[Zacharie]

Title: 21 Down (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Publishers Weekly (Review 1) and Chris (Review 2) (Don't click it, read the review here... )

Review:

Review 1 - On his 20th birthday, Preston Kills receives a birthday card telling him he will die when he turns 21; his world then goes haywire with strange events and shady characters, but it also holds the promise of redemption. This is a noir action series about a gifted and cursed man with superpowers who is anything but a hero. The artists render the story against a gritty urban backdrop, in vibrant colors and a clean, slick representational style that makes good use of lights and darks to convey an ominous tone. A tattoo artist leading an apathetic, nondescript life, Preston possesses a dark gift: the ability to see a dead person's final moments before death. The power comes in handy for Preston's brother, Robert, a homicide cop investigating a series of extraordinarily gruesome murders. After Preston receives the ill-fated birthday card, a mysterious older woman named Mickey Rinaldi saves his life. An FBI agent, Mickey is flirtatious and secretive, but what she knows may be the key to understanding Preston's cursed past and future. It evolves that Preston is part of the Genies, a secret government experiment to genetically alter children for military and reconnaissance purposes who all share the doomed fate of death at 21. While the dialogue can be prosaic, the story moves along with fast-paced action sequences. It should intrigue action and superhero fans seeking something darker and less conventional.



Review 2 - Part Six - Well, I sat back after reading this issue and having read the first arc of this series and I’ve been blown away by the level of intense drama in this series. I’ve read several reviews of this series where people have said this would be a perfect movie. While I think that’s a great idea, why settle with just a movie that’s one story and then you’re done. This series is set so ‘real’ that it could be easily be a television series picked up by any of the major networks and it would have no trouble keeping up with any competition you put it up against.

Wildstorm has re-designed the concept of gen-actives and made it something moving and very serious because of the entity known only as HEROD. I think that the new titles like GEN 13 and 21 DOWN are seriously taking this new concept and really making some compelling stories. So far, 21 DOWN has proven that you can teach and old dog new tricks and really make a reader care about the gen-actives again like so many fans did back with Wildstorm first came on the scene. I think these two series are reinventing Wildstorm’s core concept and really making it worth reading on a mature level, especially 21 DOWN.

Palmiotti and Gray are really making this a strong series and using some very thought provoking situations and making the reader really get inside the characters. This is what really get’s the reader wanting more when there’s a mental investment in the characters and you want to know more, you want to see them win in the end, but there’s always a cost. Palmiotti and Gray have shown in this first arc that there’s a cost to Preston’s desire to stay out of things. He’s allowed his brother to be the one in that made a difference as a cop, and the end of this issue and this arc, its Preston that decides it is his turn to be the hero and to make a difference.

the Verdict : 21 DOWN is probably the best series that Wildstorm is producing and its amazing that more people are not reading this series. Forget the fact its about gen-actives and its set in the same universe as GEN 13 if you must. Palmiotti, Gray, and Saiz are producing month in and month out, the best Wildstorm series. Its worth the money and then some you’ll have to spend to buy it.

Highly Recommended!

More info:

by Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray (writers)
Jesus Saiz (pencils)
Jimmy Palmiotti (inks)
Paul Mounts (colors)
Richard Starkings & Comicraft (letters)
Joe Jusko (cover artist)
Kristy Quinn (assistant editor)
Bob Harras (editor)

[Zacharie]

Title: The Vampire Lestat (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Faye Perozich (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Sean E. M. Dence (Review 1) and evil_elmo879 (Review 2) (Don't click it, read the review here... )

Review:

Review 1 - I first became involved with the Vampire Chronicles when I saw Interview with the Vampire six years ago. I loved the film and I really liked Louis, Claudia, and Armand. I HATED Lestat. I thought he was a evil monster with a black heart. I read Interview with the Vampire eight months ago and I still hated Lestat. I hated him so much that I skipped The Vampire Lestat and started reading Queen of the Damned. I saw the graphic novel of The Vampire Lestat in a used bookstore a month or two after I read IWTV and I looked through it. I was amazed at the beautiful artwork and I realized that there was more to Lestat than I thought. (He was not as evil as I thought he was before. He is good and evil. A living contradiction.) After I saw the Graphic Novel I saved my money and I bought it a few weeks later from the same store. I read the novel and I was completely blown away. It is PERFECT. It is dark and beautiful and it becomes very real as you read it. As you read the book Lestat almost makes you wish that you could be immortal. He also shows you that he is a complex character that cannot be labelled. (Most characters in movies and books are two-dimensional. They are either "Good" or evil" and that is what makes them dull. Lestat is everything and nothing and that is why he is fascinating.) Lestat is great because he is a perfect contradiction. (He is strong but he is weak. He is independent but he is dreadfully lonely.) I read TVL novel after I read the graphic novel and I now love the Lestat character. This graphic novel is impossible to find! It is out-of-print and it is VERY hard to find! You HAVE to buy this graphic novel if you have the chance. It will quickly become one of your most treasured items and you will be really glad you bought it if you are a Vampire Chronicles fan. If you don't buy it when you have the chance it will most likely become like the infamously insanely hard to find THE CROW graphic novel by James O'Barr. (A great book I would kill to have.)

