#i think it's 1)greg is hot and 2)greg being part of a task intro b-roll... hm

[youmagnificentbeast]

stills version

[maddys-nerd-blog]

TMNT Character Ranking ask Game: Michelangelo

HELLO 👋🏻

Oooooooo okay. Time to get controversial. Lemme choose three of the ones that I feel 1: Stands out from the rest, and 2: Is a perfect blend of both little bro and comedy!

In my opinion, Batman vs. TMNT Mikey is probably the BEST Mikey. Period. He’s the perfect balance of comedic relief and wacky little brother who cracks jokes to break the ice. His little friendship with Alfred is also golden. Kyle Mooney is also AWESOME as the nunchuck master!

The silver medal goes to 2012 Mikey. Firstly Greg Cipes provides an excellent vocal performance— he’s literally the best voice actor for Mikey! I think he’s also a great little brother, always being there to support his family when the cards are down, generally being so kind and accepting of those who otherwise would’ve been rejected, being helpful and quirky, just… he’s so wholesome. ALSO HE ISN’T STUPID OR HELPLESS, AND HE HAS HIS FAIR SHARE OF FLAWS!

The bronze medal goes to Mutant Mayhem Mikey! I’m so honored I got the opportunity to meet Shamon Brown Jr in June, and I think this version brings a ton to the table!! He’s fun, uplifting, and just hoped for acceptance by the world, never giving up his dream even when faced with doubt. I’m so excited for the series and to see what they do with him, he’s got so much potential!!

As for the rest, lemme summarize!

Rise! Mikey— Runner up! He’s fun and has some badass mystic abilities with that kusari-fundo, turning him into a Ghost Rider Spider-Turtle 🤣 but we don’t really get too much of stand alone Mikey to really KNOW him like we did with Raph, Leo and Donnie. Even April got her own solo episode!

1987 Mikey— Who doesn’t love the classics! Such a chill, fun goober with a ton of great moments and very wholesome!

1990 Mikey— Robbie Rist provides excellent vocal work and makes this live action iteration iconic for all the best reasons.

2007 Mikey— Great voice actor, but we literally don’t get to spend time with him outside of his intro. This movie is the Raph and Leo variety hour 😂

Bayverse Mikey— If they had taken those stupid Innuendos out of the first film he’d be great! He got slightly better in the second one, but DAMN, missed opportunity.

And then, settling in bottom place, my least favorite version of him ever… 2003 Mikey.

Lemme start by saying IM SORRY. I know everyone likes him but… god, I cannot STAND him. He’s just so irritating and obnoxious! He makes everything about himself, he’s self centered and bratty when he doesn’t get his way, he COMPLAINS when he’s tasked to take part in a plan to break out of space prison and HES THE BANE OF MY EXISTENCE IN THE LAST TWO SEASONS 😂😂😂😂

But yeah! These are my hot takes!

Hope you liked this! 😊

[wineisdivinepdx]

Virtue Cider Summer 2023 Recap

Strictly speaking, autumn arrives next month on the 23rd. For us in the hospitality business & in a tourist destination, this last week of August is the final week of summer. Fall truly begins Friday, September 1st, when Labor Day weekend starts, all kids in the Midwest have returned to school, and then Michigan Wolverine football kicks off on Saturday, the 2nd. The sun is starting to set a little earlier, and this morning’s crisp 55-degrees was welcoming.

This summer at Virtue Farm saw quite a few wins. The cider cocktails continue to sell well. Folks are enjoying them, and Greg Hall, our founder, seems pleased with the program. Additionally, to-go cider sales are through the roof like 6X growth over last summer. That makes us incredibly happy.

We also launched a much easier to navigate bottle list. Basically all of our 750ml and 500ml bottles presented like a wine list [page 1 above, page 2 below]. This was a fun task for me. I haven’t created a list like this since pre-Covid 2020. Then a reserve list followed for some of our scarcer ciders [not pictured].

Greg also asked me to launch guided tastings, which I was happy to oblige. These are a pleasure to host as I have missed the educational part of being a sommelier. There’s nothing like interacting with guests. I love teaching cider, its history, its place in gastronomy, the cider making process and how to evaluate cider by color, aroma and taste.

Last week I was able to visit Chicago to hang out with Greg for a night. I had an amazing time and was thrilled to attend a wine tasting then dinner at Obelix. It was a very hot day there. The 101-degree temperature didn’t bother me. Having lived 22 years in Austin, Texas, I think I can handle one day of extreme heat.

