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Triumpher – Piercing the Heart of the World Review By KenstrosityPicture it. Asheville, North Carolina, 2024. A devastating hurricane had just ripped through my region, wiping out entire sections of our richest cultural centers and critical economic staples, not to mention forever impacting the lives and homes of hundreds of thousands of residents (myself included). But, as the absorbent and resilient sponge I know myself to be—and with the help of hordes of kind and loving friends and family—I persisted. Not even a full month after disaster struck, I resumed my writership by covering Greek heavy metal quintet Triumpher’s sophomore epic Spirit Invictus. An eternity spans between then and now, but like myself, Triumpher persists, Piercing the Heart of the World in 2026.
Those who heed Triumpher’s call as I do will be happy to know that the MegatonManowarsword righteousness these Greeks wield like Olympians remains as stalwart as ever. In fact, Piercing the Heart of the World marks the high-water mark of the Triumpher troupe’s songwriting skill and performative prowess. Mars Triumph puts down a vocal showcase of a singular passion, his wild and animalistic delivery reminiscent of Riot City’s early work. That invigorating spirit finds loyal and unflinching support from stellar guitar leads, galloping riffs, and scorching tremolo waves courtesy of guitarists Christopher Tsakiropoulos and Mario Ñ Peters. Meanwhile, Stelios Zoumis rumbles like a thunderous storm, throwing hefty bass bolts through every measure to anchor every one of Piercing’s 45 minutes in righteous metal. Driving the march toward inevitable WICTORY, Agis Tzoukopoulos tumbles, pounds, and stomps his way through every technique known to metalkind in the pursuit of maximum awesomeness, and finds it with alarming regularity here.
Piercing The Heart Of The World by TRIUMPHER
Piercing the Heart of the World proves that Triumpher achieved the next stage of evolution in their still-young career. With the massive one-two punch of “Black Blood” and “Destroyer,” Piercing launches with a ferocity that would intimidate the finest specimen of any apex predator family. The former song recalls the vampiric darkness that inked Storming the Walls, which is a welcome introduction, but fails in the most exhilarating way to prepare me for the sword-raising spirit of the latter. That, in turn, fails to prepare me for the epic beauty that is “The Mountain Throne.” The first of two Song o’ the Year contenders, this sub-seven-minute odyssey traverses a calming plucking melody to dive right into blackened speed and a thrashy gallop, all while Mars croons and wails atop a storm of double bass runs and blasts. Yet, the whole is smoother than chrome and sharper than scalpels, resulting in an utterly astounding listening experience. However, even it feels understated when faced with the late-album highlight “Erinyes.” Punky and thrashy in a way I never thought traditional heavy metal could be, but still possessed of that chest-thumping, fist-pumping flame that lights hearts and souls ablaze, “Erinyes” is an unqualified success of excess, exuberance, and excitement.
In the past, Triumpher’s greatest weakness was always that the highlights far outstripped the supporting cast. Not so with Piercing. Even the slow and metered “Ithaca (Return of the Eternal King),” ballad interlude “Vault of the Immortals,” and two-act closer “Naus Apidalia” find ways to make memories and stand with distinction in Triumpher’s catalog. In all cases, those memories are founded in storytelling, either by establishing new characters (as is the case with “Ithaca”), shifting the tone (“Vault”), or by resolving arcs and tying up loose ends (“Naus Apidalia”). This strategy, in turn, makes more traditional heavy metal crowd pleasers like “The Flaming Sword”—which boasts a sleeper chorus that will get stuck in your head—feel more impactful than they might’ve otherwise.
With this in mind, I found very little to complain about. If it weren’t for his sheer charisma, I would say that Mars’ vocal performance teases the “Too Much” button far more often than I prefer. Were it not for the presence of endless barnstormer solos and affecting melodies, I would bemoan the protracted runtime of the closer. The meaty bass presence foils my bubbling rant against the more aggressive compression and increased loudness of this master. The caveats persist, leaving behind a wake of hobbled criticisms that would conspire to chip away at Triumpher’s final score. The damage they perpetrated amounts to mere flesh wounds in the end. Put simply, Piercing the Heart of the World is Triumpher’s greatest triumph yet, and you’d do well to hear it!
Rating: Great!
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: No Remorse Records
Websites: triumpher.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/Triumpher.official
Releases Worldwide: March 6th, 2026Steel Druhm
I was unaware of Greek mega-trve metal warriors Triumpher until Kenstrosity tackled their Storming the Walls debut back in 2023. I was immediately intrigued by the Manowar-meets-Megaton Sword-meets-Primordial sound they brought to the battlefield, and though there were some trials, tribulations, and rough spots to their presentation, the core of something bigger was there. Things improved on 2024s Spirit Invictus, as the Triumpher sound became more potent and consistently enthralling, and they seemed poised to usurp the throne of trve metal through sheer might and mayhem. Fast-forward to 2026, and their third crusade is set to kick off with Piercing the Heart of the World. I came into this hoping and expecting to be shocked and awed by sword, shield, and steroidal masculinity. Could Triumpher be the Manowar for this new age? That’s a mighty big loincloth to fill, but hope hung thickly in the air.
My anticipation of excessive glory overload was slaked by ginormous opener “Black Blood,” and woe to those who don’t bend the knee. It’s a volatile mash-up of Manowar, Primordial, and Doomsword, with a structure that starts out larger-than-life and tries to stack vainglorious and titanic moments upon one another like a grand memorial to the Elder Gods. Vocalist Mars Triumph channels Manowar’s legendary Eric Adams while also referencing Primordial’s A.A. Nemtheanga. This makes the song a total barn burner and exactly what I was hoping for. They follow this up with the uber-beefy, badass “Destroyer,” which reeks of Manowar’s The Triumph of Steel era. Grandiose choral segments and black metal influences elbow their way in, but this is a trve metal chariot ride through the Nine Worlds. Keeping the sword between the ribs, “The Mountain Throne” finds Triumpher pushing every lever to MAX GLORY as the false and weak flee for the safety of their fortifications. This one brings a lot of the same energy as the recent Fer De Lance, and there are touches of Lost Horizon, too. Mars stretches his vocals to the very edge of madness, and the chorus is as mighty as a barrel full of Wotans. Those who make it through this will be gifted a lifetime supply of wisdom, power, and back hair.
What could stop such a mighty and righteous host after such a rousing start? A soft and flabby middle, that’s what. “Ithaca (Return of the Eternal King)” is a slow-burning epical ballad that keeps building toward a massive release of rage and wiolence, but the release never arrives, and you’re kept on the edge of something for nearly 7 minutes with no somethings in sight. This results in the condition known as Blue Baldur. “Ithaca” is immediately followed by the 2-minute interlude “Vaults of Immortals,” which is equally restrained and subdued, making for 9 minutes stuck in emo-fied low-gear. This blunts the album’s momentum, taking you out of battle rage and into resource management. Steel cares not for resource herding when they are enemies left to be smottened! While things pick up with “The Flaming Sword,” and especially the trve-meets-semi-black-thrash of “Erinyes,” it feels like the album never fully regains its war footing, and 9-minute plus closer “Naus Apidalia” is merely good, not great, and suffers from some very Virgin Steele-esque compositional sinkholes and ego bloat. At a reasonable 44:44, Piercing the Heart of the World feels much longer than that, and though the first 16 or so minutes are massive, the rest of the album can’t sustain the prolonged siege.
I’m impressed with Mars Triumph’s performance. He’s gotten more proficient from album to album, and he has a crazy broad range. Anyone who can approximate Eric Adams is talented, and his black and death vocals are good as well. That said, he can and does overdo things at times, pushing his tonsils beyond human control. I can’t even suggest he dial things back, since that is not what Triumpher is all about. You just take the good with the weird and ride on. The guitar work from Christopher Tsakiropoulos and Mario Ñ Peters brings the thunder to the tundra, borrowing from a raft of trve and heavy influences while injecting enough blackened edges to make things extra deadly and dangerous. As the riffs roar and soar, Agis Tzoukopoulos delivers Scott Columbus-approved war drumming that embiggens the sword and spirit. This is a talented horde, and it’s the songwriting missteps that ultimately derail their relentless advance.
Triumpher have all the tools to forge a world-beating heavy metal monsterpiece, but Piercing the Heart of the World fails to penetrate my armor and score a critical hit. I heartily enjoy the opening trilogy, and there’s solid stuff later on, but this isn’t an album that captivates me from start to finish, despite my fervent wishes that it did. Piercing loses some of the ground won by Spirit Invictus, but I haven’t lost heart. The warrior spirit will endure and rise again if Crom wills it. Onward to great deeds!
Rating: 3.0/5.0
#2026 #30 #40 #EpicMetal #FerDeLance #GreekMetal #HeavyMetal #Manowar #Mar26 #MegatonSword #NoRemorseRecords #PiercingTheHeartOfTheWorld #PowerMetal #Primordial #Review #Reviews #RiotCity #Triumpher #VirginSteele -
Triumpher – Piercing the Heart of the World Review By KenstrosityPicture it. Asheville, North Carolina, 2024. A devastating hurricane had just ripped through my region, wiping out entire sections of our richest cultural centers and critical economic staples, not to mention forever impacting the lives and homes of hundreds of thousands of residents (myself included). But, as the absorbent and resilient sponge I know myself to be—and with the help of hordes of kind and loving friends and family—I persisted. Not even a full month after disaster struck, I resumed my writership by covering Greek heavy metal quintet Triumpher’s sophomore epic Spirit Invictus. An eternity spans between then and now, but like myself, Triumpher persists, Piercing the Heart of the World in 2026.
Those who heed Triumpher’s call as I do will be happy to know that the MegatonManowarsword righteousness these Greeks wield like Olympians remains as stalwart as ever. In fact, Piercing the Heart of the World marks the high-water mark of the Triumpher troupe’s songwriting skill and performative prowess. Mars Triumph puts down a vocal showcase of a singular passion, his wild and animalistic delivery reminiscent of Riot City’s early work. That invigorating spirit finds loyal and unflinching support from stellar guitar leads, galloping riffs, and scorching tremolo waves courtesy of guitarists Christopher Tsakiropoulos and Mario Ñ Peters. Meanwhile, Stelios Zoumis rumbles like a thunderous storm, throwing hefty bass bolts through every measure to anchor every one of Piercing’s 45 minutes in righteous metal. Driving the march toward inevitable WICTORY, Agis Tzoukopoulos tumbles, pounds, and stomps his way through every technique known to metalkind in the pursuit of maximum awesomeness, and finds it with alarming regularity here.
Piercing The Heart Of The World by TRIUMPHER
Piercing the Heart of the World proves that Triumpher achieved the next stage of evolution in their still-young career. With the massive one-two punch of “Black Blood” and “Destroyer,” Piercing launches with a ferocity that would intimidate the finest specimen of any apex predator family. The former song recalls the vampiric darkness that inked Storming the Walls, which is a welcome introduction, but fails in the most exhilarating way to prepare me for the sword-raising spirit of the latter. That, in turn, fails to prepare me for the epic beauty that is “The Mountain Throne.” The first of two Song o’ the Year contenders, this sub-seven-minute odyssey traverses a calming plucking melody to dive right into blackened speed and a thrashy gallop, all while Mars croons and wails atop a storm of double bass runs and blasts. Yet, the whole is smoother than chrome and sharper than scalpels, resulting in an utterly astounding listening experience. However, even it feels understated when faced with the late-album highlight “Erinyes.” Punky and thrashy in a way I never thought traditional heavy metal could be, but still possessed of that chest-thumping, fist-pumping flame that lights hearts and souls ablaze, “Erinyes” is an unqualified success of excess, exuberance, and excitement.
In the past, Triumpher’s greatest weakness was always that the highlights far outstripped the supporting cast. Not so with Piercing. Even the slow and metered “Ithaca (Return of the Eternal King),” ballad interlude “Vault of the Immortals,” and two-act closer “Naus Apidalia” find ways to make memories and stand with distinction in Triumpher’s catalog. In all cases, those memories are founded in storytelling, either by establishing new characters (as is the case with “Ithaca”), shifting the tone (“Vault”), or by resolving arcs and tying up loose ends (“Naus Apidalia”). This strategy, in turn, makes more traditional heavy metal crowd pleasers like “The Flaming Sword”—which boasts a sleeper chorus that will get stuck in your head—feel more impactful than they might’ve otherwise.
With this in mind, I found very little to complain about. If it weren’t for his sheer charisma, I would say that Mars’ vocal performance teases the “Too Much” button far more often than I prefer. Were it not for the presence of endless barnstormer solos and affecting melodies, I would bemoan the protracted runtime of the closer. The meaty bass presence foils my bubbling rant against the more aggressive compression and increased loudness of this master. The caveats persist, leaving behind a wake of hobbled criticisms that would conspire to chip away at Triumpher’s final score. The damage they perpetrated amounts to mere flesh wounds in the end. Put simply, Piercing the Heart of the World is Triumpher’s greatest triumph yet, and you’d do well to hear it!
Rating: Great!
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: No Remorse Records
Websites: triumpher.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/Triumpher.official
Releases Worldwide: March 6th, 2026Steel Druhm
I was unaware of Greek mega-trve metal warriors Triumpher until Kenstrosity tackled their Storming the Walls debut back in 2023. I was immediately intrigued by the Manowar-meets-Megaton Sword-meets-Primordial sound they brought to the battlefield, and though there were some trials, tribulations, and rough spots to their presentation, the core of something bigger was there. Things improved on 2024s Spirit Invictus, as the Triumpher sound became more potent and consistently enthralling, and they seemed poised to usurp the throne of trve metal through sheer might and mayhem. Fast-forward to 2026, and their third crusade is set to kick off with Piercing the Heart of the World. I came into this hoping and expecting to be shocked and awed by sword, shield, and steroidal masculinity. Could Triumpher be the Manowar for this new age? That’s a mighty big loincloth to fill, but hope hung thickly in the air.
My anticipation of excessive glory overload was slaked by ginormous opener “Black Blood,” and woe to those who don’t bend the knee. It’s a volatile mash-up of Manowar, Primordial, and Doomsword, with a structure that starts out larger-than-life and tries to stack vainglorious and titanic moments upon one another like a grand memorial to the Elder Gods. Vocalist Mars Triumph channels Manowar’s legendary Eric Adams while also referencing Primordial’s A.A. Nemtheanga. This makes the song a total barn burner and exactly what I was hoping for. They follow this up with the uber-beefy, badass “Destroyer,” which reeks of Manowar’s The Triumph of Steel era. Grandiose choral segments and black metal influences elbow their way in, but this is a trve metal chariot ride through the Nine Worlds. Keeping the sword between the ribs, “The Mountain Throne” finds Triumpher pushing every lever to MAX GLORY as the false and weak flee for the safety of their fortifications. This one brings a lot of the same energy as the recent Fer De Lance, and there are touches of Lost Horizon, too. Mars stretches his vocals to the very edge of madness, and the chorus is as mighty as a barrel full of Wotans. Those who make it through this will be gifted a lifetime supply of wisdom, power, and back hair.
