#you pick one of the ROs as a likely mark in the prologue and then it skips forward almost a year to just before the planet goes dark again

[damnation-if]

cyberpunk organised crime ring espionage with sexy demons

lmao... something tells me they wouldn't quite fit together.

#what does the chaos mirror see #anon #time flows differently in the queue #forgive me for rambling in the tags here but. the rot Consumes me #when i say cyberpunk i guess it's technically scifi since it takes place on another planet #but in addition to loving d&d and vampire the masquerade i'm also a big fan of shadowrun #the premise is that mc is a corporate espionage agent who has to seduce their way into a gang of criminals annoying your corpo masters #the planet has a wild orbit that takes it far away from the sun and through an asteroid belt for roughly the half the year #it's a miserable time; there's no sunlight and transports can't land because of the asteroids so the planet is basically on its own #so all the rich people leave during that period and it basically becomes anarchy and chaos as everything turns to lawlessness when they go #until they clear the asteroid belt and the corps send in their private armies to re-establish order via gunfire #both the corps and the gangs know that you can make a hell of a lot of money during this period by doing standard shadowrun crime stuff #but one gang has really been cheesing your corp's onions and they don't know How so they send you to seduce your way in and find out #you pick one of the ROs as a likely mark in the prologue and then it skips forward almost a year to just before the planet goes dark again #so it's like. you still haven't figured it out but also you've been fake-dating this person for nearly a year #i just wanted to write something with. that kind of more complicated relationship dynamic of a longer-term relationship already in place #anyway naturally you get to decide in the end if you destroy the gang or betray your corporate masters lmfao #shadowrun *jazzhands* #i know i said i was keeping myself from pitching RO ideas but. one of them i already decided on is a butch lesbian with a shotgun #she's their driver and is covered in tattoos lmao #also there's a guy who's a spy from a Different corp #anyway yes. Sorry about this

[eddycurrents]

For the week of 31 December 2018

Quick Bits:

Action Comics #1006 pushes forward more of the ongoing plot of the corruption that has infested Metropolis from the top down. Brian Michael Bendis is definitely playing a long game with his Superman stories, but it doesn’t necessarily feel as decompressed as something like say his Daredevil which I only found enjoyable in the collections. I’m still getting a John Byrne-era Intergang vibe from this arc, which is welcome. Gorgeous art again from Ryan Sook and Brad Anderson.

| Published by DC Comics

Animosity #18 concludes the “Power” arc from Marguerite Bennett, Rafael de Latorre, Elton Thomasi, Rob Schwager, and Marshall Dillon. This issue features one hell of a reckoning, deserved, that also shows how twisted people and their behaviour can become in this kind of dramatic change of the status quo.

| Published by AfterShock

Archie #701 continues with the “Archie Forever” soft relaunch and I’m really liking what Nick Spencer, Marguerite Sauvage, and Jack Morelli are doing with it. It’s more serious than the previous “New Riverdale” initiative with Mark Waid, but it’s finding more of a balance as a teen drama rather than the harder edge of something like Riverdale. It’s also really damn good. The mystery of Reggie’s father’s disappearance is compelling, there’s some nice character work with the gang, and Sauvage’s art is gorgeous.

| Published by Archie Comics

Archie 1941 #4 continues to explore the real human cost of war, both at home and on the front, taking an interesting look at sacrifice. The art from Peter Krause and Kelly Fitzpatrick continues to shine.

| Published by Archie Comics

Batgirl #30 begins the “Old Enemies” arc and it drills down on one theme that Mairghread Scott has been exceptionally good at writing, politics. The conflict between Batgirl, the police, the politicians, and the people is a powderkeg just waiting to explode. Great art from Paul Pelletier, Norm Rapmund, and Jordie Bellaire.

| Published by DC Comics

BPRD: The Devil You Know #12 continues to let the dominoes fall, showing the connections and intersections of all of the Hellboy stories since Seed of Destruction. This issue feels like the quiet moments before the end, with beautiful haunting artwork from Laurence Campbell and Dave Stewart.

