SECRET WARS, Marvel Comics / Art by Alex Ross
1. SECRET WARS #1 and #2 / Marvel Comics
Written by Jonathan Hickman / Art by Esad Ribic
What can I say!? The entire Marvel universe (both of them!) is forever changed and everything big and bold is happening in the main 8-part mini-series SECRET WARS. We got issues #1 and #2 this month to kick things off and it is absolutely glorious and riveting and everything in-between. Sure it borrows heavily from the likes of GAME OF THRONES, but who cares because that formula mixed with everything you love about the Marvel universe is a match made in heaven. Who knew!? Hickman is delivering a powerful narrative here and watching it all unfold is just so much fun. And oh my damn is Ribic’s art fantastic. This truly feels like what a Marvel summer event series should be. Jump on the band wagon people because this is a ride you do not want to miss. God speed Cyclops…I hope at least one of you make it through this one.
THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: A LINK TO THE PAST, Viz Media / Art by Shotaro Ishinomori
2. THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: A LINK TO THE PAST / Viz Media
Written by Shotaro Ishinomori / Art by Shotaro Ishinomori
Tak about fan service! Back in 1992, Nintendo began to publish a 12-part mini-series within the pages of Nintendo Power magazine featuring our favorite little wood elf Link. The story was loosely based off the video game of the same name but there are a noticeable amount of changes and alterations for the sake of crafting a fun and fresh story. So while familiar, there are enough changes to keep die-hard fans on their toes. It’s refreshing to harken back to this classic 90’s era Manga art style and it really holds up after all these years. This is a fun story to read with beautiful art that will have you nostalgic for the past and clamoring to dust off that old SNES and adventure with Link once more. Joy.
INFERNO, Marvel Comics / Art by Javier Garron & Romulo Fajardo Jr.
3. INFERNO #1 / Marvel Comics
Written by Dennis Hopeless / Art by Javier Garron
Ok so there were dozens of SECRET WARS spin-off titles to chose from this month but INFERNO just hit all the right notes for me. Besides my shameless X-Men bias, Hopeless really helps craft a wonderful X-Men universe that really shuffles up the deck and twists up a bunch of fan favorite characters. Basically Manhattan is Hell on Earth and our heroes must not only survive, but attempt to rescue the ones they love from the fiery pits of…well Hell. Colossus takes center stage here joined by the likes of Domino, Boom Boom, Nightcrawler, and Cyclops.And while the universe and story are very captivating, the artwork here by Garron knocks it out of the park. His futuristic Black and Blue costumes for Colossus and Domino are killer and he treats every character with an enduring amount of care and detail. Just take a look at Colossus’ boxers to know what I mean. If you are swimming in a pile of SECRET WARS spin-offs and can only get a few, be sure INFERNO is one of them.
OH, KILLSTRIKE, Boom! Studios / Art by Logan Faerber
4. OH, KILLSTRIKE / Boom! Studios
Written by Max Bemis / Art by Logan Faerber
What a pleasant surprise. Anyone who grew up obsessed with comics in the 90’s needs to check out OH, KILLSTRIKE. The premise is simple; an aging comic book fan realizes he own one of the worst comics in history discovering it has a huge resale value due to everyone else throwing away or burning their copies…aaaannnd the main character of said comic (a muscle-bound, gun-toting, ape of a man) crawls out of the pages into the real world…hijinks ensue. Ok ok so maybe it’s not as simple as a premise as I said, but it’s a damn fine read nonetheless. I usually don’t buy comics to laugh out loud, but this is definitely and exception. Bemis write a heartfelt and fun story that will strike a chord with many of it’s readers and Fearers art style is such a good match for this story creating some of the best facial expressions in recent memory. Need a wild card in your pull list!? Look no further than this 4-part mini-series. Just trust me on this on ok.
THE INFINITY GAUNTLET, Marvel Comics / Art by Dustin Weaver
5. THE INFINITY GAUNLET #1 / Marvel Comics
Written by Gerry Duggan & Dustin weaver / Art by Dustin Weaver
And last, but not least, we have yet another SECRET WARS tie-in. Thing is, it doesn’t really feel like a SECRET WARS tie-in, but rather just a sweet ass Marvel mini-series featuring the Infinity Gauntlet, a small family surviving in a post-apocalyptic world, and that evil dude that is always sniffing around those gems…what’s his name…oh, right Thanos. Tired of the Marvel Cinematic world teasing Thanos and the gems over and over again for years!? Well pick up a dam comic why don’t you!? In all seriousness this is a fun and engrossing read that just about anyone can pick up and enjoy. And holy cow farts weaver’s art is on a whole new level here. Let’s just say it’s easy on the eyes, has some wonderfully chaotic panels, and you can just tell the dude put a lot of heart into this one. Well worth the read.
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In the San Francisco area looking for your next comic book fix? If so, Check out MISSION: COMICS & ART. They’ve got you covered!