What could stop such a mighty and righteous host after such a rousing start? A soft and flabby middle, that’s what. “Ithaca (Return of the Eternal King)” is a slow-burning epical ballad that keeps building toward a massive release of rage and wiolence, but the release never arrives, and you’re kept on the edge of something for nearly 7 minutes with no somethings in sight. This results in the condition known as Blue Baldur. “Ithaca” is immediately followed by the 2-minute interlude “Vaults of Immortals,” which is equally restrained and subdued, making for 9 minutes stuck in emo-fied low-gear. This blunts the album’s momentum, taking you out of battle rage and into resource management. Steel cares not for resource herding when they are enemies left to be smottened! While things pick up with “The Flaming Sword,” and especially the trve-meets-semi-black-thrash of “Erinyes,” it feels like the album never fully regains its war footing, and 9-minute plus closer “Naus Apidalia” is merely good, not great, and suffers from some very Virgin Steele-esque compositional sinkholes and ego bloat. At a reasonable 44:44, Piercing the Heart of the World feels much longer than that, and though the first 16 or so minutes are massive, the rest of the album can’t sustain the prolonged siege.
I’m impressed with Mars Triumph’s performance. He’s gotten more proficient from album to album, and he has a crazy broad range. Anyone who can approximate Eric Adams is talented, and his black and death vocals are good as well. That said, he can and does overdo things at times, pushing his tonsils beyond human control. I can’t even suggest he dial things back, since that is not what Triumpher is all about. You just take the good with the weird and ride on. The guitar work from Christopher Tsakiropoulos and Mario Ñ Peters brings the thunder to the tundra, borrowing from a raft of trve and heavy influences while injecting enough blackened edges to make things extra deadly and dangerous. As the riffs roar and soar, Agis Tzoukopoulos delivers Scott Columbus-approved war drumming that embiggens the sword and spirit. This is a talented horde, and it’s the songwriting missteps that ultimately derail their relentless advance.
Triumpher have all the tools to forge a world-beating heavy metal monsterpiece, but Piercing the Heart of the World fails to penetrate my armor and score a critical hit. I heartily enjoy the opening trilogy, and there’s solid stuff later on, but this isn’t an album that captivates me from start to finish, despite my fervent wishes that it did. Piercing loses some of the ground won by Spirit Invictus, but I haven’t lost heart. The warrior spirit will endure and rise again if Crom wills it. Onward to great deeds!
Rating: 3.0/5.0
#2026 #30 #40 #EpicMetal #FerDeLance #GreekMetal #HeavyMetal #Manowar #Mar26 #MegatonSword #NoRemorseRecords #PiercingTheHeartOfTheWorld #PowerMetal #Primordial #Review #Reviews #RiotCity #Triumpher #VirginSteele -
Triumpher – Piercing the Heart of the World Review By KenstrosityPicture it. Asheville, North Carolina, 2024. A devastating hurricane had just ripped through my region, wiping out entire sections of our richest cultural centers and critical economic staples, not to mention forever impacting the lives and homes of hundreds of thousands of residents (myself included). But, as the absorbent and resilient sponge I know myself to be—and with the help of hordes of kind and loving friends and family—I persisted. Not even a full month after disaster struck, I resumed my writership by covering Greek heavy metal quintet Triumpher’s sophomore epic Spirit Invictus. An eternity spans between then and now, but like myself, Triumpher persists, Piercing the Heart of the World in 2026.
Those who heed Triumpher’s call as I do will be happy to know that the MegatonManowarsword righteousness these Greeks wield like Olympians remains as stalwart as ever. In fact, Piercing the Heart of the World marks the high-water mark of the Triumpher troupe’s songwriting skill and performative prowess. Mars Triumph puts down a vocal showcase of a singular passion, his wild and animalistic delivery reminiscent of Riot City’s early work. That invigorating spirit finds loyal and unflinching support from stellar guitar leads, galloping riffs, and scorching tremolo waves courtesy of guitarists Christopher Tsakiropoulos and Mario Ñ Peters. Meanwhile, Stelios Zoumis rumbles like a thunderous storm, throwing hefty bass bolts through every measure to anchor every one of Piercing’s 45 minutes in righteous metal. Driving the march toward inevitable WICTORY, Agis Tzoukopoulos tumbles, pounds, and stomps his way through every technique known to metalkind in the pursuit of maximum awesomeness, and finds it with alarming regularity here.
Piercing The Heart Of The World by TRIUMPHER
Piercing the Heart of the World proves that Triumpher achieved the next stage of evolution in their still-young career. With the massive one-two punch of “Black Blood” and “Destroyer,” Piercing launches with a ferocity that would intimidate the finest specimen of any apex predator family. The former song recalls the vampiric darkness that inked Storming the Walls, which is a welcome introduction, but fails in the most exhilarating way to prepare me for the sword-raising spirit of the latter. That, in turn, fails to prepare me for the epic beauty that is “The Mountain Throne.” The first of two Song o’ the Year contenders, this sub-seven-minute odyssey traverses a calming plucking melody to dive right into blackened speed and a thrashy gallop, all while Mars croons and wails atop a storm of double bass runs and blasts. Yet, the whole is smoother than chrome and sharper than scalpels, resulting in an utterly astounding listening experience. However, even it feels understated when faced with the late-album highlight “Erinyes.” Punky and thrashy in a way I never thought traditional heavy metal could be, but still possessed of that chest-thumping, fist-pumping flame that lights hearts and souls ablaze, “Erinyes” is an unqualified success of excess, exuberance, and excitement.
In the past, Triumpher’s greatest weakness was always that the highlights far outstripped the supporting cast. Not so with Piercing. Even the slow and metered “Ithaca (Return of the Eternal King),” ballad interlude “Vault of the Immortals,” and two-act closer “Naus Apidalia” find ways to make memories and stand with distinction in Triumpher’s catalog. In all cases, those memories are founded in storytelling, either by establishing new characters (as is the case with “Ithaca”), shifting the tone (“Vault”), or by resolving arcs and tying up loose ends (“Naus Apidalia”). This strategy, in turn, makes more traditional heavy metal crowd pleasers like “The Flaming Sword”—which boasts a sleeper chorus that will get stuck in your head—feel more impactful than they might’ve otherwise.
With this in mind, I found very little to complain about. If it weren’t for his sheer charisma, I would say that Mars’ vocal performance teases the “Too Much” button far more often than I prefer. Were it not for the presence of endless barnstormer solos and affecting melodies, I would bemoan the protracted runtime of the closer. The meaty bass presence foils my bubbling rant against the more aggressive compression and increased loudness of this master. The caveats persist, leaving behind a wake of hobbled criticisms that would conspire to chip away at Triumpher’s final score. The damage they perpetrated amounts to mere flesh wounds in the end. Put simply, Piercing the Heart of the World is Triumpher’s greatest triumph yet, and you’d do well to hear it!
Rating: Great!
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: No Remorse Records
Websites: triumpher.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/Triumpher.official
Releases Worldwide: March 6th, 2026Steel Druhm
I was unaware of Greek mega-trve metal warriors Triumpher until Kenstrosity tackled their Storming the Walls debut back in 2023. I was immediately intrigued by the Manowar-meets-Megaton Sword-meets-Primordial sound they brought to the battlefield, and though there were some trials, tribulations, and rough spots to their presentation, the core of something bigger was there. Things improved on 2024s Spirit Invictus, as the Triumpher sound became more potent and consistently enthralling, and they seemed poised to usurp the throne of trve metal through sheer might and mayhem. Fast-forward to 2026, and their third crusade is set to kick off with Piercing the Heart of the World. I came into this hoping and expecting to be shocked and awed by sword, shield, and steroidal masculinity. Could Triumpher be the Manowar for this new age? That’s a mighty big loincloth to fill, but hope hung thickly in the air.
My anticipation of excessive glory overload was slaked by ginormous opener “Black Blood,” and woe to those who don’t bend the knee. It’s a volatile mash-up of Manowar, Primordial, and Doomsword, with a structure that starts out larger-than-life and tries to stack vainglorious and titanic moments upon one another like a grand memorial to the Elder Gods. Vocalist Mars Triumph channels Manowar’s legendary Eric Adams while also referencing Primordial’s A.A. Nemtheanga. This makes the song a total barn burner and exactly what I was hoping for. They follow this up with the uber-beefy, badass “Destroyer,” which reeks of Manowar’s The Triumph of Steel era. Grandiose choral segments and black metal influences elbow their way in, but this is a trve metal chariot ride through the Nine Worlds. Keeping the sword between the ribs, “The Mountain Throne” finds Triumpher pushing every lever to MAX GLORY as the false and weak flee for the safety of their fortifications. This one brings a lot of the same energy as the recent Fer De Lance, and there are touches of Lost Horizon, too. Mars stretches his vocals to the very edge of madness, and the chorus is as mighty as a barrel full of Wotans. Those who make it through this will be gifted a lifetime supply of wisdom, power, and back hair.
What could stop such a mighty and righteous host after such a rousing start? A soft and flabby middle, that’s what. “Ithaca (Return of the Eternal King)” is a slow-burning epical ballad that keeps building toward a massive release of rage and wiolence, but the release never arrives, and you’re kept on the edge of something for nearly 7 minutes with no somethings in sight. This results in the condition known as Blue Baldur. “Ithaca” is immediately followed by the 2-minute interlude “Vaults of Immortals,” which is equally restrained and subdued, making for 9 minutes stuck in emo-fied low-gear. This blunts the album’s momentum, taking you out of battle rage and into resource management. Steel cares not for resource herding when they are enemies left to be smottened! While things pick up with “The Flaming Sword,” and especially the trve-meets-semi-black-thrash of “Erinyes,” it feels like the album never fully regains its war footing, and 9-minute plus closer “Naus Apidalia” is merely good, not great, and suffers from some very Virgin Steele-esque compositional sinkholes and ego bloat. At a reasonable 44:44, Piercing the Heart of the World feels much longer than that, and though the first 16 or so minutes are massive, the rest of the album can’t sustain the prolonged siege.
I’m impressed with Mars Triumph’s performance. He’s gotten more proficient from album to album, and he has a crazy broad range. Anyone who can approximate Eric Adams is talented, and his black and death vocals are good as well. That said, he can and does overdo things at times, pushing his tonsils beyond human control. I can’t even suggest he dial things back, since that is not what Triumpher is all about. You just take the good with the weird and ride on. The guitar work from Christopher Tsakiropoulos and Mario Ñ Peters brings the thunder to the tundra, borrowing from a raft of trve and heavy influences while injecting enough blackened edges to make things extra deadly and dangerous. As the riffs roar and soar, Agis Tzoukopoulos delivers Scott Columbus-approved war drumming that embiggens the sword and spirit. This is a talented horde, and it’s the songwriting missteps that ultimately derail their relentless advance.
Triumpher have all the tools to forge a world-beating heavy metal monsterpiece, but Piercing the Heart of the World fails to penetrate my armor and score a critical hit. I heartily enjoy the opening trilogy, and there’s solid stuff later on, but this isn’t an album that captivates me from start to finish, despite my fervent wishes that it did. Piercing loses some of the ground won by Spirit Invictus, but I haven’t lost heart. The warrior spirit will endure and rise again if Crom wills it. Onward to great deeds!
Rating: 3.0/5.0
#2026 #30 #40 #EpicMetal #FerDeLance #GreekMetal #HeavyMetal #Manowar #Mar26 #MegatonSword #NoRemorseRecords #PiercingTheHeartOfTheWorld #PowerMetal #Primordial #Review #Reviews #RiotCity #Triumpher #VirginSteele -
Triumpher – Piercing the Heart of the World Review By KenstrosityPicture it. Asheville, North Carolina, 2024. A devastating hurricane had just ripped through my region, wiping out entire sections of our richest cultural centers and critical economic staples, not to mention forever impacting the lives and homes of hundreds of thousands of residents (myself included). But, as the absorbent and resilient sponge I know myself to be—and with the help of hordes of kind and loving friends and family—I persisted. Not even a full month after disaster struck, I resumed my writership by covering Greek heavy metal quintet Triumpher’s sophomore epic Spirit Invictus. An eternity spans between then and now, but like myself, Triumpher persists, Piercing the Heart of the World in 2026.
Those who heed Triumpher’s call as I do will be happy to know that the MegatonManowarsword righteousness these Greeks wield like Olympians remains as stalwart as ever. In fact, Piercing the Heart of the World marks the high-water mark of the Triumpher troupe’s songwriting skill and performative prowess. Mars Triumph puts down a vocal showcase of a singular passion, his wild and animalistic delivery reminiscent of Riot City’s early work. That invigorating spirit finds loyal and unflinching support from stellar guitar leads, galloping riffs, and scorching tremolo waves courtesy of guitarists Christopher Tsakiropoulos and Mario Ñ Peters. Meanwhile, Stelios Zoumis rumbles like a thunderous storm, throwing hefty bass bolts through every measure to anchor every one of Piercing’s 45 minutes in righteous metal. Driving the march toward inevitable WICTORY, Agis Tzoukopoulos tumbles, pounds, and stomps his way through every technique known to metalkind in the pursuit of maximum awesomeness, and finds it with alarming regularity here.
Piercing The Heart Of The World by TRIUMPHER
Piercing the Heart of the World proves that Triumpher achieved the next stage of evolution in their still-young career. With the massive one-two punch of “Black Blood” and “Destroyer,” Piercing launches with a ferocity that would intimidate the finest specimen of any apex predator family. The former song recalls the vampiric darkness that inked Storming the Walls, which is a welcome introduction, but fails in the most exhilarating way to prepare me for the sword-raising spirit of the latter. That, in turn, fails to prepare me for the epic beauty that is “The Mountain Throne.” The first of two Song o’ the Year contenders, this sub-seven-minute odyssey traverses a calming plucking melody to dive right into blackened speed and a thrashy gallop, all while Mars croons and wails atop a storm of double bass runs and blasts. Yet, the whole is smoother than chrome and sharper than scalpels, resulting in an utterly astounding listening experience. However, even it feels understated when faced with the late-album highlight “Erinyes.” Punky and thrashy in a way I never thought traditional heavy metal could be, but still possessed of that chest-thumping, fist-pumping flame that lights hearts and souls ablaze, “Erinyes” is an unqualified success of excess, exuberance, and excitement.
