1: TMNT Journeys 2 - IDW

 

            TMNT Journeys is the fourth volume of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles by Turtles creator, Peter Laird with art by Jim Lawson that started in 2001 and was never finished despite the last issue ending on a cliffhanger. Oddly enough, the final issue, #32 released in 2014 almost a full year before #31 came out. Can’t tell you why that’s the case, but personally, I’m delusional enough to think that these reprints will be the shot in the arm that Laird needed to wrap up the run.

            I’ve been trying to not choose reprints for these picks but the original Mirage issues of this TMNT series are so scarce that it’s new to most people anyways – to my memory, I don’t think I’ve seen any of the originals in the wild, which is a shame because they’re a lot of fun. This one has Michelangelo waking up in a flying ambulance surrounded by mutant adjacent characters/superhero types and a Professor X pastiche who was introduced in the first volume. Meanwhile, the rest of the turtles attempt to refurbish a van that was abandoned in the depths of the sewers.

            Jim Lawson artwork alone might be enough to get this one to my number #1 pick slot but when you add in some classic Laird storytelling to go with it, there’s almost no comparison.

 

 

2: Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum #3 - DC

            Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum is a limited series that’s somewhat off kilter when compared to more traditional Superman stories from the writer and artist of Ice Cream Man at Image Comics. I love Ice Cream Man, it’s a great series that’s Twilight Zone adjacent for fans of both the show and the new comic from IDW and while I wouldn’t necessarily call this horror, it does have a somewhat unsettling tone in its homage to silver age comics with a modern twist.   This Black Label series focuses on Superman employing the help of Batman, along with other heroes throughout the series in order to help him figure out how the different colors of Kryptonite affect the Man of Steel. The Kryptonite tested in this issue makes Superman younger, so naturally he’s paired with Billy Batson/Shazam. They get lured into an amusement park and sinister hijinks ensue.

 

            I’ve been enjoying this series quite a bit and as always, it being a limited series makes it much easier for my withered attention span. It’s only five issues so now is a great time to jump onboard especially with the ending of this one!

 

 

 

3: Amazing Spider-Man: Torn #1 - Marvel

 

            During last week's picks, I voiced a bit of frustration at the current status quo of Spider-Man over at Marvel but I have fond memories of the first half of J. Michael Straczynski’s run on Spidey from the early 2000s (funny enough, the parts of his run that I dislike are mostly because of editorial mandates at that time that’ve stuck almost 20 years later) and the college era of Peter Parker is one of my favorites, so I thought I would try this one out. 

            The first issue and the series as a whole is centered on Pete’s relationship with Gwen, Mary Jane and Harry Osborne before he becomes the Green Goblin and their time at Empire State University. I think a lot of Spider-Man fans will enjoy this series because to me it felt like a breath of fresh air and a return to a time that was unsullied by retcons and annoying editorial decisions.

 

Straczynski recontextualizes a lot of the issue around the 50 years of history that’s taken place since this spot in the original Amazing Spider-Man series but not in a way that is cumbersome to new readers. Same with the last pick, this one is a limited series albeit three issues instead of five, so it’s a low commitment read for anyone that hasn’t been a huge fan of ASM in recent years

 

Honorable Mention : House of Mystery Limited DC Collector’s Edition C-23 Facsimile

 

Reprints of Neal Adams, Wally Wood, Berni Wrightson, and Alex Toth art. Need I say more?