Tag Archives: Empyre

September 2, 2020 · 5:56 am

New Comic Book Day September 2, 2020: My Pull List And Pick Of The Week

What do you do when you’ve had a lousy week? How do you make it bearable or, at the very least, somewhat less awful? These are questions I’m sure many people have been asking throughout 2020. There have been many lousy weeks thus far for reasons I hope are obvious. This past week certainly threw in a few more gut punches with the death of Chadwick Boseman.

As objectively awful as that is, we still move forward. We still try to make the following days less shitty. For me, enjoying a stack of new comics is part of that process. I’ve had many bad weeks throughout my life. Between puberty, high school, and graduating college during a recession, there was never a shortage of misery.

However, every Wednesday morning brought a ray of hope. Thanks to Comixology, the prospect of New Comic Book Day has always offered a boost to my dampened spirits. After this past week, I need that. I think we all need that. We find that boost wherever we can. For me, it’s new comics on Wednesday morning.

I’ve got my iPad, a fresh cup of coffee, and a wounded spirit. I’m ready to feel slightly less awful about the world now. I hope my other fellow comic fans can do the same. As always, here is my pull list and pick of the week. Enjoy!

My Pull List

Guardians Of The Galaxy #6

Justice League #52

Marvel Zombies: Resurrection #1

Red Sonja #19

Wolverine #5

Young Justice #18

My Pick Of The Week
Empyre #6

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Tagged as #NCBD, Al Ewing, Avengers, Avengers comics, Captain America, comic, comic books, Comixology, Dan Slott, Dark Horse, DC, DC Comics, digital comics, Empyre, Empyre #6, Fantastic Four, Hulkling, Iron Man, Kree, Kree Empire, Kree/Skrull War, Marvel Comics, New Comic Book Day, Reed Richards, Skrull, Tony Stark, X-men

August 19, 2020 · 5:59 am

New Comic Book Day August 19, 2020: My Pull List And Pick Of The Week

Growing up, you learn vital life lessons from strange sources. For those my age, we all probably remember those after school specials or those public service announcements. They usually amounted to things like “eat your vegetables,” “listen to your parents,” and “hating someone because they’re different is wrong!” It was very preachy and crude. Most of us just rolled our eyes and went back to being kids.

Looking back on my youth, I don’t think those life lessons really taught me anything I didn’t already know. In fact, I think the most useful life lessons I learned back then came from comics. I still knew that comics could be preachy too. They always have been, despite what the assholes at associated with certain hashtags may claim. They just got their point across in a different way.

Personally, I think that way was more effective. The stories in comics didn’t just tell you to be honest, selfless, and kind. They showed you why those values are important and dared to have some fun along the way. Within the stories, you learn why Captain America and Superman’s altruism is so powerful. You also learn why Lex Luthor and the Red Skull’s selfish narcissism is so bad.

That really helped shape my understanding of right, wrong, friendship, tolerance, and understanding. My parents, friends, and teachers all played a part too. However, the stories I read in comic books made those life lessons fun and engaging. That’s not to say every comic teaches valuable lessons. If you try to learn life lessons from Deadpool, you will get mixed messages.

Those messages are still there, along with plenty of life lessons. More and more unfold every week with every New Comic Book Day. Once again, I offer to you my pull list and pick of the week. There are life lessons to be had. Even if they just involve how to kill zombies, they’re worth learning. Enjoy!

My Pull List

Rick and Morty #3: Go To Hell

Thor #6

Transformers vs. Terminator #3

Wolverine #4

Wonder Woman Annual #4

My Pick Of The Week
Empyre: X-Men #4

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Tagged as #NCBD, comic, comic books, Comixology, DC, DC Comics, DC Digital First, digital comics, Empyre, Empyre: X-Men, Empyre: X-Men #4, Genosha, House of X, Illyana Rasputin, Jonathan Hickman, Jorge Molina, Kree, Kree/Skrull War, Magik, Marvel Comics, Marvel Event, New Comic Book Day, Scarlet Witch, Skrull, Wolverine

August 12, 2020 · 5:59 am

New Comic Book Day August 12, 2020: My Pull List And Pick Of The Week

There are people who go out of their way to avoid the news, politics, and anything that might trigger a digital fist fight. I respect these people. At times, I’m one of them. However, avoiding the news and politics is one thing. Avoiding the effects is something else. You can avoid the constant whining and outrage surrounding an election or hashtag. You can’t avoid the reality of a global pandemic.

I’ve come to accept this in recent months. I don’t deny that, at one point, I tried to avoid any mention of it online or in person. That’s just not possible when entire parts of society are shut down and major events get cancelled. It’s sad, if not maddening. However, it need not be completely dire. Even if you can’t ignore these awful things, you can still find ways to cope.

For me, comics have been a preferred coping mechanism for years. Going back to previous crisis, including those of the personal kind, comics have given men some much-needed escapism from the harsh, unforgiving nature of the real world. During those times, New Comic Book Day takes on an even greater meaning.

