By Mikhaela Padilla
Mikhaela is a sophomore at Whitney Young High School. She’s a reporter for The Mash, a weekly teen publication distributed to Chicagoland high schools.
The Mash’s resident comic book expert dishes out on must-have comic books this year. Got something to add to the list?
“Album”
Are you a fan of “The Walking Dead?” The comic’s writer and artist, Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard, respectively, are coming up with a new series called “Album,” about a cargo spaceship trapped a year away from Earth. They will make the books while they continue producing “The Walking Dead,” and will release them roughly 18 months apart with a different theme each year, each book at 60 pages long.
Verdict: This is on my list for my love of “The Walking Dead” and its artists. I think Kirkman would have a strong hold on the storyline that would get the readers hooked. Also, since the artwork is what truly fascinates me, I know Adlard’s skills won’t fail me.
“Avengers vs. X-Men Infinite”
In this prequel to “Avengers Vs. X-Men,” the Phoenix Force -- an incredibly powerful entity that often visits Earth by taking on a human host -- returns to Earth. The story follows the journey of the space-traveling Nova, who happens to be the first person to see the Phoenix Force and rushes to Earth to deliver a warning. And it’s only 99 cents!
Verdict: If you’re planning to read “Avengers vs. X-Men,” it’s a flavorsome behind-the-scenes story that sets up Nova’s appearance in the series. By the way, expect a big cliffhanger.
“Lord of the Rings”
You’ve read the books, you’ve watched the movies, are you ready for the comic books? Later this year, DC will be publishing a “Lord of the Rings” (LOTR) comics online. The story spins out of the upcoming “LOTR War of the North” video game.
Verdict: Well, first of all, HELLOOOO, it’s “Lord of the Rings!” That should be enough to read the comic books! Not to mention I’m familiar with the artists’ work and believe me, I’m beyond excited for the series to comic out. I’m already getting goose bumps!
“The Walking: Dreams End”
Known for his horror twist on “Alice in Wonderland” (his mini-series “Escape from Wonderland”), Raven Gregory’s take on “The Waking” is sure to blow some minds. This series is about four police detectives who, while investigating two murders, discover that the victims of the crimes are coming back from the dead in search of their murderers. The detectives race against time to find the source of the recent awakenings and make the decision of either doing their jobs or allowing the victims to find their own justice.
Verdict: I’m a big fan of Gregory’s spin-offs of “Grimm’s Fairy Tales.” I absolutely love his style of twisting a story into something so horrifying and morbid. To me, this series seem a bit of a risk for Gregory, seeing as how he decided to create an original horror series with a gothic, horror-inspired vision of the undead instead of benefiting from the current zombie craze. But it works for him!
Also on TheMash.com: