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JP, alone with all his comics (in a new place) @jpcomics.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

The "Lanterns" finale was fantastic. Really brought home the themes of the series. Really bold reimagining of the Lantern mythos. A meditation on what means to be "chosen" instead of being the one who "chooses", and reinvention of what a Green Lantern could be outside of their cop image. So good.

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JP, alone with all his comics (in a new place) @jpcomics.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

I don't know which proportion of the "Lanterns" finale was written by which showrunner, but it just slots very neatly inside of Tom King's body of work. Familiar themes at full display. The diner scene ("he might not deserve your grace, but he deserves peace.") speaks a lot about King's guilt, imo

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JP, alone with all his comics (in a new place) @jpcomics.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Mark Millar is a big bitch But with that said, he could build a shared universe out of years and years of little creator-owned projects (which he paid very good money to his collaborators, I heard) to the point that he even did a big event crossover to join them all... it is admittedly pretty cool.

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JP, alone with all his comics (in a new place) @jpcomics.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

It's still puzzling to me how Marvel teased this (full "Rebirth" style btw), then changed its mind, made MacKay scramble to incorporate it into his run (which led to the Missing Moment, I'd bet) just to change its mind AGAIN and drop some Miracleman now. Very ironic they want this one-shot forgotten

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JP, alone with all his comics (in a new place) @jpcomics.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

VERY interesting that the Jed MacKay "Avengers" Omnibus will NOT include the first "Timeless" one-shot, just the second. Very interesting, given that the first one-shot not only had more hype, it was the beginning of his work with Kang, but also had what I'd say is an INFAMOUS dropped teaser

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JP, alone with all his comics (in a new place) @jpcomics.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

There are some schools of how to open a big superhero event. "DNX #1" is clearly a setup issue, trying to get readers to speed, but even then, it's not an interesting setup or even makes clear who the characters are. "DNX" could have used a BIG PLOT BEAT to begin, even if it's a dangerous approach

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JP, alone with all his comics (in a new place) @jpcomics.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

As with everything MacKay, his grasp of character is great. The setup is rich ground for drama, finally bringing the tension between Cyclops and Beast that started in the Utopia era to a head But at the same time, the plotting was so bland and the cliffhanger so uneventful...

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JP, alone with all his comics (in a new place) @jpcomics.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

I LOVE Jed MacKay's work. He always has a tight grasp on character and explores amazing angles But I feel like his current weakness is group books. Might be the editorial direction, whole back-to-the-90s thing, but I feel very underwhelmed by his "X-Men" and "Avengers" "DNX" began so lukewarm...

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JP, alone with all his comics (in a new place) @jpcomics.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

I'm feeling bittersweet about the wonderful Wonder Woman run by Tom King and Daniel Sampere ending. On one side, I hoped for many more issues of goodness, but on the other, 3 years is a good while when you have one issue a month. It will be fascinating to reread it as a whole and dissect it

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JP, alone with all his comics (in a new place) @jpcomics.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

I finished an EP I started recording back in 2020. Kept procrastinating on recording the final song all this time, but it is done! My first solo EP, I feel lighter, woof!

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JP, alone with all his comics (in a new place) @jpcomics.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

This is just venting, and it makes me feel a little mean-spirited, but: I think it's a real shame "Armageddon" and "Queen in Black" are being published alongside, because one is clearly better than the other but being totally eclipsed by the other hm

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JP, alone with all his comics (in a new place) @jpcomics.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

"Final Crisis", and I would say it's not even close if "Secret Wars" by Hickman and Ribic didn't exist. The final twilight of the superhero. The ultimate war of creation vs the void. Hope vs Despair. Imagination vs Cynicism. Ink vs the blank page. "He wished for a happy ending, Weeja Dell."

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JP, alone with all his comics (in a new place) @jpcomics.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

The whole Jason Aaron extended run (and I'm including "Schism" and "Wolverine and the X-Men" in this math) is amazing. My highlights are "Get Mystique" and the beginning stretch of Volume 3. Incredible. "Not Dead Yet" is one of my favorite short Logan tales, but it is by Warren Ellis, be warned

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JP, alone with all his comics (in a new place) @jpcomics.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

For such a small story, and more than that, a crossover that could have been only plot-driven, "Aliens vs Avengers" is jam-packed with ideas, dialoguing constantly with Hickman's previous work. It's a pleasure to dive in and let Ribic's masterful art drive you through such concepts. Wonderful.

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JP, alone with all his comics (in a new place) @jpcomics.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Of course, the final thesis of "AvA" comes from Tony Stark, the "future man" of Hickman As with so many Hickman stories, this is about creation vs destruction. The struggle to resist the void. The human race has to stand up to those who believe in power. "Save what you can. Burn the rest."

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JP, alone with all his comics (in a new place) @jpcomics.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Hickman's work has always been angry. "Avengers" was, about other things, the death of the dream of the Obama Era. "AvA" is a Biden Era story and it's similarly angry about those with power Its greatest fear, from Engineer to Xenomorph, is that this is everyone. This darkness, this insanity.

