This is usually the time of year where it’s pretty much official. Summer is over, fall is upon us, and we’ve just got to deal with it. For kids, that means going back to school. For adults, it means fewer vacations and fewer days in which you can get away with wearing flip flops to the grocery store.
Honestly, I feel worse for the kids, especially for a year like this. This has to be a bittersweet time of year.
When I was a kid, comics helped me with the transition. Given how miserable I was throughout school, I really needed that. Hell, I needed all the help I could get. I was just that messed up. Now, as an adult, comics during this time of year feel like a reprieve. They help me step back from a complicated adult world and just be.
I think we all need that at some point in our lives, especially after the past couple years. Being an adult and dealing with the adult world can be hard, frustrating, and stressful. I’ve certainly had my share of days where I’ve dealt with frustrating adults. They only make me appreciate comics and New Comic Book Day even more. I hope they can offer a similar reprieve to many others, regardless of age.
To help, here’s my pull list and pick of the week. Enjoy!
This time of year used to be so bittersweet. The week before Labor Day was often the last week before I went back to school and, as I’ve noted before, I had a less-than-enjoyable experience at school. I would often dread each passing day in this week, knowing that at the start of next week, I’d be going back to a place that made me miserable for seven hours a day. It was nerve-racking, to say the least.
That was often the week I needed new comics the most. It was the week when I needed a quality escape the most. I dreaded school so much that anything I could look forward to was a welcome reprieve. I always made it a point to go to my local comic shop that Wednesday and buy some extra books to get me through. For that, I’ll always thank the owner of that shop for letting me go a little overboard.
Years later, this particular week isn’t nearly as nerve racking. For the most part, it’s just another week. However, I haven’t forgotten how difficult it was in my youth and how comics helped me get through it. I had so many issues back then and I wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for the comics I love. I know that sounds melodramatic, but I swear it’s true.
I know a lot of kids are already back in school. I also know some are poised to return next week. To those kids who dreaded it like I did, I urge you all to hang in there. Be strong and be safe out there. You’ll get through this, just like I did. Hopefully, a stack of new comics will help in some way. Here is my pull list and pick of the week. Enjoy!
The following is a video from my YouTube channel, Jack’s World. It’s another video about comic books, which shouldn’t surprise anyone at this point. It’s also about Victor Von Doom, which shouldn’t surprise anyone who has been following this site for any extended period. This video is actually based on an article I wrote a while back, but with a few tweaks here and there. Given his eventual arrival into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I think the time is right to celebrate why he’s such a great character. Enjoy!
The following is a video/mini-documentary that I made for my YouTube channel, Jack’s World. I’ve actually been working on this video for quite some time now. I feel it’s finally ready for release. It’s a grand overview, as well as my own personal take, on the brief, but impactful rivalry between the Inhumans and the X-Men. It’s also me making the case that this was a case study in how not to develop a rivalry.
Please note that, while I tried to be fair and objective, I couldn’t help but go off-script in a few areas. Trust me. You’ll know it when you see it. I still try to tell the story of this rivalry in as fair a way I could. Enjoy!
I usually say this every couple of years, but I keep saying it. This may very well be the best time to get into comics. I know big time publishers are constantly marketing these big “jumping on points” that they see as a means to entice new readers. Most of the time, they’re just glorified sales gimmicks. However, it’s often when they’re not out to redefine their continuity that the best entry points emerge.
I feel like the current trends in the comics industry have made it easier than ever to jump right in. Between the Netflix-like service offered by Comixology Unlimited and the release of more omnibus comics, the industry has become a lot more user friendly. You no longer have to walk into a comic shop or book store, look at the walls upon walls of comics, and wonder where the hell you should start. These days, you don’t even need to leave your house.
On top of that, there are some big time upheavals going on in certain books. The Avengers is in the midst of the Heroes Reborn crossover event. The Justice League are poised to fracture like never before with Last Ride. The X-Men are about to raise their profile even more with the Hellfire Gala. These are exciting, promising events.
There’s also the prospect of more TV shows and superhero movies from Marvel Studios. Don’t discount that impact. As a long-time comic book fan, I like to think I have feel for when the industry is going through a transition. This feels like one of those times and if you want to join in, now is as good a time as any. You can even start today. Here’s my pull list and pick to help get you going. Enjoy!
