New comic book Wednesday has come and gone. The dust at your local comic shop has settled. An eerie silence descends as you finish reading your last superhero book of the week. Now it's time for something a little more sinister. Welcome to Bagged and Boarded: comic reviews of the sick, spooky, twisted and terrifying!
The Walking Dead No. 119
Rick and his crew led a major assault on the villainous Negan. After dealing such a direct blow (with the help of hordes of zombies), our heroes retreated back to their camp. But it wasn't all a success as Ezekiel lost many of his people in an ancillary attack. Now the fear is that Negan and his posse will have extra help getting out of harm's way and could come back soon for revenge.
Bag it or board it up? This is a really nice issue of 'Dead.' The artwork in it is so damned gloomy you can tell from the first panel that things are not on the up and up. There are some key emotional moments that push this issue past criticisms of it being a "filler" or "cool-down" issue after a big event. If anything, this is one of the more emotionally fraught issues to come along in a while. And when trouble rolls into town the feeling of dread that hangs in the air is almost cinematic.
Kiss Me, Satan! No. 5 of 5
This insane, pulpy series comes to an end with this final issue. Up to now, we've hung out with Barnabas, an agent of heaven who deals in shotguns and is protected from magic. He met up with some witches in New Orleans who are trying to save the baby of a Werewolf mob boss from being murdered. Along the way they've met a cool necromancer, some demons, plenty of werewolves, and an asshole wizard. It's been an insane ride, and this issue brings it all to a neat little close as the final showdown unfolds.
Bag it or board it up? Even though this is the series finale, you really don't have to go back and read all the previous comics. You should, because they're crazy and awesome, but you don't have to. You'll get what's going on, more or less, and this is such an action-packed comic that you won't want to put it down. I'm sad to see this series ending. I really hope it gets picked up for more issues; this is a world I'd love to continue exploring.
B.P.R.D. Hell On Earth No. 115
Now we're getting to the meat and potatoes of this 'Hell on Earth' run of comics. All this time everyone's been wondering what happened to New York. Since giant monsters crawled out of a crack in the earth the city's gone dark. Sure, a lot of the world's gone dark, but New York is different. No word in or out, no people in or out, no reports on any activity at all. So now two different strike forces make their way into the city from two different drop-off's (New Jersey and Brooklyn), and it's time to see what's going on in the big apple.
Bag it or board it up? This issue really hit me where it hurts. Though I'm not a native, I'm a transplant to the New York area and currently reside in Brooklyn, not too far from where some of the events in this issue take place. To see my adopted hometown torn to shreds( something took a big bite out of the Williamsburg Bridge) and full of dead people was jarring, and an emotional experience. But even without that emotional response… hot damn this is a good issue. Jump in now or miss out on the whole New York arc.
Afterlife With Archie No. 3
Death has come to Riverdale and it's up to Archie and the gang to set it right… or, at least, survive the night. In this celebration of all things anachronistic, Archie and his buddies are beset with hordes of zombies. The creatures now roam the streets and set ruin to the town, and Veronica has taken everyone to her palatial mansion home to stay safe. But strong-willed Archie can't just sit around while his parents may be in trouble. So of course the plucky red head has to go investigate.
Bag it or board it up? I said it last issue and I'll say it again: No comic is dealing with darker themes than this Archie comic. And if they are… they're not doing it with as much class as this comic. There are plenty of funny moments, and lots of gags, but the core of this comic is an honest portrayal of fear and helplessness. We see characters break down and cry under the pressure, we see characters profess deep-seated fears to one another. It's all amazing to read. Don't write this comic off as a novelty, it's the most careful twisting of a franchise I've ever read.