I know it’s easy to take for granted, given how much upheaval the industry is in right now. For that reason, I cannot thank the writers, editors, and artists working tirelessly in the industry to give fans like me an escape. Their work may not be on the same level as doctors and nurses, but they still hold a special place in those fighting to endure this crisis.

To those wonderful individuals, I thank you on behalf of comic fans everywhere. Once again, here is my pull list and pick for the week. Enjoy and stay safe, everyone!

My Pull List

Amazing Spider-Man #46

Batman and the Outsiders #15

Captain Marvel #19

DCeased: Hope At World’s End #7

Empyre #5

Empyre: X-Men #3

The Flash #759

Harley Quinn Black + White + Red #8

Immortal Hulk #36

Marauders #11

Red Sonja: Age of Chaos #6

Star Wars: Darth Vader #4

My Pick Of The Week
Empyre #5

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Tagged as #NCBD, Al Ewing, Avengers, Avengers comics, Captain America, comic, comic books, Comixology, Dan Slott, DC, DC Comics, DC Digital First, digital comics, Empyre, Empyre 5, Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four Comics, House of X, Hulkling, Kree, Kree/Skrull War, Marvel Comics, New Comic Book Day, Reed Richards, Skrull, Tony Stark

July 29, 2020 · 5:46 am

New Comic Book Day July 29, 2020: My Pull List And Pick Of The Week

One of the hardest and most important lessons a kid can learn is patience. The ability to wait an extended period of time for something good is one of those underrated skills that makes kids and adults alike more responsible. If you can be patient, then you’re less inclined to whine endlessly until you get your way. There are grown adults who struggle with that.

I like to think that m love of comics gave me some harsh, but necessary lessons in patience. When I was a kid, there was no Comixology or nearby comic shops to get new comics every week. I actually had to wait for them to arrive in the mail every week.

Trust me. It’s even more awful than it sounds.

The books were often late, sometimes for several weeks after they arrived in comic shops. Half the time, the books arrived damaged. I don’t miss those days. I thank the comic gods every day that I live in the era of Comixology where my enjoyment of New Comic Book Day is not determined by the competency of the post office.

As rough as those days were, they also taught me how to be patient while waiting for my favorite books to come out. I’ve heard from younger comic fans how agonizing it is to wait four weeks for another issue. I sympathize completely, but these kids didn’t know what it was like to spend every Wednesday waiting for the mail with baited breath. I envy them.

Now, the post office is off the hook. We can enjoy those new books as soon as they come out. It’s a beautiful thing. It feels like all those years of patience I had as a kid is being rewarded. For that, I thank both the internet and Comixology. As such, here’s my pull list for the week, as well as my pick. Enjoy!

My Pull List

Amazing Spider-Man #45

Batman/Superman #10

Cable #2

Captain Marvel #18

DCeased: Hope At World’s End #6

Empyre #3

Empyre: Captain America #1

Iron Man 2020 #5

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #52

Star Wars: Darth Vader #3

X-Factor #1

X-Men #10

Wonder Woman #759

My Pick Of The Week
X-Factor #1

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Tagged as #NCBD, Avengers, Avengers comics, Captain Marvel, Captain Marvel #18, Carol Danvers, comic, comic books, Comixology, Cory Smith, DC, DC Comics, DC Digital First, digital comics, Dr. Doom, Empyre, Kelly Thompson, Kree, Kree/Skrull War, Marvel Comics, New Comic Book Day, Ronan the Accuser, Skrull

July 15, 2020 · 6:04 am

New Comic Book Day July 15, 2020: My Pull List And Pick Of The Week

For lifelong comic book fans, like myself, there’s usually one Wednesday in every month where all the major comic publishers drop a glut of high-profile comics. It’s not always predictable. You rarely know when a week like that will drop. Sometimes, you’ll just have weeks that dump a large amount of comics on the market. Those are fun, but like many things, quality counts more than quantity.

Without going too deep into spoilers on this beautiful Wednesday morning, I can safely say that this is one of those weeks. It’s a week where quality, and quantity in terms of new titles, achieves a harmonious balance that would make Thanos himself smile. There’s no need for an Infinity Gauntlet or a snap that wipes out half of all life in the universe. It just happened, thanks to the tireless work of this colorful industry.

It’s another sign that the comics industry, as a whole, is emerging from the many delays and cancellations caused by the global pandemic over the past several months. There will still be effects here and there. I doubt we’ll know the full extent of those effects for another year. For now, though, the comic book world is hitting its first grand slam in months.

We all need good, encouraging news more than usual these days. For comic fans, this might as well be a trip back to the middle of 2019 before we heard of N95 masks and social distancing. I encourage everyone to savor this rare, yet precious iteration New Comic Book Days. We don’t know whether the world will go to shit again before we get another.

As always, here is my pull list and pick of the week.