Every comic you've read in 2023

[Dread]

Hit Me #1: eww...no. This is just someone living out their secret kink to be tied up and beaten. Gross throughout. Seek help, Christa Faust.

Little Monsters #1: love the art. Couldn't find the will to give a shit about any of it though.

King of Spies #4: now that it's done, it might be the best thing Mark Millar has ever written. Solid.

Punisher #1: this is not the one that debuted today, but the first issue of the Jason Aaron run and it was fucking spectacular. WILD last page.

Radiant Red #1: this is the least of the Supermassive verse books as far as quality, but they're really good, so this was just sort of mediocre. I'll give it another. 

Sabretooth #2: ok, look at me. I kind of enjoy a modern X_men thing.

The Joker #13: Didn't really see the book swinging this way. Still interested to see where the story ends next issue.

Venom #6: this series is pretty great.

• Issues: 1044
• Trades: 19
• Omnibus: 4
• Graphic Novel: 15

[Missy]

On 11/2/2023 at 4:19 PM, Dread said:

What If...Miles Morales #1: a fun what if Miles Morales became Captain America. But, it looks like we're just going to do the mulitverse shit for the following issues. Oh, next he's Wolverine? Fucking great...

Oh man, I cannot wait -- and I mean CANNOT --until you get to the Thor issue.

[Dread]

3 minutes ago, Missy said:

Oh man, I cannot wait -- and I mean CANNOT --until you get to the Thor issue.

oh boy...

[Dread]

X-Men Legends #12: I got a real blast of nostalgia with the Alan Davis cover. This issue is what Kurt and Kitty were up to inbetween the Fall of the Mutants and the first Excalibur special. Decent. Scot Eaton does a fine job, but for great artists, an amazing way to highlight the weaknesses in your art is to try to ape Alan Davis' work.

Basilisk #8: ok, this is going the way I kind of thought.

Batman/Superman World's Finest #1: really fun first issue.

Blue & Gold #7: even Jaime Reyes has enough experience to know he shouoldn't hook up with these two for too long!

Batman The Knight #3: great issue. Great ending to the first mini-arc, too.

Armorclads #1: nawwww...I'm good.

Carnage #1: ok, this is good.

Eternals The Heretic #1: this was a great issue.

Black Hammer Reborn #10: good issue

Avengers Forever #4: fucking greeat issue!

Justice League #74: another great issue.

Last Book You'll Ever Read #6: I thought this was going to be the last issue. It is not.

Captain America/Iron man #5: great little miniseries.

Devil's Reign - X-Men #3: this turned around just fine.

Rain #3: great adaptation.

Devil's Reign: Villains for Hire #3: great still, but TWO big moments in this were also included in Devil's Reign #5 which is kind of a bummer.

Nyx #5: great last page.

Elektra Black, White & Blood #3: one of three stories worth reading.

Reckoning War The Trial of the Watcher: this is obviously heading in one direction very slowly, but I did like the idea that Uatu is punished by being made to watch what would have happened if he never intervened when Glaactus first came to earth.

Ghost Cage #1: nawww...

Regarding the Matter of Oswald's Body #5: excellent.

Godzilla vs. The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #1: this ain't it.

Refrigerator Full of Heads #5: excellent. ONe mroe to go.

Slumber #1: this is just Monsters Inc. for adults, and it isn't as good.

Iron Man #18: I really thought this was the last one, but there's more!

The Crimson Cage #4: good issue

Maestro World War M #2: doing the alternate character version thing right. No multiversal bullshit needed here.

My Bad #5: look, it's funny and cute, but the joke doesn't stay fresh past a few issues.

The Cimmerian Hour of the Dragon #1: wow, this is a story I'm homaging in a WIP. It's also probably the best of these little miniseries.

Maniac of New York The Bronx is Burning #4: this mini ends with a banger.

The Sword of Hyperborea #3: this is excellent.

Rogues #1: i didn't like the tone at first. Art and story give off a The Pro vibe, but then it sort of quickly swerves. I'll check another.

The Silver Coin #10: awesome.

Titans United #7: this was...fine. Of all the classic Titans villains, Blackfire never seems to bring the best out of the stories.

Swamp God #4: cool issue.

We Only Kill Each Other #5: holy shit. What an ending!

Task Force Z #6: still crazy.

Teen Titans Academy #13: good.

Mike Mignola The Quarantine Sketchbook: these are a lot of fun. He did this for most of 2020 to raise funds for that famous chef who was feeding people in need during the pandemic when shelters and soup kitchens were forced to close. There's a lot of variation. There's a fish people section. And several sections that feature a man's torso with an animal skull as a head. and even flowers and live animals for heads. Weird fun stuff. I guess this is where Giant Robot Hellboy got its start as well.

Destroyer Duck Graphite Edition: I've never read anything other than the first issue of this series. Turns out Kirby did extremely detailed pencils and Two Morrows presents them beautifully. This is the five issues that Kirby and Steve Gerber did together to raise money for Gerber's lawsuit against Marvel Comics over credit and royalties based on his creatorship of Howard the Duck. Good shit. Kirby is clearly at his most creative and Gerber is mad as fuck and kicking ass. Great run.

The Marvels Vol 1, 2: these are pretty good. The recent and mostly unacknowledged fix to the sliding time scale. Busiek tells a pretty classic Marvel Avengers story here with some new characters and the return of classic forgotten ones (the original Vision!). Decent.

