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

 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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

⭐⭐⭐⭐

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

⭐⭐⭐⭐

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. 

The Promised Neverland, Volume 1

The Promised Neverland, Volume 1 - 189 pages

Kaiu Shirai, Posuka Demizu (Illustrator)

Summary (From Goodreads)

Life at Grace Field House has been good for Emma and her fellow orphans. While the daily studying and exams they have to take are tough, their loving caretaker provides them with delicious foods and plenty of playtime. But perhaps not everything is as it seems…

Emma, Norman and Ray are the brightest kids at the Grace Field House orphanage. And under the care of the woman they refer to as “Mom,” all the kids have enjoyed a comfortable life. Good food, clean clothes and the perfect environment to learn—what more could an orphan ask for? One day, though, Emma and Norman uncover the dark truth of the outside world they are forbidden from seeing.

Review

I'm a fan of the Poppy Playtime video game series, so it didn't come as too big a surprise that the orphans were actually being used for something dark.  The implications this revelation has on the world building are truly staggering on a fridge horror level.  This one definitely left me with a lot of questions!  

Bone, Volume 6: Old Man's Cave by Jeff Smith

Bone, Volume 6: Old Man's Cave by Jeff Smith

Bone, 128 pages

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

As war spreads through the Valley and the rat creatures mount a vicious offense, Gran'ma, Lucius, Phoney Bone and the villagers join the Veni Yan warriors and set up base camp at Old Man's Cave to make a final stand against the Rat Creature army. Will Fone Bone be able to hold the alliance together? Will the rat creatures finally take over the valley and unleash the power of the Lord of the Locusts?

Ghost of a Potion by Heather Blake

Ghost of a Potion by Heather Blake, 323 pages

From the MARC: "...it's Halloween in Hitching Post, Alabama, and potion shop owner Carly Bell Hartwell has an especially spooky customer to handle... With all the ghosts that haunt her at this time of year, Carly doesn't exactly rush to celebrate Halloween. Even a costume ball organized by her boyfriend Dylan's mother, Patricia Davis Jackson, holds little allure. But to please Dylan, who wants peace between the two women, Carly reluctantly agrees to go. Gossip around town is that architect Haywood Dodd plans to make a big announcement at the party. But before he can address the crowd, he's found dead with Patricia standing over him, holding the murder weapon. Anxious to clear Patricia's name and perhaps broker a truce with her, Carly would love to use her snooping skills to find the real killer. Only she has bigger problems to deal with-ghosts are flocking to her for help, including a very persistent Haywood Dodd..."

This third installment of the Magic Potion Mysteries might be my favorite. Blake's approach to ghosts felt novel, the mystery was well woven, and the Dylan reveal was actually surprising. I sincerely wish Blake hadn't abandonded this mystery series, because while this book doesn't end on a cliffhanger, it does end in a way that tantalizes me with what-could-happen.