supposed to cheer each other on,” he said before Kathy could answer Riko. “Believing in him now is the least you could do after completely abandoning him last winter.”

But Neil spends most of the series freaked out about friendship, especially when it is applied to him:

“I’ve never had friends before. I don’t know how this works. I’m trying, but it’s going to take time.” 

He doesn’t know anything about friendship, but there he is preaching to Riko. At least he added the caveat of that’s how he thought friends were supposed to behave?

Neil’s fight with Riko is just the beginning. Neil quickly moves on. He ultimately tries to repair things between Andrew and Aaron. Now Andrew is no stranger to meddling. He does it himself. It’s something he and Neil have in common. Where they differ is that Andrew tends to plan his (when he can be bothered to intervene). He made sure to get the permission of Matt’s mother before tempting Matt with drugs. He had a key ready to hand to Neil when they made their deal. He gets Neil a phone and then has Nicky text Neil until he is comfortable using it. 

Both of them tend to be motivated into these actions by “righteous” reasons, and perhaps importantly they aren’t meddling for their own gain. Andrew wants Matt to handle his drug problem because it’s putting strain on Aaron. He wants Neil to stop running because he’s not going to survive that way. Meanwhile, Neil stands up to Riko to protect Kevin, and he interferes with Andrew and Aaron to unite the team. 

Which is all to say, Andrew is on to Neil. While Neil makes his case to Andrew to let Aaron go in TKM:

“Let him go now if you ever want him to come back.” “Who asked you?” “You didn’t have to. I’m volunteering my opinion.”

Andrew has already faced the consequences of Neil interfering (at Nicky’s parents, with Drake) in these situations and Neil not knowing better, and that’s why he says:

“Don’t,” Andrew advised him. “Children should be seen and not heard.”

Neil is a child who doesn’t know what he is doing. To Andrew, he’s asking for something he doesn’t understand. But Neil doesn’t want to give up. He’s on a mission.

“Don’t dismiss me for lying to you then ignore me when I tell the truth.” “This is not truth,” Andrew said. “Truth is irrefutable and untainted by bias. Sunrise, Abram, death: these are truths. You cannot judge a problem with your obsession goggles on and call it truth. You aren’t fooling either of us.”

What I like about this exchange is how it is complicated by the fact that they are both right. Neil is being honest, he’s telling the truth as he believes it, and that’s not a luxury he’s had much of in his life. Worse, he’s sincere, but Andrew’s not impressed by Neil’s narrow focus, his “obsession goggles” that blind him to all of the facts except the ones he cares about, so he calls out Neil’s bias. And then Neil pushes too far:

“If you ask for half the truth, you’ll only get half the truth,” Neil said. “It’s your fault if you don’t like the answers I give you, not mine. But as long as we’re talking about obsession and Aaron’s life, what are you going to do about his trial? She’s going to be here for it, isn’t she? Cass, I mean,” Neil said, though he was sure Andrew knew who he was talking about. “You’re going to have to face her.” “Seen and not heard,” Andrew reminded him. He sounded bored, but Neil knew a warning when heard one. Neil let it slide and went back inside.

Bringing up Cass here is a strong reminder of Neil’s meddling and unintended consequences. Andrew has had enough and warns Neil off. 

There’s one other exchange that I think is interesting in this light. It follows after Neil’s interview with the press in which he stated Edgar Allen should have Coach Moriyama step down. Andrew’s come to Neil’s room to get some to tell him Kevin won’t be at night practice.

“They don’t have a choice anymore. If the Ravens don’t let us run our course there will always be room for doubt and speculations. The Ravens can’t share their throne with what-ifs. They have to be supreme victors.“ Andrew gave that a moment to sink in before saying, "I’m undecided.” “About our chances this spring?” Neil asked. Andrew held his hands palm-up between them. “The thought that you’ve unintentionally conned them into this corner is intolerable, as it means you’re stupider than even I gave you credit for. If you did it knowingly, however, you’re cleverer than you’ve led me to believe. That means the Ravens aren’t the only ones you’re playing with. One of these is the lesser evil.”

Andrew can’t believe Neil’s been so successful at blundering on like he has, but to not believe Neil’s been blundering through it means that it’s intentional, that what happened with Drake might not have been the unintended consequences of Neil’s well-intentioned meddling as Andrew had assumed and instead is something a bit more sinister…

And even if Drake had been unintended, an accident in some other plan Neil had, it doesn’t mean Neil isn’t playing him.

