MY WEEK IN COMICS - - - JULY 26, 2026

MY WEEK IN COMICS  - - -  for the week ending Sunday, JULY 26, 2026  

#284 - #289 =  SUICIDE SQUAD: GET JOKER Book One -Three of Three by Brian Azzarello and Alex Maleev (DC Comics/Black Label, October 2021 - July 2022)

Is it possible to be entertained and disappointed both at the same time? The answer is yes, at least as far as my personal tastes/feelings go, and this story serves as evidence. 

What hooked me on picking up this book was its' premise. DC's Black Label imprint is meant to take some liberties with established comics icons and allow for more adult themes than standard comics. A mission to kill the Joker, not just subdue him like Batman does and put him in Arkham Asylum or prison until his eventual escape? I 've been in favor of a story where the Joker dies for a long time. Realizing that DC would never let that happen to a top-tier popular villain, it seemed to me like this Black Label (also kind of an Elseworlds/What If? alternate universe) version would finally get the deed done. I'm in for that. While I appreciate the character of The Joker, sometimes he can be so annoying that it caused my desire to see him finished off. 

This story started out very promising, and along the way it lost some of that mojo. Perhaps the long delay between Book Two and Three contributed to that. Also, the art is not representative of what Alex Maleev is capable of. There are some great scenes, but also some that look cluttered or just sloppy. 

However, the rough language (plenty of f-bombs and sexual innuendoes), extreme violence, and some truly off-the-wall scenes (Suicide Squad in an adult bar with naked female dancers, and Harley doing a pole dance) some plot twists (a mole/traitor in Amanda Waller's orbit), plus snarky exchanges among the Squad members (totally dysfunctional) held my attention (guilty pleasure, I admit) and kept me reading. As the writing of Brian Azzarello goes, this is also not representative of what he is capable of. 

I'm going to spoil it here, so stop if you have decided to read this . . . . . the alleged death of Joker occurs off panel, with only a "blam" textural sound effect and a teary Harley Quinn, to hint that Red Hood shot him. Or, shot himself - as Joker was trying to talk him into suicide. What happened is left up to us readers, as the story ends there. 

Across the three issues, all but two of this Suicide Squad bite the dust.] Led by Red Hood/Jason Todd this particular Suicide Squad includes arsonist Firefly and vigilante Wild Dog (a January 6th insurrectionist). New members are Silver Banshee (energy absorber), Pebbles (strong with impervious skin, like Marvel's Luke Cage/Powerman), Meow Meow (necrotic, and an under-utilized character), Plastique (explosive touch), and Yonder Man (teleporter, also under-utilized). 

Fun, as long as you lower your expectations - - - but mostly non-essential reading.  THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.

#290 - #291 =  SHUDDER magazine #2 by various creators (Warrant Publishing, February 2022) 

The cover story is my favorite for two reasons. It features werewolves (my favorite creatures) and some really fine art. In “Happy Howl-Aween!” by Don Glut and Kelley Jones a couple’s car breaks down, stranding them in the creepy countryside on Halloween night.

   The second-place story (my ranking, of course) is “Flesh For Fantasy” by Bambos Georgiou and Benito Gallego, not because of the predictable ending but because it also serves as a warm tribute to the genius of stop-motion animator Ray Harryhausen.

Third place goes to the adaptation of E.F. Benson’s classic “At The Farmhouse” by Artie Godwin and Santos Zaballos. An artist plans to murder his nagging, alcoholic wife. Plans can be disrupted. 

In other stories, a ventriloquist gets in trouble by listening to his dummy in the appropriately named “Who’s The Dummy?”; a big-game trophy hunter tries to gain membership in an exclusive club (“Under His Heads”) and an Old West outlaw murders and robs to pay for his passage to the land of the dead. (“Hell To Pay”). Overall, 3.5 STARS - - beter than Issue #1, but not at the high quality level of Issue #3.

#292-#296 =  THE MANY DEATHS OF LAILA STARR trade paperback by Ram V and Filipe Andrade (Boom! Studios, July 2024) Collects the five-issue mini-series . . . . . .

Superb story. Excellent visuals. Bold colorization. A book that entertains and offers food for thought and later contemplation. So good that I read it a second time to make sure it all sinks in. This is one of those books you tell your friends about and share. Thanks to Captain Blue Hen’s Book Club for making it the July selection.

