Sam enjoyed another issue of Goldie Vance from BOOM! Studios, as well as saw the ending of The Baker Street Peculiars, also from BOOM! Studios. She also enjoyed the Lumberjanes / Gotham Academy crossover issue #1 and Poe Dameron #3, from Marvel Comics.

Kylee read Weavers #2 from BOOM! Studios, with still less spiders than expected, and Harrow County #13 finally kicks off another story arc.

Jackson found Daredevil #8, from Marvel Comics, to have a genius opener with a somewhat abrupt ending.

Check out the full reviews below and tell us what you’re reading in the comments!

Sam’s Reads

Goldie Vance #3

Author: Hope Larson
Artist: Brittney Williams
Publisher: BOOM! Box
Source: BOOM! Studios DRC
★★★★☆

At the end of the last issue of Goldie Vance it looked like Goldie’s old nemesis (and former friend) Sugar was back to cause trouble. And boy does she. When Goldie comes in for work the next day she finds that she’s been fired. Not only that, her father has been too. It turns out Goldie doesn’t try to get her revenge herself. No, instead she rats Goldie out to her father about the car she stole to win back the necklace from Skunk.

Yeah, I mean, it turns out you can’t just steal cars when working as a valet. And while a lot of plucky teenage protagonists manage to get away with things like this Goldie is not one of them.

Still, she doesn’t let it deter her. After being fired and chastised by her father she immediately goes to Mr. Tooey just in time to see him drugged and the necklace stolen by a mysterious woman. She tries to follow – and takes Sugar’s car to do so – but ultimately loses them. With the help of her friend Diane she gets back on the trail again but you have to wonder what’s in store for our girl next issue.

After all, Sugar saw her take her car (and she kinda wrecked it).

Hopefully Goldie and Diane can crack the case and find Mr. Ludwig. Because if 1980s movies are anything to go by solving the mystery – especially one that involves communism – always gets you forgiven in the end.

The Baker Street Peculiars #4

Author: Roger Langridge
Artist: Andy Hirsch
Publisher: KaBOOM!
Source: BOOM! Studios DRC
★★★☆☆

This it – the end of the series! It’s a bittersweet moment but at least the Baker Street Peculiars get to go out on top. With the golem army on the march towards Molly’s street, the kids figure out how to defeat the golems. After all, all you have to do is take the slip of paper out of their mouths. Easy, right? Okay, so, it’s not that easy. But the kids manage. By the time the Cockney Golem shows up at Molly’s street his army is gone – immobilized. And it doesn’t take long until Molly is able to trick him, too.

She is able to get the paper out of his mouth and once he’s immobilized he crumbles to the ground. Molly’s granddad sees her in action and learns that while he might have opinions abut what is proper for a little girl to be doing and learning that Molly is a very capable girl in her own right. She’s also the only one of the Peculiars who realizes that Sherlock Holmes is really Martha Hudson.

In the end Molly really sees the most character development because she finally sees her own value and potential. She decides to be her very own detective starting her very own detective agency with the help of Humphrey and Rajani. With her grandfather’s respect now earned and a bright future of her own, it’s good to see her really feeling confident in herself.

Unfortunately, we may not ever see how Molly and her friends handle things on their own. The book ends with the kids going their own way with the promise to return to help “Sherlock” if she needs it. But ultimately it was a good end to a fun series that – unfortunately – didn’t get picked up as a full series like the bulk of BOOM! Studios’ other miniseries that launched at the same time.

Lumberjanes/Gotham Academy #1

Author: Chynna Clugston Flores
Artist: Michael Dialynas
Publisher: BOOM! Box
Source: BOOM! Studios DRC
★★★★☆

The kids from Gotham Academy are teaming up with the Lumberjanes in this six-part miniseries. When Rosie goes missing the girls realize that something is wrong. Jenn gets it in her mind that she’s going to go after her alone but the campers make it clear that isn’t going to happen. Meanwhile in Gotham one of the Gotham Academy teachers goes missing and the little junior detectives are determined to track her down. Some how this translates to “Let’s steal the missing teacher’s car even though the GCPD will probably want to have known that it was there at all.” Since, you know, that teacher’s room is a freakin’ disaster zone and something bad clearly happened there.

Anyway, the kids take the car into the woods a couple states over and run into the Lumberjanes. They bring nothing with them and the first thing Jenn criticizes is their lack of preparation. But the Lumberjanes fall in quickly with their new friends. Of course, there’s not a whole lot of time for them to get to know one another when some creepy wraith looking things with antlers – the same things that probably took Rosie – show up.

And unfortunately, not everyone makes it away from them.

Now, I’m going to be honest. I’m super behind on Gotham Academy. I read the first volume but I haven’t had a chance to read the second yet. But I’m excited about this book. I’m excited because I feel like the two casts of characters will do well together. I also can’t wait for the Gotham Academy kids to start making comments about the strange, unnatural world in which the Lumberjanes spend their time. After all, the Gotham Academy kids are in school. They’re bound to ask why the Lumberjanes think they are at summer camp in the middle of school year sometime!

Poe Dameron #3

Author: Charles Soule
Artist: Phil Noto
Publisher: Marvel
★★★★☆

When we last saw Poe he was busy being captured by Agent Terex. Black Squadron had bit off a bit more off than they could chew when Terex’s ship came into orbit. And the flametroopers were burning open the egg. It turns out that last bit was a really bad idea because the egg hatches. What actually happens after that is a little unclear. There’s this kaiju looking thing that breaks through the egg, sorta attacks everyone, and then… multiplies? I don’t know. Suddenly there are two of them and they duke it out. Meanwhile Poe tries to get one up on Terex with BB-8’s help – apparently not at all that concerned about the freakin’ kaiju monster.

