DARK HORSE COMICS
ALABASTER: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE BIRD #3 (of 5)
Writer: CAITLÍN R. KIERNAN
Art: DANIEL WARREN JOHNSON
Colors: CARLOS BADILLA
Cover: GREG RUTH
FC, 32 pages, $3.99, Miniseries
Dancy Flammarion was content to spend eternity in the nothingness of hell, but when a twisted pair of incestuous bounty hunters initiates a dark ritual, she finds herself unceremoniously cast from the afterlife into the deadly waters of the bayou! Now, new dangers are stalking Dancy, some of whom wear familiar faces ...
“Dancy is a compelling mix of down-home earnestness, savage ferocity, and sullen misery.”—Crave Online
“The script is raw and powerful, the characters are dynamic, with brilliant artwork to tie it all together.”—Bloody Disgusting
This is the third issue of a five-issue miniseries, and I still can't decide if I like it or not. For one thing, things don't happen very quickly (and there's not much time left). I'll call it "uneven" and move on.
ARCHIE ARCHIVES VOL 12 (HC)
Art: BILL VIGODA, BOB MONTANA, RAY GILL
FC, 240 pages, $59.99, HC, 7" x 10"
If there’s trouble, Archie’s usually in the middle of it! Adventure abounds for Archie, gal pals Betty and Veronica, and the voracious Jughead. These lovingly restored tales of high-school romance, malt-shop gatherings, pranks gone horribly wrong, close shaves, and terminally annoyed teachers are sure to delight readers of all ages! Collecting every Archie appearance from Archie Comics #37–39, Pep Comics #73–75, and Laugh Comics #32–34.
Foreword by Mark Waid writer of the new Archie series!
DC began its Archives series around 25 years ago, but Action, Batman, Detective, Superman and Wonder Woman Archives have yet to cover the decade I'm most interested in, because I know the least about it: the 1950s. But here are the Archie Archives, only four years old, polishing off 1949. Next up: the 1950s! Plus, I'm really interested in the Waid foreword. I've discovered he knows a thing or two about Riverdale.
THE ELTINGVILLE CLUB (HC)
Writer/Art/Cover: EVAN DORKIN
FC, 144 pages, $19.99, HC, 8" x 11"
Take-no-prisoners trivia-offs. Pill-fueled Twilight Zone marathons. Fan interventions. Here is the ultimate word on the fugly side of fandom, collecting every Eltingville story from Dork, House of Fun, and The Eltingville Club #1–2, three of which won Eisner Awards for Best Short Story. Also features the Northwest Comix Collective alt-comics smackdown and an afterword about the 2002 Adult Swim animated pilot. Definitive, complete, and unashamed, this is fandom at its fan-dumbest, in the mighty Eltingville manner!
“One of the sharpest, harshest, most honest things you’ll read all year.”—Multiversity Comics
“Dorkin’s storytelling is strong on pacing and suspense.”—Comic Book Resources
There's another book out there about fans, whose name I don't remember (it's a trio; one of them always wears a Punisher shirt), and I always mix it up with this property. But I've never actually read this one. I read the preview for this, and it seems OK, although borderline fan fiction. What say you, Legionnaires?
GIGANTO MAXIA (TPB)
Writer/Art/Cover: KENTARO MIURA
B&W 232 pages, $13.99, TPB, 5" x 7"
FROM THE CREATOR OF BERSERK!
From Berserk creator Kentaro Miura comes Giganto Maxia, a science-fiction/fantasy manga of titanic proportions! One hundred million years in the future, the Empire of Olympus uses colossal mutant beasts to crush its adversaries. Only the gladiator Delos, the mystic Prome, and the titan Gohra can hope to prevent genocide!
Miura’s Berserk is an international sensation, inspiring wildly popular TV and film anime.
I started to read this, and became confused very quickly, as if the pages were out of order. (I think they might have been on my digital review copy.) The art was very nice, though, reminiscent of Jay Gunn on Surface Tension.
HARROW COUNTY #9
Writer: CULLEN BUNN
Art: CARLA SPEED MCNEIL
Cover: TYLER CROOK
FC, 32 pages, $3.99, Ongoing
Emmy knows the Skinless Boy simply as her silent and grisly protector, but the mysteries of his life and afterlife run much deeper than the powerful young witch could ever know. Now, briefly reunited with his disembodied tattered skin, the Skinless Boy explores the secrets of his lost past.
Guest art Eisner-winning creator Carla Speed McNeil (Finder, No Mercy).
CREEEEEEEEPPPPYYYYYYYY!
OK, that's not much of a review. But it's true!
We get a guy who jumps off a train and creeps around in the woods in a not-quite-human way. He makes a harmonica out of a dead bird. He talks to the skinless boy without being a bit bothered by the, you know, lack-of-skin thing. He smiles too much, and not in a nice way. He knows things he shouldn't know. He takes the skinless boy to an old house and ...
AHHHHH! It's too creepyI I can't talk about it any more!
Honestly, Bunn and McNeil can raise goosebumps with a comic book. Somehow they make you feel like you're 8 years old sitting at a campfire hearing the creepiest story you've ever heard, that can't possibly true, but OMIGOD the call's coming from inside the house ... !
CREEEEEEEEPPPPYYYYYYYY!
KING’S ROAD #1 (OF 3)
Writer: PETER HOGAN
Art/Cover: PHIL WINSLADE, STAZ JOHNSON
Cover: DOUGLAS A. SIROIS
FC, 48 pages, $3.99, Miniseries
Double-sized debut spectacular!
Moving from the pages of comics’ greatest anthology, Dark Horse Presents, Peter Hogan (Resident Alien, Sandman Presents, The Dreaming) returns to fantasy to deliver a three-issue miniseries of King’s Road.
Artist Staz Johnson (Judge Dredd) and colorist Douglas Sirois (The 7th Sword) join Hogan to continue this tale of a family on the run from magical, other-dimensional monsters.
They were just your average suburban kids until a nightmare from their father’s hidden past came to hunt them down. Now they must fight the evil forces of the usurping witch Malicia for the right to rule a magical kingdom.
The series kicks off with a forty-eight-page special that includes all King’s Road chapters from Dark Horse Presents by Peter Hogan and Phil Winslade—and an additional issue’s worth of story drawn by the new King’s Road art team!
Value-priced double issue! 48 pages for $3.99!
“Clearly one of the best original creations to come out of Dark Horse in recent memory.”—Comics Bulletin
This story is such a cliche that one of the protagonists explains the premise that way to her children: "You know all those fantasy stories, where someone from Earth goes to another world, a world where magic is real? It's like that. We're going to a world like that."
So, yeah, there's little new here, storywise. A family on Earth is secretly a royal family in self-exile, who must go back to Gemworld wherever they came from when the king is assassinated and fight an evil witch with an army of Asgard's enemies, D&D monsters, fables trolls, giants, "fellbeasts" and the like. Thank God nobody has to throw a ring into a volcano, or go on a quest.
But the family (dad, mom, teen girl, pre-teen boy) are engaging enough, and the art is such a comprehensive swipe of Val Mayerik it might as well be him -- which is a plus. Overall I enjoyed the first issue, but I'm not all that excited about reading another issue, because of the deja vu -- I feel like I've read all this before, and know what's going to happen next. The book's going to have to veer from genre tropes and carve its own identity to become the movie franchise it seems to want to be.
LEAVING MEGALOPOLIS: SURVIVING MEGALOPOLIS #2 (OF 6)
Writer: GAIL SIMONE
Art/Cover: J. CALAFIORE
FC, 32 pages, $3.99, Miniseries
The survivors of a mysterious event in the world’s greatest city wish they were only being chased by the walking dead! Instead, the world’s greatest heroes have turned into violent, rage-filled killers, and staying alive is nearly impossible. An illegal rescue attempt into the center of the quarantined city goes terribly wrong, and the rescuers attract the attention of the supers in the worst way imaginable. Also, the question is answered—where are all the supervillains?
I love Gail Simone, so I'm a little disappointed that I'm still hobbled reading this series by its reliance on characters from the previous series that the current series doesn't explain. Since I missed the previous series, can someone please tell me who all these people are, and why they're doing the things they're doing? Thank you.
WILL EISNER’S THE SPIRIT: THE NEW ADVENTURES (HC, SECOND EDITION)
Writer/Art: Various
FC, 240 pages, $24.99, HC, 6 5/8" x 10 3/16"
Alan Moore! Neil Gaiman!
In 1997, Will Eisner gave permission for a new series of Spirit stories to be commissioned, written and drawn by the most famous names in the comics industry. The call went out, and the response was nothing short of remarkable, with contributions from such creators as Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, Neil Gaiman, Paul Chadwick and Eddie Campbell.
Features a previously unpublished story by Gary Chaloner, as well as new Will Eisner sketches!
"... with contributions from such creators as Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, Neil Gaiman, Paul Chadwick and Eddie Campbell." Well? What are you waiting for?
DC COMICS
NEAL ADAMS VARIANT COVERS
This week's Neal Adams variant covers include Batman #49, Batman/Superman #29, Red Hood/Arsenal #9, Starfire #9 and Telos #5. Can you name the original covers on which they're modeled?
BATMAN: ARKHAM KNIGHT—BATGIRL/HARLEY QUINN #1
Written by TIM SEELEY
Art by MATTHEW CLARK, WADE VON GRAWBADGER and SEAN PARSONS
Cover by MATTHEW CLARK
One-shot • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T • DIGITAL FIRST
Check out two never-before-told stories of the Arkham-verse in this new one-shot featuring the origin of Batgirl and an early adventure of Harley Quinn!