Review2 - Let me begin by telling you how I was introduced to our brat prince. I saw the movie "Interview with the Vampire" about five years ago. I saw the character of Lestat in the movie and was intrigued by him. He was portrayed as the evil type, and was practically hated in the movie. Of course I love evil people, so after reading the novel "Interview with the Vampire", I immediately went to the novel of "The Vampire Lestat". I fell completely in love with Lestat de Lioncourt. I could feel his pain and happiness, everything was so vividly and beautifully described by our wonderful Anne Rice. So then I picked up the graphic novel, and I fell even more in love with Lestat. The graphic novel is so awesome. But, a word of advice. When you pick up TVL, be sure to pick up the Queen of the Damned novel as well, because where TVL leaves you off and craving for more, QOTD picks up and leaves you satisfied.

You had better hurry up and pick up the graphic novel because it will soon become an extreme rareity!

More info:

Faye Perozich (Adapter)
Anne Rice (Author)
Daerick Gross (Painter)

[Zacharie]

Title: Sweet Tooth (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Jeff Lemir (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Yan Basque (Don't click it, read the review here... )

Review: Sweet Tooth #21

As much fun as Lemire's superhero comics can get when they're on, for me they'll never compare to Sweet Tooth. When he's in full control of the writing, art and direction of the story, we see just how strong he is as a storyteller and artist. This issue reuses a technique that Lemire first experimented with in #12, where we had a narrated story in a continuous strip at the bottom of each page, while a separate world-less story was shown in the rest of the page. In that issue, the technique doubled as a kind of homage to Crisis on Infinite Earths #10, whereas in this one he seems to have developed it into a unique style all his own. I almost wonder if he took a cue from Frank Santoro's fascinating Layout Workbook column at TCJ.com, as he divides each page in such a way that the top narrative occupies a near-perfect square, which gives the book a particularly harmonious feel. I loved issue #12, but I think this one is even better. What's truly remarkable is that in spite of this fairly rigid grid being followed throughout the book, Lemire still finds additional ways to experiment and play with this form. There's something cool and different happening with the layout on literally every page, and it's always in the service of the story and never feels gratuitous or gimmicky. It's just brilliant. Plus there's a panel where Gus and Jepperd hug that is so sweet and moving that it almost made me cry.

More info:

- Written and drawn by Jeff Lemir
- published by Vertigo

[Zacharie]

Title: Brave Old World (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): William Messner-Loebs (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: flooby (Don't click it, read the review here... )

Review:

It’s December 1999 and a team of computer scientists out of Cornell University is working on a virus to fix the Y2K problem. Unfortunately for them a harmonic convergence in concert with the Earth’s “electromagnetic communications web” is causing time to go all wonky. The scientists decide to “create an area of stable time…in Ithaca, then sample outwards using the Internet.” Don’t ask me, I didn’t write it.

Things don’t quite work as planned and as the clock strikes midnight on January 1st, 2000 the team is transported back to 1900. To make things even weirder they “have the clothes and hair and shoes [they] would have had if [they] had been born” in the Ithaca, NY of 1900. If that wasn’t odd enough the scientists are then attacked by a mutated human from the year 1999 who has come to stop the scientists from changing history. Their presence in 1900 has advanced technology beyond humanity’s ability to control it in 1999 leaving the Earth a desolate, sterile wasteland populated by grotesquely mutated humans.

Unfortunately this is about where the good part of the story ends. The rest of this mini-series follows the often-doomed acts of these scientists as they try to undo or come to terms with what has happened. You’re never really sure if their actions caused all of this crap to happen or if they’re just caught in the middle and getting the blame for it from the 1999 muties.

Outside of the excessive historical character dropping, most of the problems with this mini-series can probably be blamed on there being a much larger story that had to be cut down into four issues. Many plot elements seem truncated. At one point one of the scientists (Dr. James Reilly) who questions technology’s place as helpful to society, becomes rich and warns the others that he intends to slow the pace of technology even further to prevent the horrific future. And yet, in issue four he joins the futurists’ schemes with no objections to their introducing technology decades early. There was such a disparity between the flow of the story from issues 1 and 2 to issues 3 and 4 it was almost as if Messner-Loebs threw out two more issues worth of crucial plot and narrative between issue 2 and 3.

As a result the ending of the mini-series was forced, disjointed and confusing. It seemed thrown together so they could have a climactic battle (complete with Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders) with the mutated humans from the future. There was too much of the deus ex machina and not enough coherent storytelling.

The artwork by Guy Davis and Phil Hester didn’t add much to the dismal experience. Usually I like Guy Davis’ work (Sandman Mystery Theatre, The Marquis Danse Macabre) and I picked up this mini-series on the strength of his past work. Phil Hester’s addition to the art (most likely by inking) made for flat and boring characters that, at times, were hard to distinguish from one another. The color palette used was also monotonous I’m sure to convey an unenlightened and ignorant past. All it really did was add another level of dreariness to an already dull and uninteresting visual package.

I would be surprised if DC puts this out as a trade paperback so if you really want to read it do yourself a favor and wait for the quarter box.

