Oh god, it’s a fifth week. Prepare for chaos, as the fifth Wednesday in any month for the direct market leads to a weird, weird release list — or maybe even an astonishingly light one.

Comic of the Week: W0rldtr33 #2

The first issue of this series was one of the most intense and uncomfortable reads I can ever recall reading in single issue form. It was also impeccably crafted, and one of the strongest debuts in the past few years. If James Tynion IV is good at one thing, and he’s good at a great many things, it’s nailing that first issue. This one might be his finest yet, as he manages to hook you on several different levels, with Fernando Blanco and Jordie Bellaire taking you the rest of the way with their exceptional art. It’s always exciting to see what Jordie does on new projects, because no solution she comes up with is the same as the one she used previously for other collaborators. This one brings out the very best in Blanco.

Anyways, long story short, this is a great comic, although one that is not for the faint of heart. I’m excited to see where things go from here, even though I am quietly dreading it as well.

Trade of the Week: The Good Asian 1936 Deluxe Edition HC

There’s a reason this was an awards and critical darling: it’s a great comic book! Pornsak Pichetshote and Alexandre Tefenkgi craft a fantastic noir story here with real historical insight within it. That said, I’ll be honest: I only read the first trade which collected half the story, because I always suspected there would be a hardcover collecting it all in the end. This deluxe edition is just that, and I’m excited to dig into the rest of the story and just see how exceptional it truly is. If you missed all the series so far and enjoy a good noir tale, though, I highly recommend this book. It’s famously excellent!