This past couple of months, I’ve experimented with making video reviews of comic books on my YouTube channel, Jack’s World. I wasn’t sure if this was going to be a regular thing, but it does seem to have found an audience. So, I wanted to share some of those reviews on this site.
Here’s my review for Jean Grey #1.
Here’s my review for Jean Grey #2.
Here is a playlist of reviews for Ultimate Invasion.
Filed under comic book reviews, Marvel, YouTube
By now, I think everyone should be fully recovered from their Christmas festivities. Depending on how festive things got, your place might not be entirely clean. Kids and adults alike can make a hell of a mess when they’re excited on Christmas morning. I know this because I’ve made quite a few messes over the years.
Whatever the state of your holiday hangover, today is a momentous day of another kind. It marks the final New Comic Book Day of 2021. For comic book fans, that’s often noteworthy for a number of reasons. The end of the year often coincided with preludes, epilogues, and teasers for what’s to come in the next year. It’s also a chance to look back on everything that happened in the past year and just appreciate it.
Now historically, the last New Comic Book Day of the year has been fairly light in terms of noteworthy releases. You almost never see major milestone issues or the end of major events on this week. More often than no, a lot of filler issues get released this week and that’s perfectly fine. Not every week can be a blockbuster release.
Personally, I’ve often used this week to look back and see which comics or collections are worth adding to my collection before the new year begins. In the same way this week tends to be light on major issues, the first couple months of the new year tend to have major releases that are poised to set the tone. I’m already saving my money accordingly.
For this week, though, I’m content to enjoy the post-holiday afterglow with a simple stack of comics. They don’t have to blow my mind. They just have to help me relax and appreciate the conclusion of another holiday season. For those still recovering from the festivities, I hope this final New Comic Book Day does the same.
Here is my final pull list and pick of 2021. Enjoy and here’s to an awesome 2022.
The Joker Presents: A Puzzlebox #14
Filed under Jack's Quick Pick Comic
When you love comics as much as I do, every New Comic Book Day feels special. Thanks to digital comics through Comixology, waking up on Wednesday morning often feels like Christmas. I get out of bed, grab my iPad, and see a nice collection of new comics to enjoy with my morning coffee. It’s nothing short of heavenly.
However, there are some days that are objectively more special than others. The New Comic Day before Christmas definitely qualifies. This year, the calendar has been extra generous. Today, I get to enjoy a nice batch of new comics. Three days later, it’s actual Christmas. That’s almost too much joy for me to process.
On top of that, comic publishers tend to release extra stuff before Christmas. I think that’s largely a result of many writers, editors, and artists traveling for the holidays. It usually means the week after tends to be pretty light. That only makes enjoying this particular New Comic Book Day more vital.
There’s just something inherently special about reading comics under the light of a Christmas tree. It’s enough to make me feel jollier than Santa himself. In recent years, it has become one of my favorite holiday traditions. I encourage all my fellow comic fans to give it a try. Christmas is already special. Adding comics to the mix only makes it better.
To that end, here is my rather lengthy pull list for this week, as well as my pick. Whatever you’ve got going on today, take some time to really appreciate this day. It’ll make the act of reading comics, as well as the holidays, even more special. Enjoy!
The Last Avengers Story: Marvel Tales #1
Ms. Marvel: Beyond the Limit #1
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #6
X-Men: The Trial Of Magneto #5
Filed under Jack's Quick Pick Comic
In general, I’m not a fan of cold winter weather. If I had enough money, I’d spend the bulk of my winters in a place with a tropical climate where I don’t have to dress in layers. I’ve just lived through one too many ugly winters in my life.
That said, I do really enjoy the winter aesthetic during the holidays. For me, the ideal holiday environment involves some light snow on a cold morning while I sit within the light of my Christmas tree. Nothing feels better than waking up early on this mornings, curling up on my couch with some blankets, and just soaking in the ambience.
Add New Comic Book Day to the mix and it’s nothing short of paradise. As I type this, it is freezing cold out. This might be the coldest morning we’ve had in my area since February. I’m wearing layers and covered in a thick blanket, but I’ve also got my cup of coffee, my iPad, and my Christmas tree in the background. I challenge anyone to find someone as content as I am right now.
If you’re dealing with similar weather right now, I encourage you to use New Comic Book Day and holiday decorations to both warm yourself up and enjoy the winter aesthetic. If you already live in a warm climate, then just enjoy reading comics in your underwear and try not to rub it in.
