First Book Blog for 2017, Courtesy of Daryll B.@Afronerd Radio! Podcast Shows Every Wed (7:30pm) & Saturday (6pm)

First Book Blog For The New Year!!!

This is how I ended my 2016 and began my 2017 book wise. Let's dive in!

Love Is Love by IDW Publishing - Sometimes a comic book/graphic novel MUST be more than its stereotypes and origins. This book, created in memoriam of the victims of the Pulse Nightclub massacre victims is one such endeavor. Organized by Marc Andreyko, Sarah Gaydos and Jamie S Rich, Love is Love is mostly an endeavor by IDW and DC Comics. However, there is talent from across comics involved. Senseless killing is wrong. Irrational hate is wrong. And even this straight male could tell you Love Is Love. PICK IT UP!

Tarzan Planet of Apes 4 by David Walker, Tim Seeley, Fernando Dagnino & Sandra Molina - Sneaky David. Very very sneaky! Sure we changed up locales from the human dominated Earth to the Planet of the Apes BUT he and Tim introduced something that sharp eyed sci-fi fans will recognize. It will allow for easier crossovers in the future.

Clean Room 15 by Gail Simone, Sanya Anwar & Quinton Winter - Say hello to Mary. She's new on the scene. She is also just like Astrid on the sensitivity quotient. Just what we need another wild card in this already crazy story. Oh yeah, Astrid's biggest fan is still around and he can...*evil laughter*

Deathstroke 9 by Christopher Priest, Cary Nord & Jeromy Cox - Jericho again steals the book in two pages in a scene that shows how his power has grown. Rose is still tracking down her origins bit by bit. Meanwhile, we get another glimpse into Slade's past and the origin of one of his trademark weapons....

Future Quest 8 by Jeff Parker & Ariel Olivetti - Oh this is really getting good. More classic characters return as we start dimensional jumping. And we get a further, scarier insight on the creature's powers/danger. Here's hoping some great heroes help with that. Um what do you mean trapped? O-oh...

Titans 6 by Dan Abnett, Brett Booth, Andrew Dalhouse & Carrie Strachan - So many questions come out of this story in terms of the "new" Speed Force and Wally's history. Wally 1 not Wally 2. Seriously I like Abnett but there's a lot in regards to Wally that is seems that are being thrown away here. I know I know. old fan itis but damn the Twins????

James Bond 12 by Warren Ellis, Jason Masters & Guy Major - Well a spy's cover and plans are blown up all to hell and for once it isn't Bond. A manhunt and mad dash occurs across the city with an activated bomb in the center. Ellis ends Eidolon in the only fashion I'd expect: Madcap!

MASK 2 by Brandon Easton, Tony Vargas & Jordi Escuin - With some fellow comic book reading buddies I said what tactic I just saw used in this issue: Strikeforce Morituri. I realize that may be way dated for today's readers but for us old fogies yeah it was an interesting concept. The MASK/VENOM War begins in earnest here with our heroes shaken physically and mentally.

ROM 6 by Christos Gage, Chris Ryall, Paolo Villanelli & Alessandra Alexakis - So backup has arrived and yeah, they want to eliminate ROM's friend Camilla on account of her wraith infection. In other news, ROM is about to get trouble from one of my favorite Joes as the ripples from Revolution continue...

Romulus 3 by Bryan Edward Hill & Nelson Blake III - Sure we knew that she had problems with the mission direction but Ashlar takes things to the next level with um... You just have to see this path she's on. Meanwhile, we get a glimpse of her opposite number Achillies and Nicolas gets an offer he can't (might) refuse....

Black Panther 9 by Ta-Nehisi Coates, Brian Stelfreeze & Laura Martin - Just wait until you see Shuri's new power set! And I hope you have been reading World of Wakanda because there is a payoff to a set up started over there. Moves and alliances are being made. To the detriment of T'Challa.

Captain America Steve Rogers 8 by Nick Spencer & Jesus Saiz -Steve is a manipulative son of a bitch. We see his friendship with Zemo highlighted. We also see the lengths he can go to ensure a person of great power remains on his side. At the center of that is the new Quasar and an alien race?!?!?

Civil War 8 by Brian Michael Bendis, David Marquez, Adam Kubert, Leinil Francis Yu, Daniel Acuna, Alan Davis/Mark Farmer, Marco Rudy, Mark Bagley/John Dell, Esad Ribic & Justin Ponsor - we have finally reached the end of this saga and there was several reckonings. We finally see what happened to Tony Stark and how Carol is tied to it. We get an ending to Ulysses story and well I hope we have a good year to 18 months before the next "event" to build up a new status quo and characters but HEY IvX baby! I'm evented out. Bye bye Marvel Hollow events!

