As I write this, there’s a man in my courtyard taking what can only be described as a “heroic pull” off of his 40 ounce beer. I do not begrudge this man for doing so for he is free. Also, given the current climate of the United States this is perfectly acceptable behavior. I’m currently enjoying a cucumber-mint sparkling water (I’d much rather it be a giant beer) and trying not to think about my sister and friends who are teachers being sent back to school at the end of the summer.
Boy, that got real in a hurry. Hey, kids! Comics!
Advance Alert!
Bad Mother
Christa Faust (W)
Mike Deodato Jr. (A)
AWA Studios
I got the chance to check out the first two issues of Bad Mother a new, limited series from AWA Studios that’s kicking off next month. Here’s the blurb:
April Walters is a hit-and-run victim of life – a soccer mom whose inner fire has been snuffed out by her dreary suburban existence. When her teenaged daughter goes missing under mysterious circumstances, April embarks on a harrowing journey through the underbelly of her suburban community that sets her on a collision course with a massive crime syndicate and its lethal matriarch. Tested to her limits and beyond, April discovers that hell hath no fury like a mother scorned.
A drum that we’re constantly beating here at BBP! is talk to your LCS about ordering books. It’s that kind of engagement that shops and indie publishers NEED to survive (yeah, even Marvel and DC). Bad Mother would be a great book to ask your Local Comic Shop about ordering, it’s a tightly plotted crime thriller from Crystal Faust and Mike Deodato Jr. and it’s worthy of your attention!
It’s always difficult for me to write about a book without COMPLETELY spoiling it, but what I can say is the first issue definitely took some turns I was not expecting. I’ll be curious to see where Bad Mother goes.
Giant Size X-Men: Magneto
Jonathan Hickman (W)
Ramón Pérez (A)
Marvel Comics
In this issue…Magneto buys an island!
“That’s it. That’s the tweet.” as the kids say. I’ve been appreciating these sporadic Giant Size X-releases over the last few months (in all honesty it’s probably been longer than a few months but anything between March and June is kind of hazy). The Giant Size format, aside from being just plain fun to type and say, really lends itself to Hickman’s brand of storytelling by giving it room to breathe.
Monthly books, especially those from the “Big Two” publishers, have a fairly rigid 22 page cap (30 with ads) and they very rarely deviate beyond those unless it’s a special occasion. That’s a lot of plot and action to cram into a tiny box, have it make sense, and have the reader come back next month for more of the same.
But sometimes…sometimes you just want to see Magneto gather firewood, build a fire, and wait for the guy he’s going to buy the island from to show up. Other times, you want to see Magneto enjoy a nice dinner with Emma Frost before going to buy an island.
There may also be a giant sea monster fight in this issue if you’re into that sort of thing. You do you.
Dark Nights: Death Metal #2
Scott Snyder (W)
Greg Capullo (A)
DC Comics
Joining B. Rex (the talking Batman T. Rex) in this issue is a giant Batman possessed monster truck. I’m not sure what more you could want out of a comic.
