When do you say enough is enough? When does too much of a good thing become just… too much?
Superhero comics will go on forever. One of the few constants in life is that Peter Parker will get together with Mary Jane, break up with Mary Jane, get back together with Mary Jane, and then break up again. And you know as well as I do that you'll show up for it anyway, so let's not pretend otherwise!
But what gets lost in all that? Growth. Development. Evolution. The stuff that actually matters.
Which in short is the theme of this week's newsletter: stories that actually know where they're going (or spoiler alert: don’t!). Runs that keep you hooked even when they could've ended earlier—because they have direction and they give us stories that don’t just spin the same cycles over and over again.
Ultimate X-Men Omnibus Vol. 4
Look, I'm not going to pretend the X-Men's outings in the original Ultimate Universe went down without their missteps and controversies. From quite a few questionable character choices to the shambolic disaster that was the Ultimatum event, they had a rough time and never quite escaped the shadow of Bendis' Ultimate Spider-Man run.
But that's where Ultimate X-Men Omnibus Vol. 4 comes in. Don't be confused by the numbering—yes, it's the fourth and final volume of the series, but the stories inside were actually a fresh restart.
As Hickman was reviving the Ultimates and delivering one of the most important Marvel storylines of the past 20 years, introducing the Maker, the X-Men were handed to Nick Spencer, Brian Wood, and Cullen Bunn to carve out their new place in this post-Ultimatum universe. But since most of the X-Men died in Ultimatum, many fans asked: Where do you even go with this?
The answer? Go in the complete opposite direction! Out with the early 2000s edginess, in with heartfelt, sincere stories following the young members of this newly formed X-Men team.
Like Wolverine’s son Jimmy Hudson, for example. He’s even one of the few to make the jump from the Ultimate Universe to the main 616 universe right alongside Miles Morales. The only difference? Unlike Miles, Jimmy hasn’t really shown up much since (This omni will show you why that’s a real shame!)
Rick And Morty 10th Anniversary Omnibus Vol 04
Rick and Morty premiered on Adult Swim in 2013 and quickly established itself as one of the biggest animated series of the 21st century. Watching the show grow and evolve has been a thrill, and it rarely feels stagnant or repetitive. It sticks to its own rules but always finds new ways to surprise.
Much like the long-running Simpsons comic series, these comic stories capture the unique spirit of the show. They’re not essential to the main storyline, but they make a perfect addition to the world and its characters. Honestly, it’s the ideal read for those times when you’re waiting for a new season and just craving more of Rick and Morty.
Issue #100 alone makes this oversized hardcover worth picking up. It’s the usual Rick and Morty non-sense (complimentary!), and the story takes full advantage of what comics can do. This is the kind of story you just can’t get anywhere else; it’s made for this medium. The comic doesn’t try to follow TV rules; it lets the format of comics lead.
Stranger Things And Dungeons & Dragons Library Edition
The Duffer Brothers, creators of Stranger Things, knew when to call it a day. Arguably, Netflix’s most successful series was never going to run forever, and it wrapped up this year after a fifth season. Did they pull off the ending, though? Depends on who you ask, and the internet has a lot of opinions! Maybe the clearest sign of the mixed reception is the fan theory about a secret extra episode that’s supposed to “fix” everything.
Big TV shows often get overwhelmed by their own success. Sometimes all that attention and expectation make them lose sight of the story they set out to tell, putting audience demands ahead of creative vision. Suddenly, the memes and TikToks are more exciting than the story itself. Netflix, for better or worse, has practically made an art of this in recent years.
So, what does that have to do with what I’m supposed to talk about here? Well, the Stranger Things and Dungeons & Dragons Library Edition isn’t just something to distract you from the show’s polarizing finale, it might actually remind you of what made the series so great in the first place.
You get to spend time with the original group—Mike, Lucas, Will, and Dustin—and follow them on adventures they had before the series even started. Back then, in their Dungeons & Dragons games, the supernatural was just part of their imagination! This hardcover is a great entry point into the lives of these inseparable friends.
The stories in this collection are a great example of how to keep a world growing without it ever feeling non-essential or unnecessary.
All Books on FOC…
...can be found here! Wednesday is the official deadline for low pre-order prices (but we never change prices before Friday... shhhh it's a secret!)
See you,
Tomás