Moon Girl Devil Dinosaur 14 by Brandon Monclare, Amy Reeder, Ray-Anthony Height & Tamra Bonvillain - Now something with more substance. Ben Grimm tries to have a heart to heart with Lunella but remember who's her good "friend"? Amadeus Cho. Who's the new Hulk? Yup. The next stage of the Thing/Hulk rivalry begins here. In addition to that, Ben makes a new friend and Lunella of course finds this all ridiculous.

Spider-Man 11 by Brian Michael Bendis, Sara Pichelli & Marte Gracia - The Jefferson/SHIELD story grows deeper as he goes in deeper. Literally. SHIELD got big plans for him as he just wants to help out Miles. Meanwhile, Miles is trying to find his dad. I could say o-oh but that would be too obvious.

Star Wars 26 by Jason Aaron, Salvador Larroca & Edgar Delgado - The aftermath of the Star Destroyer heist left C-3PO in the Scar Stormtrooper Squadron. A lone rebel decides he is going to rescue him. Problem is that this leaves action another rebel stranded. Also, we get a Young Yoda story from Ben Kenobi's journal.

Thunderbolts 8 by Jim Zub, Jon Malin & Matt Yackey - So the Winter Soldier rescue mission has gone a little south with SHIELD units everywhere. Throw in a certain Stars and Stripes friend of Bucky's also on the premises and yeah, this mission has gone as smoothly as most T-Bolts missions. And another face from the T-Bolts recent past shows up with Kobik?!?!? Yeah. Not good

Generation Zero 5 by Fred Van Lente, Francis Portela, Diego Bernard, Andrew Dalhouse & Brian Reber - The kids suffer setback after setback in this one as one member gets taken. Another is hurt seriously and a certain blond pain in the ass has decided what she wants for her 18th birthday BECAUSE of the team's intervention. Yep. Not good pt 2 and I didn't even mention the suicide mission to save the town yet!!

Autumnlands 14 by Kurt Busiek, Benjamin Dewey & Jordan Bellaire - A final reckoning. A race on the brink. Who's a god/goddess and who's just a bully? There is a lot of subtext and a lot of destruction in this end to the 3rd Arc but again, heart shines through. The series is going on a little hiatus but I'm definitely left wanting more.

Avengers 3 by Mark Waid, Mike Del Mundo, & Marco D'Alfonso - So Vision tasked Wasp with returning the baby to its proper era to head off the attack from Kang(S). Yeah if Nadia knew what she was in for in hindsight, I think she'd refuse. Time attacks, zealots, wonky visions and NO assurances that this would end the war. The mettle of a young hero tested, team on edge of defeat BUT SamCap has a plan...

Captain America 17 by Nick Spencer, Paul Renaud & John Rauch - There's a new political pundit on the scene and she has taken aim at the New Falcon on her anti-immigration platform. What's a young hero to do? Get help and confront her directly. Good plan right? Not if you into direct conflict with those who want to PERMANENTLY hush her up! Start the chaos on this could have been ripped from the headlines story...

Champions 4 by Mark Waid, Humberto Ramos & Edgar Delgado - Team feeling good after a successful mission in Middle East when a missile takes out the ship. Now stuck in middle of ocean, team has to once again work together to survive. And um, middle of ocean? Who exactly fired the missile? Levity and hijinks continue and Waid continues to write the best Cyclops for me since Operation Zero Tolerance.

Nova 2 by Jeff Loveness, Ramon Perez & Ian Herring - Sam meet Richard. Richard meet Sam. The popular Novas formally meet for the first time in the flesh fighting a creature that I assume is from the Cancerverse. Richard meets Sam's familia and the Champions BUT *insert eerie music* yeah their problems unknowingly just got kicked up a notch!

Hulk 1 by Mariko Tamaki, Nico Leon & Matt Milla - I admit it. I was hesitant to pick up this book because I still have scars from the last "Grey She Hulk" major storyline. However I am glad to say I was wrong. This is a tale of trauma recovery and trying to return to a semblance of normalcy. Well as normal as Jen Walters can get that is. A new clientele and weirdness abounds for our favorite lawyer.

Wasp 1 by Jeremy Whitley, Elsa Charritier & Megan Wilson - Honestly I didn't know what I was getting into here with Nadia Pym. But I do trust Mr. Whitley after his fine work with Princeless and that Secret Wars Misty/Danny story. So I knew we were going to have a smart, plucky Nadia Pym at least. This went above and beyond by giving me a fitting tribute to Mockingbird. Heck it was done so well that I had to order the trade. Goes without saying that I recommend this to all the fans of that series along with parents who want to get their children interested in STEM and learning early.

Faith 7 by Jody Houser, Marguerite Sauvage & Joe Eisma - Ok. The fight with "Dark Cat" is over. So why is Faith still getting images/nightmares of dead friends and loved ones? The struggles of being a superhero and everyday life clashing continue on for the young heroine.

