Ten Cent Takes

Issue 123: Within Our Reach

This week we're unwrapping Within Our Reach, the early ’90s holiday benefit anthology. Created to raise funds for Sempervirens and amfAR, the book features a mix of superheroes and social causes into one seasonal package. Festive, earnest, and unexpectedly weird in turns, it’s a holiday special worth reading.

Dollar Bin Discoveries: Long Underwear Edition

’Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the bins,Not a hero was stirring without long undies underneath.
This week’s Dollar Bin Discovery celebrates Long Underwear, so Jessika is checking out Herbie #1 from Dark Horse, while Mike read Glory & Friends Christmas Special. 

Issue 122: Hercules- Prince of Power

Today we’re going (back) to the future with Hercules: Prince of Power vol. 2. Will we get lost without the context of the prequel? Will Marvel’s biggest himbo in space win us over? Is Skyppi the Skrull a trans allegory? Tune in to find out!

Dollar Bin Discoveries: Sci-Fi Crime Edition

This week, we're blasting off into Sci-Fi Crime, where the future is shady and everyone's moral compass is a bit off.
Mike checked out the preview issue of Crimson Skies, a pulpy mix of air pirates and alternate history, while Jessika dove into the wonderfully chaotic Aristocratic X-Traterrestrial Time-Traveling Thieves #1. It’s heists, hijinks, and high-concept nonsense. 

Issue 121: Comics and the AIDS Crisis

Our latest deep dive tackles how comics confronted (and often struggled to confront) the AIDS epidemic throughout the 1980s and 90s. There's everything from groundbreaking moments of compassion to outrageously offensive books. We check out what the medium got right, what it got very wrong, and why these stories still matter. 

Dollar Bin Discoveries: Native American Edition

This week’s Dollar Bin Discovery theme honors Native American Heritage Month with a look at comics with Native characters across the decades.
Mike read Avengers #682, where a legacy hero gets swept into a cosmic crisis, while Jessika explored the trippy, time-bending world of Timespirits #1.

Issue 120: Dan Dare (2007)

This week we're diving into Garth Ennis’s 2007 Dan Dare series. It's a grim, yet surprisingly heartfelt reboot of a character better known for stiff-upper-lip sci-fi adventures.

Dollar Bin Discoveries: Elderly Icons Edition

This week on Dollar Bin Discoveries, we’re celebrating comics’ Elderly Icons... because heroes don’t retire, they just get grumpier. Mike visits a superpowered retirement community in Welcome to Tranquility #1, while Jessika rides into battle with Crone #1. 

Dollar Bin Discoveries: Pumpkin Spice Edition

This week’s #DollarBinDiscovery is serving up some Pumpkin Spice chaos! Jessika conjures up Curse Words #3, while Mike brews trouble with Wolverine & The X-Men #3. The perfect blend of magic, mutants, and cozy autumn vibes.

Issue 119: Tron

Greetings programs! We're downloading into The Grid and checking out Tron: Ghost in the Machine! A comic sequel to a video game that Disney would rather we forget. It tried to keep the Grid alive before the next reboot came along and derezzed it from canon.