“Not everything’s a con,” Neil said. Andrew didn’t answer, but Neil read his calm expression as disbelief. Neil considered defending himself and decided it a waste of energy. Andrew wouldn’t believe him anyway. “Which one is the lesser evil?” “I’m undecided,” Andrew said again.

It’s hard to know if Andrew is hedging here and doesn’t want to answer because he’d have to explain or because he thinks the likelihood of Neil actually being more clever than he thought is rather low or because he really is undecided. 

Why would he be undecided if one option seems to clearly be the worst choice? Because Andrew is used to people letting him down. That’s easy. If Neil turns out to be genuine, the pipedream that seems an impossibility, well, that’s an emotional landmine.

“That’s helpful,” Neil muttered. “You could just ask.” “Why bother?” Andrew asked with a slight shrug. “I’ll figure it out eventually.”

And Andrew does figure it out on a hotel room floor in Baltimore. As it so happens, he can’t live without a righteous idiot who doesn’t know any better. 

[gokinjeespot]

off the rack #1159

Monday, April 17, 2017

 I'm back. Missed posting last week while I was vacationing in Cuba. It was a nice break to be totally unconnected. I managed to read two week's worth of comic books for today's deadline so this will be longer than usual.

 Weapon X #1 - Greg Pak (writer) Greg Land (pencils) Jay Leisten (inks) Frank D'Armata (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). That was a very promising start. This new mutant team book opens with Old Man Logan chillaxin' in the wilds of Washington state and ends with him teaming up with Sabretooth. The age old enemies must work together to fight a common enemy. I look forward to seeing how they hook up with the other three mutants featured on the credits page.

 Superman #20 - Patrick Gleason & Peter J. Tomasi (writers) Patrick Gleason (pencils) Mick Gray (inks) John Kalisz (colours) Rob Leigh (letters). Venom was all over Marvel variant covers recently but I didn't expect to see him in a DC comic book. Part one of "Black Dawn" is a World's Finest team-up that has Batman visiting the Superman family on their farm. Seems the neighbours are not what they seem. It's stories like these that make me appreciate the biweekly release schedule.

 Godshaper #1 - Simon Spurrier (writer) Jonas Goonface (artist) Colin Bell (letters). This is the story of Ennay, the godshaper. He travels around reshaping gods for people in a weird new world where personal gods make life easier. See, natural science doesn't work in this world so gods are what helps people live. I like Ennay. He's a hustler with a conscience who is just trying to get by

and not a con man. Jonas's art is vibrant and colourful and Ennay's little god sidekick Bud is cute.

 Deadpool vs. Punisher #1 - Fred Van Lente (writer) Pere Perez (art) Ruth Redmond (colours) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). Well, that's one way to start a feud. Frank hurts Wade's accountant and the battle is on. I know that neither killer will win this fight but I might read it to see how they settle the feud.

 Action Comics #977 - Dan Jurgens (writer) Ian Churchill (art) Hi-Fi (colours) Rob Leigh (letters). Part one of "The New World" starts off with a rehash of Superman's origin story going right back to when his parents put him into a rocket ship to Earth just before the planet Krypton explodes and Ma and Pa Kent finding baby Kal-El on their farm in Smallville. I found the retelling tedious but there are a few pages peppered in showing a mysterious new super villain that almost made up for that feeling of reading a rerun. This new villain will keep me coming back for more.

 Riverdale #1 - This new Archie publication is based on the new "hit" TV series. I have not seen the show but I have a long time love of these characters, especially for a certain blonde girl next door. There are two short stories. The first by Will Ewing (writer) Joe Eisma (art) Andre Szymanowicz (colours) Janice Chiang (letters) features Archie going through the varsity football team's hazing rituals. I am impressed that Will made me like this version of the redheaded teenager. The second story by Michael Grassi (writer) Joe Eisma (art) Andre Szymanowicz (colours) John Workman (letters) features my gal Betty Cooper as she endures hazing by Cheryl Blossom, the wicked witch captain of the cheerleading squad. This book made me want to tune into the show now.