Mockingbird Vol 1: I Can Explain by Chelsea Cain, Kate Niemczyk, Ibrahim Moustafa, Rachelle Rosenberg & Joelle Jones - I mentioned before about Wasp being a great sendoff for this series, pick up vol 1 and you will see why. Ms Cain emphasizes Bobbi's talents outside of heroics such as her intelligence and expertise in biochemistry in this. A smart series that uses facets from Mockingbird's Marvel appearances/history to a positive effect as Bobbi travels the world, doing what she can to get the job done.

Deathstroke 10 by Christopher Priest, Cary Nord & Jeromy Cox begins by telling more of Slade's history while he's locked up. Meanwhile Rose connects with the family she never knew. And oh look, gangbangers! Yeah this won't end well for them...

Earth 2 Society 20 by Dan Abnett, Vicente Cifuentes & Rex Lokus - The Ultra-Humanite has victory oh so within his reach. The Society are just pests to his Sandman army. And he's got the ultimate ace up his sleeve to boot! But Batman got a plan...

New Super-Man 7 by Gene Luen Yang, Billy Tan & Yanfeng Guo - Now in the public eye, Kenan struggles with what to do next with his father gone. His training starts now! Elsewhere, Wonder Woman goes with Batman to visit his "home". NOT what I expected...

Scooby Apocalypse 9 by Keith Giffen, JM DeMatteis, Ron Wagner, Bill Reinhold & Hi-Fi - Story 1 is a downtime episode. Fred and Shaggy bond. Velma and Daphne try to do the same. Scooby is concerned and is proved right as someone makes a very dumb decision. Story 2 by Giffen, DeMatteis, Dale Eaglesham & Hi-Fi furthers the Scrappy Doo story and I have to say, I like this direction. It forces you to ask what is normal? What is the nature of a monster?

Superwoman 6 by Phil Jimenez, Matt Santorelli, Jack Herbert & Hi-Fi - Lana's fight continues as we finally get the scope of Lana's plan. We also find out who exactly is the Bizaness that has been "helping" Superwoman. And Lex is, well, being Lex.

Titans 7 by Dan Abnett, Lee Weeks & John Kalisz - Seems like old times as Flash and Superman are having a little race. How much does this Superman know about Wally anyway? And a symbol of Titans lore is updated for the future. Also one of their greatest villains reemerges.

Justice League of America: Vixen Rebirth by Steve Orlando, Jody Houser, & Jamal Campbell - Just who is Mari anyway? Model, activist, hero? A combo of all 3? This issue goes a long way to define the Star of the Animal Kingdom for a new DC age.

Amazing Spider Man Renew Your Vows 3 by Gerry Conway, Ryan Stegman & Sonia Oback - Welcome to the life of a superhero Little Annie May. I hope you can survive the experience! We get insight to her school life and then see the Mole Man chaos unfold from her point of view.

Captain America Steve Rogers 9 by Nick Spencer, Javier Pina, Andres Guinaldo & Rachelle Rosenberg - The trial of Maria Hill begins and she's going to defend herself. Steve Rogers machinations continue AND the Skull's cosmic cube corruption grows even deeper as one of Cap's defining moments is about to be tainted forever.

Ms Marvel 14 by G Willow Wilson, Takeshi Miyazawa & Ian Herring -This is supposed to be a relaxing break from the superhero craziness. Kamala joining her guild for a MMORPG adventure but nothing could prep her for how invasive this is going to get. Ms. Marvel faces a new (old) enemy for a very different type of fight.

Occupy Avengers 3 by David Walker, Carlos Pacheco, Sonia Oback & Wil Quintana - Enter Nighthawk and Nightshade! Exit Hawkeye's face being straight. Him and Red Wolf recover something that they need analysis for but doing so puts Clint in Kyle's crosshairs! Old wounds and new bruises folks!

Power Man Iron Fist 12 by David Walker, Sanford Greene & Lee Loughridge - Chess moves being made by Wilder, Black Cat & Tombstone with Harlem and our heroes caught in the middle. The battle for supremacy and the soul of a city has begun in earnest.

Spider-Man 12 by Brian Michael Bendis, Sara Pichelli & Justin Ponsor - Things have gotten a little complicated in terms of Miles search for his dad. How complicated? Well we be dimensional jumping folks. And that means, enter Spider-Gwen.

This is how I began my 2017. Next Blog: All my ill gotten gains from the Black Comic Fest, reviewed. Yep. Back up the forklift now! Thanks for reading all. until next time, Keep Fantasizing!

Daryll B.'s Special New Year's Blog Droppings! Part 2-Music Edition

A Goodbye. Along With My Music......

Sometimes it takes a chaotic event to make you realize truths about your life. Sometimes said event opens your eyes to something that's been right in front of your nose the whole time and been unwilling to accept it. Sometimes...no make that everytime, that event is a death, your world will never be the same again and that, THAT is a bitter pill to swallow.

