Old Man Logan #17

Old Man Logan, Issue #17 takes place partly in the Wastelands, where Logan is stuck; there he is out to save Bruce Banner's grandson who is a baby.  It also takes place in space; there he and Puck are fighting the Brood, a gang of mindless aliens who have Brand and Sasquatch trapped aboard a dilapidated space station.  The key to the story is Puck, who appears in both timelines.  How is he there, when all of Alpha Flight died in the Villain Uprising?  There is also a third timeline, where Banner's grandson grows up to be the Warlord.

The artwork, which includes pages made up of small panes, is beautiful, like always.  I'm a huge fan of the three main creators of this comic, as I have mentioned in previous reviews.  The third timeline in this arc is more something you feel rather than can explain.  Logan gets sent to the past, and in doing so, somehow the Warlord is born.  See, the Wastelands don't exist in the main Marvel universe, in any timeline, but because of Old Man Logan going there, they do.

Darth Maul #1

Star Wars: Darth Maul, Issue #1 is a title that I'm excited about.  It's the story of Darth Maul's time with Darth Sidious as a Dark Lord of the Sith.  Written by Cullen Bunn (Deathpool Kills the Marvel Universe), with art by Luke Ross (Star Wars: The Force Awakens), it tells a little-known story.  It begins with Darth Maul hunting a rathnar, the creature Han Solo and Chewbacca were smuggling in the seventh installment of the Star Wars series, and Darth Maul is doing so with only a bladed weapon.

There's a nice little story which I won't reveal in this review.  I do post some of the story, but I don't post complete stories except on rare occasions.  I generally like what I read - comic quality is much higher than it was 10 or 20 years ago with a few exceptions - but this is one of the good ones.  You should be reading this if you're a Star Wars fan, either in comic-book or trade-paperback form.  Although I wasn't a huge fan of The Force Awakens and Rogue One (the movies), I do love the various comics and novels out there, particularly the works of Chuck Wendig, Charles Soule, and Jason Aaron.  I hope this title will be one of the best.

Green Lanterns #16

Green Lanterns, Issue #16 begins an arc that I'm excited for, "Darkest Knights."  Simon Baz and Jessica Cruz, the two Green Lanterns guarding Earth, are in Gotham City.  In Gotham City, there is a string of crimes that Batman and the Gotham City Police Department can't explain.  Normal people are suddenly gripped by fear, attacking the ones they love.  And with all of the Bat-Friends away, the two Green Lanterns are the ones who are left to solve the crimes, which seem to have been committed by the Sinestro Corps.

Green Lanterns is the best-kept secret in DC, and Issue #16 is as good a starting-off point as any.  The Batman presentation is classic.  He's always a little bit smarter, a little bit ahead of everyone else, but there's a twist; there's always a twist.  If you're a Green Lantern fan, you're probably already reading this title, but if you're into Batman, check it out as well.  I bought the alternate cover.

The Arab of the Future 2

The Arab of the Future 2: A Childhood in the Middle East, 1984-1985 details Riad Sattouf's life in Syria, as he starts to go to school.  His teacher is mean, the kids are mean; it's a rough time to live in Syria, even though his father has a good job, has a good education, and comes from a prominent family.  Riad does manage to make friends and do somewhat well in school.

This book would be so sad if it weren't so funny.  For instance, when the children's hands are beaten by the teacher, a woman, the children's eyes bug out, and I can't help but laugh.  Sattouf uses traditional comic techniques throughout the book: exaggerations, irony, and most importantly, the truth.  I look forward to The Arab of the Future 3 coming out in September; it'll find its way on my bookshelf next to 1 and 2.

Blue Beetle #4 and #5

Blue Beetle, Issue #4 and Issue #5 might be the last I see of Blue Beetle.  I liked the "New 52" version of Blue Beetle, but the "DC Universe Rebirth" version hasn't caught my fancy.  Issue #4 starts with some teen drama, not that it's always a terrible thing.  I do read Nisekoi and other teen-drama series.  Then it goes into a short origin story, as Jaime Reyes tells it to a doctor under Ted Kord's supervision.  The doctor has news that he kept secret from Jaime: the scarab is making Jaime's body mutate, and it can't be removed without killing him.

I bought Issue #5 because it finishes the arc; Blue Beetle, Volume 1 contains Blue Beetle: Rebirth, Issue #1, and Blue Beetle, Issue #1 through Issue #5.  In Issue #5, Jaime's mother, Dr. Reyes, is treating a superpowered teenager when Mordecai enters the clinic and chases everyone out.  He fights with the Blue Beetle, and yeah.  I'm done with this series.  I just don't care anymore.  Maybe Batwoman will be better.

East of West #30

East of West, Issue #30 somehow got printed without me noticing it, and I had to buy it from the "back issues" section of my local Comics n' Stuff.  Issue #29 ended with a revolution and several main characters dying.  Issue #30 begins Year Three of the Apocalypse, 2066, and is titled, "The Machine City Must Fall."  The Machine City, of course, is the major metropolis of the Endless Nation, where the Native Americans live and produce the most advanced weaponry known to the Eight States of America.

I have a decent memory, and I can remember a lot of the characters and situations of East of West.  If you can't, try going to the Wikia page of East of West it or Wikipedia.  I have in the past, and it's helped out.  Issue #31 actually was supposed to come out last week according to Diamond Comics, but I somehow missed that as well.  If you're reading the trade paperbacks, try reading each issue as a separate entity rather than trying to read the trade paperback as a whole.  This comic is worth the effort.

The Autumnlands #14

The Autumnlands, Issue #14 conclude the "Woodland Creatures" arc and is titled "Touch of a Goddess."  The basic story of the arc is that Learoyd and Dusty have left the floating city to go out into the world.  They come across a number of different creatures, and the sheep-men and -women they meet are dying.  They go to the top of a mountain, where they find mechanical women polluting everything.  Then the goddess comes down, saying that she will destroy the mechanical women, but by then, Learoyd and Dusty liked them, so they're fighting the goddess.

I'm a pretty big fan of The Autumnlands.  I don't read much fantasy, but I make an exception for this series.  I started with it when I was buying a lot of Image comics in trade paperback, and I saw The Autumnlands, Volume 1 for about $6.  I really liked it, and I started buying the comic as it came out the month Issue #7 came out.  I love the gradual changes in the series, like Dusty's power gradually becoming stronger and stronger.  You also learn more and more about Steven Learoyd and his origins, but not too much.