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Hugh Likes Comics: Free Comic Book Day 2025

May 3, 2025

hughjodonnell Hugh Likes Comics, Queen City Adventures, Uncategorized , , , , Leave a comment

Hello Readers!

Today is the first Saturday in May, which mean’s it’s Free Comic Book Day! Sponsored by beleaguered Comics publishing monopoly-holder Diamond Distribution, the event offers a variety of free comics to the public to bring them into local shops. Due to no longer being distributed by Diamond, it appears that DC Comics will not be taking part in the event, but there will still be plenty of books for sale, along with other events at your local shops. Here are some of the ones I’m most interested in this year:

Fantastic Four / X-Men – Marvel Comics
I was never a big fan of the Fantastic Four. While I liked them alright, the pioneering family of superheroes always felt a little too stuck in the ’60s to me. But writer Ryan North and artist Humberto Ramos have been killing it in their monthly title, one of the few that I’m actually keeping up with these days. So I’m looking forward to their FCBD offering this year, especially paired with a new X-Men story from the writers of NYX, my favorite of the post-Krakoa X-Men titles. It may be marketing for upcoming MCU movies, but it’s top-shelf Big 2 comics, so I’m here for it.

Tower Dungeon & Issak – Kodansha
These pair of samples from Kodansha both look really interesting. In Tower Dungeon, Sci-FI Manga creator Tsutomu Nihei turns his hand to a dungeon crawler-inspired Fantasy setting, and it looks like it will have his signature dark twist to the typical ‘Farm boy seeks his fortune’ narrative. Issak is an unusual Historical story from writer Shinji Makari and artist Double-S about a Samurai that finds himself in Europe during the Thirty Years War.

IDW Dark: Find Your New Fear – IDW
IDW is launching a new horror imprint, and this FCBD sampler includes four previews of upcoming M-rated horror titles.

The event will also feature a ton of family-friendly content and tie ins for Archie, Spider-Man, Power Rangers, Star Wars, and more! The event helps bring the public to locally owned businesses, but the books aren’t free, so if you visit your local shop, be sure to support them with a purchase, too. Many stores will have special events with prizes, guest artists and writers, and more! You can find participating stores in your area, along with the list of this year’s books, at https://www.freecomicbookday.com/

Hugh Likes Comics: What Did You Eat Yesterday?

April 28, 2025

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What Did You Eat Yesterday?

Written and Drawn by Fumi Yoshinaga

Published by Vertical, Inc.

The Skinny: A Gay slice-of-life cooking manga that has more romaine than romance.

Shiro and Kenji are a Gay couple in their 40s living together in Tokyo. Closeted lawyer Shiro fends off the questions about his girlfriend, while boisterous barber Kenji is much more relaxed and free-spirited. But every day Shiro cooks an amazing meal for his partner at the end of the day.

Equal parts slice-of-life and cooking manga, What Did You Eat Yesterday? has very little plot to speak of, just the day to day lives of the protagonists and their emotions. Shiro is a fussy and vain, but he demonstrates the depths of his emotions in his cooking for Kenji, who can be jealous. I wish the book were a bit more, well, it has all the spice level of a cup of milk, to be frank. But for as little physical affection as the characters show, the book is a look into the daily lives of people who usually don’t get a spotlight in either manga or western comics.

Yoshinaga’s art style is easy to read and balances a fashion plate-like style for the characters with gorgeous, detailed renderings for the food. It also includes clear recipes that, while being originally intended for the Japanese market, are easy to follow and recreate in the kitchen of a Western reader. The comic follows Shiro from the grocery store to plating and serving the dish for Kenji, often involving the math and planning stages, interwoven into the story. Do I wish that Shiro’s parents were more open and accepting of their son, yes. But did you see that amazing drawing of fried tofu?

What Did You Eat Yesterday? also received its own live-action television series, consisting of two seasons and a movie. It also has its own accompanying fan-fiction series, which includes all of the adult content the comic doesn’t cover. I am glad that the translation includes the frank discussion of everyday life of these characters and their relationships, something that we haven’t always gotten, particularly for queer characters in larger franchises. Stares in ‘They’re Cousins’ This is a serious manga for adults, but if you are looking for spice, you’re going to find more on the plate than in the sheets.

What Did You Eat Yesterday? is available in print and digital editions from the usual online retailers, or in print from your local bookstore or comics shop. You may be able to find it or ask for it at your local library!