With that said, we lost Carrie Fisher this past week. A woman who is one of my geek influences, on screen and in prose. A woman that looked at her demons and fought them every step of the way. A woman who fought for what she believed in and fought for all her friends. A woman who made it cool to be "weird" and until she left us, was this shining princess of weird and a queen of determination.

It just heartbreaking to also report that as I type the first draft of this that we have also lost her mother Debbie Reynolds, the Singing in the Rain actress and, for me, known more for her activist work throughout Hollywood circles.

RIP Ladies. Thank You For All You Did For Those You Didn't Even Meet And Thank You For The Generations You Are Going To Inspire To Pick Up After You!

A lot of talent has just left us in 2016 and I have no words left so I have to go on with the blog...

Bison4Life, a hearty supporter of the AfroNerd Radio show and a whole bunch of Black Podcasts threw down a challenge to me for my best albums of 2016. And like an idiot, I went "No problem!". Let me just say, I picked up close to 70 albums this year throughout various genres of music. Trying to weed these down was like a loving parent trying to choose their favorite child. I think my brain got fried in this endeavor BUT here is my list in no particular order with a comment or two next to each choice....

Wordburglar "Rapplicable Skills" - The mastermind behind "Welcome To Cobra Island" released this in 2015 BUT me being me, I didn't know about it until January. Showed a lot of depth to go along with his deft, Canada's go to NerdCore star doesn't disappoint here and I was singing tracks Narc Hi Score and Warp Formula for weeks after...

The White Panda "The Pawprint" - I'm a sucker for great mashup albums and once again, the dudes in White Panda showed their insanity with some of these crashes. Will Smith & Vicetone? Ginuwine & Feki? TV On The Radio & Jason Derulo? Yup! Not only did it but made them AWESOME!

Lil Dicky "Professional Rapper" - Another one I slept on but because of my bar circles recommendations, I had to pick this up and BOY does this dude have a flow. He might be Hip-Hop's Weird AL Yankovic and there's a lot of rappers in the mainstream that might want to pay attention to him. Why? He's taking your style and actually IMPROVING on it. Speaking of that comparison...

Weird Al Yankovic "Mandatory Fun" - Why are y'all snickering? This album was fun! Not just imitations. Not just comedy. But all around fun and I'm glad that Weird Al FINALLY got that shine in the mainstream with the album going #1 for a couple of weeks on Billboard. Long overdue for years and years of enjoyment!

The Roots "...and Then You Shoot Your Cousin" - Go listen to Never and Black Rock off of this and then you understand why I put this on this list. The Roots are excellence. Nuff Said.

GameBreax "GameBreakers Vol 2" - Through Mega Ran and SkyBlew, who both will be on this list in a minute, I found out about these guys and their love of video game and anime shines through on this album. Hard Edge and Ikimashou (Let's Go!) are tracks that addictive doesn't even do them justice! Fun. As. *$%$%!!!

SkyBlew “SkyBlew The Cowardly Boy” - Yes. This is EXACTLY what you think it is. A rap concept album about Courage The Cowardly Dog and SkyBlew hits it out of the park!

Mega Ran "Mat Mania" - Way before he got into the mainstream for coming back at Alex Trebek (who can still suck it as far as I'm concerned!), Mega Ran started up a wrestling podcast with his buds. So of course along with said podcast he had to make an album, rapping over wrestler themes past and present. Yep I totally geeked over this one of course as it took me back to stuff like WWF Aggression...

Sammus "Infusion" - The lady from Upstate New York blew up on the NerdCore scene over the past year, literally performing from coast to coast in support of her best album yet! 1080p and The Feels should be playing on radio stations. Honestly. The lady has bars for days!

Logic "The Incredible True Story" - Take a rapper with a love for all things geeky. Get an idea for a concept album that's about space. Mix with one of the best animated voice actors of all time in Steve Blum and you get this. Holy! Crap! This was great!

Beyonce "Lemonade" - I see you rolling your eyes over there BUT there's no denying that this album became the anthem for the spring season. This was fierce and you couldn't escape it anywhere. People were talking about it...

Shinobi Ninja "Rock Hood" - A group that contacted me over Twitter and urged me to give their music a shot. I'm glad they did. I have had a hole in my Rock/Rap fusion cravings for a minute now and SN filled that need.

Lianna La Havas "Blood" - A Prince protege but let's not let it be misunderstood. Ms La Havas has chops and a sound all her own. She's got this r&b etereal vibe that almost hides the hard rock streams in her musical foundation.

Babymetal "Metal Resistance" - Metal. Hardcore. Adorable. The Japanese youngsters are a must listen for any metal head that's an anime fan. Hell they're a must listen for folks that love hard guitar riffs combined with cute Japanese speak..lol

De La Soul "And The Anonymous Nobody" - My album of the year. The guys returned with an album that's a pure gateway drug to rap, rock, R&B and jazz. It an absolute crime that this received no airplay.

