Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Battle Nexus #3 by Sophie Campbell; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Battle Nexus #4 by Caleb Goellner

 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Battle Nexus #3 by Sophie Campbell-32 pages

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Synopsis: As if the outcome of Leonardo vs. the original Shredder weren’t shocking enough, the Ninja Turtles are blown away to discover they’re not alone in the otherworldly realm of the Battle Nexus—or, indeed, in the universe itself. When the twisted battle master [REDACTED] calls for a wildcard match between former flames Raphael and Alopex, their prodigious fighting skills—and unbelievable tempers—could bring down the entire Battle Nexus!

Thoughts: This is a fun, short read! I've enjoyed reading this short series and getting back into TMNT. 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Battle Nexus #4 by Caleb Goellner-32 pages

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Synopsis: Where do Battle Nexus fighters go when they lose? You can bet it’s not very pleasant, as one of our Ninja Turtles heroes discovers when he’s transported there after a brutal bout. But what he finds is something he never himself. Meanwhile, Donatello is pitted against Metalhead, a robotic Ninja Turtle from another universe! Originally designed by a version of Donnie to help the TMNT become the best fighters they could be, this Metalhead has been reprogrammed to use all of Donnie’s brilliance against him! How can one Ninja Turtle hope to defeat a state-of-the-art machine that knows every fighting style in existence?!

Thoughts: Before reading this series I didn't realize there's a multiverse in TMNT. It seems like there's a multiverse concept in a lot of comics now. I continue to enjoy reading this series and I'm excited to read the conclusion, which is the next volume.

Ender's Game (Ender's Saga, #1) by Orson Scott Card

 Ender's Game (Ender's Saga, #1) by Orson Scott Card-324 pages

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Synopsis: In order to develop a secure defense against a hostile alien race's next attack, government agencies breed child geniuses and train them as soldiers. A brilliant young boy, Andrew "Ender" Wiggin lives with his kind but distant parents, his sadistic brother Peter, and the person he loves more than anyone else, his sister Valentine. Peter and Valentine were candidates for the soldier-training program but didn't make the cut—young Ender is the Wiggin drafted to the orbiting Battle School for rigorous military training.

Ender's skills make him a leader in school and respected in the Battle Room, where children play at mock battles in zero gravity. Yet growing up in an artificial community of young soldiers Ender suffers greatly from isolation, rivalry from his peers, pressure from the adult teachers, and an unsettling fear of the alien invaders. His psychological battles include loneliness, fear that he is becoming like the cruel brother he remembers, and fanning the flames of devotion to his beloved sister.

Is Ender the general Earth needs? But Ender is not the only result of the genetic experiments. The war with the Buggers has been raging for a hundred years, and the quest for the perfect general has been underway for almost as long. Ender's two older siblings are every bit as unusual as he is, but in very different ways. Between the three of them lie the abilities to remake a world. If, that is, the world survives.

Ender's Game is the winner of the 1985 Nebula Award for Best Novel and the 1986 Hugo Award for Best Novel.

Thoughts: I watched the movie a few years ago, but hadn't read the book before this. The book is a good, fast-paced read. I'm interested to watch the movie again and see how it compares with the book. 

Miles to Go by Richard Paul Evans

 Miles to Go  by Richard Paul Evans  320 pages

Alan Christoffersen, a once-successful advertising executive, wakes one morning to find himself injured, alone, and confined to a hospital bed in Spokane, Washington. Sixteen days earlier, reeling from the sudden loss of his wife, his home, and his business, Alan left everything he knew behind and set off on the cross-country journey of a lifetime. But a vicious roadside stabbing interrupted Alan's trek and robbed him of his one source of solace: the ability to walk. Homeless and facing months of difficult recovery, Alan has nowhere to turn--until a mysterious woman enters his life and invites him into her home.

An astonishing tale of life and death, suffering and healing, love and second chances, Miles to Go picks up the story of The Walk, continuing this unforgettable bestselling series about one man's unrelenting search for hope.

I read The Walk, not knowing it was a series.  When the book ended I was sad because I wanted to know what happened to him. So I was very excited to find the next book and now know that it is a series.  This story picks up after Alex has decided to walk across America after losing everything.  He was attacked and assumed for dead.  This book tells of his story of recovery and where he picks up on his walk, the people he meets along and the way and how he helps them and they help him. Very easy read and a page turned to find out what he will encounter next.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2024-) #16 by Gene Luen Yang , Freddie E. Williams II

 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2024-) #16 by Gene Luen Yang, Freddie E. Williams II-32 pages

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Synopsis: It’s Ujigami vs. Casey Jones, with Raphael caught in the middle! The Ujigami has vowed to protect the Turtles from their greatest enemies, so why is he attacking Casey? Meanwhile, Shinigami goes behind Karai’s back to make a power play of her own, involving a dangerous new ally. The first step in their plan requires blood from a very specific target…and in very large amounts!

Thoughts: I enjoyed reading this one. It has been fun to get back into comics a bit. I'm interested in reading more from this series and the Battle Nexus series.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, #15 (2024-) by Gene Luen Yang and Freddie E. Williams II, et al.

 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, #15 (2024-) by Gene Luen Yang and Freddie E. Williams II, et al.-32 pages

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Synopsis: Father and sons, together again! The Turtles are overjoyed to have Splinter back with them, but there are dark things lurking in the shadows—a mysterious new magic-wielding foe disrupts the family reunion! The Turtles also learn who Ujigami’s next target is, and the race is on to save one of their greatest allies!

Thoughts: I came in during the middle of the story, but it didn't bother me at all. This is a fun, short read. I plan to read the next in the series. 

Absolute Wonder Woman, Vol. 2: As My Mothers Made Me by Kelly Thompson

Absolute Wonder Woman, Vol. 2: As My Mothers Made Me by Kelly Thompson

Absolute Wonder Woman (2024) #8-14, 208 pages

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5/5

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

As My Mothers Made Me continues Kelly Thompson and Hayden Sherman’s bold new vision of Diana of Themyscira. Collecting issues #8–14, this volume finds Wonder Woman navigating the twisted corridors of Area 41’s Black Box Maze—a prison of temptation, trauma, and revelation. As Diana confronts the horrors of man’s world and the truth of her Amazonian legacy, she must choose between rage and compassion, isolation and connection. With supernatural threats erupting across the globe and Smallville under siege, Diana’s journey becomes a battle for identity, justice, and the soul of humanity.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Battle Nexus, #2 by Paul Allor, Ben Bishop, and Luis Antonio Delgado

 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Battle Nexus, #2 by Paul Allor, Ben Bishop, and Luis Antonio Delgado-32 pages

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Synopsis: Stranded in the Battle Nexus dimension by a twisted villain bent on annihilating every Ninja Turtle in the multiverse, the TMNT are forced to fight some of the greatest warriors of all time. In the first official bout, Ninja Turtle leader Leonardo is matched up with the TMNT’s greatest enemy, the Shredder! But our Leo is surprised to discover this is not the Oroku Saki he knows so well, but someone entirely different…someone much more deadly…someone who hates him with a fire he’s never felt before. Prepare yourself for the return of the most iconic and fearsome villain in Turtles Eastman & Laird’s original Shredder!

Thoughts: I enjoyed reading this. I decided to get back into comics a bit. I saw this on the shelf at the comics store and thought it looked cool. I liked Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as a kid. This is a fun, short read.