Writer Ram V utilizes Hindu mythology (but with his own slight twists here and there) to tell a powerful story on the meaning and significance of both life and death. The main character is the Goddess of Death, robbed of her immortality and send down to Earth as a mortal after it is learned that a child is about to be born who will later discover immortality for humans - therefore making the presence and importance of Death meaningless.

The goddess (Kali) requests that she be placed on Earth in close proximity to the soon to be born child (Darius),She then inhabits the recently deceased body of Laila Starr. Kali's plan is to find the baby and kill him so that immortality will never be discovered and she can return to her place among the gods. But, she is either interrupted by security guards within the hospital or decides that she just can't kill a baby. 

I'm not going to spoil this. It's too good not to be discovered fresh and unspoiled. Suffice to say that Laila herself experiences death as well as life, and this influences her thinking as the years and decades pass. She eventually has a heart-to-heart discussion with Darius. The cycle of Hindu mythology is life - - death - - reincarnation. Kali/Laila gets to experience it all, but rather than be reincarnated she is resurrected within the same body of Laila Starr, brought back to life by another banished god (the God of Life) who becomes her friend and more. 

There are heart-warming moments throughout, and many fascinating characters such as a young ghost, a funeral crow that talks, and a lonely Chinese temple of worship. The story is also told from various points-of-view, which often separate the chapters. None is more entertaining than the passages that are narrated by . . . a cigarette. 

I did not anticipate the irony/surprise of the ending. I want to share this great graphic novel with relatives and friends, and may need to purchase a second copy to keep and re-read again some day.  FIVE STARS.

 

MY WEEK IN COMICS - - - July 19, 2026

MY WEEK IN COMICS  - - - for the week ending Sunday,  JULY 19, 2026    

#271 =  THE NICE HOUSE BY THE SEA #5 of 12 by James Tynion IV and Alvaro Martinez Bueno (DC Comics/Vertigo, March 2025)

Sea House resident Victor Pace/The Writer: “We aren’t the last humans. We still need to prove ourselves exceptional, if we want the eternity we were promised.”

Sea House resident Quinn Thomas/The Scientist: “There ae multiple cells of humanity left, and Oliver may be the key to eliminating some of our rivals. He knows the people in the other house . . . He may have even let them in.”

Sea House resident Cherri Campbell/The Singer: “They were here?”

Sea House resident Henry Allen/The Historian: “Yes, Ms. Campbell. They are already aware of us. They are, no doubt, considering the same course of action we are . . .
   . . . If we don’t move first, they could return and kill us in our sleep.”

    Prior to this scene, I was enjoying TNHBTS but not vested as much as when I read TNHBTL. Since I knew the premise, it was just getting familiar with the new characters, and learning more about the old characters. With this issue, that changed. Things got ‘real’ and the suspense/dread/thrill is back. 

   In other confessionals from House members, we learn that Walter really didn’t play by the rules. Not only did he tell Oliver in advance of what he was doing, but he also confided in Norman/Norah several times - even enlisting her help in planning the Lake House and then erasing her memories of this. 

   At the Lake House, Max has been even more permissive as to what he allows the residents to do. We learn that the body modification controls he let them play with can go beyond just making residents fitter and younger in appearance, as Oliver learns to his detriment.

   Norah, who seems to have a preference for leaving the Lake House and sitting on shore rocks to vent and rant at Walter (hoping he is listening), gets caught in another manufactured heavy storm just as Max crosses over to have a chat with her.

Back to FIVE STARS. I’m in it now. 

#272 =  THE NICE HOUSE BY THE SEA #6 of 12 by James Tynion IV and Alvaro Martinez Bueno (DC Comics/Vertigo, May 2025) 

In the confessional opening scene, we learn that Lake House resident Veronica “Ronnie” Wright/The Scientist also had a previous connection to Sea House resident Oliver Landon Clay/The Actor. They both have connections to Walter and Max. 

    Lake House resident Norah seems to be even more important regarding events yet to happen, as Max meets her to enlist her help (just as Walter did when she helped fake his death, as well as all their prior collaborations.).They have a moment . . 