It hasn’t been easy hoping for better days. In general, I’m a pretty optimistic person. Until 2020, I was genuinely hopeful that the world would continue to steadily improve with each passing year. Much of those hopes were stabbed, crushed, and spit on throughout 2020. For a while, my spirits were totally crushed.
Now, I’m trying to rebuild that spirit. It’s not nearly whole again, but it’s a process.
Part of that process involves clinging to the things that taught me to have hope in the first place. That’s where comics come in. Since I was a kid, comics helped inspire me to hope for something greater. They taught me to look to the future and dare to think that greater things were possible. I know it’s corny, but it really did resonate with me.
I miss that feeling. I hope it returns at some point this year. Every morning, I check my newsfeed and the headlines are still bleak, dire, and depressing. They’re not quite as terrible as things were late last year, but overall progress has been slow.
I understand that such progress takes patience. That’s not easy when there’s still a pandemic raging across the world. A lot of areas near where I live are still in a state of lockdown. I want to get through it, but I also want to keep my spirit intact. That’s still difficult, but a weekly dose of new comics goes a long way.
This week, there’s a bit more than usual. Honestly, it’s exactly what I need at a time like this. I hope others get just as much out of it. To that end, here is my pull list and pick for the week. Enjoy!
It’s almost over, people. We’re almost out of 2020 and the end of this global pandemic that has hurt so many is finally in sight. For that reason, it’s okay to start looking forward to 2021. As long as this year doesn’t bring us a new pandemic or an alien invasion, it should be better by default.
We should all be excited at the prospect of the world getting back to some sense of pre-pandemic normalcy. It’ll never be the same, but it’ll be nice to sit in a movie theater or go to a restaurant without having to wear a mask. The world will recover and many are looking to ride onto that wave of recovery.
Chief among them is our Disney overlords. It’s no secret that the pandemic has hit Disney harder than most. Once the envy of the entertainment world, this pandemic hit it with a gut punch that would down the Hulk.
However, those predicting the fall of Disney are exceedingly premature. This is a company that has navigated dark times before. They have too many resources and incentives to just give in, even in the face of a once-in-a-century pandemic.
They’re already making the effort. A while back, Disney had their big Investors Day presentation in which they pitched their future plans to investors and the public. Among those plans were a host of movies and TV shows from.
It was ambitious, even by Disney’s lofty standards. I even dared to let myself get excited again. There was so much to take in, but for the best possible reasons. It made surviving 2020 that much more paramount.
Of the many announcements made during the call, a few stuck out to me. Here are just a few of the shows and movies that have invigorated my spirit once more. For that, I thank our Disney overlords.
If this had been the only thing Disney announced, I would’ve been excited. Kamala Khan is exactly what Marvel Studios, their Disney overlords, and the world needs right now. We already got confirmation of the casting of Iman Vellani for the titular role. This time, we also got a teaser trailer for what we can expect from her and from this show.
I’m not going to lie. I watched this trailer at least 10 times and I couldn’t stop smiling.
This is a character who endeared herself in the comics with just one issue. This is also someone who channels the same spirit of the fans who love all things Marvel. She’s young and idealistic. She sees superheroes through the same lens as us, the fans. Now, we get to see her navigate the MCU in a world where the Avengers assembled, saved the day, and Tony Stark made the ultimate sacrifice.
There’s so much to explore and so much to embrace. I think this show will do for Marvel Studios what “The Mandalorian” did for Star Wars. After a year like 2020, we need that.
Star Wars: Ahsoka
This shouldn’t surprise anyone, either. I’ve made my love for Ahsoka Tano known before. She’s also a fan favorite among legions of Star Wars fans and for good reason. Her story is so vast and dramatic. She started as the brash, immature Padawan of a pre-Darth Vader Anakin Skywalker. She then became a key player in the secret war against the Empire.
Even though she has never appeared in any Star Wars movies, she has still found a way to endear herself to so many, myself included. That’s an accomplishment worthy of her own show and the timing couldn’t be better.
Most recently, she made her live-action debut in Season 2 of “The Mandalorian.” Played by Rosario Dawson, she’s made her presence known in the emerging Star Wars canon that’s unfolding on Disney Plus. This show will give her a chance to shine like never before.