The X-Cellent vol 1: X-Statix returns! Always love to see Allred's work. Don't care about the story. Probably the only artist alive I can say that about.

The Human Target #6: this is beyond good, surprising. Smart storytelling.

Venom Lethal Protector #1: kind of a throwback series. I might give it one more, but it isn't up to snuff as far as the new symbiote stories.

Until My Knuckles Bleed #3: fantastic little arc.

Wolverine Patch #1: I'ma  mark for Larry Hama Wolverine, but REALLY did not like his pull on X-Men Legends, but this is a great first issue. 

Hulk #5: this was fine.

DC vs. Vampires #6: great issue. Great reveal.

A Righteous Thirst for Vengeance #6: excellent

Dark Ages #6: this ended in kind of a fun way.

Astro City That Was Then Special: a great return to AC from the original creative team now at Image...again.

Immortal X-Men #1: I kind of liked it. I'll give it another issue or two.

Newburn #5: new arc starts. It already fucking rules. 

Radiant Black #13: great issue

Rogue Sun #2: fantastic

Something is Killing the Children #21: so happy I'm reading issues of this again. 

War for Earth-3 #1, 2: this was ok.

The Heathens #5: kind of a dry fart of an ending.

X-Men unlimited Latitude #1: this was just a fun space rescue mission with Wolverine. Enjoyed it.

Batman Beyond Neo-Year #1: pass. Awful.

Batman Killing Time #2: yeah, this is mediocre at best. I'm out.

Flashpoint Knight of Vengeance #1: this is last years sequel to Flashpoint which sort of begins here, giving an origin for the Thomas Wayne Batman but by the 100 Bullets team of Risso/Azzarello, and it's pretty delightful.

One-Star Squadron #5: this is kind of an interesting way to go with this. Four straight issues of goofy losers and then an issue of stark, bleak death.

Suicide Squad #14: Decent issue.

Apache Delivery Service #4: great ending

Firepower #18, 19: this series is still so damned good.

Devil's Reign #6: great ending.

Moon Knight #10: Having some issues with the art, but the story is great.

Project Superpowers Fractured States #1: I was worried this was a multiverse thing, but no, just a possible future thing.

Pantha #2: decent. But not sure I'll continue.

Radiant Red #2: still have issues with the art, but the story has made itself distinct from the others in the universe enough to continue.

Strange #2: interest is kind of waning here.

Spider-Punk #1: nope

The Joneses #1: what passes for one of the worst comic covers of all-time, amounts ot a halfway decent book. I'll do one more.

The Cimmerian: Hour of the Dragon #2: so good.

The Ocean Will Take Us #1: absolutely can't get past the art. I'm out.

The Thing #6: easily one of the best comic miniseries of last year. 

West of Sundown #1: tired vampire stuff, uninspired art. I'm out.

X-Men Red #1: incomprehensible dreck. Can't say I'm not trying...

A Town Called Terror #1: hmmm...I'll give it one more.

Flashpoint Beyond #0: awesome.

Break/Out #1: intriguing sci fi idea. I'll read more.

Captain Carter #2: liked the last issue, but half of this is her arguing with a young POC neighbor that is just an awful conversation with dialogue that feels like something a high school kid did in class. I'm out.

Daisy #5: so, most of this series was pretty grounded, but this one was fucking nuts and cosmic and fantastical. Not sure how well it would all hold together in a single read.

Evil Ernie #5: decent.

Immortal Red Sonja #1: lame. I'm out.

Green lantern #12: crazy good. Of course, if The Source is going to take a human form to have a conversation with someone, it should look like Jack Kirby. And it does. It looks like Jack Kirby crossed with Eternity, and that's awesome. 

Image! 30th Anniversary #1: I thought this would be inventive stories from Image creators new and old. It is in fact, a preview book for creators new only. Such a disappointment. I'm out.

Walt Simonson's The Lawnmower Man Artist's Edition: this is the entire Stephen King adaptation presented as facsimile original art pages in an envelope format. If you've only seen the movie adaptation, or somehow even weirder, its sequel, the story has nothing to do with the movie at all. It's a crazy, bizarro piece of depraved weird fiction. Simonson's art is peak here. Maybe my favourite release of the year.

Captain America Epic Collection Fighting Chance: this is almost the end of Grunewald's run, and while the stories are pretty solid (other than the storyline that this trade takes its name from) there is a ton of Image apery in the art. Pretty rough.

Last Book You'll Ever Read #7: man, I never thought they'd wring 7 issues out of this, but now I wish it was ongoing. Great series. One more to go?

Radio Spaceman #2: Great little two issue mini. Fun weirdness like the early days of Mignolaverse.

Rain #4: Sombre, beautiful.

Suicide Squad Blaze #2: Fun.

Swamp Dogs House of Crows #2: yeah, I'm still intrigued.

The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country #1: I'm intrigued enough to read one more.

The Sword of Hyperborea #4: fuck, this series rules. Talk about the Mignolaverse: this is a top 5 story in that universe. Maybe top 3.

Venom #7: great

What If...Miles Morales #2: I know Mike is excited for me to get to issue four, but after this, the only reason I'll get there is for Mike's enjoyment. This is not a What If? story or series. This is Elseworlds, and it makes no sense. Just like the stupid Doc Ock bullshit from Devil's Reign, this is just some mediocre sandbox playing. If Miles become Wolverine, his uncle becomes Sabretooth? Fuck off. I'm sure he will be Uncle Loki in the Thor one. Because THAT makes sense.

