Something happened on this week’s Panel Chewing that almost never happens: Jarrod and I actually chose the same Pick of the Week.

Before we get there, though, we’re talking about all those #1 issues showing up on comic shelves. Are readers genuinely more willing to try a #1, or have publishers figured out that restarting the numbering sells more comics?

We also make the case for more comics launching as limited series, giving stories a chance to reach a proper conclusion while allowing successful titles to earn longer runs.

This Week’s Comics

Our stack includes American Caper, Powers 25, Denver, Conan the Barbarian, Battle Beast, Black Star, Regicide, Batman: Bad Seeds, Terabytes, and Black Tower: The Raven Conspiracy.

There are some great reads, some disappointments, and one comic unfortunate enough to earn the dreaded trombone.

Then we reach our Picks of the Week, and discover we’ve both chosen the same book. That’s rare enough around here that you’ll have to listen to hear what managed to win both of us over.

Halfway Through Lone Wolf and Cub

We finish with Lone Wolf and Cub Volume 14: Day of the Demons, which officially puts us halfway through the 28-volume journey.

This time, some of the most memorable moments belong to the ordinary people Ogami and Daigoro encounter along the way. We discuss duty, honor, class, the lives of women and peasants in Edo-period Japan, and why Daigoro’s compassion continues to survive despite the brutal world surrounding him.

Join us for another week of good comics, bad comics, a very rare agreement, and another trip down the assassin’s road.