Comic Books Read in September

 Hello lovely beings

I never stop buying comics, but I have seemingly put reading them on the backburner 😅! I finally got back into a nice groove for September, which gave me time to finish a couple of the shorter series I've started but never finished!

I Heart Skull-Crusher!

"18-year-old Trini will do anything to compete in her favorite sport, 

Screaming Pain Ball, alongside her longtime hero Skull-Crusher! 

But she can't do it alone, and a gaggle of misfits is just what she 

needs to cross the American wastes and battle in Queen Mob's deadly tournament."

I absolutely love this little series right here! I can't be the only one because there will be a continuation to the story coming out this month, which will start with issue #6. It's a nice apocalyptic sports story with plenty of moments for comic relief! The art style and silliness definitely reminds me of anime, which only made reading this first story more fun! I can't wait to see how Trini and the other from Podunk figure out the upcoming matches 😯! ALSO, I believe Trini might be the first comic book based character I really want to cosplay 🤔✨

 

The Plunge

"In the aftermath of a devastating tsunami, an exploration vessel known as the Derleth begins sending an automated distress signal from a remote atoll in the Bering Strait. The only problem is that the Derleth has been missing for 40 years. Marine biologist Moriah Lamb joins the Carpenter Salvage team to recover the Derleth's dead...only to find that in this remote part of the Arctic Circle the dead have plenty to say to the living...Joe Hill and Stuart Immonen's Plunge into terror begins here!"

Hill House comics tend to be ones I enjoy. I really liked Refrigerator Full of Heads, and decided Plunge was next on my to read list. Now, I do still enjoy RFoH more than this particular story, BUT The Plunge was still a decent read. Though it does use common alien horror tropes, I think they added enough extra to make me want to read to the end. There is also plenty of comedic jokes thrown about to keep you on your toes, and we do get a pretty happy ending eventually. A quick read that I'd still recommend.

Purr Evil

"Rita loves her daughter Deb, but a dark evil from her past threatens the lives of anyone who gets too 

close to it. Can the bond between two women overcome a life built on blood and lies? 

And what secret is lurking in the Morando family's apartment?

THERE IS NO ESCAPING THE MEWING EVIL..."

Usually, I am a lover of Mirka Andolfo's stories. I think me taking in so much horror over the years makes me a little immune to certain reused tropes. Band using evil to get fame and fortune by sacrifice. There were some minor aspects that were different, like what evil, what sacrifice, and how we control and/or take care of it. I feel like there could have been a little more storyline, but that's just me. If you like spooky with uber cute aspects, I say still give this six-issue series a read.

Kill Your Darlings

"Eight-year-old Rose loves nothing more than to play pretend in a magical land of her own creation. To her, that world is as real as our own, from her fluffy friends to the terrible evil that lurks at the center of it all. In one night, the line between fantasy and reality will disappear, an ancient hunger will feed again, and Rose will be pulled into a gruesome saga that began centuries before her birth."

Heh...I am so happy this one is DONE lol! I initially got drawn in by the title, cover, and synopsis. I think once I got to issue 3 or 4, I was over the storyline 😅. Since I started it, I felt the need to see it the whole way through. I'm not the biggest fan of fantasy horror, so I think that's why this one didn't make it into my likes list. Most issues were super short, and felt like filler to me. Everybody is different though, so I still say give it a go if you think you'd enjoy some imaginary friend/imaginary land mixing with the real world spookiness. 

Animal Pound

"When animals grow tired of being caged, killed, and sold off-it's 

only a matter of time before they've had enough...
When an uprising puts a pound in control of the animals, they quickly find 

themselves as comrades, united against everything that walks on two legs.
But with this newfound power comes a sudden challenge: 

how best to lay the groundwork for this new democracy as they write their first constitution!"

I had no expectations going into this series. I ended up picking up the ashcan first, and decided that the series was just short enough for me to see it through. I, of course, got Animal Farm feels right off the bat with it being diff animals working together for a joint cause. Other readers have said definite Rainbow Coalition vibes, and I can absolutely see it. I wish the ending was a bit on the happier side. I was definitely rooting for the pound, but with such differing species mentalities it makes sense that this is the direction everything went [trying my hardest not to dish out spoilers if you can't tell, lol!]

Rare Flavours

"Discover the tantalizing tale of Rubin Baksh, a demonic Rakshasa 

with a down-to-earth dream of becoming the next Anthony Bourdain.

To achieve his vision, Rubin enlists Mo, a filmmaker who has seen better days, 

to document the world-renowned cuisine of India and the people behind such glorious food.

