Crushing Krisis

Comic Books, Drag Race, & Life in New Zealand

comic books

Crushing Comics includes definitive comic book guides, essays about characters and titles, collecting strategies, comic reviews, and more!

Crushing Comics S01E068 – Rick Remender’s Fear Agent + The Impermanence of Information

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I begin today by musing on the ephemeral nature of the vast amounts of information we publish daily in this digital age. How will the archeologists and historians access all of this data, and what will they think of it?

After those deep thoughts, I unwrap the pair of library editions of Rick Remender’s Fear Agent. My memory of the plot of this modern take on sci-fi pulp is a bit dim, but I share some of the history of the series as related in  and attempt to explain why I don’t love this series.

Want to start from the beginning of this season of videos? Here’s the complete Season 1 playlist of Crushing Comics.

Episode 68 features Fear Agent Library Edition Volume 1 and Volume 2 from Dark Horse Comics. These editions are about to get very scarce, as Rick Remender has moved the publishing rights for this series back to Image Comics!

Crushing Comics S01E067 – X-Men, Vol. 1 & Ed Piskor’s X-Men: Grand Design (+ My Origin Story)

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This episode is all about humble beginnings.

First, I share a story about my t-shirt, Philly, and how I became comfortable performing on stage and in front of the camera thanks to a connection to a relatively new super-star, as I’ve related in the past.

Then, I unwrap the legendary first volume of X-Men’s classic Silver Age run by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Roy Thomas, and Werner Roth! Is this volume still worth reading now that you can simply read Ed Piskor’s terrific summary in 40 pages in X-Men: Grand Design #2?

Want to start from the beginning of this season of videos? Here’s the complete Season 1 playlist of Crushing Comics.

Episode 67 features the X-Men Silver Age Omnibus, Vol. 1. For more information (and details on how to collect this run other than in its hard-to-find omnibus), see my Guide to Silver Age X-Men.

From The Beginning: Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman (1989), Issues #5-8

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Tonight’s discussion wraps up the first arc of The Sandman (1989) with issues #5-8, which include three issues of Dream trying to out-maneuver the psychopathic Dr. Destiny to regain control of the Ruby, and the all-time classic introduction of Death.

In this run, Sandman quick delves from suspense in issue #5 down to the depths of horror in issue #6 before widening its scope in issues #7 and 8 – first to the expanse of Dream’s kingdom, and then to the very concept of death and existence.

Read on for my thoughts on each of these issues, or listen to our full discussion above. FanGirl and I have had an amazing time discussing Sandman’s first arc these past few weeks. We’re going to break from Sandman to refocus on Black Panther for the month of February, but we’ll happily return to Sandman if you demand it! [Read more…] about From The Beginning: Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman (1989), Issues #5-8

Crushing Comics S01E066 – Women of Marvel Omnibus (+ Who are your idols?)

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I reflect on my idols growing up and ask about yours. Are they people that you know, or celebrities you’ve never met? Afterwards, I unwrap the Women of Marvel Omnibus (apt, since all of my idols are women) and explain why it’s one of the best and most-overlooked Marvel omnibuses.

Want to start from the beginning of this season of videos? Here’s the complete Season 1 playlist of Crushing Comics.

Episode 66 features the Women of Marvel Omnibus, which contains key issues of Tigra, Night Nurse, Black Widow, She-Hulk, Monica Rambeau as Captain Marvel, and more!

Back Issue Review: Black-Eyed Kids, Lady Mechanika, Warframe, and more!

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Welcome to another week of Back Issue Review! In this post, I share my capsule reviews of comic books I read that were not newly-released this month.

My reading this week was entirely focused on non Big Two comics (that means no Marvel and no DC) and largely on checking out books with women protagonists I hadn’t read before.

This post includes reviews of:

  • Black Cloud (2017) #1-2
  • Black-Eyed Kids (2016) #1-15
  • Bonehead (2018) #1
  • Dread Gods (2017) #1-2
  • God Complex: Dogma (2017) #1-3
  • Interceptor (2016) #1-5
  • Justice League (2016) #22-24
  • Lady Mechankia (2010) #0-2
  • Maxwell’s Demons (2017) #1
  • Morea (2017) Vol. 1
  • Paper Girls (2015) #11-15
    (AKA Volume 3)
  • Reactor (2018) #1
  • The Realm (2017) #1-4
  • Rose (2017) #1-4
  • Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose (2000) #1
  • Void Trip (2017) #1-2
  • Warframe (2017) #1

Unfortunately, most of those weren’t very good, but I did come away with a pair of new favorite titles, plus one I enjoyed but couldn’t commit to because we’re from such different worlds. [Read more…] about Back Issue Review: Black-Eyed Kids, Lady Mechanika, Warframe, and more!