Special: Critically Acclaimed Current Comic Book Series

In an effort to highlight the most well received current comic book series, below is the list of the top comic book series of the past three months. To be eligible for this list, a series must have had at least two issues published within the past three months and at least five reviews for each of those issues. The rating will be in parentheses and is the average rating for the issues published within the last three months.

DC Comics:

Midnighter (8.7)

Spinning out of GRAYSON comes a solo series starring the man who can predict your every move... but no one will be able to predict what he'll do next! A theft at the God Garden has unleashed a wave of dangerous biotech weapons on the world, and Midnighter intends to put that genie back in the bottle by any means necessary. But something else was stolen from the Garden as well...the secret history of Lucas Trent, the man Midnighter once was!

Other Notables: Superman: American Alien (8.6), Batman (8.2), Detective Comics (8.2), Justice League (8.0).

Marvel Comics:

Vision (8.9)

The Vision wants to be human, and what's more human than family? He goes to the laboratory where he was created, where Ultron molded him into a weapon, where he first rebelled against his given destiny, where he first imagined that he could be more, that he could be good, that he could be a man, a normal, ordinary man. And he builds them. A wife, Virginia. Two teenage twins, Viv and Vin. They look like him. They have his powers. They share his grandest ambition or perhaps obsession: the unrelenting need to be ordinary. Behold The Visions! They're the family next door, and they have the power to kill us all. What could possibly go wrong?

Other Notables: Ms. Marvel (8.7), Black Widow (8.7), Moon Knight (8.5), Doctor Strange (8.4)

Image Comics:

The Fix (9.2)

A story of the crooked cops, scheming mobsters, and corrupt politicians that run things-and the sex toy that can bring them all down. Oh, and the hero is a drug-sniffing beagle named Pretzels. Bad people do bad things to each other in this frenetic, outrageous, sometimes off-putting new caper! If you liked classic crime comics like CRIMINAL and 100 Bullets we apologize in advance for letting you down!

Other Notables: The Wicked + The Divine (8.6), Saga (8.5), The Walking Dead (8.5)

Dark Horse Comics:

House Of Penance (8.5)

The Winchester House—famous for its original owner’s bizarre compulsion to incorporate a multitude of architectural curiosities. But as the bereaved Sarah Winchester’s workers toil on stairways to nothing and doors to nowhere, a mysterious stranger arrives . . . and he could make Sarah’s demons all too real.

Other Notables: Hellboy And The B.P.R.D.: 1953 - Beyond The Fences (8.4), Dept. H (8.3), Aliens: Defiance (8.2)

Valiant Comics:

Bloodshot: Reborn (9.0)

From New York Times best-selling writer Jeff Lemire (THE VALIANT, Green Arrow) and red-hot rising star Mico Suayan (HARBINGER, Moon Knight), VALIANT NEXT delivers an all-new ongoing series for Valiant's most unrelenting hero!

Bloodshot's nanites made him a nearly unstoppable killing machine. His enhanced strength, speed, endurance, and healing made him the perfect weapon, and he served his masters at Project Rising Spirit - a private contractor trafficking in violence - very well. Now, Bloodshot is a shadow of his former self. He lives in selfimposed exile, reeling from the consequences of his past life and the recent events that nearly drove him mad. But when a rash of shootings by gunmen who appear to look just like Bloodshot begin, his guilt will send him on a mission to stop the killers, even if it means diving headlong into the violence that nearly destroyed him.

Other Notables: Divinity II (8.8), Faith (8.6), Rai (8.6), The Adventures Of Archer & Armstrong (8.5)

Other Publisher's Top Comics:

IDW Publishing - Satellite Falling (8.4)

Boom! Studios - Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (8.3)

Archie Comics - Archie (8.3)

Titan Books - Dark Souls (7.6)

Top 10 Countdown: June 25, 2016

10. Real Friends - Scared To Be Alone
Last week: 10.


9. Panic! At The Disco - Don't Threaten Me With A Good Time
Last week: NEW!


8. We Came As Romans - Memories
Last week: 9.


7. As It Is - Winter's Weather
Last week: 8.


6. Seaway - Stubborn Love
Last week: 7.


5. Set It Off - Uncontainable
Last week: 5.


4. Hit The Lights - No Filter
Last week: 1.


3. The Ready Set - Dissapearing Act
Last week: 4.


2. With Confidence - Keeper
Last week: 3.


1. Silverstein - The Continual Condition
Last week: 2.

Special: Halloween ComicFest 2016 Announced!