Evidently Batgirl has a different origin in this video game. That's OK -- she's got two or three in the comics. But one wonders how Harley Quinn plays into it. Do any Legionnaires play Arkham Knight, or read the various comics based on it? I've got sufficient versions of Batman to keep track of as is, but I admit to some curiosity.
BATMAN: HARLEY AND IVY DELUXE EDITION (HC)
Written by PAUL DINI, RONNIE DEL CARMEN and TY TEMPLETON
Art by BRUCE TIMM, SHANE GLINES, RICK BURCHETT, DAN DECARLO and STEPHANE ROUX
Cover by BRUCE TIMM
176 pg, FC, 7.0625” x 10.875”, $24.99 US
From Paul Dini and Bruce Timm, the masterminds behind the critically acclaimed Batman: The Animated Series, comes this early adventure of Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy, packed with hilarious hi-jinx and tons of action! Harley and Ivy want to take down the Batman once and for all, but first, Harley’s got to prove that she has what it takes to make it as a bona fide villain in Gotham City. This new hardcover also includes tales from BATMAN ADVENTURES HOLIDAY SPECIAL #1, BATMAN: GOTHAM KNIGHT #14, BATMAN AND ROBIN ADVENTURES #8, BATMAN ADVENTURES ANNUAL #1, BATMAN ADVENTURES #1 and BATMAN BLACK AND WHITE #3, all featuring Harley Quinn!
Anything involving Paul Dini and Bruce Timm is required reading, and this collection also tosses in Ty Templeton, Rick Burchett and Dan DeCarlo! So, yes, if you haven't read these stories already -- and even if you have -- you should probably buy this.
CONSTANTINE, THE HELLBLAZER VOL. 1: GOING DOWN (TPB)
Written by MING DOYLE and JAMES TYNION IV
Art by RILEY ROSSMO, VANESA DEL REY and CHRIS VISIONS
Cover by RILEY ROSSMO
160 pg, FC, $14.99 US
THE FIRST COLLECTION OF THE NEW DC SERIES IS HERE!
The dark adventures of DC’s foremost occult detective continue in issues #1-6 of his all-new series, plus the Sneak Peek story from CONVERGENCE: SHAZAM! #2, as he investigates the cruelest case he’s ever come across—his own dark history!
Someone is murdering ghosts, a supernatural crime so impossible to solve that John Constantine is forced to return to London and seek help from the one person he hates more than any other; a magician above reproach, a darling of London high society, and a friend to superheroes everywhere. She is Georgiana Snow … the HECKBLAZER!
I try to give new versions a fair shake, I really do, and I did with this one. It just didn't do it for me.
For one thing, the art is Batgirlized. I like that fine on Batgirl. On Constantine, it's a little out of place. He looks like a wide-eyed 14 year old, and he has a cowlick right in the front that makes him look like a Bazooka Joe character. (OK, it's probably supposed to be hair mousse. But A) it looks like a cowlick, and B) the great and powerful John Constantine wears hair mousse?
Second, and most important, I can't let go of the old character, who was done so well. The comment above is indicative -- the old Constantine wore the same trenchcoat so long it literally stunk up the place, paid no attention to personal hygiene and smoked like a chimney. This one is laundered and neat and wears mousse, and I can't accept that on a character who calls himself "John Constantine."
Maybe if the old Constantine had been badly done, I'd be eager for a new one. But he wasn't. For the bulk of the Hellblazer series we were given a nuanced character who walked a narrow line, and the various creators did it very well. It would be easy to hate that Constantine, but he was written so well we didn't. I really got to like that John Constantine -- well, not like, because he was a jerk, but appreciate.
This one, I dunno. Not so much. He's a little too much the straightforward hero. He's not jaded and cynical, just snarky. His motives aren't nearly murky enough for my taste. He's bland. And I just can't accept "bland" in a character who calls himself "John Constantine."
Oh, and this time they're making damn sure no one misses that he's bisexual, after all that fuss in the last incarnation when there was a throwaway line about it and then it seemed to get dropped and a bunch of people screamed bloody murder. This time, it's "let's hit the readers over the head with John fancying men." Which is OK, I guess -- except that the execution had me rolling my eyes.
Sure, I can see Constantine being bisexual. What I can't see is a character named "John Constantine" being coquettish and flirty to someone twice his size. That's just ... I dunno. Vulnerable. I just can't see the old Constantine being any more submissive to the men he bedded than the women, and he was a right bastard to most of the latter. But this one's batting his eyes at a man with big shoulders? Yech. That's not even attractive on women, much less a character who calls himself "John Constantine."
But if I've ever known any bisexual men I didn't know it (in my generation no one admitted it). So how do I know how they behave? Maybe this is SOP, and it just looks labored and unconvincing to an old guy who doesn't know any better. This book, like all comics, is aimed at people younger than me, and today's under-30 crowd is much more familiar with LGBTQ behavior, so this may ring true to them. And they probably never read the old Constantine, so they've nothing to compare this guy to. So maybe this reads right to them. And if that's case, then -- honestly -- I wish them well.
Me? Well, this just isn't my John Constantine. I tried to like this new one, but the old one -- a unique and historic character -- won't let go.
THE DARK AND BLOODY #1
Written by SHAWN ALDRIDGE
Art by SCOTT GODLEWSKI
Cover by TYLER CROOK
32 pg, FC, 1 of 6, $3.99 US • MATURE READERS
THE DARK AND BLOODY is a haunting new horror series by writer Shawn Aldridge (Vic Boone) and artist Scott Godlewski (Copperhead), with covers by Tyler Crook (Harrow County).
Guns, moonshine, monsters–there’s a lot going on in the backwoods of Kentucky. Iris Gentry is a war vet who returned from Iraq to find his options for feeding his family limited. Since they live in a “dry” county, Iris has turned to running moonshine for his former ranking officer–meaning the men now share crimes at home and abroad. You see, back in their combat days, Iris’ regiment got involved in something they shouldn’t have, and now a deadly, otherworldly consequence has come looking for vengeance.
"The inspiration came from my own childhood in Kentucky, local folklore like the Bell Witch, and Southern Gothic fiction," stated writer Shawn Aldridge. "I tried to distill what I loved and feared growing up in and around the woods into this story. Granted I never made moonshine or had to protect my family from a demon hellbent on my death, that I created for the story."
"'The Dark & Bloody' is right in my wheelhouse, artistically. It's exciting to be working in the horror genre again and I think readers will really dig what we're doing," mentions artist Scott Godlewski.
You don't need monsters to make backwoods Kentucky scary for this city boy! So this should be double scary!
THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS (TPB NEW EDITION)
Written by FRANK MILLER
Art by FRANK MILLER and KLAUS JANSON
Cover by FRANK MILLER
224 pg, FC, $19.99 US
It’s the thirtieth anniversary of THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS, and now DC Comics presents this classic title in a newly redesigned edition! Ten years after an aging Batman retired, Gotham City has sunk deeper into decadence and lawlessness. Now, when his city needs him most, the Dark Knight returns in a blaze of glory. Joined by Carrie Kelly, a teenaged Robin, Batman takes to the streets to end the threat of the mutant gangs that have overrun the city. And after facing off against his two greatest enemies, the Joker and Two-Face, for the final time, Batman finds himself in mortal combat with his former ally, Superman. The original 4-issue miniseries is presented here in its entirety.
How many different copies of this series do I have at present? (Um, a lot.) I suppose somebody, somewhere doesn't have a copy, so here you go.
HARLEY’S LITTLE BLACK BOOK #2
Written by AMANDA CONNER and JIMMY PALMIOTTI
Art by JOHN TIMMS
Cover by AMANDA CONNER
1:25 Variant cover by JOHN TIMMS
48 pg, FC, $4.99 US • RATED T+
Guest-starring Green Lantern! Black and red are kind of Harley Quinn’s thing … so when the most unique power ring in the universe crosses her path, she has no choice but to put it on, right? Unfortunately for Harley—and everyone else—this hybrid ring is fueled by rage and death … and things are gonna get out of hand very quickly!
I have nothing new to say since the last issue, but I expect it to be popular, so here's a heads up.
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA: THE SILVER AGE VOL. 1 (TPB)
Written by GARDNER FOX
Art by MIKE SEKOWSKY and others
Cover by MIKE SEKOWSKY and MURPHY ANDERSON
328 pg, FC, $19.99 US
In stories from BRAVE AND THE BOLD #28-30, JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #1-18 and MYSTERY IN SPACE #75, the World’s Greatest Heroes stand against intergalactic, mystical, and super-powered rogues Starro, Despero, Kanjar Ro, Dr. Destiny, Amos Fortune and Felix Faust!
No matter how sophisticated comics get, Silver Age stuff still tugs at my inner kid. That's probably not true for everyone, who likely find early Justice League boring.
Maybe you had to be there.
THE LEGEND OF WONDER WOMAN #2
Written by RENAE DE LIZ
Art by RENAE DE LIZ and RAY DILLON
Cover by RENAE DE LIZ
40 pg, FC, 2 of 9, $3.99 US • RATED T • DIGITAL FIRST
As their training sessions grow more intense, Alcippe teaches Diana about life as well as battle while the island they both love continues its fall. When the festival of Anthesteria dawns, so too does the possibility of an Amazonian revolt against Queen Hippolyta!
