Wednesday is back! And, no surprise, he’s been concocting some battle plans. It’s refreshing to have his magic and superior knowledge of things back, as well. I love the sequence when he explains to Shadow all of the charms that he knows. These panels show the extent of his power—which seems to be rather far-reaching. Wednesday has powers that affect both humans and other magical beings, and many of his powers can protect people, which does not seem in line with his character. I had always viewed Wednesday as being more self-serving, but his true agenda continues to be a mystery. Perhaps there is a more philanthropic motivation—either that or he just has the ability to help people but may not often choose to exercise these powers.

In the second installment of American Gods: My Ainsel, Shadow takes a break from actively traveling through America. The modern epic myth seems less magical and, instead, like a day in real world, small-town America. But this issue still has a dreary atmosphere to it, where the climate continues to deteriorate as it leads us to some upcoming battle, a battle that could possibly be between man and god, weather and land, or life and death—or perhaps some contest between any of those.

A few months back, my son started watching Sesame Street, and I was excited for him to learn from all of the great Muppet characters. But I wasn’t expecting to gain a new appreciation for the show. Unbeknownst to me, Sesame Street has a history of tapping into popular culture. From Monsterpiece Theater to Crumby Pictures, Sesame Street has created many great parodies of TV shows, films, and plays. The parodies are deliciously fun for adults and often educational for children. In 2014, San Diego Comic-Con even hosted a panel with the show’s performers and executive producer discussing 45 years of spoofs. So, I decided to find the best examples of spoofs that pay homage to geek culture. Below are 13 geeky and awesome examples.

My Ainsel #1 marks the beginning of the second arc in the American Gods series adapted from Neil Gaiman’s classic novel. We jump right in to Shadow and Wednesday continuing their travels across America. In this issue, they begin in a snow-covered Wisconsin. The pace of the main action in this issue moves rather slowly, but that gives us time to appreciate all of the other stories that contribute to our understanding of this world.

The cartoon world’s greatest detectives team up in this fun, action-packed adventure. Batman recruits Mystery Incorporated to come to Gotham City and join the Mystery Analysts of Gotham—a small organization of DC heroes (including Martian Manhunter, Detective Chimp, the Question, and Plastic Man). In a perfect blending of two worlds, the Scooby Gang adds some colorful fun to the group. It’s really enjoyable to see the playful dynamics between the assortment of heroes. While Batman is all business, Aquaman, Shaggy, and Scooby provide light humor. This makes the mystery solving even more entertaining for all ages.

The second installment of Poe Noir is a compelling, mind-blowing adventure. Tim Zajac and Miguel Acedo have penned superb adaptations of Edgar Allan Poe’s classic tales while Graham Sisk’s stunning black-and-white art continues to leave me awestruck. Both episodes in this issue deal with obtrusive power and the subsequent breakdown that follows, retaining Poe’s dark themes but depicting them through classic noir rhythms.

Poe Noir is sheer brilliance. Tim Zajac, Miguel Acedo, and Graham Sisk take Edgar Allan Poe’s classic gothic tales and put a noirish spin on them. They capture Poe’s great ironies and inquiries into the sinister, immoral nature of mankind. The two episodes in this issue are captivating and have me itching for more.

As we follow Shadow on his journey through America, the lines between fantasy and reality continue to blur. A brilliant piece of modern-day mythology, American Gods takes the world that we know and lets gods, creatures, and magical beings in. Dreams become indistinct from reality, the dead don’t stay dead, and we never really know who or what to trust. Shadow is not really concerned but just rolls along with all of the weirdness and chaos happening around him. Sometimes, I don’t know whether to laugh or cry, but I think that’s part of the Gaiman fun that P. Craig Russell and Scott Hampton have captured so well.

This volume is stellar. Adam Knave and D.J. Kirkbride have created an exciting, modernized version of the legendary tales of King Arthur, and Nick Brokenshire has illustrated a 21st-century icon in Rani as an ordinary, young, half-Indian woman who becomes a powerful, punk heroine with a perfect crown hairstyle. This volume exudes energy, and the characters are vivacious and inspiring - the perfect specimens of modern-day heroics.

The following is an interview with D.J. Kirkbride, Adam P. Knave, and Nick Brokenshire, the creative team of the comic book series, The Once and Future Queen, which will be releasing the collected trade paperback on Wednesday, November 1, from Dark Horse Comics. In this interview, Fanbase Press Contributor Erica McCrystal chats with Kirkbride, Knave, and Brokenshire about the inspiration for the series, their shared creative process, what the team has planned for the continuation of the series, and more!