Good afternoon, RVA comic fans! Welcome to this afternoon’s issue of RVA Comics X-Change, where we take a look at what is going on in our beloved land of comics, and the surrounding pop culture. This week we have a more pocket-sized edition for you of comic recommendations, but that is only because we are busy gearing up for the final countdown of Avengers: Endgame.
Which is out in exactly 24 days. 23 if you count the midnight showing. Not that it, you know, matters or anything.
This week we talked to our friends at the best local podcast for all of your horror needs: Terror InPodnito. Co-Host Palmer Sturman stopped by to give us some of his favorite trade editions that he has been digging into lately. Horror comic fans, this is, in fact, the issue for you. Meanwhile, after I get a little political with a graphic novel recommendation, we close out by breaking down the most recent theory surrounding events in Endgame.
Did Marvel reveal who actually dies in the upcoming film?
If you read all of the casting news surrounding the franchise, it seems the answer is… well, yes and no. Who knows! All right, friends, grab your snacks of choice and get comfy, because we’re diving in.
The Boys, by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson
“I’ve been really exploring my new run-through of this series, which touches on the darker side of superheroes, and attempts to dissect some of the ego, crime, and exploitation that might come from those figures once they realize they’re all-powerful,” said Sturman. “It takes the classic ‘who watches the watchmen’ idea and adds that signature Ennis flair, which usually just involves lots of violence and dark humor.”
Sturman knows a few things in the series might feel cringeworthy at this point in history — but he doesn’t necessarily think that should stop anyone from checking it out. “Most people know if they’re Ennis fans or not by this point,” he said. “If you are a fan and haven’t read The Boys yet, or if you’re not easily offended, the series is a decent read that has a bizarre way of making one feel equal parts grossed-out and giddy.”
InSEXts: Year One, by Marguerite Bennett and Ariela Kristantina
“The comic is set in the mid-1800s, and is an erotic horror/revenge tale that is equal parts gruesome and beautiful,” said Sturman. “It centers on two Victorian women that fall in love with one another and discover a bizarre and terrifying ability to transform into strange insect-like creatures. They use this ability to better their lives and shelter their love from an outside world that seeks to destroy them. It’s dark, twisted, and amazingly beautiful both in terms of writing and artwork.”
Once again I must return with a politically fun recommendation for you, oh faithful readers. If The Notorious AOC wasn’t your cup of London Fog, never fear. Our favorite meme-tastic cabinet is here to entertain and save the day.
The Adventures of Barry and Joe: Obama and Biden’s Bromantic Battle for the Soul of America by Adam Reid is exactly what it says it is. It is a colorful, sharp, fast-paced graphic novel about the adventures of our favorite time-travelling, crime-fighting, mystery-solving leaders of the first world. Imagine if you will that Andrew Shaffer’s Hope Never Dies was a graphic novel influenced by Scooby Doo. That’s about what you’ll get in this graphic novel.
Also, if you love that and already need more, then never fear, friends. Reid has already launched a kickstarter to turn the graphic novel into an animated series.
You’re welcome.
This past weekend, the real-life trolls known as Marvel’s marketing team decided to release even more advertising for the upcoming Avengers film in the form of posters. It wasn’t enough that we got new posters, but we got new posters that left the internet scouring for answers. Half of the posters released were in color, to signify who survived Thanos’ snap, and the other half were in black and white, with the film’s catch line; Avenge the fallen.
So the question remains: Was this an intentional leak, or is Marvel just screwing with us once again?
My theory is that even if they were trapped in the soul stone (This is an important point: don’t forget that no one is actually dead — rather, they are trapped in Thanos’ soul stone), the marketing is not to indicate any kind of permanence. Instead, these are just answers for what happened after the aforementioned snap, at the end of Infinity War.
It is a given that if anyone is for-sure going to die it’ll be Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk, and perhaps Thor. One of the biggest theories is that to close out this MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) arc, the core team (Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Hawkeye, and Black Widow) are going to die or step aside to make room for the new team, which would also reopen the debate of who is going to be the new Captain America: Bucky or Falcon?
But again, I am one of those people who reads all of the casting news so, sorry, y’all. Unless someone else signs up, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, and Mark Ruffalo are done, and thus so are Iron Man, Captain America (or this iteration at least), and Hulk.
And so ends our pocket edition of this week’s Comic X-Change. Small, but portable! What are your theories on the posters? Do you have any theories on Avengers: Endgame itself? Unlike Thanos, we at RVA Magazine do not demand your silence on this matter.
Until next time!
