Tag Archives: DC

July 21, 2021 · 5:03 am

New Comic Book Day July 21, 2021: My Pull List And Pick Of The Week

It’s New Comic Book Day and it’s the middle of summer. I may not be in school anymore, but that doesn’t make me any less fond of this time of year. As a kid, the middle of summer was a magical time. Being out of school and having plenty of time to just lounge about and read comics made for some of the most enjoyable times of the year. While it sucked that I often had to wait for the mail to get my comics, I always found ways to enjoy myself.

These days, I may not enjoy the same summer break I got while I was in school, but being able to enjoy New Comic Book Day at the crack of dawn every week definitely makes up for. As I write this, the morning is clear and crisp. The sky is clear and the sun is rising. All I need to make it better is a cup of coffee and an iPad loaded with new comics, courtesy of Comixology.

It’s one of the best parts of my week. Being able to enjoy it on a nice summer morning, knowing the pools are open and I can lounge about in my underwear, just makes it even better. I can only imagine how my summers would’ve been growing up if I could access new comics like this. I might very well have overdosed on joy.

I hope kids and comic fans alike appreciate how great it is enjoy comics these days. It has never been easier and cheaper to get into. It being the middle of summer only makes New Comic Book Day that much sweeter. If you’re still new to it, I assure you that it gets better. Here is my pull list and pick of the week to help in that process. Enjoy!

My Pull List

Captain Marvel #30

Catwoman #33

Extreme Carnage: Phage #1

The Flash #772

Gamma Flight #2

Grimm Fairy Tales #50

Guardians Of The Galaxy #16

Justice League #65

Marauders #22

Miles Morales: Spider-Man #28

Star Wars: Darth Vader #14

Superman and the Authority #1

Thor Annual #1

X-Men Legends #5

My Pick Of The Week
Superman And The Authority #1

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Tagged as #NCBD, Action Comics, Batman, Clark Kent, comic books, Comixology, Dark Horse, DC, DC Comics, DCU, digital comics, Grant Morrison, Green Lantern, Justice League, Krypton, Lois Lane, Marvel Comics, Metropolis, Mikel Janin, New Comic Book Day, Planet Krypton, Superboy, Supergirl, Superheroes, Superman, Superman and the Authority, Superman and the Authority #1, Wonder Woman

July 17, 2021 · 9:50 am

Jack’s Comic Gems: Starfire

The following is video from my YouTube channel, Jack’s World. It’s yet another entry in my Jack’s Comic Gems playlist where I highlight uniquely special gems from the world of comics. For this particular gem, we travel to the magical world of Key West, Florida where we meet a special, orange skinned princess in Starfire. If you’re a fan of DC Comics, this is one of those books that might have slipped under the radar, due to when it came out. However, it’s not too late to appreciate this uniquely endearing story about the empathic and endearing Tamaranea princess.

Also, I know the audio for this was choppy. I don’t know what caused it. I apologize. Rest assured, it doesn’t make the comic any less a gem.

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Tagged as Amanda Conner, comic book reviews, comic books, DC, DC Comics, DC New 52, Dick Grayson, Jack's Comic Gems, Jimmy Palmiotti, Koriand'r, Nightwing, Princess Koriand'r, Starfire, Starfire comics, Teen Titans, videos, YouTube, YouTube Channel, YouTube videos, YouTuber

July 14, 2021 · 4:51 am

New Comic Book Day July 14, 2021: My Pull List And Pick Of The Week

Times are changing. The world is a scary, chaotic place. Just keeping your sanity, as well as your sense of humanity, has never been more challenging. I honestly don’t remember the world being this messed up ten years ago. Maybe I’m just getting older, but maintaining a balanced perspective just keeps getting harder.

Thankfully, my love of comics has continued to help me every step of the way. We all have something or someone that helps keep us anchored. Without it, we would be so overwhelmed that we couldn’t leave our homes without a baseball bat and a helmet. For me, comics is a big part of that anchor. It reminds me that there’s still a place for simple, straightforward awesome in this world.

Whether it involves superheroes, real people, or aliens with misshapen heads, comics have always been my refuge, as well as my sanctuary. When watching a news feed becomes too distressing, I pick up my favorite comics and leave the ugliness of the world aside, if only briefly. It’s therapeutic, as well as relaxing.

