Some weeks are packed with books you’ve been anticipating for months. Others are full of surprises, like when the series you picked up on a whim that ends up becoming your favorite read. This week’s episode of Panel Chewing had a little bit of both.

Jarrod and I sat down to discuss another stack of comics spanning superheroes, crime fiction, creator owned, and classic sword-and-sorcery before diving back into one of the greatest manga ever created.

This Week’s Comic Reviews

This week’s reviews include:

• Absolute Martian Manhunter #12
• Absolute Superman #20
• The Hab #3
• Powers 25 #10
• Odin #2
• Ezra Cain: Mysteries of the Peril Brutal Dark #5
• American Caper #8
• The Punisher #6
• Savage Sword of Conan Reforged #5
• Killer Influences #1

As always, we break down what worked, what didn’t quite land, and reveal our individual Picks of the Week.

Lone Wolf and Cub Continues to Impress

In the second half of the episode, we continue our community read of Lone Wolf and Cub, this time discussing Volume 7.

While earlier volumes established Ogami Itto’s reputation as an unstoppable assassin, this volume shifts some of the spotlight toward Daigoro. Rather than observing the world around him, he begins making decisions of his own, revealing an emerging sense of honor, loyalty, and personal conviction.

We also discuss:

• How Ogami’s growing reputation becomes a weapon in itself.
• The balance between episodic storytelling and the larger narrative.
• Why the series’ short, decisive action scenes remain so effective.
• The incredible artwork of Goseki Kojima and its ability to create emotion with very little dialogue.
• The fascinating historical details woven into each story.

Read Along With Us

Our Lone Wolf and Cub readalong is completely free to join.

If your local library supports Libby or Hoopla, you can borrow the series with nothing more than a library card and follow along each week. Our next discussion covers Volume 8, so there’s still plenty of time to jump in.

Thanks for reading, thanks for listening, and we hope you find your Pick of the Week!