Comic Review with Jair! Week of 05.21.2025

 

My name is Jair Tolliver. 

I've worked at Dr No's for about 6 months and I've been patronizing them for half my life. I like comics, video games, music and sometimes sports. 

I’m a GSU graduate, veteran sandwich artist and aspiring writer. Ask me about the X-Men or my anime car sometime.

I think all comics are good they're human expression, dreams put to a page through days, months and years of dedication. They're windows into other worlds, aspirations of all we can be, warnings of what we may become and everything in between. Above all I think comics can help us understand the things we often don't consider.  

That's what I want these reviews to do, help folks understand maybe even appreciate something they haven't seen before, but yea lemme wrap this up I got books to file. Happy reading!

The Thing #1

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     Yancy Street’s favorite son returns in this new five-issue limited series. Ben Grimm is taking a break from his and the Fantastic Four’s usual cosmic adventures to take care of some neighborhood business.

     When a little girl goes missing, the Thing must team up with an old childhood bully to find her — but what they stumble into is far more than they bargained for. The Thing is Marvel’s premier “tough guy with a heart of gold,” and that’s on full display in this issue.

     Writer Tony Fleecs digs beneath the rocky exterior to the core of Ben Grimm, bringing up old torments from his past in new and exciting ways that are sure to leave fans wanting more.

Hulk & Doctor Strange #1

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     Great for new fans and old alike. This issue is less action-adventure and more character study. What makes Bruce Banner the Hulk? Where do the Jolly Green Giant and the mild-mannered scientist begin and end?

     With some help from Doctor Strange, Hulk searches his past and reveals new angles to one of the most iconic origins in all of comics. J. Michael Straczynski crafts a worthy story for Hulk’s canon and shows why these two Avengers from different worlds work so well together.

     Spectacular art from German Peralta and colors by Guru-eFX elevate the issue by putting a fresh coat of paint on an old tale. Lastly, Aunt May and Agatha Harkness steal the issue, but I’ll let you see for yourself.

Spider-Man & Wolverine #1

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Spider-Man and Wolverine! And secret agents? ’Nuff said.

You’re still confused? Fair enough. As a long-term Spidey fan, I still forget one little detail about everyone’s favorite webhead: His parents were, indeed, secret agents.

That little fact is sure to have some repercussions in this new, exciting, action-packed team-up series. Wolverine needs to stop a global list of double agents from being exposed, and Spidey is the best guy he knows for tech stuff. Anything to get these two comic greats in the same series. Expect lots of jokes (courtesy of Spidey) and lots of violence (courtesy of you-know-who).

The Vision & The Scarlet Witch #1

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     The star-crossed lovers with a complicated past — even for comics — return in this exciting new entry from writer Steve Orlando and artist Lorenzo Tammetta. The issue picks up in earnest as mysterious Doors of Death have opened across the country, calling to anyone willing to listen.

     Scarlet Witch must investigate — but for someone with as troubled a past as hers, will she fall victim to the doors’ call? Not if Vision can help it. Swooping in on the scene, this issue looks like it could be the rekindling of one of Marvel’s greatest romances.

     The past is always lingering, though, and when old ghosts come back to haunt our duo, it’ll take both of them to overcome this strange new threat and unravel the mystery of the Death Doors. Gorgeous art and heartfelt writing make this issue a must-read for longtime fans and new ones alike. 

Suggested reading:

     Vision (2015) ISBN 9781302920555

     Scarlet Witch (2023) ISBN 9780785194743

The New Gods #6

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     How does a god die?

     The answer is simple; the journey, much less so. When Lightray falls in battle, he’s plunged into the only race that matters — you could call it the race of his life — and his opponent and ally is Death itself.

     Writer Ram V is joined by guest artist Filipe Andrade for this beyond-cosmic tale. Andrade’s art is phenomenal, bringing to life the dreamlike realm between life and death with a sea of pastels and watercolors. Ram V writes these characters with the gravitas gods deserve. It's like reading a new mythology — one where Superman shows up (a bonus, if you ask me).

     This issue further cements New Gods as one of DC’s must-read titles and is sure to lead to major shake-ups for the New Gods and the DC universe at large. 

Suggested Reading: 

     New Gods by Jack Kirby 978-1401281694 

     Mister Miracle by Tom King 978-1401283544 

     Female Furies by Cecil Castellucci 978-1401297114