In the past, Triumpher’s greatest weakness was always that the highlights far outstripped the supporting cast. Not so with Piercing. Even the slow and metered “Ithaca (Return of the Eternal King),” ballad interlude “Vault of the Immortals,” and two-act closer “Naus Apidalia” find ways to make memories and stand with distinction in Triumpher’s catalog. In all cases, those memories are founded in storytelling, either by establishing new characters (as is the case with “Ithaca”), shifting the tone (“Vault”), or by resolving arcs and tying up loose ends (“Naus Apidalia”). This strategy, in turn, makes more traditional heavy metal crowd pleasers like “The Flaming Sword”—which boasts a sleeper chorus that will get stuck in your head—feel more impactful than they might’ve otherwise.
With this in mind, I found very little to complain about. If it weren’t for his sheer charisma, I would say that Mars’ vocal performance teases the “Too Much” button far more often than I prefer. Were it not for the presence of endless barnstormer solos and affecting melodies, I would bemoan the protracted runtime of the closer. The meaty bass presence foils my bubbling rant against the more aggressive compression and increased loudness of this master. The caveats persist, leaving behind a wake of hobbled criticisms that would conspire to chip away at Triumpher’s final score. The damage they perpetrated amounts to mere flesh wounds in the end. Put simply, Piercing the Heart of the World is Triumpher’s greatest triumph yet, and you’d do well to hear it!
Rating: Great!
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: No Remorse Records
Websites: triumpher.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/Triumpher.official
Releases Worldwide: March 6th, 2026Steel Druhm
I was unaware of Greek mega-trve metal warriors Triumpher until Kenstrosity tackled their Storming the Walls debut back in 2023. I was immediately intrigued by the Manowar-meets-Megaton Sword-meets-Primordial sound they brought to the battlefield, and though there were some trials, tribulations, and rough spots to their presentation, the core of something bigger was there. Things improved on 2024s Spirit Invictus, as the Triumpher sound became more potent and consistently enthralling, and they seemed poised to usurp the throne of trve metal through sheer might and mayhem. Fast-forward to 2026, and their third crusade is set to kick off with Piercing the Heart of the World. I came into this hoping and expecting to be shocked and awed by sword, shield, and steroidal masculinity. Could Triumpher be the Manowar for this new age? That’s a mighty big loincloth to fill, but hope hung thickly in the air.
My anticipation of excessive glory overload was slaked by ginormous opener “Black Blood,” and woe to those who don’t bend the knee. It’s a volatile mash-up of Manowar, Primordial, and Doomsword, with a structure that starts out larger-than-life and tries to stack vainglorious and titanic moments upon one another like a grand memorial to the Elder Gods. Vocalist Mars Triumph channels Manowar’s legendary Eric Adams while also referencing Primordial’s A.A. Nemtheanga. This makes the song a total barn burner and exactly what I was hoping for. They follow this up with the uber-beefy, badass “Destroyer,” which reeks of Manowar’s The Triumph of Steel era. Grandiose choral segments and black metal influences elbow their way in, but this is a trve metal chariot ride through the Nine Worlds. Keeping the sword between the ribs, “The Mountain Throne” finds Triumpher pushing every lever to MAX GLORY as the false and weak flee for the safety of their fortifications. This one brings a lot of the same energy as the recent Fer De Lance, and there are touches of Lost Horizon, too. Mars stretches his vocals to the very edge of madness, and the chorus is as mighty as a barrel full of Wotans. Those who make it through this will be gifted a lifetime supply of wisdom, power, and back hair.
What could stop such a mighty and righteous host after such a rousing start? A soft and flabby middle, that’s what. “Ithaca (Return of the Eternal King)” is a slow-burning epical ballad that keeps building toward a massive release of rage and wiolence, but the release never arrives, and you’re kept on the edge of something for nearly 7 minutes with no somethings in sight. This results in the condition known as Blue Baldur. “Ithaca” is immediately followed by the 2-minute interlude “Vaults of Immortals,” which is equally restrained and subdued, making for 9 minutes stuck in emo-fied low-gear. This blunts the album’s momentum, taking you out of battle rage and into resource management. Steel cares not for resource herding when they are enemies left to be smottened! While things pick up with “The Flaming Sword,” and especially the trve-meets-semi-black-thrash of “Erinyes,” it feels like the album never fully regains its war footing, and 9-minute plus closer “Naus Apidalia” is merely good, not great, and suffers from some very Virgin Steele-esque compositional sinkholes and ego bloat. At a reasonable 44:44, Piercing the Heart of the World feels much longer than that, and though the first 16 or so minutes are massive, the rest of the album can’t sustain the prolonged siege.
I’m impressed with Mars Triumph’s performance. He’s gotten more proficient from album to album, and he has a crazy broad range. Anyone who can approximate Eric Adams is talented, and his black and death vocals are good as well. That said, he can and does overdo things at times, pushing his tonsils beyond human control. I can’t even suggest he dial things back, since that is not what Triumpher is all about. You just take the good with the weird and ride on. The guitar work from Christopher Tsakiropoulos and Mario Ñ Peters brings the thunder to the tundra, borrowing from a raft of trve and heavy influences while injecting enough blackened edges to make things extra deadly and dangerous. As the riffs roar and soar, Agis Tzoukopoulos delivers Scott Columbus-approved war drumming that embiggens the sword and spirit. This is a talented horde, and it’s the songwriting missteps that ultimately derail their relentless advance.
Triumpher have all the tools to forge a world-beating heavy metal monsterpiece, but Piercing the Heart of the World fails to penetrate my armor and score a critical hit. I heartily enjoy the opening trilogy, and there’s solid stuff later on, but this isn’t an album that captivates me from start to finish, despite my fervent wishes that it did. Piercing loses some of the ground won by Spirit Invictus, but I haven’t lost heart. The warrior spirit will endure and rise again if Crom wills it. Onward to great deeds!
Rating: 3.0/5.0
#2026 #30 #40 #EpicMetal #FerDeLance #GreekMetal #HeavyMetal #Manowar #Mar26 #MegatonSword #NoRemorseRecords #PiercingTheHeartOfTheWorld #PowerMetal #Primordial #Review #Reviews #RiotCity #Triumpher #VirginSteele -
Triumpher – Piercing the Heart of the World Review By KenstrosityPicture it. Asheville, North Carolina, 2024. A devastating hurricane had just ripped through my region, wiping out entire sections of our richest cultural centers and critical economic staples, not to mention forever impacting the lives and homes of hundreds of thousands of residents (myself included). But, as the absorbent and resilient sponge I know myself to be—and with the help of hordes of kind and loving friends and family—I persisted. Not even a full month after disaster struck, I resumed my writership by covering Greek heavy metal quintet Triumpher’s sophomore epic Spirit Invictus. An eternity spans between then and now, but like myself, Triumpher persists, Piercing the Heart of the World in 2026.
Those who heed Triumpher’s call as I do will be happy to know that the MegatonManowarsword righteousness these Greeks wield like Olympians remains as stalwart as ever. In fact, Piercing the Heart of the World marks the high-water mark of the Triumpher troupe’s songwriting skill and performative prowess. Mars Triumph puts down a vocal showcase of a singular passion, his wild and animalistic delivery reminiscent of Riot City’s early work. That invigorating spirit finds loyal and unflinching support from stellar guitar leads, galloping riffs, and scorching tremolo waves courtesy of guitarists Christopher Tsakiropoulos and Mario Ñ Peters. Meanwhile, Stelios Zoumis rumbles like a thunderous storm, throwing hefty bass bolts through every measure to anchor every one of Piercing’s 45 minutes in righteous metal. Driving the march toward inevitable WICTORY, Agis Tzoukopoulos tumbles, pounds, and stomps his way through every technique known to metalkind in the pursuit of maximum awesomeness, and finds it with alarming regularity here.
Piercing The Heart Of The World by TRIUMPHER
Piercing the Heart of the World proves that Triumpher achieved the next stage of evolution in their still-young career. With the massive one-two punch of “Black Blood” and “Destroyer,” Piercing launches with a ferocity that would intimidate the finest specimen of any apex predator family. The former song recalls the vampiric darkness that inked Storming the Walls, which is a welcome introduction, but fails in the most exhilarating way to prepare me for the sword-raising spirit of the latter. That, in turn, fails to prepare me for the epic beauty that is “The Mountain Throne.” The first of two Song o’ the Year contenders, this sub-seven-minute odyssey traverses a calming plucking melody to dive right into blackened speed and a thrashy gallop, all while Mars croons and wails atop a storm of double bass runs and blasts. Yet, the whole is smoother than chrome and sharper than scalpels, resulting in an utterly astounding listening experience. However, even it feels understated when faced with the late-album highlight “Erinyes.” Punky and thrashy in a way I never thought traditional heavy metal could be, but still possessed of that chest-thumping, fist-pumping flame that lights hearts and souls ablaze, “Erinyes” is an unqualified success of excess, exuberance, and excitement.
In the past, Triumpher’s greatest weakness was always that the highlights far outstripped the supporting cast. Not so with Piercing. Even the slow and metered “Ithaca (Return of the Eternal King),” ballad interlude “Vault of the Immortals,” and two-act closer “Naus Apidalia” find ways to make memories and stand with distinction in Triumpher’s catalog. In all cases, those memories are founded in storytelling, either by establishing new characters (as is the case with “Ithaca”), shifting the tone (“Vault”), or by resolving arcs and tying up loose ends (“Naus Apidalia”). This strategy, in turn, makes more traditional heavy metal crowd pleasers like “The Flaming Sword”—which boasts a sleeper chorus that will get stuck in your head—feel more impactful than they might’ve otherwise.
With this in mind, I found very little to complain about. If it weren’t for his sheer charisma, I would say that Mars’ vocal performance teases the “Too Much” button far more often than I prefer. Were it not for the presence of endless barnstormer solos and affecting melodies, I would bemoan the protracted runtime of the closer. The meaty bass presence foils my bubbling rant against the more aggressive compression and increased loudness of this master. The caveats persist, leaving behind a wake of hobbled criticisms that would conspire to chip away at Triumpher’s final score. The damage they perpetrated amounts to mere flesh wounds in the end. Put simply, Piercing the Heart of the World is Triumpher’s greatest triumph yet, and you’d do well to hear it!
Rating: Great!
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: No Remorse Records
Websites: triumpher.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/Triumpher.official
Releases Worldwide: March 6th, 2026Steel Druhm
I was unaware of Greek mega-trve metal warriors Triumpher until Kenstrosity tackled their Storming the Walls debut back in 2023. I was immediately intrigued by the Manowar-meets-Megaton Sword-meets-Primordial sound they brought to the battlefield, and though there were some trials, tribulations, and rough spots to their presentation, the core of something bigger was there. Things improved on 2024s Spirit Invictus, as the Triumpher sound became more potent and consistently enthralling, and they seemed poised to usurp the throne of trve metal through sheer might and mayhem. Fast-forward to 2026, and their third crusade is set to kick off with Piercing the Heart of the World. I came into this hoping and expecting to be shocked and awed by sword, shield, and steroidal masculinity. Could Triumpher be the Manowar for this new age? That’s a mighty big loincloth to fill, but hope hung thickly in the air.
My anticipation of excessive glory overload was slaked by ginormous opener “Black Blood,” and woe to those who don’t bend the knee. It’s a volatile mash-up of Manowar, Primordial, and Doomsword, with a structure that starts out larger-than-life and tries to stack vainglorious and titanic moments upon one another like a grand memorial to the Elder Gods. Vocalist Mars Triumph channels Manowar’s legendary Eric Adams while also referencing Primordial’s A.A. Nemtheanga. This makes the song a total barn burner and exactly what I was hoping for. They follow this up with the uber-beefy, badass “Destroyer,” which reeks of Manowar’s The Triumph of Steel era. Grandiose choral segments and black metal influences elbow their way in, but this is a trve metal chariot ride through the Nine Worlds. Keeping the sword between the ribs, “The Mountain Throne” finds Triumpher pushing every lever to MAX GLORY as the false and weak flee for the safety of their fortifications. This one brings a lot of the same energy as the recent Fer De Lance, and there are touches of Lost Horizon, too. Mars stretches his vocals to the very edge of madness, and the chorus is as mighty as a barrel full of Wotans. Those who make it through this will be gifted a lifetime supply of wisdom, power, and back hair.
What could stop such a mighty and righteous host after such a rousing start? A soft and flabby middle, that’s what. “Ithaca (Return of the Eternal King)” is a slow-burning epical ballad that keeps building toward a massive release of rage and wiolence, but the release never arrives, and you’re kept on the edge of something for nearly 7 minutes with no somethings in sight. This results in the condition known as Blue Baldur. “Ithaca” is immediately followed by the 2-minute interlude “Vaults of Immortals,” which is equally restrained and subdued, making for 9 minutes stuck in emo-fied low-gear. This blunts the album’s momentum, taking you out of battle rage and into resource management. Steel cares not for resource herding when they are enemies left to be smottened! While things pick up with “The Flaming Sword,” and especially the trve-meets-semi-black-thrash of “Erinyes,” it feels like the album never fully regains its war footing, and 9-minute plus closer “Naus Apidalia” is merely good, not great, and suffers from some very Virgin Steele-esque compositional sinkholes and ego bloat. At a reasonable 44:44, Piercing the Heart of the World feels much longer than that, and though the first 16 or so minutes are massive, the rest of the album can’t sustain the prolonged siege.
I’m impressed with Mars Triumph’s performance. He’s gotten more proficient from album to album, and he has a crazy broad range. Anyone who can approximate Eric Adams is talented, and his black and death vocals are good as well. That said, he can and does overdo things at times, pushing his tonsils beyond human control. I can’t even suggest he dial things back, since that is not what Triumpher is all about. You just take the good with the weird and ride on. The guitar work from Christopher Tsakiropoulos and Mario Ñ Peters brings the thunder to the tundra, borrowing from a raft of trve and heavy influences while injecting enough blackened edges to make things extra deadly and dangerous. As the riffs roar and soar, Agis Tzoukopoulos delivers Scott Columbus-approved war drumming that embiggens the sword and spirit. This is a talented horde, and it’s the songwriting missteps that ultimately derail their relentless advance.