Roman GianArthur "OK Lady" - One of the gems I discovered because of the Brooklyn AfroPunk event. Kid is definitely a disciple of Prince and Hendrix and he can rock a stage...

Chance The Rapper "Coloring Book" - Chance represents everything that I hope hip-hop can return to being. He's got a flow that cannot be contained in just 1 song. It bleeds through his work across the album with an insane intelligence that's glorious...

Solange "A Seat At The Table" - Ok Yes. I'm shocked to have a Solange album on this one too. But she literally made an album here that out Alicia Keys' Alicia Keys own album. Never knew she had this type of range and depth. The praise she received for it was well deserved.

Common "Black America Again" - October was fantastic for me in terms of music and I capped off the month with this. Again, the word woke will be thrown around by a lot of people but if they don't have this album, how "woke" can they possibly be?

A Tribe Called Quest "We Got It From Here...Thanks 4 Your Service" - RIP Phife. This album is a lasting legacy to you and the guys careers and talent. More than just a memorial, this album opened eyes and more than a few of my newer friends copped my old Tribe stuff because of it...

Lady Gaga "Joanne" - Her most personal album to date and you can hear track by track that LG bares her soul through fire, trials and tribulations. They'll be fans who would want the old party music certainly BUT this is the album that shows an emotional range that the mainstream doesn't want to explore anymore.

Bruno Mars "24K Magic" - On the opposite spectrum, this is definitely my party album of the year. I have joked that Versace On The Floor will have a whole generation of kids born to it. From top to bottom, Bruno works his skills on this one....

Metallica "Hardwired...To Self-Destruct" - A return to glory. A return to the edge. A kickass album that is like 3 albums in one. A lot of haters returned back for this one and then looked at their own rock acts wondering why they can't go this hard....

Unlocking The Truth "Chaos" - These kids are my rock and roll present. My metalhead future. And they haven't gone through high school as a collective yet. Don't sleep on them folks! Trust me...

Lin-Manuel Miranda "The Hamilton Mixtape" - I already have the Hamilton Soundtrack but I needed to cop this just to hear what some of my favorite performers' take on the LMM songs would be. I wasn't disappointed and this was Miranda's year. Talk about making moves!

The Weeknd "Starboy" - His influence, like Bruno Mars, has been all over pop music for the past 2-3 years and he's had hits here and there BUT this is the album that signaled to me that he can put a whole album together. I also recommend his mini movie that has been floating around YouTube.

Childish Gambino "Awaken My Love" - I'm a longtime fan of Mr. Glover's alter ego BUT this, THIS felt like he wanted to push all of his musical boundaries. Not Just A Rapper. Not just a comedian. Wow Childish. You impressed me with the range on this one!

Geek E Inc. Productions "Nerdcore Absolution Volume 3" - One more geek offering from yours truly. Songs about Dragonball Z, Ranma 1/2, One Punch Man and more using their own themes with hip-hop? Yep. I was all over this one....

I'd be remiss if I didn't prop up my own friends from the New York indie scene as I do this:

Dead Rocking Horse "Triptych" - Marron Chaplin got a beautiful voice and when laid to rock beats and country twangs, it becomes a powerful force!

Midnight Mob "Honest Brutal Glorious" - When talking about power, MM got this punk energy that evokes early Debbie Harry at times. Mind blowing.

All Night Sounds "The Morning After" - What do you get when you take 90's skate rock sound and strain it through 2000's industrial rock sensibilities? You get this. Dan and James? Your album caps a great music year for me!

All albums can be gotten through the artist's band pages, iTunes and Bandcamp. I got this satisfies your query Bison. My brain is fried... AND I still have to do a review of the comics I got this week! ARRRGGGGH!

Thx For Reading All. Until Next Time, Keep Fantasizing!

Daryll B.'s Special New Year's Blog Droppings! Part 1

One of the perks of me being on Twitter with my boisterous self, has been getting to talk to creators and being able to sample stuff that I wouldn't usually find until later in the game. Two such properties, I'm going to kick off this blog with.

The first is a short story anthology by Michael S Alter and his friends called Just A Minor Malfunction. 15 prose stories in issue one that range from fantasy to science fiction to philosophical horror that are all linked by, well, just a minor malfunction. If you are a fan of stuff like the Outer Limits and Twilight Zone and heck, even masters like Asimov and Stephen King, do yourself a favor and pick this up. Issues one & two are on Amazon for only 99 cents and are great for the reader on the go. Just remember to keep the lights on and hope your bus/train/taxi/plane are working well!