X-Men '92 House of XCII #1: you know, this was kind of fun. Probably because I'm amking my way through the animated series again, but it is certainly more readable than other modern X-books.

Batman/Superman World's Finest #2: really fun.

Batman The Knight #4: great issue. I guess this "Anton" character is someone who pops up in the Bat-books to get Bruce Wayne back for something? Seems DC is incapable of coming up with new villains that have any substance in favour of those from our heroes' childhoods.

Blue & Gold #8: Great ending.

Night of the Ghoul #6: great ending.

Refrigerator Full of Heads #6: great ending.

The Nice House on the Lake #8: Good issue, but I really have to wonder if they ever get anywhere in this story.

Black Hammer Reborn #11: great issue

Hulk #6: I'm intrigued.

The Collector Unit 731 #1: funny to read this right after plotting a WIP about 731...and receiving the trilogy of films about it. Man...if you thought the Nazis were bad, the Japanese TRULY defied the natural order and became evil with this shit. It's true too. Except this story isn't. I'll read more. My main character isn't American, so maybe it will work out.

Justice League #75: kind of weak actually.

Teen Titans Academy #14: same as above

Blood Stained Teeth #1: decent first issue. Not too interested in vasmpires right now, but I'll do one more. Interesting premise.

Rogues #2: decent.

Carnage #2: fucking great.

The Joker #14: man, this is all leading to a pretty fucking spectacular last issue, I imagine. Hope it lives up to my expectations!

• Issues: 1168
• Trades: 24
• Omnibus: 5
• Graphic Novel: 16

[Dread]

Amazing Spider-Man #1: ok, this is the Zeb Wells/JR Jr run, and I thought I'd give it a shot. The last time I tried to read monthly SM books, he was the CEO of his own tech company. That isn't SM to me. SM is a guy whose life is the shits and being SM is the only thing he can do to escape it. And even that sucks sometimes. This issue was perfect for that. Great establishing of the status quo and brilliant art.

Knights of X #1: haha! No!

Newburn #6: so fucking good.

Punisher #2: still fucking great.

Rogue Sun #3: pretty decent.

Sabretooth #3: I'm out. 

Starward #1: definitely not for me.

Something is Killing the Children #22: still great.

Archer & Armstrong Forever #1: was really looking forward to this, but the tone...yuck.

A Righteous Thirst for Vengeance #7: This series rules.

Avengers Forever #5: the only place Marvel seems to be doing the Multiverse right these days.

Dogs of London #1: I'm intrigued.

Fire Power #20: excellent

Flashpoint Beyond #1: this is great.

Giant-Size X-Men Thunderbird #1: not very good.

Iron Man #19: great issue

Maestro: World War M #3: pretty solid.

One-Star Squadron #6: this ended up being a treatise on how the world treats people who don't know what they're supposed to do with their lives. Lost weirdos. I loved it.

Project Superpowers Fractured States #2: this was ok. I'll give it one more.

Radiant Black #14: great issue.

Spider-Man 2099 Exodus; Alpha: this was a decent start

Suicide Squad #15: also decent

The Panic #1: interesting first issue. I'll do one more.

Task Force Z #7: this is just fine. I'm getting over it.

Blood Syndicate Season One #1: not the best, but I'll do one more.

Bunny Mask: The Hollow Inside #1: really enjoyed this.

Captain America: Symbol of Truth #1: did not like this at all until the last few pages. I'll do another. 

Cold Iron #1: nope. I'm out.

Crossover #13: holy shit. This is fucking nuts.

Eight Billion Genies #1: What an incredible idea. All of a sudden, everyone on earth gets their own personal genie that gives them one wish. This issue basically covers the first 8 seconds of that happening. Haha! Wild stuff.

G.I.L.T #1, 2: this was incredibly clever. A feminist time-travel comedy. They don't even tell you what the name means until the last page of issue one, and then they alter the logo for issue two.

Grim #1: this was ok, if a little typical. I'll do one more in case I've got it wrong.

Hulk Vs. Thor Banner of War Alpha: this was...fine.

Moon Knight: Black, White & Blood #1: I guess I just REALLY don't like Hickman anymore. Only one decent story in this one.

Suicide Squad: Get Joker! #3: crazy good.

The Cimmerian: Hour of the Dragon #3: oof...they didn't bring this one home. So wordy and talky which is not what you're supposed to get in a Conan story.

Swamp Dogs: House of Crows #3: solid issue.

The Joneses #2: ok, this turned good.

The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country #2: fuck, this is great.

Dark Crisis Special Edition #0: A fun little Flash story as a prelude to the crossover event.

Vampirella Strikes #1: not good. I'm out.

Break/Out #2: this rules

What If...Miles Morales #3: this was solid. A real What If... story finally! It isn't a very good one (partially because we see no effects; the best part of WI? is seeing what the Marvel universe looks like after this change. Still, beats the lame Multiverse nonsense they've been trying in this book (that I'm sure is coming back around) because if the new Marvel tells me anything, these characters are all going to team up for some incomprehensible adventure.

Elektra: Black, White & Blood #4: this had two good stories. Not the best mini.

A Town Called Terror #2: this premise goes all the way back to the first comic book project I ever tried to get off the ground. It is also pretty good.

Batman/Superman World's Finest #3: fun!

Immortal X-Men #2: that's enough for me.