More info:

Written by William Messner-Loebs
Illustrated by Guy Davis & Phil Hester

[Zacharie]

Title: Hellboy: The Fury (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Mike Mignola (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Kelly Thompson (Don't click it, read the review here... )

Review: Hellboy: The Fury #1

Strangely, I read two comics this week that dealt heavily with the Irish goddess The Morrigan (this book and “Wonder Woman” #611). Even more strangely, I happen to know a lot about The Morrigan and as a result feel preternaturally qualified to talk about both books. Sadly “Wonder Woman” used The Morrigan solely as an opportunity for a couple of sexy scantily clad ladies to preach unimpressively and do violence, which feels about like business as usual. “Hellboy: The Fury” #1 however, really delves smartly into the idea of The Morrigan through compelling visuals and storytelling.

In this first issue of “Hellboy The Fury,” we learn that the powerful sorceress Nimue of Arthurian Legend has been crowned Queen of Witches, only to then declare herself Badhbh Macha (aka The Mor-Rioghain aka The Morrigan) a goddess of war. She’s also raised an army. Hellboy, who as a descendent of King Arthur has been proclaimed the rightful king of Britain and given both the legendary sword from the stone and Arthur’s long dead army, now risen, leaves the sword and the army at home in order to quest after Nimue and her army alone. The sword, left with Hellboy’s girlfriend Alice, then resurrects Arthur in the body of a man who has been waiting for a very long time. With Arthur resurrected, his army is resurrected as well. And just in time, because Hellboy is having an epic battle with The Morrigan and it’s not going well.

Mike Mignola’s work here is strong, as always. His storytelling is solid and well paced and his writing takes turns being funny, smart, and beautiful, sometimes all three at once. It’s no surprise that Mignola knows Hellboy’s voice in and out, but it is surprising at how captivating he continues to make the character; Hellboy goes on these epic adventures and is constantly re-invented, without ever losing himself.

The art by Duncan Fegredo and Dave Stewart is simply sublime. The imagery, of gods and kings, ghosts and witches, armies and Hellboy, himself, is powerful and compelling stuff. The art accepts the epic but personal nature of the story and makes it even better: bigger, grander, more emotional. The coloring by Dave Stewart is particularly wonderful, both subtle and evocative all at once. Stewart plunges the reader from darkest darks to brightest whites with a seeming ease that makes the book a delight to experience. The best thing about the art on the whole is just the straight up creativity, the way in which everything is approached from character design to storytelling. Nobody is holding back here, and everyone is insanely talented. This is what good comics should look like.

For anyone that doesn’t regularly read Hellboy it should also be noted that the book does an excellent job of bringing potential new readers up to speed. In two easy to read illustrated pages at the start of the issue, readers are given “the story thus far.” It’s incredibly effective, despite the Hellboy lore being complicated at best. It surely beats retcons, relaunches, and reboots. “Hellboy: The Fury” is a great comic, that despite the character’s intricate history makes for a great jumping on point for anyone that has been interested in the character and wanted to take the book for a spin.

More info:

Story by Mike Mignola
Art by Duncan Fegredo
Colors by Dave Stewart
Letters by Clem Robins
Cover by Mike Mignola, Dave Stewart
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics

[Zacharie]

Title: Baltimore: The Curse Bells (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Tristram Taylor (Don't click it, read the review here... )

Review: Baltimore: The Curse Bells #1

I could tell almost immediately that I’m going to really enjoy Baltimore: The Curse Bells, which follows Lord Henry Baltimore’s single minded hunt for one particular vampire through Europe in 1916. Baltimore’s motivations are very personal, though that doesn’t stop him from taking time out to destroy any other unholy creatures that cross his path, and apparently Europe is riddled with them.

In this alternate history, the Great War was ended abruptly by the emergence of a plague that swept the planet. With the plague came the emergence of vampires and other demonic monsters. Whether the vampires caused the plague, or the plague awoke the vampires, is a topic of debate among the people who are willing to admit that vampires even do exist. This sets up one of the many nice little mysteries that this issue presents, along with what the actual history is between Baltimore and his prey, Haigus. Between Baltimore’s narration and the dialogue, it’s obvious that his quest to destroy Haigus is all consuming, and he’ll stop at nothing until it’s accomplished. It also seems like Haigus is afraid of Baltimore, as he is constantly running, hiding, and setting traps instead of facing him.

This promises to be an fantastic series. The world that has been created here is dismal and creepy while simultaneously beautiful and fascinating, which is classic Mignola. Baltimore himself is also a classic Mignola protagonist; strong and stoic without being one-note or cliche. He is a man on an unalterable course who is lethally efficient, but not cold. I do have one minor quibble. A personal pet peeve of mine is when the hero is in a dire situation, but the very next time we see him he is free and well, with no explanation as to how he escaped. This always bothers me, mainly because I want to see the action. I know that this is really just a matter of personal opinion, and this doesn’t affect my score at all.

The art here is damn near perfect. I applaud Stenbeck for being able to draw a dark and shadowy world while still including a beautiful amount of detail. Whether it’s a battle with dozens of vampire, or a close-up of a pock marked drunkard at the tavern every scene is intricately detailed, which is not always the case with horror books of this nature. A lot of the time, shadows dominate the art, but here they enhance it. There’s one scene in particular, where Baltimore and his quirky sidekick-to-be are having a conversation with a beautiful woman in the tavern. In one particular panel, the shadowing of Baltimore’s face telegraphs his next move so well. This is a man who is obviously about to strike, though there is very little detail to the face but the shadows. Beautiful work.

