The World to Come (that means TWO things!)


Yesterday, I posted a video updating the general public about what I've been up to lately. If you read this briefing regularly, you already know. I'm busy being a family man, yada yada yada. But I also hinted a bit at some things to come on the channel. I've been searching for ways to include more book reviews in my heavily compressed schedule, and I think I've found just the trick in YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels.

While I've been hesitant to join the microwave TikTok creator wave, it's probably good practice to learn how to deliver a succinct message. The discoverability of vertical video means more people stumble on the books I cover than in my 10 minute unboxings/overviews, and I get to save the bulk of my on-camera time for the type of in-depth analysis I can only deliver after sitting with the material for a while.

As with all experiments, this one is a work in progress, so I appreciate all the feedback I can get. But as we count down to our 5th channel anniversary in November, I'm excited about finding creative ways to inform you about more great comics. Maybe by then, we'll have it all figured out. Or I'll hit the lottery and hire a video editor. Whichever comes first.


This Week in Marvel

The summer of blockbusters is upon us, and Marvel is throwing some heavy hitters into the fray this week! Wednesday will see the release of both Ultimate Spider-Man: Incursion #1 from Deniz Camp & Cody Ziglar and Imperial #1 from Jonathan Hickman. Incursion, drawn by Jonas Scharf, will see our 616 Miles Morales crossing into The Maker's new Ultimate Universe for the first time. As if that weren't enough of a draw, it appears this will also mark the first time most of the Ultimate Marvel characters interact with each other, as each title has been set in a different part of the world thus far.

Hickman's Imperial has quite the art team, including Iban Coello and Miles Morales:Spider-Man artist Federico Vincentini, and aims to put Cosmic Marvel back in a spotlight it hasn't seen since the Abnett and Lanning days. Admittedly, I've never ventured into the Marvel cosmos (wait, does Hickman/Schiti's G.O.D.S. series count?), so this will be all new territory for me. What's piqued my interest in this the reveal of a spinoff series entitled Imperial War: Black Panther, which Hickman is co-writing with Sabertooth scribe Victor Lavalle. Wherever T'Challa goes in the 616, I tend to follow.

Speaking of T'Challa, the debut I'm most curious about is Marvel Knights: The World to Come #1, marking the return of fan-favorite writer Christopher Priest to the world of Wakanda. A world he remade in the image of cool back in 1998's Marvel Knights Black Panther title, introducing us to the Dora Milaje, Agent Everett Ross, and much of the vibranium-powered tech we associate with Marvel's premier Black superhero. As if the return of Priest wasn't enough, he's also bringing former Marvel EIC Joe Quesada with him! The affair feels a bit bittersweet, as solicits are teasing the death of T'Challa; but I'm just excited to have a Black Panther-starring book on shelves again. And if they're reviving the Marvel Knights banner, I'm very curious about.. well... the world to come.


The Last Word

How did the title for this final segment escape me for so long? Anyways, this week's Last Word goes to two Kickstarter campaigns I think the world of. My homie Morgan Iverson is releasing a graphic novel featuring the first 4 issues of Lumberjax (Issue #4 was never widely available until now), and Bentbox Comics' Chris O'Hara is raising funds for the release of Refuge #1, an all-ages adventure being told without any word balloons! Both campaigns are special to me for different reasons. Refuge feels like the type of story that could take the world by storm, and has a creative bunch of rewards for backers, including a coloring book!

Family has always been important to Morgan, and after tragedy struck his own, I've been really inspired by his courage to mount this campaign for Lumberjax in the face of his own grief. He stopped by the channel to discuss the campaign last week, in case you need more convincing.

Read Something Dope Today,

BJ KICKS

Comics Are Dope

Celebrating everything Dope about comics. Curated by BJ KICKS.

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