I Hate This Place #1: this is a great first issue.

DUO #1: oh...so I guess that there won't be any new version of Xombi in the new Milestone universe, but I guess maybe this is it.

Nyx #6: funny ending. Wasn't expecting that.

Rain #5: great ending to a great miniseries based on a great novella. Haha

Batman: The KNight #5: this series is great.

Black Hammer Reborn #12: great last issue.

Savage Avengers #1: Conan is back with a new team of misfits and this time they're going back to the Hyborian Age! I am so fucking down.

Thor #25: great continuation of the Hulk/Thor thing.

Sun Eater Act 1: nahhh...not for me.

Venom Lethal Protector #2: This is nowhere near as good as the other Venom stuff going on. I'm out.

Wolverine Patch #2: this is a lot of fun.

X-Force #28: nope, I'm out.

DC vs. Vampires Hunters #1: this was fine.

Task Force Z #8: I've pretty much liked this series from the start to varying degrees, but this is the best issue of the run. Basically the Bat-family has to stop Red Hood but he's only distracting them from his undead Task Force Z's activities.  Good stuff. Smart and funny thorughout while still being serious and intense. Great example for comic writers.

Teen Titans Academy #15: I read this and finished it with tears in my eyes. Chupacabra meets his Uncle Jorge who is very obviously an analogue for George Perez and it's a truly beautiful single issue story that pays tribute to one of the founders.

Hulk #7: also part of the Hulk/Thor thing. This last page is something we've never seen before. At least not in a What If issue.

Blood Stained Teeth #2: this is turning into something quite good.

Devil's Reign Omega: great ending.

Hellboy and the BPRD Night of the Cyclops: fun little story

Moon Knight #11: still great.

Legion of X #1: man, it should come as no surprise that I found this to be unreadable. I'm at the point now that I actually think it's weird that so many people like this new X-Men status quo because I can't imagine a world where I like it.

Newburn #7: Fucking fantastic

Punisher #3: Holy shit, this series is wild.

Radiant Red #3: good. Easily the worst of the Supermassive stuff now.

Rogue Sun #4: this is second best of three of the Supermassive universe. Haha!

Someone is Killing the Children #23: still great.

Spider-Man 2099: Exodus #1: man...this is lame.

The British Paranormal Society #2: Pass on anymore of these. Too "cozy" for me. 

The Collector: Unit 731 #2: decent second issue.

Amazing Spider-Man #2: ok, Zeb Wells, you've got me on the hook. I'm in.

Last Book You'll Ever Read #8: given where the story was going, this ending isn't a surprise at all. I still really liked it. Right up my alley.

Justice League: The Road to Dark Crisis #1: It is kind of nice to see Nightwing mentoring Jon Kent.

The Nice House on the Lake #9: fucking ABOUT TIME. That's all I'll say. The world of this series is crazy.

A Righteous Thirst For Vengeance #8: this fucking ruled.

Avengers Forever #6: so good.

Carnage #3: Fucking excellent.

Fire Power #21: great issue

Ghost Rider #3: good issue

NewThink #1: I think this was a oneshot. I hope so, anyway.

Strange #3: this was solid.

The Closet #1: man, Tynion is the new Bunn. The guy has a million little indie horror series along with his Big 2 work and most of them are good. This one is.

The Phalanx: I oneshot homaging Youngblood, basically. It isn't very good. Shocker.

X-Men '92: House of XCII #2: man, the stench of Krakoa pervades everything, including this series, unfortunately. This was the last X-book I was reading. Was being the operative word.

Where Starships Go to Die #1: woof. Almost unreadable.

That Texas Blood #14: this fucking ruled. 

Skybound Presents Afterschool: this is an anthology series of oneshots. This one is a cool little horror/sci fi thing about an alien dog written by Benson and Moorehead. Decent.

Bunny Mask The Hollow Inside #2: great.

Justice Warriors #1: goofy dumb fun.

A Town Called Terror #3: snail's pace this plot is.

Project Superpowers Fractured States #3: this was...fine.

Blood Syndicate Season one #2: another example of not vibing with this modern Milestone stuff. Plenty of the old ones still to reread for me, anyway.

The Sandman Universe Nightmare Country #3: this rules.

Nyx #7: this also rules. Would NEVER have guessed this story direction in a million years.

A Calculated Man #1: interesting first issue.

Flashpoint Beyond #2: I LOVE Thomas Wayne Batman.

Captain America Sentinel of Liberty #1: ok, I'll give it another.

Dark CRisis #1: awesome. Can't wait for more.

Aquaman Andromeda #1: not for me.

Do a Powerbomb #1: ok, I'll do one more.

GILT #3: still good.

Thor #26: this is freaking nuts. I love it.

Hulkling& Wiccan #1: Just can't get past the art.

Multiversity Teen Justice #1: this was kind of fun. This is the Teen Titans of Earth 11 (the one where the male heroes are female and vice versa).

Grim #2: hmmm...if I read another, it will be a mercy.

Dogs of London #2: I'm not sure if this book knows its supernatural in nature or not. I mean, none of the characters seem to realize it. I'm still intrigued.

Iron man #19: ok, this was also good.

Savage Avengers #2: fuck yes.

Radiant Black #15: great issue.

Jane Foster & The Mighty Thor #1: I'll do one more of this. Not my favourite tone.

