Pick of the Week: Ms. Marvel #1/The Mighty Thor #1

MS. MARVEL #1: Another all new number one issue of a comic that we just had an all new number one issue of not all that long ago, Ms. Marvel #1! If you're sensing a theme this fall, it would be that all of the Marvel books have really low numbers after the Battle of the Worlds (or something like that).

I'm just happy that one of my favorites, Kamala Khan has returned from the year's big event and is even more awesome as she has joined the Avengers.  I can't really keep up with which formation of the Avengers (New? All New? Shiny New? Standard?) she is in, but it does include the latest incarnation of Captain America (Sam Wilson) and Thor (Jane Foster) as well Nova, Iron-Man, Vision, and Miles Morales Spider-Man.  I think Peter Parker Spider-Man is running around in a different book (or five).

Written by G. Willow Wilson and drawn by Takeshi Miyazawa & Adrian Alphona, Ms. Marvel looks to be continuing its streak of awesome fun!

THE MIGHTY THOR #1: Did the secret that caused Odinson to be unworthy of Mjolnir get revealed in a book I didn't read? If so, someone please let me know what it is! What was revealed in the main Thor book during the Wars of Secrets and the Battles of Worlds, was the identity of the woman behind the hammer.  IF YOU DON'T KNOW AND DON'T WANT TO BE SPOILED, STOP READING THIS RIGHT NOW AND GO PICK UP THE TRADES! If you do want to be spoiled because you want to pick up Issue One today then continue reading after the photo below.  (Also if you don't want to know, you should probably avoid the internet in general.)

I was a little disappointed when Jane Foster was revealed as the woman behind the hammer.  I can't really put my finger on the reason why, although I really liked the Shield Agent (whose name is currently escaping me) and it might have been nice to have a truly new female character added to the mix as the lead.  However, I trust Jason Aaron's writing to bring me around to why Jane will be the best Thor.  The art by Russell Dauterman and  the coloring by Matt Wilson set a beautiful backdrop for Jane's fight for her life and for the realms.


Bonus Picks: Spider-Woman #1, The Beauty #4 , Lumberjanes #20 (There are a lot of great comics out this week!)

Picks of the Week: Paper Girls #2, Monstress #1 and Rasputin #10

Some weeks it is too hard to settle on one awesome comic to pick.  It's one of those weeks and Image is dominating my pull!

Paper Girls #2: This book and its damn cliffhangers! You guys are killing me!!! Can we bump up the publishing schedule so that I am not waiting a month to find out what is happening next? If you didn't check out the first issue, Paper Girls follows four girls who deliver the local paper and have stumbled upon creatures of a currently unknown origin who seem up to no good.  With so many WTF moments and an ending scene that had me screaming for it not to be the last page, this is a can't miss comic. This Goonies meets X-Files story is written by Brian K. Vaughn, drawn by Cliff Chiang, colored by Matt Wilson and lettered by Jared K. Fletcher. 

Monstress #1: The preview pages for the comic resulted in me adding this to my pull list.  A mystical story following a teenage girl's capture and seeming enslavement by a group of witch nuns is both fascinating and troubling. The first issue fully captures the feeling of war and the helplessness of the defeated.  It's not an easy read, but a worthwhile one.  Written by Marjorie Liu, drawn by Sana Takeda and lettered by Rus Wooten, with a first issue weighing in at 66 ad free pages for $4.99, this is one to pick up from your LCS. 

Rasputin #10: I really should pay more attention to issue counts, but I always think in groups of six for trade publishing purposes.  So I assumed that I had at least two more issues after this one.  I have loved this series.  It's one of those rare comics that I picked up based on the title alone.  The story of Rasputin has always been intriguing to me.  The actual comic has not disappointed and I am sad this is the last issue.  The creators have done a beautiful job blending fact and fiction.  This is the Rasputin I want to believe exists.  Written by Alex Grecian, drawn by Riley Rossmo, colored by Ivan Plascencia, and lettered by Thomas Mauer, this journey through Russia should be taken! 

Pick of the Week: The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #1

Seems like we were just here not that long ago for The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #1...alas, relaunches, reboots, renumbering happens in comics causing varying degrees of confusion for readers.  Have no fear, our girl, Doreen, is unbeatable for a number of reasons and no relaunch can diminish her butt-kicking, nut-eating super powers!  It's hard for me to pick a favorite comic, but Squirrel Girl is easily my favorite super-hero comic.  It's body positive.  It's fun and hilarious.  I can't even think of a single thing I would change (well, maybe that it was weekly, but I don't want to kill the creative team so...)