She’s no longer someone’s Padawan.
She’s no longer some shadowy agent for the Rebellion.
She’s just Ahsoka being Ahsoka. Sign me up!
Fantastic Four (By Marvel Studios)
When it comes to movies from Marvel Studios, I’m in the same boat as most lifelong Marvel fans. No matter what they put out, I’ll likely be first in line to see it, whether it opens out in theaters or debuts on streaming. While we don’t know what the movie theater scene will be like in 2021, we can be certain that studios will keep making movies and those movies will find an audience.
Now, I’m tempted to recount all the ways the Fantastic Four have been butchered by previous movies. Believe me, I could spend hours talking about how 2015’s “Fant4stic” was botched at every turn. However, I prefer to look to the future rather than the past.
Finally, Marvel’s first family will be in the hands of Marvel Studios and Kevin Feige. They’ve shown time and again that they know what they’re doing. They love these characters every bit as much as the fans. They will do them justice.
With John Watts from “Spider-Man: Homecoming” set to direct, the stage is set for the Fantastic Four to arrive in the MCU. It took a long time and a huge media acquisition, but the wait is almost over. Fantastic things are worth waiting for and I hope this is one of them.
I’ve mentioned this series before and I stand by my excitement. I believe this show is more critical to the continued success of Marvel Studios than “WandaVision” or even some of its movies.
Since the somewhat forgettable “Incredible Hulk” movie with Edward Norton, the jolly green rage giant has been relegated to a supporting character in pretty much every subsequent story. When he’s not teaming up with Thor or providing muscle for the Avengers, he’s basically just there.
In the comics, Hulk has his own world of sorts and She-Hulk has always been a big part of that. I believe this show can start building that world and with Tatiana Maslany in the starring role, I think this show could be special.
Plus, it’s a show with a beautiful woman smashing things. How can I not be excited about that?
Star Wars: Rogue Squadron
This announcement was an unexpected treat. Among many other Star Wars announcement, this one stood out to me almost as much as the Ahsoka show. Those who didn’t own a Nintendo 64 in the late 90s and early 2000s may not understand, but trust me. Those who did were very intrigued.
There was a time when Star Wars: Rogue Squadron was the pinnacle of Star Wars gaming. This video game essentially ditched the light sabre duels in favor of X-Wings, Y-Wings, and plenty of other exotic spaceships. It involved plenty of space battles, secret missions, and blowing stuff up on alien planets.
Good times, indeed.
Now, we find out Disney is making it into a movie. On top of that, they tapped Patty Jenkins, the woman who brought “Wonder Woman” to the big screen, to do it. I love everything about this. The same woman who tapped Wonder Woman’s wonder is now in charge of a fleet of X-wings. What’s not to love?
Besides, we’ve already had plenty of Star Wars content involving light sabers. Why not focus on elaborate space battles? I know my excitement for all this still assumes that 2021 will be less chaotic and more functional than 2020. At this point, assumptions like that are risky. However, I’m choosing to embrace hope and optimism once more. This past year has left my spirit broken, but I’m ready to start putting the pieces back together. These movies and shows can only help in that process.
I’m simple man. I like waking up early on Wednesday mornings, brewing a cup of coffee, and reading new comics on my iPad via Comixology. If I can, I try to do all this naked. For much of the spring and summer, this isn’t an issue. This morning, it might be a little challenging.
That’s because for the past couple of days, it’s been downright cold in my part of the world. I know that’s not major news for some people, who have already felt the shifting seasons. However, this is somewhat jarring to me.
It’s still September. Historically, September mornings have been relatively cool, but never cold. In some years, I could lounge around naked reading comics into October. I honestly don’t think I can do that today. That doesn’t bode well for the coming winter, but I’ll manage. I have comics, coffee, and sweat pants to keep me warm.
Don’t get me wrong. I still enjoy reading comics naked on Wednesday mornings. I will not ever apologize for that. I just may have to start wearing pants sooner than usual this fall. To those living in warmer climates, I hope you take advantage of that on New Comic Book day. It’s a wonderful feeling.
To assist in that effort, here is my pull list and pick of the week. Enjoy!
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!
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!
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