Above is the listing for our guided tasting. If you’d like to join us click here.

[justanotherwannabeclassic]

Finding Neverland (1/?)

A/N: Months and months ago, I received a prompt asking for me to write the CS movie but with the Captain Swan offspring. I came up with an idea, and then promptly distracted myself by writing Roses in December. But, finally, I feel as if this story is ready to be posted. So, here's the story I've been talking about: Romeo and Juliet in Neverland. Special thanks to @thegladelf​ and @sambethe​ for being sounding boards months ago.

Summary: History has a funny way of repeating itself. Juliet Jones learns this the hard way as she finds herself thrown decades into the past, and tasked with ensuring that her parents fall in love. (CS movie redux)

“We can sail away tonight On a sea of pure moonlight We can navigate the stars to bring us back home In a place so far away We'll be young that's how we'll stay every wish is our command We will find ourselves in never Neverland” -- Finding Neverland

You can also read this on AO3! Additional Chapter: [2] [3]

Chapter 1 

It begins with a villain, a stolen child, a portal – heroes rallying in barren Storybrooke farmland to save the day. It’s routine.

(Funny how life-and-death experiences become routine, isn’t it?) And, as always, they succeed. The villain loses, the baby is passed into the arms of her terrified father, and their party breaks away to celebrate and take comfort in one another. Except—

“Shouldn’t you be back at the hospital?” Juliet looks over her shoulder to see Gideon approaching her from behind. In his hands is an overlarge canteen that he hands to her without preamble. It’s hot chocolate, with just a hint of cinnamon – her favorite. He stands next to her, not saying anything, clearly waiting for a response. She takes a long pull of her drink before answering.

“Someone should watch the portal to see if it reopens.” 

She expects him to argue that her reason is silly. Instead, he simply huffs out a sigh, and she watches how it crystalizes in the cold, winter air. “Yeah, but it’s your niece who was kidnapped today.” 

“Your niece too.” Juliet casts him significant glare, to which he shrugs in response. “Look, that’s exactly why I’m here. My mom and grandpa clearly wanted to be at the hospital with Henry and Cassidy, and Neal is dealing with the rest of the Storybrooke shit, so that’s the entire police department otherwise being occupied. So, viola, here I am.”

“You do realize you’re an art dealer, and not a cop,” he teases, bumping into her side. She only glares. It’s true that back in New York, she works in a gallery, but they both know life in Storybrooke is different. Her occupation doesn’t matter here – her blood and magic do. Gideon turns to her, suddenly serious “Why don’t you head back to town, and I can babysit the portal. Give Cassidy a big kiss for me.”

“You do know you’re a medical resident, not a portal babysitter,” she replies, mirroring his tone from earlier. Her statement earns a smile, and Juliet wishes she could mirror it, and revel in his steadfastness. Instead, he hugs her drink tighter. “Do you think life will always be like this for Cassidy? Like it’s been for us?”

Gideon doesn’t answer, and his expression turns grim as the weight of her questions settles over him. Life hasn’t been particularly easy or normal for either of them. Him, practically living a life in the dark realm before some magic mumbo jumbo righted his age. Her, the product of True Love – a girl who always grew up with target on her back. In New York, it’s easy to forget the tumultuous nature of the lives back home, but the moment they cross the town line – as they did when they received Henry’s excited call about his daughter’s impending birth – they are fiercely reminded.

“I don’t know, but she has us if things inevitably go to shit,” Gideon says, reaching out and twining his fingers with her own. She doesn’t shy away from the show of affection, but instead allows it to ground her. “Now, go on now, go see your family.”

“They’re your family too, you know.”

“Yeah, I’m sure your dad would agree with that,” he insists with a roll of his eyes. “Now go before we both freeze to death.”

She doesn’t get a chance to heed his words, because the next thing Juliet knows is that the ground is shaking, and the world is erupting in a blast of light. She drops the canteen, the hot chocolate spilling over the ground and her jeans. Juliet hears Gideon call for her, feels his hand tighten around on hers, and she is overwhelmed with the sensation of falling. As she is pulled into the portal, she thinks how she is grateful she isn't alone.

-/-

Neverland is nothing how Emma Swan imagined it to be. As a child, she had fantasized about it quite a bit, dreaming of the fictional (or so she thought) land as sort of a respite from the horrors and darkness of her disappointing (to put it mildly) childhood. Never growing up in a land with mermaids, pirates, pixies, and boys who could fly sounded infinitely more interesting than growing up bouncing from home to home of families who didn’t want her. As it stands, Neverland, like all things in her life, does not turn out how she expected. 