Hopefully by now you've cruised through all your pick-ups from Free Comic Book Day in May, and if you have then you'll be excited to know the time has come to get prepared for the next day to get free comics... Halloween ComicFest!

Halloween ComicFest will take place  on Saturday October 29, 2016. It's similar to Free Comic Book Day where it's an annual event where participating comic book specialty shops across North America and beyond celebrate the Halloween season by giving away comic books absolutely free to anyone who comes into their shops. The event is always held the weekend before Halloween and is the perfect opportunity to introduce friends and family to the many reasons why comic shops are a great destination for Halloween themed comic books, products and merchandise. From zombies, vampires, monsters and aliens to costumes and more, comic shops have it all when it comes to Halloween fun!

I've attached the solicitations for the 32 books you can get this October below. Make sure to stay tuned to the blog for updates as well as my official rankings and reviews as we get closer to the date.

HALLOWEEN COMICFEST FULL-SIZED COMICS

Action Lab Entertainment

Action Lab Presents

Marinette is a typical Paris teenager with a school crush, dreams of fashion design, and a big problem with being totally awkward! She also happens to be the magical crime-fighting superhero, Ladybug! When a villain arrives using mind powers to turn people bad, Ladybug teams up with fellow hero Cat Noir… who is secretly her high school crush, Adrien. Will Ladybug and Cat Noir be able to balance their double lives and keep Paris safe? Will they ever discover each other’s true identities?

Zombie Tramp vs Dollfaced Witch Hunter
Get a glimpse of an all-new character set in the Zombie Tramp universe! What happens when a witch-hunter’s soul from 17th century Salem, MA gets infused into a life-sized, ball-jointed, 3D printed, sex-bot in the present day? Get set for this quirky adventure full of M.I.T. nerds, Necronomicons, sadistic witches, cute sidekick ghosts, and one bad-ass witch-hunting, Gothic Lolita! Jump right in with this HCF sneak-peak of the regular series!

Aftershock Comics

Black Eyed Kids #1
When night falls on a sleepy midwestern town, an ancient unimaginable horror creeps violently and purposely through the night. That’s when the children come out to play; Children with eyes of solid back, devoid of emotion and remorse, and only asking for one thing… to come inside. But there are some who will not go quietly into the night. Some who will fight back to save their souls, and those of their children. This is their story.

American Mythology

The Three Stooges Halloween Hullaballoo #1
Woob! Woob! Woob! Moe, Larry, and Curly, The Three Stooges, have been making us laugh for nearly a century, and their timeless comedy escapades are back with brand new tales told by creators paying homage to their incredible legacy! The Three Stooges Halloween Hullaballoo is the best way to ward off those spooky spirits and creepy crawlers with a family fun issue chock-full of Stoogey goodness! We’re cramming new comics, classic reprints, and silly special content into this issue!

Archie Comics

Afterlife With Archie Season Two
Kick off Halloween with the smash-horror hit! It’s been weeks since Archie and his friends left Riverdale. Now they wander the deserted highways of America, one step ahead of the relentless zombie horde. When they decide to set down roots to observe their first post-apocalypse Thanksgiving, Mr. Lodge leads a team into the forests of Pennsylvania to find dinner… but the hunters soon become the hunted, and not all of the gang will make it out of the woods alive!

Aspen Comics

Adventures of the Aspen Universe
Fathom’s Ernie the Seahorse has gone missing in the neighborhood, and it’s up to the Aspen Universe’s finest heroes to band together and rescue him — along with readers everywhere! Aspen Comics’ is excited to once again offer fans and readers a unique comic and coloring book package that includes a crafted, full-length story geared for kids to color, plus added puzzles, mazes and other fun-filled activities for children and readers of all ages!