Triumpher have all the tools to forge a world-beating heavy metal monsterpiece, but Piercing the Heart of the World fails to penetrate my armor and score a critical hit. I heartily enjoy the opening trilogy, and there’s solid stuff later on, but this isn’t an album that captivates me from start to finish, despite my fervent wishes that it did. Piercing loses some of the ground won by Spirit Invictus, but I haven’t lost heart. The warrior spirit will endure and rise again if Crom wills it. Onward to great deeds!
Rating: 3.0/5.0
#2026 #30 #40 #EpicMetal #FerDeLance #GreekMetal #HeavyMetal #Manowar #Mar26 #MegatonSword #NoRemorseRecords #PiercingTheHeartOfTheWorld #PowerMetal #Primordial #Review #Reviews #RiotCity #Triumpher #VirginSteele -
Marvelous Market: Best New Comics May 27
A time of transition
As Semisonic once sang, every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end. Several popular series, even some of my favorites, are ending (or just have arcs ending). Potential new series are out or available for preorder. Time marches ever on.
Hello and welcome to the Marvelous Market, my weekly guide for anyone interested in going to a comic book store today. In addition to a full list of new # 1s and new volume 1s, I’ll be giving you my top 4 recommendations in 4 categories. Like Houston legend Mike Jones rapped, “We’re still tippin’ on four-fours.” I’m going to give you the top four new comics, top four ongoing comics, the top four graphic novels, and the top 4 preorders.
The work going into this curation is made possible by readers like you. For less than the cost of a cup of coffee a month, you can help make this work possible.
New Issue # 1s
DID YOU HEAR ABOUT MIMI GREEN # 1
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Tastemaker Mimi Green is a popular essayist with a perfectly curated social media presence—until a blog post she wrote a decade ago, cruelly mocking fat people, resurfaces and sparks a viral furor. Mimi checks into an isolated mental health facility in Topanga to ride out the scandal, but as sound baths and crystal healings by day give way to restless nights, she’s pulled into another version of the building. There the halls are old and gluttonous and gilded, and the vainglorious like Mimi and her fellow patients are punished again and again. Only local bartender Natalie, the lesbian lover Mimi hid from the public, stands a chance of tracking her down before it’s too late.
Connor Goldsmith, host of the critically-acclaimed podcast Cerebro, makes his comics writing debut in collaboration with GLAAD award-winning artist Josh Cornillon (Young Men in Love), crafting a surreal and grisly take on the wellness industry, so-called ‘cancel culture’, body dysmorphia, and the complex power dynamics of show business.
ODIN # 1
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Doctor Victor Von Doom is a great scientist, an unparalleled sorcerer, and the ruler of his own nation. He is, by any measure, a great man. And yet Doom wants more. And when Reed Richards — Mister Fantastic, his greatest enemy and eternal rival — is showcased at a prestigious international event to which Doom wasn’t even invited, Doom is outraged.
Reed shares his plan for his eventual retirement project: the total optimization of history. He intends to go back in time, to all the eras humanity wasted on war and conflict, and fix them, saving trillions of lives and ensuring humanity can achieve its greatest and final glory. The idea of Reed rewriting history in his own image is, of course, antithetical to Doom, and so he decides to do it before Reed does. But when the Fantastic Four intervene, Doom finds himself in a battle he never intended — across all of time and space!
THE LIFE AND DEATH OF LUCAS DREAMWALKER # 1
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Journey with the Dreamwalker through new realms of terror!
How many times can you be killed in a dream before you die?
Legendary horror author R.L. Stine and award-winning artist Francesco Francavilla explore that very question as the mystery of Lucas’s third death is foretold in this pulpy, noir, somnambulist adventure!
Originally published in the hit horror anthology series Hello Darkness, this dreamy oversized issue collects Parts 1–3 of the nightmarish saga into one thrilling read!
STAR TREK: CELEBRATIONS 2026 # 1
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You are cordially invited to the party that is this year’s Star Trek: Celebrations anthology! This one-shot features the universe’s queer characters in tales of love and triumph, exemplifying Gene Roddenberry’s mission for us all to one day celebrate infinite diversity in infinite combinations.
Our cast of all LGBTQIA+ creators — including Meghan Fitzmartin, Ben Kahn, Jamila Rowser, and more (!) — are serving up the fun with stories like a botanical adventure with Sulu and Ben, a bar brawl bash with Mariner and Jennifer, and a nostalgic holodeck date gone wrong with Seven and Raffi, so don’t miss out on this talent-packed extravaganza.
ONGOING SERIES
ABSOLUTE WONDER WOMAN # 20
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SEASON OF THE WITCH REACHES ITS BLOODY FINALE! Against the wall, Diana and Zatanna must join forces or perish. When Diana makes the ultimate sacrifice to end the conflict and face her true foe head on, things become more complicated than she feared. Wonder Woman is not an island unto herself, and other forces have vested interests in her mission. Don’t miss the finale of the epic “Season of the Witch”!
BATMAN # 163
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The shocking conclusion to H2SH Part One with Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee! Will Batman survive Hush’s revenge when his only allies are his greatest enemies?
LEGACY #928
EXQUISITE CORPSES # 13
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Twelve killers were dropped into Oak Valley on Halloween night to determine the fate of the country. Now, dawn breaks and winner takes all as the final battle draws to a close. Who will survive…and what will be left of them? The first season of the breakout horror phenomenon concludes with blood and glory from multiple Eisner Award winner James Tynion IV (The Nice House by the Sea) and Eisner Award nominee Michael Walsh (Universal Monsters: Frankenstein)!
THE ULTIMATES # 24
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YEAR TWO OF THE ULTIMATE UNIVERSE NEARS ITS END IN THE FINAL ISSUE OF ULTIMATES!
She-Hulk and her remaining teammates confront the villainous Hulk in a brutal, all-or-nothing battle on Gamma Island!
Trade Paperbacks, Hardcovers, and OGNs
THE ADVENTURE OF BLACK CAT NYANGO vol. 1 TP
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Having left his hometown of Atsuuka Village, Nyango embarks on a journey to Iburo, all to join the adventurer party called Chariot. But it turns out, Chariot is away on a quest! Just then, Nyango receives a personal request from a professor at the Academy who’s interested in Nyango’s wind magic. With new sigil magic to learn as a reward, he’s on his way to becoming the strongest adventurer!
DC FINEST: DEADMAN – HOW MANY TIMES CAN A GUY DIE? TP
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SOMETIMES YOU JUST CAN’T KEEP A GOOD GUY DEAD.
Boston Brand was the world’s greatest acrobat until an assassin’s bullet cut his act–and his life–short. However, instead of passing over to the afterlife, Boston was given the chance by the goddess Rama Kushna to remain on Earth and catch his killer. He now exists as a literal dead man, destined to roam the world until his killer is caught!
Collects Strange Adventures #205-216; The Brave and the Bold #79, #86, #104, and #133; Challengers of the Unknown #74; Justice League of America #94; The Forever People #9-10; World’s Finest Comics #223 and #227; The Phantom Stranger #33 and #39-41; The Superman Family #183; and Aquaman #50-52.
ESCAPE vol. 1 TP
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SHOT DOWN. HUNTED. OUT OF TIME.
Set in a brutal, fully painted world of anthropomorphic animals — equal parts Inglourious Basterds and Watership Down — ESCAPE is a gritty, bullet-riddled journey through war’s scorched aftermath. It’s about the violence we inflict, the souls we try to save, and the courage it takes to crawl out of fire.
From the creative team of New York Times bestselling author RICK REMENDER (DEADLY CLASS, Uncanny X-Force) and powerhouse DANIEL ACUÑA (Captain America, Black Panther) — the duo behind Marvel’s Uncanny Avengers — comes a savage, full-throttle wartime thriller where survival isn’t given… it’s taken.
Milton Shaw is a battle-hardened bomber pilot, flying missions over a war-torn world ruled by a ruthless empire. But when his plane is shot out of the sky, Milton wakes up behind enemy lines — in the smoldering ruins of a city he helped burn. And in less than 24 hours, his own side is dropping the big one to finish the job.
Now, injured, unarmed, and being hunted through enemy streets, Milton’s only shot at escape comes from the unlikeliest place: a grieving father and his son — civilians shattered by the same fascist regime that rules this land with an iron claw. Enemies by blood. Allies by circumstance. Together, they’ll have to fight their way out before the bomb drops and erases everything… and everyone.
Collects ESCAPE #1-6.
FIVE GEARS IN REVERSE: A CRIMINAL BOOK HC
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A brand new CRIMINAL graphic novel featuring the legendary RICKY LAWLESS and the crazy tale of how he and MALLORY fell in love in the midst of a crime spree.
In one of the wildest, most action-packed books that Brubaker and Phillips have ever done, we delve deep into the life of one of CRIMINAL’s most complex and tragic characters, Ricky Lawless as he tries to pay off a deep debt to a mobster, while things just keep going from bad to worse.
FIVE GEARS IN REVERSE will have long-time CRIMINAL fans cheering the return of RICKY LAWLESS and new readers will find it a perfect jumping-on-point for the greatest crime comic series of the 21st century.
Preorders on Final Order Cutoff
THE EYE COLLECTOR # 1
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In The Eye Collector, an ancient being has its curiosity toward Earth reignited when the humans of the Apollo 10 mission make wishes over the Moon. But what is this spectral creature, and what does it want with our world? Seeing is believing…
THE EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURES OF ADÈLE BLANC-SEC HC vol. 1
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This iconic adventure series from the ’70s stars the bold heroine Adéle, who must contend with supernatural monsters wreaking havoc in Belle Époque Paris.
Paris, 1911. One gloomy night at the Museum of Natural History, a pterodactyl escapes from its display and wreaks havoc upon the city. Enter journalist extraordinaire Adèle Blanc-Sec, who must use her wits and firepower to get to the bottom of this bizarre mystery. An enchanting antihero, Adèle is fearless, brash, and thoroughly ill-tempered, smoking and cursing her way through the case—always barely escaping peril to tell her tale.
Masterful French cartoonist Jacques Tardi created his iconic The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec series in the 1970s. Set in the atmospheric Belle Époque Paris, the series features supernatural monsters, mad science, steampunk aesthetic, murder, humor, and delightful derring-do. This new collection of classic Adèle stories includes four episodes (previously published in two earlier volumes): “Pterror Over Paris,” “The Demon of the Eiffel Tower,” “The Mad Scientist,” and “Mummies on Parade.”
In celebration of Adele’s 50th anniversary, Fantagrpahics is thrilled to re-issue these classic stories in luxuriously redesigned hardcover editions. While Fantagraphics published the first four Adele adventures 15 years ago, this new series will bring the complete 10 episode run of the series into English for the very first time. With an introduction by British journalist and comics historian Cynthia Rose.
THREE WORLDS / THREE MOONS: FOUNDATIONS # 1
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From the New York Times bestselling and multi-Eisner Award-nominated creator of East of West, The Manhattan Projects, Decorum, and more comes this ambitious, science fiction universe presented by comics titan Jonathan Hickman.
The next great comics universe starts here! From the extraordinary creative team of Jonathan Hickman, Mike del Mundo, Mike Huddleston, and Nick Spencer comes an epic sci-fi saga on an intergalactic scale.
Across a distant solar system and countless millennia-long cycles, a war has been fought between the forces of magic and science, and order and chaos. When astronaut and explorer Tajo Vallar undertakes a doomed expedition to a dormant moon full of mysteries, the conflict begins anew, and more dangerous than ever before!
Don’t miss this perfect starting point for everything to come, as a new universe is born.
WRESTLE HEIST TP
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A no-holds-barred heist caper packed with body slams and backstabs for fans of over-the-top action!
After being crippled by a shady wrestling promoter, a former pro wrestler gathers a team of others wronged in the ring to rob the promoter blind during the biggest wrestling event of the year! From the outrageous, action-packed mind of multi-time Eisner nominee KYLE STARKS (Peacemaker Tries Hard, Sexcastle, I Hate This Place), with eye-popping colors by VLADIMIR POPOV (Where Monsters Lie, Fearscape).
Collects issues #1-5.
What did I miss?
If there are some great comics, collected or in single issues, that you think I should be reading, tell me about them! And if you do try out any of these series, let me know how you liked them, or didn’t. This is a safe space for haters. If you enjoy this service, please share this article on social media or tell someone that you know reads comics about it.
Divining Comics is brought to you by generous support from the “Best Friends of Divining Comics,” Alex Seubert.
Divining Comics is also brought to you by the support of the “Friends of Divining Comics,” Comic Book Herald.
If you would like to add your name to the list of friends, best friends, or best friends forever, support this work for less than the cost of one cup of coffee a month at patreon.com/diviningcomics. You can also leave a one-time tip/buy my zines at ko-fi.com/spikestonehand. Or, if you can’t afford to support me financially at this time, simply follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Bluesky and share my posts there.
#art #books #ComicBooks #comics #DC #dcComics #fantasticFour #marvel #marvelComics #MarvelousMarket #NewComicDay -
Marvelous Market: Best New Comics May 27
A time of transition
As Semisonic once sang, every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end. Several popular series, even some of my favorites, are ending (or just have arcs ending). Potential new series are out or available for preorder. Time marches ever on.
Hello and welcome to the Marvelous Market, my weekly guide for anyone interested in going to a comic book store today. In addition to a full list of new # 1s and new volume 1s, I’ll be giving you my top 4 recommendations in 4 categories. Like Houston legend Mike Jones rapped, “We’re still tippin’ on four-fours.” I’m going to give you the top four new comics, top four ongoing comics, the top four graphic novels, and the top 4 preorders.
The work going into this curation is made possible by readers like you. For less than the cost of a cup of coffee a month, you can help make this work possible.
New Issue # 1s
DID YOU HEAR ABOUT MIMI GREEN # 1
SOLICIT COPY:
Tastemaker Mimi Green is a popular essayist with a perfectly curated social media presence—until a blog post she wrote a decade ago, cruelly mocking fat people, resurfaces and sparks a viral furor. Mimi checks into an isolated mental health facility in Topanga to ride out the scandal, but as sound baths and crystal healings by day give way to restless nights, she’s pulled into another version of the building. There the halls are old and gluttonous and gilded, and the vainglorious like Mimi and her fellow patients are punished again and again. Only local bartender Natalie, the lesbian lover Mimi hid from the public, stands a chance of tracking her down before it’s too late.
Connor Goldsmith, host of the critically-acclaimed podcast Cerebro, makes his comics writing debut in collaboration with GLAAD award-winning artist Josh Cornillon (Young Men in Love), crafting a surreal and grisly take on the wellness industry, so-called ‘cancel culture’, body dysmorphia, and the complex power dynamics of show business.
