The setup is perfect. A new world and new heroes. Superman is black, Green Lantern is gay, Batman is paralyzed from the waist down, and Lois Lane's brain is in a android body. When I heard about this from my friend Kevin I was sold. Then I read it. They take the opportunity to have one of the coolest and progressive mainstream superheroes and blow it with writing that is cringe worthy. The story structure shifts through three different times in Earth 2's history senselessly. The main conflict is so macro none of the characters learn anything about themselves or others. I really wish this had worked.

Outcast continues to evolve into both a great family drama and a terrifying story. The second volume has great moments and some surprising twists. The emotion in Kirkman's dialogue writing and the general sense of dread from Azaceta's beautiful art carried this volume. The largest issue in this volume is lack of scenery. Most of the exposition is done with conversations in cars. A few times it was frustrating to see "oh we are talking in a car again instead of somewhere new." There are 4 pivotal moments for the characters in cars. Feels lazy and like a waste of the form.

The art and style of this hooked me. I love every frame, every color, and the visual design is some of the best work I've seen. The characters are also hilarious, real, tinged with complex ideas, and identifiable. So why 3 stars? The story. The world Vaughan built is creative yet filled with tropes and ideas he already explored in Saga. The complete randomness of the word in Paper Girls would be appealing if we hadn't seen a lot of the ideas in Saga already. That said, I love the art and characters SOOOO MUCH. I may press on... Or may not.

Sean Murphy has a lot to say about the intersection of corporations, government, and religion. By turning a clone of Jesus into an anarchist punk he represents a Christian spirit that has long been forgotten because of organized religion. Murphy channels a Jesus that stood against the oligarchs of the Roman Empire and accosted the Temple for stealing meat (one of the most expensive commodities then) from the poor. This isn't just a rail against religion it's also a touching story. A moment that will stick with me forever is when the clone thinks he can walk on water because he's brainwashed by only learning the Christian Bible and almost drowns to death.

What the heck just happened!? DC has created a new line of comics that will hopefully have as much fun, heart, and excellent storytelling as this first issue in Rebirth. The amount of deconstruction alone in this first issue blew me away. Much like what the Watchmen & TDK did to strip DC of optimism and love, DC Rebirth looks to take what it's learned from the nihilistic writing of Miller and Moore to being these heroes back to a place where they are fun and can love each other again. Needless to say, I'm excited to see where DC takes this.

Kids are terrible to each other. High school can be hell and the 80s must have sucked if you were poor. Deadly Class takes high school and turns it into a place where rich criminal send their kids to become trained killers. A homeless boy who blame Ronald Reagan for his parents death and his subsequent homelessness gets swept up in the school and learns to be a better killer. His end goal? Kill Reagan. The more I read Remender (Black Science) I feel like he is my comic soulmate. His bleak internal voice that contemplates meaning in world where nothing has value is always striking. Then add a layer of criticism of American culture and power structures and you have something that hits me straight in the heart.

Vol 2 collects the depressed days of our group of teen assassins. Remender perfectly weaves in the volatility of teenage love and the power to kill

Imagine a device that can carry you through an infinite amount of universes. Each one different, yet each one the same. Grant, an anarchist scientist, wants to travel through dimensions looking for the key to peace, sickness, and his own pride. What makes Black Science standout is that it is about going home, which isn't necessarily in a particular dimension. That's only part of it. Grant finds that home is taking responsibility for ignoring his family and reconnecting with his children. The art in Black Science is outstanding. There isn't a dull frame and Scalera's layout work makes BS read like a film (that is completely anti-film). Every world the crew lands on is wholly unbelievable(in the best way possible), yet perfect for each character's arc to be challenged and evolve. Highly recommend reading this ASAP.

Another amazing volume from Remender. I love how well he weaves teenage emotional insecurity together with a bleak and depressed assassin.

I loved every frame of this issue. Green Arrow is my spirit superhero. Can't wait to see where they take it.

I was blinded by how much I loved Nailbiter. Vol 4 much like the previous TPs kept the story moving but also reinvented the structure and made the characters' world and more dangerous. Can wait for TP vol 5.

Wow. Outcast blew me away. Kirkman has honed his storytelling to balance existential crisis, humor, and horror with an ease I've never encountered. I highly recommend Outcast to every who likes horror and mystery.