But little does Mo know that there's more to Rubin than meets the eye, 

and the mortals play a darker role in the show than they were prepared for..."  

I picked this one up on a whim. The cover art [which also matches the art inside], and the fact that it would be a comic about food solidified me wanting this series in my collection. There's also added lore, AND they give you recipes for the foods they talk about. The series was an easy read, gave me emotions to feel, and is only 6 issues long. You could definitely get away with buying the trade to read instead of the individuals.

Little Black Book

"In this explosive new thriller by writer Jeff McComsey (Grendel, Kentucky) and artist Felipe Cunha (Gatsby), Cole, a straight-arrow handyman, finds himself in the crosshairs of a ruthless crime syndicate-along with his pregnant wife. But what is the meaning of the "little black book" of underworld contacts Cole's deceased father had hidden in his home? Cole's deceased father believed the best thing he could do for his son was to stay out of his life, but does the apple fall far from the tree...?"

Another series I picked up on a whim, Little Black Book. I don't even remember why the first issue pulled me in, but I'm not complaining. Another short easy read with it only being 4 issues. Even with it being short, I didn't feel like it was rushed. I even ended up enjoying how they decided to end it. 

Toxic Summer

"Best friends Ben and Leo had the perfect summer planned after high school graduation. As lifeguards in the idyllic beach town of Port Dorian, they were planning for three months of hot guys, late-night bonfires, and no regrets . . . until a toxic spill of unknown properties on the beach transformed their dream summer into a waking nightmare. Now Port Dorian is flooded with panicked tourists, a local researcher is paralyzed while investigating the spill, and a horrifying pack of subhuman monstrosities is snatching beachgoers in the night."

I believe this is the only series I ended up starting and didn't finish reading right away. I only have the first issue sadly, but it was enough to make me want to keep reading! I haven't been introduced to the monstrosities yet, but I'm eager to see how Ben and Leo figure out toxic beach water while being lifeguards 😅! Will be finished in October for sure.

Man's Best

Homeward Bound on an alien planet, Man's Best follows three emotional support pets living on the Starship Horizon - a spacecraft searching for a new planet to house a humanity compromised by bad decisions and corporate corruption.

But after the ship crashes and their crew is captured, these loyal pets are their owners' only hope. Outfitted in outrageous mech suits, these three best friends must traverse a hostile world to rescue their owners - leaving them the only hope for a humanity that might not be worth saving, in an adventure threatening to tear their friendship apart.

This was a trippy mix of emotions to read! Of course I intially got sucked in because of cute animals, and possible horror. The inner artwork, along with the story, sends you on a wild ride with a handful of twists and turns. Can animals raised as scientific pets be useful on a twisted mission in space? 

The Deviant

"As snow falls over Milwaukee in 1972, a blood-stained Santa Claus commits unimaginable atrocities against young men. Fifty years later, a troubled young writer interviews this so-called "Deviant Killer," who still maintains his innocence from behind bars. And as Christmas approaches once again, the past returns, wielding a sharpened ax. Eisner-winning writer JAMES TYNION IV (W0RLDTR33, THE DEPARTMENT OF TRUTH) and acclaimed artist JOSHUA HIXSON (The Plot, Children of the Woods) unite for a pitch-black holiday horror story."

Last but not least, two Tynion series. First we have The Deviant with Xmas horror goodness. The artwork is gruesome from time to time [not a problem], and the story has def kept me engaged. I'm hoping we get to find out who the killer is soon. I literally have no guesses as to who could possible be behind it. I believe we have two issues of this series left to find out who's doing what!

The Nice House by the Sea

"No one who was invited to the House knew Max--but she knew each and every one of them. Masters of their fields, titans of industry and knowledge, they all represented the best and brightest of humanity. So when Max whispered to each of them the truth of what they deserved--to be saved from disaster, to carry on the flame of civilization in a paradise built just for them--they all leaped at the chance. Why not? Why shouldn't they be the ones to live forever? Isn't it their destiny to survive the culling of the lesser herd? Wouldn't being named the future of humanity be...nice?"

Our second Tynion series being Nice House by the Sea, which is a spin-off/continuation of Nice House on the Lake. I almost want to say that NHotL is my current fav Tynion story. An alien entity lived like a human and hand-picked people he felt were important enough to keep after the world ends. In NHbtS, it seems like we have a different group of people, but still hand-picked the same way. I feel like I remember them touching on the fact that there were other groups in by the Lake, but everyone is also somehow connected in the diff groups. You know I'm excited to see how this all unfolds!

✨ Thank you for reading ✨ 

🐙