Spider-man: Across the Spider-verse (2023)

June 1, 2023

Holy crap. I’m till reacting to it. I’m literally typing while sitting in the theater. That was amazing.

So much happened. It started off similarly but differently. Things went fast after the main characters got reintroduced.

I’ve missed these worlds so much! Miles and Gwen are as wonderful as ever. A little time has passed for them. The voice cast in general was amazing, I certainly can’t wait to scroll through the entire cast and see how mm voices I missed. And of course, the same goes for when I will be able to pause the movie and look at EVERY SINGLE spider-person in this movie, because, wow. I did my best to recognize many of them, but it was quite a lot. Some are definitely ones I was happy to see.

The story has a lot of heart as we would expect from a sequel to the first movie. Family and life and love and just all of the important things are a web throughout this movie for all the characters.

There is happiness and darkness and laughs and just so much of everything you would want in the movie. The first movie was just the first step into a larger world. This one was the next few steps. I can’t wait for Beyond the Spider-verse comes at us next year. But until then, this movie will certainly last for multiple viewings.

Glorious. And of course I have to mention the art and how it blew me away. Everywhere we went and everything we saw and hear was just visualized beautifully. You must see this in a theater.

I loved this movie. And it didn’t feel long, in fact, when it ended, I was like noooo! Haha. Speaking of the ending, it was a bit of a surprise.

Mid-credit scene: Of sorts.

End-credit scene: Nope, didn’t really need it.

The Little Mermaid (2023)

May 25, 2023-

So, it was a great movie. Since it’s been a long long time since I’d watched the original, I had to remember the plot points as the movie went on. Some I remembered some I saw as new and others I re-remembered.

The visuals were amazing as you’d expect. The underwater sequences were very well done. The music was fantastic of course. And there were a couple beats that were defo Lin-Manuel Miranda’s. I saw someone say online that they thought his additions to lyrics were distracting and I know I thought that about the songs that were changed in the Aladdin live-action movie. But here, I didn’t hear the additions as much so I didn’t mind it at all.

The actors all did wonderful jobs in their roles. Halle Bailey was brilliant as expected. Jonah Hauer-King, the actor who played Eric was great too.

The plot was pretty much as you’d expect with a couple little tweaks here and there. All-in-all, I had fun watching this iteration of this story.

Mid-credits scene: Nope

End-credit scene: Nope

May 10, 2023

Joker has his own team to compete with Batman Inc. Harley continues to break the multiverse. Hal got a new run as part of the Dawn of DC, and also part of that is the new title of Spirit World. I think this may be a new arc for Vader, but not sure. Gwen is continuing to have clone problems. While Ghost Rider is having brother problems. Valkyrie wants to talk with Frank. Logan and Hank’s conflict continues. X-Men Red is back post-Sins of Sinister. I can’t actually remember what’s happening in Iron Man. This Daredevil issue is post-the big plan against The Hand. This ASM issue will seemingly shed some light on what’s been going on with her before and during this arc, I think with that family she just kind of acquired. This Captain Marvel issue is the end of this arc and the penultimate issue of this run. Extreme Venomverse could be like what Edge of the Spider-verse and Web of Carnage or Cult of Carnage are for their respective characters, or just some kind of pre-event miniseries, not sure yet. And Silk has a new run!

Covers below.

Ok, when I saw this Danger Street cover I had to get it because it’s just a funny cover! It’s a Darksied cereal box! I don’t get the White Knight series, but This was a great cover by Mirka Andolfo. Waiting on the second copy of this Harley multiverse miniseries issue since it’s an homage. I just liked this Green Lantern cover, nicely done. And the Spirit World cover is just cool looking.

This is the next of the Disney 100th anniversary covers. And again, when I get them all I’ll make a post detailing which covers these are paying homage to.

This is a nice Romero cover.

The next Iron Man Hall of armor cover.

These are the next what if?-type Spider-verse covers. I wont get them all, just the ones I like or of characters I like. Had to get Riri for that character collection. And Look at the Storm cover! That detail!

And true-to-form, here’s another Reilly window shades cover.

I love the A cover for this issue. I think I decided to make an orange cover collection or something.

Peach Momoko doing awesome work as always.

I don’t always get Derrick Chew covers, though they are always great, but I liked how he drew Electra in this.

I am SO happy that we’re getting another set of InHyuk Lee’s AAPI covers. The first set from a couple years ago were, and still are, some of my favorite cover designs I’ve ever seen. There will be more in next week pile. I still want to get that first bunch slabbed. Though, I now have a box full of issues I want to get slabbed, but I will have to do it slowly since it’s expensive. It will certainly take like a decade to get through the box.

