Tuesday, December 4, 2018

This Week In Comics: 12/5


Another New Comic Book Day is upon us and this week’s comics are all about touching moments between unlikely allies! It’s time to plan a trip to your local comic shop and take a look at this week’s new comics! Hit the jump to check out reviews of my favorite comics coming out this week.

Disclaimer: I received advance copies of all comics featured this week courtesy of their individual publishers.
Opinions are my own.


Snotgirl #12 (Image Comics)
Fashion and lifestyle blogger Lottie Person returns after a brief hiatus - just in time for her bisexual awakening to be interrupted by the arrival of her sister. Not only is Rosie an imposing mooch, she’s also famous. And not just blogger famous - Lottie’s sister is actually famous.

During her final year at med school, Rosie ran off to Japan to be on a dating reality show. She “won” and got married and is now latching on to her little sister while her marriage falls apart. Meanwhile, Lottie just wants to get some work done and maybe kiss her new BFF on the side.

Also meanwhile - and completely out of nowhere unless I missed something - Snotgirl is suddenly a science fiction story? As Lottie’s cautious ex-boyfriend Sonny tries to keep an eye out for her, he discovers a secret that may prove that Lottie’s new friend and maybe girlfriend isn’t who she says she is.

Bryan Lee O’Malley and Leslie Huang brilliantly capture the life of anxiety and sexuality on top of the stress of achieving internet celebrity status. It’s a funny series that’ll still have you reaching for tissues - whether you have allergies or not. Catch up with Vol. 1 here and click here for Vol. 2.


Crowded #5 (Image Comics)
Over two million bucks have been pledged by over eight-thousand people who think Charlie Ellison sucks so much she deserves to die, and her 1.4 star bodyguard Vita is at her wits’ end to protect her from professional kill streamer Trotter before her campaign expires.

After finally realizing why so many people want her dead, Charlie has a bit of a breakdown that leads to a somewhat quiet moment between her and Vita. It’s a nice moment where they talk about how they’re alike and how they’re different, really showcasing how perfectly matched these two characters are. Kissing may or may not be involved.

Trotter, on the other hand, has snapped and is now trying to take Charlie out quick so he can retire on a high note.

I love the character of Charlie so much. Even after everything she’s been through she still doesn’t understand how anything works. All she wants to do is get drunk and talk about shit that doesn’t matter when someone is literally trying to kill her.

Crowded also continues to paint a real and scary picture of our inevitable future as we proceed toward a world of gigs and microtransactions. As Charlie and Vita sit and enjoy a nice night for once, a giant hologram stretches across the sky offering to sell them 30 minutes of vintage L.A. sky images. That’s the world we live in, covering up reality with lies that make us feel better.

Crowded is a satire set five minutes in the future blasting a cannon at the real-life tropes that make up our daily lives, and it’s not afraid of leaving a few bodies behind.

The first arc comes to an end with the next issue. Click here to pre-order your copy now.


Bully Wars #4 (Image Comics)
The battle to crown the best bully in high school is underway. Spencer gets caught in the crossfire, leaving Ernie and Edith to play man in the chair to guide him and Rufus through the dungeons.

My favorite moments in this issue come from the little bits where Spencer and Rufus show their budding friendship. They’re all just working together for their own personal reasons - Rufus wants to be top bully and Spencer and his friends want to gain immunity from Rufus’s future bullying - but all of the time they’re spending together is turning them into accidental friends.

As we head toward our climax, the final battle of the titular Wars is at hand. It seems as if we must say goodbye to these characters just as I’m falling in love with them. They’re relateable characters in an exagerated world that still feels all too real.

You can click here to pre-order Bully Wars, which is not labeled as “Vol. 1” so I guess this is the whole collection.


Power Rangers: Soul of the Dragon (BOOM! Studios)
With the end of Shattered Grid, Kyle Higgens said his peace and left the ongoing series that redefined Power Rangers for the generation it was made for. But he wasn’t done yet. Higgins went out with a bang in Shattered Grid, then came back with an explosion for his “old man Tommy” story in Soul of the Dragon.

Click here to read my full-length review of Power Rangers: Soul of the Dragon. The graphic novel will be available at your local comic shop this week and everywhere books are sold next week. Click here to pre-order your copy today.


Self/Made #1 (Image Comics)
This is the premiere issue of Mathew Groome and Eduardo Ferigato, edited by Power Rangers' Kyle Higgins. It is a fantasy series… and a few other genres as well. It’s one of those books where the sheer premise is a spoiler, so it’s hard to talk too much about it. Click here to read my full review of Self/Made #1.

What comics are you picking up this week? Let me know down in the comments below!