Last week was exciting for comic book fans. It kicked off with the Avengers: Doomsday trailer and ended with Ryan Reynolds dressed as "Jeanpool" at the San Diego Comic Con.

Now, it's back to the ol' grind. But with a new week comes a new FOC list.

This week's Final Order Cutoff is another one where I'm saying "skip it" a lot more than "ship it."

For example, Marvel is giving us Aliens vs. X-Men, a crossover that's being promoted as something "decades in the making."

Honestly...it probably should have happened decades ago.

Back in the '90s? Sure. That would've felt like an event.

Today, it feels more like, "Hey, Marvel owns the Alien license now. What intellectual property haven't we thrown Xenomorphs at yet?"

Maybe it'll surprise me, but right now I keep picturing Wolverine on water skis jumping a metaphorical shark…again.

Now, on to the books I'm actually excited about...

Forever Home #1

Top Pick: Cover A

I recently wrote a full article about Forever Home #1, so I'll keep this one brief.

This is one of the most intriguing horror comics I've seen announced all year.

The premise immediately grabbed me.

Billionaire scientist Henry D'mour has the knowledge to help save humanity from a dying planet...

...but instead chooses to save only his own family.

As Earth's climate collapses, Henry builds the Forever Home, a luxurious, self-sustaining fortress designed to survive the apocalypse. Inside, time moves differently. Every twenty minutes inside equals one year in the outside world.

Sounds like the perfect plan...

...until something from the outside finally finds a way in.

I love high-concept science fiction, and mixing it with horror is even better. Add in the mystery of what the world has become after centuries have passed outside the walls, and I'm completely sold.

This is a six-issue sci-fi horror series, and it's easily my most anticipated book on this week's list.

📖 Read Pick

Hellraiser: Resurrections – The Onanistic Ritual #1

Top Pick: Cover A

Here we go again.

Last week I picked Hellraiser: Resurrections – New Wounds #1 as my Pick of the Week, and this week we're getting the second chapter in BOOM! Studios' five-part Hellraiser: Resurrections event.

Each issue is a standalone one-shot, but together they'll build toward the launch of the new ongoing Hellraiser series later this year.

This time the spotlight falls on The Chatterer, one of the franchise's most recognizable Cenobites.

The story follows a young man obsessed with "looksmaxxing" and becoming the ultimate alpha male. After discovering what appears to be an old snuff film showing The Chatterer's creation, he attempts to summon the Cenobite to punish the people he believes have wronged him.

Because, as horror movies have taught us countless times, making deals with creatures from Hell has always worked out wonderfully.

If Hellraiser: Resurrections lives up to the promise of relaunching the Hellraiser universe, this should be another solid entry.

📖 Read Pick

Folk of Dooney Hollow #1

Top Pick: Cover D

This is another book that immediately caught my attention.

It's written by Jeremy Haun, creator of The Red Mother, Murder Podcast, and host of the Curious Haunts podcast, so horror fans already know he's in familiar territory.

The story takes readers deep into the Ozark Mountains, where the isolated village of Dooney Hollow has remained hidden from the outside world for more than a century.

Most people believe it's just another campfire legend.

The people who discover it's real...

...never come back.

Graduate student Kerri travels to the Ozarks to research local folklore but ends up finding something much more terrifying than old stories. Hidden ceremonial grounds, ancient monsters, and a town trapped by whatever lurks in the surrounding woods.

That's exactly the kind of folk horror premise I enjoy.

It's a five-issue miniseries, and while I'm cautiously optimistic, I think it has the potential to be a fun horror read.

There are four covers available:

• Cover A – Jeremy Haun
  
• Cover B – Alex Lins
  
• Cover C (1:10) – Ebrahel Lurci
  
• Cover D – Jae Lee & June Chung
  

My pick is Cover D.

Jae Lee and June Chung have produced some incredible covers over the years, including memorable work on Something is Killing the Children and Shadecraft. Their moody, atmospheric style feels like a perfect fit for a creepy horror series like this.

📖 Read Pick 🎨 Cover Pick

Marvel Mangaverse: Web of Blood #1

Top Pick: Cover B

This one surprised me.

I'm not usually rushing to recommend Marvel's endless stream of #1s these days, but Marvel Mangaverse: Web of Blood actually looks like it could be a lot of fun.

The story teams up Miles Morales, Laura Kinney, and Magik in a version of the Marvel Universe where technology has failed and magic has taken over.

That alone is enough to separate it from Marvel's usual superhero formula.

The setup reminds me a little of a giant What If...? story. It's familiar enough to recognize the characters but different enough that anything can happen.

Sometimes it's nice to step outside regular continuity and just tell a fun story.

My cover choice is Cover B by Peach Momoko.

I haven't seen the final artwork yet, but Peach Momoko rarely disappoints. Her manga-inspired style has become one of Marvel's most recognizable cover aesthetics, so I'm comfortable picking it sight unseen.

📖 Read Pick

🏆 Wrath's FOC Pick of the Week

If I could only preorder one comic from this week's Final Order Cutoff, it would be:

Forever Home #1 – Cover A

High-concept science fiction.

Post-apocalyptic horror.

A mystery spanning centuries.

A family trapped inside what was supposed to be the safest place on Earth.

That's exactly the kind of premise that gets my attention.

If you're a fan of sci-fi horror, slow-burn mysteries, or stories that make you ask, "What happened while they were locked inside?" then this is one I wouldn't want to miss.

This Week at a Glance

💰 Spec Picks: 0

📖 Read Picks: 4

🎨 Cover Picks: 1

🏆 Pick of the Week: Forever Home #1 – Cover A

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