I am completely invested in this series, and I can’t wait to see what happens next. The dark nuns that we saw only briefly here are incredibly creepy, and I look forward to Baltimore’s inevitable encounter with them. Mignola and Golden have created an intriguing world here that is ripe for great stories.

More info:

Writers: Mike Mignola, Christopher Golden
Artists: Ben Steinbeck, Dave Stewart
Publisher: Dark Horse

[Zacharie]

Title: Green Lantern Movie Prequel (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Peter J. Tomasi (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Doug Zawisza (Don't click it, read the review here... )

Review: Green Lantern Movie Prequel: Kilowog #1

The media push for the “Green Lantern” movie has been extremely aggressive of late, so it only seems right that DC would join in that promotion. This week gives the Green Lantern fans two one shots featuring two of the more beloved alien Lanterns from the Green Lantern mythos: Kilowog and Tomar Re.

Naturally, a Kilowog story written by Peter J. Tomasi, the scribe of the “Green Lantern Corps” and “Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors” titles, should be a decent read. Unfortunately, the book spends so much time trying to establish characters, attitudes, and correlations between comic book character and feature film interpretation that it doesn’t offer much of a Kilowog story.

All we glean of ‘Wog from this issue is how much of a reputation he has. Tomasi gives us a sense that not everyone in the Green Lantern Corps believes that Kilowog deserves the reputation he has. That leads to a predictable adventure wherein Kilowog proves that he’s always right, or something vaguely similar to that. Along the way, Tomasi drops in Kilowog’s trademark pet name for his charges and also shares the rumor that Kilowog is the only member of the Corps whose ring makes a sound when he fires it. Otherwise, this story doesn’t do much in terms of establishing Kilowog.

Carlos Ferreira’s art is serviceable, but rough. He does a nice job of drawing characters, but doesn’t seem to plan out the panel layouts very well, as character interactions within panels frequently come across as just plain awkward. One panel in particular towards the end of the book makes it appear as though Tomar Re is putting romantic moves on Kilowog, rather than comforting his comrade at the stunning news of the death of one of their own.

In the end, this comic is limp. I’d much rather prefer to read a great Kilowog story -- which I know Tomasi has in him somewhere – than suffer through a comic fans’ guide to the unnecessarily changed characters you know from the books as they will appear in the movie. Last week’s “Flashpoint” Abin Sur story was more enjoyable and offered more insight to the world of Oa than this book, which is a shame, because it has nothing to do with the upcoming film. This comic, however, seems like less of a prequel and more of a primer, gently easing comic book readers into the universe of the feature film Green Lanterns.

More info: Green Lantern Movie Prequel: Kilowog #1

Story by Peter J. Tomasi
Art by Carlos Ferreira, Silvio Spotti
Colors by Nathan Eyring
Letters by Rob Leigh
Publisher DC Comics

[Zacharie]

Title: Valerian (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Christin Pierre (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Richard (Don't click it, read the review here... )

Review: The City of Shifting Waters

The 28th Century Terran Empire, a world seemingly at peace, where space-time travel is commonplace and so is the Spatio-Temporal Agents Service, patrolling history and the universe to safeguard the Earth and the Empire. Two of the service’s greatest agents are Valerian and Laureline, spirited, brave and always at the heart of any trouble going.

In The City Of Shifting Waters the Galaxity’s only serious criminal Xombul has escaped, stolen a spatio-temporal ship and has headed back to 1986 New York, a crucial time in the Empire’s history, the start of the forgotten era, the time of both the great cataclysm that wiped away the existing civilisation and also the time where space-time travel was invented, an era that saw mankind’s greatest calamity and the technology appear that would eventually save it and allow the current Empire to exist.

The adventures of Valerian and Laureline is, so I read, something of a classic bandes dessine and one of the top selling titles in Darguard’s history, with it’s influence everywhere in modern science fiction. (See this Will Eisner introduction to a previous English language adaptation for just how highly regarded it is).

But to me, it’s a classic that I don’t think has aged particularly well at all. It reads and looks to my uncultured eyes like a badly produced late 70s cartoon series, the kind with badly drawn characters against static backgrounds who always found themselves with every plot device meticulously explained to the point of near irony and every situation the hero finds himself in has some immediately available solution.

And the rough, overly simplified cartooning just looks plain wrong, almost lazy at points. Although perhaps the most frustrating thing to my eye is the occasional panel or even rarer, the occasional page where something fantastic appears, some lovely line, a figure that jumps out as an example of what Mézières is obviously capable of. For example, in the page above, panel 1, the line of Laureline’s face is fantastic, but the rest of the page just turns me off completely.

Cinebook have been putting out some magnificent series, some good series that have flaws and sadly, just occasionally, a title I finish and wonder whether I’m just plain wrong when I think it’s pretty bloody awful. Valerian and Laureline is one of the latter I’m afraid.

But like I said, it’s an acknowledged classic, it’s a huge seller, it’s lauded across Europe. I’m just one voice, saying what I thought of it. You may argue I’m wrong. It has been known before.

More info:

Christin Pierre (Author)
Jean-Claude Mezieres (Illustrator)

[Zacharie]

Title: War Goddess (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Mike Wolfer (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Shaun Manning (Don't click it, read the review here... )

Review:

Following up on the success of its "Lady Death" relaunch, Avatar Press announced at the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo that several classic "bad girl" characters will return this summer in a June-debuting ongoing series from its Boundless Comics imprint. Written by "Night of the Living Dead" scribe Mike Wolfer with art by Pao Rodrix, "War Goddess" will star flagship Avatar heroine Pandora along with the returning Widow and Hellina. CBR News spoke with Wolfer about the series, the characters' histories and the world he's building.