Amazing Spider-Man #3, 4: this has quickly become one of my favourite Spider-Man runs. It's certainly the best run in probably 20 years. Romita Jr. is doing the work of his career on this book.

Moon Knight: Black, White & Blood #2: not very good. One ok story.

Seven Sons #1: intriguing. I'll do another. I enjoy the art, but I wish Jae Lee did more than the covers.

The Rocketeer The Great Race #3: fun!

The Cimmerian Hour of the Dragon #4: good ending.

Venom #8: this is fucking nuts.

What If...Miler Morales #4: hooo boy....I almost didn't make it past page two. However, they stopped presenting the narration in rhyme after those pages, but the book remained as obnoxiously annoying throughout. Can one walk out of a comic book? I almost did.

Astronaut Down #1: wow, this was cool.

Batman/Superman World's Finest #4: good issue

Aquaman/The Flash: Voidsong #1: intrigued. Two characters I wouldn't go to normally, but I'll stick around.

Beware the Eye of Odin #1: not my favourite art, but the story is intriguing. I'll do one more.

Batman The Knight #6: fucking fantastic.

Bone Orchard: The Passageway: wow. incredible graphic novel.

Black Adam #1: great first issue.

Blood Stained Teeth #3: I think I might be done with this one. Didn't upset me or anything, but I just kind of find it boring.

Dark Crisis Young Justice #1: I didn't like Young Justice the first time around and didn't really enjoy this I might skip the rest.

DUO #2: man, this is pretty great. Still bummed there won't be a Xombi in this new version of Milestone, but this is a consolation.

I Hate This Place #2: still pretty good.

Maestro: World War M #4: great issue

Moon Knight #12: this might be the worst issue of the run so far. Still halfway decent.

Moth Hill #1: intriguing first issue.

New Fantastic Four #1: oh this is a fun little treat.

Newburn #8: officially the best comic book of 2022. HAS to be.

Punisher War Journal Blitz #1: fantastic. Truly a great era to be a Punisher fan. First Rosenberg restored the character to prominence and now this insanity. Love it.

Radiant Red #4: this has definitely improved. I'm even coming around on the art.

Rogue Sun #5: this one kind of slipped, but the end of this issue is fantastic.

• Issues: 1312
• Trades: 24
• Omnibus: 5
• Graphic Novel: 16

[Dread]

Something Is Killing the Children #24: still great

The Collector Unit 731 #3: fuck, this broke really interesting. Right up my alley

The Joneses #3: this is the best issue of the bunch thus far.

The Lonesome Hunters #1: Wow! This is right up my alley. The same stuff I am currently writing.

The Silver Coin #11: still knocking out dingers

A Righteous Thirst For Vengeance #9: for a series that has spent 8 straight issues with intense pot-boiling pressure and danger and violence. This one is a mostly silent issue with the guy being nice to the kid. That's it. One sequence has them watching somone make shrimp tacos for them and it's one of the best scenes in comics in years. Beautiful.

Captain America Symbol of Truth #2: this was fine. I might drop it.

DC Vs. Vampires: Killers #1: terrible art. Couldn't follow the story for the life of me. After a few pages, I stopped trying that hard.

Eight Billion Genies #2: such a unique and fun/crazy idea. And they're doing a great job, which is difficult given my dealings with the artist in the past.

Hellboy and the BPRD: Old Man Whittier: this was fine.

Mindset #1: not for me.

Public Domain #1: this was another shocking surprise. A great comics-themed drama.

Sins of the Black Flamingo #1: wasn't into this, and then I was into it at the end. I'll give it another.

Task Force Z #9: surprised this is still going actually. It's still good.

Wolverine Patch #3: Man, it's so weird that Larry Hama wrote this miniseries (which is fucking excellent and thrumming with the beats and storylines of Hama's old Wolvie stories, by then he wrote his X-Men Legends story and it was so awful. Very weird.

The Last Days of Black Hammer Chapter 1, 2: what a great way to tell this final story. I love it.

Justice League America annual 8: this from 1994 is the next on the chopping block for my Patreon exclusive podcast. May have already counted this when I first reread it weeks ago, but I've since reread it two or three times, so I'll count it once again.

Amazing Spider-Man #5: so fucking good. 

Daredevil #1: ok, this is fucking nuts. So, Daredevil is the leader of the Fist, and Punisher is now leader of the Hand. That's a thing that's going to happen soon right?

Absolution #1: another sci fi thing that can't get off the ground. The art is beautiful, but I find that so much of what passes for humour in modern comic books is just pop culture-aware snark and it makes me seethe when I read it. haha! I'm out.

A Town Called Terror #4: I don't need any more of this.

Astronaut Down #2: holy shit. This is crazy. I dig it.

Dark Crisis #2: fuck...this is batshit.

Avengers Forever #7: man, this is good.

Dark Crisis Worlds Without a Justice League: Superman #1: didn't quite understand all of this. Thinking I'll drop all the tie-ins and just read the main series, because it rules and I haven't found a tie-in I like yet.

Basilisk #9: still good

Dogs of London #3: ok, now we're talking.

DC vs. Vampires #7: pretty good.

Captain America Sentinel of Liberty #2: this is good.

Flashpoint Beyond #3: this ruled

Carnage #4: ehhh....not the best issue.

Man Goat & The Bunnyman: Green Eggs & BLAM! #1: dumb fun. I'll read more.

Moon Knight #13: I fucking DUG this. Though I felt the reveal of the assassins to be weird considering this is their first appearance.