| Published by Dark Horse

Champions #1 kicks off the new, larger era from Jim Zub, Steven Cummings, Marcio Menyz, Erick Arciniega, and Clayton Cowles focus on a broader team solving problems around the world. But there’s a catch, something hinky seems to be going on that we’re not quite sure of. It’s a good start, probably more in line with what Mark Waid left before Jim Zub started in the last volume, but with the more personal voice and problems that Zub was developing already.

| Published by Marvel

Coda #8 hurts. Everything falls apart, everyone is betrayed, and we all die a little inside as people try to force positions that aren’t natural. Wow is this a punch to the heart. Si Spurrier, Matías Bergara, Michael Doig, and Jim Campbell deliver what is quite possibly the best issue to date. And damn is that art phenomenal.

| Published by BOOM! Studios

Crowded #6 concludes the first arc with a confrontation with Trotter and, boy, is it a doozy. Christopher Sebela, Ro Stein, Ted Brandt, Tríona Farrell, and Cardinal Rae have just packed this series with action, excitement, and interesting characters with the mystery hanging over our heads still as to exactly what Charlie even did to get the bounty on her head.

| Published by Image

Detective Comics #995 continues “Mythology” and its full court press on Bruce and his family from Peter Tomasi, Doug Mahnke, Jaime Mendoza, David Baron, and Rob Leigh. It’s pretty dark, and reminds me a bit of the feel of “Hush”, “Knightfall”, and what Tom King has been building lately in the Batman title itself, but it’s good.

| Published by DC Comics

The Empty Man #3 takes an even bloodier and more violent turn as the Whisper Oracles make a full-on assault on the Kerrys’ neighbourhood as they believe they’re ushering in the next stage of the Empty Man’s wishes. This is disturbing and horrifying, but incredibly entertaining. Great work from Cullen Bunn, Jesús Hervás, Niko Guardia, and Ed Dukeshire.

| Published by BOOM! Studios

The Flash #61 continues the “Force Quest” adventure, but I’m kind of getting tired of it. I like the exploration of the new forces, I like the new characters and situations that the Flash and Iris are getting into over the course of their globe-trotting, but I’m not getting a lot of substance. It seems like the Flash is off to a new location as quickly as he arrives and there’s not a lot of actual in-depth exploration and investigation of the new ideas. That may, indeed, be part of the point, with the Flash coming up empty, but it feels like we’re getting a lot of being zipped around.

| Published by DC Comics

Giant Days #46 gives Susan a case investigating the thefts from Esther’s shop. The noir Sin City-esque sequences while she’s on the case are a wonderful use of the medium, really building the atmosphere and putting you in the right headspace for the story.

| Published by Boom Entertainment / BOOM! Box

Immortal Hulk #11 begins Hulk’s journey through Hell (or wherever they really are) beyond the Green Door and everything waxes a little philosophical. Even Puck and Creel left at the opening. This feels like a turning point in the story and Al Ewing, Joe Bennett, Ruy José, Paul Mounts, and Cory Petit continue to make this incredibly compelling. 

| Published by Marvel

Infinity Wars: Infinity #1 is weird. It’s kind of an epilogue to the Infinity Wars event, it’s also kind of a prologue for whatever comes next, teasing things more than giving any kind of really concrete story.

| Published by Marvel

Jughead: The Hunger #11 concludes the Franken-Moose arc with some hints as to what Milton was doing with his resurrection experiments and a revelation about Jughead’s blood. It’s suspect, of course, but it’s an interesting development. Joe Eisma’s designs for the various patchwork men is very impressive.

| Published by Archie Comics / Archie’s Madhouse Presents

Justice League Odyssey #4 continues the investigation of the Ghost Sector as the team transports some refugees off to one of the Machine Worlds where Cyborg is worshipped as a god. Like the other planets, things don’t really go to plan. It’s interesting as to how many losses Joshua Williamson seems to keep throwing at the characters (even if not being devastating as such). It definitely is leading to a world in conflict. Also, Darkseid finds a familiar face.