Hugh Likes Comics: The Drops of God

January 6, 2025

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The Drops of God Vol. 1

Written by Tadashi Agi

Drawn by Shu Okimoto

Translation by Vertical, Inc.

Published by Kodansha Comics

The Skinny: A Martial Arts Manga about Wine Tasting.

When legendary wine critic Yutaka Kanzaki dies, he leaves only his estranged son Shizuku to inherit his estate and his priceless cellars. Due to his demanding upbringing, Shizuku has no interest in wine, and still resents that his father spent years training him. In fact, he has never even drank wine, out of resentment to his father. But shortly after his death, a second heir appears.
A week before his death, Kanzaki formally adopts young, talented wine critic Issei Tomine and creates a new will. The two will have to compete in tasting a dozen different wines, as well as identify one mythical bottle, the so-called ‘Drops of God’ in a winner-take-all competition for Kanzaki’s estate and collection.
Even with his latent skills developed by his father’s rigorous training, Shizuku will need help to figure out a path to gain control of his father’s estate. His only hope is apprentice sommelier Miyabi, who agrees to help him beat the unstoppable critic.
With drama like a martial-arts manga, The Drops of God is a unique comic that mixes the aesthetics and over-the-top posture of manga and anime with a deep understanding of wine making and tasting. It is a more grown-up taste for fans that have grown up on One Piece and Dragonball. This risky mix that doesn’t always work, but the terroir of serious adult drama and stakes with shonen sensibility is a delightful romp. Watching our heroic couple (even if they don’t know it yet) hunt through Ginza for a hidden wine that can match a hundred-thousand dollar vintage is a delight. Meanwhile his nefarious rival completes trains by tasting row after row of wine, and pours strange, black-hued vintages down the naked back of a corporate executive who looks like the model from the cover of Duran Duran’s Rio.
The characters are both archetypal and over-the-top and also grounded in a way that is interesting. The art is clear and solid, with more grown-up visual style, although cuter aesthetic touches surface here and there.
The Drops of God is a mature vintage of manga for a discerning palate. It is available in print and digitally from online and other retailers.

Hugh Likes Comics: Star Trek Lower Decks: Warp Your Own Way

December 18, 2024

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Star Trek Lower Decks: Warp Your Own Way

Written by Ryan North

Drawn by Chris Fenoglio

Colored by Charlie Kerchoff

Lettered by Jeff Eckleberry

Published by IDW

The Skinny: A Choosable Path Adventure that feels like a great stand-alone episode of Star Trek.

Star Trek Lower Decks: Warp Your Own Way is a ‘choosable path adventure’ set somewhere in the continuity of Star Trek: Lower Decks, by the creative team that has been killing it recently with a recent ongoing series, delightful one-shots, and surprising minis. While I have read a little of their previous work, I haven’t seen more than the first couple of episodes of the show. But I greatly enjoyed this graphic novel as a bit of a taste of what the show is like, written by a writer squarely in his wheelhouse and drawn by an artist who knows exactly what they are doing.
North is no stranger to ‘Choosable Path’ stories, having writing the wonderful and surprising To Be or Not To Be and Romeo and/or Juliet, a pair of prose Shakespeare choosable path adventures that are somewhat a bit more complex than this entry, but share a similar tone and excitement for the genre. The graphic novel format has its own advantages in conveying the compact information more quickly, and drawing the eye in ways that a prose page cannot. North and Fegoglio also captures the magic of Star Trek’s more daring and experimental episodes, directly referencing some of the highlights of the franchise as well including some wilder easter eggs. Depending on the choices the reader makes, series main character Mariner and the crew of the Cerritos could fight off an invasion by Borg, a hostile attack from Khan himself, or a visit from a hard-partying space god. But as each story branch reaches its conclusion, readers will notice a pattern emerging.  This is the point where the book goes from referential game to something much more interesting and special.
North has a gift for understanding and manipulating the structure of media he’s working in. Warp Your Own Way isn’t simply a riff on the “Choose Your Own Adventure” novel format with a Star Trek: Lower Decks license. North and Fenoglio understand the assignment on a deeper level, and use the structure of a graphic novel and choosable path format to tell a Star Trek story in a way that only they could pull off.
My favorite episodes of Star Trek are the ones where they break away from the usual structures and plots and do something strange and different; like the Star Trek: TNG episode “Cause and Effect,” which was essentially a repeat of the same period of time due to the ship being caught in a time loop. This book ultimately has some of that energy.
Fenoglio’s art is pleasing and easy to follow, which works well in a few sequences that break not only the story structure but the page itself in a fun way. Kerchoff’s colors are bright and eye-catching and just what you expect for a book like this. It matches what I’ve seen of the show, but I’m not an expert there.
If there is a flaw it is that this book feels somewhat detached from the source material of Lower Decks itself. There are some sequences that establish the characters, but there is a broadness to the story that feels like it could be pulled from any Star Trek series, swapping the crew of the Cerritos for the Enterprise or Voyager and still come through relatively unchanged. Having seen very little of Lower Decks, I can’t really be sure here, and this wasn’t a detriment to me as a new reader coming in. New readers won’t have to catch up to enjoy the story.
Star Trek Lower Decks: Warp Your Own Way is available now in print from Your Local Comics Shop or digitally wherever you buy books or comics.