I got a digital review copy of the first issue of this book, but for one reason or another was unable to review it in a timely manner. So I'll make a few comments here, even though I haven't read this issue.
Quality-wise, the first issue was excellent. The art was more on the cartoony side than older fans would probably like -- more Batgirl, less George Perez -- but it was clean and readable. The story was likewise professional and moved along at a rapid clip, introducing complications and drama and character bits in a well-oiled way.
If that sounds like I'm damning with faint praise, it's because I'm a bit stunned by some of the story choices made here. For one thing, De Liz drops the "daughter of Zeus" angle in favor of the "child made of clay and animated by the gods" origin, which I think is an enormous mistake. "Daughter of Zeus" elevates Diana to a demigod, on par with Hercules and Thor, able to tread the streets of Mt. Olympus and Asgard with authority. Conversely, the clay statue origin makes her, essentially, a Golem. I know which one I prefer for the most famous superheroine in the world.
De Liz also resurrects that weird idea that Amazons get pregnant with the souls of dead or unborn girls in some immaculate conception way that makes my gorge rise. It's sorta rape-y, sorta blasphemous (for Christians), sorta bizarre.
For another, De Liz drops the "Hippolyta raped by Hercules" foundation stone of the legend in favor of a brand new take on the story, that Hippolyta betrays the Amazons for a fling with Theseus! Jesus Harrison Christ, was a terrible idea! Worse, after this one-night stand results in most of the Amazons being killed and enslaved, they escape ... and welcome Lyta back as queen anyway. What th-?
There's more -- who's immortal, who's not and why will make your head hurt -- and that's just the first issue! I found myself hoping that this book would be quietly buried before the Wonder Woman movie. But gee, I wonder what collection will come out at just the right time?
Darn.
IDW PUBLISHING
INSUFFERABLE: ON THE ROAD #1
Writer: MARK WAID
Art/Cover: PETER KRAUSE
Suscription Variant: MITCH GERADS
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
On the trail of the murderer who bankrupted them, Galahad and Nocturnus are forced to travel overseas—where their connections and resources are of no use to them!
The first issue in the exciting second arc of Insufferable!
This title really did live up to its name. I never really got into it. But if you enjoyed it, here's a new series.
ONYX (TPB)
Writer: CHRIS RYALL
Art/Cover: GABRIEL RODRIGUEZ
TPB • FC • $17.99 • 112 pages
From deepest space comes the cyborg warrior Onyx… but has she come to Earth in its time of dire need to save it or to end it? A star-born knight for a new generation takes flight here!
"Onyx is what I want from science fiction; it hits all the right spots and brings a real depth to a future that we are seemingly close to." –WeTheNerdy.com
If you loved Rom, Spaceknight, here's the next best thing. (Seriously, it's deliberately modeled on Rom, Spaceknight.)
RENEE (TPB)
Writer/Art/Cover: LUDOVIC DEBEURME
TPB • BW • $29.95 • 464 pages
French graphic novelist Ludovic Debeurme returns with a devastating sequel to his prize-winning graphic novel Lucille. While Lucille moves back in with her overbearing mother and Arthur serves time in prison for murder, new character Renée becomes obsessed with a married jazz musician twice her age. Debeurme's haunting border-less panels follow these three lovers between dreams and reality, twining their stories together into a poignant and universal search for love.
Ooh! Looks French and downbeat and literary. I find I enjoy those. (Don't tell anyone.)
IMAGE COMICS
LOW #11
Writer: RICK REMENDER
Art: GREG TOCCHINI & DAVE McCAIG
Covers A & B: GREG TOCCHINI
32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.50
LOW BLASTS OFF WITH NEW STORY ARC
SHORE OF THE DYING LIGHT PART 1 (OF 5)
Bestselling writer Rick Remender (TOKYO GHOST, BLACK SCIENCE, DEADLY CLASS) and artist Greg Tocchini (THE LAST DAYS OF AMERICAN CRIME) will launch a new story arc in their ongoing dark aquatic fantasy LOW this January.
Previously in LOW, Stel Caine fought to raise herself from the depths of the sea to set foot on the surface of the Earth, battling all manner of enemies.
In LOW #11, Sisters Tajo and Della Caine return to their family home haunted by ghosts of their past. Do they seek blood or redemption?
“LOW 11 is the beginning of the third story arc and a very new direction for the series. Stel and her crew have made it to the surface and finally get to see what's up there. She's in a very different headspace now, with a new engine pushing her forward, but we've got some pretty devious plans on testing her. At the same time, her daughters Tajo and Della have reunited and are beginning a journey to find their mother. They're both in very different places mentally, and want different things from the reunion,” said Remender. “Greg, Dave McCaig, and Rus Wooton are producing the work of their careers; every page is doused in love. If you haven't been reading the book this is a good time to jump on as we set the stage for an entirely new adventure following the first humans to set foot on the surface of Earth in over 10,000 years.”
I read the first Low trade and enjoyed it, but not enough to hunt down any more. So that's my review. Apparently there's a new storyline, which is why Image sent me this press release.
MARVEL COMICS
1602 WITCH HUNTER ANGELA (TPB)
Written by MARGUERITE BENNETT & KIERON GILLEN with NEIL GAIMAN
Penciled by STEPHANIE HANS,
MARGUERITE SAUVAGE, IRENE KOH, FRAZER IRVING & KODY CHAMBERLAIN with ANDY KUBERT
Cover by STEPHANIE HANS
128 PGS / Rated T+ / $15.99
In one of the most magical realms on Battleworld, Angela and Sera are Witch Hunters — the scourges of King James’ England, just as it stood in 1602. But their target now is a new breed of evil: the power-bargaining Faustians! The Faustians have made their deal not with the Devil, but with the ever-seductive Enchantress — and that may be just as deadly. Have your psychic ribbons and lethal weapons at the ready, for the hunt is on! But beware a land where the dead walk, the faerie folk flutter and a ragtag band of ne’er-do-wells perform for your entertainment — that’s right, it’s the Guardians of the Galaxy, 17th-century style! Plus: Revisit the early dawn of the Marvel Universe in the first issue of Neil Gaiman’s original classic 1602! Collecting 1602 WITCH HUNTER ANGELA #1-4 and 1602 #1.
I read the first issue of Angela, Queen of Hel and was utterly unmoved. For one thing, I found Angela herself completely unlikable -- as opposed to her brief appearance in Guardians of the Galaxy, where I did like her. (I haven't yet read her Thor appearances.) Would this series make me like her better?
ALL-NEW X-MEN #4
Written by DENNIS HOPELESS
Art & Cover by MARK BAGLEY
Story Thus Far Variant by MARK BAGLEY
Deadpool Variant by RON LIM
Classic Variant by JUNE BRIGMAN
32 PGS / Rated T+ / $3.99
“FLESH WOUNDS” STARTS NOW!
Pop your claws, because the second arc of All-New X-Men starts here! Today, Marvel is pleased to present your first look at ALL-NEW X-MEN #4 -- the first chapter of “Flesh Wounds”! Fan-favorite creators Dennis Hopeless and Mark Bagley bring you the next chapter in the lives of tomorrow’s X-Men. The Ghosts of Cyclops have been defeated. Reunited at last, the All-New X-Men hit the road in an effort to make their own futures and to be the heroes they were destined to be. But for one X-Man, being a hero means perpetually leaping into harm’s way, even in the face of overwhelming odds. She is Laura Kinney, Wolverine. And her journey is about to bring her face-to-face and toe-to-toe with the Blob! What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object? Find out when “Flesh Wounds” kicks off this February in ALL-NEW X-MEN #4!
I find almost nothing about the new mutant status quo attractive.
As much as I like to diss Wolverine -- and I do! I do! -- he was one of the most interesting X-characters, and he's gone. My favorite, Cyclops, isn't just gone, he's been turned into an irredeemable, psycho villain, and killed off for good measure. Beast is in exile, Kitty is in space, Prof. X and Jean Grey are still dead, Angel is brain-dead ... are there any old favorites left? The business with the Terrigen Mists seems really inconsistent -- sometimes it covers the whole Earth and no mutant can live here, sometimes it's restricted to clouds that can be avoided, other times it's something in between (whatever makes the story work, which is terrible storytelling). And the X-ranks are largely filled by new characters or third-tier characters that I don't much care about. (Goldball? Really?) I was enjoying All-New X-Men for the contrast between the young versions and their older counterparts, but most of their older counterparts are gone, so what's the point of the youngsters now?
Marvel is making it easy for me to forget why I ever loved the X-Men. And that makes me sad.
DARTH VADER #16
Writer: KIERON GILLEN
Art: SALVADOR LARROCA
Cover by KAARE ANDREWS
32 PGS / Rated T / $3.99
NEW STORY ARC!
• The planet Shu-Torin (introduced in the Darth Vader Annual) is revolting.
• Darth Vader is tasked with leading a military assault.
• Has Vader’s rise to glory begun?
Star Wars © Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All rights reserved. Used under authorization. Text and illustrations for Star Wars are © 2015 Lucasfilm Ltd.
This cover reminds me of when Darth Vader was one of the coolest, scariest villains in the history of pop culture. Before he became whiny brat and babysitter-marrying Hayden Christensen, that is.
