Is it still February? This year is sure taking it's time. This is also the first week without a Power Rangers comic since 1987. I think. In any case, read on to check out my reviews of the 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.
Middlewest #15 (Image Comics)
Skottie Young, Jean-Francois Beaulieu, Jorge Corona
While Fox, Jeb, Maggie, Wrench, and the others struggle through increasingly threatening weather, they also seek to grow their ranks. Any assault on the Raider Farms compound will need as many able hands and sharp minds as the Middlewest can muster.
After spending quite a bit of time with Abel and Bobby on Raider Farms, this issue gets back to Maggie and the gang on their caravan to rescue the duo. When they find a bridge blown out, the gang resolves to turn their cars into boats. As you do.
First of all, Corona's art in his issue is fantastic. Most of this story takes place at night, in the rain, against large backdrops of a village flooded by a storm. Every panel feels cold, dark, and gross - a real contrast between last issues hot and sweaty time under the sun on the farm.
There's also some really cool magic stuff here. There's some psychic Charles Xavier stuff and some Storm lightning stuff and some talking to fish Aquaman stuff. My three favorite X-Men all in one issue of Middlewest!
This issue was all about conflict. Young drops one problem after another on our crew. First the rain, the the flood, then the only person who could possibly help them turns up brain-dead. No one is catching a break this issue.
Middlewest #15 hits your local comic shop this coming Wednesday. Click here to get caught up with the first volume.
Show's End (Mad Cave Studios)
Anthony Cleveland, Jef Zadzinski, Julian Gonzalez, Justin Bitch
Show’s End takes place in Georgia during the 1920s and follows Loralye, a 12-year-old runaway seeking refuge with a traveling group of freak show performers. At first, she isn’t welcomed for being too “ordinary.” But what her newfound family doesn’t know, is that Loralye is hiding a secret more freakish than anyone could ever imagine!
I skipped out on this series because it looked a bit too horror for my tastes. Also I was in Iowa. But I finally gave it a read and guess what - it's great. And not really horror. It's more of a dark fantasy and it's mostly only dark because a lot of it takes place at night.
There are some lite X-Men vibes. It's very "Miss Peregrine Freak Show for Peculiar Freaks" or like that super obscure and super cool movie Cirque du Freak. Loralye runs away to join a carnival - but everyone's talents are a bit more fantastic and supernatural.
This is a mystery story more than anything. It's no secret that Loralye is some kind of were-beast, but the real secrets come from within the carnival and a few all too real twists that shake up the family. This might not be horrifying, but Show's End can still be gutwrentching.
Click here to pre-order your copy of Show's End.
What comics are you picking up this week? Let me know down below.