Benitez Productions

Wraithborn

He was trained from birth to inherit a mythical power. She is the timid teenage girl to whom it was bestowed instead. Together only they can stop an ancient evil from rising and enslaving all of humankind! This exciting Halloween Comic Fest edition introduces new readers to this epic urban fantasy series from the creator of Lady Mechanika!

ComixTribe

Quilte #1
A horrifying new one-shot from the creative team — and taking place in the universe of — And Then Emily Was Gone! Dr. Karla Quite is a revered psychologist who uses her unique psychic gifts to treat patients afflicted with recurring nightmares. But when tasked with helping troubled young Adam Whitlock, her journey into his mind leaves her facing forces far more malevolent than bad dreams!

Dark Horse Comics

Harrow County #1
Emmy always knew that the deep, dark woods surrounding her home crawled with ghosts, goblins, and zombies. But on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, she learns that she is connected to these creatures — and to the land itself — in a way she never imagined. Don’t miss this first issue of smash hit from Cullen Bunn and Tyler Crook! Features an all-new cover by Tyler Crook!

DC Comics

DC Super Hero Girls #1
DC Super Hero Girls is an exciting new universe of superhero storytelling that builds character and confidence and empowers girls to discover their true potential. This special Halloween Comic Fest issue features two exciting, action-packed stories from the upcoming original graphic novel, DC Super Hero Girls: Hits and Myths, that readers of all ages will enjoy. Don’t miss this chance to meet the students as they find out that fun, friendship and hard work are all part of growing up!

Scooby Apocalypse Hanna-Barbera Sampler
Get a sneak peek at Scooby Apocalypse, Future Quest, Wacky Raceland and The Flintstones with this amazing preview book! See what happens when Scooby-Doo and the Hanna-Barbera properties you know and love are paired with the best creators in comics, taking them to fresh and unexpected places that will appeal to old and new fans alike. Expect fun, innovative twists and stories injected with current sensibilities, that are sure to excite fans of any age!

Drawn & Quarterly

Kitaro
A mysterious model airplane arrives at Kitaro’s house and he can’t resist taking it for a spin, but when it strands him on a desert island, he begins to suspect that someone intentionally trapped him there. Suspecting foul play, Nezumi Otoko investigates a similar crash-landing in the forest, only to discover the true yokai mastermind behind the kidnappings. This comic adventure is the perfect introduction to Shigeru Mizuki’s most popular series, complete with a pull-out poster and fun activities

Marvel Comics

Darth Vader Doctor Aphra #1
When a Dark Lord needs help, who can he turn to? Meet Aphra, the galaxy’s foremost raider of lost weaponry! Plus: could these be the deadly droids she’s looking for?

Haunted Mansion #1
Welcome, foolish mortals, to the Haunted Mansion! It seems that no one lives in the elegant mansion on the hill…but then where’s that creepy organ music coming from? Are the iron gates meant to keep people out…or some things in? Get ready to meet the 999 ghosts of the Haunted Mansion… but be warned, they’re looking for the 1000th!

Spidey #1
Think you know everything about Peter Parker’s early days? Think again. It’s action, adventure and a rip-roaring romp in classic Marvel style as Spidey swings onto shelves this winter! Featuring adventures from throughout the web-slinging wonder’s younger years, it’s a return to the days of overdue homework, not knowing how to talk to girls (or anybody, really) and just a plenty of danger. Witness some of Spidey’s earliest tangles with the likes of Doc Ock, Sandman, and a host of other unexpected foes.

Unbeatable Squirrel Girl You Choose Story #1
This special issue, called “Be the Unbeatable Squirrel Girl,” puts you in control of The Most Powerful Character in the Marvel Universe. Will you fight crime and save the day? Or will you be a complete jerk and use her powers to tell everyone off? The choices are all yours… including your battle with Swarm, a bad guy made out of bees!

IDW Publishing

My Little Pony The Haunted Dungeon
Strange things are afoot in the Crystal Empire so Shining Armor calls in his sister Twilight to help find the source of the mysterious occurrences. When the trail leads to King Sombra’s dungeon, will the siblings find the culprit — or their doom?

