This Week's Comics April 9, 2025
Are YOU Happy?
I’ve ended up working a lot and I’m not quite sure I like it, but it is for the short term then it’s off on the next Whimventure®. I decided this morning that I was stupid. That once I found out the LEGO store would follow corporate policy (which is fine, policies are policies) and I needed to resign because I was going to be gone too long I should have quit right after that shift. I’m Lawful Good, an old Boy Scout, and follow through with my commitments so I didn’t. I requested that my last day of work give me a week before I leave to get things in order. I’ve spent the last few days in dread waiting to see if any new shifts would pop up on the LEGO Store app, since that is the only way I find out when I work. The app isn’t updated on a regular basis, so I finally found out yesterday when I was at work that I had been removed from the work schedule after Sunday. I’ve currently worked at LEGO and Comic Carnival Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. I’m scheduled for Saturday and Sunday if you look at both jobs. After Sunday I’ll be into a routine of Wednesday and Saturday at Comic Carnival. I’ll be helping out when needed which is Monday… Still I now might have some time to catch up since the last day of the curling season is Wednesday.
I ask myself why I do this… I don’t know. I found it amusing that the at the LEGO Store there are little challenges set. I understand the reason, but sometimes things can seem forced. The first one was fun, build a race car and race with three guests. This most recent one- ask three questions to a colleague or a guest. Basically learn about people. I’m an introvert. If we are talking and things come up, great. I’m not going to ask you a question out of the blue. Which most people did- “What’s your favorite movie?” “What’s your favorite LEGO set?” You answer and they go scurrying off to check off the form. Kind of saying- “I really don’t care about your answer, but I need to fill pout this checklist so I can get a prize!” I wasn’t the most polite person, when someone asked me a question- usually replied with- “Is this because you want to know, or you’re just checking a box?” I have yet to ask anyone a question… “The only winning move is not to play.” The funny thing, and I may have mentioned this before, I usually am assigned a location away from my fellow workers. If I’m up front (Zone 1), they congregate by the cash registers. If I’m at the cash registers they congregate up front. Except when they come over to ask a question so they can complete the assigned task.
I bring up the question because one of my co-workers actually asked a good question. “Are you happy?” I wasn’t doing anything to make anyone think I wasn’t. Then again, I’m a curmudgeon that I guess most people try to avoid. I thought about it and replied “I’m content.” I can’t say I’m happy, bubbly, joyful… but I am fine with my current situation as it is. The follow up was interesting also- “What would it take to make you change your answer to Yes?” Deep thinking at the LEGO Store. “Security” was my answer. When I retired I figured things would be different, but I would be able to live comfortably and do things I wanted to do (within reason, and with planning) until I couldn’t anymore. Now- I’m uncertain of so much. Do I have enough money put away so Sue and I can live comfortably? How will the economy impact our savings, and planning? Should we be doing things right now, or should we wait? Unfortunately as we get older at one point we won’t be able to do things that we want. I planned for one world and I’m now living at the start of a dystopian novel and it’s scary. It’s like the bully at school throwing a punch, stopping just before it hits and laughing about how they made you flinch. It’s hard to be happy, when you don’t know what the future holds, and what you predict doesn’t look that great for the majority of people.
I do think I will come back to the "Are you happy?" question every once in a while just to keep track of where I am mentally & emotionally.
My Comics
I’m learning lots and actually dealing with the comics when they come in does change my point of view… I’m not reading more, but I am seeing what many people have pulled and find it fascinating.
The Great British Bump-Off: Kill or be Quilt #1 - from the creator of Giant Days (a favorite of mine) the last arc in this series dealt with a murder during the filming of a reality baking show in Britain. Our heroine detective solved that and is now taking a well earned break on a canal boat she borrowed from her uncle… maybe she should have paid more attention to knots. To get her out of that bind she’s now dealing with a quilt shop. I’m so glad I have had to spend time in quilt shops with Sue or I would be lost. How did she end up in a quilt shop? What mystery needs to be solved? You’ll have to read it to find out.
John Carpenters Tales of Science Fiction #2 - the Pause part 2. Henry finds his brother just as he’s being stabbed. Frantic he grabs him… not a good idea. How many people will Henry have to unpause in order to save his brother’s life. We learn more about the extent of the pause, and it seems to be bigger than you think. Oh, and the dog is still following them.
