I was able to get all the latest printings of Battle Beast. Having never read Invincible, do I need to first read that series in order to understand this series? If yes, up to what issue?

Deciding to work through my image backlog last month, which is down to just 9 books now!

I really enjoy Marvel and DC stories, but the works being published through Image might be the best there is. This month had some incredible highlights with Murder Falcon, Extremity, and even stuff like Curse Words.

A lot of really solid stories except for Battle Pope. I had to force myself to read through it over a couple days, it was just so dated and not in my wheelhouse honestly.

Also enjoyed being really caught off guard with Killadelphia and its wacky story. I hope they print a Volume 3 Hardcover.

My next image read with probably be Black Science which I’m really looking forward to!

*Also, I know it’s not image but Last Ronin was really good!

These games were so damn good maybe if the comics do well enough we could maybe get a third game. I just want to play as Jackie again.

Spoilers for: Redcoat #14-19

Hi everyone! It has been a long while, but I am back to give my thoughts on Redcoat #18. This issue continues on where issue #17 left off. Since issue #19 has already been released, I will speculate on who I think the mysterious man with the Founding Fathers ring from issue #17. For the sake of this issue, I will only focus on what happens on issue #18 and not discuss what happens in issue #19 in great detail. Like all my posts, I will give my general thoughts on the issue, some major takeaways, and some speculation as to what direction the story will go in the future Furthermore, I have included the Unnamed timeline below.

Redcoat #18 Thoughts

I thought that this was an alright issue that delivered on the initial plot point of Simon lying to his wife. The start and end of the issue were alright as they focused on the fall out of The Founding Fathers lackeys kidnapping Arnold and the result of that respectively. The best part of the issue was the conversation that Simon had with Margaret. He finally reveals the truth about his immortality and it was given the necessary gravity that I could have asked for.

I thought that this issue was especially good because of this interaction! I wish that the arc incorporated Margaret and her kids more into the narrative, but for what we got I have enjoyed them! Seeing this couple wrestle with their own personal conflicts was quite gripping. These are the kind of interactions that make me enjoy this book as whole. I thought that this conversation was set up and executed well. You understand where both people are coming from and why they make the decisions they do. This makes this conversation all the more heartbreaking.

The end of the issue was also well done. We get a slight action sequence which had a decent flow to it. The end of the issue being Simon reading Margaret's letter was maybe more heartbreaking than the conversation that he had with her. It was a great way to end a cathartic issue. Having read issue #19 a few weeks ago, this issue was so much more enjoyable as a result! I finally feel like we are building to a major climax and are going to see why 1909 was such a pivotal year for Simon and Albert.

Some Takeaways Moving Forward

The Founding Fathers have captured Benedict Arnold

According to one of the Found Fathers Members, they serve George Washington

Simon reveals his secret immortality to Margaret and she later takes their kids and leave him

The Founding Fathers members are looking for George Washington's Axe of Lies

Benedict tells Simon to educate himself stating, "Rise above the common man. Stand in the old house and judge like a king--"

My Speculation on What's to Come from Redcoat

As of this post, issue #19 has already dropped. With that in mind, I think that we do not have the full picture on who the man with the rig is from issue #17. I do now think that this mystery man is George Washington, and I believe that this is him making his play to draw out Simon and take out Benedict Arnold in one fell swoop. I think that it would make the most sense given the fact that we know he has been active yet covert and he seems to be keeping tabs on Simon as seen at the end of issue #14 when he talks to himself after walking through the burned remains of the White House.

Conclusion

Redcoat #18 was a solid issue that excelled on providing major character drama through a well built reveal that was masterfully set up. The actual plot progression was a bit slow, as the start and end of the issue were ostensibly the same sequence but in different locations. Thank you for taking the time to read this post! I apologize the late release of this issue, I have been busy with some great changes in my life as of late! In the future, I will be more prompt with dropping my reviews for these issues moving forward. Moving forward, I will drop posts on issue #19 of Redcoat and The Trillion Dollar Kid #2. I would love to hear your thoughts on this issue and all things Ghost Machine!

I doubt randos are commenting on Deadline’s comments. Anything is possible and it doesn’t absolve guilt but adds more to story and context. It also doesn’t mean there wasn’t bad behavior when others could see but if there are witnesses, this adds to it.

Finally thought of a way everyone gets to use the scraps from all the comics kids have destroyed over the years. Bookmarks they keep in the room for the year. Mine might be using books from outside the room tho

To Pull or Not to Pull!

Crowbound

By Jeff Lemire

Art by Dustin Nguyen

Lemire and Nguyen team up again after giving us the classic Descender/Ascender. Lemire's sci-fi writing works perfectly with Nguyen's light water colors. The juxtaposition of Lemire's heavy subject matter blends perfectly with Nguyen's style. It worked before, it'll work again.

Lemire is a top 10 comic writer of all time in my opinion so he knows how to start off a first issue. Gets the reader hooked with the main protagonist falling to her death with her throat slit longing to save her daughter. We then get sent back in time to learn about our main character, Rosie, and her daughter, Ava, living in a sci-fi dystopian world. Rosie works at the factory under an authoritarian rule while Ava goes off to school. Ava never comes home and Rosie breaks the law to go find her. We then get the explanation of the beginning at the end and that kicks off our story.

I guess a big trope for writers right now is parents going through impossible lengths to save their kid. (See Daniel Warren Johnson with the Moon is Following Us). And you know what, I'm all for it as a father. I know by issue 4 or 5 Lemire will have me in tears. Was this book good? Absolutely. Am I hyped about it as I was Hammerfist or If Destruction Be Our Lot? No. I trust this team and believe this story will be worth the read. I will keep reading but it wasn't Stop What You are Doing and Read This Book! (See Hammerfist).

Verdict: To Pull

Rating: B+

Dropping on 2/2, so this is coming out shortly before the Radiant Black Compact. I'll be picking this up because I've been meaning to read this for a while now but I keep putting it off. I wonder what else Image will be dropping in this trim size next year.

The dream team behind descender and ascender are back with crowbound a supernatural scifi tale about a mother and the lengths she will go for her child.

I’ve been reading Rogue Sun for a few years now and I just have to say, this is a great book. Parrott loves his bully protagonists and can write the hell out of complicated villains. I just finished #35 and shed some tears. Bravo to the RS team and the Massive-Verse team as a whole.

That hardcover is going to be a day 1 buy when it comes out.

I randomly remembered LOW and wanted to look at the art again, so I checked out Greg Tocchini’s Instagram to see some of his other work. I ended up finding a post from last year where Rick Remender mentioned that there were plans for a LOW sequel.

Has there been any news or updates on that since then?

I managed to find a graded copy of #1 online but I cracked it open to clean it up a little better. I might sit at a 9.4-9.6. Believe it or not around a quarter of my collection was found at half price books in the dollar bins before Invincible blew up. Most I had to order online but the hunt was so exciting. Every new issue was like Christmas for me. Lol.