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   than a "floppy" but not Manga, it goes here.   
      
        The Glass Scientists vol 3 (of 3): Putnam/Penguin Teen - And now the   
   finale.  While Cotucno does leave things open for more stories (and in fact   
   does one as a text piece at the end), the main story comes to an end here.   
   The real emotional climax for Jekyll and Hyde comes fairly early in the   
   volume, where they finally have an honest talk with Lanyon and themselves.   
   Of course, this isn't the end of their problems, but it's the beginning of a   
   solution.  There's some backsliding, as tends to happen, and "I can fix   
   him/me" denial.  If anything DID get resolved a little too quickly, I'd   
   actually forgotten about Jasper's non-lycanthropy issue because it just   
   didn't come up except for a single almost throwaway line.  A good solid   
   trilogy, worth picking up.  Recommended.  $17.99/$24.50Cn, unrated.   
      
        Expected next month: Nothing on my spreadsheet (Punderworld vol 2 has   
   been pushed back to February, although those of us on the Patreon got the   
   final pages in late December).  I do have a Webtoon collection (UnOrdinary   
   vol 1) I got cheap at Ollie's a few months ago that I might read if the month   
   feels too slow.   
      
      
   Floppies:   
      
        No, I don't have any particular disdain for the monthlies, but they   
   *are* floppy, yes?  (And not all of them come out monthly, or on a regular   
   schedule in general, so I can't just call this section "Monthlies" or even   
   "Periodicals" as that implies a regular period.)   
      
        Fantastic Four #5-6: Marvel -  #5 is a done in one locked room murder   
   that's also part of Black Cat's rehabilitation tour.  I guess she's not a   
   ganglord anymore, and she's back to her late 80s era bad luck powers.  It is   
   challenging to do a locked room mystery in a world full of superhumans, and   
   we're asked to take on faith that the more obvious culprits would have no   
   reason to do it, but North finds a clever solution that is adequately   
   foreshadowed and fits just fine into a world of jetpacks and talking apes.   
   The ending bit does feel a bit too much like the old "anointment tour" Kyle   
   Rayner went on after first getting the GL ring...Sue gives up her distrust   
   and is willing to be friends with Felicia because the character arc requires   
   it, but oh well.  #6 starts an arc called "The Invincible Woman," which is a   
   bit of a deep cut, given that Sue and Johnny's dad was supposedly the   
   Invincible Man (it was a Super-Skrull plot).  With Malice showing up in a   
   house ad for Marvel Rivals, that sort of suggests that we'll be seeing a sort   
   of evil Sue at some point in this arc.  Leaving that aside as ill-advised   
   advertising, though, this issue shows a couple of relatively minor threats   
   and an advancement of Maria Hill's whole "The FF could destroy the world"   
   subplot.  Both issues recommended, although #5 with some reservations.  $3.99   
   each.   
      
        The World To Come #4 (of 6): Marvel - The Race War mentioned repeatedly   
   in previous issues is finally detailed, and one of the childhood flashbacks   
   gets a payoff with a reunion of two old fighters whose fighting days are   
   apparently in the past (although still our future).  An old favorite from   
   Priest's Panther run also returns and is Important.  It's all building   
   towards this World To Come, without much time left to actually do anything   
   with the World To Come (keeping an eye on solicits, but so far no sequels or   
   tie-ins or whatever showing up).  As with several of the previous issues, you   
   really need to read the text pieces at the end to fill in the gaps.  Mildly   
   recommended.  $4.99   
      
        Moon Knight Fist of Khonshu #14-15 (of 15): Marvel - Wrapping up the   
   Haunting of the Wrecker arc as well as this iteration of Moon Knight, who   
   gets new number ones almost as often as a Dynamite book for some reason.   
   Mind you, I read so few other Marvel books anymore, maybe they're rebooting   
   everything every couple of years now.  The necromancer behind the haunting,   
   who goes by the Executor because he figures playing the supervillain game is   
   the only way to get the attention of his prey, may not be a strong magician   
   in absolute terms, but he's specialized in dealing with people who have a lot   
   of blood on their hands...which definitely applies to Marc and Layla, not to   
   mention the Wrecker.  On the other hand, he still thinks he's being a   
   protector of the innocent (Everyone Is The Hero Of Their Own Story), which   
   can be a distinct weakness around these people.  Along the way, MacKay's   
   usual good banter and clever plans.  Recommended.  $3.99 each.   
      
        Gatchaman #14: Mad Cave - Berg Katse continues to be horribly petty and   
   willing to throw away major schemes with decent chances of success just so he   
   can be a jerk to the Science Ninjas.  Because of how my subscription works, I   
   have to keep getting issues for a few months after I say to stop, but unless   
   things pick up a LOT very soon, I won't be reviewing this book any more.   
   Neutral.  $4.99.   
      
        Before I go into the next batch of books, I'd like to complain about   
   Dynamite's cover policy of late.  No, not the infinitude of alternate   
   covers...I mean the fact that it's been a couple years since I can recall   
   seeing any cover that had something to do with the story inside beyond "this   
   is the main character."  Like, they're just hiring artists to churn out   
   random portraits of title characters and then slapping 'em willy-nilly on the   
   issues.  There's a LOT of stuff going on in these books that would make for   
   some cool covers, and might actually help sell the comics in this era of   
   retailers selling sealed bags with a no-browsing policy.  Instead, Dynamite   
   is making it clear that they're selling pinup art, and if you want to   
   actually open the cover there's a free story inside.  Very disrespectful of   
   the stories, on top of the "there are twenty four variant covers and our main   
   business model is selling a copy of each to a handful of whales" thing.  For   
   instance, Vampirella #6-8 end one arc and start another, both with very   
   different sci-fi flavored feels, and to look at the covers...nothing.   
   They're all just generic pinup art.  There isn't even any cover copy like   
   "The Long Night: Conclusion!"  Just a tiny box with issue number, creators   
   below that, and the logo either at top or bottom depending on where it'll   
   cover less of the art.  There is similarly nothing about the Sonja Reborn   
   covers to indicate that this is not just another generic Red Sonja story,   
   certainly nothing to suggest it's "modern person wakes up in Red Sonja's body   
   and has to Deal With That."  Thunderbolt?  Okay, that's a little better, at   
   least there's identifiable opponents in there who do show up in the   
   story...too bad the scene on the Cover A for #1 takes place near the end of   
   issue #2, as if the person in charge of putting the covers on the books   
   thought it was just more generic stuff.  (Cover C for #1 is also the same   
   scene from #2 from a different angle, covers B and D have nothing to do with   
   either issue but maybe cover something from a future issue.)  Variant covers   
   having nothing to do with the story inside is to be expected, since they're   
   the blatant cash grab selling just the cover.  But is it too much to ask for   
   the main cover to at least sometimes be connected to the story inside more   
   strongly than just showing the title character?   
      
        Sonja Reborn #4 (of 6): Dynamite - Well, one of the flashback scenes   
   crosses over with a recent issue of Vampirella, which firms up the rules   
      
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   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)