#ssalefish

Story and Visuals The first read through I did, I read it as a shallow narrative. And if you do that, well it doesn’t make a lot of sense. The verbiage is poetic in nature and obscure in its descriptions. Lucien, the librarian, is acting as narrator along with the visual story telling through the first half of the issue.

The prominent character in this narrative is Dora. I love Dora, she is rebellious and crass, but also shows fragility and puts her insecurities on display. No one knows who or what Dora is, not even herself, and so she acts out against the “order” of things. The book is constantly hinting at more, but hasn’t revealed much else outside of the Dreaming world is crumbling. The pacing is strong and the page turning reveals are masterful.

I’m a big big fan of the visuals. There is a LOT of content to portray panel to panel, but it does a great job of depicting the complexity of the shot without over exerting your eye-holes. 

The movements of characters are flawless and their differentiated silhouettes are complimented with minute changes in pose, such as how one carries themselves, do their shoulders slump? Are they relaxed or taught with tension?! I personally love the lounging of Balam after a good...uhhh...tussle. (Sex, it was sex.) 

Do I think they made this book accessible to those who haven’t read it before? Uhh, they might have tried... Do I think it’s easy to pick up having never ready anything Sandman before? No. Should you still read this issue? Yes! Of course! First of all, I wouldn’t be so great working for a comic shop and me telling you not to come pick up a book, but in all seriousness, I still enjoyed reading it. I went back a did a little digging just for my own sanity, but on a surface level this book is still an interesting read. You do however have to read the Sandman Universe that came out before this that introduced all the new series if you haven’t picked up Sandman before.

So, action items to take away from today’s meeting. Read Sandman Universe, pay me $25 dollars. Can everyone do those two things?! Good. Let’s do the ratings.

Ratings: Overall 7/10 - I’m a big fan of this art and color. I’ll admit, scanning through the book is a little hard to do, so you have to devote a quiet minute to this one. And even then, it could be a little confusing... Page Turners 8/10 - Great page reveals! Adds to the overall pacing of the story and allows the reader a sense of “discovery” that I think gets lost in a lot of titles. Butts 4/10 - Not a crazy amount of butt, but a good chunk of hunk for ya. Chances of Picking Up the Next Issue: 9/10 - This is one of the books that I have been looking forward to since I learned about it. I’m invested in Dora now, but there are a few other titles in the Sandman Universe that have piqued my interest!

Thanks for making it this far everyone! As a reward I’m going to remind you of our Ssalefish comics exclusive variant cover for the Umbrella Academy releasing in October! Read the previous update for more information.

Action Comics #1002 - choice of Patrick Gleason, David Mack, and Francis Manapul covers!

Amazing Spider-man #4 - Chris Sprouse Return of the Fantastic Four variant available!

Aphrodite V #2

Avengers #6

Avengers Back to Basics TP

Batman Beyond #23

Batman Kings of Fear #1

Beasts of Burden #1 - like BPRD, but prettier, and with doggies & kitties!

Bedtime Games #3

Betty & Veronica Vixens #9

Big Trouble in Little China Old Man Jack #12

Black Hammer Age of Doom #4

Black Hops USA G.I. #2

Black Panther #3

Britannia Lost Eagles of Rome #2

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 12 Reckoning #3

Cold Spots #1

Curse Words Summer Special #1 - illustrated by the amazing Joe Quinones!

Damage Annual #1

Daredevil #607

Days of Hate #7

Deadly Class TP vol. 7

Dejah Thoris #7

Detective Comics #987

Die Die Die #2 - the Robert Kirkman & Chris Burnham surprise series drop is back with more mixed up variant shenanigans!

Ducktales #11

Flash #53

Flash Rogues Captain Cold TP

Giant Days TP vol. 8

Hack Slash Resurrection #10

Hit-Girl #7

Hunt for Wolverine Mystery in Madripoor #4 - final issue!

Jughead the Hunger #8

Justice League Dark #2

Li'l Donnie HC vol. 1

Labyrinth Coronation #6

Legend of Korra TP vol. 3

Life of Captain Marvel #2

Lumberjanes #53

Marvel Super Hero Adventures Inferno #1

Mega Man Mastermix #3

Mike Hammer #3

Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur #34

Mother Panic Gotham AD #6

Mr. & Mrs. X #2

Obliv18n #1

Old Man Hawkeye #8

Old Man Logan #46

Planet of the Apes Visionaries Rod Serling Original HC

Punisher #1

Quantum & Woody #9

Rasl TP vol. 1 - one of the best sci-fi comics of the millennium, written & drawn by master cartoonist and Bone creator Jeff Smith! Just $9.99!

Raven Daughter of Darkness #7

Red Sonja/ Tarzan #4

Redneck #14

Regular Show 25 Years Later #3

Royal City #14 - final issue!

