Last week, my LCS Ultimate Comics Raleigh announced that it will be closing its doors soon. It's not all bad news, as the management from that store will be opening a new one right down the street (and I get to document the entire build on the channel!). But it does mean that soon, the store that got me into comics, hosted me at four Free Comic Book Days, and has been a weekly stop for me since 2019 will be gone forever. It's the latest in a long series of transitions for me and this hobby in the last 2 years.

Change is almost always for the better, and I'm excited about the new shop. It's bigger, draws more foot traffic, and should be a big boost for my friends' business in the long run. But I'm still reminiscing on the old days. Lucky for me, I took lots of pictures (and videos), so I can always look back when I'm feeling nostalgic.

Speaking of Good Changes

Marvel Comics (!) just sent me this stack of trades to review on the channel, marking the beginning of what I hope will be a long and fruitful relationship. As much as I love the Dark Knight; it was Marvel's House of X that made me a Wednesday Warrior. Them being the first of the Big Two publishers to validate the work we do here is a fun bit of serendipity. I'll be posting an unboxing and several review videos soon, so be sure to show them love when they arrive.

On The Podcast

Last week, I got the chance to talk to Tad Stones, creator of Darkwing Duck, in a closing hours promotion for Dynamite's Kickstarter Campaign for the new Darkwing hardcover collections. It's impossible to cover a 30 year career in 60 minutes, but let's just say my inner child was pleased with this conversation. The full video is available to the general public on YouTube, but the audio feed was updated today.

By the way, Kickstarter is accepting late pledges on the Darkwing campaign, so it's STILL not too late to secure your set. But act fast, because I have no idea when they'll take that feature away.

One More Thing

I don't know how I'm going to balance reading all these trades with my weekly single issues, but Absolute Power is must-read comic entertainment. I just had to fit that recommendation in this e-mail somewhere. I'm not quite sold on the tie-ins, but you HAVE TO see Alejandro Sanchez colors on Dan Mora's line work. Oh, and Mark Waids high-stakes storytelling doesn't hurt things either. This is the first DC event that has felt... eventful... in a while.

Do the Dad Jokes come through as well over text? Idk, but I'm gonna keep trying them.

Read Something Dope Today,

BJ KICKS