DEADPOOL #7
Written by GERRY DUGGAN, CULLEN BUNN, AMY CHU, BEN ACKER, BEN BLACKER, MIKE HAWTHORNE, TIM SEELEY
Art by SCOTT KOBLISH, TYLER CROOK, EMILIO LAISO, DANILO BEYRUTH, MIKE HAWTHORNE, MIKE NORTON, PHIL NOTO
Cover by TONY MOORE
25th Anniversary Variant by TONY HARRIS
Action Figure Variant by JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
Young Variant by SKOTTIE YOUNG
Secret Comic Variant by SCOTT KOBLISH
Hip-Hop Variant by RAHZZAH
96 PGS / Parental Advisory / $9.99
Twenty-five years ago in February 1991, the New Mutants encountered a blabber-mouthed mercenary who tore through Xavier’s mansion and into the very heart of the 1990s. Now, that self-same degenerate is one of the most popular heroes in the world, an Avenger, and maybe the smelliest and grossest person that tumblr swoons over. Come see how Deadpool reacts to life at the top of the world ... (hint: he does not handle it well). PLUS: A full array of stories from Deadpool’s new allies, the members of the Mercs for Money! Oh ... and I think there is, like ... some other Deadpool thing this month people are excited about? I forget what.
This guy's pretty cool. Maybe they should make a movie out of him!
Naw -- it'd never work.
RED SKULL (TPB)
Written by JOSHUA WILLIAMSON with
MARK GRUENWALD & MARK WAID
Penciled by LUCA PIZZARI with KIERON DWYER & ANDY KUBERT
Cover by RILEY ROSSMO
112 PGS./Rated T+ …$12.99
One of Marvel’s most vile fiends gets his very own twisted SECRET WARS series! Not for the first time, the Red Skull is presumed dead — but as his legend grows, a team of villains including Winter Soldier, Magneto and Lady Deathstrike are sent on a dangerous odyssey to make sure. They’re heading beyond the Shield, and nobody ever comes back alive from the Deadlands! Yet for one of them, this won’t be a suicide mission — it will be worse! As Marvel Zombies, Ultrons and the Annihilation Wave await, the Red Skull spies a chance at freedom. Plus: A classic showdown between the Red Skull and Magneto, and a major turning point in the Nazi villain’s life! Collecting RED SKULL (2015) #1-3, CAPTAIN AMERICA (1968) #367 and CAPTAIN AMERICA (1998) #14.
Here's what the Legionnaires said:
WANDERING SENSEI
Issue #1 by Williamson and Pizzari: Doom sends out a team of bad guys to bring him the head of Red Skull, headed up by Crossbones. This is written by Josh Williamson, who writes Nailbiter for Image. This is another great start to a short miniseries, and I'm in for the remainder. The art reminds me of something from Eerie mixed with British artists like Cam Kennedy and Ian Gibson. Loved it!
Issue #2: Magneto is very uneasy as he accompanies Red Skull on his way to ask Annihilus for his assistance in taking over God Doom. This is a change in tone from the last issue, which featured several villains doing RS's work. Anyway, Magneto gets the chance to flex his once-absent "muscles" of magnetism, and we are left fearing what will happen next issue.
DETECTIVE 445
Issue #1: didn't do much for me. I wasn't sure what to make of it. It reminded me a little bit of DC's Suicide Squad done in a kind of 70s Marvel Magazine style. Red Skull is a sort of anti-Doom insurgent who is looking to stir up trouble on Battleworld with the help of a motley group of Marvel stalwarts. Maybe, if I liked the art better I would stick around for the second issue, but maybe not.
Issue #2: In my earlier review, I mentioned I was on the fence with this one. The second issue convinced me to climb down. The main reason is that the Red Skull is actually featured in this issue and he's a pretty interesting character. The writer is playing coy about which reality this Skull is drawn from but I think it's safe to say he's not the Red Skull we all know and loathe. He's depicted here as a sort of enigmatic outsider with his own agenda. The story centers around the Skull's plan to depose Doom (which is also the goal of the Maestro in Future Imperfect) and his attempts to recruit white costume Magneto to help him. There is also a version of Annihilus and his Annihilation Wave. It's hard to tell which realities or timelines these characters are drawn from but that doesn't detract from the story. The whole concept of this story is really weird but I'm now interested enough to follow along and the art is growing on me.
SECRET WARS JOURNAL/BATTLEWORLD (TPB)
Written by PRUDENCE SHEN, MICHAEL ROSENBERG, KEVIN MAURER, SI SPURRIER, FRANK TIERI, SCOTT AUKERMAN,
MIKE BENSON, SINA GRACE, JEN SOSKA, SYLVIA SOSKA,
AARON ALEXOVICH, JOSHUA WILLIAMSON, ED BRISSON,
DAVID WALKER, DONNY CATES, IVAN BRANDON, RYAN FERRIER, JAMES STOKOE, PETER DAVID, SKOTTIE YOUNG & TOM TAYLOR
Penciled by RAMON BACHS, LUCA PIZZARI, CORY SMITH,
JONATHAN MARKS, RICHARD ISANOVE, RB SILVA,
LAURA BRAGA, KEN LASHLEY, ALEC MORGAN, DIOGO SAITO, MIKE HENDERSON, SCOTT HEPBURN, JJ KIRBY, MARCO TURINI, AARON CONLEY, LOGAN FAERBER, JAMES STOKOE,
DANIEL VALADEZ, JIM MAHFOOD & STEVE PUGH
Cover by PACO MEDINA
240 PGS / Rated T+ / $34.99
Tales from across the landscape of SECRET WARS! Is Lady Kate of 1602 the notorious Hawkeye Bandit? Can enslaved mutants overthrow Khonshu? Kraven hunts, Matt Murdock cooks, Wolverine investigates and Doc Samson tries to bring sanity to a land of Hulks! The Punisher and Iron Fist! Night Nurse! MILL-E: the model citizen! Plus: Fights, fights, fights! A Doctor Strange-possessed Frank Castle against the New Fantastic Four! Cowboy Deadpool and Devil Dinosaur! Silver Surfer vs. Maestro! Wolverine vs. Wolverines! All the M.O.D.O.K.s! The Agents of Atlas rebel against Baron Zemo! And pity poor Howard the Human, trapped in an anthropomorphic animal realm he never made! Collecting SECRET WARS JOURNAL #1-5, SECRET WARS: BATTLEWORLD #1-4, HOWARD THE HUMAN #1 and SECRET WARS: AGENTS OF ATLAS #1.
Here's what the Legionnaires said:
WANDERING SENSEI
Issue #1 (Williamson, Brisson, Henderson, and Hepburn): Back when this came out, I think I thought this was part of the main story instead of an anthology. This was pretty forgettable. One story was about Punisher Strange (not sure if that's his actual name, but it's who he was...) and the Hulk/Ghost Rider/Wolverine/Spider-Man Fantastic Four, and the other story was about MODOK. I think #2-3 have been out for awhile now, but I didn't grab them, and I'm okay with that.
The opening story (of two) in this issue has been one of the most entertaining stories I've read in this whole event. It's about a group of hero-characters (Misty Knight, Paladin, Bombshell) who are trying to get a rare coin from the family of Kraven the Hunter. It's worth a large sum of money if you can get it back to Kraven in one piece. The only thing about getting this coin is that as soon as you have it, you become the one who is hunted. With bad guys like Rhino, Vulture, Batroc, and Ultron trying to stop them, this makes for a very fun, fast-paced story. The ending says, "See more Killville in MODOK Assassin." If it is by the same team (Kevin Maurer and Cory Smith) as this story, I may have to go back and buy that series too.
Issue #4: I bought this one because it featured a Silver Surfer/Galactus story by James Stokoe. That alone was worth the price of admission, but the second story wasn't bad either. It was written by Peter David and drawn by Daniel Valadez. Valadez's art was very interesting. It was extremely detailed, but a little stilted, like the "actors" had been holding their pose for about five minutes while the artist drew them. But it kind of reminded me of the artwork in The Perry Bible Fellowship in an interesting, Marvel kind of way.
Howard the Human #1: Love this! It's a one-shot that has nothing to do with the rest of Secret Wars except that it is about an alternate universe. Skottie Young writes this one with great skill and Jim Mahfood draws it. Everything you'd want out of these two characters. It's Howard the Duck, only with a human living in a world of animals instead of a duck living in a world of humans. Great little one-shot.
DETECTIVE 445
Howard the Human #1: I've never been a Howard the Duck reader so I have no idea if this reality is something new but it features a realm in which Howard is the only human in a world of anthropomorphic animals like Mouse Murdock. This issue features bizarre artwork by Jim Mahfood and a nice mix of noirish atmosphere and snarky humor. I found it to be pretty well done for this type of comic but it's not the sort of thing I would pick up on a regular basis. Don't know if this will continue past the first issue as the story seemed to have a pretty clear ending.
Agents of Atlas #1: I really enjoyed Jeff Parker's Agents of Atlas books from a few years ago and the Secret Wars tie-in does capture some of what I liked about that run. Unfortunately this appears to be a one-shot with no real indication that there will be any post SW stories forthcoming.
THE TOTALLY AWESOME HULK #3
Writer: GREG PAK
Art/Cover: FRANK CHO
variant COVER by MICHAEL CHO
Variant by TBA
32 PGS / Rated T / $3.99
PREPARE TO MEET YOUR FOOM!
• Amadeus is on the hunt for the biggest, greenest, baddest monster on the block -- besides himself, of course!
• And an unlikely ally lends a hand!
Fin Fang Foom alert!
I don't know why, but I've always loved Marvel working this 1950s monster into their superhero world. He's been a mindless threat, a depressed whiner, a sophisticate, a monster, an alien -- however they've played him, I just think it's cool to juxtapose him with superheroes.
