I’m unsure how often I have referenced Mind’s Eye Comics, but it won’t be the last. Mind’s Eye has become my local comic book store, and I try to stop in regularly. For June, my company does a Juneteenth reimbursement where there’s a $100 reimbursement if money is spent at a black-owned business. It just so happens that Mind’s Eye Comics is a black-owned business in the Twin Cities. To be fair, I’m happy to spend $100 at Mind’s Eye Comics any day of the week, but now I have another reason to stop in. I wanted to share my haul as I ended up leaving with much more than I thought I would.

I’m in a graphic novel kick as of late. I’m not sure why, but I just haven’t been buying as many single issues. The first graphic novel I bought is Quincredible: Volume #1 Quest To Be The Best by Barnes, Espiritu, and Fitzpatrick. Quincredible follows Quinton West, who gains the power of invulnerability. Quin struggles with his powers, which leads him to be mentored by Glow, another superhero. I don’t know much more than that, but I’m looking forward to reading this.

The second graphic novel I bought is Box by Wirbeleit & Heidschotter. Box is about a young boy who finds a box and decides to use it for his adventures, except the box starts talking. Box reminded me of the Calvin & Hobbes graphic novels I read as a kid. I like how this will be more of a light-hearted read.

The third graphic novel I bought was The Mall by Handfield, Haick III, Loureiro, Dijio, and Hopkins. The Mall follows a group of teenagers in the 1980s who fit the stereotypes of teenagers. They find out that they are connected to a mafia boss who was recently killed. The mafia boss left each teenager a store in the mall, which was an all-in-one front for mafia boss activity. In the Goodreads description, it says that this is a “Breakfast Club meets Goodfellas”.

The fourth graphic novel I bought was Cats Girlfriends and Cat Friends by Brrémaud and Antista. Cats, Girlfriends and Cat Friends is a series of French graphic novels that tell the stories of friends and their cats. This seems like it will be a cute cat story, and I’m here for it.

The fifth graphic novel is Batgirl and the Birds of Prey Source Code by J Benson, S Benson, Antonio, and Roe. I read the first volume several years ago, and it seemed like a good opportunity to return to the series. I will probably re-read the first volume right before reading volume #2, so I can be fresh in the story.

The final novel is Pop Culture Pioneers: The Women Who Transformed Fandom in Film, Television, Comics, and More by Cher Martinetti. This might not count as a graphic novel, but I thought this would be an interesting book to add to my collection. It’s a non-fiction book that tells various stories from women in geek culture. I’m looking forward to reading this.

Besides graphic novels, I bought the Polka-Dot Man Funko Pop from The Suicide Squad. I’m looking for more collectibles to place on my desk at work and figured Polka-Dot Man would be a fun addition. I also bought a Loki wallet and a Hercules keychain to add to my keyring.

I love having a lot to read. This haul should keep me busy for a while.

The first Grady Hendrix book I read was The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires, and I loved it. I don’t read much horror, but it’s nice to have another go-to author besides Stephen King. I had The Final Girl Support Group on my TBR for a while, as I tend to gravitate toward slasher films if I ever do watch horror movies. I liked The Final Girl Support Group, although I think this book would be much better as a movie.

Lynette Tarkington is a final girl. She survived a horrific massacre of her family, and as such, her trauma leaks into her routine. She has intense security measures in her apartment, carries a weapon, and takes several different bus routes in case she’s followed. Lynette has been attending a Final Girl Support Group for decades, led by successful psychotherapist, Dr. Carol Elliott. As the group’s session comes to an end, Lynette is alerted to the fact that Adrienne, another Final Girl in their group, was murdered. As the day progresses, each Final Girl is targeted, including Lynette. Lynette has to go off the grid to figure out who’s targeting the Final Girls.

The Final Girl Support Group is a book that I couldn’t put down. My husband had invited a friend over for a BBQ at our place, and I hung back in our room to finish this book. I couldn’t help it! The book, from start to finish, was a page-turner. I wanted to know who was targeting the Final Girls. Additionally, the way the book was written, there are clearly secrets that Lynette didn’t share with the reader, and I wanted to know what they were.