Avatar Press's first release in 1996 was "Pandora" #1 with "Hellina" soon proving another an early hit for the publisher. "Then there's Widow, who was my self-published character with Ground Zero Comics in the early '90s. I then brought Widow to Avatar Press and they published her for a while," Wolfer explained. "But we haven't seen seen anything in about ten years.

"None of the Brian Pulido characters are involved in 'War Goddess' -- at the moment. Who knows what's going to happen?"



Wolfer told CBR News the first challenge of "War Goddess" was figuring out how to bring the disparate bad girls together in a coherent fashion. "The interesting thing about the series is, we've got characters from all different backgrounds. We've got Pandora, the girl of myth. Her story always revolves around the pantheon of Greek gods. Widow, on the other hand, was more of an erotic horror story. Hellina was kind of a combination of the two," he said. "We're meshing them all together and we had to create a world where that was going to fit. We've done crossovers before, which were successful, but now we really want them to be interacting on a more regular basis, so it's more than two characters meet, they fight, then go their separate ways. Now, they have to deal with each other on an ongoing basis, so we had to create an event and basically a new world order for them to have something totally in common where they didn't really before."

The story is set in the present with a significant time having passed since Pandora's and the others' last-recorded adventures. "There's a big scientific disaster," Wolfer told CBR. "There's a supercollider, it does what it does and of course everybody was concerned with the Cern supercollider and what might happen -- is it going to open a black hole in the Earth? OK, we're doing something similar to that and we'll see what happens.

"Pandora's story picks up many years after we last saw her and her eternal quest. Her battle was to collect all the evils that she let loose out of the box and contain them once again within the 'Pandora's Box.' She's done it. It's over and everything is good," the writer continued. "Because of this supercollider accident -- it was actually funded by Pandora's corporation, so in a sense she's responsible for it -- when what happens, happens, it releases really bad stuff all over the earth. In a sense, Pandora's Box has been opened again."

As to how the other women fit in, Wolfer told CBR, Widow is now working in Pandora's employ. "Of course, we'll be exploring how she went from this outcast of society -- a really scary chick, killing and eating people -- how she becomes head of security for Pandora's corporation," Wolfer said. "Hellina has a totally new origin. Some characters that we're bringing back will retain their past history, others will be totally new."

Wolfer said he is "thrilled" to be bringing his own creation, Widow, back to life. "For years, people have been asking me, 'when is Widow coming back?' Of course, I've been bugging William Christiansen, who is Editor-in-Chief at Avatar, 'Hey William, when are we bringing back Widow?' He's wanted to do it, but never really had the right platform and it didn't really fit in with the Avatar company line. Now that we have Boundless and the incredible success of 'Lady Death,' we said we should really expand the Boundless line. There's Widow, there's Pandora, there's all of these great characters that have been in limbo the last several years. It's just a perfect platform to launch them."

Artist Pao Rodrix is a relative newcomer to comics, but Wolfer sees "War Goddess" as the illustrator's potential break-out book. "He's done some stuff for the major companies, Marvel and DC. He's done Wolverine, Justice League, so he does have some major credits. But he's looking for that thing, that one title that will say, wow, this is what this guy's about," Wolfer said. "And his art is phenomenal. Oh my god, his women are absolutely gorgeous. He does monsters really good, he does blood really well -- all of the requirements of 'War Goddess,' Pao meets all of them and surpasses them. Beautiful work."

In addition to "War Goddess," Wolfer will continue to maintain his busy schedule. "I'm writing 'Night of the Living Dead,' I also write 'Lady Death.' 'Wolfskin' is done, that series was six issues, but 'Gravel's' coming back. I was the writer and artist on 'Gravel' for years. I'll be back, but I'll just be writing it. Later on this year, probably late summer or fall, there will be a new 'Gravel' series, too."

More info:

Writer: Mike Wolfer
Art: Pow Rodrix
Color: Digicore Studios

[Zacharie]

Title: Planet of the Living Dead (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Joe Wight (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: fromthetomb (Don't click it, read the review here... )

Review:

“A forced landing on a lawless mining planet brings the crew of a small salvage ship face to face with an entire population of flesh-eating zombies. Every soul on the planet has somehow been turned into a brain-starved ghoul, bent on devouring the new arrivals. Time is pitifully short, ammunition is low. The only things in abundance are the slobbering, bloodthirsty masses swarming across the planet of the living dead! “

Artwork: 4.5 out of 5
Imagine your watching one of those great horror movies that takes place in space. Now translate that movie into comic book pages and you have the artwork for Planet of the Living Dead. This is an amazing looking black and white book, that just floored my eye balls page after page. Great environment design, great characters and of course some GORE-Geous zombies just make this one killer book. Pun totally intended!

Story: 4.5 out of 5
With the horror line at Antarctic you never know if your going to get a fun book or a serious one. In all honesty I thought this was going to be one of the fun ones, but I am so glad it wasn’t. The story is hard-edged balls to the wall from start to finish. You get your typical cast of characters in that you now who you want to do because they deserve it. Being based mostly off the dialogue the pacing is near perfect and it’s just damn good survival fun, but in outer space.