Replies
OTHER COMICS
Publisher: HERO TOMORROW COMICS
Writers: SIKORA, MILLER
Art: GALLEGO
Cover: BENITO GALLEGO
TPB / $19.99
Everyone's heard stories about a hero based on a spider, a bat, a wolverine, but an apama?
Hungarian ice cream truck driver Iliya Zjarsky goes hiking one day and discovers the animal spirit of the most powerful creature mankind has never known. Soon he unlocks the powers of the "Apama" and hits the streets of Cleveland in an offbeat series unlike anything you've ever seen.
"An offbeat saga unlike anything you've ever seen!" reads the cover blurb.
I beg to differ. It looks like a mid-Bronze Age Marvel done by amateurs. Is it an homage? Is it a parody? Whatever it is, it quite clearly IS something I've seen before.
Writer: MIKE BARON
Art: JIM FERN, PAUL MOUNTS
Cover: VAL MAYERIK, ANDRES ESPARZA
Mature / $3.99
Fans have demanded it and now, at long last, the Badger returns! A brand new story ripped from today's headlines, from the inimitable Mike Baron! Badger as you've never seen him: Raw! Furious! Crazier than Randy Quaid! Jim Fern's art will astonish! With a killer variant cover by Paul Pope!
Of all the characters introduced in the golden days of First Comics, Badger is not the one I'd have picked to still exist nearly 20 years later. Is it because he is somehow endearing, or that his creators really push it, or what?
BLOODSHOT REBORN VOL. 2: THE HUNT (TPB)
Written by JEFF LEMIRE
Art by BUTCH GUICE
Cover by MICO SUAYAN
$14.99 | 112 pgs. | TRADE PAPERBACK
“THE HUNT” IS ON!
Bloodshot is on the hunt. Determined to stop the violent reign of terror that plagues Colorado,Bloodshot journeys across the Rocky Mountains to destroy the remaining nanites that have caused mass murderers to spring up across the state. But will the drugs, booze, and insane visions rattling around his head put an end to his journey before it begins?
Start reading here as New York Times best-selling writer Jeff Lemire (THE VALIANT, Descender) and Eisner Award-nominated artist Butch Guice (NINJAK, The Winter Soldier) begin the second staggering story arc of the chart-topping new series that Entertainment Weekly calls “a subversive new take on Valiant’s resident unkillable killing machine.”
Collecting BLOODSHOT REBORN #6-9.
One of Valiant's best books.
CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED TPBs
CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED: THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN
Writer: MARK TWAIN; Art: MIKE SEKOWSKY, FRANK GIACOIA
Mark Twain's sequel to The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, chronicling the adventures of Sawyer's friend, Huck Finn. Classics Illustrated tells this wonderful tale in colorful comic strip form, providing an excellent introduction for younger readers. Also includes theme discussions and study questions.
CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED: JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH
Writer: JULES VERNE; Art: NORMAN NODEL
Verne's science fiction of the scientists who travel deep into the earth's volcanic tunnels and what they find there! Classics Illustrated tells this wonderful tale in colorful comic strip form, providing an excellent introduction for younger readers. Also includes theme discussions and study questions.
CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED: ROBIN HOOD
Art: JACK SPARLING; Cover: VICTOR PREZIO
Adventures of Robin Hood, the great outlaw. Classics Illustrated tells this wonderful tale in colorful comic strip form, providing an excellent introduction for younger readers. Also includes theme discussions and study questions.
It looks like last week's Classics Illustrated wasn't an anomaly -- the line is back in force. Google isn't telling me anything about the publisher, though. Has anybody read who's behind these books? Are they distributed by Diamond? Are there digital copies available? Inquiring minds want to know!
Writer: DAVE DWONCH
Art: ANNA LENCIONI
Cover: ANNA LENCIONI
128 pgs. / A / FC / $14.99
After a young boy dies in his taxi cab, Cyrus Perkins must solve the boy's murder... or be haunted by the spirit trapped in his car! Double Jumpers creator and co-writer of the hit all-ages series Vamplets teams with rising star Anna Lencioni to deliver a supernatural crime noir with a hero like no other: Cyrus Perkins! Collects Cyrus Perkins 1-4.
I don't know anything about this series, but Action Lab provided a big preview, so enjoy!
DEUS EX #1
Writer: ALEX IRVINE
Art: JOHN AGGS
Cover A (Concept Design): YOHANN SCHEPACZ
Cover B (Game Cover): MICHAËL VERHAAF
Cover C: ALEX RONALD
Cover D: BLANK SKETCH
32 pages / $3.99
With society still reeling from the Aug Incident -- the Illuminati-orchestrated event which caused augmented individuals to mindlessly attack their 'natural' counterparts -- anti-aug sentiment is at an all-time global high. Task Force 29 -- an Interpol-funded coalition, created to quash the rising tide of terrorist activity -- stands as the world's main defense against total anarchy.
In the city of Prague, where tension is especially high, the team's latest recruit, Adam Jensen, readies for his first mission with the unit. But being augmented himself, how will the former SWAT officer handle himself when faced with the grim reality of the mechanical apartheid?
Titan Comics is thrilled to announce it has secured the license to publish comic books based on the hugely popular Eidos-Montréal franchise, Deus Ex!
Deus Ex is a multi-million selling video game series that has received countless accolades and acclaim since it first debuted in 2000. Titan Comics’ expansion of this already thriving franchise will give players a new way to immerse themselves in the Deus Ex Universe.
"Eidos-Montréal have set a precedent for cyberpunk gaming and we're delighted to be a part of their next exciting venture,” said Tom Williams, editor, Titan Comics. “The Deus Ex Universe is rich with political intrigue and social commentary and we can't wait to further explore Adam Jensen's journey through this dystopian landscape, as well as introducing readers to some of the characters of the anticipated new installment, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided."
The first 5-part arc is written by Alex Irvine (Iron Man, Daredevil), with art by Marco Turini (Assassin’s Creed cover artist).
Titan has been pushing this book -- based on a video game -- for months. They're looking for a breakout hit, I suspect, but I don't play video games, so I'll just pass on the latest press release and the preview without further comment.
THE DEATH-DEFYING DOCTOR MIRAGE: SECOND LIVES #3 (of 4)
Written by JEN VAN METER
Art by ROBERTO DE LA TORRE
Cover A by JELENA KEVIC-DJURDJEVIC
Cover B by KEVIN WADA
Cover C by BILQUIS EVELY
Variant Cover by JEFFREY VEREGGE
$3.99 | 32 pgs | T+ |
Shan Fong-Mirage thought she had solved the riddle of her ghostly husband...
They thought the magic of an ancient scroll, the Secunda Vita, could restore Hwen Mirage's physical form. But the spells in the scroll are deadly … and after spending decades trapped within its words, the malevolent and corrupted spirit of a long-dead sorcerer has been freed to wreak lethal havoc on Earth! To stop this dark force once and for all, Shan and Hwen Mirage must marshal an alliance of old friends and new enemies, of the living and the dead. If they should fail? The living will die … and the dead will be extinguished in this life and the next!
Valiant's Harvey Award-nominated sensation unleashes an all-new chapter as acclaimed creators Jen Van Meter (Hopeless Savages) and Roberto de la Torre (Daredevil) throw the Doctors Mirage into their biggest adventure yet!
Here's a book I actually hope is a breakout, because I think it's an interesting concept that I want to know more about!
Writers: EDGAR ALLAN POE, ENRICA JANG
Art/Cover: JASON STRUTZ
$3.99
Murder is only perfect when everyone knows you got away with it. Edana Fortunato is the sole surviving heir of two great families whose fates have commingled. On the eve of her inheritance, Edana is summoned to the grand estate to meet the enigmatic Count Montresor. She embarks on the journey, unprepared for the secrets still to be revealed, and unaware that a killer has set the stage for one final act of vengeance upon the Fortunato family. Revenge does not end in THE HOUSE OF MONTRESOR, a sequel to Edgar Allan Poe's classic revenge tale, "The Cask of Amontillado."
Whatever you do, Ms. Fortunato, don't visit the wine cellar. I predict it won't end well for you.
Publisher: DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT
Writer: WARREN ELLIS
Art: JASON MASTERS
Cover A: DOM REARDON
$3.99 / Teen + / 32 pages
James Bond is alone in Berlin, with nothing but the clothes on his back and the gun in his hand. When help is offered from an unexpected source, Bond has no choice but to accept it -- even though it may guarantee that he doesn't live through the night. Dynamite Entertainment proudly continues the first James Bond comic book series in over 20 years! "Ian Fleming's James Bond is an icon, and it's a delight to tell visual narratives with the original, brutal, damaged Bond of the books." -- Warren Ellis
Ellis' cynicism and SF proclivity works surprisingly well in this series. It's not over the top, like so many Ellis books, but remains a grounded, plausible espionage story with a little SF as the MacGuffin.
Writer: SAM HUMPHRIES
Art/Cover: CAITLIN ROSE BOYLE
$3.99
What's to Love: Just in time for Valentine's Day, Jonesy is a comic about love that makes us swoon! Sam Humphries (Legendary Star Lord, Citizen Jack) and fresh talent Caitlin Rose Boyle (Buck n' Lou & the Night Crew) bring something special to BOOM! Box with this series about mad-cap shenanigans, friendship, pals, being a teenager, and figuring out who you are...with a teen cupid twist! If you like Giant Days, dig adorkable romance stories, or just want to smile from ear to ear after reading a comic, you'll fall in love with Jonesy!
