After years of procrastination, we've launched the official Comic Book Couples Counseling newsletter.
Our Psychic Rapport is the new FREE monthly Comic Book Couples Counseling newsletter. Below, you'll find a preview of the first issue, but if you want the unedited post to arrive in your email, CLICK HERE and hit the "Join for Free" button.
"Read every day and learn from what you read." - Octavia E. Butler
Hello, Lovebirds! Welcome to the first Comic Book Couples Counseling newsletter, Our Psychic Rapport. Podcast listeners or longtime X-Men readers should get the reference. It's the psychic link between Scott Summers and Jean Grey, the first couple we counseled on the show five years ago. We strive for such a connection between us (Brad and Lisa), but we're still determining if we'll ever achieve it or even want to achieve it, as it's been as much a burden for the X-Couple as it has been a benefit.
So, we may be TBD on that, but we're not TBD on the connection we want to have with you, the reader. Our hope is this newsletter can be a place where we can gather once a month (possibly weekly in the future, we shall see) and consider what's going on in this industry we all love so much.
We've spent months contemplating where to launch Our Psychic Rapport. Substack seemed like a sure thing for a while, but it's got its problems. Mailchimp was a possibility. However, we already have our lovely Patreon feed, full of bonus episodes, videos, and art, not to mention the Lovebird community that's already here, our Patrons who make this post, and so much of Comic Book Couples Counseling possible.
After a lot of handwringing, putting the newsletter anywhere else seemed silly. And, yeah, we're aware that Patreon has its issues, too, but until a better option presents itself, here's where you can find future entries of Our Psychic Rapport, so please subscribe and let your friends know what we're cooking here.
The Best Comic of 2024 (So Far)
We loved 2023. Every week, a comic would drop in shops, and our hearts would swell. The problem came in October when we started assembling our Best Of picks for our Stampies episodes. We did a pisspoor job cataloging our favorite comics during the year, and we're still worried we missed worthy contenders due to negligent preparation on our part.
That's not going to happen in 2024. We've created a new shelf in our apartment. When we read a rad comic in 2024, it goes on the shelf. Also, we log it in a super secret Google doc. And we're happy to report that we already have several books on the shelf and in the document.
This month, we got a bevy of beautiful number ones. Ultimate Spider-Man! When we asked our social media followers if 2024 has already produced a Great Comic Book, the resounding answer was yes, and the cumulative selection was Jonathan Hickman and Marco Checchetoo's new spin on the old, new USM idea. Hard to argue with them.
We'd also celebrate Cobra Commander #1 by Joshua Williamson and Andrea Milana, Pine and Merrimac #1by Kyle Starksand Fran Galán, and John Constantine, Hellblazer: Dead in America #1 by Si Spurrier and Aaron Campbell.
However, those stories are just taking off, and January has actually produced several original graphic novels offering satisfying, artistic expressions in totality. We're not ready to give up the serialized format, we love it too damn much, but there's no denying the gratification found in one singular and sumptuous book...
To read the rest and learn what comic we've named The Best Comic of 2024, CLICK HERE, and smash the "Join for Free" button. Going forward, the free Newsletter will arrive in your mailbox.