Hugh Likes Comics: Marvel 85th Anniversary Special #1

September 3, 2024

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Marvel 85th Anniversary Special

Written by: Ryan North and Various Writers

Drawn by: Joshua Cassara and Various Artists

Colored by: Dean White & Various Artists

Lettered by: VC’s Joe Caramagna

Published by Marvel Comics

The Skinny: A great little sampler of stories, including a new Alan Davis Excalibur story!

If there is one thing the ‘Big Two’ comics publishers love to do, it is celebrate themselves, and oversized anniversary issues are no exception. This particular entry is a good one though, with a clever connecting story which just so happens to call back to a hugely successful recent blockbuster film. Written by Ryan North with art by Joshua Cassara and Dean White, it’s a fun little story set in a space station museum dedicated to superheroes. Each item in the collection prompts a different twelve page story about a hero, skipping back and forth through Marvel’s timeline, giving a variety of ‘What-if’ stories set in the future or the past, and brining some beloved creators back to tell more stories.
I will be honest, the selling point to me for this book was the new Excalibur story written and drawn by Alan Davis, and I was not disappointed. I would’ve paid $8 for that story by itself. With colors by Rachelle Rosenberg, it’s an untold story about the early days of the team, and it features all the hijinks, whimsey, and inter-dimensional shenanigans that make ’80s Excalibur such a joy to read. There’s also Spider-Man story about what happened to the infamous Spider-Buggy that would capture the classic Amazing Spider-Man vibe if everyone in it didn’t have cell phones. There’s also a very strong Ms. Marvel story written by Ms. Marvel actress Iman Vellani and Sabir Pirzada with art by Stephen Byrne. Set in the future, a grown-up Kamala puts on her suit one last time to become a Herald of Galactus!? It’s full of heart and charm, with exceptional art by Byrne. Kalama using her scarf as a version of the Silver Surfer’s board is an incredible visual.
There is also a Moon Knight story set in WWII Japan with gorgeous art by Manga-ka Yuji Kaku, and a ‘Contest of Champions’ story set in the far future that I am honestly shocked that Disney let them get away with. The connecting story wraps up in an enjoyable way that feels very classic Marvel.
Overall, this is an excellent little collection of comics that doesn’t rely on much comics lore knowledge. There is a lot here for dedicated fans, but if you’re curious about comics this is a fun and entertaining book to pick up for a start.
You can find the Marvel 85th Anniversary Special at your local comics shop, or digitally through Amazon or the Marvel App. I give it a big recommendation for new and old fans.

Hugh Likes Comics: The Big Burn #1

July 29, 2024

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The Big Burn #1
Written by: Joe Henderson