ODIN # 1
SOLICIT COPY:
Doctor Victor Von Doom is a great scientist, an unparalleled sorcerer, and the ruler of his own nation. He is, by any measure, a great man. And yet Doom wants more. And when Reed Richards — Mister Fantastic, his greatest enemy and eternal rival — is showcased at a prestigious international event to which Doom wasn’t even invited, Doom is outraged.
Reed shares his plan for his eventual retirement project: the total optimization of history. He intends to go back in time, to all the eras humanity wasted on war and conflict, and fix them, saving trillions of lives and ensuring humanity can achieve its greatest and final glory. The idea of Reed rewriting history in his own image is, of course, antithetical to Doom, and so he decides to do it before Reed does. But when the Fantastic Four intervene, Doom finds himself in a battle he never intended — across all of time and space!
THE LIFE AND DEATH OF LUCAS DREAMWALKER # 1
SOLICIT COPY:
Journey with the Dreamwalker through new realms of terror!
How many times can you be killed in a dream before you die?
Legendary horror author R.L. Stine and award-winning artist Francesco Francavilla explore that very question as the mystery of Lucas’s third death is foretold in this pulpy, noir, somnambulist adventure!
Originally published in the hit horror anthology series Hello Darkness, this dreamy oversized issue collects Parts 1–3 of the nightmarish saga into one thrilling read!
STAR TREK: CELEBRATIONS 2026 # 1
SOLICIT COPY:
You are cordially invited to the party that is this year’s Star Trek: Celebrations anthology! This one-shot features the universe’s queer characters in tales of love and triumph, exemplifying Gene Roddenberry’s mission for us all to one day celebrate infinite diversity in infinite combinations.
Our cast of all LGBTQIA+ creators — including Meghan Fitzmartin, Ben Kahn, Jamila Rowser, and more (!) — are serving up the fun with stories like a botanical adventure with Sulu and Ben, a bar brawl bash with Mariner and Jennifer, and a nostalgic holodeck date gone wrong with Seven and Raffi, so don’t miss out on this talent-packed extravaganza.
ONGOING SERIES
ABSOLUTE WONDER WOMAN # 20
SOLICIT COPY:
SEASON OF THE WITCH REACHES ITS BLOODY FINALE! Against the wall, Diana and Zatanna must join forces or perish. When Diana makes the ultimate sacrifice to end the conflict and face her true foe head on, things become more complicated than she feared. Wonder Woman is not an island unto herself, and other forces have vested interests in her mission. Don’t miss the finale of the epic “Season of the Witch”!
BATMAN # 163
SOLICIT COPY:
The shocking conclusion to H2SH Part One with Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee! Will Batman survive Hush’s revenge when his only allies are his greatest enemies?
LEGACY #928
EXQUISITE CORPSES # 13
SOLICIT COPY:
Twelve killers were dropped into Oak Valley on Halloween night to determine the fate of the country. Now, dawn breaks and winner takes all as the final battle draws to a close. Who will survive…and what will be left of them? The first season of the breakout horror phenomenon concludes with blood and glory from multiple Eisner Award winner James Tynion IV (The Nice House by the Sea) and Eisner Award nominee Michael Walsh (Universal Monsters: Frankenstein)!
THE ULTIMATES # 24
SOLICIT COPY:
YEAR TWO OF THE ULTIMATE UNIVERSE NEARS ITS END IN THE FINAL ISSUE OF ULTIMATES!
She-Hulk and her remaining teammates confront the villainous Hulk in a brutal, all-or-nothing battle on Gamma Island!
Trade Paperbacks, Hardcovers, and OGNs
THE ADVENTURE OF BLACK CAT NYANGO vol. 1 TP
SOLICIT COPY:
Having left his hometown of Atsuuka Village, Nyango embarks on a journey to Iburo, all to join the adventurer party called Chariot. But it turns out, Chariot is away on a quest! Just then, Nyango receives a personal request from a professor at the Academy who’s interested in Nyango’s wind magic. With new sigil magic to learn as a reward, he’s on his way to becoming the strongest adventurer!
DC FINEST: DEADMAN – HOW MANY TIMES CAN A GUY DIE? TP
SOLICIT COPY:
SOMETIMES YOU JUST CAN’T KEEP A GOOD GUY DEAD.
Boston Brand was the world’s greatest acrobat until an assassin’s bullet cut his act–and his life–short. However, instead of passing over to the afterlife, Boston was given the chance by the goddess Rama Kushna to remain on Earth and catch his killer. He now exists as a literal dead man, destined to roam the world until his killer is caught!
Collects Strange Adventures #205-216; The Brave and the Bold #79, #86, #104, and #133; Challengers of the Unknown #74; Justice League of America #94; The Forever People #9-10; World’s Finest Comics #223 and #227; The Phantom Stranger #33 and #39-41; The Superman Family #183; and Aquaman #50-52.
ESCAPE vol. 1 TP
SOLICIT COPY:
SHOT DOWN. HUNTED. OUT OF TIME.
Set in a brutal, fully painted world of anthropomorphic animals — equal parts Inglourious Basterds and Watership Down — ESCAPE is a gritty, bullet-riddled journey through war’s scorched aftermath. It’s about the violence we inflict, the souls we try to save, and the courage it takes to crawl out of fire.
From the creative team of New York Times bestselling author RICK REMENDER (DEADLY CLASS, Uncanny X-Force) and powerhouse DANIEL ACUÑA (Captain America, Black Panther) — the duo behind Marvel’s Uncanny Avengers — comes a savage, full-throttle wartime thriller where survival isn’t given… it’s taken.
Milton Shaw is a battle-hardened bomber pilot, flying missions over a war-torn world ruled by a ruthless empire. But when his plane is shot out of the sky, Milton wakes up behind enemy lines — in the smoldering ruins of a city he helped burn. And in less than 24 hours, his own side is dropping the big one to finish the job.
Now, injured, unarmed, and being hunted through enemy streets, Milton’s only shot at escape comes from the unlikeliest place: a grieving father and his son — civilians shattered by the same fascist regime that rules this land with an iron claw. Enemies by blood. Allies by circumstance. Together, they’ll have to fight their way out before the bomb drops and erases everything… and everyone.
Collects ESCAPE #1-6.
FIVE GEARS IN REVERSE: A CRIMINAL BOOK HC
SOLICIT COPY:
A brand new CRIMINAL graphic novel featuring the legendary RICKY LAWLESS and the crazy tale of how he and MALLORY fell in love in the midst of a crime spree.
In one of the wildest, most action-packed books that Brubaker and Phillips have ever done, we delve deep into the life of one of CRIMINAL’s most complex and tragic characters, Ricky Lawless as he tries to pay off a deep debt to a mobster, while things just keep going from bad to worse.
FIVE GEARS IN REVERSE will have long-time CRIMINAL fans cheering the return of RICKY LAWLESS and new readers will find it a perfect jumping-on-point for the greatest crime comic series of the 21st century.
Preorders on Final Order Cutoff
THE EYE COLLECTOR # 1
SOLICIT COPY:
In The Eye Collector, an ancient being has its curiosity toward Earth reignited when the humans of the Apollo 10 mission make wishes over the Moon. But what is this spectral creature, and what does it want with our world? Seeing is believing…
THE EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURES OF ADÈLE BLANC-SEC HC vol. 1
SOLICIT COPY:
This iconic adventure series from the ’70s stars the bold heroine Adéle, who must contend with supernatural monsters wreaking havoc in Belle Époque Paris.
Paris, 1911. One gloomy night at the Museum of Natural History, a pterodactyl escapes from its display and wreaks havoc upon the city. Enter journalist extraordinaire Adèle Blanc-Sec, who must use her wits and firepower to get to the bottom of this bizarre mystery. An enchanting antihero, Adèle is fearless, brash, and thoroughly ill-tempered, smoking and cursing her way through the case—always barely escaping peril to tell her tale.
Masterful French cartoonist Jacques Tardi created his iconic The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec series in the 1970s. Set in the atmospheric Belle Époque Paris, the series features supernatural monsters, mad science, steampunk aesthetic, murder, humor, and delightful derring-do. This new collection of classic Adèle stories includes four episodes (previously published in two earlier volumes): “Pterror Over Paris,” “The Demon of the Eiffel Tower,” “The Mad Scientist,” and “Mummies on Parade.”
In celebration of Adele’s 50th anniversary, Fantagrpahics is thrilled to re-issue these classic stories in luxuriously redesigned hardcover editions. While Fantagraphics published the first four Adele adventures 15 years ago, this new series will bring the complete 10 episode run of the series into English for the very first time. With an introduction by British journalist and comics historian Cynthia Rose.
THREE WORLDS / THREE MOONS: FOUNDATIONS # 1
SOLICIT COPY:
From the New York Times bestselling and multi-Eisner Award-nominated creator of East of West, The Manhattan Projects, Decorum, and more comes this ambitious, science fiction universe presented by comics titan Jonathan Hickman.
The next great comics universe starts here! From the extraordinary creative team of Jonathan Hickman, Mike del Mundo, Mike Huddleston, and Nick Spencer comes an epic sci-fi saga on an intergalactic scale.
Across a distant solar system and countless millennia-long cycles, a war has been fought between the forces of magic and science, and order and chaos. When astronaut and explorer Tajo Vallar undertakes a doomed expedition to a dormant moon full of mysteries, the conflict begins anew, and more dangerous than ever before!
Don’t miss this perfect starting point for everything to come, as a new universe is born.
WRESTLE HEIST TP
SOLICIT COPY:
A no-holds-barred heist caper packed with body slams and backstabs for fans of over-the-top action!
After being crippled by a shady wrestling promoter, a former pro wrestler gathers a team of others wronged in the ring to rob the promoter blind during the biggest wrestling event of the year! From the outrageous, action-packed mind of multi-time Eisner nominee KYLE STARKS (Peacemaker Tries Hard, Sexcastle, I Hate This Place), with eye-popping colors by VLADIMIR POPOV (Where Monsters Lie, Fearscape).
Collects issues #1-5.
What did I miss?
If there are some great comics, collected or in single issues, that you think I should be reading, tell me about them! And if you do try out any of these series, let me know how you liked them, or didn’t. This is a safe space for haters. If you enjoy this service, please share this article on social media or tell someone that you know reads comics about it.
Divining Comics is brought to you by generous support from the “Best Friends of Divining Comics,” Alex Seubert.
Divining Comics is also brought to you by the support of the “Friends of Divining Comics,” Comic Book Herald.
If you would like to add your name to the list of friends, best friends, or best friends forever, support this work for less than the cost of one cup of coffee a month at patreon.com/diviningcomics. You can also leave a one-time tip/buy my zines at ko-fi.com/spikestonehand. Or, if you can’t afford to support me financially at this time, simply follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Bluesky and share my posts there.
#art #books #ComicBooks #comics #DC #dcComics #fantasticFour #marvel #marvelComics #MarvelousMarket #NewComicDay -
Marvelous Market: Best New Comics May 27
A time of transition
As Semisonic once sang, every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end. Several popular series, even some of my favorites, are ending (or just have arcs ending). Potential new series are out or available for preorder. Time marches ever on.
Hello and welcome to the Marvelous Market, my weekly guide for anyone interested in going to a comic book store today. In addition to a full list of new # 1s and new volume 1s, I’ll be giving you my top 4 recommendations in 4 categories. Like Houston legend Mike Jones rapped, “We’re still tippin’ on four-fours.” I’m going to give you the top four new comics, top four ongoing comics, the top four graphic novels, and the top 4 preorders.
The work going into this curation is made possible by readers like you. For less than the cost of a cup of coffee a month, you can help make this work possible.
New Issue # 1s
DID YOU HEAR ABOUT MIMI GREEN # 1
SOLICIT COPY:
Tastemaker Mimi Green is a popular essayist with a perfectly curated social media presence—until a blog post she wrote a decade ago, cruelly mocking fat people, resurfaces and sparks a viral furor. Mimi checks into an isolated mental health facility in Topanga to ride out the scandal, but as sound baths and crystal healings by day give way to restless nights, she’s pulled into another version of the building. There the halls are old and gluttonous and gilded, and the vainglorious like Mimi and her fellow patients are punished again and again. Only local bartender Natalie, the lesbian lover Mimi hid from the public, stands a chance of tracking her down before it’s too late.
Connor Goldsmith, host of the critically-acclaimed podcast Cerebro, makes his comics writing debut in collaboration with GLAAD award-winning artist Josh Cornillon (Young Men in Love), crafting a surreal and grisly take on the wellness industry, so-called ‘cancel culture’, body dysmorphia, and the complex power dynamics of show business.
ODIN # 1
SOLICIT COPY:
Doctor Victor Von Doom is a great scientist, an unparalleled sorcerer, and the ruler of his own nation. He is, by any measure, a great man. And yet Doom wants more. And when Reed Richards — Mister Fantastic, his greatest enemy and eternal rival — is showcased at a prestigious international event to which Doom wasn’t even invited, Doom is outraged.
Reed shares his plan for his eventual retirement project: the total optimization of history. He intends to go back in time, to all the eras humanity wasted on war and conflict, and fix them, saving trillions of lives and ensuring humanity can achieve its greatest and final glory. The idea of Reed rewriting history in his own image is, of course, antithetical to Doom, and so he decides to do it before Reed does. But when the Fantastic Four intervene, Doom finds himself in a battle he never intended — across all of time and space!
THE LIFE AND DEATH OF LUCAS DREAMWALKER # 1
SOLICIT COPY:
Journey with the Dreamwalker through new realms of terror!
How many times can you be killed in a dream before you die?
Legendary horror author R.L. Stine and award-winning artist Francesco Francavilla explore that very question as the mystery of Lucas’s third death is foretold in this pulpy, noir, somnambulist adventure!
Originally published in the hit horror anthology series Hello Darkness, this dreamy oversized issue collects Parts 1–3 of the nightmarish saga into one thrilling read!
STAR TREK: CELEBRATIONS 2026 # 1
SOLICIT COPY:
You are cordially invited to the party that is this year’s Star Trek: Celebrations anthology! This one-shot features the universe’s queer characters in tales of love and triumph, exemplifying Gene Roddenberry’s mission for us all to one day celebrate infinite diversity in infinite combinations.
Our cast of all LGBTQIA+ creators — including Meghan Fitzmartin, Ben Kahn, Jamila Rowser, and more (!) — are serving up the fun with stories like a botanical adventure with Sulu and Ben, a bar brawl bash with Mariner and Jennifer, and a nostalgic holodeck date gone wrong with Seven and Raffi, so don’t miss out on this talent-packed extravaganza.