As far as the characters, I liked Lynette and how she developed throughout the book. Lynette’s arguably the Final Girl whose trauma is exhibited the most. Granted, Lynette’s the main character, and there isn’t as much of a preview into the other Final Girls and how they live their lives. After the climactic showdown, Lynette distances herself from someone in her past, moves into a new place, and seeks help through physical therapy and leading the new Final Girl Support group. It’s nice to see her progress and try to live her life.

As a fan of slasher films, there are a lot of throwbacks to this genre of horror. Some of the names of the Final Girls are names of the actresses who played the roles in those films. Additionally, there’s a mention of a film series called Stab, which retells Julie’s Final Girl story. Stab is also a film franchise that’s mentioned in the Scream films. In one of the section breaks, there’s an interview transcript featuring two cops interviewing one of the Final Girls. The cops are Dwight Riley and Judy Hicks, who are characters in Scream 4 specifically. While I think anyone can enjoy reading The Final Girl Support Group, it’s more fun knowing the references from these films.

I mentioned earlier how I think The Final Girl Support Group would be better as a film than a book. The book’s plot is a little messy and convenient. Without spoilers, there’s a moment where Lynette starts to put together the pieces of who might be responsible. I thought the way this came together was a little odd to me. Additionally, there’s another moment where Lynette has a run-in with someone from her past. The scene itself felt a little over-the-top when really it didn’t need to be that way. For a book, it was a bit much, but for a movie, I think this would be an entertaining scene.

The Final Girl Support Group was an intense, page-turner that helped me break out of my reading slump. I can see where this book might not be for everyone, but I liked it nonetheless. I rated The Final Girl Support Group four stars on Goodreads.

I was strategic in picking out the books I planned on reading throughout the summer. I wanted something light-hearted, set in summer, and something that I could see myself reading outside in the backyard. One book I knew I wanted to read was Book Lovers by Emily Henry. Emily Henry’s books are immensely popular, and it seems like everyone raves about them. I recently finished Book Lovers a few days ago, and now I get the hype. Book Lovers is one of the best romance books I’ve read this year.

Nora Stephens has dedicated her life to her career as a literary agent. Nora has an awkward run-in with Charlie Lastra, an editor who trashed the book Nora was currently working on. Nora pushes Charlie aside and follows her sister Libby to Sunshine Falls, a small town that’s the setting of a book from one of Nora’s clients. Much to Nora’s surprise, she runs into Charlie, as he’s from Sunshine Falls originally. Nora and Charlie are forced to work together to edit a book, much to Nora’s chagrin. Nora starts to see Charlie in a new light, and Charlie realizes how much he has in common with Nora. Can they move past their preconceived notions of themselves and each other?

While Book Lovers is a book centered on Nora and Charlie’s relationship, this book is so much more than that. This book beautifully shows grief and the consequences of being swallowed up in it. It’s a book that shows the relationship between two sisters and how they each have their own struggles. I enjoy reading romance, not necessarily for the romance itself, but about the lives the characters have built for themselves and how those lives become intertwined.

Throughout the book, Nora is shown as a motherly figure toward Libby. Their mother died while they were young adults, and Nora steps in to guide Libby to ensure that she’s okay. By doing this, Nora pushes her own emotions down to the point that she becomes numb to them. I thought this was a realistic way to show grief because Nora finds herself drawn to her career to put aside her emotions. I liked how Nora grew throughout the book and did so without Charlie’s help.

I loved reading about Nora and Libby’s adventures throughout Sunshine Falls. They give each other makeovers, they try to save the local bookstore, and Libby sets Nora up on some pretty bad first dates. This book reads like a Hallmark romantic comedy, which is normally not for me, but Book Lovers was an exception.

Onto the romance, I loved Nora and Charlie together. They had this flirtatious banter that was so fun to read. This is one of those romances that’s a slow burn, but once they finally get together, it feels right. For me, I was rooting for Nora this whole time to have her happy ending, and I was so happy for her by the end of the book.