Dying Breath: 4.5 out of 5
A great take on horrific future leads way to what transpires in these pages. The team of Wight and Hutchison seem to be right at home working on this title. You get great art and a very solid story from start to finish that I just want more and I want it now. Good thing Return to the Planet of the Living Dead is coming because I can not wait to see how this plays out.

More info:

Writer: Joe Wight
Artist: David Hutchison
Publisher: Antarctic Press
Release Date: 2011
Pages: 32

[Zacharie]

Title: Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Neil Gaiman (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Itamar Katz (Don't click it, read the review here... )

Review: Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes Vol. 1

This review is directed mainly at those of you who are not widely experienced with modern (one can hardly use the word `adult' without erotica coming to mind) comics, because I do not know many comics aficionados who are not familiar with the Sandman saga - the Citizen Kane of comics, or the Sgt. Pepper, or the War and Peace - and have not read, at the very least, this first installment in the series.

So - you haven't read comics in a long time, have you? Sure, you read it when you were a kid, like everyone else, but then you outgrew them. You went on to read real books with no pictures. But suddenly a couple of people tell you that there have been some interesting things going on in comics in the last twenty years, and you should check it out. You decide to give the ol' funnybooks a chance.

In that case, this book right here is one of the half-dozen masterworks you should start with to get a general idea of what comics are capable of, at least in the English speaking regions of the world (there are some fascinating things going on in Japan and France that I won't even begin to discuss). The Sandman, the ENTIRE Sandman saga, altogether ten books long - collected from magazine-form comics that were published regularly throughout most of the 90s - is one of the truly glorious, shining, perfect creations of, I'll say it, adult comics. That Preludes & Nocturnes, the first story-arch in the series, is the only one that can stand rightly by its own right, other than being a convenience for new readers which may make it easier for them to deal with the size of this saga, is a sure sign of the wisdom of the creator, the brilliant Mr. Neil Gaiman. While completely revolutionizing what people though about comics, Neil started doing so in small doses to make it easier to swallow for audiences and editors alike. Thus, he started here with a story that is a classic folk tale, of a dethroned monarch who goes through a series of quests and challenges in order to earn back his rightful place in power. More help is given by cameo appearances of old and popular characters from the DC Comics universe - such as the Martian Manhunter, Green Lantern, the Scarecrow and John Constantine. Such appearances will become quite rare as the series continues, and the story becomes, rather than a folk tale, a mythology as grim as any Greek tragedy - which, doubtlessly, was in the author's mind from the very beginning. However, though the storyline of Preludes & Nocturnes is schematic and the drawings are often bland, Gaiman's already famous storytelling skills are fully developed, and the books is one of the most fantastic stories he had penned.

The hero of the series is, simply, Dream. His identity is a rather philosophical matter, as he is not so much a god of dream, but rather, the embodiment of the very concept of dream itself. At the beginning of the story, Dream is summoned by a human mystic, and caged. Seventy years later, when he escapes from his prison, he finds his kingdom in ruins, and must return to himself the symbolic garments of his reign to rebuild it. Along the way we have the pleasure to meet some of the most fantastic and fascinating characters in any literary creation, and also some characters who, small though their part may be now, will be crucial in the complete creation of the saga, such as Lucifer Morningstar, Cain and Abel, and the three Furies (also known as the Graces, the Fates, or the Kindly Ones). Though much more fascinating as part of the whole, Preludes & Nocturnes by itself is a perfect piece of fantastic storytelling.

However, it is the final magazine issue in this collection, titled `The Sound Of Her Wings', that gives it more worth than the rest of it put together. Sam Keith's surreal, deformed image of Dream and dark, heavy, brooding lines move over to make place for Mike Dringenberg's realistic backgrounds, light-hearted lines and recognizable human faces. Dream's flowing black robes make way for a t-shirt and a black jacket; the dark and towering Sandman is given a whole new perspective. He now seems like a depressed, bored teenager, sulking in the park and feeding the pigeons. He is then granted a visit by none other than his sister - Death, which is the single most brilliant creation in Gaiman's universe. Death is a perky, cheerful, beautiful, wise, mature goth-girl who confronts Dream and show to him his own pettiness. Completely without any action or suspense, it is this story that paved the way for the revolution that the Sandman series began. And this story alone remains one of the handful true perfect masterpieces of the medium. It is this story alone that makes this book a milestone in modern comics - and literature - and essential reading for everyone interested in the medium.

And, oh, I said half dozen masterworks, right? So, to complete the list, let's say: Alan Moore's `Watchmen', Art Spiegelman's `Maus', Scott McCloud's `Understanding Comics', Frank Miller's `The Dark Knight Returns' and Kurt Busiek's `Marvels'. Or, to make it a top ten, let's add Peter Kuper's `The System', Garth Ennis's `Preacher', Grant Morrison's `Arkham Asylum', and anything by Robert Crumb. Enjoy!

More info:

Written by Neil Gaiman
Illustrated by Sam Kieth/Mike Dringenberg/Malcolm Jones III.
Colours: Robbie Busch (and Daniel Vozzo).
Letters: Todd Klein.
Editor: Karen Berger.