ONGOING SERIES
ABSOLUTE WONDER WOMAN # 20
SOLICIT COPY:
SEASON OF THE WITCH REACHES ITS BLOODY FINALE! Against the wall, Diana and Zatanna must join forces or perish. When Diana makes the ultimate sacrifice to end the conflict and face her true foe head on, things become more complicated than she feared. Wonder Woman is not an island unto herself, and other forces have vested interests in her mission. Don’t miss the finale of the epic “Season of the Witch”!
BATMAN # 163
SOLICIT COPY:
The shocking conclusion to H2SH Part One with Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee! Will Batman survive Hush’s revenge when his only allies are his greatest enemies?
LEGACY #928
EXQUISITE CORPSES # 13
SOLICIT COPY:
Twelve killers were dropped into Oak Valley on Halloween night to determine the fate of the country. Now, dawn breaks and winner takes all as the final battle draws to a close. Who will survive…and what will be left of them? The first season of the breakout horror phenomenon concludes with blood and glory from multiple Eisner Award winner James Tynion IV (The Nice House by the Sea) and Eisner Award nominee Michael Walsh (Universal Monsters: Frankenstein)!
THE ULTIMATES # 24
SOLICIT COPY:
YEAR TWO OF THE ULTIMATE UNIVERSE NEARS ITS END IN THE FINAL ISSUE OF ULTIMATES!
She-Hulk and her remaining teammates confront the villainous Hulk in a brutal, all-or-nothing battle on Gamma Island!
Trade Paperbacks, Hardcovers, and OGNs
THE ADVENTURE OF BLACK CAT NYANGO vol. 1 TP
SOLICIT COPY:
Having left his hometown of Atsuuka Village, Nyango embarks on a journey to Iburo, all to join the adventurer party called Chariot. But it turns out, Chariot is away on a quest! Just then, Nyango receives a personal request from a professor at the Academy who’s interested in Nyango’s wind magic. With new sigil magic to learn as a reward, he’s on his way to becoming the strongest adventurer!
DC FINEST: DEADMAN – HOW MANY TIMES CAN A GUY DIE? TP
SOLICIT COPY:
SOMETIMES YOU JUST CAN’T KEEP A GOOD GUY DEAD.
Boston Brand was the world’s greatest acrobat until an assassin’s bullet cut his act–and his life–short. However, instead of passing over to the afterlife, Boston was given the chance by the goddess Rama Kushna to remain on Earth and catch his killer. He now exists as a literal dead man, destined to roam the world until his killer is caught!
Collects Strange Adventures #205-216; The Brave and the Bold #79, #86, #104, and #133; Challengers of the Unknown #74; Justice League of America #94; The Forever People #9-10; World’s Finest Comics #223 and #227; The Phantom Stranger #33 and #39-41; The Superman Family #183; and Aquaman #50-52.
ESCAPE vol. 1 TP
SOLICIT COPY:
SHOT DOWN. HUNTED. OUT OF TIME.
Set in a brutal, fully painted world of anthropomorphic animals — equal parts Inglourious Basterds and Watership Down — ESCAPE is a gritty, bullet-riddled journey through war’s scorched aftermath. It’s about the violence we inflict, the souls we try to save, and the courage it takes to crawl out of fire.
From the creative team of New York Times bestselling author RICK REMENDER (DEADLY CLASS, Uncanny X-Force) and powerhouse DANIEL ACUÑA (Captain America, Black Panther) — the duo behind Marvel’s Uncanny Avengers — comes a savage, full-throttle wartime thriller where survival isn’t given… it’s taken.
Milton Shaw is a battle-hardened bomber pilot, flying missions over a war-torn world ruled by a ruthless empire. But when his plane is shot out of the sky, Milton wakes up behind enemy lines — in the smoldering ruins of a city he helped burn. And in less than 24 hours, his own side is dropping the big one to finish the job.
Now, injured, unarmed, and being hunted through enemy streets, Milton’s only shot at escape comes from the unlikeliest place: a grieving father and his son — civilians shattered by the same fascist regime that rules this land with an iron claw. Enemies by blood. Allies by circumstance. Together, they’ll have to fight their way out before the bomb drops and erases everything… and everyone.
Collects ESCAPE #1-6.
FIVE GEARS IN REVERSE: A CRIMINAL BOOK HC
SOLICIT COPY:
A brand new CRIMINAL graphic novel featuring the legendary RICKY LAWLESS and the crazy tale of how he and MALLORY fell in love in the midst of a crime spree.
In one of the wildest, most action-packed books that Brubaker and Phillips have ever done, we delve deep into the life of one of CRIMINAL’s most complex and tragic characters, Ricky Lawless as he tries to pay off a deep debt to a mobster, while things just keep going from bad to worse.
FIVE GEARS IN REVERSE will have long-time CRIMINAL fans cheering the return of RICKY LAWLESS and new readers will find it a perfect jumping-on-point for the greatest crime comic series of the 21st century.
Preorders on Final Order Cutoff
THE EYE COLLECTOR # 1
SOLICIT COPY:
In The Eye Collector, an ancient being has its curiosity toward Earth reignited when the humans of the Apollo 10 mission make wishes over the Moon. But what is this spectral creature, and what does it want with our world? Seeing is believing…
THE EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURES OF ADÈLE BLANC-SEC HC vol. 1
SOLICIT COPY:
This iconic adventure series from the ’70s stars the bold heroine Adéle, who must contend with supernatural monsters wreaking havoc in Belle Époque Paris.
Paris, 1911. One gloomy night at the Museum of Natural History, a pterodactyl escapes from its display and wreaks havoc upon the city. Enter journalist extraordinaire Adèle Blanc-Sec, who must use her wits and firepower to get to the bottom of this bizarre mystery. An enchanting antihero, Adèle is fearless, brash, and thoroughly ill-tempered, smoking and cursing her way through the case—always barely escaping peril to tell her tale.
Masterful French cartoonist Jacques Tardi created his iconic The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec series in the 1970s. Set in the atmospheric Belle Époque Paris, the series features supernatural monsters, mad science, steampunk aesthetic, murder, humor, and delightful derring-do. This new collection of classic Adèle stories includes four episodes (previously published in two earlier volumes): “Pterror Over Paris,” “The Demon of the Eiffel Tower,” “The Mad Scientist,” and “Mummies on Parade.”
In celebration of Adele’s 50th anniversary, Fantagrpahics is thrilled to re-issue these classic stories in luxuriously redesigned hardcover editions. While Fantagraphics published the first four Adele adventures 15 years ago, this new series will bring the complete 10 episode run of the series into English for the very first time. With an introduction by British journalist and comics historian Cynthia Rose.
THREE WORLDS / THREE MOONS: FOUNDATIONS # 1
SOLICIT COPY:
From the New York Times bestselling and multi-Eisner Award-nominated creator of East of West, The Manhattan Projects, Decorum, and more comes this ambitious, science fiction universe presented by comics titan Jonathan Hickman.
The next great comics universe starts here! From the extraordinary creative team of Jonathan Hickman, Mike del Mundo, Mike Huddleston, and Nick Spencer comes an epic sci-fi saga on an intergalactic scale.
Across a distant solar system and countless millennia-long cycles, a war has been fought between the forces of magic and science, and order and chaos. When astronaut and explorer Tajo Vallar undertakes a doomed expedition to a dormant moon full of mysteries, the conflict begins anew, and more dangerous than ever before!
Don’t miss this perfect starting point for everything to come, as a new universe is born.
WRESTLE HEIST TP
SOLICIT COPY:
A no-holds-barred heist caper packed with body slams and backstabs for fans of over-the-top action!
After being crippled by a shady wrestling promoter, a former pro wrestler gathers a team of others wronged in the ring to rob the promoter blind during the biggest wrestling event of the year! From the outrageous, action-packed mind of multi-time Eisner nominee KYLE STARKS (Peacemaker Tries Hard, Sexcastle, I Hate This Place), with eye-popping colors by VLADIMIR POPOV (Where Monsters Lie, Fearscape).
Collects issues #1-5.
What did I miss?
If there are some great comics, collected or in single issues, that you think I should be reading, tell me about them! And if you do try out any of these series, let me know how you liked them, or didn’t. This is a safe space for haters. If you enjoy this service, please share this article on social media or tell someone that you know reads comics about it.
Divining Comics is brought to you by generous support from the “Best Friends of Divining Comics,” Alex Seubert.
Divining Comics is also brought to you by the support of the “Friends of Divining Comics,” Comic Book Herald.
If you would like to add your name to the list of friends, best friends, or best friends forever, support this work for less than the cost of one cup of coffee a month at patreon.com/diviningcomics. You can also leave a one-time tip/buy my zines at ko-fi.com/spikestonehand. Or, if you can’t afford to support me financially at this time, simply follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Bluesky and share my posts there.
#art #books #ComicBooks #comics #DC #dcComics #fantasticFour #marvel #marvelComics #MarvelousMarket #NewComicDay -
Reader’s Choice/Tom’s Top Tunes…Song #73/250: Always Love by Nada Surf.
As I type these words today, Spring is slowly returning to my piece of the world. Our tulips are just beginning to stretch up and out of the soil as they reach for the sun. The ground is becoming softer and squishier as winter releases its cold iron grip. Buds are appearing like pearls on the branches of our trees. The days are sunnier and warmer. Renewal is underway. In the natural world, life seems ever hopeful.
As much as we all live in the natural world, we also live in a world filled with artificially created human constructs. In that world of finances, politics, information media, consumerism and fear, it is not as easy to feel optimistic about the current state of the world’s affairs and the future that awaits us all. It doesn’t seem like it was all that long ago that a term such as doom scrolling didn’t exist. There was no need for it. But as many of us are discovering, to the detriment of our mental health, it is becoming increasingly difficult to navigate our way through our social media feeds. Where once our timelines were filled with the comings and goings of those we loved, now they are filled with alarmist posts about lost rights, rising prices, state sanctioned cruelty towards ordinary people and the taunting laughter of those presently occupying the seats of power in our world. There are now many days when I cannot even find any posts from those I love. There are no birthday party photo shoots. No anniversary dinners. No sporting triumphs. Those posts have become swept away in a tsunami of misery-laden proclamations about how bad our world has become and how much worse it shall surely be. It is almost as if the information gatekeepers want there to seem as if there is no hope at all for a brighter tomorrow. No hope at all.
But there is always hope.
There has to be.
Today’s song is called “Always Love” by a band named Nada Surf. This band formed in the 1990s in New York. A chance meeting with Ric Ocasek of The Cars resulted in an offer from him to produce their debut album called High/Low. From this album came one of the songs of the summer in 1996 called “Popular”. *(I wrote a previous post about “Popular” which you can read here.) The sudden success of “Popular”, the professional recording of their first album, the signing of a record contract and all that comes with instant fame caused the members of Nada Surf to feel uneasy about their music careers. It is easy in such circumstances to feel as if things are spiraling out of control from an artistic sense. The members of Nada Surf (Matthew Caws, Daniel Lorca and Ira Elliot felt pressured to instantly release more songs like “Popular” and keep churning out the hits. Eventually the band rebelled. Their record contract was terminated. They then began touring and recording new songs on their own terms as, perhaps, befits a group of young musicians just learning their craft and exploring their world. A decade or so later, they released an album called The Weight is a Gift. On that album was arguably their most radio-friendly song since “Popular”. That song was called “Always Love”. In a music scene that embraces straight-ahead guitar driven rock n’ roll, Nada Surf had returned to the limelight with a song about the only thing that matters…love. It has always been easy to champion a song that promotes the concept of love trumping the idea of hate. But never has its message found more fertile ground than it has today. In our ever darkening world, audiences are warming to Nada Surf’s positivity the same way my tulips are turning to follow the sun each warmer day of Spring. In many ways, the career of Nada Surf is turning full circle. After exploding out of the gate as a new band many decades ago, Nada Surf spent the majority of their career relentlessly touring the world quietly on their own terms. But now, thanks to the state of our world, many people have rediscovered them and are flocking to their live shows. And at those shows, the song “Always Love” is always welcomed enthusiastically by those in attendance. It seems as though in these times we could all use a little reassurance that the things that really matter to us all actually still matter, even if we are not seeing that reflected in our social media feeds or in news reports.
Nada Surf: Daniel Lorca, Ira Elliot and Matthew Caws.Love still matters. It matters more than hate. It matters more than money. It matters more than power. There is nothing vainglorious about caring for others beyond yourself. Being kind-hearted is something to strive for. Being a good friend and neighbour still counts for something. As cliche as it sounds, honesty remains the best policy. And nothing is more important than love.
There are certain uncomfortable realities about how the world around us is increasingly operating. We ignore those realities at our peril. Being prepared and knowledgeable is always a good thing when it comes to protecting ourselves and the ones we love. But never allow those currently calling the shots to take away your sense of hope for a better tomorrow. Your moral compass will guide you to brighter days if you continue to follow your own form of north star which is to believe in the power of love. There is always love. There is always hope. Just as the earth awakens and blossoms in the warmth of the sunshine, better days remain. Always love, folks. Always love.
The link to the official video for the song “Always Love” by Nada Surf can be found here. ***The lyrics version is here. The link to a live version (with a great audience sing-along from Montreal) can be found here.
The link to the official website for the band Nada Surf can be found here.
***As always, all original content contained within this post remains the sole property of the author. No portion of this post shall be reblogged, copied or shared in any manner without the express written consent of the author. ©2025 http://www.tommacinneswriter.com
#AlwaysLove #Hope #Love #Music #NadaSurf #ReadersChoiceTomsTopTunes
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Reader’s Choice/Tom’s Top Tunes…Song #73/250: Always Love by Nada Surf.
As I type these words today, Spring is slowly returning to my piece of the world. Our tulips are just beginning to stretch up and out of the soil as they reach for the sun. The ground is becoming softer and squishier as winter releases its cold iron grip. Buds are appearing like pearls on the branches of our trees. The days are sunnier and warmer. Renewal is underway. In the natural world, life seems ever hopeful.