| Published by DC Comics

Killmonger #3 gets even more interesting as Fisk burns King and his crew, sending them all scrambling as they’re attacked by Bullseye. There’s another twist in the tale from Bryan Hill that really needs to be witnessed. The art from Juan Ferreyra is just next level. Gorgeous. Simply gorgeous.

| Published by Marvel

Low #20 is confusing. Part of that is intentional as Stel gets tossed about from situation to situation of losing and finding her children for reasons that aren’t entirely clear at first. The other part of it is that it’s been a year and a half since the last issue, and even with the recap, it’s still a bit of “who are these people?” and “what the hell is going on?”. Absolutely bloody gorgeous artwork from Greg Tocchini and Dave McCaig, though. I really need to go back an re-read the rest of the series though to get a better appreciation for the story.

| Published by Image / Giant Generator

Man Without Fear #1 from Jed MacKay, Danilo S. Beyruth, Andres Mossa, and Clayton Cowles picks up from where “The Death of Daredevil” left off, but you needn’t have read that to understand this (though I still highly recommend reading the last run of the Daredevil series). It’s more explicit and abstract in Matt’s journey for survival, while also focusing here on the impact this is having on Foggy. It’s very good and looks like it’s going to serve as to a bridge to what comes next in “Know Fear”.

| Published by Marvel

Marvel Knights #5 circles back around to Matthew Rosenberg and Niko Henrichon as T’Challa storms Fisk’s tower and we get more surprising revelations for the cliffhanger to this penultimate issue. There’s a lot of action, beautifully realized by Henrichon (with colour assists from Laurent Grossat), but I think the thing I like most about this is how they handle the Hulk. His presence through the series, and this issue, has been mostly implied, much like how he was portrayed during Bruce Jones and John Romita Jr.’s tenure on the Marvel Knights volume of The Incredible Hulk. It’s a very nice touch that enhances the tribute that this series is meant to be. 

| Published by Marvel

Olivia Twist #4 is the end to what has been a rather strange and loose adaptation of Dickens’ Oliver Twist in the future from Darin Strauss, Adam Dalva, Emma Vieceli, Lee Loughridge, and Sal Cipriano. It definitely goes off in unexpected directions and is all the better for it.

| Published by Dark Horse / Berger Books

Rainbow Brite #3 continues to be a fun adventure as Wisp tests out the extent of her powers. It’s a shame that this series is ending with its fifth issue as this is a solid all ages fantasy from Jeremy Whitley, Brittney Williams, Valentina Pinto, and Taylor Esposito.

| Published by Dynamite

Scarlet #5 is an interesting conclusion to this mini, getting Scarlet out of Portland and a revelation as to what’s been going on outside of the city. It doesn’t really feel like an end, though. Just a stopping point for this chapter. I definitely hope there’s more somewhere down the line as Brian Michael Bendis, Alex Maleev, and Joshua Reed have made this as entertaining a ride as the first volume.

| Published by DC Comics / Jinxworld

The Silencer #12 is one of the few of DC’s “New Age of Heroes” titles left standing and, even though it too may not be much longer for the world based on the story’s direction, it’s pretty easy to see why. It’s a good action thriller, with some interesting intrigue in regards to Talia al Ghul’s Leviathan organization, and some great art.

| Published by DC Comics

Star Wars: Age of Republic - Obi-Wan Kenobi #1 is the latest one-shot spotlighting the Star Wars characters throughout the ages, with this one providing a tale of Obi-Wan during his period with Anakin as his padawan, from Jody Houser, Cory Smith, Wilton Santos, Walden Wong, Java Tartaglia, and Travis Lanham. It’s not a bad little tale of acceptance and understanding in perceived difficult situations.