Book Lovers is an ode to the joys of a small town. Sunshine Falls serves as the best backdrop for the story. I kept picturing the mountains, a small downtown with a gazebo, and some land outside of the downtown area. The local bar, along with cracked sidewalks, leads to homes up the hill. The setting makes you want to go explore a small town for a weekend.

Book Lovers was the perfect book to start summer off with. I rated Book Lovers five stars on Goodreads.

When I was at Planet Comicon this year, I saw a Chainsaw cosplay, which was really cool looking. I had no idea where this was from. A friend pointed it out to me and said it was from a manga and anime series called Chainsaw Man. My interest was piqued, and I was able to find a copy of the first volume of Chainsaw Man. I’m not sure what I was expecting. Chainsaw Man is a gore-filled revenge story featuring the cutest chainsaw dog I have ever seen.

Chainsaw Man centers around Denji, who is trying to pay off his father’s debt. He partners with the Yakuza by working as a devil hunter. Denji finds friendship in Pochita, a devil dog with a chainsaw on the top of its head. Eventually, Denji is betrayed by the Yakuza and is saved by Pochita. Pochita lives within Denji, and when Denji becomes threatened, he can become the Chainsaw Man. Denji can’t keep his newly acquired abilities secret, which leads him to be recruited as a devil hunter for the government. As Denji gets more involved in professional devil hunting, he realizes that the people he’s working for may also have their own agenda in Denji’s life.

Let’s be real, Pochita is the cutest demon dog I have ever seen! I would continue reading this series for Pochita, and that’s it. Pochita is the demon that Denji befriends early on and becomes a major reason why Denji can turn into Chainsaw Man. Besides Pochita, I felt that the first volume was a lot of build-up. There isn’t a whole lot revealed about the other characters and their backstories. I’d be curious to read more about Makima, the woman who is leading Denji’s team. It seems like she’s up to something, and it’s difficult to interpret whether it’s good or bad. I will say that even though there’s a lot of story-building in the first volume, I read through it pretty quickly. Each chapter had its own adventure, which I found interesting.

I think the only thing that bothered me or got old fast was Denji’s obsession with boobs. This feels stereotypical of a manga series or character where there’s a male protagonist who is obsessed with women and their bodies. I don’t think this ruined the experience of reading Chainsaw Man, but it was constantly mentioned that Denji wanted to be with a woman. I’m curious if that will exist in future volumes or if Denji will mature and grow up.

With all of that being said, I liked Chainsaw Man a lot, and I would continue on in the series. I rated Chainsaw Man Vol #1 four stars on Goodreads.

I picked up Suicide Squad Bad Blood at Free Comic Book Day this year. I think I may have mentioned this before, but I tend to pick up more DC Comics as trade paperbacks, and I read Marvel single issues. I have a soft spot for the Suicide Squad as I find their missions to be over the top and chaotic. I found Suicide Squad: Bad Blood on a shelf and purchased it without knowing much about the story. I’m so glad that I did; Suicide Squad: Bad Blood was such a fun read.

The Suicide Squad is sent on a seemingly ordinary mission. They’re tasked with stopping a group of super-powered individuals from destroying warships. This group is revealed to be The Revolutionaries, a group of people who feel that their actions are in good faith in saving the world. The Revolutionaries are much more potent than The Suicide Squad predicted. The Revolutionaries and The Suicide Squad become one team after Amanda Waller steps down as their leader. Instead, The Suicide Squad is introduced to Lok, who is much more sadistic. Will The Suicide Squad and The Revolutionaries learn to work together?

I loved the story. I think it’s easy to introduce all of these characters and have them fade away into the background. Instead, I felt that the members of The Revolutionaries each got their own back story as to how they got their powers and how they joined the group. Osita was one of my favorite characters to follow along with. Besides The Revolutionaries, Harley Quinn and Deadshot have their moments to shine. Deadshot, in particular, has a really strong character arc, especially with the relationship he has with his daughter.

