TPB A DAY 21: Aliens vs. Avengers - YAY!

YAY - Aliens, engineers, and Avengers - oh my! This was magnificent from beginning to end: a truly satisfying epic. No IP crossover cash grab here. This TPB is well cooked and gives proper respect to both verses. Fully enjoyed it!

One of the things I love about comic books is their ability to bring stories to life that would be too costly or even impossible in any other medium. This TPB delivers a cinematic spectacle in comic book form!

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DORK PLAN: I’m going to read one TPB a day from my 5,000+ strong TPB collection. I’ll post the one I read here the next day with a YAY or NAY, and maybe a line or two about what I thought. NOTE: Got a TPB you want me to read? Drop it in the comments! If I have it, I’ll give it a review.

TPB A DAY 20: It Eats What Feeds It - NAY!

NAY - This is a fun, self-contained horror story, but the artistic choices - particularly the line weight and color palette - hold it back. I can see what the artist was aiming for: an ethereal, moody atmosphere steeped in mystery. Unfortunately, the blurriness and thin linework detract from that effect rather than enhance it. I enjoyed reading it, but regrettably, I can’t recommend it.

DORK PLAN: I’m going to read one TPB a day from my 5,000+ strong TPB collection. I’ll post the one I read here the next day with a YAY or NAY, and maybe a line or two about what I thought. NOTE: Got a TPB you want me to read? Drop it in the comments! If I have it, I’ll give it a review.

TPB A DAY 19: Battlepug series - NAY!

SPECIAL EDITION SUNDAY: I didn’t just read one TPB - I read the entire series (Volumes 1–5).

NAY - I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY wanted to like this series. I was a pug owner myself (RIP Porkchop), and the sheer outlandishness of a Conan-like barbarian riding around on a giant pug just tickles me silly! But sadly, it just didn’t land with me. I think this is more of a personal-taste thingy, but there were two big negatives for me.

The first is the secondary character Scribbly - who was SUPER annoying. Like, Jar Jar Binks-level annoying. Every time Scribbly showed up, I could feel myself getting pulled out of the story. The second was the coloring. I’m just not a fan of this particular style of coloring in comic books. It reminds me of the early days of digital painting in Malibu Comics, and fails the blur test for me. 

Any who that's just my humble two cents.

NOTE: A blur test in art and design is a technique where you intentionally blur an image or painting to check its value contrast, visual hierarchy, and composition without being distracted by details or specific color hues

DORK PLAN: I’m going to read one TPB a day from my 5,000+ strong TPB collection. I’ll post the one I read here the next day with a YAY or NAY, and maybe a line or two about what I thought. NOTE: Got a TPB you want me to read? Drop it in the comments! If I have it, I’ll give it a review.

TPB A DAY 18: The Walking Dead: Alien - YAY!

YAY - Cool book! An easy read with sweet, charming art - like apple pie and ice cream. I really enjoyed the two-page-spread format and the self-contained nature of the story. This would have made a great animated short! NOTE: This was originally only available digitally through Panel Syndicate, so I’m really glad they decided to give it the printed treatment. I’m an ol’ Gen Xer who still likes to read his books on actual printed paper so glad this happened.

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DORK PLAN: I’m going to read one TPB a day from my 5,000+ strong TPB collection. I’ll post the one I read here the next day with a YAY or NAY, and maybe a line or two about what I thought. NOTE: Got a TPB you want me to read? Drop it in the comments! If I have it, I’ll give it a review.

TPB A DAY 17: Our Bones Bust - YAY!

YAY - BRAVO! BRAVO! BRAVO!!! This book was absolutely perfect for me! The story flowed beautifully, with just the right amount of information. The dialogue was uniquely tailored to the characters, the story arc was excellent, the artwork was rockin’, the colors were spot-on, and the lettering was perfect. I literally wouldn’t change a single thing about this book - not one thing! I hope there’s an encore!

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 Ben Stenbeck Interview Link

DORK PLAN: I’m going to read one TPB a day from my 5,000+ strong TPB collection. I’ll post the one I read here the next day with a YAY or NAY, and maybe a line or two about what I thought. NOTE: Got a TPB you want me to read? Drop it in the comments! If I have it, I’ll give it a review.

SIDE NOTE: Someone asked why I don’t identify the creator, writer, artist, or other contributors in these reviews. I’ve chosen to leave out those details (for the most part) so the reviews remain focused on the books themselves rather than on the people who created them. This also helps keep any criticism of a particular work separate from the individuals involved and prevents anything from becoming too personal.

TPB A DAY 16: Wonder Woman Dead Earth - YAY!

YAY - I love a good post-apocalyptic story, and Wonder Woman: Dead Earth was a good book - though not quite a great one. For me, it was about a 60/40, which is why it earned a Yay rather than a Nay.