Deadbox #3: ugh...I'm out. I think there's only one more, but now there isn't.

Naughty List #1: ok, this is a crazy premise and I fucking love it. I'll read the others and probably talk about it on the Christmas episode.

Fire Power #22: great issue.

NewThink #2: oh boy...nothing to do with the first issue other than a parable tale. I'm out.

Jane Foster & The Mighty thor #2: this isn't getting to the goods fast enough. I'm out.

Punisher #4: still rules

Ghost Rider #4: fun

Savage Avengers #3: rules

Man Goat & The Bunnyman: Bunnyman Birthday Bash: this is the story right before the first issue of the one I just read and this was ENTIRELY described in one line of dialogue in that issue, so...waste of time.

Rogues #3: ok, now we're on to something!

Multiversity Teen Justice #2: and....I'm out!

The Army of Darkness vs. Reanimator: Necronomicon Rising #1: meh...I'm probably done here too.

Project Superpowers Fractured States #4: this was pretty cool.

Savage Tales #1: a halfway decent anthology.

Suicide Squad Blaze #3: man, nowhere near as good as the first two issues. Shitty ending.

That Texas Blood #15: still good.

The Joker #15: great ending.

The Panic #2: and I'm out.

Aquaman/The Flash: Voidsong #2: I'm not upset Barry Allen came back. I'm upset that everyone seems to write him as Wally West without the baggage. 

Batman/Superman: World's Finest #5: this was solid.

The Closet #2: great issue.

Batman The Knight #7: ok, I don't know if it's the mood I'm in, but I cried like a baby reading this. Also, this issue (which features young Bruce Wayne learning from Zatara) definitively explains why Batman doesn't use magic. Brilliant.

There's Something Wrong With Patrick Todd #1: this is right up my alley.

We Are Scarlet Twilight#1: I'm going to pass.

Bunny Mask The Hollow Inside #3: great

DUO #3: also great.

What If...Miles Morales #5: good lord, how awful.

A Calculated Man #2: I am no longer interested.

Strange Adventures #1: this has a very similar vibe to their Mr Miracle series. But, since this book at least isn't in a nine panel grid, I'll check out more, mostly for Gerads' art.

AXE Judgement Day #1: Haha! That saved me the trouble of reading anymore.

Black Adam #2: this fucking rules.

Do A Powerbomb #2: I was NOT feeling this issue until the last page. It worked.

Hellboy and the BPRD: Time is a River: boring.

Iron Man #21: Man, was ANYONE as jazzed about this IM book as me when it was coming out? It rules.

Maestro: World War M #5: ehh...not the best ending, but the series was good overall.

New Fantastic Four #2: lots of fun.

Moon Knight: Black, White & Blood #3: one good story, and, sadly, it isn't Nocenti and Raffaele's. Moon Knight doesn't belong in space.

Rogues' Gallery #1: interesting. It kind of combines the film FANBOYS, a heist, and toxic fandom. 

Nyx #8: are they just going to kill all the demonspawn now?

Seven Sons #2: ok, I'm bored. I'm out.

Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings #1: I'll pass.

Skybound Presents Afterschool #2: Oh, I get it, these are weird versions of after school specials with a horror bent. This one ruled. Should be a movie.

The Brother of All Men #1: crazy, a comic book about the cult that existed an hour away from me (and a hundred years ago) which was a plan of mine at one time. I've visited the community this issue is set in and where it leads. This is admittedly a better angle than I had yet to come up with. I'm super intrigued. 

The Joneses #4: only one issue left? WTF?

The Lonesome Hunters #2: I love this.

The Rocketeer: The Great Race #4: this was a fun adventure

The Silver Coin #12: another great story.

A Righteous Thirst For Vengeance #10: well, damn...

Amazing Spider-Man #6: ok this is a fun story, but I have to say that Ed McGuinness is a big step down from JR Jr. And the story we've been following is still in play. I get that it's the legacy issue 900, but the regular story is more interesting.

Ant-Man #1: pass.

Blink #1: I have no idea what's going on, but I dig it.

Beware the Eye of Odin #2: and with that, I'm done. Art is too cartoonish for me.

Suicide Squad #6: great issue.

Creeping: a terrible graphic novel. That awful doll face art of characters that are supposed to be people but just look hollow and static.

Florida Man #1: pass.

Gambit #1: this is kind of fun.

Genis-Vell: Captain Marvel #1: *snore* pass. Peter David rarely ever did it for me, but he isn't doing it for me here.

Naughty List #2-4: ok, I loved everything about this series except its lack of an ending. Come on, man!

I Hate This Place #3: best issue yet.

Public Domain #2: I love this book. With this and New-born, Chip Z'Darsky is really nailing it.

Radiant Black #16: good issue

Radiant Red #5: GREAT ending.

Rogue Sun #5: pretty damned good ending.

Sins of the Black Flamingo #2: it gets one more to keep me coming back.

Something is Killing the Children #25: good stuff

Strange #4: ok, best issue yet.

The Collector: Unit 731 #4: great ending.

Superman: Space Age #1: there are few artists with styles as electric and exciting as Mike Allread (beautiful colors by his wife Laura as always), but I found a lot with this story to dislike, so I won't be continuing.

Task Force Z #10: god this series is grotesque. haha! I dig it.