Scooby Doo Team-Up #41

Sentry #3

Sex Criminals TP vol. 5

Shadowman #6

Shanghai Red #3

Silencer #8

Sonic the Hedgehog TP vol. 1

Soulfire #2

Star Wars Darth Vader #20

Star Wars Doctor Aphra #23

Suicide Squad Annual #1

Teen Titans #21

Terrifics #7

Thrilling Adventure Hour #2

TMNT #85

TMNT Bebop & Rocksteady Hit the Road #2

Venom #5

Venom Along Came a Spider TP

Venom Dark Origin TP

Wakanda Forever Avengers #1 - final issue!

West Coast Avengers #1

Witchblade #7

Wonder Woman #53

X-Men Gold #34

Visuals & Story Alrighty! I find myself once again in a situation where I know OF the Fantastic Four and a lot of their adventures, but I’ve never actually read their comics until now.There is a short recap at the start, and you don’t really need any prior knowledge of the team to read this book. It is essentially picking up after Reed and Susan go missing at the end of Secret Wars, not to be confused with Marvel Comics Secret Wars, or Secret Wars 2. Comics...am I right?

I had a LOT of hope for this book at the beginning. As a reader, we were being reintroduced to lovable, quirky characters. You could feel the warmth and the hope radiating from the pages, and when they were hit with the deep dread of realizing that their loved ones were still lost, you felt that chest-tightening-loss too. I wanted tears goddamn it!! And then I was immediately thrown out of the feeling by the lazy copy paste of the same news reporter whose image they used across 6 panels immediately following one another. No differentiation in color, shading, not even the slight movement of lips or eyes. After establishing the speaker, they could have portrayed the same information without even using her image again... I’m disappointed, honestly. Again, it’s a grueling industry, but this is a number 1. I’m sure if you were told that you were on the team for relaunching a well known Marvel title, you’d have some advance notice, so it’s not like it’s extreme crunch time for these kids.

Love is in the air for comic readers~ Let’s see how they decide to break the happy couple up this time... Ben does in fact propose to Alicia in this issue, and it’s sweet and charming, following an equally sweet story reminiscing about the great family dynamic and the whole “finding home” trope that the team had before Reed and Susan went missing. 

Of course this sweet moment cashes and burns (sort of literally) when they decide to share the news with Johnny, a.k.a. Human Torch. Now, I really liked Johnny in this issue, he was relatable. The cocky-young-hard-headed-kid-brother was struggling with the balance of trying to be his usual happy go lucky self and dealing with the fact that his family has gone missing called for some serious tear-jerking moments. I felt for him, I really did. But I also wanted to punch him! His outbreak at the news of Ben and Alicia’s wedding was selfish and I loved it. If they had left this broken emotional cliff hanger it would have been a solid ending to a single issue comic. But of course we can’t have nice things, and by nice I mean gut-wrenching ugly sobbing. The ending felt rushed. The writing was so worried about not showing Reed and Susan in the issue that they threw in the bit at the end. First of all, of course the team is going to be reunited, there is a WHOLE NEW TITLE ABOUT THEM! Second, you have to let people experience things. There is a lot to process in this book and I feel like it’s just Marvel shoving a cork into the butt-hole of soft, caring feelings pretending like it doesn’t exist and giving everyone emotional constipation. I guess you could say I just wasn’t that happy with the ending. To me it feels like they are taking away the worth of Ben and Johnny as people and characters, they are no one without Reed and Susan. This peak of soaring emotions just toppled by a glowing “4″ in the sky. Nice.

I always have many more words on the comics I read, but we are trying to keep things in a digestible format, so let’s move on to the ratings and see what we got!

Amazing Spider-man #3

Amazing Spider-man Renew Your Vows #22

Animosity Evolution #7

Assassins Creed Conspiracies #1

Batman Beyond TP vol. 3

Batman/ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II HC

Black Badge #1

Bloodshot Salvation #12

BPRD Devil You Know #9

Catwoman #2

Champions #23

Champions TP vol. 3

Charlie’s Angels #3

Clankillers #2

Daredevil #606

Dead Hand #5

Death or Glory #4

Dejah Thoris #7

Detective Comics #986

Dissonance #4

Doctor Who Road to 13th Doctor #2

Domino #5

Eternal Empire #10 - the final issue of the series I worked on with Jonathan Luna!

Eternity Girl #6 - final issue!

Exiles #6

Fantastic Four #1 - the first family of Marvel Comics is back in the “world’s greatest comics magazine” with your choice of ::inhale::… Art Adams connecting, Human Torch • Invisible Woman • Mr. Fantastic • Thing by Artgerm (only available as a set of all four), Jen Bartel ComicsPRO, Simone Bianchi Venomized party, blank sketch, Nick Bradshaw, Mark Brooks Return of the FF (redundant), John Cassaday, Jack Kirby hidden gems (black & white and color), Emmanuella Lupacchino, party sketch, Sara Pichelli teaser, Eric Powell, Joe Quesada hidden gem, Humberto Ramos, Esad Ribic premiere & virgin, Alex Ross, Walt Simonson, Mike Wieringo, and Skottie Young variants…::gasp:: available!