Wednesdays make spending time in this refuge all the more rewarding. A new stack of comics to start my day is like a massage for my soul. The older I get, the more I’ve come to appreciate that feeling. I encourage others to share it with me. The world isn’t getting any less chaotic. Let’s not let that stop us from enjoying something awesome.

To that end, here is my pull list and pick for the week. Hopefully, they leave your soul feeling as refreshed and invigorated as mine. Enjoy!

My Pull List

Action Comics 2021 Annual #1

Batman: The Detective #4

Champions #8

Detective Comics #1039

Excalibur #22

Extreme Carnage: Scream #1

The Flash 2021 Annual #1

Infinite Frontier #2

The Invincible Red Sonja #3

Iron Man #10

The Joker #5

Justice League: Last Ride #3

Mighty Morphin #9

Sinister War #1

Spider-Man: Spider’s Shadow #4

Spider-Woman #13

Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #12

My Pick Of The Week
Sinister War #1

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July 7, 2021 · 5:16 am

New Comic Book Day July 7, 2021: My Pull List And Pick Of The Week

Getting into comics can be daunting. That’s unavoidable when some of these comics have hundreds of issues and half-a-century of continuity to deal with. I remember how overwhelming it was for me. Then again, I was a kid at the time. Everything that didn’t involve Nintendo games seemed overwhelming to me. I still managed. It didn’t take me too long to get a firm understanding of the elaborate lore surrounding Marvel, DC, Image, and Dark Horse.

Keep in mind, I did this all before the internet. I’m also not that smart. I just followed my passion, found some basic reference materials, and asked questions to veteran comic fans whenever I needed more insight. Now, I’m one of those guys who can talk about comics for hours and sees every New Comic Book Day as Christmas morning. I can safely say my life is better because of that.

These days, it has never been easier to get into comics. The internet has made it much easier to learn about continuity, lore, reboots, and retcons. The rise of tablet computers and Comixology has made it so you don’t even have to put on pants to enjoy comics. While going to my local comic shop was always a great memory, I still envy new fans today for all the tools they have.

Between better tools and the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, comics have come a long way. They’re not just for nerds and geeks anymore. They’re for everyone. The volume of content has never been more diverse and appealing. This week, more than most, is a great chance to dive in. New eras are set to begin and big summer events are starting to heat up. To assist in embracing the world of comics, here is my pull list and pick of the week. Enjoy!

My Pull List

Amazing Spider-Man #70

Amazing Spider-Man Annual #2

Avengers #46

Batman #110

Captain America #30

Children Of The Atom #5

Crime Syndicate #5

Extreme Carnage: Alpha #1

Hellions #13

Immortal Hulk #48

Justice League #64

Justice League Infinity #1

Red Sonja: Black, White, Red #1

My Pick Of The Week
X-Men #1

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June 30, 2021 · 5:04 am

New Comic Book Day June 30, 2021: My Pull List And Pick Of The Week

I’m a firm believer that when you love something, you can combine it with damn near anything and make it inherently better. If you love chocolate, then it’ll make peanut butter better. If you like watching baseball, then watching baseball while naked will make it better. There are plenty of other examples I could give, but I’d rather not get too personal about what I do on a Sunday afternoon.

With comics, I’ve learned over the years that you can find many combinations to enhance the experience. I’ve woken up at 4:30 a.m. to read comics with a nice cup of coffee while sitting in my recliner. I’ve slept in, gone outside, and read comics on my iPad in a swim suit while I got a little sun. I’ve even read comics with a glass of whiskey before bed. I can safely attest that both experiences were enhanced considerably.

Now that we’re in the middle of summer and pandemic lockdowns are ending, we have an opportunity to enjoy things in new ways. If you love comics as much as I do, you’ve got a lot to work with, especially on Wednesday mornings. The only limit is your imagination, decency laws, and how your willingness to spend extra money on things that may seem wasteful later on.

Dare to be creative.

Dare to be a little crazy, even.

Comics give you that flexibility. With the 4th of July just a few days away, I have a few ideas as to how I’ll supplement my comic reading experience. I won’t share all the details. Just expect them to involve beer, hot dogs, and speedos. I don’t know how much that’ll inspire you. All I can offer is my pull list and pick of the week. I hope that helps. Enjoy!

