This Week in Comics (My Pull List 5-15-24) and traveling with the Monkey

So last weekend we headed to Mansfield, Ohio to go prison. What does this have to do with comics? Not much, but it does have something to with environment and images. You see one of the MINI groups we run with planned a tour of the Ohio State Reformatory. This is the same group that had tour of the Randolph County Asylum, hmmm… coincidence?

Why the Ohio State Reformatory? It was the location for the film “The Shawshank Redemption.” It’s an impressive building from the outside and a work in progress on the inside. Sue and I spent the night before in Mansfield and did some geocaching and adventure labbing. There is an Adventure Lab that takes you to many of the locations used in the film which was cool. It seems that thanks to “Hollywood Magic” Mansfield took the place of Maine with almost every scene being shot there except the final scene on the beach… which was done using primitive AI technology 🤪 (it wasn’t, they actually went to the U.S. Virgin Islands).

I understand the importance of drawing from real life and one of those things I always find frustrating is trying to do that with a group of people wanting to move onto the next spot. or trying to draw while also trying to learn about the place from the tour guide. So I take some photos and maybe use them as inspiration when needed. So far I haven’t needed, but someday I might.

Cecil came along (of course) and since this is a newish group of people I got to explain the monkey all over again. My usual response is “I’m an old elementary school teacher, and this is my class mascot. I take him places and my students like to see where he’s been.” As you get know me, you know he’s a lot more than that. Besides being a character in this comic (when I actually draw the comic) you learn he’s my extroverted personality. He does all the silly things, I don’t do. He’s my excuse to come up to complete strangers and ask for a photo. He’s an icebreaker for when I’m too shy to talk to someone. He’s an alter ego… with a big ego. I have friends, not because of me, but specifically because of the monkey.

I just remember being at a MINI event and someone was coveting the exclusive MINIon badge that each person in the group I drove with had. They met someone from the group and when they found out I was involved asked I was still carrying around that stupid monkey. I found out about it. When they came up to me and asked if they could get a badge, because they had heard I was the guy to talk to (I am the guy to talk to), I replied that being MINIon 4238 I was so far down the line, I had nothing to do with it. They needed to talk to someone with a lower MINIon number. Don’t ever disrespect the monkey.

This Week’s Comics:

Miles Morales: Spider-Man #20 – One of those “filler issues” that I actually like. It gives you a chance to build up characters and relationships without much chaos. Of course there is some chaos, but still and nice art walk with friends and “Shift” stats to gain a bigger role, which is nice. Of course we have to end the whole thing with Vampires since that is the summer mega event. 🙄

Action Comics #1065 (House of Brainiac 3) – we’ve got Lobo, Superman, the whole Super Family against Brainiac and a special guest appearance by the Space Cabbie! It seems that Brainiac has a city collection more vast that we first thought and this will play into future issues (next in Superman #14).

Batman and Robin # 9 – Batman captured by Man-Bat and Robin still trying to figure things out… and finally doing it. getting the Principal to snap (I think it really had to do with low test scores and not getting teacher evaluations done on time) and the identity of “Shush.” So now Gotham is about to be “saved” in some weird psychotic way by Man-Bat. Let’s see- No Zur En Arrh, no Orghams, it’s interesting to try and figure out when in Batman’s timeline all these stories are taking place. It’s a comic, it really doesn’t matter.

Dark Ride #12 – It looks like the conclusion. Who will end up controlling Devil Land? Who lives? Who dies? It has been an interesting ride as we see the story behind Satanic Disneyland.

Fishflies #6 – Yes! a history lesson and we finally learn why a giant bug is running around the county and what his purpose is. I like the way the flashback was done monochromatically. How will the news at the end impact the story?

U & I # 4 of 6 – So the bad guts go after U. Can Isabelle save him? I frankly have sadistically enjoyed the trouble Isabelle’s uncle has gotten himself into- Karma is beautiful. Unfortunately, it might not work out well for U & I in the end, but we have two issues to get there.

The Displaced #4 – It’s been months since the small town of (weird, I don’t remember it’s name) disappeared from the map and memories of everyone in the world, except those who escaped it. Those folks now are forgotten the minute they leave your sight. This has lead to some interesting ways to dealing with life- rob someone, and they don’t remember it, check into a hotel, and they don’t remember you did and give the room to someone else. Now it’s starting to wear on everyone… the way to escape? leave everyone, and go off on your own… although it looks painful, you then disappear too. Where do you go? I think many hope they return to the friends and family they lost when the town vanished.

It’s interesting, when I read this comic I go back and think of how people come in and out of our lives. Sometimes you forget them, others you don’t. I feel bad, because I’m one of those teachers who, try as I might, can’t remember all of my students. After 35 years, 3 schools, and thousands of kids, my memory is faulty. Having taught elementary school doesn’t help, because kids age and change (I think it’s called puberty) which doesn’t help. Worse yet is 20 minutes after a former student leaves, sad that I don’t recall their humorous exploits, I remember everything, and feel even worse. What’s also sad are the number of kids (now adults) who come up and tell me they were “bad kids.” In 35 years I’ve only had a handful of kids who were “bad” and most of them it was their parents who really made them memorable (or the thing of nightmares).

Ultimate X-Men #3 – We learn the story of Mei the white haired girl with lightning bolt earrings. The last word of the speech bubble in the last panel… “mutants” I wonder what that could mean?

Star Trek #20 – Since this takes place in a pre-Picard time period as the Theseus gets and overhaul at Utopia Planitia we get to meet Commander Liam Shaw who seems to be making the rounds in the comics since he can’t make the rounds anymore streaming because <SPOILERS>. So off they go where “No Man Has Gone Before” in hopes to save the Organians. Who will they meet? Dr. Crusher is hoping to be reunited with Wesley.