Space Goat Publishing

Evil Dead 2 Beyond Dead By Dawn #1
The Dark One returns with a goal of infecting the entire planet and raising the dead, as Dark Ones do. It’s up to Ash and Annie as they kick it up a notch in the French Quarter looking for an old Voodoo Priestess. But will she help Ash and Annie or make their problems worse? Gimme some dead sugar, baby! Don’t miss what happens in this penultimate issue in the trilogy of mini-series!

Viz Media

Junji Ito Tomie
Tomie Kawakami is a femme fatale with long black hair and a beauty mark just under her left eye. She can seduce nearly any man, and drive them to murder as well, even though the victim is often Tomie herself. While one lover seeks to keep her for himself, another grows terrified of the immortal succubus. But soon they realize no matter how many times they kill her, the world will never be free of Tomie.

HALLOWEEN COMICFEST MINI-COMICS

Action Lab Entertainment

Peach & Isle of Monsters
Meet Peach. How did she get her name? What’s her secret? What have the monsters taken from her village? Seeking independence, and prove she’s a warrior, Peach begins her quest to save her village from the Monsters from Monster Isle… and meets some interesting people along the way! Action! Adventure! It’s all here! Written by Franco (Itty Bitty Hellboy and Tiny Titans) and drawn by Agnes Garbowska (My Little Pony).

Archie Comics

Archie’s Madhouse
It’s a Maaaaadhouse! Archie is proud to present an assortment of shenanigans from Archie’s Madhouse, a series of wild and wacky tales that are sure to leave you laughing and going crazy for more!

Boom! Studios

BooooOOOoom Box Halloween
It’s time to get your scare on for Halloween with this selection of spooky tales taken from several of our BOOM! Box titles, including Lumberjanes, Giant Days, and The Backstagers, perfect for any trick-or-treater!

ComixTribe

Mummy’s Always Right
For the kiddies, we have a Mummy’s Always Right #1/2 Mini-Comic written and drawn by Joe Mulvey and colored by Jules Rivera, featuring a The Walking Dead inspired homage cover.
Joe’s Mummy’s Always Right Board Book Kickstarter has less than three hours left, BTW… more on that below.

Dynamite Entertainment

Grumpy Cat Halloween
Enter the world of Creature Cove and meet GAWS, a mischievous little mummy who can’t decide what to be for Halloween. This mini-comic from writer/artist Joe Mulvey is perfect for comic book, horror, and pop-culture fans of all ages. If you’re looking for your own little monster’s new favorite book, you’ve found it!

IDW Publishing

Johnny Boo
It’s Halloween night, and children delightfully roam the streets, adorned in colorful costumes… but Grumpy Cat is unimpressed! While her brother Pokey celebrates All Hallow’s Eve with his usual wide-eyed wonder, Grumpy Cat is such a grouch that she even puts the ghosts, ghouls, and goblins to shame! You’ll laugh out loud with the antics of the two most adorable kitties in comics in this very special Halloween mini-comic!

Magnetic Press

Little Tails Halloween
Johnny Boo and his friends celebrate Halloween by doing skateboard tricks in the pumpkin patch. But did you know that giant tigers love Halloween just as much as little ghosts do? It’s because they’re orange, like pumpkins. Watch out for tigers, Johnny Boo!
Chipper and Squizzo are a precocious puppy and squirrel who love to explore new and exciting environments, flying their cardboard box airplane to wondrous worlds full of fascinating animals and creatures. In this special Halloween mini-comic, the two will head off into the woods for a spooky Trick-or-Treating adventure through nature, encountering creepy animals of all kinds along the way! Also includes pages of fun puzzles, activities, and brain-teasers!

Papercutz

Lunch Witch 2
Grunhilda the Witch has a weakness, a tiny soft spot on her black and crusty heart. She continues to hide the nice feelings she has when she gets a letter from former Salem Elementary student Madison. But she can’t keep up the ruse for long because her familiars are onto her — and so are her ancestors! Anything that can go wrong does when Madison accidentally mixes up a positivity potion — and it starts to affect everyone in town.

Mickeys Inferno
Imagine if you will, a satirical retelling of Dante Aligheri’s Inferno starring Mickey Mouse. This is the very first of the world-famouse, err, famous Great Parodies featuring classic Disney stars in outrageous spoofs of the world’s greatest stories.