[Zacharie]

Title: Saw: Rebirth (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Kris Oprisko (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: TwiggsRevenge (Don't click it, read the review here... )

Review:

Saw: Rebirth is a comic book one-shot published by IDW Publishing. It was written by R. Eric Lieb and Kris Oprisko with art by Renato Guedes.

The comic book is a prequel to Saw, as well as the entire series. It delves into the origins of the tortured John Kramer and his sinister alter-ego, Jigsaw. Also, it fleshes out Jigsaw's past and motivations, and answers some unexplained questions from the first film such as how he knew all his victims and how a dying old man could concoct such elaborate traps.

The comic fit neatly into the first three films' storyline and explained many unanswered questions. It was discovered that John worked in a toy division, from where he may have acquired his sinister puppet, Billy. It was also discovered how he was familiar with all of his subjects from the first film. It was revealed that John's loss of hair from the first film is not due to chemotherapy but rather him shaving his hair. John was also viewed doing all the research and experiments for his subjects, something that many had found hard to believe prior. Rebirth also marked the first appearance of Jill Tuck, John's former wife, who later appeared in Saw III and Saw IV. (Betsy Russell, who was cast as Jill after the comic came out, bears little resemblance to her character in the comic.)

Writer Leigh Whannell said on the commentary track for Saw II that the scene of John shaving off his hair in Rebirth was originally in the script, and that it was supposed to symbolize his transformation into Jigsaw, but the producers cut it out.

More info:

Creator: R. Eric Lieb
Writer: Kris Oprisko
Artist: Renato Guedes
Publisher: IDW Publishing

[Zacharie]

Title: Critter (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Tom Hutchison (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Dan Cole (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" Head on over and give Critter a read!"
Review: Critter #001

Big Dog Ink is best known for Penny for Your Soul , Tom Hutchison’s critically-acclaimed series. Now they’ve decided to branch out to the flights and tights genre, with Critter being their flagship comic. You like superhero action and adventure at its purest? Then Critter’s right for you.

The first issue of Critter is a step in the right direction, as far as establishing a superhero comic’s status quo. If you didn’t pick up the Critter origin that BDI released last year, don’t worry – you’re up to speed within the first six pages.

The story revolves around Cassia Crawford, a second-generation superheroine who has decided to follow in her deceased mother’s footsteps as Critter – donning a variation on her mother’s old union suit. Though an orphan, Cassia has a foster super-family, of a sort. These men and women that worked with her mother care for Cassia and train her to be the best hero she can be. Cassia’s normal life is loaded with the usual superhero fare: college, a roommate that puts a crimp in her heroic extracurriculars, an obnoxious athlete, and the geek that’s sweet on her but ultimately unnoticed.

Most of this issue is introduction. That’s not a bad thing when it comes to superheroes, but it does make things a bit slow for new readers. The introduction of the villain Yellow Jacket helped things a bit – and the designs for that character are fantastic, in my opinion. YJ is a baddie that I look forward to seeing again.

When I first met Tom Hutchison, the business card he handed me read “Critter’s Daddy.” This is evident when it comes to the story in Critter #1. It’s obvious that Cassia is a character he has grown quite fond of while building her world. He’s taken steps to ensure that she is a well-adjusted and well-liked individual. Hutchison cares greatly for Critter, and it shows.

Fico Ossio’s art is solid here. His character and costume designs are original and appealing. The action sequences are clear and concise, and nothing gets lost in the fighting. The one bit Ossio needs to take note of is his figure and form. His close-ups are good, but when we see some minor action from a distance, things tend to get a bit wobbly.

Critter #1 was released last week, but since it’s a small-press title you may need to look farther than your local comic shop to find it. Your best bet is the Big Dog Ink website. So head on over and give Critter a read!

More info:

Words: Tom Hutchison
Art: Fico Ossio

Publisher:

[Zacharie]

Title: Critter: origin (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Tom Hutchison (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Brian (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" This was a good read if you’re really in need of something to pass the time."
Review:

PASSING THE TORCH - Our story opens in Greenville, Michigan as Cassia Crawford demonstrates just how much of a tomboy she is when she has trouble buying clothes for an upcoming vacation to California. As she heads home through the corn fields, a truck nearly runs her down as it speeds by. Hanging out of the window, a small girl cries for help. Cassia chases after her as she wonders if her secret abilities are capable of stopping a speeding truck. Nervously she jumps into the back of the truck and prepares to jump off the tailgate and pull it to a stop. All she’s ever done before was stop a mugger and save a cat from a tree. Is she ready for this? The little girl buckles her seat belt as the kidnapper day dreams about his ransom money when Cassia puts her abilities to the test. The truck comes to a dead stop but the driver doesn’t as he flies out the windshield landing several feet in front of the vehicle. The grateful child hugs her then the two of them walk to safety all the while not knowing that they were being watched from above by a mysterious stranger in blue and white.

