Ahoy-hoy Friends!

 

What an exciting week of books! Even more exciting is how we are changing operating procedures now that the lockdowns have been lifted! We are now using the front door under the open sign as the entrance and exit! We have hand sanitizer and paper towels available at the door as well. Masks are still required if you aren't vaccinated. If you feel this is unfair I apologize for the inconvenience but we do take health and safety seriously and we are still offering online shopping, ordering, payment and curbside pickup; so if you are uncomfortable entering or don't want to wear a mask we have options available to accommodate your comic and gaming needs! The game room isn't open for general use yet, but we will be participating in the next Magic The Gathering Pre-release! Please check out Facebook for the most up to date information. Finally, please enjoy the reviews!

 

 

 

"Batman Secret Files: The Signal" DC: Can Duke Thomas take down a new illegal weapons market? Can he heal his friendship with other members of the "We Are Robin" movement? Do you want to see Bruce get pwned by a rich tech upstart?? All of this and more happens in this first issue! Everything about this issue fits in the DC style and continuity; high quality art and colors, a compelling mystery, deep interpersonal drama, nearly-forgotten characters being dusted off for a bright new future. I think the biggest problem with this book is that it's about The Signal. If you're a fan of Duke Thomas, this is a great issue. If You couldn't care less about this character I can't imagine why you'd bother. 8 or 6 (depending if you like Duke or not)  masks-and-new-costumes-don't-really-work-do-they out of 10 

 

"Black's Myth" Ahoy: If you like "Black Magick"  or other supernatural mystery books you'll want to pick this up. The black and white line work is at once detailed, gritty, and good enough. Wendell Cavalcanti knows precisely what to emphasize and what to leave rough. The anatomical work is excellent and is supported by his calculated use of shadows. Panels move from bright nearly white scenes to dark shadowed close ups. The dialogue moved the plot well, though it was a bit stiff. I'm also appreciative that the lore is slowly unfurled rather than being dumped on the reader all at once. 7 ounces of silver out of 10

 

"Clans Of Belari" Aftershock: There are some cool concepts here involving the division of labor and the sacrifices one good man makes for an orphaned girl. The level of detailed control the clan structure has in an individual's life is abhorrent, that's probably the point. The level of control is so staggering as to be unbelievable. The constant questions from a teen raised in this society borders on idiocy. I know it's a literary device to provide exposition without dumping it, but we should have seen Te'a growing and asking and learning, not just suddenly 'you're ready for work', and she acts as though she's never heard of this concept or any of the concepts and rules that this universe follows. Though maybe that's a critique on the younger generation? 4 bird feeders out of 10 

 

"Ordinary Gods" Image: A war between Gods and their subjects resulted in a prison planet being created; Earth. The traitorous Gods are trapped here in mortal shells, destined to die and be reborn eternally, unaware of their true nature. The book flows from slice of life to intense and gory violence. The violence is used as a punctuation to the story being told. It is a surprising crescendo to an ordinary conversation and worked well to pull me into the narrative. The flip side is that the slower slice of life moments were, well, slow. I struggled just a smidge to get through the slower pages but it paid off in the end. The back matter is also a fantastic few pages detailing one of the past lives. 7 not-so-veiled references to Scientology out of 10

 

 

 

"Fight Girls" AWA Upshot: A surprisingly enjoyable and engaging read. The Queen of an Intergalactic Empire has died and the only way to find a new Queen, according to the bylaws of the empire's constitution, is to pit ten women against nature and each other.