The art coincided with the story. The alternative covers throughout each issue were cool to look at. There was a realistic cover image featuring Osita, along with a creepy, smiley Harley Quinn, towards the end of the book. There’s a particularly violent encounter that is depicted towards the beginning of the story, and I feel the art helps to illustrate that scene.

I was pleasantly surprised by Suicide Squad: Bad Blood. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting, as there were certain Suicide Squad comic series that I read a few years ago that I wasn’t a fan of. Suicide Squad: Bad Blood was entertaining, and I’m curious to read more of Tom Taylor’s work in comics.

May is arguably the geekiest month of the year. With May the Fourth and Free Comic Book Day, it’s such a busy month in geek culture. I always celebrate Free Comic Book Day because why not? I love not planning out what I’m looking for and instead showing up to comic book stores and finding cool items that I didn’t know I needed. I stopped at two local places: Mind’s Eye Comics and NerdinOut. Mind’s Eye is one of the best local comic book stores. It’s always relaxing to show up and shop for comics. NerdinOut is more toy-focused, which isn’t my cup of tea; however, I like that they have pinball in their store. This would be a great place to take kids if you wanted to shop for comics and keep the kids entertained. I wanted to share my Free Comic Book Day purchases from the day.

Punchline Issues #1 – #6 – T. Howard, B. Howard, Melnikov, and Guerrero

When Punchline was first introduced, I felt that she got a lot of hate right away. I think fans thought of her as the next Harley Quinn. I don’t know much about Punchline, so I figured reading these six issues would be a good introduction to her character.

Suicide Squad Bad Blood – Tom Taylor, Bruno Redondo, Daniel Sampere, Adriano Lucas

I love The Suicide Squad. This shouldn’t be a surprise since I tend to cosplay the Harley Quinn looks from The Suicide Squad movie. I love the chaos the group brings and how these supervillains are forced to work together to do something good. I’m not exactly sure what Suicide Squad: Bad Blood is about, but I’m automatically intrigued.

Sana Starros Issues #2 & #3 – Ireland, Pérez Sanchez-Almara

Sana Starros is one of Doctor Aphra’s biggest allies. Unfortunately, I fell behind in the Doctor Aphra comic series. I intend to catch up one day, but I’ll probably have to pick up the trades versus the single issues. Sana is a character introduced early on, but there isn’t much known about her, so it was a pleasant surprise to see that Sana has her own series. I’m looking forward to reading this despite missing out on the first issue.

Darth Vader Black, White, Red – Aaron, Kirk, and Fajardo Jr.

Star Wars Lando – Phillips, Lopez, and Fabela

More Star Wars comics! This shouldn’t be a surprise since I tend to purchase more Star Wars comics and books this month than any other month.

Guardians of the Galaxy #1 – Lanzing, Kelly, Walker, and Hollingsworth

It must be the hype from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 being released this month that made me purchase this comic. I haven’t seen Vol. 3 yet, but this issue will keep me entertained until then.

This was a much bigger haul than I anticipated. It’s funny because normally, I have a small stack of the Free Comics, but this year, I ended up not picking up any of them. I found myself reading through the Free Comics and donating them a month or so later. I figured I’d save space on my comics shelf for all of my purchases instead.

CW: Graphic violence, dark content, murder, etc. (This won’t be discussed in my review, but more for a content warning for this series in general)

Recently, I have been re-reading some of my favorite graphic novels or comic series that I own. One of those series is Nailbiter. Nailbiter is a horror graphic novel series set in a small town in Oregon. This series feels like a mix of Criminal Minds, Se7en, and Twin Peaks put together in a story. I first read Nailbiter in 2016, and I credit the series for helping me get into reading comics. With that being said, I never fully finished the series. I wanted to change that, so I spent a few weeks reading all six books. This series did not disappoint, and it remains one of my all-time favorite graphic novel series.