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JP, alone with all his comics (in a new place) @jpcomics.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

As he would do in "Imperial" soon, Hickman gets to play with the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda he set up in his "Avengers" run Wakanda is the focus of both the beginning of the story and the cliffhanger for the penultimate issue, making it fundamental to the tale, an example of scale

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JP, alone with all his comics (in a new place) @jpcomics.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Of course, Hickman is interested in both David and the Engineers. Creature and creation, beginning and end of an evolutionary line. Destruction comes from both sides, beginning and end, and between these two points are the victims of the damage of those who hold some measure of power

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JP, alone with all his comics (in a new place) @jpcomics.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Hickman literalizes in text some of the symbolism behind the Xenomorph, as they're portrayed as a planet-killing army An extension of both the darkness inside the soul of the human and that of the uncontrolled destruction left by late-stage capitalism, the weapon of a corporation ravaging all

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JP, alone with all his comics (in a new place) @jpcomics.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Hickman finds time to explore again, like in "X-Men", the end of the evolutionary line, correlating with the idea of superiority and power, even combining it with the emphasis on the idea of "the bomb" so prevalent in his "Avengers" run. Callbacks and expansions all around.

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JP, alone with all his comics (in a new place) @jpcomics.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Reread the incredible "Aliens vs Avengers" by Hickman/@esadribicart.bsky.social Amazing little tale, most ambitious (and dare I say important) crossover comic since "WildC.A.T.s/Aliens" Almost like a coda for Hickman's runs in "Avengers" and "X-Men". Another tale of the struggle against creators

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JP, alone with all his comics (in a new place) @jpcomics.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Psylocke (when are we gonna drop the "W" and just called her "Kannon" like the goddess, Marvel?) and it's not even close, for me

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JP, alone with all his comics (in a new place) @jpcomics.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

As someone who can't (or doesn't want or doesn't have quite the patience) to draw, I still tried to do whatever I could for my little comics, and that included the lettering I'm very basic, but the moments I spent at a cafe lettering my little stories were some of my happiest. Long live lettering!

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JP, alone with all his comics (in a new place) @jpcomics.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Beginning a reread of the amazing "Green Lantern" run by Grant Morrison and Liam Sharpe There's something very sweet and melancholic about Morrison using Hal Jordan, a man stuck on Earth but dreaming of other worlds, as their avatar in their final DC tale, an examination of their nostalgia

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JP, alone with all his comics (in a new place) @jpcomics.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

"You know, we're all aliens. Just depends which planet you're standing on." Really loved the Pilot for "Lanterns". Excellently paced, beautifully written and acted. Set up for many incredible questions and themes. Can't wait for next week!

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JP, alone with all his comics (in a new place) @jpcomics.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Does "Infinity War" counts? Do people still love it? No joke, I left the cinema feeling existential panic (yes, I am dramatic, why do you ask?) that this big blockbuster everyone loved was a story about... absolutely nothing but itself. Nothing matters. IP ouroboros.

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JP, alone with all his comics (in a new place) @jpcomics.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

(Also, in many ways, "Event Leviathan" was the final in a line of "anti-events" Bendis seemed to be fond of writing, like his unpredictable "Age of Ultron" or, in a lesser measure, almost fightless "Civil War II". Events that are somewhat "eventless", not really traditional crossovers. Interesting)

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JP, alone with all his comics (in a new place) @jpcomics.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

"Event Leviathan" and its follow-up "Checkmate"... weird pair of books. I'm pretty much fascinated by them, and that's in large part because of how little they seem to matter when they, in a sense, at least a little, should. Bendis's brief stint at DC is curious, indeed...

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JP, alone with all his comics (in a new place) @jpcomics.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Still, it is EXACTLY as, for example, his youth supergroup led by DaVinci in his later Miles work: COMPLETELY swept under the rug What do you mean Talia has a new Leviathan of immortal radicalized scientists? Kamandi is in the present? Lois Lane's brother? As if it never happened

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JP, alone with all his comics (in a new place) @jpcomics.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Matter of fact, I'm a HUGE Alex Maleev fan since his "Daredevil" work. So I find the books GORGEOUS Gritty, down-to-earth, atmospheric. A perfect choice for a paranoia-induced spy thriller. It's beautiful work.

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JP, alone with all his comics (in a new place) @jpcomics.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

For all I'm saying, I quite enjoy both books. In Bendis's bibliography, it makes for another good addition to his long list of works with Alex Maleev, one of my favorite collaborators of his. It's a breezy read, the character choices are cool and the new Leviathan is a compelling personality

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JP, alone with all his comics (in a new place) @jpcomics.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Still, it never stops being a little baffling, because it's like Wonder Man's role in his "Avengers" run: Bendis offers violent change to the status quo in a publishing model that doesn't quite accept it, so it changes absolutely nothing and he's forced to dial back anyway. It's unbalanced.

