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Monika Estrella Negra

To Harm Or To Not Harm: The Doctor Aphra Omnibus Review!

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Kieron Gillen (Author), Simon Spurrier (Author), Jason Aaron (Author), Kev Walker (Illustrator), Salvador Larroca (Illustrator), Andrea Broccardo (Illustrator), Emilio Laiso (Illustrator), Wilton Santos (Illustrator), Caspar Wjingaard (Illustrator), Elsa Charretier (Illustrator), Mike Deodato Jr. (Illustrator), Leinil Francis Yu (Illustrator), Marco Checchetto (Illustrator)

Doctor Aphra is a rogue archaeologist traveling the galaxy with a pair of homicidal droids and an unhinged Wookie named Black Krrsantan. This collection details her early days as a freelancer for Darth Vader to her present-day rabble rousing around the galaxy. Aphra is not a hero and she doesn’t claim to be one. If anything, she represents the autonomous galaxy traveler, not unlike pre-resistance Han Solo. She knows what her purpose is and she sticks to it, not attaching herself to a glorified hero stance as so many canon characters have. Aphra is also one of the first openly queer characters within the Star Wars canon. Sarcastic and full of zingers, Aphra is one of the best Star Wars characters, and the Star Wars: Doctor Aphra omnibus is a great place to get to know the inner workings of the Star Wars universe.

Collects: Star Wars: Doctor Aphra (2016) 1-40; Star Wars: Doctor Aphra Annual (2017) 1-3; Darth Vader (2015) 3-4, 8, 21, 25; Star Wars (2015) 13, 19, 31-32; Star Wars: The Screaming Citadel (2017) 1; material from Star Wars: Empire Ascendant (2020) 1 [Read more…] about To Harm Or To Not Harm: The Doctor Aphra Omnibus Review!

The Best of Deadpool!

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Deadpool, “the Merc with a Mouth” is one of my very favorite characters. He is annoying, hilarious, and violent – but he has a tendency to curb his antics when it’s time to help other people. His voracious eating of tacos, numerous nerd references, and endless self-sabotaging redefines what to expect from a bloodthirsty maniac with a taste for homicide. There is an uncertainty as to whether he is a hero, antihero, or villain. Perhaps the truth is he cannot be boxed into any of them because he is unpredictable, and his schtick puts him in a position where he can be anything he chooses. For better or worse, whether you love him or hate him, Wade Wilson is here to stay because you CAN’T KILL HIM. [Read more…] about The Best of Deadpool!

The Best Venom Comics!

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I have quite the love affair with the universe’s most complex symbiote. I firmly believe that Venom is an excellent example of the antihero in fiction and the numerous paths that can be taken in order to expand that character type. Formally introduced in Amazing Spider-Man #300, he is a villain, but sometimes he has a moment of reflection that compels him to do something nice for humankind. Under Eddie Brock’s moral compass, Venom becomes his best friend and the antihero needed in order to expose the complexities of the human spirit.

While Venom has the ability to choose hosts (Gwenom, Carnage), the reasons I have picked these particular stories is because I wanted to highlight the relationship between Eddie and Venom. In my own opinion, outside of the mental health allegories, Eddie’s relationship with Venom is one that makes the average reader reconsider the lines of platonic admiration and love. They are sorely dependent on each other in order to navigate this world – and that my friends, is the making of a true friendship of the ages. It’s not all roses, but with each struggle and fight, they soon become accustomed to the fact that they cannot survive without each other. [Read more…] about The Best Venom Comics!

Batman: The White Knight – Mirrors of Mental Illness

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The White Knight (2017) takes a look into the psyche of Batman and the Clown Prince of Crime, the Joker. This is perhaps one of the most outwardly progressive runs that has happened in the Gotham universe, though it is heavily flawed. While we get to take a closer look into the “bromance” between Joker and Batman, we also gain an introspective look into the social stratosphere of Gotham outside of the criminal activity that takes place. This is a socially relevant storyline and is just as complex as our world can be. One of the primary themes it tackles is mental health, its propensity of being criminalized – and who gets the privilege of escaping its punishments.

It’s not a secret that Bruce Wayne has serious child trauma issues, but it has been a part of the discourse for a while now that his status as a privileged man in Gotham allows him to live out his revenge fantasies on so-called super villains. The White Knight shows us that the other side of the pasture is not as green as we’d like to see it. [Read more…] about Batman: The White Knight – Mirrors of Mental Illness

Black Panther: Panther’s Prey Epic Collection Review!

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The Black Panther franchise has seen its popularity soar since the cinematic adaptation hit theaters in 2018. The newest installment into the Epic Collection, Panther’s Prey revisits Don Mcgregor’s 1988 work of the same name, Panther’s Quest (Marvel Present #13-#37) and the spackling of Black Panther micro appearances in SOLO Avenger’s #1, Marvel Fanfare (1982 #60) and Fantastic Four Unlimited #1. After Panther’s Quest, the collection features Black Panther in a series of standalone appearances. In The Vanities of Philip Whitehead, Black Panther teams up with Hawkeye against Plant Man.

Don McGregor and Billy Graham are partially responsible for Black Panther’s ascension to the mainstream masses at a time where most superheroes were white men. Billy Graham had previously worked on Luke Cage, and McGregor was one of the few writers of his day who had an interest in telling a great Black Panther story, so when the two met it was a match made in Wakandan heaven. The two created the now legendary Jungle Action series, which delved into T’Challa’s life more than any other series had done at the time. [Read more…] about Black Panther: Panther’s Prey Epic Collection Review!