Hey there friends and fellow fiends, it’s your old pal Uncle Mac back again to give the heads up on some hot books dropping this week. We’ve got two great trades from Image comics that you’re going to want to check out, and so with no further ado, here we go!
First up, The Scumbag vol 1
Ernie Ray Clementine is a piece of shit, a junkie burnout, a liar, a thief, and an all around loser, but when he accidentally injects himself with a super soldier serum he becomes The Scumbag, a superpowered secret agent with one mission: to save us all. The only problem? His powers only work when he is acting nobly. Will Ernie Ray be able to overcome his vile, disgusting nature to save the day, or will he not be able to fight off his demons in time.
This series is amazing, with the first 5 issues not only doing a fantastic job of setting up this world of drugs, super spies, flying cars, and neo-Nazi environmentalists, but also fleshing the main character of Ernie Ray out into something that, while far from likeable, is definitely a character you want to see succeed.
This title is brought to us by the masterful Rick Remender, and if you slept on the first arc of this title, you’re going to want to grab this book Wednesday.
And if you like it, let me know! Issue 6 hits the stands as well this week, so grab them both and get yourself ready for a hell of a good time, and a hell of a crazy party!
Our second title this week comes to us from the brilliant minds of Scott Snyder from Dark Nights Metal, and author extraordinaire Charles Soule.
That’s right, it’s time for Volume 2 of Undiscovered Country: Unity.
Volume One of this groundbreaking title introduced us to a world where the USA had completely sealed itself off from the rest of the world. As time passed, the outside world is ravaged by a mysterious virus known only as Sky. As things grow worse and worse, suddenly a signal is sent from the heart of the US, promising entry into their national fortress, and even more importantly, a cure for the sky virus.
Our intrepid band of adventures quickly discover that a lot has changed in America. After coming under attack, they found themselves in the clutches of the genetic mutant known only as The Destiny Man. The managed to escape his realm with the help of some surprising allies, and volume two picks up with their entry into the second part of the country, a techno utopia known as Unity.
If volume one was meant to satirize uber libertarianism and Randian self-determinism. Volume two flips the dial with this computerized communist collective. In Unity everything, and everyone, is plugged into a massive database of info that not only provides for them and cares for them, it also controls every aspect of their lives. The people are little more than techno drones, and as where Destiny was a land of everyone out for themselves, Unity is a land where everyone must give their all for the greater good.
I won’t give anything else away, but if you found yourself confused after volume one I will say that volume two does a fantastic job of opening up this world in much more detail, and finally starts filling in a lot of the blanks left open by Volume One. This series continues to excel as one of the best pieces of social and political satire on the shelves, so if you’ve been sleeping on this title, now is the time to get caught up.
So there you have folks, a couple of great trades out this week for you to snag.
Uncle Mac is a CBFC member and occasional wordsmith for the Midwest Chapter. He’s been collecting comics for 30 years, and has been writing reviews for sites like BiffBamPop, as well as on Instagram for the last 2 years. He loves indie comics, The Flash, and his very understanding wife. Check out his Instagram @the_last_highlander and let him know if there is anything you’d like to see him review!