Cold Bodies: man, Andrea Mutti had a busy 2022! Their style must be something they can dash off pretty quick. Not too many young artists can do two graphic novels and three miniseries in a single year. This is one of those GNs. I was really into it, but found the ending kind of dumb.

The Sandman universe: Nightmare Country #4: fuck, this rules.

The Sensuous Frazetta: this book has a lot of Frazetta's cheesecake work. Book covers, men's magazine illustrations and his less saucy but still brilliant romance comics work. The romance comics in particular are presented here in original inks as well as colors, and man the colors did his work really dirty. 

Ant #4: this is...fine. I'm only reading it because it's Erik Larsen. 

Vampirella Year One #1: no thanks.

Basilisk #10: great

Venom #9: crazy. So wild.

Wild Cards: The Drawing of Cards #1: it's been a while, but this feels pretty faithful to the book so far.

Dark Crisis #3: ruled.

Wolverine Patch #4: great

DC vs. Vampires #8: good issue.

Ghost Rider #1, 2: I've read issues 3 and 4 already, but didn't realize I'd skipped these. I thought I just didn't remember them. haha! These make a lot of sense now. 

Frankenstein New World #1: ok, I'm intrigued.

Flashpoint Beyond #4: so fucking good.

Oriignal Sins: the interesting things that happen in this story happen before this starts.

• Issues: 1429
• Trades: 26
• Omnibus: 5
• Graphic Novel: 18

[Dread]

Ghost Rider #5: rad.

Golden Rage #1: ok, I' intrigued. I'll do one more.

Iron Man #22: I really didn't think they'd be able to pull this story for so long without it getting dull. 

Moon Knight #14: great

New Fantastic Four #3: this is fun as hell. The artist even does a mean Art Adams.

Project Superpowers Fractured States #5: ugh...five issues to end on an eye roll.

Sacrament #1: Missionaries in 2999 on a space ship. Great ending to the first issue. I'll do more.

DC vs Vampires All Out War #1: meh.

Sword of Azrael Dark Knight of the Soul #1: the only Azrael I've ever read was when he was Batman. I have zero desire to read a comic that's so basic with a religious nutjob as the lead. I'm out.

DCeased War of the Undead Gods #1: lame. I'm out.

Dark Crisis Worlds Without a Green Lantern #1: terrible. Didn't even finish it.

The Closet #3: goddamn. So fucking moody. Best issue yet.

Black Adam #3: amazing issue.

That Texas Blood #16: fucking incredible issue.

The New Champion of SHAZAM! #1: love the Doc Shaner art, but don't give a shit about the story. I'm out.

DUO #4: good issue

The Vineyard #1: ooohhhh...wine folk horror...

Eight Billion Genies #3: this is crazy fun.

Canary #1: spooky western by Scott Snyder? Ok.

Amazing Spider-Man #7: oh, I love this series, but I really hope Tombstone isn't gone.

Astronaut Down #3: this is kind of predictable, but I feel like normies would love it as a TV show.

Captain America Sentinel of Liberty #3: I did not expect an origin for the creation of Cap's shield to be so convoluted and messy.

Hellboy and the BPRD 1957: Falling Sky #1: fantastic.

20th Century Men #1: ok, this didn't light me on fire, but I'll give it one more.

Ghost Rider Vengeance Forever #1: fun.

Avengers 1,000,000 BC #1: fun and weird.

Love Everlasting #1: not for me.

Aquaman/Flash: Voidsong #3: kind of a delightful end.

Batman The knight #8: this probably could have been two issues shorter when this is all said and done. We all knew where it was heading. Still good, though.

Predator #1: well this was kind of rad.

Punisher #5: still great.

Justice Warriors #2: too silly for me.

The Deadliest Bouquet #1: is this just a group of girl bosses in a crime thing? I'll do one more.

There's Something Wrong With Patrick Todd #2: this is super-intriguing.

X-Men Legends #1: YES! This story tells what happens between Wolverine 181 and Giant-Size X-Men #1, and it's only the first part, but it's excellent. Wolverine teams up with the Living Diamond (super obscure X-character; he's the criminal who was using Cyclops when Xavier found them. Dave Wachter doing that original Wolverine costume with the whiskers? Man...so good. Can't wait for the next issue.

Batman: One Bad Day: the Riddler #1: this is way more GN than comic book, but it's fucking amazing. One of the only stories other than that LOTDK arc from the early 90s where he was forcing Batman to...that's a spoiler. Anyway. Incredible.

Batman/Superman World's Finest #6: excellent. Batmand and Superman find Robin in the timeline working at a circus in the 1800s. Because of course!

Canary #2: they keep skirting the supernatural issue. I still don't know if that's the case. But I dig it.

Criminal Macabre: Spirit of the Dead: this definitely is a GN and it isn't very good.

Cloaked: another GN, this time a Batman pastiche that is pretty close to a finished novel I have, but mine is better. It's still good. I find Mike Richardson's stories (he's the publisher of Dark Horse) to be a little rudimentary.

Daredevil #2: I'm always a little weary when DD involves the supernatural. Other than The Hand and their resurrections stuff, of course. But I think this is being handled pretty well. 

Entropy #1: no thanks.

Do a Powerbomb #3: not the best. I'm out.

Fire Power #23: this fucking rules.

Heart Eyes #1: this is a pretty great first issue. I'm intrigued.

Hulk #8: wow...so THAT happened.

Lady Hel #1: woof. No thanks

New America #1: I knew how this was going to end by page three and I still liked it.