Norah: “Take what seriously, Max? What about this am I supposed to take fucking seriously? . . . . Is it my alien ex-girlfriend telling me I should be dead? . . . Tell me, Max. Tell me what I’m thinking. Explain it to me like I’m the stupid little monkey you clearly think I am.”

Max: “Your species is so tribal, and this is your tribe, and you’ve done your part to protect it - - but you understand that when the time comes, Walter and my Superiors will exterminate you all . . .

      And this latest gambit - - leaving the door open between your cells - - It’s going to bring it all to a head much faster than it needed to.”

They do come to an agreement, that may not be good for many others, as the issue and the first story arc ends. FIVE STARS.

#273 =  THE NICE HOUSE BY THE SEA #7 of 12 by James Tynion IV and Alvaro Martinez Bueno (DC Comics/Vertigo, April 2026)

Previously suppressed memories are returning for several of the Lake House residents. The opening spotlight is on Reginald “Reggie” Madison/The Painter, who recalls Walter introducing him to the alien void where he helped shape and design the “paradise.” At the same time, Reggie also saw at least fifty more separate alien cores that were turned into similar human housing. 

Reggie has discovered how to open the way and he brings Ronnie/The Scientist along as they explore the buildings of the Sea House. They discover an entrapped Oliver and break him out. He explains that the Sea House residents know about the Lake House and may be already there to start killing the residents. 

  And, the attacks begin upon the unsuspecting Lake Housers. The obnoxious and unfunny David Daye/The Comedian encounters Sea House resident Hector Agular/The Doctor, who seems to be the most versed in how to manipulate Sea House controls and reveals some weird body modifications to a startled David. And, Hector seems equally knowledgable about the Lake House controls and begins to manipulate them in potentially fatal ways. FIVE STARS.

#274 =  ABSOLUTE CATWOMAN #2 by Scott Snyder & Che Grayson with art by Bengal (DC Comics, September 2026. “The Yarn, Chapter Two”  The story is being told in two different timelines.

One occurs in current day, where Selina Kyle receives a strange sphere from an old friend (Holly) just before her friend is abducted during a fight with Catwoman and a quartet of cat-costumed mercenaries.  

     The other story occurs in Selina’s past, where we learn about her association with Holly as orphans/foster kids and the formation of a band of cat-burglars called the Calico Club. This is how we learn about the changes that Snyder/Grayson bring to the characters. 

   Back in present time, Selina puts the sphere on black market auction in hopes of finding out what it does as well as how to find and rescue Holly.  This leads to an underground auction house underneath icy Switzerland, and a reunion with some more former members of the Calico Club.

     The story is engaging, and while the art isn’t spectacular it has some cool moments. I wanted to see if this title would interest me as much as Absolute Batman. It doesn’t, and I’m not going to continue. I do believe this is a mini-series slated for 5-6 issues. THREE STARS.

#275 - #276 =  SHUDDER #3 by various creators (Warrant Publishing, April 2022)  This particular issue is a stellar example of how great the old Warren Publishing black & white illustrated horror magazines were (CREEPY and EERIE), and it is the best homage to those glory days that I have yet found from reading random SHUDDER and THE CREEPS magazines. Issue #3 hits all the marks. Story and art are equal to the levels of greatness from those Warren magazines. Every story has that unique twist that sets it apart from the ordinary.

   The best story here is the cover entry, “The Tomb of The Mummy” by Don Glut and Reno Maniquis, although it has nothing to do with defiling a tomb as pictured one the cover. We’ve seen that one countless times before.  

     “Drake sets out to make the most realistic Mummy film to date and tempts fate to do it . . .”  A cruel film director disrespects the ancient mummy he bought on the black market and earns the wrath of the Egyptology expert he hired to consult on the film. The mummy doesn’t have to do anything - - just serve as final justice in the twisty ending.

My second favorite was an adaptation of the very creepy and disturbing “Lost Hearts”, originally written by M.R. James in 1895 and adapted by Artie Godwin and Santos Zaballos. 

In “The Cleaner” by Steve Ringgenberg and Rodel Noora a crime boss utilizes a vampire to serve as his “cleaner” and dispose of the bodies after his henchmen make a kill. 

Those were the stand-out tale, but the other three stories this issue were also worthwhile, especially the story that never made it into the history books in “Dismember The Alamo” by Don Glut and Carlos Lamani.  FOUR STARS OVERALL.