Perfect Square

Pokemon Pocket Comics XY
The Pokémon of the Kalos region have all gathered in this hilarious collection starring Fennekin, Froakie, Chespin, the rest of the new X & Y Pokémon, Mega-Evolved Pokémon, and more! Quiz yourself and your friends on Pokémon vital statistics, Abilities, moves, types, Mega Evolution and more! Who will be the next Pokémon quiz champion?

Space Goat Publishing

Zombie Camp

Survival is tough after the apocalypse, even when you’re undead! Fortunately, the kids of Zombie Camp get to learn all the best shambling, brain-eating, and death-moaning techniques. Join Johnny, Stump, Violet, Gutsy, and the rest of the gang for the summer of their un-lives!

Storm King Productions

Carpenter Travellers Tale
Happy Halloween from Storm King Productions. No tricks, just a Halloween treat written by the Horror Master himself! Writer/Director/Composer John Carpenter brings you a short horror story that’s not short on scares from his upcoming sequel to the award-winning yearly horror anthology series Tales for a Halloween Night Volume 2.

TokyoPop

Tim Burton NBX Manga
Manga publishing pioneer Tokyopop brings this sampler mini-comic of the official manga adaptation of Tim Burton’s Holiday classic, The Nightmare Before Christmas, to Halloween Comic Fest 2016, featuring all of your favorite characters, as drawn by Jun Asuka (The Girl Who Leapt, Disney Fairies)!

Top 10 Countdown: June 18, 2016

10. Real Friends - Scared To Be Alone
Last week: NEW!


9. We Came As Romans - Memories
Last week: NEW!


8. As It Is - Winter's Weather
Last week: 9.


7. Seaway - Stubborn Love
Last week: 7.


6. The Summer Set - Missin' You
Last week: 1.


5. Set It Off - Uncontainable
Last week: 6.


4. The Ready Set - Disappearing Act
Last week: 4.


3. With Confidence - Keeper
Last week: 5.


2. Silverstein - The Continual Condition
Last week: 3.


1. Hit The Lights - No Filter
Last week: 2.

Special: Now You See Me 2/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows/X-Men: Apocalypse Mini-Reviews

Now You See Me 2:

Synopsis: THE FOUR HORSEMEN (Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Lizzy Caplan) return for a second mind-bending adventure, elevating the limits of stage illusion to new heights and taking them around the globe. One year after outwitting the FBI and winning the public's adulation with their Robin Hood-style magic spectacles, the illusionists resurface for a comeback performance in hopes of exposing the unethical practices of a tech magnate. The man behind their vanishing act is none other than WALTER MABRY (Daniel Radcliffe), a tech prodigy who threatens the Horsemen into pulling off their most impossible heist yet. Their only hope is to perform one last unprecedented stunt to clear their names and reveal the mastermind behind it all.

My thoughts: The first one blew me away when I first seen it since I really enjoy heist/tactical planning films so my expectations were high for the sequel and they were met. The magic choreography was stronger, especially Mark Ruffalo's fight scene though the end payoff wasn't nearly as entertaining as it's predecessor it's overall equally entertaining.

Final verdict: 5 card tricks out of 5.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows:

Synopsis: Michelangelo, Donatello, Leonardo, and Raphael return to theaters this summer to battle bigger, badder villains, alongside April O'Neil (Megan Fox), Vern Fenwick (Will Arnett), and a newcomer: the hockey-masked vigilante Casey Jones (Stephen Amell). After supervillain Shredder (Brian Tee) escapes custody, he joins forces with mad scientist Baxter Stockman (Tyler Perry) and two dimwitted henchmen, Bebop (Gary Anthony Williams) and Rocksteady (WWE Superstar Stephen "Sheamus" Farrelly), to unleash a diabolical plan to take over the world. As the Turtles prepare to take on Shredder and his new crew, they find themselves facing an even greater evil with similar intentions: the notorious Krang.