Drawn by: Lee Garbett

Colored by: Lee Loughridge

Lettered by: Simon Bowland

Published by DSTLRY

The Skinny:  The Perdition Job

A great heist or crime story relies on making your antiheroes just a little bit less bad than the people they’re stealing from. The original Italian Job cast of patriotic criminals and the remake’s crew of professionals out for revenge work because the audience is rooting for them to succeed despite the nefariousness of their plans.
The Big Burn #1’s pair of down on their luck bank robbers bring the reader onboard in just a few pages with a whirlwind of gutsy heists played against an equally turbulent romance. It’s fun and exciting right up until they’re caught. And that’s when the Devil himself shows up. When down-on-their-luck thieves Carlie and Owen sell their soul to escape jail, they’re free to resume their high-octane romantic crime spree. But the thrill is gone, both in crime and love. The only option left is to steal their souls back.
Henderson’s writing is sharp and quick here, dropping the reader into the story quickly and getting the reader on the main characters’ side from practically the first page. They also do a great trick of just laying out the stakes and making it seem very natural through the use of character. By the time Owen has is near-death experience and the Devil gives him a tour of Hell, while explaining directly to his face that he likes to set people up to fail at the very last second, We already know what Owen is going to do, because we know that he isn’t going to be able to resist rolling the dice on the chance of pulling off the heist of his afterlife.
Garbett’s art and Loughridge’s colors are also putting in great work. The bright, fast-moving montage of ballsy bank robberies and daring jewel heists draws the eye, right up to where it hits a brick wall. And right when things are at their darkest (with a palate to match) that’s when the Devil oozes his way into the page, all black mist and red highlights. And Garbett’s Devil is nothing if not equal parts chilling and seductive, made up of all red highlights with impeccably coiffed long black hair and dressed to the nines with not a single thread out of place. He dominates the page in the exact way that a character of his import should. The biggest bad that our hard luck protagonists could take on, without a prayer of coming out on top. But if it were easy, it wouldn’t be a heist, would it?
The Big Burn #1 is out in print in deluxe format from DSTLRY. You can find it at your local comics shop or order online at DSTRLRY.co. This first issue has me hooked, and I can’t wait to see where the story goes next.

Hugh Likes Comics: Zatanna: Bringing Down the House

July 1, 2024

hughjodonnell Hugh Likes Comics, Review , , , , , 1 Comment

Zatanna: Bring Down the House #1

Written by Mariko Tamaki

Drawn & Colored by Javier Rodriguez

Lettered by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

Published by DC Comics

The Skinny: The first part of a gorgeous and engrossing Neo-noir take on a classic DC Comics character.

Zatanna is a DC Character that I’m not super familiar with, but I always enjoy when she shows up as a cameo character. A stage magician who can do real magic, there’s a lot going on with her, and so when I saw the first cover for Zatanna: Bring Down The House, written by Mariko Tamaki with art by Javier Rodriguez, I snapped it up. And I’m glad I did.
This first issue sets Zatanna up as a character apart from the larger DC Universe. Despite being headhunted by larger hotels and even the Justice League, Zatanna works at a run-down Las Vegas casino, doing two free shows a day for sparse crowds. And she never uses the word ‘Magic’ in her act. She says she does ‘tricks,’ but she does have the eerie feeling that someone has been following her, and has been having nightmares involving her childhood and her late father. But surely all that is coincidence. As is the woman who’s been attending every performance for the past week.
This gorgeous first issue feels like something out of DC’s ’90’s Vertigo imprint. So far, this is a story all about a character running from their past, and their destiny, working in a small job for small crowds. Unable to face what they’ve done and their great potential. The narrative is hitting familiar beats, but the setting and character are intriguing enough to keep going. It has that common first issue problem that the cliffhanger arrives just as the action heats up, but the slow burn here is worth the cover price.
Rodgiguez’s rich and colorful art help as well, lending the story a Neo-noir flair with the bright colors and sleaze of the Vegas strip. Rodriguez fills his pages with garish colors, clever details, and a strange shadow following Zatanna throughout her day. The layouts build tension masterfully throughout the issue to the final reveal. And if that reveal doesn’t quite make sense yet, well, that’s what issue 2 is for, isn’t it?
Zatanna: Bringing Down the House #1 is available now from your local comics shop or digitally from your online store of choice. This is an intriguing first issue that has me on the hook for the next one. I recommend it!

Hugh Likes Comics: DC Pride 2024

June 10, 2024

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DC Pride 2024
Created by Various Writers and Artists

Published by DC Comics

The Skinny: DC once again delivers a beautiful, fun, and affirming collection of Queer stories by Queer creators.

