The town was small. Not like, creepy small, but definitely bordering it. Most people thought it was “cute”, but with the recent headlines plaguing the new stations, it was rapidly approaching creepy. Gerald and Kim had been working for the police force for a collected thirty years. Both graduated from the academy the same year, and had been working together for the last five. They had never dealt with this kind of case. Before them sat a key witness in the case of twenty missing persons. It was a seventeen year old boy named Stuart. He was nervous and desperately needed a shower.
“So you work for Dash In?” Kim asked.
“Yeah…” the boy stammered.
“And you aren’t allowed in the back room? The same room labeled ‘Dash in….but never out again?”
“uh, y-yeah.”
“You didn’t think that was suspicious?”
Web of Venom: Carnage Born #1 (Marvel)
Donny Cates (W) Danilo Beyruth (A)
Donny Cates is really taking charge of a huge chunk of Venom lore and I really dig it. This isn’t an ongoing or anything, but it does work as a direct follow up to the Venom issue last week. You know what I’m talking about. Unless you didn’t read it. I feel that goes without saying though, so I kinda feel weird about you making me say it.
Astonishing X-Men #17 (Marvel)
Matthew Rosenberg (W) Greg Land (A)
Man, I love Rosenberg, but damn. I think this whole run was kinda….meh. I am kinda glad it’s ending. Maybe I just don’t care about X-Men enough to like this series. Or, maybe that’s just an excuse.
Cold Spots #4 (of 5) (Image)
Cullen Bunn (W) Mark Torres (A)
This is probably the weaker of the Cullen Bun repertoire as of late. That being said, it is still a wonderfully haunting story that I’m still enjoying. Check it out when it all comes out in trade. I mean, it’s a little late to start listening to me about this.
Pearl #4 (DC)
Brian Michael Bendis (W) Michael Gaydos (A)
Uh, cool concept comic. Weird as fuck execution. I was a little lost last issue. It was pretty as all hell, and I still dig the general vibe, but I got that feeling like when you walk down some stairs and you forget the last stair and step through the ground.
Rumble #9 (Image)
John Arcudi (W) David Rubin (A)
I think this series is taking a hard left from where it was going originally. It’s fucking great and interesting and pretty and all that fun stuff, but I can’t help but feeling like we just swerved into an on-ramp. In a literary sense, obviously.
Cover #3 (DC)
Brian Michael Bendis (W) David Mack (A)
This book is not a limited series now. That’s good and fun and makes my wallet hurt. It’s fine though. It’s great.
The Punisher #4 (Marvel)
Matthew Rosenberg (W) Szymon Kudranski (A)
Anger-man shoots more bad guys! That’s all you need to prepare for this comic.
Lucifer #2 (Vertigo)
Dan Watters (W) Sebastian Fiumara/Max Fiumara (A)
The first issue of this series was very strange but it was incredibly promising. Much like myself in high school, let’s hope it doesn’t end as disappointingly.
Sideways #10 (DC)
Dan Didio (W) Kenneth Rocafort (A)
Just got wind that this book is ending with issue thirteen. I’m actually pretty sad about that. I thought this one would last a little longer. So ends the New Age of Heroes. Except for the ones that aren’t ending. You get what I’m trying to say.
Batman #59 (DC)
Tom King (W) Mikel Janin (A)
I have a feeling a nasty trick is afoot. Damn you, King!
Justice League #12 (DC)
James Tynion IV (W) Frazer Irving (A)
Referring back to the last time I talked about this little crossover. It isn’t bad. It has really cool moments, but Justice League Dark’s crossover is head and shoulders better than this. You should feel bad regular Justice League.
Marvel Knights 20th #2 (of 6) (Marvel)
Donny Cates/Matthew Rosenberg (W) Niko Henrichon (A)
I’m really hopeful for this imprint and the direction they are taking this story. The first issue unveiled a strange mystery that the mini is going to tackle. I am curious to see how this spins off into the series that were promised to us.
Black Hammer: Age of Doom #7 (Dark Horse)
Jeff Lemire (W) Rich Tommaso (A)
This comic is a wonderfully evolving masterpiece. It just keeps getting better and all the little spin off series are really killing it. If you are late to pick this series up, stop doing that. Go pick it up already.
West Coast Avengers #4 (Marvel)
Kelly Thompson (W) Stefano Caselli (A)
I am in love with Kelly Thompson. She is quickly becoming one of my favorite writers. With the woeful exception of the X-men series she is working on, I will probably pick up anything she’s writing in the near (or far) future.
Justice League Dark #5 (DC)
James Tynion IV (W) Daniel Sampere/Juan Albarran (A)
In other news! A sleuthing ape fights a dragon! This book has everything I need from the DC magical world, plus some things I didn’t even know I needed. I’m looking at you redesigned Swamp Thing that bares a suspicious resemblance to Alan Moore.
Exorsisters #2 (Image)
Ian Boothby (W) Gisele Lagace (A)
Holy shit. I wasn’t going to pick up the first issue of this book and I would have been a fool not to. I am in love with this book. The first issue was fantastic and you need to get on board before it’s another book you regret not listening to me about.
Tony Stark: Iron Man #6 (Marvel)
Dan Slott (W) Valerio Schiti (A)
I love this book. You should love it with the same intensity. Much like Iron Man suits we are all different but at the core we are all the same. At least, that’s where I’m trying to get us. There is power in uniformity. Be the same. Difference just makes you weird.
The Immortal Hulk #9 (Marvel)
Al Ewing (W) Joe Bennett/Martin Simmonds (A)
Fucking hell this book is so fucking amazing. It’s the best Hulk book that I’ve ever read by a mile. It’s also one of the more interesting horror series that I’m reading right now. They’re move to bring back the scary bit of Hulk is brilliant and they deserve your money. That’s why I’ve been donating from your IRA for the last year.
Days of Hate #10 (of 12) (Image)
Ales Kot (W) Danijel Zezelj (A)
This book is more and more eerie as the year goes on. I think it’s a mixture of the social climate and the subject of this book, and the actual content of the individual issues. I feel like, as many people’s stories go, this book is just going to get darker until it ends.
The New World #5 (of 5) (Image)
Ales Kot (W) Tradd Moore (A)
On the other side of the Kot-iverse; this wonderful, bright, rebellious love story is a must read. Seriously, I am incredibly sad this book isn’t going to be continuing. I think it is a real powerhouse in terms of creators and comics in general. Please give these folks your money. Or, honestly, do some research and donate money to a foundation that combats police violence and helps families affected by it. I feel like Kot would appreciate that too.
East of West #40 (Image)
Jonathan Hickman (W) Nick Dragotta
This series is going to end. I think I’m still in shock about that. No specific numbers have been dropped yet, but the arc ends with issue 41, and Hickman hinted that the book will end around issue 47. I hope he’s just fucking with us.
Dash In was a successful brand. One that had operated for twenty years. No one once thought it was suspicious in those twenty years that they had a clause in their employee contracts that forbid them from going in a dark, eerie, back room. A back room that often leaked blood. No one thought this was strange. Not a single person. How could that have happened? How could no one have noticed all the missing people. These are all the thoughts that Kim and Gerald were having over the course of this enlightening interrogation. Could they even charge this kid with negligence? What the fuck is even going on?