Returning home, Cassia finds her old friend Brenda who she hasn’t seen in years waiting for her on the front porch. The two go inside and share a cup of tea as they catch up. The conversation starts with Brenda asking if Cass still reads up on superheroes from the news and asks if she remembers a hero named Velvet Fox. Despite her grandmother’s efforts to keep her away from it, Cassia recalled the hero just as Brenda reminds her that Velvet Fox died the same year her mother did. Finally piecing two and two together, Brenda tells Cassia all about how heroic her mother was and how she longed to protect her daughter. Cassia was in for an even bigger shock when Brenda revealed that her mother’s costume and hideout were hidden behind her grandmother’s bookcase all along and that it was her last wish that she would inherit it. After trying the costume on and joking about how she looked like a critter, Brenda tells her that she didn’t come alone. In the living room waited the superhero team known as The Core (Paradox, Rookie, Icon and Starlette); her mother’s former teammates. Starlette informs Cass that her mother wanted her to be trained to use her superpowers. Brenda interjects and states that it was her wish that her education come first. As the two caretakers bickered back and forth, Icon steps forward to invite her to join the team her mother once called her home.

FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY - This story has cute written all over it with the sweet country girl protagonist and her simple lifestyle rescuing the innocent little girl in God’s country. This issue plays out like a Dear Diary moment in every way. It’s a really good origin story but I wonder if the lighthearted theme of the first issue is going to fit well with the expectations of being in her mother’s shadow. The flashback scenes of her mother saving the day seemed to be on par with any other team based superhero book and Cassia is talking as if she’s on a CW show. Perhaps she lives next to Kent Farm. I wonder if the next issue is able to pull itself out of this down home feelin’ while not seeming like they had to change the tone of the book.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION - It’s hard to keep in mind that this story takes place in Michigan. Between the cowboy hat, corn fields and country atmosphere, it feels like everything is taking place in the Heartlands of America or somewhere in the South. There are times where I swear I can hear a country drawl in the way they’re read. I’m sure there are farms in Michigan but I think most people will admit that that isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you consider the region.

THAT FARMER’S DAUGHTER FEELING - The art is very well drawn and reminds me a lot of Gen13. Our heroine bears a slight resemblance to Fairchild with her proportions being squeezed into a skin tight body suit. At first glace of the cover and reading the first few pages, I almost wondered if this comic would have gratuitous chest and butt shots once in costume. The girls are definitely drawn sexy but in a wholesome natural way that delivers the same effect; making guys stare. Speaking of “staring”, in the first few pages Cassia’s left eye really distracted me. One page 3, her eye looks really gimp in two panels and made me wonder what was wrong with her. It’s so noticeable that I had to stop at the end of the page to stare at it some more and try to figure out if it was supposed to look like that or not.
MEASURING UP

This issue hits shelves in August, so if you’re interested you can pick up a Previews book and preorder now. This was a good read if you’re really in need of something to pass the time. I don’t have hope that this is going to be the next major superhero story but will admit that it would probably be a read for when you want to spend time with something that’s not a universe encompassing mega event. I give this issue two out of five stars because while fun, still has a few inconsistencies and more than a few things that remove me from the story being told. Just don’t tell DC that there’s another Justice League type team being lead by a man named Icon.

More info:

Written by Tom Hutchison
Art by Jose Luis

Publisher:

[Zacharie]

Title: B.P.R.D.: HELL ON EARTH - MONSTERS (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Mike Mignola and John Arcudi (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Greg McElhatton (Don't click it, read the review here... )

Review: B.P.R.D.: HELL ON EARTH - MONSTERS #1

Normally, the big hook for "B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth: Monsters" #1 would be the return of Liz Sherman, who's been missing in action for a while now. One of the main characters of the "B.P.R.D." universe of books, her return to the present continuity of the series (not including the recent flashback/origin story for Liz) would be a big deal.

But "B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth: Monsters" #1 has something bigger going on, and that's the arrival of Tyler Crook, who's taken over the artist position from mainstay Guy Davis. And, fortunately, on his very first issue Crook's doing a good job of filling those shoes. Crook's art reminds me of a strange cross between Karl Moline ("Fray," "Route 666") and Jessica Abel ("La Perdida," "Artbabe") but it works. He's able to draw characters in broad strokes when he wants — a big mustache in a single brush stroke, dots for eyes, trucker's cap drawn with minimal lines — but isn't afraid when the scene warrants it to go for a finer line with a lot more detail. When Liz first walks into the trailer, Crook goes that extra step to depict her perfectly; you can see what she's thinking in her eyes and her posture, that combination of exasperation and weariness with annoyance and anger.

Perhaps even more importantly, Crook's able to tackle the creepy aspects of "B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth: Monsters" here. From Liz's dream with the supernatural creatures and figures, to the appearance of a single frog, there's a genuine sense of menace throughout this comic. And when we get to the climactic scene of this issue, well, without giving anything away let's just say that Crook can handle gruesome just fine, too.

Mike Mignola and John Arcudi are continuing to surprise me when it comes to the new direction of "B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth," a firm reminder on why the comic has gained a new subtitle. From the church that now worships the horrific creatures as God, to the quieter, more down-to-earth location of a trailer park, it feels like we're getting a greater look at how all of these events are affecting the world, and not just in a collateral damage sort of way. This new strategy of seeing the after-effects and reshaping of the country's population is holding my interest strongly, and it's refreshing to have absolutely no idea what's going to happen next.

"B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth: Monsters" #1 is a comic where you might come for the arrival of Crook as artist, but you'll stay for the way that Mignola, Arcudi, and Crook tell their story. Eighty issues in, and "B.P.R.D." is still going strong.

More info:

Writer: Mike Mignola, John Arcudi
Artist: Tyler Crook
Colorist: Dave Stewart
Cover Artist: Ryan Sook