Second up is something me and my fellow blerdy podcasters have been talking up for awhile: Tuskegee Heirs #1 by Marcus Williams, Greg Burnham & Omaka Schultz. Take all your knowledge of the Tuskegee Airmen and then combine that spirit with the atmosphere of a Robotech or even Gundam's Teen fighters and you got this. I was anticipating this book for over a year and I must say gentlemen: mission accomplished! I totally geeked out...and am STILL geeking out. Why? I did say "Robotech" right??? Hehehehe

Now onto 3 weeks of books!

The Flintstones #6 by Mark Russell, Steve Pugh & Chris Chuckry - The unexpected hit social satire continues with a literal end of the world scenario forecasted by the scientist. How will the citizens of Bedrock react? And what does Pebbles and Bam Bam have to do with it all? Still having fun putting the parallels together with today's society.

Faith #6 by Jody Houser, Meghan Hetrick & Marguerite Sauvage - Our positive high flying wonder essentially has met her dark opposite: a psiot cat who is powered by the dark urges in us all. Old enemies are on its trail too and if that wasn't all, the cat is using/feeding off a teen pop star. Yep. Faith goons need all her wiles here.

Millennials You Are Special #2 by Dimitrios Fragiskatos, Guillermo Villarreal & SirGryphon - The current time/age/culture interpretation of superheroes continues with the team handling pressing issues. Like what to eat for dinner, managing the hits on websites and oh yeah, they have to find time to stop a pair of Millennial supervillains. Just wait until you get the motivations of Apathy and Coldheart.

Nailbiter #27 by Joshua Williamson, Mike Henderson & Adam Guzowski - Story one features Sheriff Crane struggling to put the final pieces together in her hunt for the serial killer. Why? People of interest have either been maimed or have disappeared. Throw in that weird ass town Buckaroo, spooky origins and an unseen complication and, yeah, things might be much worse. Confession time: I picked this up for this 2nd Story by Tee "Vixen" Franklin & Juan Ferreyra called The Outfit and all I can say is beware a woman scored. Thanks Tee. I'm not going to sleep easy for a minute.

Avengers 2 by Mark Waid, Mike Del Mundo & Marco D'Alfonso has The Kang War continuing as The Conqueror strikes at the Avengers during their most vulnerable time: children. Help comes from an unexpected source and a hero's missteps lie exposed. No win scenario meets doomsday folks!

Then in Champions 3 by Mark Waid, Huberto Ramos, & Edgar Delgado, Kamala, Sam and Miles started this team to make a difference and BOY they get a trial by fire early. The land is called Sharzad. A holy genocide is taking place. Women and children in harm's way. You may think the heroic path is easy but the kids are about to discover situations may not be that black and white.

Next up in Goldie Vance 8 by Hope Larson, Brittney Williams & Sarah Stern, Goldie has put the pieces together and it has led her to an intriguing place: bottom of the sea. Now can she unravel the last pieces and save her friend from a watery grave? The fun and kid friendly revolution continues

Nova 1 by Jeff Loveness, Ramon Perez & Ian Herring - Once again Marvel gives me what I been wanting but with a cost. Sam is adjusting to recent life changes and has luck rivaling Peter Parker as even cosmic heroes go through high school hell BUT Richard Rider is back! The original human Nova is back but at a cost. What could that mean for our universe? Remember WHY Rich couldn't come back in the first place? Yeahhhhh

Clean Room 14 by Gail Simone, Walter Geovani & Quinton Winter just goes to show in horror stories, KILL THE KID! Ahem now that I got my black moment out of the way, the kid alien/demon is more sadistic than we thought. We get a little more history of the conflict and character interactions with them. And we meet Astrid's biggest fan. Really

Deathstroke 8 by Christopher Priest, Larry Hama, Carlo Pagulayan, Jeromy Cox & Hi-Fi - So how would Slade take out someone like Superman? Well this issue goes a long way to show how he's a threat to anyone when he has time to prepare. Ingenious. Meanwhile the machinations surrounding Rose go deeper and she's left in an unsure place.

Earth 2 Society 19 by Dan Abnett, Bruno Redondo, Vicente Cifuentes & Rex Lokus - Just when the heroes thought the worst was over, the Sandmen attacks grow in intensity. Just as they set out undercover to explore the new world. The Bat group learns more about their new land from Steel. And we get to see the villain at last...

New Super-Man 6 by Gene Luen Yang, Viktor Bogdanovic & Hi-Fi - Kenan and his dad try to stop the now Starro-ed passengers and dad's revolutionaries/Kenan's teammates. Leave it to Yang to ramp up the melodrama along with the stakes. Can Kenan overcome his own failings to truly be the hero in time? And if he does, what will the cost be of such learning?

Scooby Apocalypse 8 by Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis, Dale Eaglesham, Ron Wagner & Hi-Fi - Go in to the hospital and find drugs and tools to help Fred's broken leg. Simple right? Yeeeeaaah. I so didn't see the curve ball the writers did here with the hospital as the implications may make this landscape of horror even WORSE for our band of survivors.