What It Is: Jonesy is a self-described "cool dork" who spends her time making zines nobody reads, watching anime, and listening to riot grrrl bands and 1D simultaneously. But she has a secret nobody knows. She has the power to make people fall in love! Anyone. With anything. She's a cupid in plaid. With a Tumblr. There's only one catch-it doesn't work on herself. She's gonna have to find love the old-fashioned way, and in the meantime, figure out how to distract herself from the real emotions she inevitably has to face when her powers go wrong...
This looks aimed at middle-school girls, and I'm delighted that it exists.
JUGHEAD #4
Script: CHIP ZDARSKY
Art: ERICA HENDERSON
Cover A: ERICA HENDERSON
Cover B: J BONE
Cover C: DAVID MACK
32-page, full color comic, $3.99 U.S.
Riverdale High has been taken over by a nefarious outside force! Or has it? It’s up to Jughead and Dilton to get proof, but can the mysterious Captain Slackbeard show the way? It’s adventure on the high seas and in the classroom for the gang! Yar!
I've been a big booster of most of the Archie reboot, except for one area: I don't care for Henderson's work on this title. Where have you gone, Samm Schwartz? Lonely Jughead fans turn their eyes to you.
Publisher: FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS
Writer/Art/Cover: GILBERT HERNANDEZ
$19.99
Comics Dementia collects buried treasures, oddities and rarities from outposts of the Love and Rockets galaxy by Gilbert Hernandez. Most of these stories haven't been available since the 1990s. Saints, sinners, and the Candidelike Roy mingle in jungles, cocktail lounges, living rooms and outer space. Ditko meets Melville meets Bob Hope-but the party really starts when the Alfred E. Neuman of the Love and Rockets multi-verse, Errata Stigmata, makes her entrance.
As I may have mentioned a few thousand times before, Gilbert isn't my favorite Hernandez. But he is certainly the most prolific! Here's a collection of his early work for those who are bigger Gilbert fans than I am.
NINJAK #12
Written by MATT KINDT
Art by DOUG BRAITHWAITE with JUAN JOSE RYP
Cover A by DOUG BRAITHWAITE
Cover B by TOM RANEY
Cover C by CLAYTON HENRY
Character Design Variant by CLAYTON HENRY
Variant Cover by KERON GRANT
$3.99 | 40 pgs | T+
"OPERATION: DEADSIDE" – PART 3
Into the darkness … as "OPERATION: DEADSIDE" reveals the secrets of Shadowman!
MI-6's doomed rescue mission into a parallel dimension is in dire peril as Ninjak and Punk Mambo find themselves face-to-face with the one and only Shadowman! But what is the true nature of the man once called Jack Boniface … and has his time trapped amidst the Deadside's horrors stolen his humanity once and for all? A battle to save the soul of the Valiant Universe is about to begin – but even the good guys can’t be sure if they’re on the right side!
The Valiant milestone of 2016 continues here as superstar creators Matt Kindt (DIVINITY) and Doug Braithwaite (ARMOR HUNTERS) bring "OPERATION: DEADSIDE" thundering towards an unmissable climax!
As fun as the story is the subtext of this team-up: Can the popular Ninjak breathe life into the not-as-popular Shadowman? To be continued!
NOD AWAY
Writer/Art/Cover: JOSHUA COTTER
$24.99 * 230 Pages * Black & White * 7 ½" x 10"
Fantagraphics Books is proud to announce its acquisition of Joshua Cotter's new sci-fi epic Nod Away. Nod Away moves back and forth between physical and psychological worlds, utilizing traditional and abstract storytelling styles to explore what consciousness could be, where it's located, and what function or point it serves.
Nod Away is set on a near-future version of Earth. Deep-space transport has been developed to take a small crew to a habitable planet in a nearby system in an attempt to begin colonization/repopulation. The Internet is now telepathic and referred to as the "innernet." When the hub is revealed to be a human child, Melody McCabe is hired to develop the new nexus on the second International Space Station.
Cotter garnered international acclaim in 2008 with his original graphic novel Skyscrapers Of The Midwest, released by AdHouse Books. For the past seven years, comics fans and critics alike have been calling out to Cotter for a new book. Nod Away is shaping up to be the most highly anticipated graphic novels of the year.
"Cotter is pure cartoonist, in the truest sense," explains Fantagraphics Associate Publisher Eric Reynolds. "He has such an intuitive grip on the language of comics that he makes it look easy, creating these fully realized characters in a fully realized world."
"Fantagraphics has published some of the best comics ever created, and for Nod Away to be in the company of books of such tremendous artistic and cultural significance is both humbling and an honor," says cartoonist Joshua Cotter. "Working on a project of this size and scope will be all the easier knowing that it is in such able hands."
Joshua Cotter lives in rural northwest Missouri with his wife, child, cat and an astute sense of impending mortality. They keep him making comics.
http://fantagraphics.com/flog/nodaway/
Your guess is as good as mine. Interesting cover.
Publisher: FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS
Writers: WILLIAM M GAINES & VARIOUS
Art/Cover: REED CRANDALL
176 pages / B&W / HC / 7 ¼” x 10 ¼”
This collection of 21 Reed Crandall favorites includes sci-fi ("The Silent Towns", "Space Suitors"), horror ("Carrion Death", "Sweetie-Pie"), crime ("The Kidnapper") and psychological terror ("The High Cost of Dying") in which a man must make the choice between burying his wife and feeding his children. Like every book in the Fantagraphics EC Artists' Library, this latest volume also features essays and notes by EC experts on these superbly crafted, classic masterpieces.
I'm kinda losing track of all the different ways you can collect EC stories, and all the publishers offering them. And this after decades of limited access to them. It's like a dam opened up.
REINCARNATION MAN #1
Writer: ARJUN GAIND
Art/Cover: EDISON GEORGE
$1.99
Have you ever felt your life is meaningless, that you are wasting your potential in a dead-end job, that you were meant for something greater? Meet Raman. He's just an average 22 year old with no idea of what the future holds for him until, one day, he decides to try and be a hero. When a young girl is threatened, Raman's uncharacteristic act of heroism leaves him on the brink of death, with three bullets in his chest. He learns that death is just the beginning. Resurrected with the power to access the abilities of his past lives: The Cursed Centurian, The Crimson Templar, The Monk, The Witch, The Magus, the Caveman and more, Raman takes on a new role as the Reincarnation Man!
This a mish-mash of various concepts, including Resurrection Man and Five Ghosts, but as with all things, the execution will determine if it's interesting.
ROGUES: COLD SHIP (TPB)
Writer: EL TORRES
Artist: LOLITA ALDEA
Color: SANDRA MOLINA
Cover Artist: LOLITA ALDEA
Mature / $14.99
In the mythical city of Gerada, Pearl of the South and Cradle of Humanity, Bram and the thief known as the Weasel, try to survive and deal with the multiple dangers and adventures that, literally, hang over them.
Behold the most epic battle in the story of epic battles known to men, women and fantastic creatures! DRAGONS! KRAKENS! DRAUGRS! Uhhh … LOTS OF COOL WORDS IN CAPS!
This volume contains issues 1 to 5 of ROGUES!: THE COLD SHIP Published in the United States by AMIGO COMICS, this fun and adventurous series have been described as a book that “put the '80s fantasy/sword and sorcery feel in today’s storytelling.”
“ I mean this book makes me want to play D&D again and have these kinds of adventures, and for those who never played it’s just an all-around romp of a good time! ” -- Steven Leitman, Reading with a Flight Ring
“The art by Aldea is what originally caught my eye when I saw preview pages, and once I was able to dive into the writing by El Torres I was hooked. ” -- Comic Addiction
“Rogues! is a book that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and Aldea is good at doing very nicely with reactions and other facial expressions without being too subtle about it. She walks a fine line, as the story is a bit more serious, but she manages to keep the tone light while making sure we understand that bad things are coming. In that, she’s in tune with Torres’s script.” -- Gregory Burgas, Comic Book Resources
“If the first volume of Rogues! was pure entertainment, plenty of fun, this second volume demonstrates that a great story can be told even with a bizarre starting point, with no great ambitions. (…) Rogues! is just like that: a dream, a fantasy, a divertimento, and in that, it stands out with ease.” -- Juan Millán, Comic para Todos
To tell you the truth, I find El Torres' writing to be a little on the adolescent side. But the art for this series has always been top notch, and the preview indicates that's still true.
Story by: EL TORRES
Art by: GUILLERMO SANNA
Writer: EL TORRES
Artist: JAIME MARTÍNEZ
Color: SANDRA MOLINA
116pgs, Full Color, $14. 99, Mature
A murder involving a cardinal is shaking the Vatican, so cruel and vicious that goes far beyond any crime and conspiracy that may have taken place in the Catholic Church before. Self-exiled priest John Brennan, a bold, troubled exorcist is summoned to Rome. Because there is an ancient evil spreading within the halls of the Holy See itself!
This volume collects the critically acclaimed four-issue horror miniseries ROMAN RITUAL, published by AMIGO COMICS.
That is one creepy nun. I wasn't raised Catholic, and when I see books like this I almost wish I was -- clearly, those with a Catholic upbringing are bringing more to a story like this than I am, and will probably get more out of it.