Peter Pan is a menace, one who is trying to harm her son. The Lost Boys are lost – truly lost – and nothing like the fun-loving children she once envisioned befriending in her younger years. Not to mention the fact that Captain Hook is equal parts intriguing and infuriating, a man who somehow manages to get under her skin in more ways than one, ways that she certainly can’t ponder during her mission to rescue Henry.

But what strikes her as the strangest in this rather strange land was the fact that people can apparently fall from the sky out of mysterious orange portals that appear out of nowhere.

“Is this normal?” Emma asks Hook, her cutlass raised, unsure if the young man and woman in front of them are friend or foe. Judging from the alarmed expression on Hook’s face, and the speed in which he draws his own sword, he iss just as surprised by the whole ordeal.

She feels her stomach lurch, and a bubble of worry forms. Hook is the one person she can trust about the island, and if he is worried…

“What the fuck,” the man groans out, only to cut himself off as he looks up to notice that he is staring down the pointed end of a blade. ““Please tell me I’m hallucinating.” 

“If it’s a hallucination, it’s mutual,” the woman replies, eyes darting between Emma and Hook. Emma studies them carefully. She can’t help but notice that they are dressed in clothing from her world. A sick thought comes to mind. “Are you working with Greg and Tamara?”

“Who?” Their confusion doesn’t register her lie detector, but she tightens her grip on her blade nonetheless. It’s entirely possible that Pan could have minions anywhere. “What about Pan? You know him?”

“Wait—Pan? As in Peter Pan?” The woman’s eyes widen in realization. “Oh my God, are we in Neverland? This is Neverland. We’re in Neverland. Oh my God.”

The unfamiliar woman looks as if she is about to hyperventilate, while her companion looks equally unhappy. In Emma’s opinion, they seem more afraid by their location than the blades. She senses that they’re not working with Pan, but clearly the idea of Neverland bothers them. Could they potentially have bad blood? She casts a sidelong glance to Hook. His face is drawn in consternation as if he’s thinking the same thing as her.

 “Yes, love, you’re in Neverland,” he says with a sneer. “And that shouldn’t come as a surprise. Not too many people simply end up here by surprise.”

It was the man who gives an answer. “There was a portal back home, but we didn’t summon it. Someone else did, and we fell through. Prior to that, I was wishing for a place I could take my girlfriend away, and we ended up here. Neverland’s a place you run away to, right?”

He casts a significant glance to the woman by his side – his girlfriend, apparently. That, too, doesn’t raise any of Emma’ instinctual alarms. She stares at the woman – who looks no older than twenty-five – and she feels an unbidden wave of sympathy.

“Okay, so you aren’t dealing with Pan,” Emma says evenly. “So, who are you?”

“I’m—I’m…” 

The man cuts in. “We’re Romeo and Juliet.” 

Emma’s jaw drops. Of all the things she expected in Neverland, this is not it.

[gokinjeespot]

off the rack #1265

Monday, June 10, 2019

 Well sir, summer weather has finally hit the nation's capital. I am reluctant to fire up the AC yet but the ceiling fan was turned on overnight. The welcome heat means the flower gardens are showing off their myriad colours. The birdies are singing and the fish are biting. I am a happy and contented guy.

 Domino: Hotshots #4 - Gail Simone (writer) David Baldeon & Michael Shelfer (pencils) David Baldeon, Michael Shelfer & Craig Yeung (inks) Jim Charalampidis (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). Cold War part 4. It looks like the team has saved the world from extinction but wait, there's more. Someone else has been given great power and she's made it her responsibility to get revenge on the Hot Shots. The conclusion next issue should be epic.

 War of the Realms: Journey Into Mystery #4 - The McElroys (writers) Andre Lima Araujo (art) Chris O'Halloran (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). I don't know The McElroys from Adam but I sure do like the way they write. Ares catches up with the team and their mission goes FUBAR. Now they have to rescue the demon baby. The conclusion next issue should be epic.

 The Incredible Hulk: Last Call #1 - Peter David (writer) Dale Keown (pencils) Mark Farmer, Marc Deering, Walden Wong & Scott Hanna (inks) Peter Steigerwald with John Starr (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). If you've been reading the Immortal Hulk you know that Betty Ross plays a major role in the recent story. This $4.99 US one-shot gives you some history and it's brought to you by the creative team that made reading Hulk comics so much fun in the nineties. The super villain was a complete surprise but made a lot of sense.

