PICKS OF THE WEEK - Mar. 18, 2020

• ROBIN 80^th ANNIVERSARY: Holy geriatrics Batman! Robin turns 80! And with this oversized anniversary issue the boy (and girl) wonder takes center stage for an all-out comics extravaganza. DC has assembled the best writers and artists from the past and present who have left a mark on the brighter half of the dynamic duo. Each small tale gives you a glimpse of the history and humanity of the heroes who have donned the red and green tights. From Dick to Damien the issue shows you what makes these characters so timeless, special and why Batman always needs a Robin. Whichever fan of Robin you fancy you’ll find a story in there for you along with cameos from all the teammates and comrades these sidekicks have called friends over the years. Ever since the first sidekick tumble rolled onto the page, 80 years later Robin will still have you clapping and clamoring for more.

• SPIDER-WOMAN #1: Jessica Drew is back and taking no prisoners in her brand-new series by Karla Pacheco and Pere Perez. Spider-Woman has been a lot of things over the years and has always weaved her web in and out of the Marvel Universe. From spy to avenger, Skrull to Mom, Jessica is back to reinventing herself amidst the realities of being broke with super powers. Her new gig as a hired a guard for a sweet sixteen takes a turn for the worst when a hostage situation heats things up. This is where Pere Perez really works some wonders with his pencil. The action flows quick and smooth as Jessica deals out some justice. Pacheco nails her characterization by making her brash and bold, leaping towards danger leaving no wonder to why she’s Captain Marvel’s best friend. This is a great launching pad for Spider- Woman, and with a side story explaining her new outfit means Jessica Drew’s web is only gonna get more tangled from here on out.

• X-RAY ROBOT #1: Mike Allred is back as author and artist in this new sci-fi thriller from Dark Horse. Max Wilding is an experimental physicist working on a robot that can travel through alternate dimensions. After the inaugural launch, Max’s life takes a turn for the weird when he starts seeing different versions of his reality from the strange to the shocking. Allred does a great job of dropping little plot points that seem to magnify and explode in all the right places when the story gets going. This is one of comics’ current geniuses making an original, trippy, and resonant story that knows it has no limits and then swan dives head first in to a menagerie of madness and miracles that only Mike Allred knows how to deliver. Be sure you see this one through right to the register.