THE SCRIBBLER SPECIAL COLLECTOR`S EDITION FILM LIMITED EDITION (GN)
Writer/Art/Cover: DAN SCHAFFER
Mature / $19.95
From the great Dan Schaffer (Dogwitch, Killdarlings). We're all part Yin and part Yang, but Suki's Yang is trying to get out! Witness the Siamese Burn, an experimental machine designed to eliminate multiple personalities. And it works! Suki is down to her last unwanted identity. But now she's losing time, and the machine is changing, doing something new -- something that's going to turn her world inside out. And that unwanted identity, what do you do when it turns out to be you? Bonus material includes stills from the feature film starring Katie Cassidy (Arrow).
I had never heard of this movie, so I dug up the trailer (above), featuring an unrecognizable Katie Cassidy (Laurel "Black Canary" Lance or Arrow). Did anybody watch it? Was it any good? And why is there a graphic novel adaptation two years after it was released?
SECOND SIGHT #1
Writer: DAVID HINE
Art/Cover: ALBERTO PONTICELLI
$3.99
Ray Pilgrim knows how to get inside a killer's head. Getting in is the easy part ...
20 years ago, Ray Pilgrim became a celebrity when he discovered his unique ability to see through the eyes of psychotic killers who were terrorizing London. But his world collapsed around him when he was accused of the same crimes as the monsters he hunted.
Now, Pilgrim's teenage daughter is using her blog to investigate a ring of child abusers that includes some of the most powerful men in British society - men who are prepared to kill anyone who threatens to expose them. In order to protect his daughter and uncover the truth, Pilgrim must reluctantly revisit his past and the twisted path that led to the hotel room the media called The Bloody Chamber.
Here's another entry in the First Issue Sweepstakes. Sounds like something Thomas Harris fans, or maybe Dexter or Hannibal fans, would like. I sometimes fall into that sweet spot on the Venn diagram, but not always, and I'd have to read a few issues to form an opinion. If anybody comes to a conclusion sooner, let me know!
SHAFT: IMITATION OF LIFE #1 (of 4)
Writer: DAVID F. WALKER
Art: DIETRICH SMITH
Cover A: MATTHEW CLARKE
$3.99 / Mature / 32 pages
Dynamite Entertainment is proud to announce that critically acclaimed author David F. Walker will continue the legacy of Ernest Tidyman's iconic private detective John Shaft in an all-new comic book series, Shaft: Imitation of Life, illustrated by Dietrich Smith. The first issue will debut in February 2016 alongside Shaft's Revenge, the first Shaft prose novel in 40 years (also written by Walker), coinciding with the nationwide celebration of Black History Month.
Imitation of Life takes place following the events of Walker's 2015 comic book miniseries, Shaft: A Complicated Man -- a six-part storyline that won a 2015 Glyph Comics Award and was nominated for the Dwayne McDuffie Award for Diversity. After a high-profile case puts him in the headlines, private detective John Shaft searches for something low-profile to keep him out of the spotlight and out of danger … and takes a missing-person case that proves to be more difficult than he thought. At the same time, he is hired to be a consultant on a low budget film that may or may not be based on his life, and proves to be as dangerous as any job he's ever had. But when there's danger about, John Shaft won't cop out -- even if it means squaring off against sadistic gangsters that want him dead.
"The idea for the new miniseries, Shaft: Imitation of Life, is one that's been in my head for a long time, and is something that I'm really excited about," says Walker. "This has been a really fun story to develop."
David F. Walker is an award-winning journalist, filmmaker, and author of the Young Adult series The Adventures of Darius Logan. His publication BadAzz MoFo became internationally known as the indispensable resource guide to black films of the 1970s. His work in comics includes the series Shaft: A Complicated Man (Dynamite Entertainment), Cyborg (DC Comics), Number 13 (Dark Horse Comics), and The Army of Dr. Moreau (IDW/Monkeybrain Comics).
New series artist Dietrich Smith, whose work previously graced the pages of Dynamite's Army of Darkness and Vampirella, says, "Of all the great action heroes I watched and imitated as a youngster, Shaft was at the top -- a private eye with a chip on his shoulder, an attitude that dared anyone to try him. Having the opportunity to draw the smoothest man alive is something I'm very excited about."
"David's first Shaft miniseries was fantastic, and he earned the Glyph Comics Award for Story of the Year. We're excited that he's returning for the Shaft: Imitation of Life series, as he's taking the character to the next level," says Dynamite CEO/Publisher Nick Barrucci.
Shaft: Imitation of Life #1 is slated to release in February alongside Shaft's Revenge, the first official prose novel written by anyone other than the character's creator. David F. Walker says, "Writing the first Shaft book in 40 years has been not only an honor and a privilege, it has been a dream come true. Ernest Tidyman created one of the most iconic and enduring pop culture characters in John Shaft, a legacy that has reached across multiple mediums, and sparked the imagination of millions of people, myself included."
The premise of Shaft's Revenge: When the Godfather of crime in Harlem reaches out to Shaft for a favor, the hardboiled detective finds himself caught in a web of violence and murder. No one is safe as the bullets start to fly and the bodies start to drop, leaving Shaft with only two options: kill or be killed. It's a two-fisted tale of retribution as Shaft cuts a bloody path through city, settling old scores and faces the demons of his past.
"My goal in writing Shaft's Revenge was to craft a hard-boiled work of pulp fiction that would honor the character created by Ernest Tidyman, as well as introduce him to new fans," says Walker. "For those that are already familiar with the exploits of John Shaft, I hope this new book is like a reunion with an old friend."
He's the black private dick who's a sex machine with all the chicks. He's the man who would risk his neck for his brother man. He's the cat who won't cop out when there's danger all about. (Right on.)
STREET FIGHTER™ UNLIMITED #3
Writers: KEN SIU-CHONG, ADAM WARREN
Art: JOE NG & VARIOUS
Cover A (Story): GONZALO "GENZOMAN" ORDONEZ ARIAS
Cover B: (Ultra Jam Variant): JEFFREY "CHAMBA" CRUZ
Cover C (Incentive - Homage Variant): JOE VRIENS
Cover D: (Incentive - Street Fighter V Variant): STEVEN "KANDOKEN" MACK
32pg, Full Color, $3.99 USD
Writer Ken Siu-chong and artist Joe Ng bring us a vicious new chapter of the ongoing story line, while guest writer Adam Warren (Empowered) teams up with artist Omar Dogan (Street Fighter Legends) for a fun-filled bonus story.
About the story: “Guile, Cammy, and Alex travel to Spain to confront the claw-wielding Vega and his deadly new allies. Plus, it’s a school-girl throwdown in a bonus story pitting wealthy warrior Karin against nimble ninja Ibuki!”
This issue’s standard covers include CVR A (Story cover) by Gonzalo “Genzoman” Ordonez Arias, and CVR B (Ultra Jam variant) which continues the 12-part connecting image drawn by Jeffrey “Chamba” Cruz.
This issue also features two retailer incentive covers. CVR C (Homage variant) features wraparound artwork by Joe Vriens, paying tribute to a modern classic comic series. CVR D (Street Fighter™ V variant) by artist Steven “Kandoken” Mack showcases British super-agent Cammy's new Street Fighter™ V design. Ask your local comics retailer about how to obtain these rare incentive covers!
As long as they send me the variant covers, I'll post 'em -- especially with the various homages.
TINKER #1
Writer: JON HUGHES
Art/Cover: MATTHEW WELDON
$3.99
Amy Park is an Asian-American teenager obsessed with superheroes, but she is too young to officially register as one. That doesn't stop Amy from using her talent to replicate any technology that she observes to build her own crime fighting arsenal, and in the process reveal a secret about Zero Technologies!
I like the concept, but the cover art isn't my cup of tea. Still, the list of Asian-American heroes is a short one, so it can't hurt to add to it.
TRANCERS (TPB)
Writers: JUSTIN GRAY & JIMMY PALMIOTTI
Art/Cover: MARCELO SALAZA
96 pgs / Mature Readers / FC / $11.99
In 1985 the cult sci-fi film Trancers captivated audiences and introduced the world to Jack Deth, a rogue trooper in post-apocalyptic Los Angeles who is sent back in time to track down Whistler, a vicious cult leader with the power to turn people into mindless zombies. In this all-new and action-packed graphic novel, Jack has been framed for murder. Jack must escape from a prison full of recently converted Trancers!
I never saw Trancers -- it's possible I never heard about it -- but was it a zombie movie before they were popular?
UNDERWORLD: HOBOKEN TO HOLLYWOOD (HC)
Writer/Art/Cover: KAZ
$39.99
Emmy-winning animation writer Kaz has been corrupting generations with his Underworld comic strip since 1992. Almost-parodies of famous comic strip characters, cigarette smoking cats, cute little saccharin-cuddly creatures, and media-damaged kids are all destined for a sardonic smashing in typically-acerbic Kaz fashion. The Big Book of Underworld presents the very best of the strip, with annotations, photos, and other surprises from the author along with a foreword by Mutts creator Patrick McDonnell.
This is the sort of underground comix I didn't really enjoy. Give me R. Crumb any day -- at least he could draw!