Savage Avengers #4: fuck, this rules.

Strange #5: I did not see that coming. Fun team-up between Clea and Moon Knight. Not what I was talking about in the first sentence. Hell of a cliffhanger here.

Tales of the Human Target #1: wow...the first series was the best comic book I'd read in ages, and this one was difficult to finish. Too many artists, too scattered a story. Bummer. I'm out.

Task Force Z #11: great issue.

The Last Shadowhawk #1: blech!

The Brother of All Men #2: not as good as the first one, and it's clear by the cliffhanger, that this leaves historical territory from here on out.

The Silver Coin #13: holy fuck. Best issue yet. Brilliant and shockingly terrifying.

Trve Kvlt #1: I did not expect this to go where it did. I am down.

Ant #5: about as good as it ever is.

Amazing Fantasy #1000: some good stories, some not good stories. Typical. 

Blink #2: good, not great. Not interested enough to continue.

Break Out #3: bored to tears. Only one issue left and I'm still quitting.

Gambit #2: excellent first issue. Dogshit second. That tells me this should have been a four issue series rather than five. I'm out. No time for this stuff anymore.

Dogs of London #4: this ruled. One more? Goddamn. There better be some shit raining down in that issue. Willing to bet there will be. 

Moon Knight Black, White & Blood #4: have ANY of these been positive in the average? Probably not. Yikes. No more anthology books (other than horror). I'm talking about the Big 2 here. All of them, from DC Voices to Black, White & Blood, they are more dogshit than readable basically as a rule at this point. I won't waste my time any longer. Editorial needs a shakeup or something. There has to be SOME gatekeeping.

The Joneses #5: I honestly didn't think they would stick this landing, but they sure did it pretty awesomely. I'm impressed and will be checking out a volume 2 if it comes.

Wendigo vol 1 In the Company of Wolves: great first part of two graphic novels. European but set in northern Canada. 

Thunderbolts #1: I was ready to throw this away, but the first issue was very good. I will say Devil's Reign is the smartest and coolest street-level event in Marvel's history. It's got men interested in a  lot of characters I don't care about based on its aftermath. 

The Sandman Universe Nightmare Country #5: fuck, this is good. Flashback to the "Cereal Convention" here. Fun!

Wild Cards The drawing of Cards #2: extremely faithful adaptation of the first book thus far.

Batman: Dear Detective #1: Lee Bermejo's story told in pinups. The story unfolding is kind of fun, but obviously much of the art has nothing to do with it. "Hmmmmm....How can I finally get a bunch of unused covers I've done into print?" is what happened, methinks.

Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #4: great.

Flashpoint Beyond #5: fucking excellent.

All-Out Avengers #1: ok, really fun.

Antioch #1: pass.

Basilisk #11: let's do this. One more to go!

Ghost Rider #6: excellent.

Captain America Sentinel of Liberty #4: was looking to drop this, but man, what a killer issue. A top ten favourite Cap moment in it. Man fucking reasons with an android programmed to kill him. Incredible. 

• Issues: 1502
• Trades: 26
• Omnibus: 5
• Graphic Novel: 21

[Missy]

Martian Manhunter
Detective Comics #280-326
House of Mystery #143-173
- These stories cross several genres. From crime to superhero to mystical to sci-fi to spy thriller, and it's an interesting but uneven look at one of my favorite comic book characters. It's clear DC Comics wanted to keep J'onn fresh for new and old audiences alike, but his popularity never quite stuck. Which leads us to...

Adventure Comics #449-451
World's Finest Comics #245
- These stories bring J'onn into The Bronze Age with slightly tweaked origins and more violent tales.

Martian Manhunter #1-4 (1988)
Set firmly post-Crisis, J'onn seeks the truth about himself as he's haunted by H'ronmeer -- the Martian God of Death and Fire. Solid introspective tales.

Martian Manhunter: American Secrets #1-3
J'onn fights lizard people in the 1950s as he pushes against conformity post-World War II. It's written by a diddler. Skip it.

Martian Manhunter Special
Pure 1990s wank.

Martian Manhunter #0, 1-36, 1,000,000 (1998)
And, lastly on the J'onn J'ones train for 2023, his first ongoing series. It starts out weird: #0 to Annual #1 t0 #1,000,000 then to #1. You can skip the annual, but #0 and 1,000,000 do set the tone for the whole series. Though I was into this run, we needed more time in J'onn's past. We're given hints of his time as Bronze Wraith and John Jones, but those eras are never fully explored. So when we're asked to care about people from those eras of J'onn's life, it's all surface level. Tom Mandrake is why you pay the price of admission, however. He's on 90% of the issues and he's bringing his best Gene Colan to the table.

Moving on from my favorite Martian:

Doctor Who #1-2 (1984)
Only the Meep stories, read to coincide with the first 2023 Doctor Who special. They're fine.

X-Men Blue: Origins #1
No spoilers in case people still haven't read this, but oh man oh man oh man. Marvel finally did it!

Total for 2023: 837

[Dread]

Definitely missing some over the past few weeks, but this will be my last tally (unless I remember what I'm missing). Overall, I read a lot more this year than the past few years. 

The X-Cellent: Unsocial Media: this is it. The end of the Milligan/Allred X-Statix story. Fantastic. 

Danger Street vol 1: holy fuck this rules. 

• Issues: 1502
• Trades: 28
• Omnibus: 5
• Graphic Novel: 21