Whatever the weather or aesthetic, it’s New Comic Book Day. It’s a prefect day to enjoy that special contentment that comic fans know and love. Here is my pull list and pick to help inspire such contentment. Enjoy!
Red Sonja: Black, White, Red #5
Star Wars: The High Republic #12
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #124
Filed under Jack's Quick Pick Comic
Over the course of my life, my love of comics has evolved a great deal. Some of that was just due to pure logistics. When I was a kid, I couldn’t wake up on Wednesday mornings and just dive into my pull list. I had to wait until my comics arrived in the mail and even then, they didn’t always come on time. It wasn’t unusual for a comic that was supposed to come out on Wednesday to not arrive until Saturday.
I don’t miss those days. I don’t know a single comic fan who does.
Then, I lived near a comic shop for a while. That allowed me to keep up better. I would often schedule my day, be it work or class, around when I’d get to a comic shop and how much money I would be able to spend. That was often the most exciting part of my day. Sometimes, it was a distraction. I remember many classes and work days in which I was not fully focused. I was too eager to see what happened with my favorite comics.
Now, thanks to digital comics and Comixology, my love of comics feels like it has achieved its final form. I no longer have to leave my house. I don’t even have to put on clothes. I just wake up, grab my iPad, and download my latest round of books. I don’t even have to leave my bed. It’s a damn good feeling and it has allowed me to really embrace everything comics have to offer.
I’m no longer bound by what a shop has in stock or by which series offer subscriptions. Thanks to digital comics and New Comic Book Day, entire worlds are literally at my fingertips. Over the past couple of years, I’ve only come to appreciate this access even more. It makes every Wednesday morning a true joy and being able to read comics under the light of my Christmas tree just makes it even better.
I say all this to just acknowledge how much digital comics have improved my life as a comic fan and I am deeply thankful for that. Those who never had to live with the agony of waiting for comics in the mail will never know the same rigors I once endured and I would never wish that upon them. We should still be thankful, so please keep that in mind as I share my pull list and pick of the week. Enjoy!
Death of Doctor Strange: Blade #1
Giant-Size Black Cat: Infinity Score #1
Grimm Universe Presents Quarterly: 2021 Holiday Special
Superman: Son of Kal-El 2021 Annual #1
Filed under Jack's Quick Pick Comic
The week after Thanksgiving is often bittersweet, especially if your stomach is still recovering. Between going through all your leftovers and starting on Christmas shopping, at least for those who try to be proactive around the holidays, it can be exhausting. If you had to travel at any point, then that just compounds everything. That’s often why the week after Thanksgiving is often a week of recovery.
How we go about recovering varies from person to person, but as a comic book fan, New Comic Book Day has always been a big part of that process for me. Even though this year wasn’t quite as stressful as others, especially when compared to last year, Thanksgiving was still a stressful time, but for all the right reasons. By now, I’ve finished all my leftovers. I’ve digested all my meals. I’ve done all my Black Friday shopping. I am ready to get back into the swing of things.
A nice batch of new comics on a Wednesday morning just makes that process easier. It’s not just a direct result of awesome comics to start my day, although that is a big part of it. It helps get me back into my routine, of which New Comic Book Day is often built around. Regardless of any holidays, Wednesdays are often special in their own right. It’s a weekly treat that ensures I always have something to look forward to. I hope other comic fans feel the same way and experience the same joy.
Even if you’re done with Thanksgiving and ready for Christmas, the first New Comic Book Day after Thanksgiving can act as the final desert of sorts. It can also help get you into the full holiday spirit with Christmas coming in just a few weeks. In terms of a holiday treat, what more do you need? As always, I’m providing my pull list and pick for the week. Reading them on an full stomach is optional, but encouraged. Enjoy!
Death of Doctor Strange: Spider-Man #1
Detective Comics 2021 Annual #1
Hellboy: The Bones of Giants #2
Red Sonja 2021 Holiday Special
X-Men: The Trial Of Magneto #4
Filed under Jack's Quick Pick Comic
When you love comics as much as I do, every New Comic Book Day feels special. It’s a magical time of week and thanks to digital comics through Comixology, waking up on Wednesday mornings is like waking up on Christmas. It’s a wonderful feeling, getting out of bed and downloading a fresh batch of comics to go along with your morning cup of coffee. It helps make every Wednesday special in its own right.