What held the book back for me were the unresolved plot holes and certain situations that weren’t fully fleshed out or clearly explained. HOWEVER - What I appreciated most were the story’s thoughtful underlying messages: power can be used for both good and evil; forgiveness and compassion are the only ways forward; and people can change when they are given the chance. I also enjoyed the focus on Diana’s positive, optimistic outlook. That perspective felt very true to Wonder Woman and added an uplifting dimension to an otherwise bleak narrative. 

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DORK PLAN: I’m going to read one TPB a day from my 5,000+ strong TPB collection. I’ll post the one I read here the next day with a YAY or NAY, and maybe a line or two about what I thought. NOTE: Got a TPB you want me to read? Drop it in the comments! If I have it, I’ll give it a review.

TPB A DAY 15: Little Bird: The Fight for Elder's Hope - YAY!

YAY - Little Bird is violent & beautiful in a way that feels genuinely poetic. A fever dream of blood, faith & rebellion. Where tenderness lives alongside brutality. If 1970s-era Mœbius and Heavy Metal (the magazine, the movie, and the music) had a strange little baby bird, this would be it.

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DORK PLAN: I’m going to read one TPB a day from my 5,000+ strong TPB collection. I’ll post the one I read here the next day with a YAY or NAY, and maybe a line or two about what I thought. NOTE: Got a TPB you want me to read? Drop it in the comments! If I have it, I’ll give it a review.

TPB A DAY 14: DefendersThe Best Defense - NAY!

NAY - This book was a bit of a mess. I really enjoyed the Hulk and Doctor Strange solo stories, but the rest of the TPB fall flat on its face. Weaving standalone stories from different writers & artists into a cohesive, polished storyline takes some serious editorial chops. Unfortunately, that was missing here. Just to many cooks in the kitchen creatively.

DORK PLAN: I’m going to read one TPB a day from my 5,000+ strong TPB collection. I’ll post the one I read here the next day with a YAY or NAY, and maybe a line or two about what I thought. NOTE: Got a TPB you want me to read? Drop it in the comments! If I have it, I’ll give it a review.

TPB A DAY 13: The Ogre Gods series - YAY!

SPECIAL EDITION SUNDAY: I didn’t just read one TPB - I read the entire series (Volumes 1–4). 

YAY - This series is a must-have! Seriously, go order it NOW! It’s the perfect twisted fairy tale for adults - dark, strange, and incredibly compelling. The almost Disney-animation-esque quality of the artwork creates a fantastic contrast with the story’s violent, grotesque, and often disturbing subject matter. I totally loved it!

RIP: Hubert Boulard, the writer of The Ogre Gods, died in February 2020 at 49 years old. It’s especially bittersweet knowing that he and artist Bertrand Gatignol had already completed the four-book saga before his passing, meaning his story was able to reach its intended conclusion rather than being left unfinished, but he never got to see the fourth book published.

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Petit: The Ogre Gods, Book One

Half-Blood: The Ogre Gods, Book Two

The Great Man: The Ogre Gods, Book Three

First Born: The Ogre Gods, Book Four

DORK PLAN: I’m going to read one TPB a day from my 5,000+ strong TPB collection. I’ll post the one I read here the next day with a YAY or NAY, and maybe a line or two about what I thought. NOTE: Got a TPB you want me to read? Drop it in the comments! If I have it, I’ll give it a review.

TPB A DAY 12: Billy Bat - YAY!

YAY! It’s funny - I’ve loved everything I have ever read by Naoki Urasawa, which should have made this book a no-brainer - BUT - I was hesitant to pick it up. I don’t know if it was because it had a co-writer (Takashi Nagasaki), the bat thingy, or simply because it didn’t look like my kind of thing.

But, of course - I’m an idiot - and really enjoyed this book! I’m definitely looking forward to reading more of the series and suggest you check it out!

Support us by purchasing this book on Amazon with this Link - Thank you!

DORK PLAN: I’m going to read one TPB a day from my 5,000+ strong TPB collection. I’ll post the one I read here the next day with a YAY or NAY, and maybe a line or two about what I thought. NOTE: Got a TPB you want me to read? Drop it in the comments! If I have it, I’ll give it a review.

TPB A DAY 11: Batman/Elmer Fudd: Deluxe Edition - YAY!

YAY - FUCKIN’ BRILLIANT! This Batman/Elmer Fudd crossover is a masterful piece of storytelling and art. Most IP crossovers are pretty lame, but this one is - AWESOME!

My only complaint is the extra cartoony-based story included in the TPB. The artwork was painfully bad and didn’t do the writing any favors. They should have gotten someone to mimic Chuck Jones’ style and laid it out like an animated short. Dave Alvarez would have been perfect! Oh well! We can’t have it all.