Free Comic Book Day (May 6) 2023 haul

May 6, 2023 – Well, it would have been on the 6th if I’d have gone. But I didn’t feel like going out that day. I normally go to Beyond Comics for FCBD but I didn’t want to go all the way out there this time. And I knew I’d have some at my store. So when I picked up these piles I also got some of the FCBD comics. Though not all of the ones I wanted, I still need to look for the couple that my store didn’t have. But hey, I got an unexpected poster, haha.

Comics and poster below.

May 3, 2023

It’s been another one of those times where I’ve behind on reading. I’m not even done with issues from April 26th yet. So again, I’ll be guessing at these issues.

I’m happy that Ivy got more issues. This is the 900th issue of the Batman title! I actually hadn’t noticed that this Peacemaker run was Black Label. As I am still not done with the previous week’s pile, I’ve not gotten to catch up with all the titles that I had to pause on for the past few weeks. But when I get to this pile, I’ll have been caught up and can read those titles normally again (at least until the next event has delayed issues in it). Shazam has a new run in this new DC era.

Lando is the subject of the next ROTJ anniversary one-shot. Yoda and Grievous seem to face off in this Yoda issue. This Doctor Aphra issue is one of those in-between story arc single issues, so I have to get it between getting the volumes. Oh, though, I am caught up on all the Star Wars volumes I had to get done before starting the Crimson Reign event. So, that’s some progress. This Spider-Man issue is the first after the End of the Spider-verse event ended, though when I first saw this issue, I didn’t know that the title would continue past the event. Groot has his own prequel comic, set before he joined the Guardians in the comics. There’s a new Edge of the Spider-verse run. Immortal X-Men makes a return as the Sins of Sinister event ended in April. And the Sons of X is the first one-shot that is leading up to the last (?) arc of this Krakoan age, The Fall of X. We got the next issue in Demon Wars. And we also got the first Cult of Carnage pre-event issue. Cult of Carnage seems to be a title they bring out similar to Edge of the Spider-verse to precede and/or conclude an event of the relating title. And here is the first issue of the Carnage mini-event that is happening through a couple issues of three or so titles.

This is just another of the Spider-verse variants of characters who are not spider characters as if they were. I’m not actually sure why I got this cover beyond it being a Dauterman cover and I just enjoy this design of Wanda, but if that’s all it is, that’s fine. The MMPR/TMNT variant issue is just because I liked the colors and the use of white space in front of these dino versions of the Rangers.

And that window shades variant is here because I’m confused as to why it (and another one from before this) exists. I’ve been getting the window shade covers by Reilly, and I thought he was the only artist doing this theme, but it seems that this artist, Nauck, has done at least two or three of these covers. And it’s just odd that all but two or three of the window shade covers is one artist. If they were switching over to Nauck from Reilly I’d get it, but Reilly is still making them too.

This framed design theme is part of this run, and I’m not getting this title, but I really liked this 2099 Carnage design and the way it was drawn here.

This is the first of the connecting covers by Taurin Clarke! I was so excited to see that he was doing a connecting cover for this mini event!

This is the first movie poster cover that seem to be continuing for this run.

These are almost all the covers for this Demon Wars issue. The other three are incentive covers. I really hope they let her make an omnibus of all these stories that Peach makes for this universe of hers. I already have the library edition of her first run with Demon Days. I hope they do the same for this one.

A lovely cover of baby Groot by Momoko.

Another amazing Frison cover.

And here’s the next Artgerm cover for Batman.

April 2023 Late Issues 3

The MTG and She-Hulk issues are there just because I needed second copies of each.

The Guardians one-shot is there because I read the issue with the variant cover I got last time and thought I might as well have it since it didn’t seem to be set in some other timeline of universe.

The Batgirls variant was there last time but it had a bit of damage on the cover so I thought maybe get another one but it’s already out of print. So, I decided to keep it.

And the SW Insider issue is a foil variant that I’ve had in my box for a few weeks while I slowly take some of those magazines since they’re expensive to pick up all at once.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)

May 3/4, 2023

First of all, it was great to see all the movies back-to-back. Love marathons! Though I wouldn’t have minded the Christmas special too. What a fun 8 hours XD

Wow. That was a fantastic movie. So much happens. You feel the 2.5 hours but in a good way.

As he promised, this focused on one while also on everyone else. And for good reason. As with the other Guardians movies, this had all the heart you want with all the action and laughs you crave.

As usual, all the cast did amazing jobs. And it balanced all the characters well I thought. I will miss seeing some of these characters in the future. The chemistry is just perfect. The new characters were great and the returning ones were wonderful.

The story dives straight in and keeps on going throughout the movie threading through everything. Some parts move fast so you have to keep up and others give you time to breathe. Both are balanced throughout the movie.