 Batman #72 - Tom King (writer) Mikel Janin & Jorge Fornes (art) Jordie Bellaire (colours) Clayton Cowles (letters). I'm not quite sure but this story looks like a team up of Bane and Thomas Wayne to kill Bruce/Batman. This whole issue is narrated by Thomas with not a peep of dialogue and references events leading up to the beating Batman gets from Bane this time. At least I think it's Bane. Jorge Fornes's protagonists aren't as bulky as some artists draw them.

 Black Cat #1 -  Jed MacKay (writer) Travel Foreman (art) Brian Reber (colours) Ferran Delgado (letters). Marvel's version of Catwoman first appeared in 1979 and I've liked her ever since. I think the last page of this debut pays tribute to DC's feline femme fatale with the bats escorting the getaway car. There are two short back-up stories so you get good value for $4.99 US. This first heist isn't too elaborate but it does serve to introduce Selina and her crew. This was good enough that I will read the next issue.

 DCeased #2 - Tom Taylor (writer) Trevor Hairsine (pencils) Stefano Gaudiano (inks) Rain Beredo (colours) Saida Temofonte (letters). This zombie virus infesting the DCU story isn't kidding around. Two major characters bite the bullet this issue. The only reason I would keep reading the rest of this 6-issue mini is to see how the good guys beat the walking dead and who else might possibly die before they do.

 Guardians of the Galaxy Annual #1 - Four stories featuring a bunch of team members and a mysterious bad guy.

 "Faith" by Donny Cates (writer) John McCrea (art) Mike Spicer (colours) & VC's Cory Petit (letters) has Cosmo the talking Russian dog cosmonaut and the aforementioned villain foreshadowing some nasty doings for our heroes.

 "A Long Time In Politics" by Al Ewing (writer) Yildiray Cinar (art) Rain Beredo (colours) & VC's Cory Petit (letters) starts with two guys walking into a bar who wind up talking about intergalactic politics. The two guys are Nova and Quasar. This is not a joke.

 "Advent Horizon" by Tini Howard (writer) Ibrahim Moustafa (art) Jay David Ramos (colours) & VC's Cory Petit (letters) has Adam Warlock dealing with a planet of peaceful aliens being controlled by a malevolent god. Gee, I haven't seen Warlock in a while so I'm not familiar with his current status but this Warlock could have been a brand new character to me. He didn't spark any joy.

 "You're Only Young Twice" by Zac Thompson & Lonnie Nadler (writers) Filipe Andrade (art) Mike Spicer (colours) & VC's Cory Petit (letters) features Darkhawk in a freaky Friday situation. I forgot that Darkhawk was a merger of two things like DC's Firestorm.

 I was not impressed with this sausage fest. No female characters at all and no one that I really cared about. I don't think you would be missing anything crucial if you're a fan of the regular book if you decide to skip this.

 Shazam #6 - Geoff Johns (writer) Marco Santucci, Marco Santucci, Dale Eaglesham & Scott Kolins (art) Mike Atiyeh (colours) Rob Leigh (letters). I was thinking of benching this book as I read the first few pages but then things take a turn with Billy's dad showing up and now I want to keep reading. The last page sealed the deal.

 War of the Realms #5 - Jason Aaron (writer) Russell Dauterman (art) Matthew Wilson (colours) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). Showing the war on Midgard on all its fronts would be a daunting task for any creative team but this one does it beautifully. I hope they do an oversize full colour hard cover reprint of this main story. I would not hesitate to add that to my meagre collection. I've complained about excessive super-sized super hero versus super villains fights before but this one has just the right amount of action and suspense for me. I have enjoyed the evolution of Jane Foster that Jason Aaron has plotted and now she's in for another surprise metamorphosis.

 Marvel Team-Up #3 - Eve L. Ewing (writer) Joey Vazquez with Moy R. (art) Felipe Sobreiro (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). The conclusion of the Spider-Man and Ms. Marvel body switcheroo story made me smile. I love a happy ending.

 Young Justice #6 - Brian Michael Bendis (writer) John Timms (art) Gabe Eltaeb (colours) Wes Abbott (letters). This is a good jumping on issue even though it's the conclusion of the first story arc. It gives you tidbits of information on almost everybody on the team and why they're on Gemworld fighting the evil Lord Opal. When you get to the last page there's the patented Bendis ending that makes you want to read the next issue as soon as it hits the racks. I was particularly impressed with Gabe's colours this issue.