My thoughts: Unlike the first entry, Out Of The Shadows isn't as memorable as it's predecessor. I will say they significantly toned down the Bay-style antics, however the humour isn't as prominent which makes it lose some luster as well even if it handles the out of the world elements in a more earthly way than you'd expect. But it's still the Turtles and it's still a solid popcorn flick.

Final verdict: 4 ooze containers out of 5.

X-Men: Apocalypse:

Synopsis: Following the critically acclaimed global smash hit X-Men: Days of Future Past, director Bryan Singer returns with X-MEN: APOCALYPSE. Since the dawn of civilization, he was worshipped as a god. Apocalypse, the first and most powerful mutant from Marvel's X-Men universe, amassed the powers of many other mutants, becoming immortal and invincible. Upon awakening after thousands of years, he is disillusioned with the world as he finds it and recruits a team of powerful mutants, including a disheartened Magneto (Michael Fassbender), to cleanse mankind and create a new world order, over which he will reign. As the fate of the Earth hangs in the balance, Raven (Jennifer Lawrence) with the help of Professor X (James McAvoy) must lead a team of young X-Men to stop their greatest nemesis and save mankind from complete destruction.

My thoughts: Definitely one of the weakest X-Men movies, although that's more to do with the fact they have been continually excellent than Apocalypse being bad. It was fun but it was a little more jumbled making it less coherent than the original 2 in the trilogy. The acting was stellar as always but it seemed they took one too many liberties with the script and it affected the pacing.

Final verdict: 4 ancient Egyptian mutants out of 5.

Top 10 Countdown: June 11, 2016

10. Simple Plan - Singing In The Rain
Last week: NEW!


9. As It Is - Winter's Weather
Last week: 10.


8. The Story So Far - Heavy Gloom
Last week: 2.


7. Seaway - Stubborn Love
Last week: 8.


6. Set It Off - Uncontainable
Last week: 7.


5. With Confidence - Keeper
Last week: 6.


4, The Ready Set - Disappearing Act
Last week: 5.


3. Silverstein - The Continual Condition
Last week: 4.


2. Hit The Lights - No Filter
Last week: 3.


1. The Summer Set - Missin' You
Last week: 1.

Special: Free Comic Book Day 2016 Reviews

Another Free Comic Book Day is in the books and I was fortunate enough to grab 38 books this year. So here's the 35 books I got, reviewed and ranked including it's pre-reading rank but first let's list the 15 books I didn't get along with their pre-FCBD ranking:

The Phantom: 80th Anniversary Special (50)
Strawberry Shortcake (49)
Doctor Who: Four Doctors Special (48)
World's Of Aspen (47)
Lady Mechanika #0 (46)
Z2 Comics Lab (45)
Mooncop: A Tom Gauld Sampler (42)
Help The CBDLF... Defend Comics (40)
2000 AD Special (38)
Grant Morrison's Avatarex: Destroyer Of Darkness (35)
Sanjay & Craig/Harvey Breaks (33)
Hilda & The Stone Forest (31)
Bruce Lee: The Dragon Rises (30)
The Stuff Of Legend (29)
The Tick (6)

Now onto the list!

35. Overstreet Comic Book Marketplace (41)

I probably should've learned after last year ranking this at the bottom of my list but alas it was a situation where I had all the other books on the table so I grabbed this one.

34. Love & Rockets (34)

I was always fascinated by L&R longevity but when reading the synopsis it didn't sound so great but I ranked it up there anyways and despite it being one of the last books I grabbed I look forward to reading it but I now know this world is not for me.

33. Devil's Due/1First Comics Mixtape (42)

Only twice this year did I think "oh god will this ever end!?" the first was Overstreet, the 2nd was Public Relations: How To Dragon Your Train". Luckily the other stories were enough to keep it out of the basement despite the 2nd lowest pre-ranking of the books I got.

32. Rom/Action Man (32)

I will say Action Man was better than ROM but when trying to get people to pick up a new series you need to get them hooked. Neither book did that, mostly act as preludes but I'm not excited for either series.

31. The Pink Panther (10)

It's unfortunate since I was a big fan of The Pink Panther growing up but the modern comic wasn't great and the classic comic was awful (like most classic comics that pop up on FCBD). For that reason The Pink Panther has the biggest fall of all the comics on this list dropping from the Top 10 to #31.