It is June once again, and that means it is Pride month! DC Comics has released their annual oversized DC Pride anthology issue. Featuring a number of stories and pinups by Queer artists and writers and featuring Queer DC characters, this issue is always a delight, and this year’s collection is no exception. Most of the stories in this book can be picked up without relying on current continuity, and a few even serve as intriguing jumping on points for current ongoing series. This is a perfect book for Queer readers wondering if they want to get onboard with comics.
The stories are particularly strong this year, and the art, as usual, is superlative. Al Ewing and Stephen Byrne’s moving opening story about the last two members of an alien race teaming up to stop a lingering threat from a thwarted invasion attempt is particularly great. Despite not knowing the characters going in, it quickly established its vibe and stakes without getting bogged down, and it felt like the kind of little story that happens all the time in the DC universe.
Ngozi Ukazu, the writer and artist of the upcoming Barda graphic novel also has a compelling Aquaman story, featuring the New Gods’ equivalent of Pride, which was compellingly executed and gorgeously drawn, and really makes me want to check out the upcoming book.
Jarret Williams’ and DJ Kirkland’s ‘Bros Down in A-Town’ is less super-heroic but features a ton of cameos from DC characters enjoying an alien food festival. DC Comics has such a rich history of brilliant, strange concepts to draw on, and I tend to gravitate towards those ideas rather than the editorial drive towards scowling on rain-soaked rooftops. Plus, one of my favorite comics artists drew my current favorite DC character, Argus the space corgi, so this one is a winner for me, too.
The stories in DC Pride 2024 are all winners this year, including a heartfelt memoir from longtime DC creator Phil Jimenez to close out the book. The stories all vary in tone, but are generally uplifting and beautiful. There is a little bit of something special in each one, and I highly recommend checking it out and passing it along to your LGBTQ+ comics-reading friends. You can find it digitally through Comixology from Amazon or in print at your Local Comics Shop.

Hugh Likes Comics: Free Comic Book Day 2024

May 3, 2024

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Tomorrow, May 4th will be this year’s Free Comic Book Day! This yearly event features comic shops around the US giving out free promotional comics and other goodies. It is a chance for fans, readers, retailers and creators to get together to celebrate the medium and have some fun. It is the perfect opportunity to find a shop in your area, catch up on the storyline for your favorite books, or discover something new that you will love!
This Free Comic Book Day is bittersweet for me because it will be the first year in a while that I won’t be celebrating it at Pulp716, which closed last fall. However, I am going to be visiting a couple of shops in the area that are new to me. I’m looking forward to checking them out!
In addition to the usual previews from Marvel and DC, there are a number of great books this year, including a new Hellboy story an a retrospective of work form James Tynion that I am looking forward to. You can visit the Free Comic Book Day website to check out this year’s books, read interviews with creators, and use their locator tool to find a participating store near you!

Hugh Likes Comics: Frieren – Beyond Journey’s End

April 15, 2024

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Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Vol. 1
Written by: Kanehito Yamada

Drawn by: Tsukasa Abe

Published by: VIZ Media LLC

The Skinny: Fantasy manga grows up.

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End is part of a new sub-genre of manga and anime that doesn’t merely adopt Western Fantasy tropes, but expands then into a deep examination of the characters and settings. After defeating The Demon King and restoring peace to the land, four adventurers go their separate ways. Elven mage Frieren goes back to her old life of wandering alone without much thought for her companions. When they meet again fifty years later, she finds that her companions have all aged, while she hasn’t changed at all. After their leader Himmel passes away, she realizes that she hardly knew anything about him, and goes on a journey both to learn more about her companions and herself.
With such a long-lived central character, author Yamada and artist Abe are able to explore the themes in unique and interesting ways. They transform what appears to be a standard heroic fantasy story into a poignant examination of loss, regret, and the passage of time. The creators are able to play with the pacing of the story in interesting ways, having months or even years pass between chapters. The manga is filled with page sequences where months pass like days. Rather than feeling rushed, however, these sections evoke a sense of stillness and calm.
The story also flashes back between the party’s original adventures and the current journey to great effect. Frieren often interacts with people she met in her travels who were children during their quest, and are now elderly. In one particularly interesting chapter, she visits a village where they sealed a demon, knowing that it will soon break free. This is somewhat of a one-off story, but the creators give a lot of insight into the world building and magic system of the setting. The demon was too powerful to defeat outright eighty years ago, but the development of magic has continued apace since he was sealed, in large part as part of an arms race to discover a defense for a particularly dangerous killing spell that the demon developed. Frieren unseals the demon, tells him that his king is dead, and after a short battle, kills him with his own spell. While he was sealed, the world, and the study of magic, had passed him by. His powerful magic became ordinary.
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End is a melancholiac, thought-provoking, and beautiful examination of how we view the passage of time and our connections to others. It is available in print from your local comics shop or digitally from Comixology. There is also a new anime adaptation available through Crunchyroll!

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