Cool Comics of April: Staff Picks

Teen Dog #7, Jake Lawrence, Boom Studios

No Mercy  Alex de Campi, Carla Speed Mcneil, Jenn Manley Lee Image Comics April 1, 2015No Mercy

Alex de Campi, Carla Speed Mcneil, Jenn Manley Lee
Image Comics
April 1, 2015

I’m pushing out of my comfort zone and looking for new series from a variety of publishers. For April I’m going to give No Mercy #1 a try. The section of the blurb that pulled at me reads “But after tragedy strikes, a handful of once-privileged US teens must find their way home in a cruel landscape that at best doesn’t like them, and at worst, actively wants to kill them.” It has a new adult/ older teen feel to it which will sharply contrast with my usual adult picks.

— Melinda B. Pierce

The Infinite Loop #1  Pierrick Colinet (W), Elsa Charretier (A) IDW April 29 2015The Infinite Loop #1

Pierrick Colinet (W), Elsa Charretier (A)
IDW
April 29 2015

The Infinite Loop started as a Kickstarter project and is now being published as a six issue mini series from IDW Publishing. It’s the story for a young woman named Teddy, who lives in the future, but has a career time travelling to fix time paradoxes. But her whole world is turned upside down when she meets Ano. Ano is the girl of her dreams but there’s just one problem – she also a time paradox. Which means Teddy is faced with an impossible choice. Does she fix the time stream for the greater good? Or does she save the woman she loves?

A mixture of science fiction, time travel, and romance is pretty much the recipe for my favourite kind of story. It reminds me of the Star Trek episode “The City on the Edge of Forever,” which is easily one of my favourite episodes.

But what really sells me on this story is that it puts an LGBTQ couple at the centre of the story. The creators have said that the story will delve “into feminism and LGBT’s fight for equality, [and] was born from our desire to express our feelings about inequalities towards same sex couples.” As a huge advocate for more LGBTQ representation in books and comics I could not be more excited to see this project hit shelves.

— Christa

SuperMutant Magic Academy  Jillian Tamaki Drawn & Quarterly April 28, 2015SuperMutant Magic Academy

Jillian Tamaki
Drawn & Quarterly
April 28, 2015

Last year was the year of This One Summer by cousins Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki. It was everywhere (including Women Write About Comics) and it won awards left, right and centre. This year Jillian Tamaki is back with a solo title that collects the comic she has been serializing online for the past four years, SuperMutant Magic Academy. This collection (as you may have guessed from the title) looks at students at a school for kids with…special abilities. From mutants, to witches and everything in between.

Other than it being written and illustrated by Jillian Tamaki, I’m intrigued by SuperMutant Magic Academy because the synopsis promises that the kids’ supernatural ability will take a backseat to the problems of their everyday life. It will be a refreshing change to see someone tackle these kind of characters from such a normal angle.

— Christa

Teen Dog #8  Jack Lawrence BOOM! Studios April 8, 2015Teen Dog #8

Jack Lawrence
BOOM! Studios
April 8, 2015

There will be a pizza-shaped part of my soul missing when Teen Dog comes to an end this month and I don’t know if I am dealing with it very well.

The series has combined my love of everything food (more specifically snacking), denim jackets, arcade games, teen angst, and The Simpsons’ Poochie. It’s like a milkshake of my favourite things and it’s going to be totally weird not being able to read about the mischief that Teen Dog and Mariella get up to each month. (Who are like the chillest comic duo ever and I totally wish I could be friends with them.)

After pulling out their best dance moves at their high school prom in the penultimate issue, Teen Dog and Mariella are enjoying a well deserved summer vacation on their last adventure. The final cover with all its Breakfast Club vibes is giving me all the feels, too, but honestly there is no better homage to make than Judd Nelson’s infamous air punch to send the series. Why did it have to be only 8 issues, though, why?

— Cherokee Seebalack

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Megan Purdy

Megan Purdy

Publisher of all this. Megan was born in Toronto. She's still there. Philosopher, space vampire, heart of a killer.

One thought on “Cool Comics of April: Staff Picks

  1. I read the first issue of No Mercy and loved it! I’m so excited to see where this series goes. And based on the review above, I’m subscribing to Infinite Loop as well!

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