One of the exciting things about Killswitch’s second issue is that we see the immediate aftermath of Regula’s betrayal and the freeing of the Augurs. Of course, the situation is much more complicated for our characters, having only a 90-minute window to escape the planet and find new lives for themselves. Plus, there is a nagging feeling at the back of my mind that there might be something bigger at play here.

As we enter the third issue, we’re treated to Stockholm syndrome at work, with the Bad Elvis Gang eating cake and teaching kids how to handle a shotgun. (The best.) Emily is still an indecisive mess, Jesse is trying to be the supportive fiancée, and Grandma Harriet just drugged one of the gang members and is about to go to town with a shotgun - all of this while the sheriff is preparing for the worst with 15 pounds of plastic explosives rigged to explode and Twitter blowing up with hashtag, #mooreemilymooreproblems.

Whenever there’s a second issue to a new series, there is usually a lull in the storytelling.  It's as if - from a storytelling perspective - there’s a lull that needs to happen; the plot points and the excitement that occurred in the first issue need to be addressed, and not just for the sake of the characters, but for the reader’s sake, as well. The second issue acts as a sort of expositional chapter of the overall story. We need the breath and the moments to reflect, and after the excitement of the introduction, that’s usually the natural place for it. Often, the second issue is a wonderful look into the lives of the characters we are to invest in, but it is a pause and a focus on the story that does happen.

Killswitch is the all-new and exciting cyberpunk series by Jefferey and Susan Bridges from Action Lab: Danger Zone. Issue one introduces us to a future where Augurs, powerful telepaths, are feared and persecuted but brutally used for their powers. Major Regula, a woman who turned in her own brother for being an Augur and is revered by the masses, becomes disillusioned by what she sees and puts her career and life on the line to help the captive Auguers to escape from their confinement.

David Pepose has a talent for combining the best aspects of nostalgic entertainment. His new series, Going to the Chapel, combines the action/adventure elements of Die Hard with that of a classic rom-com. Readers are introduced to the bride, Emily, who is unsure about her perfect soon-to-be beloved, and her rich family who are about to be robbed by a handsome stranger and his gang of Elvis-masked cohorts. And, there’s about to be a very big (and probably awesome) firefight with the sheriff.

After being swallowed by a perilous creature, Canto and the Malorex are thrust into the belly of the beast. But not all is what it seems, as they are confronted by the Hermit who happens to look like the slavers of Canto’s people. From there, Canto is told the truth of the slavers and how they themselves are enslaved by an even greater foe.

Abigail wants to be a police officer (just like her dad), but, in the time when this story was set, being a woman prevented many from achieving this goal. One day, Abigail sees a listing hiring police officers at Utopia, a new Hollywood studio. Although the position would be that of a glorified security guard (They're only there to give the place a real-world feel.), Abigail soon sees behind the lights and cameras of the Hollywood, looking right into its corrupted underbelly.

Imagine being in a world where everyone around you is special and extraordinary, but you’re the odd one out for being ordinary. That’s what’s happening to Princess Basil, the seventh daughter of a king and queen who was blessed with being ordinary while her sisters were blessed with beauty, humor, and other special talents. Extraordinary, written and drawn by Cassie Anderson, is a story about a girl who isn’t “normal” and who seeks adventure, looking for purpose.

The return of Bitter Root is one to be celebrated, especially with the Red Summer Special. With six short stories, we’re given an insight and history into each member of the Sangerye family and each of its members. What’s amazing isn’t just the new info that we learn about the Sangerye family's history, but what the future holds for the series.

Malaka Gharib is an artist, a journalist, and a writer based in Washington, D.C., with her husband and 9-year-old rice cooker. Her autobiographical graphic novel, I Was Their American Dream, details her life growing up in a mixed-race family and the culture shock that arose from it. Through the use of her simplistically unique and varied illustrations and the relatable dialogue and prose detailed throughout, Gharib showcases a story that’s all too common for many of us.