My Pull List

Avengers Mech Strike #4

Giant-Size Amazing Spider-Man: Chameleon Conspiracy #1

Infinity Frontier #6

The Marvels #3

Power Rangers Unlimited: Edge of Darkness #1

Shang-Chi #2

Star Wars: Dr. Aphra #11

Star Wars: The High Republic #6

The United States Of Captain America #1

X-Factor #10

My Pick Of The Week
The United States Of Captain America #1

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Tagged as #NCBD, Avengers, Avengers comics, Captain America, Captain America Comics, Christopher Cantwell, comic books, Comixology, Dark Horse, DC, DC Comics, DCU, digital comics, Josh Trujillo, Marvel Comics, New Comic Book Day, Sam Wilson, Steve Rogers, Superheroes, X-men

June 26, 2021 · 9:13 am

Thought Experiment: What Makes An Effective Superhero?

The following is a video from my YouTube channel, Jack’s World. It’s another thought experiment about superheroes and what makes them effective. It was an extension of sorts of an article I wrote years ago on how to be an effective superhero. However, this video is a bit more open ended in that it takes a big picture approach to heroics. To all that check it out, I encourage you to share your thoughts in the comments. Enjoy!

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Tagged as Batman, DC, DC Comics, Heroes, Jack's World, Marvel, Marvel Comics, philosophy, Pop Culture, real heroes, Spider-Man, superhero media, Superheroes, Superman, YouTube, YouTube Channel, YouTube Video, YouTube videos

June 23, 2021 · 5:23 am

New Comic Book Day June 23, 2021: My Pull List And Pick Of The Week

Between New Comic Book Day and new episodes of “Loki,” Wednesdays have never been more enjoyable. These truly are special times for comic book fans. For years, we just had comics with an occasional superhero movie every other summer and most of those movies involved Batman. Now, thanks to the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there’s an embarrassment of riches on top of the comics we still love.

I feel like this is one of those eras that we’ll look back on years from now as a true golden era. It’s also a time during which long-time fans like me can appreciate just how far comics have come. I’m still old enough to remember a time when comics where a niche market for nerds and geeks. Now, they’re so mainstream that being a nerd or geek might as well be a term of endearment.

That growth has definitely helped comics in many ways. Now, they feel like a proving ground of sorts. This is where you’ll get your first taste of something that may one day make it onto the big screen. This is where we first met Kamala Khan. This is where we first met Spider-Gwen. Who knows what iconic character will debut next?

This is why fans like me get up at 4:30 a.m. every Wednesday to enjoy a new stack of comics. It’s also why these past few years have made that experience so much more rewarding. It’s not just the comics themselves that bring so much joy. It’s the entire world they open up.

If you’ve enjoyed the latest episode of “Loki,” try giving some comics a read. That’ll help tide you over until the next episode. To that end, here’s my pull list and pick for the week. Enjoy!

My Pull List

Action Comics #1032

Amazing Spider-Man #69

Batman/Superman #19

Captain Marvel #29

Gamma Flight #1

Grimm Fairy Tales #49

Harley Quinn #4

Heroes Return #1

Justice League #63

Marvel’s Voices: Pride #1

Star Wars: Darth Vader #13

My Pick Of The Week
Heroes Return #1

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June 16, 2021 · 5:19 am

New Comic Book Day June 16, 2021: My Pull List And Pick Of The Week

I’ve always been an early riser. However, that’s not necessarily a habit by choice. When I was a teenager, I had to be up at 5:00 a.m. just to catch the bus to school. I lived on one of the worst bus routes in the district in that we were the first to get picked up. That meant it was often still dark out.

Waking up that early sucked for the most part. I was already an angsty teenager prone to misery and being so groggy in the morning didn’t help. That said, getting into that habit did have some perks. It certainly helped me later on in life when I began working. However, it really showed its value when comics started coming out digitally every Wednesday morning.

Suddenly, I wasn’t getting up that early out of habit. I had a damn good reason to be up at 5:00 a.m. That incentive definitely grew once I got an iPad. Now, I could just slip out of bed, grab my iPad, and indulge in a stack of digital comics before putting on any underwear. It’s a magical feeling.

That feeling is only more magical during weeks like this. Sometimes, just by sheer luck of release schedules, there’s a glut of awesome new comics, including some major event books and one-shots. There’s Heroes Reborn, the Hellfire Gala, and the wedding of Dr. Doom. That’s a lot to take in, especially in the early morning hours. Since I’m an early riser, I like to think I’m more equipped than most take it all in.