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DORK PLAN: I’m going to read one TPB a day from my 5,000+ strong TPB collection. I’ll post the one I read here the next day with a YAY or NAY, and maybe a line or two about what I thought. NOTE: Got a TPB you want me to read? Drop it in the comments! If I have it, I’ll give it a review.

TPB A DAY 10: Alien VS Captain America - NAY!

NAY - I'm currently playing Aliens: Fireteam Elite, so I decided to give this TPB a read. I tend to judge comics, movies, games etc. by two things - did it live up to its potential and did it accomplish what it set out to do? Sadly, this TPB failed on both counts. This should have been a fun ride, but instead it felt like a generic, run-of-the-mill movie IP crossover cash grab. But I get it - we all have bills to pay!

DORK PLAN: I’m going to read one TPB a day from my 5,000+ strong TPB collection. I’ll post the one I read here the next day with a YAY or NAY, and maybe a line or two about what I thought. NOTE: Got a TPB you want me to read? Drop it in the comments! If I have it, I’ll give it a review.

TPB A DAY 9: Heart Eyes - YAY!

YAY - An interesting story about a fearless, yet naively creepy girl who ushers in the demonpocalypse and then travels the world leaving a trail of torn apart and devoured people by Lovecraftian monsters. The hell-beasts are absolutely awesome and ridiculously fun to look at. Fingers crossed that this dewy-eyed demonatrix’s story continues!

Support us by purchasing this book on Amazon with this Link - Thank you!

DORK PLAN: I’m going to read one TPB a day from my 5,000+ strong TPB collection. I’ll post the one I read here the next day with a YAY or NAY, and maybe a line or two about what I thought. NOTE: Got a TPB you want me to read? Drop it in the comments! If I have it, I’ll give it a review.

TPB A DAY 8: Lonesome Hunters - The Wolf Child - YAY!

YAY - Last week, I read and reviewed Volume 1 of this series and immediately bought Volume 2, which I finished last night. What can I say - the awesomeness continues! Volume 2 does an excellent job of continuing to build out this fascinating world while also telling a compelling, self-contained story within it.

As soon as I finished Volume 2 I went looking for Volume 3. Sadly - there isn’t one. Apparently, Dark Horse decided not to continue the series, although the creator has described the story as being planned for 24–32 issues and has expressed interest in creating and publishing more. So now I’m left with only one option: pray to the Comic Book Gods -Kirby, Eisner, and Tezuka that this series somehow continues!

Support us by purchasing this book on Amazon with this Link - Thank you!

DORK PLAN: I’m going to read one TPB a day from my 5,000+ strong TPB collection. I’ll post the one I read here the next day with a YAY or NAY, and maybe a line or two about what I thought. NOTE: Got a TPB you want me to read? Drop it in the comments! If I have it, I’ll give it a review.

TPB A DAY 7: Yan - NAY!

SPECIAL EDITION SUNDAY: I didn’t just read one TPB - I read the entire series (Volumes 1–3).

NAY - Deciding to give this series a NAY was not an easy choice. The series was nominated for two Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards in 2026, and there was a part of me that kept wanting this book to be good while I was reading it. But my brain simply couldn’t let go of the issues I kept seeing again and again. On the surface, this series looks and feels like it’s firing on all cylinders. The artwork is striking, the presentation is polished, and there’s clearly a lot of ambition behind it. But under the hood, the engine just doesn’t quite hold up.

The artwork needed a stronger editorial eye, while the story has noticeable holes and isn’t fleshed out in the way it needed to be. More than anything, I kept coming back to the feeling that this book was missing a good editor during its creation - someone who could have helped tighten the storytelling, smooth out the rough edges, and push the series from interesting to great. That said, this wasn’t a hard NAY for me. There’s enough here to make it worth checking out, and I’m still including a link to the book below. I just couldn’t ignore the recurring issues that ultimately kept me from giving it a YAY.

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DORK PLAN: I’m going to read one TPB a day from my 5,000+ strong TPB collection. I’ll post the one I read here the next day with a YAY or NAY, and maybe a line or two about what I thought. NOTE: Got a TPB you want me to read? Drop it in the comments! If I have it, I’ll give it a review.

TPB A DAY 6: Batman: Universe - YAY!

YAY - This book is a wonderful dance of story and art. Moving in perfect sync - spinning, dipping, and leaping through the time traveling adventure. It perfectly captures the magic of classic DC stories from the late ’70s and early ’80s. I'm a huge fan of Bob Haney and Jim Aparo’s legendary run on Batman: The Brave and the Bold and this book beautifully honors their signature style and pure sense of fun!

Support us by purchasing this book on Amazon with this Link - Thank you!

DORK PLAN: I’m going to read one TPB a day from my 5,000+ strong TPB collection. I’ll post the one I read here the next day with a YAY or NAY, and maybe a line or two about what I thought. NOTE: Got a TPB you want me to read? Drop it in the comments! If I have it, I’ll give it a review.