Amazing Spider-Man #1 - 🎶another opening, another show🎶 So a new creative team means another #1 issue and more chaos in trying to figure out how to organize it all. I was leary after the whole 8 Deaths of Spider-Man arc. 🙄 However it looks like they may have tried to create a back to basics more grounded Spider-Man for the time being. We spend a lot of time this issue dealing with Peter trying to find a new job and end with Peter investigating why Rhino went on the rampage. Frankly, for this old guy, good classic Spider-Man. The last part with Norman Osborne’s press conference was a nice addition and I hope we see how Norman does trying to right his many wrongs.
Golden Rage 1 of 5 - not quite sure how, or why I had this one pulled. “Old women are deemed useless to society and are abandoned on an island where they must fight to the death, and make friends and dessert. The mainland plans to liquidate their island, leaving our bold old women to prepare for the onslaught to come” that’s the overview from the comic. It is volume 2 so there was an entire story setting it up. This is one I’ll be figuring out as I go along. Learning about characters without the benefit of a backstory. There are cats at least.
Phantom Road #11 - This has been a weird tale dealing with strange occurrences and the investigation of them. Including trans dimensional travel. This issue goes back to the beginning, when the FBI first started to investigate everything. It’s kind of an origin story, considering the frequency in which this has been coming out it’s nice to take a breather and see how it be all originally started.
Batman & Robin #20 - Robin is in the hands of Memento and Batman is under the influence of the Gravedigger’s Poppy so things get like a little trippy man. I enjoyed the dive into Damian’s notebook as Batman tries to piece it all together.
Action Comics #1085 - One of those time warp stories. This occurred before anything you probably have read recently… Clark goes to Greenland to interview some scientists only to discover bad things are going on and Superman is needed. Who is doing this? Why? More importantly why is this story in here and how will it impact the future -“We are all interested in the future, for that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives. And remember, my friend: Future events such as these will affect you in the future. You are interested in the unknown, the mysterious, the unexplainable. That is why you are here.”
Absolute Batman #7 - Now Bruce’s crew know he is Batman, how will that impact his relationship with them, especially since we know who they bc all are in the regular DCU. This issue also focuses on Matches Malone, someone who is not who he would be in our “normal” DCU.
The Ultimates #11 - the tale of Thor & Sif as they try to usurp Loki’s rule over Asgard. What will Thor be willing to do? Also we learn about Tony Starks latest shenanigans…
Mae the Definitive Edition - Every comic book geek has creators they follow. They pick up and read anything they put out. I have a few. As an older collector many of those I followed, no longer are with us. Some have gone to that great bullpen in the sky, others just retired, others did stupid things that caused society to shun them. One creator I have followed (and has not been shunned) is Gene Ha. I think I first became aware of him when he was working on “Top Ten” and from there I just picked up his stuff when I saw it. Mae was one of those titles. Like many creator owned books finding it can become a task. It ends up not bringing published on a regular schedule. Sometimes bouncing from publisher to publisher. Even your LCS could miss it since many pull lists only deal with DC & Marvel books.
I agree with Mike Maihack in his introduction he talks about how awesome fiction is, especially when taking a character and putting them in a completely different world. Maybe that is why I enjoy the Ultimate comics from Marvel and the Absolute comics from DC. Mae is the story of a Hoosier girl whose sister has a habit of running away. We just don’t know where. This most recent time she’s been gone for seven years. Mae is trying to keep things together being responsible and taking care of her sickly father and the family business. That is until Abbie’s latest return.
The story takes you on the Whimventure® to beat all Whimventures®. As Mae learns about this strange land her sister has been visiting since she was in second grade. It’s a coming of age story, it’s a fantasy story with weird creatures, it’s amazing and Gene’s art matches the story in its sheer brilliance. I wish I could say more, but no spoilers. I just want to return to Cimrterén again, so I think I will. If you have a chance- I highly recommend this and wish there was more.
Politics?!?
I did find it interesting that Superman is taking place in Greenland and the Asgard in Ultimates seemed a lot like the current day United States or maybe a future if things don’t change. Then again, maybe I’m just reading too much into it.
Please note, the person who asked me about my state of happiness was actually asking, it had nothing to do with the "get to know your co-worker" challenge. He was genuine, and I understood that, but may not have written it that way - drawing is a lot easier than using words. I appreciate it, and it is a question I need to ask every once in while... especially the follow up.