Author: matthewephotography@yahoo.com
Image credit: IDW The time has come for the Federation to meet and discuss plans for the many beleaguered civilizations under its jurisdiction. However, the diplomatic situation may not be as easy as Captain Sato expects. Especially since it took over 20 years to get there, but only a few months have passed inside the transwarp bubble. This issue feels like a classic Trek episode. The emphasis is on dialogue and diplomacy, with many worlds conspiring in different ways. Despite the emphasis on character interactions, the involvement of so many races and worlds (helped by the diplomatic map of the…
Image credit: IDW The crew of the spaceship Godzilla is captured and trapped by the enemy (Kycilians). As Ayan survives a seemingly deadly crisis and learns who her grandmother and supposed friend Rohan were working for, more revelations emerge. But is everything as it seems? And will the crew be able to escape the clutches of the Sirians, who threaten the safety of thousands of innocent lives? What a problem this was! I love this Western style, and its atmosphere and themes have echoes of Cowboy Bebop, Firefly, and Guardians of the Galaxy. This is a very smart use of…
Image credit: Victor Costa Alex disembarks in London and changes his appearance several times as he arranges housing and a place to conduct his research. But whatever Alex is trying to find is attracting the attention of someone or something very dangerous… The art in this first issue of Otherkin has an unmistakable Hellboy-esque vibe. The story, which focuses on supernatural and magical creatures that clash with urban realism, also recalls the comics of Mike Mignola (comics such as Alan Moore’s legendary Swamp Thing and Garth Ennis’ Hellblazer have also been cited as influences by the Ozarkin author). It’s told…
Image credit: IDW Comics Slash returns to take on Michelangelo as the Battle Nexus itself threatens to tear the multiverse apart. Will Michelangelo and the Turtles prevail and save the multiverse itself? This issue can’t help but feel a little rushed, with some plot points that feel as if they suddenly appeared out of nowhere before resolving the story. It’s a shame that the climax isn’t given the same downtime as the previous issue, considering how well-paced the rest of the series is, despite the seemingly all-action premise. It feels like there’s at least one monumental thing going on here,…
Image credit: Marvel Comics The original, turn-of-the-millennium Ultimate Spider-Man was known for its stress-free pacing. An early famous example of this style had Peter Parker using his newborn spider senses to evade cars in multiple panels, devoting an entire page to doing so. The same can’t be said about the “new” Ultimate Spider-Man (at least the new one released in 2024). There’s a ton of content in this second issue (just like the first), with Peter testing out his newly acquired abilities, appearances by the Green Goblin and Shocker, and even more time spent with Ben Parker, JJ Jameson, and…
I still feel guilty. On Heavy, it becomes even more dangerous. Currently available on Kickstarter, the 28-page first issue by Trevor Fernandez-Lenkiewicz and artist Ryan Best, with lettering and design by Matthias Zanetti, centers on Andrew Atlas, a cook who is forced to investigate the supernatural disappearance of his younger brother, whom he abandoned in foster care 16 years ago. As the world’s collective guilt reaches a breaking point and people begin to disappear, Atlas must confront the weight of his past. Blending existential dread and raw emotional introspection, Heavy asks who really bears the burden of shame and whether…
Image credit: Valiant/Acclaim Acclaim’s first original series after acquiring Valiant in the mid-’90s, Troublemakers was a pretty good run, especially considering the ’90s aren’t remembered very fondly for strongly character-driven comics. The Troublemakers weren’t afraid to touch on some pretty controversial topics, like teenage sex and terminal illness in childhood. Issue #12 brings up the topic of gun violence, but rather shockingly, one of the team of super-powered teenage heroes dies before the first page even begins. Then there will be an investigation into what exactly happened, who was responsible, and why. The police interrogation is a bit clunky, the…
With this crowdfunding roundup, Beat wanted to try something new. What better way to do that than to feature Kickstarter’s annual “Zine Quest” in this week’s Top Picks? Check it out below. One Night Worlds: TTRPG ZINE Collection Creator: Brian Hazard (Writer/Creator)Goal: $500End date: February 26, 2026Merchandise: Get Tales of Clockwork & Chaos, Terminus X7Z, The Fires of Chaterra, and In Alleys Dark for $12 each. One Night Worlds Omnibus ($28 for paperback, $35 for ONW Zine Bundle, $50 for Supporter Bundle at higher levels, etc.). A collection of four one-shot tabletop role-playing zines One Night Worlds is perfect for…
Magnetic Press and Oni Press have teamed up to release two graphic novels by animator and artist Jonathan Djob Nkondo, Peaceful Remission and Wandering, via Kickstarter. Today, The Beat can exclusively reveal the upcoming project and the cover art for both books. Nkondo is known for his work on Scavengers Reign, League of Legends, and Love, Death & Robots. Peaceful Remission and Wandering explore many of the same ideas and aesthetics. Both of these sci-fi graphic novels are set in the future, but each has a very specific perspective on what the future looks like. This is the cover art…
Image credit: IDW Comics Splinter is back from the dead, but how did he come back? And why? Yes, this is a very brief overview by my standards. But there are so many exciting reveals in this issue that it seems foolish to reveal more than necessary. I’m not happy with the Turtles’ sudden detective work to figure out who Splinter has been transforming into since his return, but I can’t find any other faults, although one or two sequences suffer a little from relying too much on exposition. The information revealed here is great, the artwork (by the always…