In Betty Boop 3 by Roger Langridge & Gisele Lagace, we got a bug problem at Grandpas house as Betty faces a problem of a different complexity: love. Or more exactly put, a friend asks her for a huge favor to help her land a man she really wants. After the horror of previous issues, this whimsy help slow down my heart rate. Lol

Meanwhile, the Superwoman shapeshifter returns in Superwoman #5 by Phil Jimenez & Jeromy Cox, and this is not a good time for Lana. Her body is starting to fail her, Ultrawoman and her Bizarnesses have wrecked havoc and all but taken over Metropolis. Can Superwoman, and the Irons' hold out? And what the heck is the deal with those Lois visions anyway?

Amazing Spider-Man Renew Your Vows 2 by Gerry Conway, Ryan Stegman & Sonia Oback - This time we see things from Mary Jane's perspective as Mole Man and his forces attack New York. There's a handful to handle in getting May focused for school. There's also a drawback to her powered suit concerning Peter. And oh yeah I mentioned Mole Man right? He's a little crazy.

Morris continues to try and reach his father in Mosaic 3 by Geoffrey Thorne, Khary Randolph, Thony Silas & Emilio Lopez. However, we may have seen the first unfortunate side effect of his body jumping with his first host intruding his home. AND he can "see" Morris! That news might pail to what Morris is about to learn about his world prior to Inhumanity....

Power Man Iron Fist 11 by David F Walker, Sanford Greene & Lee Loughridge has moves being made. Alex Wilder is gathering his forces to seize control of the underworld. Luke heads back to Disco Devil and finds out what transpired while he was trying to bust out Danny. And Danny...well Danny continues to be the book's heart...and networker.

Spider Man 10 by Brian Michael Bendis, Nico Leon, Marte Gracia & Rachelle Rosenberg features the return of Miles to Ganke and a very poignant retelling of what is going to happen in Civil War 7 & 8. Included is the reasoning behind exactly WHY Miles went to the very place of the disastrous vision.

Already had picked up Black 3 by Kwanza Osajyefo, Tim Smith III, Jamal Igle & Khary Randolph through their Kickstarter BUT I still support through buying the floppy too. You should too! Forces are gathering and the Kid is now caught between the "mission" and his beliefs....

The mysterious men in black buyers make a move in Motor Girl 2 by Terry Moore as they up the ante to purchase the junkyard. Meanwhile, Sam gets another "alien" repair visit. And I still don't know what the deal is with the Gorilla assistant! Quirky fun and I have questions aplenty...

The teens find out more about what is underneath their city as the government forces approach in KISS 3 by Amy Chu, Kewber Baal & Schimerys Baal. But why are the twins untouchable? And what exactly happened to the Guardians of the Old City? Secrets begin to unfold here...with LOTS of property damage!

Malin and Davix take on Lincoln in Horizon 6 by Brandon Thomas, Juan Gedeon & Frank Martin as once again everything you think you might have known about the agents and their mission gets tossed off the table and reformatted. Way to keep the readership on their toes gents...

The Ring Bearers are still stuck in an alternate future in Star Trek/Green Lantern Stranger Worlds 1 by Mike Johnson, Angel Hernandez & Alejandro Sanchez. Only one problem: it is totally cut off from their universe AND the power batteries! So as reserves begin to dwindle, how the various light wielders cope? And how is that tied into the Federation/Klingon conflict?

We see the disasters of the past few years through the Dora Milaje eyes in Black Panther World of Wakanda 2 by Roxane Gay, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Alitha Martinez & Rachelle Rosenberg. We also see the illicit romance in the ranks grow as loyalties and faith to the crown wane. Expert piece by piece deconstruction of what we hold dear on display here.

With Captain America mentally fatigued by his recent failing, a new person wields the shield in Captain America Sam Wilson 16 by Nick Spencer, Angel Unzueta, & John Rauch. Misty Knight investigates an interesting erotica ring involving females of power and "borrows" the hubcap to help. But where is Sam? Well you just have to read the book....

It is Hawkeye & Red Wolf vs Hydro Man in Occupy Avengers 2 by David Walker, Carlos Pacheco, & Sonia Oback. But how do two non-powered heroes take out someone like Hydro-Man?Meanwhile the Fireheart Brothers steel themselves to take on the corporation that has taken root in their land....

The latest small animal fad has taken the world by storm in Power Man Iron Fist Sweet Christmas Annual 1 by David Walker, Scott Hepburn & Matt Milla and our heroes are in line to get one for Danielle. Along the way, we run into Jessica Drew and her kid, Daimon Hellstrom, and a demonic invasion led by...? Wait really?!?!?! Him? Oh well it is Christmas...

