Are you happy? Go to Everything, where you can buy happiness. A superstore in which, if you’re not happy, you may be gotten rid of… permanently.

With every issue of this series, David Rubin must get the script and think to himself, “Time to go crazy,” because that’s what he does with the art of Ether. Some issues more so than others, and this is one of them - from the layout, to the creatures we’re introduced to, to the wonderful, weird world we find ourselves in along with Boone Dias. I'm curious if Matt Kindt repeatedly places two words throughout his script: go crazy.

Issue three of Something Is Killing the Children revolves around a few key moments, two of which are entirely dialogue driven. These scenes are some of the best I’ve seen written in some time. Any exposition is natural, the pacing is fluid, and the tension is built through character conflict. James Tynion IV is a fantastic writer, and he’s taking the time to let this story breathe.

The previous issue of The Weatherman had an incredibly amazing cliffhanger, and I have to be honest that I was just a little bit disappointed with where the story went in the subsequent issue - as if a different path could have changed everything for everyone involved. But, if I’m to be honest with myself once again, LeHeup's chosen direction makes more sense with who the characters are, and it’s a really fun issue.

I had the absolute pleasure of reading issues 7 and 8 of Ronin Island back to back, and it was awesome. When issue 7 came to an end, I verbally projected my joy with a rousing whoop (or about as close as someone can) and was really thrilled that issue 8 was waiting there for me.

What an exceptionally good time. Sea of Stars reminds me what it’s like to be a kid, to want to adventure into space, and to do amazing things. It brings the joy of space adventure - full throttle - back to sci-fi, landing more on the “fi” side than the “sci,” but so, too, did John Carter of Mars.

I just sat in a car for twenty minutes and explained how special Black Hammer is to someone. This series that began as a microcosm in a barn has expanded into a universe that wraps around the past, the future, alternate realities, and the deconstruction of the story and stories in general. It feels like I’ve lived through decades of Black Hammer comics, and it’s only been two years.

If you are not up to date on Gideon Falls, stop reading this review. Part of the magic of this book is that you only know as much as the main characters know at any given point in time, and I need to talk to some degree about what’s happening, which means spoilers would be ahead for those unfamiliar with the series.

I thoroughly enjoy stories that take some patience on the reader’s part, and Everything is one of those stories. From the first two issues, you had a clear sense that something was going on with the new store (called Everything) that opened in a quaint town. If you were savvy, you even recognized some of the underlying themes percolating about capitalism, depression, and happiness, even if you didn’t quite know how all of the characters fit together. There are a lot of characters that fill in the pages of Everything.

The single-minded need for Boone Dias, the hero of Ether, to satiate his curiosity through adventure reminds me of that of a child’s need to understand the world around them, even if it means touching the burner on the stove to see what happens. This character quirk has its charms, and Matt Kindt uses Boone’s intellectually charged naivety to stir laughter and a sense of joy from the reader, but like a cat spinning its body this way and that in the air to land on its feet, Kindt then uses these moments to create a bittersweet storytelling beat. These moments have come suddenly and unexpectedly throughout the series, giving weight and gravity to the tale - turning this sci-fi / fantasy adventure into more of a character study.