My first mistake was ever agreeing to do anything anyone asked me to. As long-time ComicsAlliance readers are probably already aware, I don't like the Transformers. There's no particular reason for it, it just never got its hooks into me when I was a kid like GI Joe did, and since my only real exposure to the franchise was when our former editor sent me to review the third Michael Bay movie, there hasn't been much to make me like it. And yet, whenever I bring that up, tons of people tell me that I need to read IDW's Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye, because, according to them, it's actually one of the best comics going.

So finally, just to get 'em off my back I said "sure, I'll pick 'em up if they're ever in a Humble Bundle sale or something," which I assumed was a devious ruse. After all, there was a Transformers bundle less than a year ago, so surely there wouldn't be another one anytime soon.

That was last week. And now I have to read all these Transformers comics.

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Welcome back to the ComicsAlliance post-show analysis for Agents of SHIELD, the spy show set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This is where we break down each episode using our unique S.H.L.E.I.D. recap system --- recapping the show, looking at highlights and lowlights, and exploring the show's relationship to both the comics and the wider Marvel movie world.

In this week's episode, Raina and Skye try to come to terms with their inhuman transformations, Coulson tries to take down HYDRA, and everyone loves dead Tripp. 'Aftershocks' was directed by Billy Gierhart and written by showrunners Maurissa Tancharoen and Jed Whedon.

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The seventh issue of Grant Morrison's Multiversity, Mastermen, chronicles the story of Earth-10 (the pre-Crisis Earth-X), a world where the Nazis conquered America and won World War II and the Endless Reich is ruled by Overman, who's built a utopia on Hitler's massacres and doesn't feel very good about that fact.

We first met this version of the character in Final Crisis: Superman Beyond, when he was one of the Supermen on the Ultima Thule who traveled with Superman, Ultraman, Earth-5's Captain Marvel and the rest of the gang to try to stop Mandrakk/Dax Novu from destroying the multiverse, and all of the Monitors.

This issue is drawn by DC co-publisher Jim Lee, with inks by Scott Williams (and an assisting crew), and colors by Alex Sinclair (with assistance from Jeromy Cox).

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The new Avengers: Age of Ultron trailer has arrived. Let me write some words about it that you're not really going to read, because why would you read me talking about the trailer when you can just watch the trailer? I have no illusions about this. It's OK, go on. Watch the trailer. Maybe later we can talk about how it made you feel.

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I'm going to be totally, 100% real with you for a second here, people: I have read a lot of comic books about the Joker. I mean, that's kind of inevitable when you dedicate yourself to becoming the World's Foremost Batmanologist, but still, it's a pretty large number of comics, which is why I took special note of the Joker-themed sale that Comixology has running right now.

I mean, as easy as it might be to grab the most famous Joker stories, there are a lot of buried treasures in there too. So with that in mind, here's my guide to a handful of Joker stories that you might have missed. Even if you're reading this in some dim and distant future (after the sale ends on March 9), they're still worth digging up in back issue bins!

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Captain America: The Winter Soldier directing duo Joe and Anthony Russo have established themselves quite nicely over at Marvel Studios—not only are they directing Captain America: Civil War, but it’s been all-but-confirmed that the pair will helm both parts of Avengers: Infinity War. In a curious bit of news regarding the Russos today, the brothers have just signed a deal with Sony following an agreement between the studio and Marvel over the rights to Spider-Man. Curious indeed.

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You can’t keep a good Teen Titan down. On the screen, on the page, in and out of feathered disco unitards --- the public gobbles them up and asks for more. DC’s Convergence event will unite classic Titans writer Marv Wolfman with artists Nicola Scott and Marc Deering for a trip back to the 1980s in Convergence: New Teen Titans, a tale which promises to pit the adolescent do-gooders against the Tangent Universe’s Doom Patrol.

Will Robotman and Cyborg square off in a battle for riveted supremacy? Will Beast Boy’s history with the Patrol find him trapped between his past and present? Will Starfire’s legendary ultra-perm emerge from the chaos unscathed? With these issues in mind, ComicsAlliance sat down with the creative team to discuss the Titans’ various eras, their enduring appeal, and what the future holds for the classic super team.

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Costume design is one of the great strengths of the superhero genre, a way to establish distinctive visual shorthand for a character and reveal key details about concept, purpose, and personality. But which is the best superhero costume of all time? This month, we’re asking you to decide, by voting up your favorites and voting down the rest. When we have your votes, we’ll compile a list of the greatest super-costumes of all time.

For day three, it's the magic hour; five of the finest, flashiest, most flamboyant witch-and-wizard costumes in the business, ranging from the Gothic Lolita look of Runaways' Nico Minoru to the fishnet-and-top hat classic stage magician (with fishnets) look of Zatanna --- and not forgetting the weird robes and curlicued collar of Doctor Stephen Strange himself.

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The question most often asked of the ComicsAlliance staff is a variation of, "Which comic books should I be reading?" or, "I'm new to comics, what's a good place to start?" The Wednesday deluge of new comic books, graphic novels and collected editions can be daunting even for the longtime reader, much less for those totally unfamiliar with creators, characters and publishers, and the dark mysteries of comic book shopping like variants, pre-ordering, and formats.

It's with these challenges in mind that we've created Best Comic Books Ever (This Week), an ongoing guide curated by the ComicsAlliance staff. This is where new comics readers and seasoned Wednesday shoppers alike can find our picks of the best books the medium has to offer.

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If you've been wondering why I've been a little more excited lately, why bird songs are a little sweeter or why food tastes a little better, it's because the latest storyline of DC's digital-first Batman '66 comic has involved Batman and Batgirl heading to Japan to take on Lord Death Man.

Jeff Parker, Sandy Jarrell and Jordie Bellaire have done a pretty amazing job creating story that I wish would've happened on television, but giving it the unlimited budget for stuff like a new Japanese Batmobile and an army of ninjas, and it's pretty great. To get some insight into just how it all happened, I spoke to Parker for his thoughts on bringing in other period-specific villains, why Lord Death Man is so much more exciting than his original American counterpart, and ideas for other non-Gotham location that could use a visit from the Caped Crusaders!

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