 Savage Avengers #2 - Gerry Duggan (writer) Mike Deodato Jr. (art) Frank Martin (colours) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). The cover may show Wolverine attacking Conan but nothing like that happens inside. This is one of those comic books that I was able to finish reading in about 5 minutes. That doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it, I actually got a chuckle out of it. The big bad Is revealed to be the wizard Kulan Gath who is also time displaced like Conan. I was thinking that Conan would only be able to survive in the modern world if he learned how to shoot a gun. Who better to show him the ropes than the trigger happy Punisher? Guess which Savage Avenger makes his first appearance in this issue? They've shown the cover to Savage Avengers #4 and the two macho men are featured, one with a sword and the other firing a gun. Ninjas of the Hand pop in with Frank so I hope that means that Elektra isn't too far behind.

 War of the Realms: New Agents of Atlas #3 - Greg Pak (writer) Gang Hyuk Lim (art) Federico Blee; Andres Mossa; Erick Arciniega (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). Here's another fake cover. It makes it look like the good guys lose the battle but the battle has just begun in this issue. Who picks these? I'm not a fan of the little ID captions naming everybody cluttering up each panel. I know there are a lot of characters in this book and some fans may need help identifying everybody. They should do what the main War of the Realms book does and have a full page showing who all the players are. Chances are really good that the heroes will find a way to stop Sindr from winning.

 Batman Last Knight On Earth #1 - Scott Snyder (writer) Greg Capullo (pencils) Jonathan Glapion (inks) FCO Plascencia (colours) Tom Napolitano (letters). Welcome to the future where the super heroes have lost the never ending battle with evil. This is a terrific first issue that sets up the story with everything making sense and there are no "what the heck is going on here?" moments. This 3-issue deluxe $5.99 US mini is going on my "must read" list. Thanks to Doug for lending me his copy to read.

[gokinjeespot]

off the rack #1253

Monday, March 11, 2019

 It's the Monday after moving the clocks ahead one hour so be careful on your morning commute. Some people may not be wide awake yet. It was downright balmy when I got the newspaper this morning. The temperature was above zero. A sure sign of spring is smelling the first whiff of skunk while out and about. Plus the cardinals are starting to sing. Yes, we had over 10 cms of snow fall yesterday and our plowing service even came by to clear it away but warmer weather will get here eventually and all that ice will melt.

 Batman #66 - Tom King (writer) Jorge Fornes (art) Dave Stewart (colours) Clayton Cowles (letters). Knightmares part 4. This trip into Batman's brain stars the Question and Selina. I don't like that she smokes. I was hoping that the 2-issue interlude for the Flash crossover would mean that Mikel Janin would be doing the art for this issue so I was sorely disappointed.

 Immortal Hulk #14 - Al Ewing (writer) Kyle Hotz (art) Paul Mounts (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). Wow. What a great way to reintroduce Betty Ross. "We Only Meet At Funerals" shows how far the character has come since she first showed up as Thunderbolt Ross's daughter and as a love interest for Bruce Banner. I like that the love story is still there with the menace to society ramped up more. It's been too long since I've seen Kyle Hotz's art on the racks. It's as close to seeing Berni Wrightson back drawing comics again. The surprise appearance on the last page gave me a hoot.

 Avengers #16/LGY #706 - Jason Aaron (writer) David Marquez (art) Erick Arciniega (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). It almost looks like the Vampire Wars is over when the Avengers regain control of their team mate Ghost Rider. I liked the way Roberto was rescued because it wasn't what I thought was going to happen and I was pleasantly surprised. The solution justifies Blade's involvement. I suppose the Vampire War will go on the back burner once the War of the Realms starts in a month. There's another surprise appearance on the last page but I think we won't be seeing this character again any time soon.

 Doomsday Clock #9 - Geoff Johns (writer) Gary Frank (art) Brad Anderson (colours) Rob Leigh (letters). I've been waiting for this moment in the maxi-series for a while now. The doctor is finally in. the big blue butt-naked god-like being, Doctor Manhattan, makes a solid appearance. There sure are a lot of DC super heroes in this issue. I don't know what the end result of the encounter between the heroes and Doctor Manhattan is going to be but I'm hoping that it's a doozy.