We rejoin our heroine with a rescue already in progress.  With the aid of the dashing Chipmunk Hunk, Koi Boi, Nancy, Tippy-Toe, and unnamed squirrels and chipmunks, everyone is saved and the group heads off to an unknown apartment.  Adventures must be ahead! Don't worry if you're new to Squirrel Girl or missed a few issues before the relaunch as we're provided with a handy reintroduction to our main crew.  Spoiler: Tippy-Toe is a squirrel.  

I really enjoy the relationship development in this comic, especially the friendship between Doreen and Nancy.  Sometimes comics can simply be action driven (which has its place), but I've connected with Squirrel Girl because I'm engaged with the characters and would want to hang out with them.  Not that I don't love the butt-kicking action, but I would totally adore an issue that Doreen and Nancy break down reality shows and movies.  

Written by Ryan North, whose itty-bitty bottom of the panel jokes slay me every issue, drawn by Erica Henderson, colored by Rico Renzi, and lettered by VC's Clayton Cowles, Squirrel Girl is a fun monthly romp through the Marvel Universe.  There's also Trading Card art by Joe Morris.  (I really hope a set of Squirrel Girl Trading Cards will be released in the future because they are the best!!)

Bonus Picks: Batgirl #45 and Chew #51

Current Obsession: Marevl's Jessica Jones

Confession time: I've barely read any actual comics about Jessica Jones.  The ones I have read were because I was reading backstory on Squirrel Girl who at one point in the Marvel Universe was Jessica's and Luke Cage's nanny.  I bet she told some unbeatable bedtime stories and sang some amazing lullabies.  I plan to start reading Alias by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Gaydos over the Christmas holiday which will be after I binge watch the upcoming Netflix show.

Since I haven't read the comic, it might seem curious that I am obsessed with the show.  First, I adore Krysten Ritter and have since I initially saw her as Gia Goodman, the spoiled daughter of the mayor on Veronica Mars. My favorite show she starred in was Don't Trust the Bitch in Apartment 23 which was sadly cut short at two seasons.  You have some time between now and the November 20th release of Jessica Jones to watch all 26 episodes on Netflix.  Ritter was wonderfully awful as Chloe and it will really be fascinating to see her in a much more dramatic role.
  

Second, I am always happy to support a female leads in all forms from comics whether it be on the page, the small screen or the big screen.  I want more comics, shows and movies with interesting an empowering women.  In order to get those, the studios need to be shown that people want them.  When those shows just happen to look amazing, all the better!

I am glad to see that Netflix has done a bang up job of promoting Jessica Jones.  Those teaser trailers were awesome, especially the bar scene set to Joan Jett's Bad Reputation.  Ass kicking greatness! Jessica Jones looks dark, gritty, moody and I can't take my eyes away from it.

Pick of the Week: The Beauty #3

The Beauty #3

Confession time: I am so bad to start blogging and then quit.  I think I got an intro post up on this one and then haven't been back since...I'm going to try to do better with at least a weekly post about what I am excited about in the world of New Comic Book Day.

Image has been doing something extremely smart from a marketing point of view by placing around five or six pages from their upcoming comics in the back of their current comics.  This move has me picking up several comics that I otherwise wouldn't have.  The first of those was The Beauty.  The Beauty has a bit of a strange premise in that people are catching a sexually transmitted disease that makes them absolutely gorgeous.  It's a STD that people are actively trying to be infected.  The downsides of the disease seem mostly unknown until it appears some of those infected are internally combusting.

In The Beauty #3, the lead detectives of our story, Foster and Vaughn, who both happen to be infected with the Beauty, are dealing with the fallout from not following the party line about the Beauty deaths.  That fallout includes gunfire in a parking garage and an introduction to the Anti-Beauty movement.  That movement also brings in a very concerning issue that has been playing out in current events: do pharmaceutical companies exist to make us healthier or to make a profit.  As a reader I couldn't help but think of the astronomical price raise of AIDS drugs that has been in the news.  The other wrinkle in the Beauty is how do you cure people that don't wish to be treated to avoid a return to their less beautiful selves.

The Beauty is written by Jeremy Haun and Jason A. Hurley, drawn by Jeremy Haun and colored by John Rauch with lettering and design by Fonografiks.


Bonus Picks: Black Canary #5 and the Hard cover Hawkeye Omnibus collecting the Fraction and Aja run (Pizza Dog forever!)

Comics for the week!

You can follow me on twitter and instagram: @heatherpeagler

Welcome!

Another attempt at blogging! I go strong for awhile and then drift off into other work or interests.  I'm going to try to keep it simple this time.  I just want a space (that's longer than 140 characters) to talk about comics that I like and love.  

Sometimes we can get caught up in what we don't like and so much great stuff gets shoved to the side while the bad is highlighted.  There's a lot of wonderful comics out there and I can't wait to discuss all of them with you!

~Heather