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JP, alone with all his comics (in a new place) @jpcomics.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

In this sense, "Checkmate", the second part of the story, works much better, because it leaves out any pretense of a mystery to actually focus on what matters: the idea of status quo and that of a broken world

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JP, alone with all his comics (in a new place) @jpcomics.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

The biggest problem with "Event Leviathan" is that, as a mystery... it just doesn't work? Characters will say that everyone is a suspect but never offer a true explanation as to why, so the story spins around itself until the big reveal, which is actually interesting.

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JP, alone with all his comics (in a new place) @jpcomics.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Probably the most interesting aspects of "Event Leviathan" is that it provides a cool variation on the Bendis antagonist, usually entitled, here "righteously" so; and that it offers a twisted alternative to the theme of "Truth" he was developing concurrently in his Superman run

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JP, alone with all his comics (in a new place) @jpcomics.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

The Bendis work at DC is curious because, like his later work at Marvel, most of it feels like a separate continuity But from all his DC stories, "Event Leviathan" might be the most fascinating It's such a strange story. Something that should be a HUGE DEAL but has no impact outside itself

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JP, alone with all his comics (in a new place) @jpcomics.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

I'm constantly in awe of the amazing work Al Ewing and his many collaborators are doing in the Venom books Ewing took the foundation built by Cates/Stegman and ran crazy with it, building monument after monument above it. Incredible concepts, while going even deeper on the human element. Amazing

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JP, alone with all his comics (in a new place) @jpcomics.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

I know it's comics and loose continuity of the 2010s and yadda yadda but... It slightly baffles me how everyone decided to overlook the fact Talia Al Ghul basically ordered to have her son butchered. It bothers me how anyone, but particularly Damian and Bruce, is on speaking terms with Talia...

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JP, alone with all his comics (in a new place) @jpcomics.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

And usually I never tag anyone, but just this once, I want to let @theburnham.bsky.social know how WONDERFUL his work on the whole series was. How beautifully he tells the story, how each punch and layout hit hard, how each moment explodes with energy. It's one of the most beautiful runs I've read

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JP, alone with all his comics (in a new place) @jpcomics.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

"Batman Incorporated" is wonderful. A bleak turn into tragedy. From the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. A Batman book like no other. So meaningful and well-made.

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JP, alone with all his comics (in a new place) @jpcomics.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

The New 52 seems to be the point at which Morrison's utopianism and idealism crash into the ugly wall of reality. In "Action Comics", "Batman Incorporated," and "Green Lantern" they examine their nostalgia and what it means when faced with the reality that these ideas are corporate-owned...

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JP, alone with all his comics (in a new place) @jpcomics.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

The epilogue of the run is also telling. In it, Ra's Al Ghul shows a collection of Damian clones. The children are literally weaponized. The future is mass-produced, without love, without care. It's a very cynical and bleak note from a writer that, up to that point, was pretty idealistic

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JP, alone with all his comics (in a new place) @jpcomics.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

More than that, killing Damian is such a twisted and sad trick. It's Morrison doing what creators do as their run ends: he's putting the toys back in the box, in the cruelest way Damian advanced the status quo. He's dialing back. Of course, it's ironic that Damian was THE toy that stuck around.

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JP, alone with all his comics (in a new place) @jpcomics.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

So the final issue ends in this MONSTROUS image of Bruce. The cover, the Ouroboros. Batman forever. Forever a prisoner of the idea. "Batman Incorporated" showed the future. It made the status quo move on. But it would always go back. It would never last. There is no future, really. That's tragedy

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JP, alone with all his comics (in a new place) @jpcomics.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

The nature of comics guarantees Bruce will probably always be Batman. It will never end. What does that mean to those around him? What does it mean to his son? "Batman can never die" might be triumph, but it is also a curse. Bruce will NEVER be free. The hole in everything WILL eat everything.

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JP, alone with all his comics (in a new place) @jpcomics.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Throughout the run, Morrison keeps coming back to the idea of other Batmen. The Three Ghosts. Damian in the future. The Club of Heroes. The Darkseid army. Dick and Jason. The Fatherless clone. All variations. And none of them quite right. None of them are Bruce Wayne. None of them complete.

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JP, alone with all his comics (in a new place) @jpcomics.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Talia had been a figure in the backdrop of Morrison's run from the beginning, and the tension slowly builds. First, Bruce rejects her. Then Damian. Then, retribution This is the story of two parents who won't compromise and in their ugly dispute, unwillingly or not, end up with their son weaponized

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JP, alone with all his comics (in a new place) @jpcomics.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Because deep down, "Batman Incorporated" is a story of divorce. The ugly divorce of two parents who can't communicate and the true victim: their son. Leviathan keeps weaponizing children. The virus carrier in "Asylum" is a baby. The future is burning. The future is broken.

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JP, alone with all his comics (in a new place) @jpcomics.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

There's this somber, inevitable shift slowly creeping in as the story goes on. The feeling of triumph, of the idea of Batman being limitless, slowly turns into despair. Into a true curse. It had been building on "Return of Bruce Wayne" and "Batman and Robin", but it truly solidifies here.

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