The Blacklist #1
Written by Nicole Phillips
Art by Beni Lobel
Colors by Esther Sanz
Letters by Annie Parkhouse
Cover by Alice X. Zhang
Titan Comics
Release Date: July 22, 2015
Cover Price: $3.99

Alrighty then. Let’s take a look at The Blacklist #1, shall we? I went into this comic knowing absolutely nothing about it, or the television series upon which it is based. That’s right, never saw a single episode. To be fair, I don’t watch a lot of television, but I am a James Spader fan. This particular story arc of the comic is called The Gambler, in case that means anything to longtime viewers of the program.

The X-Files/Ghostbusters: Conspiracy #1
Written by Erik Burnham
Art by Salvador Navarro
Colors by Esther Sanz
Letters by Shawn Lee
Edits by Tom Waltz & Denton J. Tipton
Covers by Miran Kim, Dan Schoening & Luis Delgado, Joe Corroney & Brian Miller
IDW Publishing
Release Date: January 22, 2014
Cover Price: $3.99

Going into The X-Files/Ghostbusters: Conspiracy #1 I was a bit nervous, because I’ve never watched the X-Files television series. So, I was a bit concerned that I wouldn’t understand what was going on. So, did it make sense to me? Let’s find out.

Thanks to regular Ghostbusters writer, Erik Burnham, I totally understood what was going on in this issue. He gives a great introduction to The X-Files characters, lays out their purpose in this crossover, and has it make total sense, instead of just a big mash-up of the two different properties. Not only that, he actually shows us a different side of the Ghostbusters’ life that we haven’t seen in the regular Ghostbusters title.

Thun’Da #1
Written by Robert Place Napton
Art by Cliff Richards
Colored by Esther Sanz
Letters by Marshall Dillion
Cover by Jae Lee
Thun’Da Created by Frank Frazetta
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: August 8, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

I have to admit, I don’t know anything about the main character of this book, and I’m guessing, neither do you. But, that’s a GOOD THING. Because Thun’Da #1 is ALL intro, and believe me, it’s one heck of a ride.

Writer Robert Place Napton does a really good job here of writing this first issue as almost a silent issue, but there’s a purpose for that, unlike so many comics that are just trying to copy the infamous GI Joe #21. First, we’re introduced to our hero under extreme circumstances. VERY extreme. From there, it only gets worse. It’s safe to say that he’s thrust into a world that even he doesn’t believe exists. Someplace where he’s got to survive on barely his wits alone. What’s even more entertaining is that he has no memory of who he is, where he’s from, or what he can do. So, he’s basically coming at this whole story from the audience’s point of view, which is really refreshing. I found this comic to be a very fun read.

G.I. Joe: Retaliation #3
Official Movie Prequel
Written by John Barber
Art by Salvador Navarro and Atilio Rojo
Colors by Esther Sanz
Letters by Shawn Lee
Cover by Salvador Navarro
IDW Publishing
Release Date: March 28th, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

Joe fans, you’re in for a treat! G.I. Joe Retaliation #3 is chock full of a story you’d never expect to read. And, it begs a LOT of questions about G.I. Joe Retaliation. I can honestly say, that reading this comic is getting me more excited for the movie.

Writer John Barber throws a wrench into the plan here. Normally movie prequels are stories like the 5 minutes leading up to the first scene or just some generic stories about the characters that appear in the film. But this book is a lot different. It’s actually really interesting to read and, as I stated earlier, is getting me more excited for G.I. Joe: Retaliation.

G.I. Joe: Retaliation #2
Official Movie Prequel
Written by John Barber
Art by Salvador Navarro and Atilio Rojo
Colors by Esther Sanz
Letters by Chris Mowry
Covers by Salvador Navarro
IDW Publishing
Release Date: February 29, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

With just four months to go until this summer’s biggest blockbuster (sorry, Avengers), it’s time to start getting EXCITED!!! And G.I. Joe: Retaliation #2 will get you excited. Although, I’m afraid that for the spoiler-free, this might come with a bit of a caution sign.

Writer John Barber does a fantastic job of giving you, largely, Roadblock’s origin. And an extra kudos for throwing in some great classic Roadblock traits and HEY! in this issue, you can LITERALLY smell what The Rock is cookin’!