That said, some New Comic Book Days are inherently more special than others, albeit indirectly.
The Wednesday before Thanksgiving has always been special to me. Even before the days of digital comics, it was often the day when I began my Thanksgiving preparations. That usually meant cooking deserts for the family or helping out with relatives arriving from out of town. No matter what it entailed, I always found a way to fit new comics into the mix and somehow, that always made it more special.
That’s very fitting in so many ways. This is the time of year where we step back, count our blessings, and give thanks to the things we value in our lives. I certainly value the friends, family, and loved ones I share this day with. I’m also deeply thankful for the joy that New Comic Book Day brings every week and today, I want to convey that gratitude to everyone who makes it happen.
To the writers, artists, editors, and tech people working at Comixology, I sincerely thank you. On behalf of comic fans like me, we are grateful for everything that you do for us. In that spirit, here is my pull list and pick for the week. Hopefully, it helps everyone work up an appetite in preparation for Thanksgiving tomorrow. Enjoy!
Symbiote Spider-Man: Crossroads #5
X-Force: Killshot Anniversary Special #1
Filed under Jack's Quick Pick Comic
Every now and then, we have one of those weeks that just feel so busy, hectic, frustrating. The reasons vary, but the feeling is often the same. Everything just seems so stressful from the moment you wake up until the moment you fall back into bed.
Naturally, a lot of those weeks tend to coincide with this time of year. The holidays are fast approaching. People are making travel plans, preparing Christmas lists, and organizing how they’ll carry out the festivities. Add work, school, and an ongoing pandemic to the mix and it’s a hell of a shit storm. It’s also weeks like this that help us appreciate New Comic Book Day even more.
When I was in college, this was often the time of year when a lot of projects were due. It was also when the professors often gave us tests and quizzes to make sure we didn’t coax through the holidays. It made for quite a few restless nights and I don’t know how I could’ve managed without new comics to look forward to. I even had a special stack of comics that I would often go back to when I just needed to decompress from it all.
The contents of that stack has changed over time, but every New Comic Book Day has given me a way to supplement it when necessary. For the past couple years, it has definitely been necessary. I get the senese we all need an escape more than usual and for me, new comics are a tried and true method that works. They also help ensure the stress of weeks like this don’t dampen my holiday spirits.
As of this moment, I am in the middle of one of those stressful weeks. I suspect I’m not the only one. As rough as it is now, rest assure we’re halfway through. Let New Comic Book Day help you make it to the weekend, knowing a nice holiday feast awaits us next week. To assist, here is my pull list and pick for the week. Enjoy and hang tough!
The Joker Presents: A Puzzlebox #12
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #5
Filed under Jack's Quick Pick Comic
We’re getting to that time of year in which easy to get stressed out. Once Halloween ends, everyone’s focus turns towards the holidays and the end of the year. Even if you’re not big on holiday festivities, it’s hard to avoid the impact on everyone around us. People aren’t just contemplating Christmas lists. They’re thinking about travel plans during Thanksgiving, Christmas parties, and family gatherings.
I love all of those things. I’ve already made major travel plans for the holidays this year. After being unable to leave my home state last year, I’m eager to make up for it. I don’t deny it’s stressful, but that’s exactly what I value New Comic Book Day even more this time of year.
Today is going to be a stressful day. This week is going to be stressful. This whole month is likely to be stressful in so many ways, some of which have nothing to do with the holidays. However, that feeling I get when I wake up early on a Wednesday morning, pour myself a cup of coffee, and read my new comics on my iPad is still as relaxing as ever. For just a brief moment, I’m as content as I’ll ever be during any time of year.
If you’re a comic book fan, I hope you all experience something similar. For the next couple of months, we’ll all need that more than usual. Don’t let the stress of this time of year damper your holiday spirit. Let a new stack of comics soothe you as only awesome comics can.
To that, here is my pull list and pick for the week. Relax and enjoy!
Deadpool: Black, White & Blood #4
Rick and Morty: Corporate Assets #1
Filed under Jack's Quick Pick Comic
The following is a video from my YouTube channel, Jack’s World. This video is my spoiler-filled review of Marvel Studios’ “Eternals.” I’m well-aware that this movie was quite divisive among fans and critics, but I never let that sort of thing keep me from appreciating a movie, nor should anyone else. This is just my opinion of this very bold, very different kind of superhero movie. Enjoy!
Jack Fisher's Official Publishing Blog 