VAMPIRELLA ARCHIVES VOL 13 (HC)
Cover: ENRICH
Writer: BILL DUBAY, BRUCE JONES, RICH MARGOPOULOS, DON GLUT, GERRY BOUDREAU, ESTEBAN MAROTO, MICHAEL FLEISHER, ROGER MCKENZIE, NICOLA CUTI, JIM STENSTRUM, JOHN LAKEY, VAL LAKEY, LAURA BUSCEMI
Art: RUDY NEBRES, AURALEON, JOSE ORTIZ, PABLO MARCOS, LEO DURANONA, ALEX TOTH, ALFREDO ALCALA, ANTON CARAVANA, ENRICH, ESTEBAN MAROTO, JOSE GONZALEZ, DELANDO NINO, JOHN LAKEY, VAL LAKEY, LAURA BUSCEMI, KEN KELLY, LUIS BERMEJO, MASANABU SOTO
$49.99 / Teen + / 400 pages
Can you withstand the bloodcurdling terrors found within the thirteenth volume of Vampirella Archives? Take a guided tour of the Warren Publishing library with horror hostess extraordinaire Vampirella, perusing some of her finest (and most fear-fraught) capers from yesteryear, plus a delightfully devilish selection of the era's best horror and science fiction stories. Confronting tales of murder machines and winged demons, vivacious were-panthers and killer clones, adventurous readers will thrill to the creative talent of horror luminaries Bill DuBay, Bruce Jones, Alex Toth, Auraleon, Rudy Nebres and many more.
This edition of Vampirella Archives collects Vampirella magazine #89-96, and features a wealth of bonus materials from a bygone era, including the "Feary Tales" feature on urban legends, the monthly "Scarlet Letters" column, "Vampi's Vault" of creator biographies and literary reviews, and more.
This post is a reminder to myself to get this. We're coming up on the end; Vampirella magazine ran 113 issues, so it's possible there will only be two more of these archives (depending on how many reprints ran in issues #97-113).
As a lad, I was always baffled by Vampirella. It looked like a skin mag, but when you read one, it was more like a superhero story with scritchy-scratchy European art and an occasional nekkid boob. It felt like bait-and-switch to me, especially since I was at an age where skin mags started to become of interest to me. But I enjoyed them nonetheless, when I could get them (in Memphis, you couldn't buy Warren magazines until you were 18 -- unless you found an inattentive clerk). So getting an entire run of Vampirella was one of those pipe dreams of youth, and lo, here it is in my middle age. Yay!
VENTURE (TPB)
Writer: JAY FAERBER
Art: JAMAL IGLE (PENCILLER/INKER), JAMES BROWN (COLORS)
Cover: JAMAL IGLE
128 pgs / T / FC / $14.99
Down-on-his-luck reporter Reggie Baxter has stumbled onto one of the greatest secrets of all time ... high school history teacher Joe Campbell is the superpowered hero known as Venture! But who is Joe Campbell? And more importantly, how rich will Reggie become by blackmailing him? A creator owned superhero morality tale by two of the industry's finest; Jay Faerber (Copperhead, Dynamo Five, Noble Causes) and Jamal Igle (Molly Danger, Supergirl, The Terminator: Enemy of My Enemy)! Collects Venture #1-4.
As I've mentioned, I read this back in the day, when it was published by Image Comics. And I have all four issues in the Comics Cave somewhere. But, oddly, I don't remember how it ends. That's not much of a recommendation, is it?
WALT & SKEEZIX VOL 6: 1931-1932 (HC)
Publisher: DRAWN & QUARTERLY
Writer/Art/Cover: FRANK KING
Hardcover • 352 pages • 9.5" x 7" • B&W and partial color • $49.95 CAD/$44.95 USD
“The loveliest rediscovery of the vintage-comic-strip renaissance …" — Washington Post
The Gasoline Alley gang enters a new decade with this volume: Skeezix moves from childhood to early adolescence and the high spirits of the 1920s give way to the Great Depression of the 1930s. Walt and Phyllis Wallet travel to England, an extended tour that echoes the real life journey taken by cartoonist Frank King and his family in the late 1920s. While his parents are away, Skeezix tries to solve the mystery of an arsonist. Now entering his teens, Skeezix comes to the fore of the strip as an adventurous boy surrounded by a gang of likeminded pals, and Gasoline Alley becomes an influential pillar of teenage-culture, soon to be widely imitated in Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland films as well as Archie comics.
Designed and edited by Chris Ware, this sixth volume of Walt & Skeezix is a celebration of and homage to American middle class life in the early twentieth century. An introductory essay from comics historian Jeet Heer historical appendices from City of Chicago cultural historian Tim Samuelson, and tons of extras make this book a Gasoline Alley fan’s dream come true.
This is already at volume 6? I had planned to read these, but that's a lot of catch-up.
WAS SHE PRETTY? (TPB)
Writer/Art/Cover: LEANNE SHAPTON
Paperback • 208 pages • 5.5" x 8.3" • TWO-COLOR • $19.95 USD/$22.95 CAD
"A dreamy exploration of relationships and jealousy ... pathy and deadpan ... it's no self-help book" — Salon
What's left when a relationship ends? Where does jealousy come from? Delicately and sensitively, Leanne Shapton (Swimming Studies) ruminates on ex-lovers, and our lovers' ex-lovers. A few expressive pencil lines outline a long-abandoned winter coat here, an ineffably alluring Mona Lisa smile there. Each double page describes the way all exes are captured: as impossible to live up to as a Polaroid taken at a flattering angle.
This new paperback edition of Was She Pretty? brings the reader deep into a circle of phantoms: its intimate liaisons, embarrassing secrets and sardonic anecdotes. Shapton introduces the obsessives and the dilettantes, the poets and the actresses, the people with great hair and the people with idiosyncratic clothes. As funny as it is insightful, Was She Pretty? speaks to a central human concern: how do we compare? Elegantly drawn and perfectly narrated, the pages of Was She Pretty? are a testimonial to the power of observation and misapprehension.
ABOUT LEANNE SHAPTON
PRAISE FOR WAS SHE PRETTY?
"... timeless, cosmopolitan art ... Do you remember your ex-lovers? How would you describe them in a sentence? How would you draw them?" -- Jonathon Sturgeon, excerpt at Flavorwire.com
"Was She Pretty? is ... a voyeuristic tour of other people’s exes, and it may even help you through your own jealousy." -- Madeline Raynor, Bust Magazine
"Shapton quietly plumbs all the familiar trappings of the guilty fascinations we develop with those who came before." -- Lauren Oyler, Broadly
I suspect I will recognize a lot my own dating days in this book. Thank God those are over!
ZOMBIE TRAMP VD SPECIAL #1
Writer: DAN MENDOZA
Art: MARCELO TROM
Cover: MARCELO TROM
Risqué variant cover (limited to 2,000): MARCELO TROM
Variant (limited to 2,000): DAN MENDOZA
Risqué variant cover (limited to 2,500): DAN MENDOZA
Variant (limited to 2,000): PENELOPE GAYLORD
32 pgs / M / FC / $3.99 (reg.) / $4.99 (Var.)
Valentine’s sucks. Especially when you’re Janey Belle. Janey has only been close to love once and screwed it up, but can all that change when she reunites with that very same high school crush? Well it’s a Zombie Tramp story, so it’ll probably be one messed up Valentine!
Features three holiday themed covers, and risqué variants of each!
Because nothing says "romance"... like a decaying zombie girlfriend who wants to eat your heart.
This week's Neal Adams variant covers include Batman #49, Batman/Superman #29, Red Hood/Arsenal #9, Starfire #9 and Telos #5. Can you name the original covers on which they're modeled?
I didn't know the first one. It's after a cover Adams did for the first issue of an 80s Baxter series that reprinted the Deadman stories from Strange Adventures. Adams did new covers for a series that reprinted his Green Lantern/Green Arrow stories around the same time.
If anyone wants to know, the others are homages to Green Lantern (second series) #85, Action Comics #400, Batman #243 and Superman #233.
Classics Illustrated reprints were marketed here in Australia late last decade. I bought some so I'd have some around for my niece to read, and I have them at my elbow as I write. (She never looked at them.) They were published in Britain by McFarland & Company. The editions above are different: mine have a "Classics Illustrated" logo on the upper left of the covers.
Gilberton reprinted the adaptations at intervals, and also replaced them at times. Sometimes, as with Frankenstein, it just replaced the covers. This matters because much of its early art had a 40s crudity. (One of the artists was Henry Kiefer, who drew most of the "Spurt Hammond" instalments in Planet Comics.) It didn't use painted covers at first, so you can see what I mean by the covers at the GCD. Some of the later artists were much better and used attractive, detailed styles.
Kirby did two of the issues, the updated version of The Last Days of Pompeii and The War Between the States. He also did some other work for Gilberton.
I read a couple of the issues as a kid. The King Arthur volume made a lasting impression on me.
I think the reproduction in the issues at my elbow added heaviness to the linework. The publisher used glossy paper.
It looks like last week's Classics Illustrated wasn't an anomaly -- the line is back in force. Google isn't telling me anything about the publisher, though. Has anybody read who's behind these books? Are they distributed by Diamond? Are there digital copies available? Inquiring minds want to know!
I have quite a few of these titles. The publisher I'm aware of is:
Jack Lake Productions http://www.jacklakeproductions.com/ out of Toronto, Canada. As far as I know he has exclusive rights to these well-done reprints. They sell the books directly to the customer.
A quote from his site:
"Jack Lake Productions Inc. has been republishing and distributing the Classics Illustrated line of comics- internationally, since 2003. The company also produces and distributes other related print media products such as coloring books, stickers, posters and other printed material that utilize the Classics Illustrated comic artwork."
ZOMBIE TRAMP VD SPECIAL #1
Because nothing says "romance"... like a decaying zombie girlfriend who wants to eat your heart.
The decay never seems to affect the boobs.