As much as we all live in the natural world, we also live in a world filled with artificially created human constructs. In that world of finances, politics, information media, consumerism and fear, it is not as easy to feel optimistic about the current state of the world’s affairs and the future that awaits us all. It doesn’t seem like it was all that long ago that a term such as doom scrolling didn’t exist. There was no need for it. But as many of us are discovering, to the detriment of our mental health, it is becoming increasingly difficult to navigate our way through our social media feeds. Where once our timelines were filled with the comings and goings of those we loved, now they are filled with alarmist posts about lost rights, rising prices, state sanctioned cruelty towards ordinary people and the taunting laughter of those presently occupying the seats of power in our world. There are now many days when I cannot even find any posts from those I love. There are no birthday party photo shoots. No anniversary dinners. No sporting triumphs. Those posts have become swept away in a tsunami of misery-laden proclamations about how bad our world has become and how much worse it shall surely be. It is almost as if the information gatekeepers want there to seem as if there is no hope at all for a brighter tomorrow. No hope at all.
But there is always hope.
There has to be.
Today’s song is called “Always Love” by a band named Nada Surf. This band formed in the 1990s in New York. A chance meeting with Ric Ocasek of The Cars resulted in an offer from him to produce their debut album called High/Low. From this album came one of the songs of the summer in 1996 called “Popular”. *(I wrote a previous post about “Popular” which you can read here.) The sudden success of “Popular”, the professional recording of their first album, the signing of a record contract and all that comes with instant fame caused the members of Nada Surf to feel uneasy about their music careers. It is easy in such circumstances to feel as if things are spiraling out of control from an artistic sense. The members of Nada Surf (Matthew Caws, Daniel Lorca and Ira Elliot felt pressured to instantly release more songs like “Popular” and keep churning out the hits. Eventually the band rebelled. Their record contract was terminated. They then began touring and recording new songs on their own terms as, perhaps, befits a group of young musicians just learning their craft and exploring their world. A decade or so later, they released an album called The Weight is a Gift. On that album was arguably their most radio-friendly song since “Popular”. That song was called “Always Love”. In a music scene that embraces straight-ahead guitar driven rock n’ roll, Nada Surf had returned to the limelight with a song about the only thing that matters…love. It has always been easy to champion a song that promotes the concept of love trumping the idea of hate. But never has its message found more fertile ground than it has today. In our ever darkening world, audiences are warming to Nada Surf’s positivity the same way my tulips are turning to follow the sun each warmer day of Spring. In many ways, the career of Nada Surf is turning full circle. After exploding out of the gate as a new band many decades ago, Nada Surf spent the majority of their career relentlessly touring the world quietly on their own terms. But now, thanks to the state of our world, many people have rediscovered them and are flocking to their live shows. And at those shows, the song “Always Love” is always welcomed enthusiastically by those in attendance. It seems as though in these times we could all use a little reassurance that the things that really matter to us all actually still matter, even if we are not seeing that reflected in our social media feeds or in news reports.
Nada Surf: Daniel Lorca, Ira Elliot and Matthew Caws.Love still matters. It matters more than hate. It matters more than money. It matters more than power. There is nothing vainglorious about caring for others beyond yourself. Being kind-hearted is something to strive for. Being a good friend and neighbour still counts for something. As cliche as it sounds, honesty remains the best policy. And nothing is more important than love.
There are certain uncomfortable realities about how the world around us is increasingly operating. We ignore those realities at our peril. Being prepared and knowledgeable is always a good thing when it comes to protecting ourselves and the ones we love. But never allow those currently calling the shots to take away your sense of hope for a better tomorrow. Your moral compass will guide you to brighter days if you continue to follow your own form of north star which is to believe in the power of love. There is always love. There is always hope. Just as the earth awakens and blossoms in the warmth of the sunshine, better days remain. Always love, folks. Always love.
The link to the official video for the song “Always Love” by Nada Surf can be found here. ***The lyrics version is here. The link to a live version (with a great audience sing-along from Montreal) can be found here.
The link to the official website for the band Nada Surf can be found here.
***As always, all original content contained within this post remains the sole property of the author. No portion of this post shall be reblogged, copied or shared in any manner without the express written consent of the author. ©2025 http://www.tommacinneswriter.com
#AlwaysLove #Hope #Love #Music #NadaSurf #ReadersChoiceTomsTopTunes
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Reader’s Choice/Tom’s Top Tunes…Song #73/250: Always Love by Nada Surf.
As I type these words today, Spring is slowly returning to my piece of the world. Our tulips are just beginning to stretch up and out of the soil as they reach for the sun. The ground is becoming softer and squishier as winter releases its cold iron grip. Buds are appearing like pearls on the branches of our trees. The days are sunnier and warmer. Renewal is underway. In the natural world, life seems ever hopeful.
As much as we all live in the natural world, we also live in a world filled with artificially created human constructs. In that world of finances, politics, information media, consumerism and fear, it is not as easy to feel optimistic about the current state of the world’s affairs and the future that awaits us all. It doesn’t seem like it was all that long ago that a term such as doom scrolling didn’t exist. There was no need for it. But as many of us are discovering, to the detriment of our mental health, it is becoming increasingly difficult to navigate our way through our social media feeds. Where once our timelines were filled with the comings and goings of those we loved, now they are filled with alarmist posts about lost rights, rising prices, state sanctioned cruelty towards ordinary people and the taunting laughter of those presently occupying the seats of power in our world. There are now many days when I cannot even find any posts from those I love. There are no birthday party photo shoots. No anniversary dinners. No sporting triumphs. Those posts have become swept away in a tsunami of misery-laden proclamations about how bad our world has become and how much worse it shall surely be. It is almost as if the information gatekeepers want there to seem as if there is no hope at all for a brighter tomorrow. No hope at all.
But there is always hope.
There has to be.
Today’s song is called “Always Love” by a band named Nada Surf. This band formed in the 1990s in New York. A chance meeting with Ric Ocasek of The Cars resulted in an offer from him to produce their debut album called High/Low. From this album came one of the songs of the summer in 1996 called “Popular”. *(I wrote a previous post about “Popular” which you can read here.) The sudden success of “Popular”, the professional recording of their first album, the signing of a record contract and all that comes with instant fame caused the members of Nada Surf to feel uneasy about their music careers. It is easy in such circumstances to feel as if things are spiraling out of control from an artistic sense. The members of Nada Surf (Matthew Caws, Daniel Lorca and Ira Elliot felt pressured to instantly release more songs like “Popular” and keep churning out the hits. Eventually the band rebelled. Their record contract was terminated. They then began touring and recording new songs on their own terms as, perhaps, befits a group of young musicians just learning their craft and exploring their world. A decade or so later, they released an album called The Weight is a Gift. On that album was arguably their most radio-friendly song since “Popular”. That song was called “Always Love”. In a music scene that embraces straight-ahead guitar driven rock n’ roll, Nada Surf had returned to the limelight with a song about the only thing that matters…love. It has always been easy to champion a song that promotes the concept of love trumping the idea of hate. But never has its message found more fertile ground than it has today. In our ever darkening world, audiences are warming to Nada Surf’s positivity the same way my tulips are turning to follow the sun each warmer day of Spring. In many ways, the career of Nada Surf is turning full circle. After exploding out of the gate as a new band many decades ago, Nada Surf spent the majority of their career relentlessly touring the world quietly on their own terms. But now, thanks to the state of our world, many people have rediscovered them and are flocking to their live shows. And at those shows, the song “Always Love” is always welcomed enthusiastically by those in attendance. It seems as though in these times we could all use a little reassurance that the things that really matter to us all actually still matter, even if we are not seeing that reflected in our social media feeds or in news reports.
Nada Surf: Daniel Lorca, Ira Elliot and Matthew Caws.Love still matters. It matters more than hate. It matters more than money. It matters more than power. There is nothing vainglorious about caring for others beyond yourself. Being kind-hearted is something to strive for. Being a good friend and neighbour still counts for something. As cliche as it sounds, honesty remains the best policy. And nothing is more important than love.
There are certain uncomfortable realities about how the world around us is increasingly operating. We ignore those realities at our peril. Being prepared and knowledgeable is always a good thing when it comes to protecting ourselves and the ones we love. But never allow those currently calling the shots to take away your sense of hope for a better tomorrow. Your moral compass will guide you to brighter days if you continue to follow your own form of north star which is to believe in the power of love. There is always love. There is always hope. Just as the earth awakens and blossoms in the warmth of the sunshine, better days remain. Always love, folks. Always love.
The link to the official video for the song “Always Love” by Nada Surf can be found here. ***The lyrics version is here. The link to a live version (with a great audience sing-along from Montreal) can be found here.
The link to the official website for the band Nada Surf can be found here.
***As always, all original content contained within this post remains the sole property of the author. No portion of this post shall be reblogged, copied or shared in any manner without the express written consent of the author. ©2025 http://www.tommacinneswriter.com
#AlwaysLove #Hope #Love #Music #NadaSurf #ReadersChoiceTomsTopTunes
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Reader’s Choice/Tom’s Top Tunes…Song #73/250: Always Love by Nada Surf.
As I type these words today, Spring is slowly returning to my piece of the world. Our tulips are just beginning to stretch up and out of the soil as they reach for the sun. The ground is becoming softer and squishier as winter releases its cold iron grip. Buds are appearing like pearls on the branches of our trees. The days are sunnier and warmer. Renewal is underway. In the natural world, life seems ever hopeful.
As much as we all live in the natural world, we also live in a world filled with artificially created human constructs. In that world of finances, politics, information media, consumerism and fear, it is not as easy to feel optimistic about the current state of the world’s affairs and the future that awaits us all. It doesn’t seem like it was all that long ago that a term such as doom scrolling didn’t exist. There was no need for it. But as many of us are discovering, to the detriment of our mental health, it is becoming increasingly difficult to navigate our way through our social media feeds. Where once our timelines were filled with the comings and goings of those we loved, now they are filled with alarmist posts about lost rights, rising prices, state sanctioned cruelty towards ordinary people and the taunting laughter of those presently occupying the seats of power in our world. There are now many days when I cannot even find any posts from those I love. There are no birthday party photo shoots. No anniversary dinners. No sporting triumphs. Those posts have become swept away in a tsunami of misery-laden proclamations about how bad our world has become and how much worse it shall surely be. It is almost as if the information gatekeepers want there to seem as if there is no hope at all for a brighter tomorrow. No hope at all.
But there is always hope.
There has to be.
Today’s song is called “Always Love” by a band named Nada Surf. This band formed in the 1990s in New York. A chance meeting with Ric Ocasek of The Cars resulted in an offer from him to produce their debut album called High/Low. From this album came one of the songs of the summer in 1996 called “Popular”. *(I wrote a previous post about “Popular” which you can read here.) The sudden success of “Popular”, the professional recording of their first album, the signing of a record contract and all that comes with instant fame caused the members of Nada Surf to feel uneasy about their music careers. It is easy in such circumstances to feel as if things are spiraling out of control from an artistic sense. The members of Nada Surf (Matthew Caws, Daniel Lorca and Ira Elliot felt pressured to instantly release more songs like “Popular” and keep churning out the hits. Eventually the band rebelled. Their record contract was terminated. They then began touring and recording new songs on their own terms as, perhaps, befits a group of young musicians just learning their craft and exploring their world. A decade or so later, they released an album called The Weight is a Gift. On that album was arguably their most radio-friendly song since “Popular”. That song was called “Always Love”. In a music scene that embraces straight-ahead guitar driven rock n’ roll, Nada Surf had returned to the limelight with a song about the only thing that matters…love. It has always been easy to champion a song that promotes the concept of love trumping the idea of hate. But never has its message found more fertile ground than it has today. In our ever darkening world, audiences are warming to Nada Surf’s positivity the same way my tulips are turning to follow the sun each warmer day of Spring. In many ways, the career of Nada Surf is turning full circle. After exploding out of the gate as a new band many decades ago, Nada Surf spent the majority of their career relentlessly touring the world quietly on their own terms. But now, thanks to the state of our world, many people have rediscovered them and are flocking to their live shows. And at those shows, the song “Always Love” is always welcomed enthusiastically by those in attendance. It seems as though in these times we could all use a little reassurance that the things that really matter to us all actually still matter, even if we are not seeing that reflected in our social media feeds or in news reports.
Nada Surf: Daniel Lorca, Ira Elliot and Matthew Caws.Love still matters. It matters more than hate. It matters more than money. It matters more than power. There is nothing vainglorious about caring for others beyond yourself. Being kind-hearted is something to strive for. Being a good friend and neighbour still counts for something. As cliche as it sounds, honesty remains the best policy. And nothing is more important than love.
There are certain uncomfortable realities about how the world around us is increasingly operating. We ignore those realities at our peril. Being prepared and knowledgeable is always a good thing when it comes to protecting ourselves and the ones we love. But never allow those currently calling the shots to take away your sense of hope for a better tomorrow. Your moral compass will guide you to brighter days if you continue to follow your own form of north star which is to believe in the power of love. There is always love. There is always hope. Just as the earth awakens and blossoms in the warmth of the sunshine, better days remain. Always love, folks. Always love.
The link to the official video for the song “Always Love” by Nada Surf can be found here. ***The lyrics version is here. The link to a live version (with a great audience sing-along from Montreal) can be found here.
The link to the official website for the band Nada Surf can be found here.
***As always, all original content contained within this post remains the sole property of the author. No portion of this post shall be reblogged, copied or shared in any manner without the express written consent of the author. ©2025 http://www.tommacinneswriter.com
#AlwaysLove #Hope #Love #Music #NadaSurf #ReadersChoiceTomsTopTunes
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Reader’s Choice/Tom’s Top Tunes…Song #73/250: Always Love by Nada Surf.
As I type these words today, Spring is slowly returning to my piece of the world. Our tulips are just beginning to stretch up and out of the soil as they reach for the sun. The ground is becoming softer and squishier as winter releases its cold iron grip. Buds are appearing like pearls on the branches of our trees. The days are sunnier and warmer. Renewal is underway. In the natural world, life seems ever hopeful.
As much as we all live in the natural world, we also live in a world filled with artificially created human constructs. In that world of finances, politics, information media, consumerism and fear, it is not as easy to feel optimistic about the current state of the world’s affairs and the future that awaits us all. It doesn’t seem like it was all that long ago that a term such as doom scrolling didn’t exist. There was no need for it. But as many of us are discovering, to the detriment of our mental health, it is becoming increasingly difficult to navigate our way through our social media feeds. Where once our timelines were filled with the comings and goings of those we loved, now they are filled with alarmist posts about lost rights, rising prices, state sanctioned cruelty towards ordinary people and the taunting laughter of those presently occupying the seats of power in our world. There are now many days when I cannot even find any posts from those I love. There are no birthday party photo shoots. No anniversary dinners. No sporting triumphs. Those posts have become swept away in a tsunami of misery-laden proclamations about how bad our world has become and how much worse it shall surely be. It is almost as if the information gatekeepers want there to seem as if there is no hope at all for a brighter tomorrow. No hope at all.