 X-Men Blue #1 - Cullen Bunn (writer) Jorge Molina & Matteo Buffagni (art) Matt Milla (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). This is the original young X-Men team with Jean Grey/Marvel Girl as leader. It reads like a straight up super hero comic book with Marvel Girl, Cyclops, Angel (with flaming wings, when did that happen?), Beast and Iceman fighting Black Tom Cassidy and Juggernaut on a luxury yacht. Not very interesting until the surprise twist at the end. The twist bothered me more than intrigued me because the character is also in other X-books and I'm wondering are they good or bad in this one? The back-up story looks like it features Wolverine but this guy is a blonde. I liked the art throughout, especially the cover by Art Adams but my opinion is that these kids should be in their own little world to make it interesting for me and that isn't this.

 Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #18 - Robert Venditti (writer) V Ken Marion (pencils) Dexter Vines (inks) Dinei Ribeiro (colours) Dave Sharpe (letters). The Green and Yellow Lantern Corps working together would be like the FBI and the CIA working together. Things are going to get testy at times. Having Guy and Arkillo make peace after almost killing each other in a slugfest is hokey but it kind of works for this comic book. This is a good issue to jump in on as it starts the new story "The Prism of Time". I don't know how long I will stick with this story as it involves time travel. I know because the surprise guest star on the last page gives it away.

 American Gods #2 - Neil Gaiman (writer) P. Craig Russell (script & layouts) Scott Hampton (art) Rick Parker (letters). I have a mild obsession with time. I like to know how long something lasts. I put a date label on Bic pens to see how long it takes for the ink to run out. We rarely lost one at the Snail and one pen would last just over a year. A can of my shaving gel runs out after just over a month. The number 44 is bad luck in Chinese culture so I wear an analogue watch rather than a digital. It always seemed that whenever I looked at the time on a digital it was 44 minutes after the hour and I would get anxious. I kid you not. There's an incident in this issue that relates to a certain time and now that I am aware of it I am going to see if it happens in real life. This is the kind of stuff that makes reading comic books a lot of fun for me. Seeing the incident unfold in three panels made the impact on me even bigger than just reading about it in a novel.

 Jessica Jones #7 - Brian Michael Bendis (writer) Michael Gaydos (art) Matt Hollingsworth (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). This issue starts and ends with Maria Hill and leads to a new case for Jessica. There's a touching scene with Jessica, Luke and their daughter Danielle but not a resolution to their damaged relationship. I really hope Luke forgives Jessica.

 Batman #20 - Tom King (writer) David Finch (pencils) Danny Miki & Trevor Scott (inks) Jordie Bellaire (colours) Deron Bennett (letters). The finale to "I Am Bane" was meh. It's a fight between hero and villain that I've witnessed many, many times. This one is just brute force versus brute force and how Batman puts down Bane (because we all know that's what will happen) was very mundane. I hope the next story ends in a more interesting way.

 Rat Queens #2 - Kurtis J. Wiebe (writer) Owen Gieni (art) Ryan Ferrier (letters). The main story has the Queens landing the demon Canada goose to tie up another quest. The back-up story by Patrick Rothfuss (writer) Nate Taylor (art) Ryan Ferrier (letters) is a nifty little campfire story that was very clever. Fooled me.

 Guardians of the Galaxy #19 - Brian Michael Bendis (writer) Valerio Schiti (art) Richard Isanove (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). This issue is "Bendis' big-time bye-bye blowout!" and it is an artists lover's dream. The guest artists here are Phil Noto, Andrea Sorrentino, Ed McGuinness & Mark Morales, Arthur Adams, Kevin Maguire, Mark Bagley & Andrew Hennessy, Sara Pichelli and Filipe Andrade. It's basically a big fight between the team, a few of their friends and Thanos. My one complaint is that Gamora did not act like I thought she should but it was an expedient reaction to seeing the Mad Titan in that situation. I loved Brian's run on this book so writer Gerry Duggan has a hard act to follow.

 Wonder Woman #20 - Greg Rucka (writer) Bilquis Evely (art) Romulo Fajardo Jr. (colours) Jodi Wynne (letters). Veronica Cale has exhausted all medical means for getting her daughter Izzy back from the clutches of Phobos and Deimos so it's time for the mystical option. I like Greg's incarnation of Circe. She can give Loki a run for his money.

 Paper Girls #13 - Brian K. Vaughn (writer) Cliff Chiang (art) Matthew Wilson (colours) Jared K. Fletcher (letters). Time travel makes my head hurt but I have an emotional stake in these girls now and want to know what happens to them.