Nighthawk goes to the extreme to bust his captured teammates out of SHIELD custody in Squadron Supreme 14 by James Robinson, Leonard Kirk, Paolo Villanelli & Chris Sotomayor. However, this might not fall into the same line of thinking with a returning Hyperion and Namor. The fractures are now in total display for allies and enemies to see especially after *REDACTED* happens....

Told folks that Cosmic Entities would eventually have a reckoning involving Galactus's change from Destroyer to Lifebringer and in Ultimates2 2 by Al Ewing, Travel Foreman & Dan Brown it hits the fan as Lord Chaos, Master Order & The Living Tribunal put the Big Guy on trial. Elsewhere, the team deals with another powerful force in the Marvel Universe and we learn through flashback that there may be a potential problem on the horizon closer to home...

The Veronica/Cheryl Blossom reaches a conclusion...kind of, in Archie 15 by Mard Waid, Lori Matsumoto, Joe Eisma, & Andre Szymanowicz. Meanwhile, Betty deduces exact why Archie wants to be like Jughead and the gang bands together to help Archie make his parents' anniversary party happen...despite his luck...

It is Garrison and Kay on the run in Bloodshot USA 3 by Jeff Lemire, Doug Braithwaite & Brian Reber. But wait? Isn't she Deathmate? What about her powers? What about Magic? Hell, how the hell are they going to cure NYC? You think one book is going to answer all that? Tantalizing quality from Lemire again...

So who is dangerous enough to force Kris to give in and try to contact Peter (Sting) from exile? Well his name is Alexander Solomon and in Harbinger Renegades 2 by Rafer Roberts, Darick Robertson, Juan Jose Ryp, Diego Rodriguez & Frankie D'Armata we see how he's marshaled his forces in trying to round up and activate unknown Psiots. Problem is two fold: reactivation is dangerous and unfortunately, the Renegades are still o so fractured...which may cost them a member to Solomon....

Enter the James Gang as Mycroft Holmes & The Apocalypse Handbook 4 by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Raymond Obstfeld, Joshua Cassara, Luis Guerrero, & Simon Bowland continues with Mycroft and his "companions" being in their company. How does that relate to his mission for England though? That's the fun part of this series: no straight answers. Like his brother's classic stories....

My Collections/Graphic Novels Acquired included:

It is Superman and Wonder Woman along with various allies vs Vandal Savage and his bloodline in Superman: Savage Dawn HC by Peter Tomasi, Gene Luen Yang, Aaron Kuder, Greg Pak, Jon Bogdanove, Vicente Cifuentes,Javi Fernandez, Jack Herbert, Dan Jurgens, Doug Mahnke, David Messina, Ben Oliver, Howard Porter, Bruno Redondo, Cliff Richards, Rafa Sandoval, Ardian Syaf, Patrick Zircher, Blond. Hi-Fi, Lee Loughridge, Tomeu Morey, Trish Mulvihill, Arif Prianto & Wil Quintana.Meanwhile, Superman's slowly losing his powers and there's a comet passing by the Earth. After Truth, there is usually pain and boy is Savage wanting to bring in the pain on Mr. Kent and his allies....

Dick Grayson and Batman might of faked his death to facilitate his entry into Spyral but we all knew sooner or later his nearest and dearest would find out the truth. In Grayson Vol.3: Nemesis by Tim Seeley, Tom King, Mikel Janin, Hugo Petrus, Juan Castro, Alvaro Martinez, Raul Fernandez & Jeromy Cox, we get to see him try to explain to friends how he's still around. All while an assassin is targeting Agent 37's interactions from previous missions.

During the past Convergence, we were introduced to a Lois and Clark that had married and conceived a son. In the "new" Earth that arose afterwards, the couple along with their son survived. But how they cope on a world with a Superman and Lois Lane already? Well that's what Superman Lois & Clark by Dan Jurgens, Lee Weeks, Neil Edwards, Marco Santucci, Stephen Segovia, Brad Anderson, Jeromy Cox & Scott Hanna is all about! Well that and the lengths they go to build a "normal" life for Lil Jonathon Kent.

The team travels to then gets seperated in the Ultimate Universe in All New X-Men Vol 4 HC by Brian Michael Bendis, Mahmud Asrar, Mike Del Mundi, Andrea Sorrentino, Marte Gracia, Jason Keith, Marcelo Maiolo, Marco D'Alfonso, & Rain Beredo and run into some very familiar yet different faces. Then a member of the team returns as the Black Vortex changes the team forever. And speaking of returns, some longtime favorite mutants make their presence known in the story of The Utopians.

SO there's part one of my 2 part year ending blog. Part 2 inspired by friend and debate sparring master Bison4Life and I will delve into my best music gets over the past year. Yep going to be a BIG list..lol

Thx For Reading All! Until Next Time, Keep Fantasizing!