The Gosh! Authority 26.01.22

Hello!

January is nearly over (!) and spring tantilisingly beckons with those early-bird daffodils already starting to poke through. Just the grey misery of February to contend with and then we're on the uphill slope into the sunlit lands of summer! Anyway, I digress (and am probably in need of a sunny holiday). Of more note this week are the change in rules around mask-wearing which come into effect this Thursday. We understand that the landscape feels very different to how it did in the early days of the pandemic and that omicron seems to be creeping its way though the UK population with far less effect than previous variants thanks to vaccinations and the generally less severe nature of it.

In line with regulations we will be making mask-wearing optional in the store from the 27th January, but as with previous rules relaxations we will still be asking people shopping with us to wear a mask if at all possible. Our reasons for this are twofold. Firstly, while the end of all this does seem to be in sight now, we're not quite there yet. The chance of severe illness is far less, but the risk is still there, especially for shop staff who are stuck inside all day long, who would rather avoid getting sick at all if possible, thanks! And secondly, while the need for self-isolation remains in place, an outbreak can be absolutely crippling for us in terms of staffing (as we're all too aware). So please do continue to wear a mask while shopping with us if you can, for the sake of our health and ability to stay open!

Okay, that out of the way, let's get into this week's comics, which kick off with a doozy...

HIGHLIGHTS THIS WEEK

• SAGA #55 - Yes, the long wait is over, Saga fans! Brian K Vaughan & Fiona Staples' much-loved fantasy space opera is back for its second half. From what I can tell, we jump forward in time from the shocking finale of #54 and join an older Hazel, who now takes her place as the focus of the story. It's a bumper 44 page issue, and the cover price of the book remains a ludicrous (and welcome) $2.99. Oh Saga, how we've missed you!

• BATMAN CATWOMAN SPECIAL #1 - A Christmas special delayed to the end of January? Well, as it's lead story is drawn by the late, great John Paul Leon (and written by Tom King), we'll allow it. Especially given the number of top-tier guest artists who also contribute to help make this a fitting farewell to a rare talent. 

• KISSES FOR JET GN - A trans coming of age story by Joris Bas Backer set at the end of the last millenium. Jet starts at a new school and, amidst the usual upheaval and social adjustment that brings, soon comes to realise that the discomfort that they feel is not just down to new school jitters. That sense of not being like the other girls may be down to Jet actually being more of a boy. A moving tale of transition set in an era where information and support was virtually non-existent in mainstream society.

• PEACEMAKER DISTURBING THE PEACE #1 - If you were wanting someone to write a Peacemaker one-shot that captured the irreverent feel of James Gunn's imagining of the character (as portrayed by John Cena), who would you choose? If you said anyone other than Garth Ennis, you probably haven't read many Garth Ennis comics. But if you did pick him, then you might not be getting the Ennis you expect. Because this flashback into Peacemaker / Christopher Smith's past appears to be "gritty war comic" Ennis, pairing with artist Garry Brown to tell the bloody history of his time in the special forces, and how it informed his twisted take on bringing peace to the world.

• SUPERMAN & ROBIN SPECIAL #1 - The reunion of the Super Sons, only now Jonathan Kent is less Super Son and more Superman. Peter J Tomasi and Viktor Bogdanovic bring Jon and Damien Wayne back together for one last adventure as they take on a menace from Jon's past. A fun, done-in-one adventure.

• KARL THE VIKING GN VOL 01 - Shortly before his breathtaking painted art on Trigan Empire, British comics legend Don Lawrence drew this historical fantasy tale (written by Ken Bulmer) for Lion. Drawn in pen and ink with his typically lush style, Karl tells the story of a Saxon youth who is taken by raiding Vikings and raised as one of their own, to eventually succeed his adoptive (kidnapper) father as ruler of his tribe. When he leads them on a raid to Britain, he reconnects with his Saxon roots, drawing him into local feuds.  

• X DEATHS OF WOLVERINE #1 - Not much to say about this other than it continues the story began in X Lives of Wolverine, so if you got that, you should probably get this! If you have a standing order for Lives, rest assured Deaths is being copied for you.

And that's it! Happy Saga week everyone!

Andrew.