30. Awake #0 (27)

With Awake, less is not more. If it even had some semblance of a coherant story I would've ranked it higher but we barely knew our characters, barely knew what they were doing and why they were doing. Sure the art was nice for an all-ages book but still difficult to gauge an overall story.

29. Science Comics (44)

This was a nice surprise. I ranked it low priority since I don't usually like educational material but that art was fun and the Coral Reefs half was especially enlightening. So despite being at the bottom of my stack it was able to jump over a couple books to place it firmly in the top 30.

28. Spongebob Freestyle Funnies (8)

I usually like the Spongebob FCBD comics but for whatever reason the art on this was awful for every story except the Mermaid Man & Barnacle Boy story which was awful in it's own right. It was closer than it shouldn't been since The Pink Panther free-fell one extra spot than Spongebob did vs. their pre-ranking so it doesn't get saddled with that recognition but it was certainly deserving.

27. Junior Braves Of The Apocalypse (16)

The art was in black and white with messy pencils... The cover led me to believe the art style would be passable given the interesting sounding story I thought this would be a winner. Unfortunately I was wrong.

26. Dark Horse All-Ages Special (22)

I might have worded the "dud" strongly but that's what happens when you have a 140 character limit but what I meant was it's a dud considering the fact I really like How To Train Your Dragon and like what I've read from Plants Vs. Zombies and The Legend Of Korra. These were not good though, average or worse.

25. We Can Never Go Home/Young Terrorists (36)

Young Terrorists seemed to be some known events from a 2nd vantage point but again, I'm not even sure. We Can Never Go Home was really fun if not entirely off the wall, but in a good way.

24. Valiant 2016 (23)

Similar to the last entry this book was half good and half... I don't want to say bad but definitely lacking. Valiant gets the nod because Faith and Rai was much stronger than We Can Never Go Home.

23. Bob's Burgers (39)

Started watching the show, thanks to my fiance. But really it's still just average. The comic is funny in parts, like the show so we'll see if it wears down on me.

22. Space Goat Presents: Dark Lily & Friends (25)

Monster Elementary was the star here unfortunately it worked as the back-up to Dark Lily so I would've liked more from it but it is what it is. I'll be keeping my eye out for both those stories.

21. Spectrum (14)

I usually don't go for the sciency comics and that's what this is, it's a hard sci-fi story. Hence my difficulties following along but other than that and the pacing issues it's a solid read. Too bad at times it seems to be too much to overcome.

20. Dark Horse Comics Teen Sampler (24)

So my tweet says it all. Serenity was good but I didn't feel it belonged in the teen sampler, Hellboy was good and Aliens was not so much. But hey it's still a pass and it moved up the rankings, so there's that!

19. Assassin's Creed (15)

Was hoping for more Assassiny goodness and although the first half was super good but the Templar's side hurt the book.

18. DC Superhero Girls (21)

Pretty much what I expected. Good read, obviously I'm not the target audience but that speaks to the book's strength.

17. Street Fighter V (18)

Again, Street Fighter V was good for what it was but it kinda went all over the place tone-wise, one story is action-packed, the next was comedic it was hard to know what was coming and the back section was really weird newspaper cartoon-strip style jokes... Strange ending.

16. Bongo Free-For-All (7)

Simpsons Comics are usually a highlight for FCBD which is why it has usually climbed it's way up the pre-rankings, hitting #7 this year but this was an odd misstep that caused it to fall down. The main story was solid as usual but the back ups were hurting when it came to quality.

15. Pokemon (12)

So I was stuck in this weird predicament. A couple years ago Pokemon put out a very bad FCBD offering and then a Halloween ComicFest Pokemon book came out and it was really good... So what were we gonna get? Turns out a hybrid of the two but it could always be worse but also better.

14. Boom! Summer Blast 2016 (13)

Usually Mouse Guard is the highlight of the Boom Studios book but it's really sad to get that dissapointed by something I've grown to love. Usually Boom is propped up by a couple good series to outweigh the bad. But this balances the scales a little bit. Thank God for Adventure Time and Lumberjanes or this could've been a wreck.

