PoserPoints #46--Will the Joes be Alienated if They Flash Through Dead Day?

The second 2/3 of my weekly stack was a breeze! Four very different stories from four different publishers!

GI Joe #6 (IDW)
By: Paul Allor, Chris Evenhuis, Brittany Peer

The Joes are continuing in their quest to subvert the dominant Cobra. This book is entirely a flashback/mission debrief where they are bringing Scarlett up to speed on their mission on the train. Our small cadre of Joes successfully deployed newly created technology to circumvent security and download information from a viper AND deliver something to some research scientists (smuggled inside a watermelon) to figure out its purpose.

However, during this mission, Fadeaway bumps into someone she used to work with at Cobra, and helps in her attempt to break free...until things go awry.  The only other thing I'll say is MY FAVORITE CHARACTER IS BACK IN THE FINAL REVEAL!!!!!!!!!

What should you do? This is my first run of Joes in books, but I collected them and watched everything when I was a kid.  I think they have an interesting story in the early phases, and I like how they give you "cards" in the back of each issue whenever a new major character is introduced for the first time.  If you want in, this is a good run to start!

Alienated #3 (Boom!)
​By: Simon Spurrier, Chris Wildgoose, Andre May

I was indifferent to the first book of this series.  The second showed enough promise for me to get at least one more.  Book three has me hooked.  

All three Sams are dealing with their alien friend and the murder they were part of in different ways, but they are still a connected mind and can understand the experience of the others. We also learn that the alien can not just pull any object requested through a portal of its own creation, but someone can travel with it, be cloaked and unseen, and still interact with their destination (which is terrifyingly cool). The Samantha is willing to use this newfound power to darker ends, where she takes out her frustration on someone who both abandoned her and forced her to lose something she loved.  This was quite emotionally powerful to me.  I was interested to see if she would use restraint or be blinded by her emotional anguish.

Then, there is a final nod with a potential lead in the murder case.

What should you do? While the first two took a while to grow on me, issue three starts to show the potential grander impact of the extra-terrestrial discovery. I think book 4 has the potential to blow my (proverbial) socks off (I don't think I've worn anything but flip-flops during COVID). If Samantha has a dark emotional moment from her past, I am now anxious to see if the others have similar events and if they choose to react differently from Samantha if given the opportunity.

The Flash 753-754 (DC)
By: Joshua Williamson (and 4 different talents on each book)

Ohboi, these were heavy hitters this week! As Flash continues his hunt for the Reverse Flash, we can see that he has learned from some of his Flashpoint errors as he is traveling through time to acquire information on how to best defeat Paradox (who is terrifyingly powerful and intelligent, especially throughout 754).  When Flash and Reverse finally run into each other, we attempt to see if they can put their past differences aside to take down Paradox, since RF is the only person to ever defeat him.

These two books were solid, and I was glad I got both of them together, because 753 left me instantly needing more.  754 has one hell of a cliffhanger because we can see the true awe and might of Paradox, but it gives more time to mentally prepare for the aftermath of these events in 755.

What Should You Do? This is a good arc to jump in on.  If big things are coming in the next book or two, I'm glad to have jumped on this ride at 750 and not missed out.  Although, I'm wondering if the events of Flash Forward are going to come into play anytime soon (as the internets seemed to indicate it may...)

Dead Day #1 (Aftershock)
By: Ryan Parrott and Evgeniy Bornyakov

When I was previewing this book on Tuesday's live show, I believed the summary was something like "it may be like Dia de los Muretos but the dead physically come back instead of just spiritually." 

That summary is actually quite accurate.  We are on the verge of the fourth ever dead day.  What causes it isn't 100% known, because it's not annual, it has to do with celestial alignment.  While some people are preparing by buying supplies and things their loved ones may want, others are arming themselves and covering their door frames in goat's blood.  Why?  Because you aren't 100% sure if someone is coming back, who is coming back, and if they are friend or foe.

I really think this is conceptually engaging, and the art is on fire.  I'm also intrigued to see if some of the greater evils of folks come out in a purge-style out-lash, because you could get away with anything on Dead Day....because you can blame it on a dead body which may not ever come back again.

What should you do?  This is also in solid pick-of-the week territory for me.  I'm normally a big fan of any of the aftershock books I pick up, normally I'm pretty close to right on their books of which will be a hit, and which ones may struggle...but I think this title could last quite some time because of all of the story angles you could drive the readers on during and after the fallout from Dead Day.