The movie kept me guessing with the fate of people. Till the end I was wondering things. There were easter eggs and references and cameos from the other two movies and technically from the Christmas special too. It was all such fun.

I really enjoyed Volume 3. I can’t wait to see it again!

Mid-credit scene: Yes. Regarding what’s to come in the future. So excited! I didn’t expect that character to be THAT character. Looks like fun, can’t wait for more of them.

End-credit scene: Yes. A bit more heart with a reference to one of the other movies. And then, we’ll see. Then just a message.

April 26, 2023

A lot of final issues this week.

First final issue is Blue Beetle. Next is finally the Lazarus Planet Revenge of the Gods issue, which means I can finish the actual LP event issues and then start the Dawn of DC era issues! Green Arrow started a new run for this new ear of DC. I’m excited for Deadpool, Daredevil, Thor, Doctor Strange and Iron Man. Their stories are getting good. We got a Guardians one-shot that seems to be set during the last run for some reason. Finally we have the last MJ and Felicia issue, so I’ll be able to catch up on ASM after this. Strange Academy ends with this issue, and one of the things that I have to read before starting last week’s issues is the first run of SA and then the issues of this run. So it’s nice timing that I started before getting to the last issue. Wasp is also ending its limited series. I’ve enjoyed seeing Nadia again, I hope we see her again soon. And the final final issue is this Hulk run has come to an end. With the next run starting in a couple months. Star Wars got a Black, White and Red treatment for Vader, I’m very excited to read this and be in awe of the art. The next issue of Cold War dropped. And the Sins of Sinister event has ended.

I think my next post will be after I see Guardians Vol. 3! ^__^

Covers below.

Y’all known I love legacy covers, and this just is simple and fantastic.

I’m happy that Oliver is getting a new run. It’s been a while since his last one. And of course, I’m always happy to see more of Red Canary.

I forgot to take the photo of these together, so eh. But here are Nakayama’s covers for the week. I love his color bleed covers.

Apart from special issues like gatefold covers or double or triple gatefold covers, or foil covers etc., this is probably one of the coolest covers I have. A glow in the dark cover. And it’s just so well done. The glow is great and I love that the DC logo also glows.

The next of the HoA covers.

Oh, wow, I was about to type that I got this for the legacy theme of the cover, but I forgot completely that this is also an anatomy cover. Ha! Well, there we go.

Another amazing Doctor Strange cover by Alex Ross.

And I think these are the last Alex Ross Timeless covers. So, I’ll have to check on there when I get them all together when I’m next sorting variant covers. If I have some I’ve missed, I’ll try to get them. And either way, when I have them all, I’ll take a photo of them all together and then each individually (I think it’s 36 covers or something). I can’t wait!

April 19, 2023

I haven’t started these issues yet, I have other issues to catch up on before starting these. I hope to start these on Sunday night or maybe Tuesday.

I assume the silent tales includes comic stories with no words. This is the issue of Static that has Ebon appear for the first time. Conner Kent’s Superboy title started. This is the first Flash issue back after the One-Minute-War. This is the end of this DCeased run and of this trilogy of DCeased titles. This Wonder Woman issue is the second and final issue that is part of the Lazarus Planet event. The next issue of Hitomi finally arrived. She-Hulk got its 175th issue. Frank gets a visit from The Avengers in Punisher. This was the penultimate issue of the Sins of Sinister event. Adam Warlock got a special, which makes sense since this was two weeks before Guardians Vol 3 comes out. And finally, the Avengers Assemble event (and this run of Avengers) comes to an end.

Covers below

Always happy for Conner covers, and since he has a title again, I have to be selective. This was was the choice because of all the mash-up Easter eggs for various DC characters and real-life bands all over the cover. Can you spot them all?

Two more wonderful Nakayama covers!

Another fun Nightwing cover! Love this post card spinner-rack design.

This is the last homage variant for the DCeased title. And since it’s done, when I get to sorting my variant covers, I’ll look up what this run of DCeased was paying tribute to.

This will be added to my Mary Marvel character collection. Though the line-work and coloring on Diana is amazing.

More Jen Bartel’s of course. I completely didn’t notice that this was issue 175 for She-Hulk when I ordered it, so hopefully, I can get another copy from my store. And I almost didn’t notice that this Sana cover was a Bartel cover when I was ordering, glad I caught it!

This is the next connecting cover for SoS.

Here is another glorious wraparound cover featuring many of the main Avengers characters in this event. I still wish they’d have had the Savage Avengers title tie into this event. I thought that’s why they brought back the title so quickly after the previous amazing run ended, but nope.

And of course the next Alex Ross Timeless variants.