But there is always hope.
There has to be.
Today’s song is called “Always Love” by a band named Nada Surf. This band formed in the 1990s in New York. A chance meeting with Ric Ocasek of The Cars resulted in an offer from him to produce their debut album called High/Low. From this album came one of the songs of the summer in 1996 called “Popular”. *(I wrote a previous post about “Popular” which you can read here.) The sudden success of “Popular”, the professional recording of their first album, the signing of a record contract and all that comes with instant fame caused the members of Nada Surf to feel uneasy about their music careers. It is easy in such circumstances to feel as if things are spiraling out of control from an artistic sense. The members of Nada Surf (Matthew Caws, Daniel Lorca and Ira Elliot felt pressured to instantly release more songs like “Popular” and keep churning out the hits. Eventually the band rebelled. Their record contract was terminated. They then began touring and recording new songs on their own terms as, perhaps, befits a group of young musicians just learning their craft and exploring their world. A decade or so later, they released an album called The Weight is a Gift. On that album was arguably their most radio-friendly song since “Popular”. That song was called “Always Love”. In a music scene that embraces straight-ahead guitar driven rock n’ roll, Nada Surf had returned to the limelight with a song about the only thing that matters…love. It has always been easy to champion a song that promotes the concept of love trumping the idea of hate. But never has its message found more fertile ground than it has today. In our ever darkening world, audiences are warming to Nada Surf’s positivity the same way my tulips are turning to follow the sun each warmer day of Spring. In many ways, the career of Nada Surf is turning full circle. After exploding out of the gate as a new band many decades ago, Nada Surf spent the majority of their career relentlessly touring the world quietly on their own terms. But now, thanks to the state of our world, many people have rediscovered them and are flocking to their live shows. And at those shows, the song “Always Love” is always welcomed enthusiastically by those in attendance. It seems as though in these times we could all use a little reassurance that the things that really matter to us all actually still matter, even if we are not seeing that reflected in our social media feeds or in news reports.
Nada Surf: Daniel Lorca, Ira Elliot and Matthew Caws.Love still matters. It matters more than hate. It matters more than money. It matters more than power. There is nothing vainglorious about caring for others beyond yourself. Being kind-hearted is something to strive for. Being a good friend and neighbour still counts for something. As cliche as it sounds, honesty remains the best policy. And nothing is more important than love.
There are certain uncomfortable realities about how the world around us is increasingly operating. We ignore those realities at our peril. Being prepared and knowledgeable is always a good thing when it comes to protecting ourselves and the ones we love. But never allow those currently calling the shots to take away your sense of hope for a better tomorrow. Your moral compass will guide you to brighter days if you continue to follow your own form of north star which is to believe in the power of love. There is always love. There is always hope. Just as the earth awakens and blossoms in the warmth of the sunshine, better days remain. Always love, folks. Always love.
The link to the official video for the song “Always Love” by Nada Surf can be found here. ***The lyrics version is here. The link to a live version (with a great audience sing-along from Montreal) can be found here.
The link to the official website for the band Nada Surf can be found here.
***As always, all original content contained within this post remains the sole property of the author. No portion of this post shall be reblogged, copied or shared in any manner without the express written consent of the author. ©2025 http://www.tommacinneswriter.com
#AlwaysLove #Hope #Love #Music #NadaSurf #ReadersChoiceTomsTopTunes
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Some fan art for the #webcomic Vainglorious by @kellysketches - It's one of my favorites!
The characters are goofy and very likable. Plus, there are dragons! This is the lead trio (they're all so wonderful, I couldn't pick just one to draw)
#WebcomicTalk #fanart #dragon #dragons #comic #IndieComics #webcomics #vainglorious
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Emet-Selch: "Transformation magic is vainglorious!"
Also Emet-Selch: *has this mount*
Manny Calavera: "Oh good, I was worried our ride wasn't ostentatious enough."
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My black coat rivals
That vainglorious Jay
Pizazz have I!
And caw for caw I wager
That "I" am far louder!#Tanka #Renku 2/2
#WOTDHaikuPrompt #pizazz dash; flair.
@aethelshane #Haiku #Senyru #FreeHaiku @freehaiku
#Shahai
#Birds #Crow -
Notion that seeing Earth from space provokes loving concern for it revealed as romantic myth #beardiebusiness #carbonfootprint #vainglorious https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/6/29/virgin-galactic-set-to-launch-first-commercial-space-flight
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For me, one of the worst parts of all this is that Trump's name is going to be everywhere in the archaeological record, and that may result in future archaeologists thinking he's a Big Deal rather than a crass, vainglorious, arsehole who only got the gig because of his dad #RamessesII
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#GamesWorkshop teases new Emperor's Children releases, with six factions, including the vainglorious Coterie of the Conceited. Glory to the dark prince of pleasure and his greatest album: Purple Rain in blood! https://tinyurl.com/9exwkddz #Warhammer #EmperorsChildren #TabletopGaming #Slaanesh
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"Not so much alpha male as scared, insecure, whiney bitch. His verbal discharges are a drone of self-pity from an otherwise vainglorious blowhard, the sibilance of a deflating cognition lisping from a puckered sphincter pout. His gibbering idiocies are part-formed in what's left of the mind of a life-long reflexive liar and braggart." #Trump #Harris #uspol #uselection2024 #election2024 #USA #magaIsAFascistCult #MAGAcrazies #Weird https://www.geezerspot.com/single-post/sunset-for-grandpa
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"Not so much alpha male as scared, insecure, whiney bitch. His verbal discharges are a drone of self-pity from an otherwise vainglorious blowhard, the sibilance of a deflating cognition lisping from a puckered sphincter pout. His gibbering idiocies are part-formed in what's left of the mind of a life-long reflexive liar and braggart." #Trump #Harris #uspol #uselection2024 #election2024 #USA #magaIsAFascistCult #MAGAcrazies #Weird https://www.geezerspot.com/single-post/sunset-for-grandpa
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"Not so much alpha male as scared, insecure, whiney bitch. His verbal discharges are a drone of self-pity from an otherwise vainglorious blowhard, the sibilance of a deflating cognition lisping from a puckered sphincter pout. His gibbering idiocies are part-formed in what's left of the mind of a life-long reflexive liar and braggart." #Trump #Harris #uspol #uselection2024 #election2024 #USA #magaIsAFascistCult #MAGAcrazies #Weird https://www.geezerspot.com/single-post/sunset-for-grandpa
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@Imperor The top two that come to mind are Vattu: https://rice-boy.com/vattu/
^The nice thing about that one is that it's complete, so you don't have to wait for updates (though that can also be fun)
and Vainglorious: https://www.vaingloriouscomic.com/comic/chapter-1-cover
^This one's about dragons!!! And has some wonderfully relatable characters
I have others that I can recommend, too, but don't wanna dump too much on you at once 😁
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= two crows discuss the game, over lunch =
is there a difference
between vladimir
and benjamin?only this:
one rich and vainglorious
uncleand the colour of skin
under rubble#poem #poetry #poetrycommunity
#smallpoems
#warcrimes
#bullyboys
#wrdz -
That the world is so full of failson techbros that #GlassOnion is not obviously _just_ about the #FowlPlace buyer is a sad indictment of the state of the world.
But at the same time, seeing Gay Southern Poirot exclaiming "you vainglorious buffoon!" with such power is a hell of a lot of fun in its own right.
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RE: https://mas.to/@farbel/116592697384710025
I get the point of the caption in the quote, yet I see this differently, because I consider first and foremost what fellow leftists could have done differently, rather than waiting on the fash to change.
I think about all the dogmatically puritanical ideologues on the left who considered each of these two establishment liberal leaders and, rather than thinking "Imagine how much farther we could push public policy leftwards if we organize our civic action campaigns with her positions as our starting point," instead insisted, "Despite all the ways in which she's better than that corrupt, racist, sex-abusing malignant narcissist, and the fact that there is not a single way in which he and she differs where he isn't worse, let's stamp our feet and stand on vainglorious petulance and concede the election to the lost-cause bigots and let them elect their way towards reviving the Confederacy."
By the time of either election, the left already had the numbers to swamp the electoral power of the right. What they lacked was the will to sacrifice their social media clout, accept reality, vote in overwhelming numbers for the candidate who was objectively the better candidate in every way she differed from Donald, then campaign for progress rather than being forced to campaign against regression.
What they lacked was the maturity to unconditionally vote pragmatically in the general election, and to save their idealism for the next primary. What they lacked was the humility to accept that the pragmatic leftists telling them their resentment-based rhetoric and nuance-devoid single-issue binary absolutism would backfire were right: that by failing to vote, unconditionally, for the best candidate whom there was any possibility of electing, despite the flaws of that candidate, they guaranteed that everything they criticized that flawed candidate for would get much worse under the regime of her opponent, who was far more flawed in all the same ways and in many more.
Leftists changing how the Trump base would vote would've taken tens of millions of us training for months to speak and act like Deeyah Khan or Daryl Davis, and then working for years to build relationships and change minds. Leftist ideologues changing how they themselves would vote would've taken nothing but swallowing their petty pride and choosing the battle they could win, then fighting the next battle only after gaining the prerequisite ground.
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RE: https://mas.to/@farbel/116592697384710025
I get the point of the caption in the quote, yet I see this differently, because I consider first and foremost what fellow leftists could have done differently, rather than waiting on the fash to change.
I think about all the dogmatically puritanical ideologues on the left who considered each of these two establishment liberal leaders and, rather than thinking "Imagine how much farther we could push public policy leftwards if we organize our civic action campaigns with her positions as our starting point," instead insisted, "Despite all the ways in which she's better than that corrupt, racist, sex-abusing malignant narcissist, and the fact that there is not a single way in which he and she differs where he isn't worse, let's stamp our feet and stand on vainglorious petulance and concede the election to the lost-cause bigots and let them elect their way towards reviving the Confederacy."
By the time of either election, the left already had the numbers to swamp the electoral power of the right. What they lacked was the will to sacrifice their social media clout, accept reality, vote in overwhelming numbers for the candidate who was objectively the better candidate in every way she differed from Donald, then campaign for progress rather than being forced to campaign against regression.
What they lacked was the maturity to unconditionally vote pragmatically in the general election, and to save their idealism for the next primary. What they lacked was the humility to accept that the pragmatic leftists telling them their resentment-based rhetoric and nuance-devoid single-issue binary absolutism would backfire were right: that by failing to vote, unconditionally, for the best candidate whom there was any possibility of electing, despite the flaws of that candidate, they guaranteed that everything they criticized that flawed candidate for would get much worse under the regime of her opponent, who was far more flawed in all the same ways and in many more.
Leftists changing how the Trump base would vote would've taken tens of millions of us training for months to speak and act like Deeyah Khan or Daryl Davis, and then working for years to build relationships and change minds. Leftist ideologues changing how they themselves would vote would've taken nothing but swallowing their petty pride and choosing the battle they could win, then fighting the next battle only after gaining the prerequisite ground.
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RE: https://mas.to/@farbel/116592697384710025
I get the point of the caption in the quote, yet I see this differently, because I consider first and foremost what fellow leftists could have done differently, rather than waiting on the fash to change.
I think about all the dogmatically puritanical ideologues on the left who considered each of these two establishment liberal leaders and, rather than thinking "Imagine how much farther we could push public policy leftwards if we organize our civic action campaigns with her positions as our starting point," instead insisted, "Despite all the ways in which she's better than that corrupt, racist, sex-abusing malignant narcissist, and the fact that there is not a single way in which he and she differs where he isn't worse, let's stamp our feet and stand on vainglorious petulance and concede the election to the lost-cause bigots and let them elect their way towards reviving the Confederacy."
By the time of either election, the left already had the numbers to swamp the electoral power of the right. What they lacked was the will to sacrifice their social media clout, accept reality, vote in overwhelming numbers for the candidate who was objectively the better candidate in every way she differed from Donald, then campaign for progress rather than being forced to campaign against regression.
What they lacked was the maturity to unconditionally vote pragmatically in the general election, and to save their idealism for the next primary. What they lacked was the humility to accept that the pragmatic leftists telling them their resentment-based rhetoric and nuance-devoid single-issue binary absolutism would backfire were right: that by failing to vote, unconditionally, for the best candidate whom there was any possibility of electing, despite the flaws of that candidate, they guaranteed that everything they criticized that flawed candidate for would get much worse under the regime of her opponent, who was far more flawed in all the same ways and in many more.
Leftists changing how the Trump base would vote would've taken tens of millions of us training for months to speak and act like Deeyah Khan or Daryl Davis, and then working for years to build relationships and change minds. Leftist ideologues changing how they themselves would vote would've taken nothing but swallowing their petty pride and choosing the battle they could win, then fighting the next battle only after gaining the prerequisite ground.
-
RE: https://mas.to/@farbel/116592697384710025
I get the point of the caption in the quote, yet I see this differently, because I consider first and foremost what fellow leftists could have done differently, rather than waiting on the fash to change.
I think about all the dogmatically puritanical ideologues on the left who considered each of these two establishment liberal leaders and, rather than thinking "Imagine how much farther we could push public policy leftwards if we organize our civic action campaigns with her positions as our starting point," instead insisted, "Despite all the ways in which she's better than that corrupt, racist, sex-abusing malignant narcissist, and the fact that there is not a single way in which he and she differs where he isn't worse, let's stamp our feet and stand on vainglorious petulance and concede the election to the lost-cause bigots and let them elect their way towards reviving the Confederacy."
By the time of either election, the left already had the numbers to swamp the electoral power of the right. What they lacked was the will to sacrifice their social media clout, accept reality, vote in overwhelming numbers for the candidate who was objectively the better candidate in every way she differed from Donald, then campaign for progress rather than being forced to campaign against regression.
What they lacked was the maturity to unconditionally vote pragmatically in the general election, and to save their idealism for the next primary. What they lacked was the humility to accept that the pragmatic leftists telling them their resentment-based rhetoric and nuance-devoid single-issue binary absolutism would backfire were right: that by failing to vote, unconditionally, for the best candidate whom there was any possibility of electing, despite the flaws of that candidate, they guaranteed that everything they criticized that flawed candidate for would get much worse under the regime of her opponent, who was far more flawed in all the same ways and in many more.
Leftists changing how the Trump base would vote would've taken tens of millions of us training for months to speak and act like Deeyah Khan or Daryl Davis, and then working for years to build relationships and change minds. Leftist ideologues changing how they themselves would vote would've taken nothing but swallowing their petty pride and choosing the battle they could win, then fighting the next battle only after gaining the prerequisite ground.