 Blossoms 666 #2 - Cullen Bunn (writer) Laura Braga (art) Matt Herms (colours) Jack Morelli (letters). The Blossom twins are vying for the right to sit atop the Infernal Throne. They thought their deadly games were just between the two of them. A surprise twist keeps this creepy story interesting but I don't think I would be so interested if it wasn't for the great art. Betty and Cheryl never looked so good.

 Meet the Skrulls #1 - Robbie Thompson (writer) Niko Henrichon (art) Laurent Grossat (colour assistant) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). Let's meet mom Gloria, dad Carl and daughters Madison and Alice, a family of Skrulls living amongst us tasked with trying to stop Project Blossom. If they can do that, their fellow Skrulls can take over the Earth. This was a lot better than I expected. I liked the youngest Skrull who was raised on Earth. She's the reason I want to find out what happens next in this 5-issue mini.

 Ronin Island #1 - Greg Pak (writer) Giannis Milonogiannis (art) Irma Kniivila (colours) Simon Bowland (letters). You can tell by the title of this new comic book that there will be samurai involved. It looks like a coming of age story about two young martial arts students on an island but then morphs into a far eastern Walking Dead. Greg does a great job of introducing the two young rivals Kenichi and Hana but I'm not interested in finding out how they survive against zombie samurais.

 Young Justice #3 - Brian Michael Bendis (writer) Patrick Gleason & Viktor Bogdanovic (art) Jonathan Glapion (inks pages 12, 14, 15 & 18) Alejandro Sanchez (colours pages 1 to 5) Chris Sotomayor (colours pages 6 to 16) & Hi-Fi (colours) Carlos M. Mangual & Josh Reed (letters). Seven Crises part 3. I loved the reunion scene with Bart/Impulse and Conner/Superboy. We find out how Superboy got to Gemworld and where the other members of Young Justice wind up. There's a nice little surprise that will rock the team later.

 Ziggy Pig & Silly Seal Comics #1 - Frank Tieri & John Cerilli (writers) Jacob Chabot (art) Stefani Renee (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). I picked this off the racks because I liked the art. It's a silly symphony of funny animals and it kind of reminded me of Howard the Duck. It's not for kids so pay attention to the parental advisory on the cover. Hey, Deadpool's in it.

 Domino: Hotshots #1 - Gail Simone (writer) David Baldeon (art) Jim Charalampidis (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). Cold War part 1. This is a spicier continuation of the 10 issue Domino run with the added hotness of the Black Widow and the White Fox. The ladies play politics while tracking down some dangerous alien tech. Many separate agendas means lots of drama. Throw in the surprise appearance on the last page and there's no doubt that I will want to read the next issue. I like Gail's take on Domino but what kept me reading was the art and I'm glad to say David does a bang up job.

 Amazing Spider-Man #16.HU - Nick Spencer (writer) Iban Coello (art) Edgar Delgado (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). How do you get a lapsed Spider-Man fan to pick a Spider-Man comic off the rack? You put a hot Black Cat cover by Greg Land on it. This issue starts off the "Hunted" story where Kraven the Hunter stalks animal themed super humans. The story runs until May with an epilogue in Amazing Spider-Man #22. There will be 9 issue including 3 more .HU issues to tell the full story. That's almost a new issue every week or two. I think this will be a fun story. Well played Marvel, you pulled me back into the fold. I was amused while reading this because there are so many similarities between Spider-Man and the Black Cat's relationship and Batman and Catwoman's. I always felt that Marvel and DC poached each other's ideas and this is a blatant example of that.

 Conan the Barbarian #4 - Jason Aaron (writer) Gerardo Zaffino (art) Matthew Wilson (colours) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). I was not enamoured of the art on the first page but it works great for this sword and sorcery comic book. What keeps me coming back for more is the writing. This self contained issue tells a tale of King Conan and why he was the Lion of Aquilonia. Man, I wish cover artist Esad Ribic would do an issue or better yet a story arc.

 Avengers LGY #711: No Road Home #4 - Jim Zub, Mark Waid & Al Ewing (writers) Sean Izaakse (art) Marcio Menyz (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). Well hell, this is turning out to be a pretty good story. This issue features the origin story of Nyx and her dark brood. Find out why she wants to snuff out all light. Now I want to find out how the heroes prevent Nyx from getting her hands on the three Shards of Night so that she can plunge everything into darkness. I'm looking forward to next week when the battle for the shard hidden in Nightmare's realm is fought.