Nailbiter tells the story of NSA agent Nicholas Finch, who is in a bad place mentally. He gets a call from a colleague, FBI Agent Charles Carroll, to come to Buckaroo, Oregon. Carroll is investigating why so many serial killers are from Buckaroo. As Finch arrives, Carroll has gone missing. Finch wants to find and rescue Carroll, but also figure out what Carroll recovered before he went missing. Finch partners with local Sheriff Crane, a local who grew up in Buckaroo, along with one of the Buckaroo serial killers, Edward “Nailbiter” Warren. The trio finds themselves in danger more often than not, although they do finally get the answers they were so desperately searching for.

I think what makes Nailbiter so good is how each volume truly builds off the other. Minor characters introduced in the first two volumes end up playing a big role in the later volumes. The last volume ties in with the events of the first volume, which I think helps make the series more cohesive. In addition to that, each volume ends on a big cliffhanger, so I found myself going through volume after volume without taking a reading break. I’m glad I ordered all the volumes in one sitting, so I didn’t have to wait to read the next one.

The art in Nailbiter complements the series. There are several panels where you will see a character exploring an area, and then see someone sneaking up on that character. It feels like I’m reading a slasher film in that way. I also found myself, once I finished the volume, paging through it for a second time to solely focus on the art. This isn’t something that I do all the time, but for Nailbiter, I think it’s worth it.

I feel accomplished that I finally finished Nailbiter. The last volume wrapped everything up, and it felt really satisfying to read. Finishing Nailbiter has encouraged me to take a look at my graphic novels shelf and find other series that I didn’t fully finish reading. As an avid collector, I want to have more completed comic series on my shelves.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier is one of my favorite Marvel films. It’s a pivotal film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe because of the way that the movie permanently changes S.H.I.E.L.D. While at C2E2 this year, I went to a panel about Mental Health in Comics. One of the series that was brought up was Ed Brubaker’s Captain America: Winter Soldier run, as this series explored Captain America’s PTSD from the war. After the panel, I purchased the ultimate collection of Captain America: Winter Soldier after the panel ended. Captain America: Winter Soldier is one of the best comic books of all time, and I would argue it’s one of the best Marvel graphic novel series to exist to date.

Captain America: Winter Soldier begins with Steve being called in to investigate the murder of Red Skull. Steve can hardly believe that Red Skull was killed and seems pretty suspicious about the timing of his death. As the issues progress, Steve feels that his memories are being manipulated as he is misremembering certain events from the war. Some of those memories involve Bucky Barnes, his partner, who was killed after he tried to disarm a bomb that went off. Steve feels that someone is personally out to get him for revenge or some other purpose. After a major bomb explodes, Steve investigates and sees Bucky from a distance. Steve can’t believe his eyes until Nick Fury concludes that Bucky is alive, operating under the alias The Winter Soldier. Steve is at a loss; he knows he needs to stop Bucky, but he feels there are parts of him that still remain.

Captain America: Winter Soldier is a dark story. I liked how Ed Brubaker took Captain America and made him more nuanced. Captain America has always been a positive, upbeat person who wants to do the right thing. In other comic runs, they gloss over all of Captain America’s experiences in the war. In this series, Steve talks to Sharon Carter in detail about the memories of WWII and what still haunts him. It makes Captain America more human because he is a regular person at the end of the day, and there were major casualties in WWII that won’t be forgotten.

Steve Epting does an amazing job with the art, along with Michael Lark, who focused on the flashback art panels. In black & white, it shows Steve’s memories from the war, which are mixed with reality in which Steve is retelling these stories. The art is interesting to look at and fits with the overall aesthetic of the story.

I couldn’t help but compare this graphic novel to the movie adaptation. For the most part, the movie does a great job of taking the story that Ed Brubaker originally wrote. Some of the major differences include Sharon Carter’s involvement, Red Skull, and Steve being sent Bucky’s original report. The differences do make sense, especially because Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) took the Sharon Carter role in the graphic novel.

Captain America: Winter Soldier is one of those Marvel classic stories. It’s a great example of how to re-examine the same characters in new ways.