In the end, Poe gets the upper hand and his people win the day. The creche’s monster comes back to them and whisks them off into the unknown – but not before they tell Poe where Lor San Tekka went next.

I’m still really enjoying this book. Mostly because Poe Dameron is such a cocky idiot. We didn’t get enough screen time with him in The Force Awakens so it’s nice to see him taking center stage in this series. He’s getting the chance to go one-on-one with the bad guys and he’s bringing along a lot of great characters for the ride. It needs more, though, as it goes forward. Poe isn’t getting a lot of real characterization. He’s seriously just a cocky pilot at this point. But at least some of the others are getting more attention. Snap and Kare, for example, are apparently in a relationship. (Something I hope we see more of in the extended universe because Snap is like my new Wedge Antilles at this point.)

I’m interested in seeing what comes in the next arc. Issue #3 wrapped up the first one and it looks like Issue #4 will pick up chronologically. I had wondered how the series would progress. It could have gone linear like the majority of the Star Wars series or bounced around like Kanan did. But the next issue continues with Poe and BB-8 hot on Lor San Tekka’s trail – and apparently also going to jail.

Sam Wildman  is a co-founder and co-editor at Nerdophiles. She’d totally be Snap’s girlfriend. Follow her on twitter @samaside.

Kylee’s Reads

Weavers #2 (of 6)

Author: Simon Spurrier
Artist: Dylan Burnett
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Source: BOOM! Studios DRC
★★★☆☆

It turn out that varying sizes and shades of font is a kitschy one-off gimmick that turns distracting very quickly. The script from Si Spurrier continues to be a bombastic roller-coaster that explains little – because if one mystery is interesting, surely four more means it’s more interesting! By attempting to read the word bubbles in the way they’re meant to be conveyed, characters break into asides and suddenly whisper in large groups. It’s disjointed and distracting to the overall story, which delves further into what readers already knew about Sid’s wavering commitment to the Weavers and the spider inside himself in this issue.

For a six issue miniseries, the forward momentum is practically non-existent throughout the second issue, but it is getting prettier to look at. Dylan Burnett and Triona Farrell work together to make the art and coloring convey the supernatural crime elements well. Sid’s gifts from the spider are still muddled at best, but this issue we get larger spreads and more interesting powers showcased that still makes the book visually interesting. The shadowplay and Farrell’s ability to make the coloring both dark and sinister, as well as capturing the neon of big cities, continues to draw me in. At the very least, my inner sixteen year old boy pretty solidly enjoys Weavers.

Harrow County #13

Author: Cullen Bunn
Artist: Tyler Crook
Publisher: Dark Horse
Source: Dark Horse DRC
★★★★☆

With the last few issues of Harrow County being largely self-contained or focusing on one of the side characters, issue #13 marks the start of another Emmy family arc. It also marks the return of series regular artist Tyler Crook – who will probably have nightmares about drawing cornstalks for years to come despite how wonderfully they were utilized in this issue.

Not only do we maybe get a look at more of Emmy mysterious extended family, but we finally get to focus once again on how Bernice and Emmy’s friendship has changed since Emmy’s past was revealed. Let’s just say friendship bracelets aren’t at the forefront of Bernice’s mind. Their distance is felt in the script and the artwork, with a lovely shot actually showcasing their physical distance as well. I can only imagine how Emmy and Bernice’s friendship is going to be called into question if their roles start to mirror those of Hester Beck and Lovey.

And for the first time, the “Tales from Harrow County” one sheet at the end of the issue also seems to expand on the newest story arc and Emmy’s past connections. Meandering through the nuances of Harrow County was fun for a few issues, but I’m glad to be back on a more focused path with a driving force again.

Kylee Sills is an associate editor at Nerdophiles. Superpowers granted by eating spiders? Still a hard pass, thank you. Follow her on Twitter @kyleewho. 

Jackson’s Reads

Daredevil #8

Author: Charles Soule
Artist: Goran Sudžuka
Publisher: Marvel Comics
★★★★☆

I’ve been guilty before of taking part in the case against cleverness. I tend to gravitate toward stories that ground action in character. I appreciate larger pieces, filled with twists and turns or delicate, puzzle boxes whose plots can only be followed as if they’re literary Rube Goldberg devices, but I often feel separate from them. That’s the problem with cleverness. A story solely attempting to be clever is always holding its readers off. Its telling them to watch, don’t touch, as it unfolds.

Daredevil #8 opens with Matt Murdock playing poker, a game he’s uniquely unqualified to play, because he can’t tell what cards he has in his hand. It’s genius. It’s the most clever opening I’ve read in years. It’s a high the issue can also never top. Written by Charles Soule with art by Goran Sudžuka, Daredevil #8 rides that high for most of the issue, seeing Matt bluff his way through hand after hand, table after table and bet after bet with the ease of a man who can read every tell and hear every heartbeat. It’s one of those premises you can’t believe has never been done before and it’s executed with aplomb here.

The problem comes with wrapping things up. Daredevil #8 just ends. It sees Matt and Peter Parker team up on the final page but it feels utterly unconnected to what’s come before in a way that feels disconnected and a little dispassionate. It’s not that the ending brings things down, it’s just that it doesn’t offer what you want, especially off a premise that strong. Ultimately, this is an issue that will be remembered but I fully expect its context to become less and less important as readers flock solely to those brilliant opening pages.

Jackson Adams is a staff writer at Nerdophiles. His favorite comics poker game is that issue of A+X where Wolverine and Captain Marvel face off. Follow him on Twitter @JacksonInACup.