| Published by Marvel

Stranger Things #4 concludes this mini from Jody Houser, Stefano Martino, Keith Champagne, Lauren Affe, and Nate Piekos, spotlighting what happened to Will Byers while he was trapped in the Upside Down and serves as a bridge to the second season of the Netflix series. The art from Martino, Champagne, and Affe is wonderful as always and I love how Houser brings it back around to the fantasy and D&D themes that permeate the show. Also, a great nod to one of the primary influences in the library sequence.

| Published by Dark Horse

Strangers in Paradise XXV #9...man. Terry Moore is a master at changing the tone and premise of his stories at the drop of a hat. You start out as an action thriller, then you blink, and suddenly you’re in a biblical end of days scenario. Damn that’s some good stuff.

| Published by Abstract Studio

Titans #32 presents the origin of Mother Blood and a change to the Red since the breaking of the Source Wall from Dan Abnett, Clayton Henry, Marcelo Maiolo, and Dave Sharpe. It’s an interesting excursion giving hints as to the next direction for the series. Plus, a possible name drop for Primal Force, which would be an interesting return.

| Published by DC Comics

Tony Stark: Iron Man #7 continues “Stark Realities” as all hell breaks loose within Tony’s virtual world as The Controller takes..um...control. Great twists and turns here, with some interesting character developments for Amanda, Jocasta, and Friday.

| Published by Marvel

The Whispering Dark #3 blurs the lines of reality further as we’re given no reason to believe that the hallucinations aren’t real or that any of “reality” isn’t a hallucination. It’s great. Gorgeous artwork from Tomás Aira.

| Published by Dark Horse

Winter Soldier #2 is possibly even better than the first issue, as we get a flashback for who RJ was and then a confrontation between him and Bucky. The artwork from Rod Reis is gorgeous, presenting interesting layouts and colour choices flipping between the past and the action in the present. Though, there is definitely a twinge of suspicion at what RJ’s goal actually is.

| Published by Marvel

Wonder Woman #61 makes “The Just War” a little more interesting as a confused, reborn Aphrodite is brought into the mix, unsure whether or not she still wants to be the goddess of love. The mythological aspect that G. Willow Wilson is playing with in this story is interesting after the abandonment of Olympus and what’s been going on in Justice League Dark. It definitely feels like there’s something bigger going on than just the war. The line art chores are handled by Xermanico, who has a style not unlike Cary Nord’s, but somewhat cleaner, leaning somewhat towards Stuart Immonen and Terry Dodson. It looks good, but what really pushes this issue over the top is the colour work from Romulo Fajardo Jr. The colours just look stunning here.

| Published by DC Comics

Other Highlights: Bloodborne #8, Books of Magic #3, Conan the Barbarian #1, Doctor Who: The Thirteenth Doctor #3, Gasolina #14, Halo: Lone Wolf #1, Hex Wives #3, Invader Zim #38, Old Lady Harley #3, Princeless: Find Yourself #3, Project Superpowers #5, Redneck #18, Rick & Morty #45, Runaways #17, Star Wars: Han Solo - Imperial Cadet #3, The Umbrella Academy: Hotel Oblivion #4, Unnatural #6

Recommended Collections: Black Hammer - Volume 3: Age of Doom Part 1, BPRD: Hell on Earth - Volume 4, The Conan Reader, Death of the Inhumans, The Girl Who Married a Skull & Other African Stories - Volume 1, Iron Fist, Jim Henson’s Power of the Dark Crystal - Volume 1, Jinx, The Mighty Crusaders - Volume 1, Pestilence - Volume 2: A Story of Satan, Powers - Book 2, Spider-Geddon: Edge of Spider-Geddon, Tony Stark: Iron Man - Volume 1: Self Made Man, Witchfinder - Volume 5: Gates of Heaven

d. emerson eddy works hard for his monkey. So hard for his monkey. And he’s going to treat it right.

#This Week in Comics