Drew:
I love well crafted alternate universes! This week brought Spider Gwen #4, the continuation of Marvel’s “What if Gwen Stacy got bit and got spider powers” series by Jason Latour and Robbi Rodriguez. One of the best parts of this series is getting to see alternate versions of these well known characters actually get some space to be explored in their new world. We’ve seen hard nosed detective Frank Castle, we’ve seen Wilson Fisk’s attorney Matthew Murdock, we’ve even seen beat cop Ben Grimm. This issue brings us a moment that’s been teased since the start of the series, Gwen meeting with Aunt May and a very much alive Uncle Ben. We’ve still only seen bits and pieces of what happened to Peter, and the guilt that Gwen has felt since her character was introduced just pours off the page. It’s a great moment of a great new series that still feels strange that Marvel even took a gamble on it. Can’t wait for the next issue!
Myles:
The standout for me this week was Arcadia #1, the creator owned book by Alex Paknadel and Eric Scott Pfeifer courtesy of Boom! Studios. Imagine the end came and went. An impossible plague decimates most of the population. Billions dead. In a desperate move to retain the dying while searching for a cure, people’s minds are uploaded into a digital world called Arcadia. Paknadel and Pfeifer unveil both the physical and digital realms of their story with unparalleled precision that sucks you in without giving everything away at once. The two settings allow an abundance of creative possibilities, many of which are proposed in this tightly executed first issue. If socio-political dystopian science fiction interests you, Arcadia has that in spades. Philosophical quandaries? You’re covered. The potential for insane, fantastical metaphysical storytelling? Yup. If you’re suffering from event fatigue by Marvel and DC, Arcadia is the perfect focused book for you. If you want the beginning of an extremely promising story? Guess what? Arcadia is the perfect book for you. Buy. This. Book.
Patrick:
My favorite issue this week was Image’s No Mercy #2 by Alex De Campi, with art by Carla Speed McNeil and colors by Jenn Manley Lee. If issue 1 was an establishing shot in a film, this issue ratchets up the action, horror and tension lightning fast.
Impressively brutal, this issue’s dark tone is a beautiful contrast to the previous sunny intro issue. McNeil nails some tender moments amongst the struggling teens, and Lee’ colors are beautifully on display here with campfire-lit faces and various pitches of Midnight.
If you missed the first issue make sure to go back and pick it up, as it was a lot of fun. If this issue is any indication to the level of intensity De Campi is going to bring to the rest of this series, then it is not to be missed. I will not spoil the great two-page splash in the middle, but it was glorious and I smell a spin-off series.