Written by Guest Contributor: Jordan North Holy mangos has it been a week!

I write this from my new apartment on campus, it’s a scary place, not the building itself but scary because of what it represents. It means I am miles away from my home and home town in a place that I am not too familiar with. It means it’s time to start some projects that will go on to mean a lot, a lot are riding on them, and the time to work magic is now. It’s time to start meeting people again and be serious again and be silly again and really everything is all just very new. It’s daunting, but also I haven’t felt so alive in a while.

It’ll be an exciting run. And I’m not really alone, no. I have friends around sure but really what is giving me the most comfort are the contents of my room itself. Behind my laptop sits a massive poster of the characters of the Marvel universe. Cap and Iron man and Red Batman, an action figure of Donatello sits on my dresser; a bust of Venom and “V” from V for Vendetta on my end-table. These are the familiar faces. These characters, their stories, and the memories that they hold. What’s ahead looms large and fierce and with so much potential and, despite the enormity of the year ahead of me, they remind me that we all have the power to channel our inner super when we need to, and do great things.

However, it can’t be all the toys that I’m embarrassingly old to have that do it for me-no, I’m stressed as all hell, I need STORIES! Here’s what they are this week:

Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #26

I know it, the web knows it... Miles Morales is one of the greatest new characters to be introduced to Marvel or any big two stuff for that matter in the past few years. How a character that caused so much controversy in the start made the journey to become who people are now saying is the Spider-Man is just as much a testament to the wonderful character of Miles as it is the writing of Brian Michael Bendis. Plus I have a natural bias towards a coffee-colored hero (LOLZ)

FF #11

FF is a great f$#%ing time. The humor, the candidness, the goofiness of the team and the focus on small human moments make it one of the most outstanding books on the stand. In an era where fun in comics is the most sought after (and hardest to find) of accolades, Matt Fraction`s FF stands out. This man is the Joss Whedon of comic books. All great times and great characterization, and Mike Allred`s art transports us back to a candy-colored Golden-era with his art. Pretty damn pretty and pretty damn fun.

Young Avengers #9

A newer title for me that I started picking up due to so much buzz Young Avengers is having a great run right now. A fun and brilliant team title dealing with the misgivings of youth and the stress that would occur when that turbulent time was stretched over the task of saving the world. Plus Jamie McKelvie draws like he was born doing it. Plus, Kid Loki. F#$%ing Kid Loki.

Regular Show #3

Sometimes I just want to stop thinking and read something light and dumb and about bipedal birds. Regular Show, both on television and in comic form, gives me that fix.

TMNT #25

TMNT is the best we’ve seen The Turtles in a long time. Maybe because this book features The Turtle’s stories as we always knew they should be, not pulling any punches. It can be brutal, funny and it’s always a blast. Kevin Eastman and Tom Waltz are telling the Ninja Turtles stories we always felt like they couldn’t tell on TV for being too weird and not family friendly enough. The style fits like a glove. The Turtles have never felt more like The Turtles.

-

So that’s it. Better, but I’m still stressed! And itching for next week like a junkie vying for his next fix. I have little doubt that next week`s slew of great material will fail to deliver. It’s a great time to be a comics fan. Well, I’m off again into the wild. Time to go out and build some castles. Wish me luck! Until next time, lataz.