06/17/2026
Itās a great day to be a comic book enthusiast! Sponsored by Vault 35 who will be running some in store specials this weekend for Fatherās Day. While checking out the deals be sure to hit the shelves for a very loaded week starting with DC. The World Finest working with Warlord to take down Tyrannosorcerer and Deathstroke works on his father of the year title with some parental guidance. Image is working hard in the land of horror this week with Of the Earth and heroes gone wrong in Super Creepshow. Marvel continues with some solid hits as Spider-Man finally gets the āTalkā, Magik & Colossus continue to work on their brother sister relationship, and a big What If for Thor. All of this and more as weāve got five stacked high ready to fly!
#21> Friends become enemies. Enemies become friends. Final forms are revealed, and Scarecrowās reign of terror threatens to upend everything.
(S) Scott Snyder (A) Nick Dragotta
Smurfs Take> After their gruesome ordeal at the hands of Bane we finally see Bruceās friends take front and center. Iām surprised itās taken so long for us to see some of the major āvillainsā to show up. In a way you almost feel sorry for what they went through but Iām so happy that Snyder didnāt go the classic path with these staple characters. I think heās added a whole new level to the characters with the choices heās made, that said Iām ready to see just how far down the rabbit hole the āFriendsā have gone. Simplyā¦. Just an amazing read.
#16> As Wally races to find the answers about the mysterious S.T.A.R. Labs founders, the Rogues have resurfaced with a new mission: secure Grodd and his father before they take over Colorado!
(S) Jeff Lemire (A) Hining
Smurfs Take> Another Absolute title I canāt get enough of as Lemire takes the Flash legend into a whole new direction and uncharted waters. Making the Rogues the military unit was genius, and I think leveled up all of them and Flash by making these guys a real threat to himā¦ maybe. The Flash Rogues over the years have become sort of a gray area on the whole good or bad guys. True, not all of them fall into that category but weāve seen them working together more over the years than expected, that itās not always as black and white and this series has explored that dynamic brilliantly.
#23> WHO IS RISK?
The secret origin of G.I. JOEās most unpredictable member revealed!
And what will happen when DESTRO and BARONESS meet again?
(S) Joshua Williamson (A) Andrea Milana, Lee Loughridge
Smurfs Take> After finding out the true identity of General Flag, Iāve kind of been waiting for the same thing with Risk. That thereās something more to the character thatās been building up since he first showed up. I know a lot of people were betting on him becoming Snake Eyes, but I think thatās far too easy. I like the mystery and his character has been fun but if Iām completely honest, I figured he was just another expendable character and the clock was ticking. This title has been so well crafted and some great creative choices that expand the universe while trying to give the fans something they want. Itās been a perfect blend in my opinion.
#2> Robert gave up being Roberto to fit in with his N**i punk friends. Now those same friends have dragged him to the frozen forests of Norway to summon a āgod.ā And he may have to give up much, much more before theyāre through with himā¦
The twisted team of JAMES TYNION IV (EXQUISITE CORPSES), MARGUERITE BENNETT (WITCHBLADE), LETIZIA CADONICI (House of Slaughter), and JORDIE BELLAIRE (REDLANDS) continues the most jaw-dropping horror series of the year!
(S) James Tynion, Marguerite Bennett (A) Letizia Cadonici, Jordie Bellaire
Smurfs Take> Not sure how to feel after the first issue if Iām honest. It felt like a chapter out of American Gods with a lot of talking heads, a dash of mystery, and not a ton of action. A whole lot of buildup that left the reader asking a lot of questions and why Iām back for issue number two to see if we get any. Definitely not your average title with a lot of room to work but a lot hangs on this issue.
: Bloodshed #5> One by one, Earth's greatest fighters have fallen to an alien Predator. A tournament has become a burial ground, and only three competitors are left standing - barely. In this blood-soaked final issue, Abigail, Sara and Kai make a desperate bid to escape the Garden. But first, they have to face off against the Predator one last time. See who lives (anyone?), who dies (everyone?!) and the ultimate boss-level fight to the finish!
(S) Jordan Morris (A) Roland Boschi, Ruairi Coleman
Smurfs Take> This has just been a great read for me. Of course, the Predator has cleaned house, you kind of expect that with his name. The ultimate killing machine and glad they leaned into that approach, not shying away from just how brutal this could be. Amazing read for me, sad to see it end and would highly recommend picking up the trade for this series if you skipped getting the individual issues.
Picks from the Vault
#2> Is the Green Arrow Killer merely a psychopath or something more? Is he a monster Absolute Black Canary should be fighting againstāor with? Still reeling from the disturbing discoveries of last issueās final pages, Dinah investigates one suspect on her list of DC archersāMia Deardenāand stumbles on a secret from Oliver Queenās past that will change everything..
(S) Pornsak Pichetshote (A) Rafael Albuquerque
Smurfs Take> I was shocked by the reaction to this title first of all. Everyone was talking about it and had theories about characters but no spoilers here not to worry. What I loved about it was the horror approach and such a wise choice for this title. DC, I donāt think has really explored the potential horror side to some of their characters and this totally works for Green Arrow. I have my theories but waiting to see what we get here before I share. Surprise Absolute hit!
#2> After the robot cops finally nab him, animatronic ABE gets hauled to the factory for a little āmaintenance.ā But if he keeps yapping about humans, there aināt gonna be enough of him left to fix. They got a whole bag of dirty tricks waitinā for him ā torture, mind-wipinā, and magnets so mean theyāll pull the thoughts right outta your skull. A strange and thunderous tale of the future ā dark, mechanical, unforgiving and the sci-fi smash hit of the year.
(S) Matthew Rosenberg, Mark Elijah Rosenberg (A) Andy MacDonald
Smurfs Take> The other first issue from last month that left me uneasy. I wasnāt sure what to feel by the end of the issue and in fact felt a little sad for Abe and the robots in general. Through the entire read all I could think of is Abe from Disneyland fending for himself and not doing a very good job of it. The world itself dark and confusing and while theyāre only machines you canāt help but feel sorry for them as they fight for some kind of direction. Iām defiantly in just to see what happens to Abe and just what happened to the humans.