13. Civil War II/Avengers (1)

I can honestly say I'm completely shocked by this, even writing it down I'm taken aback. But the reality is The Avengers story was just soooo disappointing that even Civil War couldn't save it.

12. Graphix Spotlight: Dream Jumper Book One: Nightmare Escape (26)

Really enjoyed Dream Jumper, if you have a young one at home or enjoy imaginative storytelling this is a book for you. Too bad it was beat out for highest jump!

11. Attack On Titan Anthology (11)

This is still a good book, my disappointment mostly stemmed from wanting to learn about this world as I have a passing interest in it but I did not get that. I'm still excited to learn about the AoT world though.

10. Oddly Normal (19)

We made it to the top 10! Oddly Normal hooked me despite not having a whole lot in there. Can't wait to hunt down the books and give them a good read through. This is what a good all-ages book should do.

9. Sonic Sampler (5)

I really miss the Megaman/Sonic flipbooks... But I suppose all said and done, this isn't that much of a drop off. Still pretty significant though.

8. Howard Lovecraft And The Frozen Kingdom/Stan Lee's The Unknowns (37)

Here's the biggest jumper! Can't get over how impressed I was with this book especially since last time Stan Lee premiered a book on FCBD (Chakra) I was left with a really bad taste. This book will get me to watch the Frozen Kingdom movie and I may try to hunt down some of The Unknowns stuff too!

7. Grumpy Cat And Pokey! (26)

Another big jump here. I loved the BvS spoof so from the first page I was hooked. I have a couple Grumpy Cat comics kicking around (my fiances I swear!) so I might have to check them out to see if this was a one time deal or if I generally just like the comics!

6. One-Punch Man/My Hero Academia (20)

I've long been picking up the anime books at FCBD, usually they draw me in with a series I like (Dragonball, Yu-Gi-Oh) but usually I still end up dissappointed. That was obviously not the case this year as we have our first non-all-ages book in the top 10! And look at that, it's the 4th book in the top ten to jump 9+ spaces. Lots of Cinderella stories this FCBD!

5. Captain America/Spider-Man (4)

Solid book here from Marvel. Didn't expect it to beat out Civil War II/Avengers in pre-rankings but it earns itself a spot in the top 10. I'm still iffy on Cap's new Shield but I'm fine with everything else... Yes, even that!

4. March Trilogy (17)

Here's our last big jumper as March, which samples the first chapters of all three volumes, skyrocketed 13 spots into the top five. In hindsight I probably pre-ranked this one too low since I'm very interested in the civil rights movement but Top Shelf doesn't have the best rep to me.

3. Camp Midnight (9)

This was the highest pre-ranked original title (not Archie, DC, Marvel or traditional FCBD books (Spongebob, Bongo, Tick, etc.)) so I was obviously excited and it delivered! Pumped to grab this novel this summer and find out all about our hero's adventures at Camp Midnight.

2. Suicide Squad (2)

In preparation of the movie, DC released the New 52 Suicide Squad #1 for free. I already read it so I knew what I was getting and ranked it #2 where it ended up, little did I know the #1 book wouldn't be Civil War...

1. Archie/Jughead (3)

There is just too much to like about this book. Mark Waid is one of the best writers in comics today so of course despite not being an Archie fan (other than the horror and video game stuff) I new I still had to read this. A Jughead backup written by Chip Zdarsky (a favourite of mine) was not something I was aware of but it was just as good if not better! Looks like I'm becoming an Archie fan!

Top 10 Countdown: June 4, 2016

10. As It Is - Winter's Weather
Last week: NEW!


9. Knuckle Puck - Pretense
Last week: 3.


8. Seaway - Stubborn Love
Last week: NEW!


7. Set It Off - Uncontainable
Last week: 8.


6. With Confidence - Keeper
Last week: 7.


5. The Ready Set - Disappearing Act
Last week: 6.


4. Silverstein - The Continual Condition
Last week: 5.


3. Hit The Lights - No Filter
Last week: 4.


2. The Story So Far - Heavy Gloom
Last week: 1.


1. The Summer Set - Missin' You
Last week: 2.