I know not everyone is up this early. I honestly envy the ability to just sleep in on a whim. If you’re a comic fan, though, some things are worth getting up this early for. When you see some of the books that came out this week, you’ll understand. Here’s my pull list and pick. After some of these books, I doubt you’ll be groggy. Enjoy!

My Pull List

Heroes Reborn: Weapon X & Final Flight #1

The Mighty Valkyries #3

Miles Morales: Spider-Man #27

New Mutants #19

Nightwing #81

Planet-Sized X-Men #1

Star Wars #12

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #1

Venom #200

Static: Season One #1

X-Corp #2

My Pick Of The Week
Planet-Sized X-Men #1

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June 9, 2021 · 5:30 am

New Comic Book Day June 9, 2021: My Pull List And Pick Of The Week

When I was a kid, I had an exceedingly limited budget for comics. Even though they were cheaper years ago, the cost did add up. My love of comics was just that strong. Most of the time, that meant saving every penny I earned through allowances, chores, or birthday cards. Then, I had to basically look at a wall of comics and agonize over which to choose.

As a kid, it taught me a lot about managing a personal budget. That served me very well later in life. It also helped me appreciate the money I earned later on. These days, I don’t have to be quite as stingy with my comic book budget. That’s not to say I splurge every week. There are some books that I hold off on buying until a graphic novel compilation comes out. That’s just not as necessary as it used to be.

I imagine that if digital comics were around when I was a kid, I would’ve struggled even more to manage my comics budget. I like to think I’m fairly disciplined. I’m not sure that discipline would stand in the face of having unlimited comics at my fingertips through Comixology. In that sense, I’m glad I’ve managed as well as I have.

To those who are on a tighter budget than me, I hope my weekly pull lists help you make the most of every dollar you spend. There’s a time and a place to splurge on comics. The key is knowing when that time is and what to splurge on. I’m not saying this week is one of those times, but given the ongoing events across multiple major franchises, I can’t say it isn’t.

I’ll let you be the judge. Here is my pull list and pick. Please spend wisely, but if you need to splurge, I totally understand. Enjoy!

My Pull List

Amazing Spider-Man #68

Batman: The Detective #3

Children of the Atom #4

DC Pride #1

Detective Comics #1037

Excalibur #21

Heroes Reborn #6

Heroes Reborn: Night-Gwen #1

Iron Man #9

The Joker #4

Justice League: Last Ride #2

Mighty Morphin #8

Spider-Man: The Spider’s Shadow #3

W.E.B. Of Spider-Man #1

Wonder Woman #773

X-Men #21

My Pick Of The Week
X-Men #21

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Tagged as #NCBD, comic books, Comixology, Cyclops, Dark Horse, DC, DC Comics, DCU, digital comics, Hellfire Club, Hellfire Gala, House of X/Powers of X, Jonathan Hickman, Krakoa, Magneto, Marvel Comics, Marvel Girl, New Comic Book Day, Polaris, Powers of X, Professor Xavier, Russell Dauterman, Storm, Superheroes, The Hellfire Trading Company, X-men, X-Men #21, X-men comics

June 2, 2021 · 6:10 am

New Comic Book Day June 2, 2021: My Pull List And Pick Of The Week

It’s June! Last year, that was just a formality, due to global events that I’d rather not dwell on. This year, we can actually say it with some enthusiasm. We made it to June and it’s New Comic Book Day. What’s not to love?

Summer has finally arrived. The schools are letting out after another crazy year. Things are finally opening up, much more so than they did last year. This summer, we will be able to go to a ball game. We will be able to go to a pool, a concert, a movie theater, or night club. We’ll even be able to go to a restaurant without having to wear a mask. If you’re not shedding tears of joy right now, then you have no soul.

I’m ready to embrace this summer in a way that I haven’t embraced a season since high school. A big part of that effort will involve comics. This time around, I’ll actually be able to enjoy them while lounging by a pool, sitting at a restaurant, or just wandering about. I cannot overstate how much I’m looking forward to that. With warm weather and a world that’s less chaotic, this is a great time to just enjoy summer like never before.

To all those still digesting their Memorial Day barbecue, I encourage you to do the same. Make the extra effort to enjoy this summer. Whether you’re a kid out of school or an adult still working, find a way to do something special. Let today mark the beginning of that effort and what better way to start then with a stack of new comics? To help, here’s my pull list and picks. Enjoy!