Hal Jordan & Green Lantern Corps #50 - final issue!

Hawkman #3

Her Infernal Descent #4

Hey Kids Comics #1

Hot Lunch Special #1

Hunt for Wolverine Adamantium Agenda #4 - final issue!

Immortal Men #5

Invader Zim #33

Lowlifes #3

Maestros #7

Medieval Spawn/ Witchblade #4 - final issue!

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Lost Chronicles TP vol. 1

My Little Pony Friendship is Magic #69

New Lieutenants of Metal #2

Oblivion Song #6

Old Man Logan #45

Optimus Prime #22

Outcast TP vol. 6

Outpost Zero #2

Pacific Rim Aftermath #6

Plastic Man #6

Predator Hunters II #1

Quicksilver No Surrender #4

Red Hood & the Outlaws #25

Relay #2

Robocop Citizen’s Arrest #5

Rock & Roll Biographies Spinal Tap #1

Sandman Universe #1 - laying the groundwork for The Dreaming, Lucifer, House of Whispers, and Books of Magic, with your choice of cover price variants by Jae Lee, Dave McKean, David Mack, Jill Thompson, Jim Lee, P. Craig Russell, and Sam Kieth!

Savage Dragon #237

Scooby Apocalypse #28

Shadow Roads #2

She Could Fly #2

Sideways #7

Spider-man Annual #1

Spider-man/ Deadpool #37

SpongeBob Comics #83

Star Wars TP vol. 8

Star Wars Darth Vader #19

Strangers in Paradise XXV #5

Suicide Squad #45 - “Sink Atlantis” part 1!

Supergirl #21 - I’m excited to see what legendary artist Kevin Maguire brings to the character!

Superman #2

Sword Daughter #3

Titans #24

TMNT Bebop & Rocksteady Hit the Road #2

Tomb Raider Inferno #3

Transformers Lost Light #22

Transformers Unicron #3

Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #35

Unnatural #2 - Artgerm variant available, as well as a reprint of the nationally sold out first issue!

Voltron Legendary Defender #2

Vs. TP vol. 1

Wildstorm Michael Cray #10

Wonder Woman #52

World of Tanks Citadel #4

X-Men Blue #33

X-Men Gold TP vol. 6

Visuals & Story: The issue opens in a celebration for the Queen, spoiler alert, the Queen is just a lost astronaut from earth that crashed in Eternia! After King Dad and Man-at-Arms talk about the pitiful failure of a son Prince Adam is, they somehow teleport outside to find Prince Adam (Psst, this is He-Man’s secret identity) running away from a quick shag in the bushes with an unnamed gal pal. Some quick thinking on Adam’s part proves he isn’t as dumb as he acts and runs off to retrieve his mother’s gift from his room. BWOOMPH!

DEMON ATTACK! Adam scurries under the bed only to discover Cringer, yes Cringer, his trusty companion is already cowering there. Now, I’ve made this marvelous discover about Cringer/Battle Cat, and it’s that Cringer is a scared, cowardly creature, and you would think as Battle Cat, he would be fearless and brave. Well he is, but also he is a murderous, blood thirsty animal who’s only desire is to sink his teeth or claws into his enemies until their hearts stop and their bodies turn cold. Thank God He-man is there to reel the devious creature in.

I’m getting caught up in the weeds here, so quicker recap. Skeletor shows up and tells He-Man that he has to find the pieces of the Power Sword in order to save the Goddess, who he captured. There are three difference pieces (hence the 3 part mini-series) and the adventure begins. He returns to the castle to seek out the first pieces from the resident wizard but is once again thrown into battle joined by Battle Cat, Tarrak (the Wizard), and Teela, the most bad-ass-bikini-warrior, daughter of Man-in-Arms. She calls them on their pissing party during the fight and immediately became my favorite character.

So then some stuff happens, they don’t get the first piece, and in the last 5 pages of the issue they get the second piece, via He-Man ripping it from the neck of Stratos, without even asking. Rude. So Rude.

Though a bit faded when compared to modern comics, the pages hold up well for newsprint. The art is strong and panels are easy to follow. I had a lot of fun with this one all in all so let’s jump straight into ratings!

Ratings: Overall 7.8/10 - Even though I really enjoyed this issue, it did have a few pacing issues at the end and weird scene jumps lacking good transitions. Butts 1.2/10  - There are no real butt shots in this issue, but you do get a lot of thigh. If this was a thigh rating it would be 32/10 for sure. Sick Burns 10/10 - Teela lays out the hurt on those boys and I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed that little quip! Chances of Picking Up the Next Issue I ALREADY READ IT!