 Champions #7 - Mark Waid (writer) Humberto Ramos (pencils) Victor Olazaba (inks) Edgar Delgado (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). That's twice that the team has tussled with the Freelancers and the super villains have given up too easily. There's a good reason for that other than because they're cowards and bullies. There's more than one way to hurt the good guys besides beating them up. Time to call in Matt Murdock.

 Kingpin #3 - Matthew Rosenberg (writer) Marc Laming (layouts) Ben Torres (art) Jordan Boyd (colours) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). Sarah the biographer gets chummy with Wilson Fisk which leads Sarah the reporter into very deep trouble with Tombstone. Can Wilson protect her from harm? I like this portrayal of the Kingpin.

 Savage Things #2 - Justin Jordan (writer) Ibrahim Moustafa (art) Jordan Boyd (colours) Josh Reed (letters). Ruthless terrorists who have no qualms about killing women and children make for some very nasty bad guys. It's interesting that the good guy Abel trained with these same men. I am anticipating the much larger threat that Cain has planned.

 All-New Wolverine #19 - Tom Taylor (writer) Leonard Kirk (pencils) Cory Hamscher (inks) Michael Garland (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). The 3-part "Immune" starts here. Laura and Gabby take down a human trafficker while an alien craft crashed on Roosevelt Island, New York. That crash has consequences for Laura. I am waiting to find out what the connection between the alien and Laura is. I really like Gabby and I hope she plays a bigger role in this book.

 Red Team: Double Tap, Center Mass #6 - Garth Ennis(writer) Craig Cermak (art) Vinicius Andrade (colours) Rob Steen (letters). This issue adds some true romance to the true detective plot of the story. Detectives Mellinger and Giroux break the cardinal rule of workplace romance and that never ends well. Garth will get back to blood and mayhem soon I'm sure.

 Amazing Spider-Man #26 - Dan Slott (writer) Stuart Immonen (pencils) Wade von Grawbadger (inks) Marte Gracia (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). Plenty of action in part 2 of "The Osborn Identity" with Spidey and Silver Sable fighting Norman's henchmen. Some mild intrigue with Doc Ock in the background. I don't get S.H.I.E.L.D.'s stance on what Parker Industries is doing to help Symkaria. Dan has made up some political drama for the sake of the story that doesn't make sense to me.

 Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #6 - Kieron Gillen (writer) Kev Walker (pencils) Marc Deering (inks) Antonio Fabela (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). No killer droids this issue made it a lot less fun but I did like how the story ended.

 The Unstoppable Wasp #4 - Jeremy Whitley (writer) Elsa Charretier (art) Megan Wilson (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). I really like this energetic and slightly naïve super hero. She did try to reason with a super villain but when she had to kick butt she did. I hope she can save her old Red Room mate.

 Spider-Man #15 - Brian Michael Bendis (writer) Szymon Kudranski (art) Justin Ponsor (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). It's time for Miles's mom to find out about his secret identity. She's not taking it as well as the Ultimate Universe Aunt May did when Peter's secret came out. Szymon's turn on the art for this book is okay but I wish he wouldn't copy panels so much. I feel like I'm not getting my money's worth when artists do that.

 Uncanny Avengers #22 - Gerry Duggan (writer) Pepe Larraz (art) David Curiel (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). The team de-powers the Red Skull of Professor X's super powers and Charles Xavier can now rest in peace. There's a page in this issue where Rogue is thinking about Professor X and the major decision that she made that Pepe and David did a beautiful job of expressing. I'm sure when Gerry wrote the scene he could not imagine how well rendered it would be.  That page choked me up and stopped me reading. I had to send Pepe a message right then to let him know that image is burned into my memory like John Romita Senior's Peter Parker walking away down an ally with Spider-Man's costume in a garbage can in the foreground. Some comic book art is unforgettable and their page qualifies. Geez Pepe, you outdid yourself.

 Spider-Man/Deadpool #16 - Joshua Corin (writer) Scott Koblish (art) Nick Filardi (colours) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). I did not leave the best for last. This is a tie-in issue. "'Til Death Do Us…"  part 4's only interesting thing for me was seeing who Deadpool teams up with in his other book Deadpool & The Mercs for Money. This did not make me want to read that book nor the grand finale in Deadpool #29 to see what Wade and his monster queen wife Shiklah will wind up doing. I anticipate it will be the divorce from hell. I hope we get back to the silliness that I have come to expect from this book soon.