#277-#279 =  ALTER EGO magazine #170 text articles by various writers (TwoMorrows Publishing, April 2022)  The entire issue is dedicated to informative articles on Jack Kirby’s extensive career in comics (illustration, and creative writing).

    One of best pieces was The Secret History of Iron Man! by Will Murray. I remember reading some of those while in elementary school and remembering how the artists would make minor changes to the look of the original costume. 

  Also fun to read was The Top 10 Jack Kirby Marvel Slugfests (1961-1970) selected by John Cimino.  I agree with his #1 pick of FANTASTIC FOUR #25-#26 (1964), the two-part Hulk Vs. Thing with the Fantastic Four and The Avengers. FOUR STARS.

#280 =  KINGDOM OF EARTH #1 of 4 by David Dastmalchian and Leah Kilpatrick with art by Son Lee  (Dark Horse Comics, July 2026) The promotional synopsis:

2036. Two years ago, hordes of monsters rose from the earth and sea, devouring everything in sight. Much of mankind was massacred before the monsters realized they needed humans. In this new world, humans have two options: service or slaughter. When a young child named Frankie narrowly escapes their fate as livestock, they soon realize that their fight for survival has only just begun. 

  Must be Monster Apocalypse Month at Dark Horse Comics, with this new title and ONLY THE SAVAGE ARE LEFT. Actually, that book debuted last month - - I only happened to read them both in the same month so it feels like a theme to me.

   Putting that observation aside, this is some nice character work as well as interesting world building from the team of writer/movie actor Dastmalchian and Kilpatrick. Her art is very eye-appealing and there are some great panels here that help tell the story without an abundance of dialogue or text. 

North America has been divided into four territories plus a barren zone. In the Northern Territory, which spans from the Texas/Mexico border up through the Mid-West into Canada, a railroad car of feedstock (humans) for the monsters gets spoiled and the foreman/monster loses his job (fatally). An Ozark Howler (a shaggy combination of bear and buffalo) takes over, and the young female main character uses this to make her escape into the woods. But there’s an equal amount of danger there, and she ends up being saved by an Ozark Howler (apparently not the same one). 

    The Howler has more dialogue than she does. Not only is she not identified, she hasn’t uttered a real word other than expressions (gasp -huff, huff, huff - mmmmh, etc). I would not even know her name (Frankie) if not for that publisher synopsis.

I’m guessing the four-issue mini-series is a trial run, as there is enough creativity here to lend itself to further development across a longer-running series. One to watch. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.

#281 - #283 =  SHUDDER magazine #1 by various creators (Warrant Publishing, December 2021)  I picked up the first several issues of this black and white illustrated horror comic in magazine format. I didn’t read them in order, didn’t really need to since they are short story anthologies. So far, Issue #3 is the stand-out, with the debut #1 doing a commendable job of capturing the feel of the old CREEPY and EERIE magazines from Warren in the 1960’s and 1970’s. 

   There are no issues with the art, which is great throughout. While the stories didn’t go for standard horror comics tropes, the endings were either predictable or a bit flat. 

  My favorite story is “The Legacy OF The Vampire” by Billy Grim and Santos Zaballos. Dr. Van Helsing’s protege and his partners are still stalking vampires. They visit a European mansion said to be the estate of an old vampire, and make some wrong assumptions. 

   “Hell Ship” was fun, by Steve Ringgenberg and I. Poliwko. It’s a tale of pirates who drug and abduct a young gentleman trying to locate his brother, and force him into servitude on their ship.They didn’t count on their being a full moon, and its effect on their captive slave.

   The classic tale this issue is “When I Was Dead”, written in 1896 by Vincent O’Sullivan and adapted by Artie Godwin and Mansyur Daman. The title is kind of a giveaway, as the main character sees the presence of a dead woman while others don’t.

  In other stories, a scientist in Nazi Germany patches together dead soldiers and returns them to the battlefield; a big game hunter’s brother passes on and leaves a financial legacy but it’s hidden and has to be hunted down; A cruel Colonel hunts for blood diamonds in Africa and murders those who won’t cooperate; and an alien being discovered on a space voyage becomes a television star on Earth.  THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS OVERALL.